A telescope lens assembly removably mountable on a spectacle frame is provided which includes a mounting bracket having a first pair of fixed clamping arms, a telescope lens pivotally mounted on the mounting bracket with a support bracket, a spring clip having a handle, a second pair of clamping arms for engaging with the first pair of clamping arms, and two projections, and a wire spring wound around each of the two projections which engages with the support bracket to allow precise placement of the telescope lenses in an operative position from a non-operative position.

The present invention relates generally to visual aids and more particularly to an optical device including a pivotally and removably attached lens assembly which can be repeatedly and precisely placed in a selected operative position without the need for refocusing.
Many people are employed in occupations that involve precision work performed at an arms-length distance, for example, surgeons, dentists, medical and other technicians, and machinists. Precision work is much more desirably performed if the work area can be significantly magnified as this reduces eye fatigue, improves working posture and increases the accuracy of the job. Moreover, there are people with serious vision deficiencies who must use vision aids in order to view objects that are either close-up or remotely located.
Accordingly, a number of devices have been developed which provide magnification of distantly located objects. Many of these devices combine a set of spectacles with a pair of telescopes. In some of these devices, each telescope is attached directly to its respective lens of the spectacles. One such device can be seen by referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,075 entitled OPTICAL VIEWING SYSTEM issued to Eliakim on May 29, 1990.
Other devices have telescopic lens assemblies that are pivotally attached to the spectacle frame. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 296,337 entitled DENTAL BINOCULARS issued to Caplan on Jun. 21, 1988. In this patent, a pair of telescopes are supported in a frame that is pivotally connected to a spectacle frame by a hinge arrangement. When the user wishes to view an object through the telescopes, the user flips the telescopes down in front of the lenses. When the user wishes to view conventionally through the spectacles, the telescopes are flipped up and away from the lenses.
A variety of devices for securing objects to eyeglasses or spectacles are also known. For example, there are many well-known clip-on devices for securing sun visors and ornamental fixtures to a pair of eyeglasses.
A problem associated with devices employing pivoting telescopic lens assemblies is that each time the telescopes are flipped-down into the operative position, the user must refocus each of the telescopes. This is because these devices do not provide a mechanism for accurately placing the telescopic lens assembly in the same position each time the lenses are flipped down. This can be quite an inconvenience especially if the user happens to be a surgeon, dentist, or a laboratory technician. In this situation, the user must interrupt the procedure or test being performed and refocus the telescopes or attempt to pivot the telescopes back into the same position as before. This is especially inconvenient, particularly during procedures where the surgeon or dentist is repeatedly flipping the telescope assembly up and down to look between the work area or patient, equipment, and/or personnel.
Another problem associated with pivoting telescope assemblies relates to the difficulty encountered when attempting to look around the telescope assembly in the flipped-down operative position. More particularly, the support frames used to mount the telescopes tend to obstruct a portion of the spectacle lenses. Additionally, these support frames centrally position the telescopes in front of the spectacle lenses when the telescopic lens assembly is in the flipped-down, operative position. Thus, if the user wishes to look through the spectacles in a conventional manner, the user must flip up the spectacles to the non-operative position.
One solution to the problem is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,193 to Murphy, assigned to the assignee herein, which relates to a locking pivoting lens assembly with a hinge detent. The optical device comprises a spectacle frame with a pair of optical lenses. The optical device further includes a lens assembly pivotally attached to the spectacle frame which is pivotable between an operative position, and a non-operative position. A detent mechanism included in the optical device allows a user to repeatedly position the lens assembly into either position. The device, however, is attached to the spectacle frame, and hence, is not easily removable.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved optical spectacle device that employs a pivoting telescopic lens assembly that can be repeatedly flipped down into precisely the same operative position from a non-operative position, thereby eliminating the need to repeatedly refocus each of the telescopes, and which also is easily removable from the spectacle frame.
Briefly described, the telescope lens assembly of the present invention is removably mountable on a spectacle frame and includes a mounting bracket comprising a base and a first pair of fixed clamping arms; a telescope lens pivotally mounted on the base via a support bracket; a spring clip, comprising a handle, a second pair of clamping arms for engaging with said first pair of clamping arms, and two projections; a wire spring wound around each of said two projections which engages with the support bracket to allow precise placement of said telescope lens in an operative position. The support bracket has a flat portion on which the spring rests when the telescope lens is in an operative position, and has a detent in which the spring rests when the telescope lens is in a non-operative position.
The telescope lens assembly removably mountable on a spectacle frame includes an elongate bar member comprising a substantially planar surface with raised portions each portion defining an interior; a first pair of fixed clamping arms disposed substantially perpendicular to said bar member; a first platform comprising a substantially planar surface extending in a first direction from said bar member, and a stop which defines a recess, the stop disposed substantially perpendicular to the first platform; two second platforms extending in a second direction from said bar member, each of the two second platforms comprising a brace disposed substantially perpendicular to said bar member; a telescope lens assembly comprising a support bracket pivotally mounted on the first platform adjacent the recess; a clip member pivotally mounted by a double spirally wound spring adjacent the brace of each of the two second platforms and the interior of the raised portions, the clip member comprising a first post and second post for receiving the respective spirally wound portions of the spring, and a second pair of fixed clamping arms for cooperatively engaging with the first pair of fixed clamping arms, the spring member engaging the bar member to allow precise placement of the telescope lens in an operative position. The clip member also includes a handle. Preferably, the elongate bar member, the first pair of clamping arms, first platform, and two second platforms are of unitary construction.
The mounting bracket of the present invention includes a planar base with raised portions extending in one direction having semi-circular cutaway interiors; a first pair of fixed clamping arms extending substantially perpendicular to and extending in an opposite direction from the raised portions; a first platform comprising a planar surface extending in a first direction from the base along the same plane thereof, and a stop which defines a recess, said stop disposed substantially perpendicular to the first platform; and two braces extending in a second direction from the base which are disposed substantially perpendicular to the base. A telescope lens assembly comprising a telescope lens and support bracket is pivotally mounted on said the platform adjacent said recess by a support bracket comprising a flat portion and a detent. A clip member comprising a handle, a first post and a second post, and a second pair of fixed clamping arms cooperatively engages with the first pair of fixed clamping arms, wherein a spring member is spirally wound onto the first and second posts for pivotally mounting the clip member to the mounting bracket, and for retaining the support bracket of the telescope lens assembly adjacent the cutaway interiors of the raised portions.

Clip-on pivoting telescope lens assembly having means for precise placement of the telescope lens in the operative position


