A stage has a plate, a first seal surface, a stem, a second seal surface, a cover, a conductor and a flow path. A heater is embedded in the plate. A terminal for supplying power to the heater is exposed at one surface of the plate. The first seal surface is provided on the plate, shaped like a ring and surrounds the terminal. The stem is shaped like a hollow cylinder, surrounds the terminal and supports the plate. The second seal surface is provided on that end of the stem which supports the plate, and is shaped like a ring. The cover closes an open end of the stem, which is opposite to the end which supports the plate. The conductor passes through the cover into the stem and is connected to the terminal. The flow path is provided in the cover, for supplying inert gas into the stem at a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure of process gas present outside the stem.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage for holding a wafer in a process gas atmosphere during, for example, a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various processes, such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), PVD (Plasma Vapor Deposition) and etching, are performed in a process of manufacturing a semi-conductor device. Among the devices used in these processes are stages that hold a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer cut from an ingot. Each stage has a plate and a stem. The plate equips a heater or a high-frequency electrode. The stem supports the plate. The heater or high-frequency electrode is connected to a lead wire. The lead wire extends through the stem, which is formed a hollow cylinder.
The plate and the stem are exposed to a fluoric gas atmosphere and heated by the heater. In view of this, they are made of ceramics such as aluminum nitride. The plate (susceptor block) and the stem (support base) are secured to each other by screws. Refer to, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication 7-153706 (paragraphs 0032 to 0034, and FIG. 4). To prevent the lead line from being corroded by the process gas, such as fluoric gas, leaking out at the fitting portion between the plate and the stem, inert gas such as argon gas is introduced into the stem at a pressure higher than the pressure of the ambient gas.
Semiconductor wafer heaters are known which have a hollow cylindrical member (stem) and a ceramics heater (plate). Such a wafer heater is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3131010 (see paragraphs 0007, 0008 and 0014, and FIG. 1). The hollow cylindrical member has a flange at one end. The ceramics heater has a resistance heater embedded and terminals exposed at the back. The semiconductor wafer heater has an annular member provided between the flange and the back. The annular member is shaped like an O-ring and made of soft metal. A support member is hooked on the flange formed on the outer periphery of the ceramics heater. A holding plate is hanged on the hollow cylindrical member. Bolts fasten the support member and the holding plate together. They apply a load at the fitting portion between the hollow cylindrical member and the ceramics heater. The fitting portion is thereby sealed airtight. The hollow cylindrical member and the ceramics heater are discrete units. Thus, one of them can be separated from the other if cracks have developed in it and can be replaced by a new one. The soft metal, i.e., the material of the annular member, is platinum.
If the susceptor block and the support base are directly fastened with blots, however, the inert gas may leak from inside through the gap between the susceptor block and the support base. Further, the heat of the heater may be conducted through the fitting portion, causing a heat loss. A temperature difference may occur on the surface of the susceptor block. If a temperature difference occurs, the process conditions for manufacturing the semiconductor device becomes unstable. In some cases, the susceptor block may be broken due to a thermal stress.
If a platinum O-ring for annular member is inserted and maintains airtight between the ceramics heater and the hollow cylindrical member, the interior of the hollow cylindrical member will be exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, heat may easily radiate, and the terminals or conductors may be readily oxidized. Since the ceramics hater is held by the support member at its outer periphery, it may be bent, particularly when its outer periphery is remote from the annular member. This decreases the flatness of the ceramics heater and impairs the sealing between the ceramics heater and the annular member. Since the ceramics heater and the hollow cylindrical member have different thermal expansion coefficients, the fitting portion between them may become less airtight than desired. Inevitably, a complex mechanism must be used to exert a stable force that pushes the ceramics heater and hollow cylindrical member to the annular member.


Secure protocols for external-facing authentication are provided for both user templates stored on their devices and the biometric measurement captured by external sensors of an access device. The protocols provide different levels of security, ranging from passive security with some leakage to active security with no leakage. A packing technique is also provided. Zero-knowledge techniques are used during enrollment to validate a norm of user templates and knowledge of the plaintext biometric template. One enrolled, the verifier can sign the encrypted template for use in a later matching phase with an access device.

We use biometrics like fingerprints and facial images to identify ourselves to our mobile devices and log on to applications every day. Such authentication is internal-facing: we provide measurement on the same device where the template is stored. If our personal devices could participate in external-facing authentication too, where biometric measurement is captured by a nearby external sensor, then we could also enjoy a frictionless authentication experience in a variety of physical spaces like grocery stores, convention centers, ATMs, etc. The open setting of a physical space brings forth important privacy concerns though.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide efficient and reliable biometric authentication while maintaining privacy.

Verification of biometric templates for privacy preserving authentication


A computer readable media, includes instructions capable of being interpreted for execution by a computer processor. The instructions provide information sufficient for: reading a master telemetry definition data file; producing a source code for implementing a data stream telemetry method, and generating documentation files for the source code. The source code includes a get component, a format component, and a blocks component. The get component includes source code for accessing flight software variable values according to the master telemetry definition data file. The format component includes source code for scaling the flight software variable values according to the master telemetry definition data file. The format component includes source code for formatting the values as telemetry stream parameters according to the master telemetry definition data file. The blocks component includes source code for placing telemetry parameters into a data stream according to the master telemetry definition data file.

The present invention generally relates to automatic generation of software code and data files and, more particularly, to automated generation of telemetry software for use by flying vehicles, such as spacecraft, along with automated generation of a number of types of auxiliary data files for use with telemetry software.
Flying vehicles such as aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles often rely on embedded flight software for telemetry of flight information and control data to a ground control and monitoring center. An image familiar to most people is that of a NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) mission control room where perhaps dozens of engineers sit at computer consoles to monitor and control the flight of spacecraft. One of the tasks of such embedded flight software is to generate a telemetry stream of internal data from the vehicle. Such data may include, for example, position data (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude), velocity, and orientation of the vehicle. When the vehicle is airborne, the flight software is required to generate this telemetry stream and radio it down to the ground where the data in it is unpacked and displayed in real-time.
The flight software and software required for unpacking and displaying telemetry data, i.e., decoding software, may vary from vehicle to vehicle and may even vary from mission to mission for the same vehicle and thus may need to be configured according to each project, i.e., vehicle and mission. The job of producing software for each project may be characterized by three major components: (1) defining the format of the telemetry stream in some readable format (e.g. an Excel file, or Word document); (2) writing the real-time embedded flight software that will gather up the necessary internal flight software variables and format them according to the defined format; and (3) writing the necessary decoding software that will reside in ground-based computers that will decode the telemetry stream according to the defined format.
Each of these three major job components is typically labor-intensive, error-prone, and time consuming. For example, there are usually hundreds of parameters to be telemetered, with each parameter having a number of attributes which must be captured (e.g., rate of telemetry, location in telemetry stream, number of bits occupied, how value is represented in the telemetry stream, any scaling of the parameter, description) yielding a large number of pieces of information that must be determined and entered appropriately. Processing the "information volume" alone can consume a large portion of project labor hours and schedule. In addition, both the flight software and the ground-based decoding software usually must be implemented, with the exact same values of these thousands of telemetry parameter attributes, by multiple engineers working in different groups. Some of the telemetry parameter attributes are forced to be entered into the flight software multiple times in slightly different representations—representations that may not be engineer-friendly, but are necessary to generate the flight software. The contingency that a particular piece of information may not be entered consistently in all places creates a possible source of error.
Thus, the telemetry flight software normally is, of necessity, voluminous and complex so that verification of its correctness, e.g., that the actual telemetry stream matches the definition of the format of the telemetry stream, can be difficult for telemetry flight software developers. The resulting flight software, in which the telemetry flight software may be embedded, is usually so large and complex that it may be difficult for fellow flight-software developers to adequately review the implementation of the telemetry flight software to help positively verify its correctness. For example, It is usually difficult to notice when one of the above described parameter attribute values is either determined or entered erroneously. Yet, it can be similarly time-consuming and error-prone to construct software tests to prove the correctness of the flight software. In the same vein, it is usually difficult to verify the correctness of the ground-based decoding software. Another difficulty that frequently arises is that all projects generally are forced to add to and change their telemetry streams multiple times as a project progresses, causing multiple iterations of many of the above challenges to be faced.
As can be seen, there is a need for providing telemetry flight software that is verifiable and providing such software along with reliable specifications for defining the format of the telemetry stream. There is also a need for providing decoding software and verification.

