A cache memory system can determine that an entry is stale if the entry has not been accessed or modified for a predetermined time. If an entry is stale, the entry may be preemptively evicted. The predetermined time is made dynamically variable. A computer system can adjust the time to optimize a measure of performance. In a specific example, evicted lines are temporarily stored in an eviction queue. The time is adjusted to be as short as possible without substantially increasing the number of lines that must be recalled from the eviction queue.

Most computer systems employ a multilevel hierarchy of memory systems, with relatively fast, expensive, limited-capacity memory at the highest level of the hierarchy and proceeding to relatively slower, lower cost, higher-capacity memory at the lowest level of the hierarchy. Typically, the hierarchy includes a small fast memory called a cache, either physically integrated within a processor integrated circuit, or mounted physically close to the processor for speed. There may be separate instruction caches and data caches. There may be multiple levels of caches. Many computer systems employ multiple processors, each of which may have multiple levels of caches. Some caches may be shared by multiple processors. All processors and caches may share a common main memory.
Typically, a memory is organized into words (for example, 32 bits or 64 bits per word). Typically, the minimum amount of memory that can be transferred between a cache and a next lower level of the memory hierarchy is called a line, or sometimes a block. A line is typically multiple words (for example, 16 words per line). Memory may also be divided into pages (also called segments), with many lines per page. In some systems, page size may be variable. The present patent document uses the term "line", but the invention is equally applicable to blocks or other memory organizations.
Many computer systems employ multiple processors, each of which may have multiple levels of caches. Some caches may be shared by multiple processors. All processors and caches may share a common main memory. A particular line may simultaneously exist in memory and in the cache hierarchies for multiple processors. All copies of a line in the caches must be identical, a property called coherency. The protocols for maintaining coherence for multiple processors are called cache coherence protocols.
Cache coherence protocols commonly place each cached line into one of multiple states. One common approach uses three possible states for each line in a cache. Before any lines are placed into the cache, all entries are at a default state called "Invalid". When a previously uncached physical line is placed into the cache, the state of the entry in the cache is changed from Invalid to "Shared". If a line is modified in a cache, it may also be immediately modified in memory (called write through). Alternatively, a cache may write a modified line to memory only when the modified line in the cache is invalidated or replaced (called write back). For a write-back cache, when a line in the cache is modified, or will be modified, the state of the entry in the cache is changed to "Modified". The three-state assignment just described is sometimes called a MSI protocol, referring to the first letter of each of the three states.
To improve performance, the computer system tries to keep data that will be used soon in the fastest memory, which is usually a cache high in the hierarchy. Typically, when a processor requests a line, if the line is not in a cache for the processor (cache miss), then the line is copied from main memory, or from a cache of another processor. A line from main memory, or a line from another processor's cache, is also typically copied into a cache for the requesting processor, assuming that the line will need to be accessed again soon. If a cache is full, then a new line must replace some existing line in the cache. If a line to be replaced is clean (the copy in cache is identical to the copy in main memory), it may be simply overwritten. If a line to be replaced is dirty (the copy in cache is different than the copy in main memory), then the line must be evicted (copied to main memory). A replacement algorithm is used to determine which line in the cache is replaced. A common replacement algorithm is to replace the least-recently-used line in the cache.
One particular performance concern for large multiple processor systems is the impact on latency when one processor requests a line that is cached by another processor. If a modified (dirty) line is cached by a first processor, and the line is requested by a second processor, the line is written to main memory, and is also transferred to the requesting cache (called a cache-to-cache transfer). For a large multiple-processor system, a cache-to-cache transfer may require a longer latency than a transfer from main memory. In addition, for a large multiple-processor system, a cache-to-cache transfer may generate traffic on local buses that would not be required for a transfer from main memory. Accordingly, average latency can improved by reducing the number of cache-to-cache transfers, which in turn can be improved by preemptive eviction of stale dirty lines.
In addition, for large systems, even if a line in another processor's cache is not dirty, there may be substantial latency involved in determining whether the line is actually dirty. For example, in the MSI coherency protocol, if a line is in the Modified state, one processor may modify the line without informing any other processor. A line in the Modified state in a cache may actually be clean, which means that the copy in main memory may be used, but a substantial time may be required to determine whether the line is clean or dirty. Therefore, average latency may be improved by preemptive eviction of stale lines in the Modified state, even if they are clean.
Systems for determining the age of dirty lines are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,634 describes a system in which each line in a cache has an associated counter that is used to count cycles during which the line has not been written. If the count exceeds a predetermined number, the line is determined to be stale and may be evicted.
In, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/001,586 (Published Application No. 2003/0084249, and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/001,594 (Published Application No. 2003/0084253), filed concurrently with the present application, a single age-bit may be provided for each line in a cache, or for each index. Each time a line, or index, is accessed, or written, the corresponding age-bit is set to a first logical state. A state machine periodically checks the status of each age-bit. If an age-bit is in the first logical state, the state machine sets the age-bit to a second logical state. If the age-bit is already in the second logical state, then the line of data corresponding to the age-bit, or at least one line in the set of lines corresponding to the index corresponding to the age-bit, has not been accessed or changed since the last time the stare machine checked the age-bit, and may be preemptively evicted.
Preemptive eviction of stale lines may or may not improve performance, depending on the nature of the software. For each software application of interest, given any method for identifying stale lines, there is a need for verification of performance improvement resulting from preemptive eviction, and for optimization of performance.

Computer performance improvement by adjusting a time used for preemptive eviction of cache entries

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP.


A lightening apparatus includes light-emitting elements arranged in a matrix. One of the light-emitting elements is located at each intersection between at least two first reference voltage lines and “n” first drive voltage lines. A first reference voltage driver time-divisionally switches the first reference voltage lines. A first drive voltage driver supplies first luminous drive voltages to the first drive voltage lines. One of the light-emitting elements is located at each intersection between at least one second reference voltage line and “n” second drive voltage lines. A second reference voltage driver switches the second reference voltage line. A second drive voltage driver supplies second luminous drive voltages to the second drive voltage lines.

Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a lightening apparatus having a plurality of light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diode (LED) elements and organic or inorganic electro-luminescence (EL) elements arranged in a matrix.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a lightening apparatus formed by LED elements arranged in a matrix including "m" rows and "n" columns has been used as a vehicle headlamp. In such a lightening apparatus, luminous intensities of the LED elements are individually controlled to realize an adaptive drive beam (ADB) and an adaptive front-lighting system (AFS) (see: JP2013-54849A).
For driving the conventional lightening apparatus, there are two driving methods: a static driving method and a dynamic driving method.
In the static driving method, all cathode electrodes of the LED elements are commonly grounded, while there are a plurality of luminous drive voltage lines each connected to one of the LED elements. Thus, the luminous intensities of the LED elements can individually be controlled.
In the static driving method, however, a large number of voltage lines, i.e., "m×n" voltage lines are required, which would increase the lightening apparatus in size.
On the other hand, in the dynamic driving method, there are "m" reference voltage lines each connected to all the cathode electrodes of the LED elements belonging to one row, and "n" drive voltage lines each connected to the LED elements belonging to one column. That is, only a small number of voltage lines, i.e., only (m+n) voltage lines are required, which would decrease the lightening apparatus in size as compared with those of the static driving method.
In the dynamic driving method, however, since the rows of the LED elements are time-divisionally driven, when the number of rows of the LED elements is increased, the luminous period of the LED elements is decreased, which would decrease the luminous intensity.

Lightening apparatus having matrix-arranged light-emitting elements


The present invention relates to porous mat gas fired radiant burner panels utilizing improved reverberatory screens. The purpose of these screens is to boost the overall radiant output of the burner relative to a burner using no screen and the same fuel-air flow rates. In one embodiment, the reverberatory screen is fabricated from ceramic composite material, which can withstand higher operating temperatures than its metallic equivalent. In another embodiment the reverberatory screen is corrugated. The corrugations add stiffness which helps to resist creep and thermally induced distortions due to temperature or thermal expansion coefficient differences. As an added benefit, it has been unexpectedly discovered that the corrugations further increase the radiant efficiency of the burner. In a preferred embodiment, the reverberatory screen is both corrugated and made from ceramic composite material.

