A motor structure having a stator core including an armature coil wound on stator plates and arranged in parallel on the surface of the motor mounting plate and a bearing mechanism for supporting a rotor rotatably provided at the center of the stator oppositely to the stator wherein the stator core is coupled by an integrally molded form with a housing for holding the bearing mechanism

1. (Field of the Invention)
This invention relates to an improvement in a structure of a thin DC brushless motor and, more particularly, to a bearing structure of a thin DC brushless motor.
2. (Description of the Prior Art)
A thin DC brushless motor has been frequently used as a rotary drive source of a floppy disk drive for a personal computer. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a conventional thin DC brushless motor illustrating the state that a rotor is rotatably provided on a motor mounting plate formed of a printed circuit board. In FIG. 4, numeral 1 denotes a board as a motor mounting plate, which is made of a ferromagnetic material such as steel and on which a printed wiring circuit is formed on the surface through a thin insulating layer, and an electronic component such as an IC for a motor drive circuit is mounted. A circular hole 2 is perforated at the board 1, a bearing base 3 is engaged within the circular hole 2, and clamped at the board with screws 4. Two ball bearings 5 and 6 are secured to the bearing base 3.
Numeral 7 designates a rotating disk for rotating the floppy disk to constitute a rotor in a thin circular dish shape. The rotating poles 9 made of a ringlike permanent magnet are fixed to the inside of the outer periphery 8 of the rotating disk 7. A speed detecting permanent magnet 10 for detecting the rotating speed of the rotating disk 7 is fixed to the lower part of the outer periphery 8 of the rotating disk 7. The poles 9 made of the permanent magnet are formed of rare earth metal or the like in a ring shape as shown in FIG. 5. A magnetic shielding plate 30 formed of soft iron similarly in a ring shape is engaged outside the poles 9. A plurality of permanent magnets is formed at the poles 9 by magnetizing. These permanent magnets are magnetized in the radial direction of the poles 9 in such a manner that the polarity directions of these poles are opposite at the adjacent poles. A rotating disk 7 assembly including the poles 9 constitutes a rotor.
A rotating shaft mounting plate 11 made of brass is fixed to the center of the rotating disk 7 and receives thereon circular member 24. A rotating shaft 12 is fixed to the center of the rotating shaft mounting plate 11. The rotating shaft 12 is rotatably mounted at the ball bearings 5 and 6. As also known in the art, reference numeral 13 denotes a hole receiving a driving pin 14 which chucks to a floppy disk and transmits a rotating force of the rotating disk 7 thereto. The numeral 15 is a leaf spring which biases the drive pin 14 upwardly and downwardly in accordance with loading of the floppy disk. The numeral 22 is a coil wound on the stator pole 21 to generate a magnetic pole. The numeral 25 is an electric terminal for an electric current flowing from the mounting plate 1 to the ground.
In a conventional thin DC brushless motor shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bearing base 3 for holding the ball bearings 5, 6 for rotatably supporting the rotating shaft 12 is constructed separately from a stator frame 23 having a stator core 31 and stator poles 21. However, such a thin DC brushless motor has been required to be reduced in size and thickness without decreasing its output in the development of a light, thin, short and small articles.
Therefore, to maintain the output of the conventional thin DC brushless motor in a smaller space, a gap G between the rotating poles 9 and the stator poles 21 is reduced to its critical limit. In this respect, the squareness of the rotating shaft 12 to the stator poles 21 becomes a problem. The squareness cannot be obtained in a stable accuracy maintained accurately since the stator poles 21 and the bearing base 3 for receiving the bearings 5, 6 are have been formed separately, and respectively fixed to the board 1.
This invention is constituted in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of this invention is not only to facilitate the squareness management of the bearing mechanism for the stator poles 21 but also to reduce the cost by the decrease in the number of components.


A portable saliva compensation device is provided with a portable carrying case holding a vacuum pump, and a portable power supply for providing power to vacuum pump. An electrical control circuit is connected to the portable power supply and the pump. A saliva collection device is positioned at or below a user's mouth for collecting excess saliva and conveying it to a hollow tube connecting between the saliva collection device and the vacuum pump. A saliva detection switch in the saliva collection device is coupled to the electrical control circuit to activate the vacuum pump when saliva is detected in the saliva collection device. This draws the saliva from the collection device through said hollow tube and into a collection reservoir.

Drooling is abnormal for people beyond the age of toddlers. For some people with a variety of neurological conditions, drooling is a chronic problem which cannot be remedied by standard intervention methods. There is no definitive research data on the number of people with drooling problems, but the literature estimates that ten percent (10%) of all people with cerebral palsy have unwanted drooling. Individuals with conditions such as head injury, Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis, and other degenerative neurological diseases can also have a drooling problem.
Previously, there has not been a device for reliable collection of saliva overflow during normal activities of a person with a drooling problem. Without a truly portable and convenient apparatus for the collection of saliva, accurate data related to this problem cannot be easily obtained. Not only would a device be beneficial for people with excess saliva overflow but also reliable collection of saliva overflow is essential for determining the effectiveness of various intervention strategies. Such a device could also be useful as a research tool for physicians and other clinicians in their research to determine the effectiveness of different behavioral, pharmaceutical, and surgical techniques and intervention in dealing with this problem. Moreover, a device useful for clean, safe hygiene, and research, and a training tool to assist in teaching people better behavioral techniques for swallowing and other saliva compensation activities is desirable and has not previously been provided.


In order to grind clothing of a carding element, such as a cylinder of a textile machine, such as a card, during operation of the cylinder, a slide is moved back-and-forth across the clothing. The slide is reciprocated back-and-forth by an inner run of a drive belt guided in guides such that the drive belt together with a grinding element, like a grinding stone, closes a housing totally covering the arrangement. As a result, neither grinding dust nor fibers can enter the housing. Each time the grinding stone moves past a grinding member, such as a diamond rake or diamond roller this grinding stone is re-ground, so that the clothing is maintained sharpened by the continuous grinding operation and the grinding stone itself is cleaned or re-ground by the grinding member. Also, structure detects the degree of wear of the grinding element so that upon reaching a predetermined value such grinding element can be replaced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for grinding the clothing of a carding element of a textile machine, such as the clothing of a carding cylinder or a cleaning cylinder.
Generally speaking, the apparatus for grinding clothing of a textile machine, which clothing is mounted at a carding element of the textile machine, such as a cylinder or roller, for instance, a main carding cylinder, a licker-in or a doffer of a carding machine, or at a revolving flat of a carding machine, is of the type comprising a grinding element movable essentially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the clothing and throughout the entire width of the clothing of the carding element, such as the cylinder. This grinding element is supported at an entrainment member, preferably a slide or carriage, guided in guide means. Drive means move the slide or carriage over the clothing in order to accomplish the aforementioned movement of the grinding element.
2. Discussion of the Background and Material Information
In a carding machine or card, the opening roller or cylinder (also known as the licker-in), the main carding cylinder, the doffer roller or cylinder (also known as the doffer) as well as the revolving flats, are each covered with clothing. Depending upon which carding element of the carding machine is covered with clothing, such clothing can differ from element to element, particularly as concerns the revolving flats which also can be covered with needle clothing in contrast to the toothed clothing of the remaining elements.
The increase in production in the so-called cleaning room and the carding room of a spinning mill, which has taken place in the past fifteen years, has imposed requirements upon the processing operations of the textile machines which have increased more than just linearly with respect to the increase in production.
In particular, of paramount importance is the need not to have to tolerate any impairment in the quality of the processed fibers, especially not to have to accept any additional damage to the fibers, notwithstanding the increased productivity or output of the textile machine.
Furthermore, a particularly important aspect is the service or operating life of the so-to-speak "tools" with increased productivity or output, since with greater machine productivity there is a corresponding decrease in the service or operating life of the tools. As a result, these tools need to be replaced more frequently.
The just mentioned service or operating life not only is significant in terms of the servicing or maintenance work required during exchange of the tools, but even more so, as concerns the altered technological result which likewise correspondingly changes as a result of wear of the tools.
Just as is the case in other technological fields where products are continually processed or machined with predetermined settings of the employed tools, it is also important in the spinning mill, as concerns the attained technological result, that these results are as consistent as possible. Stated in another way, for the further processing of yarn it is totally undesirable to have quality fluctuations present in the fibers due to the changing susceptibility to disturbances. As a specific example, it is noted that it is generally preferable to have a uniform, somewhat poorer quality of the fibers in contrast to a somewhat better average quality of the fibers which, however, is constituted by considerable up and down or wide band fluctuations in the quality of the fibers within such better quality range.
A tool which is used in the spinning mill and which is especially prone to the aforementioned wear phenomenon, is the toothed clothing used for opening fiber flocks including that used for carding thereof.
In particular, the carding machine or card, which ultimately produces the sliver to be delivered to the drawing frame, constitutes the last machine which operates with such type tool. In other words, the card represents the last piece of equipment where there is available an opportunity to avoid such fluctuations.
Those skilled in the textile art are aware of the fact that, for example, card clothing, after experiencing a predetermined maximum amount of wear, must be replaced. Yet, until such time as there occurs such maximum wear of the card clothing, such clothing is repeatedly sharpened or re-ground by using various types of commercially available grinding apparatuses. For this purpose it is not only necessary to shutdown the card, but also to partially dismantle the same in order to provide the space needed to have access to the clothing for grinding such with a grinding tool.
In the commonly assigned European Published Patent Application No. 0,322,637, published Oct. 16, 1991, and the cognate U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,395, granted Jan. 15, 1991, entitled "Grinding Device and Method for Grinding Card Clothing", there is disclosed a method and apparatus for grinding card clothing where such grinding of the card clothing is accomplished, and specifically, continuously, during carding of the textile fibers. As a result, prior to the time that the clothing is replaced, there is no need to shutdown or partially dismantle the card whenever the card clothing is re-ground.
In this just mentioned prior art grinding device or apparatus there is used a grinding element movable over the entire width of the cylinders covered with clothing. This grinding element is supported by an entrainment member guided in guides. The grinding element is continuously displaced over the clothing at predetermined intervals dependent, for instance, upon the production output and/or quality attributes of the processed fibers. Here, it is also of no consequence that the clothing contains a fiber layer.
However, experience has proven that also such a grinding element, typically constituted by a grinding stone, is prone to wear, that is to say, the grinding stone becomes less sharp, so that such grinding stone itself must be periodically removed, either to be replaced by a new grinding stone or must be re-sharpened.

