A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device is capable of obtaining a high reverse recovery resistant amount by allowing sheet resistance of a peripheral portion in a p type diffusion region that is in contact with a metal electrode through an insulating film on a surface to be as high as possible and reducing an increase in cost if possible. The semiconductor device includes: a p type diffusion region that is disposed in a surface layer of the one main surface of an n type semiconductor substrate; and a voltage-resistant region that surrounds the p type diffusion region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a power device mounted on a power module or the like, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a junction diode structure requiring a high reverse recovery resistant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as energy saving is desired, power modules used for power converter or the like have been applied to a wide range of fields. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the power module is configured to include a converter unit 100, a brake unit 200, and an inverter unit 300. The inverter unit 300 is configured so that an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) 301 and a free wheeling diode (FWD) 302 are connected to each other in reverse parallel.
In general, the FWD 302 used for the inverter unit 300 has a reverse recovery mode where a reverse blocking state is recovered from a forward conduction state. In a transient period of the reverse recovery mode, a power having a high voltage and a high current are applied to the FWD 302. If a resistant amount of the FWD with respect to the high voltage and high current, that is, a reverse recovery resistant amount is low, element breakdown easily occurs at a site where the reverse recovery current is concentrated. Therefore, in order to prevent the element breakdown, the FWD 302 uses a high reverse recovery resistant amount.
The structure of the FWD and the process of occurrence of breakdown in the reverse recovery mode will be described through the behavior of internal carriers with reference to a cross-sectional view illustrating main components of a semiconductor substrate of the FWD of the related art illustrated in FIG. 8. In a general configuration of the FWD, an n type silicon semiconductor substrate (hereinafter, abbreviated to an n type drift layer 101) is used, and a p type anode diffusion region 102 is selectively formed in the one main surface layer. An anode electrode 103 which is configured with an alloy such as Al—Si is in ohmic contact with a central surface of the p type anode diffusion region 102. An n type cathode diffusion layer 104 having a surface impurity concentration capable of allowing the layer to be in ohmic contact is formed on the rear surface of the n type drift layer 101, and a cathode electrode 105 which is configured with a laminated metal film of Ti/Ni/Au or the like is formed to be in contact with the surface of the n type cathode diffusion layer.
In addition, electric field alleviation structures such as an insulating film 109, a guard ring structure 106-1, a field plate structure 106-2, and a RESURF structure (not illustrated) are installed in a ring shape on a surface layer of the voltage-resistant region 106 surrounding the p type anode diffusion region 102 of the FWD in order to secure the resistant voltage and the resistant voltage reliability. Since main current flows in the region which is in contact with the anode electrode 103 on the central surface of the p type anode diffusion region 102 inside the voltage-resistant region 106, the region is called an active region 107. A peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 of the active region is covered with the above-described anode electrode through an insulating film such as PSG.
The load of the power module including a configuration where the FWD 302 and the IGBT 301 are arranged in reverse parallel to each other is an inductance generally representing a motor. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a return current also flows in the FWD 302 in response to ON/OFF by gate control of each IGBT 301. The initial state of the FWD 302 is a blocked state and a reverse-biased state.
When the return current flows, first, the FWD 302 having the above-described configuration is forward-biased. As illustrated in FIG. 8, in the forward-biased FWD, if the potential of holes in the p type anode diffusion region 102 exceeds the diffusion potential (internal potential) of the pn junction, the holes as minority carriers are injected from the p type anode diffusion region 102 into an n− layer (same as the n type drift layer 101). As a result, in the n type drift layer 101, the electric conductivity is changed according to the high concentration of injected hole carriers, so that the concentration of the electron carriers (majority carriers) is increased. Therefore, as seen from a well-known forward I-V curve of a diode, the forward characteristic occurs where the resistance is greatly decreased and the forward current is greatly increased.
Next, when the FWD 302 is reverse-biased, the minority carriers (holes) remaining in the n type drift layer 101 are recombined to the majority carriers (electrons) and are extracted to the anode (negative electrode) side, so that a depletion layer is spread in the n type drift layer 101. If the depletion layer is entirely spread, the FWD 302 is in the voltage blocked state. This process is called reverse recovery. The current in the above-described carrier extraction process during the reverse recovery period is called a reverse recovery current in a macro scale. In this state, the current is overflowed although the FWD 302 is reverse-biased. As a current reduction rate of the reverse recovery current is large at the time of transitioning from the forward bias to the reverse bias, the peak value of the current is increased (it is called hard recovery).
When the minority carriers (holes) are drawn out (or extracted) from the anode electrode 103 which is a negative electrode during the reverse biased period, the minority carriers are concentrated on a curvature portion 130 of the end portion of the peripheral portion 108 in the p type anode diffusion region 102. This is because equipotential lines of the electric field occurring due to the reverse bias are condensely localized in the curvature portion 130 so that the electric field density is increased, and thus, the current density and the electric field intensity are increased (particularly, when the current reduction rate is large at the time of transitioning from the forward bias to the reverse bias).
In addition, another reason why the current is concentrated on the curvature portion 130 during the reverse recovery period is that, when the main current flows in the FWD, a large amount of minority carriers exists in the lower portion of the voltage-resistant region 106 of the peripheral portion surrounding the p type anode diffusion region 102 as well as the lower portion of the p type anode diffusion region 102. The carriers of the peripheral portion are drawn into the end portion of the anode electrode 103 due to the high localized electric field during the reverse recovery period, so that the current is concentrated on the curvature portion 130.
As a method for alleviating the extraction of the minority carriers concentrated on the curvature portion 130, there is known a method having a configuration where the anode electrode 103 which is in direct contact with the surface of the p type anode diffusion region 102 is recessed in the central direction of the region by a diffusion length of the minority carriers or more. According to the configuration, the p type anode diffusion region 102 of the recessed portion is covered with the insulating film 109 to function as a resistance region (refer to ABSTRACT and FIG. 1 of JP 9-232597 A).
In addition, a document discloses that an area of a portion of an anode electrode overlapping an insulating film on a surface of a peripheral portion in a p type anode diffusion region is configured to be smaller than the insulating film area thereof, so that the reverse recovery resistant amount is improved. In addition, the document also discloses a diode where a surface width of the peripheral portion of the p type anode diffusion region is configured to be large, the insulating film is exposed without forming an anode electrode thereon or an insulating film of the exposed portion is opened, and an electrode having a floating potential is formed (refer to ABSTRACT AND FIG. 1 in JP 2010-50441 A).
FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams illustrating a structure of a diode disclosed in JP 2010-50441 A. FIG. 2A is a plan view illustrating a portion of a plane pattern of a p type anode diffusion region; and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view illustrating main components of a surface portion and a surface structure of the portion corresponding to the p type anode diffusion region. An anode electrode 7 which is configured with an Al—Si alloy, an anode isolation electrode 5 (first metal film) which is configured with the same Al—Si alloy, and a field plate 6 (second metal film) are formed to have respective direct-contact portions on the surface of the p type anode diffusion region 1 through an opening portion 4 of an insulating film 3 (PSG: a phosphorus silicate glass). The anode electrode 7 and the anode isolation electrode 5 (first metal film) are electrically isolated from each other by an insulating film 3a. A p type ring-shaped region 1-1 at the outer circumferential end 1a of the p type anode diffusion region 1, which is installed in the outer-side voltage-resistant region 40, is formed in a ring-shaped plane pattern surrounding the outer circumference of the p type anode diffusion region 1 and is in contact with the field plate 6 covering the insulating film (PSG) 3 through the opening portion 4 which is installed in the insulating film (PSG) 3 covering the surface. An active region 30 where main current flows is the region where the p type anode diffusion region 1 and the anode electrode 7 are in direct conductive contact and is the central side of the insulating film 3a (right side of the figure).
In addition, there is a technique for improving an avalanche resistant amount by installing an n type non-diffusion corner region in an arch-shaped curved portion at four corners of a chip so as to be extended along the curved portion at an outer side of an anode contact region which is conductively connected to an anode electrode (refer to ABSTRACT and FIGS. 1 to 4 of JP 2011-171363 A).
Disclosed is a diode having a configuration where a convex portion which protrudes at a voltage-resistant region side, as a semiconductor substrate is seen in a plan view from a front surface side, is formed in a contact portion where an anode electrode and an anode semiconductor region are in ohmic contact with each other (refer to ABSTRACT and FIG. 1 of JP 2011-49399 A).
In addition, disclosed is a diode including a main anode region which is formed in a surface layer of an N-semiconductor layer, an isolation anode region, an anode connection region, and an anode electrode which is formed on the main anode region. The main anode region of the diode has a substantially rectangular outer circumference. The isolation anode region is formed in a ring shape along the outer circumference of the main anode region. Any one of the inner circumference of the isolation anode region and the straight line portion of the main anode region, which face each other, is configured to protrude, and the anode connection region is in point contact with the other (refer to ABSTRACT and FIGS. 1 to 4 of JP 2011-171401 A).
The diode (FWD) disclosed in JP 9-232597 A has a configuration where the insulating film 109 is installed on the surface of the peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 and the active region 107 which is in direct contact with the anode electrode 103 is recessed at the central side. In addition, the recession length of the anode electrode 103 is configured to be longer than the diffusion length of holes in the n type drift layer 101, so that the sheet resistance is increased. The current concentration at the curvature portion 130 of the peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 is suppressed by the sheet resistance.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 8, during the reverse recovery period of the diode, the occurrence of potential difference between the peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 and the p type anode diffusion region 102 at the central portion which the anode electrode 103 is in contact with may cause some problems. For example, there may be a through-hole or a thin film portion caused by some defects in the insulating film 109 in the peripheral portion of the anode electrode 103 which is in contact with the peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 through the insulating film 109. In this case, dielectric breakdown may occur, so that the p type anode diffusion region 102 and the anode electrode 103 may be short-circuited.
If the short-circuit occurs in the through-hole of the above-described insulating film 109, the amount of holes injected from the short-circuited portion is increased at the time of turn-on, the discharging of the minority carriers (holes) which are spread in the outer circumference portion (voltage-resistant region 106) within the diode is concentrated during the reverse recovery period. Therefore, the effect of alleviating the current concentration at the curvature portion 130 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 disclosed in JP 9-232597 A is not sufficient, so that the possibility of element breakdown is increased again. In many cases, the above-described defects such as the through-hole occurring in the insulating film 109 may be caused by extraneous substances, scars, or the like in a wafer process. In general, it is considered to be very difficult that the insulating film 109 having no defects is formed in the wafer process.
In addition, in the configuration of increasing the sheet resistance of the peripheral portion 108 of the p type anode diffusion region 102 disclosed in JP 9-232597 A, since the width of the peripheral portion 108 having no relation to the current capacitance of the chip is configured to be large, the chip size is increased in response to an increase in a reverse recovery resistant amount, so that the cost is increased. Therefore, a configuration capable of suppressing the reverse recovery current without increasing the width of the peripheral portion 108, if possible, is preferred.
In addition, the structure (FIG. 2) disclosed in JP 2010-50441 A is effectively used as a method of allowing no through-hole to occur on the above-described peripheral portion 108. However, since equipotential lines during the reverse recovery period are changed according to a shape of the anode isolation electrode 5, the influence on the reverse recovery resistant amount is considered.

