A frame structure of a vehicle includes a flywheel housing, an intermediate housing and a transmission case that are connected to each other along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle to constitute a vehicle frame with an inner space for accommodating a running-power transmission path for transmitting power from an engine to drive wheels via a HST unit. The flywheel housing has a first end connected to the engine and a second open end opposite to the first end along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The intermediate housing has a hollow shape with a first end and a second end located along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The first end has an abutting surface against which the second end of the flywheel housing abuts, a support surface located radially inwardly of the abutting surface so as to support the HST unit, and an opening surrounded by the support surface. The opening serves as a first-end opening of the intermediate housing along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The abutting surface and the support surface along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle are located so that at least a portion of the HST unit is accommodated within the flywheel housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frame structure of a vehicle that is designed to accommodate a running-power transmission mechanism and constitute at least a part of a vehicle frame.
2. Related Art
A known frame structure as disclosed such as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei-08-2267 is formed by connection members made up of a flywheel housing, an intermediate housing and/or a transmission case that are connected to each other along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle (hereinafter simply referred to a vehicle longitudinal axis).
The frame structure of the above type has an insufficient capability in a point as discussed below.
First of all, the frame structure of the above-cited reference includes a front housing (flywheel housing) that accommodates a flywheel and a sub-speed change unit, a transmission case connected to the front housing and a rear housing connected to the transmission case. Specifically, the front housing has a partition wall formed integral therewith substantially at the center of the front housing with respect to the vehicle longitudinal axis. The partition wall supports a drive shaft and an intermediate shaft of the sub-speed change unit in cooperation with a bearing frame that is connected to a rear side of the front housing.
According to the above arrangement, the assembling of the frame structure involves troublesome works, which include connecting the bearing frame to the rear side of the front housing while supporting the rear ends of the drive shaft and the intermediate shaft on the bearing frame, with the front ends of the drive shaft and the intermediate shaft being supported on the partition wall and the other constitutional members of the sub-speed change unit such as a friction clutch being placed within the front housing.
Another problem caused by the frame structure of the above-cited reference is that the transmission case is hard to be reduced in size since the transmission case, which accommodates a main-speed change unit, is located in the intermediate position between the front housing and the rear housing. Specifically, in the above-cited reference, transmission shafts (a hollow propeller shaft and a main shaft inserted therethrough) are disposed coaxially with a crank shaft of the engine, aiming at the reduction of the size of the front housing and the like. However, this arrangement requires the transmission shaft to be located with sufficient distance from a wall of the transmission case to provide a space for various transmission members such as gears and clutches to be mounted on the transmission shafts. Accordingly, a problem in that the transmission case is hard to be reduced in size cannot be addressed.
Another problem also lies in an arrangement of the vehicle structure of the above-cited reference in a case where a part or all of the inner space of the vehicle structure is utilized as a hydraulic fluid reservoir tank. Specifically, the hydraulic fluid stored in the reservoir tank is utilized for various hydraulic mechanisms mounted in the vehicle. Therefore, a sufficient amount of hydraulic fluid must be stored inside of the frame structure in order to avoid fluid running-out for the hydraulic mechanisms in a case where the frame structure is also used as a reservoir tank.
Specifically, variation in position or posture of the vehicle is directly reflected in the position or posture of the frame structure, since it constitutes a portion of the vehicle frame. That is, when the vehicle tilts due to such as running up or down a slope, the frame structure takes the same tilting position or posture. In such a tilting position or posture, the surface level of stored fluid is changed. Accordingly, fluid running-out for the hydraulic mechanisms is highly likely to occur when the amount of fluid stored in the reservoir tank is small. Therefore, it is necessary to store a sufficient amount of fluid inside of the frame structure in a case where the frame structure is also used as a reservoir tank.
On the other hand, hydraulic fluid stored inside of the frame structure may cause drag resistance in various transmission mechanisms placed inside of the frame structure. That is, a large amount of fluid stored inside of the frame structure may deteriorate transmission efficiency of various transmission mechanisms that are mounted also inside of the frame structure and hence immersed in the fluid.
Thus, there exist contradictory two demands, one for storing a sufficient amount of fluid so as to avoid fluid running out and another for storing a minimum amount of fluid so as to avoid causing resistance against the transmission mechanisms mounted inside of the vehicle frame. The prior frame structure is not designed to fully address these demands.
In consideration of the above prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a frame structure that ensures high efficiency assembly, while addressing the problems with the interconnected arrangement of a clutch housing, an intermediate housing and a transmission case along the vehicle longitudinal axis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame structure that ensures high efficiency assembly as well as providing a free space above the intermediate housing, while addressing the problems with the interconnected arrangement of a clutch housing, an intermediate housing and a transmission case along the vehicle longitudinal axis.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a frame structure that is capable of effectively preventing fluid for feeding to a HST unit running-out while keeping the amount of fluid stored in a reservoir tank as low as possible, which reservoir tank being constituted by at least a portion of an inner space of the frame structure that accommodates a running-power transmission path for transmitting power from an engine to drive wheels via the HDT unit and is arranged along the vehicle longitudinal axis extending from a first side to a second side of the vehicle.


In the inventive method of producing a base terminal structure for a bipolar transistor, an etch stop layer is applied on a single-crystal semiconductor substrate, a poly-crystal base terminal layer is produced on the etch stop layer and an emitter window is etched in the base terminal layer using the etch stop layer as an etch stop.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor elements and the manufacture of them and, in particular, to polysilicon bipolar transistors having an improved base terminal architecture, and the manufacture of them.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern integrated bipolar circuits are characterized by high switching speed, high transit frequencies, good driver features, high transconductance of the transistors and high stability of the control voltage. Due to these features, bipolar technology has a high importance in micro-electronics. With present conventional manufacturing processes of integrated bipolar circuits, a processing of data rates of more than 10 Gbits/sec can, for example, be achieved at present, wherein bipolar transistors having an implanted base with transit frequencies of 30 GHz can be realized using the polysilicon emitter and base technology.
The base terminal structure is, among other things, decisive for good electrical features of polysilicon bipolar transistors. In a base terminal structure of a conventional polysilicon bipolar transistor, as is exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 3, a polysilicon layer 32 which is, after being patterned, effective as the base terminal region is generally applied on a single-crystal silicon substrate 30 in which the collector region is formed. An insulation layer 34, such as, e.g., silicon oxide, is applied over the polysilicon layer 32. A so-called emitter window 38 is usually formed in double polysilicon bipolar transistors having an implanted base region 36, wherein this emitter window 38 is provided to form, on the one hand, the active emitter region of the bipolar transistor in the silicon substrate 30 and, on the other hand, the emitter terminal for this region. The emitter window 38 is thus formed by etching through the insulation layer 34 and subsequently through the polysilicon material 32 serving as the base terminal region. Since the polysilicon material 32 of the base terminal region is directly on top of the single-crystal silicon substrate 30, the etching process cannot be stopped abruptly on the single-crystal silicon substrate 30 due to the lacking etching selectivity between the poly-crystal silicon material 32 and the single-crystal semiconductor material of the silicon substrate 30.
For this reason, a considerable substrate etching in an order of magnitude of about 40 nm is provided in the region of the emitter window 38 due to the resulting layer thickness variations of the polysilicon and insulation layers to be etched and due to etching rate differences over the silicon wafer, to etch, definitely on each silicon wafer and everywhere on the different silicon wafers to be processed, through the poly-crystal base terminal layer. The active base region 36 of the bipolar transistor, which subsequently will be referred to as the "intrinsic" base region, is implanted in the silicon substrate 30 in the region of the emitter window 38. Subsequently, an inner spacer 40 having a suitable width is applied or patterned in the emitter window 38. The inner spacer 40 thus has the task to define, on the one hand, the emitter region of the bipolar transistor and the region of the emitter terminal and to provide, on the other hand, an electrical insulation of the emitter terminal region from the base terminal region.
The base terminal, i.e. the electrical connection between the implanted "intrinsic" base region 36 and the base terminal layer 32 of a polysilicon material which, in general, is highly doped, is obtained by out-diffusing dopant atoms from the highly doped polysilicon material of the base terminal layer 32 into the silicon substrate 30. This doped region obtained by an out-diffusion of dopant atoms from the polysilicon material of the base terminal layer 32 into the silicon substrate 30 will subsequently be referred to as the "extrinsic" base terminal region 42.
Before the lateral out-diffusion of the extrinsic base terminal region 42 in the direction of the intrinsic base region 36, due to the required substrate etching, first of all diffusion in the depth of the substrate material 30 must take place to produce an electrical connection via the extrinsic base terminal region 42 between the base terminal layer 32 and the intrinsic base region 36 of the bipolar transistor.
In the manufacturing method known in the prior art, an in-diffusion of the doping atoms of at least 150 nm in depth, i.e. into the silicon substrate 30, is required since in the process of diffusion, the substrate etching of about 40 nm and the spacer length of about 100–150 nm, including the etching rate variations in the etching depth must be overcome to obtain the required diffusion depth. The base anneal process thus has to be performed at a relatively high temperature of about 1050° C.–1100° C.
Thus, a relatively high temperature budget (1050° C.–1100° C.) and thus a relatively high exposure to temperature for the semiconductor structure are required for this out-diffusion process, wherein additionally the terminal, i.e. the electrical connection, of the extrinsic base terminal region 42 to the intrinsic base region 36 can only be controlled relatively poorly. This leads to a relatively poor reproducibility of the electrical features of the semiconductor substrate, i.e. in particular of the base structure, of a conventional polysilicon bipolar transistor. Spurious scatterings of the values of the base terminal resistance of conventional polysilicon bipolar transistors can, for example, be the result.
As has been described above, the emitter window 38 of a polysilicon bipolar transistor having an implanted base is, for example, etched by means of fixed-time etching through the polysilicon material of the base terminal layer 32, wherein additionally etching into the single-crystal silicon substrate 30 takes place by means of suitably selected over-etching. Another possibility to pattern the emitter window 38 of a polysilicon bipolar transistor having an implanted base is to provide an endpoint detection of the etching process and suitably selected over-etching into the single-crystal silicon substrate 30. In both cases mentioned above, it is required for compensating layer thickness variations and etching rate differences over the silicon wafer to clearly etch the silicon substrate 30 considerably. This etching can, however, result in roughnesses in the substrate material, which as a result can, in an extreme case, cause an inhomogeneous interface in the emitter or an inhomogeneous base width and thus an inhomogeneous current distribution in the bipolar transistor.
Thus, important characteristic numbers, such as, e.g., the product of cutoff frequency fT and breakdown voltage UCE0 or the product of current amplification and early voltage, may deteriorate.
These problems occurring in the prior art when manufacturing polysilicon bipolar transistors having implanted bases, up to now, must be minimized by means of very complicated control measures when etching the emitter window.
In addition, it has been required when manufacturing polysilicon bipolar transistors to in-diffuse a relatively deep extrinsic base terminal region into the single-crystal silicon substrate due to the required etching of the silicon substrate and the resulting lower lying base region in the silicon substrate starting from the highly doped polysilicon material of the base terminal layer, wherein this is, for example, performed by a temperature process. In order to be able to out-diffuse the dopant, such as, e.g., boron, phosphorus or arsenic etc., sufficiently deep from the polysilicon material of the base terminal layer into the single-crystal silicon substrate, a relatively high temperature budget is required and thus a relatively high exposure to temperature of the semiconductor element cannot be avoided when manufacturing it. This is, however, very problematic, in particular in modern BiCMOS technology.
By etching the silicon material of the substrate region required in the prior art and due to the problems connected thereto when electrically connecting the polysilicon base terminal layer to the intrinsic base region, the result can be spurious scatterings of the values of the base terminal resistance of conventional polysilicon bipolar transistors. In addition, the electrical characteristics of bipolar transistors mentioned above, such as, e.g., the cutoff frequency, breakdown voltage, current amplification and early voltage thereof, are influenced negatively by the resulting roughness of the etched silicon substrate.

