In a water drain plug (10) for a cavity (16) of a vehicle, in particular a side sill (14), comprising a base body (18) which can be fixed in an aperture (12) of the cavity (14) and has an opening (20) in which a sealing element (22) is arranged that is adapted to be moved between a closing position in which the opening (20) is tightly closed, and an opening position in which the opening (20) is open, the sealing element (22) is mounted in the base body (18) for pivoting movement about a retaining axis (36).

The invention relates to a water drain plug for a cavity of a vehicle, in particular for a side sill, comprising a base body which can be fixed in an aperture of the side sill and has an opening in which a sealing element is arranged that is adapted to be moved between a closing position, in which the opening is tightly closed, and an opening position, in which the opening is open.
In the cavities of a vehicle, for example in the side sills, water drain openings are provided in order to drain water that can collect in the cavity. To prevent humidity or dirt from entering the cavity during travel, water drain plugs are provided which can close the water drain opening during travel and open the water drain opening at standstill to drain water collected in the cavity.
The water drain plug has a base body which can be inserted into the aperture of the cavity. A movable sealing element is arranged in this base body and can be moved between a closing position and an opening position. When the vehicle is at standstill, this sealing element is usually maintained in the open position by the force of gravity or a low spring preload, such that water can flow out of the cavity. During travel, the sealing element is moved into the closing position due to pressure differences on the outer side and the inner side of the cavity so that the aperture is tightly closed during the travel of the vehicle and a penetration of humidity or dirt is prevented.
Such a water drain plug is for example known from document DE 10 2007 026 543 A1. Here, the sealing element is mounted centrally on a vertical pin on the base body and is displaced vertically upwards into the closing position. To protect the sealing element, an additional covering element is provided which protects the sealing element against stone impacts, for example. However, the sealing element has a very large resting surface on the base body. This can lead to leaks in case stones or dirt get between the base body and the sealing element. In addition, the complete sealing element is displaced, wherein a clamping of the pin can occur under unfavorable conditions, so that the opening cannot be entirely sealed.

TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH


A linear heater comprises an insulating substrate, at least one resistor strip formed on the substrate, and a heat-resistant protective coating formed on the substrate for covering the resistor strip. The resistor strip has a double-layer structure which includes a first resistor layer formed directly on the substrate, and a second resistor layer formed on the first resistor layer. The first resistor layer has a pair of upwardly bulging longitudinal margins, whereas the second resistor layer is formed between the pair of upwardly bulging longitudinal margins of the first resistor layer to provide a substantially flat surface.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to heaters. More specifically, the present invention relates to a linear heater which can be advantageously used in an office automation apparatus such as a photocopier or electrophotographic printer for fixing images on a paper sheet for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Various types of linear heaters are known for fixing images (deposited toner) on a paper sheet in photocopiers or electrophotographic printers (e.g. laser beam printer). Typical examples include a lamp heater and a roller heater.
However, the lamp heater and roller heater are equally disadvantageous in that there is a limitation in reducing size (thickness) and cost. Further, the lamp heater is easily damaged due to the nature of material, whereas the roller heater has a complicated structure due to the necessity of incorporating plural heating elements within the roller.
To eliminate the problems of the conventional heaters, it has been proposed to use a linear heater for fixing images on a paper sheet in electrophotography, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,517. For the convenience of explanation, a typical arrangement of a prior art linear heater is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the typical prior art linear heater comprises an elongate ceramic insulating substrate A1 formed with a printed resistor strip A2 extending longitudinally of the substrate. Each end of the resistor strip A2 is provided with a conductor terminal pad A3 made of e.g. silver for connection to a power source (not shown). The resistor strip A2 is covered by a heat-resistant protective coating A4 for providing electrical insulation in addition to insuring smooth contact with a sheet material to be heated. The resistor strip A2, which is made of silver-palladium alloy for example, generates heat when a current is passed therethrough.
Obviously, the prior art linear heater is very simple in arrangement. Further, the linear heater can be made very thin and light by reducing the thickness of the substrate A1. Moreover, the linear heater is also advantageous in that the time required for warming up is very short. However, the prior art linear heater still has the following problem.
As described already, the resistor strip A2 is formed by depositing a paste material over the substrate A1 and thereafter allowing the paste to harden by drying. Due to the surface tension of the paste, it tends to bulge upward at the respective longitudinal margins A2' of the resistor strip A2 before complete hardening, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the protective coating A4 subsequently formed over the resistor strip A2 will have a larger thickness T1 immediately above the resistor strip A2 but a smaller thickness T2 at positions corresponding to the upwardly bulging longitudinal margins A2' of the resistor strip A2.
Obviously, if the thickness T2 of the protective coating A4 at the longitudinal margins A2' of the resistor strip A2 is too small, the protective coating A4 fails to provide intended insulation at these positions. Thus, to be safer, the protective coating A4 as a whole must be rendered thick enough. However, such a solution gives rise to another problem that the increased thickness T1 of the protective coating A4 immediately above the resistor strip A2 hinders thermal transmission from the resistor strip A2, consequently failing to provide an intended heating function.


A video camera apparatus provided with image capturing means, which includes: audio communication means for receiving an audio signal from a wireless microphone of a subject through short-range wireless data communication means; and recording means for recording image information of the subject captured by the image capturing means and an audio signal received by the audio communication means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera apparatus, more particularly, to a video camera apparatus using a video camera and a wireless microphone capable of authenticating each other by using of a short-range wireless data communication function, such as the Bluetooth, configured such that sound from the wireless microphone held by a subject can be recorded on the video camera.
2. Description of Related Art
An imaging apparatus in a related art has, as shown in FIG. 3, a remote monitor apparatus 100 provided with a microphone 101 and an image display unit 102, and connected to a camera 200 with an infrared ray emitted from an infrared transmission device 103 so that the camera 200 is remotely controlled, and an image captured by the camera 200 is displayed on the remote monitor apparatus 100 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-155092).


A blow-by gas ventilation system particularly suited for use with a small watercraft includes a oil separation chamber preferably disposed within a plenum chamber defined by an air intake box. An inlet tube permits blow-by gases to move from the crankcase chamber of the engine to the oil separation chamber. An outlet allows blow-by gases to move from the oil separation chamber to the plenum chamber. Desirably, an outlet tube connects the outlet to an opening in an intake port of the induction system to discharge blow-by gases into the intake port. The oil separation chamber may be defined by a cover member, along with a portion of the interior surface of the air intake box.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blow-by gas ventilation system for an engine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a blow-by gas ventilation system particularly adapted for use in a small watercraft.
2. Description of the Related Art
In most four-cycle engines, including those utilized in personal watercraft, a portion of the fuel/air charge delivered to the combustion chamber passes beyond the piston ring(s) and into the crankcase chamber, before being combusted, due to the extreme pressures generated in the combustion chamber. These fuel/air gases, or "blow-by" gases, are generally reintroduced into the induction system of the engine, through a ventilation system, to be combusted along with a fresh fuel/air charge. The blow-by gases tend to collect oil mist generated by the movement of engine components within the crankcase, such as the crankshaft and connecting rods.
It is generally desirable to separate the oil mist component of the blow-by gases from the fuel/air component so as to avoid undesired combustion of lubrication oil. An oil separation system is typically employed to separate these components and route the majority of the oil portion back to the lubrication system and route the fuel/air portion into the induction system. However, in the context of a personal watercraft, it is often not practicable to provide a separate system within the limited space of the hull to perform this function, without detriment to the size and/or layout of other engine components.
Further, when an oil separation system is employed in an engine arrangement, the blow-by gases are typically introduced freely into a plenum chamber of the engine. With such an arrangement, any oil mist that was not successfully separated from the blow-by gases may come into contact with the air filter element within the plenum chamber. Over time, the oil mist may clog the air filter element and have a negative effect on performance due to reduced airflow through the air filter element.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Blow-by gas ventilation system for engine


A method and system in a computer system for communicating instructions to an application program in response to spoken commands received by a spoken command input facility is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a list of available commands is displayed under the control of the spoken command input facility. Each available command has an instruction associated with it that causes the application program to take some action. The spoken command input facility then determines whether a command spoken by a user is an available command. The spoken command input facility then communicates the instruction associated with the determined available command to the application program. If the spoken command is an available command, the spoken command input facility then revises the displayed list of available commands.