Semiconductor device having a diffusion region


The present invention relates generally to facilitating secure voice and data communication by way of a commercially available communication device (i.e., smartphone/smartdevice). Specifically, the device and system for pairing a specialized cryptographic device with a non-specialized communication device, wherein the two devices engage in bidirectional communication to facilitate encryption of voice and data for secure transmission over a network. While providing the sensitive cryptographic features for secure communications, the cryptographic device further implements and enforces security policies for the communication device by way if an intermediary native application executed at the communication device. The encryption device is suitably designed to be carried discreetly and may be used in conjunction with a commercially available communication device.

Prior to the modern age, cryptology was almost synonymous with encryption In general; encryption is the conversion of information from a readable state (plaintext) to apparent nonsense (ciphertext). The information sender retains the ability to decrypt the information and therefore avoid unwanted persons being able to read it. Prior to the advent of modern computing systems, methods of encryption included the use of pen and paper and simple mechanical devices. These simple methods evolved to complex mechanical and electromechanical machines. Finally, the introduction of electronics and computing allowed elaborate schemes of still greater complexity.
As computing and communications systems have grown in sophistication, so too has the need for increasingly sophisticated methods for maintaining data and communication security. This has created entire industries where public and private organizations continually seek to construct systems, which are impenetrable by eavesdroppers. As an example, governments have relied on cryptography to maintain national secrets. Perhaps the most critical use of cryptographic methods has been by the military sectors, where secrecy is critical to maintaining national security. Like many other governmental entities worldwide, the United States Government has implemented standards, which govern the adoption and implementation of specific cryptography techniques. Corporations have developed various computing and communication devices, which comply with these standards for use by government employees engaging in activities, which require confidentiality.
Computing and communication devices have evolved into more portable and personal devices, which enable users to communicate and exchange information in real-time. As such, the field of opportunity has only increased for eavesdroppers, albeit requiring added sophistication in order to intercept voice and data communications.
The National Security Agency (NSA) has developed a hand-held communication device to provide its personnel with the efficiency and convenience with portable communication devices while maintaining secrecy. The Secure Mobile Environment Portable Electronic Device (SME-PED) enables its users 110 to send and receive both classified and unclassified telephone calls and to exchange classified and unclassified data. In addition, the SME-PED allows the user 110 to web browse on secure networks, which are classified "Secret."
The SME-PED resembles a commercially available cellular telephone with the exception of its increased physical dimensions, which are required to accommodate encryption hardware. While providing the level of security required by such organizations as the NSA, the SME-PED is somewhat limited in its utility. For example, commercially available phones and smartphones/smartdevices are rapidly evolving technologically to provide additional features to their users. As such, the market tends to price such devices such that consumers can replace their device every couple of years or sooner to take advantage of the latest features. Due to the complexity of the SME-PED, pricing flexibility is not an inherent feature and certification takes a long time. Therefore, "upgrading" the device can be cost prohibitive, leaving the user with fewer available features than consumers with commercial devices.
Due to the issues noted above, a user of the SME-PED may often carry multiple devices. As such, the SME-PED device is used for official business only, while a commercial device is used for personal use or whenever conventional communication is adequate. Moreover, most commercial device manufacturers make available a Software Development Kits (SDK) to enable third-party developers to create applications, which will function on the manufacturers' device. This has led to more advanced features for the developer and increased revenues for the device manufacturer, which benefits from the increased options.
Other devices provide data-at-rest encryption and other security features to a device using a hardware encryption key, which may be attached to an electronic device by way of a USB, for example. One recently developed encryption device is configured to be placed between the battery and cellular phone handset. This device is functionally similar to other known hardware encryption keys although it has the added benefit of being secured to the communication device such that it will not be as easily misplaced or mishandled. Nevertheless, integration between the encryption and the communication device is limited. Moreover, this concept requires the encryption device to be geometrically compatible with commercially available handsets.
As noted above, various solutions have been developed in an attempt to provide the same fast, reliable, and convenient mobile communications capabilities, which are presently available through commercially available hardware, software, and networks, to those requiring high levels of data and voice security. However, the integration of highly secure communication features with the productivity features of commercially available devices has been difficult to achieve in a cost effective and practical manner. As such, there is a need for a mobile device, which is capable of providing the levels of encryption and hardware/software control to a commercially available communication device. More specifically, a need exists for a device and system for providing these noted features to a commercial off the shelf cellular telephone or smartphone/smartdevice by way of a disparately located mobile cryptographic device.

Device and system for facilitating communication and networking within a secure mobile environment


An interactive response, storage and tracking system delivered through an interactive medium (e.g. mobile, internet, kiosk in shops) whereby the provided visual stimuli enables consumers/respondents/users to select a stimulus that best answers their response to a given question. These visual ‘answers’ are then collated to form ‘clusters’ of respondents that share the same or similar preferences thereby enabling the viewer of such information to understand the propensity of a given ‘cluster’ to behave, react, respond, perform and/or purchase.

Marketing surveys are known in the art. Typical market surveys uses questionnaires provided with a selection of written answers, or telephone enquiry with audio selection of answers. The answers collected often may not truly reflect the preferences of the user or do not allow a user to fully express his feelings or preferences. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an alternate system and method of profiling subjects.

