A periodic low current from an intermittent Low current generator 5 is used, and fluctuations of r1 and r10, c1 and c2, and I6 and I20, thus cancel one another. Thus, .omega..sub.0 is not fluctuated unless the oscillation frequency Tosc of a pulse wave generator OSC is fluctuated. Television and ratio audio ICs using an LPF filter do not require specific provision of any oscillator for a filter circuit, because they have an accurate oscillator. The oscillation frequency of the pulse wave generator OSC should be at least 20 times the pass band of the filter circuit.

The present invention relates to a filter circuit for use in the audio frequency band.
A prior art pertaining filter circuit will now be described with reference to FIG. 5. The illustrated filter circuit is a primary LPF (low-pass filter) having a gm (mutual conductance)-C (capacitance) type filter circuit construction. Referring to the figure, a differential amplifier 1 is furnished with a supply voltage Vcc at its terminal a, and amplifies a voltage difference between an input signal IN provided to its terminal b and an output signal OUT outputted from an output terminal c of a buffer circuit 2. The buffer circuit 2 converts the output impedance at an output terminal d of the differential amplifier 1. A variable constant current circuit 3 sets constant currents I1 and I2 at terminals e and f of the differential amplifier 1. The filter circuit further comprises a capacitor C1.
The differential amplifier 1 has the following construction. A transistor Q1 which is an NPN transistor, is used as an active load. Transistors Q2 and Q3 which are also NPN transistors, are used as active loads of transistors Q4 and Q5, respectively. The transistor Q4 is an NPN transistor with its base connected to the terminal b. When its base current which is generated by the voltage of the input signal IN exceeds a threshold current, the transistor Q4 is turned on to cause its collector current corresponding to the base current.
A constant current source S1 provides a current I6, which is the difference between the emitter current I3 through the transistor Q4 and a current I4 through a resistor R1 when I3>I5. When I3<I5, the current I6 is the sum of the currents I3 and I4. A resistor R1 is connected between the emitters of the transistors Q4 and Q5 for gain control of the differential amplifier 1.
The transistor Q5 is an NPN transistor with its base connected to the output terminal c. When its base current generated by the voltage of the output signal OUT exceeds its threshold current, the transistor Q5 is turned on to cause its collector current corresponding to the base current. A constant current source S2 provides a current I7, which is the sum of the emitter current I5 through the transistor Q5 and the current I4 through the resistor R1 when I3>I5. When I3<I5, the current I7 is the difference between the currents I3 and I4.
A transistor Q6 which is an NPN transistor, provides its collector current corresponding to its base current generated by the voltage between the base of the transistor Q2 and the collector of the transistor Q4, when the base current exceeds a threshold current.
A transistor Q7 which is also an NPN transistor, provides its collector current corresponding to its base current generated by the voltage between the base of the transistor Q3 and the collector of the transistor Q5 when the base current exceeds a threshold current.
A transistor Q8 which is a PNP transistor, forms a current mirror circuit with a transistor Q9, and serves as an active load of the transistor Q7. The transistor Q9 is also a PNP transistor, and causes a base current exceeding a threshold current with the same base voltage as the transistor Q8. A change in the base current causes a change in its collector current with the same ratio as the transistor Q8.
The buffer circuit 2 has the following construction. A transistor Q10 which is an NPN transistor with its base connected to the output terminal d of the differential amplifier 1, is turned on to cause its collector current corresponding to its base current generated by the voltage of the output signal at the output terminal when the base current exceeds a threshold current. A constant current source S3 provides a current I12, which is the difference between the emitter current I11 through the transistor Q10 and the output current. An output terminal c is connected to the base of the transistor Q5 of the differential amplifier 1.
The variable constant current source 3 has the following construction. A transistor Q11, which is a PNP transistor, forms a current mirror circuit with a transistor Q12. The transistor Q12 is also a PNP transistor, sets a desired current of a constant current circuit, which has transistors Q13 to Q15, by adjusting the resistance of a variable resistor VR1 while confirming the current at a measurement terminal g. The transistors Q13 to Q15 are NPN transistors.
The collector currents through the transistors Q14 and Q15 are the currents I1 and I2 at the terminals e and f of the differential amplifier 1, respectively. Resistors R1 to R3 serve as loads. The above circuit elements except for the variable resistor VR1 are provided in an IC (integrated circuit).
The operation of the above circuit will now be described with reference again to FIG. 5. When the voltage level of the input signal IN at the terminal b exceeds the voltage level of the output signal OUT, the emitter current I3 through the transistor Q4 which has been carrying sufficient base current, becomes higher than the emitter current I5 through the transistor Q5. As a result, the current I4 which is the difference of the current I6 through the constant current source S1 from the emitter current I3 through the transistor Q4, is caused through the constant current source S2.
The emitter voltage on the transistor Q5 thus becomes equal to the emitter voltage on the transistor Q4 to reduce the difference between the base and emitter voltages, thus reducing the current I5. The reduction of the current I5 causes the current I3 to be further increased to reduce the collector voltage on the transistor Q4 and increase the collector voltage on the transistor Q5. Consequently, the difference between the collector voltage on the transistor Q4 and the output voltage OUT is amplified. Since the collector of the transistor Q4 is connected to the base of the transistor Q6, the collector current through the transistor Q6 at this time is reduced to reduce the current I8.
Also, since the collector of the transistor Q5 is connected to the base of the transistor Q7, the collector current therethrough is increased. The base voltage on the transistor Q8 is thus decreased to increase the collector current therethrough and further increase the emitter current I9 through the transistor Q7, thus causing further amplification of the difference between the voltage of the input signal IN and the output signal OUT. The sum of the currents I8 and I9 is the constant current I1.
When the collector current which is flowing at this time through the transistor Q9 constituting the current mirror circuit with the transistor Q8 is increased and exceeds the constant current I2, for instance, the collector current becomes the base current through the transistor Q10. When this base current exceeds a threshold current, the transistor Q10 is turned on, thus causing amplification of its base current to increase its emitter voltage. This voltage constitutes the voltage of the output signal OUT. In the above way, the differential amplifier 1 performs the voltage amplification.
Referring to FIG. 4, in the above filter circuit using the differential amplifier 1, a gm-C type LPF circuit is constituted by the differential amplifier 1 with mutual conductance gm and the capacitor C1. Denoting the voltage of the output signal OUT of the differential amplifier 1 by Vout, the voltage of the input signal IN by Vin, the resistance of the resistor R1 by r1, and the capacitance of the capacitor C1 by c1, the transfer function of the above circuit is: EQU Vout/Vin=(gm/c1)/(s+(gm/c1)) (1)
This equation expresses a primary LPF equation, and the cut-off frequency 0 of the filter circuit is: EQU .omega..sub.0 =gm/c1 (2)
Assuming I6=I7, the mutual conductance gm of the differential amplifier 1 can be expressed as: EQU gm=I1/2.multidot.r1.multidot.I6 (3)
where I1 is usually set as I1=2.multidot.I2. BY substituting equation (2) into equation (3), EQU .omega..sub.0 =I1/2.multidot.r1.multidot.I6.multidot.c1 (4)
The fluctuations of the cut-off frequency .omega..sub.0 due to fluctuations in manufacture also during operation, will now be described. Where the transistor Q14 is fabricated in an IC, for instance, the current I1 and the current through the transistor Q14 fluctuate with similar trends, so that the fluctuations of the cut-off frequency .omega..sub.0 are cancelled. As for the fluctuations due to other circuit element fluctuations, denoting the resistance of the resistor R1 by [r1] and the capacitance of the capacitor C1 by [c1], the cut-off frequency .omega..sub.0 is given as: EQU [.omega..sub.0 ]=1/[r1].multidot.[c1] (5)
Since the resistor R1 and the capacitor C1 are formed in an IC, [r1] and [c1] fluctuate without similar trends, i.e., without any bearing on each other.
This means that where all the filter circuit elements are formed in an IC, the cut-off frequency .omega..sub.0 fluctuates extremely. For instance, assuming that the resistance fluctuations are within .+-.20% and that the capacitance fluctuations are within .+-.25%, the cut-off frequency fluctuation range is -33% to +67%. Such a fluctuation range is not permissible in a filter circuit, which accuracy is required for. Usually, therefore, an adjustable resistor R42 is provided outside the IC, and the cut-off frequency is adjusted to ensure accuracy with each IC manufactured.
The filter circuit described above has the problem that the cut-off frequency fluctuates extremely as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 56-164615. To make up for such fluctuations and make the filter circuit to be an accurate one, a large number of external circuit elements as well as their adjustment are necessary as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 05-039030.