Porous gas fired radiant burners have been in use for many years. The burners are an inexpensive source of radiant energy when compared to comparable units utilizing electric resistance heating. These burners are used in numerous industrial applications such as paint and paper drying. Additional applications include, for example, the heating of breezeways in colder climates.
The burner consists of a porous plate acting as one side of a box. The other five sides act as a plenum chamber to divert a mixture of gaseous fuel and air through the porous plate. The fuel-air mixture is ignited at the surface of the porous plate and combustion proceeds at the plate surface. The pore structure of the plate is fine enough to prevent flashback of the burning fuel-air mixture into the plenum chamber. FIG. 8 illustrates such a burner.
As surface combustion proceeds, the surface temperature of the plate rises. The ultimate temperature the porous plate attains depends on the plate thickness, its porosity and the amount of fuel-air mixture flowing through it. The amount of radiant heat produced by such a plate is proportional to its surface temperature. Unfortunately, many of the materials used to fabricate these porous burner surfaces will not withstand the higher operating temperature imposed by running the burner at high surface temperatures to achieve higher radiant output.
Assuming complete combustion (and ignoring conductive heat transfer), the available heat produced for a given quantity of fuel-air is the sum of the radiant and convective energy fractions. Placing of a refractory screen or grid at a short distance from the porous plate burner surface has been a common way to boost the radiant output of the burner by converting some of the convective energy into radiant energy. This phenomenon is termed a "reverberatory" effect; thus, such screens are reverberatory screens. This allows the burner surface temperature to be reduced for a given radiant output, greatly increasing the useful life of the porous burner panel. Further, the presence of such a reverberatory screen permits the radiant burner to be operated more efficiently. Specifically, some of the convective heat energy which might otherwise be lost (hot air rises) is converted to radiant energy, which is more easily directed to where it is needed.
The reverberatory screen is prone to the deleterious effects of high temperatures much in the same way as is the porous burner panel. Screens are commonly made from refractory metals such as Nichrome.RTM. and Inconel.RTM.. In some cases the screens are treated with oxidation protection coatings such as pack aluminization to allow them to operate at higher temperatures for extended time periods.
Because some components of a radiant burner system are designed to operate at different temperatures than other parts and may be constructed from different materials, thermally-induced mechanical stresses are usually generated during operation of the burner. Depending upon how the various components and sub-assemblies of the burner are attached to one another, these stresses may produce physical distortion of the burner parts. Particularly vulnerable is the reverberatory screen. Attachment plans have been developed over the years in an effort to minimize the degree of stress and distortion. Some of these schemes are rather complex, requiring numerous pieces which adds to cost. Eventually, however, metal reverberatory screens become thermally distorted (e.g., from creep deformation) and have to be replaced. Often, these radiant burners are designed and operated such that screens are sacrificed to preserve the porous burner panel, which is considerably more difficult to replace.
In addition to the stress-induced distortion problem, there are other limitations of metallic burner hot-stage components. Specifically, such components are oxidation-prone. Oxidized metal tends to be brittle. Also, the oxidized layer may not be adherent to the underlying metal. The higher the temperature, the more rapidly the oxidation reactions proceed. Thus, even though increasing the operating temperature would increase the thermodynamic efficiency of the burner, the chemical and mechanical limitations of metals impose a cap on the practical operating temperature of the radiant burner.

Reverberatory screen for a radiant burner


A ball grid array capacitor has a substrate with a top and bottom surface and a via extending through the substrate. Several capacitors are located on the bottom surface. The capacitors include a top electrode connected to the via, a dielectric layer connected to the top electrode, and a bottom electrode that is connected to the dielectric layer and a ball pad over the bottom electrode. A passivation layer is located between the capacitors. Several solder spheres are electrically and mechanically connected to the bottom electrode. A resistor can be mounted on the top surface and connected to the via to form a filter.

1. Field of the Preferred Embodiment(s)
This invention generally relates to electrical component networks for electronics. Specifically, the invention is capacitors or capacitors and resistors. Typically, these networks are mounted in a high density network or array package under spherical solder connections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Resistor and capacitor networks are commonly used in filters and in high speed digital signal line terminations to minimize unwanted reflections back through the transmission structure which is typically a printed circuit board. In most applications, the terminations are made by placing a capacitor and resistor with an impedance matching the impedance of the transmission line, at the end of the transmission line. One end of the capacitor and resistor combination is connected to a common termination voltage, and the other end is connected to the signal line. For these applications, a bussed network is a convenient solution, since one end of the termination is common to all signal lines. The previous capacitor network designs include surface mount, and through hole SIP and DIP versions.
Despite the advantages of each type of prior art capacitor network, none have been easily or economically manufactured with a high density of interconnects per unit area on a printed circuit board. In particular, providing the electrical connections only on the periphery of the network causes the electrical leads to be tightly spaced on the edge of the device, while the area in the interior of the device is unused for electrical interconnections. Therefore, there is a current unmet and heretofore long felt need for a capacitor network and a combination capacitor/resistor network with higher density and improved signal integrity.


A quick connector has a connector housing, a tube connection component, a pipe body and a retainer. The quick connector further has a checking operation portion provided with a holding component. The holding component has a fitting hole and a gate component which is continuous with an opening end of the fitting hole. The holding component is adapted to cause the pipe body connected to the housing to fit in the fitting hole through the gate component in a snap-on manner and to connect with an outer circumference of the pipe body by rotary motion of the checking operation portion. The holding component is also adapted to be prevented from connecting with the outer circumference of the pipe body if the pipe body is not fully inserted into the connector housing.

A connector used for gasoline fuel piping in automobiles through which a pipe body and a resin tube, a female member, are connected, comprises: a tube connection component upstream along the axis; a cylindrical connector housing having a retainer holding component provided downstream along the axis thereof; and a retainer which is housed or held by a retainer holding component. The resin tube and pipe body are connected together, for example, by fitting the resin tube to the tube connection component and by inserting the pipe body to the connector housing from a downstream opening of the connector housing or retainer holding component to cause a snap-on fitting therebetween. The pipe body to be connected to the connector has an insertion end having an annular protruding flange on the outer circumferential plane. The insertion end is snapped onto the connector or connector housing by inserting the insertion end into the connector housing to cause the annular protruding flange to be snapped onto the pipe body engagement portion. An annular sealing member is provided on the inner circumferential plane of the connector housing to seal the space between the insertion end and the connector housing.
The pipe engagement portion may be, for example, an engagement slit circumferentially extending upstream along the axis of an annular or C-shaped retainer in cross-section along the axis. However, if the engagement slit is not handled with full care during connection, the insertion end of the pipe body may not be inserted completely into the retainer or connector housing, that is, the annular protruding flange may not be engaged with the engagement portion of the pipe body, for example, an engagement slit. As a result, a half-fitting condition may occur. The use of the connection configuration in which a connector and a pipe body are half-fitted usually causes fluid leakage because a sealing member does not seal the space between the connector and the pipe body sufficiently.
It is known to use a removable checker to check whether a pipe body is fitted into the quick connector sufficiently well. A removable checker for checking the connection comprises, for example: a checker body having a pulling component configured in parallel or substantially in parallel with the outer circumferential plane of a connector housing; and an engagement component formed integrally with the checker body or with both ends or both end portions of the checker body. Snapping of the engagement component into an engagement window formed on the connector housing causes the engagement component to be attached to one radial end of the connector housing in the locked state in which the engagement component cannot be pulled away. This is illustrated in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-254484. The removable checker of this type is configured in such a manner that the normal fitting of a pipe body to the connector and the snap-on engagement between the annular protruding flange at the insertion end and a retainer cause the engagement component to be pushed aside by an annular protruding flange, which deforms or moves for example, in an outward radial direction, thereby allowing the removable checker to be pulled off. In this way, whether the connector and pipe body are connected normally or not can be confirmed by pulling the checker upon completion of connection operation. If the checker does not come away from the connector housing even when it is pulled, it is most likely that the pipe body is incompletely fitted thereinto; therefore, the connection procedure should be repeated such that the insertion end of the pipe body will be fully inserted into the connector.
A connector and a pipe body once connected may be disassembled and reconnected to permit, for example, maintenance service. In the connection checking configuration that utilizes a removable checker which is to be removed from the connector housing and withdrawn when the pipe body is connected normally, the connection of the pipe body cannot be confirmed when it is connected a second time. To overcome this problem, another connection checking configuration introducing a connection checking component with one end of the connection checking component connected to a connector housing by using a hinge; and with the other end of the connection checking component connected by a pin. If the pipe body is connected normally to a connector or connector housing is then determined by operating this connection checking component as described in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-213673. When the pipe body is connected normally, the pin on the one end of the connection checking component can be engaged with a slot formed on the connector housing by rotating the connection checking component about this one end. The engagement of the pin with the slot allows the connection checking component to be held in parallel with the connector housing. Nevertheless, if the pipe body is not fully inserted into the connector housing, the pin on the connection checking component will not fit into the slot because the pin interferes with the annular protruding flange formed on the insertion end of the pipe body. Therefore, the insertion-connection status of the connector on the pipe body or connector housing can be determined by checking the engagement state between the connection checking configuration and connector housing. In this connection checking configuration, the pipe body can be pulled away relative to the connector by releasing the engagement between the pin and slot. In addition, the connection status of the pipe body can be checked when the pipe body is connected a second time by operating the connection checking component to cause the pin to be engaged with the slot even though the pipe body is connected a second time after it is pulled out.
Nonetheless, in the connection checking configuration utilizing a connection checking component connected to the connector housing with a hinge, an omission prevention measure cannot be implemented if the measure involves counting the checkers that are removed and the resulting count is used to confirm that connection operations are accurately provided at all required points.