System and method for response clustering


Lock devices for installation on a serial bus male connector plug that prevent access to, and connection of the plug to other devices, such as memory storage devices, have a housing with a receptacle which is installed onto the serial bus male connector plug to cover at least a portion of the male connector plug, and contain a locking mechanism and retaining member moveable between an unlocked position allowing disengagement and removal of the plug from the receptacle, and a locked position with plug securely engaged in the receptacle to prevent connection of the connector plug to a female serial bus connector of another device and unauthorized access to data stored in the memory of memory storage devices. The lock device may have a shackle and a cap-holding tether attachment and may be utilized with conventional security cables and locking devices to also prevent theft of the memory storage device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to security systems for memory storage devices, and more particularly to a lock for a male serial bus connector plug that prevents connection of the plug to other devices, such as memory storage devices to prevent transfer of stored data and/or media, and the locks may be equipped with a shackle to also prevent theft of portable memory storage devices.
2. Background Art
As used herein, the term "memory storage device" refers to small portable devices and non-portable devices having the capability to store large amounts of digital data and/or media, such as data files, image files, music files, and video files, and which are equipped with a connector plug such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) male connector plug for uploading or downloading digital data and/or media between the memory storage device and a computer or other device. As used herein, the terms "other device", "another device", or "external device" refers to any device which is equipped with a female connector such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) female connector that receives the male connector plug for uploading or downloading digital data and/or media to or from the memory storage device.
Examples of non-portable memory storage devices are a desktop or laptop computer hard drive, or an external hard drive, or a data transfer cable. Examples of portable memory storage devices include: "flash drives", also known as "thumb drives", "flash disks" or "pen drives", "mini hard drives", and portable audio players, portable video players, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA), and cell phones.
These types of portable memory storage devices have increased dramatically in capability and popularity, while decreasing in size and expense. Due to their small size, these types of devices are also susceptible to theft or misplacement, and moreover, unauthorized use and/or downloading valuable files, digital data and/or media stored thereon by simply connecting the device to a computer or other device, without detection by the owner.
There are currently five different types of Universal Serial Bus (USB) male plug connectors in standard sizes, known as a "USB-A-Male", "USB-B-Male", "Mini USB-A-Male" and "Mini USB-B-Male".
Some non-portable memory storage devices and most conventional portable memory storage devices of the type discussed above equipped with a male connector plug include a means of covering the plug to protect it from damage and prevent accumulation of dirt or debris. For example; simple covers or caps that slip over the end of the male connector plug, a pivotal cover or sheath that encloses the male plug when stored and allows it to pivot outward therefrom to expose the plug for use, and a retractable cover or sheath which allows the male connector plug to be retracted inside the sheath in a stored position and is extensible outwardly therefrom for use. These types of covers, caps and sheaths, do not prevent unauthorized access to, and/or connection of the connector plug to external devices, nor prevent unauthorized access to the data and/or media stored in the device memory, nor prevent theft of the device.
There are several known devices for tethering or securing the portable memory device to a stationary object, such as a desk, workstation, or computer housing or case to prevent theft or misplacement of the memory device. A popular commercially available cable system is made by Kensington, of San Mateo, Calif. and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,989. The cable is terminated at one end with a securing attachment to an anchor point on the valuable item and the other cable end is terminated with a locking device that attaches securely to the anchor point. The steel cable is arranged to loop around some large, preferably immovable object thus rendering the valuable item more difficult to steal.
Kung, U.S. Published Patent application 20040074264 discloses a portable data storage device, such as a pen drive or thumb drive, having a latching device that captures and traps a key-ring or security cable passing through the end opposite the USB plug that securely attaches the data storage device to deter theft of the storage device, without the need to unlock the security cable's lock.
While these types of tethering devices may be effective in preventing theft, removal, or misplacement of the memory device, they do not prevent unauthorized access to, and/or connection of the connector to external devices and thus, do not prevent theft the data and/or media stored in the device memory. An unauthorized person could still use and/or download valuable files, digital data and/or media stored on the memory device by simply connecting it to a laptop computer or other host device, without detection by the owner.
There are also several known methods employed for securing or preventing theft of the data or media stored on portable memory devices, which include: encryption, password protection, and biometric identification devices and methods. Although these methods are may be suitable for preventing unauthorized access to the data and/or media stored on the device, they do not prevent unauthorized access to and/or connection of the male serial bus connector to other devices and do not prevent theft of the attached memory device.
Yen, U.S. Published Patent application 20060036872 discloses an anti-burglary USB flash drive with a press-button type electronic combination lock that adopts an IC password circuit without requiring a driver program for achieving the effects of preventing burglary and protecting confidential data stored in the USB flash drive by means of entering a password into a main body of the USB flash drive. A programmable logic IC in the main body of the USB flash drive checks the password, and if the password is correct, then the user is permitted to access the data stored in the USB flash drive.
Morikawa et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,014,490 and 6,902,432 discloses a USB connector equipped with a latching or lock mechanism. The USB connector includes a receptacle having a shell and a receptacle terminal; a plug that includes a plug shell for fitting into the receptacle shell and a plug terminal; and an engagement release member that is provided on the plug shell so as to be movable between an engagement releasing position and an engagement position. When the plug is fitted into the receptacle, the plug terminal is electrically connected to the receptacle terminal. The plug shell has a retaining portion and the receptacle shell has an engagement portion, which is engaged with the retaining portion when the plug is fitted into the receptacle. The engagement release member maintains engagement of the retaining portion with the engagement portion in an engagement position, and the release member releases the engagement in an engagement releasing position.
Huetter et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,976 discloses an apparatus and method for preventing inadvertent disconnection of male and female electrical connectors. In one embodiment, the devices are configured to provide outside retaining forces to retention prongs of a female electrical connector, substantially restricting or preventing the retention prongs from moving toward an outer non-holding position after connecting with receiving portions in the male connector. In another embodiment, the female electrical connector includes modified retention prongs having a portion configured to enter and remain in surface holes of the male connector so that the male connector, once inserted, cannot be removed from the female connector without a user manipulating the modified retention prongs.
Yu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,461 discloses a locking mechanism for interconnecting two mated connectors. A first receptacle connector includes a first main body having a first projecting section on the front portion, and a second plug connector includes a second main body having a second projecting section on the front portion wherein a hook device is provided on the first projecting section of the first receptacle connector and a locking slot is provided on the second projecting section of the second plug connector, and said second projecting section of the second plug connector further includes a release device which can incorporate the hook device of the first projecting section of the first receptacle connector to unhook the engagement between the hook of the first projecting section of the first receptacle and the locking slot of the second projecting section of the second plug connector.
Hirai, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,809 discloses a connector with a lock mechanism having a connector main body in which are mounted electric contacts, a shield member for covering the connector main body and a connecting portion between the electric contacts and a cable, a casing for enclosing the connector main body and the shield member; and a lock mechanism for locking or unlocking a connection of the connector to a mating connector. The lock mechanism is made up of a flexible lock piece, one end of which is connected to the shield member; a pair of lock release slide plates which are slidable along upper and lower main surfaces of the casing; and slide members which slide inside the casing by sliding of the slide plates so as to release the locking by the lock piece.
Derstine et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,744 discloses an overlying sliding boot assembly or cover for an electrical cable connector of the type that mates with and latchably engages a complementary connector. The connector includes a dielectric housing containing an array of electrical contacts for electrical engagement with respective contacts in a complementary connector. The connector further comprises a pair of unitary metal shielding members, a first one has a pair of latching arms extending from a mating end toward a cable receiving end, and a pair of hermaphroditic cover members formed of a dielectric material adapted to interfit together about the electrical connector in sliding engagement therewith, and movable from a first position to a second position to effect unmating of the electrical connector from the header assembly. Each cover member includes a latching arm receiving recess, and a flexible arm engageable with a complementary recess in the opposing cover member. Manual movement of the assembled cover members to the second position causes the respective flexible arms to flex from their released position. Releasing the assembled cover members effects a return of the assembled cover members to the first position.
The covers and locking arrangements of the aforesaid patents and published applications are lock mechanism that merely operate to lock or unlock the connector to a mating connector to hold them together and prevent accidental detachment. They do not prevent unauthorized access to and/or connection of the male connector plug to an external device, nor prevent unauthorized access to the data and/or media stored on the device equipped with the mating connector.
In a press release dated Sep. 12, 2005, less than one year prior to the effective filing date of the present application, Digital Innovations LLC, of Arlington Heights, Ill. introduced a mechanical combination lock known as the SecurityDR Data Guard™ Thumbdrive Lock, which locks over the USB end of a thumbdrive and is released by a pushbutton.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems and is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a lock for serial bus male connector plugs that prevents access to, and connection of the plug to the mating female connector of another device, such as a memory storage device. The present lock devices are void of any electrical connections and have a housing with a receptacle which is installed onto the serial bus male connector plug to cover at least a portion of the male connector plug and contains a locking mechanism which may be a combination lock or a key lock mechanism moveable between an unlocked position allowing disengagement and removal of the plug from the receptacle, and a locked position with the receptacle covering at least a portion of the male connector plug and preventing disengagement and removal therefrom to prevent connection of the connector plug to a mating female serial bus connector. The lock device may or may not have a shackle and, if provided with a shackle, and installed on a portable memory storage device, may be utilized in conjunction with conventional security cables and locking devices to also prevent theft of the memory storage device in its locked condition.