A cutting assembly structured to cut sheets of paper or a like material from a supply roll, the assembly including a base having a guide assembly and at least one cutting blade disposed in a predetermined cutting orientation. The guide assembly includes a contact portion which is configured to substantially conform to the outer surface configuration of the supply roll so as to facilitate sliding engagement of the contact portion with the supply roll as the base is moved along a length thereof. Moreover, the cutting blade is disposed in the base such that the sheet of material is guided thereto as the base is passed across the sheet of material, and the contact portion and cutting blade are cooperatively disposed and structured relative to one another so as to maintain the cutting blade in the cutting orientation and at a substantially constant spacing relative to the supply roll and the sheet of material being cut as the base is moved along the length of the supply roll.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cutting assembly for cutting sheets of paper or other material from a supply roll of such material, wherein the cutting assembly is easily manipulable and movable relative to the supply roll to accomplish severing of the sheet therefrom in a uniform manner. The cutting assembly includes a guide member structured to facilitate proper positioning of a cutting blade at a substantially constant spaced distance from the supply roll without requiring a large mechanism in a pre-defined work space.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, the dispensing of wrapping paper and like materials such as aluminum foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, etc. from a supply roll of such material is accomplished through the use of a scissor or like cutting implement, or the provision of a cutting blade mounted on an exterior of a packaging container for the wrapping paper or the like. The conventional design for such cutting and/or dispensing devices often involves the placement of the elongated supply roll of such material on the interior of a container having a cutting blade mounted substantially adjacent an opening of the container. As such, when the container is first opened a length of material to be cut is pulled out, away from the roll and along the cutting edge of the blade attached to the container. The container may then be closed and the sheet of material being cut is manipulated or pulled downwardly or otherwise manipulated for positioning against the cutting edge of the blade.
Devices of the type set forth above have been known and commercially available for a number of years. However, these known structures and procedures are generally only considered for dispensing sheets of material from supply rolls wherein it is acceptable for those materials to come prepacked. Moreover, such assemblies do not generally achieve a uniform and smooth cut. As such, attempts have been made to improve the dispensing of sheets of a variety of different materials in a manner which avoids a ragged or uneven edge being formed on the sheet of material being cut as well as rendering the act of dispensing and cutting such sheets more efficient.
When dealing with paper sheets, however, a further limitation to the type of cutting mechanism relates to the fact that the rolls of paper or like material are generally not commercially available prepackaged in containers having preformed cutting blades thereon. Such materials range from decorative, holiday wrapping paper to much larger supply rolls of material designed for commercial or retail use. When dealing with such materials, the size and necessary retail cost of such products make it impractical and overly expensive to place such rolls within a separate container, especially because of the desirability to have the exterior of the paper visible to a consumer for effective product selection at a point of purchase. As such, when a consumer purchases such rolls, they must use a conventional cutting device, or in the case of larger commercial rolls, larger support racks and attached cutting facilities may be available such that a substantially large supply roll of the material to be dispensed is mounted on the supporting rack or frame. In those large, commercial devices a cutting blade is fixedly or movably attached to the frame and is positioned in a cutting orientation relative to a leading portion of the material being dispensed from the supply roll. These more commercially oriented devices also may include fixed guides or like structures which attempt to orient or position a leading portion of the material, as it is pulled from the roll, in a proper position relative to a cutting blade to accomplish a clean "cutting line" thereon, thereby avoiding the problems of ragged, uneven borders on the sheet of material being dispensed. While such structures are operative for their intended purpose they are specifically designed for the aforementioned retail and/or industrial usage. As a result, such "fixed" dispensing and cutting structures are not readily adaptable for use in the removal and separation of sheets of paper or like material from smaller sized supply rolls.
As indicated, decorative wrapping paper and other similar materials are frequently sold or available to the consuming public absent any combined container and cutting structure such as is common with aluminum foil. Wrapping paper rolls are generally packaged in transparent wrapping material so that the consumer may clearly view the color, designs or other decorative features of the wrapping paper. Once put in use, wherein a user desires to remove a sheet portion from the supply roll, such user must rely on other more conventional cutting instruments such as scissors or like cutting instruments. While these conventional instruments are designed to adequately remove a sheet of paper of any desired dimension from a roll of stock, the bordering edge of the removed sheet is frequently ragged and uneven. This may result in an unsightly exposure of such ragged edges such as when the paper is used to wrap holiday presents or other gifts. In order to overcome the above set forth problems existing in the area of dispensing sheets of paper or like material from a stock roll there is a need for a preferred cutting assembly which is preferably includes a guide structure and is capable of forming a clean, smooth edge or border along the cutting line, as the sheet is severed from the stock supply roll. In addition, such a preferred cutting assembly should be capable of quickly and effectively severing sheets of material from stock rolls of different sizes. The structure of such a preferred cutting assembly should be such as to allow it to be sufficiently light weight to be hand-held, so that it can move freely or otherwise be manipulated relative to the supply roll and the sheet of material being cut therefrom. The design and overall configuration of such a cutting assembly should be sufficiently versatile to permit its mounting on some type of mounting frame which may support a roll of stock material, if such utilization is applicable for the intended user. In addition, the overall structural design of such a preferred cutting assembly should be capable of being used in combination with other somewhat conventional cutting instruments such as a knife blade, scissors, letter opener, or the like. Alternately, the preferred cutting assembly could be equipped with a prefixed cutting blade which is properly oriented in a cutting position to accomplish clean, smooth and efficient severing of a plurality of sheets from the roll of supply material.


An insert component (2) is located at a predetermined position between a pair of halves of a mold (1) in an open state while being held by a support (12) for holding the insert component (2) outside the mold. A tubular molten resin (4) is extruded through a die (3) between the pair of halves of the mold (1) to dispose the insert component (2) in the interior space (13) of the molten resin (4). By clamping the mold (1), the insert component (2) is covered with the tubular molten resin (4) in conformity with the contour thereof to result in an insert-mold product (20).

The insert molding by an injection molding method has been widely used in the prior art, in which an insert component is covered with resinous material in conformity with the contour of the former.
Generally, in the injection molding method, an insert component is located and fixed at a predetermined position within a cavity of a mold made, for example, of metal and is clamped in this state. Then, molten resin injected from a nozzle of a molding machine is filled in the cavity via a sprue, a runner and a gate to cover the outer circumference of the insert component in conformity with the cavity-forming surface, thus forming the insert-mold product.
In the above-mentioned injection molding method, however, it is necessary to apply and maintain a high pressure in the interior of the mold after the molten resin has been filled in the cavity, for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of the contour of the mold product while complementing the volume contraction of the molten resin accompanied with the solidification thereof.
Accordingly, as the mold must have a high mechanical strength durable against such a high pressure, there is a problem in that a cost of the mold is high.
Also, as the insert component disposed in the cavity is exposed to the high pressure, there is another problem in that it is impossible to directly carry out the insert molding while using a relatively fragile component as an insert component, such as a glass pipe or a bare chip.


The present invention relates generally to enzyme assays and more particularly to a rapid, sensitive, reliable and robust homogeneous assay for acetyl CoA carboxylase activity comprising a coupled enzyme assay in a scintillation proximity format suitable for high-throughput screening. In one aspect, the assay couples ACC and FAS and the product, palmitic acid is then detected by scintillation counting. The invention also relates to the identification of modulators of ACC activity.

Acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) is the rate-determining enzyme of fatty acid biosynthesis in plants and animals. ACC is a biotin containing enzyme which catalyzes the carboxylation of acetyl CoA to form malonyl CoA in a two-step reaction (Beaty & Lane, (1982). J. Biol. Chem. 257:924-929). The first step is the ATP-dependent carboxylation of biotin covalently linked to the enzyme. In the second step, a carboxyltransferase step, the carboxyl group is transferred to the substrate, acetyl CoA, to form malonyl CoA (FIG. 1). Citrate is a potent allosteric activator of ACC. Malonyl CoA is the C2 donor for de novo synthesis of long chain fatty acids.
In mammals, there are two subtypes of ACC, ACC1 and ACC2. ACC1 is mainly localized in lipogenic tissues such as adipose tissue and liver, where fatty acids are synthesized. ACC2 is found primarily in non-lipogenic tissues such as skeletal muscle and heart muscle, although some is also found in liver. Malonyl CoA allosterically inhibits carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1), which is a critical enzyme to transfer the long chain fatty acid into the mitochondria for β-oxidation. Because ACC2 is co-localized with CPT-1, the primary role of malonyl CoA that is synthesized by ACC2 has been suggested to regulate the rate of β-oxidation.
ACC is a potential target in metabolic diseases for the treatment of metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. Increased rates of muscle fatty acid oxidation, a reduced fat content and a reduction in total body fat were observed in ACC-2 knock-out mice (Abu-Elheiga et al., (2001) Science 291:2613-2616; Abu-Elheiga et al., (2003) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 100:10207-10212). Harwood et al. reported that ACC inhibitors caused reduction in fatty acid synthesis, increase in fatty acid oxidation, and reduction of respiratory quotient in rats (Harwood et al., (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278:37099-37111). Chronic dosing of these compounds resulted in the reduction of whole body fat mass and improvement of insulin sensitivity (Harwood et al., (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278:37099-37111). These observations further validated the enzyme as a drug target.
Despite the importance of ACC in the discovery and development of ACC inhibitors as drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases, technical difficulties associated with ACC have greatly hindered progress in this area. One of the technical challenges has been the lack of a convenient, robust, economical enzyme assay that would allow high-throughput screening (HTS) for ACC inhibitors in an efficient manner. A CO2-fixation assay is the most commonly used ACC assay (FIG. 2, scheme 1). In this assay, [14C]—NaHCO3, acetyl CoA, Mg-ATP, citrate and ACC are incubated at 37° C.; the reaction mixture is quenched with acid at the end of the reaction, followed by heating to remove bicarbonate as 14CO2. Scintillant is then added and the acid-stable malonyl CoA remaining in the vial is counted in a scintillation counter (Waite, M., and Wakil, S. J. (1962) J. Biol. Chem. 237:2750-2757, Tanabe et al., (1981) Methods Enzymol. 71 Pt C, 5-16). This is a multi-step radioactive assay, which is time consuming and labor-intensive. Further, this assay requires large amounts of radioactivity, and special laboratory design to trap 14CO2 liberated in the assay. Although the assay can be run using a 96-well microtiter plate format, at best it is a low-throughput assay format and not suitable for HTS.
The continuous ATP regeneration-coupled spectrophotometric assay is another assay format. In this type of assay, the ADP generated in the ACC enzyme reaction is converted to ATP by a pyruvate kinase/lactate dehydrogenase coupled enzyme system, and NADH disappearance is followed at 340 nm spectrophotometrically or fluorometrically (Tanabe et al., (1981) Methods Enzymol. 71 Pt C, 5-16; FIG. 2, scheme 2). The ATP-regeneration system is very sensitive to the presence of ATPases. Since ATPase is highly abundant in tissue or cell culture extract, a disadvantage of this assay is that it demands highly pure ACC protein (about 5 μg/assay) and is less sensitive. Additionally, colored compounds that have absorption at 340 nm wave length may give false negatives in the screening.
Yet another form of ACC assay is an ACC/FAS coupled assay (FIG. 2, scheme 3). In the ACC reaction, malonyl CoA is formed from acetyl CoA. Malonyl CoA can then be used as a substrate for FAS with NADPH as the cofactor. The reaction can be monitored by the rate of utilization of NADPH spectrophotometrically (Wakil et al., (1959) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 34:227-233). However, this ACC/FAS spectrophotometric coupled assay requires large amounts of pure ACC and FAS enzymes, making this assay potentially expensive, and very time and resource intensive. Further, the rate of NADPH utilization has to be measured kinetically making the assay less amenable for HTS.
The assays discussed above are not practical for HTS, which requires a robust, reliable homogeneous assay that requires only small amounts of the enzymes. To fill this long-felt need, the inventors developed a homogenous ACC assay in which ACC is coupled to FAS and the product, palmitic acid, is detected by scintillation proximity. This assay can be particularly powerful for HTS of potential ACC modulators. The present assay can be used routinely for compound evaluation and can be employed to establish structure activity relationships.

Scintillation proximity assay method of measuring acetyl CoA carboxylase enzyme activity


A semiconductor or substrate of a first conductivity type includes a well structure of a second conductivity type formed therein. A first low voltage MOS transistor includes spaced apart source and drain regions of the first conductivity type in the well. A first transistor gate lies above a channel region which is disposed between the source and drain regions of the first low voltage MOS transistor and is separated therefrom by a gate dielectric having a first thickness. A second high voltage transistor includes spaced apart source and drain regions of the first conductivity type in the well. A second transistor gate lies above a channel region which is disposed between the source and drain regions of the second high voltage transistor and is separated therefrom by a gate dielectric having a second thickness which is greater than the thickness of the gate dielectric of the first low voltage MOS transistor. A first contact diffusion, having the same conductivity type as the well, is located at the edge of the well closest to the first low voltage transistor, and is connected to a source of voltage. A second contact diffusion, having the same conductivity type as the well, is located at the edge of the well closest to the second high voltage transistor, and is also connected to the source of voltage.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuit technology and integrated circuit fabrication techniques. More particularly, the present invention relates to incorporation of a low voltage MOS device in a high voltage substrate or well.
2. The Prior Art
The design of MOSFET and MESFET circuits sometimes requires the inclusion of both low voltage and high voltage circuits on the same chip. Inclusion of both types of circuits is sometimes needed for aspects of the operation of a single chip, such as low voltage circuits for reading a PROM and high voltage circuits for programming the PROM. The design of MOSFET or MESFET circuits which include an interface between low voltage circuits and high voltage circuits traditionally incorporates two separate wells, one well for low voltage devices and a second well for high voltage devices. These separate wells are usually surrounded by double guard rings to suppress destructive latch up. The double wells and their attendant guard rings constitute a considerable layout area penalty, especially for repetitive circuits such as address or decoder level shifters.
As integrated circuit technology matures, and as circuit and layout designers strive to increase the density of integrated circuits, the provision of separate wells and their attendant guard rings for high and low voltage devices creates a limitation on achievable circuit density on an integrated circuit chip.

Low voltage device in a high voltage substrate


A force sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of sensing elements, a seal, and a cover plate. The substrate includes a proximal surface and a distal surface, with the plurality of sensing elements coupled to the distal surface of the substrate. The seal includes a base wall and a flange extending proximally from the base wall. The flange is positioned against the distal surface of the substrate to define a cavity between the base wall of the seal and the distal surface of the substrate within which the plurality of sensing elements are disposed. The cover plate is positioned over the seal and fixed to the substrate. The cover plate applies a closure force on the seal to inhibit the ingress of fluids into the cavity.

Force sensors (e.g., load reading sensors) have been used to enhance control of functions in a surgical device, such as a surgical stapling instrument. By using a force sensor, the clamping, stapling, and cutting forces of the surgical device can be monitored and used to regulate these various functions. The force sensor can be used to detect pre-set loads and cause the surgical device to react when those pre-set loads are reached. For example, during clamping of thick tissue, the load may rise to a pre-determined limit at which point the surgical device can slow clamping to control the clamping force as the tissue relaxes. This allows for clamping of thick tissue without damage to such tissue (e.g., serosa tears). One such example is the firing of a powered circular stapler type surgical device to create an anastomosis (e.g., an End-to-End Anastomosis (EEA) device). The intelligence of such a surgical device results in a higher product cost compared to currently available disposable units. Accordingly, it would be beneficial if such intelligent devices are reusable.
Reusable surgical devices must be cleaned (e.g., disinfected using high pH solutions) and sterilized prior to subsequent uses. The most common method of sterilization is the use of autoclaving. Autoclaving utilizes high pressure superheated steam (e.g., 37 PSI @ 137° C. for 18 minutes). Such an environment is known to damage various electronic components. For example, during autoclaving procedures, force sensors subjected to moisture at high temperature and high pressure may suffer from moisture ingress, thermal epoxy breakdown which may compromise the chemical bond of a sensing element (e.g., a strain gauge) to a substrate, and/or breakdown of the integrity of protective coatings. Thus, a need exists for force sensors that can withstand repeated high pH cleanings and sterilizations.

