The curd ripening apparatus comprises two perforated, semicylindrical baskets (12, 30), rotatably supported on a common horizontal axis, one within the other. Curds are poured into the inside basket, and the outside basket is then rotated of 180.degree. with respect to the other and is latched with latching means (26, 28, 40) to make it integral with the other basket (12, 24) in an angular position opposite to it, so that a closed barrel is formed. One or two motors (36, 38; 136, 138) can rotate both baskets together, so that the curds are rolled until ripe. The inside basket is preferably provided with internal, parallel, transverse blades (42).

This invention is concerned with a curd ripening apparatus for use in the production of provolone and other similar cheese.
In the production of provolone, the curds roughly drained of the whey must be left to ripen for several hours. In order to allow each part of the curd mass to come in contact with air, the curds, spread out on an airing tray, are frequently sliced and turned over during the ripening period. This involves considerable manual work, since past attempts to mechanize these steps have given rise to an excessive mangling of the curds, which negatively affects the quality of the final product.

CMT Construzioni Meccaniche e Technologia SpA


A process for the catalytic or non-catalytic esterification of acids or anhydrides with a mono-alcohol or a polyhydroxy compound which comprises the steps of adding the reagents to a reaction vessel to form a reaction mixture, and heating the reaction mixture and maintaining a pressure sufficient to obtain boiling of the reaction mixture thereby causing esterification and removing water as vapor while continuously mixing the reaction mixture in the reactor vessel such that at least about 2.5 to about 20 volumes of reaction mixture are internally recirculated per minute, whereby the rate of conversion is enhanced.

The reaction conditions under which esterification is affected can be varied considerably. The reaction proceeds very slowly at room temperature, but quite rapidly at elevated temperatures. About 99% of the limiting reagent, such as acids, anhydrides or polyols, is converted to an ester within a few hours. Limiting reagents are typically reagents which are not present in stoichiometric excess, e.g., limiting reagents used to make plasticizers include diacids and phthalic anhydride and those used to make polyol esters are polyols.
To facilitate the complete esterification of the reactants, it is desirable that the water which is formed during esterification be removed as rapidly as possible. It is known that water has a detrimental effect upon the rate of conversion. Conventionally, water has been removed by carrying out the reaction in a liquid medium which forms an azeotrope having a boiling point that is lower than that of either component of the reaction. If the resulting ester has a boiling point well above 100.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure, then the reaction temperature can be adjusted such that no liquid medium capable of forming an azeotrope is required.
One conventional process for forming plasticizer esters is disclosed in Great Britain Patent Specification No. 1,426,057 (Imperial Chemical Industries Limited), wherein plasticizer esters are prepared from phthalic anhydride and a C.sub.4 to C.sub.14 alkanol or mixture of such alkanols. For example, a mixture of phthalic anhydride and one or more of these alkanols may be heated gradually up to 180.degree. to 260.degree. C. in the presence of a titanium catalyst (e.g., titanium isopropoxide). When the temperature reaches 180.degree. to 260.degree. C., the esterification is substantially complete although the residual acidity is about 0.3 to 0.05 mg KOH/gram. Aqueous sodium carbonate solution is then slowly added to the ester product to provide 1 to 12 times the stoichiometric amount of alkali. When the temperature has fallen to 150.degree. to 200.degree. C. water or a dilute aqueous alkali solution is admitted and the excess alkanol is removed. By this treatment the titanium catalyst is converted to titanium oxide and precipitated, and thereafter may be filtered off with excess sodium carbonate and the residual acidity is reduced to less than 0.05 mg KOH/gram.
Most esterification processes are capable of converting about 99% of the limiting reagent, such as acids, anhydrides or polyols, to an ester within a few hours; however, after about 90% of the limiting reagent is converted the rate of reaction tends to slow down substantially. It may take half as long again to convert the remaining 4-5% of limiting reagent as it took to convert the initial 95% thereof. Since the chemical industry is continuously seeking to increase the rate of reaction as well as the quality of the resultant esters, it would be quite desirable to develop a process which increases the overall rate of reaction, especially during the esterification of the last 10% of limiting reagent.
In the commercial production of plasticizer esters, e.g., phthalates, adipates, and trimellitates, conversions of greater than 99% and as high as practical are desired. The unreacted portion of the acid or anhydride (i.e., the limiting reagent) will react with base in the final steps of the esterification process and a water soluble salt will be formed that eventually ends up in a waste treatment stream. Thus, an increase from 99.0% to 99.95% conversion reduces waste treatment loads associated with treating unconverted acid or anhydride in plasticizer production by a factor of twenty- In addition, environmental regulations are mandating increases in efficiency of treatment plants. Thus, there is a significant incentive to achieve as high a conversion as possible and reduce the load on existing treatment facilities.
For polyol esters, e.g., esters made from aliphatic acids and trimethyolpropane (i.e., the limiting reagent), the commercially desirable conversions are at greater than 98%. In the case of polyol esters, the excess acid is generally removed by a combination of stripping, neutralization and washing. Thus, the environmental load is determined by the efficiency of stripping prior to neutralization. The conversion level is determined by the product specification for the hydroxyl number, a measure of the number of residual hydroxyl groups in the ester. Typical product applications require conversions of about 98.5% of the original number of hydroxyl groups in the poly alcohol.
It is well known that the amount of water in the esterification reactor at any time is a major factor in determining the overall rate of reaction. The present inventors have developed a novel method by which water in the esterification reactor is removed at a much faster rate than under conventional methods, thereby substantially increasing the overall rate at which the reactants are converted to esters. In general, for a given conversion the lower the water content, the faster the rate of reaction.
The present inventors have modified the conventional esterification process wherein the rate at which water is removed from the reactor is increased to such a degree that the amount of water contained in the reactor after about 90% of the reaction mixture has been converted to an ester is much lower than conventional methods. Modification of other aspects of the process such as neutralization, decolorization or demetalling, water removal, filtration of the ester mixture, steam stripping and filtration of the stripped ester have also been found to enhance the quality of the resultant esters.
The present invention also provides many additional advantages which shall become apparent as described below.

Process for the production of plasticizer and polyolesters


A method for treating extremely small particles of recycled polyethylene terephthalate comprises providing a quantity of RPET particles having an average mean particle size ranging from about 0.0005 inch to about 0.05 inch in diameter, heating the RPET particles to a temperature sufficient to cause at least a portion of the RPET particles to adhere to one another, and forming the adhered RPET particles into pellets, said pellets having substantially the same average surface-to-volume ratio as the bulk, un-adhered RPET particles.

The present invention relates to a method for thorough mixing of liquids in microcavities and a device for carrying out said method.
Microcavities, for example in an arrangement of microtitre plates, are employed in pharmaceutical research and diagnostics as reaction vessels. On the basis of the standard format of microtitre plates highly automated processing sequences are possible in modern laboratories. For example, pipetting robots, units for optical reading of biological assays and also the corresponding transport systems are thus matched to the standard format. Such standard microtitre plates exist currently with 96, 384 or 1536 cavities. Typical volumes per cavity are in the range of 300 μl for 96 titre plates, approximately 75 μl for 384 microtitre plates and approximately 12 μl for 1536 titre plates. Microtitre plates are generally made from plastic, for example polypropylene or polystyrol, and are frequently coated or biologically functionalised.
Miniaturising in the form of such microtitre plates or respectively microcavities is generally based on often expensive reagents and in the fact that sample material is frequently not available in the desired quantity, so that reactions at high sample concentration can be carried out only if the volumes are accordingly reduced.
So as to accelerate the reactions and also to ensure homogeneous reaction conditions, it is desirable to mix the reactants during the reaction. This is of significance in particular whenever a reaction partner ("sample") is bound, that is, an inhomogeneous assay is present. Here, thorough mixing can prevent depletion of the sample on the bound probes. In the case of insufficiently thorough mixing frequently diffusion of the reactants quite generally is the time-determining step. This results in long reaction times and minimal sample throughput.
Microtitre plates or respectively in general microcavities are mixed thoroughly in known methods by means of so-called agitators. Such agitators comprise mechanically mobile components and are in part difficult to integrate into highly-automated lines. The thorough mixing is also highly inefficient in particular in small cavities, therefore for example 384 microtitre plates or 1536 microtitre plates. With such small microcavities small quantities of liquid are seemingly highly viscous and only laminar currents in small volumes are possible, that is, there is no turbulence which might cause effective thorough mixing. To achieve an adequate mixing effect, despite the viscosity becoming seemingly high in small quantities of liquid, a high output from the agitator is required.
WO 00/10011 thus describes a method, by means whereof a microcavity in the frequency range from 1 to 300 kHz is agitated. Outputs of 0.1 to 10 Watt are applied.
The literature describes other different methods for thoroughly mixing small quantities of liquid.
US 2002/0009015 A1 describes the use of cavitation for mixing, therefore nucleation, expansion and disintegration or collapse of a local vacuum space in the liquid or a bubble, therefore a local gas/steam space in the liquid, based on an acoustic pressure field. Mixing the liquid is achieved by the intrinsic dynamics of the local vacuum space or respectively the bubble, therefore its expansion and disintegration. To lower the acoustic output threshold for forming the local vacuum spaces or respectively bubbles, nucleation nuclei are needed. These nucleation nuclei heighten the danger of contamination. In addition to this, the development of local vacuum spaces or bubbles is often unwanted.
Other known method (for example "Microfluidic motion generation with acoustic waves", X. Zhu et al. Sensors and Actuators, A. Physical, Vol. 66/1-3, page 355 to 360 (1998) or "Novel acoustic wave micromixer", V.Vivek et al., IEEE International Microelectro mechanical systems conference 2002, pages 668 to 673, or U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,742) describe the use of membranous elements, which oscillate in so-called "flexural plate wave modes". The motion-compromising medium is at the same time in direct contact with the liquid. The manufacturing of such thin membranes is highly complicated and the danger of contamination by contact of liquid with the motion-compromising medium is heightened.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,907 B1 describes the use of magnetic spheres, moving in an external, temporally or spatially variable magnetic field. To carry out the mixing procedure the spheres must be introduced to the liquid, an action often not desired on account of contamination problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,738 B1 describes a mixing procedure in a long-stretched-out closed channel. Two liquid currents flow past an ultrasound sender and are intermixed in the microchannel. To carry out the method a complicated structure with a microchannel system is needed and no separate individual volumes can be mixed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,100 describes the use of a rotary table with small vessels, in which microcavities, for example Eppendorf caps, can be set. In these caps there is for example water, which is radiated from the outside with ultrasound. The described device therefore works as a conventional ultrasound bath. The water is set in oscillating motion and acts as a motion-compromising element directly on each cap, which is agitated in this way.
DE-A-101 17 772 describes the thorough mixing of liquids using surface sound waves, generated by means of interdigital transducers. The liquid is directly on the sound-compromising medium itself. At least in the case of multiple use of the devices there is the danger of contamination. Use with a microtitre plate is not possible in the arrangements described.