Automatic generation of telemetry flight software, accompanying specifications, and decode files


The disclosed technique includes identity verification implanted via a blockchain. An identity system utilizes a key library to store private keys and a smart contract functionality to facilitate verification with third-party users. The identity system generates a public key based on the private key where the public key is stored on a blockchain. The public key stored on the blockchain can be retrieved by a third-party user via the smart contract functionality to authenticate a user on the blockchain.

Blockchain implementations typically include a distributed ledger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way. Blockchain technology has been used for implementing cryptocurrencies. Typically, each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data.
Conventional blockchain implementations are managed by a peer-to-peer network collectively adhering to a protocol for inter-node communication and validating new blocks. Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires consensus of the network majority. Though blockchain records are not unalterable, blockchains may be considered secure by design and exemplify a distributed computing system with high Byzantine fault tolerance.

Distributed ledger for encrypted digital identity


In a disk array apparatus, by taking note of a first sound of a specific frequency which is a noise element of original sounds generated from a fan, a second sound whose phase is inverted to that of the first sound is generated by a structure of a cooling air flow path passing through the fan, and the second sound is synthesized with the first sound on the cooling air flow path, thereby reducing the noise. For example, an exhaust duct is located on a fan unit in an upper part of the apparatus, two flow paths extending to an exhaust port are formed in an internal structure of the exhaust duct, and the two flow paths are designed so that the difference in the flow path length therebetween becomes equivalent to half wavelength of the specific frequency.

In recent years, disk array apparatus with higher mounting density and higher performance has been developed. Accordingly, higher cooling performance has also been demanded in order to cope with the temperature rise due to the increase in heat generation of component parts and resulting performance deterioration.
For example, in a comparatively large disk array apparatus, a cooling method by means of high power fans (exhaust fan and air cooling fan) installed in the upper part of the apparatus has been adopted. A frequently-used cooling structure in a conventional large disk array apparatus is as follows. That is, a cooling air is taken in from front and rear surfaces and a bottom surface of the apparatus chassis by the operation of fans installed in an upper part of the apparatus, and the cooling air passes upward through a module group such as a HDD and a logic board and through the inside (duct) of the chassis and is then exhausted from the fans in the upper part of the apparatus. By this means, components in the apparatus are air-cooled.


A trash container having a drum whose shape is in a form of a truncated cone on a dolly. The drum, which is open at the top and bottom and includes openings along its surface, is positioned upon the dolly for easy moving and positioning. A trash liner is located within the drum such that when the liner is filled, the dolly is rolled to a disposal pick-up site. The drum is first lifted and the filled liner is then removed from the dolly. After depositing the liner, the drum is returned to the dolly.

This invention relates, in general, to the field of trash collection and, in particular, relates to a container apparatus for receiving and disposing of trash.
It is sometimes the practice where large amounts of trash are produced, such as in areas where many people congregate, to position large receptacles in place. The receptacle in use on many occasions is a fifty-five gallon cylindrical steel or plastic drum. A large plastic bag is normally placed in the drum which receives the deposited trash and, when filled, the bag is removed for eventual placement in a dump site.
A recognized problem with this arrangement is that, when the plastic liner is filled and is ready for removal, the lifting aspect of the trash becomes onerous. The reason for this is that when the plastic liner bag becomes filled, its outside surface hugs the inside surface of the drum. In other words, the filled bag forces the air from between the metal drum and the plastic bag thereby creating a partial vacuum. The creation of the partial vacuum causes the removal of the liner to be difficult, thereby greater lifting force is required.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved trash collection apparatus.


An energy management system is provided for use with a hybrid energy off-highway vehicle traveling on a predetermined course. The energy management system includes an energy management processor to determine a power storage parameter, a power transfer parameter, and an engine transfer parameter for each location along the predetermined course to minimize the total fuel consumed of all fuel types during the predetermined course subject to at least one fuel parameter constraint. An energy storage system selectively stores electrical energy available from the traction bus as a function of the power storage parameter and selectively supplies secondary electric power from the stored electrical energy to the traction bus as a function of the power transfer parameter. The engine selectively supplies primary electric power to the traction bus at each location along said predetermined course through selectively using at least one fuel type in response to said engine transfer parameter.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary prior art locomotive 100. In particular, FIG. 1A generally reflects a typical prior art diesel-electric locomotive such as, for example, the AC6000 or the AC4400, both or which are available from General Electric Transportation Systems. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the locomotive 100 includes a diesel engine 102 driving an alternator/rectifier 104. As is generally understood in the art, the alternator/rectifier 104 provides DC electric power to an inverter 106 which converts the AC electric power to a form suitable for use by a traction motor 108 mounted on a truck below the main engine housing. One common locomotive configuration includes one inverter/traction motor pair per axle. Such a configuration results in three inverters per truck, and six inverters and traction motors per locomotive. FIG. 1A illustrates a single inverter 106 for convenience.
Strictly speaking, an inverter converts DC power to AC power. A rectifier converts AC power to DC power. The term converter is also sometimes used to refer to inverters and rectifiers. The electrical power supplied in this manner may be referred to as prime mover power (or primary electric power) and the alternator/rectifier 104 may be referred to as a source of prime mover power. In a typical AC diesel-electric locomotive application, the AC electric power from the alternator is first rectified (converted to DC). The rectified AC is thereafter inverted (e.g., using power electronics such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) or thyristors operating as pulse width modulators) to provide a suitable form of AC power for the respective traction motor 108.
As is understood in the art, traction motors 108 provide the tractive power to move locomotive 100 and any other vehicles, such as load vehicles, attached to locomotive 100. Such traction motors 108 may be AC or DC electric motors. When using DC traction motors, the output of the alternator is typically rectified to provide appropriate DC power. When using AC traction motors, the alternator output is typically rectified to DC and thereafter inverted to three-phase AC before being supplied to traction motors 108.
The traction motors 108 also provide a braking force for controlling speed or for slowing locomotive 100. This is commonly referred to as dynamic braking, and is generally understood in the art. Simply stated, when a traction motor is not needed to provide motivating force, it can be reconfigured (via power switching devices) so that the motor operates as a generator. So configured, the traction motor generates electric energy which has the effect of slowing the locomotive. In prior art locomotives, such as the locomotive illustrated in FIG. 1A, the energy generated in the dynamic braking mode is typically transferred to resistance grids 110 mounted on the locomotive housing. Thus, the dynamic braking energy is converted to heat and dissipated from the system. In other words, electric energy generated in the dynamic braking mode is typically wasted.
It should be noted that, in a typical prior art DC locomotive, the dynamic braking grids are connected to the traction motors. In a typical prior art AC locomotive, however, the dynamic braking grids are connected to the DC traction bus because each traction motor is normally connected to the bus by way of an associated inverter (see FIG. 1B). FIG. 1A generally illustrates an AC locomotive with a plurality of traction motors; a single inverter is depicted for convenience.
FIG. 1B is an electrical schematic of a typical prior art AC locomotive. It is generally known in the art to employ at least two power supply systems in such locomotives. A first system comprises the prime mover power system that provides power to the traction motors. A second system provides power for so-called auxiliary electrical systems (or simply auxiliaries). In FIG. 1B, the diesel engine (see FIG. 1A) drives the prime mover power source 104 (e.g., an alternator and rectifier), as well as any auxiliary alternators (not illustrated) used to power various auxiliary electrical subsystems such as, for example, lighting, air conditioning/heating, blower drives, radiator fan drives, control battery chargers, field exciters, and the like. The auxiliary power system may also receive power from a separate axle driven generator. Auxiliary power may also be derived from the traction alternator of prime mover power source 104.
The output of prime mover power source 104 is connected to a DC bus 122 which supplies DC power to the traction motor subsystems 124A-124F. The DC bus 122 may also be referred to as a traction bus because it carries the power used by the traction motor subsystems. As explained above, a typical prior art diesel-electric locomotive includes four or six traction motors. In FIG. 1B, each traction motor subsystem comprises an inverter (e.g., inverter 106A) and a corresponding traction motor (e.g., traction motor 108A).
During braking, the power generated by the traction motors is dissipated through a dynamic braking grid subsystem 110. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, a typical prior art dynamic braking grid includes a plurality of contactors (e.g., DB1-DB5) for switching a plurality of power resistive elements between the positive and negative rails of the DC bus 122. Each vertical grouping of resistors may be referred to as a string. One or more power grid cooling blowers (e.g., BL1 and BL2) are normally used to remove heat generated in a string due to dynamic braking.
As indicated above, prior art locomotives typically waste the energy generated from dynamic braking. Attempts to make productive use of such energy have been unsatisfactory. For example, systems that attempt to recover the heat energy for later use to drive steam turbines require the ability to heat and store large amounts of water. Such systems are not suited for recovering energy to propel the locomotive itself. Another system attempts to use energy generated by a traction motor in connection with an electrolysis cell to generate hydrogen gas for use as a supplemental fuel source. Among the disadvantages of such a system are the safe storage of the hydrogen gas and the need to carry water for the electrolysis process. Still other prior art systems fail to recapture the dynamic braking energy at all, but rather selectively engage a special generator that operates when the associated vehicle travels downhill. One of the reasons such a system is unsatisfactory is because it fails to recapture existing braking energy.
Therefore, there is a need for an energy management system and method that controls when energy is captured and stored, and when such energy is regenerated for later use. Additionally, there is a need to incorporate such an energy management system with locomotives operating on multiple fuel types, and to similarly manage adjustable power delivered from the engine.