A self-expanding stent includes capture segments including a first capture segment and a second capture segment. The first capture segment includes a first crown coupled to a first crown of the second capture segment and a second crown, where the second crown is spaced apart from an adjacent second crown of the second capture segment when the self-expanding stent is in a relaxed state, and further where the second crown of the first capture segment captures the adjacent second crown of the second capture segment when the self-expanding stent is in a radially compressed state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intra-vascular device and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stent for treatment of intra-vascular diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
In stent deployment systems, a self-expanding stent is restrained within a sheath. After positioning of the stent at the desired location via fluoroscopic guidance, the physician retracts the sheath to deploy the stent, i.e., to expose the stent and allow it to self-expand.
Recapturable stents allow the stent to be recaptured after deployment of the recapturable stent has been initiated. More particularly, if the recapturable stent jumps or is otherwise positioned incorrectly as the physician begins to retract the sheath, the physician simply reverses the direction of the sheath and advances the sheath back over the recapturable stent to recapture the stent within the sheath. After the recapturable stent has been recaptured, the physician repositions the recapturable stent at the desired location and retracts the sheath to re-deploy the stent.
However, the human anatomy is tortuous by nature. Thus, during guidance of the recapturable stent to the desired location, the recapturable stent is subjected to significant bending and flexing. A conventional recapturable stent has practical limits to the allowed amount of bending. Avoiding extreme bending of the recapturable stent limits the range of anatomical variation in which the recapturable stent can be used. Additionally, a conventional recapturable stent is relatively non-conformal thus further limiting the range of anatomical variation in which the recapturable stent can be used.


The invention relates to an overpressure valve (1) which is in the form of a one-way valve or a check valve and which includes a pot-shaped housing (2) with a base (3) and central opening (4) and which also has a valve seat (6) which interacts with a spring-loaded closing body (7). A guide sleeve (9) is inserted with a force fit or form fit into the housing (2) for the purpose of receiving a compression spring (8) which exerts a load on the closing body (7), which guide sleeve simultaneously ensures a construction of the overpressure valve (1) which is secured against falling apart.

The invention relates to an overpressure valve which is in the form of a one-way valve or a check valve and which comprises a pot-shaped housing with a base and central opening and which also comprises a valve seat which interacts with a spring-loaded closing body.
In various mechanical engineering applications in which individual parts or assemblies are exposed to a pressure from a medium, precautions must be taken so that limit loads are not exceeded in the pressure-loaded areas. In the state of the art, for protection from loads that are too high, it is known to use overpressure valves in hydraulic systems, wherein these valves open when a limiting pressure is reached and discharge a partial flow of the hydraulic fluid via a bypass or a discharge channel.
For example, for a hydraulic tensioning device of a traction mechanism drive, in particular, a chain drive, it is necessary to limit the medium pressure to prevent a load that is too high on the traction mechanism, in order to keep the friction and wear low. For reducing the pressure, overpressure valves are used. For example, in DE 41 33 560 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,623, hydraulic tensioning devices are shown and described in which overpressure valves are used to prevent high tensioning pressures. Another tensioning device is disclosed in DE 600 27 227 T2 that relates to a hydraulic chain tensioning device that includes an overpressure valve. Here, in a flow path there is a stepped hole in which a ball is arranged that is pretensioned with a spring in the direction of the hole axis and can form a sealing contact on a sealing seat. If the pressure increases in a compression space, the media pressure acts on the spring-tensioned closing ball and attempts to press the ball against the spring force. If this pressure is high enough, i.e., the pressure difference in the adjacent compression spaces is sufficiently large and exceeds the spring force of the closing ball, then this leads to pressure equalization. If the pressure difference decreases, the spring presses the closing ball back against the sealing seat, forming a seal, wherein the overpressure valve closes.

Overpressure valve in the form of a check valve


Systems and methods for addressing security vulnerability in a program code are described. The method comprises detecting a security vulnerability. The method further comprises identifying a set of security solutions specified within a specification repository, wherein each security solution is associated with the detected security vulnerability. The method further comprises presenting the set of security solutions to a user for selection. The method further comprises transforming a program code portion associated with the detected security vulnerability in conformance with a security solution selected by the user from the set of security solutions.

Web based software applications are increasingly being used by several organizations and individuals. Such web based software applications serve for implementing a variety of functionality and have become ubiquitous in their use for all web-based applications.
A large number of such web based software applications deal with confidential information. Hence it becomes increasingly important that the web based software applications that are created are secure. Despite best efforts of programmers, a program code written by the programmers may still be susceptible to security vulnerabilities. These security vulnerabilities may arise as the programmers themselves may not be experienced in secure programming or that the security vulnerability may be such that it has surfaced only recently. As a result, these web based software applications may be prone to security vulnerabilities which may inadvertently jeopardize the confidential information.


Provided are a resin reservoir (1) for photocuring for use in a 3D printer and a 3D printer using the resin reservoir (1). The resin reservoir (1) comprises: a reservoir body (11) for accommodating a liquid photosensitive resin, at least one side wall of the reservoir body (11) being an optically-transmissive wall (111); a transverse guide element (12) disposed at the reservoir body (11); and a load-bearing element (13) disposed inside the reservoir body (11) and capable of moving transversely along the guide element (12), wherein a load-bearing surface of the load-bearing element (13) faces the optically-transmissive wall (111). The resin reservoir (1) and the 3D printer enable a printed object to be transversely formed at the load-bearing element (13) and kept immersed in the liquid photosensitive resin, and a buoyancy provided by the liquid photosensitive resin can substantially offset the weight of the printed object. Therefore, structural strengths of the load-bearing element (13) and a transmission unit do not need to be reinforced, and the size of an object to be printed can be increased from 14 inches to 20-120 inches.

In current 3D printers, a resin tank and a load-bearing platform are formed separately. The liquid photosensitive resin tank is horizontally disposed inside the frame of the 3D printer, and the load-bearing platform can move vertically relative to the liquid photosensitive resin tank.
In the printing process, a virtual shape of an object to be printed is first formed by a computer, and the virtual shape is split into multiple thin layers, and each thin layer has a unique cross-sectional pattern. Then, the liquid photosensitive resin in the resin tank is irradiated with light, so that the liquid photosensitive resin is cured to a thin layer with the corresponding shape on the load-bearing platform according to the cross-sectional pattern. As the curing of each thin layer is completed, the load-bearing platform is raised by a certain distance, and then a subsequent thin layer is cured on a lower surface of the previous thin player, and thin layers are superposed layer by layer to form a complete printed object.
However, when the volume of the three-dimensional object to be printed increases, the load-bearing platform will be subjected to an excessive vertical load which may deform a bracket supporting or suspending the load-bearing platform. In this case, the load-bearing platform cannot maintain the absolute vertical movement, but will produce offset, thereby adversely affecting the forming precision of the three-dimensional object. Moreover, since the volume of the thin layers superposed layer by layer increases, it will accidently fall off the load-bearing platform due to the gravity. The operator has to stop printing, thereby obtaining an incomplete printed object.
In view of the above drawbacks, current common photocuring 3D printers may print the three-dimensional objects smaller than 254 mm×254 mm (about 14 inches), and can only be used for 3D printing of small objects.

Resin reservoir for photocuring for use in 3D printer and 3D printer


Electroosmotic flow controllers and methods of fluid flow control are described. The invention uses an electroosmotically generated flow component in conjunction with a pressure driven flow component to modulate fluid flow. The devices and methods of the invention may include salt bridges for making electrical connection between a power supply and a channel filled with a porous dielectric material and a fluid. Embodiments including flow controllers and flow splitters are described as is their use in a variety of fluid handling applications.

