Disclosed is a method of working a semi-finished scroll member for a scroll compressor which has a circular end plate having a first end face and a second end face with a spiral wrap extending therefrom. Before the second end face and the wrap are machined, the outer peripheral surface of the end plate is formed therein with a circumferencial groove to provide jaw finger engaging surfaces spaced from the first and second end faces of the end plate. Then, radial grooves are formed in the outer periphery of the end plate such that each groove extends between and is open in one of the jaw finger engaging surfaces and in the first end face of the end plate. Thereafter, the semi-finished scroll member is positioned relative to a machine tool such that the first axial end face of the end plate is placed adjacent a back-up member of the machine tool. Then, jaw fingers of the machine tool are moved into engagement with the jaw finger engaging surfaces of the semi-finished scroll member, respectively, and are further moved axially of the machine tool toward the back-up member until the first axial end face of the end plate is urged against the back-up plate, whereby the semi-finished scroll member is firmly fixed to the machine tool and ready for machining of the second axial end face of the end plate and of the spiral wrap thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to scroll compressors and, more particulary, to a method of precisely working at least one of stationary and orbiting scroll members to be assembled to form a pump section of a scroll compressor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-187,388 shows the structure of a pump section of a scroll compressor. Such pump section of a scroll compressor will be described hereinunder with reference to FIG. 9.
A stationary scroll member 21 has a spiral wrap 21a upstanding from one surface of a substantially circular base or end plate 21b such that the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the wrap 21a are perpendicular to the end plate 21b. An orbiting scroll member 22 has a spiral wrap 22a upstanding from one surface of a substantially circular base or end plate 22b such that the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the wrap 22a are perpendicular to the end plate 22b. The two scroll members 21 and 22 are assembled such that the spiral wraps 21a and 22a are meshing engagement with each other and cooperate to define a compression chamber 30.
The orbiting scroll member 22 is provided with a cylindrical bearing portion 22c extending from the other surface of the end plate 22b. Radial key grooves are formed in the other surface of the end plate 22b radially outwardly of the bearing portion 22c and engaged by axial projections 24a of an oldhams ring 24. The outer periphery of the stationary scroll member 21 is secured by bolts 26 to an outer periphery of a frame 23 having an end which is recessed to receive therein the orbiting scroll member 22 and the oldhams ring 24. The other end of the frame 23 is shaped to provide a tubular bearing 23a through which a crank shaft 25 extends from an electric motor (not shown) and has an eccentric end portion 25a received in the bearing portion 22c. The frame 23 has formed therein radial key grooves 23b which are engaged with further projections 24b extending from the oldhams ring 24 in its axial direction opposite to the axial direction in which the projections 24a extend from the oldhams ring 24. The eccentric portion 25a of the crank shaft 25 and the projections 24a and 24b of the oldhams ring 24 and the associated key grooves 22d and 23b cooperate to convert the rotation of the crank shaft 25 into an orbiting motion of the orbiting scroll member 22, so that the compression chamber 30 is moved in the pump section radially inwardly to suck gas (such as refrigerant gas) through a suction port 21-2 while the volume of the compression chamber 30 is gradually reduced to compress the thus sucked gas. When the compression chamber 30 is moved to the radially innermost position, the chamber 30 is communicated with a discharge port 21-1 so that the compressed gas is discharged out of the pump section through the discharge port 21-1.
In a hermetic scroll compressor, the aforedescribed pump section and the electric motor (not shown) are housed in a hermetic container which has a gas inlet pneumatically connected to the suction port so that refrigerant gas is sucked from a refrigeration cycle (not shown) through the gas inlet in the hermetic container and through the suction port 21-2 into the compression chamber 30. The hermetic container has formed therein a gas outlet communicated with the discharge port 21-1 of the pump section through the space defined in the container. Accordingly, compressed refrigerant gas is discharged from the pump section through the discharge port 21-1 and flows through the interior of the hermetic container to the gas outlet therein. Accordingly, the end plate 21b of the stationary scroll member 21 is designed to be of a large thickness to provide a sufficient rigidity to prevent the stationary scroll end plate 21b from being deformed by pressure exerted axially thereto by the compressed refrigerant gas discharged from the pump section through the discharge port 21-1 into the interior of the hermetic container.
On the other hand, the end plate 22b of the orbiting scroll member 22 is designed to have as small thickness and weight as possible so as to minimize the inertia of the orbiting scroll member which would cause vibration of the compressor when the orbiting scroll member is driven to make an orbiting motion by the eccentric portion 25a of the crank shaft 25. For this reason, the structure of the orbiting scroll end plate 22b is of a low rigidity.
An example of the methods of working (machining) the orbiting scroll member 22 is schematically shown in FIG. 10. A working machine or machine tool is shown to have a jaw chuck comprising gripping fingers 27 and a back-up plate 28. The chuck is designed such that the gripping fingers 27 are forcibly moved radially inwardly into gripping engagement with the outer peripheral surface of the circular end plate 22b of a semifinished orbiting scroll member 22 which has been prepared, for example, by casting a metal. While the scroll member 22 is so held by the gripping fingers 27 and the back-up plate 28, a cutting or grinding tool is brought into working engagement with the side of the end plate 22b remote from the back-up plate 28 to effect machining on that side of the end plate.
In the working method shown in FIG. 10, however, the gripping force radially inwardly exerted to the end plate 22b axially deforms the end plate away from the back-up plate 28 in a manner shown by broken lines in FIG. 10. It will therefore be appreciated that the machining of the orbiting scroll member 22 is conducted with the end plate 22b deformed in one axial direction thereof. Accordingly, when the radially inward gripping force is removed from the outer peripheral surface of the end plate 22b of the orbiting scroll member 22 when the machining is finished, the end plate 22b tends to recover to its initial shape. This working or machining method, therefore, fails to provide a precise flatness of the machined side of the orbiting scroll end plate 22b. In addition, the working method shown in FIG. 10 has a further disadvantage that the end plate 22b of the orbiting scroll member 22 cannot be kept in close contacting relationship with the back-up plate 28 because the end plate 22b is deformed axially away from the back-up plate 28, with a result that a variation is liable to occur in the precise thickness of the machined end plate 22b of the orbiting scroll member 22.
The performance of a scroll compressor is greatly influenced by the rate of gas leakage through gaps between side faces of meshed spiral wraps, between the end face of each wrap and an associated bottom face of an associated grooved bottom and between the end plates of stationary and orbiting scroll members. The scroll members can be machined with a substantial precision to obtain desired shapes of spiral wraps, desired heights thereof and desired depths of grooved bottoms. However, the flatness of each of the stationary and orbiting scroll members depends upon how the scroll member is gripped by a jaw chuck. The degree of the flatness of the end plate of each of stationary and orbiting scroll members directly influences the gap between the two end plates. With the structure of the conventional orbiting scroll member and with the conventional method of working orbiting scroll member, it has been quite difficult to obtain a desired precision of the flatness of the end plate of the orbiting scroll member. For this reason, a relatively thicker scroll end plate had to be employed to assure a desired rigidity of the end plate notwithstanding the fact the thicker end plate disadvantageously increases the weight thereof with a resultant increase in the inertia thereof and thus in an increase in the vibration of the compressor.
The above discussion is also applicable to the case in which the pump section is not accommodated in a hermetic container. In such a case, the discharge port 21-1 formed in the end plate 21b of the stationary scroll member 21 is connected directly to a refrigeration cycle, so that the pressure of the compressed gas discharged from the pump section does not act on the end plate 21b of the stationary scroll member 21. Accordingly, the stationary scroll end plate 21b should preferably be designed to be of as smaller thickness as possible to reduce its weight and inertia and thus to decrease the vibration of the compressor.

Method of working scroll member of scroll compressor


A hands free magnification device is provided that is capable of illuminating an area adjacent the user. A method of use of the device is also provided.

The present invention relates to magnifying devices and more specifically to magnifying devices that assist in illuminating an object desired to be viewed.
Small objects are difficult to view without magnification, and especially so for persons with deteriorating or already deteriorated vision. Such objects are even more difficult to view when ample light is not available to assist in viewing the object. Furthermore, when both hands of the viewer are needed to handle or maneuver the object, viewing the object is complicated even more because one hand can not be used to hold a flashlight and/or magnifying glass or spectacles. Ultimately, the viewer may be injured by handling sharp objects, or those objects where if they are mishandled injury may occur, in low light non-magnification conditions. Also, the viewer may not achieve the desired, or required, attention to detail in these low light non-magnification conditions.
For objects such as flies for fishing, attention to detail is necessary. It is very important to see the small details of the fly, while tying the fly. Therefore, for things such as tying flies for fishing and other circumstances, there is a need for an apparatus to assist in viewing an object by providing both illumination and magnification without needing the use of one's hands to hold it.


In a method for manufacturing flexible plastic containers by two die molds, in the connecting seam of which at least one insert for filling and/or emptying the container is introduced, comprising press faces running perpendicular to the wall of the container, the angle of the press faces is greater than 90.degree., preferable nearly 180.degree. at each locus of connection to the die molds, with regard to the connecting seam of the two die molds.