Method and device for blending small quantities of liquid in microcavities


A negative pressure ink supply system includes (1) a primary ink cartridges, (2) a secondary ink cartridges, which are connected by means of an ink tubes with the negative pressure ink cartridge assemblies provided between the secondary ink cartridges and the jet head. The ink, pumped from the primary ink cartridge, is put into the secondary ink cartridge, wherein it is supplied to the negative pressure ink cartridge and then in turn from the negative pressure ink cartridge to the jet head. The liquid level in the secondary cartridge is lower than the jet head surface and adjustable. The negative pressure ink supply system is suitable for image-printing equipment by supplying liquid ink, such as large format machines, portrait machines, plotters, etc.

At present, the ink supply devices used on the image printing equipment for supplying a liquid ink, such as large/digital format printers, portrait printers, plotters, etc., fall into two categories: a basket type of ink supply system and a vacuum pump type of ink supply system.
For the basket type, the ink, sucked by an ink pump from the primary (bigger) ink cartridge, is fed through a filter to the secondary ink cartridge, which follows the motion of the jet head and in which the liquid level, 30 mm˜70 mm lower than the jet head position and adjustable, is controlled by an inside level control switch (a float ball).
Advantageously, the basket type of ink supply system is easy in manufacture and low at price with adjustable negative pressure values for each color.
Disadvantageously, the system is incapable of printing materials like plane plates as the small basket has to be lower than the jet head operating platform; not able to clean the jet head rapidly; unstable of the negative pressure value at the jet head surface resulting from a long tube from the secondary ink cartridge to the jet head. Besides, with the carriage under a reciprocate motion, its secondary ink cartridge is apt to leak.
For the vacuum pump type ink supply system, in a position higher than the jet head is arranged the secondary ink cartridge, in which are provided a liquid level switch for liquid level control and a negative pressure sensor for control over air extract from this cartridge by the vacuum pump so as to keep the inside air pressure negative.
Advantageously, the vacuum pump type ink supply system is capable of printing materials in the form of plane plates owing to stable negative pressure values on the jet head surface, and disadvantageously, contains a large numbers of parts and components, the key parts of which have to be imported, its manufacture and test are difficult and expensive. The equipment requires skillful technician trained specially. Besides, it is not easy to adjust negative pressure values for each color or have a rapid jet head cleaning.

Zhejiang Gongzheng Technology Development Co., Ltd.


A support system for a sign mountable on at least two spaced apart foundation members, the system comprising: i) a base, preferably a length adjustable base, having a first end and a second end; ii) a vertical sign support having a first end and a second end wherein the second end is connected to the base; iii) a first foundation member bracket for connection to a first foundation member, the first foundation member bracket proximate the first end of the base; and iv) a second foundation member bracket for connection to a second foundation member distant the first foundation member, the second foundation member bracket proximate the second end of the base.

Currently, road signs, and in particular portable variable message signs (PVMS) used on roadways during road construction or when traffic is being redirected, require permanent footings, typically permanent concrete footings, or a portable trailer requiring protection from traffic. Permanent signs cannot be installed cost-effectively for temporary application and do not typically allow for rapid deployment due to the requirement of permanent concrete footings. Portable trailer mounted signs are restricted in sign size and require protection from traffic as well as requiring a wide enough base and ballast to prevent toppling of the sign, due to high winds, wind turbulence or the like. Furthermore, the current systems do not allow for rapid relocation of the signs, upon completion of the work or redirection of traffic, to another site. Other temporary road signs have a frame constructed of wood secured to the ground by sand bags or the like. The above systems do not accommodate roadways separated by a barrier or median in which the roadways are of different elevation. In this instance, the temporary road signs may not be level facilitating reading thereof, or shims are required to level the sign.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,172 describes a U-shaped saddle for mounting a post for a sign to a concrete barrier. U.S. Pat. No. 8,230,628 describes a precast concrete road barrier which includes a recessed channel, within and extending lengthwise of the barrier, for receiving a sign. U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,041 describes a glarefoil assembly for mounting to a median barrier.
The above systems rely on the integrity of the permanent concrete median barrier for support and cannot be utilized with steel beam guide rail medians or on shoulders of a roadway. There is a need for a roadway sign base support that does not rely on the integrity of the permanent median barrier for support and may be installed in conjunction with any type of median barrier such as a permanent barrier (including a ditch or the like) and temporary barriers, and/or installed where a barrier is not present. There is also a need for a support system that may accommodate signs of various sizes. There is also a need for a support system that may accommodate roadways with different elevations. There is also a need for a support system that may accommodate permanent median barriers of varying heights. There is also a need for a support system that mitigates rotational forces on the system during high winds or impact. There is also a need for a support system that allows for absorbing impact loads. There is also a need for a support system that mitigates damage and injury during high winds or impact by a vehicle. There is also a need for a support system that is compliant with crash test standards.

Apparatus and method for attaching signs to foundation members such as road barriers

Powell (Richmond Hill) Contracting Limited

Stinson Equipment Limited o/a Stinson Owl-Lite


Authentication is performed based on a user narrative. A narrative, such as a personal story, can be requested during a setup process. Content, voice signature, and emotion can be determined or inferred from analyzing the narrative. Subsequently, a user can provide vocal input associated with the narrative, such as by retelling the narrative or answering questions regarding the narrative. The vocal input can be analyzed for content, voice signature and emotion, and compared with the initial narrative. An authentication score can then generated based on the comparison.

Authentication and authorization are often required to access protected resources such as financial or other confidential data. Authentication is a process of verifying the identity of a person or other entity. Stated differently, authentication seeks to confirm that a person is who the person claims to be. The process involves comparing one or more provided credentials with credentials on file for the person. A credential is thus proof of identity. By far the most common credential is a text-based password. For example, a person often provides a password over the phone or online when seeking access to financial data. If authentication is successful, an authenticated person is next subjected to an authorization process to determine whether the authenticated person should be permitted to access protected data. Once successfully authenticated and authorized a person is granted access to a protected resource.