Some computer programs, called application programs (applications), are designed to help users perform a certain type of work. An example of an application is an index card program, which helps users store and retrieve small volumes of textual information. The index card program maintains an electronic version of an index card file.
A user interacts with an application by inputting commands and data to the computer, which are received by the application. An example of commands that might be available in an index card program are add card and delete card, which a user might input in order to add or delete an index card. To add an index card to the file, a user would choose the add card command and input the text that is to be stored on an index card.
A user typically inputs a command by making a series of choices. These choices are often arranged in a command hierarchy. The command hierarchy represents all of the combinations of choices that a user can make in order to input a command. The application moves through, or "traverses," the command hierarchy in response to the user's choices. When the application reaches the bottom of the command hierarchy, the user has inputted a complete command. The application then executes a set of instructions that is associated with that command.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of the command hierarchy for the index card program. The command hierarchy has a root node 101, first-level nodes 111-118, and second level nodes 121-125. The first-level nodes are said to be child nodes of the root node, and the second-level nodes are said to be child nodes of a first-level node. When traversing the command hierarchy, the application begins at the root node. By making a choice, the user may move the application to any child of the root node, like the card node 114. From the first-level node, the user continues to move the application to successive children until the application reaches a node without any children, such as the delete node 122 or the duplicate node 123. At this point, the user has inputted a complete command, which the application will execute. For example, by moving the application first to the card node and then to the duplicate node, the user can input the duplicate card command.
Applications often present command hierarchies visually as drop-down menu structures. FIGS. 2A-2C are display images of the visual interface presented by the index card program. FIG. 2A is a display image of the visual interface presented by the index card program when the user is at the root node of the command hierarchy. The application's visual interface is presented in an application window 201. The application window contains a menu bar 202 and a client area 203. The menu bar in turn contains menu bar items 211-216. Each of the menu bar items corresponds to a first-level node in the command hierarchy. At this point, the user can either input data in the client area or choose a menu bar item.
If the user chooses a menu bar entry, the application moves to the corresponding first-level node in the command hierarchy. FIG. 2B is a display image of the visual interface presented by the index card program after the user has chosen the card menu bar item. The card menu bar item is highlighted, and a drop-down menu 220 is displayed beneath it. The drop-down menu contains drop-down menu items 221-224. These correspond to second-level nodes 121-124. At this point, the user can choose a drop-down menu item.
When the user chooses a drop-down menu item, the application moves to the corresponding second-level node in the command hierarchy. FIG. 2c is a display image of the visual interface presented by the index card program as the user is selecting the duplicate drop-down menu item. If that node has no children, then the user has inputted a complete command, and the application executes it. In FIGS. 2A-2C, the user has inputted the duplicate card command, and the application will duplicate an address card.
The application may also display choices in other screen objects besides menu bars and pull down menus, such as dialog boxes. A dialog box is a region of the screen containing a free-form arrangement of choice controls. FIG. 3 is a screen image showing a dialog box for finding a card that contains certain text. The Find dialog box 301 contains text box 302, check box 303, option buttons 304 and 305, and command buttons 306 and 307. Each dialog box control corresponds to a choice a user can make.
A user usually reaches a dialog box by selecting a pull-down menu item that ends in an ellipsis. FIG. 4 is a screen image that shows how a user would reach the find dialog box. The user has chosen the search menu bar item 401. The user proceeds to choose the find . . . pull-down menu item 402. This causes the display of the Find dialog box 301.
Some choices corresponding to nodes of an application's command hierarchy are not displayed in any screen object. Examples include the next card node 117, the previous card node 118, and the escape node 125. The user must read the application's documentation in order to find out, first, that these choices exist and second, how to make these choices.
Applications typically allow users to make the choices necessary to input a command by either typing or using a pointing device, such as a mouse. While both choice methods are useful, applications would be more convenient if a user could also make choices and otherwise input commands by speaking words.
A computer can "hear" and recognize spoken words using a voice recognition system. In a voice recognition system, a microphone converts an audio signal to an analog electrical signal. A digitizer then converts the analog electrical signal to a digital electrical signal. A voice recognition program compares the digital electrical signal to phonetic models for different words in order to discern which word the user has spoken.
Dedicated facilities are available that allow a user to make choices and otherwise input commands for applications by speaking words. These facilities use a voice recognition system, and act as a front-end to applications. The facilities receive recognized words from the voice recognition program, translate them into commands that the current application can understand, and submit those commands to the current application. Typically, these facilities depend upon the current application's prompts for valid commands to inform the user which words are valid to speak at a given time. That is, these facilities present no independent indication of which spoken words they will recognize at a given time.
This omission poses problems. First, while these facilities allow a user to input commands that do not appear in the drop-down menu structure by speaking them, there is no indication that these commands are available for voice input. Second, in order to choose menu items that are phonetically similar to other menu items, these systems sometimes require users to speak words different from those appearing in the menu item. Because there is no visual indication of these substitutions, the facilities require users to memorize the substitute words.

Voice-controlled computer simulateously displaying application menu and list of available commands


Exemplary illustrations of a bell cup for a rotary atomizer and method of using the same are disclosed. The exemplary illustrations are generally directed to the control of the rotating bell plate of a rotary atomizer used for the serial coating of work pieces. An air flow component may be created by the structural design of the bell plate and/or of an element of the rotary atomizer and by the rotation of the bell plate. The air flow component may correspond to the bell plate design, and the element may be adjacent to the bell plate and stationary relative to same. The air flow component may be measured and compared to a predefined reference value.

The present disclosure relates to a method for monitoring the rotating spray body of a rotary atomizer, e.g., the fixing of the spray body, as well as a corresponding rotary atomizer according to the preamble of the independent patent claims. Rotary atomizers of this type may be used for conventionally electrostatic series coating of workpieces such as vehicle bodies, and are conventionally mounted on painting robots or similar automatic coating machines.
Some known bell cups, which serve as spray bodies, of the electrostatic rotary atomizers (for example, as described in DE 43 06 799 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,735, EP 0 715 896 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,009, DE 10 2005 015 604 and corresponding U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2006/0219816 and 2010/0143599, and DE 10 2006 057 596 and corresponding U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2011/0000974) are employed in an automatic series coating of workpieces and may have a cylindrical hub member provided with an external thread, which hub member is screwed into the open end face of the hollow shaft of the drive motor consisting of an air turbine and can for example be unscrewed for maintenance purposes or for replacement with a new bell cup. Due to the high rotational speeds of the air turbine, e.g., in the range of more than 50,000 rpm, a precise centering and balancing of the bell cup in relation to the hollow shaft axis is important for this fixing apparatus. Accordingly, the hub member of the bell cup may have a conical part which bears against a correspondingly conical region of the internal wall of the hollow shaft for forming a centering cone. In the case of other known rotary atomizers (EP 1 266 695 and corresponding U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,811,094 and 6,988,673), by contrast, the hub member of the bell cup may have an internal thread, using which it is screwed onto an external thread at the end of the hollow shaft.
In addition to the centering and balancing, the apparatuses for fixing a bell cup on the drive shaft thereof must satisfy further conditions, such as a secure seat for reliable transmission of torques in both rotational directions when accelerating or braking, low space requirement, low risk of contamination, e.g. by paint mist and simple cleaning, as well as not least the option of fast and simple mounting and demounting.
In the case of the known rotary atomizers, the problem exists that the releasable fixing apparatus can unintentionally come loose itself in the event of faults. Such faults may have different causes, such as e.g. wear of the turbine, damage due to collision of the bell cup with the workpiece to be coated or due to improper handling, unbalancing of the bell cup due to damage, due to incorrect screwing on or due to contamination etc. and in each case can lead to a sudden sharp braking or locking of the shaft. The risk of an unintentional loosening of the bell cup can, in the case of a bell cup which is screwed on or in, also arise in the case of strong acceleration or deceleration of the bell cup, depending on the thread direction (right or left). In any case, the bell cup rotating at high rotational speed and unscrewing itself due to its kinetic energy can be spun off from the atomizer with the consequence of considerable mechanical damage and accident risks.
Various constructional options for preventing the spinning off of the bell cup are described in EP 1 674 161. Above all in the case of complete automation of the coating operation, they are not sufficient however, as although the mechanical damage and accident risks mentioned are prevented, coating errors due to the bell cup disengaging from the correct position during the production process cannot be excluded. Typical malfunctions of atomizers are, for example, an unstable spray jet or interruption of the atomization with the consequence of workpieces which are defective, as they have not been coated flawlessly.
Methods known from the generic prior art for the monitoring of the presence or fixing of components use electrical sensors and/or optical components. Due to the high voltage at electrostatic atomizers with the necessity of insulation measures connected therewith, electrical connections and electrical components in atomizers are not used for the purpose considered here, however, and due to the generation of paint aerosols by means of the atomizer, optical components for fixing monitoring are also unsuitable on account of the contamination sensitivity thereof.
A pneumatic system for monitoring the presence or the determination of an incorrect fixing of the bell cup of a rotary atomizer, which is fixed on the drive shaft by means of axial magnetic force, is known from EP 1 789 200 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 7,770,826. The drive shaft has an axial compression bearing in which an air cushion counteracting the magnetic force is generated by an own compressed air source thereof, the pressure of which air cushion is monitored using a sensor. Various problems arise in practice with this system, such as, e.g., the necessity of the special compressed air source, which additionally must be regulated precisely to prevent measurement errors and in the event of overpressure can loosen the magnet fixing. Also difficult is a precise and error-free pneumatic signal transmission from the axial compression bearing to the sensor, wherein functional faults due to blocking of the sensor channel or bending of the air hose are possible. Further, the compressed air flowing out of the bearing can impair atomizer functions such as the brush size for example. Incidentally, no rotation detection takes place in the known systems either.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved bell cup and/or method of using the same which inhibits or prevents malfunctions of rotary atomizers, including corresponding coating errors, caused by the bell cup, particularly in the case of the loosening of the fixing thereof, without the disadvantages of the known systems.