Apparatus for grinding clothing, such as the clothing of a carding cylinder or cleaning cylinder


A motion simulator is provided with a motion simulator accommodation that is dynamically mounted to a fixed datum or platform and is positioned facing a presentation. The motion simulator is provided with one or more access fitting which may be used to assist a person to enter the motion simulator accommodation. At least one of the motion simulator accommodation and the access fitting is movable with respect to each other from a first position to a second position, wherein, in the second position, the access fitting is less perceptible during the presentation than in said first position.

The following is not an admission that anything discussed below is part of the prior art or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art.
In the entertainment industry there has been a continuing effort to provide spectators with heightened realism in the entertainment viewing experience. It may be that a spectator may be able to feel immersed in the experience when placed in an unobstructed position, in front of a large field of view.
Presentation venues that provide large screens, and that provide motion simulation are known. However, multi-axis motion simulators may tend to be either relatively small, or relatively expensive, or both. For example, published application WO/2012/039601 discloses a passenger carrier that utilizes a platform that is provided with a plurality of seats. The carrier is mounted on a lift arm, which may be used to move the platform with the seats to a desired viewing position.

Presentation viewing apparatus and method


A thyrotomy punch set is provided including a housing having a bore formed along a central axis thereof. A punch includes a rod slidably situated within the bore of the housing with an outboard end and an inboard end. The outboard end of the punch is enlarged. Also included is a pair of springs for urging the outboard end of the punch outwardly of the housing such that the outboard end must be biased toward the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trachea related devices and more particularly pertains to a new crico thyrotomy punch set for preventing aspiration of a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trachea related devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, trachea related devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art trachea related devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,810; U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,690; U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,765; U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,454; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 338,957.
In these respects, the crico thyrotomy punch set according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of preventing aspiration of a patient.


A structured illumination microscopy optical arrangement includes a projection path and an imaging path. The imaging path includes an imaging sensor and imaging optical elements. The projection path includes a light generator, a pattern generating element such as a spatial light modulator (SLM), and projection optical elements including an output lens and a projector artifact suppression element (PASE) located in the projection path between the SLM and the output lens. The PASE may include birefringent material which splits respective light rays of the structured illumination pattern source light to provide at least one replication of the structured illumination pattern with an offset transverse to the projection path. The offset replication of the structured illumination pattern increases the accuracy of the system by reducing spatial harmonic errors and spurious intensity variations due to projector pixel gap artifacts which may otherwise produce errors in resulting Z-height measurements.

Precision machine vision inspection systems (or "vision systems" for short) can be utilized to obtain precise dimensional measurements of inspected objects and to inspect various other object characteristics. Such systems may include a computer, a camera and optical system, and a precision stage that is movable in multiple directions to allow workpiece inspection. One exemplary prior art system, that can be characterized as a general-purpose "off-line" precision vision system, is the commercially available QUICK VISION® series of PC-based vision systems and QVPAK® software available from Mitutoyo America Corporation (MAC), located in Aurora, Ill. The features and operation of the QUICK VISION® series of vision systems and the QVPAK® software are generally described, for example, in the QVPAK 3D CNC Vision Measuring Machine User's Guide, published January 2003, and the QVPAK 3D CNC Vision Measuring Machine Operation Guide, published September 1996, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This type of system is able to use a microscope-type optical system and move the stage so as to provide inspection images of either small or relatively large workpieces at various magnifications.
Accuracies in the micron or sub-micron range are often desired in such systems. This is particularly challenging with regard to Z-height measurements. Z-height measurements (along the optical axis of the camera system) are generally derived from a "best focus" position, such as that determined by an autofocus tool. Determining a best focus position is a relatively complex process that generally depends on combining and/or comparing information derived from multiple images. Thus, the level of precision and reliability achieved for Z-height measurements is often less than that achieved for the X and Y measurement axes, where measurements are typically based on feature relationships within a single image. Recently, known techniques generally referred to as "structured illumination microscopy" (SIM) methods are being incorporated in microscopic measurement and inspection systems, in order to increase their measurement resolution and/or accuracy beyond the optical limits normally associated with simple imaging (e.g., to the micron and submicron level.)
Briefly, many SIM methods include projecting a pattern of light stripes onto a workpiece in a first image, and then shifting that pattern on the workpiece transversely to the stripes in a second image, and so on for a third image, or more. The resulting images may be analyzed according to known methods to improve the surface measurement resolution, as described in greater detail below. Such techniques may enhance X, Y, and/or Z measurements. However, the systems and methods used in known structured illumination pattern (SIP) generating subsystems (e.g., for forming and shifting the patterns) have so far limited the economy, versatility, and/or resolution and accuracy improvements of practical SIM systems in undesirable ways. In some methods of analysis, it is desirable for the stripes to exhibit a sinusoidal intensity profile across the stripes. In some systems, the SIM methods utilize sinusoidal patterns created by a digital mirror device (DMD) spatial light modulator (SLM) positioned in the projection path, and the optics project sinusoidal fringes onto a workpiece that is being measured. One advantage of such controllable digital SLM systems is that the size of the projected fringes can be adapted to be nearly optimum for any desired resolution, and/or imaging optics, and/or field of view. However, one disadvantage when the sinusoidal fringes are created with a digital SLM is that some of the higher harmonics of the fundamental sinusoidal frequency may be created and transferred by the optics through to the final light stripe images. The resulting height maps (HM) may contain effects from these higher harmonic artifacts, including Z-height errors which appear as approximately periodic "ripples", which interfere with the accuracy of the measurements produced by the system. Thus, an improved method for economically utilizing SIM techniques based on controllable digital SLM's, while reducing the production of error artifacts (e.g., Z-height "ripples") would be desirable.

Structured illumination microscopy optical arrangement including projection artifact supression element