A chuck for holding an object, including one or more linear motors which include one or more linear stators, two or more moving members which are movable along the linear stator or stators, independent of each other, and one or more guide members which guide each of the two or more moving members along the linear stator or stators, and two or more holding members which are supported by the two or more moving members, respectively, and which cooperate with each other to hold the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chuck which holds an object such as an electric component and also to an electric-component mounting system which mounts an electric component on a circuit substrate such as a printed wiring board.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is known an electric-component (EC) mounting system which includes a chuck for holding an electric component (EC) and moves the chuck holding the EC to a circuit substrate to mount the EC on the substrate and thereby produce an electric circuit. The conventional chuck includes a pair of holding jaws, and an opening and closing device for mechanically opening and closing the jaws by moving the jaws symmetrically with respect to the center of the chuck. Thus, the chuck can hold the EC such that the center of the EC is aligned with that of the chuck.
However, the conventional chuck including the mechanical opening and closing device cannot largely change the respective positions of the holding jaws because of the mechanical structure of the opening and closing device. Therefore, the conventional chuck cannot hold different sorts of ECs having largely different sizes. In addition, the chuck cannot hold an EC having an asymmetric shape such that a desired portion of the EC is aligned with the centerline of the chuck.
While the above discussion relates to the chuck for holding the EC, the same problems as indicated above occur to other sorts of chucks for holding other sorts of objects.
The present invention provides a linear-motor-driven chuck and an electric-component mounting system which have one or more of the following technical features that are described below in respective paragraphs given parenthesized sequential numbers (1) to (13). Any technical feature that includes another technical feature shall do so by referring, at the beginning, to the parenthesized sequential number given to the latter feature. However, the following technical features and the appropriate combinations thereof are just examples to which the present invention is by no means limited. In addition, in the case where one technical feature recites a plurality of items, it is not essentially required that all of those items be simultaneously employed. That is, it is possible to select and employ only a portion (one, two, . . . , but not all) of those items.
(1) According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided a chuck for holding an object, comprising at least one linear motor which includes at least one linear stator, two moving members which are movable along the linear stator, independent of each other, and at least one guide member which guides each of the two moving members along the linear stator; and two holding members which are supported by the two moving members, respectively, and which cooperate with each other to hold the object.
The linear motor may include a single linear stator common to the two moving members, or two linear stators for the two moving members, respectively. In the former case, each one of the two moving members may be moved over the middle or center of the single linear stator, toward the other moving member. In the latter case, the linear motor can be said as two linear motors each of which includes a corresponding one of the two linear stators and a corresponding one of the two moving members.
In the present chuck, the two holding members are supported by the two moving members of the linear motor that are movable independent of each other. Therefore, the distance between the two holding members can be largely changed more easily than the conventional chuck including the mechanical opening and closing device. Thus, the present chuck can hold various sorts of objects in a wider range. The two holding members may be two external holding members which externally engage an outer surface or surfaces of an object and thereby hold it, or two internal holding members which engage an inner surface or surfaces of an object having an inner space and thereby hold it.
(2) According to a second feature of the present invention that includes the first feature (1), the chuck further comprises a rotating device which rotates the linear motor about an axis line perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the linear stator.
Since the present chuck includes the chuck rotating device which rotates the linear motor, the chuck can change the current angular phase of the object (e.g., electric component, EC) held by the two holding members, to any desirable angular phase. For example, the chuck can change the current angular phase of an EC to a prescribed angular phase thereof relative to a circuit board, before the EC is mounted on the board.
(3) According to a third feature of the present invention that includes the first or second feature (1) or (2), each of the two moving members comprises an attaching member to which a corresponding one of the two holding members is detachably attached.
Since the two holding members are detachably attached to the respective attaching members of the two moving members, the current sort of holding members may be replaced with a new sort of holding members, depending upon the sort of new objects to be held next by the chuck. Thus, the present chuck can hold various sorts of objects in a wider range.
(4) According to a third feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to third features (1) to (3), the chuck further comprises two position sensors each of which detects a current position of a corresponding one of the two moving members and produces a detection signal indicating the detected current position of the one moving member.
Since the two position sensors detect the respective current positions of the two moving members, a control device, for example, which may be employed and connected to the linear motor can more accurately control, based on the detected current positions, the respective current positions of the two moving members of the linear motor. This contributes to improving a positioning accuracy with which the chuck holds the object.
(5) According to a fifth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to fourth features (1) to (4), the chuck further comprises two origin sensors each of which detects a corresponding one of the two moving members which is currently positioned at an origin position thereof.
Since the two origin sensors detect the two moving members being currently positioned at their origin positions, the above control device can control, based on the detected origin positions, the respective movements of the two moving members of the linear motor. This contributes to facilitating the control to open and close the chuck.
(6) According to a sixth feature of the present invention that includes the fourth or fifth feature (4) or (5), the chuck further comprises a control device including a symmetric-movement control portion which controls, based on the respective detection signals produced by the two position sensors, the linear motor to move the two moving members symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the chuck.
The present chuck can hold an object symmetric with respect to a plane, in a state in which the plane contains a centerline of the chuck.
(7) According to a seventh feature of the present invention that includes any one of the fourth to sixth features (4) to (6), the chuck further comprises a control device including an asymmetric-movement control portion which controls, based on the respective detection signals produced by the two position sensors, the linear motor to move the two moving members asymmetrically with respect to a centerline of the chuck.
The present chuck is suitable for holding an asymmetric object.
(8) According to an eighth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the fourth to seventh features (4) to (7), the chuck further comprises a control device including an object-dependent control portion which controls, based on the respective detection signals produced by the two position sensors, the linear motor to move the two moving members to respective opened positions where the two holding members supported by the two moving members are distant from each other by a distance greater than a prescribed dimension of the object by a predetermined distance and then move the two moving members toward each other at respective speeds equal to each other.
The present chuck can hold, or release, the object in a short time, and can position, and hold, the object at a desired position.
(9) According to a ninth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to eighth features (1) to (8), the chuck further comprises a control device including a holding-force control portion which controls a holding force with which the two holding members hold the object.
The present chuck can hold, with an appropriate holding force, an object which is easily deformable or highly fragile.
(10) According to a tenth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to ninth features (1) to (9), the chuck comprising two linear motors one of which includes two first moving members that are movable toward, and away from, each other in a first direction and the other of which includes two second moving members that are movable toward, and away from, each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the first and second moving members cooperate with each other to hold the object in the first and second directions.
The present chuck can more reliably hold the object and, in particular, it is advantageous for holding an object having a shape asymmetric with respect to both of two planes which are respectively perpendicular to the first and second directions.
(11) According to an eleventh feature of the present invention, there is provided a system for mounting at least one electric component on a circuit substrate, comprising a chuck according to any one of the first to tenth features (1) to (10); a chuck moving device which moves the chuck to an arbitrary position in a movement area parallel to a substantially horizontal plane; a supplying device which is provided in the movement area and which supplies the electric component to the chuck; and a supporting device which is provided in the movement area and which supports the circuit substrate on which the electric component is to be mounted by the chuck.
Since the present EC mounting system employs the chuck which can hold various sorts of objects in a wide rage as described above, the mounting system enjoys a high degree of freedom in the meaning that it can mount various sorts of ECs on a circuit substrate.
(12) According to a twelfth feature of the present invention that includes the eleventh feature (11), the mounting system further comprises a chuck elevating and lowering device which elevates and lowers the chuck in respective directions perpendicular to the substantially horizontal plane.
Since the present EC mounting system includes the chuck elevating and lowering device which elevates and lowers the chuck, the mounting system can lower and elevate the chuck to take an EC from the EC supplying device and/or mount the EC on the circuit substrate. Therefore, the present mounting system need not lower or elevate the EC supplying device or the substrate supporting device to take out the EC from the supplying device or mount the EC on the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device. Thus, the overall construction of the EC mounting system can be simplified.
(13) According to a thirteenth feature of the present invention that includes the eleventh or twelfth feature (11) or (12), the mounting system further comprises an image taking device which takes an image of the electric component held by the chuck; and a modifying device which determines, based on image data representing the image taken by the image taking device, at least one positional error of the electric component held by the chuck and modifies, based on the determined positional error, at least one movement amount of the chuck moving device so as to move the chuck to a position where the positional error of the electric component is zero relative to the circuit substrate supported by the supporting device.
In the case where the EC held by the chuck has at least one positional error (e.g., a horizontal-position error in an X-axis direction or a Y-axis directioin, and/or an angular-phase error about a Z axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes), the present EC mounting system can mount the EC on the circuit substrate after correcting the positional error or errors. Thus, the present mounting system enjoys a high accuracy with respect to the position or positions at which the system mounts the EC on the circuit substrate. However, as described above, the chuck can enjoy a high accuracy with respect to the position or positions at which the chuck holds the EC. In the latter case, the image taking device and the modifying device may be omitted, and the chuck according to the tenth feature (10) is particularly advantageous. According to the combination of the thirteenth and tenth features (13) and (10), the EC mounting system may employ, in place of the modifying device, a correcting device which determines, based on the image data representing the image taken by the image taking device, one or more positional errors of the EC held by the two pairs of moving members and corrects, based on the determined positional error or errors, the erroneous position or positions of the EC, by correcting the respective current positions of the two pairs of moving members. In the last case, it is preferred that each pair of moving members which are moved toward, and away from, each other in first directions be moved by a small distance in each of second directions perpendicular to the first directions, and be biased toward respective neutral positions thereof by respective biasing members such as elastic members. In this case, when the respective current positions of the one or first pair of moving members are corrected by moving those members, the other or second pair of moving members follow the movement of the first pair of moving members.