Rotary atomizer and method for the control of the spraying body of said rotary atomizer


An image formation apparatus including a toner cartridge for holding toner, an image supporting unit, on which an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a toner image is formed, a toner development unit for developing the latent image into the toner image with the toner, a detecting unit for detecting toner concentration of the toner image, and a control unit for controlling an amount of toner adhering to the latent image by adjusting a development bias voltage based on an output of the detecting unit. If control by the control unit based on the detection output of the detecting unit is insufficient, and consumption of the toner is out of a predetermined normal range, the control is carried out by estimating one of toner consumption amount and toner recovery amount in a direction that departs from the predetermined normal range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image formation apparatus, an image formation process control method, and a recording medium; and especially relates to an image formation apparatus that detects toner concentration using a toner concentration detection sensor, a control method of controlling an image formation process of the image formation apparatus, and a recording medium for storing a computer program for a computer to read and execute for carrying out the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
[Background Technique]
As image formation apparatuses and image formation process control methods of this kind, disclosures have been made by, e.g., Patent References 1 and 2. Patent Reference 1 attempts to acquire proper detection of "toner end" (a status where there is no more toner available) by avoiding incorrect detection of "toner end" by a toner concentration sensor formed at the bottom of a development unit. According to Patent Reference 1, "toner end" is started to be detected by the toner concentration sensor when an accumulated toner supply time (that corresponds to an accumulated consumption amount of the toner) of the toner sent to the development unit reaches a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is defined by an estimated minimum accumulated time from the first use of a toner bottle (cartridge) to "toner end". There, the predetermined value is stored in a nonvolatile storage that is arranged at the bottle in one body. Further, every time image formation is carried out, the accumulated toner supply time is updated and stored for each toner bottle. In this way, the start time of detecting "toner end" is properly determined.
According to Patent Reference 2, no special sensors are used, but a period during which the toner is actually consumed is used as representing toner consumption from the toner bottle. Here, in an attempt to reduce estimating errors with reference to actual toner consumption, a nonvolatile storage is provided on the toner bottle for storing information on the quantity of toner consumed from the toner bottle. The nonvolatile storage is exposed on the top face of the toner bottle, and is connected to a control unit of the main body of the image formation apparatus through a contact terminal on a fixing member of the toner bottle. There, the residual quantity of the toner in the toner bottle is calculated based on the toner bottle capacity, a supply capacity (for example, 0.5 g/s) of a powder pump for toner supplied from the bottle, and toner supply time. In this way, the error with reference to actual toner consumption is minimized.
[Patent Reference 1] JPA 2002-258596
[Patent reference 2] JPA 2002-341640

Image formation apparatus, an image formation process control method, and a recording medium


A method comprises identifying a treatment planning image of a target subject, the treatment planning image comprising information associated with an arrangement of structures within the target subject. The method further comprises generating, based on the information, a set of reference data associated with the target subject, the reference data indicating a plurality of positions of the target subject. The method further comprises generating target-subject-specific models based on the reference data and modifying one or more hyper-parameters of the target-subject-specific mode to generate second target-subject-specific models corresponding to a second position of the plurality of positions. The method further comprises controlling a radiation treatment delivery device based on the second target-subject-specific model to deliver a radiation treatment to the target subject.

In radiation treatment, doses of radiation delivered via a radiation treatment beam from a source outside a patient's body are delivered to a target region in the body, in order to destroy tumorous cells. Care must be taken to minimize the amount of radiation that is delivered to non-treatment regions while maximizing the amount of radiation delivered by a treatment dose to the intended treatment regions.

Partial deformation maps for reconstructing motion-affected treatment dose


A system for synchronizing multiple measurements across multiple sensors is provided. The system implements an algorithm in combination with highly flexible hardware architecture that generally comprises of multiple sensor inputs correspondingly from multiple sensors, and multiple analog signal conditioning circuits, and an array of switches situated between the sensor inputs and the analog signal conditioning circuits that enable the multiple sensor inputs to be routed to any one of the analog signal conditioning circuits or to any combination of analog signal conditioning circuits simultaneously. The algorithm looks at all configured measurements for all configured sensors to determine which measurements should be performed in parallel. Any measurements that are in common among enabled sensors are performed simultaneously while other measurements consume analog signal conditioning paths as they are available.

This invention relates generally to a data collection system and specifically to a method to efficiently synchronize multiple measurements across multiple sensor inputs.
Vibration and temperature measurements on machinery such as pumps, compressors, and motors can provide valuable information on the condition of the machinery and can help in estimating how long the machinery can run before overhaul or replacement is necessary. But for many small machines, the expense of permanently mounted vibration monitoring equipment cannot be justified. For some of these machines the use of a portable data collector to take periodic measurements is preferable to running the machine completely unmonitored. To justify the expense of having a technician walk around with the portable data collector and take periodic measurements, the measurement duration per machine must be minimized as much as possible.
Since there are many types of machines that each have different failure modes, the challenge is to design a portable data collector that is flexible and efficient in order to take a number of different measurements.
Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to take data from multiple sensors simultaneously, making multiple measurements simultaneously, and being able to handle a variety of different measurement types. If a particular machine requires fewer sensor input channels, designing a portable data collector to utilize the unused channel's circuitry to take more measurements simultaneously can lead to reduced overall measurement time per machine.

Method to efficiently synchronize multiple measurements across multiple sensor inputs


A process for depositing metal or metal alloy on a substrate including treating the substrate surface with an activation solution comprising a source of metal ions so the metal ions are adsorbed on the substrate surface, treating the obtained substrate surface with a treatment solution containing an additive selected from thiols, thioethers, disulphides and sulphur containing heterocycles, and a reducing agent suitable to reduce the metal ions adsorbed on the substrate surface selected from boron based reducing agents, hypophosphite ions, hydrazine and hydrazine derivatives, ascorbic acid, iso-ascorbic acid, sources of formaldehyde, glyoxylic acid, sources of glyoxylic acid, glycolic acid, formic acid, sugars, and salts of aforementioned acids; and subsequently treating the substrate surface with a metallizing solution comprising a source of metal ions to be deposited such that a metal or metal alloy is deposited thereon.