The present invention pertains to a process for effecting aromatics hydrogenation which process comprises contacting a hydrocarbon feedstock which contains 10–80 vol. % of aromatics in the presence of a hydrogen-containing gas with a catalyst which comprises hydrogenation metals on a carrier, wherein    (i) the hydrogenation metals comprise a combination of platinum and palladium, and    (ii) the carrier comprises silica-alumina dispersed in an alumina binder, wherein the alumina binder is present in an amount of 5–50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the silica-alumina and alumina binder present in the carrier, and wherein the silica-alumina comprises 5–50 wt. % of alumina, based on the weight of the silica-alumina.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a process for the hydrogenation of an aromatics-containing feedstock in which process a specific catalyst suitable for the hydrogenation of aromatics is applied.
2. Prior Art
Typically, fuels such as diesel fuels and kerosene are commonly prepared by cracking or hydrocracking high boiling feedstocks, such as vacuum gas oils or residues, with the aid of a cracking catalyst or a hydrocracking catalyst, and separating the resulting product into fractions if so required. However, in general, the fraction thus obtained is suitable neither for use as a fuel as such, nor for addition to a "pool". This is because the fuel has to meet certain specifications, including, in particular, specifications with respect to the aromatics content. Because it is both environmentally advisable and increasingly legally required, it will become ever more necessary to reduce the aromatics content of fuels such as diesel oils and kerosene.
A common method to reduce the aromatics content of hydrocarbon feedstocks is to contact said feedstocks in the presence of a hydrogen-containing gas with a hydrogenation catalyst to effect aromatics hydrogenation. Aromatics hydrogenation catalysts have been described extensively in the art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,461 describes a catalyst to be used in the hydrogenation of aromatics which comprises one or more of the metals of platinum or palladium on a carrier consisting of silica-alumina dispersed in alumina binder. An alumina binder amount of 50–90 wt. % is preferred, with an alumina binder amount of 60–80 wt. % being most preferred. The catalysts used in the Examples of this reference all contain platinum as the only Group VIII noble metal.
Further, JP 09225304 discloses a catalyst to be used for the hydrogenation of aromatics comprising platinum on a carrier consisting of silica-alumina dispersed in an alumina binder. The carrier preferably comprises 50–95 wt. % of alumina binder and most preferably 60–90 wt. % of alumina binder.
M. Vaarkamp et al. (Engelhard), Prepr.-Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem. 43(1), 77–79 (1998) discloses a catalyst to be used for the hydrogenation of aromatics comprising a combination of platinum and palladium on various inorganic supports. These supports are selected from alumina, silica, silica-alumina, and magnesia.
EP 0947248 describes a catalyst to be used in the hydrogenation of aromatics which comprises a combination of platinum and palladium on a support comprising silica-alumina and about 7 wt. % of an alumina binder. The silica-alumina comprises 60–80 wt. % of alumina.
PCT/NL98/00090 describes a catalyst to be used, int. al., in the hydrogenation of aromatics which comprises a combination of platinum and palladium on a silica-alumina carrier. The silica-alumina may comprise, e.g., 10 wt. % of alumina and 90 wt. % of silica. In a comparative example this publication describes the use of a catalyst containing a combination of platinum and palladium on a carrier comprising silica-alumina and 30 wt. % of an alumina binder, wherein the silica-alumina contains 13 wt. % of alumina, in the hydrogenation of a feedstock containing 8 wt. % of aromatics. In view of the low aromatics content of the feedstock and the fact that it is a comparative example, the skilled person would not consider this catalyst suitable for use in the hydrogenation of aromatics.
sulfur

Process for the hydrogenation of aromatics


A new variety of Nandina domestica having significant and improved characteristics not known to exist in either the variety "Harbour Dwarf" of which this new plant is a genetic mutant or the general species Nandina domestica. These characteristics include a symmetrical, densely mounding and compact form.

This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of Nandina domestica (a member of the Berberidacia family that is commonly known as "Heavenly Bamboo"). The new plant variety was discovered as a mutant of the Nandina domestica nana cultivar named "Harbour Dwarf" in a cultivated bed of "Harbour Dwarf" plants that were growing in the Greenleaf Nursery Company, El Campo, Tex. The new variety of Nandina domestica nana has been named "Greray".
The "Greray" mutant exhibited vastly different growing characteristics than those common to the "Harbour Dwarf" variety-particularly in that the "Greray" variety has a dwarf habit of growth when compared to the Nandina domestica progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but it is not as dwarf as its parent Nandina domestica nana "Harbour Dwarf". The new "Greray" variety is symmetrical, densely mounding and compact in form which differentiates and distinguishes it not only from its parent "Harbour Dwarf" and from its progenitor "Heavenly Bamboo", but also from related cultivars such as the variety called "Compacta". The new "Greray" cultivar is freely branching from basal and lateral buds and thus forms a tight compact globe. Its leaves are tripinnately compound.
Testing and evaluation has shown the "Greray" variety to be stable in its distinguishing characteristics over several succeeding generations upon asexual propagation by using shoot cuttings and by tissue culturing at a nursery in El Campo, Tex.
The "Greray" variety fully lives up to the "Heavenly Bamboo" common name often given to this family of plants. Orange hued new growth radiates crown-like upward while refreshing green mature growth extends horizontally to present a perky, full foliaged appearance. The refined texture of this plant is desirable for formal or casual settings. The fullness and controlled height of this dwarf nandina make it a prime choice when accent or foundation plantings are needed.


A control system is disclosed for controlling data flow over a data-packet-network according to specific destinations. The system has a network monitoring system for monitoring network performance parameters; a network access system for accessing specific nodes in the network; and a control software executable on the network access system for assigning and changing cost parameters at selected nodes in the network. A network administrator uses the network access system and control software to assign and implement cost values at the selected nodes, the values associated individually with a specific destination or destinations, the values establishing forwarding costs to be incurred at the selected nodes, and link costs to be incurred per data link between the nodes such that manipulation of such cost value assignments enables load balancing of data traveling through the network. In one embodiment the data-packet-network is internal to a router and nodes comprise internal router cards.

Data routing on data packet networks (DPN) has continually evolved through introduction of new data routing protocols and strategies. Most routing protocols are based on shortest-path algorithms, which can be classified generally as distance-vector algorithms and link-state or topology-broadcast algorithms. In a distance-vector protocol a data router knows the length of the shortest path from each neighbor router in a network to every network destination. In a link-state protocol, each router broadcasts the state of every router's adjacent link to every other router in the network topology. The routers use the broadcast information to build a network topology, which is then used to compute shortest paths to other routers and hosts in the network. A goal of state-of-the-art routing over a data-packet-network is to maintain, as much as possible, loop-free data paths throughout the network.
Much detailed information of existing network protocols and methods for loop-free data routing is presented in a paper entitled Loop-Free Multipath Routing Using Generalized Diffusing Computations authored by William T. Zaumen and J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves. This paper is included herein as background information by reference. The referenced paper also has disclosure referenced in a U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,243 entitled "System for maintaining multiple loop free paths between source node and destination node in computer network" filed on May 7, 1997, the listed inventors being the same individuals that authored the referenced paper.
The provision of multiple paths in existing network routing protocols is somewhat limited. For example, open-shortest-path-first (OSPF) protocol enables a router to choose more than one network path to a same destination only in the event that multiple paths of a minimum cost exist and are defined. Interior-gateway-routing-protocol (IGRP) enables a router to forward data packets through network paths having lengths less than the product of shortest path multiplied by a variance factor provided by a network administrator.
More recently, diffusing algorithms have been introduced to enable more efficient loop-free routing by introducing the concept of a shortest multipath. A shortest multipath is quantified by a directed acyclic graph (DAG), which is defined by entries in routing tables (forwarding tables) of successor routers in all of the paths from a source to a destination that are guaranteed to be loop-free at any given point in time. A state-of-the-art protocol known as diffusing algorithm for shortest multipath (DASM) enables guaranteed loop-free routing.
DASM introduces a distributive approach in the synchronization of tables between routers. DASM maintains loop-freedom through the use of multiple successors for every destination at each router in the network. The only information exchanged between neighbor routers consists of vectors of shortest distances to destinations. Synchronization of tables between routers produces considerable overhead with DASM, however, the overhead can be reduced by introducing a feasibility condition to determine when any router may update its routing table without synchronizing with others. Considerable detailed notation is presented in the paper and patent referenced above, the notation explaining various aspects and conditions of DASM.
The referenced paper and U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,243 describes a system for maintaining routing tables at each router in a computer network. The system is based on (a) a feasibility condition that provides multiple loop-free paths through a computer network and that minimizes the amount of synchronization among routers necessary for the correct operation of a routing algorithm, and (b) a method that manages the set of successors during the time it synchronizes its routing-table update activity with other routers, in order to efficiently compute multiple loop-free paths, including the shortest path, through a computer network.
It is desired, in addition to loop free routing, that data traveling in a network from multiple sources to multiple destinations be managed in terms of network paths such that the network does not become un-evenly congested. The system described above utilizing DASM cannot provide efficient data flow load balancing such that one or more portions of the network are not overloaded or underutilized with respect to data carried over multiple connections having available bandwidth for data transmission, which may vary considerably due to various conditions monitorable and determinable in a given network.
Therefore, it is the goal of the present invention to provide a series of improvements to the general diffusing algorithm and concept of DASM that enable more administrative control over network-path utilization and more flexible consideration at routing points of shortest multipaths.

