An electrostatic fluid accelerator includes a first number of corona electrodes and a second number of accelerating electrodes spaced apart from and parallel to adjacent ones of the corona electrodes. An electrical power source is connected to supply the corona and accelerating electrodes with an operating voltage to produce a high intensity electric field in an inter-electrode space between the corona electrodes and the accelerating electrodes. The accelerating electrodes may be made of a high electrical resistivity material, each of the electrodes having mutually perpendicular length and height dimension oriented transverse to a desired fluid flow direction and a width dimension oriented parallel to the desired fluid flow direction. A length of the electrodes in a direction transverse to a desired fluid flow direction is greater than a width of the electrodes parallel to the fluid flow direction, and the width of the electrodes is at least ten times a height of the electrodes in a direction transverse to both the desired fluid flow direction and to the length.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for accelerating, and thereby imparting velocity and momentum to a fluid, and particularly to the use of corona discharge technology to generate ions and electrical fields especially through the use of ions and electrical fields for the movement and control of fluids such as air, other fluids, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of patents (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,210,847 by Shannon, et al. and 4,231,766 by Spurgin) describe ion generation using an electrode (termed the "corona electrode"), accelerating and, thereby, accelerating the ions toward another electrode (termed the "accelerating", "collecting" or "target" electrode), thereby imparting momentum to the ions in a direction toward the accelerating electrode. Collisions between the ions and an intervening fluid, such as surrounding air molecules, transfer the momentum of the ions to the fluid inducing a corresponding movement of the fluid to achieve an overall movement in a desired fluid flow direction.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,789,801 of Lee, 5,667,564 of Weinberg, 6,176,977 of Taylor, et al., and 4,643,745 of Sakakibara, et al. also describe air movement devices that accelerate air using an electrostatic field. Air velocity achieved in these devices is very low and is not practical for commercial or industrial applications.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,812,711 and 5,077,500 of Torok et al. describe the use of Electrostatic Air Accelerators (EFA) having a combination of different electrodes placed at various locations with respect to each other and different voltage potentials. These EFAs use a conductive or high resistance electrode material to conduct an electrical corona current.
Unfortunately, none of these devices is able to produce a commercially viable amount of the airflow. Varying relative location of the electrodes with respect to each other provides only a limited improvement in EFA performance and fluid velocity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,711 reports generating an air velocity of only 0.5 m/s, far below that expected of and available from commercial fans and blowers.
Accordingly, a need exists for a practical electrostatic fluid accelerator capable of producing commercially useful flow rates.

Electrostatic fluid accelerator for and method of controlling a fluid flow


A zone isolation assembly (22) for a subsurface well (12) having a surface region (32), a first zone (26) and a second zone (28) includes a docking receiver (48) and a docking apparatus (50). The docking apparatus (50) is selectively moved relative to the docking receiver (48) between a disengaged position and an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the first zone (26) is in fluid communication with the second zone (28). In the engaged position, the first zone (26) is not in fluid communication with the second zone (28) during movement of a fluid between the first zone (26) and the surface region (32). The docking apparatus (50) can be maintained in the engaged position substantially by a force of gravity. The zone isolation assembly (22) can include a pump assembly (54) that pumps the fluid while the docking apparatus (50) is in the engaged position. The zone isolation assembly (22) can include a fluid collector (52) that collects the fluid when the docking apparatus (50) is in the engaged position.

Subsurface wells for extracting and/or testing fluid (liquid or gas) samples on land and at sea have been used for many years. Many structures have been developed in an attempt to isolate the fluid from a particular depth in a well so that more accurate in situ or remote laboratory testing of the fluid at that depth "below ground surface" (bgs) can be performed. Unfortunately, attempts to accurately and cost-effectively accomplish this objective have been not altogether satisfactory.
For example, typical wells include riser pipes have relatively large diameters, i.e. 2-4 inches, or greater. Many such wells can have depths that extend hundreds or even thousands of feet bgs. In order to accurately remove a fluid sample from a particular target zone within a well, such as a sample at 1,000 feet bgs, typical wells require that the fluid above the target zone be removed at least once, and more commonly 3 to 5 times this volume, in order to obtain a more representative fluid sample from the desired level. From a volumetric standpoint, traditional wet casing volumes of 2-inch and 4-inch monitoring wells are 0.63 liters (630 ml) to 2.5 liters (2,500 ml) per foot, respectively. As an example, to obtain a sample at 1,000 feet bgs, approximately 630 liters to 2,500 liters of fluid must be purged from the well at least once and more commonly as many as 3 to 5 times this volume. The time required and costs associated with extracting this fluid from the well can be rather significant.
One method of purging fluid from the well and/or obtaining a fluid sample includes using coaxial gas displacement within the riser pipe of the well. Unfortunately, this method can have several drawbacks. First, gas consumption during pressurization of these types of systems can be relatively substantial because of the relatively large diameter and length of riser pipe that must be pressurized. Second, introducing large volumes of gas into the riser pipe can potentially have adverse effects on the volatile organic compounds (VOC's) being measured in the fluid sample that is not collected properly. Third, a pressure sensor that may be present within the riser pipe of a typical well is subjected to repeated pressure changes from the coaxial gas displacement pressurization of the riser pipe. Over time, this artificially-created range of pressures in the riser pipe may have a negative impact on the accuracy of the pressure measurements from the sensor. Fourth, residual gas pressure can potentially damage one or more sensors and/or alter readings from the sensors once substantially all of the fluid has passed through the sample collection line past the sensors. Fifth, any leaks in the system can cause gas to be forcibly infused into the ground formation, which can influence the results of future sample collections.
Another method for purging fluid from these types of wells includes the use of a bladder pump. Bladder pumps include a bladder that alternatingly fills and empties with a gas to force movement of the fluid within a pump system. However, the bladders inside these pumps can be susceptible to leakage due to becoming fatigued or detached during pressurization. Further, the initial cost as well as maintenance and repair of bladder pumps can be relatively expensive. In addition, at certain depths, bladder pumps require an equilibration period during pressurization to decrease the likelihood of damage to or failure of the pump system. This equilibration period can result in a slower overall purging process, which decreases efficiency.
An additional method for purging fluid from a well includes using an electric submersible pump system having an electric motor. This type of system can be susceptible to electrical shorts and/or burning out of the electric motor. Additionally, this type of pump typically uses one or more impellers that can cause pressure differentials (e.g., drops), which can result in VOC loss from the sample being collected. Operation of these types of electric pumps can also raise the temperature of the groundwater, which can also impact VOC loss. Moreover, these pumps can be relatively costly and somewhat more difficult to repair and maintain.
Further, the means for physically isolating a particular zone of the well from the rest of the well can have several shortcomings. For instance, inflatable packers are commonly used to isolate the fluid from a particular zone either above or below the packer. However, these types of packers can be subject to leakage, and can be cumbersome and relatively expensive. In addition, these packers are susceptible to rupturing, which potentially damage the well.

Zone isolation assembly for isolating and testing fluid samples from a subsurface well