For manufacturing containers made of divided molds, various methods are known. For this purpose, for example injection molding, blow molding or swaging are applied. In many cases, the divided mold serves a better removal or taking out of the formed object so that integral containers result. For swaging of sheets by means of pressure difference, mainly divided molds for the so-called twinsheet method are known such as described in EP-0 579 937 A1. Another kind of forming out of two die molds is described in DE-35 13 388 C2. The thus formed object is compressed along a fitting face of the die molds during the forming method and is welded around its contour. Openings in the molded object have to be introduced into the wall after removal from the mold, particularly for shapes of containers for filling and emptying. Among others, a corresponding method is known from DE-40 23 274 A1.
In order to avoid this additional working step it has already been tried to weld the joining member circumferentially between the flat sheet webs such that the thermally plastified sheets enclose the outwardly projecting part of the joining member and cooling down thereon dimensionally stable (DE-39 29 665 A1 and 29 29 665 A1). Alternatively, it is also known to undercut the flange-like enlargement of an outwardly projecting tube lug. In these cases it is assumed that the forming material encloses, in a flowable state, a joining member such that a welding results, because the sheet material can cool down dimensionally stable in the vicinity of the joining member. However, practice has shown that surface areas of connecting members not heated to be flowable do not form an intimate sealing welding connection, simply by enclosing, any intimate sealing welding connection with the sheet material heated to be flowable.
For smaller containers, the content of which is maximally 20 liters, which in the documents mentioned above is derived from, the described method for connecting the container to the joining members may be sufficient in many cases. However, as far as sealing connections of molded sheets with seal members are requested, which have to withstand high test regulations to transportation safety, the known methods for containers with a content of 30 to 1000 liters and more are not suitable. The method known from DE-39 40 497 A1 is also not sufficient, because there it is assumed that flowable material is flowing into a neck when the joining member is pressed thereon with its face side. This outside connection does not enclose in a sufficiently sealing way a flange member whatsoever type it may be. It is particularly referred to the fact that an enclosure of the pipe socket in the transition range of external pipe surface up to the seam further continuing in the container edge, form a slightly open lip. This is realized because the pressure relations are not sufficient for a closed seam formation in order to form the last portion of a nearly perpendicularly running semicircle.


A package for dispensing a pressurized fluid having a plastic container body comprising a non-round cross-section which is at least in part maintained by a skeletal support adjacent to the outer surface of the container body configured to do so.

The consumer products industry provides the world's consumers with a wide variety of products that are designed to meet consumer's needs. The number and variety of products that are available to today's consumers is vast and spans a broad range of functional design, aesthetic design, and intended use. These products can be grouped in numerous ways. For example, products can be grouped by function (cleansing, prevention, treatment, cosmetic enhancement, sensory experience, etc.), form (sprays, creams, lotions, wipes, bars, lathering soaps, etc.), and/or intended use (for hair, teeth, facial skin, legs, underarms, whole body). When considering the function, form and intended use, it is important to consider the package needed. Packages can be made of many materials such as plastic, glass composites and/or metal. Understanding the consumer desires, technical stability and mechanical robustness of the packaging material is necessary prior to expanding a product into the marketplace. Additional testing requirements will further drive the packaging material of choice.
Moreover, in attempting to provide the consumer with a reliable product such as an antiperspirant and/or deodorant, many consumers have few options available when it comes to the type of packaging such products are stored in or otherwise applied in use. Despite continuing efforts to bring an effectively packaged antiperspirant and/or deodorant to the consumer, packaging for certain pressurized products has remained unsatisfactorily limited by the conjunctive and often competing requirements of utility, convenience, cost and material characteristics. The present invention enables designs which provide the consumer with flexibility by providing a package which is lightweight, susceptible to use of a variety of materials and material characteristics, ergonomically designed, and permits the user to evaluate how much product remains in the package at any given time. The package generally includes a plastic container body of unique non-round shape and which comprises a cavity that houses a pressurized product, such as the antiperspirant and/or deodorant, and a skeletal support which serves to keep the container body having a non-round cross-section. This non-round cross-section provides for an ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing design allowing the user to more effectively and conveniently apply an antiperspirant and/or deodorant to the surface of the skin. The plastic container body can also be configured to have at least one substantially transparent portion so that the user of the product may easily determine how much product remains in the packaging at any given time. In addition, the packaging of the present invention can utilize various application arrangements such as an applicator surface or spray nozzle to allow the user to effectively coat the surface of their skin with products, such as an antiperspirant, cosmetic and/or deodorant.

Package for dispensing a pressurized fluid


A blind slat control mechanism include a pair of first rope ladders mounted between an upper and tower beams of a Venetian blind for a plurality of slats to be equidistantly abutted against for location thereby, and the upper ends of the rope ladders are wound through adjustment rollers of mounting seats adapted at both inner sides of the upper beam to control the rotation of the slats in different angles thereby. A pull cord, led through cord-passage holes of each slat, is wound through a pulley seat mounted at one end of the upper beam to control the folding or unfolding operation of the slats thereby. A sliding guide plate is disposed at the corresponding side of both mounting seats thereof for a second rope ladder and a driving cord to be fixedly attached thereto respectively. The second rope ladder, bestriding the bottommost slat thereof in an U-shaped form, has a plurality of positioning steps alternatively astride the slats in odd or even number. A hook ring and a pivoting hole are disposed at the other end of the upper beam for the driving cord to pass and suspend downwards there-from. Thus, via the linkage operation of the sliding guide plates with both the second rope ladders and the driving cord fixedly attached thereto, the driving cord is simply pulled to actuate the movement of the sliding guide plates and synchronically draw upwards the second rope ladders therewith in an easy and fast manner, effectively avoiding the slant of the slats due to uneven pulling force applied thereto to achieve the best using condition thereof.

The present invention is related to a blind-slat control mechanism, including a pair of first rope ladders mounted between an upper and lower beams of a Venetian blind for a plurality of slats to be equidistantly abutted against for location thereby, and the upper ends of the first rope ladders are located at mounting seats adapted at both inner lateral sides of the upper beam to control the rotation of the slats in different angles thereby. A pull cord, led through cord-passage holes of each slat, is wound through a pulley seat disposed at one end of the upper beam to control the folding or unfolding operation of the slats thereby. Sliding guide plates are disposed at the corresponding side of both mounting seats thereof for a pair of second rope ladders and a driving cord to be fixedly attached thereto respectively, and the second rope ladders, each bestriding the bottommost slat thereof in a U-shaped form, have a plurality of positioning steps alternatively astride the slats in odd or even number. A hook ring and a pivoting hole are disposed at the other end of the upper beam for the driving cord to pass and suspend downwards there-from; whereby, via the linkage operation thereof, the driving cord is simply pulled to actuate the movement of the sliding guide plates and synchronically draw upwards the second rope ladders therewith in an easy and fast manner, effectively avoiding the slant of the slats due to uneven pulling force applied thereto to achieve the best using condition thereof.
Please refer to FIG. 1. A conventional blind slat control mechanism is made up of a Venetian blind 10 having a first rope ladder 11 and a second rope ladder 12 sequentially mounted to a plurality of slats 13 and respectively bestriding a lower beam 14 into U-shaped forms. Positioning slide posts 151 and a first and second pulley seats 152, 153 are respectively disposed at both ends of an upper beam 15 for both ends of the first and second rope ladders to wind there-through and extend downwards there-from. In practical use, the first rope ladder 11 is pulled downwards to draw up the odd-numbered or even-numbered slats 13, piling up the slats 13 in pairs to augment the light-passable space as shown in FIG. 2. When the second rope ladder 12 is pulled downwards, the slats 13 will keep gathering up from bottom to top in a sequence. A mounting seat with an adjustment member is adapted inside the upper beam 15 for retaining another rope ladder (without shown in the diagram) to adjust the rotation of the slats 13 in different angles.
There are some drawbacks to such conventional blind slat control mechanism. First, the first and the second rope ladders 11, 12 are suspended downwards from the same side of the upper beam 15. In practical use, it's easy to misjudge the two rope ladders 11, 12 and mix up the two in operation. Besides, in case pulling force is unevenly applied onto both ends of the first or the second rope ladders 11, 12, the slats 13 can easily get tilted and cause the inconvenience in operation thereof. Second, the first rope ladder 11 is wound through the lower beam 14 thereof. In case of a great pulling force applied thereto, the first rope ladder 11 tends to raise upwards the lower beam 14 and sequentially gather up each slat 13 from bottom to top, losing the function to pile up the slats 13 in pairs. Thus, the operation of the first rope ladder 11 thereof is more difficult to control. Third, the first rope ladder 11, winding through the inner side of the lower beam 14, must first actuate the lower beam 14 before extending through the first pulley seat 152 to suspend downwards there-from, which can waste quite a lot of efforts and pains in the operation thereof. Fourth, the two positioning slide posts 151 and first/second pulley seats 152, 153 are mounted inside the upper beam 15 thereof for the first and the second rope ladders 11, 12 to wind there-through, which can increase the cost of material and make the assembly thereof more troublesome and tedious.