Polysilicon bipolar transistor and method of manufacturing it


A symbol display device for a game machine includes a reel unit having a plurality of reels, each having a peripheral surface with a plurality of peripheral symbols. An end reel arranged at an end position of the reels has a lateral surface where a pointer is displayed. A reel supporting member that supports the reels rotatably independently includes a lateral wall having a window through which the lateral surface of the end reel is seen. The lateral wall of the reel supporting member has a plurality of lateral symbols arranged around the window, whereby any one of the lateral symbols is pointed by the pointer on the lateral surface of the end reel due to rotation of the end reel. A pivoting unit pivots the reel unit to a first position where the peripheral surfaces of the reels are observable and to a second position where the pointer on the lateral surface of the end reel and the lateral symbols on the lateral wall of the reel supporting member are observable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a symbol display device for use in a game machine.
2. Prior Art
A game machine, such as a slot machine, includes a reel unit having a plurality of reels supported rotatably independently, each having the peripheral surface with a plurality of peripheral symbols. When the reels stop rotating, it is determined whether or not the combination of the symbols on the reels corresponds to any one of predetermined prize patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,756 discloses another slot machine including a symbol display device in addition to usual reels. This symbol display device is arranged above the usual reels and has a single reel with a first display portion on its side surface and with a second display portion on its periphery. When a player wins the normal slot game using the usual reels, this special symbol display device enables players to play subsidiary games. In performing a first subsidiary game, the side surface of the special single reel is so perpendicular that the first display portion may be observable. In performing a second subsidiary game, the periphery of the special single reel is so horizontal that the second display portion may be observable.
However, such a special symbol display device arranged at a different position from the usual reels makes players shift their attention significantly. A careless player may lose sight of the special symbol display device and will not be able to enter the subsidiary games smoothly. A player with weak eyes cannot see the special symbol display device unless he or she stands up for playing the subsidiary games after the normal slot game.


The preset invention relates to a method, use of the method and a device for making a seal in a portion of a material web. The material web includes a first elongate section with a first number of layers of material and a second elongate section with a second number of layers of material, at least one of the layers of material being included in both the first and the second section, the portion having an extent that intersects a transition from the first section to the second section of the material web, the method including connecting, in the portion, opposite surfaces of the layers of material of the material web to each other. The method including forming ridges and valleys in the portion, and orienting the ridges and valleys in such a manner that they have an extent intersecting the transition.

WO99/41155 discloses a device for producing container blanks by interconnecting opposite wall portions of a material web along connecting portions.
The material web comprises two side wall webs which are passed in a parallel opposite relationship along a manufacturing line and, arranged therebetween, a bottom wall web folded in two. The webs are thus joined to form a common web of material and are sealed to each other along said connecting portions by sealing tools which engage the web of material.
It is also possible to let the material web consist of a web which is folded longitudinally in the form of an M. A container blank produced from such a material web will obtain two side walls from the outer lateral portions of the web and a bottom wall from the central portion, folded in two, of the web.
A problem that may arise in said sealing along the connecting portions relates to their reliability. In fact, it has been found that it is difficult to provide a reliable seal in the transition between the areas of the material web which comprise two layers of material and the areas which comprise four layers of material. If the pressure is not sufficient, a duct extended parallel to the transition tends to be formed, which obviously results in the container blank not being liquidproof.
On the other hand, if the pressure is dimensioned so as to prevent the forming of said duct, the pressure must be so high that the bottom wall forming part of the material web is subjected to strain in the form of stretching and/or buckling which may result in breakage.
There is thus a need for a sealing method which eliminates the above-mentioned problems.

Method for forming a container blank including a seal


A system and method for a door is disclosed. The system includes a frame magnetic lock assembly mounted to a door frame, and a door magnetic lock assembly mounted to a door for receiving inductively transferred power from the frame magnetic lock assembly. The door system also includes a door electronics subsystem mounted to the door that includes a power management system that provides power to the door from the inductively transferred power, and charges an energy storage element at the door from the inductively transferred power. The power management system provides power to the door from the energy storage element when the inductively transferred power is not available at the door, such as when the door is open, and resumes providing power to the door from the inductively transferred power once the inductively transferred power is restored. Once restored, some of the inductive power recharges the energy storage element.

Security systems are often installed within and around buildings such as commercial, residential, or governmental buildings. Examples of these buildings include offices, hospitals, warehouses, schools or universities, shopping malls, government offices, and casinos. The security systems typically include components such as system controllers, access control systems, access control readers, video surveillance cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), and door control modules, to list a few examples.
Access control systems in buildings, for example, are principally concerned with physical security and the selective access to, restriction of, and/or notification of access to a place or other resource. Historically, the main components of the access control systems were access control readers and possibly door control modules and possibly door locking systems. The access control readers were often installed to enable presentation of credentials to obtain access to restricted areas, such as buildings or areas of the buildings. The readers were installed near access points, such as doors or hallways or elevators. Typically, individuals would interact with the access control readers by swiping keycards or bringing contactless smart cards within range (approximately 2-3 inches or 5 centimeters) of the reader. The access control readers would read the credential information of the keycards and validate the information possibly by reference to a verification system that confirmed the credentials and determined if the individuals were authorized to access the restricted areas. If the individuals were authorized, then the door control modules might be signaled to operate the door locking system to unlock doors, for example.
The access control readers are most often mounted to a wall next to a door frame of the door, and input power is usually provided to each of the readers via electrical cabling within the walls near each door.
The door locking systems can take a number of forms. Some systems include mechanical release latches on the doorframe that are directly controlled by the door control module. In other examples, the door locking systems are battery-powered and included as part of the door knob assembly. These systems are common in hotels. Magnetic lock systems are still another example.
The magnetic lock systems typically include a number of components and are often controlled by the door control module. An electromagnet typically is mounted to the door frame of the door and an armature, a ferromagnetic plate, is mounted to the door. Electrical energy supplied to the electromagnet creates a magnetic field that attracts the ferromagnetic plate with enough force to keep the door closed. When a user presents valid credentials to access reader mounted at the door, in one example, the verification system sends a signal to the door control module for the door, which in turn deenergizes the electromagnet, thus allowing the door to be opened.