Conventional printed circuit boards (PCBs) consist of laminated non-conductive dielectric substrates that rely on drilled and plated through holes (PTHs) to form a connection between the opposite sides and/or inner layers of a board. Electroless plating is a well-known process for preparing metallic coatings on surfaces. Electroless plating on a dielectric surface requires the prior deposition of a catalyst. The most commonly used method to catalyse or activate laminated non-conductive dielectric substrate regions, prior to electroless plating, is to treat the board with an aqueous tin-palladium colloid in an acidic chloride medium. The colloid consists of a metallic palladium core surrounded by a stabilizing layer of tin(II) ions. A shell of [SnCl3]-complexes acts as surface stabilizing groups to avoid agglomeration of colloids in suspension.
In the activation process, the palladium-based colloid is adsorbed onto an insulating substrate such as epoxy or polyimide to activate electroless copper deposition. Theoretically, for electroless metal deposition, the catalyst particles play roles as carriers in the path of transfer of electrons from reducing agent to metal ions in the plating bath. Although the performance of an electroless copper process is influenced by many factors such as composition of the deposition solution and choice of ligand, the activation step is the key factor for controlling the initiation of electroless deposition. Palladium/tin colloid has been commercially used as an activator for electroless metal deposition for decades, and its structure has been extensively studied. Yet, its sensitivity to air and high cost leave room for improvement or substitution.
While the colloidal palladium catalyst has given good service, it has many shortcomings, which are becoming more and more pronounced as the quality of manufactured printed circuit boards increases. In recent years, along with the reduction in sizes and an increase in performance of electronic devices, the packaging density of electronic circuits has become higher and subsequently required to be defect free after electroless plating. As a result of greater demands on reliability, alternative catalyst compositions are required. The stability of the colloidal palladium catalyst is also a concern. As mentioned above, the palladium/tin colloid is stabilized by a layer of tin(II) ions and its counter-ions can prevent palladium from aggregating. The tin(II) ions easily oxidize to tin(IV) and thus the colloid cannot maintain its colloidal structure. This oxidation is promoted by increases in temperature and agitation. If the tin(II) concentration is allowed to fall close to zero, then palladium particles can grow in size, agglomerate, and precipitate.
As an alternative to the palladium-tin colloids, ionic metal activation has been used in the art, typically with palladium as metal. Ionic metal activation includes the treatment of a surface to be metallized with metal ions followed by the reduction of said ions on the surface with reducing agents such as dimethylamine borane (borane dimethylamine complex, DMAB). A major drawback of this method is the lack of efficiency of the reduction. A high excess of the reducing agent in relation to the metal ions is required in order to guarantee a sufficient activation prior to the metallization. Moreover, modules in production lines containing solutions with reducing agents are often polluted with residues from prior production cycles. Such polluted modules then require even higher excesses of reducing agent as the latter-named decompose even if no substrates are currently in the modules. This results inter alia in economic and ecological insufficiencies of the ionic metal activation. This renders the ionic metal activation less suitable for today's industrial processes, particularly for the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, IC substrates and the like.
EP 2 581 469 A1 concerns an activation solution for laser direct structured substrates comprising a reducing agent having a Nernst reduction potential E0+0.35 V and a process for their use. Generally, the provision of a catalyst in the bulk of a material is not cost-efficient and further may result in problems when a structured metallisation is desired as the catalyst is then omnipresent and selective deposition of a metal (alloy) may be hampered. The deposition of a catalyst onto such a substrate containing the catalyst in the bulk of the material adds then even more to the cost which is undesired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,309 A describes a method of bonding copper and a resin together wherein a copper oxide layer is reduced to metallic copper and the metallic copper is bonded to a resin, the improvement comprising reducing the copper oxide layer to metallic copper with an aqueous reducing solution containing a cyclic borane compound.
EP 2784181 publishes an electroless aqueous copper plating solution, comprising a source of copper ions, a reducing agent or a source of a reducing agent, and a combination, comprising i) at least one polyamino disuccinic acid, or at least one polyamino monosuccinic acid, or a mixture of at least one polyamino disuccinic acid and at least one polyamino monosuccinic acid, and ii) one or more of a compound which is selected from the group consisting of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, N′-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediamine-N,N,N′-triacetic acid, and N,N,N′,N′-Tetrakis (2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine, as complexing agents.

Process for depositing a metal or metal alloy on a surface of a substrate including its activation


To inhibit decrease in charge-discharge, storage and charge-discharge cycle characteristics due to reduction of phosphorus atoms in a battery including lithium phosphorus oxynitride as a solid electrolyte, a transition metal element is incorporated into lithium phosphorus oxynitride to prepare a solid electrolyte.

The present invention relates to a solid electrolyte for an all-solid battery. In particular, it relates to a solid electrolyte for an all-solid thin-film lithium rechargeable battery.
According to development of portable devices such as personal computers and cellular phones in recent years, demands for a battery as a power source is increasingly growing. Especially, due to small atomic weight and high ionization potential of lithium, a lithium rechargeable battery has been actively studied in various fields as a promising battery capable of showing high energy density.
Since batteries for such applications adopt a liquid electrolyte, it is difficult to completely resolve problems such as leakage of the electrolyte. Further, due to its high energy density, the lithium rechargeable battery may possibly cause generation of heat if trouble is caused in the battery. For these reasons, the electrolyte is required to be nonflammable.
A solution to these problems is an all-solid battery using a solid electrolyte in place of the liquid electrolyte. The battery is made of solid components only, permitting improvement in battery reliability, as well as reduction in size and thickness of the battery. Thus, development of an all-solid lithium rechargeable battery using a solid electrolyte made of a nonflammable solid material has been longed for.
Known examples of the solid electrolyte for the all-solid lithium rechargeable battery include, for example, lithium halide, lithium nitride, oxyacid salt of lithium and their derivatives. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,660 has reported that lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LixPOyNz: x=2.8, 3z+2y=7.8) obtained by introducing nitrogen (N) into lithium orthophosphate (Li3PO4) shows as considerably high Li ion conductivity as 1 to 2×10−6 S/cm in spite that it is an oxide-based material. Therefore, it has been adopted in an all-solid lithium rechargeable battery, especially in an all-solid thin-film lithium rechargeable battery, used as a power source for microelectronic devices such as IC cards and electronic tags.
However, if the lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LixPOyNx) adopted as the solid electrolyte in the above-described patent publication is left in humid atmosphere, it reacts with moisture to deteriorate, considerably decreasing its ion conductivity. A cause of the deterioration is that a phosphorus atom (P) is reduced from +5 to decompose the lithium phosphorus oxynitride.
If such deterioration occurs, an all-solid lithium rechargeable battery decreases in electrochemical characteristics such as charge-discharge, storage and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a solid electrolyte suppressing the reduction of phosphorus atoms in lithium phosphorus oxynitride as much as possible to resist the deterioration.

Solid electrolyte and all-solid battery using the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Spherical particles include a core of a polymer and a metal compound covering the polymer core. These particles may be formed by homogeneously dispersing particles of a polymeric compound in an aqueous solution of a hydrolyzable metal salt to form a uniform metal layer around the spherical particles. The spherical particles can also include a core of carbon and a metal compound covering the carbon core or the particles can have a hollow core prepared by heating spherical polymer particles coated with a metal compound to a temperature of 150.degree. C. or higher in the presence of oxygen to completely decompose the polymeric compound. These spherical particles are useful in electronic materials, magnetic materials and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spherical particles comprising a core of a polymer and a metal compound covering the polymer core (hereinafter referred to as polymer-metal compound coated spherical particles), spherical particles comprising a core of carbon and a metal compound covering the carbon core (hereinafter referred to as carbon-metal compound coated spherical particles), as well as to spherical hollow particles of a metal compound; and processes for producing such particles. The polymer-metal compound coated spherical particles are useful as standard particles, carrier particles used for diagnostic purposes, lubrication materials, electro-optical, and the like. The carbon-metal compound coated spherical particles and the hollow particles are useful as electronic materials, magnetic materials, and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Spherical particles of styrene-containing polymers having a narrow particle size distribution are known as useful as standard particles, and carrier particles used for diagnostic purposes exhibit poor heat resistance. When used as standard particles or lubrication materials, they are apt to deform or destruct under conditions of a large shear or a high temperature, thus failing to exhibit their intrinsic characteristics. The applications of these particles, therefore, are very limited.
In order to overcome these drawbacks, the use of highly crosslinked materials produced by the copolymerization of crosslinked monomers has been proposed. Such materials, however, do not lead to a solution of the problems so long as they are organic polymer compounds.
Applications of these spherical particles of polymeric compounds to diagnostic or medical purposes have also limitations because of their poor affinity for antigens and antibodies or inadequate compatibility to living bodies.
On the other hand, there are a wide variety of applications of ceramic particles as electronic-, magnetic-, and heat resistant materials, and many kinds of metal compound particles are being used in these area. In order to accommodate diversified applications and increasing requirements in their performances, many types of composite particles have been proposed. One of the examples refers to coated particles of iron oxide covered with a silicon compound. Deformation of particles and sintering between particles can be avoided when needle-like magnetic particles are produced by a heat treatment. Another example is iron powder covered with copper in an attempt to increase the strength of iron as a metallurgic powder material. Composite particles of yellow iron oxide with a coating of antimony oxide or aluminum oxide having improved heat resistance have also been reported.
All these particles are composites where the core and the coating are metal compounds. In view of the ever more sophisticated demands on properties in the field of electronics, new materials are in great demand.
Particularly interesting in ceramic applications are recently reported hollow particles of metal compounds. For example, C. Roth et al. described hollow particles, prepared from CuSO.sub.4.5H.sub.2 O particles by the aerosol method. They claim that when CuSO.sub.4.5H.sub.2 O particles are heated and dried, the pentahydrate ultimately becomes monohydrate, from which gaseous SO.sub.2 or SO.sub.3 is emitted, thus producing holes in the particles [J. Aerosol Sci., 19, No. 7, 939 (1988)]. However, no experimental evidence was presented to show that the particles have an intact hollow space. Durand-Keklikian et al. [J. Aerosol Sci., 19, 511 (1988)] also reported hollow particle preparation by the aerosol method. Since the method employs drying and emission of dodecane from inside the particles, a number of particles are destroyed and thus do not necessarily have intact holes.
Similarly, a study by Ramanurthi [J. Aerosol Sci., 18, 175 (1987] on particles from CuSO.sub.4.5H.sub.2 O prepared by the aerosol method provided no more advanced results than the study by C. Roth et al.
The aerosol method of preparing the particles, inside of which empty spaces are to be produced by heating and drying, cannot yield particles of a narrow size distribution. In addition, the method is inappropriate for producing small size particles (1 .mu.m or smaller) or large size particles (5 .mu.m or larger). Thus, the aerosol method has serious limitation with respect to production of well defined hollow spheres.
The experimental data on yttrium compound particles reported by Matijevic' et al. [J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 71 No. 10, 845 (1988)] cannot be considered to consist of particles having intact holes.
As mentioned above, although spherical particles of high molecular weight copolymers, having a narrow size distribution, used as standard particles, carrier particles for diagnostic purposes, and the like exhibit excellent performances, they are not only inferior in such characteristics as heat resistance, strength, light resistance, and wear resistance, but also their surfaces have poor affinity for antigens and antibodies and they present inadequate compatibility to living bodies. Composite particles with a metal compound layer covering the polymer cores are, therefore, highly desirable and useful.
Composite particles comprising both electrically conductive and nonconductive portions are needed in ceramics as electronic, magnetic, optical materials, and the like.
As outlined above, metal compound particles having intact hollow spaces therein and a desired particle size distribution have not been obtained as yet. The control of the particle size has also been difficult. The conventionally known technology for producing hollow metal compound particles relies on the aerosol method, which is hard to control in terms of the product quality and gives only a poor yield. The scale-up of the aerosol process to a commercial unit has been extremely difficult.