Force sensors for surgical devices to prevent ingress of fluids


An imaging system includes a sensor array of sensor elements and plural accumulator sets of accumulators. Switches alternatively route detections from a respective sensor element to different accumulators of the respective accumulator set. Offset devices offset an amount read out from a first accumulator of a set by an amount read out from a second accumulator of that set.

The colors in an image can be determined, not only by the colors of objects in the scene being imaged, but also by the colors used to illuminate the objects in the scene. Photographers often take advantage of this, e.g., by using low-color-temperature light to make skin tones appear warmer. On the other hand, if an image is to represent the actual colors of an object, illumination color can be carefully controlled. For example, document scanners use carefully specified illumination sources to achieve known effective color temperatures. In addition, typical document scanners employ covers to exclude ambient light (which is less likely to be controlled) from the object being scanned.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A control system and method for actively reducing vibration in a spindle housing caused by unbalance forces on a rotating spindle, by measuring the force-induced spindle-housing motion, determining control signals based on synchronous demodulation, and provide compensation for the measured displacement to cancel or otherwise reduce or attenuate the vibration. In particular, the synchronous demodulation technique is performed to recover a measured spindle housing displacement signal related only to the rotation of a machine tool spindle, and consequently rejects measured displacement not related to spindle motion or synchronous to a cycle of revolution. Furthermore, the controller actuates at least one voice-coil (VC) motor, to cancel the original force-induced motion, and adapts the magnitude of voice coil signal until this measured displacement signal is brought to a null. In order to adjust the signal to a null, it must have the correct phase relative to the spindle angle. The feedback phase signal is used to adjust a common (to both outputs) commutation offset register (offset relative to spindle encoder angle) to force the feedback phase signal output to a null. Once both of these feedback signals are null, the system is compensating properly for the spindle-induced motion.

Proper configurations of controls, sensors, and metrology technologies have enabled precision machines to achieve nanometer positioning. However, at this level of positioning resolution, vibration sources can become a limiting factor. One of the largest sources of vibration in, for example, a precision turning machine is an unbalanced rotating spindle, creating a rotating force vector with a once per revolution period. The cause and size of such an unbalance force is typically a function of the spindle, the part, the part fixturing, the part setup, and the spindle speed. For example, the magnitude of the unbalance force increases as the square of the spindle speed. In addition, certain spindle speeds coupled with the size of the unbalance force can contain other harmonics that may excite machine structural resonances.
For example, spindle unbalance forces in a precision machine can impart energy into the machine base and provide a forcing function to the machine slides and the machine metrology frame, and may cause undesirable slide motion. This motion can be rejected to some extent by the control system loop gain but the loop gain decreases with increasing frequency. This is the opposite of what is desired as the unbalance spindle forces increase with spindle speed (frequency) to further compound the problem. Force disturbance of the metrology frame can cause non-rigid body motion of the frame and distort the measure tool position. Canceling or otherwise attenuating the spindle unbalance force reduces these error sources.
It is also appreciated that synchronous demodulation is a well known technique to recover a synchronous signal in the presence of noise or non-synchronous interfering signals. It is in essence a process that results in a high Q filter. The desired signal is modulated onto a carrier signal where it can be signal conditioned. After conditioning, the carrier is then demodulated by a phase sensitive detector and sent to a low pass filter to recover the desired conditioned signal. Synchronous demodulation works because the input carrier signal is synchronous to a reference signal applied to a phase sensitive detector. Because the detector is sensitive to phase, the low pass filter output can be bipolar. The detector output follows the equation: A[cosine (phase of input signal—phase of the detector reference signal)], where A is the amplitude of the detector input. The detector gain is a maximum when the phase of the input signal and the reference signal are the same or 180 degrees out of phase. And the detector gain is a minimum when the phase difference between the input signal and the reference signal is 90 degrees.
Ideally, the solution is to cancel the unbalance force at the source or rotor of the spindle. This is difficult, however, since the rotor must hold the part and any apparatus that would be used to cancel the rotor unbalance. There is therefore a need for an method and system for reducing the spindle housing vibration in a feedback process utilizing synchronous demodulation using the inherent commutation functions available on a typical servo controller.

Adaptive vibration control using synchronous demodulation with machine tool controller motor commutation

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A connector is provided with a first housing, a second housing attached to the first housing and forming a contact receiving portion jointly with the first housing, and a contact at least partially received in the contact receiving portion. The second housing is attached to the first housing so as to be movable in a predetermined direction relative to the first housing. The contact is received in the contact receiving portion in a state where the contact is not fixed to the first housing or the second housing so as to be movable relative to the first housing and the second housing.

Conventionally, as a connector having a function of correcting the position offset with respect to a connection object, there is known, as shown in FIG. 15, a plug-in connector (male) 100 comprising a terminal block body 120 attached to a panel 110, a conductive connection wiring board 130 attached to the terminal block body 120, a male pin receiving nut 140 incorporated in the terminal block body 120, a male pin 150 attached to the terminal block body 120 through the male pin receiving nut 140, and a plug-in connector housing 160 attached to the terminal block body 120 through the male pin 150 (see, e.g. Patent Document 1).
In the plug-in connector (male) 100 described in Patent Document 1, the floating function required for plug-in connection between the plug-in connector (male) 100 and a plug-in connector (female) 170 is achieved by attaching the male pin 150 and the male pin receiving nut 140 to the terminal block body 120 with some play therebetween.

Connector, connector device, and battery unit

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


A packing element has components that form snap-lock connections with like packing elements used to form a contact assembly. The packing elements can be readily and easily assembled together using little force by connecting the packing elements with connectors in a snap-lock manner. The packing elements are retained by the snap-lock connectors in the contact assembly such that the packing elements cannot be separated without such force that the material forming at least one of components of the snap-lock connections or the packing element will fail to the extent that a contact assembly made using the packing elements would not be functional.