Hybrid energy power management system and method


Apparatuses and methods to sense proximity and to detect light. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an emitter of electromagnetic radiation and a detector of electromagnetic radiation; the detector is configured to detect electromagnetic radiation from the emitter when the apparatus is configured to sense proximity, and the emitter is disabled at least temporarily to allow the detector to detect electromagnetic radiation from a source other than the emitter, such as ambient light. In one implementation of this embodiment, the ambient light is measured by measuring infrared wavelengths. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Portable devices, such as cell phones, are becoming increasingly common. These portable devices have grown more complex over time, incorporating many features including, for example, MP3 player capabilities, web browsing capabilities, capabilities of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like.
Some of these portable devices may include multiple sensors which are used to detect the environment or context associated with these portable devices. For example, U.S. patent application publication no. 2005/0219228 describes a device which includes many sensors, including a proximity sensor and a light sensor. The outputs from the sensors are processed to determine a device context. The light sensor detects ambient light levels and the proximity sensor detects a proximity to an object, such as a user's ear or face. In this case, there are two separate sensors which require two openings in the housing of the device. This is shown in FIG. 1, which shows a device 10. The device 10 includes a proximity sensor 12 mounted on a surface of the device 10 and an ambient light sensor 14 also mounted on the surface of the device 10. Each of these sensors is distinct from the other, and separate openings in the surface are needed for each sensor.

Integrated proximity sensor and light sensor


A biodegradable interpolymer and composition is prepared by the reactive blending of a synthetic polymer having functional groups with a naturally occurring biodegradable polymer such as a carbohydrate or protein compound. During reactive blending, the synthetic polymer can undergo a chemical reaction with the biodegradable natural polymer which results in covalent and physical bonding between the two polymers, thereby forming an interpolymer. By this process, a biodegradable interpolymer composition is produced that is suitable for molding various articles.

Synthetic polymers are increasingly replacing conventional materials like metal, wood, glass and paper because of their excellent mechanical properties, as well as chemical and weather resistance. However, these very properties make such polymers nonbiodegradable, and as a result, a large amount of plastic waste is accumulating in landfills, causing severe pollution. The burden of accumulating plastic waste has led to a growing interest in the development of biodegradable plastics. The environmental movement in advanced countries generally supports the idea that plastics used in packaging and other discardable containers should be biodegradable. For many biomedical, agricultural, and ecological uses, it is preferable to have a biodegradable polymer that will undergo degradation in the physiological environment or by microbial action in the soil.
Although the use of petroleum-based plastics continues to grow, limited oil reserves and the effect of plastics on the environment has generated a need for degradable plastics based on renewable sources like cereal grains or cellulose, since most synthetic plastics are resistant to microbiological attack. Many plastic articles contain biopolymers including starch or cellulose based additives such as fillers, extenders and reinforcing agents. However, the amount of biopolymer currently being used in plastics is relatively small and would account for a minor fraction of a percent of the total plastics produced.
Most synthetic (petroleum-based) polymers and natural polymers such as polysaccharides and proteins are immiscible at the molecular level. Prior researchers have used graft copolymers of starch and vinyl monomers to develop biodegradable blends. In this type of reaction, the vinyl monomer is grafted onto the starch backbone. The most common method of grafting is the free radical initiation technique, including initiation by chemical methods and initiation by irradiation. The addition of block copolymers as a compatibilizer has also been utilized, however, block copolymers in general are expensive and those from polysaccharides are difficult to synthesize.
Petroleum-based plastics can be made biodegradable by the incorporation of some carbohydrates. For example, Griffin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,117, discloses a biodegradable composition including a synthetic resin, a biodegradable granular filler such as starch, and a substance which is auto-oxidizable to yield a peroxide which attacks the carbon linkages in the resin. Otey, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,784 discloses biodegradable film compositions prepared from starch and ethylene acrylic acid copolymers. Brockway et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,391 discloses a process to graft vinyl monomers like styrene onto starch using redox systems. Reyes, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,176 discloses a process for grafting a vinyl monomer onto starch in which the reaction is catalyzed by radiation or ceric ions.
In other processes of combining natural and synthetic polymers, the components are treated severely to produce various compositions. For example, Chinnaswami, PCT Publication No. WO 91/02757 discloses biodegradable polymers which are prepared by treating biodegradable materials such as starches and petroleum-based plastics with heat, pressure, and reagents, resulting in oxidative degradation of the polymers to small fragments of polymers which can react to form graft and block copolymers. Lay, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,054 discloses a polymer composition containing destructurized starch and at least one thermoplastic polymer which can have functional groups which is prepared by mixing the components under heat and pressure to produce a homogeneous melt mixture.
The technique of blending incompatible well-known synthetic polymers to produce "new" polymers has grown in importance in the synthetic polymer industry. Such methods have been increasingly used to obtain products of any wide range of properties rather economically. The performance of polymer blends is dependent on the interfacial interactions and the size and shape of the phases. There are two major methods of achieving interfacial control. The first is the addition of a copolymer in the blend mixture. The compatibilizing action of block copolymers is similar to the emulsifying effect of surfactants in oil and water mixtures. Reactive blending using various reacting groups is the second method of obtaining interfacial control. The final properties of the blend depend on the morphology, extent of reaction, and interfacial characteristics in the blend.
Biopolymers are difficult to mold in their natural form. For example, products made totally from starch are brittle and inflexible and thus unsuitable for most purposes. Biopolymers and plastics are incompatible when blended so that they do not mix easily and new materials prepared from these two incompatible polymers result in products that display reduced physical properties. This is due to a high interfacial tension and poor adhesion between starch and plastic phases. The high interfacial tension contributes, along with high viscosities, to the inherent difficulty of imparting the desired degree of dispersion to random mixtures. This leads to their subsequent lack of stability, to gross separation, or to stratification during later processing or use. Poor adhesion leads, in part, to very weak and brittle mechanical behavior.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved biodegradable polymer material which combines the desirable properties of plastics with significant biodegradability such that a product buried in the soil will degrade to destruction. Products in accordance with the present invention will make a significant contribution to the environment by reducing the disposal problem caused by chemically inert and bulk plastics.

Compositions of biodegradable natural and synthetic polymers


A prosthetic femoral stem component comprising a body element, a neck element and a stem element, with the body element, neck element and stem element being secured to one another with a modular connection, wherein the modular connection comprises a taper junction and an engaged-fit junction.

