The present invention relates to a tool that is useful for assembling a composite connector from a plurality of individual connectors, mounting the composite connector having a plurality of right angle tails extending therefrom into openings therefor formed in a substrate, and stiffening the substrate to prevent bowing of the same. The tool comprises a body having a plurality of slots therein. The slots are sized appropriately to receive nonremovably the tails of various forms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool useful for assembling a composite connector from a plurality of individual connectors, mounting the composite connector having a plurality of right angle tails extending therefrom into openings therefor formed in a substrate, and stiffening the substrate to prevent bowing of the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 1A and 1B are, respectively, side and rear elevational views of a prior art electrical connector C showing the same mounted to the surface of a substrate, such as a printed circuit board PCB. In the Figures the connector C is meant to represent any of the variety of connector products sold by the Electronics Department of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, including the modularized header and receptacle connectors sold under the trademark Metral.TM.. Such Metral.TM. header and receptacle modules are discussed generally in the DuPont Connector Systems Product Catalog A, February, 1992, Chapter 10.
In the generalized case the connector C includes an insulating body B which carries a plurality of electrical contact terminals therein. The terminals may be signal transmission terminals of either the pin or receptacle type, bladed power terminals, and/or hybrid coaxial/power/guide terminals. Each terminal includes a tail, generally indicated by the character T, that extends through the rear surface of the body B.
The form of each tail T varies in accordance with the type of terminal of which it is a part. The various forms of tails are best illustrated in FIG. 1B. The tail of a signal transmission terminal, whether of the pin or the receptacle type, is indicated in the Figures by the specific reference character T.sub.s. A signal transmission tail T.sub.s is a generally flat beam member having a predetermined transverse dimension D.sub.s. The tails T.sub.s of signal transmission terminals are usually arranged into nested groups, as is best seen in FIG. 1B. Each tail T.sub.s may be in the form of a solder tail, or, as is illustrated, have a compliant section K immediately above the tip thereof. A pushing shoulder S is spaced a predetermined distance above the compliant section K. For reasons that will become more clear herein each tail T.sub.s is provided with retention features generally indicated by the character R. In one instance, as is best illustrated in FIG. 2A, the retention feature may be configured as outwardly flaring barbs indicated by the character R.sub.B. Alternatively, as is best illustrated in FIG. 2B, the retention feature takes the form of a lanced portion indicated by the character R.sub.L.
The tail of a bladed power terminal is indicated in the Figures by the specific reference character T.sub.b. A tail T.sub.b of a bladed power terminal is also a generally flat beam member, albeit of a more substantial nature than the signal transmission terminal. Accordingly, a tail T.sub.b exhibits a predetermined transverse dimension D.sub.b that is greater than the transverse dimension D.sub.s of the tail T.sub.s of a signal transmission terminal. The tails T.sub.b of bladed power terminals are also usually arrayed in nested groups. Similarly, bladed power terminal tails T.sub.b are provided with either the lance retention feature R.sub.L or the barbed retention feature R.sub.B. Each tail T.sub.b may be in the form of a solder tail, or, as is illustrated, have a compliant section K immediately above the tip thereof.
The tail portion of a typical hybrid receptacle terminal is indicated in the Figures by the specific reference character T.sub.h. A tail T.sub.h is usually a machined, block-like member having a major transverse dimension D.sub.h. The block-like tail T.sub.h has an upper pushing surface U and an array of fingers F depending from the lower surface. The fingers F may also have a compliant section K. The fingers F as slightly inwardly offset from the lateral surfaces of the block. A receptacle barrel (not shown) is attached to the front of the block member. It should be understood that a stamped power receptacle such as that disclosed and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 07/843,261, filed Feb. 12, 1992 in the name of Stephen L. Clark (EL-4338) and assigned to the assignee of the present invention may be used in place of the typical hybrid receptacle terminal above described.
In typical usage the tails of the various types of terminals are inserted into openings H formed in the board PCB. This is usually a manually intensive task. To assist in this effort there is available a tool, known as a slotted push block, which is inserted over nested groups of tails and which permits an operator to push groups of the tails into the openings H. The push block is fabricated from a conductive material, and is removed from the board after after use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,045,868; 4,156,553; 4,188,715; 4,220,393; and 4,269,468 disclose an electrical connector in which a portion of a housing structure is used to push tails of terminal contacts into a board.
The board PCB has, in some instances the tendency to bow. Usually this bowing is caused by heat, as during the soldering of the tails to the board, or by reaction forces imposed on the board by compliant tail sections. This is especially disadvantageous when a connector is mounted to the board using surface mount technology (SMT). In such an instance bowing may cause the connector to become separated either wholly or partially from the board. In addition, bowing is disadvantageous as it may preclude the matability of a given board with a connector mounted on another board. In some instances one or more elongated stiffening bars may be mounted to the surface of the board to overcome the tendency of the board to bow.
In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide a tool that will permit the assembly of a composite connector having a customized length from two or more modular connectors, such as Metral.TM. header and receptacle modules. It is also believed advantageous to provide a tool that will assist in inserting the tails of any of the various contact terminals into a substrate. It is believed to be of yet further advantage to provide such a tool that may remain in place after the insertion of the tails to serve to overcome the tendency of a board to bow.


A facility and method steps for air curing tobacco in an enclosure include hanging the tobacco in the enclosure-having at least one vertically arranged air duct positioned in a central portion of the enclosure, at least one in-line fan positioned in a vertical portion of the at least one vertically arranged air duct, at least one ventilating fan located in an upper portion of the enclosure and at least one openable and closeable opening in at least one side wall of the enclosure. The humidity within the enclosure is lowered by opening the openable and closeable openings in at least one side wall of the enclosure and forcing warm air from the top of the enclosure down through the tobacco within the enclosure by operating the ventilation fans located in a top portion of the enclosure. Humidity is raised within the enclosure by closing the openable and closeable side openings and introducing water or other aqueous solutions into the vertical air ducts while operating the in-line fans within the air ducts to diffuse the moisture and drive it upwards for warming and uniform distribution throughout the barn.

Conventional air-curing tobacco barns utilize natural convection, with air flow generally proceeding from the bottom of the barn toward the top of the barn. In curing tobacco by the procedure generally referred to as the "bulk curing" method, tobacco leaves are loaded in a relatively compact mass on racks or in containers and placed inside of an enclosed curing barn where a furnace or a plurality of heaters circulate a forced flow of heated air through the mass of tobacco leaves to effect curing and drying. Conventional tobacco curing barns attempt to obtain the desired atmospheric conditions such as temperature and humidity within the tobacco barn by various adjustments of louvers or openings in the sides of the barn and the operation of heaters spaced along the floor of the barn with respect to the prevailing temperature and moisture content of the outside atmosphere, the wind velocity and its direction with respect to the tobacco barn. A number of problems have been observed when curing tobacco in conventional air-curing barns. The different tiers of tobacco stacked in the barn cure at different rates, the tips of the tobacco leaves are often found to dry too quickly, during dry ambient weather, the tobacco may dry too quickly and have poor quality, and during humid ambient weather the tobacco may rot and have poor quality along with elevated contents of tobacco specific nitrosamines.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for controlling evaporator defrost in a refrigeration appliance having a cooling circuit with a variable cooling capacity compressor is disclosed. The method includes assessing the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit and calculating the defrost time on the basis of such cooling capacity. Defrost time is preferably assessed on the basis of the inverter frequency driving the compressor and/or the percentage of insertion of the compressor.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling the defrost of an evaporator in a refrigeration appliance having a cooling circuit with a variable cooling capacity compressor. The present invention relates as well to a refrigeration appliance having a cooling circuit with a variable cooling capacity compressor and a control unit for driving said compressor.
With the term "variable cooling capacity compressor" it is meant every kind of compressor having a control unit adapted to adjust the cooling capacity thereof. Even if the term applies generally to compressors having a variable speed motor according to the different frequencies of the inverter system driving the compressor, the term applies to on/off compressors as well, in which the cooling capacity control is carried out by adjusting the percentage of compressor insertion.
EP1619456 discloses an algorithm allowing estimation of one or more thermodynamic parameters from one or more thermodynamic or electrical parameters of cooling system circuits in which a cell temperature is used for feeding an estimating algorithm which can control the compressor.
The control process disclosed by EP1619456 can be sketched as shown in FIG. 1, in which a couple of inputs to the control system are required, i.e. an input from one of the actuators and an input form a temperature sensor. This approach is quite complex and therefore the overall cost of the control system is high.
Currently no estimation is made on cooling circuit, and only heat exchanger measurements are available. Therefore current adaptive defrost algorithms cannot take in account the effect of variable cooling capacity supplied by the compressor into the frost creation process. The known algorithm make the assumption that frost generation is constant in respect of compressor run time. In the variable cooling capacity compressor this is not the case. A system control, taking advantage of variable cooling capacity compressor, could select cooling capacities lower than maximum values allowed. This would cause the frost creation process to be slower than the frost generated by a single speed compressor driven in the same way. An algorithm that doesn't take into account this factor tends to estimate the needing of a defrost procedure more frequently than necessary. This results in lowered performances.
One object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling defrost of an evaporator which is highly reliable and needs few component or sensors. Another object is to provide a method which is particularly useful for controlling the defrost timing in refrigerators using variable cooling capacity compressors. Another object is to provide an algorithm that avoids an overestimation of frost buildup, particularly when a variable cooling capacity compressor is used.
The above objects are reached thanks to the features listed in the appended claims.