Linear-motor-driven chuck and electric-component mounting system


A heat dissipating system of a personal computer has a heat dissipating unit; the heat dissipating unit including a power supply; the power supply including a housing and a cover; a circuit and a double suction turbine fan being placed in a space formed by the housing and cover; the double suction turbine fan having a casing and a set of blades; an upper and lower surface of the double suction turbine fan having respective air inlets; one lateral side of the double suction turbine fan having an air outlet; one side of the casing of the power supply having air outlets, receptacles, and a power switch; another side of the casing of the power supply having a plurality of holes arranged like a net; a lower side of the cover having a round hole corresponding to the air inlet.

With the advance of integrated circuit (IC), a CPU is made more and more compact and has a higher speed than old ones. Thereby, a great deal of heat is generated. However in current trend, it is desired that the electronic devices have compact size, that is, they are smaller, and more and more peripherals are added to the computer, such as CD drive, hard disk drive, etc., and thus, it is required that the heat dissipating devices of those devices are compact with a powerful heat dissipating ability.
In the prior art power supply, the fan is vertical arranged in the casing of a power supply so that the height of the power supply can not be reduced. Since the fan is vertically arranged, the shaft for rotating the fan must support the weight of the fan. Thereby, the wearing between the shaft and the bearing is dramatic and thus, the lifetime is reduced. Furthermore, the blades of the fan is tightly adhered to the via holes for dissipating heat. The noise is large.
To improve above said defect, a large fan is added to the casing of the computer mainframe so as to have two heat dissipating effect by the fans in and out of the casing. However, since work is easy, but another fan is necessary so that the cost is high.

Heat dissipating system of personal computer


The present invention is directed to communication systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a technique and system thereof for performing eye modulation. Eye modulation is performed at the transmission side of a PAM communication system to compensate for distortion and non-linearity and generate an output waveform. Spacing among eye levels is adjusted by performing symmetric modulation using α parameter and asymmetric modulation using β parameter. A correction module measures the output waveform and sends feedback signals to a control module to adjust the α parameter and the β parameter. There are other embodiments as well.

The present invention is directed to communication systems.
Over the last few decades, the use of communication networks exploded. In the early days of the Internet, popular applications were limited to emails, bulletin board, and mostly informational and text-based web page surfing, and the amount of data transferred was usually relatively small. Today, Internet and mobile applications demand a huge amount of bandwidth for transferring photo, video, music, and other multimedia files. For example, a social network like Facebook processes more than 500 TB of data daily. With such high demands on data and data transfer, existing data communication systems need to be improved to address these needs. For high-speed data communication applications, pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) technique is often used. Among other things, PAM (2n, with n>1) provides an improved spectral efficiency that allows for higher data throughput on communication media. For various applications, eye modulation is performed.
Over the past, there have been many types of communication systems and methods. Unfortunately, they have been inadequate for various applications. Therefore, improved systems and methods are desired.

Eye modulation for pulse-amplitude modulation communication systems


A fuel cell system for powering a work load includes a fuel cell stack and a shunt regulator having a threshold detection; transistorized power switching element, and a dump load. The threshold detection element identifies when an abnormally high voltage rises. The power switching element routes power from the high voltage buss to the dump load. The dump load acts as an electrical energy sink, and may provide dissipated energy to the fuel cell stack in the form of heat. The switching element can also shunt power to the dump load when a digital control signal is set, for example at startup or during cold start conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally related to fuel cell systems, and more particularly to controlling the open circuit voltage of a fuel cell stack.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrochemical fuel cells convert fuel and oxygen to electricity. Solid polymer electrochemical fuel cells generally employ a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA") which includes an ion exchange membrane or solid polymer electrolyte disposed between two electrodes typically comprising a layer of porous, electrically conductive sheet material, such as carbon fiber paper or carbon cloth. The MEA contains a layer of catalyst, such as a finely comminuted platinum, at each membrane electrode interface to induce the desired electrochemical reaction. In operation, the electrodes are electrically coupled to conduct electrons through an external circuit. Typically, a number of MEAs are electrically coupled in series to form a fuel cell stack having a desired nominal power output to power a load.
Fuel cell stacks are often sized to meet a variety of different voltage and current constraints imposed by the variety of work loads, the size and shape of the fuel cell and the number of fuel cells. While it is possible to scale a specific fuel cell system design for each application, it is not always commercially economical. It is often desirable to connect fuel cell stacks to loads which require different voltage ranges than those naturally provided by the fuel cell stack. Since the voltage of the stack is a function of the current it varies from its zero current voltage (open circuit voltage or OCV) to its peak load voltage. This range of voltages may cause three problems in matching the needs of the loads.
First, since efficiency requirements make it desirable to match the fuel cell voltage with the load voltage at the nominal operating load, the zero current voltage may exceed the allowable range in voltage of the work load circuit (note, all electrical components have a maximum rated voltage). The work load should be protected from exposure to an overvoltage.
Second, in some applications, fuel cells are electrically connected to other energy sources such as power grids, battery systems or electrical generators (such as in a vehicular application with regenerative braking systems). In these applications, it is possible (usually under fault conditions) for these other energy sources to raise the voltage across the fuel cell stack terminal higher than the maximum allowable fuel cell stack voltage. If this stack voltage is exceeded, the fuel cell stack could be damaged by several types of failure including insulation breakdown, electrochemical corrosion or reverse reaction. Thus, the fuel cell stack should be protected from this voltage condition. While a series diode may block any currents flowing into the stack thus preventing damage, a series diode results in a constant parasitic waste of power.
Third, in typical applications, fuel cell stacks are separated from the rest of the load circuit by a switch or set of switches. When these switches are closed there is typically an in-rush of electrical current into the load circuit to charge up its inherent capacitance. The inrush current can be very large and can damage several types of electrical components. Damage modes include blown fuses, contactor arcing and overheated components. It is thus typical to have a voltage matching circuit that either raises the voltage on the load side of the circuit or lowers the voltage on the supply (i.e., fuel cell stack) side of the switch.

Fuel cell system shunt regulator method and apparatus


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including the steps of preparing a silicon substrate which has a main surface whose plane direction is a surface (100); forming an n channel MISFET (Metal Insulator Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) which has a gate electrode, a source region, a drain region and a channel whose channel length direction is parallel to a crystal orientation <100> of the silicon substrate; and forming NiSi over the gate electrode and NiSi2 over the source region and the drain region at the same steps.

For example, in a SoC (System on Chip) device etc., n channel MISFET by which the silicide region of nickel or a nickel alloy was formed in the gate, the source, and the drain by the self-align process (SAlicide: Self Aligned silicide) is adopted.
As information on prior art documents which forms a nickel silicide region in MISFET, some are following.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-150267

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device


The present invention relates to methods of using GPR119 receptor to identify compounds useful for increasing bone mass in an individual. Agonists of GPR119 receptor are useful as therapeutic agents for treating or preventing a condition characterized by low bone mass, such as osteoporosis, and for increasing bone mass in an individual. Agonists of GPR119 receptor promote bone formation in an individual.