Coated particles, hollow particles, and process for manufacturing the same


An invalid hoist comprises a pivoted jib (3) for carrying an under arm-sling (13), which is arranged when pivoted to lift a user from a sitting position to a standing position and vice versa. The hoist includes knee engaging means (5) and is preferably mounted on a movable chassis (1). The arrangement is such that the movement of the user's upper body from a sitting position to a standing position always involves a substantial forward component. In preferred embodiments, this is achieved by locating the pivot (15) at substantially the level of a user's waist, by having a jib (3) which is at least twice the length of the distance between the knee joint and the hip joint, and by spacing the pivot (15) backwardly from the knee engaging means (5).

This invention relates to invalid hoists for use in lifting elderly or infirm people, hereafter referred to as users, from a sitting position to a substantially standing position, and vice versa.
Such hoists are known whose major operating component is a lifting jib which pivots in a vertical plane and carries a sling which is placed under the user's arms and around his back to lift or lower him by operating the jib. Knee engaging means is also provided against which the user's knees or upper shins are intended to engage whilst he is being lifted or lowered, so as to assist in controlling the path of movement of his body.
One disadvantage of these known hoists is that the path through which a user's upper body moves between sitting and standing positions tends to be very different from that followed by a user performing such a movement of his own volition, in particular in that at least the first part of such movement is substantially straight up vertically, rather than involving a substantial degree of forward movement of the upper body as is natural. This results in a vertical force equivalent to substantially the whole weight of the user's body being applied under the arms, and this can easily cause the arms to be lifted and the user to slide out of the sling unless he is able to employ substantial muscle power to stop this happening, specifically by lying back into the sling and firmly gripping the end region of the jib with his hands, and clearly there are many potential users who are not capable of doing this. Furthermore the application of a substantially vertical lift tends to lead to uncontrolled rotation of the user's body about the vertical during the initial, substantially vertical, part of the movement, because at that time little or no pressure is exerted by the user's body against the knee engaging means.


A multi-joint robot having a function for estimating an amount of decrease in inner pressure of a gas spring, by means of a simple and low-cost structure, and a method for estimating the amount of decrease in inner pressure of the gas spring. The gas pressure within a cylinder of the gas spring decreases in connection with the motion of a lower arm associated with the gas spring. In the present invention, an amount of decrease in inner pressure within the gas spring is estimated by using a current value of a servomotor, in view of the finding that the amount of decrease in inner pressure is generally proportional to an amount of decrease in torque, and the torque generated by the servomotor can be calculated based on the current value of the servomotor.

1. Field of the Invention
The preset invention relates to a multi-joint robot having a gas spring, and in particular, relates to a technique for estimating the amount of decrease in the inner pressure of the gas spring.
2. Description of the Related Art
A gas spring has a piston structure in which a compressible inert gas (hereinafter merely referred to as "gas") is enclosed, and is capable of generating reactive force by compressing the gas due to the motion of a piston rod relative to a cylinder. Generally, such a gas spring is small and lightweight in comparison to a coil spring having the same degree of output as the gas spring, and thus the gas spring is useful for reducing the size and weight of an entire system.
In a multi-joint robot having a gravitative axis, as an apparatus for supplementing the power (or torque) of a servomotor for driving the axis, an apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a balancer), capable of generating a force in a direction opposite to the direction of a load due to gravity, may be utilized. When the gas spring is applied to the balancer (such a balancer is referred to as a gas balancer), since the output of the gas spring is relatively high in spite of its size and weight, the gas spring can generate relatively high auxiliary torque with a compact mechanism. Therefore, by virtue of the gas spring, a compact and lightweight robot capable of conveying a relatively heavy load may be constituted.
For example, JP H10-138189 A discloses a balancer for reducing the load moment of a vertical rotation axis 2 which drives a rotating arm 3 on a base 1. The balancer has a cylinder 4, a rod 5 and a piston 6, wherein an air-compressing chamber 10 is connected to cylinder 4 via a communication part 11, and gas such as air (compressible fluid) and viscous liquid such as oil are enclosed in cylinder 4 and chamber 10.
On the other hand, in the gas spring, it is known that gas enclosed in the cylinder may leak to the outside the cylinder due to the motion of the piston rod relative to the cylinder, whereby the inner pressure of the cylinder gradually decreases. Therefore, the force generated by the balancer is lowered, resulting in an alarm informing of a lack of torque being output, thereby causing a robot to be brought to an emergency stop.
As means for avoiding such a problem due to a reduction of the inner pressure of the cylinder, several techniques have been proposed. For example, JP 2007-298513 A discloses a circuit pressure display device capable of displaying the reduction of inner pressure of a gas spring circuit. JP 2009-270987 A discloses a pressure indicator for a gas spring, configured to indicate the pressure of compressible gas contained in a gas filling chamber of the gas spring.
Further, JP 2012-519083 A discloses a balancing device including a gas spring 4 and a compression system 5. Compression system 5 has a compressor 6 and an automatic control system 7 for adjusting the pressure within gas spring 4, wherein automatic control system 7 controls a pressure control valve 9 for limiting the flow rate of gas from or to gas spring 4, based on a signal from a pressure sensor 8 for detecting the pressure in gas spring 4.
As described in JP 2007-298513 A or JP 2009-270987 A, when the pressure indicator is attached to the outside of the gas spring, the cost of equipment is increased, based on the cost of the pressure indicator. It is necessary to arrange a connecting means such as a connector between the pressure indicator and the gas spring. However, use of the connecting means increases the possibility of gas leakage. Further, gas leakage may occur due to breakage of the pressure indicator.
As described in JP 2012-519083 A, when the pressure sensor and the pressure control valve are arranged in the gas spring, the cost of equipment is increased, based at least on the cost of the sensor and the valve, and the possibility of gas leakage increases, similarly to JP 2007-298513 A or JP 2009-270987 A. Further, since a device such as a gas tank 11 connected to pressure control valve 9 is necessary, peripheral equipment may become larger in size.

Multi-joint robot having gas spring, and method for estimating inner pressure of the gas spring


Techniques are provided for predicting firmware installation failure reasons using machine learning techniques. One method comprises obtaining log data for a user device, wherein the log data is obtained following a failure of a firmware installation on the user device; extracting a plurality of features from the obtained log data; applying the extracted features to a trained machine learning model to obtain a prediction of whether the firmware installation failure is caused by a hardware-related failure or a software-related failure; and performing an automated remedial action based on a result of the prediction. The trained machine learning model can be trained using historical data for multiple user devices that experienced a firmware installation failure, where the historical data comprises a label indicating whether a given failure comprises a hardware-related failure or a software-related failure. The trained machine learning model can be trained and tested using cross-validation techniques.