Filter circuit with an intermittent constant current with constant period


A heat dissipation device includes a first heat sink, a second heat sink juxtaposed with the first heat sink and a plurality of heat pipes thermally connecting the first heat sink and the second heat sink. The first heat sink includes a plate-like spreader used for contacting with a first electric component and a honeycomb-like first fin unit thermally attached on the spreader. The spreader is a flat heat pipe. The heat pipes each include a flat plate-shaped evaporating section sandwiched between the spreader and the first fin unit of the first heat sink and a condensing section extending in the second heat sink. Due to a provision of the honeycomb-like first fin unit, the heat dissipation area of the first heat sink greatly increases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat dissipation devices, and more particularly to a heat dissipation device having excellent heat dissipating efficiency.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs), generate great amounts of heat during normal operation thereof. If the heat is not properly dissipated, it can deteriorate an operational stability of the electronic components and damage associated electronic devices. Thus the heat must be removed quickly to ensure normal operation of these electronic components. A heat dissipation device is often attached to a top surface of a CPU to remove heat therefrom.
Conventionally, a heat dissipation device attached to a CPU includes a solid base, a plurality of fins arranged on the base, and a plurality of heat pipes extending in the base and the fins. A plurality of grooves is defined in the base, and a plurality of holes is defined in the fins. Each heat pipe has a bent configuration and includes an evaporating section received in a corresponding groove of the base and a condensing section extending from the evaporating section. The condensing section is inserted in a corresponding hole of the fins. However, the heat originating from the CPU is directly absorbed by a middle part of the base and cannot quickly spread to other parts of the base. This results in an overheating of the middle part of the base, while the other parts of the base have a lower temperature relative to the middle part. The fins on the other parts of the base away from the middle part are not efficiently used. The heat dissipating efficiency of the heat sink needs to be improved through sufficient use of all of the fins on the base. Additionally, the fins of a conventional heat sink which have the fins extending upwardly and perpendicularly from the base thereof, do not have a sufficiently large heat-dissipation area to remove heat from the CPU; thus, the heat dissipating efficiency of the heat dissipation device is poor.
What is needed, therefore, is a heat dissipation device with an enhanced heat dissipation performance.

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A modular multilayer interwiring structure comprising a plurality of relatively small parts which are produced separately as `sub-units` (1). Each individual layer of the final structure is formed by joining a respective set of unit parts in one plane. The whole multilayer structure is then built by stacking these layers, preferably so that the units of one layer are not vertically aligned with the units of an adjacent layer. Each unit part includes at least one layer of conductive material (8, 9) on its front and/or rearside. These conductive layers may be individually patterned into diverse interconnection lines (5). Throughconnections (6) extending from the frontside to the backside of the units are provided using a desired set or a standardized array of via holes or openings filled with conductive material. By connecting desired throughconnections to the respective conduction lines, each unit may form an individual part of a more complex multilayer interwiring structure.

Due to high performance requirements in modern computer technology, pluralities of integrated circuits are usually combined with functional units. These units may include up to hundreds of integrated circuits which are commonly placed next to each other on the surface of a substrate component. As there are numerous data signals to transfer from and to each integrated circuit, the substrate typically comprises a dense and complex interwiring structure. Additionally, this structure must be stable with respect to mechanical and thermal stresses since the temperature of the integrated circuits varies significantly due to their actual activity level.
One structure comprising the requisite properties is the well known multilayer ceramic substrate (MLC). This substrate type typically consists of alumina that is, in many cases, compounded with other components, e.g., glass. Usually the integrated circuit semiconductor devices attached to and in surface contact with the substrate consist of monocrystalline silicon with a thermal expansion coefficient of 2.5.times.10.sup.-6 per K. As alumina has a different expansion coefficient (5.8.times.10.sup.-6 per K), tension forces occur between substrate and the integrated device which may generate heat during operation of the device. Such heating of the device may result in shorter life times of the whole circuit/substrate unit. Therefore, standard MLC substrates require the use of stress reduction techniques, including effective cooling, limitation of chip size and specific connection techniques, e.g., controlled collapse chip connection (C4).
During MLC fabrication, different layers (carrying conduction lines for power distribution and signal transfer) are stacked to form a wiring network structure comprising a plurality of horizontal and vertical interconnections. To achieve a substrate of sufficient rigidity, the whole structure is `baked` in a sintering process. This high temperature step must be carefully controlled due to the fact that significant shrinking of the substrate typically occurs. The sintering operation must be performed so that each individual layer, including its numerous vias for vertical wirings, exactly maintains its geometry and orientation with respect to the other layers of the stacked structure. If sintering is not performed with precise uniformity, it may cause opens and/or shorts of internal conducting paths, e.g., by dislocations of the vertical contacting vias. This leads to non-recoverable defective MLC substrates, because such internal wiring faults can not be repaired.
The fabrication of modern MLC substrates requires a whole sequence of various high precision process steps, with operations performed early in the sequence often having an impact on operations performed later in the sequence. Due to these dependencies, the possibilities for reworking the MLC substrates are generally limited. Accordingly, each notable modification of the MLC layout, either in size or internal wiring design, causes outstanding and expensive changes in equipment and processes. In addition, the substitution or renewal of tooling frequently causes undesired alterations of parameters which can result in defective products. As rework in most cases is virtually impossible, these inherent difficulties in MLC production lead to substantial yield limitations.

Modular multilayer interwiring structure

International Business Machines Corporation


To provide a refrigerant relief device which releases refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle to the outside of a vehicle compartment, when the refrigerant releases into the vehicle compartment, or when there is a fear that the refrigerant releases into the vehicle compartment. A metal thin film is welded in advance to a body connected to piping of a refrigeration cycle such that it blocks a refrigerant inlet passage. When leakage of refrigerant into a vehicle compartment or collision of an automotive vehicle is detected, pulse current is applied to a coil of a solenoid, whereby a movable core is attracted to a fixed core. This causes a piercing rod fixed to the movable core to pierce the metal thin film with its pointed tip to make a hole through the metal thin film. When application of the pulse current is stopped, the piercing rod is returned to the standby position by a spring, so that the refrigerant is released to the outside of the vehicle compartment by passing through a conduit via the opened hole.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerant relief device, and more particularly to a refrigerant relief device which is mounted in a refrigeration cycle for an automotive air conditioner using a gas dangerous to a human body as refrigerant.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A typical automotive air conditioner comprises a compressor for compressing refrigerant circulating through a refrigeration cycle, a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, a receiver/dryer for separating the condensed refrigerant into a gas and a liquid while temporarily storing the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle, an expansion device for restricting and expanding liquid refrigerant separated by gas/liquid separation, and an evaporator for evaporating the expanded refrigerant and returning the same to the compressor.
Although in the refrigeration cycle for an automotive air conditioner, a CFC substitute (HFC-134a) has been used as refrigerant, refrigerant with a small global warming potential has been demanded to be used from the viewpoint of global warming. As such refrigerant, there are considered e.g. carbon dioxide, HFC-152a, butane, and propane.
However, when these substances are used as refrigerant for an automotive air conditioner, if an evaporator or piping disposed in a vehicle compartment is broken to cause refrigerant release into the vehicle compartment, there is a danger of suffocation due to oxygen deficiency in the case where refrigerant is carbon dioxide, whereas in the case when refrigerant is an inflammable gas, such as HFC-152a, there is a danger of occurrence of a fire. These can have serious adverse influence on occupants.
To overcome the above problems, it is necessary to prevent refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle from releasing into the vehicle compartment, e.g. when a crack is produced in the evaporator by aging thereof, or even when components of the refrigeration cycle are seriously damaged e.g. by a collision accident.
An example of proposal to this end is to mount relief devices in advance on the respective high-pressure side and low-pressure side of the compressor of the automotive air conditioner using inflammable refrigerant, and when there occurs a collision accident to cause an airbag to be operated, operate the relief devices for releasing the inflammable refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle to the outside of the vehicle compartment (see e.g. Mahmoud Ghodbane, Ph.D., James A. Baker, William R. Hill, and Stephen O. Andersen, Ph.D., 'R-152a Mobile A/C with Directed Relief Safety System', pages 4 and 13. [online]. SAE(The Society of Automotive Engineers), 2003 Alternate Refrigerants Systems Symposium presentations Aug. 1, 2003. [retrieved on Mar. 12, 2004]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL:http://www.sae.org/altrefrigerant/presentations/presw-hill.pdf>).