The following discussion is intended to facilitate the understanding of the invention, but is not intended nor admitted to be prior art to the invention.
A. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disabling disease characterized by the loss of bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of skeletal structure leading to compromised bone strength, which predisposes a patient to increased risk of fragility fractures. Osteoporosis affects more than 75 million people in Europe, Japan and the United States, and causes more than 2.3 million fractures in Europe and the United States alone. In the United States, osteoporosis affects at least 25% of all post-menopausal white women, and the proportion rises to 70% in women older than 80 years. One in three women older than 50 years will have an osteoporotic fracture that causes a considerable social and financial burden on society. The disease is not limited to women; older men also can be affected. By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fracture in men is projected to increase by 310% and 240% in women. The combined lifetime risk for hip, forearm, and vertebral fractures presenting clinically is around 40%, equivalent to the risk for cardiovascular disease. Osteoporotic fractures therefore cause substantial mortality, morbidity, and economic cost. With an ageing population, the number of osteoporotic fractures and their costs will at least double in the next 50 years unless effective preventive strategies are developed. (See, e.g., Atik et al., Clin Orthop Relat Res (2006) 443:19-24; Raisz, J Clin Invest (2005) 115:3318-3325; and World Health Organization Technical Report Series 921 (2003), Prevention and Management of Osteoporosis.)
B. Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP)
Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP, also known as gastric inhibitory polypeptide) is a peptide incretin hormone of 42 amino acids that is released from duodenal endocrine K cells after meal ingestion. The amount of GIP released is largely dependent on the amount of glucose consumed. GIP has been shown to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. GIP mediates its actions through a specific G protein-coupled receptor, namely GIPR.
As GIP contains an alanine at position 2, it is an excellent substrate for dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV), an enzyme regulating the degradation of GIP. Full-length GIP(1-42) is rapidly converted to bioinactive GIP(3-42) within minutes of secretion from the gut K cell. Inhibition of DPP-IV has been shown to augment GIP bioactivity. (See, e.g., Drucker, Cell Metab (2006) 3:153-165; McIntosh et al., Regul Pept (2005) 128:159-165; Deacon, Regul Pept (2005) 128:117-124; and Ahren et al., Endocrinology (2005) 146:2055-2059.) Analysis of full length bioactive GIP, for example in blood, can be carried out using N-terminal-specific assays (see, e.g., Deacon et al, J Clin Endocrinol Metab (2000) 85:3575-3581).
Recently, GIP has been shown to promote bone formation. GIP has been shown to activate osteoblastic receptors, resulting in increases in collagen type I synthesis and alkaline phosphatase activity, both associated with bone formation. GIP has been shown to inhibit osteoclast activity and differentiation in vitro. GIP administration has been shown to prevent the bone loss due to ovariectomy. GIP receptor (GIPR) knockout mice evidence a decreased bone size, lower bone mass, altered bone microarchitecture and biochemical properties, and altered parameters for bone turnover, especially in bone formation. (See, e.g., Zhong et al, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab (2007) 292:E543-E548; Bollag et al., Endocrinology (2000) 141:1228-1235; Bollag et al., Mol Cell Endocrinol (2001) 177:35-41; Xie et al., Bone (2005) 37:759-769; and Tsukiyama et al., Mol Endocrinol (2006) 20:1644-1651.)
The usefulness of GIP for maintaining or increasing bone density or formation has been acknowledged by the United State Trademark and Patent Office by issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,508 for the treatment of reduced bone mineralization by administration of GIP peptide. However, current GIP peptide agonists suffer from a lack of oral bioavailability, negatively impacting patient compliance. An attractive alternative approach is to develop an orally active composition for increasing an endogenous level of GIP activity.
C. GPR119
GPR119 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPR119; e.g., human GPR119, GenBank® Accession No. AAP72125 and alleles thereof; e.g., mouse GPR119, GenBank® Accession No. AY288423 and alleles thereof). GPR119 activation as by an agonist leads to elevation of the level of intracellular cAMP, consistent with GPR119 being coupled to Gs. In the patent literature, GPR119 has been referred to as RUP3 (e.g., WO 00/31258); GPR119 has also been referred to as Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Receptor (GDIR).
D. G Protein-Coupled Receptors
Although a number of receptor classes exist in humans, by far the most abundant and therapeutically relevant is represented by the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) class. It is estimated that there are some 30,000-40,000 genes within the human genome, and of these, approximately 2% are estimated to code for GPCRs.
GPCRs represent an important area for the development of pharmaceutical products. Drugs active at GPCRs have therapeutic benefit across a broad spectrum of human diseases as diverse as pain, cognitive dysfunction, hypertension, peptic ulcers, rhinitis, and asthma. Of the approximately 500 clinically marketed drugs, greater than 30% are modulators of GPCR function. These drugs exert their activity at approximately 30 well-characterized GPCRs. (See, e.g., Wise et al, Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol (2004) 44:43-66.)
GPCRs share a common structural motif, having seven sequences of between 22 to 24 hydrophobic amino acids that form seven alpha helices, each of which spans the membrane (each span is identified by number, i.e., transmembrane-1 (TM-1), transmembrane-2 (TM-2), etc.). The transmembrane helices are joined by strands of amino acids between transmembrane-2 and transmembrane-3, transmembrane-4 and transmembrane-5, and transmembrane-6 and transmembrane-7 on the exterior, or "extracellular" side, of the cell membrane (these are referred to as "extracellular" regions 1, 2 and 3 (EC-1, EC-2 and EC-3), respectively). The transmembrane helices are also joined by strands of amino acids between transmembrane-1 and transmembrane-2, transmembrane-3 and transmembrane-4, and transmembrane-5 and transmembrane-6 on the interior, or "intracellular" side, of the cell membrane (these are referred to as "intracellular" regions 1, 2 and 3 (IC-1, IC-2 and IC-3), respectively). The "carboxy" ("C") terminus of the receptor lies in the intracellular space within the cell, and the "amino" ("N") terminus of the receptor lies in the extracellular space outside of the cell.
Generally, when a ligand binds with the receptor (often referred to as "activation" of the receptor), there is a change in the conformation of the receptor that facilitates coupling between the intracellular region and an intracellular "G-protein." It has been reported that GPCRs are "promiscuous" with respect to G proteins, i.e., that a GPCR can interact with more than one G protein. See, Kenakin, Life Sciences (1988) 43:1095-1101. Although other G proteins exist, currently, Gq, Gs, Gi, Gz and Go are G proteins that have been identified. Ligand-activated GPCR coupling with the G-protein initiates a signaling cascade process (referred to as "signal transduction"). Under normal conditions, signal transduction ultimately results in cellular activation or cellular inhibition. Although not wishing to be bound to theory, it is thought that the IC-3 loop as well as the carboxy terminus of the receptor interact with the G protein.
There are also promiscuous G proteins, which appear to couple several classes of GPCRs to the phospholipase C pathway, such as G15 or G16 (Offermanns & Simon, J Biol Chem (1995) 270:15175-80), or chimeric G proteins designed to couple a large number of different GPCRs to the same pathway, e.g. phospholipase C (Milligan & Rees, Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences (1999) 20:118-24).
Under physiological conditions, GPCRs exist in the cell membrane in equilibrium between two different conformations: an "inactive" state and an "active" state. A receptor in an inactive state is unable to link to the intracellular signaling transduction pathway to initiate signal transduction leading to a biological response. Changing the receptor conformation to the active state allows linkage to the transduction pathway (via the G-protein) and produces a biological response.
A receptor may be stabilized in an active state by a ligand or a compound such as a drug. Recent discoveries, including but not exclusively limited to modifications to the amino acid sequence of the receptor, provide means other than ligands or drugs to promote and stabilize the receptor in the active state conformation. These means effectively stabilize the receptor in an active state by simulating the effect of a ligand binding to the receptor. Stabilization by such ligand-independent means is termed "constitutive receptor activation."

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods of using GPR119 to identify compounds useful for increasing bone mass in an individual


The switch structure according to the present invention is obtained by interposing an elastic connection member between the circuit board provided with electrodes and a push switch fixed to a case of an electronic device. The elastic connection member has a structure in which conductive layers and insulation layers are alternately laminated. The conductive layers of a first lamination layer surface on which the conductive layers and the insulation layers of the elastic connection member are exposed abut against the electrodes so that the electric connections therebetween are established. The push switch is pushed down, and a contact portion thereof abuts against the plurality of conductive layers on a second lamination layer surface, whereby the electrodes are in a conductive state. Even if the push switch is pushed strongly, the elastic connection member deforms to absorb the force. As a result, the switch structure which hardly breaks is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch structure of an electronic device and an electronic device equipped with the switch structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic device such as a portable phone or an electronic metronomemay include a push-button-type side switch on a side surface thereof. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a constitutional example of a conventional side switch (see JP 2004-79503 A). As shown in FIG. 7, in a conventional side switch 23, a switch module 24, which is pushed so that the switch module freely moves forward and backward in a surface direction of a circuit board surface, is mounted on a circuit.
In the side switch 23 shown in FIG. 7, the switch module 24, which is pushed so that the switch module freely moves forward and backward in the surface direction of the circuit board surface, is soldered on an electrode formed on a circuit board 1. By pushing a push switch projecting portion 25 projecting from a push switch hole 22 formed in a case 21, the switch-module 24 becomes in an ON state.
In the conventional switch structure, in a case where the push switch projecting portion 25 is pushed by a force stronger than a force which is presumed when designing, the switch module 24 main body is pushed toward the surface of the circuit board. Therefore, there caused problems such that, in a case where the push switch projecting portion 25 is pushed strongly or an impact is given thereto, the switch module 24 itself may break, and the solder or the like for fixing the switch module 24 and the circuit board 1 may peel off. Accordingly, there is a problem in that, in the electronic devices including a side switch, the side switch easily breaks due to a drop impact.