Method for controlling the defrost of an evaporator in a refrigeration appliance


A flushing device includes a cistern, in which at least one pressure chamber is arranged with a supply line for water and a discharge valve. At least part of the flushing water may be pressurised in the pressure chamber and may be discharged for flushing through the discharge valve. At least one pressure cylinder unit is provided, in which the flushing water may be pressurised and discharged for flushing, by means of a spring-loaded pressure piston. The pressure piston is preferably held in a starting position and may be released for a flushing execution. Should two pressure cylinder units be provided, either a partial or a complete flushing operation may be selected.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a flushing device for a lavatory, having a flushing cistern in which is arranged a pressure vessel, which has a feed line for water and a discharge valve and in which at least some of the flushing water can be subjected to pressure and can be discharged through the discharge valve for flushing purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional flushing cisterns have, as discharge valve, a float valve which is opened, for the purpose of triggering a flushing operation, for example by the actuation of a button. The flushing cistern is arranged above the toilet bowl which is to be flushed and, when the float valve is opened, the flushing water flows, as a result of the gravitational force, through a flushing pipe into the toilet bowl. However, flushing devices in the case of which the flushing water is subjected to pressure in the flushing cistern are also known. During flushing, the flushing water, as a result of the increased pressured, leaves the flushing cistern with an increased amount of energy and, correspondingly, the flushing action is greater.
For example, WO 98/39522 discloses a flushing cistern with a pressure vessel which has a base with a flushing valve. To prepare for a flushing operation, water from a supply line is introduced into the spherical pressure vessel. In addition, air is fed to the pressure vessel. This air is compressed when the water is introduced and builds up a pressure in the vessel. If the flushing valve is opened, then the water flows out of the pressure vessel as a result of the expanding air and, on account of the gravitational force, flows through the open flushing valve into the toilet bowl. As a result of the enhanced flushing action, less water can be used for flushing. The disadvantage with this flushing device is that it has to be designed for a comparatively high pressure, and that it is difficult to set the appropriate pressure in the vessel.
The applicant's WO 95/04196 discloses a flushing device which has a flushing cistern with two water outlets. Through one outlet, of the flushing processes, water is introduced as usual into the toilets bowl. The other outlet is connected to a nozzle which is arranged in a siphon of the toilet bowl and is intended to accelerate the water of the siphon during flushing. The flushing water is not subjected to pressure in the case of this flushing device. A flushing device with two outlets and a nozzle in the siphon involves comparatively high outlay and is not suitable in all cases.


A thin and large high toughness die-cast product is provided that is formed from an Al—Mg casting alloy having the composition 3.5 wt %≦Mg≦4.5 wt %, 0.8 wt %≦Mn≦1.5 wt %, Si<0.5 wt %, Fe<0.5 wt %, a sum (Ti+Zr) of amounts of Ti and Zr added of equal to or greater than 0.3 wt %, and a ratio (Ti/Zr) of the amounts of Ti and Zr added of at least 0.3 but not more than 2, with the balance being Al.

With regard to a casting material for a thin and large die-cast product that is required to have high toughness, such as, for example, an automobile door panel, an Al—Mg alloy having excellent toughness is known. In this case, in order to make crystal grains finer and improve the toughness, the use of an Al—Mg alloy to which at least one of Ti and Zr has been added is known.
When casting a thin and large die-cast product, from the viewpoint of maintaining the flowability of the melt, it is desirable for the pouring temperature (liquidus temperature+superheat temperature) to be high, but in the case of an Al—Mg alloy composition melt, when a high pouring temperature is set, there are the problems that the concentration of Mg in the melt greatly decreases due to oxidation of Mg, etc., and soldering of the melt to a die easily occurs. Because of this, the pouring temperature T is set at, for example, 720° C.≦T≦730° C.
In order to make the crystal grains finer by the addition of Ti and Zr, adding large amounts thereof is effective, but if the amounts are increased with no clear purpose, Ti, etc. becomes saturated at the above-mentioned pouring temperature, thus causing the deposition of crystals such as Al3Ti or Al3Zr.
When increasing the toughness of a die-cast product, there is a limit to the toughness that can be achieved merely by selecting the casting material, and it is impossible to obtain a toughness-improving effect that exceeds this limit.


A process for reducing fluorosurfactant content of a fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion stabilized with nonionic surfactant. The process includes reducing the fluorosurfactant content of the stabilized fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion to a predetermined level to provide a reduced surfactant dispersion, adding non-fluorinated anionic surfactant to the reduced fluorosurfactant dispersion, and concentrating the reduced fluorosurfactant dispersion. The non-fluorinated anionic surfactant is added in stages wherein a first portion is added to the dispersion prior to concentrating and a second portion of the non-fluorinated anionic surfactant is added to the dispersion after concentrating.

Fluoropolymers are applied to a wide number of substrates in order to confer release, chemical and heat resistance, corrosion protection, cleanability, low flammability, and weatherability. Coatings of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) homopolymers and modified PTFE provide the highest heat stability among the fluoropolymers, but unlike tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) copolymers, cannot be melt processed to form films and coatings. Therefore, other processes have been developed for applying coatings of PTFE homopolymers and modified PTFE. One such process is dispersion coating which applies the fluoropolymer in dispersion form. Dispersions used in coating processes are usually in a concentrated form and contain a significant quantity of nonionic surfactant, e.g. 6-8 weight percent, as taught in Marks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,953, and in Holmes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,272 to raise the solids from nominally 35 wt % in the raw dispersion to about 60 wt % in the concentrated dispersion. Miura et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,688 discloses a similar process. Similar dispersions and coating processes are also used for making coatings of melt-processible fluoropolymers.
Fluorosurfactants are typically used as an ingredient in the dispersion polymerization of fluoropolymers since a non-telogenic dispersing agent is generally required in commercial fluoropolymer dispersion polymerization processes. For example, an early description of fluorosurfactants used commercially is found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,752 to Berry. These fluorosurfactants are anionic surfactants, usually perfluorinated carboxylic acids, e.g., ammonium perfluorocaprylate or ammonium perfluorooctanoate.
Because of environmental concerns and because fluorosurfactants are expensive, processes have been developed for the removal and recovery of fluorosurfactants from aqueous fluoropolymer dispersions. One method for removal of fluorosurfactants from fluoropolymer dispersions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,266 and includes the addition of a stabilizing surfactant followed by concentration by ultrafiltration. This patent teaches that a high proportion of the fluorosurfactant can be removed via the aqueous permeate. It is also known to remove anionic fluorosurfactant by adsorption onto an ion exchange resin as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,153 (Seki et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,162 (Kuhls). Kuhls teaches recovery of fluorosurfactants dissolved in the aqueous phase after coagulation of the polymer from the dispersion or in aqueous polymer dispersions to be concentrated. U.S. Pat. No. 6,833,403 (Bladel et al.) is a more recent patent teaching the same process. In these anion exchange processes, the fluorosurfactant is removed by the anion exchange resin from a stabilized dispersion containing nonionic surfactant.
In concentrated aqueous fluoropolymer dispersions which have reduced levels of fluorosurfactant, the viscosity levels can be higher than in dispersions containing fluorosurfactant and can be unacceptably high for some end uses. Certain types of fluoropolymer dispersion, particularly high molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene dispersions, show an increase to an unusually high viscosity when the fluorosurfactant content is significantly reduced. Viscosity can rise to a level of several hundred centipoise (cP), well above the normal 20-30 cP which is advantageous for coating and impregnating compositions and to make cast films. US 2004/0186219 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,466 B2 (Dadelas et al.) disclose the addition of non-fluorinated anionic surfactant, e.g., sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzyl sulphonate and secondary alkyl sulphonate sodium salt, to reduce viscosity. These references teach the addition of non-fluorinated anionic surfactant prior to or after concentration.
However, employing non-fluorinated anionic surfactant according to the processes of US 2004/0186219 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,466 B2 (Dadelas et al.) can cause problems when concentration is carried out using a thermal concentration method as taught as taught in Marks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,037,953, and the other patents referred to above. In thermal concentration, the lower solubility of the nonionic surfactant at elevated temperatures, i.e., the nonionic surfactant having "cloud point", is used to create a phase separation with a lower phase having high fluoropolymer solids and an upper phase having very low solids. These phase are separated usually by decanting off the upper phase and recovering the lower high fluoropolymer solids phase as concentrated dispersion.
When non-fluorinated anionic surfactant is present during concentration, a significant portion of it will be lost due to it being in the low solids upper phase after concentration. If sufficient anionic surfactant is added prior to concentration to compensate for such loss and to control viscosity in the finished concentrated dispersion, the anionic surfactant has been found to narrow the "concentration window". The "concentration window" refers collectively to the range in the level of nonionic surfactant and the temperature range within which concentration will proceed efficiently. For concentration with a narrow concentration window caused by too much anionic surfactant, tight control of and/or more extreme levels of nonionic surfactant, temperatures or both will be required. Moreover, the amount of non-fluorinated anionic surfactant will vary greatly with the exact solids content of the finished dispersion, i.e., slightly higher that the targeted solids content will reduce anionic surfactant levels. This will cause the non-fluorinated anionic surfactant level to vary from batch to batch and the level in some dispersions may be insufficient to control viscosity.
If, on the other hand, the addition of the anionic surfactant is delayed until after concentration, the concentrated dispersion without anionic surfactant will go through an extremely high viscosity maximum which may interfere with handling of the dispersion for decanting of the upper phase and in subsequent handling prior to anionic surfactant addition.
In addition, a phenomena known as "skinning" can occur in fluoropolymer dispersions. When a dispersion is allowed to stand in an open, stagnant bath, a skin can sometimes form on the surface of the dispersion due to drying. This skin is detrimental in that it can sometimes be picked up by the article being coated and result in a coating defect. While skinning can occur in several types of dispersions, it is more pronounced in dispersions having a high viscosity and/or a low level of the fluorocarbon surfactant used in polymerization.