A refrigerator cabinet has a food storage compartment bounded by front facing vertical and horizontal walls. A pair of French doors are pivotally mounted to the refrigerator cabinet to close the open front of the refrigerator. In the closed position the doors have vertically extending confronting walls which include an intermediate sealing gasket extending along a major vertical portion of the confronting walls which are adapted to sealingly engage against each other to form a vertically extending seal. Upper and lower corner sealing gasket members are respectively positioned above and below the intermediate sealing gasket members and adjacent a corresponding horizontal wall of the cabinet. Each of the corner sealing gasket members has a first sealing surface adjacent the intermediate sealing gasket member to complete the vertical seal between the confronting walls of the doors when the doors are in a closed position. The corner sealing gaskets further include a second sealing surface generally orthogonal to the first sealing surface. The second sealing surface in an open position has one vertically extending outwardly protruding ridge contracting the second sealing surface to withdraw the first sealing surface back from its vertical sealing position. The ridge engages one of the horizontal walls as the door closes so as to flatten the second sealing surface into sealing engagement with this horizontal wall and to advance the first sealing surface towards the location of the vertical seal position. Magnetic strips are also located in the corner sealing gasket members to facilitate the sealing of the first sealing surfaces to each other and to the front facing horizontal wall.

For several years the trend in domestic refrigerator cabinets has been to increase the size and in particular the width of the food compartments which brought about the use of double doors. The advantage of the larger refrigerator however, is lessened by fitting side-by-side a freezer on one side and a refrigerator on the other side of a refrigerator cabinet with a center vertical mullion against which the side-by-side doors close. Omission of the vertical mullion to maintain the freezer compartment on the top, the fresh food compartment below and yet still have side-by-side doors, introduces the problem of effectively sealing the doors along their juxtapositioned facing sides. To provide a thermal and/or air seal between the facing surfaces of the doors when the doors are closed, compressible gaskets have been developed that extend along the side face of each door and contact each other during door closure. Each gasket includes magnets extending vertically along the length of the gasket. The magnets in opposing gaskets are oppositely poled so that the magnetic poles attract when the doors are aligned in a side-by-side closed position. During door opening when one door is moved relative to the other door, like poles of the magnets pass by each other causing the magnets to repel and move the gaskets apart reducing wiping contact of the gaskets. However, once these "repelling" magnets pass by each other, gasket wiping occurs along the entire vertical length of the gasket.
Many different magnetic gasket sealing assemblies for side-by-side or "French" doors used to close an open front of a refrigerator cabinet are disclosed in the U.S. Patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,159 issued Apr. 26, 1996 to Charles Hall teaches the use of three sets of magnets in two gaskets. A first pair of magnets are arranged to attract and seal the two gaskets when the doors are in the closed position. This first pair of magnets are hingedly attached in a flexible gasket to a second pair of magnets, one in each gasket which pivot the gasket sealing faces to move the first pair of magnets out of contacting position relative to each other during opening and closing of the French doors to reduce wiping. The magnetic gasket seals are arranged forward of a recessed shoulder in each of the French doors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,048 issued Aug. 2, 1966 to A. J. Koch et al describes a magnetic gasket seal for French doors where the gaskets overlap each other in the direction of opening which causes a wiping action which reduces the life of the gasket. Other examples of French door magnetic gasket seals are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,896 issued to Wurtz on Nov. 15, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,772 issued to Frehse on Nov. 5, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,489 issued Oct. 7, 1980 to Charles Haag; U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,135 issued Sep. 8, 1981 to Buchser et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,657 issued Mar. 1, 1994 to Lowell Kiel and U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,680 issued May 10, 1994 to Lowell Kiel. All of these French door closure gasket seals are subject to wiping along the entire vertical length of the adjacent facing gaskets during closure thereby effecting the proper closure of the doors and gasket sealing integrity over the life span of the gasket.
The aforementioned patents are concerned with sealing of French doors by using sealing gaskets with magnets that cause one or more of the door gaskets to move relative to the other gasket during opening/closing operation to reduce the effects of wiping. These patents do not address the problem associated with continued simultaneous swiping of gaskets along the entire vertical length of the gasket the doors are moved into a closed position. This wiping action reduces the longevity of the door seal integrity between adjacent doors and provides the user with an un-sure feeling that the door may not be properly closed. In some instances, the force used to close the door may be insufficient to overcome the wiping along the length of the gaskets leaving the doors partially ajar.
French door gaskets must seal along their entire vertical length, which for the most part extends between the upper and lower peripheral walls of the refrigerator cabinet to provide an effective seal which also creates the problematic wiping along the vertical length of the gaskets. Further, as the width of the refrigerator cabinet increases and the size the weight of the double doors increases. This increases the stress placed on door sealing gaskets. As a result the effects of prolonged wiping along the vertical lengths of these gaskets affixed to the opposing juxtapositioned sides of the refrigerator may cause premature gasket deterioration and misalignment shortening the life of the seal. While the use of a vertical mullion overcomes this problem because the entire length of the sealing gasket can close against the vertical mullion to distribute evenly the door closing forces along the length of the gasket and mullion, the use of the mullion defeats the purpose of providing a refrigerator cabinet having a single access to either or both of the fresh food compartment and the freezer food compartment when these compartments are positioned vertically above one another. Clearly, the patent literature for at least the last 40 years has recognized the difficulty in manufacturing an effective French door gasket seal between vertically extending and confronting side walls of the side by side doors.
In order to overcome the aforementioned problems with respect to the eliminating of the swiping contact along the vertical length of the confronting seals during door closure, reference may be had to my corresponding Canadian Patent Application Serial Number 2,231,319 filed Mar. 5, 1998 entitled Refrigerator Door Seal Assembly. This co-pending patent application sets out a novel door seal closure arrangement for French doors.
While most of the previous patents referred to hereinabove are directed towards French door seals, it should be understood that these seals extend along the surface of the vertical extending confronting sidewalls of the doors. In many instances, the seals extend rearwardly of the sidewalls of the door and are able to engage the horizontal front facing walls that define the top and bottom walls of the refrigerator food storage compartment. However, none of these patents describes a separate corner seal gasketing mechanism for effecting a proper seal along the vertical confronting sidewalls of the French Doors and against the horizontal open or front facing walls of the refrigerator cabinets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,135 issued Sep. 8, 1981 issued to Buchser et al discloses an end cap ceiling element for closing off air gaps provided by two adjacently spaced apart seals of the confronting walls of the French Doors. This patent teaches an air space between the two seals and the top and bottom of the doors having end caps that seal the ends of the air space. However, this patent is not concerned with the reduction of any swiping contact at the corners of the French Gasket Doors while still maintaining a good seal against the front facing horizontal walls of the refrigerator compartment adjacent the corners of the confronting walls of the French doors.
Accordingly, there is a need for being able to provide an effective seal at the upper and lower corners of French doors used in a refrigerator to permit for the doors to be opened and closed relative to each other with minimal wiping while at the same time providing a good seal between the ends of the confronting sidewalls and against the front facing horizontal walls of the refrigerator cabinet.


A contoured cutting element for cutting a contoured groove, i.e. other than square or rectangular, in a substrate of plastic, metal, concrete, asphalt, macadam, stone or the like has a cutting surface whose length, in the direction of cutting of the element is directly proportional to the amount of material that portion of the cutting surface must remove to provide uniform wear on the cutting surface over long periods of usage.