Control method for data path load-balancing on a data packet network


A scanningdelay line for use in optical coherence tomography apparatus has a tiltable mirror, and optical convergence means for converging light incident, a dispersive element for dispersing light incident, and an optical-redirector for changing the direction of an icident beam light. The tiltable mirror, optical convergence element, said dispersive element, and optical redirector means are arranged in an optical configuration such that in sequence the dispersive element directs an input beam toward the optical convergence element, the optical convergence element directs the input beam toward the tiltable mirror, the tiltable mirror reflects the input beam as a first return beam toward the optical convergence element, the optical convergence element directs the first return beam toward the dispersive element, the dispersive element directs the first return beam toward the redirector, and the redirector redirects the first return beam toward the tiltable mirror via the optical convergence element in a direction such that the tiltable mirror reflects the first return beam toward the optical convergence optics element as a second return beam and the optical convergence element directs the second return beam toward the output port as part of an output beam bypassing the dispersive element and such that the output beam lies along substantially the same axis regardless of the angle of tilt of said tiltable mirror. The tilting said mirror varies introduces a variable optical delay into said output beam between the input and output pods. The delay line can be used in the transmission one of the arms of OCT interferometers, resulting in reduced walk-off and loss.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an interferometric imaging technique described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,697. In order to produce OCT scans in the depth direction, the optical path length between a reference beam and object is varied, which requires a technique for progressively varying an optical path length.
Different depth scanning procedures have been devised to be incorporated into optical coherence tomography set-ups. One of the most successful procedures uses the introduction of a phase term linearly dependent on the optical frequency. The Fourier transformation leads to an equivalent optical path. The method is inspired from research on processing of femtosecond pulses, as described in the paper "400 Hz mechanical scanning delay line", published in Opt. Letters, Vol., 18, No. 7, 1993, pages 558-560, by K. F. Kwong et al. The method has the added advantage of allowing for dispersion compensation. Known under the name of spectral delay line, the method uses a diffraction grating, a lens and a galvanometer scanner, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 611,645, Grating based phase control optical delay line by, G. Tearney, E. Bouma, J. Fujimoto and by U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,164 by, G. Tearney, "Interferometeric imaging with a grating based phase control optical delay line", U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,011B1. The linear variation of phase versus optical frequency is introduced by tilting a galvanometer mirror behind a lens, where the galvanometer mirror is situated in the Fourier plane of the lens. Tilting the mirror causes the returned beam to be deviated from the grating along a direction parallel to the incident beam. Usually, OCT configurations use reflective set-ups, where the same fiber aperture is employed in launching light towards and from the depth scanning device. This means that during scanning in depth, the amount of light re-injected back into the fiber aperture varies, i.e. the beam walks off the main direction (where the loss is at a minimum). This phenomenon is known as walk-off.
US patent publication no. 20030137669A1, by A. M. Rollins, "Aspects of basic OCT engine technologies for high speed optical coherence tomography and light source and other improvements in optical coherence tomography" describes a technique for reducing walk-off wherein a mirror is added to return the beam back to the scanning delay line, the beam is re-circulated four times via the diffraction grating which finally leads to a de-scanning of the lateral movement of the output beam.
Such configurations have been devised to operate in transmission as well, where a different fiber aperture is used to capture the output beam, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,089 B2, by J. A. Izatt, "Optical Imaging Device". However, this transmissive scanning delay line descans the beam by four time diffraction off the diffraction grating which leads to losses of the optical beam. It will be desirable if the high loss element such as the diffracting grating is used less in the configuration.
It would also be desirable to combine optimally the scanning depth capability of such devices with that of transversally scanning the beam in order to obtain a versatility of scanning modes in generating OCT images and reconstruct the 3D volume of a scattering volume, such as that of a biologic or industrial sample.

Transmissive scanning delay line for optical coherence tomography


An Indicator that visually signals when it is time to start and stop watering by the Indicator's ability to distinctively change it's relative physical size and/or shape as it takes on and releases the water.

Water-holding materials such as organic cross-linked polymers have been used for many years to absorb and hold moisture. They have been designed and used to improve the capability of soils and other growing media by retaining water and plant nutrients. By absorbing water, they provide a readily available source of water that is essential for proper plant growth. These polymers serve as a reservoir of water that is available for plants, seeds, and/or soil as needed. These polymers are typically used for mixing into growing media prior to seeding, sodding or small container planting. Also, they can be used for root dipping. These polymers are typically potassium or sodium based polymers. Claimed benefits pertaining to the additional moisture available include: less time spent watering, better irrigation control, increased shelf life of plants, better survival rates, provides aeration in soil, reduced transplant shock, and help reduce media volume, all of which relate to the benefits associated with the polymers ability to serve as a water reservoir (absorbing and releasing) for the plants, seeds, and/or soil direct use.
Germination begins when water is absorbed (imbibed) by the seed. As reported in Turfgrass: Science and Culture by James B. Beard (1973 by Prentice-Hall, Inc):
Environmental conditions necessary for rapid, complete germination of turfgrass seeds include (a) an adequate water supply, (b) favorable temperatures, (c) an adequate oxygen supply, and (d) exposure to light. Water has a vital role since water absorption by imbibition and osmosis is the first physiological step in seed germination. Water functions in softening and swelling of the seed, which facilitates the entrance of oxygen and dilutes the protoplasm. Normal digestion, respiration, and assimilation processes are activated when the protoplasm becomes sufficiently moist. Soluble carbohydrates are transferred from the endosperm to the embryo.
A number of practices can be employed during the establishment phase to ensure the rapid development of a dense, tight sod. Proper irrigation is a key factor in successful turfgrass establishment. One of the most critical practices during both the germination and establishment phases is irrigation. The soil zone where seed germination and seedling growth activity occur should be maintained in a moist condition at all times.
Failure to maintain an adequate moisture level is one of the major causes of poor turfgrass establishment. Young turfgrass seedlings have an extremely short root system that depends on a readily available moisture supply at the soil surface. The surface of un-mulched soils can dry out very rapidly during periods of high light intensity and high temperatures. The soil surface should be maintained in a moist condition for at least three weeks following planting.
When it comes to germination and establishment, plant available moisture is the limiting factor as it controls turfgrass growth and aesthetic appearance more than any other environmental factors.
Most people simply do not know when to start and stop watering newly planted seeds to assist in the germination and establishment process. Currently, gauges exist to measure amounts of rainfalls and timers exist to activate/deactivate irrigation systems at specified times. Further technology exists that automate the watering process at research facilities based on electronic indicators. None of these provide a simple visual indicator that is available to the general public to serve as a when-to-water guide.


A lens frame unit includes a lens frame body that houses an optical member, a heat transfer unit that covers at least part of the lens frame body, a heat-generating unit, a temperature measurement unit that measures temperature and a same single electrical wiring board on which the heat-generating unit and the temperature measurement unit are mounted. The heat-generating unit and the temperature measurement unit are arranged on the electrical wiring board so as to be separated from each other, and the electrical wiring board is disposed such that the heat-generating unit and the temperature measurement unit are in contact with the heat transfer unit. Thermal resistance between closest positions of the heat-generating unit and the temperature measurement unit is greater than thermal resistance between the heat-generating unit and the heat transfer unit, and between the temperature measurement unit and the heat transfer unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens frame unit for preventing fogging of an optical member disposed at a distal end and an endoscope including this lens frame unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, medical endoscopes such as a rigid scope and a flexible scope for being inserted into a body cavity to perform observation or treatment of the inside of the body cavity, and industrial endoscopes for performing inspection or repair in a plant facility are widely used. With such endoscopes, based on an image that is of an object to be observed and is formed on an eyepiece optical system or an imaging unit by an optical member of an objective optical system disposed at a distal end of the endoscope, desired treatment or inspection, for example, is performed.
When an endoscope is inserted into a humid environment such as in a body cavity, if the temperature of the inserted endoscope is lower than the temperature of the environment, fogging due to the temperature difference may occur on an optical member at a distal end of the endoscope, such as on a surface of a lens cover.
To deal with such fogging, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4616421 discloses an endoscope including an anti-fogging unit for preventing fogging of an optical member disposed at a distal end of the endoscope. In this endoscope, behind a lens cover housed in a cylindrical lens frame, a heater formed in a ring shape is arranged. Energizing a heater in advance to heat the lens cover at an appropriate temperature, and then inserting the endoscope into a body cavity, for example, prevent fogging of a surface of the lens cover.


A method for inventory and shipping control allowing for the tracking and control of reusable items having data storage devices by the storage and retrieval of data onto the data storage device of the reusable item. The method for inventory and shipping control is described as it relates to the tracking of pallets.