The invention pertains to the fields of fluid handling and electroosmosis. More particularly, the invention pertains to electroosmotic flow controllers.
Flow controllers are used to manage the flow of fluids through conduits. Traditionally, control of fluid volume and or fluid composition by flow controllers is accomplished by combinations of pumps and valves. In some applications, flow controllers are used to control fluid flows on the order of many milliliters or more per minute, while in other applications, the fluid flow rates are orders of magnitude smaller. Prior art flow controllers tend to suffer from a variety of shortcomings. In high flow and in low flow applications, prior art flow controllers have difficulty in maintaining precise flow rates in the face of changing head pressures, such as those generated by pumping devices. In addition, mechanical feedback loops used to control flow rates through flow controllers often introduce additional imprecision and dead space into flow-controlled devices.
Microfluidic systems are playing an increasingly important role in developing advanced separation techniques needed for chemical analysis. Currently, chemical separations and purification represent severe bottlenecks in many biotechnology and drug discovery applications. Traditional scale separation systems are not compatible with the speed and small sample sizes typically required for high throughput analytical techniques. Analogous to transistors on a computer chip, microfluidic separation systems can be easily fabricated and run in multiple parallel arrays. The increased throughput and speed attained will be critical to allow separation technology to keep pace with the explosive growth of biotechnological advancement.
The recently completed sequencing of the human genome has tremendously increased our knowledge of the role genes play in disease. Translating this knowledge into improved medical diagnostics and treatments requires a much more thorough understanding of biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. One promising approach for developing the necessary understanding involves analyzing the expression of cellular proteins in normal and disease states. Another approach involves generating protein-protein interaction maps that characterize binding interactions among different proteins to better understand the diverse biochemical signaling pathways underlying normal and pathological cell physiology.
These analytical tasks are in many respects more challenging than genome sequencing efforts. In contrast to DNA, which is chemically and structurally similar irrespective of nucleic acid sequence, proteins have enormous chemical diversity. Thus, different proteins may have different molecular weights, different electronic charges, different solubilities, etc. depending upon their amino acid composition and post-translational modifications.
Therefore, the reliable microseparation techniques developed for gene sequencing are inadequate for protein analysis. Moreover, the genome is a static entity. It does not significantly change over time and identical sequences of DNA are found in almost all of the cells in the body. In contrast, the complement of expressed proteins (i.e., the "proteome") in, for example, a red blood cell, is very different than that expressed, e.g., in a neuron, or a skin cell, or a liver cell. Also, the proteome changes as a function of age and disease state. Further, considering alternative splicing possibilities, it has been estimated that there are 100 times more proteins present than the number of genes. Given this formidable task, it is clear that fast, reproducible and robust separation methods are needed to thoroughly characterize protein expression levels and interactions.
Currently, cell protein extracts are most often analyzed using 2 dimensional gel ("2D gel") electrophoretic techniques, followed by one or more rounds of mass spectrometry ("MS"). Many problems exist with 2D gels, however. Inter- and intra-laboratory reproducibility is notoriously poor. The analysis is time consuming, the 2D separation typically taking 1-2 days. After this, proteins on the gel must be stained, identified, cut out, extracted from the gel matrix, destained and serially loaded into a mass spectrometer. A complete analysis for a single cell can take months or longer.
An alternative analytical approach involves the use of gradient liquid chromatography ("LC") followed by MS. While this technique does not have the separation capacity of 2D gel electrophoresis, it is faster and more reproducible. The proteins found in the effluent of the separation column can be fed directly into a mass spectrometer. Commercially available high performance liquid chromatography ("HPLC") systems for carrying out analytical separations often use separation columns having diameters on the order of 2-5 millimeters and run at flow rates of a few milliliters per minute ("ml/min"). Since the flow rate into the MS is on the scale of microliters per minute ("μl/min") or less, most of the effluent from the HPLC, including that containing possibly valuable sample, is thrown away. Using a typical HPLC unit, these tandem liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy ("LC/MS") analyses take about an hour.
Increasing the throughput of HPLC separations can be accomplished in several ways. For example, separations can be carried out more quickly and multiple systems can be run in parallel. Given the high cost and large size of conventional HPLC systems, it is impractical to run more than a few systems in parallel. Also, the speed at which a separation can be done is limited by the large sample requirements of the system.
Microscale HPLC systems can, in theory, address both of these needs. Moreover, microscale systems offer other advantages such as reduced waste generation and low sample volume requirements. However, most currently available micro HPLC systems are simply large scale systems outfitted with flow reducers and dampers, and as such are not truly microscale flow devices. The macroscale high pressure pumps used in these systems are often unable to meter fluid flow with sufficient accuracy to generate reliable and rapid gradients, which are critical to reproducible HPLC analysis.
The present invention addresses these and other shortcomings of the prior art by providing electroosmotic flow controllers capable of providing precise flow rates in high and low flow applications using a combination of pressure-driven and electroosmotically-driven flows.


A service that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed and available for public access. It can list not only the service provider's credentials and insurance support (with monitored expiration dates), but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves, as to the satisfaction level of the quality and reliability of the work performed. It can also offer a double-check of the credentials by customer verification input. Furthermore, the example service can be easily accessible by the general public (for individual or business use) on the Internet, or by printed text directories sold direct or in bookstores.

When seeking service, most individual or business consumers have only the listings in the telephone Yellow Pages or advertising to consult. They have had no method of judging the quality and reliability of service providers, beyond personal referrals or recommendations of friends or relatives. Typically:                Trade or professional associations will only attest to membership in good standing;        Local Better Business Bureaus will advise of membership, and if complaints were filed; and        Government licensing departments will confirm if current license is in force, and may have a section to record and investigate complaints.
These resources typically will only attest to whether the service provider has the right to do business in its trade, and sometimes record and publish complaints that are brought to their attention. Even so, many trades and complaints fall through the cracks at this inadequate level. There is no central clearinghouse of service provider's performance that offers insight into their qualification, reliability, and quality of workmanship, and which is easily accessible by the general public to receive or input the needed information.
In the past, people have attempted to use web-based technology to put service providers in contact with potential consumers. For example, several web sites exist that provide a database of service providers. Consumers can search the database for providers specializing in particular tasks or having particular expertise. However, such prior web sites do not provide a component that prequalifies service providers before they are listed in the database, and ensures that listed service providers continue to be qualified.
Certain web-based technology also allows consumers to rate products or services. For example, some web sites act as impromptu forums that allow consumers to write about their experiences and post their writings for other consumers to read. Other web sites invite consumers to post a review or rating for particular products or services. Still other sites (e.g., Consumer Reports) post ratings by a third party (i.e., the Consumer Reports test lab) in a searchable database that can be accessed by consumers on a pay-per-use and/or subscription basis.
However, none of these prior approaches have solved the problem of how to conveniently direct a consumer to a particular service provider meeting certain criteria set by the consumer as well as certain criteria set by an independent third party.
The present invention solves this problem by providing a service that maintains a minimum criteria level for service providers to be listed and available for public access. It can list not only the service provider's credentials and insurance support (with monitored expiration dates), but may also provide a current up-to-date rating system by the users themselves, as to the satisfaction level of the quality and reliability of the work performed. It can also offer a double-check of the credentials by customer verification input. Furthermore, the example service provided by the present invention can be easily accessible by the general public (for individual or business use) on the Internet, or by printed text directories sold in bookstores.
An implementation of the present invention provides the following advantageous features and/or advantages:                Compile profile information of service providers (through solicitation, advertising or recommendation), and organize in database by trade and location.        Qualify service providers above minimum standards. Qualification categories may include: a) duration of business, b) meeting licensing requirements, c) insurance coverage, and d) customer experience references. Qualification information may be updated continually by company through service provider or consumer input, to maintain minimum standards.        Qualification information, including updates and consumer experience ratings, are maintained in the database as part of the individual service provider's profile, available for selection on the web-site by the consumer. Only information for service providers above minimum standards is displayed on the web-site.        Consumers sign on to web-site with their individual (personal or business) profile information.        Consumers become customers after registration.        Web-site is accessible by customers (pay-per-use or by subscription) to find qualified service providers in a specific trade, in close proximity to their home or business. The web-site cross-references the customer trade request and their zip-code with service providers in the database under that trade, in or near the same zip-code. The web-site may also be searched for a specific service provider. Customers can enter on the web-site, their individual experience rating for a listed service provider. This will be added to the rating summary in the database for that service provider.        Customers can recommend to the company, through the web-site, additional service providers for listing consideration. Such recommendation will automatically cause the system, after checking for duplication, to generate the mailing of a listing application invitation to that service provider.

Accessible service provider clearinghouse


A component carrier with a base structure, an antenna arrangement, and an electronic component are disclosed. The antenna arrangement has a first antenna element and a second antenna element, wherein both antennas elements are embedded within the base structure. The electronic component is embedded within the base structure and is operatively connected both with the first antenna element and the second antenna element. The electronic component is an active electronic component capable of providing a first transmit signal to the first antenna element and a second transmit signal to the second antenna element and/or processing a first receive signal received from the first antenna element and a second receive signal received from the second antenna element. Further, an electronic apparatus comprising such a component carrier and a manufacturing method for such a component carrier are described.

