A knee pad includes an irregularly shaped flat single piece material that is folded to form an articulated (bent) pad to provide protection for a user's knee. The pad includes side walls to protect the side of the knees. The side walls may also help prevent rotation of the knee pad about the user's knee. The pad is covered with a cover to which an attaching structure is attached. The knee pad is attached to the user's leg through the attaching structure. The attaching structure may include a flexible sleeve and an optional zipper. Straps provide additional tension and help prevent rotational or upward or downward movement of the knee pad with respect to the user's knee. An optional additional pad may be attached to the articulated pad. A hard shell or cap may be placed on the front of the cover. The shell will withstand impacts that may tear the cover, which may be nylon. The shell is preferably removable. An elbow pad or wrist pad may be used under the same principles. A pad according to the invention may be used, for example, by persons participating in sports, such as skating and cycling.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a protective knee pad or elbow pad with sidewalls and a method of constructing the same. The knee pad may have particular use for persons participating in sports activities, such as with roller skates, in-line skates, skateboards, and bicycles.
2. State of the Art
People have long enjoyed roller skating and riding on skateboards. More recently, in-line skates have become popular. While many persons skate at a relatively safe pace, others seek high speed and perform tricks or other maneuvers that push the envelope of performance and safety.
BMX (bicycle motorcross) cyclists also seek to push the envelope of performance and consequently occasionally fall off their bikes or intentionally lay down the bikes.
Unfortunately, many persons have been injured skating and cycling. Even those persons who try to skate conservatively and safely occasionally fall and are injured. The injuries range from bruises to broken bones to more serious injuries. Various pads have been designed to protect skaters, including knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist pads.
In addition to protecting skaters from unintentional falls, knee pads are often used by high performance skaters in intentional falls. For example, if a skater feels like he is beginning to lose control, he may intentionally fall on his knees and slide in a stable position until his speed is reduced. Accordingly, such knee pads should have a high degree of durability and strength.
Currently available knee pads provide protection to the front of the knee, but not as much protection to the side of the knee. Further, a knee pad may rotate about a person's leg leaving a portion of the knee unprotected during a fall. Elbow pads or wrist pads also do not provide full protection to the side and may rotate, leaving a portion of the elbow unprotected during a fall.
Accordingly, there is a need for protective knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist pads that provide protection to the side of the knee, elbow, and wrist. There also is a need for such pads that are resistant to rotation.

Protective knee pad and method of construction thereof


The invention provides a novel method for producing an oligonucleotide using a nucleoside or oligonucleotide that is easy to isolate and has high storage stability. The oligonucleotide production method includes a step of subjecting a nucleoside or oligonucleotide having a pseudo solid phase-protecting group in at least one location selected from the group consisting of 2′-position, 3′-position, 5′-position and a nucleobase moiety and having a 5′-hydroxyl group or a 3′-hydroxyl group, to H-phosphonation to convert the 5′-hydroxyl group or the 3′-hydroxyl group into an H-phosphonated form.

The forefront biotechnological researches such as genome-based drug discovery, and gene diagnosis and treatment have undergone rapid progress and development. Associated with that, oligonucleotides such as DNA probes, siRNA, antisense DNA and antisense RNA have been actively used recently. Some known chemical methods for the synthesis of oligonucleotides are phosphoramidite method and H-phosphonate method.
In the phosphoramidite method, a typical amidite reagent such as 2-cyanoethyl chloro(diisopropylamino)phosphinite or 2-cyanoethyl bis(diisopropylamino)phosphinite is used. These reagents are very expensive, and the isolation of an amidite compound entails complicated operations such as column purification and reprecipitation at an ultralow temperature. Further, amidite compounds are instable and need to be stored at −20° C.
On the other hand, the H-phosphonate method uses, among others, diphenyl phosphite or phosphorous acid that is a typical H-phosphonate reagent. These reagents are inexpensive, but complicated operations such as column purification are indispensable to the isolation of H-phosphonate compounds. H-phosphonate compounds need to be stored at 0° C. because of their stability (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1).
Currently, a solid-phase synthesis process by phosphoramidite method has been increasingly optimized and automated. Thus, the solid-phase synthesis process by phosphoramidite method is advantageous in speed and is used most widely. However, the solid-phase synthesis process has drawbacks in that the scaling up of the process is limited for facility reasons, that the process involves excessive amounts of reagents and raw materials, and that it is difficult, for example, to know the status of the progress of the reaction in midstream and to analyze the structure of an intermediate.
In recent years, a liquid-phase synthesis process by H-phosphonate method using a pseudo solid phase-protecting group has been studied. Specifically, synthesis processes have been reported which use polyethylene glycol (MPEG) (see, for example, Patent Literature 1) or a long-chain hydrocarbon-containing group (see, for example, Patent Literature 2) as a pseudo solid phase-protecting group.


The new and distinct crape myrtle plant named Lagerstroemia ‘Dark Roast’ has a dense, short, compact, broadly-rounded habit, is ground hardy to at least USDA zone 6, has semi-glossy, mahogany-colored foliage becoming deep green at flowering time. The flowers arise from shiny, deep-red buds, are lightly fragrant, covering the shrub with their bright fuchsia-pink color. The new plant resists leaf spot and powdery mildew and is useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or as a container plant.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant, commonly known as Crape Myrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Dark Roast' or the "new plant." 'Dark Roast' is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant and is the result of an ongoing breeding program to produce new and improved garden worthy plants for the ornamental market. The new plant was the result of pollination in an isolation block in August of 2012 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA using the unreleased proprietary hybrid H10-11-22 (not patented) as the seed or female parent and the male or pollen parent is a sibling named with only with the breeder code H10-11-23 (not patented). The new plant was given the breeder code 12-30-1.
Lagerstroemia 'Dark Roast' was initially asexually propagated by stem cuttings at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in 2014. The resultant plants from successive generations have demonstrated that the new plant has remained stable and true to type in multiple and successive generations of asexual propagation.


A plastic washtub used preferably in household clothes washing machines having a rigid structure (1) formed by a cylindrical wall (2 ), a circular bottom wall (3 ), and a circular front wall. A hub (6) is inserted through the central part of the bottom wall. It is called a hub because it is inserted into a central circular hub-housing (7) of the bottom wall (3) and supports the central shaft (11 ) of the rotor (8 ) in a known manner. This hubhousing's central portion (7) has around and adjacent to it one or more closed, empty chambers so that the hub-housing (7) does not enter into contact with the washing liquid. It is preferred that, inside the tub, said hub-housing (7) be protected by a plate (15), preferably of plastic, which is attached to ribs on the bottom wall to prevent the washing liquid from directly contacting the hub-housing.

2. Field of the Invention
This invention is a special type of improved plastic washtub used especially in household clothes-washing machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plastic washtubs for household clothes-washing machines are known. They substantially comprise a rigid structure forming a cylindrical circumference and a circular bottom wall. Sometimes a separate front wall, also circular in form, suitable for union to the rigid structure is attached to it by means that are also known.
Normally, to increase tub strength, radial ribbing is provided in one piece with the bottom wall, originating from the central area of said rear wall. A hole is made in the central area, into which the driving and supporting shaft of the rotor is inserted inside the tub. Said shaft is shrink-fitted onto a belt-driven pulley outside the tub which drives the rotor.
To support the rotor shaft and allow it to turn with minimal friction, while ensuring a seal to prevent leakage of washing liquid to the outside, the hole is usually fitted with a coaxial hub with bearings for the shaft. The hub is normally held against the inner wall of the hole by the plastic of the tub being stamped directly against the hub. The presence of this hub is necessary to provide both shaft support and tub seal, but has the disadvantage of being directly subject to the relatively high temperatures (up to 90.degree. C.) reached by the washing liquid, which is in direct contact with the central area of the tub's rear wall. In some cases, the action of the high temperature reached in this way by the plastic surrounding and holding the hub generates a succession of thermal shocks, especially in machines in which the washing liquid is recirculated. Because of the mechanical action exerted by the rotating shaft against the hub, it follows that there is progressive stress in the plastic, so that after a certain time it becomes fatigued and its general mechanical characteristics are affected to the point that the seal is broken and the shaft becomes slack in its plastic housing.