Joint replacement surgery seeks to replace portions of a joint with prosthetic components so as to provide long-lasting function and pain-free mobility.
For example, in the case of a prosthetic total hip joint, the head of the femur is replaced with a prosthetic femoral stem component, and the socket of the acetabulum is replaced by a prosthetic acetabular cup component, whereby to provide a prosthetic total hip joint.
In the case of a prosthetic total knee joint, the top of the tibia is replaced by a prosthetic tibial component, and the bottom of the femur is replaced by a prosthetic femoral component, whereby to provide a prosthetic total knee joint.
The present invention is directed to orthopedic prostheses for restoring the hip joint and, more particularly, to improved prosthetic femoral stem components.
Prosthetic femoral stem components typically comprise a proximal section for seating in the proximal section of the resected femur and presenting a ball for seating in the acetabular socket, and a distal section for seating in the femur's medullary canal so as to extend along the shaft of the femur.
It is, of course, important that the prosthetic femoral stem component make a proper fit with the surrounding bone. To this end, prosthetic femoral stem components are typically offered in ranges of different sizes in an effort to accommodate variations in patient anatomy. However, despite this, it has been found that it can be difficult to provide the correct prosthetic femoral stem component for patients. This is due to the wide variation in patient anatomies and to the practical limitations of hospital inventory. By way of example, where a femoral component is selected having a proximal section appropriately sized for the proximal section of the resected femur, the distal section of the prosthesis may not be appropriately sized for proper seating in the distal section of the femur. This can present serious problems for the patient, including problems relating to joint stability and pain.
On account of the foregoing, there has been substantial interest in forming prosthetic femoral stem components out of a plurality of separate elements, wherein each of the elements may be independently selected so as to most closely approximate patient anatomy, and wherein the separate elements may be assembled to one another in situ, using modular connections, so as to provide the best possible prosthetic femoral stem component for the patient.
Once deployed in the patient's body, the prosthetic femoral stem component, and hence the modular connections securing the separate elements to one another, are subjected to axial, bending and torsional loads. While different types of modular connections are known in the art, no one modular connection is ideal for dealing with all three types of loads, i.e., axial, bending and torsional loads. By way of example, taper connections generally accommodate axial (i.e., compressive) loads well, but they generally do not accommodate bending and torsional loads particularly well. By way of further example, concentric cylinder connections generally accommodate bending loads well, but they generally do not accommodate axial and torsional loads particularly well.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Modular femoral stem component for a hip joint prosthesis


A vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaner body where a dust separator is mounted to extract dust from dust-laden air. A dust receptacle is detachably mounted in the cleaner body. A locking unit locks the dust separator and the dust receptacle together. In an exemplary embodiment, an opening unit rotates the dust separator by a predetermined angle when the dust separator and the dust receptacle are unlocked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of vacuum cleaners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a dust collecting apparatus, which separates and collects dust from dust-laden air, comprises a dust separator for removing dust from the dust-laden air and a dust receptacle for collecting the removed dust.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-180569 and Korean Patent Laid-open No. 2003-0038415, such a dust collecting apparatus is detachably mounted to a main body of the vacuum cleaner so that the dust receptacle can be emptied after collecting the dust therein. Therefore, a user first has to remove the dust collecting apparatus from the vacuum cleaner and then detach the dust separator from the dust receptacle to empty the dust receptacle.
However, the inventors have determined that this conventional two-step separation system, involving removing the dust collecting apparatus from the vacuum cleaner and then separating the dust separator from the dust receptacle, may be troublesome for the user. Furthermore, since the user has to apply a certain force to separate the dust separator from the dust receptacle, the dust may be shaken out by the force applied during the separation and contaminate the user's hand or other areas.


Discussed is a display apparatus which facilitates to minimize a thickness by innovatively removing a case and some portions of a set cover, which have been regarded as indispensible structures for the display apparatus, and simultaneously facilitates to realize a good sense of beauty in the display apparatus by a novel design, wherein the display apparatus comprises a set cover which has a space prepared by a sidewall; a display panel which includes lower and upper substrates bonded to each other; and a guide frame which supports the display panel, and seals a gap between a sidewall of the set cover and a lateral side of the display panel, wherein the guide frame is provided in the set cover.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display apparatus, and more particularly, to a display apparatus which facilitates to minimize a thickness by innovatively removing a case and/or some portions of a set cover, which have been regarded as indispensible structures for the display apparatus, and simultaneously facilitates to realize a good sense of beauty in the display apparatus by a novel design.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, various flat-type display devices, which substitutes for Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), have been actively researched and studied, for example, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device, Plasma Display Panel (PDP), Field Emission Display Device (FED), Light Emitting Display (LED) device, and etc. Especially, the LCD device has attracted great attentions owing to the advantageous properties such as mass production technology, simple driving means, and high picture quality.
Recent research and development are particularly being required on designs of products appealing to consumers. Consequently, efforts for minimizing the thicknesses (slimness) of LCD devices are continuously being made, and research is being conducted on a design with enhanced sense of beauty that can induce consumers to buy by appealing to consumers' sense of beauty.
In efforts for minimizing the thicknesses of LCD devices and design development for enhancing a sense of beauty that have been made to date, however, the existing elements have been applied as is, the structures of the elements have been changed simply, and thus, there are limitations in minimizing the thicknesses of the LCD devices and developing new designs of the LCD devices.
For example, a related art LCD device necessarily uses lower and upper cases to receive a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit therein. In addition, front and rear set covers are additionally used in the related art LCD device to manufacture a product such as a notebook computer, a monitor, a mobile device, or a television. As the lower and upper cases and the front and rear set covers for the manufactured device are inevitably used, it makes a limitation in the slimness of the display device and the advance toward the new design. Especially, the front edge parts of the liquid crystal display panel are covered with the upper case and the front set cover, whereby the liquid crystal display device is increased in its thickness. Also, the border width of the liquid crystal display device may be increased so that the difference in height of the stepped portion may cause limitations in advance toward the innovative design.


A device for fastening cable is provided, the device including a base having a carrier part for holding the cable. A first connecting unit includes a sleeve connected to the carrier part, and the device further includes a second connecting unit comprising a guide part connected to the carrier part and a holding part releasably engageable with the guide part. The guide part includes an outer sleeve that defines a guide cavity for receiving the holding part. The guide cavity has a cross section that is longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. The holding part includes an inner sleeve having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve includes at least one engagement element that engages at least one engagement element on the outer sleeve to fasten the cable to the carrier part.

The invention pertains to a device for fastening at least one elongated object to a base part by means of at least two fastening elements connected to the base part, having a carrier part for holding the object or each object, having a connecting unit which has a fixed guide part that is connected with the carrier part, and a holding part that is in displaceable engagement with the guide part and that can be brought into engagement with a fastening element, and having a further connecting unit that can be brought into engagement with a further fastening element.
A device of this type is known from DE 85 13 784 U. In the previously known device, elongated objects in the form of conducting wires can be fastened by means of strips to an elongated rail as the carrier part. The previously known device has a first connecting unit, which exhibits a fixed guide part connected with the carrier part. The guide part of the previously known device exhibits a pin configured with a head. The head, which is larger in diameter than the cross section of a shaft segment of the pin, is grasped from behind by an elongated rail that is connected with a holding part for a fastening element. The rail is guided by the pin, so the holding part can be displaced relative to the guide part.
Although the previously known device is easy to fasten, and the displaceability of the holding part makes it possible to correct distance discrepancies between the fastening elements, the design of the connecting element in question is relatively bulky, and it is relatively expensive to produce.
The invention is based on the problem of suggesting a device of the type mentioned above that has a relatively compact design and is inexpensive to produce.
According to the invention, this problem is solved by a device of the type mentioned above, in that the guide part is configured with an outer sleeve that surrounds a guide cavity, whereby the guide cavity exhibits a cross section that is longer in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction, that the holding part has inside the guide cavity a displaceable inner sleeve with a diameter in the longitudinal direction that is smaller than the diameter of the outer sleeve in the longitudinal direction, and that engagement elements that are in engagement with each other are configured between the walls of the guide part and the walls of the holding part.
Because of the design of the device according to the invention, the holding part is placed in a space-saving way inside the guide part, and is guided directly over the guide part by the engagement elements inside the guide cavity. As a result, the device can be used even under cramped installation conditions, and can be produced inexpensively. In one configuration of a device according to the invention, it is advantageously provided that the engagement elements are formed by guide recesses and guide projections that extend in the longitudinal direction.
In order to achieve an insertion of the holding part into the guide part that is as easy as possible, in a further development of the configuration mentioned above, it is provided that the guide projections are configured on walls of the guide part and the guide recesses are configured on walls of the holding part.
In order to prevent as much as possible the holding part from being pulled out of the guide part, the guide projections in the configuration mentioned above and the associated further development advantageously exhibit a triangular cross section, whereby the side facing the fastening element in the mounting direction onto a fastening element is angled less steeply than the side facing away from the fastening element in the mounting direction.
In order to achieve a good connection with a fastening element with a device according to the invention, in an advantageous configuration the holding part surrounds a continuous holding channel and is configured with inward pointing latching lugs.
In another advantageous configuration of a device according to the invention, for an especially good distance adjustment it is provided that the additional connecting unit is configured in accordance with the connecting unit that exhibits a displaceable holding part, whereby the longitudinal directions of the holding parts are aligned at right angles to each other. As a result, this configuration can be especially well adjusted.
Further advantageous configurations and advantages of the invention are the object of the following description of an embodiment, including references to the figures in the drawing. The following are shown:

Device for fastening at least one elongated object to a base


There is provided an improved process for the biosynthetic production of indigo, the improvement comprising removing unwanted by-products such as isatin or indirubin from the broth in which such indigo is produced. Isatin can be removed by enzymatic activity using an isatin-removing enzyme such as an isatin hydrolase, or by other techniques such as process parameters (elevated temperature, pH), or by contacting the broth containing the isatin with appropriate adsorption compounds/compositions such as carbon or appropriate resins. Since isatin is the precursor of indirubin, the indirubin levels are decreased as a result of isatin removal.

The blue dye indigo is one of the oldest dyestuffs known to man. Its use as a textile dye dates back to at least 2000 BC. Until the late 1800s indigo, or indigotin, was principally obtained from plants of the genus Indigofera, which range widely in Africa, Asia, the East Indies and South America. As the industrial revolution swept through Europe and North America in the 1800s, demand for the dye's brilliant blue color lead to its development as one of the main articles of trade between Europe and the Far East. In 1883 Alfred von Baeyer identified the formula of indigo: C.sub.16 H.sub.10 N.sub.2 O.sub.2. In 1887 the first commercial chemical manufacturing process for indigo was developed. This process, still in use today, involves the fusion of sodium phenylglycinate in a mixture of caustic soda and sodamide to produce indoxyl. The process' final product, indoxyl, oxidized spontaneously to indigo by exposure to air.
Current commercial chemical processes for manufacturing indigo result in the generation of significant quantities of toxic waste products. Obviously, a method whereby indigo may be produced without the generation of toxic by-products is desirable. One such method which results in less toxic by-product generation involves indigo biosynthesis by microorganisms.
Ensley et al. (1983) Science 222:167-169! found that a DNA fragment from a transmissible plasmid isolated from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida enabled Escherichia coli stably transformed with a plasmid harboring the fragment to synthesize indigo in the presence of indole or tryptophan. Ensley et al. postulated that indole, added either as a media supplement or produced as a result of enzymatic tryptophan catabolism, was converted to cis-indole-2,3-dihydrodiol and indoxyl by the previously identified multi-component enzyme naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO) encoded by the P. putida DNA fragment. The indoxyl so produced was then oxidized to indigo upon exposure to air. The dioxygenase described by Ensley et al. is a preferred oxygenase useful in the production of indigo as further described herein.
NDO had previously been found to catalyze the oxidation of the aromatic hydrocarbon naphthalene to (+)-cis-(1R,2S)-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene Ensley et al. (1982) J. Bacteriol. 149:948-954!. U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,103, incorporated by reference, describes the microbial production of indigo from indole by an aromatic dioxygenase enzyme such as NDO. The NDO enzyme is comprised of multiple components: a reductase polypeptide (Rd, molecular weight of approximately 37,000 daltons (37 kD)); an iron-sulfur ferredoxin polypeptide (Fd, molecular weight of approximately 13 kD); and a terminal oxygenase iron-sulfur protein (ISP). ISP itself is comprised of four subunits having an .alpha..sub.2 .beta..sub.2 subunit structure (approximate subunit molecular weights: .alpha., 55 kD; .beta., 21 kD). ISP is known to bind naphthalene, and in the presence of NADH, Rd, Fd and oxygen, to oxidize it to cis-naphthalene-dihydrodiol. Fd is believed to be the rate-limiting polypeptide in this naphthalene oxidation catalysis, (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,425, incorporated herein by reference, for a thorough discussion of the various NDO subunits and ways to improve them for purposes of indigo biosynthesis).
In addition, aromatic dioxygenases other than NDO may also be useful in the biosynthetic production of indigo, for example, a toluene monooxygenase (TMO) such as that from Pseudomonas (P. mendocina) capable of degrading toluene was also able to produce indigo when the culture medium was supplemented with indole. For details, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,495, incorporated herein by reference. In principle, any enzyme capable of introducing a hydroxyl moiety into the 3-position of indole to give indoxyl is a candidate for use in the biosynthetic production of indigo.
It has also long been known that microorganisms contain biosynthetic pathways for the production of all 20 essential amino acids, including the aromatic amino acid L-tryptophan. The de novo synthesis of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine) share a common pathway up through the formation of chorismic acid. After chorismic acid synthesis, specific pathways for each of the three aromatic amino acids are employed to complete their synthesis.
Bacterial biosynthesis of tryptophan from chorismic acid (specifically in E. coli) is under the control of the tryptophan (trp) operon. The (trp) operon, comprised of regulatory regions and several structural genes, has been extensively studied because of its complex and coordinated regulatory systems. The regulatory and structural organization of the E. coli trp operon, along with the catalytic activities encoded by the structural genes of the operon, appear in FIG. 1 of PCT/US93/09433, incorporated herein by reference. PCT/US93/09433 describes improvements in the intracellular production of indole, specifically as it relates to the conversion of indole-3'-glycerol-phosphate (InGP), in conjunction with L-serine, to L-tryptophan. The reaction is catalyzed by the multi-subunit enzyme tryptophan synthase. During the reaction, indole is produced as an intermediate. However, the indole is very rapidly combined with L-serine in a stoichiometric fashion to produce L-tryptophan. Thus, no free indole is produced as a result of this InGP plus L-serine conversion to tryptophan.
However, Yanofsky et al. (1958) Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 28:640-641! identified a tryptophan synthase mutant which led to the accumulation of indole. This particular tryptophan synthase mutant, however, was subject to spontaneous reversion to the wild-type phenotype, as the mutation resulted from a single nucleotide base pair change in the gene coding for the .beta. subunit of tryptophan synthase.
PCT/US93/09433 describes a method for creating stable tryptophan synthase mutants capable of yielding high levels of intracellular indole. When such indole accumulating tryptophan synthase mutants express an aromatic dioxygenase enzyme like NDO, the accumulated indole may be converted to indoxyl, which can then be oxidized to indigo by molecular oxygen. Thus, through the commercial application of recombinant DNA technology, by the overexpression of a modified trp operon capable of continuously producing indole and an oxygenase enzyme capable of simultaneous conversion of indole to indoxyl, indigo can be produced from a renewable raw material such as glucose.
In shake flask studies applicants have determined that during the synthesis of indigo from indole, low levels of other compounds or by-products accumulate in the culture supernatant. One of these by-products, isatin (indole 2,3-dione), has been found to inhibit the oxygenase (i.e., NDO) activity in the production strain and, consequently, reduces overall indigo production; thus, isatin is undesirable. In addition to the by-product isatin, indirubin, a red dye material derived from isatin, may be produced during this biosynthetic indigo production process. The by-product isatin is believed to reduce the productivity of the production strain, while the by-product indirubin is believed to cause undesirable dyeing characteristics to microbially produced indigo which is expressed as a red cast on cloth dyed with indirubin-tainted microbially produced indigo.
Because the production in shake flasks of one or more of these by-products may either reduce the productivity of this production strain and/or cause undesirable characteristics of the indigo produced therefrom, an object of the present invention is to reduce the buildup of isatin or remove such isatin formed as a by-product of biosynthesis of indigo in microbial cells. Removal of isatin will potentially enhance the overall production of indigo in a fermentor and reduce or prevent the accumulation of indirubin. One method to reduce the buildup of isatin or remove such isatin, as detailed herein, relates to the isolation, cloning, sequencing and expression in indigo-producing host strains of a gene encoding an enzyme having isatin-removing activity. Preferably the enzyme is an isatin hydrolase, an enzyme capable of degrading isatin; however, any method to remove or inhibit isatin formation is contemplated by the present invention. Thus, another aspect of the present invention is the enhanced production of biosynthetic indigo by reducing the buildup or removing accumulated isatin through means, including, but not limited to, enzymatic conversion of the isatin by contacting it with an isatin-removing enzyme such as an isatin hydrolase, general base catalyzed chemical conversion of the isatin at appropriate temperature and pH, or through adsorption of the isatin to carbon or a suitable resin. These aspects of the invention are detailed below.