Systems and methods for processing a semiconductor wafer includes a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing chamber includes an exterior, an interior region with a wafer receiving mechanism and a viewport disposed on a sidewall of the plasma processing chamber providing visual access from the exterior to the wafer received on the wafer receiving mechanism. A camera is mounted to the viewport of the plasma processing chamber on the exterior and coupled to an image processor. The image processor includes pattern recognition logic to match images of emerging pattern captured and transmitted by the camera, to a reference pattern and to generate signal defining an endpoint when a match is detected. A system process controller coupled to the image processor and the plasma processing chamber receives the signal from the image processor and adjusts controls of one or more resources to stop the etching operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical imaging, and more specifically to endpoint detection in semiconductor manufacturing using pattern recognition technology on the images obtained from optic camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of semiconductor structures such as integrated circuits, memory cells, and the like, features, structures, and components are defined, patterned, and constructed in a series of manufacturing process steps on semiconductor wafers to create multi-layer integrated structures. During the semiconductor manufacturing process, semiconductor wafers are processed through numerous operations in controlled environments to add layers, and to define, pattern, etch, remove, polish, etc., structures, features and layers. The structures and features formed on the semiconductor wafers are closely monitored and analyzed to precisely determine the endpoint of each process.
One common manufacturing process is plasma etch. In general, during plasma etch, the processing chamber is configured to receive processing gases. The pressure of the process gases within the chamber is controlled in accordance to the requirements of the desired process. Radio frequency (RF) power is applied to one or more electrodes in the processing chamber. Upon applying the desired RF power to the electrode(s), the process gases in the chamber are activated such that a plasma is created. The created plasma is configured to perform the desired etching of the selected layers of a semiconductor wafer. In semiconductor fabrication, plasma etching is commonly used to etch conductive, dielectric and other materials to define features and structures therein or to expose the defined features/structures.
During the etching process, various tools/technologies are used to perform in-situ monitoring and analysis of the conditions within the plasma chamber to determine an end-point for the etching process, so as to prevent over-etching. One such technology for monitoring uses the optical emission spectroscopy (OES). OES is typically used to detect when a structure or layer is exposed during a plasma etch process. To be effective, the OES detection equipment must be able to resolve a change in emission relative to the background plasma. However, as the features/structures reduce in size, it is becoming increasingly difficult to precisely detect change in emission, especially when the etch process is to have very high selectivity to exposed film around the features/structures.
High selectivity is especially relevant in through-silicon via (TSV) reveal process which performs blanket silicon etch with no stop layer. In the TSV reveal process, TSV nodes are exposed by removing silicon from the backside of the wafer to make contact with the bottom of the TSV nodes defined on the wafer and etch the silicon for a desired height. The etching operation for revealing the TSV nodes have to take into consideration the selectivity of the exposed film, such as liner material around the features/structures, in order to preserve the functionality of the TSV nodes. Due to the high selectivity defined for the etch process, it is very hard to detect when the endpoint for the TSV reveal is reached using the OES technique, as no new species are emitted into the plasma, potentially leading to over-etching of the silicon. The over-etching may result in the TSV nodes protruding too much from the silicon bulk with potential damage to the TSV nodes during packaging.
Another technique that is commonly used is the radio frequency (RF) related endpoint technique. In the RF technique, changes in RF parameters, primarily in the Bias RF delivery, are detected when new films are exposed at endpoint. However, for applications, such as the TSV Reveal, the main etch process does not use Bias Power in order to achieve high selectivity to a film layer formed over the features/structures. As a result, no usable changes in RF parameters can be detected when endpoint is reached.
Another technique that is used in determining end point is the fixed-time approach. This approach makes extensive use of pre-etch and post-etch metrology to control the etch process. The fixed time approach, however, has its own drawbacks as the approach is still vulnerable to process variations, such as drift in the etch rate or variation in the incoming wafer film thickness, etc., leading to unnecessary and excess variation in the desired results, such as large variation in the height of the structures/features.
Each of the above described techniques is well known in the art. The RF technique and the OES signal changes offer extremely low signal to noise ratio and have proven to be inadequate for precisely determining end point for etching processes, especially for the ones that do not use stop film.
In light of the foregoing, what is needed is a system that enables precise prediction of end point, especially for TSV reveal etch process that etches blanket silicon without any stop layer. It is in this context that embodiments of the disclosure arise.

Systems and methods for detecting endpoint for through-silicon via reveal applications


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing plastic optical transmission medium. The subject method and apparatus can produce a variety of optical transmission medium, including for example, graded refractive index polymer optical fiber, graded refractive index rod lens, and step index polymer optical fiber. The subject optical transmission medium have improved characteristics and efficiency, due, at least in part, to better control of the profile of the refractive index distribution and stable high temperature operation of the medium. High efficiency of manufacturing can be achieved by the subject method and apparatus which can permit continuous extrusion at high speed.

Graded index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF) offers promise as a high bandwidth communication medium. The ability to create a desired index of refraction profile in a plastic optical fiber
Methods of manufacture of this material have been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,593,621, and 5,523,660, EP 130838, EP 2682969, JP1-265208, JP3-65904, JP3-64704, and WO87/01071, and Polymer Journal, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp 310–313 (1995). These manufacturing methods, however, suffer from various drawbacks. For example, some methods require the initial production of a graded index preform and subsequent drawing of fiber from the preform, resulting in a low efficiency of production. Other methods rely on a non-uniform radial distribution of a low molecular weight additive in the fiber and, due to the high concentrations by weight of additives which lower the glass transition temperatures of the fiber, can result in fiber which does not meet the thermal stability requirements for certain applications.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing plastic optical transmission medium


An electrical architecture of an aircraft includes a plurality of primary generators each associated with a propulsion engine of the aircraft, a plurality of primary electrical networks each associated with a primary generator in nominal operating mode, a single-part secondary electrical network, an electrical energy accumulation device connected directly to the secondary network, a first electrical energy converter arranged between the secondary electrical network and a first of the primary electrical networks, allowing energy to be transferred from the first of the primary electrical networks to the secondary electrical network, the first electrical energy converter being intended to supply electrical energy to the electrical energy accumulation device in nominal operating mode, a second electrical energy converter arranged between the secondary electrical network and a second of the primary electrical networks, allowing energy to be transferred from the secondary electrical network to the second of the primary electrical networks.