A ratio between the total width (SW) and outer diameter (OD) of a pneumatic tire, which has an asymmetrical pattern formed by grooves formed on a tread part, satisfies SW/OD≤0.3. Given a ground contact width (CW) in a ground contact region in the tread part, a groove area ratio (GR), and a groove area ratio (GRi) of a tire inner side region (Ai), which spans from a tire equator line (CL) to the vehicle side in the ground contact region, and a groove area ratio (GRo) of a tire outer side region (Ao), which spans from the tire equator line to the opposite side of the vehicle side in the ground contact region, the ground contact region is formed to satisfy 0.75≤CW/SW≤0.9, 10≤GR≤25%, and GRi<GRo.

In the related art, pneumatic tires for reducing rolling resistance have been proposed in order to contribute to lowering the fuel consumption of automobiles such as hybrid automobiles (HV) and electric vehicles (EV) in particular. In recent years, as concern for the environment has increased, there has been a demand for pneumatic tires with a higher contribution to lowering the fuel consumption of automobiles.
As a method for reducing the rolling resistance of pneumatic tires, there is known a method for reducing the air resistance around the tire by decreasing the front surface projection area (the projection area of the pneumatic tire when viewed from the rolling direction) by narrowing the total width (SW) of the pneumatic tire (for example, refer to International Patent Publication No. WO/2011/135774).
However, in the method described above, since the ground contact width is also narrowed as the total width of the pneumatic tire is narrowed, there are concerns that the cornering force (CF) will decrease and the steering stability will deteriorate.
In the related art, as a countermeasure to this deterioration in the steering stability, in order to improve the steering stability, the groove area ratio of the tire outer side region, which is positioned further to the opposite side to the vehicle side from the tire equator line, is made to be greater than the groove area ratio of the tire inner side region positioned further to the vehicle side from the tire equator line (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-149124A).
However, in a pneumatic tire in which the groove area ratio of the tire outer side region is greater than the groove area ratio of the tire inner side region, while the steering stability is improved, there is a concern that the water drainage performance while turning will deteriorate.


This invention relates to a grip for writing implements and in particular to one including a tubular member having a spherical stock at an end, a swelling at an intermediate portion, a recess between the spherical stock and the swelling, and a converging end, the tubular member further having a longitudinal hole and a slot in communication with the longitudinal hole, the slot being formed with two aligned holes and two aligned recesses, and an adjusting member provided with two aligned pins and two aligned protuberances engageable with the aligned holes and the aligned recesses of the slot respectively, the adjusting member further having a rubber projection in an inner side, whereby the grip may facilitate the holding of a writing implement.

It has been found that the conventional holder for writing implements is simply a straight tubular member which will make the hand of a user tire when holding for a long period of time. Hence, various kind of holding devices for writing implements have been developed to eliminate the defects. However, none of them on the market are satisfactory in use.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a grip for writing implements which may obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.


A first node of a packet switched network transmits at least one flow of protocol data units of a network to at least one output context of one of a plurality of second nodes of the network. The first node includes X virtual output queues (VOQs). The first node receives, from at least one of the second nodes, at least one fair rate record. Each fair rate record corresponds to a particular second node output context and describes a recommended rate of flow to the particular output context. The first node allocates up to X of the VOQs among flows corresponding to i) currently allocated VOQs, and ii) the flows corresponding to the received fair rate records. The first node operates each allocated VOQ according to the corresponding recommended rate of flow until a deallocation condition obtains for the each allocated VOQ.

Referring to FIG. 1, a notional computer networking architecture 100, in which the technology disclosed herein can operate, is illustrated. In a typical computer network, a network "node" is either data communication equipment (DCE) 110 or data terminal equipment (DTE) 120. Example DCEs 110 include, but are not limited to, routers, switches, and bridges. Example DTEs 120 include, but are not limited to, host computers and peripherals, such as printers. In a network, nodes are connected by a transmission medium, for example wired or wireless, and other elements of a communications network 99. Both the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model and the Internet protocol suite (more commonly known as "TCP/IP" for two of the protocols in the suite) model computer networking with a hierarchy of layers of increasing abstraction—from lower layers closest to the transmission medium between nodes, to higher layers closest to any applications running on the node. Each layer supports the layers above it and is supported by the layers below it.
A modular switch 130, also referred to as a switching assembly, is a type of DCE built on a chassis. The chassis provides power for, and communication between, line cards (alternatively herein "LCs") 141, 142, 151 that interface with the rest of the architecture 100 and fabric modules 160 (alternatively herein "FMs," and collectively "the fabric") that switch packets between line cards. Data flow 170, 180—for example, a collection of PDUs such as packets or frames with a common source and destination indicated in each PDU—can typically traverse the switch 130 via network 99 from a source in the architecture 100 via a network-Page of facing port on an LC (hereinafter referred to as the "ingress" port for the flows 170 and 180 or the "ingress" LC for the flows 170 and 180, for example LC 141 and 142), through a FM-facing port on the ingress LC, via the FMs 160, to an FM-facing port on an "egress" LC (for example Egress LC 151), and out a network-facing "egress" port on the egress LC 151 to the PDU's destination in the architecture 100. In the present disclosure, for simplicity of explanation, LCs 141 and 142 are described as ingress LCs, while LC 151 is described as an egress LC. The FMs 160 are operative to switch each PDU from an ingress LC output port to an egress LC input port consistent with the PDU characteristics, which characteristics can include destination and class of service. In some instances, a single LC can host both an ingress port and an egress port for a given flow. In general, "ingress" and "egress" describe the state of a card, module, or port thereon, with respect to a PDU data flow.
Switches 130 can be described as operating at Layer 2, or at Layer 3, or a combination thereof. At Layer 2, corresponding to the data link layer in the OSI reference model, the PDU is a "frame" containing a media access control (MAC) address. At Layer 3, corresponding to the network layer in the OSI reference model, the PDU is the "packet" with an Internet Protocol (IP) destination address. Hereinafter, for simplicity of explanation, the PDU will be referred to as "packet" regardless of protocol layer.
Each ingress LC 141, 142, egress LC 151, and FM 160 in a modular switch 130 may operate as a switch—with its own MAC address and IP address as a network node. A typical ingress LC 141, 142, egress LC 151, and FM 160 contains one or more buffers such as 141a, 142a, 151a associated with ports of the card/module. A buffer may be used to compensate for a difference in rate of flow of data between nodes when transferring data from point to another. Buffers are used for many purposes, including, but not limited to, interconnecting two nodes operating at different rates, allowing timing corrections to be made on a packet stream, and delaying the transit time of a packet in order to allow other operations to occur.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Operationalizing a goal includes receiving the goal and execution rules associated with the goal, where one or more execution rules correspond to an execution system operable to initiate execution of the execution rules. The goal is represented in a representation language that includes a set of operations. An operation of the set of operations is applied to the goal to partition the goal into subgoals. For each subgoal, an operation of the set of operations is applied to the subgoal to derive and configure one or more execution rules associated with the subgoal. The goals, the applied operations, the subgoals, and the execution rules are recorded as operationalized knowledge to operationalize the goal.

Companies and other organizations are often faced with the task of operationalizing a goal for one or more execution systems that operate to satisfy the goal. Operationalizing a goal involves formulating a plan describing how the execution systems are to satisfy the goal and instructing the execution systems to operate according to the plan. Formulating the plan, however, may be difficult, especially if the relationships among the execution systems are complex. Instructing the execution systems may also be difficult, especially if the execution systems operate according to different protocols. Consequently, operationalizing a goal has posed challenges for companies and other organizations.


Provided is: A glove dipping composition including, at least: an elastomer that contains a (meth)acrylonitrile-derived structural unit, an unsaturated carboxylic acid-derived structural unit and a butadiene-derived structural unit in a polymer main chain; a polycarbodiimide; zinc oxide and/or an aluminum complex; water; and at least one pH modifier selected from an ammonium compound and an amine compound, in which glove dipping composition the polycarbodiimide includes at least one polycarbodiimide containing a hydrophilic segment in its molecular structure and has an average polymerization degree of 3.8 or higher and a carbodiimide equivalent of 260 to 600; the polycarbodiimide is added in an amount of 0.1 to 4.0% by weight and zinc oxide and/or the aluminum complex is/are added in an amount of 0.1 to 5.6% by weight with respect to the total solid content of the glove dipping composition; and the glove dipping composition has a pH of 9.0 to 11.5.