Grooves have been cut in airport runways and road surfaces to facilitate water run-off and prevent hydroplaning. The typical airport runway groove is 1/4 inch of an inch wide by 1/4 of an inch deep. The usual spacing between grooves varies from 3/4 of an inch or less to 4 inches or more. A major airport runway may thus have millions of linear feet of grooves cut into it. These grooves can be cut by a series of spaced rotating tools, each carrying cutting elements spaced about their periphery. The cutting elements have a rectangular cross-sectional shape corresponding to the desired dimensions of the final grooves. Because of the fact that each longitudinal segment of the cutting element cuts or abrades the same amount of material as the next adjacent segment, the cutting elements wear uniformly, thereby producing the desired shaped groove during their entire cutting life.
Square grooves, particularly in airport runways, have certain inherent disadvantages. They are difficult to keep clean; they are subject to having their edges chipped by snow plows; and, most important, particularly in asphalt runways, the grooves tend to close due to the impact of airplanes taking off, landing and braking. This necessitates a regrooving of the runway requiring extended periods of closing the runway.
In the early days of grooving runways, V-shaped grooves and trapezoidal grooves, wider at the top than at the bottom were found effective. They are easier to clean, resist damage by snowplows, and resist peening over or closing by landing aircraft. However, such grooves were soon abandoned because of the lack of the ability to produce such grooves of uniform configuration from one end of the runway to the other. To produce a V-shaped groove with the cutting tool rotating about a horizontal axis, the cutting elements must also be V-shaped. In cutting with such a tool, the tip of the V or the apex cuts a quantity of material equal to the depth of the groove, while the edge of the tool remote from the apex cuts infinitely less material. This results in uneven wear causing the cutting element to become rounded in cross sectional shape, requiring frequent stopping of the cutting operation and redressing of each cutting tool. Because of these problems, square grooves in runways became the standard in the industry despite their drawbacks.
Cutting tools of this type will have many uses other than cutting grooves as described above. One major use can be in routing cracks in any type of paving for the purpose of preparing the crack to receive a sealant for protection against further damage. Other uses can be either straight or rounded champhering of edges of material and forming ornamental concave, convex or other surfaces in a substrate.
With the foregoing in mind, it is the object of the present invention to provide a novel cutting element for material which will cut other than a square groove or form a contoured shape on the surface of the material and which will maintain its original cross sectional shape through extended usage and wear.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel cutting or abrading element in which that portion of the cutting element which must cut or abrade the deepest has the longest dimension in the direction of movement of the cutting element and that portion which cuts the least has the shortest such dimension to provide uniform wear to the surface of the cutting element.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.


The invention is a compact, self-contained, portable, electrically powered, knockdown spray application machine/system for spraying liquid material on to surfaces. The spray system comprises a frame with wheels for supporting and transporting the components thereof. The spray system is powered by an electrically activated motor which includes a motor drive shaft disposed about a motor drive shaft axis. Attached to the motor is a gear reducer having a driven end and a drive end wherein the driven end is configured to receive and engage the motor drive shaft. The drive end includes a gear reducer drive shaft that rotates responsive to electrical activation of the motor. Coupled directly to the drive end of the gear reducer is a pump comprising a pump housing. The pump housing is shaped to define a containment chamber for receiving and containing liquid material therein. The pump housing also defines an inlet port for receiving and directing liquid material into the containment chamber. Mounted to the pump housing is a stator, the stator being mounted to the pump housing such that it is in communication with the containment chamber. Within the stator is a rotor disposed for rotation about a pump rotation axis responsive to rotation of the gear reducer drive shaft.

This invention relates generally to spray equipment for applying texture and acoustic materials to surfaces, and more particularly to an electrically operated spray system that is arranged to maximize compactness and enable quick disassembly for ease of cleaning, repair, and transportation.
Transportable pumping systems for pumping liquids at construction job locations are well known and have been employed for such purposes for many years. Because of size and bulkiness of such systems, they are commonly mounted on vehicles or trailers for ease of transportation. One early example of a vehicle mounted pumping system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,767 issued to Kurns in 1957. The Kerns device is a hydraulic pumping system for selectively discharging liquids from any one of a plurality of vehicle mounted tanks. Because the Kerns pumping device is hydraulically activated, and because it employs large tanks for liquid storage, it would be impractical for use on multiple small jobs where ease of transportation, short set-up time, and quick cleaning are needed.
A subsequent design is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No 3,889,850 issued to Whitt in 1975. The Whitt invention is directed to a texture and acoustic application device utilizing equipment comprising a prime mover for driving a hydraulic pump and also for driving an air compressor. Like the Kerns invention, Whitt employes large vehicle mounted components such tanks and hydraulically activated equipment that are best suited for large jobs.
Following Whitt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,100 issued to Deaver in 1994 illustrating a grout delivery system that comprises a grout storage hopper connected to a motor-operated pump to pump flowable grout through a flexible hose for application to a work surface. The Whitt device, like many such prior inventions, is permanently mounted to a large transport means and is directed to jobs of substantial size requiring large amounts of liquid, viscous materials.
Accordingly, a need remains for texture spray equipment for use in small and medium size jobs where equipment design promotes quick set-up, easy disassembly, and is compact, very portable and employs interchangeable parts for quick, inexpensive repair.

Knockdown portable liquid drywall material spray system apparatus and method


Method and apparatus for displaying an enhanced image based on an image plane of data. A volume data set is acquired, and a plane is defined on an image based on the volume data set. The plane may be a C-plane. Data within the volume data set which is defined by the plane is processed with an image enhancing technique and the resultant enhanced image is displayed.

This invention relates generally to diagnostic ultrasound systems. In particular, the present invention relates to method and apparatus for processing and displaying an enhanced image based on an identified plane within a volume of data.
Conventional ultrasound scanners are capable of acquiring and displaying a volume of data. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to correctly identify a specific plane of data within the volume of data that a user wishes to see. It has been necessary in conventional ultrasound scanners to store the volume of data prior to processing in order to locate the desired anatomic data. Unfortunately, this is time consuming and may result in longer exam times to acquire and process additional data, and may perhaps require additional volumes of data to be acquired or an exam to be repeated.
Additionally, there is a need to correlate the resultant processed image with its location within the volume of data. It may be desirable to view data which is near the identified plane but not currently selected. Also, it may be desirable to view data near or in the identified plane in a different manner, such as by enhancing different features. The features may be bone or soft tissue, for example. Furthermore, doctors who may be more familiar with reviewing image data from other modalities, such as X-ray, may find reviewing the ultrasound data more valuable if X-ray-like images could be created from the ultrasound volume for comparison with the volume of data.
Thus, a system and method are desired to process and display data from within a volume that addresses the problems noted above and others previously experienced.

Method and apparatus for C-plane volume compound imaging


A bushing assembly for forming fibers from a supply of molten fiberizable material has: (a) a bushing block having an insulating body with a bore extending therethrough and (b) an electrically conductive bushing positioned adjacent to the bushing block to receive molten fiberizable material from the bore. The bushing includes a flange having bonded to an upper surface thereof a primary layer of an electrically insulating material with a bulk density of greater than 2.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The electrically insulating material is positioned adjacent to the liner on the lower surface of the body of the bushing block and is in contact with the molten fiberizable material.