Definition of Terms
The following terms will be understood as defined herein unless otherwise stated. Such definitions include without recitation those meanings associated with these terms known to those skilled in the art.
Tryptophan pathway genes useful in securing biosynthetic indole accumulation include a trp operon, isolated from a microorganism as a purified DNA molecule that encodes an enzymatic pathway capable of directing the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan from chorismic acid. (A. J. Pittard (1987) Biosynthesis of Aromatic Amino Acids in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, F. C. Neidhardt, ed., American Society for Microbiology, publisher, pp. 368-394.) Indole accumulation is enabled by modification of one or more of the pathway's structural elements and/or regulatory regions. This modified trp operon may then be introduced into a suitable host such as a microorganism, plant tissue culture system or other suitable expression system. It should be noted that the term "indole accumulation" does not necessarily indicate that indole actually accumulates intracellularly. Instead, this term can indicate that there is an increased flux of carbon to indole and indole is made available as a substrate for intracellular catalytic reactions such as indoxyl formation and other than the formation of L-tryptophan. In the context of this invention, the "accumulated" indole may be consumed in the conversion of indole to indoxyl by an oxygenase such as the aromatic dioxygenase NDO, or an aromatic monooxygenase such as TMO, or it may actually build up intracellularly and extracellularly, as would be the case when the desired end product is indole or one of its derivatives.
A suitable host microorganism or host cell is an autonomous single-celled organism useful for microbial indole and/or indigo production and includes both eucaryotic and procaryotic microorganisms. Such host microorganism contains all DNA, either endogenous or exogenous, required for the production of indole, indoxyl and/or indigo, either from glucose or as a bioconversion from tryptophan. Useful eucaryotes include organisms like yeast and fungi or plants. Prokaryotes useful in the present invention include, but are not limited to, bacteria such as E. coli, P. putida and Salmonella typhimurium.
Biosynthetic conversion of indole to indigo is meant to include indoxyl oxidation to indigo mediated by molecular oxygen or air.
A DNA fragment, as used herein, may encode regulatory and/or structural genetic information. A DNA fragment useful in the instant invention shall also include: nucleic acid molecules encoding sequences complementary to those provided; nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA) which hybridize under stringent conditions to those molecules that are provided; or those nucleic acid molecules that, but for the degeneracy of the genetic code, would hybridize to the molecules provided or their complementary strands. "Stringent" hybridization conditions are those that minimize formation of double stranded nucleic acid hybrids from non-complementary or mismatched single stranded nucleic acids. In addition, hybridization stringency may be effected by the various components of the hybridization reaction, including salt concentration, the presence or absence of formamide, the nucleotide composition of the nucleic acid molecules, etc. The nucleic acid molecules useful in the present invention may be either naturally or synthetically derived.
An "exogenous" DNA fragment is one that has been introduced into the host microorganism by any process such as transformation, transfection, transduction, conjugation, electroporation, etc. Additionally, it should be noted that it is possible that the host cell into which the "exogenous" DNA fragment has been inserted may itself also naturally harbor molecules encoding the same or similar sequences. For example, when E. coli is used in this invention as the host strain, it is recognized that normally the host naturally contains, on its chromosome, a trp operon capable of directing the synthesis of L-tryptophan from chorismic acid under conditions enabling trp operon expression. A molecule such as this is referred to as an "endogenous" DNA molecule.
A stably transformed microorganism is one that has had one or more exogenous DNA fragments introduced such that the introduced molecules are maintained, replicated and segregated in a growing culture. Stable transformation may be due to multiple or single chromosomal integration(s) or by extrachromosomal element(s) such as a plasmid vector(s). A plasmid vector is capable of directing the expression of polypeptides encoded by particular DNA fragments. Expression may be constitutive or regulated by inducible (or repressible) promoters that enable high levels of transcription of functionally associated DNA fragments encoding specific polypeptides such as the structural genes of a trp operon modified as described herein.
An "isatin-removing enzyme," as used herein, is any enzyme which comprises activity resulting in the inhibition, removal, inactivation, degradation, hydrolysis or binding (sequestering) of isatin, whether such enzyme causes the formation of isatic acid or any other derivative of isatin. A preferred isatin-removing enzyme useful in the present invention is an isatin hydrolase such as the hydrolase isolated from Pseudomonas putida (WW2) herein.
Regardless of the exact mechanism utilized for expression of enzymes necessary for the microbial production of indole, indoxyl and/or indigo, it is contemplated that such expression will typically be effected or mediated by the transfer of recombinant genetic elements into the host cell. Genetic elements as herein defined include nucleic acids (generally DNA or RNA) having expressible coding sequences for products such as proteins, specifically enzymes, apoproteins or antisense RNA, which express or regulate expression of relevant enzymes (i.e., isatin hydrolase, tryptophan synthase, NDO, etc.). The expressed proteins can function as enzymes, repress or derepress enzyme activity or control expression of enzymes. Recombinant DNA encoding these expressible sequences can be either chromosomal (integrated into the host cell chromosome by, for example, homologous recombination) or extrachromosomal (for example, carried by one or more plasmids, cosmids and other vectors capable of effecting the targeted transformation). It is understood that the recombinant DNA utilized for transforming the host cell in accordance with this invention can include, in addition to structural genes and transcription factors, expression control sequences, including promoters, repressors and enhancers, that act to control expression or derepression of coding sequences for proteins, apoproteins or antisense RNA. For example, such control sequences can be inserted into wild-type host cells to promote overexpression of selected enzymes already encoded in the host cell genome, or alternatively they can be used to control synthesis of extrachromosomally encoded enzymes.
The recombinant DNA can be introduced into the host cell by any means, including, but not limited to, plasmids, cosmids, phages, yeast artificial chromosomes or other vectors that mediate transfer of genetic elements into a host cell. These vectors can include an origin or replication, along with cis-acting control elements that control replication of the vector and the genetic elements carried by the vector. Selectable markers can be present on the vector to aid in the identification of host cells into which genetic elements have been introduced. Exemplary of such selectable markers are genes that confer resistance to particular antibiotics such as tetracycline, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, kanamycin or neomycin.
A means for introducing genetic elements into a host cell utilizes an extrachromosomal multi-copy plasmid vector into which genetic elements in accordance with the present invention have been inserted. Plasmid borne introduction of the genetic element into host cells involves an initial cleaving of a plasmid vector with a restriction enzyme, followed by ligation of the plasmid and genetic elements encoding for the targeted enzyme species in accordance with the invention. Upon recircularization of the ligated recombinant plasmid, infection (e.g., packaging in phage lambda) or other mechanism for plasmid transfer (e.g., electroporation, microinjection, etc.) is utilized to transfer the plasmid into the host cell. Plasmids suitable for insertion of genetic elements into the host cell are well known to the skilled artisan.