The present invention relates to a snap-lock packing element, a contact assembly made from snap-lock packing elements and methods of assembly of the snap-lock packing elements to make the contact assembly. More particularly, the invention relates to a snap-lock packing element that can be readily and easily assembled together using little force with like packing elements by connecting the packing elements with connectors in a snap-lock manner such that the packing elements cannot be separated without such force that the material forming at least one of components of the snap-lock connections or the packing element will fail to the extent that a contact assembly made using the packing elements would not be functional.
Packing elements are often used as contact assemblies or bodies in heat exchange apparatus such as cooling towers where gas, such as air is in contact with liquid, such as water, to provide heat exchange in systems where the gas and liquid typically flow countercurrent or crosscurrent to one another. Contact assemblies are also used in other industries where a contact between gases, liquids and even particulate solids are involved, such as gas scrubbers, as well as in water treatment facilities, such as in trickling filters, for example, where the contact assemblies support bacteria used in water treatment systems. Since the most common use for the packing elements of the present invention is likely to make contact assemblies for heat exchangers, the invention will primarily be described with such use in mind, although the packing elements and contact assemblies made from them are not to be limited only for heat exchange applications.
In the heat exchange industry, for example, such packing elements and contact assemblies or bodies made from them, are often referred to a "fill," "media" or "fill media." One type of fill media that has been sold by Brentwood Industries, Inc. the applicant of this patent application, is HTP-25™ splash fill media in its ACCU-PAC® fill media line, used in high temperature counterflow or cross-flow cooling towers. This is an injection-molded polypropylene copolymer fill media that produces heat transfer by way of integral splash or drip points in a compact module, assembly or body made of connected, corrugated lattice packing elements. The highly engineered splash design formed using the lattice packing elements provides maximum thermal performance. The open lattice, offset flute, corrugated packing elements are fouling-resistant that is excellent for use in environments and systems where the circulating water has very high levels of suspended solids.
The HTP-25™ fill media is commercially successful and provides many advantages in cooling tower environments, partially attributable to the strength of the contact assembly or body formed from the packing elements using a very secure mechanical assembly or fastening technique, rather than using solvents or adhesives that are a less environmentally friendly way of securing together the packing elements to make the contact assemblies. The mechanical fastening technique used for this type of fill media involves inserting relatively long cylindrical projections extending from one packing element through mating holes in an adjacent packing element. Once a projection has been inserted through a hole, the projection is then mechanically deformed using various types of crimping tools to form an expanded head on the projection, such that the deformed projection acts as a flattened rivet with a top plan size larger than the hole diameter, by which the expanded head cannot be retracted through the hole, retaining the packing elements together. This produces a very strong contact body or contact assembly.
The present invention is an improvement over the current HTP-25™ splash fill media, where the same materials and general lattice packing elements or contact sheets can be used, but with the snap-lock connectors of the present invention the packing elements are able to be formed very easily and readily in the field by hand without apparatus including crimping tools previously required to form the projections into flattened rivets. With the present invention, either no apparatus is needed or a simple fixture having a base plate and a plurality of alignment rods can be used where the alignment rods pass through alignment holes in adjacent packing elements. The resulting contact assembly made by connecting the packing elements is still so strong that the connecting members of the snap-lock connections would be rendered dysfunctional or useless, or the material of the packing elements would, in essence, be destroyed, if the packing elements were attempted to be separated from each other after the snap-lock connections are formed.
When not assembled to form a contact assembly or contact body, the packing elements of the HTP-25™ splash fill media can nest together for storage and shipment, but the nesting height is relatively high because of the height of the projections that are required to be flattened to form the couplings into flattened rivets. In the current embodiment of the HTP-25™ splash fill media, the packing elements can stack and nest together for storage and shipment, but the nesting height from the bottom of one lower packing element to the bottom of the next adjacent upper packing element is 0.227 inch (5.766 mm). This corresponds with a nesting height of about 48 packing elements per foot (30.38 cm). Since storage of the packing elements requires an adequate amount of volume, and shipping also may be based at least in part on volume, it is desired to have a lower nesting height for packing elements of otherwise identical dimensions. The packing element of the present invention, which are connectable together into a contact assembly in a snap-lock manner, has a significantly lower unassembled stacking or nesting height compared to packing elements of the same dimensions, other than the type of connector, currently used for the HTP-25™ splash fill media. This provides a considerable saving of storage space and shipping costs for the packing elements of the present invention.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the injection molding tool used to form the packing elements does not require moving parts. The snap-lock connection of the present invention includes a post member having a cap with legs and undercut bottom edges, as explained below. These undercut bottom edges are designed to be formed by fixed mold protrusions that extend from the opposite side of an injection mold to the undercut areas so that the injection molding operation can be performed more easily, including merely opening the mold to release the packing element including the post member with complex undercut geometries. Mold cavity parts moving in the plane of the tool face are typically used to create complex geometries with undercut areas in general, where traditional cantilever undercut connections are present. Such moving parts are not necessary to mold the undercut bottom edges of the post member cap in the present invention. Therefore, the cost of the tool is reduced over a tool having moving or mechanical features that operate in a plane parallel to the tool face.

Snap-lock packing element and assembly thereof for a contact assembly


A processing system and method for chemical oxide removal, wherein the processing system includes a process chamber having a lower chamber portion configured to chemically treat a substrate and an upper chamber portion configured to thermally treat the substrate, and a substrate lifting assembly configured to transport the substrate between the lower chamber portion and the upper chamber portion. The lower chamber portion includes a chemical treatment environment that provides a temperature controlled substrate holder for supporting the substrate for chemical treatment. The substrate is exposed to a gaseous chemistry, such as HF/NH3, under controlled conditions including surface temperature and gas pressure. The upper chamber portion includes a thermal treatment environment that provides a heating assembly configured to elevate the temperature of the substrate.

1. Cross-Reference to Related Applications
This application is related to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/705,201, entitled "Processing System and Method For Treating a Substrate", filed on Nov. 12, 2003; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/705,200, entitled "Processing System and Method For Chemically Treating a Substrate", filed on Nov. 12, 2003; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/704,969, entitled "Processing System and Method For Thermally Treating a Substrate", filed on Nov. 12, 2003; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/705,397, entitled "Method and Apparatus For Thermally Insulating Adjacent Temperature Controlled Chambers", filed on Nov. 12, 2003; pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/812,347, entitled "Processing System and Method For Treating a Substrate", filed on Mar. 30, 2004; and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/859,975, entitled "Method of Operating a Processing System for Treating a Substrate", filed on even date herewith. The entire contents of all of those applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for treating a substrate, and more particularly to a system and method for chemical and thermal treatment of a substrate.
3. Description of the Related Art
During semiconductor processing, a (dry) plasma etch process can be utilized to remove or etch material along fine lines or within vias or contacts patterned on a silicon substrate. The plasma etch process generally involves positioning a semiconductor substrate with an overlying patterned, protective layer, for example a photoresist layer, in a processing chamber. Once the substrate is positioned within the chamber, an ionizable, dissociative gas mixture is introduced within the chamber at a pre-specified flow rate, while a vacuum pump is throttled to achieve an ambient process pressure. Thereafter, a plasma is formed when a fraction of the gas species present are ionized by electrons heated via the transfer of radio frequency (RF) power either inductively or capacitively, or microwave power using, for example, electron cyclotron resonance (ECR).
Moreover, the heated electrons serve to dissociate some species of the ambient gas species and create reactant specie(s) suitable for the exposed surface etch chemistry. Once the plasma is formed, selected surfaces of the substrate are etched by the plasma. The process is adjusted to achieve appropriate conditions, including an appropriate concentration of desirable reactant and ion populations to etch various features (e.g., trenches, vias, contacts, gates, etc.) in the selected regions of the substrate. Such substrate materials where etching is required include silicon dioxide (SiO2), low-k dielectric materials, poly-silicon, and silicon nitride.
During material processing, etching such features generally comprises the transfer of a pattern formed within a mask layer to the underlying film within which the respective features are formed. The mask can, for example, comprise a light-sensitive material such as (negative or positive) photo-resist, multiple layers including such layers as photo-resist and an anti-reflective coating (ARC), or a hard mask formed from the transfer of a pattern in a first layer, such as photo-resist, to the underlying hard mask layer.

Processing system and method for treating a substrate


In one embodiment, a time at which a first device in a frequency-hopping communication network is expected to transmit a data message is determined. A first schedule is then generated based on the determined time, and the first schedule is overlaid on a frequency-hopping schedule for a second device in the network. The first schedule defines a first timeslot during which the second device listens for the data message, while the frequency-hopping schedule defines second timeslots during which the second device listens for data messages from other devices in the network. Notably, a duration of the first timeslot is greater than respective durations of the second timeslots.