Conventionally, together with natural rubber gloves, rubber gloves obtained by crosslinking a carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer (XNBR) using sulfur as a crosslinking agent and a thiuram mix, a thiazole or the like as a sulfur-based vulcanization accelerator along with zinc oxide have been mainly used. Such gloves became the mainstream of the market because of their good performances; however, since sulfur-based vulcanization accelerators in particular cause type IV allergy, the development of a rubber glove obtained by non-sulfur crosslinking has been a theme. Yet, the use of a crosslinking agent containing neither sulfur nor a sulfur-based vulcanization accelerator does not yield sufficient performance in tensile strength, fatigue durability and the like as compared to XNBR gloves that are crosslinked using sulfur and a sulfur-based vulcanization accelerator.
There are cases where a polycarbodiimide is used as an organic crosslinking agent, aiming to produce a glove having performance that is comparable to or superior to that of a conventional sulfur-crosslinked XNBR glove.
Such cases of using a polycarbodiimide as an organic crosslinking agent include the following three technologies; however, it is believed that none of them has been completed in terms of practical application of a glove crosslinked with a polycarbodiimide.
Patent Document 1 discloses a method of producing a polycarbodiimide-crosslinked glove, and it is described therein that zinc oxide should be removed at the time of producing a glove.
In Patent Document 2, it is described that, although zinc oxide may be blended in a dip molding composition in which a polycarbodiimide is used as a crosslinking agent, it is rather preferred not to blend zinc oxide.
Patent Document 3 discloses to incorporate a carbodiimide as a crosslinkable compound and as an organic crosslinking agent in the polymerization of a carbodiimide-crosslinked glove and to add a carbodiimide as an organic crosslinking agent; however, since there are errors in the descriptions of the carbodiimide in the first place and potassium hydroxide is used as a pH modifier, it is believed that this technology cannot yield a carbodiimide-crosslinked glove. Further, although it is described that zinc oxide was added in Examples, the amount thereof and the reason for the addition are not described.

Glove dipping composition, method for manufacturing gloves, and gloves


Provided is a plated steel to be used for automobiles, electric home appliances, building materials and the like and, more specifically, to a zinc alloy-plated steel having excellent corrosion resistance and surface smoothness, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Iron is a material used the most commonly in industry. Iron has excellent physical and mechanical properties, but is easily oxidized to be deteriorated in terms of physical and mechanical properties. For this reason, research has been conducted for many years to prevent the oxidation of iron. There are various methods for preventing the oxidation of iron. One of the methods is a method of retarding corrosion by coating a surface of a material with a metal, exhibiting higher reactivity with oxygen than iron as a protective layer, such that the protective layer is oxidized prior to iron to form a passivation layer. A method for manufacturing zinc-plated steel, on which a zinc layer or a zinc-plating layer is formed, has been used as a representative method.
Such zinc-plated steel, especially hot-dip galvanized steel, has been widely used in automobiles, electric home appliances, building materials, and the like, due to a simple manufacturing process and low manufacturing costs. When a portion of iron is exposed, zinc having higher oxidation dislocation than iron is dissolved first to protect the iron in a sacrificial manner and zinc-corrosion products are densely formed to suppress corrosion.
Recently, as a corrosive environment has worsened, many efforts have been made to improve corrosion resistance in terms of resource and energy saving. As a result of such recent efforts, corrosion resistance has been significantly improved by adding magnesium (Mg). As representative research, research into Zn—Al—Mg alloy-plated steel, in which Mg is added to a Zn—Al composition using zinc as a base material, is underway. For example, Patent Document 1, in which corrosion resistance is improved, and Patent Document 2, in which corrosion resistance of a processed part is improved, were proposed.
However, even the above-described alloy-plated steel suffers from a limitation in corrosion resistance in a poor environment such as an environment in constant contact with moisture, or a salt water environment. Therefore, further improved corrosion resistance is required.
As an exterior of plated steel, surface smoothness is significantly meaningful when the surface is exposed or an added value is increased by an exterior of the surface. Surface smoothness of plated steel is deteriorated due to various causes such as a defect occurring during a manufacturing process, a natural phenomenon occurring during a solidification process, and the like. The surface smoothness of the plated steel may have an effect on products in a subsequent process. For example, when the surface smoothness of the plated steel is poor, unevenness may be formed on a coated or laminated product.
According to Patent Document 3, poor surface smoothness, caused by a hairline crack generated by oxidation of Mg, is addressed by adjusting a composition of plating bath components and an oxygen concentration. However, the addition of another component or other equipment is required to result in increased costs and a complicated process. According to Patent Document 4, smoothness is improved by forming an Al-based intermetallic compound on a plated surface. However, various elements for forming the intermetallic compound are added to form dross. The intermetallic compound with the dross may act as unevenness to deteriorate surface smoothness.    (Patent Document 1) Japanese Patent Publication No. 1998-226865    (Patent Document 2) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0078918    (Patent Document 3) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1560934    (Patent Document 4) Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0728893

Zinc alloy-plated steel having excellent corrosion resistance and surface smoothness


A method and apparatus are provided to facilitate sharing of content including, but not limited to, the sharing of content between people who are co-located. In the context of a method, an indication is received of the content to be shared with a recipient and context information indicative of an intended use of the content by the recipient is associated with the content. The method also causes a representation of the content and the associated context information to be shared with the recipient. The method may also generate the context information based on at least one of the location of the content, a recent action performed on the content or a change made to the content.

People oftentimes wish to share content with one another. For example, attendees of a meeting may share a document that is to be discussed at the meeting. Two or more people may view a movie or listen to music that is played by a laptop computer of one of the people. Frequently, one person may attach a file to an electronic message that is transmitted to another person in order to share the file with the other person. As the foregoing examples illustrate, people have found a number of different techniques in order to share, synchronize and consume content.

Method and apparatus for associating context information with content


A straight threaded rod has three reference elements spaced apart from each other. A shoulder and a knob having a fourth reference element are screwed onto the rod. A spring is mounted on the rod between the knob and the shoulder. The rod is inserted through two axially aligned holes in two abutting pieces, with the shoulder bearing on a first surface of one of the two pieces. By adjusting the position of the shoulder and the knob along the rod it is possible to apply a calibrated clamping force to a pair of abutting pieces, regardless of the thickness of the pieces.

The present invention relates to a clamping device capable of applying a calibrated clamping force for locking two pieces together temporarily.
In the aircraft construction industry it is often necessary to couple together two large pieces, each having an extensive surface which is positioned facing towards, and is clamped to, an extensive surface of the other piece, or a plurality of separate support surfaces, which are spaced apart, of the other piece. This necessity arises, for example, when carbon-resin components such as stiffened panels, spars, ribs, or the like have to be coupled to each other and/or to light alloy or titanium parts, where the coupling is particularly critical owing to the different degrees of finish of the coupling surfaces. The two pieces are initially brought together and positioned in a predetermined mutual coupling position, with the two corresponding surfaces abutting each other. The two pieces are then held together temporarily, by temporary coupling means, in a predetermined position substantially corresponding to the flight configuration in which the two pieces will subsequently be finally joined together. Before the two pieces are finally joined together, for example by means of rivets, threaded fasteners, or other special fastening members (such as Hi-Lok or Lockbolt fasteners), it is necessary to check for the presence of any gap (or empty space or void) between the facing surfaces of the two pieces, and measure its size, if present.
If there is a gap whose dimensions exceed certain tabulated values, the clamping process by which the two pieces are finally coupled will inevitably entail an unacceptable degree of forcing to bring the two pieces into direct contact, leading to the appearance of stresses caused by deformations created locally for the approach of the pieces. These stresses constitute a pre-loading which is added to the stresses to which the pieces are subjected in use. In extreme cases, if the coupling forces applied in the presence of a gap are excessive, fractures may occur in the pieces when an acceptable stress level is exceeded.
In order to avoid this, a solid filling insert (or "shim") has to be interposed between the facing surfaces of the two parts, to fill the gap in such a way that, when the two pieces are made to abut each other, they can be joined together without the generation of appreciable additional local deformation and stresses.
In order to manufacture an insert or shim having a variable thickness corresponding to the distances between the facing surfaces of the two pieces to be joined, the thickness of the void or gap between the pieces must be measured while the pieces are both in their natural, or non-deformed, position in which they are subsequently to be finally joined together.
In the aircraft industry, some manufacturers stipulate that the gap must be measured while the two pieces are temporarily held together, by the application of standard clamping forces at certain points; for example, it is specified that the forces must have an intensity of 5 lb (22.24 N) and must be applied at the positions of pairs of aligned holes formed in the two parts to be coupled, where each pair is separated from the other by an interval of one foot (0.305 m). For the application of these temporary retaining forces, use is made of through holes with diameters slightly smaller than those of the final holes into which the final fastening members (usually rivets or bolts) will be inserted.