Continuous glass fibers are formed by attenuating molten glass through apertures or tips at the bottom of a heated, metal container known as a "bushing". The bushing typically is surrounded by refractory materials to provide thermal and electrical insulation as well as mechanical support for the bushing.
The bushing assembly must withstand the corrosive operating environment provided by the molten glass contained therein and elevated operating temperatures without degradation of its electrical or mechanical components. These stringent requirements typically are met by fabricating the glass contacting portions of the bushing assembly from precious metals such as platinum or platinum alloys. However, the operating environment somewhat affects even these materials. Oxidation loss, volatilization, and migration of the precious metal into surrounding refractory materials as well as sagging or creep (high temperature deformation) of the bushing decrease bushing performance as well as shorten the useful life of the bushing assembly. Attempts to address such problems are discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,811 discloses a method of coating metal parts to be used in contact with molten glass with a composition consisting essentially of at least 60% by weight of chromium oxide, from 0 to 40% by weight of a nickel-based alloy and from 0 to 20% by weight of metal oxides (col. 1, lines 34-39). This patent does not discuss glass fiber forming apparatus.
European Patent Publication No. 0381179 discloses electrophoretic deposition of a ceramic coating on the non-glass contacting surfaces of a bushing for glass fiber production (page 2, col. 1, lines 24-28).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,685,978 and 3,859,070 disclose a bushing having a refractory coating on the exterior surfaces of the bushing, including the bottom surface of the bushing and the sidewalls, to prevent oxidation losses of the precious metal and reduce the tendency of the bushing to sag during use (col. 5, lines 17-27 and col. 6, lines 16-20 of the '978 patent; and col. 6, lines 58-69 and col. 8, lines 11-15 of the '070 patent). The coated bushing also has a high temperature insulating, fibrous material disposed about and in a touching relationship with the coating on the bushing except at the tip plate (col. 6, lines 20-26; col. 8, lines 15-24, respectively). The fibrous material is "used to insulate and allow for expansion of the bushing during service . . . " (col. 6, lines 23-24; col. 8, lines 19-20, respectively). The inside of the bushing also may be coated with a refractory material resistant to glass attack to strengthen the structure and prevent oxidation losses (col. 6, lines 58-63; col. 8, lines 42-46, respectively). Neither of these references discloses a bushing having a flange.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,865 discloses a bushing having a ceramic coating such as yttrium oxide-stabilized zirconium oxide "applied on the outwardly disposed surfaces, or portions of the bushing, that is the nonglass contacting portions of the bushing . . . " (col. 3, lines 23-26). The bushing is heated to a temperature of about 2732.degree. F. for about six hours to further sinter the coating to enhance bonding of the coating to the precious metal (col. 4, lines 45-53).
Degradation of the refractory material surrounding the bushing, contributing to localized electrical resistance changes in the bushing and non-uniform heating of the molten glass within it, is a particularly troublesome problem affecting bushing longevity and productivity that is inadequately addressed by the foregoing references.
In a direct-melt operation, the flanged bushing can be positioned directly below a metal-lined bore in an insulating block or "bushing block". Electrical isolation is necessary to prevent electrical contact between the bushing and the metal liner. Without electrical isolation, the electric current which heats the metal bushing would be diverted to heat the metal liner causing (1) disruption of temperature control of the bushing tip plate and (2) localized over-heating of the bushing assembly between the flange and the liner. Disruption of temperature control of the bushing tip plate can cause the temperature of the glass adjacent the tip plate to become non-uniform which contributes to fiber break-out during the attenuation process. As used herein, "break-out" means that one or more continuous fibers break during the attenuation process. Localized over-heating of the bushing due to an increase in resistive heating in the area of contact between the flange and the bushing block liner can cause glass leakage from between the flange and the liner. When glass leakage occurs, the attenuation process must be discontinued and the bushing replaced. Both break-outs and glass leakage result in lost production time, decreased production efficiency, and increased materials and maintenance costs.
To electrically isolate the bushing block liner from the flange, a low bulk density, fibrous, electrically insulating gasket material, such as FIBERFRAX 970 J insulating material.sup.1, typically has been interposed between the flange and the liner. As used herein, "low bulk density" means insulating materials having a bulk density of less than about 1.0 gram per cubic centimeter (g/cc) and "high bulk density" means insulating materials having a bulk density greater than about 2.0 g/cc. FNT .sup.1 FIBERFRAX 970 J is an aluminosilicate fiber-containing insulating material which is commercially available from The Carborundum Company of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Low bulk density, fibrous electrically insulating materials are not desirable as gaskets in fiber forming operations because of their poor structural integrity. As used herein, "poor structural integrity" means that the insulating material is friable, easily crumbled or pulverized and "good structural integrity" means that the insulating material resists crumbling or pulverization. See Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1977) at page 460, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
During installation of the bushing beneath the bushing block, irregularities on the surface of the bushing block liner can penetrate the low bulk density, fibrous, insulating gasket material and contact the bushing flange. During the fiber forming operation, contact between the metallic bushing block liner and bushing flange can disrupt the electric current directed through the bushing and thereby disrupt temperature control of the bushing tip plate resulting in non-uniform heating of the molten glass and increased break-outs. Typically, thick or multiple layers of low bulk density, fibrous insulating material have been interposed as a gasket between the bushing block liner and the bushing flange to prevent contact therebetween. As used herein, a "thick layer" of insulating gasket material has an average thickness greater than about 1.0 mm (0.040 inches) and a "thin layer" of insulating gasket material has an average thickness of less than about 0.5 mm (0.020 inches).
Also, a thick layer of low bulk density, fibrous, insulating gasket material between the bushing block liner and the bushing flange can create a void space or gap in which molten glass can accumulate. Chemical reactions occurring between the molten glass accumulated in the gap and the surrounding insulating gasket material can result in devitrification or crystallization of the molten glass into solid particles. Such particles, which are not bonded to the bushing block liner or the flange, can be eroded by and entrained in the adjacent flowing molten glass and contribute to break-out of the fibers. Also, the flowing molten glass can erode the low bulk density, fibrous, insulating material itself. Thick layers of the low bulk density, fibrous, insulating material increase the amount of surface area subjected to the erosive action of the molten glass.
Since poor production efficiency and production downtime due to fiber break-out and replacement of failed bushings results in costly waste of labor and materials, an electrically insulating material which has good structural integrity and resistance to erosion and chemical interaction with molten glass is needed for use in a bushing assembly as a gasket between the bushing flange and the metal liner on the bushing block.


An illumination assembly includes a lens housing having a first end and a second end, a first lens having first and second opposing surfaces with the first lens being disposed in a first end of the lens housing. A cane having a first a second surfaces is disposed in the lens housing with the first surface of the cane being spaced a predetermined distance from a first surface of the lens and wherein the second surface of the cane is polished and disposed against a first polished surface of a fiber optic bundle.

This invention relates generally to illumination systems and more particularly to telescopic spectacle illumination systems.
As is known in the art, telescopic spectacles are used by surgeons and others who must work with minute objects. Typically the telescopes are arranged either in pairs, with one telescope positioned for viewing by each eye of the wearer, or alternatively, with a single telescope positioned in the center of the spectacles. The image path from the single telescope is divided into two images, with one image being viewed by each eye. Telescopic spectacles may be constructed either with or without an integral object illuminator.
When the illumination, either supplied by a light source which is integral with the telescopic spectacles or otherwise provided externally, does not illuminate the object to be viewed along the viewing image path, portions of the object in the light path cast shadows. The casting of shadows increases the difficulty in viewing other portions of small objects, for example within an operating field. Shadows are least when the illumination beam and the viewing image are substantially aligned along the same optical path. Conversely shadows increase in size as the angle of divergence between the illumination beam and the viewing image path increases.


A heat exchanger includes tubes and a tank. The tubes extend in a first direction, and are stacked in a second direction. The tank has a tube insertion plate part, and is arranged at an end portion of the tubes. The tube insertion plate part has tube holes in which the tubes are inserted, and ribs extending in a third direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The tube hole has end portions in the third direction. The rib are arranged to overlap with the end portion of the tube hole in the second direction, and to provide a deformable part to be deformable in the first direction. The deformable part is located in the tube insertion plate part outside of the ribs in the third direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchanger which can be used for a radiator, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a heat exchanger includes a plurality of tubes and a plurality of corrugate fins, which are alternately stacked to form a core part. The heat exchanger further includes tanks arranged at longitudinal ends of the tubes. Each of the tanks includes a core plate having tube holes in which the tubes are inserted, and a tank body fixed to the core plate to provide a space in the tank with the core plate. The core plate has a first wall part (tube insertion plate part) having the tube holes. At an outer peripheral portion of the first wall part, a second wall part, which is arranged approximately perpendicularly to the first wall part, is formed. In addition, two inserts (side plates) are arranged at two ends of the core part in a stacking direction in which the tubes and the corrugate fins are stacked.
In such a heat exchanger, when a temperature of a tube 310 is different from those of adjacent tubes, a tube insertion plate part 322 of a core plate 320 may be bent in a longitudinal direction of the tube 310 (direction X), as shown in FIG. 19. Thereby, a stress may concentrate at bases of the tube 310, i.e., end portions of the tube 310 in a width direction (direction Z), which are bending points.
For example, JP-A-2000-213889 discloses a heat exchanger having a plurality of ribs arranged on a first wall part of the core plate approximately parallel to a plurality of tube holes in which a plurality of tubes are inserted. In addition, two ends of each of the ribs are connected to a second wall part of the core plate, for increasing a rigidity of the core plate, and restricting a stress concentration at end portions of the tubes in a tube width direction (tube major direction).
However, when the core plate has the ribs, the core plate is difficult to be deformed in the longitudinal direction of the tubes, thereby a high stress may be generated over the tubes in the tube width direction. In addition, when the ends of the ribs are connected to the second wall part of the core plate, a length of the ribs in the width direction of the tube is long. Thereby, when the core plate is formed by a press working, a formability of the ribs is reduced.
Furthermore, a heat exchanger having a plurality of burring parts J221a is shown in FIG. 20. As shown in FIG. 20, the burring parts J221a are arranged at inner peripheral edges of tube holes J221 in which tubes are inserted, and insert holes J222 in which inserts are inserted. The burring parts J221a have tubular shapes protruding to an inside of a tank. Therefore, the rigidity of a core plate J20 is increased.
Generally, when protruding dimensions of the ribs and burring parts from the first wall part of the core plate are large, the rigidity of the core plate becomes large. However, as the protruding dimensions of the ribs and burring parts are large, the formability of the ribs and the burring parts are reduced.