Low power and Lossy Networks (LLNs), e.g., sensor networks, have a myriad of applications, such as Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). In a Smart Grid AMI network, systems can measure, collect, and analyze energy usage by communicating with metering devices such as electricity meters, gas meters, water meters, and the like. Unlike electricity meters, gas and water meters are often not connected to a main power source, thus requiring them to be battery powered. As such, gas and water meters can be considered "energy-constrained" devices, due to the scarcity of available energy resources. Unique challenges arise when dealing with energy-constrained devices, particularly when they are implemented in frequency-hopping networks.
It should be understood that the above-referenced drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

Overlaying receive schedules for energy-constrained devices in channel-hopping networks


Described are compositions and methods for use thereof for prevention or mitigation of allergic reactions in humans and animals. Novel compositions comprised of, e.g., an acidic salt solution of aluminum, calcium or magnesium, are provided for topical or contact application to physically and/or chemically alter an allergenic protein present in the environment and thereby lower the allergenicity of the protein. The compositions of the invention, e.g., comprised of aluminum sulfate, can be used to deactivate many types of proteinaceous allergens such as dust mite and cockroach body dust, animal dander, dried saliva, mold spore antigens, airborne pollen protein and the like. Compositions can be applied on an as needed basis to a wide variety of surfaces, interiors, furniture, pet bedding, plants and the like. The compositions provided may also be utilized to mitigate allergens present on clothing, e.g., for use in commercial dry cleaning or in household laundry applications.

One critical function of the human (and animal) immune system is to assess whether a physical particle entering the body is a friend or foe. Occasionally for some people (and animals) and frequently or continuously for others, the immune system wrongly identifies an otherwise harmless particle as foe—acting as if the particle were a dangerous, infectious microorganism. The overtly harmless particle may be, e.g., a molecule of pollen, or dog dander, or cat saliva or any of a host of other proteins we know to be allergens, i.e., antigens that trigger an adverse immune system response in susceptible humans (and susceptible animals). Chromosomal characteristics seem to determine which members of any given population will "have allergies"; estimates of the United States population are that at least 20% and as many as 30% are atopic, i.e., they produce abnormal IgE and/or abnormal amounts of IgE, and thus develop hypersensitivity to allergens.
Asthma, rhinitis, eczema, urticaria, sinusitis and conjunctivitis all may be clinical signs of allergic reactions to environmental allergens. These clinical signs are associated with the immune system's release of histamine and other cytokines and their effects on the human body. This histamine-led, multiple cytokine cascade is triggered by the immune system's response to multiple, ubiquitous environmental allergens.
The currently recognized methods for dealing with allergies and allergy-based extrinsic asthma in humans (and animals) are: (i) avoidance of the source of the triggering allergen(s); (ii) pharmacotherapy; and (iii) immunotherapy. The first line of defense for allergic individuals is controlling their environment. Although initiating this control in public facilities can be difficult or even impossible, the allergic individual can largely protect his own home from allergy-producing antigens with the proper information. Allergists emphasize, through patient education, the need to remove or reduce from the residential environment allergen-producing sources, e.g., dogs, cats, dust mites, mold, cockroaches, indoor-flora and other sources. For physicians specializing in allergy, asthma and immunology, the control of the source of antigens in the home has historically taken precedence over treatment through immunotherapy or pharmacotherapy.
Pharmacotherapy includes a myriad of over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs designed to reduce the effects of the histamine response to allergens (antihistamines). These formulations relieve some clinical symptoms (in 40-50% of patients) but in no way "cure" the patient. Quite unlike immunotherapy, no permanent changes are evoked by pharmacotherapy-only brief respites from allergic symptoms.
When allergy symptoms persist despite encouragement of patients to avoid the source of allergens or to use medications, allergists suggest the introduction of immunotherapy in the form of allergy injections. Over time, the injections hyposensitize the patients. Ever increasing amounts of specific allergens are periodically introduced to the immune system. This eventually significantly reduces the scope and intensity of the cytokine response and thereby reduces the occurrence of allergic symptoms.
The "avoidance" method raises fairness, ethical and practical issues for an allergic patient and those with whom he lives. One could question whether a child's mild allergy to pets should cause, say, three other children and two adults to have to live without the salutary emotional benefits of living with two dogs and a cat that, themselves, have been "members of the family" for many years. Likewise one may question whether mold and pollen allergies for one member of an extended family should mean that twenty other members cannot have a large, cut, live Christmas tree for their annual two-day celebration at Grandmother's house. Likewise, an allergy to horse dander could mean that an annual three-day ride with friends will lose a key participant.
Equally problematic for the allergy sufferer are the costs and side effects of pharmacotherapy. Similarly, the cost and inconvenience of weekly or twice-weekly trips to a physician's office for immunotherapy injections can be overwhelming.
Given these shortcomings of the prevailing modalities of dealing with allergies, another modality-one that permits pets to remain in the home, that allows houseplants and Christmas trees to be natural-would be welcome and helpful to literally millions of allergy patients and those with whom they interact. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for such a modality.
Moreover, increasing evidence confirms that allergies can lead to more severe consequences. Thus, there is especially a need in the art for a modality that can mitigate the effects of allergens that are difficult, if not impossible to remove from the environment. For example, cockroach and rodent dander and urine can lead to pediatric asthma among inner city housing project residents. A modality for dealing with these difficult to eliminate allergens in the indoor environment would have lasting health benefits. The benefits are especially compelling in regard to a substantial disadvantaged population, one that cannot be reasonably expected to bear the cost of, and display the required discipline for, pharmacotherapy or immunotherapy.
With: (i) allergies as the number one cause of missed work; and (ii) asthma the number one cause both of missed school and childhood hospitalization; any effective additive modality in mitigation of the allergic response has an important role to play.

Method for altering allergenic protein in the environment


Field effect transistors having a power density of greater than 40 W/mm when operated at a frequency of at least 4 GHz are provided. The power density of at least 40 W/mm may be provided at a drain voltage of 135 V. Transistors with greater than 60% PAE and a power density of at least 5 W/mm when operated at 10 GHz at drain biases from 28 V to 48 V are also provided.