A tread module (10) for a walkway or stairway includes a body of material which defines a load-carrying surface (14), the tread module including at least two sub-module sections (20,21,22) which are formed integrally with one another and inter-connected by at least one severable formation (23) whereby the tread module may be reduced in size by severance of the severable formation(s).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tread module for use in constructing an internal or external walkway or stairway and to a walkway or stairway incorporating said tread module.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a particular need to protect roof structures from damage by maintenance and other personnel moving thereover, and to assist in ensuring the safety of such personnel. Such needs include also the provision of roof-top fire escape routes. In response to these needs it is well known, particularly for industrial and commercial premises, to construct on a roof top both continuous walkways, which may be level or slightly inclined, and also series of steps in the form of stairways for movement of personnel over more steeply inclined surfaces.
The variety of roof pitch angles and the distances over which a walkway is to be provided means that in general bespoke on-site construction work is necessary. However the relative difficulties typically encountered when working in a roof top environment, and exposure to weather, makes it particularly advantageous to provide means for minimising or simplifying the on-site construction work.
Another requirement which needs to be taken into account is that of ensuring that the tread surface does not of itself present a significant safety hazard.
Disadvantages of many known walkway systems include difficulty of and time for on-site construction, relative expense, cost of component parts and relatively high weight.


The present invention is a window sill and trim corner assembly. The window sill and trim corner assembly may extend around a window or other opening in a structure.

The present invention relates generally to trim components and trim assemblies. An exemplary embodiment of a trim assembly may be used to frame an opening such as a door or a window in a wall or other type of structure. An example of a trim component is a window sill or a lineal.
A need exists for a trim component and trim assembly having improved functionality and aesthetics. A need also exists for a trim component and a trim assembly that is comprised of a synthetic material such as, but not limited to, a plastic compound (e.g., a vinyl compound), a cellulosic-filled plastic composite, an inorganic-filled plastic composite, or other plastic materials. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may satisfy one or more of these needs.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.


There is provided a receiving apparatus having a simple configuration and an excellent ability to eliminate multipath noise, in which an antenna in a good reception state can be instantly selected. A reception signal from an antenna is inputted to an intermediate-frequency amplifying circuit via an antenna switching circuit, a front end and an A/D converting circuit, and an S meter signal from an S meter circuit is inputted to a controlling section via a noise detecting filter and an absolute value circuit. Then, the controlling section compares noise components outputted from the absolute value circuit (noise level) with a threshold value Vth outputted from a threshold value setting section. When the noise level becomes higher than the threshold value Vth, an antenna selection controlling signal is outputted to the antenna switching circuit, and antennas are switched.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus in which a plurality of antennas are provided and an antenna in an optimum reception state is selected, and also relates to a signal processing circuit used in the receiving apparatus, and a signal receiving method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a TV tuner and radio tuner for vehicle, a diversity receiver provided with a plurality of antennas is used for the purpose of receiving the best radio waves at all times because the state of received radio waves changes continually as the vehicle moves, and the antennas are switched in a case where a level of multipath noise included in a reception signal exceeds a threshold value.
In order to select an antenna in a good radio wave condition without executing a complicated switch-over when switching antennas in such a diversity receiver, a sensitivity varying system is adopted.
To be more specific, in a case where antennas A and B are in such a noise occurrence condition that the multipath noise level is high as illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B, switch-over between the antennas A and B is performed every time the noise level exceeds antenna switching sensitivity (a threshold value) Vth as illustrated in FIG. 10C, and every time the switching is performed, the antenna switching sensitivity is decreased (the threshold value is increased) gradually depending on the noise level and so on (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2003-60539).
That is to say, since such a condition that the antennas are switched continually is brought when the level of the threshold value Vth is too low with respect to a noise component, that is, the noise detection sensitivity of a comparator is too high, the noise detection sensitivity of the comparator is decreased to proper sensitivity by increasing the threshold value Vth, whereby an antenna switching controlling section is prevented from frequently performing antenna switch-over.
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the configuration of a conventional diversity receiver. In this diversity receiver, an antenna switching circuit 21 performs switch-over to select one of high-frequency reception signals generated when antennas ANT1 and ANT2 receive coming radio waves, and a high-frequency reception signal from one of the antennas selected by switch-over is inputted to an intermediate-frequency amplifying circuit 23 via a front end 22.
And then, an intermediate-frequency signal outputted from the intermediate-frequency amplifying circuit 23 is supplied to an outputting circuit (not illustrated) provided with an audio amplifier and so on, as well as supplied to an S meter circuit 24 that detects electric field intensity, and an electric field intensity signal from the S meter circuit 24 is inputted to a noise detecting filter 25, where a noise component is detected.
This noise component is inputted to a comparing circuit 27 via a noise AGC circuit 26 and compared with the threshold value Vth. When the output of the noise AGC circuit 26 gets larger than the threshold value Vth, the comparing circuit 27 outputs a signal to a selection signal outputting circuit 28, and the selection signal outputting circuit 28 causes the antenna switching circuit 21 to switch the antennas. When the frequency of detection of noise gets high, the noise AGC circuit 26 decreases gain to decrease the noise detection sensitivity of the comparing circuit 27 to proper sensitivity, thereby controlling so that antenna switch-over is not frequently performed.
As described above, in the conventional diversity receiver, a noise component included in airwaves received by a selected antenna is detected, and it is determined whether a reception state is good or bad based on the result of detection of noise, with the result that the antennas may be switched. In the case of switching all the antennas because the reception state is bad, the noise detection sensitivity is decreased to more proper sensitivity in order to prevent excessive antenna switch-over.
However, in such a system that the sensitivity is gradually decreased, the antenna switching sensitivity is varied by, for example, time constant of the AGC circuit, so that needless antenna switch-over is performed, and an antenna in a good reception state cannot be selected instantly.

Receiving apparatus, signal processing circuit, and signal receiving method


To provide a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance that makes it possible to further enhance the charge-discharge voltage of batteries and to further improve the charge-discharge properties of batteries. The lithium ion conductive inorganic substance includes a ZrO2 component from 2.6% to 52.0% by mass on an oxide basis. The lithium ion conductive inorganic substance is preferably used for lithium ion secondary batteries that have a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer intervening between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance, in particular to a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance which is favorably used for solid electrolytes of lithium ion secondary batteries, partition walls of lithium air batteries and lithium seawater batteries, etc.
2. Related Art
All-solid batteries, using an inorganic solid electrolyte and not using organic substance even in electrodes, are free from worries about leakage of organic electrolyte or gas generated from organic electrolyte, and therefore are expected to be safe batteries. The all-solid batteries are less likely to induce a side reaction other than battery reactions compared to liquid batteries, and therefore are expected to have a longer operating life compared to liquid batteries.
In an example of the all-solid batteries, a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer are respectively laminated and sintered on both sides of a solid electrolyte layer, and an inorganic substance with lithium ion conductivity is used as a solid electrolyte which is included in the solid electrolyte layer, the positive electrode layer, and the negative electrode layer.
In addition, lithium air batteries and lithium seawater batteries, where a lithium compound is used at negative electrode side and a catalyst is disposed at positive electrode side, are in principle not limited for their capacity by their positive electrodes; therefore, it is expected that smaller batteries with larger capacity can be formed therefrom. Lithium ion conductive inorganic substances are also used in partition walls of the lithium air batteries and lithium seawater batteries.
Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a lithium ion secondary battery using a glass ceramics that contains a crystal with a crystal structure the same as that of LATP (Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3) crystal, as a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance to construct a solid electrolyte layer in order to enhance ion conductivity and chemical stability of the solid electrolyte layer.
Patent Document 2 also discloses a lithium air battery using a glass ceramics that contains LATP (Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3) as a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance to construct a partition wall in order to enhance ion conductivity and chemical stability of the partition wall (waterproof layer).
Non-Patent Document 1 also discloses a lithium ion secondary battery using an inorganic substance where a portion of the Li in LZP (LiZr(PO4)3) with a crystal structure different from that of LATP is substituted with Sc as a lithium ion conductive inorganic substance to construct the solid electrolyte.    Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2007-134305    Patent Document 2 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2010-192313    Non-Patent Document 1 T. Salkus, and five others, "Synthesis, structure, and electric properties of Li1+xScxZr2−x(PO4)3 (x=0.1, 0.2, 0.3) ceramics", Lithuanian Journal of Physics, 2006, vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 361-365.