Many devices include firmware that provides low-level control for the particular hardware components found in each device. If a failure occurs while a firmware image is being installed (e.g., "flashed" or "burned") on a given device, it is often difficult, for example, to identify whether the failure was the result of a software issue or a hardware issue. While software issues can often be addressed, for example, by reinstalling the firmware image on the given device, a hardware issue may require diagnostics, repairs and/or a replacement of at least portions of the given device.
A need exists for improved techniques for evaluating the cause of a firmware installation failure.

Firmware failure reason prediction using machine learning techniques


The present invention relates to a method for producing a pyrimidine derivate useful as a neurocyte neurocyte necrosis inhibitor and an intermediate thereof. Disclosed is a method for producing an acid salt of 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-6-(5-piperidinopentyloxy) pyrimidine. The method comprises reacting 4-chloro-6-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methylpyrimidine with 5-piperidino-1-pentanol, hydrating the thus obtained 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-mehtyl-6-(5-piperidinopentylox) pyrimidine and then converting the resultant the hydrate into an acid salt. The hydrate as a describe above; and a method for producing the hydrate is part of this invention. According to the present invention, a highly pure acid salt of 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-6-(5-piperidinopentyloxy) pyrimidine can be readily and efficiently produced without using a column chromatography. Thus, this method is suitable for the production thereof on a industrial scale.

4-(4-Fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-6-(5-piperidinopentyloxy)pyrimidine hydrochloride (hereinafter referred to as Compound A) is known to have a neurocyte necrosis inhibiting effect and thus to be useful as a medical drug (International Publication WO96/07641).
In a known method for producing Compound A (see Example 1 in the above-mentioned publication), because of oily characteristic and resulting difficulty in crystallization of 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-6-(5-piperidinopentyloxy)pyrimidine (free base of Compound A, hereinafter referred to as Compound 1) obtained by a reaction between the starting materials, 4-chloro-6-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methylpyrimidine and 5-piperidino-1-pentanol, a column chromatography was employed to isolate and purify Compound 1, which is then converted into a hydrochloride, whereby obtaining Compound A. However, such isolation and purification by the column chromatography does not enable a large scale production of Compound A at a high purity, and is not suitable for an industrial manufacturing process. Accordingly, it has been demanded to develop an efficient method for obtaining a highly pure Compound A industrially at a high yield by a simple convenient procedure without employing a column chromatography.

Process for producing pyrimidine derivative and intermediate thereof


The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions for treating and/or preventing autoimmune fibrosis, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma). The method includes administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a death receptor agonist. Suitable death receptor agonists include tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), agonistic death receptor antibodies, and variants, analogues, or derivatives thereof. The administration of the death receptor agonist blocks fibroblast or profibrogenic cell activation, and/or reduces or depletes myofibroblasts, thereby reducing or preventing systemic sclerosis.

Fibrosis refers to a condition caused by loss of normal function due to tissue sclerosis, in which a mass of a connective tissue, including tissue components such as collagen, is increased and a normal tissue is replaced by the connective tissue. Fibrosis can occur in the liver, lung, kidney, heart, skin, and in other tissues.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, is a rare autoimmune and rheumatic disorder (McMahan Z H et al., Nat Rev Rhuematol; 9(2):90-100 (20130 and Varga J et al., J. Clin Invest; 117(3):557-567 (2007)). SSc induces hardening of connective tissues by fibrosis (Ho Y Y et al., Nat Rev Rheumatol; 10(7):390-402 (20140 and Bhattacharyya S et al., Nat Rev Rheumatol; 8(1):42-54 (2012)), an accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which affects the skin of the most visible body parts such as face and hands, and in the diffuse form, can lead to severe dysfunction and failure of almost any internal organ including the lungs, heart, kidneys and stomach. Accordingly, symptoms of this immune disease include fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, including, liver, lung, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and heart. These symptoms can often be debilitating for the patient. The SSc prevalence varies widely across the world with an estimated 2.5 million patients. It has the highest death rate of any rheumatic condition with no standard of care (Nikpour M et al., Curr Opin Rheumatol:26(2):131-137 (2014)). Prior to the disclosure herein, there were no therapies that ameliorate and/or prevent skin fibrosis and fibrosis of internal organs affected by SSc. As such, there is a significant unmet need for SSc therapy since no drugs have emerged.

Ameliorating systemic sclerosis with death receptor agonists


An electrical connector, for mating with a mating plug, includes an insulative housing (1), a number of contacts (2) received in the insulative housing (1), a shell (3) mounted to the insulative housing (1) and an elastic element (4) mounted to the receiving space (100). The insulative housing includes a top wall (12), a lower wall (13), two side walls (14) and a receiving space surrounded by the top wall, the lower wall and the two side walls. The shell (3) comprises a pair of elastic arms (342). The elastic element (4) resists against the elastic arm (342) upon inserting a mating plug to move the pair of least arms outward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having an elastic element.
2. Description of Related Arts
China Patent No. 201181774, issued on Jan. 14, 2009, discloses an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing and a metal shell enclosing the insulative housing. The metal shell defines a receiving space for receiving a mating plug. The metal shell comprises a pair of side walls surrounding the receiving space. An elastic arm extends from each of the side walls into the receiving space for cooperating with an inserted plug.
An electrical connector having an elastic element to cooperate with above mentioned side wall elastic arms is desired.

Electrical connector having elastic element


A pressure intensifier for pressurization of a medium is provided, comprising a low-pressure cylinder (1), in which a low-pressure piston (2) is axially displaceable, and two high-pressure chambers (3, 4) which are each arranged coaxially with and on separate sides of the low-pressure cylinder (1) and which each exhibit an axially displaceable high-pressure piston (9, 10) which are secured to the low-pressure piston (2). A channel (16), provided with a nonreturn valve (17), connects the two high-pressure chambers. The area of one high-pressure piston (9) may be larger than the area of the other high-pressure piston (10).

Pressure intensifiers have long been used to pressurize media to very high pressures. Usually, the pressure intensifier comprises a low-pressure chamber and one or more high-pressure chambers. In the low-pressure chamber a low-pressure piston is displaceably arranged. This low-pressure piston is secured to a high-pressure piston in the respective high-pressure chamber. The low-pressure piston has an area which is larger than the area of the high-pressure pistons.
Upon pressurization of a medium, the medium is supplied through an inlet to the high-pressure chamber. The inlet is closed, whereupon a certain relatively low pressure is supplied to the low-pressure chamber. This usually occurs hydraulically. When the supplied pressure acts on the low-pressure piston, the piston is displaced, causing the high-pressure piston to be displaced inwards in the high-pressure chamber. Since the high-pressure piston has a smaller area than the low-pressure piston, the displacement will result in a certain higher pressure of the medium in the high-pressure chamber. The pressurized medium can thereafter, via an outlet arranged in the high-pressure chamber and via high-pressure conduits, be passed on to an external pressure device, for example a press. With this type of pressure intensifier, pressures up to around 15000 bar may be attained.
One known type of pressure intensifier comprises two high-pressure chambers. These high-pressure chambers are arranged coaxially with the low-pressure chamber, one on each side thereof. Each high-pressure chamber is limited at its outer ends by an end member and exhibits an axially displaceable high-pressure piston which is secured to the low-pressure piston in the low-pressure chamber. When the low pressure is supplied to the low-pressure chamber on one side of the low-pressure piston, the low-pressure piston is displaced in the opposite direction. This leads to generation of the high pressure in that high-pressure chamber which is arranged on that side of the low-pressure piston which is opposite to that where the low pressure is supplied.
By alternately supplying the low pressure to each side of the low-pressure piston, this type of pressure intensifier may be caused to operate as a double-acting pump. When the pistons are in one of their end positions, the first high-pressure chamber is empty and the second high-pressure chamber is filled with non-pressurized medium. When, thereafter, the pistons are displaced towards the other end position, the first high-pressure chamber is filled with non-pressurized medium via its inlet. At the same time, during the first part of the displacement, the medium in the second high-pressure chamber is pressurized. During the remaining displacement, when the high pressure has been achieved, the pressurized medium is pressed out of the second high-pressure chamber and via its outlet and a high-pressure conduit to the external pressure device where the same high pressure prevails. When the pistons are moved back to their first end position, the second high-pressure chamber is filled with non-pressurized medium while at the same time the medium in the first high-pressure chamber is pressurized and is pressed out into the external unit.

Flow Holdings GmbH (SAGL) Limited Liability Co.