Pallets are used in most industries to facilitate the shipment of their products. Most Pallets are constructed of wood and can be of different dimensions. Though pallets may be reused, in many cases they are not due to costs and other problems. The economies of recycling wood pallets, as presently configured, is marginal at best. There is often a tremendous shipping imbalance between the origination point and the receiving point which causes pallets to accumulate at receiving points. This is particularly true with regard to pallets sent from the suppliers of produce to the grocery industry. In order for the pallets to be reused, they must be redistributed or sent back to their origination point. The cost of return freight, handling and repair relative to the number of units shipped discourages this activity. As a result, the origination point adds new units to the system while units accumulate at the receiving point creating a huge disposal problem. The disposal problem is particularly acute in and around major metropolitan areas where burning may be prohibited due to environmental concerns.
Since wood pallets are constructed with nails or fasteners, the pallets are not easily disassembled for transport back to an origination point. If the wood pallets are shipped without disassembly, they take up a large volume of shipping space. As shipping rates are dependent on volume as well as weight, shipping costs of assembled pallets are much greater than the cost of shipping disassembled pallets. The shipment of assembled wood pallets is so expensive that in most cases, the shipment and reuse of wood pallets is not economically feasible. Additionally, since wood pallets are not particularly durable, they often require repair before they may be reused. One alternative solution is to disassemble the wood pallets and then reassemble them at the origination point. But the cost of reusing wood pallets which have been disassembled and reassembled is even higher than that of reusing pallets which have not been disassembled due to the labor and material costs of disassembly and assembly of the wood pallets. A new pallet which can be easily and economically reused is therefore desired.
A variety of pallet configurations have existed in the prior art. Some have tried to make improved pallet assemblies by improving the fastening method. But these designs are undesirable as they involve the use of a large number of fasteners which must each be manipulated upon both assembly and disassembly. Many prior pallet assemblies do not have solid one piece top and bottom sections, but rather use a number of smaller pieces joined together to form the top and the bottom platform. These may be less sturdy than the pallets with one piece top and bottom platforms, and then often involve more difficult, and hence more costly disassembly and assembly. Many prior art pallets do not maximize the use of identical components such that the components may be interchanged, stacked, and easily replaced. Some pallets are capable of compact storage and shipment yet are not easily assembled and disassembled. What is needed is a pallet with sturdy one piece top and bottom sections, components that may be placed into a more compact configuration for shipment, and that maximizes the use of identical components and may be quickly and economically assembled and disassembled.
There are a number of control methods well known in the art for tracking goods and the shipment of goods. However, these tracking methods generally track the goods rather than the pallet. To identify and track only the pallet units on which the goods rest, results in recycling inefficiencies. What is needed is a method for use of pallets and other shipping conveyances which allows for the efficient use and reuse of pallets and other shipping conveyances.

Integrated reusable pallet having data collection devices and method for using shipping conveyances


A clamping device is provided for use in applying radial compressive loading on a deformable tube to retain the tube on a fixed tubular element. The device includes a central portion and first and second interengaged end portions with the first end portion having parallel side pieces and a pair of outwardly extending legs dependent one from each of the side pieces. The legs are spaced apart and a bridge extends between the legs outwardly of the legs. The second end portion has a central piece extending between the legs of the first end portion and including a radial projection extending outwardly from the end of the central piece and defining an outwardly facing step. A claw is integrally attached to one of the legs and extends generally in parallel with the side pieces and a tooth on the claw projects radially inwards for engagement over the step on the radial projection to hold the clamp in an expanded prestressed position ready for release by dislodging the tooth radially outwards relative to the radial projection so that energy stored in the clamp is then available to cause the clamp to embrace the tube in a deployed position to apply the radial compressive stress to the tube.

Hose clamps have been designed in a great variety of forms which fall into three general types. A first of these types is a continuous band which includes an upstanding portion or "ear" which can be deformed permanently after assembly to tension the band around a hose. Such clamps are sometimes referred to as Oetiker clamps after the name of the inventor.
A second type of clamp includes a mechanical actuator, such as a worm screw, acting directly on a band to bring the band into firm engagement with the hose. Lastly, the third type is a clamp of spring steel made to have a diameter slightly less than that of the outside diameter of the hose, so that when the clamp is deformed and positioned on the hose, there will be stored energy in the clamp to apply a compressive radial force to hold the clamp on the hose. The present invention provides a clamp of the third type.
Clamps of the present type are first enlarged at the point of manufacture and retained in this condition either by mechanical interference between ends of the clamp or by a separate keeper in the form of a clip which is added to hold the clamp in the enlarged prestressed condition.
Clamps which use clips suffer from the possibility that energy stored in the clamp will propel the clip and cause it to be lost. This problem is exacerbated when used in automobiles because the clip could become lodged anywhere in the engine compartment.
By contrast those clamps which rely on inter-engagement of the ends to hold the clamp open are not always easy to release because of the problems of accessibility and the need for special tools.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clamping device which can be delivered in a prestressed condition and which can be released easily using standard tools to facilitate placement on a deformable tube to create radial compressive stress in the tube.


In a method for reducing the fuel supply for one cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with centralized injection, the procedure is that the cylinder located in the intake cycle sequence in front of the cylinder whose mixture is to be made much leaner, for example because of unreliable combustion, is already supplied with less fuel than is the case when all cylinders are operable. In addition, the intake cycle for the failed cylinder itself is supplied with as little fuel as possible. Using this method, it is possible to set a very lean mixture in the failed cylinder but a mixture having a lambda value close to 1 in the remaining cylinders. This ensures that the motor vehicle in which the internal combustion engine with the failed cylinder is operating can still be reliably operated and, at the same time, there is no risk of overheating of the catalytic converter.

It is known of internal combustion engines with single injection to suppress the fuel supply to one cylinder by switching off the injection valve as soon as it is found that this cylinder has failed, that is to say, a state has occurred in which reliable combustion is no longer possible. The remaining cylinders are still operated in unchanged manner, that is to say, as if all cylinders were still satisfactorily operating.
In internal combustion engines with single injection, it is obviously possible in a very simple manner to reduce the fuel supply to a selected cylinder down to the amount of zero. For internal combustion engines with centralized injection, in contrast, hitherto only methods have been known which permit a reduction of the fuel supply for a selected cylinder only in a small ratio with respect to the fuel quantity supplied to the other cylinders. A method for reducing the fuel supply for a selected cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with centralized injection is known from DE 2,929,516 C2. The beginning and length of operation of the fuel injection valve can be individually determined for each individual cylinder. The values are selected in such a manner that optimum operation of the internal combustion engine is achieved. Using the known method, it is not possible to reduce the fuel quantity for a single cylinder in this manner to such a low value as is required when the cylinder has failed. Accordingly, there is not even an investigation as to whether a cylinder has failed in the known method.
The great reduction of fuel supplied to a failed cylinder is required since, in the motor vehicles with catalytic converter, which have been produced in large volumes for some time, it is dangerous to send unburnt fuel into the catalytic converter. This is because fuel is subjected there to post-combustion, which can lead to overheating of the catalytic converter when the fuel quantity is too large, and thus to the hazard of a fire for the entire vehicle.
For some time, there has therefore been a need to find a method enabling a failed cylinder to be supplied with only extremely little fuel, for internal combustion engines with centralized injection, the internal combustion engine, however, still remaining operable so that the vehicle with the defective internal combustion engine does not remain stopped. In vehicles with catalytic converters, the internal combustion engine previously had to be switched off when a cylinder failed in order to prevent, by this switching-off, an overheating of the catalytic converter.

Method for reducing the fuel supply for one engine cylinder


A method for detecting and identifying modules of a bus system is provided. The bus system includes a control unit, a bus starting from the control unit, and a plurality of modules connected to the bus. The method includes providing a current sink associated with each of the one or more modules. The current sink includes a transistor. The method includes providing a hall sensor associated with each of the one or more modules. The hall sensor detects a current on a low-side data line of the bus. For each one of the one or more modules: when the hall sensor detects a current on the low-side data line, the method includes maintaining a closed position of the transistor; and when the hall sensor fails to detect a current on the low-side data line, the method includes opening the transistor such that current does not flow to the module.

A vehicle communication network is a dedicated internal bus network that interconnects modules inside a vehicle. Each module is a node on the communication network and controls specific components related to its function and communicates with other modules as necessary, using a standard protocol, over the communication network such as LIN. A vehicle communication protocol is a system of rules that allow the modules of the vehicle to transmit information via the vehicle bus and use a common shared physical bus wire. As such, the protocol defines the rules syntax, semantics, and synchronization of communication and possible error recovery methods. The vehicle protocols depend on the vehicle manufacture. The vehicle protocols, include, but are not limited to, CAN (controller area network) which is an inexpensive low-speed serial bus for interconnecting automotive components and modules, and LIN (local interconnect network) which is a very low cost in-vehicle sub-network.
Generally, during the manufacturing process, various modules are placed in a vehicle, communicating on a single bus. In this configuration, first, a programming tool programs the electronic control unit (ECU) with participants ID numbers that is connected to the various modules so that the ECU understands messages associated with each one of the various modules. Following, a second programming tool programs each module with its own ID which is stored in the ECU. Then, a third testing tool tests the communication bus to verify that all the modules are connected to the electronic communication unit.
The modules connected to the bus are assigned a specific identifier during the manufacturing process. Therefore, each module cannot be relocated or used in a position different from its original position. For example, if a vehicle system includes four modules each assigned a specific task, then if one of the modules needs to be replaced or repositioned, the entire system should be reprogrammed and reconfigured. Previous systems provide complicated circuits that detect a current on a high-side current source leading to the identification of the replaced or repositioned module. Therefore, to locate a module, either a series of sequential electrical connection in the assembly line is required to detect the modules sequentially, or a high-side current source is used to inject a current to the network that includes the modules. The latest or end module is detected for the fact that there would be no current flowing to its bus shunt resistance. In this method, additional resistance is added to the bus, which interferes with the physical layer of the bus.
Therefore, there is a need to improve the identification of modules within a vehicle system connected to each other by way of a vehicle bus by reducing the time and the tools used. In addition, there is a need to have a plug-and-play vehicle system where the position of the modules is readily determined.