Staged addition of non-fluorinated anionic surfactant to reduced fluorosurfactant fluoropolymer dispersion


A conveying system includes rolling bodies each with a rolling element cage and rolling elements. The rolling elements are arranged in recesses of the rolling element cage and for the rolling in a guide channel. In each case two or three or more rolling elements form a roller set, and the rolling elements of a roller set roll on one another as well as on the guide channel, and at least one roller set is present per rolling body. The conveying system includes at least two guide channels which run at an essentially constant distance to one another and together form a guide path; and at least two rolling bodies are connected to one other by way of a connection element, into a conveying element, and the conveying element with its at least two rolling bodies is movable in at least two guide channels along the guide path.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of conveying technology, and in particular to a conveying system, a conveying element and a guide path.
2. Description of Related Art
Conveying systems comprise conveying elements which are conveyed along a conveying path in a manner linked to one another or individually. The conveying elements comprise means for conveying objects as piece goods (and apart from goods, also persons or animals), or as bulk goods. These means can be grippers or other elements, which are designed for holding an object, or can be elements which extend in a planar, two-dimensional manner, on which or in which the objects lay. Such elements extending in a planar, two-dimensional manner are for example conveyor belts, or comprise linked, typically rigid conveying elements which are displaceable with respect to one another, in order to be able to travel through curves. The conveying elements form an essentially flat surface, on which the conveyed product is conveyed. These linked conveying elements for example are known as mat chains, link chains, slat chains, plate chains (flexbelts, chain belts, carrier chains). They are hereinafter collectively called "modular belts".
Conveying means are mounted differently depending on their type: grippers are mounted for example by way of ball-mounted rollers. Modular belts are for example supported in a planar, two-dimensional manner and thereby slide on slide rails or slide surfaces. Depending on the loading due to the conveyed product, this leads to high friction forces as well as wear, and necessitates corresponding drive forces for moving the modular belt, causing high tensile forces on the modular belt. Other embodiments of modular belts comprise co-running rollers that are part of the modular belt itself, which roll on a surface.
EP 1 070 012 B1 shows chain elements for a modular conveyor belt, without a rolling mounting.
WO 90/02269 shows a rolling element cage with sets of in each case three or also only two bearing balls which roll on one another, wherein each of the bearing balls in turn rolls in a groove on the inner side of a guide rail which partly encompasses the rolling element cage. The rolling element cage is mounted in a linearly displaceable and rotationally fixed manner in the guide rail by way of the mounting in the grooves.
EP 1 009 693 B1 discloses cage-like guide rails with conveying elements rolling therein. In one embodiment, three bearing balls rolling on one another are likewise present, wherein each of the bearing balls in turn rolls on two rods of the guide rail, so that the conveying elements run in a rotationally fixed manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,830,824 describes a roller vehicle which can be displaced on a plane surface in all directions and for this is mounted in a rolling manner on several balls, wherein each of these balls in turn rolls on several bearing balls.
CH 663 773 A5 describes a ball joint link-chain which is mounted in a guide rail between two rows of balls which lie opposite one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,145 discloses a linear ball bearing, in which a hollow body is arranged around a shank and mounted in a manner, in which it is displaceable along the shank and rotationally fixed. Balls are in each case arranged in a paired manner in correspondingly arranged grooves, between the hollow body and the shank, so that the balls on the one hand roll on the hollow body and the shank, and on the other hand on one another.
A spatially movable conveyor is disclosed in DE 37 90 593, with a tension chain of elongate links, in which a bearing ball is arranged, which rolls between four guide rails.

Conveying system, conveying element, and guide track


A modified test tube is provided which can sit on any flat surface unaided by a test tube rack. The modified test tube is an elongate, substantially tubular member having a containment portion coupled to the neck portion. The containment portion has a bottom surface and a closed end. The neck portion is angled relative to the flattened surface and has a mouth. A sloped surface is provided at the interior of the tubular member coextensive with the flattened surface. The bottom surface of the modified test tube enables the test tube to sit prone on any flat surface by itself, unaided by a rack, and the bent neck portion prevents the contents from spilling from the test tube. This design enables the contents within the test tube to be easily monitored without moving the test tube.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to laboratory equipment. More particularly, this invention relates to test tubes.
2. State of the Art
Standard test tubes are tubular in shape and have a rounded sealed bottom end and an open top end. The standard test tube design possesses a high degree of utility in laboratory experimentation and research. In fact, it is anticipated that the standard shape test tube will continue to dominate the test tube market due to its simplicity and design familiarity. Yet, this dominance is in spite of drawbacks associated with the standard design.
As a result of the shape of the standard design test tube, standard test tubes require the use of a rack for support, as the tubes cannot stand on their own. In addition, unless the open end of a standard design test tube is closed with a stopper, when the tube is placed on a surface, the contents of the tube will spill out. Therefore, standard design test tubes, regardless of size, generally require the use of a test tube rack to hold the test tubes while being utilized. In addition, when placing a standard test tube into a heated water bath, the standard test tube must first be placed into a test tube rack and then the entire rack must be inserted into the water, such that the standard test tubes are substantially submerged. This results in more time and energy needed to bring the contents of the standard test tubes to the desired temperature. Furthermore, as a substantial portion of the standard test tube is submerged in the water bath, it is difficult to monitor reactions occurring within the test tube. Moreover, when applying heat to a standard test tube, it is common to place the test tube in a clamp and to apply a flame under the test tube. This often provides uneven heating of the contents, as heat is applied primarily only under the bottom of the test tube, and the contents at the bottom of the tube may scorch while the contents higher up in the test tube are not effectively heated. Likewise, standard test tubes cool slowly as cool air will only come into contact with a small surface area of the contents of the tube. In addition, when adding or heating reagents in a standard test tube there is a strong potential for harmful spatter from "bumping" (the rapid evolution of gas bubbles) to occur which can result in sample loss. Furthermore, when adding a substance to a test tube in situations where the substance weight is critical, the substance must first be weighed on weighing paper and then transferred into the test tube. The use of weighing paper results in a loss of substance, as some amount of substance still remains on the weighing paper after the substance has been transferred into the test tube.


A subsea broadcast serial bus system includes a broadcast serial bus having a first signal line and a second signal line. One or more nodes are connected in parallel to the first signal line and the second signal line of the broadcast serial bus. Each node connects the first signal line to the second signal line via a node impedance. A subsea node connected to the broadcast serial bus includes an adjustable impedance that may be adjusted based on the number of nodes connected to the broadcast serial bus.