An electrochemical device includes a pair of electrodes at least containing activated carbon powder, a separator interposed between the pair of electrodes, and an electrolytic solution impregnated into the pair of electrodes and the separator. The electrodes and the separator are stacked on a collector. Each of the electrodes includes at least two layers arranged in a thickness direction, and the two layers are made of the activated carbon powder having mutually different average grain sizes. The average grain size of the activated carbon powder in the layer contacting the separator is greater than the average grain size of the activated carbon powder in the layer located on the collector side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrochemical device including a pair of electrodes at least containing activated carbon powder, a separator interposed between the pair of electrodes, and an electrolytic solution impregnated into the pair of electrodes and the separator, the electrodes and the separator are stacked on a collector.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric double layer capacitor has been conventionally used in a back-up power supply, an auxiliary power supply and the like, for a cellular telephone and a home appliance as a small-size high-capacity capacitor. A higher performance of such a capacitor has been expected.
A layer of electrodes made of activated carbon powder having uniform average grain sizes are used in this electric double layer capacitor (see FIG. 1). Moreover, to enhance a discharge capacity of the electric double layer capacitor, there is an attempt to increase a bulk density of the activated carbon powder included in the electrodes.
However, when increasing the bulk density of the electrodes, impregnation of an electrolytic solution into the electrodes is deteriorated. Also, incorporation of bubble and impregnation of the electrolytic solution into the electrodes are insufficient. Accordingly, there is a problem that the internal resistance increases after assembly.
To solve this problem, disclosed is a technique for impregnating the electrolytic solution into the electrodes for a long time, and for impregnating the electrolytic solution by evacuating it when infusing the electrolytic solution (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 5(1993)-343263, for example).


The present invention encompasses compounds of general formula (1) wherein R1 to R3 and X are defined as in claim 1, which are suitable for the treatment of diseases characterized by excessive or abnormal cell proliferation, and the use thereof for preparing a medicament having the above-mentioned properties.

A number of protein kinases have already proved to be suitable target molecules for therapeutic intervention in a variety of indications, e.g. cancer and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Since a high percentage of the genes involved in the development of cancer which have been identified thus far encode kinases, these enzymes are attractive target molecules for the therapy of cancer in particular.
Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3-kinases) are a subfamily of the lipid kinases which catalyse the transfer of a phosphate group to the 3′-position of the inositol ring of phosphoinositides.
They play an important role in numerous cell processes such as e.g. cell growth and differentiation processes, the control of cytoskeletal changes and the regulation of intracellular transport processes. On the basis of their in vitro specificity for certain phosphoinositide substrates the PI3-kinases can be divided into different categories.
Thiazolyl-dihydro-indazoles are described for example as kinases inhibiting compounds in WO2006040279 and WO2006040281.


An eight-channel PCM recorder is utilized for recording two channels of delta-sigma modulated audio signals. Employed to this end is a PCM adapter comprising a bit stream divider for dividing the bit streams of the delta-sigma modulated signals into series of sixteen-bit segments, and a reformatter for rearranging the bit segments into eight signals having a format in agreement with the format of the PCM signals normally handled by the PCM recorder. The eight reformatted delta-sigma signals are introduced into the PCM recorder thereby to be recorded in place of the eight channels of PCM signals.

This invention relates generally to the recording of digital signals and pertains more specifically to a method of, and apparatus for, recording a super-audio or like digital signal in which each sample of the original analog signal is expressed by one bit of digital data, that is, by either binary 0 or 1.
The so called "super audio compact disk" (SACD), with its greatly extended range of frequencies compared to that of the more conventional compact disk, has recently been developed by SONY® and PHILIPS® and introduced to the market the world over. Recorded on the SACD is what is known as the "direct stream digital" (DSD) signal. The DSD is essentially equivalent to delta-sigma (or sigma-delta) modulation, in which each sample of the analog signal is translated into either of the two binary digits, 0 and 1, as will later be explained in more detail. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-114971 is hereby cited as dealing with delta-sigma modulation.
Whereas each sample of the audio signal is translated into a plurality of, sixteen for example, bits in the more conventional pulse-code modulation, the delta-sigma modulation employs but either of the binary digits 0 and 1 for expressing each sample of the analog signal. Let it be assumed that a stream of audio signal is now both delta-sigma and pulse-code modulated into two different digital signals that are the same in the total number of bits. Then the sampling frequency of delta-sigma modulation can be made very much, sixteen times for example, higher than that of pulse-code modulation. A higher-resolution analog-to-digital conversion is therefore possible by delta-sigma modulation without an increase in the total number of bits for a given signal volume.
Being inherently different from pulse code modulation, delta-sigma modulation has so far demanded a dedicated recorder. As currently manufactured, such dedicated delta-sigma modulation recorders are very expensive because they are not currently mass-produced by reason of the yet limited popularity of SACDs.

Recording of super-audio or like one-bit-per-sample signals on a PCM recorder


An adaptive support accessory for providing improved handling, positioning, mounting, and adapting of a mobile device is disclosed. The accessory includes a base attachable to a mobile device and a cap rotationally coupled to the base. The base includes an annular base protrusion centered about an axis of rotation. The cap includes an annular cap protrusion centered about the axis of rotation and disposed adjacent to the annular base protrusion. An aperture formed in the center of the accessory and defining an interior perimetric face provides an engagement feature configured for engaging one or more of a user's fingers, a plug, a mount, and a mounting structure. One or more supports attached to the cap may be configured to engage one or more of a user's fingers, a mount, and a mounting structure. One or more detachably attachable plugs provide additional mounting, adapting, and augmenting the accessory.

The use of mobile devices has become nearly ubiquitous in modern society. Owing largely to their usefulness, mobile devices have become so indispensable to modern life that it is not unusual for users to keep some type of mobile device with them at all times. Although mobile devices come in a variety of shapes and sizes, most devices are ostensibly designed to be held in a user's hand with the device resting in a user's palm and supported by the fingers, leaving the user's thumb free to manipulate the device. With the exception of certain use-case scenarios where two-handed interaction may be more expedient or secure, a user may frequently find one-handed operation of their mobile device preferable, particularly insofar as it leaves their other hand free to engage in different tasks. In practice, however, the size and shape of modern mobile devices makes them difficult to hold and operate single-handedly.
Consequently, a variety of accessories for mobile devices have been proposed. While ostensibly aimed at addressing the need for improved handling and operation of mobile devices, in practice, many of these accessories only exacerbate unwanted issues hindering usability. When attached to a surface of the mobile device many of these accessories protrude so significantly that they cause undesirable complications for users, such as when trying the user tries to insert or remove the mobile device from their pocket, operate the device when positioned on a flat surface, or attempts to inductively charge the device's battery. While there are many different types of accessories that include some type of gripping or holding apparatus, many of these accessories necessitate fixing a user's fingers or hand in one position relative to the mobile device, restricting the flexion of a user's fingers and wrist and making it difficult for users to easily and securely adjust their grip in order to effectively interface with the outer portions of the device's display. Moreover, many of these types of accessories utilize components that are susceptible to premature wear or failure, which can result in unwanted expense and increased potential risk of damage to the mobile device. Still other types of mobile accessories are a one-size fits all type of apparatus, frequently designed for accommodating no more than one of a user's fingers and often resulting in a fit that presents users with a trade-off between comfort and security. Furthermore, many of these accessories require the use of two hands to deploy or operate, thereby reducing the practical effectiveness and utility for improved single-handed use they were intended to provide.
In addition to usability issues, the size and frangibility of mobile devices can make personal concurrent conveyance of other common everyday carry items challenging. While the technological capabilities included in many modern mobile devices may have reduced the need for user's to convey certain types of everyday items like cameras or flashlights, the sheer size of modern mobile devices can leave little room in one's pocket for accommodating items that a user might frequently find useful or desirable. Moreover, because the surface displays of modern mobile devices such as mobile phones are so susceptible to damage and expensive to repair, conveying other types of everyday carry items in close proximity with these types of devices can pose a substantial and costly risk to users.
In many instances, a user may even find that hands-free use of a mobile device is more appropriate and preferable. Unfortunately, most mobile devices don't provide any incorporated mechanism for supporting hands-free use. As a result, users are often required to purchase complicated or expensive equipment typically designed to support just one limited hands-free use case scenario, such as mounting a mobile device to the dashboard of a vehicle or propping a mobile device up on a flat support surface.
Due to the lack of versatility present in most modern mobile accessories, a user may feel compelled to purchase a variety of different accessories in order to fully accommodate the wide range of different hands-free use case scenarios that are now commonplace. Upon examination, none of the prior art can be shown to satisfy the requirements for sufficiently enabling effective single-handed operation of modern mobile devices, accommodating concomitant transport of everyday carry items, and providing for the variety of different hands-free use case scenarios common among modern mobile device users.