Automatic location based addressing method for network participants in a serial bus system


A pick-up game includes a plurality of elongated strands each having an identical bead attached to one end. Attached to the other end of each strand is an animal shaped figure of a distinct color. Each strand and its attachments constitute a game piece. The object of the game, which is played by more than one player, is to choose a bead and withdraw the strand to which that bead is attached (from a pile formed from a plurality of game pieces) in the hope of pulling out a game piece that matches the game piece originally selected by each player at the beginning of the game. When a newly selected game piece is dissimilar to the game piece originally selected by the player, the newly selected game piece is returned to the pile taking care not to disturb the random order of the game pieces. The players continue to alternately withdraw game pieces from the pile until one player becomes the winner by being the first to successfully withdraw all the game pieces matching the originally selected game piece. The game is started by players randomly choosing game pieces, thereby assigning a different game piece set to each player.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game and more specifically to a string game and its method of play.
2. Description of Related Art
Games involving the picking up of objects have been known for some time. A well known game involves the picking up of sticks. There a plurality of sticks and a single uniquely identifiable stick are bundled together parallel to one another and held upright upon and perpendicular to a planar playing surface such as, for example, a floor or a table top. The sticks are then released and fall into a pile on the surface in a generally random order. The object of the game is to remove sticks (picking them up or sliding them out) from the pile without disturbing the remaining sticks. A starting player is chosen and that player must draw a stick from the pile. Once the uniquely identifiable stick is selected, the stick can be used as an aid in removing other sticks. Sticks are removed by a player until the player moves one or more adjacent sticks during an attempt to remove a particular stick. Leaving the stick that disturbed the other sticks in position, the next player attempts to withdraw a stick from the pile. The player with the most sticks when the pile has been depleted wins the game. Alternative variations of the game provide point totals for differently marked sticks, which vary in number.
Other prior art pick up games use a variety of tools and apparatus to gather various objects. One prior art pick up game uses an apparatus that includes a pair of supporters each of which has a pair of pinchers which are manipulated by a trigger such that two players using the supporters can pick up string objects and place them in holding areas.
In another prior art pick up game, players use a suction cup plunger having a hollow shaft handle which the player uses to pick balls of a preselected color out of a bathtub as the balls are rotated around by an impeller.
In still another prior art pick up game, pick up hooks are provided for each player and used to pick up objects which undergo compound movement. The objects are shaped like monsters with elastic arms capable of being grasped by the pick up hooks.
In yet another prior art pick up game, played in the dark and having two versions, players use implements to pick up game pieces. The game pieces briefly radiate color coded visible light after receiving a flash of the type commonly used and applied by cameras. In the first game, colored worms are picked up before the color has faded by using a pickup hook. In the second game, colored dumplings are picked up, using chopsticks, before the color has faded.
Examples of some of the aforementioned prior art games can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,863,164, 4,961,580, 5,028,047, and 5,102,148.
There remains a need for additional object collecting games that provide new, entertaining, and educationally developmental ways of collecting the objects. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


A car seat includes a chassis formed as an interrupted shell defining a protected interior with a top opening, and a handle fixed to the chassis at a single point and covering a sufficient portion of a length of the top opening such that the handle functions as a carry handle and a roll bar against impacts or intrusions into the protected interior.

Child safety seats, sometimes called child restraint systems (CRS), are legally required in many countries, including the United States, to more safely transport infants and young children inside vehicles. Conventional child restraint systems generally include multiple-pieces and tend to be heavy. Moreover, several preferred features may present structural weakness or weak points that can compromise a child's safety due to moving parts and other mechanisms that can introduce weakness/weak points to the CRS. In summary, the bulk and weight of existing CRS can impede their effective employment by parents; the moving parts of existing CRS are prone to failure and subsequent injury of the occupant; existing CRS provide little or no protection to the head and thoracic areas of the occupant in the event of a rolling or inversion accident; and, existing CRS have both ergonomic and aesthetic limitations that negatively affect use by parents.
Accordingly, there is a need to further develop a lighter, portable child seat that offers improved safety for the infant occupant, and improved ergonomics and utility for the parents.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A computer system includes a translation look-aside (TLB) buffer and a processing unit. The TLB is configured to store an entry that comprises virtual address information, real address information associated with the virtual address information, and additional information corresponding to at least one of the virtual address information and the real address information. The processing unit is configured to control the TLB to modify the additional information while maintaining the entry in a valid state accessible by the processing unit for a translation look-aside operation corresponding to the virtual address information and the real address information.

The present disclosure relates to managing entries of a translation look-aside buffer (TLB). In particular, the present invention relates to avoiding a complete TLB purge when modifying states of entries in a TLB, maintaining valid the TLB entries.
Real storage manager (RSM) routines administer the use of real storage and direct the movement of virtual pages between auxiliary storage and real storage. The RSM routines make all addressable virtual storage appear as real or physical storage to a user, while only the virtual pages necessary for execution are kept in real storage.
The RSM assigns real storage frames on request, associating virtual storage addresses with real storage addresses. To maintain the assignments, the RSM maintains data structures such as Region Tables, Segment Tables, and Page Tables for dynamic address translation (DAT). A translation look-aside buffer (TLB) contains virtual address-to-real address translations that may be accessed for quick lookups when a virtual address is referenced. When a referenced virtual address is not located in the TLB, the real address must be obtained by building a new virtual-to-real address translation.
When DAT information is changed, or when information related to virtual or real addresses is changed, TLB entries corresponding to the DAT information, as well as TLBs containing the TLB entries, are purged, such as with a Compare and Swap and Purge (CSP) instruction which updates the tables of the RSM and purges the TLB of each central processing unit (CPU) of a system. Purging the TLB results in longer processing times to obtain virtual-to-real address translations, since RSM will now have to build the virtual-to-real translations no longer residing in the TLB.

International Business Machines Corporation


A device for operating a gas sensor having both at least one pump cell and a measuring cell is provided. A constant current source is provided that makes available a pump current which acts upon an outer electrode of the pump cell. The constant current source provides at least two different amounts of the pump current and/or allows for an alternating operation having ON phases and OFF phases, the duration of the ON phases/OFF phases being specifiable. The device may be largely implemented in digital circuitry and adapted to different requirements.

In the reference book "Otto-Motor—Management/Bosch", Vieweg Publishing House, 1st edition, 1998, pages 22-23, a broadband lambda sensor is described, having a sensor chamber which is connected to a gas compartment via a diffusion barrier. Situated in the sensor chamber is an inner pump electrode which, together with an outer pump electrode and an electrolyte that is situated between the pump electrodes and conducts oxygen ions, forms a pump cell. Using the pump cell, oxygen ions of the gas can be pumped through the electrolyte out of, or into, the sensor chamber.
In addition to the pump cell, a measuring cell is provided that is disposed between the inner pump electrode and a reference-gas electrode, an electrolyte conducting oxygen ions likewise being situated between the inner pump electrode and the reference-gas electrode. The measuring cell corresponds to a Nernst cell, in which the potential difference forming in the thermodynamic equilibrium between the inner pump electrode and the air reference electrode is proportional to the logarithm of the relationship of the partial pressure of the gas to be analyzed in the sensor chamber and the partial pressure of the gas to be analyzed in the air reference.
A circuit configuration realized in analog circuitry has the task of influencing the oxygen partial pressure in the sensor chamber in such a way that the Nernst potential remains constant at a predefined value. For this purpose, the circuit configuration alters an electrical pump current which acts upon the outer pump electrode. The polarity and the amount of the pump current depend upon whether and by what amount the predefined Nernst potential is exceeded or not attained. The pump current obtained appears at a load resistor as voltage, which is a measure for the concentration of the gas to be analyzed.
The Published German Patent Application DE 36 25 071 describes a method for operating a sensor having variable ionic conductivity, as well as a device for implementing the method, in which the sensor, in cyclically proceeding operations, is acted upon in pulse-like fashion by a current supplied from a constant current source. The resulting voltage at the sensor is a measure for the relative atmospheric humidity to which the sensor is exposed. The pulse-like feeding of the current prevents polarization effects at the electrodes of the sensor. The use of a constant current, which can have an alternating polarity, permits a simple evaluation of the sensor voltage resulting at the sensor element.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for operating a gas sensor, which contains a circuit configuration that is easy to implement and permits a precise, low-drift and low-offset measurement


An external power supply apparatus of an electric vehicle, includes: a battery; an inverter configured to convert DC power of the battery to AC power and configured to output the AC power; a first outlet socket disposed in the electric vehicle and through which an output of the inverter is supplied; a relay connected downstream from the first outlet socket as viewed from the inverter; a charging port connected downstream from the relay as viewed from the inverter and exposed to the outside of the electric vehicle; an adapter including a second outlet socket and being to be connected to the charging port; and, when it is detected that the adapter is connected to the charging port, a controlling unit setting the relay to an ON state to allow the output of the inverter to be supplied through the charging port.