Disclosed is a system and method which can efficiently distribute local data supplied from a single maintenance terminal to all of nodes and can certainly make data synchronized among the nodes. One of a plurality of nodes constructing a PBX network is set to a master node 2 and the other nodes are set to slave nodes 3 and 4. Local data supplied from a data input unit 1 to the master node is retained in a data retaining unit 24 in the master node and is also formed in a transfer format obtained by adding a checksum of the local data and a destination node designated to each slave node to the local data by data editing means 22 in the master node. The local data in the transfer format is transferred by data transfer means 23 to the slave node through a transmission line 5 which can perform broadcast transfer. In each slave node, after checking whether the data is designated to itself or not and checking the checksum by data receiving means 31, the local data is retained into a data retaining unit 35 in the slave node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for distributing the same data to a plurality of nodes constructing a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, when the same local data is desired to be used by nodes in a PBX network constructed by a plurality of nodes, it is troublesome since a maintenance terminal has to access each of the nodes and enter the same data to each node. As the number of nodes increases, it becomes more troublesome.
It is an object of the invention to provide a data distributing method and system which can efficiently distribute local data supplied from a single maintenance terminal to all of nodes and certainly synchronize data among the nodes in a PBX network comprised of a plurality of nodes.
According to a data distributing method of the invention, one of a plurality of nodes constructing the PBX network is set as a master node and the other nodes are set as slave nodes, and local data supplied from a data input unit to the master node is retained in a data retaining unit in the master node. In the master node, the local data is formed in a transfer format by adding a checksum and a destination node designated to each slave node to the local data, and the local data in the transfer format is transferred to the slave node. In each slave node, the local data is retained into a data retaining unit in the slave node after checking whether the designated destination node is the slave node itself or not and checking the checksum.
The data transfer from the master node to each of the slave nodes is performed by broadcast transfer through a transmission line which can perform broadcast transfer.
Each of the slave nodes retains the local data in its data retaining unit, after that, returns reply data formed in a reply format in which the node number of the slave node is set as a transmission source and the node number of the master node is set as a destination to the master node, and the master node receives the reply data and transfers it to the data input unit.
The master node makes the data length of the local data included in the transfer format and transfers the local data in the transfer format.
The master node divides the local data every predetermined length into blocks, makes a serial number of each block included in the transfer format, and transfers the data in the transfer format.
The same data as the local data which is transferred to the slave node and stored in the data retaining unit in the slave node is similarly transferred for data collation from the master node, and each of the slave nodes collates the local data newly transferred with the local data which has been already retained in its data retaining unit and returns a collation result in a reply format in which the node number of the slave node is set as a transmission source and the node number of the master node is set as a destination to the master node.
According to a data distributing system of the invention, one of a plurality of nodes constructing a PBX network is set as a master node and the other nodes are set as slave nodes, the master node comprises a master data retaining unit, data writing means for writing local data supplied from a data input unit into the master data retaining unit, data editing means for editing the supplied local data together with a checksum of the local data and a destination node designated to each of the slave nodes into a transfer format, and data transfer means for broadcast transferring the edited data through a transmission line which can perform broadcast transfer to the slave node. Each of the slave nodes comprises a slave data retaining unit, data receiving means for checking whether data transferred from the master node is addressed to the slave node itself or not and receiving the data, and data writing means for writing the local data into the slave data retaining unit when the checksum of the received transfer data is checked and matched.
Each of the slave nodes comprises data return means for forming the data in a reply format in which the node number of the slave node itself is set as a transmission source and the node number of the master node is set as a destination after the local data is retained in the slave data retaining unit of the slave node and returning reply data in the format to the master node, and the master node has data receiving means for receiving the data returned from the slave node and transferring the data to the data input unit.
The data editing means in the master node makes the data length of the local data included in the transfer format.
The data editing means in the master node divides the local data into blocks on a predetermined length unit basis and makes a serial number of each block included in the transfer format.
The data transfer means in the master node similarly transfers the local data for data collation, which is the same as the local data transferred to the slave node and stored in the slave data retaining unit in the slave node. Each of the slave nodes is further provided with a data buffer unit for storing the local data newly transferred and data collating means for collating the local data stored in the data buffer unit with the local data which has been already retained in the data retaining unit, and the data returning means in each of the slave nodes returns a collation result in a reply format in which the node number of the slave node itself is set as a transmission source and the node number of the master node is set as a destination to the master node.

Method and system for distributing data to nodes in PBX network


The invention relates to a device for cleaning a cylindrical or conical tube (2) having a smooth wall and placed in a horizontal or an inclined position, said device comprising: a cylindrical body (4) that has an axis X, that is suitable for being inserted axially into said tube, and that, around its periphery, has brush means (6, 7) for brushing the inside wall (1) of said tube (2); a rod (30) fastened to an end face of said body (4); and means for causing said rod (30) and said body (4) to turn about the axis X; said device being characterized by the fact that the cylindrical body (4) has a chamber (12) that is suitable for receiving a cleaning liquid and, on one of its generator lines, it has: a first orifice (14) opening out into a first end of a radial duct (17) which is disposed in said chamber (12) and whose second end (19) is disposed in the vicinity of that wall (20) of said chamber (12) which is situated facing said first orifice (14); and at least one second orifice (13, 15) open to the outside and serving to discharge a quantity of cleaning liquid by gravity when it is situated under the level (21) of the liquid in the chamber (12) while said device is turning; the first orifice (14) serving to fill said chamber (12) with cleaning liquid, and to allow air to be taken into said chamber (12) when the second end (19) of the duct (17) is disposed above the level (21) of the liquid.

Cleaning and protecting gun tubes is necessary and such maintenance must be performed in the field, under severe climatic conditions.
A gun tube or a "gun barrel" has a "core" portion that can be provided with helical grooves, and a "chamber" portion that is smooth and conical to some extent, that is of a diameter greater than the diameter of the core portion, and that can be as long as 1 meter in length.
FR 2 802 451 relates to a device for cleaning the core portion of a tube whose inside periphery is rifled.
The present invention relates to a device for cleaning the chamber portion of a tube.
The chamber portion is cleaned and protected from oxidation with special oils. Brushes are used that are conical to some extent and whose bristles are generally implanted on supports made of wood or of a plastics material. The brush is inserted manually into the tube by means of a rod screwed to said brush. At its other end, the rod has a transverse peg forming a lever and making it possible to push and to pull the brush while turning it.
During a maintenance operation, the tube is in a position in which it is inclined relative to the horizontal and, preferably, with the end of the core portion inclined towards the ground, the orifice of the chamber at the other end then being higher.
Initially, brushing takes place while spreading a cleaning liquid that impregnates the residue left stuck to the walls after shells are fired. This makes it possible to wipe off the residue by means of a rag wrapped around the brush. A further quantity of cleaning liquid is then applied for providing protection from oxidation.
Such oily cleaning liquids are poured onto the brush prior to insertion into the chamber, or else they are sprayed on by means of an aerosol at the inlet of the chamber. However, access to the inlet of the chamber is difficult due to the presence of a cradle-shaped piece placed in front of said inlet.
The quantity of liquid used is therefore random, and it is difficult to spread it properly.
Depending on the skill of the person assigned to that task, it can happen that more oil is used than is necessary for achieving the desired objective.

Device for cleaning a smooth-walled tube


The present invention is directed to a process for the synthesis of organohalosilane monomers, comprising the steps of (1) forming a slurry of cyclone fines, ultra fines and/or spent contact mass in a thermally stable solvent and reacting the agitated slurry with an organohalide of the formula R1X in the presence of an additive for a time and at a temperature sufficient to produce organohalosilane monomers having the formulae R1SiHX2, R12SiHX, R13SiX, R1SiX3, and R12SiX2; wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group, alkaryl group, or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbyl group, and X is a halogen; and (2) recovering said organohalosilane monomers.