To facilitate accurate document searching, electronically accessible documents are provided with abstracts written in a highly constrained artificial grammar. The artificial grammar is capable of expressing the thoughts and information ordinarily conveyed in a natural grammar, but in a structured format that restricts the number of possible alternative meanings. Accordingly, while the grammar is clear in the sense of being easily understood by native speakers of the vocabulary and complex in its ability to express sophisticated concepts, sentences are derived from an organized vocabulary according to fixed rules. A query, preferably formulated in accordance with these rules, is employed by a search engine in the usual fashion. Due to the highly constrained meaning of the search query, and the likelihood that relevant documents have similar or matching abstracts in their headers, keyword searches are likely to identify the most relevant documents.

Prior to the proliferation of electronically available information over the Internet, computerized retrieval of information could be approached in a relatively organized fashion. Documents having widespread interest were typically maintained only by commercial database providers, which categorized them (by subject, date, etc.), and perhaps abstracted them, thereby facilitating multiple modes of searching. Consequently, a database user effectively narrowed the search space at the outset merely by choosing the appropriate database, which would limit the searchable documents to the topic of interest. Then, the user could retrieve documents from the selected database based on any of a variety of search criteria other than simple "key words": date of publication, contents of a category-specific document field, title or author, to name but a few.
While commercial database providers still exist, increasing amounts of information are stored on servers accessible over the Internet, which frequently make them available free of charge. Information on the Internet, of course, is both vast and utterly disorganized in the sense of lacking any hierarchical or category-based indexing scheme. Particular kinds of documents may be found on large numbers of servers, so that arbitrarily confining one's search to a single such server is likely to miss numerous relevant documents located elsewhere.
To allow Internet users to focus their searching efforts, several firms have created free-of-charge sites called "search engines." These systems maintain huge and constantly growing databases duplicating the text (or portions thereof) of thousands or even millions of documents accessible over the Internet, and permit "visitors" to the site to formulate queries that the search engine applies to its database. The search engine retrieves documents matching the query, often ranked in order of relevance (e.g., in terms of the frequency and location of word matches or some other statistical measure).
Unfortunately, the sheer volume of documents and their lack of organization, combined with the limited searching capabilities of most search engines, make it very likely that relevant documents will be missed or elude notice amidst a plethora of irrelevant retrievals. In order to guide these simple types of searches, the proprietors of documents available over the Internet frequently provide them with "headers" which, while invisible to someone retrieving the document, are nonetheless acquired by search engines and form part of the searchable text of the document. A document may, for example, repeat a key word over and over in its invisible header, thereby ensuring that matches to queries containing the key word will receive a high relevance rank (since each repetition in the header counts as a separate match).
Nonetheless, key-word searching remains limited, frequently resulting in missed entries (due to synonymous ways of expressing the relevant concept) or, even more frequently, a flood of irrelevant entries (due to the multiple unrelated meanings that may be associated with words and phrases). For example, someone interested in military activities in China might attempt to search using the query "troops in China." But because of the numerous and varied topics that may implicate virtually any chosen set of words, the search engine might retrieve documents containing the following sentences:
1. Bill Clinton plans meeting with leaders of China to talk about US troops in Taiwan. PA1 2. Troops in Russia improve border security with China. PA1 3. Leader of NATO troops in Bosnia to visit China. PA1 4. Farmer finds crashed WWII troop carrier in southern China. PA1 5. CIA papers reveal US troops in Cambodia near border of China during Vietnam War. PA1 6. Asia expert, Johnson, talks to leaders of US troops about new weapons factories in China. PA1 7. British troops in Hong Kong have mixed reaction to handover of Hong Kong to China. PA1 8. Troops in controversy over design for new china. PA1 9. Troops wear boots made in China. PA1 10. Troops of General Chun put down protest in China.
Of course, only the last item is relevant to the user's intent.

Method and apparatus for improved document searching


A vibration isolator (200) for isolating a first assembly (206) from vibration from a second assembly (208) includes a first system (202) and a second system (204) coupled to the first system (202). In one embodiment, the first system (202) supports the majority of the first assembly (206) relative to the second assembly (208) and the second system (204) adjusts for a change in the location of the center of gravity of the first assembly (206). Further, the second system (204) can be used to compensate for fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure near the vibration isolator (200).

Exposure apparatuses are commonly used to transfer images from a reticle onto a semiconductor wafer during semiconductor processing. A typical exposure apparatus includes a frame assembly, a measurement system, a control system, an illumination source, a projection optical assembly, a reticle stage for retaining a reticle, and a wafer stage for retaining a semiconductor wafer.
The frame assembly typically supports the measurement system, the illumination source, the reticle stage, the projection optical assembly, and the wafer stage above the ground. The measurement system monitors the positions of the stages relative to a reference such as the projection optical assembly. The projection optical assembly projects and/or focuses the light that passes through the reticle. One or more movers precisely position the reticle stage relative to the projection optical assembly. Similarly, one or more movers precisely position the wafer stage relative to the projection optical assembly.
The size of the images and the features within the images transferred onto the wafer from the reticle are extremely small. Accordingly, the precise positioning of the wafer and the reticle relative to the optical assembly is critical to the manufacture of high density, semiconductor wafers.
Unfortunately, mechanical vibrations and deformations in the frame assembly of the exposure apparatus can influence the accuracy of the exposure apparatus. For example, the movers utilized to move the stages generate reaction forces that vibrate and deform the frame assembly of the exposure apparatus. Further, the ground can transfer vibration to the frame assembly.
The vibrations and deformations in the frame assembly can move the stages and the projection optical assembly out of precise relative alignment. Further, the vibrations and deformations in the frame assembly can cause the measurement system to improperly measure the positions of the stages relative to the projection optical assembly. Additionally, vibration of the projection optical assembly can cause deformations of the optical elements within the projection optical assembly and degrade the optical imaging quality. As a result thereof, the accuracy of the exposure apparatus and the quality of the integrated circuits formed on the wafer can be compromised.
One attempt to solve this problem involves the use of one or more air mounts to secure the frame assembly to the ground. The air mounts utilize a cushion of pressurized air to reduce the effect of vibration of the ground causing vibration to the frame assembly. Similarly, one or more air mounts can be used to support the components of the exposure apparatus on the frame assembly. Unfortunately, existing air mounts with adequate damping capacity have a relatively high natural frequency and are relatively stiff.
In light of the above, there is a need for an exposure apparatus with an improved isolation system. Additionally, there is a need for a vibration isolator with sufficient capacity that has a relatively low natural frequency and is not as stiff as air mounts with comparable capacity. Further, there is a need for an exposure apparatus capable of manufacturing precision devices, such as high density, semiconductor wafers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A mobile telephone quipped with a camera may employ, as a camera flash, one or more RGB tri-color LEDs arranged on a face of the mobile telephone which is aligned with the direction in which a photograph may be taken by the camera. The viewing angle of the RGB tri-color LED may be greater than the field angle of the camera, and a lens may be arranged in front of emitting portion(s) of the RGB tri-color LED so as to cause illuminance to be uniform within the field angle of the camera. The RGB tri-color LED may also serve as an indicator of telephone functions.