System and method for inductive power transfer to door


A device for detecting the concentration of a given component in a solution, preferably the concentration of urea in solution with water includes a means for emitting radiation, at least one means for receiving radiation, which is prearranged for determining at least one characteristic of the radiation, and a light guide, which is prearranged for optically connecting the emitting means to the receiving means, wherein the light guide has at least one surface that is to come into contact with the solution so as to determine an interface of separation between the propagation medium and the solution. Control means are configured for obtaining a value indicating the concentration of the compound in the solution as a function of the signal coming from the receiving means.

As is known, in the art there exist devices designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide that comprise a catalytic system in which, injected into a compartment traversed by the exhaust gases, is a solution of urea that is to dissociate thermally so as to liberate ammonia, which combines with the nitrogen oxides so as to reduce them and obtain free nitrogen and water. This catalytic system is referred to as selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The system in question carries out a control on the value of the concentration of urea in the solution of urea and water used in order to calibrate its own operating mode appropriately. In particular, as a function of the concentration value, the system varies the flow rate of solution injected into the reaction chamber. Furthermore, the system checks that the concentration value remains within a predetermined range so that proper operation of the system itself is guaranteed.
The foregoing imposes the need to install on the vehicle a sensor device designed to determine the concentration of urea in the solution.
In the technical field in question there is moreover felt the need to be able to verify on board the vehicle that the solution for the catalytic system mentioned above effectively contains urea. There has in fact been noted the risk of other liquids accidentally mixing with the solution in question, such as for example engine coolant or diesel. Coolant may, in the case of leakages in the coolant-circulation system, mix with the solution of water and urea within the reservoir that contains the solution, which is heated by the coolant during starting of the vehicle engine. Diesel, instead, may be introduced by mistake into the reservoir of the solution of urea and water in the cases where this is located adjacent to the diesel tank. Another cause of the presence of foreign liquids is represented by fraudulent actions whereby, instead of the solution of urea and water, liquids of some other type, whether surrogates or not, having a far lower cost are supplied.

Device for detecting the concentration of a solution


A device for updating component of application software in a digital broadcasting signal receiver and a method thereof. A storage section stores executing data for executing application software that produces a user interface of the digital signal receiver. A program specific information/service information extracting section extracts program specific information/service information (PSI/SI) from a received digital broadcasting signal. An updating data extracting section extracts updating information for partially updating the application software from the program specific information/service information, and extracts updating data for updating the application software from the digital broadcasting signal according to the updating information in order to update the executing data stored in the storage section to the extracted updating data. An application software section updates and executes the application software according the updated executing data. Therefore, time and resources required to update application software are saved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for updating a component of application software in a digital broadcasting signal receiver and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a device for updating a component of an application software for operating a digital broadcasting signal receiver based on a digital broadcasting signal being transmitted and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital broadcasting signal receivers receive a digital broadcast transmitted according to a digital video broadcasting (DVB) standard, the European broadcasting standard, and an American Television Systems Committee (ATSC) standard, the American digital broadcasting standard, and provide a digital image of high definition.
Currently, in addition to a basic function of receiving a digital broadcasting signal and providing images of high definition by a digital broadcasting signal receiver, a technology has been developed to provide various functions, such as providing broadcasting information with respect to various channels, and providing a user interface for selecting and using additional functions and for performing bilateral communication.
Accordingly, the digital broadcasting signal receiver displays and selects various functions to be provided to a user. The digital broadcasting signal receiver has application software for controlling and operating the digital broadcasting signal receiver in order to embody various functions provided by the digital broadcasting signal receiver.
In general, upon manufacturing the digital broadcasting signal receiver, the application software for operating the digital broadcasting signal receiver is installed on the digital broadcasting signal receiver. However, when the application software is needed according to a change of a broadcasting environment, in order to update the application software for operating the digital broadcasting signal receiver, a technology of adding necessary data and information to the digital broadcasting signal and performing a broadcasting based upon it, has been suggested.
According to such a technology, the application software is compressed or original software is inserted into a predetermined position separately from the typical data of the digital broadcasting signal, and is then transmitted.
However, the application software has various and wide structural elements such as image information, audio information, character information, games, and application program data. Time and costs required to transmit data for updating the entire application software and to update the entire application software according to the transmitted data, are accordingly increased.

Device for updating component of application software in digital broadcasting signal receiver and method thereof


A combination cap and applicator device is disclosed for capping a container of air curable material and for spreading the material dispensed from the container. The device includes a cap having a cylindrical inner sleeve for engaging a nozzle of the container to thereby form an interference friction fit for sealing the nozzle. In addition, the spreader blade includes a pair of laterally extending wing portions for defining a concave spreader surface. The spreader surface decreases in width in a direction extending away from the cap body to form a thin flexible edge which deflects to provide a wiping action as the spreader blade is used to form a bead of caulking material.

The present invention relates to a combination cap and applicator device and, more particularly, to a combination cap and applicator device for capping a container of air curable material and for spreading the material dispensed from the container.
Sealants such as caulking and other air curable materials are typically provided in a cartridge or squeezable tube. The cartridge or tube includes a slightly tapered nozzle extending from one end thereof wherein the end of the nozzle is typically formed as a sealed tip for isolating the material within the container from the atmosphere and thereby preventing hardening of the material. When application of the material such as caulking is desired, the sealed tip is simply cut off, leaving an opening through which the caulking may be dispensed. Often times, however, the contents of the caulking cartridge may not be entirely dispensed during a caulking operation, and if precautions are not taken to reseal or close the nozzle, the remaining caulking compound will harden due to exposure to the atmosphere. The same problem is also encountered when the nozzle of a cartridge or tube of glue or other hardenable and extrudable substance is opened and partially used. Thus, a closure device is required for the end of the open nozzle to prevent hardening of the extrudable substance.
Once the material has been dispensed from the cartridge or tube, it is typically spread to form a smooth bead, and this operation is typically performed using a finger, backside of a spoon, popsicle stick, or a separate tool which is specially designed for the operation. Since the special tool is generally not provided with the cartridge or tube, the do-it-yourselfer will typically not have such a tool available when performing a caulking operation and will resort to using a finger to spread out the caulking which can lead to non-professional appearing results.

Combination caulking tube cap and applicator device

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FinFET varactors having low threshold voltages and methods of making the same are disclosed herein. An exemplary FinFET varactor includes a fin and a gate structure disposed over a portion of the fin, such that the gate structure is disposed between a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature that include a first type dopant. The portion of the fin includes the first type dopant and a second type dopant. A dopant concentration of the first type dopant and a dopant concentration of the second type dopant vary from an interface between the fin and the gate structure to a first depth in the fin. The dopant concentration of the first type dopant is greater than the dopant concentration of the second type dopant from a second depth to a third depth in the fin, where the second depth and the third depth are less than the first depth.

MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) varactors are semiconductor devices that have a capacitance varying as a function of an applied voltage. Varactors are often used as tuning elements in circuits such as voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), parameter amplifiers, phase shifters, phase locked loops (PLLs), and other tunable circuits. For example, by varying a voltage applied to a varactor, the frequency of operation of an associated VCO can be adjusted. Tunability, linearity, and quality factor are among the important characteristics of an MOS varactor.
As the semiconductor industry strives for higher device density, higher performance, and lower power, problems involving MOS varactor fabrication and design have been encountered, particularly with FinFET varactors in advanced process nodes such as 16 nanometer (nm) or smaller. For example, it has been found that FinFET varactors sometimes do not provide good tunability and linearity for ultra-low power circuits. For example, a linear tuning region of a FinFET varactor may be centered on a gate voltage (Vg) greater than 0 (zero) volts such as 0.3V, and may become almost un-tunable when Vg swings near 0V. That means a VCO circuit needs to provide a Vg biasing near 0.3V, while an ideal Vg biasing is near 0V for achieving ultra-low power consumption in the circuit. Accordingly, improvements in FinFET varactor design and fabrication are desired.