Bus systems may be used to facilitate communication between devices. A controller area network (CAN) bus is one type of a bus system that may be used in automotive applications and in industry automation. Several nodes that are capable of sending and receiving messages (e.g., controllers, sensors, and actuators) are connected to the bus. For example, a node connected to the CAN bus may include a processing unit configured for processing sensor data, a CAN-controller for compiling messages to be transmitted on the bus or decoding received messages, and a transceiver for generating the electric signals that transmit the message on the CAN bus.
FIG. 1 illustrates a CAN bus 100. A number N of nodes 101, 102, and so forth are coupled to the CAN bus 100. Each CAN node is locally powered. The CAN bus 100 may be operated with a predetermined termination impedance (RT). To achieve the predetermined termination impedance on the bus, each node 101, 102, and so forth includes a termination impedance 110 having a resistance value of N*RT. If N nodes are connected to the bus, the total bus impedance will be RT.
A problem arises if nodes are to be added to or removed from the bus. The bus impedance may change and an impedance mismatch on the CAN bus may result.
This problem may occur in a subsea environment where the bus and the nodes connected to the bus are inaccessible. If a node is disconnected from the bus (e.g., due to failure of the node), the bus impedance will change. The change in bus impedance may be detrimental to reliable operation of the remaining nodes. As a result, communication between the different nodes may be disturbed and the whole system may need costly and time-intensive servicing.


A support apparatus for a head of a user placed in a wash basin maintains the neck of the user in a neutral position, thereby minimizing head or neck injuries. The support apparatus includes a base member with a cushion member to receive the head of the user and a support arm to contact a side wall of the wash basin, a leg member with a shaft rotatably mounted to the base member, the leg member able to adjust so the distance between the base member and the leg member is sufficient to enable the bottom portion of the leg member to be in contact with a drain of the wash basin, and a locking mechanism slidably mounted to the shaft to secure the leg member to the base member.

The embodiments herein relate generally to apparatuses to support a user's head in a wash basin.
In hair salons or barber shops, customers often wash their hair in a wash basin or sink. During the cleaning process, users sit down and their heads recline into the wash basin. This position is undesirable because the user's head hyperextends downward into the wash basin, causing the user's neck to tilt out of a neutral and aligned position. As a result, the user may injure or strain the neck and suffer extreme pain.
Current devices for solving this problem include neck cushions and a variety of support devices that use straps, hooks or suction cups that secure to the wash basin. However, these devices are disadvantageous for a number of reasons. The neck cushions provide support to the user's head, but do not prevent the neck and head from hyperextending into the wash basin. The alternative support devices are difficult and time consuming to install and/or remove from the wash basin due to the number of parts. Further, these devices are impractical because they do not easily adjust to accommodate the size of the user's head. These devices are also undesirable because the user's hair often gets tangled in the devices during their use.
As such, there is a need in the industry for an apparatus to support a user's head in a wash basin that effectively maintains the user's neck in a neutral and aligned position. There is a further need for a support apparatus that is easily secured to and removed from the wash basin.

User head support apparatus for a wash basin


A device for adjusting audio and video signals includes two rotary encoders, one for plural audio adjusting circuits which are arranged to adjust audio signals and the other for plural video adjusting circuits which are arranged to adjust video signals. The rotary encoders are arranged to selectively actuate the plural audio adjusting circuits and the plural video adjusting circuits respectively. The arrangement not only simplifies the operation of the device but also reduces the number of necessary parts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a signal adjusting device and more particularly to a device for making adjustment relative to video and audio signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional apparatuses for recording and reproducing video signals on and from a magnetic tape (hereinafter referred to as VTRs) have input adjusting devices arranged in most cases to adjust video signals, such as a luminance signal, chrominance signals, and also the audio signal levels of individual channels. Some of the VTRs have been arranged to permit adjustment of all these signals with a single adjustment knob. The arrangement to adjust the signals by using adjustment knobs discretely arranged for respective different signals and channels increases the number of parts and thus requires a larger space. The arrangement to adjust the audio signal levels and video signals with a single adjustment knob makes operation very difficult for the operator and thus has presented a problem in respect of the operability of the apparatus.

Recording/reproducing device comprising a plurality of audio channels and a rotary encoder which controls two independent level adjusting means


Disclosed is a power supply unit reducing deterioration of power loss caused by cables. A connector connecting a power line L11 connected to a battery and a plurality of ramp loads is attached to a holder housing at least one of the plurality of ramp loads. The connector is provided with: a pressure-bonding power source terminal to which the power line L11 is connected and power is inputted, a first branch circuit branching one power line inputted from the pressure-bonding terminal into a plurality of branch lines, a plurality of tub-like power source terminal, pressure-bonding power terminals each connected to the plurality of branch lines branched by the first branch circuit and outputting power to each ramp load; and a housing housing them.

Such a vehicle as an automobile has a power supply unit mounted therein for supplying power to a plurality of loads. Well known as this power supply unit is, for example, what is illustrated in FIG. 14. As shown in the figure, the power supply unit 100 is provided with a battery 101, ramp loads 102 as a plurality of loads, and a controller 103 disposed between the battery 101 and the plurality of ramps 102.
The aforementioned controller 103 is mounted to, for example, a power supply box disposed near the battery 101. This controller 103 incorporates a branch circuit 103a branching a power line form the battery 101 into a plurality of branch lines, and a plurality of switch elements 103b each disposed on the branch lines branched by the branch circuit 103a. A Mechanical relay or transistor relay is used as the switch elements 103b. The switch elements 103b is controlled to switch on or off by supplying a drive signal from a main drive device 200.
According to the power supply unit 100 shown in FIG. 14, to switch on the switch elements 103b by the main drive device 200 allows power from the battery 101 to be supplied to the ramp loads 102, and to switch off the switch elements 103b by the main drive device 200 allows power supplied from the battery 101 to the ramp loads 102 to be shut down.
The automobile, in order to charge the battery 101, also has alternate 104 mounted thereto as a generator transforming mechanical energy of an engine into an electric energy. In order to supply power this alternate 104 generates directly to the ramp loads 102, this alternate 104 may be disposed between the battery 101 and the ramp loads 102. For example, with the battery 101 in 48V-system and with the ramp loads 102 in 12V-system, a DC/DC convertor 105 may be disposed between the battery 101 and the ramp loads 102 that steps down the power voltage from the battery 101.
A cable L01 that connects between the battery 101 and the controller 103 is required to apply large current to which currents applied to the plurality of ramp loads 102 total up, and thus is applied for the one in which its cable size is large and pathway resistance is small. On the other hand, the cable L11 connecting the controller 103 and each ramp load 102 may apply current only applied to ramp loads 102 to be connected, and thus is applied for the one in which its cable size is small and pathway resistance is large.
Therefore, mounting the aforementioned controller 103 in the power supply box near the battery 101 induces the cable L11 with larger pathway resistance than the cable L10 with small pathway resistance to become long, increasing voltage drop caused by the cable L11. Therefore, drawbacks were posed that power loss caused by the cable L11 becomes large and thus voltage applying to the ramp loads 102 becomes low.
Furthermore, the aforementioned ramp loads 102 is regulated in its rated voltage, and when voltage beyond the rated voltage is applied, power the ramp loads 102 consume increases so as to become bright beyond necessity. It follows from this that applying voltage beyond the rated voltage to the ramp loads 102 results in applying useless voltage. Furthermore, the higher the voltage applied to the ramp loads 102, the more electrical stress applied to the ramp loads 102, possibly deteriorating product life (it is exactly well known that the ramp loads 102 such as filament when beyond the rated voltage becomes short in their product life).
Then, it is thought that voltage outputted from the alternate 104 or DC/DC convertor 105 is dropped to the rated voltage of the ramp loads 102 so as to become unwasted. The voltage, however, cannot be dropped to the rated voltage outputted from the alternator 104. This is attributed to the fact that in the automobile power is regenerated for improvement of fuel efficiency in which the battery 101 is charged by the alternator 104. In this power regeneration, for example, with the voltage of the battery 101 in 12 volt, it is required that the voltage outputted from such the alternator 104 is set to 14 volt higher than 12 volt. Some automobile may also output voltage higher than 14 volt. Therefore, dropping the voltage outputted from such the alternator 104 to the rated voltage disenables to charge the battery 101.


A high dielectric constant (DC) capacitive dielectric film is fabricated in a capacitor structure using relatively high pressure surface treatments. After forming the DC capacitive dielectric film on a supporting bottom plate electrode structure, a surface treatment comprising oxidation, at a pressure of at least approximately one atmosphere and temperatures of approximately at least 200 degrees Celsius densities/conditions the HDC capacitive dielectric film. When using a polysilicon, crystalline silicon, hemispherical grain polysilicon, germanium, or silicon-germanium bottom plate electrode, a relatively high pressure surface treatment, comprising rapid thermal nitridation or oxidation, is used after forming the bottom plate electrode, forming a diffusion barrier layer in a controlled manner.