Apparatus for sputtering magnetic target material using a magnetic field shunt within a moving magnet sputtering source. The apparatus includes a magnetic field shunt that is embedded into the target material along the path of the moving magnet assembly at a location where a deep erosion trench is created by the assembly in the target material. The magnetic field shunt provides an alternate path for the magnetic flux that is liberated by the erosion of the target. Alternatively, the magnetic field shunt is physically attached to the magnetic pole piece such that the magnetic shunt moves with the pole piece along the track that the pole piece is moved.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of magnetron sputtering and, more specifically, to planar magnetron sputtering apparatus for sputtering magnetic target materials using a rotating magnetic assembly.
2. Background of the Invention
Glow discharge sputtering is a well-known process that is widely used to deposit thin films of various kinds of ceramic and metallic materials onto the surfaces of objects. For example, glow discharge sputtering is commonly used in the electronics industry to produce integrated circuit semiconductors and photovoltaic cells, as well as the magnetic tapes and disks used in audio, video, and computer applications.
One type of glow discharge sputtering is diode sputtering. Diode sputtering is usually conducted in a vacuum chamber and in the presence of an inert sputtering gas, such as argon, that is maintained under very low pressure. The material to be sputtered (referred to as the target) is connected to the negative terminal of a DC power supply and serves as a cathode. The positive terminal of the power supply may be connected to a separate anode structure or to the vacuum chamber itself, depending on the application. The strong electric field between the target/cathode and the anode ionizes the sputtering gas, producing a glow discharge. Since the target/cathode is held at a strong negative potential, the positive ions from the glow discharge bombard the target material and eject target atoms, which then deposit on a workpiece or a substrate placed generally in line of sight of the target. Unfortunately, however, the diode sputtering process is slow and relatively inefficient compared to other film deposition techniques.
The efficiency of the diode sputtering process has been significantly increased by using a magnetic field to confine the glow discharge to the immediate vicinity of the target surface. Basically, while the sputtering yield (i.e., the number of target atoms dislodged or sputtered per incident ion) depends on the energies of the incident ions, the overall sputtering rate depends on both the energies of the incident ions as well as the total number of ions that bombard the target surface during a given time. Therefore, the sputtering rate can be increased by using a magnetic field to confine the ions and electrons produced in the glow discharge to the region immediately adjacent the surface of the target. The presence of such a plasma-confining magnetic field also has other benefits, such as allowing the sputtering operation to be conducted at lower gas pressures, confining the glow discharge to the neighborhood of the electrodes, and reducing electron bombardment of the substrates.
A common type of magnetic sputtering device is the planar magnetron, so named because the target is in the form of a flat circular or rectangular plate. Powerful magnets placed behind the target plate produce a strong plasma-confining magnetic field adjacent the front surface of the target, thus greatly increasing sputtering efficiency. While numerous shapes and configurations of plasma-confining magnetic fields exist, it is common to shape the plasma-confining magnetic field so that it forms a closed loop ring or "racetrack" over the surface of the target material. When viewed in cross-section, the flux lines of the magnetic field loop or arch over the surface-of the target, forming a magnetic "tunnel," which confines the glow discharge to a ring or racetrack shaped sputtering region proximate the front surface of the target. As is well-known, the electric field created by the high voltage between an anode and the target/cathode acting in combination with the closed loop magnetic field causes electrons within the glow discharge to gain a net velocity along the racetrack, with the magnitude and direction of the electron velocity vector being given by the vector cross product of the electric field vector E and the magnetic field vector B (known as the EXB velocity). The shape of the predominate electron path defines the portion of the target material that will be sputtered.
While planar magnetrons are widely used to sputter non-magnetic target materials, such as aluminum and its alloys, they have not proven particularly useful for sputtering magnetic materials such as, for example, iron, nickel, iron-nickel alloys, and cobalt-chromium alloys. Simply replacing a non-magnetic target in a planar magnetron with a ferromagnetic target of the same general configuration usually causes most, if not all, of the magnetic field to be shunted through the magnetic target. This reduces the intensity of the plasma-confining magnetic tunnel above the target to the point where it can no longer effectively confine the plasma over the surface of the target, thus reducing planar magnetron sputtering to that of ordinary diode sputtering with its attendant relatively slow sputter rate and inefficiency.
One solution to the problem of sputtering magnetic target materials has been to use very thin targets so that the target does not short the entire magnetic field. If the target is thin enough (approximately 2-3 mm for a highly ferrous material), sufficient excess magnetic flux will remain over the front surface of the target to produce a plasma-confining magnetic tunnel. Unfortunately, however, such thin targets are rapidly depleted, thus requiring frequent replacement and substantial downtime of the sputtering apparatus.
Another solution to the problem has been to strengthen the magnetic field so that it can saturate thicker targets, yet still produce a plasma-confining magnetic tunnel over the front surface of the target. Usually a field strength in the range of about 80-100 gauss in a direction parallel to the target surface is required to achieve the magnetron effect. While stronger magnets are more expensive, they can, at least theoretically, result in a magnetron suitable for sputtering magnetic targets of sufficient thicknesses to offset the additional cost of the stronger magnets. Unfortunately, however, sputtering magnetrons that magnetically saturate the target suffer from another problem that has proven much more difficult to overcome: namely, severe magnetic pinching of the plasma.
The magnetic pinching phenomenon is best understood by referring to FIG. 1 which illustrates, in schematic form, the forces acting on electrons in the region of the magnetic tunnel 106. In a prior art magnetron, a magnet assembly 100 produces a magnetic field that can be characterized by a plurality of magnetic flux lines 102 one of which is shown in FIG. 1. The flux line 102 shown in FIG. 1 is representative of the field shape immediately adjacent the front surface of the target. Points A and C are points in the central region of the tunnel, to the left and right of the central axis X respectively. Point B is a point on the central axis X of the tunnel, coincident with the flux line 102. The target locations within the tunnel fields are such that each of the points A, B, and C will be coincident with the front surface of the target at some time during the sputtering process. As is well-known, the curvature of the magnetic field 102 subjects electrons positioned at points A and C lateral forces (represented by arrows 104) that tend to push them toward the central axis X of the tunnel 106. Since the magnetic field has no vertical component (i.e., a component orthogonal to the plane of the pole piece) at point B, no lateral forces are exerted on electrons at point B. The action of the lateral forces on the electrons in the plasma tends to force or pinch them toward the central axis X of the magnetic tunnel 106. Since the erosion caused by sputtering is related to the density of the electrons in the glow discharge plasma, the effect of the pinching phenomenon increases the erosion rate along the central axis X of the magnetic tunnel 106.
While this pinching phenomenon occurs in all types of planar magnetrons with arched magnetic tunnels, the problem becomes much worse when sputtering magnetic target materials, as best seen in FIGS. 2(a)-(d). When sputtering magnetic target 200, a large portion of the magnetic flux 102 produced by the magnet assembly 202 will be shunted through the magnetic target 200. However, if the magnetic field is strong enough, sufficient magnetic flux will remain over the front surface of the target to produce an arched, plasma-confining magnetic tunnel 106. As was explained above, the pinching forces resulting from the arched magnetic tunnel will initially pinch the electrons toward the center of the tunnel, resulting in the greatest erosion rate at a point disposed central to the tunnel. However, as the target erodes, its ross-sectional area decreases, thus forcing additional magnetic flux from the target. Since the excess magnetic flux always takes the lowest energy path (i.e., the path of least resistance), it usually exits the target surface in the erosion area and re-enters the target just as soon as the cross-sectional area has increased to the point where the target material can again accommodate the excess flux. The liberated magnetic flux arching over the front surface of the target subjects electrons within the glow discharge plasma to even greater pinching forces, which substantially increases the electron density, thus erosion rate, along the center of the tunnel, as best seen in FIG. 2(c). As the target erodes further, more and more magnetic flux is liberated, resulting in stronger pinching forces, higher electron densities, and greater erosion rates. The result is a deep, spike-like erosion groove 204 in the target 200, as best seen in FIG. 2(d).
The fraction of the target material that has been sputtered away by the time the bottom of the erosion groove 204 reaches the back surface of the target is referred to as the target utilization, and is extremely low for most magnetic targets, in the range of 5%-15% at best. Since most target materials tend to be relatively expensive, such low target utilization is wasteful and increases the costs associated with the sputtering process. For example, although spent targets may be recycled and re-worked into new targets, the time spent changing and reworking targets can be significant and in any event, increases the overall cost of the sputtering operation.
One solution to improving the pinching phenomenon when using non-moving, or static, magnets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,754 which discloses a magnet assembly positioned adjacent to the back surface of a target for generating a magnetic field having sufficient strength to magnetically saturate the target and to produce a plasma-confining magnetic tunnel over the front surface of the target, i.e., similar to the assembly shown in FIGS. 2(a)-(d). A magnetic shunt (shown in phantom as 250 in FIG. 2(d)) is positioned a distance from the back surface of the target and provides an alternate path for most of the excess magnetic flux liberated by the erosion of the target. The alternate path is characterized by lower magnetic resistance than the paths which exist at the front surface of the target and paths through the sputtering region.
Although a static magnetic assembly having a magnetic shunt provides improved target utilization, such static magnetic assemblies are only useful for use with relatively small targets. A relatively small target is only capable of deposition upon small object and small semiconductor wafers (e.g., a 150 mm diameter wafer). Consequently, the target assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,754 is not useful for deposition upon large semiconductor wafers (e.g., 200 mm diameter wafers). Recent advances to efficiently deposit magnetic materials onto large objects such as 200 mm or greater diameter semiconductor wafers using large target structures utilize a moving (rotating) magnetic assembly. Such moving magnet assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,444,643; 4,714,536; and 5,320,728. Each of these patents discloses a movable magnetic field source that is moved along the back of a target, parallel to the face of the target to produce a time-averaged sputtering of the target such that the uniformity of target utilization is increased and that the target is more efficiently sputtered. A significant development in moving magnet target utilization control systems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,728 which discloses a structure having shaped pole pieces and a specific motion path that best utilizes the target material. However, although the shape of the pole piece and the path over the target are both optimized to produce an efficient sputtering of the target material, the pole pieces move in a defined path that will result in the pinching phenomenon. Although the pinching phenomenon is averaged over the entire target structure as the magnets move in their defined patterns, over time the pinching phenomenon will result in the target being eroded to have specific tracks in the target material, leaving significant non-sputtered, and thus unused, portions of the target.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for apparatus that reduces the pinching phenomenon in a system that uses a moving magnetic field generator within a target assembly of a magnetic material sputtering system.

Apparatus for sputtering magnetic target materials


Controlled ejection of a fluid-based solute medicament includes determining an indication of a characteristic of the medicament in at least one ejection chamber, and ejecting the medicament from the at least one ejection chamber based on the determined indication.