Methods and apparatus are provided for decreasing soft errors and cell leakage in integrated circuit structures. The structures of the invention preferably include memory cells that utilize thin-film transistors (“TFTs”) for the pull-up and pull-down transistors, and well as for the pass-gates. These TFTs preferably include features such as ion implants and a dielectric with a high dielectric constant “K.” In addition to reducing soft errors and cell leakage, the invention preferably provides other benefits such as low cell area and scalability.

This invention relates to integrated circuit ("IC") structures. More particularly, this invention relates to decreasing soft errors and cell leakage in IC structures.
When alpha or neutron particles penetrate the silicon of an IC (e.g., due to atmospheric radiation or similar causes), some particles collide with silicon atoms and generate electrical charges. For instance, charges can be generated in the depletion region of an IC structure. Alpha particles can create an extended depletion region along its track, known as a funneling region. Charges generated in the funneling region can be collected in a node of the IC structure. Charges can also be generated outside the depletion region and diffuse to the depletion region of the node. In addition, the collision of neutron particles with silicon atoms can trigger reactions that lead to the emission of alpha particles, which can in turn lead to further charge generation. The resulting charges can alter a voltage of an IC structure, a phenomenon often referred to as a soft error or single event upset.
Soft errors are especially significant when they occur in memory cells. The information stored by a node of a memory cell may be corrupted or reversed in polarity as a result of the soft error. This corruption can lead to improper operation of an IC or system that uses the memory. IC memories become more susceptible to soft errors as the transistors used in such memories become smaller. In addition, smaller transistors can lead to greater cell leakage.
Several approaches have been taken to make IC structures less susceptible to soft errors. These approaches often make use of thin-film transistors ("TFTs"). For instance, one known approach uses TFTs for the pull-up transistors of memory cells, with a metal dielectric. Bulk silicon transistors are used for pull-down transistors and pass-gates. Unfortunately, memory cells employing this approach are still susceptible to soft errors due to the partial use of bulk silicon transistors. In addition, metal dielectrics are typically thick (e.g., several tenths of a micron), resulting in either weak gate drive or larger devices.
Another approach employs TFTs in a way designed to optimize IC performance. Aluminum oxide is used as the dielectric material, resulting in a very high dielectric constant "K." Unfortunately, such cells require ultra-low-temperature fabrication techniques that are typically not available among standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor ("CMOS") processes. In addition, such transistors tend to be relatively large, making them undesirable for memories with a relatively large number of cells.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide IC memory structures with high immunity to soft errors and low cell leakage. In addition, it would be desirable to make such IC memory structures relatively small in size.

Methods and apparatus for decreasing soft errors and cell leakage in integrated circuit structures


A manufacturing process for a semiconductor integrated circuit device prevents occurrence of reaction between metal wiring and a boron-doped silicon plug over it in heat treatment for a MOS transistor to be formed over them and reduces the possibility of rise in contact resistance. Metal boride is formed on an exposed metal surface in the bottom of an opening made in an interlayer insulating film over the metal wiring. In order to facilitate formation of such metal boride, metal oxide remaining on the metal surface is removed with an aqueous ammonia solution. The metal surface is irradiated with high energy ultraviolet light in order to remove organic matter remaining in the opening and facilitate removal of the metal oxide with the aqueous ammonia solution.

In a semiconductor integrated circuit device structure in which a layer of metal such as tungsten is laid over a silicon substrate or polycrystalline silicon, it is common to provide a reaction suppression layer (barrier layer) in the interface between the metal layer and the silicon layer, as exemplified by the techniques disclosed in patent documents 1 to 4 (listed below). Also, techniques which concern a polymetal gate as a kind of multi-layer gate electrode are described in patent documents 5 to 21 and non-patent documents 1 to 3.
For a polycide gate which has tungsten silicide (tungsten silicon compound) over a polycrystalline silicon film, the metal layer is made of silicide (for example, tungsten silicide) from the beginning in order to suppress reaction between the metal, thereby preventing film peeling due to thermal reaction or various problems of poor electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device.
On the other hand, in order to meet demand for higher density and larger scale integration of semiconductor integrated circuits, microfabrication technology has been used for various elements. This microfabrication technology has rapidly progressed since it has proven to be remarkably effective in enhancing the performance of MOS transistors. However, in manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device at the 130 nm or finer microfabrication technology node, it has become difficult to achieve the target performance, high density and large scale integration just by arranging devices as its elements such as MOS transistors on a silicon substrate (wafer) two-dimensionally. For this reason, studies are ongoing to develop three-dimensional semiconductor integrated circuits in which elements such as transistors are laid vertically one upon another. Non-patent document 4 describes what is called a "vertical MOS transistor" in which its elements (source, channel, drain) are vertically arranged.
The above-cited documents concerning the prior art are as follows.
Patent document 1: JP-A No. 090202/1993
Patent document 2: JP-A No. 306917/1996
Patent document 3: JP-A No. 274248/2001
Patent document 4: JP-A No. 228346/2001
Patent document 5: JP-A No. 89943/1985
Patent document 6: JP-A No. 150236/1986
Patent document 7: JP-A No. 72229/1985
Patent document 8: JP-A No. 10271/1984
Patent document 9: JP-A No. 107552/1981
Patent document 10: JP-A No. 127123/1986
Patent document 11: JP-A No. 127124/1986
Patent document 12: JP-A No. 123060/1985
Patent document 13: JP-A No. 152076/1986
Patent document 14: JP-A No. 267365/1986
Patent document 15: JP-A No. 94657/1999
Patent document 16: JP-A No. 264531/1996
Patent document 17: JP-A No. 119763/1991
Patent document 18: JP-A No. 94716/1995
Patent document 19: U.S. Pat. No. 4505028 specifications
Patent document 20: U.S. Pat. No. 5719410 specification
Patent document 21: U.S. Pat. No. 5387540 specification
Non-patent document 1: Akasaka et al, "IEEE Transaction Electron devices," Vol. 43, No. 11, November 1996, pp. 1864–1869
Non-patent document 2: Elsevier, "Applied Surface Science 117/118" (1997), pp. 312–316
Non-patent document 3: Nakajima et al, "Advanced metalization conference, Japan Session," Tokyo Univ. (1995)
Non-patent document 4: Bernd Goehel et al, "IEEE Transaction Electron devices," Vol. 48, No. 5, May 2001, pp. 897–906
For a three-dimensional semiconductor integrated circuit device, a MOS transistor whose operating speed should be high may be provided on a silicon substrate and a MOS transistor whose operating speed is relatively low may be laid over it. In other words, it has been commonly considered that an N-type MOS transistor should be provided on the main surface of the silicon substrate and a P-type MOS transistor should be laid over them. For the wiring which connects the lower transistor and the upper one may be made of polycrystalline silicon doped with a high concentration of impurities. In this case, a silicon region doped with a high concentration of N-type impurities such as the source, drain or gate electrode in the lower (N-type) MOS transistor must be connected with a silicon layer with a high concentration of P-type impurities in the upper transistor. The silicon layer which is used as a connecting conductor should contain a high concentration of impurities. However, if it should contain N-type impurities such as phosphorous, conductivity failures might occur in the area of connection with the upper (P-type) MOS transistor. Contrariwise, if it should contain P-type impurities, connection with the lower (N-type) MOS transistor would be difficult.
The layer which connects these MOS transistors also serves as wiring for connection with peripheral circuitry. If the wiring should be made of polycrystalline silicon, the wiring resistance would cause a considerable signal delay and hamper high speed operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit. Hence, as the material for the wiring, a metal with a high melting point like tungsten is more suitable than polycrystalline silicone.
When metal such as tungsten is used for the wiring, in a thermal process for the manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, reaction between the silicon and the wiring metal may occur in the areas of connection between the upper and lower MOS transistors and the wiring, resulting in an interference to the manufacturing process or MOS transistor deterioration. For the purpose of preventing such reaction, a reaction barrier film is inserted between the layers. The region in which a silicon layer is laid for connection between the wiring (tungsten layer) and the upper MOS transistor has such a structure that a polymetal gate in the prior art as mentioned above is turned upside down. Therefore, tungsten nitride (its use for the polymetal gate is publicly known) has been so far used for the reaction barrier film between the metal layer (tungsten, etc) and the silicon layer above it. However, in this type of semiconductor integrated circuit device, the contact resistance at the silicon connection between the tungsten wiring layer and the P-type MOS transistor is as high as 10−5 ohm-cm2 to 10−2 ohm-cm2, which makes it difficult to manufacture a high speed semiconductor integrated circuit device. In order to decrease the contact resistance, on the analogy of a polycide gate in the above prior art, an attempt was made to insert thin tungsten silicide between the tungsten nitride barrier and the silicon layer doped with a high concentration of P-type impurities in the P-type MOS transistor. However, even in this structure, it was difficult to decrease the contact resistance to 10−5 ohm-cm2 or less.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and manufacturing method thereof