A method of increasing helical twisting power (HTP) in an optically active compound used in a liquid crystal material is provided. An optically active compound which exhibits a large HTP value is also provided. Furthermore, a liquid crystal composition which exhibits a high upper temperature limit of the liquid crystal after the addition of the optically active compound, and a liquid crystal display device using the same are provided. In a method, an HTP of a compound having a partial structure represented by formula (A), which has an asymmetric carbon atom, is increased by replacing the partial structure represented by formula (A) by a partial structure represented by formula (B)

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of increasing helical twisting power (HTP) in an optically active compound employed in a liquid crystal display device, an optically active compound, a liquid crystal composition containing the compound, and a liquid crystal display device using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In liquid crystal materials for use in TN (twisted nematic) type, STN (super twisted nematic) type and phase transition type (cholesteric) devices, an optically active compound having a liquid crystal skeleton is added to induce a twisted orientation. It is known that a natural pitch P (μm) decreases when an additive concentration C (% by weight) of the optically active compound increases and that a good relationship of the product of P and C being constant is established in the case of low concentration C ranging from about 1 to several % by weight. The reciprocal of the relationship, i.e., a helical twisting power HTP (1/μm) (HTP=1/(P×0.01C) is used as a parameter for evaluation of a power for inducing the twisted orientation peculiar to the optically active compound.
Heretofore, as the optically active compound, a compound (product name: S-811) represented by the formula (VI-a):
a compound (product name: CB-15) represented by the formula (VI-b):
and a compound (product name: cholesteryl nonanate CN) represented by the formula (VI-c):
have commonly been used; however, they had small HTP values, for example, 10.5, 8.4 and 5.2 (as the HTP value, we use a value obtained by measuring at 25° C. after adding 1% by weight of the optically active compound to the following liquid crystal composition (XII-a)).
When using such an optically active compound having a small HTP value, it becomes necessary to add a large amount of the optically active compound to obtain a desired natural pitch, thereby causing problems such as increase in viscosity of the liquid crystal material and narrow temperature range of the liquid crystal. Thus, an optically active compound having a larger HTP value is required.
In the case of a cholesteric liquid crystal composition, since the pitch must be controlled within a range from about 0.1 to 2 μm so as to obtain a selective reflection wavelength in the infrared or visible range, the additive concentration of the optically active compound increases to 10 to 20% by weight. Since the upper temperature limit of the liquid crystal is drastically lowered when the additive concentration of the optically active compound increases, an optically active compound having a large HTP value has been required.
As a means for solving these problems, an optically active compound represented by the formula (VI-d):
(see Oiwa, Preliminary Manuscript of the 2001 Conference of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society, 2001, p. 421–422), an optically active compound represented by the formula (VI-e):
(see Japanese Examined Patent Application, Second Publication No. Hei 7-33354 (claim 3)) and an optically active compound represented by the formula (VI-f):
(see Japanese Examined Patent Application, Second Publication No. Hei 5-52298 (claim 3)) are disclosed. These compounds have a structure having a phenyl group adjacent to an asymmetric carbon and have a large HTP value as compared with optically active compounds such as compounds represented by the formulas (VI-a), (VI-b) and (VI-c). However, the HTP value of these compounds is not sufficient to solve the problems described above, and therefore, a compound having a larger HTP value or a method of increasing the HTP value has been required.
A comparison in HTP between a structure having a substituent at the para-position of the end of these compounds and a structure having no substituent is made (see Koike, Preliminary Manuscript of the 1999 Conference of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society, 1990, p. 220–221). The documents described above disclose that the HTP value decreases when the substituent is introduced at the para-position, and it was considered that the structure having a substituent at the end phenyl group is disadvantageous in view of the HPT value.

Method of increasing helical twisting power, optically active compound, liquid crystal compostion containing the same, and liquid crystal display device

Abstract: (wherein * represents the position of an asymmetric carbon atom, Y1 represents a substituent such as an alkyl group and a halogen).

Abstract: A compound is represented by formula (I):


To provide a compact type of equipment with less noise by which stool of a person receiving care can be processed surely without the person's unpleasant sensation regardless of stool's nature, reducing the load on the person receiving care. In the processing equipment of excretory substances, the suction circulation tube is led to the cooling unit outside the device house box from the discharge side of the suction motor and cooled down by heat exchange with outer air inside the cooling unit, and then returned to the return box unit. The defecation sensor comprises a sensor which detects stool's hardness to control in order to vacuum up at the setting with the higher suction power for signals of harder stool. The urination sensor comprises a sensor which has two contact points to calculate a necessary suction power according to the degree of the signals and control. Moreover, the suction motor, cooling fan, and filter inside the suction motor unit are covered by highly rigid vibration-suppression material processed by vibration preventive material, placed on vibration preventive board, and held with suspension by the vibration preventive spring.

The present invention relates to a processing equipment of excretory substances in people who require nursing care and the method. More particularly, the invention relates to a processing equipment of excretory substances in solitary old people at side lying position who cannot urinate/evacuate their bowels by themselves or people who cannot move and require severe nursing care, which processes their urines/feces automatically to keep them clean and reduce their unpleasant sensation; and which reduces labors by care personnel such as staffs of emergency facilities, nurses, family etc., reducing the necessity for them to always attend.
According to a survey in 2011, it is estimated that there are 4.6 million solitary old people. Not all the solitary old people require automatic processing equipment of excretory substances. In patients who are kept in care facilities and old people confined in bed who require nursing care, a processing equipment of excretory substances became required, in which their urination and defecation can be detected automatically and processed to always keep their groins clean.
In current situation, urines of patients confined to beds in care facilities and hospitals are treated in incontinent conditions in which a tube is inserted to the urinary tract and feces are defecated to napkins, which care personnel exchange to keep them clean. Although there have been only little problems in hospitals and care facilities having experienced care personnel, there are not a few patients who feel discomfort for urination and defecation assisted by other persons.
Recently, in Japan and Europe and U.S.A., where falling birthrate and aging have been advancing, physical and mental fatigues in care personnel induced by insufficient care personnel, increased load on cohabiters, care of old person by old person etc. have become problem and distressing cases have been increasing. In such situation, development of processing equipment of excretory substances has become an urgent need.
Conventionally, many patent applications in this field relating to persons confined to beds who require care have existed. However, in current situation, those products cannot be better than ordinary napkins in points of wearing condition, maintaining cleanness, bed sore, operation failure of equipment, maintenance condition etc., so that those have not come into practical use.
In conventional processing equipment of excretory substances, there are some equipment described in patent documents 1, 2, and 3. The invention written in the patent document 1 is an automatic processing equipment of excretory substances for old people confined to bed, which comprises a sewage storage tank, suction equipment, cleaning equipment, napkin cup etc. However, as for equipment related to the invention, major problems associated with this type of processing equipment of excretory substances such as noise, vibration, bacteria elimination, excessive heating of motor, patient's comfort, maintenance of equipment etc. are hardly described.
The invention described in the patent document 2 is a method to apply an adhesive around mounting holes in order to paste the mounting hole's surrounding of napkin with the cup. Adhesive can be applied directly to napkin or a tape in which adhesive is applied to both the sides can be applied to napkin. The face of adhesive is protected by pasted release paper and, the release paper is removed for use and the application face of adhesive is pasted to the cup. As such, because the application face of adhesive is pasted to the cup, it is stated that there are effects that the cup and napkin can be connected very simply and it is unlikely to leak liquid.
In the patent document 3, it was written that there were proposals including improvement of cleaning ability by hot water, prevention of inflow of motor-brush's abrasion powder into the cup main body by means of separate blasts of work wind (flow of air with suction and circulation) and cooling wind, prevention of outflow of sewage tank to outside etc, and its trial sales were conducted.
The automatic processing equipment of urination and defecation will be explained, based on FIGS. 14, 15, and 16.
FIG. 16 shows an outline illustrative diagram of the whole equipment. FIGS. 14 and 15 show perspective views and cross-section views of a napkin cup main body 10 and a napkin 54, respectively.
When excretory substances are detected by defecation sensor 13 and urination sensor 14 existing at a concave part receiving excretory substances 77 in the napkin cup main body 10, a water pump 39 of a water supply unit 25 operates to supply hot water for cleaning through a rinse solution hose 20 to the inside of the napkin cup main body 10 and at the same time, a suction motor 31 of a suction motor unit 24 operates to vacuum up air from the inside of a sewage-water tank 22 through a sewage suction hose 15 and a suction circulation tube 50. As the result, a suction power occurs inside the sewage suction hose 15 and the suction circulation tube 50 to vacuum up excretory substances of the concave part receiving excretory substances 77 in the napkin cup main body 10 and sewage water after cleaning. Said excretory substances and sewage water after cleaning are then vacuumed up into the inside of the sewage-water tank 22 and stored. Inside the sewage tank 22, said excretory substances and sewage water after cleaning are separated with gravitation by the work wind circulating through the suction circulation tube 50.
When said suction motor 31 operates, circulating air flow occurs in such a manner that air from the concave part receiving excretory substances 77 in the napkin cup main body 10 reaches the suction motor 31 through the sewage suction hose 15, the sewage water tank unit 22 and a cleanup processing unit 23 and moreover returns to the inside of said napkin cup main body 10 through the suction circulation tube 50 and a return air hose 18.
When said suction motor 31 operates, the work wind of the suction circulation tube 50 which was introduced from a suction hole of said suction motor 31 passes through the suction motor 31 to receive endotherm; then passes through a discharge hole of the suction motor 31, a return air cooler 26, and a return box unit 27; and flows out to the inside of the napkin cup main body 10 through a return air hose 18.
As for the work wind vacuumed up from said suction motor 31, about 10% is discharged from the return box unit 27 through a discharge hose 19. The remaining 90% passes through the return box unit 27 and the return air hose 18 and returns to the napkin cup main body 10 from a blast hole. That is, air is vacuumed up from a gap between a napkin 54 in the napkin cup main body 10 attaching to the person receiving care and the hip and approximates the same volume of air as vacuumed up air (about 10% of work wind) is released outside from the return box 27 and a discharge hose 19 partially.
As such, hot wind is sent to the inside of the napkin cup main body 10 through said return air hose 18.
To prevent for the suction motor 31 to be heated, cooling air is vacuumed up at a cooling fan 32 of the suction motor unit 24 from an intake hole of cooling wind 34 through a filter 33, cools down the suction motor 31, and is then discharged from a discharge hole of cooling air 35.
Therefore, comfortable cleaning can be done in a condition that hot wind exists around the waist and hip of the person receiving care.