(1) Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to a mobile telephone equipped with an incoming call indicator lamp, a camera, and a camera flash; in particular, the present invention concerns a mobile telephone employing light emitting diode(s) (hereinafter simply "LED(s)") as incoming call indicator lamp and camera flash.
(2) Conventional Art
Examples of conventional mobile telephones include a mobile telephone having a built-in camera which is manufactured by Toshiba Corp. for J-PHONE (an abbreviation of J-PHONE Co., Ltd.), and while this mobile telephone is supplied with a flash, the form which this takes is such that the flash must be attached externally to a location provided on the mobile telephone body for connection of a headphone.
Furthermore, another example of a conventional mobile telephone is a mobile telephone provided by cdmaOne (a digital mobile telephone service provided by DDI Cellular Group and IDO), digital cameras for this mobile telephone including a digital camera manufactured by Kyocera Corp. To be used, this digital camera must be connected to an interface of the mobile telephone, neither the camera nor the flash being built into the mobile telephone body.
Neither the flash supplied with the foregoing mobile telephone having built-in camera which is manufactured by Toshiba Corp. for J-PHONE nor the flash of the digital camera for the mobile telephone provided by cdmaOne is implemented through use of LED(s).
Furthermore, examples of devices employing LEDs as light emitting elements include the photographic apparatus and pictorial communication apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Kokai No. H11-112953 (1999). In this photographic apparatus and pictorial communication apparatus, LED viewing angle is narrowed through provision of a convex lens to the front of the LED, and confirmation is carried out with respect to whether a photographic subject is present within the photographable range thereof.
Because the aforementioned conventional mobile telephones are such that a flash must be attached externally thereto or a digital camera equipped with camera and flash must be connected thereto, there has been the problem that the user must, separately from the mobile telephone, also carry a flash or a digital camera about with him or her.
Furthermore, in accordance with the method for using a lens at the photographic apparatus and pictorial communication apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Kokai No. H11-112953 (1999), there has been the problem that use of a lens to narrow LED viewing angle has made it difficult for light from the LED to be made to fill the entire field angle of the camera, and there has been the problem of inability to achieve uniform LED illuminance within the field angle of the camera.

Mobile telephone with built-in camera and flash


A filter assembly particularly useful for the nuclear industry is provided with a number of cylindrical cartridge filters attached to a plenum chamber which is formed by a rotational moulding process. A rod is provided on the assembly which can be attached to an automatic handling device to allow remote fitting and removal of the filter assembly into and from a casing. The assembly is easy and cheap to manufacture and can be destroyed after use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to filter assemblies.
One form of commonly used filter assembly comprises a plurality of elongate filter cartridges with each cartridge having an outlet end mounted on a plenum chamber, with the outlets communicating with the interior of the plenum chamber. In use, the whole assembly is inserted into a casing with the plenum chamber closing an open end of the casing. Liquid to be filtered is pumped into the casing, passes through the cartridges, through the outlets to the cartridges, into the plenum chamber and then exits the plenum chamber for onward processing.
2. Brief Review of the Prior Art
It has previously been customary to form the plenum chamber in two parts by an injection moulding process. Such a process is particularly suitable where a very substantial number of plenum chambers have to be produced, but is less cost effective when the number of plenum chambers to be produced is small.
The use of plenum chambers formed in two parts by injection moulding also has the disadvantage that a join must be made between the two parts and this introduces an extra manufacturing process. If the join is not sufficiently tight, leakage may occur.


The invention provides an isolation technique using fewer process steps and a double charged implantation step (141) for defining a well region (139) of a CMOS integrated circuit device. The invention provides steps of providing a semiconductor substrate comprising an multiple layer of films (105, 107, 109). These films include an oxide layer (105) overlying the substrate, a polysilicon layer (107) overlying the oxide layer, and a nitride layer (109) overlying the polysilicon layer. The invention also uses a step of removing a first portion of the nitride layer and a first portion of the polysilicon layer defined underlying the first portion of the nitride layer and removing a second portion of the nitride layer and a second portion of the polysilicon layer defined underlying the second portion of the nitride layer. This sequence of steps provides a partially completed semiconductor structure that defines isolation regions before forming well regions for active devices.

The present invention relates to the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention provides a technique, including a method and structure, for forming an isolation region and using double-charged implantation of a semiconductor substrate in the manufacture of complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) devices. But it can be recognized that the technique has a wide range of applicability. For instance, the technique can be applied to the manufacture of BiCMOS and the like.
In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits, devices must be isolated from each other and from specific electrical paths. As device geometry becomes smaller, however, it is more difficult to keep such devices isolated using conventional techniques. A variety of these techniques have been proposed to keep such devices isolated. These techniques were made depending upon the type of integrated circuit being processed. For instance, these integrated circuits can use technologies such as bipolar, NMOS (N-type channel metal oxide silicon), PMOS (P-type channel metal oxide silicon), CMOS, BiCMOS (bipolar complementary metal oxide silicon), and the like.
In NMOS devices, for instance, a conventional technique for isolating devices is known as the local oxidation of silicon, commonly termed LOCOS. LOCOS generally uses steps of providing a semiconductor substrate. A layer of high quality oxide is defined overlying the substrate. A silicon nitride layer is defined overlying the oxide layer. Photolithography techniques define the silicon nitride layer leaving exposed regions of the oxide layer. The entire structure is placed into a furnace for oxidation to increases the thickness of the exposed oxide regions, which define the isolation regions. But the oxide regions underlying the nitride layer are substantially unoxidized, which provide a relatively flat surface region for the formation of a well region. The nitride layer is removed and devices can be formed in the flat surface region located between the isolation regions. Semiconductor devices such as MOS devices and the like are defined on the relatively flat surface region.
As device geometries reached sub-micron levels, however, it became necessary to replace the conventional LOCOS technique which has severe limitations for isolating the devices. In particular, the conventional LOCOS technique often did not effectively isolate the semiconductor devices from each other due to the harsher operating requirements, e.g, higher electric field, faster switch speeds, etc. In addition, as these devices became smaller, the feature size of the isolation regions provided by LOCOS was generally too large for the effective miniaturization of the devices.
Accordingly, other techniques have been proposed to overcome these and other limitations of the conventional LOCOS technique. These techniques, however, were extremely complicated and often added numerous process steps, which tended to reduce device yields and increase device turn-around-time. Examples of these techniques included modified LOCOS, silicon on insulator (SOI), silicon on sapphire (SOS), and others. A detailed discussion of these techniques can be found in Silicon Processing VLSI Era, Volume 2--Process Integration by Stanley Wolf, Lattice Press.
From the above, it is seen that a technique for fabricating a semiconductor isolation structure that is easy, reliable, and cost effective, is often desired.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor devices using double-charged implantation


In order to ensure that a door can be retained at least in a fully opened position and a slightly opened position by the combination of a smaller number of exclusive parts with a hinge connecting a body and a door in a door retention device used in a process of manufacturing an automobile, the door retention device includes a torsion spring 23 mounted to a first hinge arm 1 of a door hinge H, and a cam 20 formed on a second hinge arm 2 of the door hinge H. The cam 20 is provided with a first positioning recess 20a and a second positioning recess 20b in which a movable arm portion 23c of the torsion spring 23 is brought into engagement in the fully opened position F and the slightly opened position S of the door D, and a projection 20c disposed between the first and second positioning recesses 20a and 20b and adapted to apply a load to the movable arm portion 23c in accordance with the turning of the door D. The torsion spring 23 is capable of being mounted and demounted in a non-loaded state to and from the first hinge arm 1 in the fully opened position F of the door D.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door retention device for retaining a door at least in a fully opened position and a slightly opened state, the device being used in a process of manufacturing an automobile including a first hinge arm secured to one of a body and the door, a second arm secured to the other of the body and the door, and a hinge pin which interconnects the first and second hinge arms for turning movement relative to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a process of manufacturing an automobile, and particularly at a step of painting a body having a door, it is a conventional practice to paint an interior of the door and an inner portion of the door in a fully opened state of the door and to paint outer surfaces of the body and the door in a slightly opened state of the door. At such a painting step, a door retention device is required, which is used temporarily for retain the door in fully opened position and in a slightly opened position to prevent the door from being turned voluntarily.
There is such a conventionally known door retention device, in which a door checker capable of retain a door in two positions, that is, a fully opened position and a slightly opened position, is mounted temporarily between a body and the door in addition to a door hinge for connecting the body and the door to each other, as disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-136679
A conventional door checker used temporarily in an automobile manufacturing process is relatively expensive because of a large number of exclusive parts, and moreover operations of mounting and demounting of the body checker to and from the body and the door are troublesome.

Door retention device used in process of manufacturing automobile


According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a NAND-type flash memory and a memory controller. A comparison module of the memory controller compares a first threshold voltage distribution of a first memory area with a second threshold voltage distribution of the first memory area acquired earlier than the first threshold voltage distribution, if an error is detected in data read from the first memory area. An error factor determination module of the memory controller determines a cause of the error based on the comparison result, and inhibits a data move operation of moving data of the first memory area to the second memory area based on the determination result.