In the electronic industry the packaging size of integrated electronic circuits or components has been reduced significantly in the last decades. This resulted in a significant increase of the integration density of electronic assemblies and to a corresponding decrease of the size of electronic apparatuses such as for instance radio communication devices (e.g. notebook computers, tablet computers, smart phones, etc.).
A milestone for increasing the integration density of electronic assemblies was the launch of Multi-layer component carriers respectively Multi-layer printed circuit boards (PCBs). In a Multi-layer PCB conductor traces being assigned to different conductor layers are connected with plated-through holes called vias.
An advanced PCB contains electronic components embedded in its base structure. Embedded electronic components can be (a) passive electronic components such as capacitors, resistors or (b) active electronic components such as transistors. Apart from being mechanically protected embedded electronic components also contribute to a further increase in the integration density of electronic assemblies.
Further, there are known component carriers which have an integrated antenna structure and an electronic component connected to the antenna structure.
US 2014/0145883 A1 discloses a printed circuit board (PCB) package structure including a planar core structure made from FR4 material, an antenna structure disposed on one side of the planar core structure, and an interface structure disposed on an opposite side of the planar core structure. The antenna structure and interface structure are each formed of a plurality of laminated layers, each laminated layer having a patterned conductive layer formed on an insulating layer. The antenna structure includes a planar antenna formed on one or more patterned conductive layers of the laminated layers. The interface structure includes a power plane, a ground plane, signal lines, and contact pads formed on one or more patterned conductive layers of the laminated layers of the interface structure. The package structure further includes an antenna feed line structure formed in, and routed through, the interface structure and the planar core structure, and connected to the planar antenna.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,798 B1 discloses a phased array antenna formed within a layered structure comprising inter alia dielectric layers which are known from PCBs. A radiating element layer forming the antenna elements of the phased array antenna is located between two dielectric layers. A passive element layer forming passive elements is formed above one of these two dielectric layers such that this one dielectric layer is located in between the radiating element layer and the passive element layer. By driving the antenna elements with appropriate phase shifted signals a so called beam forming can be realized, wherein the direction of the radiation being emitted cooperatively from the antenna elements can be adjusted.

Component carrier with integrated antenna arrangement, electronic apparatus, radio communication method

AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft


Disclosed is a hydrocyclone monitoring system. The hydrocyclone monitoring system comprises a hydrocyclone comprising a separation chamber having an inlet for feeding an input mixture into the separation chamber and first and second outlets for ejecting flows of 5 respective first and second components of the mixture from the separation chamber. The hydrocyclone monitoring system further comprises a conduit and a sensor assembly. The conduit is connected to the first outlet and defines a channel for conducting the flow of the first component ejected from the separation chamber. The sensor assembly is configured to detect characteristics of the flow of the first component in the channel. The hydrocyclone 10 monitoring system further comprises a processing system configured to receive from the sensor assembly measurement data indicative of the characteristics of the flow of the first component, and to determine a mode of operation of the hydrocyclone based on the measurement data. Also disclosed is a method of monitoring a hydrocyclone.

Hydrocyclones are commonly used for separating suspended matter carried in a liquid into multiple discharge streams or "phases" of different density. In the mining industry, for example, hydrocyclones may be used to separate particulates that are located in a slurry into a heavier ("coarser") solid phase and a lighter ("finer") solid phase, for classification purposes. Hydrocyclones may have different modes of operation. Some modes of operation are desired while some are not desired. Such undesired modes of operation may result in increased wear and tear on equipment, and may require additional processing.
During normal, stable operation of a hydrocyclone, slurry enters through an upper inlet of a hydrocyclone separation chamber in the form of an inverted cone, with the heavier solid phase being discharged through a lower outlet ("underflow") and the lighter solid phase being discharged through an upper outlet ("overflow"). However, the stability of a hydrocyclone during such an operation can be readily disrupted, resulting in an ineffective separation process whereby either an excess of fine particulates exit through the lower outlet or courser particulates exit through the upper outlet.
One form of unstable operation is known as "roping", whereby the rate of solids being discharged through the lower outlet increases to a point where the flow is impaired. If corrective measures are not timely adopted, the accumulation of solids through the outlet will build up in the separation chamber, the internal air core will collapse and the lower outlet will discharge a coarse, rope-shaped flow of coarse solids. Roping may also result in the undesired effect of some or a substantial part of the heavier phase being discharged through the upper outlet. A number of different operational conditions can cause roping, some of which include changes in the composition and viscosity of the slurry and increases in slurry feed speed.
Another form of unstable operation is where the proportion of fine material being incorrectly discharged through the lower outlet progressively increases to an unacceptable level. This form of unstable operation can be caused, for example, as a result of changes in the composition and viscosity of the input slurry, decreases in the slurry feed speed, and so on.
Both of the example unstable operating conditions described above can have serious adverse impacts on downstream processes, often requiring additional processing (which, as will be appreciated, can greatly negatively impact profits) and also result in accelerated machinery wear.
There is a need for new or improved systems and/or methods of monitoring the operation of a hydrocyclone.
The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Hydrocyclone vibration monitoring system and method


A system for of aligning a mask to a substrate comprising: a fixture for holding the mask and the substrate in fixed positions relative to each other; means for holding the substrate, the means for holding the substrate protruding through openings in a table and the fixture, the means for holding fixedly mounted on a stage, the stage moveable in first and second directions and rotatable about an axis relative to the table; means for affixing the fixture containing the mask and the substrate to the table; means for controlling the means for temporarily affixing so as to generate a uniform force around a perimeter of the fixture to effectuate the temporarily affixing; means for aligning the mask to the substrate, the means for aligning controlling movement of the stage in the first and second directions and rotation about the axis; and means for fastening the fixture together.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing; more specifically, it relates to an apparatus and method for aligning a solder bump mask to a substrate.
2. Background of the Invention
The formation of solder bumps or controlled collapse chip connection (C4) interconnects on semiconductor substrates requires assembly of an alignment fixture holding the substrate and a metal mask having holes through which the solder bump processes of sputter clean, pad limiting metallurgy evaporation and solder bump evaporation are performed. Prior to these process steps, the mask must be aligned to the substrate. Traditionally, alignment of mask to substrate has been done manually, however as solder bump sizes and spacing between solder bumps has decreased; manual alignment has been shown to be unable to provide the alignment accuracy needed.

Mask and substrate alignment for solder bump process

International Business Machines Corporation


An exterior case for a surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor has a box type resin case and an exterior case cover. The resin case incorporates anode terminals and a cathode terminal at the bottom portion and is open upward. The exterior cover covers the top and an outer surface of a side wall of the resin case. A convex portion is formed on an inner surface of a ceiling of the exterior case cover and, thereby, a concave portion is formed between an inner surface of the side wall of the exterior case cover and the convex portion. The concave portion and an upper end portion of the side wall of the resin case are fitted together with an adhesive therebetween. An upper surface of the capacitor element is pressed by the convex portion of the inner surface of the ceiling of the exterior case cover and, thereby, a positional deviation thereof is prevented.

The present invention relates to a surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor and a method of producing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor exhibiting improved reliability and a method of producing the same.
A conventional surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2006-128247 (hereafter referred to as Patent Document 1). The surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor disclosed in Patent Document 1 is called a three-terminal transmission-line element. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor uses an electrically conductive functional polymer film as a solid electrolyte. The surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor comprises a plurality of capacitor elements. In order to produce each capacitor element, an anodized coating layer is at first formed on a surface of a valve-action metal, so that a valve-action metal anode is prepared. Then, the electrically conductive functional polymer film is formed so as to cover the center portion of the anodized coating layer surface of the anode. A graphite layer is formed around the electrically conductive functional polymer film. Furthermore, a silver paste layer is formed as a cathode layer. After the above-mentioned layers are formed in this order, an anode lead portion at an end portion of the capacitor element is connected, by the use of an electrically conductive adhesive, through an electrically conductive spacer to an anode terminal formed in a resin case. A cathode portion at a center portion of the capacitor element is connected, by the use of an electrically conductive adhesive, directly to a cathode terminal formed in the resin case. Thereafter, an exterior case cover is fixed with an adhesive.
In the conventional surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor, the capacitor element is placed in the resin case, and is connected and fixed to the anode and cathode terminals. Thereafter, the exterior case cover is fixed to the resin case, and sealing is performed. In each of the fixing operations, an electrically conductive adhesive or an adhesive is used and subjected to drying and curing. Therefore, a fixing jig and a drying furnace are required for each of the fixing operations. An apparatus and a lead time in the production process are required for each of the drying and the curing steps. Furthermore, in joining the resin case and the exterior case cover, nonuniformity or variation may occur in distribution of the adhesive, resulting in nonuniformity or variation in adhesion or residual strain. As a consequence, characteristics tend to vary and uniform quality is not obtained.

Surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor and method of producing the same


A 2-alkylthiobenzaldehyde of general formula (I) is reacted with a halo compound of general formula (II) to produce a 2-substituted benzo[b]thiophene of general formula (III): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 means an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, EQU X.sup.1 CH.sub.2 Y (II). wherein X.sup.1 means Cl or Br; Y means --CO.sub.2 H, --CO.sub.2 R.sup.2, --COR.sup.2, --CONH.sub.2 or --CN; R.sup.2 means an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, ##STR2## wherein Y is as defined above. The process of this invention is of great economic and industrial value, for 2-acetylbenzo[b]thiophene and 2-benzo[b]thiophenecarboxylic acid, which are important intermediates for drugs and agricultural chemicals among others, can be obtained in a simple manner, easily and in high yield.