Fluid-based medicament ejectors are used to dispense medicament as an aerosol. An example of such an ejector is the metered dose inhaler. Metered dose inhalers provide a much-needed drug-delivery method that allows patients to aspirate medication rather than swallow a pill, or drink or inject medication. In some cases, as with medications that directly target the patient's lungs, aspiration enables the medicine to reach the target area more quickly. In addition, aspiration is typically considered to be less painful than other drug-delivery methods.
As with other methods of taking medications, it is desired that the dosage levels be determinable and consistent. With solid or liquid medicaments, dosage level may be fairly accurately established. However, aerosol-based medicaments may be more difficult to administer accurately. For one reason, a mechanical device typically is relied upon to generate a dosage. It is also more difficult for a patient to receive a dosage effectively. For instance, with an inhaler, the patient must inhale an aerosol spray containing the medicament. The effectiveness of the dosage may depend, for example, on how well the patient inhales, and the orientation and position of the inhaler relative to the patient's mouth.
Effective delivery of aerosol medicaments also may depend on the consistent functioning of the inhaler. In particular, the inhaler should produce a desired quantity of medicament during a period of time that allows the aerosol medicament to be inhaled by the patient. The quantity of medicament is not the only issue with aerosols. It has been shown that the velocity and aerodynamic particle size of the droplet influence the location of aerosol deposition in the lung. Particles that are larger than approximately 6 microns tend to deposit in the mouth and trachea. Particles that are between approximately 2-6 microns tend to deposit in the bronchi and bronchioles. Particles that are between approximately 0.5-2 microns tend to deposit in the terminal bronchioles and alveoli. The deposition of particles below approximately 0.5 microns is minimal, these particles are more susceptible to being expelled upon exhalation. For many drugs, deposition in the lower airways is most desirable, and hence require aerodynamic particle sizes in the range of approximately 1-5 microns. Metered dose inhalers may produce a large range of droplet sizes within a single puff, including droplets both above and below the ideal range. Those droplets that are too small are not retained by the lungs, and are instead exhaled out of the body. Likewise, those droplets that are too large are not absorbed by the lungs, but instead deposit in the extrathoracic and upper airways. They are subsequently swallowed and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, in order to obtain dependable and consistent results with aerosol-based medicament ejectors, it is useful to maintain consistent quantity and quality of dosages.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Method and apparatus for reporting feedback information for multi-carrier operation are disclosed. For more effective support for the asymmetric traffic loads in the downlink, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is configured with multiple carriers with an unpaired downlink carrier(s). The unpaired downlink carrier is an active downlink carrier that does not have a corresponding active uplink carrier. The WTRU reports feedback information for multi-carrier operation including feedback for the unpaired downlink carrier. For transmission of the feedback information for the unpaired downlink carrier, a feedback channel may be allocated on a distinct non-overlapping resource region on the uplink carrier so that the network may determine which downlink carrier the received feedback information is for based on the resource region. Alternatively, a different feedback channel may be allocated for the unpaired downlink carrier. Alternatively, the feedback information may be transmitted via medium access control (MAC) encoded feedback.

Multi-carrier operation improves achievable throughput and coverage of wireless access systems. In multi-carrier operation, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be configured and activate more than one frequency carrier in the uplink (UL) and/or in the downlink (DL). The multi-carrier operations would allow UL and DL transmission bandwidths to exceed a single carrier frequency and allow for more flexible and more efficient usage of the available spectrums.
For flexible and efficient usage of the available spectrums and for effective support for the asymmetric traffic loads in the DL, the multi-carrier configuration with an unpaired DL carrier(s) has been proposed. An unpaired DL carrier is a DL carrier that does not have a corresponding UL carrier. For example, in frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, the DL may contain a first 20 MHz carrier and a second 10 MHz carrier and the UL may have a 20 MHz carrier. In this example, the second DL 10 MHz carrier, which does not have a paired UL carrier, is an unpaired DL carrier. The unpaired DL carrier may occur in time division duplex (TDD) systems as well. For example, a subscriber may have a first carrier activated on both the DL and the UL and a second carrier activated only on the DL, where the second carrier with only DL activation is an unpaired DL carrier. Another example of unpaired DL carrier is a partially configured carrier, which is defined as DL-only transmission carrier in TDD or a DL carrier without paired UL carrier in FDD.


A fishing tool is provided for use in association with the performance of fishing and other similar activities, and more particularly, to a rod-mountable fishing tool exhibiting an integrated aesthetic appearance wherein aesthetic shapes and features also can serve multiple functions associated with tasks typically performed while fishing, such as cutting of lines, nipping of knots, tying of knots, storage of hooks and lines, and other tasks.

For individuals who fish or work as fishing guides, various tools such as knives and scissor like cutters may be used to cut fishing line or nip extra lengths of such fishing line. Often, tying of the knots between the fishing line and a lure is accomplished separate from a cutting tool. Further, for storage of tied hooks when not fishing, various methods of storing the hook are employed such as hooking the hook onto an existing line guide mounted to the rod, a hook keeper mounted on the rod, or in some cases, embedding the hook into existing rod structure such as a cork handle or other similar material. Notably, some these functions are performed by separate tools and some functions by structures found on a fishing rod.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved fishing tool, which overcomes disadvantages associated with known fishing equipment and accessories.
The invention creates a more efficient way to keep people fishing and reduce the time it takes to re-rig, ultimately getting customers back to what they loved to do, fish. Objects of the invention include creating something that was an extension of and a complement to existing gear, did not interfere with the act of fishing, and that never got left behind. The multi-function fishing tool of the present invention is designed to be a subcompact line management solution taking the place of larger tools such as knifes, scissors, nippers, etc., which are commonly used when re-rigging.
The fishing tool as illustrated in the drawings performs multiple functions while providing an aesthetically pleasing design, wherein the functions include but are not limited to the following features:
SLICE (Like a Knife)—Heavy duty cutting blade makes quick work of monofilament, fluorocarbon, copolymer, and braided fishing lines (120 IB+). The blade preferably is made of stainless steel and is embedded in a main body, preferably by insertion through a bottom slot formed in the main body and fastening in place by a central bore and dowel pin or other fastener. In one construction, the main body may be 3D printed, although it will be understood that the main body may be formed by other manufacturing techniques such as molding.
SNIP (Like a Nipper)—Thumb depressible nipper makes precision cuts a breeze, allows easy removal of tag ends, and makes quick work of knots remaining on eyelets. Conveniently placed thumb dimple improves ergonomics (50 IB+) and allows the upper jaw to flex relative to the lower jaw to snip objects against the forward extending blade end on the blade.
STOW (Like a Hook Keeper)—Utilize the enlarged and inline hook keeper formed as an hourglass opening in the tail end of the fishing tool. Designed to remedy the awkward and slow gear storage experience found with traditional (or non-existent) hook keepers.
LINE DYNAMIC—Design Concept utilized to make the fishing tool essentially snagless as well as low profile and convenient—remaining incredibly user intuitive. Compact, low profile, and practically weightless
VERSA-MOUNT—Attach anywhere, go anywhere. The fishing tool is designed to seamlessly integrate as a line management tool with a fisherman's most integral pieces of gear all using the included O-rings for attachment:
1. Securely mount to your rod blank (in front of reel or behind reel on split grips)
2. Zippers of clothing and tackle bags
3. Zingers
4. Lanyards
5. Keychains, etc.
EASY GLIDE ENTRY POINT—Seamless line entry point only allows line inside the jaws intentionally—works like a weedless lure to prevent snags and unintentional cuts
KNOT POP—Precisely shaped fish head allows user to split knots apart that may be remaining on eyelets.
KNOT ASSIST—Use the fishing tool's eye to stabilize hooks and keep both hands free when tying knots. In addition, the eye provides a safer and more effective way to hold your lure when firmly pulling down knots.
RAZORCUT BLADE—Stainless steel coated blades ensure a razor sharp edge lasting thousands of cuts
QUAD-LOCK ATTACHMENT—Attachment is made easy and secure with the Quad-Lock technology—Four point attachment system works in conjunction with a concave base to eliminate lateral torsion on rod blank. Also featuring low profile attachment points to eliminate snags.
XTRA-TOUCH O-RINGS—6 total O-rings are included in pairs of small, medium, and large to accommodate nearly all rod diameters and are nearly indestructible—guaranteed to hold up to the harshest weather extremes. This attachment method is non marring and rock solid.
NEXT-GEN CONSTRUCTION—Advanced polymer body blends strength, durability, and flexibility into one incredibly lightweight material. Intentionally designed to be "non-mechanical" (no hinges, springs, etc.) to increase longevity. Does not become cold to touch and is engineered to withstand repeated exposure to harsh environmental conditions.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words "upwardly", "downwardly", "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.


A wiring board includes a core layer, a through-hole penetrating through the core layer in its thickness direction, a first wiring layer formed on a first surface of the core layer, a through-hole wiring formed in the through-hole and electrically connected to the first wiring layer, and a curved first chamfered portion formed in a boundary portion between an inner side surface of the through-hole and the first surface of the core layer. The first wiring layer includes a first metal layer formed outside the first chamfered portion on the first surface of the core layer and a second metal layer formed on the first chamfered portion and the first metal layer.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a wiring board and a method of manufacturing the wiring board.
2. Related Art
There are wiring boards having wirings formed by filling, through-holes which penetrate through an insulating layer, with a plating material (hereinafter called as through-hole wirings). For example, such a wiring board is manufactured in the following manner. First, an insulating layer that is formed with copper foils on the two respective surfaces is prepared. Openings are formed through each copper foil by etching them so as to expose the respective surfaces of the insulating layer. Then, laser processing is performed on the exposed portions of the respective surfaces of the insulating layer through the openings, thereby forming through-holes each having a shape in which tapered shapes are connected by their narrower ends. Then, the through-holes are filled with the plating material.