A NAND-type flash memory has conventionally been known as a reprogrammable nonvolatile (or non-transitory) memory. Also, a memory system such as a solid state drive (SSD) including the NAND-type flash memory has recently been developed.
Data retention (DR) of the NAND-type flash memory deteriorates when the memory is left to stand for long time periods. In the above-mentioned memory system, therefore, it is necessary to remove the influence of the deterioration of DR of the NAND-type flash memory. In this memory system, it is also necessary to remove the influence of program disturb (PD) and read disturb (RD). PD is a phenomenon in which data write changes the values (or threshold voltage) of nearby memory cells. RD is a phenomenon in which data read changes the values (or threshold voltage) of nearby memory cells.
Accordingly, if, for example, a read error has occurred under the influence of PD, RD, or DR (the deterioration of DR), a general conventional technique is to apply an operation of moving (i.e., rewriting) data in a first memory area containing the error to a second memory area different from the first memory area. This operation is called "refresh". Each of the first and second memory areas is, e.g., the unit of erase by which data are erased at once in the memory system. The refresh operation includes data read and write. If the refresh operation frequently occurs, therefore, the NAND-type flash memory may deteriorate. Also, in the conventional technique, a process of invalidating the first memory area as needed is performed after the refresh operation regardless of whether the cause of the error is PD, RD, or DR. Depending on the cause of the error, however, the influence on the first memory area sometimes improves when the NAND-type flash memory is left to stand. Accordingly, it is necessary to prevent the deterioration of the NAND-type flash memory caused by an unnecessary refresh operation, and prevent the decrease in capacity of the NAND-type flash memory caused by memory area invalidation.

Memory system having NAND-type flash memory and memory controller with shift read controller and threshold voltage comparison module


A programmable key for use in a security system for protecting items of merchandise has a housing, a power supply mounted in the housing, a logic control circuit which includes a controller, a wireless communication circuit and a security disarm code (SDC) memory. The key has visual indicators such as an LED which is operatively connected to the logic control circuit and pulsed to indicate the state of the SDC. The control circuit includes a timer which has a preset time limit programmed therein, which invalidates the stored SDC if not refreshed by a remote programming source within a certain time period. The logic circuit further includes a counter which counts the number of activations of a control switch, and which permanently deactivates the control circuit upon reaching a certain count value to ensure that the internal battery has sufficient power to maintain the key operational. The wireless communication circuit preferably is infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) controlled.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to security devices, systems and methods for protection of merchandise, and in particular, a programmable smart key for use in a security system wherein the key is programmed with a security disarm code (SDC) at a programming station and is used to program the SDC code into various alarm modules adapted to be attached to items of merchandise by wireless communication.
2. Background Information
Various retail establishments use numerous types of theft deterrent devices and systems to discourage shoplifters. Many of these systems use various types of alarm modules or other security devices which are attached to the article to be protected in one manner or another. When the integrity of the module or the item of merchandise protected thereby is compromised in any manner, such as cutting the attachment cables which attach the alarm module to the item of merchandise, removing the merchandise from the alarm module or disturbing the alarm module, will cause an audible alarm to be sounded in the module to alert store personnel that the item of merchandise or security device is being tampered with illegally. These alarm modules, as well as the items of merchandise protected thereby, also may contain various electronic article surveillance tags (EAS) which will sound an alarm at a security gate upon passing through the gate in an unauthorized manner.
These alarm modules or security devices which are attached to the items of merchandise usually have some type of key, either mechanical or magnetic, which is used to unlock the device from the protected item of merchandise to enable the merchandise to be taken to a checkout counter, as well as to disarm an alarm contained in the alarm module. One problem with such security systems is that these keys will be stolen from the retail establishment and used at the same establishment or at another store using the same type of alarm module or security device, to enable a thief to disarm the alarm module as well as unlock it from the protected merchandise. These keys also are stolen by dishonest employees for subsequent unauthorized use by the employee or sale to a thief for use at the same store or at other stores which use the same alarm modules controlled by the key.
It is extremely difficult to prevent the theft of these keys by dishonest employees or even by a thief within the retail establishment due to the number of keys that must be available and used by the various clerks in the various departments of the store to facilitate the use of the numerous alarm modules and security devices that are needed to protect the numerous items of merchandise.
Thus, the need exists for a security system and in particular a disarming key used thereon, which system uses various types of alarm modules and security devices which are attached to various items of merchandise, which will prevent a thief or dishonest employee from using the key that is used to disarm and unlock the security device in an unauthorized manner on similar types of alarm modules and security devices at various retail establishments including the store from which the key was stolen.

Programmable key for a security system for protecting merchandise


An apparatus for transmitting or reflecting incident light. The apparatus includes a pair of diffraction grid substrates; a substantially grid-shaped diffraction grid formed of metal, wherein the diffraction grid is disposed between the substrates; and a pair of adhesive layers, each adhesive layer coupled to each substrate. The apparatus also includes a pair of block members, wherein each block member is coupled to each adhesive layer. The block member is configured with a plurality of substantially equally-shaped flat plate members alternately layered with adhesive layers for optically coupling the block member with substantially reduced optical distortion than when configured with a single transparent component. The block member includes a surface to output the light transmitted or reflected from the diffraction grid and passing through the flat plate members.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a prism for separating the illuminated light from a light source depending on the wavelength or polarized light components, a projection device for modulating the illuminated light radiated from the light source using a reflection type optical modulating element and for projecting the light to an enlarged scale using a lens and an optical component used in this prism and in the projection device.
2. Description of Related Art
For enabling display on a large sized screen, there has so far been known a projection device in which illuminated light is radiated from a lamp to a liquid crystal panel, on which a pattern consistent with input picture signals is displayed, and in which the illuminated light is modulated and reflected by the liquid crystal panel so as to be projected to an enlarged scale using a projector lens.
In this projection device, a polarized beam splitter (PBS) for separating the forward and return optical paths is provided in the optical path so that the optical path for the illuminated light towards the liquid crystal panel and that for the reflected light modulated by the liquid crystal panel will not be the same optical path. In this PBS 200, a pair of corner prisms 202, as substrates, is bonded together to hold a dielectric multi-layer film 201 in-between as shown in FIG. 1. Moreover, in this PBS 200, the dielectric multi-layer film 201 is formed to have different reflectance and transmittance values, depending on the wavelength or the direction of light polarization, and operates as a beam splitter for separating a light beam depending on the wavelength or the direction of light polarization.
The PBS 200 can be classified into a McNeill type in which the dielectric multi-layer film 201 separates the light beam depending on the polarized light component, and a dichroic type, in which the light beam is separated depending on the wavelength.
In the McNeill or dichroic type PBS, exploiting the interference of multi-layer dielectric films, the performance is determined by the refractive index of the substrate and the combination of the layered dielectric materials, so that the performance beyond a certain limit cannot be achieved. In such PBS, it is extremely difficult to maintain separation characteristics between the P-polarized light and the S-polarized light over a wide angle of incidence. Thus, if this PBS is built into an optical system with a large angular distribution, that is with a small F-value, light separation characteristics as well as the light exploitation efficiently is lowered.
As a solution, a flat plate shaped diffraction grid PBS 210, shown in FIG. 2, may be used. In this diffraction grid PBS 210, a diffraction grid 212 of e.g., aluminum is provided on a glass substrate 211. By this diffraction grid 212, light is separated depending on polarized components. However, if the grid is used as a beam splitter, the diffraction grid PBS 210 needs to be arranged obliquely relative to the main light beam, so that, if the diffraction grid PBS is inserted into the optical path, astigmatic aberration is produced.
In the case of the McNeill or dichroic prism, distortion is produced in the prism due to temperature rise in the prism or by a holding mechanism, so that diffraction distribution in the substrate becomes non-uniform with the result that phase difference is produced in the light transmitted through the substrate and hence the extinction ratio is partially lowered. With the projection device, employing this prism, so-called black spots are produced in the projected image such that clear images cannot be projected. Thus, as a prism substrate, such a material having a low modulus of opto-elasticity and less susceptible to distortion in the prism needs to be selected. However, a material having a low modulus of opto-elasticity is costly, such that the prism employing the low modulus of opto-elasticity or the projection device employing such prism is expensive. On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to produce a prism of high performance from an inexpensive vitreous material having a high modulus of opto-elasticity.