Alkylhalosilanes and arylhalosilanes are valuable precursors to silicones and organofunctional silanes that are used in a broad range of industries. Methyl-chlorosilanes and phenylchlorosilanes are particularly valuable and are the most commonly manufactured products of these classes. Manufacture is done using the Rochow-Müller Direct Process (also called Direct Synthesis and Direct Reaction), in which copper-activated silicon is reacted with the corresponding organohalide in a gas-solid or slurry-phase reactor at a temperature and pressure sufficient to effect the desired reaction rate and stability, and product selectivity and yield. Fluidized-bed reactors are the gas-solid reactors most often used. The silicon-containing reaction products are organohalosilanes (R1aSiXb), organohalohydrosilanes (R1cSiHdXe), halosilanes (HfSiXg), organohalodisilanes (R1hNXjSiSiXkR1l), organohalopolysilanes (R1mXqSi—(Si(R1X))n—SiXqR1m) and carbosilanes (R1X2Si—CH2—SiXR12, R1X2Si—CH2—CH2—SiX2R1 and other similar compounds). Carbosilanes with a single —CH2— group between the silicon atoms are also called silylmethylenes or disilamethanes.
Organohalosilanes have the general formula, R1aSiXb, wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated aromatic group, a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group, alkaryl group, or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbyl group such as methyl, ethyl or phenyl, X is a halogen atom such as chlorine or bromine and a and b are positive integers with the proviso that the sum, (a+b)=4.
Organohalohydrosilanes have the general formula, R1cSiHdXe, in which R1 and X have the same meaning as above. The subscripts, c, d and e are positive integers satisfying the sum, (c+d+e=4).
In the halosilanes, (HfSiXg), f≧0 and g is an integer such that (f+g=4). X is a halogen atom as defined above.
Organohalodisilanes contain one Si—Si bond as indicated in the general formula, (R1hXjSiSiXkR1l). R1 and X have the same meanings as defined above. The subscripts, h, j, k and l are individually ≧0 with the sums (h+j=3) and (k+l=3). By extension, trisilanes contain Si—Si—Si units and polysilanes have more than three catenated Si atoms.
Hot effluent exiting from the fluidized-bed reactor, in which copper-activated silicon is undergoing reaction with an organohalide, comprises a mixture of copper, metal halides, silicon, silicides, carbon, gaseous organohalide, organohalosilanes, organohalodisilanes, carbosilanes and hydrocarbons. This mixture is first subjected to gas-solid separation in cyclones and filters (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,353). The gaseous mixture and ultrafine solids are condensed in a settler or sludge tank from which the organohalide, organohalosilanes, hydrocarbons and a portion of organohalodisilanes and carbosilanes are evaporated and sent to fractional distillation. The ultrafine solids accumulate in the settler along with the less volatile silicon-containing compounds and this mixture (sludge) is purged periodically and sent to waste disposal or to secondary treatment for the recovery of monomers from the liquid fraction.
Three silicon-containing solid wastes are produced from the fluidized-bed. Elutriated solids, which are trapped by the cyclone or filters, are called cyclone fines or cyclone solids. Those particulates which escape the cyclones and collect in the settler are called ultrafines, settler solids or revaporizer solids. The third category is the solid, which remains unreacted in the fluidized-bed at the end of a campaign. This is called spent mass or spent contact mass. Typically, spent mass has a larger average particle size and wider particle size distribution than cyclone solids and cyclone solids are larger than ultrafines. Spent mass and cyclone fines are dry solids, which can be pyrophoric. Ultrafines are wet and agglomerate into a sludge. For this reason, ultrafines are sometimes called sludge.
A world-class methylchlorosilane plant disposes of thousands of tons of ultrafines, cyclone solids and spent mass per year at considerable cost and loss of raw material values. There are also environmental impacts of the waste disposal methods employed. Accordingly, it is desirable to recover value from these waste solids. Methods of reusing the solids for copper recovery, for production of chlorosilanes, alkoxysilanes, methylchlorosilanes and phenylchlorosilanes have been disclosed in the patent and journal literature.
Passivation of cyclone solids for safe landfill disposal or later recovery of copper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,430.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,803,521 discloses a method to separate and recover silicon and copper from spent reaction masses. Soucek, et al., (Chem. Abstr. vol. 64 (1966) 17638c) and Kopylov, et al., (Chem. Abstr. vol 75 (1971) 14421g) disclose metallurgical processes for copper recovery from roasted spent masses.
Rathousky, et al. (Chem. Abstr. vol 81(1974) 78008) reported the Direct Synthesis of phenylchlorosilanes using spent mass from the Direct Synthesis of methylchlorosilanes. Takami, et al (Chem. Abstr., vol 89(1978) 509946) disclosed a similar Direct Synthesis of phenylchlorosilanes from methylchlorosilane spent mass that was first heated to 500-900° C.
Ritzer, et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,510) and others have shown that reaction of cyclone fines with HCl produces trichlorosilane and silicon tetrachloride. Reaction with alcohols produces alkoxysilanes. These uses of cyclone solids are cited in Catalyzed Direct Reactions of Silicon, K. M Lewis and D. G. Rethwisch (Editors), Elsevier, N.Y. 1993, pages 28-29 and refs cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,405 discloses collection of cyclone fines and filtered fines and recycling them to the bottom of the fluidized bed reactor for further reaction with an organohalide to produce organohalosilanes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,674 discloses introducing cyclone fines into liquid silanes and reinjection of that suspension into the fluidized bed for Direct Synthesis of chloro or organocholorosilanes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,297 discloses a method for the reuse of spent mass with a maximum particle size of 50 microns comprising heating it at 100-350° C. in air or nitrogen for at least 15 hours prior to reacting it with methyl chloride to produce methylchlorosilane monomers.
All of the foregoing references dealing with synthesis of organohalosilanes from cyclone fines and spent mass comprise gas-solid reactions in two phase reactors. Those cited below are all done in three-phase reactors, such as mechanically agitated slurry reactors and bubble columns.
British Patent, GB 1,131,477 claims a process for the preparation of alkylhalo-silanes comprising suspending a contact mass composition in an inert liquid, such as a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon, at a temperature greater than 175° C. and reacting it with an alkyl halide to produce alkylhalosilanes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,991 discloses the slurry-phase Direct Synthesis of organohalosilanes comprising preparing a slurry of nanosized copper catalyst and silicon, 90 percent of which is between about 1 to about 300 microns, in a thermally stable organic solvent and followed by reaction with an organohalide at temperature greater than 250° C.
Application WO 2012/080067 deals with reaction of finely divided solid residues from the Direct Synthesis of methylchlorosilanes with chloroalkanes in a liquid reaction medium. The finely divided solid residues have silicon content greater than fifty percent and maximum particle size 200 microns, preferably maximally 100 microns. The liquid reaction medium is preferably aprotic and thermally stable. WO 2012/080067 is illustrated with silicon of unspecified particle size that was thermally activated with an unspecified catalyst and promoter(s) to contain catalytically active intermetallic phases. According to WO 2012/080067, this silicon was first suspended in Silicone Oil AP100 (a poly(phenylmethylsiloxane, CAS #63148-58-3)) and reacted with methyl chloride in a stirred autoclave at 3 bar and 350° C. for 110 minutes; solid residue from this reaction was recovered and reacted with methyl chloride, apparently also at 3 bar and 350° C., in a fluidized bed containing Silicone Oil AP100 for 14 minutes; the principal reaction products were dimethyldichlorosilane and trimethylchlorosilane, the former being 2.7 to 4.7 times more than the latter; when the pressure was increased to 10 bar (Example 3), trimethylchlorosilane became the main product, the ratio being 6.1.
In the conclusion to Example 3 of WO2012/080067, it states that "the selectivity to the alkylchlorosilanes can be influenced in a targeted manner via the solubility of methyl chloride in the liquid reaction medium, adjusted by means of the reaction medium and the overpressure, so that trimethylchlorosilane (M3) is the main product of the reaction." It will be shown by examples hereinbelow that trimethylchlorosilane formation in the illustrative experiments of WO 2012/080067 arises from the cleavage of trimethylsilyl groups from Silicone Oil AP100 and is unrelated to the reaction of methyl chloride with the silicon residue.
It is understood by Applicants that WO 2012/080067 states at page 5, line 6 that the disclosed process "constitutes a further direct synthesis" (Application in German, translation into English). In 1967, R. J. H. Voorhoeve (Organohalosilanes: Precursors to Silicones, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1967. Pages 144-145 and ref 177 on page 151) reported that silicone oils and paraffins had been tried as solvents in the slurry-phase Direct Synthesis of organohalosilanes in 1962-1963, but they had been found not to be inert under the reaction conditions. The silicone oils decomposed to give volatile compounds and the paraffins yielded appreciable quantities of tar. The methylchlorosilane reaction product consisted mostly of trichlorosilane and methyltrichlorosilane.
As the foregoing review of the literature shows, there have been many attempts in the past to recover value, particularly methylchlorosilane monomers, from spent mass and cyclone solids produced during the Direct Synthesis of methylchlorosilanes. None of these attempts has resulted in a reliable process that produces a composition of highly valued methylchlorosilanes and methylchlorohydrosilanes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,876 discloses the Direct Synthesis of allylchlorosilanes in stirred-bed and fluidized-bed reactors at 220-350° C. and 1-5 atmospheres, preferably 300-330° C. and 1-3 atmospheres. The disclosure is particularly directed to the Direct Synthesis of allyldichlorosilane by reacting fresh silicon metal with mixtures of allyl chloride and hydrogen chloride, wherein the hydrogen chloride is in molar excess. A companion journal publication with this information is Yeon, et al (Organometallics, vol 12 (1993), pp 4887-4891). Other literature references to the Direct Synthesis of allylhalosilanes in fixed, stirred or fluidized bed reactors with fresh silicon metal are the following: Voorhoeve, Organohalosilanes: Precursors to Silicones, page 203-204; Petrov, et al., Synthesis of Organosilicon Monomers, pp 44-46 and in Table 5, page 55.
Allylhalosilanes are useful intermediates for the synthesis of organic specialties as well as for the synthesis of sulfur-silanes useful in tire and rubber applications. A particularly valuable intermediate is allyltrichlorosilane, which can be converted to allyltriethoxysilane for the synthesis of sulfur-containing silanes.
The polymerization of diallylsubstrates, including diallyldimethylsilane, is reported in the following: Forbes, et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., vol 114 (1992) pp 10978-10980; Marvel, et al., J. Org. Chem., vol. 25 (1960) pp 1641-1642; Butler, et al., J. Org. Chem., vol. 25 (1960) pp 1643-1644.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Slurry phase direct synthesis of organohalosilanes from cyclone fines