Wiring board and method of manufacturing the same


A method for reducing perceived defrost noise in a heat pump is provided. The method may include energizing a fan configured to urge a heat transfer medium across a heat exchanger, and initiating a defrost cycle to warm the heat exchanger. Initiating the defrost cycle may include de-energizing a compressor fluidly coupled to the heat exchanger, and delaying for a first delay period with the fan energized and the compressor de-energized. Initiating the defrost cycle may also include energizing a reversing valve after the first delay period, to reverse a flow of a refrigerant flow between the compressor and the heat exchanger, and delaying for a second delay period with the fan energized, the compressor de-energized, and the reversing valve energized. Initiating the defrost cycle may also include de-energizing the fan. The method may also include defrosting the heat pump during the defrost cycle, and terminating the defrost cycle.

Heat pumps are used in a variety of settings, for example, in HVAC systems that provide a desired air temperature in a facility. Such heat pumps commonly include a compressor, evaporator, expansion valve, and condenser. The heat pumps input work to the refrigerant, e.g., by driving the compressor, thereby enabling the refrigerant to move heat from a colder heat reservoir to a warmer heat sink.
Some heat pumps are provided as "split" systems, in which the condenser (in heating applications) is disposed inside of the facility, while compressor, evaporator, and expansion valve are disposed outside the facility. This allows for efficient moving of heat from the outside (reservoir) to the inside (sink).
"Frosting" of the outside unit is a common problem seen in such heat pump split systems when implemented in colder climates. Frosting is caused by moisture accumulation on the evaporator, typically in temperatures just above freezing, for example, between 0° C. and 5° C. The accumulated moisture is then frozen by the cold refrigerant coursing through the evaporator and obstructs the flow of air past the evaporator, which reduces operating efficiency. Frosting can also be seen in warmer, humid climates, where the heat pump is configured to cool the facility and the evaporator is disposed inside the facility, while the condenser is outside.
One way in which frosting is avoided is by providing periodic defrost cycles in the heat pump. The defrost cycle typically proceeds by reversing the flow of the refrigerant in the heat pump, such that the condenser and evaporator conceptually switch places. The result is that the refrigerant warms the evaporator, thereby avoiding such frost accumulation.
However, initiating and terminating defrost cycles by reversing the refrigerant flow presents challenges. Efficient operation of the heat pump relies on a relatively high compression ratio between the high-pressure side (downstream of the compressor and upstream of the expansion valve) and the low-pressure side (upstream of the compressor and downstream of the expansion valve). With such a high pressure differential, reversing the refrigerant flow to initiate or terminate a defrost cycle often results in a rush of reversing refrigerant flowing from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side. This can result in valve screech, "groaning," "swooshing," and a variety of other noises that give users the impression that high quality, working parts are either broken or poorly made.
What is needed is a method for reducing perceived defrost noises in a heat pump.

Method for reducing transient defrost noise on an outdoor split system heat pump


A furnace is set to the floor section where wastes such as wood chips, scrapped wood, or wood pieces are put, flammable wastes such as planer chips, plane chips, bark, branches and leaves, or waste paper are arranged as an ignition material so as to cover the upper and lower sides of the wastes. Several resistant steel lids are lain one upon another on the upper side of the furnace so that heat and smoke can pass through the gap between the lids. The ignition material is ignited and inside combustion material is incompletely burned keeping the central portion of green-wood stacked on the upper side in a range of 75 to 80.degree. C. The green-wood is smoking-seasoned at a low temperature by supplying smoke and hot air to the wood and the stacked wood is seasoned at a low temperature by convection blowers arranged at various positions in the indoor temperature adjusting damper and the room. Then the wood is left as it is until the difference between the core temperature of the wood and the outside air temperature comes to 5.degree. C. or less and thereafter, the shutter in the room is opened to bring out the wood.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seasoning method for wood used as a building material of a structure or a component material of fittings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional wood seasoning method is roughly divided into natural seasoning and artificial seasoning. Artificial seasoning includes a seasoning method using a heat source of gas, electricity, or steam, a reduced-pressure seasoning method using heating or high frequency, and a dehumidification seasoning method.
Because natural seasoning is a method of putting green wood at a well-ventilated place to naturally season the wood, it requires a lot of seasoning days and has a disadvantage that the number of seasoning days cannot be determined because it is subject to weather. Moreover, the wood becomes heterogeneous because its moisture content cannot be kept constant and moreover, the wood cannot be seasoned up to a certain moisture content or less. Therefore, wood used is dried due to air conditioning in a room after built and resultingly, structures or fittings are deformed.
In the case of artificial seasoning, it is possible to decrease the number of seasoning days, specify the number of seasoning days, and obtain wood with a low moisture content, and comparatively small warps, cracks or deformation because this method is not influenced by weather. However, the costs for a heat source and equipment increase.
In the case of seasoning using gas or electricity as a heat source or using steam, temperature and humidity can easily be adjusted. However, the equipment cost and energy cost increase and problems lie in the durability of equipment including a furnace and machinery.
Reduced-pressure seasoning is performed by reducing pressure and thereby lowering the boiling point of water (approx. 41.degree. C.). When the seasoning temperature exceeds 80.degree. C., wood fiber is swelled and broken. In other words, strength deterioration occurs. In the case of this method, when the wood temperature lowers due to sudden seasoning, the seasoning speed decreases. Therefore, an effective seasoning time is up to approx. 2 hours. Moreover, because wood temperature unevenness occurs in stacked wood when the wood temperature rises and thereby, unevenness of moisture content occurs in finished wood.
In the case of dehumidification seasoning, equipment is simple and its operation is also easy. However, seasoning time increases.


An optical system for an endoscope includes an objective lens, a relay lens arrangement, and a correction optical system disposed in an optical path on a proximal end side of the objective lens. The correction optical system corrects curvature of field caused by the relay lens arrangement. In the optical system for an endoscope, the correction optical system includes at least one concave mirror having an aspherical surface.

A rigid endoscope that uses a relay lens includes an objective lens and a relay lens. The relay lens transmits an image formed by the objective lens toward the proximal end side of the objective lens. By watching light beams that exit from the relay lens through an eyepiece, an object can be directly observed by a human eye. Alternatively, light beams that exit from the relay lens are formed again on an image pickup device by an imaging lens, thereby the obtained image is displayed in a display device for observation.
A relay lens proposed by Hopkins, in which rod lenses are used, is widely used. This Hopkins type relay lens has advantages in that a bright image is obtained, chromatic aberration is corrected, and asymmetric aberration is also corrected. However, with the Hopkins type relay lens, curvature of field remains. Accordingly, when the number of relay sets is increased or the numerical aperture is increased, effects of curvature of field are increased. This may degrade performance. In order to address this, NPL 1 discloses a technology in which the Hopkins type relay lens is modified so that curvature of field is reduced.
Also, in order to reduce curvature of field of a relay lens, PTL 1 discloses a technology, in which an optical system including two triplets combined together is used as a relay set of a relay lens. Here, each of the triplets includes lenses having positive, negative, and positive refractive powers. With this technology, curvature of field is reduced by an effect produced by the negative lens of the triplet.
In the relay lens disclosed in PTL 1, the triplet design is used to correct curvature of field with the negative lens included in each of the triplets. It is described in PTL1 that, with this negative lens, not only curvature of field caused by the triplet itself but also curvature of field caused by other relay sets using a related-art relay lens can be corrected. However, PTL 1 discloses only the appearance of the triplet and does not disclose a numerical embodiment or aberration. Thus, it is not clear that to what extent the triplet can correct curvature of field caused by the other relay sets of the relay lens. The refractive power of the negative lens needs to be increased for correcting curvature of field within the triplet. In addition, in order to also correct curvature of field caused by the relay lenses of the other relay sets, the refractive power of the negative lens needs to be further increased. The further increase in the refractive power of the negative lens increases spherical aberration, astigmatism, and axial chromatic aberration. This may lead to degradation of imaging performance. In addition, the relay lens becomes more sensitive to decenter. This may lead to an increase in the manufacturing cost. Thus, a further increase in the number of the relay sets of the related-art relay lens used in other relay sets is difficult.