An amino acid sequence Arg-Lys-Met-Leu-Lys-Ser-Thr-Arg-Arg-Gln-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO:1) functions as a protein transduction domain (PTD) and is capable of delivering small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids to an intracellular compartment of a cell. An amino terminal lysine linker improves the efficiency of the PTD. A nuclear localization signal can be used to target the PTD to a cell's nucleus. The PTD can be used in PTD-cargo moiety complexes that can reversibly immortalize cells and increase cell viability in culture.

A cell membrane presents a formidable barrier between a cell cytoplasm and its external environment. Cells are generally impermeable to small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids. Some small molecules can diffuse across the cell membrane, but the rate of diffusion often is too slow to be useful.
Reagents and methods exist to deliver small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids to an intracellular compartment of a cell. Examples of such reagents and methods include lipids, calcium phosphate, DEAE dextran, electroporation, gene gun particle bombardment, recombinant viral infection, and direct microinjection. Most current reagents and methods are either toxic to cells or result in only a few cells receiving the small molecule, protein, or nucleic acid. In addition, current reagents and methods are not practical for in vivo delivery of small molecules, proteins, or nucleic acids to cells.
Some peptides have an ability to cross the cell membrane and enter a cell. These peptides, termed "protein transduction domains" (PTDs), can be linked to a cargo moiety and can transport the cargo moiety across the cell membrane and into the cell. Such transport is termed "peptide transport" because the peptides transport cargo moieties across the cell membrane and into the cell. Cargo moieties can be small molecules, proteins, or nucleic acids.
Peptide transport provides an alternative for delivery of small molecules, proteins, or nucleic acids across the cell membrane to an intracellular compartment of a cell. One well characterized protein transduction domain (PTD) is a tat-derived peptide. Frankel et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,604, U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,641, U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,980, U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,617, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,122) demonstrated transport of a cargo protein (β-galactosidase or horseradish peroxidase) into a cell by conjugating a peptide containing amino acids 49-57 of tat to the cargo protein.
Penetratin can transport hydrophilic macromolecules across the cell membrane (Derossi et al., Trends Cell Biol., 8:84-87 (1998)). Penetratin is a 16 amino acid peptide which corresponds to amino acids 43-58 of the homeodomain of Antennapedia, a Drosophila transcription factor which is internalized by cells in culture. However, penetratin-mediated peptide transport of nucleic acids longer than 55 bases and proteins longer than 100 amino acids is inefficient.
VP22, a tegument protein from Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), has the ability to transport proteins and nucleic acids across a cell membrane (Elliot et al., Cell 88:223-233, 1997). Residues 267-300 of VP22 are necessary but may not be sufficient for transport. Because the region responsible for transport function has not been identified, the entire VP22 protein is commonly used to transport cargo proteins and nucleic acids across the cell membrane (Schwarze et al., Trends Pharmacol Sci, 21:4548, 2000).
There is a continuing need in the art for peptides that can efficiently transport cargo moieties across a cell membrane and into an intracellular compartment of a cell.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Intracellular delivery of small molecules, proteins, and nucleic acids


The present invention is directed to systems and methods for automatically applying a tape, such as an adhesive, to a work-piece. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system and method for a robotic tape applicator that includes a computer apparatus, a tape applicator apparatus, and an apparatus for holding a work-piece in registration with the tape applicator apparatus for tape application in response to programming data from the computer apparatus. Other components, such as a tape cutting apparatus, a splicing apparatus, adhesion promoter apparatus, and/or optical system can be added to assist and enhance the tape application process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of sealing, adhesives, and applying structural enhancements. Particularly, the invention relates to the field of applying a tape onto a work-piece by using a robot.
2. Background
It is known in the art to employ mastics, foams and expandable materials for sealing cavities and joints between metal, glass, plastic, composites, combinations of these components. Examples of metal components include metal panels such as those used in metal buildings, roofing, pipelines, aircraft, medical instruments, marine, non-automotive equipment and vehicles such as tractors, tractor trailers, golf cars, construction equipment, recreational vehicles, etc, and automotive components, among other applications wherein robot assembly is desirable. In the case of automotive components, metal is typically stamped into a desired configuration and the joint between the stamped metal components, or over/under the metal seam, is sealed (e.g., to control wind, dust, noise, water intrusion, metal bonding, structural reinforcement, and function as an adhesion promoter).
In a typical manufacturing operation, a worker seals, (including adding an adhesive, or a structural material or sound abatement material) a work-piece (e.g., stamped metal part or component), by applying a tape onto the metal component. The worker is required to maneuver a tape (e.g., a sealant) along a non-linear path, and to apply sufficient pressure to the tape in order for the tape to adhere to the underlying metal component (e.g., stamped automotive part). The metal component can also have contours that complicates such tape application. This requires a significant amount of manual dexterity on the part of the worker at various stages, laying down the tape and applying appropriate pressure to the tape in order to ensure that the tape will be fastened securely and function adequately.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce the time required to perform these taping operations while retaining, or improving the level of precision of a skilled worker. In addition, it would be an advantage to provide a method of applying tape that is uniform, predictable and reproducible, using an apparatus which is cost-effective.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/087,930, filed Mar. 5, 2002, discloses an applicator and method for applying two-sided adhesive tape between two plastic components; the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Systems and methods for a robotic tape applicator


An improved process for the production of alkylated aromatic compounds by paraffin dehydrogenation and aromatic alkylation is disclosed. Aromatic by-products normally formed in paraffin dehydrogenation are selectively removed using at least one aromatics removal zone. Removal of these aromatic by-products significantly reduces the deactivation rate of solid alkylation catalysts. The improved process produces a detergent alkylate product that is significantly more linear than that produced by the prior art process.