A neural network resource sizing apparatus for database applications. Through use of multiple database application metrics input into a neural network learning algorithm, recommended resource capacities are generated. Input parameters such as the number of records, lookups, images, PDFs, fields, BLOBs and width of fields for example may be utilized to train a neural network to yield needed resource metrics such as the processing power, memory, disk and/or network capacities required to run the database application. Training for the neural network may involve running tests over all desired cross interactions of input and output parameters beginning for example with a small repository and ending with the maximum complexity of data and schema test. The training data is input into the neural network for the given database application version and utilized to plan resource utilization. A portal or webservice may be utilized to provide an interface to the apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of computer systems. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a neural network resource sizing apparatus for database applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a number of requirements and/or preferences associated with determining the type of resources, e.g., hardware required to host a particular database application. Implementers and planners generally perform trial and error methods when estimating the processing power, memory and disk resources required to host a given database application. Customers require that hardware is in line with the requirements of the database application. There is no reason for a cluster of super computers to run a given database application if the database application does not require these expensive computing resources. On the other hand, if the computing resources are not of sufficient capacity, then the system will lose performance and may actually fail. For many customers this is unacceptable. The database application implementers are generally not trained in the art of accurately estimating hardware resources and at times over estimate the resources in order to ensure that the database application never fails. This overestimation strategy is not a minimal cost strategy and customers pay more for a given installation than they should in general.
Current methodologies for sizing a given database application do not take into consideration a range of variables such as the number of records, lookups, images, PDF files, BLOBs and the widths of the fields for example. Generally, sizing may be performed by looking at the number of users that will access a system or some other indirect parameter that is not related to the internal metrics of the database application. This results in resource allocation that is not optimized for the database application in use, but is rather a crude, indirect and external guess at the resources that may be needed. Some database application providers furnish their customers with sizing guides which provide static rules that may or may not cover the specific installation at hand. This type of solution is slow to adapt to new observed installation utilization figures since the results must be sent back to the company and incorporated in a new version of the sizing guide. The round trip time for delivering new sizing guides to customers based on feedback is long. Companies involved with developing database applications may alter the application software over time which also may render the sizing guides obsolete. This may happen in one of two ways since the software may become more efficient and may then require fewer resources for operation, or alternatively, may become more "feature rich" which tends to require more resources to operate. Either way, the software changes provide a moving target for the implementers that are responsible for planning resource allocation with the customers. Again, the implementers may overestimate the required hardware resources so that their software application(s) appear to be fast and robust. The separation of software implementers from hardware suppliers thus tends to lead to an inefficiency in the corporate world that costs companies great sums of capital.
Attempts at calculating required resources based on traditional linear methods of correlating input parameters with required resources generally do not work since small variations of one input parameter may drastically change the required resources. For example, existing methods that utilize tables or linear regression do not incorporate learning methods. As such, these solutions are limited in the complexity that they can handle and are hence inaccurate for real world database applications that have many parameters that may be unique to each installation.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a neural network resource sizing apparatus for database applications.

Neural network resource sizing apparatus for database applications


A holddown device has a clamp arm pivoted on a base. The clamp arm has a hook end extending outwardly from the pivot. A tail extends outwardly from the pivot at an acute angle to the hook end. A cam is pivoted on the base. The cam has a camming periphery engaging the tail. The cam is rotatable in one direction to a locking position and in the opposite direction to a release position. The cam, upon rotation to the locking position, swings the clamp arm from a retracted position to a clamping position. A link pivotally interconnects the cam and the tail of the clamp arm.

Although the holddown device of this invention has general utility, it is designed primarily to clamp a car body on a carrier which moves through a cleaner dip tank and a primer dip tank before the car body is painted. The carrier must be lowered into and raised from each dip tank and it may also be tilted one way and another. One or more clamps are provided to secure the car body to the carrier. The car body must be securely clamped, and the clamps must not fail, yet they should be easy to operate.
In the specific embodiment about to be described, a clamp arm is pivoted to a base for movement between a retracted position and a clamping position. The clamp arm has a hook end extending outwardly from the pivot, and a tail extending outwardly from the pivot at an acute angle to the hook end. A cam is pivoted to the base beneath the hook arm and has a camming periphery engageable with the tail of the clamp arm. The cam is rotatable in one direction to a locking position and in the opposite direction to a release position. When the cam is rotated to its locking position, it swings the clamp arm to its clamping position. A link interconnects the tail of the clamp arm and the cam. When the cam is rotated to its release position, the link returns the clamp arm to its retracted position.
When the cam rotates the clamp arm to its clamping position, there is a reaction force against the cam. The shape of the cam periphery and the tail of the clamp arm at the point of contact are such that the reaction force has a vector which extends on a straight line through the cam pivot. This insures that the clamp arm is securely locked in its clamping position without any tendency to release.
One object of this invention is to provide a holddown device having the foregoing features and capabilities.
Another object is to provide a holddown device which is constructed of a relatively few simple parts, is rugged and durable in use, and is capable of being inexpensively manufactured and assembled and is easy to operate.


Methods and apparatus for mounting a secondary system on a projectile according to various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with a collar. The collar is adapted to at least partially receive a fuze assembly or other projectile structure within the collar. The collar may be adapted to attach to a cover.

Various surfaces are used to facilitate control of a craft's direction while in flight. The ability to control flight characteristics produces a stable flight path and permits controlled guidance of the craft. Flight controls typically include ailerons, an elevator, and a rudder. Flight controls in projectiles, however, may be as simple as using a set of tail fins in order to maintain stable flight along a desired path. Although tail fins help maintain stable flight, they are not typically used to guide the projectile towards its target.
"Smart" projectiles utilize additional control surfaces in conjunction with guidance systems to steer the projectile towards a target with greatly improved accuracy. Retrofitting existing, less expensive non-smart projectiles with guidance capabilities may expand their range of use at an overall cost savings. In some instances, a guidance kit is installed on a preexisting projectile. Though this provides increased accuracy, a retrofit may raise issues of reducing the effectiveness of the projectile.
For example, one method of adding a guidance kit to a rocket places a mounting flange between the fuze and the warhead. The guidance kit is then secured to this flange. This method, however, may compromise the integrity of fuze-to-warhead junction by introducing an air gap between the fuze and the warhead, raising concerns about reductions in the effectiveness of the projectile after the retrofitting procedure. Additionally, this method of installation results in a permanent alteration of the projectile, which may affect field operations.

Methods and apparatus for attachment adapter for a projectile


Provided is an abnormality diagnosis system with which it is possible to express the propagation relationship of effects among areas, and to easily determine the area that is the factor causing a state that differs from normal operation, even when there is an extremely large number of devices in a facility. The present invention has a state change detection means that has a plurality of detection units set for each area of a facility and that detects state changes from changes in the relationship of a plurality of operation data items pertaining to the areas monitored by the detection units. The area that is the cause of a state change at the facility is estimated on the basis of the state change detection results of the detection units of the state change detection means, and on the basis of information about the relationships between the detection units, the information containing the propagation relationship of effects among the areas of the facility that correspond to the detection units.

There is known, in a facility including a plurality of devices, a technique of acquiring operation data from a measured value measured by a kind of sensor attached to each device to make an abnormality diagnosis of the facility on the basis of the operation data.
For example, PTL 1 describes an abnormality diagnostic method including classifying and recording operation data into a plurality of categories, and determining a different operation state from an operation state stored until now in a case where new category operation data is acquired, the new category operation data being different from data stored as the operation data in normal operation. There is also described a method of distinguishing an abnormality location in the facility in consideration of the direction of the flow of material.
PTL 2 discloses a process abnormality diagnostic method including storing the correlation in physical quantity variation of an object to be treated between mutual points in a process of treating the object to be treated, detecting a positive or negative change from a reference value in the physical quantity of the object to be treated acquired from a plurality of specific points in the process, and determining a trouble point of the process, on the basis of the direction of the change in the detected situation and the correlation in physical quantity variation, the processing abnormality diagnostic method including storing a plurality of times of day at which the physical quantity of the object to be treated varies positively or negatively, and adopting, as a candidate of the trouble point, only a time of day not inconsistent with the elapse of spread of an abnormality, from the times of day stored.
PTL 3 discloses a plant monitoring diagnostic device including a monitoring processing unit configured to detect, as an abnormality sign, deviation of a monitoring indicator from a normal range, the monitoring indicator being calculated from a process signal observed in a plant, a qualitative model database including a network model registered, the network model describing respective influence propagation characteristics between monitoring indicators, an abnormality-propagation-channel identification unit configured to collate an observed sign pattern with the network model to identify an abnormality propagation channel due to an abnormality, a causal-table database including a causal table registered, the causal table describing sign patterns of each monitoring indicator assumed to various abnormality causes, an abnormality-cause identification unit configured to collate the observed sign pattern with the causal table of the monitoring indicator identified as the origin of an abnormal change, to identify an abnormality cause, and an output display unit configured to output the influence propagation channel identified.


Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly, a portion of moisture being removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop fluid warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop fluid such that the working loop fluid is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air lor the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander, the expanded combustion gas split into two portions. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.