A sheet processing apparatus receives sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus one after another on a binding tray to be stacked on top of another, jogs each sheet as the sheet is received on the binding tray, binds a set of the sheets on the binding tray with a binding device, and discharges the bound set of the sheets from the binding tray. Sheets received from the image forming apparatus one after another after the binding device has started binding the set of the sheets on the binding tray and before the binding tray has returned from a discharging position to a receiving position are received one after another, stacked on top another and held on a sheet holding device. The sheet holding device releases the held sheets to be fallen and received on the binding tray after the binding tray has returned to the receiving position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus binding a received set of sheets, and in particular relates to a sheet processing apparatus used in conjunction with an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a printer, etc.
2. Discussion of the Background
A sheet processing apparatus used in conjunction with an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a printer, etc., receives sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus one after another, stacks and jogs the sheets, and performs processing, such as punching and/or binding, to the sheets.
In a system in which a sheet processing apparatus is connected with an image forming apparatus, it is known that when the speed of processing sheets of the sheet processing apparatus, such as jogging, punching and/or binding the sheets, is not comparable to the speed of forming images of the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus is controlled to stop forming images temporarily while the sheet processing apparatus is performing, for example, a binding operation.
It is also known to arrange a sheet waiting apparatus between a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus to avoid that the image forming apparatus is caused to temporarily stop forming images. Sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus one after another while the sheet processing apparatus is performing a binding operation to a previously received set of sheets are temporarily held at the sheet waiting apparatus, and the sheets are conveyed to the sheet processing apparatus after the binding operation to the previously received set of sheets has been completed at the sheet processing apparatus.
Further, in a system in which a sheet processing apparatus is connected with an image forming apparatus, when a malfunction has occurred at the sheet processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus is generally caused to stop operating. In this case, sheets remained in the sheet conveyance path of the image forming apparatus must be removed before restarting the sheet processing apparatus.
Furthermore, in such a sheet processing apparatus used in conjunction with an image forming apparatus, after a set of sheets has been bound, the bound set of sheets is discharged onto a discharge tray of the apparatus. In processing a plurality of sets of sheets one after another, the plurality of sets of sheets, each having been bound, are stacked on top of another on the discharge tray, so that when the bound set of sheets is thin, separating one from the other is relatively hard.


A protein crumble having fat-like properties is made by using a soy protein which is mixed with water and then chopped and blended. Specific amounts of isolate soy protein or soy protein concentrate are preferred. Any of a number of ingredients including animal derived proteins, carbohydrates, and gums may be added to produce a fat-like attribute without actually adding fat.

For a background relative to meat extenders, reference may be made to the above-identified parent application Ser. No. 08/482,878, and to one or more of the following United States patents and the references cited thereon: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,183,683; 5,160,758; and 4,276,319.
In order to provide a concrete example of a product using the inventive vegetable meat extender or "crumble", reference is made herein to a pepperoni product. However, this specific reference is not a limitation on the appended claims. Quite the contrary, the invention may find use in many coarse ground meat systems, for example, sausage, ground beef patties, etc.
These products may be used in a variety of meat products including but not limited to coarse ground fermented meats, meat patties, meatballs, nugget products, sausages and other coarse ground meats. Following the initial inventive process development of my co-pending application, additional work produced crumbles having various textures. Therefore, various combinations of ingredients were used to yield products with initial texture characteristics that both mimic fat and replace meat. Crumbles might also help to manage much of the traditional cooking loss. A major new development is an addition of powdered animal products, such as gelatin, caseinate and similar products. Additional work has shown new ways to modify the texture of these crumble products for inclusion in various meat products.
Because consumers, processors, and regulatory agencies are changing their attitudes, the use of soy protein products is increasing in processed meat systems. These soy products are added to various meat products in order to reduce their costs, improve their health qualities, etc. The soy products contribute nutrition, flavor, and valuable functional properties when used as partial meat substitutes, binders, emulsifiers, meat flavor enhancers, brine ingredients, and meat analogs.
Most of the current domestic meat applications for soy protein are in comminuted and coarsely ground meat products, with the coarsely ground meat being the largest area. In finely chopped meats, such as frankfurters and bologna, soy protein isolates are used for their moisture and fat binding, fat emulsifying, and stabilizing properties. These functional properties make them ideal ingredients for use in processed meat products, both coarse and fine emulsions (e.g., patties, loaves, and sausages).
In these meats (meat patties, meat balls, chili, Salisbury steaks, pizza toppings, and meat sauces among others) textured soy proteins are the ingredients of choice. When making patties, it is necessary to add water at levels which are 2 to 3 times the weight of the textured soy protein. If too little water is used to hydrate the textured protein, the finished meat product is too dry. A good guide for hydrating soy products is to achieve a protein level of about 18% in the hydrated form.
In patties, the primary functions of soy protein products are to give structure during cooking and to reduce cooking losses. When properly used, the patty is more moist, will have a higher protein and lower fat content, and thus be better balanced nutritionally.
Several studies with beef patties containing soy protein products indicate that up to 20% hydrated textured soy protein product would be acceptable to the consumer, based on various palatability characteristics. In supplementing ground meat in a patty-type product, up to about 20% substitutions can be made without flavor adjustment. Above this level, additional seasonings may be required to offset the dilution effect of the meat flavor.
The flaked form in a textured soy product assures rapid hydration, which makes the ingredient well-suited for high volume applications. Its meat-like appearance and mouthfeel remain intact throughout strenuous retort and freeze-thaw conditions. It also contributes to overall fat stabilization.
Isolated soy proteins ("ISP") are by far the most versatile of the soy derivatives. Isolates are the most highly refined soy protein products which are commercially available, but they also represent the major proteinaceous fraction of the soybean. Soy protein isolates are prepared from dehulled and defatted soy-beans by removing most of the non-protein components so that the remaining product contains not less than 90% protein on a moisture-free basis.
These soy protein isolates can be utilized to impart such properties as viscosity, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness, and juiciness, and are highly dispersible, soluble and functional products. In meat applications, they are designed to replace a portion of salt soluble meat proteins, bind fat and water, stabilize emulsions and help ensure maintenance of the structure in finished cooked products. Matching specific functional requirements with the proper selection of these isolated soy proteins will result in cost savings and process efficiencies.
Soy protein concentrates are derived from defatted soy flakes through an aqueous alcohol process or acid precipitation. Soy protein concentrate contains a high percentage of soluble protein, giving it superior dispersibility, solubility and emulsification properties, with a good flavor profile. It is an extremely functional soy protein supplement designed to improve texture and mouth-feel of food products by fortifying the myofibrillar proteins found in fish, meats, and poultry. It has a very bland flavor and can be used to fortify the protein content of food products.
Many of the soy proteins used in the various examples described herein are commercially available from the Archer Daniels Midland Company ("ADM") of Decatur, Ill. ADM soy protein isolate products, which are sold under the trademarks "PRO-FAM" and "ARDEX", are dry products which are highly dispersible, soluble, and functional. Another ADM product, sold under the trademark "ARCON", is a soy protein concentrate which has dispersibility, solubility and emulsification properties, with an excellent flavor profile.
Each of these and similar ADM products mentioned in the examples have been used for many years by food processors. These ADM soy protein isolates and concentrates are high quality proteins made from soybeans. Amino acid content and digestibility are two of the factors that make soy proteins high quality. The quality of the proteins may be measured by using known protein quality evaluation techniques. Therefore, it is highly desirable for any new process to make a meat extending protein crumble begin by using as many of the existing procedural steps as possible in order to eliminate the need for special training and to preserve existing production facilities.
Prior processes for making and using protein crumble have involved shipping frozen isolated soy protein, which means that the shipper has paid substantial freight and refrigeration charges for shipping ice. There would be a substantial savings if the material for making the crumble could be shipped in a dry form.

Process for making extenders for lower fat meat systems


A support bracket is adapted to secure wire fence elements to posts having T-shaped cross-sections with a leg and two cross-arms. The bracket includes a first slot adapted and constructed to receive a cross-arm of a fence post, and a second slot adapted and constructed to receive a cross-arm of the fence post, the second slot being generally aligned with the first slot. A third slot is adapted and constructed to receive a leg of the fence post, and is generally perpendicular to the first and second slots. The bracket can be mounted to the post in a first position in which the leg is received in the third slot, and a second position in which the leg extends opposite the third slot.

The introduction and widespread adoption of the wire fence brought about enormous cultural and economic changes. The wire fence enabled relatively inexpensive and durable livestock containment systems that revolutionized the way ranches and farms operated. The subsequent development of metal fence posts and electrically conductive fences further enhanced the ability of ranchers and farmers to manage their stock.
Inherent in the construction of such fencing is the problem of mounting an electrically charged wire onto an electrically conductive metal post such that the post is insulated from the wire. Several patents address the problem, among which is U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,611 to Wilson. This patent is directed to a fence wire mount and insulator device adapted for mounting on a metal fence post of T-shaped cross section in which wire is supported in spaced relationship relative to the fence post by a bracket member which engages the fence post and is shaped to accommodate a variety of configurations and dimensions. The bracket which engages the fence post is provided with a curved offset portion which permits elongation of one portion of the bracket and permits initial easy insertion of the fence post relative to the bracket.
Another example can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,853 to Roy et al., which shows an electric wire insulator and support bracket for metal fence posts having a cylindrical bracket arm slotted along its length to receive and be mounted on a flange of a steel fence post. Tie holes are located at each side of the slot for positioning a tie member for securing the bracket to the post. Wire retention slots are located in each end of the arm for supporting electric fence wires and retention pins confine the wires in the slots.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,158 to Yearwood shows an electric wire insulator for connection with a T-shaped corner fence post formed by a generally U-shaped rigid mounting member having parallel legs transversely spanning a T-shaped post. A pair of U-shaped bracket members each journalling a dielectric spool are provided with a threaded rod rigidly connected with the bight portion of the respective U-shaped bracket and threadedly entering the respective mounting member leg for impinging the mounting member on the T-shaped post. One of the U-shaped brackets may be angularly rotated about the axis of its threaded rod for disposing the axis of one dielectric spool normal to the axis of the other dielectric spool.
U.S. Pat. No. D248,750 to Langlie et al. deals with ornamental design for an electric fence extender for T-posts having an extension tab to assist in the mounting of the extender to a T-post.
While known mechanisms are reasonably effective in mounting fence wire to posts, they are accompanied by several drawbacks. For example, known brackets are typically unidirectional, i.e., they can be secured to only one side of the fence post. Furthermore, known brackets are difficult to remove from the post without destroying the bracket, a frequent occurrence when fences are removed or relocated.
It can thus be seen that the need exists for a simple, inexpensive, repositionable and easily removable fence support bracket that serves as a wire insulator for electric fences.