FinFET varactor with low threshold voltage and method of making the same

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A hard disk drive includes a base, a cover coupled to an upper portion of the base to accommodate a plurality of parts between the cover and the base, a spindle motor including a FDB (fluid dynamic bearing) having an FDB fixing portion fixed to the base and an FDB rotation portion partially inserted in an inside of the FDB fixing portion and which rotates with respect to the FDB fixing portion, a hub to support a disk, having an end portion coupled to the FDB rotation portion, and which rotates with the FDB rotation portion and a power generation portion to generate power to rotate the hub, and an anti-stick portion provided with at least one of the cover and the spindle motor and which prevents the FDB rotation portion from being restricted as the FDB rotation portion partially contacts the FDB fixing portion by an impact applied to the spindle motor when the disk rotates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a hard disk drive, and more particularly, to a hard disk drive which can effectively prevent generation of sticking so that a disk can smoothly rotate. Thus, the performance and reliability of the hard disk drive are improved.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hard disk drives (HDDs) formed of electronic parts and mechanical parts is are memory devices to record and reproduce data by converting digital electric pulses to a magnetic field that is more permanent. The HDDs are widely used as auxiliary memory devices of computer systems because they are capable of providing fast access time to a large amount of data.
With the recent increase in TPI (track per inch; a density in a direction along a radius of a disk) and BPI (bits per inch; a density in a direction along a thickness of a disk), and because BPI×TPI=BPSI, the HDD has achieved high areal density capacities and its field of application has expanded. Areal density, also sometimes called bit density, refers to the amount of data that can be stored in a given amount of area on a hard disk recording medium. Since disk surfaces are of course two-dimensional, areal density is a measure of a number of bits that can be stored in a unit of area. It is usually expressed in bits per square inch (BPSI). The general structure of the HDD will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3.
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-section view of a conventional HDD. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) is stuck to an FDB fixing portion of FIG. 2 by an external force. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a conventional HDD includes a disk 110 coated with a magnetic material for recording and storing data, a spindle motor 140 on which the disk 110 is supported and which is capable of rotating, and a base 130 on which the disk 110 and the spindle motor 140 are assembled. The other elements will be described below.
The spindle motor 140 includes a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) 150, a hub 160 partially coupled to the FDB 150 and supporting the disk 110, and a power generation portion 170 generating power to rotate the hub 160. The FDB 150 includes an FDB fixing portion 151 fixed to the base 130 by a flange 144 located thereunder and an FDB rotation portion 153 partially inserted in the FDB fixing portion 151 and relatively rotating with relative respect to the FDB fixing portion 151, to form a rotation center of and with the hub 160.
An insertion groove portion 151a in which the FDB rotation portion 153 is inserted is formed in the FDB fixing portion 151. The insertion groove portion 151a is filled with a predetermined fluid 152. The fluid 152 performs a role of not only supporting a weight of the hub 160, the disk 110, and the spacer 113 coupled to the FDB rotation portion 153 but also of allowing the FDB rotation portion 153 to freely rotate in the insertion groove portion 151a.
The FDB rotation portion 153 includes a rotation shaft portion 154 formed lengthwise in a vertical direction and coupled to the hub 160 in an upper area and a shaft support portion 155 formed in a lower portion of the rotation shaft portion 154 to be relatively larger compared to a cross sectional area of the rotation shaft portion 154. A plurality of fluid groove portions 156a and 156b are formed in an outer surface of the rotation shaft portion 154 and the shaft support portion 155, respectively. As the fluid 152 filling an inside of the insertion groove portion 151a freely flows in the fluid groove portions 156a and 156b, the FDB rotation portion 153 smoothly rotates.
In the meantime, the disk 110 and the hub 160 vibrate for various reasons, for example, when an impact stronger than a load of a hydraulic pressure provided by the fluid 152 is applied to the spindle motor 140. Accordingly, a position of the FDB rotation portion 153 is moved so that the FDB rotation portion 153 strongly collides against an inner wall of the FDB fixing portion 151 in the insertion groove portion 151a. In this case, the fluid groove portion 156a is blocked so that the fluid 152 cannot flow freely. Consequently, the FDB rotation portion 153 is stuck to the inner wall of the FDB fixing portion 151 (please refer to a portion P of FIG. 3). Thus, a sticking phenomenon may occur where the rotation of the FDB rotation portion 153 is restricted.
When the rotation of the FDB rotation portion 153 is restricted, the hub 160 coupled to the FDB rotation portion 153 does not rotate and thus the disk 110 coupled to the hub 160 does not rotate. However, in the conventional HDD, since no mechanical portion to prevent the sticking phenomenon is provided, smooth rotation of the disk 110 is not guaranteed so that the performance and reliability of the HDD are deteriorated.

Apparatus to prevent sticking of spindle motor and hard disk drive having the same


In order to suppress malfunctions even when using a reagent (chemical for reagent) corresponding to a hazardous substance, the present invention has an analyzing unit in which a chemical for reagent, having added thereto an indicator that is different from a hazardous material that is a detection target, is used to calibrate on the basis of the detection target included in the chemical for reagent, and which performs mass spectrometry. When a peak corresponding to the indicator is not included and a peak corresponding to the detection target material is included in the spectrum that is the analysis result of the analyzing unit, the detection target is determined to be included.

A threat of terrorism is globally increased and countermeasures against terrorism due to a hazardous substance such as explosives are required for important facilities such as a nuclear power plant. As a method of manufacturing the explosives using everyday goods is widely known, terrorism and crime due to the explosives are a threat in daily life. Simultaneous multiple terror aimed at subways and buses globally occurred and numerous casualties were reported. In addition, a case such as arresting a suspect who tried suicide bombing inside the commuter train is reported.
As a device for sensing such hazardous substance, there is known a device in which an inspection target is sampled, the inspection target is mass analyzed by applying a mass spectrometry technique, and the fact that the hazardous substance is detected is displayed on a display, when a substance corresponding to an ion of the hazardous substance is detected in a mass analysis result.
Such a technique is described, for example, in JP-A-2000-28579. By using equipment using these techniques, special skill, knowledge, and training are not required for explosive sensing.

Chemical for test used in hazardous substance sensing device, hazardous substance sensing device, and hazardous substance sensing method


The present disclosure provides methods of identifying a loosened joint implant by analyzing acoustic emissions from the implant. The present disclosure further provides apparatuses for measuring acoustic data and analyzing acoustic emissions from a joint implant.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become a routine and successful surgical procedure. Over 95 percent of total knee replacements in the United States are performed for osteoarthritis. As of 2010, over 600,000 total knee replacements were being performed annually in the United States. The number of total knee replacements performed annually in the United States is expected to grow by 673 percent to 3.48 million procedures by 2030.
Failure of TKAs is considered as two groups. Problems within the first two years are considered early failures and typically a patient will have problems starting shortly after the surgery. Failures that occur after two years are considered late failures. The top three causes of failure are (1) infection, (2) instability, and (3) aseptic loosening. Infection can be detected by testing blood or fluid extracted from the joint region. Instability can be diagnosed by evaluation of gait and movement of the joint. The best current practice for diagnosing loosening is identification of a gap between the bone and implant on an x-ray image, which is considered definitive only after 30% of the bone around the implant has been lost. The cost and risk of revision surgery to correct a failed implant rises significantly as the damage becomes more advanced.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Implant evaluation using acoustic emissions


The object of the present invention is to provide a hair brush that can be used for cutting the hair so that no skills and knack are required for adjusting the inclination angle of bristles and cutters with respect to the scalp. In a hair brush in which multiple the bristles 12 are set upright on a the brush body 14, the cutters 18 provided with the cutting edges 18a are set upright nearby the bristles 12.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair brush provided with a hair cutting function, a hair combing function, and a scalp massaging function, and to a replaceable cutting unit for a hair brush that can be used in such a hair brush.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hair styling is widely conducted with the object of hair beautification by combing the hair and partially cutting the excess hair, while massaging the scalp.
In such an operation, combing and cutting of the hair have been conventionally conducted by using the hairdresser's scissors and combs as separate tools according to the object of the operation.
It is also known that hair brushes were used with the object of massaging the scalp, while adjusting the hair.
However, with the above-described prior art technology, a hair brush was required in addition to the hairdresser's scissors and comb, and the drawback of the operation was that because skills and a knack were necessary, the operation was difficult to conduct.
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. S51-9966 disclosed a hair brush 70 designed to resolve those problems.
With this prior art technology, a hair brush body 72 was provided with three rows of bristles 74, cutters 76 with the cutting edges 76a turned away from the hair brush body 72 were provided on the hair brush body 72 between the bristles 74, and the height of the cutters 76 was set lower than that of the bristles 74 (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