Optical system for endoscope and endoscope


A liquid crystal composition for use in a DAP mode liquid crystal display device of a homeotropic structure type contains at least one kind of predetermined tolan derivative. The liquid crystal composition is used for a liquid crystal display device of an active-matrix drive type. The liquid crystal composition is also used for a projection type display. The content of the predetermined tolan derivative is in a range of 3 wt % to 20 wt %.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal compound containing a tolan derivative and a liquid crystal device (LCD) using the compound, and more particularly to a homeotropic structure type liquid crystal display device adopting a DAP mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is a general tendency that so far manufactured liquid crystal display devices adopt a TN mode or an STN mode which utilizes a nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric constant anisotropy. However, while these operation modes rely on twisted liquid crystal molecules, the twisted liquid crystal molecules appear to be different if the display device is viewed from different directions. As a result, the display device has a disadvantage that its contrast varies depending on a visual angle.
As a solution for eliminating the above disadvantage, a display device of a DAP mode utilizing a nematic liquid crystal with a negative dielectric constant anisotropy has been under consideration. In this mode, liquid crystal molecules are arranged substantially perpendicular to glass substrates in an initial arrangement of liquid crystal (when applied with a voltage equal to or less than a threshold value). Thus, the DAP mode has an advantage that the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules is the same regardless of visual angle and that the contrast has a low visual angle dependency. Under such background, studies on display devices of the DAP mode have been under progress.
To utilize a DAP mode liquid crystal for a display device, it is required that an abrupt threshold characteristic or abruptness .gamma.(V90/V10) is small, where V90 represents a voltage at which 90% of transmissivity is obtained, while V10 represents a voltage at which 10% of transmissivity is obtained.
Also, to realize a projection type liquid crystal display using this liquid crystal, a wide range of liquid crystal phase temperatures is required.
A transmitted light intensity I in the DAP mode is expressed by: EQU I=I.sub.0 Sin.sup.2 2.theta.Sin.sup.2 (.pi.R/.lambda.)
where I.sub.0 is an incident light intensity, .theta. is an angle formed by an incident polarized light direction and a vibration direction of ordinary light in a liquid crystal cell, and .lambda. is the wavelength of incident light. Further, R represents the amount of retardation of the liquid crystal cell, which depends on a cell thickness d, birefringence .increment.n of a liquid crystal and an inclined angle .phi.(V) of the major axis of liquid molecules, as expressed by: EQU R=d.increment.n Sin.sup.2.phi. (V)
It can be seen from the above equation that, to improve the abruptness .gamma., it is necessary to increase birefringence .increment.n of liquid crystal as well as employ cells having a larger thickness d.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal material for use in the DAP mode, which has a wide liquid crystal phase temperature range even applicable to a projection type liquid crystal display, increased birefringence and improved abruptness .gamma..


An AC active load device for use with a generator and a controller to supply a variable impedance when supplied with an AC waveform. The AC active load device uses a transformer and one or more transistors to generate an average max load impedance greater than 1000 ohms over varying voltage levels. The transistor functions as a dynamically-controlled resistor to the generator when the generator supplies the AC voltage to the transformer. The transistors may be GaN FETs or LDMOSFETs. The transformer steps down a voltage supplied by a generator to a voltage below the threshold voltage of the transistors. A control voltage is supplied to the gate of the transistors and may be controlled by a controller. A voltage and current are outputted to the controller from the AC active load device. The AC active load device may be used to calibrate the generator.

Electrosurgical generators are employed by surgeons in conjunction with an electrosurgical instrument to cut, coagulate, desiccate and/or seal patient tissue. High frequency electrical energy, e.g., radio frequency (RF) energy, is produced by the electrosurgical generator and applied to the tissue by an electrosurgical tool. Both monopolar and bipolar configurations are commonly used during electrosurgical procedures.
Electrosurgical techniques and instruments can be used to coagulate small diameter blood vessels or to seal large diameter vessels or tissue, e.g., veins and/or soft tissue structures, such as lung, and intestine. A surgeon can cauterize, coagulate/desiccate and/or simply reduce or slow bleeding, by controlling the intensity, frequency and duration of the electrosurgical energy applied between the electrodes and through the tissue. For the purposes herein, the term "cauterization" is defined as the use of heat to destroy tissue (also called "diathermy" or "electro-diathermy"). The term "coagulation" is defined as a process of desiccating tissue wherein the tissue cells are ruptured and dried.
"Vessel sealing" or "tissue fusion" is defined as the process of liquefying the collagen and elastin in the tissue so that it reforms into a fused mass with significantly-reduced demarcation between the opposing tissue structures (opposing walls of the lumen). Coagulation of small vessels is usually sufficient to permanently close them while larger vessels or tissue need to be sealed to assure permanent closure. It has been known that different waveforms of electrosurgical energy are suited for different surgical affects, e.g., cutting, coagulation, sealing, blend, etc. For example, the "cutting" mode typically entails generating a continuous sinusoidal waveform in the frequency range of 250 kHz to 4 MHz with a crest factor in the range of 1.4 to 2.0. The "blend" mode typically entails generating a periodic burst waveform with a duty cycle in the range of 25% to 75% and a crest factor in the range of 2.0 to 5.0. The "coagulate" mode typically entails generating a periodic burst waveform with a duty cycle of approximately 10% or less and a crest factor in the range of 5.0 to 12.0. In order to effectively and consistently seal vessels or tissue, a pulse-like waveform is desired.
In order to optimize sealing or tissue fusion without causing unwanted charring of tissue at the surgical site or possibly causing collateral damage to adjacent tissue, e.g., thermal spread, it is necessary to accurately control the output from the electrosurgical generator, e.g., power, waveform, voltage, current, pulse rate, etc. It follows that accurate measurement of the output power of an electrosurgical generator greatly benefits the design, manufacture, and use thereof.
The task of acquiring power data from an electrosurgical generator unit typically involves coupling the RF output of the generator to a dummy load, and manually activating an output power mode and/or level via front panel controls or other actuator. The current value through the load is measured with an RMS voltmeter and recorded manually for each data point along a test sequence. Every data point must then be transferred into a form suitable for design analysis or individual product calibration by a design engineer or line technician. The entire series of measurements may be repeated for different power levels and with different dummy loads. For example, test data may be manually input into a spreadsheet or bench test equipment to calculate load power for each data point. Each power level and mode setting requires at least 20 data points to define a curve with a meaningful level of detail. Typically, at least three power levels are used to define a particular mode. Thus, for each electrosurgical mode, at least 60 data points need to be collected. This means that for an electrosurgical generator that can operate in a cut mode, a blend mode, a coagulation mode, and a sealing mode, 240 data points are required to meet the minimum level of precision required. The result is a time-consuming and labor-intensive product development cycle or manufacturing process which adds considerable cost to the product and negatively impacts time-to-market and margins.
Additionally, most active loads are designed for use with DC outputs. Typical DC active loads use a MOSFET. However, an AC waveform can damage the MOSFET because of the parasitic of the device and the intrinsic body diode. To accommodate the AC waveform, different configurations have been used such as an N-channel and a P-channel device (See FIG. 2B), or a common source configuration. However, in these configurations the device does not behave correctly over the waveform cycle. Further, the drain to source capacitance changes as the drain voltage varies, which induces load variations dependent on the output voltage level. Another approach for an active load to handle the AC waveform was to rectify the voltage into a DC voltage; however this results in unwanted spikes in the waveform as the diodes go through reverse recovery.


An injection device including a sterile injection needle, the injection device including a container for an injectable product including an outlet for the product at a front end sealed by a membrane, the injection needle, which has a front needle portion facing away from the container for injecting into tissue and a rear needle portion which, in an initial state of the injection device lies opposite and faces the membrane and which is injected through the membrane into the container for an injection, a needle support which holds the injection needle in a central needle portion, and a casing which supports the needle support and the container and movably guides them relative to each other for piercing the membrane, wherein, in the initial state of the injection device, the needle support forms a sterile chamber for the rear needle portion, the chamber sealed by a sealing element on a rear side of the chamber facing the outlet of the container, and wherein the front end of the container for piercing the membrane penetrates through the sealing element into the sterile chamber.

The invention relates to an injection device comprising an injection needle which is connected to the injection device and which, when connected, is situated in or on the injection device in a sterile environment. The invention further relates to a needle support suitable for sterilely attaching an injection needle into or onto an injection device. The subject of the invention is also an ampoule for an injection device, designed for establishing a fluid connection to a sterilely attached injection needle.
On way of making the handling of injection devices easier and safer is to pre-attach the injection needle onto or into the injection device during manufacture. The user does not have to worry about attaching the needle himself. This simplifies handling and reduces the risk of injury. The danger of damaging the needle due to careless handling by the user and the danger of the needle being incorrectly attached are also eliminated. The sterility of the pre-attached injection needle must, however, be ensured.
An auto-injection device is known from EP 0 695 554 A2, into whose casing the injection needle is inserted by means of a needle support. The needle support holds the injection needle in a central needle portion and orients it in the longitudinal direction towards an ampoule filled with an injectable product. The needle projects from the needle support on both sides, from a front needle portion and a rear needle portion. The injection needle is injected into and under the human skin via its front needle portion. The fluid connection between the ampoule and the injection needle is not established until the exact time of injection, by advancing the ampoule firstly against the needle support and then, together with the needle support, relative to the casing of the injection device. When the ampoule is advanced relative to the needle support, the rear needle portion of the injection needle penetrates a membrane which seals a product outlet of the ampoule. In order to ensure the sterility of the injection needle up until a first injection, the entire injection device must be sterilized in its interior. Sterilization is therefore complicated and expensive.