Multi-position wire insulator and fence support bracket


A method and apparatus are provided for placing cells in an integrated circuit layout pattern. A base layer layout pattern defines an array of base cell locations and base layer elements, wherein at least portions of some rows in the array are reserved for decoupling capacitor cells. Each decoupling capacitor cell has a width, which is greater than that of a single base cell location and which is abstracted from the base layer layout pattern. A cell library defines a plurality of cells, including a macro cell having open rows consistent with the rows in the base layer layout pattern that are reserved for the decoupling capacitor cells. The width of each decoupling capacitor cell is abstracted from the macro cell. Cells from the cell library, including the macro cell, are placed within a design layout pattern relative to the base layer layout pattern. An area consumed by the macro cell within the design layout pattern is independent of the width of the decoupling capacitor cells.

Semiconductor integrated circuits are designed and fabricated by first preparing a schematic diagram or hardware description language (HDL) specification of a logical circuit in which functional elements are interconnected to perform a particular logical function. The schematic diagram or HDL specification is then synthesized into cells of a specific cell library. Each cell corresponds to a logical function unit, which is implemented by one or more transistors that are optimized for the cell. A series of computer-added design tools generate a netlist of the selected cells and the interconnections between the cells. The netlist is used by floor planner or placement tool to place instances of the selected cells at particular locations in a layout pattern. A routing tool routes the interconnections between the cells along predetermined routing layers. Once the selected cells have been placed and routed, the netlist, the cell layout definitions, the placement data and the routing data together form an integrated circuit layout definition, which is used to fabricate the integrated circuit.
An integrated circuit is fabricated by depositing layers on a substrate known as a wafer. The lowest, "base" layers include the active areas of the transistors, including the diffusion regions and the gate oxide areas, and the desired patterns of the polysilicon gate electrodes. The base layers also include other base elements, such as power and ground voltage supply rails. One or more metal layers are deposited on top of the base layers and patterned to form conductive segments, which interconnect the various elements in the base layers. Electrical contacts or vias may be formed to electrically connect a conductive segment on one of the metal layers with a conductive segment on another metal layer or an element on a base layer.
A gate array type integrated circuit has a predefined base layer layout pattern in which arrays of functionally uncommitted transistors, logic gates and other active devices and features are placed at predefined locations. The base layers can be fabricated on a substrate according to the base layer layout pattern before the overall function of the circuit has been defined. These base layers are provided by the semiconductor manufacturer and are non-programmable or configurable by the design customer.
The design customer receives a cell library and the base layer layout pattern (know as a master slice) from the semiconductor manufacturer and creates a design layout pattern for selectively "metalizing" higher metal layers that interconnect the base layer elements to implement a specified function. Once the design layout pattern is complete, the higher metal layers can be fabricated on top of the base layers to complete the integrated circuit.
One of the additional elements that is often fabricated within the base layers is an array of power supply decoupling capacitors. As the switching speeds of integrated circuits continue to increase, decoupling capacitors are being embedded in integrated circuit designs in order to stabilize the bias voltage levels throughout the integrated circuit. In gate arrays, decoupling capacitors have been placed at regular intervals in the base layer layout pattern. These decoupling capacitors can be formed as parallel plate capacitors, with one plate being formed by the diffusion region of one or more base cell locations and the other plate being formed by polysilicon, which overlaps the diffusion region. The diffusion region is electrically coupled to one power supply rail and the polysilicon layer is coupled to the other power supply rail.
Although decoupling capacitors improve the stability of voltage supply levels on an integrated circuit, design rules that govern the placement and layout of the various elements of the integrated circuit can create inefficiencies when dealing with the decoupling capacitors. For example if each decoupling capacitor instance occupies a small number of base cell locations, edge set back requirements of the base cell locations may limit the capacitance per unit area of each decoupling capacitor. However if each decoupling capacitor instance occupies a large number of base cell locations, backend placement tools may require the boundaries of macro cells that overlap one or more capacitor cells to "snap" or enlarge to the next nearest capacitor cell boundary. This increases the area consumed by the macro cell.
Another problem with the use of decoupling capacitors is the extra processing resources and database space required by the backend tools to manage the details associated with the decoupling capacitors. The existence of decoupling capacitors increases the amount of data that must be handled by backend tools. Cell placement and routing tools must take into account the presence and boundaries of the decoupling capacitor cells when placing logic gates within the layout pattern and when routing their interconnections. This increases the resource requirements in order to layout an integrated circuit design.
Improved methods and apparatus are desired for handling decoupling capacitors in integrated circuit layout designs.

Method and apparatus for use of hidden decoupling capacitors in an integrated circuit design


A graphic processing device is composed of a main storage device, a drawing control device and a drawing device. The main storage device stores data relative to the coordinates of plural graphics. The drawing control device reads out the data relative to the coordinates of the plural graphics stored in the main storage device, scans the coordinate data to calculate the coordinates of intersecting points of a scanning line and the plural graphics for each position of the scanning line. The drawing control device also determines an overlapping area (AND area) or a common area (OR area) of the plural graphics on the basis of the coordinates of the intersecting points of the plural graphics and the scanning line. The drawing device draws the overlapping area (AND area) and the common area (OR area) of the plural graphics as a graphic.

The present invention relates to a graphic drawing method and graphic drawing device for drawing a graphic in a specified area, and more particularly to a graphic drawing method and graphic drawing device which can draw a high-definition and high-resolution graphic with a small storage capacity when clipping any optional shape.
Previously known techniques for clipping any optional shape include a working area technique and a square clipping technique.
In the working area technique, in order to clip an optional shape, a clip frame memory having the same size as that of a frame memory is provided as a working area and a storage area, and a clipped graphic is once drawn on the clip frame memory; in actually drawing a graphic, the filling-over thereof is made with reference to the clipped graphic stored in the clip frame memory. Incidentally, as disclosed in JP-A-59-85573, a graphic can be drawn by clipping for each scanning line using a memory corresponding to one scanning line. On the other hand, in the square clipping technique, in order to clip any optional shape at a high speed, the clipped area is divided into minute square regions; in actually drawing a graphic, clipping for the plural minute regions thus formed is carried out to approximate the optional shape.
The prior art techniques mentioned above are disadvantages in that the working area technique provides inefficient use of memory since the clipping memory having a large size is required for an output device with a high resolution such as a printer. On the other hand, the square clipping technique has no problem of efficiently using memory, but it cannot be used when high drawing quality is required in e.g. a printer owing to its approximation manner.

Graphic processing method for drawing an area defined by clipping of a variable shape and apparatus for doing the same