The present invention relates to semiconductor structures and methods for fabricating such structures in semiconductor integrated circuits, and in particular, to forming capacitors for memory cells having high dielectric constant materials therein.
Dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) are the most widely used form of semiconductor memory to date. DRAMs are composed of memory cell arrays and peripheral circuitry required for cell access and external input and output. Each memory cell array is formed of a plurality of memory cells for storing bits of data. Typical memory cells are formed of a capacitor, for storing electric charges and a transistor, for controlling charge and discharge of the capacitor. Of primary concern is maximizing the storage capacitance of each memory cell capacitor, particularly in light of the demand for 256 Mb DRAMs today and higher densities in the future without increasing the chip space required to form the array. There is a need to decrease the chip space required to form each memory cell while maximizing the capacitance of the memory cells. The importance of high density DRAMs can not be overstated in today""s competitive micro electronics market. Devices are becoming smaller, but they are required to provide much more performance.
One way to achieve greater capacitance per unit area is to roughen the surface of the capacitor plate, increasing the surface area. As can be seen from the following equation (I), the most important parameters involved in achieving maximum charge, Q, stored on the capacitor are the thickness of the capacitive dielectric film (tcdf), the area of the capacitor (A), and the dielectric constant (xcex5). The voltage applied to the gate is Vg.
xe2x80x83Q=(xcex5xc2x7Axc2x7Vg)/tcdfxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I)
Increasing the capacitor area (A) by forming the storage capacitor in a trench shape etched in the substrate is well known in the art, as well as using a stacked capacitor structure. Stacked-type capacitors feature a major part of the capacitor extending over the gate electrode and field isolating film of the underlying transistor. Such structures are generally composed of a lower plate electrode (consisting of a base portion a standing wall portion), a capacitive dielectric film, and an upper plate electrode. Other complex topographical lower plate electrode configurations have also been used to maximize the capacitive area (A) of a memory cell, such as fin-type, double-sided, and roughened lower plate electrode structures produced using hemispherical grain (HSG) polysilicon.
In addition to increasing the capacitive surface area (A) of a memory cell, as can be seen from the above equation (I), the thickness of the capacitive dielectric film (tcdf) must be as thin as possible to maintain the maximum charge stored on the capacitor. However, the capacitive dielectric film must also prevent direct electrical contact between the lower and upper electrodes.
It is also desirable to utilize a capacitive dielectric film having as high of a dielectric constant (xcex5) as possible to further increase the capacitance per unit area of a memory cell. Known high dielectric constant (HDC) materials include: tantalum penta oxide (ta2O5), yttria (Y2O3), titanium oxide (TiO2), strontium bismuth titanate (SBT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT), barium strontium titanate (BST), bismuth titanate (BTO), strontium titanate (STO), barium titanate (BTO), and polymeric materials. A dielectric constant (xcex5) of greater than 7 is typically considered to be a HDC material. For example, Ta2O5 potentially has a dielectric constant (xcex5) more than 20 times greater than conventional silicon oxide, which has a dielectric constant (xcex5) of 3.9. BST has a dielectric constant (xcex5) about 100 times as large as that of a conventional silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride (xcex5about 7) film.
Currently, the use of HDC materials within a capacitor memory cell is limited by the instability of HDC materials and other component materials in an integrated circuit at higher temperatures. Such higher temperatures are required to treat the surface of HDC materials to conform to adjacent electrodes during the fabrication process. Furthermore, many of these HDC materials are ceramic in nature when formed in a thin layer, being so characterized by having low density. It is undesirable to utilize such low density materials in an application requiring a very thin layer of the material, because it allows current leakage through the capacitive dielectric film, degrading device performance. Thus, high temperature steps are often needed to densify/condition HDC materials.
It is undesirable to utilize high temperature steps during the fabrication of integrated circuits because high temperature steps consume valuable thermal budget. The thermal budget for an integrated circuit is that combination of maximum time and temperature for heat treatments utilized in the fabrication of the integrated circuit. An integrated circuit can only be subjected to a limited number of thermal steps for a limited amount of time before its electrical performance is potentially detrimentally affected. For example, thermal steps often cause dopant gradients at junctions between two regions in an integrated circuit to diffuse, such that the potential barrier between the two regions is altered. Furthermore, thermal steps often cause dopants to migrate into undesired regions, altering device characteristics. Since access transistors are formed prior to the capacitor in many DRAM devices, it is not desirable to use high temperatures to form the capacitor.
Due to the limitations of such HDC materials and methods for their formation, silicon oxide and silicon nitride are commonly used in capacitive memory cells. In order to minimize the thickness of the cell capacitive dielectric film and further increase the cell capacitance, silicon nitride is commonly used in such memory cells due to its superior qualities as compared to silicon oxide (another commonly used dielectric in semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication) at such thicknesses. At thicknesses of 100 angstroms or less, silicon oxide exhibits a high defect density. Silicon oxide is further undesirable for use in memory cells due to its comparatively low dielectric constant (xcex5).
While silicon nitride is superior to silicon oxide at thicknesses below 100 angstroms, silicon nitride also has problems of its own. Pinholes, extending throughout a silicon nitride layer, often present in such silicon nitride films, lead to current leakage, which decreases capacitance and can further degrade devices over time, making them unreliable. However, the leakage current seen in silicon nitride films is typically not of the same magnitude as that seen in HDC films previously described. One attempt in overcoming the pinhole problem in silicon nitride films is to form a plurality of silicon nitride layers in place of a single layer, chancing the occurrence that pinholes in adjacent layers will not be aligned, thus preventing current leakage. However, this technique is not reliable and its use is limited in today""s devices due to the need to make devices as small as possible.
There is a need for a method of forming capacitor memory cells having increased capacitance per unit area. Thus, there is a need for utilizing a HDC material as the capacitive dielectric film in a capacitor cell, in order to increase the capacitance per unit area in a memory cell. A method for integrating such HDC materials within a capacitor memory cell, such that the HDC material is relatively stable and has a relatively low leakage current, and a method utilizing a minimal amount of the thermal budget is needed. It is further desirable to form a capacitive dielectric film that is as thin and dense as possible, in order to conserve device density, decrease leakage current, and increase the capacitance per unit area in the memory cell.
The present invention teaches a method and apparatus for forming a capacitive memory cell, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell, utilizing a high dielectric constant (HDC) material for the capacitive dielectric film. A bottom plate electrode of known shapes and topographies is prepared according to well known techniques. Then, the bottom plate electrode is cleaned as well known to one skilled in the art.