2-Substituted benzo[b]thiophenes are compounds of value as synthetic intermediates for drugs, agricultural chemicals and functional polymers.
The hitherto known production processes for 2-substituted benzo[b]thiophenes, for example 2-acetylbenzo[b]thiophene, are as follows.
(1) The process comprising reacting benzo[b]thiophene with butyllithium and further with N,N-dimethylacetamide ##STR3##
(2) The process comprising reacting sodium salt of 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde with chloroacetone in the presence of sodium hydroxide ##STR4##
(3) The process comprising reducing thiosalicylic acid with lithium aluminum hydride to lithium salt of 2-mercaptobenzyl alcohol, then reacting it with chloroacetone to give the sulfide and cyclizing the same with pyridine-sulfur trioxide ##STR5##
However, each of these known processes has the following disadvantages.
The process (1) cannot be commercially profitable because of the high cost of the starting material benzo[b]thiophene.
The process (2) has problems in connection with the production of the starting material 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde or corresponding alkali metal mercaptide as well as in the stability of those compounds.
The process (3), like the process (1), involves the use of expensive starting and auxiliary materials and, as such, cannot be commercially profitable.

Processes for producing 2-substituted benzo[B]thiophene


A shovel and bag assembly for scooping animal refuse deposited by a pet animal. The shovel comprises a handle, a spaded loop including a spade with a protruding leading edge, a first and second support arm for the spade, a base, and a first and second extended corner. The spade and the two extended corners are configured to affix and tension the bag in an open configuration. The extended corners may each comprise a shoulder that assists in tensioning and holding the bag. In addition, the support arms may comprise a curved section proximate to the spade, which increase the tension along the underside of the spade and also widen the opening to facilitate pickup of animal refuse. After scooping the animal refuse into the bag, a rear pocket of the bag is inverted over a forward pocket, covering the soiled forward section and sealing the bag for disposal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices to scoop up and dispose of waste material, or animal refuse deposited on a surface by a pet dog or other animal.
2. Description of Related Art
A pet dog is said to be housebroken when trained to excretory habits acceptable for indoor living; particularly, a housebroken dog is taught to confine these habits to the outdoors. In a rural environment, this presents no problem because the dog is free to deposit solid waste material or animal refuse in any open field where it can decompose over time. But in urban and suburban communities, where the deposit of animal refuse on sidewalks or in other public places cannot be tolerated, pet owners are now faced with so-called xe2x80x9canimal refuse scooperxe2x80x9d laws. Such laws mandate that those responsible for a dog or other pet animal must promptly remove animal refuse deposited by the pet on a sidewalk or other outdoor sites. Since a violation of these laws may subject a pet owner to heavy fines, owners seek in various ways to comply with the laws without, however, becoming soiled in the process. Because animal refuse may contain harmful bacteria or could present other health hazards, a sanitary and efficient way to pick up and dispose of animal refuse is needed.
One conceivable way of scooping up animal refuse from the sidewalk would be to use a conventional dust pan and brush. For this purpose, the pet owner would advance the dust pan toward the animal refuse, pushing it with the brush into the dust pan in the same manner as dirt. Then the animal refuse is transferred from the dustpan into a bag suitable for disposal. One practical problem with this procedure (and one reason it is rarely used) is that the dust pan and the brush inevitably become contaminated with the animal refuse, and therefore both must be cleaned (and maybe sterilized) after use.
Another approach is to train the pet dog to deposit animal refuse on a sheet of newspaper placed on the ground by the dog owner who, after a deposit is made, folds the paper into a package for disposal. But this approach leaves much to be desired because it is difficult to train a dog to defer depositing animal refuse until the owner has found a convenient place to lay down a sheet of newspaper. Moreover, it can be an uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for the dog owner to lay down a newspaper sheet and then fold it about an animal refuse deposit.
A more commonly used technique is for a dog owner to place one of his hands in a small, bag, using the biodegradable bag as a glove to pick up the animal refuse. The dog owner then pulls the bag off his hand by inverting it which thereby packages the animal refuse inside the bag so that the animal refuse is bagged and can then be discarded. Apart from the fact that the dog owner is required to handle the animal refuse with his gloved hand-an experience that many find distasteful-a significant problem is the possibility that the biodegradable bag may not be properly sealed or that it will rupture in use and thereby soil the handler.
Another animal refuse handling technique is disclosed in the 1989 patent to Peck, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,729 (the ""729 patent). This approach makes it possible to isolate the handler from the animal refuse and thereby encourage compliance with the xe2x80x9cscooper animal refusexe2x80x9d laws. This technique makes use of a triangular frame having a handle attached to its apex, the frame being inserted into a small biodegradable bag so that the broad base of a frame is adjacent the closed end of the biodegradable bag covering the frame. In use, the bag-covered frame is held at an angle to the ground surface on which the animal refuse is deposited, and then advanced to scoop up the animal refuse so that it falls within the confines of the biodegradable bag-covered frame. The user, with his other hand, then inverts the bag so that the outside of the biodegradable bag becomes the inside and the animal refuse is then contained therein to provide a disposable package. One advantage of this technique is that the user""s hands are isolated: from the animal refuse and there is no risk of contamination. One practical, drawback of this technique is that it is not always effective in scooping up animal refuse. For example, the mass, firmness and configuration of animal refuse depends on the dog and what the dog excretes on a given occasion. It is not always easy, therefore, simply with a forward motion of the biodegradable, bag-covered frame, to scoop up the animal refuse, for there is no force holding the animal refuse in place or pushing it toward the advancing bag-covered frame. In contradistinction, with a conventional dustpan and brush arrangement, the brush functions as a tool that cooperates with the pan to push waste matter into the pan. In the absence of the brush, a forward motion of the pan may only succeed in pushing the waste matter forward.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,871, issued to Hemans (the xe2x80x98871xe2x80x99 patent) discloses a hand-held device for picking up animal waste using a scooping device and a fold-lock-top sandwich bag as the receptacle for waste material. The large pocket of the fold-lock-top sandwich bag fits through a central opening in the scoop device while the small pocket completely covers the scooping-type tapered blade, which purportedly prevents soiling of the scoop device by the waste material. A single centrally-located hook is provided opposite the tapered blade for the purpose of attaching the flap of the bag, which maintains the bag in an open configuration. One problem of the scooping device disclosed in the ""871 patent is that the hook cannot not hold the sandwich bag firmly in place and furthermore attachment of the hook to the bag creates a rip that, under even small pressure, can extend so far that the flap is released from the hook thereby eliminating the support necessary to hold the bag in an open position. Slippage of the bag during pickup can create difficulties in picking up the waste; for example, as the blade is advanced forward, the friction between the bag and the surface forces the interior of the bag to slip forward, pushing the waste away from the advancing blade. Slippage can also reduce the size of the opening in the bag, which could interfere with picking up the animal waste. Large amounts of slippage could cause the small pocket of the bag to fall away entirely from the blade, leading to possible dropping of the waste.
Dog animal refuse is excrement, and the handling of disease-bearing animal refuse is not only a repellent activity, but one in which there is a risk of contamination. While dog owners are generally law-abiding and have no wish to defy xe2x80x9cscooper animal refusexe2x80x9d laws, these laws are nevertheless disobeyed by many dog owners due to the difficulties with prior art refuse scooping devices.
A shovel and attachable bag assembly is described to scoop up and act as a repository for waste material and/or animal refuse deposited on a surface by a pet animal. In one embodiment, the animal shovel and bag assembly comprises an adjustable handle, a spaded loop, and a biodegradable rectangular biodegradable bag whose dimensions are such to allow the biodegradable bag to be inserted over the spaded loop to allow the central pocket of the biodegradable bag to receive animal refuse. The biodegradable bag creates a pocket to place the animal refuse inside. In operating the assembly, the user grasps the handle in one hand and with a forward stepping motion advances the open end of the attached biodegradable bag along the surface toward the animal refuse, scoops the animal refuse into the bag in the confines of the spaded loop, and the animal refuse tumbles into the bag. Then, after at least partially detaching the bag, the user inverts the bag so that now the animal refuse is inside the biodegradable bag and is packaged thereby in condition for disposal.
An animal refuse shovel for receiving a disposable bag comprises a handle and a spaded loop connected thereto. The spaded loop includes a spade having a protruding leading edge, a first support arm connected on one end of the spade and a second support arm connected on the opposite end of the spade, a base connected between the first and second support arms, a first extended corner at the interface between the first support arm and the base, and a second extended corner at the interface between the second support arm and the base. The spade, the first extended corner, and the second extended corner are configured to affix the bag thereto and to hold the bag under tension in an open configuration to receive the animal refuse. The first extended corner may comprise a first shoulder that extends vertically above the first support arm and the base, and the second extended corner may comprise a second shoulder that extends vertically above the second support arm and the base, which can assist in tensioning the bag. In addition, the first support arm may comprise a curved section proximate to the spade, the curved section extending outwardly in an approximately horizontal direction from the spaded loop, and the second support arm may comprise a curved section proximate to the spade, the curved section extending outwardly in an approximately horizontal direction from the spaded loop. The curved sections increase tension and tighten the forward pocket of the bag along the underside of the spade. The curved sections also widen the opening near the spade, and the portions of the bag stretched over the curved section create barriers that partially enclose the central pocket of the bag and assist in keeping the animal refuse within the bag.
In one embodiment, the disposable bag for affixing onto the animal refuse shovel comprises a central pocket, a downward-facing forward pocket on the front side of the bag, a downward-facing rear pocket on the back side of the bag, and a welded seam at each interface between the forward and rear pockets, the seam welded to the side of the central pocket.
A method of affixing a disposable bag to a shovel for the purpose of shoveling and packaging animal refuse deposited by an animal on a surface comprises inserting a central pocket of the bag into the central opening of the spaded loop, inserting a first pocket of the bag over the leading edge of the spade, inserting a first section of a second pocket of the bag over a first extended corner situated rearward of the leading edge, tensioning the first corner section of the bag over the first extended corner, thereby tensioning the bag between the leading edge and the first extended corner, and affixing the first corner section to the first extended corner. Likewise, a second section of the second pocket of the bag is inserted over a second extended corner situated rearward of the leading edge and opposite from first extended corner, the second corner section of the bag is tensioned over the second extended corner, thereby tensioning the bag between the leading edge, the first extended corner, and the second extended corner, and the second corner section is affixed to the second extended corner. The method may include tensioning the first corner section including pulling the first corner section over a first shoulder provided on the first extended corner of the spaded loop, and tensioning the second corner section including pulling the second corner section over a second shoulder provided on a second extended corner of the spaded loop. The method may also comprise inserting the forward pocket over curved sections on first and second support arms proximate to the spade, and tensioning the bag against the curved sections to tighten the forward pocket along the underside of the spade.
After the bag is affixed to the shovel, a user may shovel animal refuse into the open central pocket of the bag. Subsequently the bag is detached from the first and second extended corners, the rear pocket is inverted over the forward pocket thereby covering the forward pocket and sealing the bag, the forward pocket is removed from the spade, and the bag is disposed of. In this method, the forward pocket may be removed either before inverting the bag or after inverting the bag, depending upon user preference. Some users may prefer to invert the bag over the forward pocket while the spade is holding it in position, in order to avoid unintended contamination.
In one embodiment, the spade is flexible, tapered and has an angle within about 25xc2x0 to about 35xc2x0, (and preferably 30xc2x0). One advantage of this embodiment is that the spade can conform to the surface underlying the animal refuse, and a user can, with one hand, advance the biodegradable bag-covered spaded loop toward the animal refuse to be picked up with one easy motion. This can be particularly useful if the use has only one free hand, such as when the other hand is holding a dog leash.
In one embodiment the handle is adjustable to accommodate people of various heights, as well as disabled and/or wheelchair-confined persons. Furthermore, the spaded loop and adjustable handle provides an assembly in its storage mode that is highly compact.