Hair brush and replaceable cutting unit for hair brush


The present invention relates to a potential generation circuit of charge pump type, this circuit including at least two stages formed of capacitors and of circuitry for isolating or interconnecting the capacitors, to generate an output potential by charge transfer between the stages. The circuit is driven by two control potentials oscillating between a first and a second value. The circuit includes a self-oscillating control circuit to generate control potentials, to eliminate time delays between charge and discharge phases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of voltage generation circuits of the charge pump type. It applies in the field of circuits supplied by a voltage and in which it is necessary to generate a voltage higher than their supply voltage.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Charge pump type circuits are typically used to supply capacitive type circuits, such as transistor gates. An application for these circuits is the provision of control potentials of power transistors used as switches. Another application is the provision of programming potentials to floating gate transistors, in electrically programmable memories.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a charge pump type generation circuit according to the state of the art. It supplies, on an output OP, a capacitive load represented by a capacitor Ceq. One pole of capacitor Ceq is connected to output OP and its other pole receives a reference potential Vss. The voltage across the capacitor is referred to as Vc.
An oscillator OSC, supplied by reference potential Vss and by a supply potential Vcc, provides a clock signal CK, illustrated in FIG. 2a. Signal CK is a logic signal, the potential of which oscillates between Vcc, in the high state, and Vss, in the low state. Signal CK is issued to the first pole of a capacitor C1, and to the input of a logic inverter G1. Capacitor C1 receives a precharge potential Vp on its second pole, via a diode D1. Potential Vp can be, for example, equal to potential Vcc. The anode of diode D1 receives potential Vp and its cathode is connected to the second pole of capacitor C1.
Inverter G1 generates a logic signal NCK, illustrated in FIG. 2b, by inverting signal CK. Signal NCK is provided to the first pole of a capacitor C2. The second pole of capacitor C2 is connected, on the one hand, to the cathode of a diode D2 and to the anode of a diode D3. The anode of diode D2 and the cathode of diode D3 are connected, respectively, to the second pole of capacitor C1 and to output OP.
It will be assumed that diodes D1, D2, and D3 induce an identical voltage drop Vd when they are forwardly conductive, and that Vcc greater than Vd and Vp greater than Vd. Assume that signal Ck is in the low state. Capacitor C1 receives potential Vss on its first pole and a potential Vpxe2x88x92Vd on its second pole. When signal CK switches to the high state, the potential of the second pole of capacitor C1 switches to value (Vpxe2x88x92Vd)+Vcc. A charge transfer to the second pole of capacitor C2 will then be performed, through diode D2. Diode D1 is then blocked and prevents the discharge of capacitor C1 to the node providing potential Vp. The potential of the second pole of capacitor C2 switches to value Vp+Vccxe2x88x922*Vd. The potential of the first pole of capacitor C2 is then equal to Vss. When signal CK switches back to the low state, diode D2 is blocked (non-conducting) and the potential of the second pole of capacitor C2 is increased. This potential then switches to (Vp+Vccxe2x88x922*Vd)+Vcc. By charge transfer through diode D3, voltage Vc will be progressively brought to value (Vp+2*Vcc)xe2x88x923*Vd (assuming that Vss=0 volt). By using n stages, two successive stages respectively receiving signals CK and NCK, the potential generated by the voltage generation circuit can thus be brought to (Vpxe2x88x92Vd)+n*(Vccxe2x88x92Vd).
An important feature of charge pump type circuits is the delay required for the output potential to reach the desired value. It is generally attempted to obtain very short delays (also called rise times). In practice, the rise time can be shown to be inversely proportional to the value of the capacitors used. The use of capacitors of high values indeed enables transfer, in each cycle, of a greater number of charges to the output, which decreases the rise time. However, the increase of the capacitor values can raise a problem of implementation and/or of bulk, in integrated circuits.
An aim of the present invention is to provide an improved circuit which, for an equal rise time, decreases the capacitor values.
For this purpose, it is provided to generate the control signals via a self-oscillating control circuit. Time phases during which the potentials of the control signals are stable are thus eliminated, these time phases corresponding to the end of charge and discharge phases of the capacitors of the voltage generation circuit.
Thus, the present invention provides a potential generation circuit of charge pump type, this circuit including at least two stages formed of capacitors and of means for isolating or interconnecting the capacitors, to generate an output potential by charge transfer between the stages. The circuit is driven by at least two control potentials, the capacitors receiving one of the control potentials on a first pole. The two control potentials oscillate between a first and a second value so that they control, on the one hand, a charge phase of the capacitors when they switch from the first value to the second value and, on the other hand, a discharge phase of the capacitors when they switch from the second value to the first value. The circuit includes a self-oscillating control circuit to generate, on outputs, the control potentials, the control circuit receiving the control potentials on inputs and being arranged so that these control potentials be modified as soon as they reach the first or the second value.
According to an embodiment, the control circuit includes a comparator for comparing the control potentials with a reference potential to modify the values of the control potentials according to the result of the comparison.
According to an embodiment, the reference potential corresponds to the first value of the control potentials.
According to an embodiment, the control circuit includes an RS flip-flop at the output of the comparator, to guarantee that the control potentials do not overlap.
According to an embodiment, the comparator receives the control potentials on inverting inputs and the flip-flop is of NAND type.
According to an embodiment, the control potentials are generated by buffer circuits driven by outputs of the flip-flop.
According to an embodiment, the control potentials are generated by buffer circuits driven by outputs of the comparator.
According to an embodiment, the buffer circuits are inverters.
The foregoing objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be discussed in detail in the following non-limiting description of specific embodiments in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Voltage generation circuit of charge pump type, with a self-oscillating control circuit


A method of synthesizing corrugated and nanoporous microspheres including the steps of synthesizing substantially smooth spherical microspheres, and controlled wet-etching of the substantially smooth spherical microspheres with a basic solution having a pH above 10.00 is provided. The microspheres can include, for example, silica microspheres or titania microspheres of various sized diameters of between 50 nm and 600 nm. The basic solution can include an aqueous potassium cyanide solution or an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution. Methods of using the corrugated and nanoporous microspheres described herein are also provided.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to microstructures and nanostructures, and, more particularly, to corrugated and nanoporous microspheres/nanospheres, and methods of synthesizing the same.
2. Description of Prior Art
The synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials with controllable sizes, shapes, and structures has become increasingly important in modern inorganic materials chemistry today. These materials exhibit a wide range of unique physical, chemical, surface, electronic and optical properties associated with their sizes and shapes. They thus have potential for catalysis, separation, chromatography, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and biological diagnostic applications; as well as for fabrication of various electrical, photovoltaic, photonics, magnetic, microelectronics, chemical sensor and optical devices. Thus far, most synthesis methods have concentrated on smooth, spherical and symmetrical nanomaterials, mainly because their synthesis is simpler and their size is easier to control. Nanoparticles with non-spherical or non-symmetrical shapes are known to possess several properties that are unique compared to their spherical counterparts, while their controlled synthesis is often met with considerable challenges. For instance, the catalytic activity of noble metal nanocrystals depends on their shapes in addition to their sizes. Unique physical properties, such as optical and electronic as well as magnetic flux trapping and photoluminescence, can also be obtained from shaped and anisotropic nanomaterials. Furthermore, it was proven that non-symmetrical and non-spherical inorganic, organic, and biological nanostructures can self-aggregate into rather unique structures that their corresponding spherical counterparts are not capable of forming Consequently, the self-aggregates from non-spherical nanomaterials can produce unusual properties as well as unique "hard templates" that can be useful for generating other asymmetric nanostructures and photonics band gap materials for microphotonics and microelectronics applications.
The Stöber synthesis, which was first reported in 1963, has long been the method of choice for making silica microspheres. The silica microspheres that result from the Stöber method have rather symmetrical or spherical shape and a smooth surface. Many researchers have demonstrated that these silica microspheres have potential applications in areas ranging from chromatography to catalysis. For instance, by using the silica microspheres, various metal supported catalysts, metal nanoshells for biological applications, and hollow and core-shell nanomaterials have been successfully synthesized. The recent advances in the field of photonics have also resulted in renewed interest in the development of synthetic methods to monodisperse silica microspheres and their self-assembly into opal and inverse opal structures. Silica microspheres, particularly those with monodisperse size, can pack into perfect colloidal crystals, which can then be infiltrated with various precursors to produce so-called photonics band-gap materials. The resulting photonics band gap materials have interesting optical light trapping properties that are useful for photonics applications. However, since the silica microspheres synthesized by the Stöber method or some variations of the Stöber method often have smooth surfaces, the complete infiltration of their perfectly packed colloidal crystal structures with monomers, chromophores, polymers and other molecules remains to be problematic. Consequently, the formation of defect sites and void spaces in the resulting opal and inverse opal structures as well as in photonics band gap materials is often too common.
Recently, upon etching gold nanoparticles (AuNP) sandwiched between a silica microsphere and a silica shell with aqueous KCN solution, it has been observed that a higher concentration of KCN solution etches the silica shell and produces some silica/AuNP/silica core-shell-shell nanospheres containing a corrugated surface. Furthermore, while the etching of solid glass substrates and metal oxide microspheres, including silica microspheres, by various strong bases and HF solutions is already known, it has been widely used for nanopatterning solid state substrates or for complete dissolution of silica to create hollow nanostructures. For instance, by utilizing the commonly used etchants such as HF solutions or strongly basic KOH and NaOH solutions, complete dissolution of silica nanostructures was achieved. Silica in strongly basic solutions undergoes quick dissolution via the hydrolysis of its siloxane bonds while silica in HF solutions form soluble tetrafluosilicate species. In addition to these wet-etching processes, other physical methods involving etching with plasma, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and laser ablation can be used to etch silica or other metal oxides. By using the latter methods, many nanoelectronics and optical devices have also been fabricated.