In one embodiment, a polysilicon, crystalline silicon, hemispherical grain polysilicon, germanium, or silicon-germanium bottom plate electrode material is used and the bottom plate electrode is subjected to a relatively high pressure surface treatment after its formation. The relatively high pressure surface treatment comprises one of rapid thermal nitridation (RTN) or oxidation (in an O2, NO, or N2O ambient). When HDC materials, such as tantalum penta oxide (Ta2O5), yttria (Y2O3), or titanium oxide (TiO2), all having a dielectric constant of approximately less than 100, are used for a capacitive dielectric film, RTN is typically used. A nitrogen-containing reactant gas, such as ammonia or hydrazine, is used during a RTN step.
When a batch-type processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of up to approximately 100 atmospheres is used for the relatively high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 1 to 25 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a batch-type processing chamber. When a single wafer processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of at least 1 atmosphere or higher is used for the high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 25 to 600 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a single wafer processing chamber.
By utilizing relatively high pressure for the surface treatment, surface treatment temperatures are reduced to approximately 100 degrees Celsius or higher, conserving valuable thermal budget during the integrated circuit fabrication process. Typically, processing chamber temperatures of approximately 200 to 950 degrees Celsius are used when practicing the invention. Cold wall or hot wall type processing chambers can be used to practice the invention. Heating methods are well known to those skilled in the art, including resistive heating and rapid thermal processing.
Next, a HDC material (i.e., a material having a dielectric constant (xcex5) of 7 or greater) is formed as a capacitive dielectric film on the bottom plate electrode. The method for forming HDC materials is well known to one skilled in the art. Such HDC materials include: tantalum penta oxide (Ta2O5), yttria (Y2O3), titanium oxide (TiO2), strontium bismuth titanate (SBT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT), barium strontium titanate (BST), bismuth titanate (BiTO), strontium titanate (STO), barium titanate (BaTO), and polymeric materials. Inorganic or organic precursors, both liquids and/or solids, are used for starting materials when depositing such HDC materials. HDC materials are deposited in any manner known to those skilled in the art, including physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD).
The capacitive dielectric film is then subjected to a relatively high pressure surface treatment to densify/condition the material. The relatively high pressure surface treatment comprises oxidation (in an O2, NO, or N2O ambient). Oxidation tends to fill oxygen vacancies often present in the lattice structure of as-deposited HDC materials, densifying/conditioning the capacitive dielectric film and increasing its capacitance.
As in the bottom plate electrode relatively high pressure surface treatment, when a batch-type processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of up to approximately 100 atmospheres is used for the relatively high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 1 to 25 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a batch-type processing chamber. When a single wafer processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of at least 1 atmosphere or higher is used for the high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 25 to 600 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a single wafer processing chamber.
By utilizing relatively high pressure for the surface treatment, surface treatment temperatures are reduced to approximately 100 degrees Celsius or higher, conserving valuable thermal budget during the integrated circuit fabrication process. Typically, processing chamber temperatures of approximately 200 to 950 degrees Celsius are used when practicing the invention.
In another embodiment of the invention, a metallic material, such as titanium, titanium nitride, platinum, platinum-aluminum, rhodium, rhodium oxide, cesium oxide, or strontium rhodium oxide (SRO), is used for the bottom plate electrode. When a metallic material is used for the bottom plate electrode, a relatively high pressure surface treatment is not needed prior to forming the capacitive dielectric film thereon because the diffusion problem of silicon/HDC material interfaces is not present.
Next, a HDC material (i.e., a material having a dielectric constant (xcex5) of 7 or greater) is formed as a capacitive dielectric film on the metallic bottom plate electrode. The method for forming HDC materials is well known to one skilled in the art. Such HDC materials include: tantalum penta oxide (Ta2O5), yttria (Y2O3), titanium oxide (TiO2), strontium bismuth titanate (SBT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT), barium strontium titanate (BST), bismuth titanate (BiTO), strontium titanate (STO), barium titanate (BaTO), and polymeric materials.
The capacitive dielectric film is then subjected to a relatively high pressure surface treatment to densify/condition the material. The relatively high pressure surface treatment comprises oxidation (in an O2, NO, or N2O ambient). Oxidation tends to fill oxygen vacancies often present in the lattice structure of as-deposited HDC materials, densifying/conditioning the capacitive dielectric film and increasing its capacitance.
When a batch-type processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of up to approximately 100 atmospheres is used for the relatively high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 1 to 25 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a batch-type processing chamber. When a single wafer processing chamber is used, a processing chamber pressure of at least 1 atmosphere or higher is used for the high pressure surface treatment. Typically, processing chamber pressures of approximately 25 to 600 atmospheres suffice to effectuate the invention in a single wafer processing chamber.
By utilizing relatively high pressure for the surface treatment, surface treatment temperatures are reduced to approximately 100 degrees Celsius or higher, conserving valuable thermal budget during the integrated circuit fabrication process. Typically, processing chamber temperatures of approximately 200 to 950 degrees Celsius are used when practicing the invention. Cold wall or hot wall type processing chambers can be used to practice the invention. Heating methods are well known to those skilled in the art, including resistive heating and rapid thermal processing.
To complete formation of the capacitor structure in both embodiments described previously, a top plate electrode is formed on the capacitive dielectric film as well known to one skilled in the art. The resulting capacitor has an increased capacitance per unit area as compared to previously used capacitors, due to its effective incorporation of a HDC material. Thus, the capacitor structure of the present invention is advantageously used in memories, such as DRAMs, enabling memories to be made more dense, as demanded by current consumers.
Surface treatments are typically needed to densify/condition the dielectric material and provide a barrier layer between the electrode and the dielectric materials. By utilizing the method of the invention, a HDC material is able to be deposited effectively on a bottom plate electrode. Previously, HDC materials, such as Ta2O5, were unable to be used adjacent to a polysilicon surface because of the tendency for the two materials to react in an uncontrolled manner, forming silicon oxide at the polysilicon/Ta2O5 interface. It is advantageous to use polysilicon for the bottom plate electrode because the same layer of polysilicon can be used as is used in other parts of an integrated circuit, such as for the gate of an access transistor. While a thin diffusion barrier layer (Si3N4 or SiO2) is needed between the polysilicon bottom plate electrode and the HDC capacitive dielectric film, it is undesirable for the diffusion barrier layer to become too thick. This undesirable consequence is prevented by using relatively high pressure surface treatments of the present invention.