The present invention relates to an external power supply apparatus which is mounted on an electric vehicle, and which supplies electric power to an electric apparatus outside the vehicle.
In an electric vehicle such as an electric automobile or a hybrid vehicle, a system has been in practical use in which DC power of a high-voltage driving battery is converted to AC power, and the AC power is supplied to an electric apparatus in the vehicle through an accessory outlet socket disposed in the vehicle (for example, refer to JP-A-11-178241 and Japanese Patent No. 4,781,136).
In the above-described system, an outlet socket is not disposed on the exterior of the vehicle, and therefore it is not easy to supply electric power to an electric apparatus outside the vehicle. Even in the case where an outlet socket is disposed on the exterior of the vehicle, when the outlet socket is simply externally disposed, there is a risk of electrical shock or leakage. Although electric power can be supplied to an electric apparatus outside the vehicle through the accessory outlet socket disposed in the vehicle, the vehicle can travel in this state, and hence there is a possibility that an accident in which the electric apparatus is dragged may occur.
Therefore, it is requested to develop an external power supply apparatus which can supply electric power easily and safely to an electric apparatus outside a vehicle.

External power supply apparatus of electric vehicle

MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA


A two-stage RF amplifier comprising first and second transistors arranged in cascode. The first transistor cooperatively connected to an input RF signal source through a parallel RC network. The gate of the second transistor terminated with a lossy connection.

Next generation radar systems require an order of magnitude greater dynamic range, without additional power consumption. These components must have low gain, low noise, low power dissipation and high linearity. Cascode amplifier arrangements, including those utilizing FETs, are known to improve some of these characteristics, however, as presently implemented, these amplifier arrangements are not sufficiently linear.
High dynamic range (HDR) systems must receive both high and low level signals concurrently. The key to HDR is high inception point and low noise. The higher the inception point, the stronger the processable signal. The lower the noise FIGURE, the weaker the processable signal. Current HDR systems also require low dissipated power. High inception can be achieved by using large power amplifiers but place a heavy burden on a system's prime power, fuel usage and system cost.
These drawbacks have been addressed using higher-power devices, which draw excess DC power, resulting in reduced system efficiency. Alternatively, silicon (Si) bipolar junction transistor (BJT) devices may be used, however, at the expense of increased noise.
Alternative systems and methods are desired for improving RF power limiting over a wide bandwidth, reducing power leakage, and improving packaging and production capabilities.

High linearity, high efficiency, low noise, gain block using cascode network


A multi-functional flexibility additive that reduces surface imperfections such as orange peel, facilitates lower viscosity during endothermic reactions, provides high flexibility to the final, cured coating, and possesses chemical resistance is contemplated. The additive is formed as a binder system adhered to a resinous flow aid carrier at a preferred weight ratio of 40:60 (binder:carrier).

The invention relates to additives for chemical compositions and, more specifically to a multi-functional flexibility additive for use in powder and liquid formulations of such coating compositions.
Powder coating compositions are dry, free-flowing powders. In use, these powders are applied to a substrate (e.g., electrostatic spraying, fluidized bed coating, and/or hot flocking), which is then heated. This added energy causes the powder to melt, flow, and fuse into a continuous film. Advantageously, this procedure results in a robust film with good adhesion, while effectively eliminating the need to rely upon solvents (and particularly volatile organic compounds).
Generally speaking, powder compositions are primarily composed of polyurethanes, polyester, polyethylene, and epoxy, as well as various combinations thereof (e.g., epoxy-polyester, urethane-polyester, etc.), as base resin(s). Polyisocyanates, triglycidylisocyanurate (TGIC) and TGIC-free curatives may be included, and other additives, such as flow control agents, hardeners, catalysts, fillers, gloss control agents, pigments, and charge inhibitors may also be incorporated to enhance the characteristics of the blend as it is mixed, applied, and/or fused. In operation, the resins melt and fuse together, while the additives facilitate various underlying attributes during or after fusion, all with the goal of creating a chemically non-reactive, durable, and continuous coating wherever the composition is applied to the substrate. In some instances, the formulation may be created to allow the composition to be used as a solid, dry powder or, by suspending or otherwise mixing that powder with a liquid carrier, in a liquid form.
Conventional formulations often rely on additives to impart a specific function to the coating composition, such as wetting, flow characteristics (e.g., viscosity, etc.), surface hardness, or other traits. In these prior art compositions, a separate coating additive was required to impart just one of these functions, with the additive usually becoming effective upon curing within the composition during application. Prior to the invention disclosed below, multi-functional additives (i.e., one additive that was able to deliver several different characteristics/functions) were not believed to be feasible.
Because the base resins create the bulk of final chemical coatings (whether powder or liquid), it is generally thought to be desirable to maximize the amount of resin. In contrast, and especially to the extent that additives typically cost more and/or present unique formulation challenges in comparison to the base resins, additives tend to be used in their purest possible form but at the lowest possible levels while still delivering the desired attributes.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,353,254, which is incorporated by reference, describes a powder coating flow aid relying on a polyethylene resin combined with a polyester hydroxyl resin. A polymeric curative, degassing agent, ricinoleic acid (i.e., 12-hydroxy-9-cis-octadecenoic acid), and glass flake are also used, and the flow aid is introduced to powder coating compositions by way of a silica carrier. The polyethylene is provided at between 3.1 to 9.5 wt. %, the polyester hydroxyl at 35 to 50 wt. %, the polymeric curative at 5.0 to 10 wt. %, the degassing agent at 0.25 to 2.0 wt. %, the ricinoleic acid at 0.5 to 3.0 wt. %, glass flakes at 20 to 50 wt. %, and the silica carrier being 0.5 to 5.0 wt. % of the flow aid's total weight.
One particular problem in such coating formulations is that they sometimes lack sufficient flexibility to remain compatible with—and adhered to—the substrate to which they are applied. That is, the film formed must be durable and yet resilient in order to bend and move and resist surface cracking once they are cured. Herein, this need for durability and resilience is generally referred to generally as "flexibility." Thus, flexibility can be measured by any number of standard testing methods, such as passing both a ⅛th inch conical bend test (e.g., and the 0T bend test without leaving any cracks on the surface.
While additives for certain attributes in the final coating are known (e.g., mar and scratch resistance, gloss/matte, texture, UV-resistance, corrosion resistance, etc.), a single additive intended to impart the multiple functions to film necessary for flexibility seems to be unknown. That is, while flexibility requires a number of traits that may be individually delivered by a number of known additives, no single component is available to deliver the all of those traits (i.e., durability and resilience) as a single component. At most, individual resins and products such as Crylcoat 4698-2 (Allnex), Resiflow L-67, Resiflow L-5, Resiflow LH-240 (Estron Chemicals), and Rucote 121 from Stepan might approximate flexibility additives, although none are believed to possess the multi-functional aspects encompassed by the invention contemplated herein.
Mar, scratch, and abrasion resistance can be measured by ASTM D7187, D4060 G171, and/or D7027. The distinctness of image (DOI) testing for gloss coated surfaces is determined according to ASTM D5767, while specular gloss is measured by ASTM D523. Impact resistance of coatings can be measured according to ASTM D2794, while hardness is measured via ASTM D3363. The qualities of adhesion and resistance to cracking upon bending may be established by ASTM D522 and/or D3359. Still other protocols are known, as outlined in ASTM D3451. Taken together in any combination (but usually including at least impact resistance and bending), these tests represent useful measures of flexibility.
Absent the use of specific additives, other approaches include increasing extruder temperature and mix times and increasing the amount of additives. The thickness of the final film could also be increased or decreased, although this necessitates adjusting the volume/mass of the entire coating composition. Further, insofar as thin coatings may crack and thick coatings may be insufficient flexible depending upon the circumstances under which the coating is used, adjusting the coating thickness is not a practical means of addressing flexibility in a broad sense.
Some of these non-additive solutions are not satisfactory because they result in another undesired side effect known as "edge pulling." Edge pulling is a condition in which the coating pulls away from the corners of the coated substrate resulting in incomplete formation of the finish.
Any additive (i.e., a discrete chemical or composition provided above and beyond those materials that can cure and form the final coated film) adds cost owing to their reliance on various additional substances. Further, these additives may not be compatible with all coating platforms, and properly incorporating or introducing the additive into the formulation can present it own challenges. For example, the additive must provide in acceptable performance on the Hegman-type gage tests (e.g., ASTM D1210), which measures the fineness of dispersion of pigment vehicle systems, in order to be incorporated into liquid-based platforms.
Another issue with respect to additives is that they generally serve only one purpose—to address the aforementioned issues with respect to surface cracking. Thus, the mass/volume dedicated within the overall composition to this single issue means lost opportunities to maximize the formulation in other respects.
Ultimately, articles that do not maintain their coating integrity when subjected to flexing (e.g., by formation of cracks, etc.), often results in rejection of the coated article. In the same manner, the presence of orange peel, edge pulling, and/or other anomalies which also leads to rejections. In all cases, these rejections result in discarding of the coated articles and/or costly reworking of the articles.
In view of the foregoing, a cost effective additive addressing all of these concerns would be welcome. Further, an additive that served multiple purposes—including at least some of the other functions identified above—would be particularly helpful.