Corrugated and nanoporous microstructures and nanostructures, and methods for synthesizing the same


A wireless communication device includes a communicator and a processor. The communicator wirelessly communicates with another wireless communication device. The processor controls the communicator to send an advertisement to the another wireless communication device at a predetermined time interval. The advertisement includes identification information identifying the wireless communication device. The processor changes sending settings on the basis of elapsed time from a start of the sending of the identification information.

In wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, one objective is to smoothly establish a connection between a master and a slave with low power consumption. To achieve this, there is a technique in which the master is trained to learn in advance the sending interval of identification information to be sent by the slave, thereby determining a suitable size of a receive window (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2012-142877).
In connection control such as that described in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. 2012-142877, there are cases in which it is difficult to smoothly establish a connection between the master and the slave, depending on the connection environment such as the presence of ambient noise and the state of the device to be connected to. If the slave continues to send the identification information in such cases, power is needlessly consumed.

Wireless communication device, electronic timepiece, wireless communication method, and storage medium


A jet regulator, having a non-circular profile when viewed in a flow direction, is provided. The jet regulator includes a jet regulator housing configured to be inserted into a water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting from an outlet end side. The housing includes a latching part, which has at least one spring arm integrally formed on an outer periphery of the jet regulator housing, the at least one spring arm extending tangentially away from the housing, in the flow direction, toward a free arm end. The at least one spring arm is resiliently biased away from the housing.

The invention relates to a jet regulator which can be inserted with its jet regulator housing into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting from the direction of the outlet end side and which, in the use position, can be releasably fastened or fixed in the water outlet.
It is already known for a jet regulator which is to form a homogenous, non-sputtering water jet to be mounted on the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. Such jet regulators are usually inserted into an outlet mouthpiece which can be detachably screwed to the water outlet of the sanitary outlet fitting.
Since the configuration of the outlet mouthpiece in designing the surface of the sanitary outlet fitting may involve a considerable amount of expenditure, and since the gap remaining between the outlet mouthpiece and the outlet fitting is often perceived as a problem, jet regulators of the type mentioned in the introduction have already been created which can be inserted into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting from the direction of the outlet end side without an additional outlet mouthpiece being necessary for fastening the jet regulator.
The aesthetic demand on the external appearance of sanitary outlet fittings is ever-increasing. For example, outlet fittings have also been created whose water outlet is formed by a tube which is rectangular in cross section. To be able to fix the jet regulator, whose shape is matched in terms of its outline to the rectangular tube cross section, in the water outlet of the previously known outlet fitting, a set screw which serves as a retaining element is provided, which set screw extends through a passage opening provided on the periphery of the fitting housing and engages, with its end region protruding into the housing interior of the fitting housing, on the jet regulator so as to fix the latter. In order that the passage opening and the set screw which is screwed therein do not adversely affect the external appearance of the known outlet fitting, the passage opening is arranged on the flat side, which faces away from the visible side, of the fitting housing.
However, outlet fittings have also already been created in which the visible side of the band-shaped fitting housing forms one of the two narrow sides. Here, a passage opening which is arranged on at least one of the two side surfaces and which is designed for a set screw which extends up to the jet regulator could be objectionable.


A computer-implemented method for providing vehicle data to a mobile device is disclosed. The method may include: receiving raw vehicle data from one or more vehicle data streams using one or more protocols; recording the received raw vehicle data from the one or more vehicle data streams in a file format; and transmitting the recorded vehicle data to a mobile device having at least one application configured to interpret the transmitted vehicle data.

Today, there exists an onboard aircraft device known as an Aircraft Interface Device ("AID"). Typically, the AID device connects to avionics and helps convert data into readable forms by other devices, such as electronic flight bags (EFBs). This is especially difficult to do across different aircraft types/operators, since the format of the avionics data varies from type to type and operator to operator. Since onboard devices are certified devices, software is expensive to develop and costly to change. Thus, although avionics recording/analyzing has been done on the ground as well as within onboard devices, barriers exist to using other devices, such as mobile devices, to decode raw avionics recordings and display data for an end user. Such a decoder application in a mobile device would provide significant advantages from a cost savings point of view since it may save money that currently is expended on certified software. Installation of a typical AID may be time consuming and may require individually wiring each Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) from which the AID needs data. Further, if the raw data is required to be off boarded via a satellite or other communications connection while in air in order for it to be decoded by ground servers, additional costs and inefficiencies are incurred by transmitting data to the ground and then receiving the results via a communications channel that may be expensive to operate.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of these above-referenced challenges.

Systems and methods for aircraft interface device connectivity with mobile devices


A method for determining, by reanalysis, a vibratory environment of a coupled vehicle/passenger system. A vehicle is subjected to external forces Fext and is coupled to a new passenger including multiple payloads (e.g., x=I, . . . N payload(s)). At the level of vehicle/passenger interfaces Ix, the method comprising a step DET1) for determining, based on reference interfacial acceleration γx_ref of a reference passenger, the interfacial acceleration γx′ relative to the new passenger.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
The analysis of a vehicle/passenger coupled system, such as a space launcher carrying a payload (one or several satellite(s)) in order to determine its vibratory behavior/ambient is desired during the development studies of a new launcher and during its operation phase.
In particular, during the launch, the launcher is subjected to severe external forces that can be damaging to the launcher or to the payloads.
Thus, depending on the payload, the vibratory responses of the launcher and of the payload are determined.
Obtaining these answers (i.e., analysis of vibratory behavior) is time-consuming and tedious knowing that these answers should be obtained for each payload before each launch.
In order to limit the calculation times, an analysis method implementing a reanalysis is used. In particular, it consists in determining a vibratory ambient of the launcher and a reference payload and, from these obtained responses, determining the vibratory ambient of the pair: other payload and launcher. The launcher being identical, the payload not. The reference vibratory ambient is determined in a standard manner.
Such a method is described in the document: P. A. Blelloch, C. C. Flanigan, A time domain approach for spacecraft reanalysis, AIAA Journal No. 92-2517-CP or in Christophe Berthod. Identification paramétrique de grandes structures: réanalyse et méthode évolutionnaire. Mécanique [physics.med-ph]. University of Franche-Comté, 1998. Nonetheless, this approximate method is based on a Rayleigh-Ritz procedure using a conventional or enriched modal base that leads to a system including a singular mass matrix. This singularity must be suppressed by using a time-consuming SVD type approach and the obtained result cannot be guaranteed.
Another method is described in the document: H. J.-P. Morand et al, Prévision de l'ambiance vibratoire des satellites, Tendances actuelles en calcul de structures, Bastia 6-7-8 Nov. 1985 (i.e., the MORAMD method). Nonetheless, this method has the same problems of singularity as the previous one because it integrates a projection on a conventional modal base and does not allow obtaining new vibratory responses on the launcher without repeating a conventional calculation for each new configuration.

Method for analyzing a coupled vehicle/passenger system


A planet gear carrier (1) for an automotive vehicle having a plurality of mounting regions (2), mounting a respective planet gear (4), and between the mounting regions (2), at least one aperture (5) such as a through-hole (6) that weakens the planet gear carrier (1), and when filled by a stiffening element (7) reinforces the planet gear carrier (1). A planet gear carrier having installed planet gears, a spur gear differential comprising such a planet gear carrier as well as a spur gear differential comprising two planet gear carriers of the aforesaid type.

Carrier arrangements are basically already known from DE 101 29 418 A1. This publication discloses a laminated carrier comprising a first end plate, a second end plate and a connection, the first and second end plates being connected to each other so that windows are formed between said plates for the arrangement of planet gears. At least one of the first and the second plates comprises a plurality of material layers that are connected to one another such that a non-uniform internal structure is formed. The carrier arrangement shown in DE 101 29 418 A1 comprises planet gears that are mounted through planet shafts.
A further carrier arrangement known from DE10203880 A1 is made up of two carrier parts, planet gears and webs. The planet gears are arranged between the carrier parts. The webs connect the carrier parts to each other. For this purpose, the ends of the webs are inserted and calked into apertures of the carrier parts.
However, planet gear carrier plates are also known that transfer torques to the planet gears that are mounted via the tip circle, i.e., as "centerless" or loose planet gears on the planet gear carrier plate.
Thus, WO 2009/013065 A2 discloses a planetary differential transmission comprising a driving spur gear comprising an outer gearing and, connected rotationally fast to this, a planet gear carrier arranged in the hub region of the driving spur gear. Said planet gear carrier carries at least one pair of meshing planet gearwheels, each of the at least two planet gearwheels being in meshing engagement with a respective sun gear that is connected rotationally fast to a driven shaft and comprises an outer gearing. The planetary differential transmission includes at least one heterodyne step that comprises at least one idler pinion that is in meshing engagement with one of the driven shafts and in meshing engagement with an annulus that is coupled rotationally fast to the driving spur gear. The at least one heterodyne step further comprises at least one controllable clutch for a variable deceleration of the at least one idler pinion relative to a housing section and/or relative to the at least one driven shaft, or comprises a controllable clutch for a variable deceleration or acceleration of the annulus relative to the driving spur gear.
DE 1 650 737 further discloses self-locking differential transmissions comprising spur gears. In the self-locking differential transmissions comprising spur gears disclosed in this document, a number of first planet gears are arranged in a first planet orbit and mesh with one of the two sun gears, and a number of second planet gears are arranged in a second planet orbit and mesh with the other of the two sun gears, one of the first planet gears meshes with at least one of the second planet gears, and all planet gears are supported through a friction mounting in the planet gear carrier through their tooth heads, at least one spring ring exerting an all-around radial compressive force on the planet gears for obtaining an additional radial force between the planet gears and their mounting surfaces in the planet gear carrier.
A differential arrangement is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,192. In this arrangement, individual planet gears are loosely mounted between two plates within a spur gear and are alternatingly in meshing engagement with each other.
However, the existing and known planet gear carriers generally have the drawback that they are particularly heavy.
A planet carrier that is made up of two carrier parts, webs between the carrier parts and planet gears between the webs is shown in U.S. 2003/0181284 A1. Both the carrier parts as well as the webs that connect the carrier parts to each other have a solid structure.
Efforts have been made to improve this situation by providing apertures so that light weight planet gear carriers are created. However, such light weight planet gear carriers have the drawback of not being particularly stable or torsion resistant under extreme types of loading.
A known solution that is supposed to eliminate this drawback is described in DE 44 21 931 A1. DE 44 21 931 A1 describes a planet gear carrier made up of two carrier parts. The carrier parts are connected to each other through axially oriented webs that extend between mounting regions for the planet gears. As a stiffening element for the planet carrier, the webs have such a solid configuration that they fully occupy the maximum empty space available between the planets. One of the carrier parts comprises apertures into each of which one of the webs is inserted with an interference fit with the result that the apertures which otherwise weaken the carrier part are filled by the stiffening element.