An internally grounded ceramic feedthrough filter capacitor assembly provides for the shielding and decoupling of a conductive terminal pin or lead of the type used, for example, in an implantable medical device such as a cardiac pacemaker or cardioverter defibrillator against passage of external interference signals, such as those caused by digital cellular phones. The assembly includes a terminal pin subassembly having at least one terminal pin supported within a conductive ferrule by a hermetically sealed insulator structure. The ferrule is adapted for mounting onto a conductive substrate, such as a pacemaker housing, by welding or brazing to support the terminal pin subassembly for feedthrough passage to the housing interior. A ceramic feedthrough capacitor is mounted at an inboard side, with the capacitor electrode plate sets coupled respectively to a grounded lead and to the terminal pins(s) by conductive adhesive, soldering, brazing or the like. In preferred forms of the invention, multiple feedthrough filter capacitors are provided in a substantially coplanar array within a common base structure, with each capacitor in association with a respective terminal pin.

This invention relates generally to simplified feedthrough terminal pin subassemblies and related methods of construction, particularly of the type used in implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers and the like, to decouple and shield undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals from the device. More specifically, this invention relates to a reduced cost and reduced mechanical stress hermetic feedthrough terminal pin and ceramic feedthrough capacitor assembly including one or more filter capacitors, and related installation method. It is adapted particularly for use in connecting a lead wire or electrode through a hermetically sealed housing to internal electronic components of the medical device while decoupling EMI against entry into the sealed housing. This invention is particularly designed for use in cardiac pacemakers (bradycardia devices), cardioverter defibrillators (tachycardia devices) and combined pacemaker defibrillator devices. This invention is also applicable to a wide range of other EMI filter applications, such as military or space electronic modules where it is desirable to preclude the entry of EMI into a sealed housing containing sensitive electronic circuitry.
Feedthrough terminal pin assemblies are generally well known in the art for connecting electrical signals through the housing or case of an electronic instrument. For example, in implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators or the like, the terminal pin assembly comprises one or more conductive terminal pins supported by an insulator structure for feedthrough passage from the exterior to the interior of the medical device. Many different insulator structures and related mounting methods are known in the art for use in medical devices wherein the insulator structure also provides a hermetic seal to prevent entry of body fluids into the housing of the medical device. However, the feedthrough terminal pins are typically connected to one or more lead wires which effectively act as an antenna and thus tend to collect stray EMI signals for transmission into the interior of the medical device. In many prior art devices, the hermetic terminal pin assembly has been combined directly with a ceramic feedthrough filter capacitor to decouple interference signals to the housing of the medical device. A major market force within the medical implantable device industry has been to reduce cost of the implanted device (e.g. pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator). Medical insurance carriers, government healthcare programs (e.g. Medicare) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are placing additional competitive pressures on the manufacturers of such devices.
In a typical unipolar construction, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,095 (the contents of which are incorporated herein), a coaxial ceramic feedthrough filter capacitor used in a feedthrough assembly to suppress and decouple undesired interference or noise transmission along a terminal pin comprises a so-called discoidal capacitor having two sets of electrode plates embedded in spaced relation within an insulative dielectric substrate or base, formed typically as a ceramic monolithic structure. One set of the electrode plates is electrically connected at an inner diameter cylindrical surface of the discoidal capacitor structure to the conductive terminal pin utilized to pass the desired electrical signal or signals. The other or second set of electrode plates is coupled at an outer diameter surface of the discoidal capacitor to a cylindrical ferrule of conductive material, wherein the ferrule is electrically connected in turn to the conductive housing of the electronic device. The number and dielectric thickness spacing of the electrode plate sets varies in accordance with the capacitance value and the voltage rating of the discoidal capacitor. In operation, the discoidal capacitor permits passage of relatively low frequency electrical signals along the terminal pin, while shielding and decoupling/attenuating undesired interference signals of typically high frequency to the conductive housing. Feedthrough capacitors of this general type are available in unipolar (one,) bipolar (two), tripolar (three), quadpolar (four), pentapolar (five), hexpolar (six) and additional lead configurations. The feedthrough capacitors of this general type are commonly employed in implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators and the like, wherein the pacemaker housing is constructed from a biocompatible metal, such as titanium alloy, which is electrically coupled to the feedthrough filter capacitor. As a result, the filter capacitor and terminal pin assembly prevents entrance of interference signals to the interior of the pacemaker housing, wherein such interference signals could otherwise adversely affect the desired cardiac pacing or defibrillation function.
In the past, feedthrough filter capacitors for cardiac pacemakers and the like have typically been constructed by preassembly of the discoidal capacitor within a cylindrical terminal pin subassembly which includes the conductive pin and ferrule. More specifically, the terminal pin subassembly is prefabricated to include one or more conductive terminal pins supported within the conductive ferrule by means of a hermetically sealed insulator ring or bead. See for example, the subassemblies disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,920,888; 4,152,540; 4,421,947; and 4,424,551. An improved design which has substantially improved the volumetric efficiency is based upon surface mounting of a ceramic feedthrough capacitor planar array structure to one outer surface of a hermetic terminal with similar connection to the conductive pins (see the subassemblies disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,095). In all of the prior art described above, the outer feedthrough capacitor electrode plate sets are coupled in parallel together by a metallized layer which is either fired, sputtered or plated onto the ceramic capacitor. This metallized band, in turn, is coupled to the ferrule by conductive adhesive, soldering, brazing, or the like.
Although feedthrough filter capacitor assemblies of the type described above have performed in a generally satisfactory manner, the manufacture and installation of such filter capacitor assemblies has been relatively time consuming and therefore costly. For example, installation of the discoidal capacitor into the small annular space described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,551 between the terminal pin and ferrule can be a difficult and complex multi-step procedure to ensure formation of reliable, high quality electrical connections. The method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,551 (the contents of which are incorporated herein), teaches the injection of fluidic thermosetting conductive particles into first and second annular cavities (usually by centrifuge operations). As a consequence, this method also requires insulation of the interface between the capacitor structure and insulator, curing of the various thermosetting materials, and subsequent cleaning operations to remove excess conductive material. While the method taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,095 is far simpler, a connection from the capacitor outside diameter and the conductive ferrule is still required.
A high integrity hermetic seal for medical implant applications is very critical to prevent the ingress of body fluids into the implanted device (e.g. pacemaker). Even a small leak rate of such body fluid penetration can, over a period of many years, build up and damage sensitive internal electronic components. This can cause catastrophic failure of the implanted device. The hermetic seal for medical implant (as well as space and military) applications is typically constructed of highly stable alumina ceramic or glass materials with very low bulk permeability. A helium fine leak test is typically used in conjunction with a sensitive detector to reject defective or cracked hermetic seals. This final product quality conformance test is typically of very short duration (a few seconds helium exposure). This short test exposure will readily detect a leak in a cracked or otherwise defective alumina ceramic or glass hermetic seal; however, it typically takes much longer for helium to penetrate through an epoxy or polyimide adjunct barrier (such polymer overcoating can mask the leak).
Withstanding the high temperature and thermal stresses associated with the welding of a hermetically sealed terminal with a premounted ceramic feedthrough capacitor is very difficult to achieve with the '551, '095 and other prior art designs. The electrical/mechanical connection to the outside perimeter or outside diameter of the feedthrough capacitor has a very high thermal conductivity as compared to air. The welding operation typically employed in the medical implant industry to install the filtered hermetic terminal into the ICD can involve a welding operation in very close proximity to this electrical/mechanical connection area. Accordingly, in the prior art the ceramic feedthrough capacitor is subjected to a dramatic temperature rise. This temperature rise produces mechanical stress in the capacitor due to the mismatch in thermal coefficients of expansion of the surrounding materials. In addition, in the prior art the capacitor lead connections must be of very high temperature materials to withstand the high peak temperatures reached during the welding operation (as much as 500.degree. C.). A similar, but less severe, situation is applicable in military, space and commercial applications where similar prior art devices are soldered instead of welded by the user into a bulkhead or substrate. Many of these prior art devices employ a soldered connection to the outside perimeter or outside diameter of the feedthrough capacitor. Excessive installation soldering heat has been known to damage such prior art devices.
Accordingly, there is a need for a novel feedthrough filter capacitor assembly that addresses the drawbacks noted above in connection with the prior art. In particular, a novel capacitor assembly is needed that is subjected to far less temperature rise during the manufacture thereof by eliminating an outside perimeter or outside diameter electrical/mechanical connection. Such a design would allow the use of much lower temperature materials (such as standard solder) to achieve the capacitor inside diameter lead connections. Moreover, such an improvement would make the assembly relatively immune to the aforementioned stressful installation techniques. Moreover, a novel filter capacitor design is needed which is of simplified construction, utilizing a straightforward and uncomplicated feedthrough terminal pin subassembly, that can result in manufacturing cost reductions. Of course the new design must be capable of effectively filtering out undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals from the target device. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