Wind power is desirable because it is renewable and typically cleaner than fossil fuel power sources. Wind turbines capture and convert the energy of moving air to electric power. However, they do so unpredictably and often during low power demand periods when the value of electric power is substantially lower than during peak demand periods. Without a way to achieve certainty of delivery during peak demand periods (also known as "firm" power), and without a way to store low-value off-peak power for release during high-value peak periods, the growth of wind power and other intermittent renewable power sources may be constrained, keeping it from reaching its full potential as part of the world's overall power generation portfolio.
Another disadvantage of intermittent power sources such as wind is that they can cause system "balance" problems if allowed onto the transmission grid, which is a major hurdle for new (particularly renewable) power generation sources to clear. Operating wind turbines (or other intermittent renewable power assets) adjacent to and in conjunction with a natural gas-(NG) fired turbine can yield 100% certainty of power, because the NG turbine can "back up" the wind. However, that approach will yield a reduced environmental rating, based on the hours of operation for the NG turbine and may be economically unfeasible because the two power output systems need to be fully redundant, and thus capacity utilization and economic return-on-assets is diminished. Most importantly, neither a standard wind farm nor a back-up NG turbine(s) can "store" the wind power that may be widely available during the off-peak periods.
A disadvantage of other types of utility-scale power sources is that they produce large and unnecessary amounts of power during off-peak periods or intermittently. Another major disadvantage of existing power systems, both firm and intermittent, is that transmission lines often become "clogged" or overloaded, and transmission systems can become unbalanced. One existing solution for overloaded transmission lines is transferring power by "wheeling," which is the delivery of a specific quantity of power to each end-user, allowing any "power product" to enter the power transmission system and be used to "balance" any other product that was removed from the system. A disadvantage of using current storage systems for wheeling is that power production occurs during all hours (most of which are not peak demand hours), and does not substantially overlap with peak demand hours. Another disadvantage is that transmission of power, which occurs at all hours (most of which are not peak demand hours), also does not substantially overlap with peak demand hours.
The few utility-scale power storage systems that exist today (or have been proposed previously) also have major disadvantages such as inefficient heat and cold recovery mechanisms, particularly those that require multiple systems for hot and cold storage media. Another disadvantage is extra complexity in the form of many expanders and compressors often on the same shaft with "clutches" that allow some front-end elements to be disconnected from the back-end elements on the same shaft. Some existing power plants use a simple cycle gas turbine with a recuperator, where a front-end compressor is on the same shaft as the hot-gas expander that compresses the inlet air. However, in that configuration some 63% of the power output is devoted to compressing inlet air.
Therefore, there exists a need for a system that can provide certainty and a firm, consistent energy output from any power source, particularly intermittent power sources such as wind. There is also a need to provide a convenient storage system for power that can be used in connection with power generation sources that generate large amounts of power during off-peak periods, including both firm (i.e., baseload) and intermittent power sources. There is a further need for a power storage and release assembly having more efficient hot and cold recovery mechanisms and simpler, more efficient, compression and expansion systems.

System and method for liquid air production, power storage and power release


There is disclosed a structure of and a method for fabricating a ferroelectric film on a non-conductive substrate. An adhesion layer, e.g., a layer of silicon dioxide and a layer of zirconium oxide, is deposited over a substrate. A conductive layer, e.g., a noble metal, a non-noble metal, or a conductive oxide, is deposited over the adhesion layer. A seed layer, e.g., a compound containing lead, lanthanum, titanium, and oxygen, with a controlled crystal lattice orientation, is deposited on the conductive layer. This seed layer has ferroelectric properties. Over the seed layer, another ferroelectric material, e.g., lead zirconium titanate, can be deposited with a tetragonal or rhombohedral crystalline lattice structure with predetermined and controlled crystal orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated circuit structure and method of making that structure, and more particularly to a thin layer structure having ferroelectric properties.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ferroelectric materials are presently finding increased application in devices including non-volatile ferroelectric random access memories (NV-FcRAMs), uncooled infrared (IR) detectors, spatial light modulators, and microelectromechanical systems. Many of these applications require optimized ferroelectric properties. Due to the anisotropic nature of ferroelectric materials, such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O.sub.3 (PZT), orientation control may be used to produce thin films or layers with optimized electrical properties. Ferroelectric PZT exists in two forms at ambient temperatures: a tetragonal phase, in which the polar vector is aligned parallel to the [001] direction (or c-axis) and a rhombohedral phase in which the polar axis is aligned along the [111] direction. In the tetragonal phase, anisotropy exists in a number of electric properties, including dielectric constant, remanent polarization, and pyroelectric coefficient. Several applications benefit by manipulation of these properties. Uncooled IR detectors require a high pyroelectric coefficient (p) and low dielectric constant (.epsilon.) for maximum voltage responsivity, which is proportional to p/.epsilon..
In tetragonal materials, the maximum pyroelectric coefficient is found along the c-axis. Likewise, the minimum dielectric constant is also found along the c-axis of the crystal. It is thus highly advantageous to control orientation in a thin film or layer such that the c-axis is perpendicular to the plane of the film for a parallel plate capacitor geometry wherein the electrodes lie above and below the film and within parallel planes. In contrast, a film in which the a-axis is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the film for a parallel plate capacitor geometry results in low pyroelectric coefficient and high dielectric constant, which minimizes voltage responsivity. A [111] oriented tetragonal film represents an intermediate case because the average properties of the film can be expressed by resolving the anisotropy into the rectangular coordinates by simple vector algebra.
In rhombohedral ferroelectric PZT, maximum pyroelectric response can be attained in [111] oriented films. In another application, NV-FeRAMs require high remanent polarization to minimize performance requirements of sense amplifiers which read the stored charge. Furthermore, low switching voltages (i.e., low coercive fields) are useful to minimize power requirements for portable devices. In the PZT system, coercive field decreases with increasing Zr content, making high Zr compositions desirable. In this case, a [111] oriented rhombohedral PZT film maximizes the remanent polarization, and a [111] oriented tetragonal PZT film has a higher polarization than a [100] oriented tetragonal PZT film. This also occurs because the average properties of the film or layer can be expressed by resolving the anisotropy into the rectangular coordinates by simple vector algebra.
Various methods have been proposed for controlling the orientation of the crystal lattice structure of ferroelectric thin films. One method to control orientation is by utilizing substrate materials with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatched to that of the ferroelectric film. If the CTE of the substrate is higher than that of the film, the film will be in a state of compression on cooling through the Curie point, (i.e., the temperature where the crystalline phase transforms from the high temperature cubic (paraelectric) state to the low temperature tetragonal (ferroelectric) state. This situation results in a tetragonal film with a preferred [001] orientation. A substrate leading to this orientation must have a CTE larger than the CTE of PZT. MgO is such a substrate material.
A problem with this mismatched CTEs method of producing oriented tetragonal films is that silicon (Si) is the semiconducting substrate of choice for monolithic integration of ferroelectric material with integrated circuits. Silicon has a CTE that is less than that of PZT, so a PZT film deposited on a silicon substrate goes into tension on cooling through the Curie point, resulting in a highly undesirable [100] orientation.
Corresponding CTE issues are present for other substrate materials such as III-V materials, e.g., gallium arsenide and indium phosphide, or germanium. While crystal orientation may be controlled by using a substrate with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than the ferroelectric film, the present invention to control crystal orientation in ferroelectric thin films may in general have advantages for any substrate, since the bottom electrode is typically isolated from the semiconducting substrate by insulating layers that may have adhesion promoting or diffusion barrier properties. Substrates of the greatest technological interest are Si, GaAs, Ge, InP and any other semiconductor materials that would allow monolithic integration of the ferroelectric capacitor with transistors fabricated in the same substrate. Also of technological interest are substrates such as glass or ceramics, or metals, where the transistors reside in another substrate, and are connected to the ferroelectric capacitors in a hybrid configuration.
Another method for manipulating thin film orientation includes using seed layers. For example, in perovskite materials of formula ABO.sub.3, the orientation is very sensitive to changes in A-site/B-site ratio. Changing the Pb/Ti ratio in a thin film of PbTiO.sub.3 shifts the lattice orientation from [100] for Pb-rich films to [111] for Ti-rich films. See M. Shimizu, M. Sugiyama, H. Fujisawa, T. Hamano, T. Shiosaki, and K. Matsushige, "Effects of the Utilization of a Buffer Layer on the Growth of Pb(Zr,Ti)O.sub.3 Thin Films by Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition, J. Crystal Growth, Vol. 145 (1994), pp. 226-231. The [111] oriented seed layer resulting from a low A/B site ratio is useful for depositing thereon a high Zr content ferroelectric film because the polar axis in the high Zr content ferroelectric film is also along the [111] axis.
Although PbTiO.sub.3 crystal orientation is influenced by the A-site/B-site ratio, PZT is not similarly influenced. There is a drawback from using the PbTiO.sub.3 seed layer even though it can control orientation of the ferroelectric PZT film. Unfortunately, the Ti-rich films, which result in the desired [111] lattice orientation, also have a potential to generate oxygen vacancies, as charge compensation for excess Ti. These oxygen vacancies cause undesirable electrical conduction in the perovskite film. Oxygen vacancies may also interact with domain walls to cause fatigue and imprint.
Thus there remains a problem of uncovering a process that will produce a perovskite film without the shortcomings of the prior art.