Processing equipment of excretory substances and the method


A FinFET having a backgate and a barrier layer beneath the fin channel of the FinFET, where the barrier layer has a bandgap greater than that of the backgate. The barrier layer serves as an etch stop layer under the fin channel, resulting in reduced fin channel height variation. The backgate provides improved current control. There is less punchthrough due to the higher bandgap barrier layer. The FinFET may also include deeply embedded stressors adjacent to the source/drain diffusions through the high bandgap barrier layer.

A FinFET transistor is a non-planar, FET (Field Effect Transistor) in which the channel has the appearance of a fin, thereby leading to its name. A FinFET is sometimes referred to as having a multi-gate or tri-gate architecture. FinFETs are of interest because, compared to conventional planar transistors, they can exhibit very low leakage current, and can better performance at the same power budget, or equivalent performance but at a lower power budget. However, some designs may lead to FinFETs with unwanted punchthrough and variations in fin height.

FinFET with backgate, without punchthrough, and with reduced fin height variation


Low profile portable information handling systems rotationally couple a lid and chassis portion with a dual axis hinge that couples at one axis with an extension and countersink engagement to enhance system strength. For example, a conical boss in a lid support frame extends into a countersink formed in a hinge axis and includes threads to accept a screw inserted from the hinge axis into the conical boss. The conical boss inner diameter extends the space available for placement of threads to engage a screw to provide enhanced coupling strength between the hinge axis and lid support frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system housings, and more particularly to a rotationally coupled information handling system housing hinge support frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Portable information handling systems are built in housings having a variety of configurations. A traditional clamshell configuration has a lid rotationally coupled to a main chassis portion so that the lid articulates between open and closed positions. In the open position, the lid rotates approximately 90 degrees to expose a display that presents visual information provided by processing components disposed in the main chassis portion. In the closed position, the lid rotates to bring the display against the main chassis portion to provide portability. In more recently deployed convertible configurations, portable information handling systems include a touchscreen display in a lid having rotation between a closed position and a tablet position in which the lid holds the display exposed and proximate the main chassis portion. For example, one convertible option is to rotate the lid from the closed position for 360 degrees about the main chassis portion so that the display is exposed like a tablet and resting against the bottom surface of the main chassis portion. Another option is to rotate the lid from a closed position for 90 degrees about a horizontal axis to a conventional clamshell open position, then rotate the lid or the display 180 degrees about a vertical axis so that the lid then rotates to the closed position with the display facing outward.
End users generally desire portable information handling systems that have as much processing power and battery life as is possible in as little of a housing space as is possible. Low profile portable information handling systems tend to have minimal structural support so that weight and physical dimensions are kept small. A difficulty with such low profile systems is that bezels and lid structures for holding the display tend to have torsion and additional flexure infliction points around the hinge area during opening and closing of the lid relative to the chassis. Hinge cycle testing with required repetitions of 20,000 rotations or more too often result in failure at the hinge mount due to loss of alignment gradually induced on existing hinge mounts over time. Obtaining reliable hinge structures that are inexpensive and that fit into existing manufacturing norms with acceptable yield presents a challenge with low profile information handling systems. For example, the assembly of hinges to lid and chassis structures with screws becomes difficult since the small size of the hinges and the supporting structures minimizes the available space for placing threads that the screws can engage. Minimal screw-to-thread engagement reduces the fastening strength, and reduces the structural integrity to counter torsional forces.

Information handling system hinge support frame


A hinge for a clamshell-type phone includes first and second hinge sections with cooperative anti-skewing features to prevent skewing of the hinge in the open and/or closed positions. The first hinge section includes at least one anti-skew tab extending normal to the pivot axis of the hinge and a second hinge section includes at least one U-shaped anti-skew member to engage the anti-skew tab on the first hinge section in an open or closed position.

The present invention relates generally to a hinge for a clamshell-type phone or other portable electronic device and, more particularly, to a hinge having anti-skewing features to prevent skewing of the hinge sections relative to the pivot axis of the hinge.
Clamshell phones with two housing sections pivotably connected to one another are popular with many users. For clamshell-type phones, the construction of the hinge is an important design consideration to provide mechanical strength and durability to withstand years of use without breaking. Additionally, the feel of the hinge is important to the perceived quality of the phone. In this regard, the hinge should be designed to prevent wobble. Wobble is the skewing of the clamshell halves when a force is applied parallel to the axis of the rotation. Previously, attempts to reduce or minimize wobble in a hinge for a clamshell design have included increasing the clamping force on the hinge or reducing tolerances. These efforts have only been partially successful in solving the problem. Wobble is inherent in many hinge designs and previous measures only masked the problem.


The invention broadly comprises a computer-based method for presenting information regarding network performance and topology. The steps of the method include: displaying a first plurality of nodes in the network; displaying edges associated with the first plurality of nodes; and, displaying latency associated with the edges. The preceding steps, and those that follow, are performed by at least one general-purpose computer specially programmed to perform these steps. In some aspects, the method selects the first plurality of nodes. In some aspects, the network comprises a plurality of ISPs with respective pluralities of nodes and the respective pluralities of nodes comprises the first plurality of nodes. In some aspects, displaying a first plurality of nodes, edges, and latency is independent of cooperation from the plurality of ISPs. In some aspects, the method gathers information regarding the first plurality of nodes from vantage points outside the first plurality of nodes.

As commerce continues to embrace the Internet and to become dependent upon it, events happen that enterprises cannot control directly. For example, reputable researchers conservatively estimate a single worst-case worm could cause $50 billion dollars in economic damages in the United States alone. [Nicholas Weaver and Vern Paxson, "A Worst-Case Worm," The Third Annual Workshop on Economics and Information Security (WEIS04), Digital Technology Center, University of Minnesota (May 13-14, 2004).] Worldwide, CEOs of major corporations fear a $100 billion dollar global risk event. ["Silently preparing for the $100 billion cyber-catastrophe risk," News Alert, mi2g (16 Feb. 2004).]
Many smaller Internet events happen more frequently, for example: a slow link several hops out; redundant web servers that turn out to be on nonredundant paths; congestion affecting multiple enterprises simultaneously; cable cuts; or a worm that causes collateral damage through an ISP neighbor's unpatched servers. Unfortunately, such force majeure risks are invisible to the enterprises impacted by these risks.
Regarding Internet performance, methods for collecting data, detecting perils, characterizing perils, detecting anomalies, and characterizing anomalies are known. Unfortunately, at present this information cannot be adequately displayed graphically. In particular, graphical information regarding nodes, edges, and latency of interest in a network cannot be displayed in an on-going, interactive mode.
Thus, there is a long-felt need to provide a means to graphically display the above referenced risks, including context about extent and duration. Specifically, this display is needed by insurance brokers with respect to selling related insurance, by network engineers and financial officers to discuss network problems, by government agencies and other sources of reputation systems to alert industry and the public to specific problems, and by companies to explain problems to their customers.

Method and apparatus for aggregating, condensing, supersetting, and displaying network topology and performance data