Internally grounded feedthrough filter capacitor


The present invention discloses a decoy apparatus with wind-driven rotatable wings. The rotatable wings are mounted on a shaft member, which extends transversely through a bird-like body portion. Head-on horizontal-axis rotor blades are integrally mounted on the rotatable wings for collecting and converting kinetic wind energy to rotational power in the shaft member. When collected and converted to rotational power, wind energy causes the wings, the shaft member and the rotor blades to rotate in unison through 360 degrees about a horizontal-axis of rotation extending through the shaft member. The wings and integrally-mounted rotor blades co-rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counter-clockwise direction depending on the wind energy being directed against the rotor blade members. The rotor blade members thus create wing movement in the wings and in the rotor blades for alluring game located vertically, laterally and longitudinally relative to the decoy apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decoy apparatus, and, more particularly, to a decoy apparatus with rotatable wing assemblies for alluring birds within visual distance of the decoy apparatus regardless of their environmental location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Decoy art is ancient. Hunter societies on the American Continent have used decoys in their hunt for centuries. These ancient decoys were designed, in part, to bring game birds within close proximity to the hunters due to the relatively primitive weaponry of the day. Bird decoys estimated to be over a thousand years old and made of reeds and feathers have been discovered and preserved from these earlier times. Down through the centuries, hunters have continually endeavored to improve upon their decoys and the process of continual improvement persists to this day.
Despite the trend to constantly improve upon that which has come before, it is well known in the art that waterfowl decoys, in particular, can be very simple and yet allure waterfowl. For example, effective waterfowl decoys can be made from mud lumps, newspapers, bottles, diapers and even rags. Conversely, complex decoys are also effective. Robotic decoys, for example, lure not only other game, but human poachers as well. The more lifelike the decoy, it is argued, the more effective the decoy for alluring game.
In the early 1900""s, hunters commonly used trained live game birds to lure wild game birds. The use of these live so-called decoys, however, was outlawed in the United States in 1935, prompting hunters in the United States to find life-like substitutes. Decoy dogma teaches that visually imitative, naturally-animated decoys tend to be more effective at luring wildlife. When used with an eye toward wildlife population sustainability, visually imitative, naturally-animated decoys enable the user to reach a hunt limit more efficiently, thus leaving far fewer wounded animals in the environment. Similarly, visually imitative, naturally-animated decoys enable users to lure wildlife away from environmental locations where its presence is undesirable. Visually imitative decoys employing motorized systems for animation are among the most effective decoys available.
Decoys employing motorized systems for animation, however, are both detrimental to the environment and have limited effectiveness. Decoys employing motorized systems for animation are environmentally detrimental in that power sources are often discarded into the environment. Decoys employing motorized systems for animation have limited effectiveness in that their visually apparent animation tends to be static, mechanical and highly repetitive. Additionally, motorized systems for animation often conflict with environmental conditions, namely wind conditions, and tend to wear more quickly due to oppositional forces impinging upon mechanically operative parts.
Visually imitative decoys employing wind-actuating systems for animation are preferred. Wind-actuated systems for decoy animation rarely result in environmentally discarded material. Further, wind-actuated systems animate decoys in tune with environmental conditions, namely wind conditions, thereby creating more random, natural animation. In this manner, the alluring effect is maximized. Moreover, wind-actuated systems for decoy animation harness wind energy, operate in tune with wind conditions and wear more slowly as a result.
Bird decoys having wind-actuated means for wing movement are known in the prior art and some are described hereinafter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,385, which issued to Carranza et al., teaches rotatable wings rotatably received on an axle member and being bracketed to an existing decoy. The wing structures generally comprise multi-bladed, crosswind, Savonius-type, horizontal-axis, rigid blade members shaped to receive wind energy and rotate about the axle member. The blades are colored in contrasting colors on opposite sides of the wing so that when the wings rotate, driven by wind energy, a more attractive visual effect is created, which can be seen from greater visual distances. The shape of the rotatable wings is not visually imitative thus limiting decoy effectiveness. Further, the rotatable wings are not integrally formed with the bird decoy body structure, which detracts from the decoy""s visually imitative effect thus limiting decoy effectiveness. Moreover, the rotatable wings are not readily viewable from extreme lateral viewpoints thus further handicapping decoy effectiveness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,764, which issued to Peterson, teaches a decoy with wind-actuated flexible wings which when exposed to wind energy fluctuate in an up and down manner. When the wings are oriented in a relaxed state and wind is directed against the wings, lift is generated, causing the wings to rise to an ultimate stall position causing the wings, in turn to fall, thereby creating the effect of life-like wing movement. This disclosure lacks the preferred realism of an anatomically correct bird body structure and lacks alluring effect at greater visual distances, but is otherwise believed to be an effective wind-animated decoy insofar as the flexible wings are integrally formed with the decoy portion representing the bird body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,619, which issued to Stancil, teaches a rotatable vane used in cooperative association with an existing decoy. The vane employs elliptical blade members shaped to receive wind energy and colored on opposite sides in contrasting colors so as to create a more alluring visual effect upon rotation. The vane is rotatably attached to an existing decoy by a support. The rotation is one-way creating lift thereby and causing the decoy to slightly rise out of water. A motor may be used to supply rotational force in the absence of wind. This disclosure is not visually imitative in that it lacks the preferable integral wing to body configuration and seems awkward in practice. While the vane blades approach a more life-like wing shape, the support structure simultaneously detracts from the lure""s visually imitative effect thus limiting decoy effectiveness. Further, the blade members do not produce a visually alternating signal viewable from extreme lateral viewpoints, thus further limiting decoy effectiveness.
It is noted that many different types of wind energy collectors have been devised. Basically, almost any physical configuration, which produces an asymmetrical force in a windstream can be made to rotate, translate, or oscillate. Machines using rotors or blade members as wind energy collectors may properly be classified in terms of the orientation of their axis of rotation relative to the windstream and as such are classified, as follows: (1) head-on horizontal-axis rotors for which the axis of rotation is parallel to the direction of the windstream (akin to conventional windmills); (2) crosswind horizontal-axis rotors for which the axis of rotation is both generally horizontal to the surface of the earth and perpendicular to the direction of the windstream (akin to a water wheel); and (3) vertical-axis rotors for which the axis of rotation is both horizontal to the surface of the earth and the windstream. In terms of wind energy collection efficiency, vertical axis rotors are to be preferred since they do not have to be turned into the wind as the direction of the windstream varies. However, in terms of waterfowl decoy application purposes, horizontal-axis rotors are preferred in that wings tend to have a substantially horizontal orientation. Comparatively, head-on horizontal-axis rotors are preferred to crosswind horizontal-axis rotors in that crosswind horizontal-axis rotors have consistently been found to be generally less effective and less efficient wind energy collectors.
Crosswind, Savonius-type horizontal-axis wind energy collectors, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,385, generally experience a relatively greater amount of drag and tend to produce a larger wake of air behind the blades, both of which characteristics reduce the efficiency of the wind energy collector. Further, crosswind horizontal-axis rotors and the axis of rotation must be oriented substantially perpendicular to the prevailing wind velocity to rotate effectively. Since users of waterfowl decoys most often deploy decoys in relatively low wind speed scenarios where wind conditions and directions vary considerably, more efficient wind energy collectors, which operate under less restrictive wind conditions are needed. Head-on horizontal-axis rotors are thus preferable in this regard. Head-on horizontal-axis rotors, such as disclosed in the claimed invention, operate in wind conditions where the prevailing kinetic wind velocity has even slight lateral dimension relative to the waterfowl decoy apparatus where a longitudinal axis extends from the head portion to the tail portion of the waterfowl decoy structure and where the axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to this longitudinal alignment. The preferred embodiment of the present invention thus incorporates head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members 150(d) and 150(v) into its design to achieve a more efficient wind energy collecting waterfowl decoy apparatus. Excellent results have been achieved with head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members 150(d) and 150(v) in wind conditions where wind energy has a lateral dimension relative to the longitudinally-aligned waterfowl decoy apparatus.
None of the prior art discloses wind-driven rotatable wings that employ head-on horizontal-axis rotor blades for collecting and converting wind energy having lateral movement into rotational power to rotatably drive a shaft member integrally mounted with a decoy body structure. Further, none of the prior art discloses rotatable wings readily viewable from extreme lateral positions. Head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members mounted on wing structures are not only useful as energy conversion machines but are also readily viewable from extreme lateral positions thereby increasing the range of attraction from primarily anterior, posterior and vertical viewpoints to a virtually universal perspective.
Wildlife exhibit myriad bodily movements. Attempting to simulate these in an artificially animated decoy is difficult. Wind-actuated decoy animation more closely approximates wildlife movement in that wind-actuated decoy animation is in tune with the environment, namely wind conditions, and is not as static or as repetitive as is motorized decoy animation. None of the prior art patents shows a mounting system that enables the user to selectively position the decoy in a triaxial manner. Selective triaxial positioning further enables the user to simulate the myriad bodily movements of which wildlife is capable.
Accordingly, one objective of the present invention is to provide a decoy apparatus with visually imitative decoy body structure to further enhance decoy effectiveness. Another objective of the present invention is to provide visually imitative decoy wing structure to further enhance decoy effectiveness. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide integral wing to body configuration to still further enhance decoy effectiveness. Still another objective of the present invention is to provide an energy-efficient, yet environmentally safe means to dynamically animate the decoy apparatus while simultaneously expanding the range of decoy attraction to a maximum extent.
To attain these objectives, the claimed invention generally comprises a wingless imitation waterfowl structure anatomically configured to resemble a wingless waterfowl. The wingless waterfowl structure also has waterfowl-simulating markings and two downwardly extending rigid leg members. Each downwardly extending rigid leg member has a rigid foot member.
The decoy apparatus further comprises a transverse shaft member rotatably received within the wingless waterfowl structure. This shaft member has laterally-opposed terminal ends extending laterally outward from the wingless waterfowl structure each being attached to a laterally-opposed, naturally-shaped wing permitting the naturally-shaped wings and the shaft member to co-rotate through 360 degrees in unison together about the shaft member""s axis of rotation.
The decoy apparatus further comprises a plurality of head-on horizontal-axis, propeller-shaped rotor blade members cooperatively associated with the wings for collecting wind energy having lateral movement, which when collected is converted to rotational power in the shaft member causing the naturally-shaped wings, the shaft member and the head-on horizontal-axis, propeller-shaped rotor blade members to rotate in unison through 360 degrees relative to the wingless imitation waterfowl structure in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction depending on the wind energy being directed against the head-on horizontal-axis, propeller-shaped rotor blade members. The head-on horizontal-axis, propeller-shaped rotor blade members thus simultaneously create rotational wing movement both in the naturally-shaped wings for alluring waterfowl located longitudinally and vertically relative to the decoy apparatus and also in the head-on horizontal-axis, propeller-shaped rotor blade members themselves for alluring waterfowl located laterally relative to the decoy apparatus.
In the preferred embodiment, each wing of the decoy apparatus includes two vertically-aligned dorsally/ventrally-opposed head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members proximally located relative to the wingless imitation body structure and weighted so as to allow the wings to rotatably rest with their ventral surface down facing downward. The dorsal surface of each wing has light-absorbent coloration and the ventral surface of each wing has light-reflective coloration. The dorsal surface light-absorbent coloration further extends to the dorsally located head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members and the ventral surface light-reflective coloration further extends to the ventrally located head-on horizontal-axis rotor blade members.
The dorsal surface of each wing is further distinguished by an outstanding visual identifying pattern, which further comprises a species-specific light-absorbent portion. This species-specific light-absorbent portion has variable coloration depending on the waterfowl species sought to be allured. The outstanding visual identifying pattern further comprises a light-reflective border portion. The light-reflective border portion outlines the species-specific light-absorbent portion to visually distinguish the species-specific light-absorbent portion from the light-absorbent dorsal surface coloration.
This invention further discloses three alternate wing shapes, the first of which approximates an anatomical wing shape and the second of which approximates a parabolic wing shape. The third wing shape is a further refinement of the parabolic wing shape whereby the parabolic wing shape is distinguished by having a horizontally-aligned Savonius wind machine configuration for adding further wind collection and conversion capability for wing animation.
Additionally, it is a further object of the present invention to simulate the myriad bodily movements of which waterfowl are capable, thereby adding to the effectiveness of the decoy apparatus. Accordingly the decoy apparatus is fixedly mounted on a swivel mounting system. The swivel mounting system allows the decoy apparatus to be selectively oriented in a triaxial fashion further allowing the user to randomly position the decoy apparatus. The decoy apparatus is mounted on a swivel head assembly, which allows for the selective triaxial orientation. A rod-like anchoring post supports the swivel head assembly. The rod-like anchoring post has a support end and an anchoring end opposite the support end. The support end rotatably attaches to the swivel head and the anchoring end has a pointed terminus for piercedly and fixedly anchoring the rod-like anchoring post to the ground.