Injection device comprising a sterilely attached injection needle and a needle support and ampoule for such an injection device


A nutritional deficiency identification system includes a temperature sensor connected to a biofeedback instrument, which is connected to a computer. At a testing site, the sensor is attached to a subject, and an evaluation test is performed under software control. The subject's temperature is monitored, displayed, and recorded at regular intervals during the entire evaluation. The beginning of the test comprises a temperature stabilization period in which the subject's body temperature is allowed to stabilize in the testing site's environment. After the stabilization period, a first nutritional supplement is placed on the subject's tongue at the beginning of a testing period. At an intermediate time during its testing period, the supplement is discarded, and the testing period is continued. The subject's metabolic and physiological responses to the supplement are reflected in body temperature fluctuations. After the testing period of the first supplement, another supplement is placed on the tongue at the beginning of another testing period. Additional supplements are similarly tested in sequence. The recorded temperature readings are uploaded to a server at an evaluation center, where they are analyzed by a health professional. For each nutritional supplement, a low number of temperature fluctuations during its testing period indicates that there is probably no nutritional need for it, whereas a higher number of temperature fluctuations indicates that there is probably a nutritional need for it.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems for identifying nutritional deficiencies.
2. Prior Art
Humans require many different nutrients for survival and health. There are a variety of factors that may influence an individual's nutritional needs, such as genetics, heredity, exposure to toxins, diet, physiological or psychological stress, activity level, age, weight, etc. There has been no reliable method for detecting such deficiencies, so they are usually discovered only when serious health problems develop.

Nutritional deficiency identification system


An image processing system according to an embodiment includes a stereoscopic display apparatus, a rendering processor, and a display controller. The stereoscopic display apparatus displays a stereoscopic image enabled for a stereoscopic vision using a plurality of parallax images. The rendering processor generates a plurality of parallax images by applying a rendering process to volume data that is three-dimensional medical image data from a plurality of viewpoint positions having different relative positions with respect to the volume data. The display controller causes the stereoscopic display apparatus to display a graphic image that is an image of a given graphic indicating a depth-direction position of a cursor that is operable by a given input unit in a three-dimensional stereoscopic image space in which a stereoscopic image is displayed, together with the parallax images.

Conventionally available is a technology that displays a stereoscopic image to a user using special equipment such as a pair of stereoscopic glasses, by displaying two parallax images captured from two viewpoints on a monitor. In addition, recently available is a technology for displaying a stereoscopic image to a user with naked eyes, by displaying multiple-parallax images (e.g., nine parallax images) captured from a plurality of viewpoints on a monitor, using a light ray controller such as a lenticular lens.
At the same time, some medical image diagnostic apparatuses such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) apparatuses, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatuses, and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses are capable of generating three-dimensional medical image data (hereinafter, volume data). Such a medical image diagnostic apparatus also generates a two-dimensional image to be displayed by applying various imaging processes to the volume data, and displays the two-dimensional image on a general-purpose monitor. For example, such a medical image diagnostic apparatus generates a two-dimensional image of a cross-sectional surface of a subject reflected with the three-dimensional information by executing a volume rendering process to the volume data, and displays the two-dimensional image thus generated on a general-purpose monitor.

Image processing system, image processing apparatus, and image processing method


A computer model of a physical structure (or object) can be generated using context-based hypothesis testing. For a set of point data, a user selects a context specifying a geometric category corresponding to the structure shape. The user specifies at least one seed point from the set that lies on a surface of the structure of interest. Using the context and point data, the system loads points in a region near the seed point(s), and determines the dimensions and orientation of an initial surface component in the context that corresponds to those points. If the selected component is supported by the points, that component can be added to a computer model of the surface. The system can repeatedly find points near a possible extension of the surface model, using the context and current surface component(s) to generate hypotheses for extending the surface model to these points. Well-supported components can be added to the surface model until the surface of the structure of interest has been modeled as far as is well-supported by the point data.

There are many ways to construct a computer model of a physical structure, such as by scanning the structure and generating a virtual model from the resultant scan data. These techniques become more complicated for large structures, such as a manufacturing facility or a petroleum refinery, which can have very complex surfaces due to the amount of piping, machinery, and other apparatus that would be present in the scan.
One technique for constructing these computer models begins by laser scanning the structure. In the laser scanning process, a laser beam scans across a view that encompasses the structure of interest. The scanning device measures a large number of points that lie on surfaces within an unobstructed line of sight of the scanning device. Each scan point has a measured location in 3D space, to within some measurement error, that typically is recorded relative to a point (x,y,z) in the local coordinate system of the scanner. The resulting collection of points is often referred to as one or more point clouds, where each point cloud can include points that lie on many different surfaces in the scanned view. For example, a scan taken at a petroleum refinery may include a point cloud that has points that correspond to pipes, elbows, valves, pumps, and structural steel members.
Once the 3D data for the points in the scan have been collected, the data typically are processed to generate a computer (virtual) model of the structure. One technique for processing the 3D point data is to group together points that lie on the same surface. The grouped points then are processed with a prior-art fit procedure that defines a surface consistent with the points. For example, the points that lie on the surface of a cylindrical storage tank can be grouped together, then processed by a prior-art fit procedure to construct a geometric model of the surface of the cylindrical tank.
One technique for grouping together the points that lie on the same surface, known as manual segmentation or point cloud partitioning, is to manually partition the points that appear to lie on the surface of interest into a group. For example, a user can select one or more groups of points and then draw a polygonal fence around the points that appear to lie on the surface of interest, while excluding points that lie on other surfaces. Once the fence is created and a group of points of interest is defined, the grouping process may need to be repeated to remove spurious points that do not lie on the desired surface. Since the view presented to the user is a 2D projection of 3D space, points that appear to be on the same surface in a 2D view may actually be on different surfaces. The user must then analyze the same scene from another view and manually partition the points that appear to lie on the surface of interest. The user typically can isolate points on the desired surface in one or two manual segmentation steps, but in some cases additional segmentation may be needed.
A fit procedure then is utilized to generate a geometric primitive of the surface of interest from the selected surface points. Once the primitive has been generated, fit statistics are reviewed. Frequently, the fit statistics fall below acceptable levels due to the inadvertent inclusion of points not on the surface of interest. When this occurs, the user must perform additional manual segmentation steps to remove these spurious points. As a result, this procedure for generating a computer model of a surface from 3D point data is a time-consuming and error-prone process.
In another prior art process, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,771,840, entitled "APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING THE POINTS THAT LIE ON A SURFACE OF INTEREST," filed May 18, 2000, hereby incorporated by reference herein, points that lie on a surface of interest can be identified without need for the user to manually partition the points. Instead, the user can select at least one seed point that lies on the surface of interest. Points in vicinities of the seed points that are likely to lie on the same surfaces as the seed points can be added. The system considers a number of neighboring points, and identifies points to be added on the basis of a uniformity of spacing, using a predetermined spacing factor.
These points then undergo a fitting procedure to define a surface type, as well as a candidate surface. After the candidate surface has been defined, a second set of points is defined that includes the seed points. To the second set of points are added the points that are within a predetermined distance of the candidate surface. Following this, the second set of points is partitioned into groups of contiguous points and the candidate surface is redefined with the surface type and the groups of contiguous points that include the seed points. Once the second set of points has been partitioned into subgroups, a shrinking procedure is applied to each subgroup to remove boundary points. The candidate surface then is redefined using only subgroups that include the seed points. This process of partitioning and/or redefining can be iterated a predetermined number of times (as specified by the user) or until some convergence criteria is satisfied.
Problems with such an approach occur for many objects, where a surface of that object (such as piping in a factory) might span multiple geometric objects, including runs of straight, cylindrical pipe, connected by elbow and/or flange regions. A single geometric model as used in the prior art cannot be used to cover all the possible shapes and configurations of such an object. It would be necessary to separately model each portion of the object. This can be somewhat difficult, as point-by-point, grow-from-seed methods do not lend themselves to convenient user intervention.
Another problem arises with unordered data. Many prior art methods such as grow-from-seed methods or cluster-and-merge methods assume that data are collected from a single viewpoint and are properly ordered, such as in scanlines or in a 2D grid. This information is relied upon for estimating surface normals and identifying discontinuities. Problems arise, however, in situations such as where data are merged from multiple viewpoints and/or registered from multiple scans over the same portions of a surface. Typical orderings, such as scanlines and 2-D grids, may not be always applicable to data generated using methods such as GPS. In general, 3D points measured from different points of view may not have a clean 2D topology, due to factors such as measurement noise and point overlap. This can lead to data that never meet fit criteria or that provide incorrect results. Further, grid and scanline based methods, as well as methods based on merging adjacent regions having similar properties, are sensitive to occlusions, particularly "shadows" cast by other objects in the scene.
Another problem with these existing approaches is that point-by-point methods are forced to use full data density, even if not required by the application. There is no inherent sense of scale to guide point decimation. Derivative methods, including local curvature methods and methods depending on normal vectors, tend to degrade as the point spacing becomes small relative to the measurement noise in the data. Further, many existing algorithms require an estimate of the surface normal vector at each data point, which can be computationally intensive (especially on unordered data) and sensitive to point density, noise, and occlusions. While most of these methods can be applied to a subset of data points, there is no mechanism for using subset results to indicate which parts of the remaining data are likely to include continuations of the surface found. This leads to inefficient modeling of smaller portions of dense and/or large databases.