Process for controlled orientation of ferroelectric layers


The invention provides dispensers for liquids having a dispensing opening in the side of the dispenser and liquid is stored in a main body of a resiliently deformable container coupled to a neck structure which has a bottom outlet inside a base structure. In use, the dispenser is first lifted and then tilted through about 30 to 50 degrees before squeezing the container. The tilting action causes some of the air in the base structure to be trapped thereby minimizing the effect of temperature compensation on response rate. Consequently, the squeezing action is immediately available to force liquid to pass through the base structure and issue from the side dispensing opening. Various structures can be made consistent with the invention to accommodate a range of liquids having different properties.

Many consumer products in liquid form are sold in smaller containers from which the user periodically pours or dispenses a small amount of the liquid. Typical liquids are shampoo, liquid soaps, dishwashing detergent, soya sauce, mineral oils, etc. Such liquids are sold very competitively and consequently the products are often sold in inexpensive bottles having some form of closure or simple dispensing pump.
The user will periodically require liquid from the container and it would be preferable for the container to be easy to use with no dripping or dribbling. Existing containers of this type exit through a top closure or pump. In the case of a simple closure the user inverts the container to get liquid to flow towards the closure before liquid will emerge. There is therefore a tendency for an apparently empty container to have a significant amount of liquid remaining on the walls of the container.
The pump system is intended to be used with the container supported so that the pump is depressed downwardly with the container providing the reactive load. These structures are very difficult to empty and tend to drip or dribble.
It has been found that the above disadvantages can be largely overcome by the present invention which takes advantage of principles taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,324,349; 4,635,828; 4,645,097; 5,033,653; and 5,427,279 to Kaufman all of which are examples of what have become known as "Kaufman dispensers". These patents teach dispensers which have no moving parts and yet satisfy the requirements of clean dispensing with temperature compensation to permit the dispenser to be subjected to a designed temperature range without significant inadvertent dripping or dispensing caused by temperature variations.
The structures shown in the Kaufman patents have a reservoir for liquid to be dispensed in communication with a main part of the dispenser in the form of a container where the major volume of the liquid is contained. Air is trapped above the liquid in the container under a negative pressure which prevents the liquid flowing from the container into the reservoir and out through a discharge passageway. Dispensing can be initiated in several ways. For instance embodiments are provided in the earlier patents which are caused to dispense by squeezing the container. The resiliently deformable container rebounds to its original shape when squeezing is discontinued so that air is sucked back into the passageway and the container is set up in a new condition of equilibrium.
There are two significant parameters present in such dispensers. Firstly the reservoir is designed to provide space for the liquid level in the reservoir to rise when ambient temperature rises. Secondly the reservoir and discharge structure are designed to provide quick response to the dispensing action. Previous Kaufman patents have described these parameters in detail, but in general it has been found that the parameters work against one another because the response time increases as the temperature compensation volume increases.
Special structures can be used to overcome this problem if needed but such structures are not as effective in smaller dispensers of the present type.
It is therefore desirable to provide a dispenser for smaller volumes of liquid which is ergonomically acceptable and which, in operation, minimizes the effects of the aforesaid conflicting parameters.


A metal welding horn having tripartite ceramic coating on its welding horn tip.

All references cited in this specification, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background.
Flexible imaging belts include electrophotographic imaging belts, ionographic/electrographic imaging belts, and intermediate image transfer belts for transferring toner images used in an electrophotographic or an electrographic imaging system. Such flexible imaging belts may include photoreceptor layers containing a substrate, an electrically conductive layer, an optional hole blocking layer, an adhesive layer, a charge generating layer, and a charge transport layer and, in some embodiments, an anti-curl backing layer. A layered photoreceptor having separate charge generating (i.e. photogenerating) and charge transport layers is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990.
Flexible imaging belts may be fabricated from a cut sheet of an imaging member web. The sheets which may comprise square, rectangular or parallelogram shapes can be configured into a belt by joining the overlapping opposite marginal ends of the sheet to form a seam. The joining technology may involve welding (including ultrasonic welding), gluing, taping, or pressure heat fusing.
Ultrasonic welding may be the method chosen for joining a flexible imaging member because it is rapid, clean and solvent-free and low cost, as well as because it produces a thin and narrow seam. In addition, ultrasonic welding may be preferred because the mechanical high frequency pounding of the welding horn causes generation of heat at the contiguous overlapping end marginal regions of the flexible imaging sheet loop to maximize melting of one or more layers therein to form a strong and precisely defined seam joint.
Ultrasonic welding is a process that uses high frequency mechanical vibrations above the audible range. The vibrations are produced at the tip of a welding sonotrode or horn. The vibratory force emanating from such a horn device can be generated at high enough frequencies to soften or melt thermoplastic material components intended to be joined together. For example, such frequencies can be effective at 20, 30 or 40 kHz. One of the main advantages of ultrasonic welding may be found in the very short welding steps that enhance its usefulness even in mass production. Weld times may last less than a second. Thus, the process has been utilized in many industries and applications.
Ultrasonic welding can be accomplished at various distances from the horn ranging from only a fraction of a millimeter up to several centimeters. For distant welding the polymer must transmit the energy efficiently, i.e. not be too flexible or have too high a loss modulus. A copolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene (ABS) and high impact polystyrene is among the easiest polymers to weld ultrasonically. Ultrasonic welding will usually join amorphous thermoplastics more readily than semicrystalline ones. However, the advent of more powerful machines has blurred this distinction, and semicrystalline polymers are now welded routinely.
The ultrasonic welding process may entail holding down the overlapped ends of a flexible imaging member sheet with vacuum against a flat anvil surface and guiding the tip end of an ultrasonic vibrating horn transversely across the entire width of the sheet, over and along the overlapped ends, to form a welded seam. The ultrasonic vibration frequency applied for joining the photoreceptor belt/loop ends is kept so high that a frictional heat results upon contact with material to be joined. The heat causes softening or melting of contact portion which results in fusing the joined belt end pieces without any horn burn blemishes in the form of undesirable raised, rough and brittle welds.
Ultrasonic welding is probably the most commonly used thermoplastic welding process because it is very fast (fractions of a second to a few seconds) and usually produces welds that are relatively free of flash. In addition, ultrasonic welding can be automated and thus is particularly suitable for high volume production.
Rapid development of the ultrasonic welding machine has occurred in the last ten years. Basic functions, such as weld energy, collapse, trigger force, and pressure are now microprocessor controlled. In addition, real time feedback and control of welding conditions is being offered, along with the ability to vary weld force and amplitude during the weld cycles.
Welding by ultrasonic devices requires a tool design suitable for the particular task at hand. The mechanical characteristics of the substrate will determine the selection of the welding machine. An ultrasonic welding device typically includes four main components, a power supply, a converter, an amplitude controlling device or booster, and an acoustic tool which is called the horn or sonotrode. The electricity is changed by the power supply, for example, from 50–60 Hz into a high frequency such as 20, 30, or 40 kHz and then supplied to a converter. The converter may comprise discs of piezoelectric crystals wedged between two metal sections and kept tightly compressed to respond to even the slightest pressure change. The converter serves to change the electrical energy into mechanical vibration energy at high ultrasonic frequencies. The vibratory energy is transmitted through the booster. The booster increases the amplitude of the sound wave to the horn.
The horn is an acoustical tool delivering ultrasonic vibratory energy directly to the substrate portions being assembled. In addition, the horn is used to apply welding pressure. The vibrations are transmitted from the horn to the joint area or seam, where the resultant friction causes the surface of the substrate material to soften or melt, and subsequently fuse together. Ultrasonic welding may be used to join flexible image photoreceptor loops as well as intermediate transfer belts and weldable polymer substrate belts.
Flexible image loops photoreceptors and imaging belts may be joined together at opposite ends to form a continuous loop by ultrasonic acoustic welding horns which transfer vibration energy to the bondable substrates. The ultrasonic welding process involves flexing of the slender projection or tip portion of a metallic welding horn member by oscillating at rates of 10,000 to 70,000 times per second (kHz). The oscillation causes the horn tip portion to move across the flexible belt joint area to create a weld or seam. The horn member can be held at a distance from the joint surface suitable for effective mechanical energy delivery to the joint area which rests on its opposite side on, for example, on an anvil ensuring that most of the energy is spent in the weld zone of the joint area. The overlapping ends of the flexible thermoplastic belt sheet consequently melt forming a weld or seam. Frictional heating can also occur to some extent because transmission of the energy through the plastic parts is very complex.
An oscillating force of an ultrasonic horn is generated when alternating electrical power (at frequency) is applied to a train of tuned components that are sized to form a resonant system. The first component converts the electrical power (i.e. voltage) to oscillations. This occurs when the power is applied to a sandwich of piezoelectric or magnetostrictive materials and metal blocks. These oscillations are amplified (or de-amplified) by a booster and the booster is connected to the horn. The horn can either amplify or de-amplify the oscillations, depending on the needs of the application. While the frequency of oscillations vary between 10 and 70 kHz, the most common frequencies are in the range from 20 to 40 kHz. Oscillation amplitudes range from 20 to 80 microns.
The piezoceramic material may include one or more of barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), or lead titanate (PbTiO3). Most preferably, the piezoceramic is PZT. The polymer of the composite may include any suitable binder polymer, and may or may not itself be piezoelectric. Piezoelectric polymers include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene (PVDF/TrFe) or vinylidene fluoride and tetrafluoroethylene (PVDF/TeFe). Other binder polymers may include, for example, epoxies, silicone resins, cyanoacrylates, etc., without restriction. A preferred polymer is an epoxy in that it can also act to strongly adhere the piezoelectric composite to the platform section of the horn member.
The 1–3 configuration nomenclature that identifies the configuration of the piezoelectric composite transducer is known in the art and refers to the two-phase piezoelectric behavior of the material, the first number referencing the physical connectivity of the active phase (z direction) and the second number referencing the physical connectivity of the passive phase (y direction). The 1–3 composite configurations have been found to be most advantageous in achieving consistently uniform tip vibration amplitude. For example, the piezoelectric composite may be bonded with an adhesive layer to horn. A vast array of adhesives such as transfer adhesives, epoxies, cyanoacrylates, or an epoxy/conductive mesh (e.g., metal screen) layer may be used to bond the horn and piezoelectric element together.
Ultrasonic welding may lead to a welding defect known as "Horn Burn." "Horn Burn" results in a raised, rough, and brittle welds, which are all unwanted traits. "Horn Burn" has been associated with the ability of the horn to transfer heat out of the seamed area. While numerous materials have been used in the fabrication of horns, aluminum has shown itself to be an effective head dissipating material. The main disadvantage of aluminum is its inherent softness. The configured ultrasonic horn tip wears away after several weld cycles. The constant wear due to the welding friction results in equipment downtime for converting, the cost of ultrasonic horn tooling, and defective belts. Various ceramic plating methods have been tried in the past to improve the wear resistance of ultrasonic horns, but have shown a tendency to delaminate. In respect of ceramic plating, it has been found that the ultrasonic energy's elongation of the welding horn may break the plating bond after only a few cycles.