Animal refuse shovel with attachable bag


It is considered that in the fabricating steps of a TFT substrate, a color filter layer is prepared at the same alignment accuracy. However, since the heat resistance temperature is about 200° C., it could not withstand the process temperature of about 450° C. in the TFT. The pixel section is formed by arraying in a matrix shape a light emitting element in which an organic compound layer having the luminous property is formed between a pair of electrodes consisting of a translucent electrode and a non-translucent electrode and a TFT, the coloring layer of color filter provided corresponding to each pixel is provided in contact with the flat surface of the flattened insulating film composed of an inorganic or organic material between the light emitting element and the TFT, the boundary region of coloring layers adjacent each other is provided while overlapping with a gate signal line or data line for transmitting a signal to the TFT, and the translucent electrode is provided while overlapping with the layer inside of the coloring layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a light emitting device equipped with a light emitting element having a layer composed of an organic compound (hereinafter, referred to as organic compound layer), and particularly relates to a multi-color display function.
2. Prior Art
Since a spontaneous emission type display device using a light emitting element in which an organic compound layer is intervened between a pair of electrodes has a wide angular field of view and is also excellent in visibility, it has drawn the attention as a display device of the next generation.
A light emitting mechanism of a light emitting element is considered as the phenomenon that a hole injected from an anode which is one of a pair of electrodes and an electron injected from a cathode which is the other one of a pair of electrodes recombine in a luminescent organic compound layer (light emitting layer) and form an exciton, and the exciton emits the light at the time when the exciton returns to the ground state. The emission is referred to as electroluminescence. The electroluminescence includes fluorescence and phosphorescence, that is, these are emission (fluorescence) from the singlet state in the excited state and emission (phosphorescence) from the triplet state. Since the brightness due to the emission ranging from several thousands to several tens of thousands cd/m2, in principle, it is considered to be capable of being applied to a display device or the like.
In such a light emitting element, an organic thin film is usually formed in a thin film less than 1 μm. Moreover, since the light emitting element is a spontaneous emission type element in which the organic thin film itself emits the light, it is not necessary to be equipped with a back light used in the conventional liquid crystal display. Therefore, it is a big advantage that a light emitting element can be easily prepared in an extremely thin type and light weight.
Moreover, a method referred to as an active matrix drive has realized a high definition image display without any crosstalk by providing a thin film transistor (TFT) per each pixel and controlling an individual emission of the light emitting element.
In a method of displaying in colors, a method in which the materials or additives of the light emitting layers are made different and luminous colors per each pixel which are made different in red, green and blue are arrayed and a method in which a light emitting element for emitting white color light is used and combined with color filters and the like have been known.
However, when the color filter and pixel matrix in which a light emitting element is provided in each pixel are individually formed, it is necessary to align both with a high accuracy and assemble them, and in the case where the alignment accuracy is low, there has been a problem that the actual aperture efficiency is lowered.
Needless to say, it is also considered that in the fabrication steps of a TFT substrate, the colored layers of the color filters are prepared with the same alignment accuracy. However, since the heat resistance temperature is about 200° C., the process temperature of about 450° C. in the TFT could not be withstood.
Moreover, a material referred to as a color resist used at the time when the colored layers of the color filters are formed is considerably expensive material, and there has been a problem that such a process in which the yield of TFT steps and color filter steps are integrated is a factor of increasing the fabricating cost and thus is not suitable.

Light emitting device having a conductive polymer and coloring layers


The present invention relates to a partial discharge sensor for a high-voltage insulation monitoring device comprising a housing and located in the housing a measurement circuit for measurement of partial discharges in a high voltage system to be tested and a coupling capacitor having one electrode connected to the measurement circuit and the other electrode to a first high voltage conductor to be connected to a high voltage line of the system to be tested, wherein it further comprises a calibration circuit located in the housing and comprising a calibration capacitor having one electrode connected to the calibration circuit and the other electrode connected to said first or a second high voltage conductor to be connected to a high voltage line.

Partial discharges (PD) are locally occurring electric discharges that partially bridge the insulation between conductors, in particular used in high voltage electrical generation.
They are the result of insulation defects when the electrical field is locally beyond the breakdown strength. Such partial discharges may even lead to further degradation of the insulation between the conductor and even breakdown.
Therefore, the monitoring of partial discharges in high voltage systems is needed to prevent dysfunctioning and damages in a power generation chain. In addition, it is a helpful tool in order to plan shut downs and maintenance of the equipment or replacements.
In industry, measurement of partial discharges is well described in standard EN/IEC 60270 entitled "High voltage Test Techniques—Partial Discharge measurements" (2000). It describes design and calibration of electrical circuits used to determine partial discharges.
It is important to notice that before the measurement of partial discharges, the measurement system needs to be calibrated in order to reach the needed accuracy. Calibration is usually made by injecting a pulse into the system and detecting the response of the measurement device.
The classical calibration devices can only be used off-line, at stand still of the generator because the known devices are not high voltage resistant.
However, the operation conditions on-line and off-line are quite different from each other which impacts the calibration precision. In fact, during operation the main switch connecting the generator to the grid is closed and thus the electric line is much longer. This causes a larger line capacitance and changes the transmission characteristics of the pulses.
Thus, it is desirable to be able to calibrate the high voltage insulation monitoring device during normal operation of the generator.
EP 2 071 342 discloses a portable calibration device that might be used during normal operation as the power supply is achieved via a battery and remote controlling is done via an optical interface.
However, it's an add-on device that changes the high voltage geometry of the power excitation chain and due to the battery supply, the injected pulses are quite small and the time of operation limited.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least partially the above cited drawbacks, in particular to propose a device that allows on-line calibration, even during high voltage insulation monitoring.