High pressure reoxidation/anneal of high dielectric constant materials


Circuitry for generating a compliance voltage (V+) for the current sources and/or sinks in an implantable stimulator device is disclosed. The improved compliance voltage generation circuitry adjusts V+ to an optimal value in real time, even during the provision of a stimulation current. The circuitry uses amplifiers to measure the voltage drop across an active PDACs (current sources) and/or NDAC (current sinks) The measured voltages are input to a V+ regulator, which compares the measured voltage drops across the DACs to optimal values, and which feeds an optimized value for V+ back to the DACs in real time to keep the voltage drop(s) at those optimal levels during the stimulation current for efficient DAC operation.

Implantable stimulation devices generate and deliver electrical stimuli to body nerves and tissues for the therapy of various biological disorders, such as pacemakers to treat cardiac arrhythmia, defibrillators to treat cardiac fibrillation, cochlear stimulators to treat deafness, retinal stimulators to treat blindness, muscle stimulators to produce coordinated limb movement, spinal cord stimulators to treat chronic pain, cortical and deep brain stimulators to treat motor and psychological disorders, and other neural stimulators to treat urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, shoulder sublaxation, etc. The description that follows will generally focus on the use of the invention within a Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,227. However, the present invention may find applicability in any implantable stimulator.
As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, a SCS system typically includes an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) 100, which includes a biocompatible device case 30 formed of a conductive material such as titanium for example. The case 30 typically holds the circuitry and battery 26 necessary for the IPG to function, although IPGs can also be powered via external RF energy and without a battery. The IPG 100 is coupled to electrodes 106 via one or more electrode leads (two such leads 102 and 104 are shown), such that the electrodes 106 form an electrode array 110. The electrodes 106 are carried on a flexible body 108, which also houses the individual signal wires 112 and 114 coupled to each electrode. In the illustrated embodiment, there are eight electrodes on lead 102, labeled E1-E8, and eight electrodes on lead 104, labeled E9-E16, although the number of leads and electrodes is application specific and therefore can vary. The leads 102, 104 couple to the IPG 100 using lead connectors 38a and 38b, which are fixed in a non-conductive header material 36, which can comprise an epoxy for example.
As shown in the cross-section of FIG. 1C, the IPG 100 typically includes an electronic substrate assembly including a printed circuit board (PCB) 16, along with various electronic components 20 mounted to the PCB 16, some of which are discussed subsequently. Two coils (more generally, antennas) are generally present in the IPG 100: a telemetry coil 13 used to transmit/receive data to/from an external controller, and a charging coil 18 for charging or recharging the IPG's battery 26 using an external charger. In this example, the telemetry coil 13 and charging coil 18 are within the case 30, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0112610. (FIG. 1B shows the IPG 100 with the case 30 removed to ease the viewing of the two coils 13 and 18). However, the telemetry coil 13 may also be mounted within the header 36 of the IPG 100 (not shown).
FIGS. 2A and 2B show different current distribution architectures for forming pulses at the electrodes in an IPG 100. FIG. 2A shows an architecture in which each electrode is provided with a dedicated current source (PDAC 50) and current sink (NDAC 60), such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,969 for example. The PDAC 50 and NDAC 60 are so named because the amplitude of the analog current they source or sink is digitally controllable (hence, they are Digital-to-Analog Converters, or DACs), and because they are typically made from P-channel and N-channel transistors respectively. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,181, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, the PDACs and NDACs can comprise current mirrors, each of which contains at least one output transistor(s) coupled in parallel to set the desired current.
The architecture of FIG. 2A can be used to pass current between any of the N electrodes. For example, and as illustrated, PDAC 50-1 has been programmed to source a constant stimulation current of Iout, while NDAC 60-2 has been enabled to sink a constant current also equal to Iout. The other PDACs and NDACs are disabled in this example. This results in Iout passing out of electrode E1, through the patient's tissue (not shown), and returning back through electrode E2. More than one PDAC 50 or NDAC 60 can enabled at one time to provide more complicated currents in the patient's tissue. As one skilled in the art understands, stimulation currents are typically issued in the form of pulses, which may be uniphasic or biphasic. Any of the electrodes E1-EN can be chosen to either source or sink current.
FIG. 2B shows a distributed architecture in which sourced or sunk current are passed to or from the electrodes using switch matrices 70P and 70N, such as is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0038250 for example. Switching matrix 70P is controllable to source current from any of the PDACs 50 to any of the electrodes, while switching matrix 70N is controllable to sink current from any of the electrodes via NDACs 60. In the example shown, which also involves sending a stimulation current of Iout from E1 to E2, switching matrix 70P has coupled PDAC 50-2 to E1, while switching matrix 70N has coupled NDAC 60-1 to E2. The switching matrices can also be used to source or sink current to more than one electrode, and the sourced or sunk current from multiple PDACs 50 or NDACs 60 can be sent to the same electrode. Some distributed architectures may only employ a single PDAC 50 and NDAC 60.
Both of the architectures employ decoupling capacitors C1-CN coupled to each of the electrodes. As is well known, decoupling capacitors C1-CN acts as a safety measure to prevent direct DC current injection into the patient.
Regardless of the architecture used, it is important to set the compliance voltage V+ to appropriate levels. The compliance voltage V+ comprises the power supply voltage used by the DAC circuitry that issues the pulses. V+ is generated by boosting the battery voltage, Vbat, and it is desired that V+ be set to an optimal level for the current that that the DACs must provide: if too low, the electrodes will not be able to issue pulses of the desired amplitudes; if too high, battery power is unnecessarily wasted.
One approach to setting V+ is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,181, which is summarized here in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the '181 patent, the voltage drops across the active PDACs (Vp1, Vp2, etc.) and NDACs (Vn1, Vn2, etc.) are measured and used to set V+. This occurs by selecting a tap connected to one of the active DACs using a switching matrix 75. The voltage on the selected tap is sent to an Analog-to-Digital (A/D) converter 80, and the digitized value is sent to and stored in control circuitry 85 (e.g., a microcontroller). Because the control circuitry 85 knows a priori the voltage on the other sides of the DACs (V+ for the PDACs, and ground for the NDACs), the voltage drops Vp and Vn can be determined using the digitized tap values.
Operating within the control circuitry is a V+ algorithm 90, which assesses the voltage drops across the active PDACs and NDACs, and sends a control signal to a V+ regulator 95 to set an appropriate value for V+. Generally speaking, the algorithm seeks to bring the voltage drops across the active PDACs (Vp) and NDACs (Vn) within appropriate ranges. These ranges are based on the architectures used for the PDACs and NDACs, which as noted earlier comprise current mirrors which use output transistor(s) to drive the currents. As explained in the '181 patent, it is desired that the output transistor(s) operate in a saturation mode, such that the channels of the transistors are in "pinch off." Keeping the output transistor(s) in saturation requires that the drain-to-source voltage drop across the output transistor(s), Vds (i.e., Vp and Vn), be greater that the gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) minus their threshold voltage (Vt). Operation in saturation is desired for providing the proper amount of current: if Vds is too low and the output transistor(s) are operating in sub-saturation, the DACs will not be able to provide the desired current. However, it is also desired that Vds not be too high, because unnecessary additional voltage drop across the output transistor(s) merely wastes power, which is highly undesirable in the battery-operated IPG 100. Due to the differences inherent in the P-channel and N-channel transistors used in the PDACs and NDACs, the desired ranges for Vp and Vn disclosed in the '181 patent are different: e.g., 1.5 to 2.1V for Vp, and 1.2 to 1.8V for Vn. Essentially, the V+ algorithm 90 tries to adjust V+ until Vp and Vn for all the active DACs are within these ranges if possible. (It may not be possible for all of the active DACs to be within these ranges given possible differences in the currents used and difference in tissue resistance between the electrodes).
The V+ algorithm 90 of the '181 patent is described further in FIG. 4. Normally, the algorithm 90 would start with the compliance voltage, V+ at its maximum value (e.g., V+(max)=18V), and as it operates it gradually reduces V+ to a desired level. The algorithm starts by first acquiring the voltage drops for the active NDACs (Vn1, Vn2, etc.), which measurements are preferably made toward the end of the pulses. Next, a minimum of these voltages (Min(Vn)) is determined. This minimum voltage would suggest the NDAC most at risk to be in sub-saturation, and hence in this embodiment of the algorithm is considered the most efficient to track. Accordingly, the algorithm 90 next asks how that minimum value compares relative to the range of guard band voltages for the NDACs. Essentially, if Min(Vn) is higher than the maximum guard band voltage for the NDACs (e.g., 1.8V), the compliance voltage V+ is decreased, because it can be inferred that all NDACs are at this point operating with voltage drops that are too high to be optimal from a power consumption standpoint. To expedite the iterative nature of the algorithm, the extent to which the compliance voltage V+ is decreased scales with the extent to which Min(Vn) exceeds the upper guard band voltage for the NDACs. Thus, if Min(Vn) is very high above the guard band, the compliance voltage is decreased by a large amount, but if barely above the guard band the compliance voltage is decreased by a small amount.
As the compliance voltage V+ is adjusted, Min(Vn) will eventually come within the guard band range (e.g., between 1.2V and 1.8V), and the PDACs can then be assessed. The algorithm 90 then measures the voltage drops for the active PDACs (Vp1, Vp2, etc.). Next, a minimum of these voltages (Min(Vp)) is determined, and the algorithm 90 then proceeds as described earlier for the NDACs by adjusting V+ until the Min(Vp) brought within its guard band range (e.g., between 1.5V and 2.1V). At this point, V+ is now set for the IPG at value V+(opt).
FIG. 5 further illustrates the operation of V+ algorithm 90, and assumes for simplicity that only one PDAC and one NDAC are operating to provide constant current pulses at electrodes E1 and E2, and thus each measured Vn or Vp comprises the minimum for purposes of the algorithm 90. As shown, the compliance voltage V+ starts at a maximum value (V+(max)). Then Vn is measured at the end of the pulse across the active NDAC that is sinking current from electrode E2. If Vn is higher than its guard band range, the V+ algorithm reduces V+, and Vn is then measured on a subsequent pulse. Eventually as V+ falls, Vn is brought within its guard band, and the V+ algorithm 90 can start monitoring Vp at the end of the pulses for the active PDAC that is sourcing current to electrode E1. If Vp is higher than its guard band range, the V+ algorithm reduces V+, and Vp is again measured on a subsequent pulse. Eventually Vp is brought within its guard band, at which point V+ determines that the current value for V+ is optimal, and thus V+ is set by algorithm 90 to that optimal value, V+(opt).

Real time compliance voltage generation for an implantable stimulator

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation


Aspects of the present disclosure describe techniques for measuring collision rate with spatial filtering of scattered light. For example, a method for characterizing vacuum in a chamber is described that includes generating, inside the chamber, a potential well having a single, shallow potential region within which an ion is trapped, the shallow potential region having a lowest potential of the potential well, optically monitoring the ion within the potential well, detecting, based on the optically monitoring, a movement of the ion away from the shallow potential region in response to a collision with a background gas, and determining a pressure inside the chamber based on a rate of detected movements of the ion.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to measuring collision rates, and more specifically, to techniques for measuring collision rates with spatial filtering of scattered light in atom-based systems.
The characterization of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is important for many applications which require UHV environments to operate, such as atom-based implementations of quantum computing or precision measurement experiments. In the context of quantum computing, collisions between qubits and background gas species can destroy the computation, and lead directly to infidelity in the result. Some collisions might also result in loss of the qubits, and require a time-intensive reloading procedure to repopulate the qubits before additional calculations can be performed. For precision measurement applications, such as the operation of atomic clocks, precise characterization of the local vacuum environment is required to calibrate systematic shifts in the operation of the clock. Thus, in both quantum computing and precision measurements, an accurate measure of the local pressure will inform design choices to achieve lower pressure vacuum environments, and place numeric limits on the performance of a particular device due to background gas collisions (e.g., limit computation time based on the time between collisions).
Several methods exist to measure vacuum pressure and/or collision rate, but they all suffer from various drawbacks. It is therefore desirable to implement new techniques for measuring the collision rate between background gasses and a trapped ion.

Techniques for measuring collision rate with spatial filtering of scattered light


An automation control system wirelessly controls a safety function of a remote machine. The automation control system comprises a base station and a control receiver. The base station is configured to transmit a control signal for controlling the safety function using a first transmit signal of a first safety channel, and to transmit the control signal using a second transmit signal of a second safety channel. The control receiver comprises: a processor configured to extract a first received version of the control signal from the first received transmit signal, and to extract a second received version of the control signal from the second received transmit signal; and an electrical interface which is connectable with an electrical interface of the machine for controlling the safety function of the machine based on the first received version of the control signal and the second received version of the control signal.