Multi-purpose flexibility additive for chemical coating compositions


A pinch valve includes a valve body having a slot which is configured to allow a web of substrate material to pass therethrough. The valve body has a sealing surface which includes a first curved portion with a first radius of curvature. A dynamic seal element is configured to engage the valve body and includes a second curved portion having a second radius of curvature which is larger than the first radius of curvature. An actuator is operable to selectively bias the dynamic seal element into and out of engagement with the valve body so that when it is biased into engagement with the valve body the web of substrate material is engaged between the sealing surfaces of the dynamic seal element and the valve body. Also disclosed is a processing system which includes the pinch valve.

The high volume production of large area semiconductor devices, such as photovoltaic devices, is often carried out in a continuous deposition process. In processes of this type, one or more webs of substrate material are continuously advanced from a payoff station through a series of deposition chambers wherein various layers of semiconductor material are deposited thereonto, and the substrates are then wound into rolls in a take-up chamber. The deposition process often includes high vacuum conditions. Periodically, it is necessary to halt the deposition process so as to remove the coated web or webs of substrate material from the take-up station and replace them with fresh web material in the payout station, while isolation of certain process areas is maintained. In the prior art, it is standard practice to vent the entire deposition system to atmospheric pressure when changing webs of substrate material. In most instances, deposition of the semiconductor materials takes place at elevated temperatures and it is also necessary to cool the entire apparatus to ambient temperatures prior to venting it and replacing the substrate web.
The steps of cooling, venting and subsequently pumping the system back down to low pressure conditions and reheating the deposition chambers is very time consuming. In addition, exposure to ambient atmospheric conditions can introduce moisture or other contaminants into the deposition system. Therefore, the prior art has attempted to find systems which would allow for replacement of substrate webs without requiring venting of the deposition chambers of the apparatus. Toward that end, the prior art has implemented pinch valve systems in which the substrate payout station and take-up station are provided with a valving assembly which closes against a portion of a halted substrate web retained therein. In this manner, the deposition chambers of the apparatus may be maintained under vacuum conditions with a portion of the length of the substrate therein. A new web of substrate material is joined to the halted substrate web by welding it or otherwise affixing it to a portion of the substrate web projecting from apparatus of the system. Following pump down of the substrate station, the pinch valve is opened and the deposition process resumed. Pinch valves used in a system of this type must be capable of maintaining a very good seal at a pressure differential of 1 atmosphere. Also, given the fact that mechanical tolerances and spatial clearances within continuous process deposition apparatus of this type are generally quite small and very precise, any such pinch valve must not significantly deform the substrate material so as to minimize jamming, misalignment or other undesirable effects when the apparatus is restarted.
The prior art has recognized the need for pinch valves of the type described and has implemented a number of embodiments. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,851 discloses a pinch valve comprised of two movable members which engage a base. U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,872 discloses a pinch valve in which a blade-like gate member pushes a substrate against a resilient, planar, support surface. A similar pinch valve incorporating a rubber plate is described in general terms in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,566.
As will be explained in detail hereinbelow, the present invention provides a pinch valve which is simple in construction, reliable, and which is capable of engaging a substrate so as to provide a very high isolation seal without significantly deforming or damaging the substrate. These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.


A solder transfer substrate, including: a base layer; an adhesive layer arranged on the base layer; and plural solder powders arranged on the adhesive layer, wherein in the base layer, which is a porous member, a plurality of holes, which allow at least a peeling-off liquid to pass therethrough, are formed from a side thereof on which the adhesive layer is not arranged to a side thereof on which the adhesive layer is arranged. Particularly, the adhesive layer has a characteristic of expanding with the peeling-off liquid infused.

In recent years, to further cope with both high density of a semiconductor element and high pin count of electrode terminals, narrow pitch and area reduction of electrode terminals of a semiconductor element have been aimed for.
Usually, in flip-chip mounting, mounting is carried out by forming protruding electrodes such as solder bumps and the like on the electrode terminals of a semiconductor element such as an LSI and the like, melting the solder layers formed beforehand on the electrode terminals through pressing with heating of the semiconductor element turned face down against the connection terminals of the mounting board, and allowing connection to be carried out.
But, because the progress for narrow pitch is remarkable, when one line or two lines of the electrode terminals of the semiconductor element are arranged, as conventionally, in the outer periphery part by a means in a staggered manner, a short circuit may occur between the electrode terminals, and connection inferiority and the like may occur due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the semiconductor element and the mounting board. Accordingly, a method of widening, by arranging the electrode terminals in the form of an area, the pitch between the electrode terminals has been taken, but the progress for narrow pitch becomes remarkable in recent years also in an area arrangement, and strict requirements are demanded also regarding the solder layer formation technique on the electrode terminals of a semiconductor element or a mounting board.
Conventionally, as a technique for solder layer formation onto electrode terminals of the semiconductor element, a plating method or a screen printing method, a ball mounting method and the like are used, but the plating method, which is suited for narrow pitch, has problems of productivity in that the step becomes complicated, and in that a facility line increases in size.
Moreover, it is difficult for the screen printing method or the ball mounting method, which is superior in productivity, to deal with narrow pitch because a mask is used.
In a situation like this, several techniques are proposed for selectively forming solder on the electrode terminals of an LSI element or the connection terminals of a circuit board in recent years (for example, see Japanese published patent application 2000-094179). These techniques, which are not only suited for formation of fine bumps but also superior in productivity because the solder layers can be formed en bloc, begin to be noticed.
As for the above mentioned techniques, in the technique proposed in Japanese published patent application 2000-094179, in the first place, a solder paste with a mixture of solder powders such that oxide films have been formed on the surfaces and a flux is applied to the whole area on the circuit board on which the connection terminals are formed. And, by heating the circuit board in that state, the solder powders are allowed to be melted, and the solder layers are selectively formed on the connection terminals without causing short circuits between the contiguous connection terminals.
However, in this solder layer formation method, because the intervals between the electrode terminals are narrow, even if washing after the solder paste melting is performed, unmelted solder powders or flux components remain between the electrode terminals, and the problem is that, under a usage environment after the flip-chip mounting, bridge inferiority or migration inferiority occurs.
As a method of solving these problems, proposed is a solder layer formation technique of allowing solder powders to selectively attach onto the electrode terminals by superposing a support medium, to which the solder powders are attached, on a semiconductor element or a circuit board, and carrying out heating and pressurization (for example, see WO2006/067827 pamphlet).
FIGS. 9(a)-(e) are explanatory drawings of the step of performing solder layer formation (precoating) proposed in WO2006/067827 pamphlet, which allows the solder to attach to the soldering part of the work beforehand. In what follows, that step is described.
In the first place, the adhesive agent 52 is applied to one side of the support medium 51 (FIG. 9(a)).
Next, the powder solders 53 are sprinkled on the adhesive agent 52, which has been applied to the support medium 51, to an extent such that the adhesive agent 52 is hidden (FIG. 9(b)).
After that, by raking the powder solders 53 on the support medium 51 with the brush 54, the redundant powder solders 53 that are not adhered to the adhesive agent 52 are removed, and the powder solders 53 are allowed to be uniform (FIG. 9(c)).
On the other hand, the liquid flux 58 is applied, with the spray fluxer 57, to the face on which the soldering part 56 of the work 55 is formed (FIG. 9(d)). The numeral 59 denotes the resist.
Next, the flux application face of the work 55 and the powder solder adhesion face of the support medium 51 are superposed. At this time a pressure is exerted between the work 55 and the support medium 51 from above the support medium 51 with a pressing machine that is not shown. Then, because the adhesive agent 52 has flexibility and followability, the powder solders 53 that have been adhered to the adhesive agent 52 come into contact with the soldering part 56 when the pressure is exerted against the support medium 51 (FIG. 9(e)).
And, when the superposed work 55 and support medium 51 are heated and pressurized with a heating device that is not shown, the powder solders 53 are diffused at the interface with the soldering part 56 and joined thereto. And, after cooling, when the support medium 51 is removed from the work 55, the powder solders 53 that have been diffused at the interface with the soldering part 56 and joined thereto are left on the soldering part 56, and the powder solders 53 on the resist 59 are removed along with the support medium 51.
After that, the solder layers are formed, in case the work 55 is a semiconductor element, on the electrode terminals by melting the powder solders 53 on the soldering part 56 with a reflow furnace.
With this solder layer formation method, solder layers can be formed also on the narrow-pitch electrode terminals, it is not necessary to perform a complicated step with a large-sized facility line like electrolytic plating, and production can be easily carried out with high productivity.

Solder transfer substrate, manufacturing method of solder transfer substrate, and solder transfer method

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