Partial discharge sensor for a high voltage insulation monitoring device


Vibration damping device for vehicles includes: a rigid housing member having an accommodation space and fixed to a vibrative member; and an independent mass member having a rigid mass body and an elastic body layer bonded on the outer surface of the rigid mass body. The independent mass member is non-adhesively disposed in the accommodation space such that an outer surface of the independent mass member is opposed to the inner surface of the housing member with a predetermined gap distance therebetween, to thereby permit displacement of the independent mass member relative to the housing member. The independent mass member and the housing member is brought into elastic impact against each other, upon application of a vibrational load, at respective abutting surfaces thereof which are opposed to each other in a vibrational input direction.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 2000-055472 filed Mar. 1, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vibration damper installed in a vibrative member of a vehicle, for reducing vibration of the vibrative member. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with such a vibration damper which is novel in construction and which is suitably applicable to vibrative members such as suspension arms, sub frames, body panels, mounting brackets, and vibrative members used in an engine unit or an exhaustion system, so that the vibration damper exhibits an excellent damping effect with respect to vibrations excited in these vibrative members.
2. Description of the Related Art
As vibration damping means for damping or reducing vibration excited in vehicles such as an automotive vehicle, there are known (a) a mass damper wherein a mass member is fixed to a vibrative member, (b) a dynamic damper wherein a mass member is supported by and connected to the vibrative member via a spring member and (c) a damping material, which is a sheet-shaped elastic member and secured to the vibrative member. However, these conventional devices suffer from various potential problems. For example, (a) the mass damper and (b) the dynamic damper both require a relatively large mass of the mass member, and exhibit desired vibration damping effect only to significantly narrow frequency ranges. (c) The damping material suffers from difficulty in stably exhibiting a desired damping effect, since the damping effect of the damping material is likely to vary depending upon the ambient temperature.
The present assignee has been disclosed in International Publication WO 00/14429 a novel vibration damper used for an automotive vehicle, which includes a housing member having an inner space and fixed to the vibrative member, and an independent mass member which is accommodated in a inner space of the housing member without being bonded to the housing member, so that the independent mass member is displaceable or movable relative to the housing member, while being independent of the housing member. In the disclosed vibration damper, the independent mass member is moved into and impact the housing member, upon application of a vibrational load to the damper, whereby the vibration of the vibrative body is effectively reduced or absorbed based on loss or dissipation of energy caused by sliding friction generated between the abutting surfaces of the mass member and the housing member and caused by collision or impact of the independent mass member against the housing member. This proposed vibration damper is capable of exhibiting a high damping effect over a sufficiently wide frequency range of frequency of input vibrations, while having a relatively small mass of the mass member.
In order to stably establish a desired damping effect of the vibration damper disclosed in the above-indicated document, it is required to precisely control a distance of spacing or gap between the abutting surface of the independent mass member and the abutting surface of the housing member, as well as to obtain a sufficient mass of the independent mass member.
In the stage of mass production of the vibration damper to be installed in automotive vehicles, it is important to improve production efficiency of the vibration damper with facility of designing and manufacturing the damper.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved vibration damping device for an automotive vehicle, which is capable of exhibiting an improved or stabilized damping capability and an improved production efficiency of the vibration damping device, in comparison with the vibration damper disclosed in the above-indicated document of International Publication WO 00/14429.
The above object may be achieved according to the principle of the present invention, which provides a vibration damping device for damping vibrations of a vibrative member of a vehicle, including: (a) a rigid housing member having an accommodation space, which is fixedly disposed in the vibrative member; and (b) an independent mass member having a rigid mass body and an elastic body layer formed on and bonded to an outer surface of the rigid mass body, the outer surface of the rigid mass body having a configuration different from a configuration of an inner surface of the housing member which defines the accommodation space, the independent mass member being non-adhesively disposed in said accommodation space such that an outer surface of the independent mass member is opposed to the inner surface of the housing member with a predetermined gap distance therebetween, to thereby permit displacement of the independent mass member relative to the housing member, the independent mass member and the housing member being brought into elastic impact against each other, upon application of a vibrational load to the device, at respective abutting surfaces thereof which are opposed to each other in a direction in which said vibrational load is applied, the elastic body layer of the independent mass member having a wall thickness which partially varies so that the abutting surface of the independent mass member has a configuration corresponding to that of the abutting surface of the housing member.
In the vibration damping device constructed according to the present invention, the provision of the elastic body layer formed on the outer surface of the rigid mass body makes it possible to adjust the configuration of the abutting surface of the independent mass member so as to correspond to the configuration of the abutting surface of the housing member. This arrangement permits precisely controlling or adjusting the gap distance between the abutting surfaces of the independent mass member and the housing member, even in the case where the outside configuration of the rigid mass body is different from the configuration of the accommodation space, i.e., the configuration of the inner surface of the housing body which defines the accommodation space. Thus, the vibration-damping device of the present invention can effectively exhibit a desired damping effect. It may be possible that the wall thickness of the elastic body layer is arranged so that the entire outside configuration of the independent mass member corresponds to the entire configuration of the accommodation space.
In the vibration-damping device of the present invention, the rigid mass body can be designed and manufactured without the configuration of the housing member taken into account, and vice versa. For instance, the present vibration damping device may employ the rigid mass body having a simple configuration including a cylindrical rod shape and a flat-plate shape, even if the housing member has a complicated configuration so as to meet various kinds of requirements, resulting in an improved degree of freedom in designing or manufacturing the rigid mass body and the housing member.
The rigid mass body may be made of a high gravity material, such as iron, making it possible to effectively obtain the mass body which is made compact in size and which has a sufficiently large mass. While the mass body formed of the rigid material generally suffers from difficulty in processing or machining thereof, the present invention does not require processing the shape of the mass body precisely. Namely, the wall thickness of the elastic body layer formed on the rigid mass body is suitably changed so that the configuration of the abutting surface of the independent mass member corresponds to the configuration of the abutting surface of the housing member. Thus, the present vibration-damping device assures a high dimensional accuracy and improved production efficiency of the independent mass member.
The housing member may be made of metallic materials such as iron or an aluminum alloy, or a synthetic resin material, for example. Preferably, the housing member may be formed of a rigid material having a modulus of elasticity of 5xc3x97103 MPa or more so as to establish a required hardness enough to support the independent mass member and a desired damping effect. The rigid mass body may preferably be formed of metallic materials, such as iron, in view of their high processability. In order to assure an improved damping effect of the present vibration damping device and a reduced impact noise upon impact of the independent mass member with the housing member, the elastic body layer formed on and bonded to the outer surface of the rigid mass body may preferably have a Shore D hardness of 80 or lower, more preferably, within a range of 20-40, as measured in accordance with ASTM method D-2240. For the above-mentioned improved damping effect and the reduced impact noise, the elastic body layer is also arranged to have a modulus of elasticity within a range of 1-104 MPa, more preferably, 1-103 MPa, and a loss tangent is not less than 10xe2x88x923, more preferably within a range of 0.01-10, preferably.
In the present invention, the housing member may be made of a rigid material such as a synthetic material, which has a modulus of elasticity within a range of 5xc3x97103-5xc3x97104 MPa, for example, resulting in a minimized impact noise and an ease of tuning of damping characteristics of the vibration-damping device. In the case where the housing member has a relatively low rigidity, the elastic body layer formed on the housing member may be suitably arranged to have a modulus of elasticity which is made smaller than that of the housing member. More preferably, the modulus of elasticity of the elastic body layer is held within a range of 1-102 MPa. This arrangement makes it possible to assure a desired strength and durability of the housing member, and to improve a damping effect of the vibration-damping device with respect to low frequency vibrations, for example.
For effectively establishing further improved damping effect of the vibration damping device of the present invention, the gap distance between the abutting, surface of the independent mass member and the abutting surface of the housing member, namely, between the outer surface of the elastic body layer and the inner surface of the housing member which defines the accommodation space, is preferably arranged to be held within a range of 0.05-0.8 mm. Accordingly, the independent mass member may be reciprocally movable by a distance of 0.1-1.6 mm between two abutting surfaces of the housing member which are opposed to each other with the independent mass member therebetween, in the direction in which the vibrational load is applied to the vibration-damping device. In order to assure or excite the desired and repeated free displacement or bouncing movement of the independent mass member relative to the housing member, upon application of the vibrational load to the device, the mass of the independent mass member, i.e., the total mass of the rigid mass body and the elastic body layer, may be held within a range of 5-10% of the mass of the vibrative member, whereby the independent mass member moves into and impact the housing member and damps the vibrations excited in the vibrative member.