Decoy apparatus with integral rotor blade wing assembly


A seat (10) includes a backrest portion (16) and a seat portion (14) for supporting a cushion (12). The backrest portion (16) includes a back frame (18) which supports an expansion bladder (28) for expanding and retracting to provide lumbar support. A longitudinal plate (34) is fixedly connected to the frame (18) at a first end (36) and placed over the bladder (28) to provide lumbar support in response to selective expansion of the bladder (28). A second end (38) of the plate (34) is slidably connected within a rotatable member (46). The rotatable member (46) allows bending of the second end (38) to provide thoracic support separate from the lumbar support.

Conventionally, lumbar support assemblies are used for maintaining a seat cushion in a contoured position. Such lumbar support assemblies usually include either bellows, air bladders, or a pump to force air into the cushion pocket to reach the desired contour. Alternatively, a semi-rigid mechanical structure which can be moved in a plurality of predetermined positions to adjust the contour of the seat in the lumbar area is also known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,643, issued Dec. 31, 1991 in the name of Colasanti et al, and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention, discloses a lumbar support assembly having a seat frame with a pneumatic bladder supported thereon, and a contoured plate disposed over the bladder having a free end slidably engaged within guides. As the bladder is inflated or deflated, the plate responds thereto providing lumbar support as required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,329, issued Aug. 11, 1992 in the name of Neale discloses an adjustable lumbar support including a rigid back plate and front plate which provides support. The contour of the front plate is generally concave, and a fluid actuator is placed between the plates to provide additional or less support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,348 to Colasanti also discloses an inflatable bladder acting with an arcuate plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,054 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,854 disclose the use of multiple air bladders to provide selective support.


The present invention provides novel polyurethane-based wound dressing foams, obtained by foaming and curing silane-terminated polyurethanes.

The use of wound dressing foams for managing weeping wounds is prior art. Owing to their high absorbency and their good mechanical properties, polyurethane foams produced by reaction of mixtures of diisocyanates and polyols or NCO-functional polyurethane prepolymers with water in the presence of certain catalysts and also (foam) additives are generally used. Aromatic diisocyanates are generally employed, since they are best foamable. Numerous forms of these processes are known, for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,266, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,567 and EP-A 0 059 048. However, the aforementioned processes have the disadvantage that they require the use of reactive mixtures, comprising diisocyanates or appropriate NCO-functional prepolymers, whose handling is technically inconvenient and costly, since appropriate protective measures are necessary for example. Direct application of these mixtures to (human) skin is not possible because of the high reactivity of the isocyanate groups present.
As well as through the use of compositions comprising free isocyanate groups, polyurethane foams can also be produced using silane-terminated polyurethane prepolymers which are foamable through use of blowing agents. Numerous embodiments are known for producing sealing and insulating foams, for example described in EP-A 1 098 920. The use of the compositions for producing wound dressing foams was hitherto not recognized. Nor have the critical requirements for use as wound dressing foams, such as good water vapour permeability and high liquid uptake capacity, hitherto been described.

Production of polyurethane foams for wound management