Conventionally, electricity may be generated on commercial aircraft with a fixed-frequency AC current, conventionally at 400 Hz, based on gas turbines that rotate at a variable speed. The nominal voltage of on-board AC networks is generally 115 V. On some modern aircraft, this voltage has been raised to 230 V. To achieve this, a speed control system is installed between the shaft of the gas turbine and an alternator, which is then able to rotate at a fixed speed so as to generate the desired fixed frequency. A speed control system implementing a hydraulic converter is known in the literature by the name CSD for: "Constant Speed Drive". The generator and the hydraulic converter may be integrated so as to form a device known in the literature by the name IDG for: "Integrated Drive Generator". Attempts have been made more recently to dispense with these hydraulic converters by moving towards variable-speed alternators, and therefore to generate variable-frequency on-board networks, for example at between 400 and 800 Hz.
On board long-range aircraft, there are commonly other electric generators, notably an auxiliary power unit and a ram air turbine.
The auxiliary power unit is known in the literature and hereinafter referred to by its acronym APU. The APU is an auxiliary unit generally comprising a gas turbine coupled to an electric generator. The APU is generally located in the tail cone of the aircraft and is supplied with kerosene from the fuel tanks of the aircraft. The APU is started by a battery of the aircraft. The APU is intended to produce air for the air-conditioning system of the aircraft and to start the propulsion engines when these are equipped with air starting systems. The APU may also produce hydraulic and/or electrical energy so as to supply power to the various on-board systems on the ground when the propulsion engines are at a standstill and to start these engines when they are equipped with electrical starters. The APU may also be used in flight in the event of a fault with the primary generators.
The ram air turbine is known in the literature and hereinafter referred to by its acronym RAT. The RAT is formed by an air turbine arranged in a bay of the aircraft. The RAT is deployed in flight in the event of loss of the primary electrical energy sources of the aircraft, which are the primary generators coupled to the propulsion engines and APU. The RAT is driven by the airflow generated by the progression of the aircraft. The RAT is coupled to a hydraulic pump or to an alternator. The RAT is used as a backup energy source on aircraft.
The APU and the RAT represent a significant mass carried on board the aircraft. The APU and the RAT are of no use in the primary flight phases. In addition, the APU is becoming increasingly less used when the aircraft is parked on the ground in order to avoid pollution risks. Some airports even stipulate the use of air and electricity servitudes that are made available.
On the ground, the aircraft may also be supplied with power by an external generator often called a ground supply unit, which makes it possible not to use the APU.
The various electric generators are connected to an electrical power distribution system, known in the literature and hereinafter denoted by its acronym EPDS. The EPDS itself consists of primary and secondary electrical cores. The primary electrical cores comprise electrical distribution bars that are segregated from one another during nominal operation. It is possible to interconnect the electrical bars in the event of loss of one or more generators. The electrical bars are not all at the same voltage. They are connected to one another by power converters that make it possible to create the various voltage and frequency levels required for the operation of various loads. The secondary electrical cores control and protect the electrical loads of the aircraft.
The EPDS makes it possible to create the various voltages required for the operation of an aircraft, such as for example a fixed-frequency or variable-frequency voltage of 115 VAC or 230 VAC, or else a controlled voltage of 28 VDC intended for low-power loads, such as the avionic systems or the flight control computers.
The EPDS also makes it possible to separate what are called "essential" loads from those that are "non-essential" on separate electrical distribution bars. An essential load is understood to mean any load essential to ensuring correct operation of the aircraft in the event of a fault. Supplying power to the essential loads makes it possible to ensure fully safe operational continuity for the aircraft and its passengers.
On board modern aircraft, it is possible to find a high-voltage direct-current network, known in the literature and hereinafter denoted by its acronym HVDC. The EPDS is able to generate the HVDC voltage that is obtained by rectifying a regulated three-phase AC voltage produced by the primary generators. One HVDC voltage that is commonly used is 540 VDC. Voltages of 350 V and 270 V are also contemplated. The main reason for the development of HVDC networks is their usefulness for supplying power to certain loads and notably synchronous motors or actuators that are not able to operate without a DC-to-AC power converter. This converter is then supplied with power by an HVDC network.
In the commercial aeronautical field, the current trend is to increase the number of electrical devices. Some hydraulic apparatuses are being replaced with electrical systems, such as the flight controls. Moreover, the air conditioning in the cabin is also tending to become electrical.
Since the proportion of loads requiring a DC network for their power supply is tending to increase significantly within the trend for the electrification of aircraft, some aircraft manufacturers are already considering abandoning primary AC networks so as to implement electrical distribution systems that would be mostly HVDC. A standard is currently being developed for a future fully HVDC network. In the same way as for AC networks, HVDC networks have to be regulated in a highly precise manner.
With the implementation of an HVDC network, each of the conventional generators described above is associated with an AC-to-DC converter that makes it possible to change from the AC voltage coming from the generator to the DC voltage of the HVDC network. A high-voltage battery is connected to the HVDC network by way of a DC-to-DC converter, which makes it possible to match the voltage of the battery (which is variable by nature and depends on its state of charge) and the fixed and regulated voltage of the HVDC network.
AC networks have numerous drawbacks. First of all, modern primary AC generators are driven by the propulsion engines of the aircraft and therefore cannot be connected in parallel since it is impossible to synchronize them, except by implementing speed control systems by way of a hydraulic converter of CSD type.
The dimensioning of the primary generators and of the associated AC networks takes into account possible fault cases with the propulsion engines. Overdimensioning the generators means that they are underused. For example, for an aircraft comprising two engines and two generators per engine, in the cruising phase of a flight, the primary generators are used to the order of 30% of their nominal capacity. The mass of the generators and of the wiring associated with each of the generators is proportional to the installed power allowing the generators to have their nominal capacity. In other words, electrical generation is highly detrimental in terms of on-board mass.
Likewise, the presence of the RAT, which is used only as backup, is also detrimental to the on-board mass. It has a very low power density, of the order of 0.3 kW/kg. In addition, the RAT does not address all cases of operation in backup mode. For example, when the aircraft is at a low speed, for example in the approach phase and in the landing phase, the RAT is no longer able to provide its backup function due to the excessively low speed of the aircraft. Moreover, in the event of losing both propulsion engines and of deploying the RAT, electricity generation is interrupted for the time it takes to deploy the RAT and to start its generator. Using the RAT requires hydraulic and electrical energy reserves, such as batteries that allow the hydraulic and electrical systems essential to flight safety to operate, notably to supply power to the brakes of the aircraft.
The presence of the APU is also detrimental to the on-board mass of the aircraft. The APU is used above all on the ground before the starting of the propulsion engines driving the primary generators. The APU uses kerosene and is highly polluting. In some airports equipped with services for supplying power on the ground, the use of the APU is subject to strict regulations or even prohibited, thereby making its usefulness on board an aircraft highly questionable. The installation of the on-board APU is justified only for critical phases such as the loss of both engines in flight, which may happen for example in the case of a bird strike in both engines at the same time when the aircraft takes off. Since the RAT makes it possible to supply power to only a very limited number of devices, the rapid starting of the APU in this extreme case makes it possible to keep more devices in operation, improving comfort for the pilots so as to return the aircraft to the ground in full safety in comparison with RAT-based or battery-based operation. Some aircraft manufacturers are also working on replacing the APU with systems that do not emit CO2 and toxic gases, such as fuel cells supplied with hydrogen that is produced through electrolysis. However, this solution has struggled to become established since it is still necessary to overcome problems linked to the installation of such devices in aircraft and to the absence of a "dedicated" hydrogen production and distribution circuit. Specifically, at present, the majority of hydrogen is produced from oil-based products.
With regard to the EPDS, the voltages that it delivers have to meet highly stringent aeronautical standards. These standards define the voltage levels and frequencies to be complied with, regardless of the mode of operation. These standards notably require regulating the voltages in a highly precise manner. In the case of an aircraft implementing 400 Hz fixed-frequency networks, the frequency regulation is of the order of one Hz. For the 115 VAC and 230 VAC voltages coming from the electric generators, the voltage regulation is performed by way of a control module associated with each of the electric generators and known in the literature by the name GCU for: "Generator Control Unit". In the case of fixed-frequency networks using an IDG, the precise regulation requires an extremely precise and therefore expensive CDS.
The loads supplied with the voltages delivered by the EPDS also have to comply with precise rules. The harmonic rejection rate notably has to remain below a standardized template. Since this template is extremely constrictive, the presence of filters associated with each load and ensuring that the network is compatible with the load to which it supplies power is obligatory. The tight tolerances tend to make these filters more complicated and heavier. In some cases, a filter may be as heavy as its associated load.
Lastly, the standards that the networks have to comply with do not allow the loads supplied with power by these networks to return energy to the electrical network. It is therefore impossible to consider recovering lost energy on the increasingly numerous reversible loads, such as motors and engines. At present, each reversibly operating load has to carry, in its associated converter, on-board devices for passively dissipating regenerated energy.
HVDC networks also have numerous drawbacks. HVDC networks address a certain number of drawbacks of AC networks, in particular by allowing the generators to be placed in parallel. This placing in parallel makes it possible to improve the usage rate of the generators in the cruising phase, and therefore to reduce the ratio between the installed electrical power and the nominal power consumed by the aircraft.
However, the rotating generators, which remain AC, and the implementation of HVDC networks requires rectifying the three-phase AC voltage of the generators and therefore carrying additional on-board converters to rectify the voltage of the generators.
In addition, since the majority of on-board loads operate with an AC voltage, it is necessary to convert the HVDC voltage back into an AC voltage able to be used by the loads, hence the presence of a very large number of DC-to-AC converters. All of these converters, given the increasingly high on-board powers, require the addition of air-cooling systems or liquid loops, thereby further exacerbating the mass balance of the aircraft. Lastly, the addition of these numerous converters tends to worsen the reliability and the availability of the aircraft's electrical systems, in comparison with AC electrical architectures that, although less sophisticated, are also more reliable.
Patent application WO 2007/113312 filed in the name of the Applicant proposes to optimize the overall mass of the converters by pooling them. Specifically, on board an aircraft, some dedicated converters are used only for short periods, and it is therefore advantageous to pool the use thereof. However, this pooling also poses problems linked to certification, since it is necessary to demonstrate that the pooling does not affect the safety of the aircraft systems. This constraint is stated notably in the D0297 standard. In addition, pooling requires additional systems such as arrays of contactors, worsening the on-board mass balance.
In the same way as for AC networks, the standards governing HVDC networks are also highly stringent. The loads connected to these networks have to incorporate filters that avoid returning interference thereto. Again in the same way as for AC networks, the loads must not return energy thereto. The regenerative loads therefore have to be equipped with means for dissipating regenerated energy.


A method for detecting the concentration of a specified gas contained in a mixed gas includes, in a pressure-type flow rate control device including a restriction portion, an upstream valve provided upstream of the restriction portion, and a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure between the restriction portion and the upstream valve, a step of flowing the mixed gas from the upstream side of the upstream valve in a state in which the pressure on the downstream side of the restriction portion is lower than the pressure on the upstream side of the restriction portion, a step of determining with a pressure sensor pressure drop characteristics occurring after the upstream valve is changed from an open to a closed state, and a step of determining the concentration of the specified gas in the mixed gas based on the pressure drop characteristics.

Conventional pressure-type flow rate control devices are known (for example. Patent Document 1, etc.) that include a flow path through which a fluid passes, a restriction portion, such as an orifice plate interposed in the flow path, an upstream pressure sensor for detecting a pressure P1 upstream of the restriction portion, a downstream pressure sensor for detecting a pressure P2 downstream of the restriction portion, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature T upstream of the restriction portion, a control valve provided upstream of the upstream pressure sensor, and a controller for regulating the control valve. Downstream of such pressure-type flow rate control devices are connected shutoff valves, semiconductor manufacturing device process chambers, vacuum pumps, etc.
Such a pressure-type flow rate control device controls the flow rate by regulating the control valve according to the upstream pressure P1, or the upstream pressure P1 and downstream pressure P2, utilizing the relationship that holds between an upstream pressure P1 detected by the upstream pressure detector, a downstream pressure P2 detected by the downstream pressure detector, and a flow rate Q of the fluid passing through the restriction portion.
Explained more specifically, under critical expansion conditions, that is, under a condition that P1≥ about 2×P2 is satisfied (in the case of argon gas), the relationship between the flow rate Q=K1P1 is established, where K1 is a proportional coefficient that depends on the type of fluid and fluid temperature. Under noncritical expansion conditions, the relationship between flow rate Q=K2P2m (P1−P2)n is established, where K2 is a proportional coefficient depending on the type of fluid and fluid temperature, and indices in and n are values derived from the actual flow rate. In such a pressure-type flow rate control device, the flow rate can be calculated from the output of the pressure sensor using these flow rate calculation equations, and the degree of opening/closing the control valve is regulated so that the obtained flow rate can equal the set flow rate.