Monoclonal antibodies which can bind to the Fnbp protein of Staphylococcus aureus and which are generated from a peptide from the D2 region of fibronectin binding protein B (Fnbp) of S. aureus are provided which can be useful in the treatment and protection against infection from staphylococcal bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. The monoclonal antibodies of the invention are advantageous in that they bind S. aureus in high affinity and thus can be useful in the prevention of the adherence of staph bacteria to host cells by impairing or inhibiting the ability of S. aureus Fnbp to bind to fibronectin. Kits and methods of utilizing the monoclonal antibodies of the invention are also provided.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that continues to cause a significant number of community-acquired and nosocomial infections worldwide. The sophisticated interplay between host and bacterium is still not completely understood, however, successful colonization is presumed to be the defining event lead to initiation of an infection. MSCRAMM® (Microbial Surface Components Recognizing Adhesive Matrix Molecules) proteins are a family of cell-surface adhesins that recognize and specifically bind to distinct components within host tissues or to serum-conditioned implanted biomaterials such as catheters, artificial joints, and vascular grafts. Once S. aureus have successfully adhered and colonized host tissues, expression of specific genes are altered resulting in phenotype that is more resistant to antimicrobials.
The dramatic increase in methicillin-resistant bacteria coupled with the recent emergence of vancomycin-resistant isolates have accelerated and broadened the interest in developing novel therapeutics against S. aureus. MSCRAMM® proteins provide an excellent target for immunological attack by antibodies. MSCRAMM® protein antibodies exhibit at least two biological properties; initially the highly specific antibodies prevent microbial adherence or recolonization of host tissues or biomaterials and secondly the increased level of MSCRAMM® protein antibodies bound to the cell wall facilitate a rapid clearance of the organism through opsonophagocytosis.
However, it has still remained a problem to identify and utilize the information concerning MSCRAMMs® from S. aureus, such as the fibronectin binding protein, to generate effective monoclonal antibodies because of the variability in the binding properties of the different MSCRAMMs® and their role in infectivity and spread of bacterial infections. Recently, Brennan and Colleagues, Vaccine 17:1846–1857 (1999) demonstrated that the D-2 peptide from FnbpB expressed on the surface of two different plant viruses were highly immunogenic in mice and rats. They later showed that this polyclonal antisera was protective against endocarditis and weight loss associated with S. aureus bacteraemia (Rennermalm et.al. Vaccine 19:3376–3383 (2001)). On the other hand, it has been a problem to develop monoclonal antibodies which can be generated from the fibronectin binding proteins and/or their active fragments and which can be use to inhibit or impair the binding of staphylococcal Fnbp to fibronectin and thus be useful in methods of preventing or treating staphylococcal infections. It has thus remained a highly desirable goal in the field of infectious diseases to develop monoclonal antibodies and other compositions which are successful in treating and preventing a wide variety of staph infections, particularly by inhibiting or impairing the bacteria's ability to bind to fibronectin.

Monoclonal antibodies to the fibronectin binding protein and method of use in treating or preventing infections


A magnet assembly is provided including a housing having a first end and a second end. A magnet is placed within a recess formed in the first end of the housing and a spring is positioned in at least a portion of the second end of the housing. A method of mounting a magnet assembly in a tool is provided. The method includes providing a magnet assembly including a housing having a recess formed in a first end of the housing and a spring positioned in a second end of the housing. The method further includes placing the magnet assembly into an opening defined in a tool and placing a magnet into the recess, and pressing the magnet against the spring to position the magnet within the tool.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to magnets. In particular, the present invention relates to a magnet including a housing for positioning the magnet within a tool.
2. Background Information
Many kinds of tools are known that incorporate a magnet or a magnetic portion to facilitate the attachment of the tool to a metal object. For example, tools may be magnetized in order to hold the tools against a metal storage rack or against a metal work surface.
Some spirit level tools include a magnet to hold the level against a pipe or other metal surface that needs to be leveled. When a magnet is used on the measuring surface, the magnet must be calibrated to be level with the leveling surface. Commonly, strip or bar magnets are used along a measuring surface of the level, held in place by another bar or adhesive. Alternatively, the strip or bar magnets may be held in place with plastic brackets that snap into place in the measuring surface which then must be calibrated and secured into position. This calibration of structures such as snap-in brackets or bars can be costly and time-consuming.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a magnet assembly that is easily and inexpensively mounted in a tool and which may be easily calibrated using a biasing spring when the magnet assembly is inserted into the tool.


This invention relates to a piston with skirt being formed by four sets of bearing grooves as the main structure, and a cylinder liner with four ball bearing rolling tracks. The bearing groove is in doughnut shape and has a circular cross-section to hold the ball bearing in circulation during the reciprocating motion of the piston. Two lines of ball bearings on each side of a piston pin are in line contact to the bearing tracks of the cylinder liner and share the piston thrust load. Lubrication of the ball bearings is ensured by oil slots through the piston head under the oil ring groove to the exposed ball bearings in rolling contact and to the top of the bearing groove.

The conventional internal combustion engine has a high frictional, reciprocating piston due to the boundary lubrication. Our previous design in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,220 inserts four sets of bearing grooves and recirculating ball bearings in the piston skirt to convert its sliding motion into the rotation of ball bearing and to reduce the frictional energy loss at the piston rings and skirt. However, the ball bearing piston is a modification from a conventional piston and is penalized for its obsolete piston skirt. It is hard to keep the weight light, and the assembly may create problem due to the difference in thermal expansion between the steel bearing groove and the aluminum piston skirt.
One natural way to solve these problems is to create a two piece piston with steel bearing grooves as the main piston skirt, and an original aluminum piston head. While the head retains part of the conventional skirt to hold on the piston pin, the new bearing groove structure rides on two steel rings over the piston pin independently. It provides the least weight and separates the steel bearing groove from the deleted aluminum piston skirt support.
Also, the previous design uses a compatible, hardened cylinder liner for the ball bearing to run. Although there are many balls to share the piston load, each ball has a small contact area which is just better than the point contact, and the contact stress will be high. A solution is to mill the cylinder liner to provide four lines of bearing track. These receded tracks have ball radius curvature and will enlarge the contact area against the ball bearing but minimize the extra blow-by.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of anti-friction piston and cylinder liner. The reduction of friction has achieved through a piston with rollers in the skirt, a two piece piston with cylindrical barrel rollers or a piston with recirculating ball bearings in our previous design.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most of the prior patents utilized the rollers in the piston skirt or in the cylindrical barrel to withstand the piston thrust load under the peak firing pressure of the engine. Our previous patent uses numerous recirculating ball bearings. They all convert the sliding motion of a piston into the rotating motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,949, Piston. to John D. Foster in 1987 uses two sets of three roller bearings mounted on a light weight piston skirt. The load carrying capacity of three axles and rollers will limit the maximum allowable thrust load of the piston and the engine horsepower.
Our previous U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,220, Ball Bearing Piston in 1995 has the piston skirt milled to locate four sets of bearing grooves and recirculating ball bearings. The weight of piston will be increased and becomes a problem. The difference of thermal expansion of the aluminum piston skirt and steel bearing grooves creates concern or problem in the assembly. Also, the bearing groove serves perfectly as a ball bearing inner race. But the hardened cylinder liner has a mismatch curvature or nearly a point contact to the ball bearing. These concerns will limit the application.
In order to design a light weight ball bearing piston the bearing grooves become the main piston skirt structure. Two piece piston and modification on the cylinder liner are introduced to improve the ball bearing piston.


One embodiment provides a semiconductor component including a semiconductor body having a first side and a second side and a drift zone; a first semiconductor zone doped complementarily to the drift zone and adjacent to the drift zone in a direction of the first side; a second semiconductor zone of the same conduction type as the drift zone adjacent to the drift zone in a direction of the second side; at least two trenches arranged in the semiconductor body and extending into the semiconductor body and arranged at a distance from one another; and a field electrode arranged in the at least two trenches adjacent to the drift zone. The at least two trenches are arranged at a distance from the second semiconductor zone in the vertical direction, a distance between the trenches and the second semiconductor zone is greater than 1.5 times the mutual distance between the trenches, and a doping concentration of the drift zone in a section between the trenches and the second semiconductor zone differs by at most 35% from a minimum doping concentration in a section between the trenches.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor component, in particular a transistor, such as a trench transistor, for example.
A trench transistor has a gate electrode arranged in at least one trench of a semiconductor body and serving for controlling a conducting channel in a body zone arranged between a source zone doped complementarily to the body zone and a drift zone doped complementarily to the body zone. The drift zone is arranged between the source zone and a drain zone, wherein the doping and the dimensions of the drift zone crucially determine the dielectric strength of the component.
In order to increase the dielectric strength a field electrode may be provided in the trench of the gate electrode, the field electrode being arranged adjacent to the drift zone and being at gate potential. When the component is turned off, the field electrode serves for compensation of part of the dopant charge present in the drift zone. In the known component, a plurality of trenches having gate electrode sections and field electrode sections arranged therein are present and arranged at a distance from the drain zone. In this case, a distance between the trench and the drain zone is intended to be approximately half as large as a mutual distance between two adjacent trenches.
In "dense trench" transistors gate electrode sections and field electrode sections are spaced apart so closely that during static operation, when a reverse voltage is applied, a field strength maximum occurs at a lower end of the trenches in the drift zone, such that an avalanche breakdown occurs in this region when the dielectric strength limit is exceeded. Transistors of this type are also referred to as "dense trench" transistors.
A further example of a trench transistor is described in DE 10 2004 052 678 B3.
In components of this type, a distinction can be made between two breakdown regimes: the static breakdown explained above, in which only a current having a low current density flows after the breakdown and which is referred to hereinafter as breakdown with low current density; and a breakdown with high current density, in which a high current density is established rapidly in a drift zone section arranged between the trenches. In the case of such a breakdown with high current density, in dense trench transistors the field strength maximum may no longer occur at the lower end of the trenches, but rather at a pn junction between the body zone and the drift zone. This is unfavorable because the entire avalanche current flowing through the component is concentrated on the mesa region between two trenches in which the avalanche breakdown first commences. This can lead to local damage to the component, whereby the component becomes unusable. During an avalanche breakdown that occurs below the trenches in the drift zone, by contrast, the avalanche current is distributed between a plurality of mesa regions, which reduces the risk of destruction.

Semiconductor component with dynamic behavior