Materials such as silicon (Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) have found wide application in semiconductor devices. These more familiar semiconductor materials may not be well suited for higher power and/or high frequency applications, however, because of their relatively small bandgaps (e.g., 1.12 eV for Si and 1.42 for GaAs at room temperature) and/or relatively small breakdown voltages.
Accordingly, interest in high power, high temperature and/or high frequency applications and devices has turned to wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (2.996 eV for alpha SiC at room temperature) and the Group III nitrides (e.g., 3.36 eV for GaN at room temperature). These materials typically have higher electric field breakdown strengths and higher electron saturation velocities as compared to gallium arsenide and silicon.
A device of particular interest for high power and/or high frequency applications is the High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT), which, in certain cases, is also known as a modulation doped field effect transistor (MODFET). These devices may offer operational advantages under a number of circumstances because a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is formed at the heterojunction of two semiconductor materials with different bandgap energies, where the smaller bandgap material has a higher electron affinity. The 2DEG is an accumulation layer in the undoped ("unintentionally doped"), smaller bandgap material and can contain a very high sheet electron concentration in excess of, for example, 1013 carriers/cm2. Additionally, electrons that originate in the wider-bandgap semiconductor material transfer to the 2DEG, which may have a high electron mobility due to reduced ionized impurity scattering.
This combination of high carrier concentration and high carrier mobility can give the HEMT a very large transconductance and may provide a strong performance advantage over other transistor structures, such as metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs), for high-frequency applications.
High electron mobility transistors fabricated in the gallium nitride/aluminum gallium nitride (GaN/AlGaN) material system have the potential to generate large amounts of RF power, because of the combination of material characteristics that includes the aforementioned high breakdown fields, wide bandgaps, large conduction band offset, and/or high saturated electron drift velocity. A major portion of the electrons in the 2DEG is attributed to polarization in the AlGaN.
HEMTs in the GaN/AlGaN system have already been demonstrated. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,192,987 and 5,296,395 describe AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures and methods of manufacture. U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,793, to Sheppard et al., which is commonly assigned and is incorporated herein by reference, describes a HEMT device having a semi-insulating silicon carbide substrate, an aluminum nitride buffer layer on the substrate, an insulating gallium nitride layer on the buffer layer, an aluminum gallium nitride barrier layer on the gallium nitride layer, and a passivation layer on the aluminum gallium nitride active structure.
Wide bandgap GaN-based high-electron-mobility-transistors (HEMTs) have come a long way as microwave devices since their description in 1993 in Khan et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 63, p. 1214, 1993, and a demonstration of their power capability in 1996 in Wu et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 17, pp. 455-457, September, 1996. Many research groups have presented devices with power densities exceeding 10 W/mm, a ten-fold improvement over conventional III-V devices. See Tilak et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 22, pp. 504-506, November, 2001; Wu et al., IEDM Tech Dig., Dec. 2-5, 2001, pp. 378-380; and Ando et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 24, pp. 289-291, May, 2003.
An overlapping gate structure, or field plate, was used by Zhang et al. with GaN HEMTs for high-voltage switching applications. Zhang et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 21, pp. 421-423, September, 2000. Following this, Karmalkar et al. performed simulations for the field plate structure, predicting up to five times enhancement in breakdown voltages. Karmalkar et al., IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. 48, pp. 1515-1521, August, 2001. However, fabricated devices at that time had low cutoff frequencies, and were not suitable for microwave operation. Ando et al. recently used a similar structure with smaller gate dimensions and demonstrated performance of 10.3 W output power at 2 GHz using a 1-mm-wide device on a SiC substrate. Ando et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 24, pp. 289-291, May, 2003. Chini et al. implemented a new variation of the field-plate design with further reduced gate dimensions, and obtained 12 W/mm at 4 GHz from a 150-μm-wide device on a sapphire substrate. Chini et al., IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 25, No. 5, pp. 229-231, May, 2004.
GaN HEMT devices including source-connected field plates are described in W. Saito et al., Technical Digest of IEDM 2003, pp. 587-590, Washington, D.C., Dec. 8-10, 2003. In the devices described by Saito et al., a single metal field plate extends from the source and overlaps the gate. However, such a configuration may impose large parasitic capacitances.

High efficiency and/or high power density wide bandgap transistors


An encoder employs a trellis coded quantization (TCQ) unit and a compression unit. The TCQ uses a set of polynomials that have been selected to maximize granular gain. The TCQ unit operates on a block of samples from a source. The compression unit compresses bit planes of the TCQ output, using parity check matrices of corresponding LDPC codes, to obtain corresponding syndromes. The parity check matrices are selected so their compression performance approaches close to the limit for Slepian-Wolf coding. A decoder employs a decoding unit and an estimation unit. The decoding unit decodes the syndromes using side information to produce an estimate for the TCQ output. The side information is correlated with the source. The estimation unit estimates the block of source samples using the estimated TCQ output and the side information. Trellis coded vector quantization may be used as an alternative to TCQ.

We start with a word on notation. Random variables are denoted by capital letters (e.g., X, Y) and realizations of them by lower-case letters (e.g., x, y). Random vectors are denoted by bold capital letters (e.g., X, Y) and realizations of them by bold lower-case letters (e.g., x, y). Expectation of a function f(X, Y) over both X and Y is denoted as EX,Y{f(X, Y)}. The subscript "X,Y" will be dropped when it is clear from the context.
Slepian-Wolf coding [28] concerns with near-lossless source coding with side information at the decoder. For lossless compression of a pair of correlated, discrete random variables X and Y, a rate of RX+RY=H(X, Y) is possible if they are encoded jointly [15]. However, Slepian and Wolf [28] showed that the rate RX+RY=H(X, Y) is almost sufficient even for separate encoding (with joint decoding) of X and Y. Specifically, the Slepian-Wolf theorem says that the achievable region for coding X and Y is given byRX≧H(X|Y), RY≧H(Y|X), RX+RY≧H(X,Y).  (1)This result shows that there is no loss of coding efficiency with separate encoding when compared to joint encoding as long as joint decoding is performed. When the side information (e.g., Y) is perfectly available at the decoder, then the aim of Slepian-Wolf coding is to compress X to the rate limit H(X|Y).
Wyner-Ziv coding [37], [38] deals with the problem of rate-distortion with side information at the decoder. It asks the question of how many bits are needed to encode X under the constraint that E{d(X, {circumflex over (X)})}≦D, assuming the side information Y is available at the decoder but not at the encoder. This problem generalizes the setup of [28] in that coding of X is lossy with respect to a fidelity criterion rather than lossless. For both discrete and continuous alphabets of  and general distortion metrics d(•), Wyner and Ziv [37] gave the rate-distortion function RWZ(D) for this problem as RWZ(D)=inf I(X; U|Y), where the infimum is taken over all auxiliary random variables U such that Y→X→U is a Markov chain and there exists a function {circumflex over (X)}={circumflex over (X)}(U, Y) satisfying E{d(X, {circumflex over (X)})}≦D. According to [37],
                                          R            WZ                                          (            D            )                          ≥                              R                                          X                                                          Y                                                      (            D            )                              =                        inf                      {                                          X                ^                            ∈                                                                                :                                                      E                                                        {                                          d                                                                    (                                                  X                          ,                                                      X                            ^                                                                          )                                                              }                                                  ≤                D                                      }                                            I          (                      X            ;                          X              ^                                                        Y              )    ,where RX|Y(D) is the classic rate-distortion function of coding X with side information Y available at both the encoder and the decoder. Compared to coding of X when the side information Y is also available at the encoder, there is in general a rate loss with Wyner-Ziv coding. Zamir quantified this loss in [42], showing a <0.22 bit loss for binary sources with Hamming distance and a <0.5 b/s loss for continuous sources with MSE distortion.
When D is very small and the source is discrete-valued, the Wyner-Ziv problem degenerates to the Slepian-Wolf problem with RWZ(D)=RX|Y(D)=H(X|Y). Another interesting setup is the quadratic Gaussian case with the source model being X=Y+Z and Z˜N(0, σZ2), then
                    R        WZ                          (        D        )              =                            R                                    X                                                  Y                                            (          D          )                    =                        1          2                                              log            +                                          [                                          σ                Z                2                            D                        ]                                ,where log+ x=max{log x, 0}, i.e., there is no rate loss in this case. Note that Y is arbitrarily distributed [22]. When Y is also Gaussian, then X and Y are jointly Gaussian memoryless sources. This case is of special interest in practice because many image and video sources can be modeled as jointly Gaussian and Wyner-Ziv coding suffers no rate loss. For the sake of simplicity, we consider this specific case in our code designs.