Automation control systems are widely deployed for controlling machines in manufacturing industries. In this context, reliable control of safety functions of remote machines, such as emergency stop, is of particular interest. Therefore, the control systems are usually designed as multichannel control systems, having for example two channels for communicating safety related control signals.
In order to transmit a control signal to a machine, a telecommunication infrastructure is required. Traditionally, in order to remotely control a machine, the Profibus technology and the Profinet protocol can be used.
The transmission of the control signals is usually performed using a wired network. However, wired networks are inflexible and expensive, in particular in multichannel control systems. The infrastructure costs associated with wired networks can be reduced using wireless local area network (WLAN) communications. However, WLAN communication systems are designed for short range which is typically 30 m. Moreover, reliability of WLAN communication systems can be reduced in difficult channel conditions, in particular with increasing number of network entities communicating over the WLAN communication infrastructure or other radio technologies interfering by using the same frequency resources as WLAN.

Automation control system for controlling a safety function of remote machine


Embodiments of the disclosure relate to flexible electronic substrates for placement on an external surface of a vehicle motor assembly. In one embodiment, a motor assembly includes a motor comprising an external surface and one or more electronic assemblies positioned on the external surface of the motor. Each electronic assembly includes a metal substrate disposed on the external surface of the motor, a dielectric layer disposed on the metal substrate, a flexible metal base layer disposed on the dielectric layer, a bonding layer disposed on the flexible metal base layer, and one or more electronic devices disposed on the bonding layer. The bonding layer bonds the one or more electronic devices to the flexible metal base layer.

Electronic devices are often utilized in high-power electrical applications, such as inverter systems for hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. The electronic devices may be power semiconductor devices such as power insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) that are thermally bonded to a substrate. Flexible printed circuit board substrates (PCBs) for electronic devices and systems are also generally known for their use in high-power electrical applications and typically include plastic substrates.
With advances in battery technology in electric vehicles and increases in electronic device packaging density, operating temperatures of electronic devices have increased and are currently approaching 200° C. which result in increased thermomechanical stresses endured by the electronic devices. Due to variation in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the electronic device, the bonding layer, and the substrate, thermally-induced stresses may cause damage to the electronic assembly. For example, although bonding layers formed by transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding results in a bonding layer having a melting temperature greater than 200° C., such TLP bonding layers are very brittle and susceptible to damage from the thermally-induced stresses.
Structures and materials that mitigate the thermally-induced stresses in electronic devices are thus very desirable. Dedicated cooling mechanisms and systems may be typically employed to cool the electronic devices and keep them below a maximum operating temperature. However, such cooling systems can be complicated and expensive.

Flexible electronic assembly for placement on a vehicle motor assembly

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.


A client terminal is provided with a print proxy which converts a request from a standard port monitor into a request to a print server and relays the request. This makes it possible to use an extension function between the client terminal and the print server in a system in which only the standard port monitor operates.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method therefor, and a medium.
Description of the Related Art
In general, when executing printing processing on a system on which an OS (Operating System) operates, the user issues a printing instruction upon designating a standard port monitor incorporated in the OS in advance. The standard port monitor works to transmit printing data generated by a printer driver to a printing apparatus. Even in a large-sized print system including a print server, the user can submit a printing job to the print server by issuing a printing instruction to a virtual printer managed on the print server upon designating the standard port monitor. However, the standard port monitor only has a simple function of transmitting printing data and does not have functions such as a communication control function at the time of transmission. This leads to an error such as a temporal communication interruption during transmission. Under the circumstances, there is known a method of performing more stable submission processing by preparing a custom port monitor implementing communication control, retry processing, and the like on a print server and making the user designate the custom port monitor when issuing a printing instruction.
Some system environments newly provided by an OS, however, may allow only the standard port monitor of the OS to operate. For example, in Microsoft Windows 8® environments, the new printer driver architecture has been adopted, which is designed to inhibit the registration of the custom port monitor in a Windows® system. Such a system cannot implement extension functions such as communication control and retry processing, which has been implemented by a custom port monitor.
In such a system provided with only standard functions, there is available a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-243089 as a technique for implementing extension functions such as printing data transmission and printing job control. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-243089, a client terminal acquires information of a printing device (for example, a printer), and a printer driver installs a printer adapter corresponding to the printing device and activates it, thereby implementing a function of an extension printer driver using bidirectional communication.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-243089, however, needs to provide support for each printer driver. A print system using a variety of printing devices including past models, in particular, has difficulty in providing support for all the printer drivers to be used. It therefore requires much cost to develop corresponding techniques and perform updating.

Information processing apparatus, control method therefor, and medium


A nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device includes a plurality of light emitting nanostructures, each of which including a nanocore formed of a first conductivity-type semiconductor material, and an active layer and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer sequentially disposed on a surface of the nanocore, a contact electrode disposed on a surface of the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer and formed of a transparent conductive material, a first light transmissive portion filling space between the plurality of light emitting nanostructures and formed of a material having a first refractive index, and a second light transmissive portion disposed on an upper surface of the first light transmissive portion to cover the plurality of light emitting nanostructures and formed of a material having a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index.

Example embodiments relate to a three-dimensional nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device.
In recent years, as a new type of semiconductor light emitting diode (LED) technology, semiconductor light emitting devices using nanostructures have been developed. Semiconductor light emitting devices using nanostructures may have highly improved crystallinity, and may have an active layer obtained from a non-polar plane or a semi-polar plane to thereby prevent luminous efficiency from deteriorating due to polarization. In addition, such nanostructure semiconductor light emitting devices can emit light through a considerably large surface area, resulting in highly improved luminous efficiency. In order to effectively maintain the improved luminous efficiency, the nanostructure semiconductor light emitting devices are required to be further improved in terms of external quantum efficiency, i.e., light extraction efficiency.

Nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device


An x-ray diffractometer has an x-ray detector and an x-ray source mounted on vehicles traveling along an arc-shaped track around a sample. The vehicles move independently. Alternatively, the vehicles can move independently on separate parallel tracks.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of x-ray diffractometers.
2. Related Art
In x-ray diffractometry, it is desired to measure diffracted x-radiation from a sample. Incident radiation is provided within a measurement plane at an incident angle, omega. Diffracted radiation is observed in the measurement plane at an output angle, referred to herein as 2theta. The values of omega and 2theta depend on the nature of the sample which is to be subjected to the x-radiation.
In the prior art goniometer-based system, see FIG. 1, the source 101 and the detector 102 were carried on arms 103 and 104 attached like the hands of a clock to concentric axles. The source and detector protruded forward from the arms to effect measurements on a sample carried by a platform disposed in front of the concentric axles. In the prior art system, large samples could not be placed on the platform 105, without hitting the arms. Large samples are currently thought of as being as much as 25 cm, though in the future even larger samples might well need to be subjected to x-ray diffraction. The prior art system could not be readily enlarged to accommodate large samples because the longer arms and larger forward extending protrusions for carrying the source and detector were too susceptible to vibration and bending to allow accurate measurements.

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


A bicycle includes a frame having front and rear sections. The frame includes a pair of guides that are disposed in a parallel relationship and carry a portion of the load generated by a seated rider. The guides define therebetween a pedal drive path that extends parallel to the guides. A rear wheel is rotatably mounted to the frame adjacent the rear section. An elongate flexible connector forms a loop. A seat is mounted to the frame for support of a rider. A drive mechanism is connected to the frame and includes a pair of pedals that are operably attached to the rear wheel by the flexible connector for powered rotation of the rear wheel. The pedals are slidably supported and guided between the guides for motion along the pedal drive path between an extended position and a retracted position.

The present invention relates to a human-powered reclining bicycle, and in particular to a recumbent bicycle having pedals supported and guided by structural frame members to drive a single drive chain, and a novel steering mechanism.
Various bicycle drive systems and rider positions have been proposed in an effort to provide a rider position that is comfortable and maximizes the utilization of the rider's leg force. For example, rectilinear pedal drive systems having two drive chains and an upright rider position have been proposed. This drive system has a separate structure mounted to an existing bicycle frame for supporting and guiding the pedals, and is vertically-oriented for operation when in an upright riding position. Some recumbent human-powered apparatus have been proposed with drive systems having pivotally mounted pedals movable along an arcuate motion. Several prior pedal drive systems utilize interconnected pedals that allow only alternating pedal motion. Other pedal drive systems have both pedals attached to a single, rigid frame such that both pedals move forward and rearward together. These systems do not have enough flexibility to allow independent pedal motion wherein the rider chooses simultaneous or alternating pedal motion nor are they adapted for riding by a rider having only limited use of one leg. In addition, prior recumbent bicycle designs have a frame that includes two or more tube members in a vertically spaced-apart relationship extending substantially the entire length of the frame. Since the seat is mounted on top of the upper tube, this results in a relatively high rider position and center of gravity. Therefore, a device solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Bicycle having novel drive and steering mechanisms