Support structure of a planet gear carrier


A piston engine which has at least one dry-running piston-cylinder unit. It has a first housing (1), at least one cylinder arranged in or on the first housing (1) in which a piston is reciprocably arranged. The piston-cylinder unit further has a first crankshaft (4) and a second crankshaft (5), the first and second crankshafts (4, 5) being arranged parallel to each other and synchronously rotating in opposite directions. The axes of rotation (X, X′) of the crankshafts (4, 5) are arranged parallel to a center plane (Z) of the cylinder, and they are laterally offset relative thereto. First and second piston rods (6, 7) are pivotally connected to piston (3). The first piston rod (6) has a first end pivotally connected to piston (3) and a second end connected to a crank pin (40) of the first crankshaft (4). The second piston rod (7) has a first end that is pivotally connected to piston (3) and a second end that is pivotally connected to a crank pin (50) of the second crankshaft (5). The crankshafts (4, 5) are journalled in a second housing (8) which holds a lubricant. The crankshafts are arranged so that a respective first end of each crankshaft (4, 5) sealingly projects from second housing (8) to prevent the escape of lubricant into first housing (1). The respective piston rods (6, 7) are arranged in the first housing (1) outside second housing (8).

The invention relates to a piston engine or machine which has at least one dry-running piston-cylinder unit.
Such piston engines are known and are referred to, for example, as so-called crosshead-piston engines or machines. Such machines employ a two-part piston. A first, upper piston section together with the walls of the cylinder define the cylinder volume. A second, lower piston section extends into the lower portion of the cylinder and is spaced apart from the first piston section by a piston bar. This lower portion of the cylinder forms means for lubricating the second piston area. The lower and upper portions of the cylinder are sealed with respect to each other, and the piston bar between the two cylinder sections extends through the seal. In this manner, the upper section of the piston in such a known crosshead-piston engine runs without additional lubricant in the cylinder. The advantage of such a dry-running cylinder is that no lubricant enters the compression space of the cylinder. As a result, when the piston-cylinder unit is used as a compressor, no lubricant becomes entrained in the gas as it is being compressed. When the piston-cylinder unit is used as a pump, no lubricant enters in the fluid that is being pumped. Even when the dry-running piston engine is used as a combustion engine, no lubricant enters the combustion space, which improves the quality of the exhaust gases.
Such a crosshead-piston engine is relatively voluminous and complex due to the two-part piston and the associated, relatively long cylinder required thereby.


Embodiments relate to determining a process outcome based on a computed probability and altering the path of a process instance based on an expediting rule. An aspect includes executing, by a processing device, a process instance in a process diagram, which includes a plurality of process steps. A condition associated with a first process step is identified. An outcome for the first process step is then determined based on a computed probability. Accordingly, the first process step is bypassed and the process instance is branched to a second process step based on an expediting rule. The expediting rule includes the condition and a branching action according to a selected outcome.

The present invention relates generally to the management of business processes, and more specifically, to determining a process outcome based on a computed probability and altering the path of a process instance based on an expediting rule.
In a Business Process Management (BPM) system automated and human process steps are orchestrated by process models. A user typically creates a process model by drawing a process diagram (e.g., flowcharts). Process diagrams comprise activities, which are typically represented as boxes, connected by control edges, which are typically represented by arrows from one activity to another. Process diagrams may contain conditional flow steps representing a choice between several possible branches in the diagram.
A contemporary process engine then creates process instances for individual cases, and executes the process by traversing the process diagram. Process instances are uniquely identified by a process instance identifier. Execution of the process instances is typically controlled by a process data model that represents the state of the process instance, including any data items associated to the process. The process engine typically enacts the order of execution as it is prescribed by the diagram. A contemporary BPM system also allocates and tracks utilization of resources required to perform the necessary process steps.

Expedited process execution using probabilities

International Business Machines Corporation


In the present disclosure, a process for separating aryl carboxylic acids from a mixture comprising a plurality of aryl carboxylic acids is provided, wherein the process comprising the steps of heating a first mixture that comprises at least two aryl carboxylic acids wherein each of said aryl carboxylic acids having a pre-determined liquefaction temperature and a pre-determined precipitation temperature, with at least one ionic compound, at a pre-determined temperature to obtain a liquefied composition; and cooling the liquefied composition under controlled temperature conditions to fractionally crystallize and precipitate an aryl carboxylic acid. The precipitated aryl carboxylic acid is isolated and the obtained mother liquor is subjected to iterated cooling steps until each of the remaining aryl carboxylic acids precipitates one by one. The mother liquor remains in liquefied form.

Terephthalic acid is an organic compound with formula C6H4(COOH)2. This colourless solid is a commodity chemical, used principally as a precursor to the polyester PET, used to make clothing and plastic bottles. World production in 1970 was around 1.75 million tons. By 2006, the global demand for purified terephthalic acid (PTA) had exceeded 30 million tons. There is a smaller, but nevertheless significant, demand for terephthalic acid in the production of polybutylene terephthalate and several other engineering polymers. In the research laboratory, terephthalic acid is popularized as a component for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks. The analgesic drug oxycodone occasionally comes as a terephthalate salt; however, the more usual salt of oxycodone is the hydrochloride. Pharmacologically, one milligram of terephthalas oxycodonae is equivalent to 1.13 mg of hydrochloridum oxycodonae. Terephthalic acid is also used as a filler in some military smoke grenades, most notably the American M83 smoke grenade, producing a thick white smoke when burned. Due to its wide applications, many methods for its manufacturing and purification are disclosed.
Conventionally, terephthalic acid is produced by the wet oxidation of para-xylene in acetic acid medium using cobalt and manganese acetates as a catalyst and hydrogen bromide as a promoter. However, along with the main oxidized product, for example terephthalic acid, various other intermediates and side products are also formed during the manufacturing thereof. These intermediates and side-products remain soluble during the reaction for complete conversion. The terephthalic acid thus produced by the wet oxidation of para-xylene traps some of the intermediates such as 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA).
However, in order to use terephthalic acid as a starting material, for example, for the preparation of polyethylene terephthalate, the content of 4-CBA is recommended preferably below 100 ppm. Therefore, reducing 4-CBA impurity, particularly up to 25 ppm, is very important for further use of terephthalic acid. 4-CBA, if it exists in large quantities in terephthalic acid, acts as a chain terminator during the PET polymerization process, and hence desired PET molecular weight may not be achieved. Conventionally, crude terephthalic acid is subjected to hydrogenation to convert 4-carboxybenzaldehyde into p-toluic acid and subsequently p-toluic acid is separated.
Existing Knowledge:
US20100174111 discloses the use of imidazolium chloride ionic liquid for separating terephthalic acid and to deal with the removal of 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA) as an impurity. However, the aforementioned patent application does not disclose reduction in impurity after reconstituting terephthalic acid in stages, though there is a mention of a stage wise process for reducing the impurity.
Further, US20120004456 discloses the use of solution comprising mixture of imidazolium based ionic liquids with solvent including water, carboxylic acid, and alcohol for the separation of terephthalic acid. Although, the use of ionic liquids as well as molecular solvents particularly alcohols is disclosed for the separation of terephthalic acid in the above cited documents, removal of various intermediates and side products that are formed during the manufacturing of terephthalic acid is not disclosed in the aforementioned US patent application. Also these disclosures use ionic liquids as solvents and use excess quantity to dissolve terephthalic acid, thereby increasing the cost of the process.
There is, therefore, a long felt need to provide a simple, safe and an economic process for separating aryl carboxylic acids which considerably consumes less time and requires optimal amount of solvents as compared to the prior-art processes wherein the solvent is usually employed in bulk quantities.
Objects:
Some of the objects of the present disclosure are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a process for separating aryl carboxylic acids from a mixture comprising plurality of aryl carboxylic acids, intermediates and side products using ionic compounds.
Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an ionic compound employed for the separation of aryl carboxylic acids.
A yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an ionic compound employed as a solvent for the separation of aryl carboxylic acids.
Further object of the present disclosure is to provide an ionic compound employed as a solvent for the separation of aryl carboxylic acids from a mixture comprising plurality of aryl carboxylic acids, intermediates and side products, wherein the concentration of the intermediate products, particularly 4-carboxybenzaldehyde is reduced below desired ppm level.
Still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a simple, safe, efficient and economic process for separating aryl carboxylic acids.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
Definitions
As used herein the term "liquefaction temperature" in the context of the present disclosure refers to a temperature at which a clear liquefied composition is obtained by heating together an ionic compound and an aryl carboxylic acid.
As used herein the term "precipitation temperature" in the context of the present disclosure refers to a temperature at which pure crystals of least soluble aryl carboxylic acid separates from a clear liquefied composition which is obtained by heating together an ionic compound and aryl carboxylic acid at a pre-determined liquefaction temperature of said aryl carboxylic acid.