Wyner-Ziv coding based on TCQ and LDPC codes


A connector clip (10, 10′) defines a line-retaining slot (34) and is configured to receive a detonator (16) therein. The connector clip (10, 10′) comprises a body member (12, 12′) and a closure member (14, 14′) which are mounted, one on the other, for movement relative to each other along a travel path between an open position in which the line-retaining slot (34) is accessible to lateral insertion therein of one or more signal transmission lines (68), and a closed position in which the line-retaining slot (34) is closed to secure such signal transmission lines (68) therein. One of the body member (12, 12′) and the closure member (14, 14′) defines a cavity within which at least part of the other of the body member (12, 12′) and the closure member (14, 14′) is encased during travel between the open position and the closed position. The travel path between the open position and the closed position may be as short as from the width of line-retaining slot (34) including its access opening (38), to about two times that width.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connector clips of the type used to connect a plurality of signal transmission lines, such as shock tube, in signal transfer proximity to the explosive end of a detonator. More particularly, the present invention concerns a connector clip which enables fast and easy loading of one or a plurality of signal transmission lines through an access opening into a slot, followed by closing the access opening by means of a closure member.
2. Related Art
Connector clips for connecting one or a plurality of outgoing signal transmission lines, such as shock tubes, in signal transfer communication with a detonator mounted in the clip are well-known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,935, issued Dec. 15, 1992 to Richard J. Michna et al. for "Low-Energy Blasting Initiation System Method and Surface Connection Thereof", and its grandchild continuation case, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,611 of Richard J. Michna et al. entitled "Low-Energy Blasting Initiation System, Method and Surface Connection Therefor", each shows a connector clip in which up to four outgoing signal transmission lines, in this case, shock tubes, are disposed within a slot in the clip in signal transfer communication with a low-energy detonator disposed in the body of the clip. Such connector clips are conventionally employed on the surface of a shot field and low-energy detonators are usually employed in the clips in order to reduce noise and the throwing of shrapnel which might prematurely sever connecting lines.
A typical blasting arrangement using such connector clips is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5 of the above-mentioned Michna et al. patents. As shown therein, the connector clips are employed on the surface to transmit signals via connector lines to detonators in a series of boreholes containing explosive charges. Such connector lines are subject to significant tensile stresses during assembly of the shot, as lines are often dragged over rough terrain, played out from borehole to borehole and pulled on to reach connection points. There are two conflicting objectives involved in such assembly operations. It is desired to insert the lines, e.g., shock tubes (40) of the Michna et al. patents, into a line-retaining slot, e.g., slot (37) of FIG. 4 of the Michna et al. patents, as quickly and as easily as possible. On the other hand, once inserted, the shock tubes (40) must resist being pulled out of the slot (37) by tensile stresses imposed on the shock tubes during preparation of the shot. These conflicting objectives may be referred to as the (signal transmission) line insertion and retention problem.
The Michna et al. patents address the line insertion and retention problem by providing the structures (e.g., 42, 43 of FIG. 2) to render the access opening to the slot (37) somewhat smaller than the outside diameters of the tubes (40). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,935 at column 4, lines 56-66. While this expedient helps to retain the tubes (40) in place within slot (37), it creates difficulty in inserting plastic shock tubes or other signal transmission lines into the slot in the first place, especially in cold weather. Shock tubes become less malleable in cold weather, creating difficulty in compressing the tubes sufficiently to squeeze them through the small access opening. The problem is compounded by the fact that changes in temperature cause slight, but not insignificant, changes in the tube outside diameter and in the width of the opening itself. The Michna '935 Patent discloses at column 4, lines 36-38, that segment 36 is "a resiliently deformable segment" and at column 4, lines 48-50, it is stated that the segment 36 is of reduced thickness relative to the housing "thereby allowing it to flex or bend under force." It appears that this flexibility is designed to accommodate the fact that, as disclosed at column 4, lines 56-59, the width of the line-receiving slot 37 "is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of a transmission tube 40 to securely hold each tube . . . " It appears that the flexibility of neck 36 enables the retaining member 35 to flex somewhat to accommodate the oversized (relative to the width of the line-retaining slot) transmission tubes 40.
Generally, up to six or so shock tubes or other signal transmission lines may have to be inserted into the line-retaining slot. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,975 of Thomas C. Tseka et al. for "Connector Block Having Detonator-Positioning Locking Means", shows a generally C-shaped arcuate slot 15 (FIG. 2) within which six shock tubes (40) are retained. It will be noted from FIG. 2A of the Tseka et al. patent that the opening (38) through which the shock tubes are laterally inserted into the C-shaped slot is shown significantly smaller than the outside diameter of the shock tubes retained therein. Like the Michna et al. patents described above, this configuration suffers from the same difficulties in inserting the shock tubes (40) into the C-shaped slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,492, issued Apr. 20, 1993 to Merritt Jacob et al. for "Low Noise, Low Shrapnel Detonator Assembly For Initiating Signal Transmission Lines", addresses the tube insertion and retention problem by providing a closure means which is movable between an open and a closed position so that the shock tubes (14b in FIGS. 4-6 and 8) may be inserted adjacent the explosive end of a detonator retained in the connector clip (in this case, the tubes lie parallel to the longitudinal axis of the detonator to gain the purported advantages described in the Jacob et al. Patent). After the tubes are inserted while the closure means is in the open position (FIG. 10) the closure means are then closed to lock the tubes in place. See column 6, line 55 through column 7, line 44 of the Jacob et al. Patent.
Connector clips used in the field lie on the ground and are exposed to sand, dirt, small particles of rock and other solid foreign material. Entry of such solid foreign material to the travel path of the closure means (e.g., item (42) in FIG. 10 of the Jacob et al. Patent) will interfere with or even preclude secure locking of the closure means to retain the tubes (14b) in place. Obviously, if the locking is not secure, one or more of the tubes inserted into the line-retaining slot may be pulled free by tensile forces acting on the tubes during preparation of the shot, resulting in mis-fires. The Jacob et al. patent also provides for inserting the shock tubes (14b) transversely of the detonator, which is the common and usually preferred practice. However, in the illustration of this embodiment in FIG. 11, Jacob et al. does not provide closure means movable between an open and closed position. Instead there is a conventional entry slot (34 in FIG. 11 of the Jacob et al. patent) which has an entrance to the C-shaped slot which entrance, as illustrated in FIG. 11, appears to be smaller than the outside diameter of the shock tubes (14b). At column 7, lines 51-53, Jacob et al. does state with respect to FIG. 11 that a "closure can also be attached to the confining wall to close gap 34." The construction of such closure means is not described or illustrated.


A wind-driven power source comprises a propeller-driven rotor structure and a stator structure carrying clusters of copper-wire wound ferromagnetic cores as voltage generators. The cores are arranged in pairs spaced apart by hard rubber rollers which engage the inside surface of a load ring forming part of the rotor structure. The overall rotor structure comprises the large diameter load ring, a smaller diameter root ring and a plurality of aerodynamic blades extending radially outwardly from the root ring and secured either by saddle blocks or integral bonding to the load ring. The load ring may be aluminum or plastic. Permanent magnets are arranged around the load ring to interact with the voltage generator structures to produce three-phase electricity.

It is known to use wind wheels to perform mechanical functions and to generate electricity. An early wind wheel electrical generator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,233,232, issued Jul. 10, 1917, to A. H. Heyroth. The Heyroth wind wheel comprises a large diameter rotor ring carrying permanent magnets and a center axle which supports the rotor ring by means of radial spokes. Rotation of the rotor ring causes the permanent magnets mounted thereon to move past stationary magnetic cores and the changes of flux value through the cores result in the generation of electrical voltages in windings carried by the cores.
A similar but more recent device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,123, issued May 16, 2000, to Nils Gislason.
Still another device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,655 issued Dec. 16, 2003, to Charles S. Vann. The Vann wheel comprises a large number of short radial blades fixed between two large-diameter, concentric metal rings. The outer ring is supported for rotation on three outside rollers and the ring can be magnetized so as to form part of a voltage generator or a motor.

Wind wheel and electricity generator using same