Concentration detection method and pressure-type flow rate control device


Described is a system for rapid object detection combining structural information with bio-inspired attentional mechanisms. The system oversegments an input image into a set of superpixels, where each superpixel comprises a plurality of pixels. For each superpixel, a bounding box defining a region of the input image representing a detection hypothesis is determined. An average residual saliency (ARS) is calculated for the plurality of pixels belonging to each superpixel. Each detection hypothesis that is out of a range of a predetermined threshold value for object size is eliminated. Next, each remaining detection hypothesis having an ARS below a predetermined threshold value is eliminated. Then, color contrast is calculated for the region defined by the bounding box for each remaining detection hypothesis. Each detection hypothesis having a color contrast below a predetermined threshold is eliminated. Finally, the remaining detection hypotheses are output to a classifier for object recognition.

(1) Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system for rapid object detection and, more particularly, to a system for rapid object detection that combines structural information from image segmentation with bio-inspired attentional mechanisms.
(2) Description of Related Art
Object detection and recognition has been studied in the computer vision domain for many years. In the object detection domain, sliding windows and saliency ("object-ness") are traditionally used for finding candidates of objects. The sliding window based approach typically requires a large amount of computation, since there are many windows to test. Many works exhaustively search over the entire image region at different locations, scales, and orientations. This can significantly slow down the object detection algorithm. This computational problem is often more serious for high-dimensional problems and real-time applications. Recently, there have been efforts in improving the searching approach given the initial candidates (also referred to as hypotheses). Efficient sliding-windows search (ESS) (see the List of Cited Literature References, Literature Reference No. 3) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) (see Literature Reference No. 4) are shown to improve the speed of finding objects from those initial candidates. Nevertheless, ESS and PSO approaches focus on improving the searching stage, but do not improve the initial detection of candidates. Moreover, they usually require an iterative processing and can be significantly slowed down for images containing many objects.
On the other hand, saliency based approaches typically focus attention on image areas with high saliency. Such approaches are usually more computationally efficient, but suffer from the difficulty of defining a generic saliency metric (see Literature Reference No. 1).
A recent publication by Russakovsky and Ng (see Literature Reference No. 2) used a graph-based image segmentation approach to generate initial candidates. Their technique required a training stage to find the optimal set of parameters for their five-step sequential processing. Moreover, experiments were performed with small size images in less complex scenarios.
Each of the prior methods described above exhibit limitations that make them incomplete. Thus, a continuing need exists for an object detection system which does not have a time consuming training stage, can be used for wide-view aerial images, and uses fast image segmentation with attention based features for simple, efficient, and accurate object detection.

Rapid object detection by combining structural information from image segmentation with bio-inspired attentional mechanisms


A tool for expanding a hole having a vertical axis in the earth has at least one set of two opposed compactor units constrained to separate and retract in a direction at a right angle to the axis of the hole, and a drive mechanism coupled to the set of compactor units providing force to separate the compactor units, urging the units against a wall or walls of the hole, compacting the earth and enlarging the hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the area of equipment and methods for creating post holes, and pertains more particularly to making square holes of a size for square fence posts.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
It is well known that there exist at the time of this application a number of alternative tools and methods for digging post holes. A well known tool is the two-handed post-hole spade that has long handles and opposed spades connected at a pivot, such that the spades may be opened by pulling the handle apart and closed by closing the handles. A worker uses both hands to drive the opposed spades into the earth, closes the spades to collect loose earth, and raises the tool out of the developing hole to set the loose earth aside; then repeats the process until the desired depth is attained. It is also well-known that this tool and method is clumsy, tiring, and generally results in a rather large round hole.
Other than hand tools there exists a number of power tools, such as drills and augers of various sorts for making post holes. These are invariably rotary devices that produce round holes, but typically the holes produced by these power tools are more uniform and close to desired size than those produced by hand tools.
Although there are round posts that certainly may be used in round post holes, many people prefer square posts, and for the purpose of this specification four-inch square posts will be considered.
To set a four-by-four post in a post hole, one must produce a round post hole of a diameter great enough to insert the post. For a four-by-four post the diameter needed is the length of the corner-to-corner diagonal of the post, which is 5.67 inches to the nearest one-hundredth of a inch. There needs to be some clearance, so the smallest workable hole diameter is about six inches.
Once one has made a six-inch diameter hole to a desired depth, the post is placed in the hole to the bottom of the hole, leaving relatively large spaces all around the post. Now it is necessary to add loose earth back into the spaces, which are typically rodded to compact the loose soil to better hold the post. This is a difficult process.
What is clearly needed is an apparatus and method for forming a square post hole of very close to the size of the post, with sides that are formed closely compacted in the process, so the post can be driven into the square hole completing the process.

Method and apparatus for forming square holes for posts


The invention relates to fire-fighting installation comprising a drive source for feeding medium into at least one heat releasing spray head (4), the drive source comprising a pump unit (5) for feeding liquid into said spray head through a supply line (3) which is filled with gas to a standby pressure, a gas source (9) for maintaining the standby pressure, and a sensor (2) arranged to provide a signal for starting the pump unit in response to a change occurring in the state of the medium in the supply line. In order to rapidly start the pump unit (5) of the drive source as a result of a minor flow occurring in the supply line (3) and in order for the fire-fighting installation to be applicable to be used at low temperatures, the sensor is a flow transducer (2) arranged to provide a signal to the pump unit (5), if the flow of gas in said portion of the supply line exceeds a certain predetermined value.

The invention relates to a fire-fighting installation comprising a drive source for feeding medium into at least one spray head of the fire-fighting installation, said at least one spray head releasing by impact of heat, the drive source comprising a pump unit for feeding liquid into said at least one spray head through a supply line, a portion of the supply line restricted to the spray head being filled with gas provided with a standby pressure, a gas source for maintaining the standby pressure of the supply line and a sensor arranged to provide a signal for starting the pump unit in response to a change occurring in the state of the medium in the supply line.
The invention also relates to a drive source of a fire-fighting installation comprising a pump unit for feeding liquid into the fire fighting installation.
What are known as preaction fire extinguishing installations comprise a drive source like the one mentioned above. In such a case, the fire extinguishing installation comprises a sensor in the form of a pressure sensor for starting the pump unit. The pressure sensor reacts to the decline of the gas pressure in the supply line and starts the pump unit for feeding liquid into the sprinklers of the fire extinguishing installation. In a typical sprinkler system the dimensioning flows of liquid are extensive, whereby the pipe volumes and the discharge openings of the liquid are also large. In a dry (mounted) system the gas volumes are therefore also large and when the system releases, the gas discharges and correspondingly the pressure drops rapidly. The pressure sensor rapidly starts the pump unit and liquid flows from the sprinklers during an acceptable time, generally 30 seconds, from the release. This is important in order to be able to efficiently and rapidly extinguish fires. Dry-mountable fire extinguishing installations are also previously known in the art that are dimensioned—for different reasons—in such a manner that the liquid starts flowing 60 to 90 seconds from releasing the spray head. Such fire extinguishing installations are not suitable to be mounted for all purposes owing to the reduced speed thereof.
Prior art fire extinguishing installations and the drive sources thereof operate satisfactorily when the pressure is rapidly reduced in the supply line as a result of the extensive flow started in the supply line. In fire extinguishing installations the flow generally becomes large, when they comprise conventional spray heads conveying a rain-like or liquid jet flow, in other words spray heads provided with nozzles comprising large openings. Then again, particularly mist-type fire extinguishing installations including spray heads conveying a mist-like flow and being able to efficiently extinguish/fight fires by spraying mist use a minor amount of liquid. In these installations, the flow is much smaller and the pressure is not reduced rapidly enough in the supply line in order for the pressure sensor to react to the reduction of pressure in an acceptable time.

Fire-fighting installation and drive source of fire-fighting installation


The described systems and methods can facilitate efficient and effective information storage. In one embodiment a system includes a hash component, a queue request order component and a request queue component. The hash component is operable to hash a request indication. The queue request order component is operable to track a queue request order. The request queue component is operable to queue and forward requests in accordance with direction from the queue request order component. In one embodiment, the storage component maintains a request without stalling a request in an aliasing condition.

Electronic systems and circuits have made a significant contribution towards the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous electronic technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems have facilitated increased productivity and reduced costs in analyzing and communicating data in most areas of business, science, education and entertainment. The systems typically involve information storage and processing. However, traditional attempts at economically handling these operations can be subject to undesirable delays.
Some traditional approaches to information storage attempt to reduce costs and speed up process by hashing request addresses. However, hashing request addresses often results in multiple addresses having the same hash indictor. This phenomena is often referred to as aliasing. Aliasing can lead to inaccurate results. The inaccurate results can result in out of order complications. Conventional request processing attempts typically attempt to deal with aliasing or different address requests directed to the same hash by stalling. Stalling can often adversely impact overall system performance and end use experience.

Systems and methods for queue request ordering without stalling requests in aliasing conditions by using a hash indexed based table