Process for separating aryl carboxylic acids


A drill has a drill spindle centered on and rotatable about an axis and having a front externally threaded end and immediately thereadjacent a shank. A chuck element centered on the axis is formed with a forwardly open tool hole, axially therebehind with a threaded bore complimentarily engaging the spindle end, and immediately therebehind with a coaxial unthreaded bore surrounding the shank. An adjustment element is rotatable about the axis on the chuck element. One of the elements is formed with a plurality of angled guide passages and the other element is formed with a screwthread centered on the axis. Respective jaws in the passages and exposed in the tool hole each have a toothed edge meshing with the other-element screwthread so that relative rotation of the elements displaces the jaws along the respective passages.

A standard hand drill has a housing from which extends a drill spindle centered on and rotatable about an axis and having a front externally threaded end. A chuck for such a drill has a chuck element centered on the axis and formed with a forwardly open tool hole and with a threaded bore complimentarily engaging the spindle end. An adjustment element is rotatable about the axis on the chuck element and one of the elements is formed with a plurality of angled guide passages and the other element is formed with a screwthread centered on the axis. Respective jaws in the passages exposed in the tool hole each have a toothed edge meshing with the other-element screwthread so that relative rotation of the elements displaces the jaws along the respective passages. In a self-tightening chuck the screw-thread is typically formed on the chuck element or body and the passages in the rotatable adjustment element, but in a standard chuck not set up for self tightening the screwthread is on a ring forming the adjustment element and the guide passages are formed right in the chuck body.
Normally the chuck and the body of the drill are made by different manufacturers. Thus the spindle is of standardized construction, that is of a predetermined diameter and thread size, so that it can be fitted to a chuck that is similarly of standardized construction, at least with regard to the formations coupling it to the drill spindle. As a result the finished drill often has the look of something assembled out of different components in that the chuck is clearly just fitted on the end of the drill body.


A rotational power transmission device 1 has a rotational input shaft 3, rotational input to which is transferred, via a sun gear 4 (the number of teeth is Za) and first planetary gears 5 (Zb), to second planetary gears 6 (Zc). The first and second planetary gears 5, 6 are mounted on a common planetary carrier 7. Planetary shafts 6a of the second planetary gears 6 also support third planetary gears 8 (Zd), and rotation of the second planetary gear 6 is transferred directly to the third planetary gears 8. The rotation of the third planetary gears 8 is transferred via an external gear 9 (Ze) to a rotational output shaft 11. The common planetary carrier 7 can be connected and disconnected to the input shaft 3 by means of a clutch means 12 and a clutch brake 13. The relationship of the numbers of teeth of the respective gears are Za/Zc=Ze/Zd, the normal and reverse rotations at an equal speed can be obtained from the output shaft 11.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotational power transmission device having planetary gears, and in particular to a rotational power transmission device that is able to selectively output normal and reverse rotations at an equal speed from a rotational output shaft arranged coaxially with a rotational input shaft.
2. Prior Art Description
There has known a rotational power transmission device that has rotational input and output shafts arranged coaxially and is constituted so that rotational output of normal and reverse directions can be obtained from the rotational output shaft. Typically, this type of device has a gear train associated with a clutch mechanism for changing the rotational direction of input rotation.
An object of this invention is to provide a rotational power transmission device having the above function by making use of planetary gears in a manner that it is constituted compact in structure.

Rotational power transmission device having planetary gears


The present invention relates to a composition and a method for reducing the level of oxygen, preferably dissolved oxygen in an aqueous environment. The composition comprises deoxygenating microorganisms that, when growing, consume the oxygen that is present in the environment. The effect of reducing the oxygen level in the environment causes the death or inhibition of other undesired living organisms, prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes.

a) Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of treating water containing potentially undesirable living organisms, and more particularly to a composition and a method for treating ship ballast water to kill or eliminate harmful prokaryotic or eukaryotic aquatic organisms.
b) Background Art
It has long been recognized that invasions by non-native aquatic species are increasingly common worldwide in coastal habitats. Transportation and introduction of non-indigenous species in ship ballast water has created substantial economic and environmental impact throughout the world. Global shipping, which moves 80% of the world's commodities and is fundamental to world trade, inadvertently transports many aquatic organisms.
Ballast water transport of alien species has been determined in several countries to be a national environmental conservation issue of the highest priority. For example, zebra mussels, toxic dinoflagellates, stinging jellyfish, and numerous fish and invertebrate species have all been transported into new habitats via ship ballast water. These introductions have caused broad environmental impact, have had tremendous economic impacts in remedial actions, and have focused government legislators on the development of controls that will have serious ramifications to both commercial and military shipping.
While filtration of the ballast water may seem to be a logical solution, the volume and rate of filtration (to 25,000 cubic meters/hr), coupled with occasional heavy silt loads, make this option difficult to achieve. Other methods, including the use of biocides, ozonation, ultraviolet treatment, chemical deoxygenation, magnetic fields and sonication, have been tested, each with operational or economic shortcomings.
For example, tests conducted on the use of biocides and herbicides show that the treatment of ballast water with these agents would both be expensive and cause unpredictable pollution and destruction to the local ecological environment upon discharge of the treated ballast. Further, it has been found that when sub-optimal concentrations of the biocides and herbicides are used, the numbers of organisms in the ballast water may actually increase.
Heat sterilization of ballast water with steam or engine heat would also be expensive and also has the problem of causing accelerated corrosion due to the increased ballast water temperature.
The current best technology for attempting to cure the problem of transporting undesirable organisms is to require ships to exchange, in mid-ocean or on the high seas, the original local ballast water with the saline, open ocean sea water. However, such an exchange of ballast water on the high seas is potentially extremely hazardous, especially, for large cargo ships and tankers, and in any event has been shown not to be fully effective in removing all microorganisms and higher living organisms from a ship's hold.
This mid-ocean ballast exchange is usually (but not always) safe when the space in which the water is being exchanged is small enough so as not to create a dangerous instability or structural stress condition during the water-pumping process for effecting the exchange; for example, such a ballast exchange usually (but not always) is safe when dealing with specialized ballast tanks or other similar small spaces because of the low ratio of the weight of the involved water with the overall weight of the ship, and because of the ability of the load bearing strength of the ship to accommodate a temporarily empty "small" specialized ballast tank.
However, it is often required that cargo holds or large ballast tanks be filled with water so that the ship's center of gravity is lowered during a voyage when no cargo is carried. Under these conditions, one or more cargo holds or tanks are often filled with ballast water. Because these holds or tanks contain very large spaces, they must be kept either completely full or completely empty so that interior wave action does not develop. Thus, if ballast exchange were attempted from such a large space and the ship encountered heavy seas in the middle of the pumping process, then there could develop inside the space a wave action which could destabilize the ship and create a very dangerous condition.
One relatively recent approach that has been proposed to reduce introduction or propagation of undesirable organisms in ship ballast water is deoxygenating by nitrogenous treatment. While reduction of survivorship of organisms and microorganisms is observed in ship ballast, there is always need of important sources of nitrogen on the ships. The system generating the necessary nitrogen is money and energy consuming, without considering the important time needed for maintenance of the systems. The arrangements that must be taken to meet the normative security rules are also often very constraining.
In considering the state of the art mentioned above, it is still highly desirable to be provided with new approaches for control of unwanted biological material in transportation and relocation of large volumes of water.

Biological deoxygenation method and uses thereof