Adaptive support accessory for mobile devices


The invention includes superconducting titanium-containing compositions having less than 200 ppm, by weight, of a combined total of interstitial materials selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods of forming superconducting titanium-containing superconducting compositions containing less than 100 ppm, by weight, of a combined total of interstitial materials selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.

Superconducting compositions are defined as compositions which exhibit approximately zero resistivity under appropriate conditions. Conditions which can be pertinent for achieving the approximately zero resistivity can include current density conditions, temperature conditions and external magnetic field conditions. The conditions under which superconducting properties are exhibited can be referred to as critical conditions. Accordingly, a critical temperature of a superconducting material is the highest temperature at which superconducting properties are exhibited, the critical magnetic field is the highest external magnetic field under which superconducting properties are exhibited, etc.
It is frequently difficult to employ superconducting compositions in everyday applications due to the difficulty of achieving the critical conditions under which superconducting properties occur. Accordingly, there is a continuing effort to develop superconducting compositions with relaxed critical requirements.
Among the known superconducting compositions are compositions comprising titanium; such as, for example, compositions comprising niobium and titanium, and compositions comprising niobium, tantalum and titanium. It is desired to develop titanium-containing compositions having improved superconducting properties (such as, for example, relaxed critical current density requirements, relaxed critical temperature requirements, and/or relaxed critical magnetic field requirements), and to develop methodology for forming such titanium-containing compositions.

Methods of forming titanium-containing superconducting compositions


The present invention relates to a flat display screen including a cathode associated with a grid for extracting electrons emitted by at least one region of the cathode, and an anode provided with phosphor elements placed facing the cathode/grid, the cathode having no emissive region in the areas located above the phosphor elements, these areas including a conductive layer which can be biased independently from the emissive regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to flat display screens, and more specifically to so-called cathodoluminescence screens, the anode of which supports phosphor elements likely to be energized by electron bombardment. This electron bombardment can come from microtips, from layers of low extraction potential, or from a thermo-ionic source.
To simplify the present description, only color microtip screens will be considered hereafter, but it should be noted that the present invention relates, generally, to the several above-mentioned types of screens and the like, be they color or monochrome screens.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 1 partially and schematically shows the structure of a conventional flat color microtip screen of the so-called "switched anode" type.
Such a screen is essentially formed of a cathode 1 with microtips 2 and of a grid 3 provided with holes 4 corresponding to the locations of microtips 2. Cathode 1 is placed facing a cathodoluminescent anode 5, a glass substrate 6 of which generally forms the screen surface.
The operating principle and an example of embodiment of a microtip screen are described in U.S. Pat. No 4,940,916 of the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique.
The cathode is generally organized in columns and is formed, on a glass substrate 10, of cathode conductors organized in meshes from a conductive layer. Microtips 2 are provided on a resistive layer 11 deposited on the cathode conductors and are arranged within the meshes defined by the cathode conductors. FIG. 1 partially shows the inside of a mesh and the cathode conductors do not appear on the drawing. Cathode 1 is associated with grid 3 organized in lines. The intersection of a line of the grid and of a column of the cathode defines a pixel.
This device uses the electric field created between cathode 1 and grid 3 to extract electrons from microtips 2. These electrons are then attracted by phosphor elements 7 of anode 5 if these elements are properly biased.
Anode 5 has alternate strips of phosphor elements 7r, 7g, 7b, each corresponding to a color (Red, Green, Blue). The strips are parallel to the cathode columns and are separated from one another by an insulator 8. Phosphor elements 7 are deposited on electrodes 9, formed of corresponding strips of a transparent conductive layer such as indium and tin oxide (ITO).
In such a so-called "switched anode" screen, the sets of red, green, blue strips are, in this example, alternatively biased with respect to cathode 1, so that the electrons extracted from the microtips 2 of a pixel of the cathode/grid are alternatively directed to the phosphor elements 7 corresponding to each of the colors.
In another type of conventional microtip screen, not shown, all phosphor elements of the anode are brought to a same potential independently from their color. In this case, each column of cathode 1 is divided into three sub-columns arranged, respectively, above the strips of phosphor elements of each color. These sub-columns are addressed sequentially to bombard the phosphor elements associated with each of the colors. Each pixel is divided into three sub-pixels defined by the respective intersections of a grid line with each of the sub-columns of the cathode. Since all phosphor elements of the anode are biased independently from their color, these phosphor elements may be deposited according to a pattern defining the pixels with, for each color, an area of phosphor elements of the corresponding color defining the sub-pixel facing the corresponding cathode sub-column.
A disadvantage of conventional screens, be they switched anode screens or not, is that the microtips progressively loose their emissivity. This phenomenon can be observed by measuring the current in the cathode conductors. As a result, the brightness of the screen progressively decreases.


A lightweight portable battery powered pump for moving fluids from a reservoir to a variety of end applications is disclosed. A simple and easy to manufacture centrifugal pump impeller and housing are shown.

For a number of years now special purpose apparatus having manual or powered pumps associated therewith have been available for such things as washing cars and houses; spraying insecticides; fighting fires such as the old "Indian" pump used by forest fire fighters; to mention a few. Generally each application has required a special configuration pump made specifically to fit the end use and or the reservoir container for the fluid to be pumped. Typical of these types of devices are those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,250 to Shure and U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,088 to Baker.


A device for dressing a tool having a plurality of teeth, wherein said device comprises a support surface having guiding elements, said guiding elements having at least two movable positioning elements, said movable positioning elements being adapted to be locked in a fixed position within said guiding elements such that said positioning elements form a stop for said tool; and a dressing tool mounted in a holding device positioned in front of a dressing side of said support surface, wherein said dressing tool is locked in position by a locking element during the dressing of said teeth, hence said dressing tool not being movable at least in a direction running substantially parallel to said dressing side; wherein said positioning elements are arranged in said guiding elements in said support surface such that said tool to be dressed engages with said positioning elements at its side turned towards said dressing side of said support surface, so that said tool can be moved towards said positioning elements by a feed movement proceeding in a feed direction starting from a feed side of the support surface, said feed side being located opposite said dressing side of said support surface, and being directed towards said dressing side; and wherein said engagement between said positioning elements and said tool can be discontinued by a return movement of said tool, said movement being oppositely directed to said feed movement.

It is important for handymen to be able to dress, more specifically, to be able to sharpen, in a simple and convenient way, the tools that have become dull due to long and constant use. The common difficulty arising in such instance is that the tool, in particular a saw blade and/or a drill, has to be kept firmly in position during the sharpening so as to maintain the pertinent surfaces of the tool to be dressed in a defined position, so as to be easily dressed by a sharpening tool without endangering the user.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,903 (further referred to as '903) a device for dressing a sawing tool having a plurality of sawing teeth is known. The device is described as having a support surface possessing a dressing side, on which the sawing tool can be placed. The support surface comprises guiding elements that run orthogonally to the dressing side and in which adjustable positioning elements are arranged. These positioning elements are used to firmly clamp the sawing tool to the support surface, hence immobilizing it to the support surface such that the support surface, itself displaceable by means of a feeding mechanism, can be successively moved past a dressing element of a dressing tool arranged in front of the support surface. The positioning elements act upon the side of the sawing tool opposite the dressing tool.
The device described in '903 has the disadvantage that it is not particularly suited for handymen due to its relatively complicated design. Another, more serious disadvantage of the device is that only elongated sawing tools such as for example, the saw blade of a hand saw, in which the teeth of the saw are arranged straightly and linearly, can be dressed.
Another disadvantage of the device described in '903, is that it does not permit sharpening of circular tools such as, for example, circular saw blades or circular milling tools. Indeed, to achieve the dressing of the individual teeth of the sawing tool, the support surface with the sawing tool firmly clamped onto it in a fixed position, has to be moved past the dressing tool by means of the feeding mechanism moving the support surface. Such arrangement does not permit to dress circular tools.
Yet a further disadvantage of the device described in '903 is that due to the arrangement of the dressing tool relative to the support surface, it is only possible to work on saw teeth possessing a triangular tooth contour. It is therefore not possible to sharpen saw teeth having a different configuration such as, for example, saw teeth of a trapezoidal shape. For the same reason it is not possible either to work on the back of saw teeth or on insert teeth.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to further develop a device of the aforementioned type so that the device according to the invention has a simple design and is particularity suited for the dressing of circular tools.

Device for post-processing, more particularly sharpening, a tool having a plurality of teeth