A stand for a monitor and a keyboard, which can be used to hold a computer monitor and keyboard so that a human operator may comfortably use the computer in a variety of positions, including sitting in a conventional chair and standing. The stand includes two shelves, each of which is attached to a post. The posts are then attached to a base. One shelf is designed to hold a monitor, while the other shelf is designed to hold a keyboard. The keyboard shelf itself is tiltable about its post, such that the angle between the keyboard shelf and its post is adjustable. Both the post attached to the keyboard shelf, and the post attached to the monitor shelf, are independently extensible, such that the length of each post, and hence the vertical position of each shelf, can be adjusted independently. The post attached to the keyboard shelf is also pivotable about the base, such that the angle between the post and the base, as well as the horizontal distance between the keyboard shelf and the monitor shelf, is adjustable.

The present invention relates to a stand for a computer monitor and a keyboard and, more particularly, to a stand which can be adjusted as necessary for an individual human operator.
A stand for a computer typically includes two shelves for holding the computer monitor and keyboard in a position which allows the operator to sit while using the computer. Hereinafter the term "stand" refers to an assembly for supporting key components of a computer, including a monitor and a keyboard, and optionally including a CPU. These stands can be differentiated from an ordinary desk, in that the monitor shelf is held above the keyboard shelf. This is necessary because the operator must be able to comfortably type on the keyboard while simultaneously looking at the monitor. Thus, the monitor is held at eye level, while the keyboard is held at the level of the operator's hands.
These stands may also include additional shelves, for holding the main body of the computer or a printer, or for holding a telephone, coffee mug and the like. These additional shelves provide a convenient work surface, thereby making the stand a self-contained unit which may be used in place of a conventional desk.
The structure of some of these stands is almost identical to a conventional desk, except that a monitor shelf is provided which is held above the surface of the desk. These stands are inconvenient because the support for the keyboard is not adjustable, since this support is the surface of the desk itself. The inability to adjust the angle of the keyboard can place a significant strain on the operator's wrists. Some stands attempt to alleviate this problem by providing an adjustable section of the desk surface for supporting the keyboard. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,898 to Seidl (hereinafter referred to as "Seidl") describes a stand with a conventional desk structure, an adjustable section for a keyboard, and a shelf for a monitor which is not adjustable. The keyboard section is tiltable and horizontally slidable, and the support for this section is extensible, which enables the operator to adjust the keyboard section so as to minimize wrist strain. However, the monitor shelf is not adjustable, which may cause the neck of the operator to become strained. Furthermore, the conventional desk structure of the stand of Seidl restricts the range of the adjustments to the keyboard section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,770 to Seiler et al. (hereinafter referred to as "Seiler") discloses a stand with a conventional desk structure, which is an improvement over the stand of Seidl. The vertical position of the monitor shelf and of the keyboard section are both adjustable in the stand of Seiler. The keyboard section is also tiltable. However, the conventional desk structure of the stand of Seiler again restricts the range of adjustments. Thus, the stand cannot be comfortably used while the operator is standing up or sitting on the floor, for example.
Although these stands are clearly more convenient for computer operators than a conventional desk, these stands are still not fully adaptable to the needs of the human operator, largely because these stands still retain a number of characteristics of the conventional desk. However, the conventional desk is not the ideal structure for such a stand, because conventional desks are not adjustable. Computer operators frequently complain of neck strain caused by holding the neck at an uncomfortable angle in order to gaze at the monitor, and of wrist strain from holding the wrists at an uncomfortable angle in order to type on the keyboard. These problems could be alleviated or eliminated if the stand had two independently adjustable shelves, so that the vertical position of each shelf and the degree of tilt of the keyboard shelf could be adjusted to meet the needs of every individual operator.
The stand disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,835 to Reese et al. (hereinafter referred to as "Reese") moves away from the conventional desk structure, in that both shelves are attached to separate posts. Both posts are extensible; that is, the length of each post, and hence the vertical position of each shelf, may be independently adjusted. In addition, the monitor shelf is tiltable; that is, the angle of the monitor shelf relative to the post is adjustable. Finally, the keyboard shelf is horizontally slidable, such that the horizontal distance between the keyboard shelf and the monitor shelf is adjustable. However, no provision is made for tilting the keyboard shelf to reduce the strain on the wrists of the operator. Furthermore, in spite of these many adjustments, the stand of Reese is similar to a conventional desk in that the operator must sit in a conventional chair to use this stand.
There is no reason, however, why computer operators should need to sit in a conventional chair in order to use a computer. Conventional chairs themselves may cause back strain and a host of other problems. The computer operator should be able to stand or even sit in a low chair while comfortably using the computer. A conventional desk structure certainly restricts the position of the operator, since it requires the operator to sit in a conventional chair. Such a requirement can be very inconvenient.
Certain stands do not appear to place such restrictions on the position of the operator, yet these stands are also not sufficiently adjustable. For example, neither U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,969 to Brown (hereinafter referred to as "Brown") nor U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,391 to Lee (hereinafter referred to as "Lee") explicitly states the position which the operator must adopt to use the disclosed stands. However, each stand clearly has a number of disadvantages. First, the height of each shelf of Brown cannot be independently adjusted. Thus, if the stand of Brown were adjusted to a height which minimizes neck strain for the operator, the keyboard shelf might be placed at a height which causes wrist strain, and vice versa. Second, the stand of Lee also has a restricted range of adjustments which may be made to the shelves. As the height of the monitor and keyboard shelves is increased, the horizontal distance between the two shelves is decreased. Thus, both the stand of Lee and the stand of Brown restrict the range of adjustments which may be made to the monitor and keyboard shelves, thereby reducing the number of positions in which these stands may be used.
The ability of the operator to sit in a conventional chair, stand, or sit in a chair which is lower to the floor than a conventional chair, while using the computer depends upon the availability of a stand which can adjust to suit each of these positions. Such an adjustment requires more than a simple alteration in the height of the stand. The horizontal and vertical distances between the monitor and the keyboard need to be adjustable, as does the angle between the keyboard and the floor. These separate adjustments are necessary because as the operator moves from sitting in a low chair to sitting in a conventional chair to standing, the distance between the hands and the eyes of the operator also changes. Thus, simply raising the vertical position of the monitor and keyboard is not enough to allow an operator to comfortably use the computer in such a variety of positions. The horizontal and vertical distances between the monitor and the keyboard must also be adjusted to match the relative position of the operator's eyes and hands. Thus, the overall distance between the operator and the monitor and keyboard must be adjustable.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a stand for a monitor and a keyboard which permits a variety of independent adjustments to the position of the monitor and the keyboard, so that the operator may comfortably adopt a variety of positions while using the computer.