Identification of 3D surface points using context-based hypothesis testing


A pin for fastening a number of floats together includes an inner pin and a stop member mounted therein. When the inner pin is rotated through an angle, the stop member extends beyond the pin for engagement with recesses defined in holed ears of the floats to thereby prevent rotational movements of the pin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to float pins and, more particularly, to improved float pins which may reliably fasten floats together.
2. Description of the Related Art
Floats are used on water and secured together by pins. FIG. 10 of the drawings illustrates a typical float assembly 10 which includes a pin 20 for fastening a multiplicity of floats 101, 102, 103, and 104 together. One of a number of holed ears 105 of each float aligns with the associated holed ears of the other three floats, and the pin 20 is inserted through the holed ears 105 to fasten the floats together. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the pin 20 includes an enlarged head 21 and a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions 22 formed on an outer periphery of a stem portion thereof. Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, when inserting the pin 20 through the aligned ears 105, the protrusions 22 are firstly aligned with a number of recesses 106 defined in the holed ears 105, and the pin 20, after extending through the ears 105, is then rotated through an angle such that the protrusions 22 are no longer in alignment with the recesses 106, thereby preventing from disengagement of the pin 20 from the ears 105. Nevertheless, the pin 20, under impact of waves, may be rotated through an angle such that the protrusions 22 align with the recesses 105 and thus might disengage from the ears.
Therefore, there has been a long and unfulfilled need for an improved float pin which mitigates and/or obviates the above problem.


The present invention relates to polymeric plasticizer compositions made from an aromatic acid source, a glycol, and a C4-C36 monocarboxylic acid, or ester or anhydride thereof. The aromatic acid source can include polymeric materials such as recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The present invention also relates to methods for making the polymeric plasticizer compositions, to methods of plasticizing polymeric materials, and to plasticized polymeric compositions. The polymeric plasticizers are useful for plasticizing various polymers, such as thermoplastic polymers, including, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The polymeric plasticizers provide a sustainable alternative to conventional phthalate ester plasticizers, such as diisooctyl phthalate (DOP).

Plasticizers are additives used to increase the plasticity or fluidity of materials. Examples of materials that are commonly plasticized include plastics, clays, and concrete. With respect to polymeric materials such as plastics, it has been hypothesized that plasticizers perform their plasticizing function by embedding between the polymer chains, thus spacing them out and increasing the free volume for the polymer. This increase in the free volume results in a lowering of the glass transition temperature (Tg) for the polymer, thus rendering it more flexible or malleable, in other words, rendering it more plastic.
An important application of plasticizers is for plasticizing polymeric materials, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC). By some estimates, over 90% of the plasticizer market is directed to plasticizing PVC. See, David F. Cadogan and Christopher J. Howick "Plasticizers" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2000, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. Without the addition of a plasticizer, PVC is a rigid material. PVC can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers. Plasticized PVC is used as a replacement for rubber, and has applications in many areas including, for example, pneumatic tires, electrical wire and cable insulation, flooring, coatings, tubing, inflatable products, toys, foams, roofing membranes, food packaging, footwear, coats, sporting gear, magnetic cards, hoses, furniture, exterior siding, bottles, inflatable products, examination gloves, flexible sheeting, gaskets, medical devices, containers, and imitation leather.
The most common plasticizers used for plasticizing PVC and other polymers are esters of polycarboxylic acids with linear or branched chain aliphatic alcohols. Examples of these carboxylic acids are phthalic acid and trimellitic acid. Examples of the aliphatic alcohols used to esterify these acids include C6 to C10 alcohols. One of the more widely used plasticizers is diisoctyl phthalate (DIOP or DOP), which is also known by a number of other names including dioctyl phthalate, diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and bis-2-ethylhexylphthalate.
Despite their utility, plasticizers are not always fully compatible with and leach out of and evaporate from the polymers they are intended to plasticize. For example, it is believed that plasticizers that have leached out of and vaporized from the plastic interior of a car contribute to the characteristic new car smell. The loss of plasticizer from a polymeric material can have negative consequences. Firstly, as the plasticizer is lost from the polymeric material, the surface of the polymer can become sticky or tacky. In some instances the polymeric material releases droplets of plasticizer on its surface. In other words, the polymeric material sweats or weeps. As the plasticizer is continuously lost, the polymeric material can eventually become more rigid and brittle. Thus the desired flexibility characteristics of the polymeric material are lost and the material can fail. Secondly, there are potential health concerns if consumers come in contact with the leached or vaporized plasticizer materials, such as through physical contact or via inhalation or ingestion. Additionally, there are potential environmental concerns due to the leached or vaporized plasticizers being released into the environment. Because of these concerns, there have been movements to limit or ban commonly used plasticizers such as DOP in some countries.
Separate from these safety and environmental concerns with plasticizers, there is an overarching question of sustainability and environmental stewardship in the production and use of products. It would be highly desirable to develop plasticizers that can be prepared from sources other than nonrenewable petrochemical feedstocks. Furthermore, it would be desirable to develop plasticizers that can be prepared by recycling waste streams. The safe disposal or reuse of waste materials from various sources is an environmental and economic challenge. Such wastes had typically gone into landfills, but as landfill capacity is becoming ever scarcer and disposal costs are continuously increasing, cost effective and environmentally acceptable alternatives are needed to deal with these waste materials. For example, a readily available waste stream is produced from waste thermoplastic polyesters, including waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) streams (e.g., from plastic beverage containers). Therefore, it would be advantageous to find ways to recycle such waste streams into new products.
Regarding the plasticizers themselves, there are the challenges of developing materials having optimal physical and chemical properties. For example, plasticizers that are compatible with and useful for plasticizing PVC should have low acid values, low hydroxyl values, low oxygen ether content, moderate to high molecular weights (in the case of polymeric plasticizers), and viscosities that allow reasonable processing to make plasticized polymeric materials. Plasticizers not meeting the criteria for acid and hydroxyl values can be detrimental to the PVC, causing water uptake of the polymer and more serious issues such as dehydrohalogenation, resulting in acid release, failure of the polymer, and potential damage to materials in contact with the failing polymer. Additionally, the plasticizers should be safe for use in consumer products and not detrimental to the environment. These physical, chemical, safety, and environmental criteria raise difficult technical challenges for developing new plasticizers.
In addition to these forgoing challenges are the technical and economic challenges to cost effectively produce and formulate the plasticizers.
In many instances, it would be highly desirable to have improved plasticizers. It is apparent there is an ongoing need to develop new plasticizers that are compatible with and have the desired technical and performance characteristics for plasticizing polymeric materials such as PVC. It is important that these plasticizers do not easily leach or evaporate from the plasticized polymer and do not have untoward health or environmental concerns. These plasticizers should be technically and economically viable to produce. Furthermore, it would be highly advantageous to develop plasticizers that can be sourced from sustainable sources to employ and reduce waste streams.
We surprisingly found that polymeric plasticizer compositions meeting the foregoing criteria can be made from an aromatic acid source, a glycol, and a component selected from a C4-C36 monocarboxylic acid, or ester or anhydride thereof or further comprising a C4-C36 alcohol.


A computerized learning machine for implementing adaptive problem solving includes an information processing device, a storage device, an output device and an input device. The adaptive problem solving method is implemented by: a) retrieving from the storage device a first question; b) outputting to the output device the first question; c) receiving from the input device an answer from the user; d) assigning a fuzzy logic coefficient to the answer; e) accessing from the storage device a learning route authority to determine the identity of a second question, the determination being dependent on the fuzzy logic coefficient; and f) repeating steps a) to e) for the second question.

The present invention relates to an intelligent computer assisted learning system and an adaptive problem solving method in which blocks of knowledge (referred to as "Knowledge Entities", herein-below) are transferred from the system (referred to as the "Knowledge Provider", herein-below) to the learner (referred as the "Knowledge Consumer", herein-below).
The rapid advances made by computers and in related fields, such as, Object Oriented Methodology, Artificial Intelligence, and the Event Driven Systems have provided a great opportunity to utilize these devices in the areas of education and training in homes, schools, and corporations.
The Related Art, often referred to as Computer Aided Instruction Systems, is classified into three configuration types, namely, 1) center system, 2) network system, and 3) stand-alone system.
1) At the heart of a center system is a host computer which stores the learning material and has total control. The Knowledge Consumer accesses this material via a terminal or a personal computer connected to the host computer. PA1 2) In a network system (a host computer may, or may not be present), the control resides with the computers connected to the network. The learning material may be stored by the host computer (if this exists) or on a specialized system called a server. PA1 3) For a stand-alone system everything is self-contained within that system, including the teaching material and the control. The Knowledge Consumer interacts directly with the system by different input-output devices attached directly to the system.
The above configurations of the Computer Aided Instruction Systems have been described in more detail by Haga et al. in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,563, dated May 18, 1993.
The present invention is a stand-alone system belonging to the third category noted above.

Adaptive problem solving method and system


Controlling the orientation of a load suspended from a bearing wire employs one master winch, one slave winch and a winch control. Each of the winches has a motor and a bi-directional rotational spool with a tagline. The winches are on the ground, the crane or the load. Each tagline is attached to the load for applying a controlled torque to the load about the bearing wire. The control system comprises tagline tension sensors and spool rotation sensors. The control system is connected to each winch motor for simultaneously rotating the winch spools, until preset tagline tensions are sensed during horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load. If necessary, the spools are rotated with rotation speeds for maintaining a desired orientation of the load, based on the determined tagline tensions. After relieving tagline tensions, the taglines are disconnected from the load.

When lifting loads of a substantial size it is a requirement that the orientation of the load is controlled. Examples of such loads may be wind turbine blades, towers, prefabricated concrete elements for buildings, etc.
Due to the inertia of the load the load may maintain its position in space even when the bearing wire is rotated, i.e. if the crane boom is rotated. Therefore an uncontrolled load may potentially impact the crane boom or impact personnel or structures close by. It is therefore a requirement that the load is controlled. For example by attaching a tagline to the load for applying a torque to the load about the bearing wire. The torque may be may be clockwise or counter clockwise.
Due to the size of the loads it is unsafe for personnel to handle the taglines and to apply the torque to the load about the bearing wire.
From WO 2008/061797 a method and a lifting device for mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub are known. The blade is suspended in a substantially horizontal orientation from a bearing wire provided by a crane having a crane boom. The bearing wire is attached to the lifting device, which is attached to the blade. The blade is lifted from a position on the ground and to a position, where the blade may be mounted to the hub. In order to avoid that the blade rotates about the bearing wire the blade is connected to control wires, which run via pulleys on the crane boom to a winch arrangement at the bottom of the crane boom. The system applies one winch for controlling the orientation of the load and another manually operated winch for rotating the load.
Although the system of WO 2008/061797 has been successfully implemented there are some disadvantages of the system. A major disadvantage is that the crane needs to be modified. This normally requires approving from the crane manufacturer in order to guarantee the required functioning of the crane. The cranes are very expensive to operate and are only used for a short duration. A purpose modified crane would have much idle time, alternatively the pulleys, the winch arrangement and the control wires would have to be removed from the system of WO 2008/061797 between lifting operations at one site to free the crane for other uses.

Method for controlling the orientation of a load suspended from a bearing wire about said bearing wire and a winch arrangement


Even when a tin-based polymerization catalyst and a phosphorus-based compound are present in a poly-L-lactic acid (A) and a poly-D-lactic acid (B), by using a specific proportion of an organic acid metal salt or an organic metal salt for stereocomplex crystallization, a stereocomplex polylactic acid composition having a high stereocomplex crystallinity and a high stereocomplex crystal melting point, a small stereocomplex crystal melting point depression even after remelting, a small decrease in the molecular weight, excellent forming processability, and also heat resistance can be provided.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of global environmental protection, biodegradable polymers, which degrade in the natural environment, have been attracting attention and studied all over the world. As biodegradable polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoates, polycaprolactones, polyglycolic acids, polybutylene succinates, polylactic acids, and the like are known. Polylactic acids are obtained from lactic acid, which is obtained from a biologically derived raw material, or derivatives thereof, and thus have high biological safety and serve as eco-friendly polymer materials. Therefore, as formed articles made of a polylactic acid, the development of fibers, films, and injection-molded products has been advanced. In addition, applications in the medical field, such as surgical sutures, sustained-release capsules, and reinforcing materials for bone fracture, have also been examined.
However, polylactic acids have low melting point, and thus their use as fibers, films, or various molded articles is limited. Moreover, the crystallization rate is also low, and thus it is said that their forming processability is inferior as compared with general plastics.
Meanwhile, it is known that by mixing a poly-L-lactic acid and a poly-D-lactic acid in solution or melt form, a polylactic acid having a stereocomplex crystal phase (hereinafter sometimes referred to as stereocomplex polylactic acid) is formed (PTL 1 and NPL 1). It is also known that such a stereocomplex polylactic acid has a melting point of 200 to 230° C., which is higher as compared with poly-L-lactic acids or poly-D-lactic acids, and also shows higher crystallinity. Therefore, stereocomplex polylactic acids may provide a wider range of usable applications than by the low-melting-point, low-crystallinity polylactic acids described above. Also with respect to the low crystallization rate, which is one of the drawbacks of polylactic acids, it is known that use of a stereocomplex polylactic acid leads to an improved crystallization rate.
However, a stereocomplex polylactic acid does not show single crystals but is a mixed composition composed of a poly-L-lactic acid and poly-D-lactic acid crystal phase (hereinafter sometimes referred to as homocrystal phase) and a stereocomplex polylactic acid crystal phase (stereocomplex crystal phase), and, usually, two peaks are observed: a low-melting-point crystal melting peak having a peak temperature of less than 190° C. corresponding to the melting of the homocrystal phase, and a high-melting-point crystal melting peak having a peak temperature of 190° C. or more corresponding to the melting of the stereocomplex crystal phase. Therefore, the heat resistance is on the same level as that of ordinary polylactic acids, and, in addition, the crystallinity or crystallization rate is not significantly improved either. Thus, it cannot be said that the original physical properties of stereocomplex polylactic acids have been sufficiently exerted.
Meanwhile, in order for a stereocomplex polylactic acid to sufficiently exert its heat resistance, PTL 2 describes a polylactic acid composition using a crystallization nucleator, such as a phosphate metal salt, and including not a homocrystal phase but only a stereoccmplex crystal phase having a crystal melting point of 209° C.

Polylactic acid composition, formed article obtained from polylactic acid composition, and method for producing polylactic acid composition


A probe card assembly can comprise an interface, which can be configured to receive from a tester test signals for testing an electronic device. The probe card assembly can further comprise probes for contacting the electronic device and electronic driver circuits for driving the test signals to ones of the probes.

Test systems for testing one or more electronic devices are known. For example, test systems are known for testing semiconductor dies. Such test systems can provide test data to the electronic device or devices and then evaluate a response of the electronic device or devices to the test data. Various types of tests can be performed on electronic devices. Examples of such tests include DC tests and functional tests.
Direct current ("DC") tests typically involve measuring one or more DC characteristics of an electronic device. For example, a DC test can measure the leakage current of terminals (e.g., bond pads) of a semiconductor die. Other examples of DC tests commonly performed on a semiconductor die include without limitation testing for an open circuit fault at a terminal and testing for a short circuit fault at a terminal.
Functional testing typically involves operating the electronic device. Functional testing can be limited to partial operation of the device. For example, in some test situations, testing of an electronic device is performed over less than the full operational spectrum of the electronic device. For example, only selected functions of the electronic device are tested, and/or the electronic device is tested at less than its full operating speed. In some test situations, it is desired to perform functional tests over a full operational spectrum of the electronic device or to perform tests at full operational speed of the device.

Method of expanding tester drive and measurement capability


The present is drawn to the use of blocked acid monomers for the incorporation of highly acidic groups, such as strong acids and multiple acids, on the surface of latex particles via emulsion polymerization. In accordance with this, a method of forming latex particulates having high charge density surfaces can comprise the steps of preparing a monomer emulsion including an aqueous phase and an organic monomer phase, wherein the organic monomer phase includes at least one blocked acid monomer; polymerizing the organic monomer phase to form blocked acid latex particulates dispersed in the aqueous phase; and unblocking the blocked acid latex particulates to form acidified latex particulates.

There are several reasons that ink-jet printing has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper. Some of these reasons include low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording, and capability of multi-color recording. Additionally, these advantages can be obtained at a relatively low price to consumers. Though there has been great improvement in ink-jet printing technology, there is still improvement that can be made in many areas.
With respect to ink-jet ink chemistry, the majority of commercial ink-jet inks are water-based. Thus, their constituents are generally water-soluble, as in the case with many dyes, or water dispersible, as in the case with pigments. Furthermore, ink-jet inks typically have low viscosity to accommodate high frequency jetting and firing chamber refill processes common to ink-jet pens.
In addition to general image fade that occurs in many ink-jet ink systems, ink-jet prints have also been known for poor durability when exposed to water or high humidity. This results from the use of water-soluble and water dispersible colorants within the water-based ink. There has been great improvement in the area of water durability of ink-jet inks through incorporation of certain ink-jet compatible latexes. The latex can comprise small micron or submicron hydrophobic polymeric particles of high molecular weight that are dispersed in an aqueous fluid, which fluid ultimately becomes at least part of a liquid vehicle of an ink-jet ink. When printed as part of an ink-jet ink, latex particulates of the ink can form a hydrophobic print film on a media surface, entrapping and protecting the colorant within the film. However, such latex compositions can create problems with respect to pen reliability, as well as with respect to settling of the latex over time.
Conventional latex particles are normally designed to flocculate so that latex precipitate may be easily shaken or stirred back into dispersion without agglomeration. Such flocculation behavior is well known with latex paints. Unfortunately, these conventional teachings do not address the unique needs of ink-jet printing applications. For example, it would be desired that a latex for use in an ink-jet printing application have good dispersion stability, and thus, would tend to avoid flocculation while within the ink-jet architecture. The micro-channel ink feeds in ink-jet pens are easily clogged with precipitant, particularly when a pen is stored or otherwise unused for prolonged periods of time. Such precipitation is not easily redispersed by pen shaking, as flow constriction prohibits adequate mixing within micro-channels of pen architecture. Additionally, micro-channels used for jetting can house some of the ink over prolonged periods in preparation for firing, and settled latex can cause further constricting of the micro-channels. This can result in ink-jet pen failure due to clogging of the micro-channels. The micron-order settling distances found in the fluid channels of thermal inkjet pens exacerbate the problem. Additionally, latex particles in the firing chamber of a pen are subjected to explosive thermal shear conditions. Because of this, greater inter-particulate repulsion can be greatly desired.

Latexes and ink-jet inks prepared using blocked acid monomers