Nearly thirty years ago it became apparent that household laundry detergents made of branched alkylbenzene sulfonates were gradually polluting rivers and lakes. Solution of the problem led to the manufacture of detergents made of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LABS), which were found to biodegrade more rapidly than the branched variety. Today, detergents made of LABS are manufactured world-wide.
LABS are manufactured from linear alkyl benzenes (LAB). The petrochemical industry produces LAB by dehydrogenating linear paraffins to linear olefins and then alkylating benzene with the linear olefins in the presence of HF. This is the industry's standard process. Over the last decade, environmental concerns over HF have increased, leading to a search for substitute processes employing catalysts other than HF that are equivalent or superior to the standard process. Four of the chief criteria for a substitute process are: extent of conversion, selectivity to monoalkylbenzene, linearity of alkylbenzene, and catalyst deactivation rate. At this point, it is useful for the sake of clarity later to define these terms.
i. Alkylation conversion
In alkylation benzene typically is supplied in excess, and therefore conversion is defined in terms of the olefin. The degree of conversion at a constant ratio of excess benzene relative to olefin and a constant temperature is a measure of a catalyst's activity in a process. The degree of conversion may be expressed by the formula, EQU V=C/T*100,
where V equals percent conversion, C equals moles of olefin consumed, and T equals moles of olefin initially present.
ii. Alkylation selectivity
Selectivity is defined as the percentage of total olefin consumed under reaction conditions which appears as monoalkylbenzene and can be expressed by the equation, EQU S=M/C*100,
where S equals percent selectivity, M equals moles of monoalkylbenzenes produced, and C equals moles olefin consumed. The higher the selectivity, the more desirable the process. An approximate measure of selectivity is given by the equation, EQU S=(weight monoalkylbenzene)/(weight total products)*100
where "total products" includes monoalkylbenzenes, polyalkylbenzenes, and olefin oligomers. At high selectivity (S.ltoreq.85%) the results calculated from the two equations are nearly identical. The latter of the foregoing two equations is routinely used in commercial practice because of the difficulty in distinguishing between oligomers and polyalkylbenzenes.
iii. Linearity
The reaction of linear olefins with benzene in principal proceeds according to the equation, EQU C.sub.6 H.sub.6 +R.sub.1 CH=CHR.sub.2 .fwdarw.C.sub.6 H.sub.5 CH(R.sub.1)CH.sub.2 R.sub.2 +C.sub.6 H.sub.5 CH(R.sub.2)CH.sub.2 R.sub.1.
Note that the side chain is branched solely at the benzylic carbon and contains only one branch in the chain. Although strictly speaking this is not a linear alkylbenzene, the terminology which has grown up around the process and product in fact includes as linear alkylbenzenes those materials whose alkyl group chemically arises directly from linear olefins and therefore includes alpha-branched alkylbenzenes. Because alkylation catalysts also may induce the rearrangement of olefins to give products which are not readily biodegradable, for example, alpha, alpha-disubstituted olefins which subsequently react with benzene to afford an alkyl benzene with branching at other than the benzylic carbon, ##STR1## the degree to which the catalyst effects formation of linear alkyl benzenes is another important catalyst parameter. The degree of linearity can be expressed by the equation, EQU D=L/M*100,
where D equals degree of linearity, L equals weight of linear monoalkyl benzene produced, and M equals weight of monoalkyl benzene produced.
iv. Catalyst Deactivation Rate
Alkylation processes, with either HF or substitute catalysts for HF, are subject to catalyst deactivation. Whereas an alkylation process employing HF typically employs an HF regenerator, an alkylation process employing a substitute catalyst such as a solid alkylation catalyst typically includes means for periodically taking the catalyst out of service and regenerating it by removing the gum-type polymers that accumulate on the surface of the catalyst and block reaction sites. For a solid alkylation catalyst, therefore, the catalyst life is measured in terms of time in service at constant conversion between regenerations. The longer the time between regenerations, the more desirable the catalyst and the process.
Of these criteria, the linearity criterion is assuming added importance and significance in view of the expectation in some areas of minimum standards for linearity in detergents of 92-95% near-term, increasing to 95-98% by about the year 2000. Our solution to the problem of identifying a process for detergent alkylation which meets the increasingly stringent requirements of linearity began with our observation that the isomerization of linear olefins to non-linear olefins--this is the process ultimately responsible for non-linear detergent alkylate arising from a linear olefin feedstock--is quite sensitive to temperature but relatively insensitive to the particular catalyst for the detergent alkylate process. This result suggested that effecting alkylation at a lower temperature was the key to greater product linearity. Our focus then shifted to finding a substitute process with a catalyst other than HF that would catalyze detergent alkylation at lower temperatures. Paradoxically, alkylation processes that employ catalysts other than HF, that is, commercially available solid alkylation catalysts, tend to operate at higher alkylation temperatures than processes that employ HF. One reason is that solid alkylation catalysts tend to deactivate faster as alkylation temperatures decrease and therefore alkylation temperatures must be increased to meet the catalyst life requirement. A second reason is that commercially available solid alkylation catalysts are less active than HF and therefore alkylation temperatures must be increased to meet the conversion requirement.
Surprisingly, our solution to this dilemma of alkylation temperature is a new process that arose from our observations of paraffin dehydrogenation. At this point, it is useful for the sake of appreciating what follows to define two terms related to paraffin dehydrogenation.
i. Dehydrogenation Conversion
The degree of conversion at constant temperature is a measure of the catalyst's activity in a dehydrogenation process. The dehydrogenation conversion may be expressed by the formula, EQU Y=U/P*100,
where Y equals percent conversion, U equals weight of linear paraffin consumed, and P equals weight of linear paraffin initially present.
ii. Dehydrogenation Selectivity
However high the conversion may be, a dehydrogenation process is not valuable unless it is also selective. The dehydrogenation of linear paraffins in principal proceeds according to the equation, EQU R.sub.1 CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 R.sub.2 .fwdarw.R.sub.1 CH.dbd.CHR.sub.2 +H.sub.2.
The double bond of the product monoolefins is distributed along the chain in substantially equilibrium proportions. Because dehydrogenation catalysts also may induce further dehydrogenation as well as rearrangement to give aromatics which subsequently are alkylated by monoolefins to afford undesirable alkyl aromatic by-products with more than one alkyl group, ##STR2## and other heavier alkyl aromatic by-products with more than one aromatic ring, the selectivity to which the catalyst effects formation of linear monoolefins is another important process parameter. Selectivity is defined as the percentage of total linear paraffin consumed under reaction conditions which appears as linear monoolefin and can be expressed by the equation, EQU W=O/U*100,
where W equals percent selectivity, O equals weight of linear monoolefin produced, and U equals weight of linear paraffin consumed. The better the selectivity, the better is the process.
Our solution to identifying a process for detergent alkylation at lower alkylation temperature arose from our observation that the life of catalyst in the alkylation process is quite sensitive to dehydrogenation selectivity but relatively insensitive to the particular catalyst for the alkylation process. Our observation suggested that reducing the aromatic by-products from dehydrogenation was the key to longer catalyst life in the alkylation process. Our focus then shifted to finding a process that would reduce the aromatic by-products in the dehydrogenation product.
The importance of our observation that the aromatic by-products from dehydrogenation is a major factor in alkylation catalyst life and that the particular catalyst plays only a minor role cannot be overemphasized, for it permits one to focus solely on methods of reducing the aromatic by-products. It is well known that these aromatic by-products are formed during paraffin dehydrogenation at the conversions typical of commercial applications, and so their presence has been long recognized. But they were believed to have no effect other than on dehydrogenation selectivity and alkylation selectivity, which were not considered sufficient to justify the cost of removing the aromatic by-products. We have found that the actual effect of the aromatic by-products is much greater, because reducing them significantly lengthens the life of the solid alkylation catalyst, without the need to raise the alkylation temperature, thereby permitting LAB production at lower alkylation temperatures which in turn produces higher linearity. A result of our observation is a novel process that uses an aromatics removal zone to permit dehydrogenation at typically high conversions and to permit alkylation at substantially lower temperature than that previously attainable by the prior art process.
LAB processes are described in the book edited by R. A. Meyers entitled "Handbook of Petroleum Refining Processes" (McGraw Hill, N.Y. 1986) and "Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry," Volumes A8 and A13, Fifth Edition (VCH, Weinheim, Germany). Flow schemes are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,498 issued to R. C. Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,971 issued to E. R. Fenske, U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,048 issued to Vora which teaches use of a selective diolefin hydrogenation zone, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,021 issued to B. Vora which teaches use of a selective monoolefin hydrogenation zone. Solid alkylation catalysts are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,487 issued to S. Kovach et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,628 issued to L. Slaugh; U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,213 issued to S. Kovach; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,679 issued to D. Farcasiu. Zeolitic solid alkylation catalysts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,751,506; 4,387,259; and 4,409,412.
It is well known that polynuclear aromatic compounds and aromatic compounds may be selectively removed from a hydrocarbon processing stream on suitably selected sorbents including alumina, silica gel, cellulose acetate, synthetic magnesium silicate, macroporous magnesium silicate, macroporous polystyrene gel and graphitized carbon black. All of the above-mentioned sorbents are mentioned in a book authored by Milton L. Lee et al entitled "Analytical Chemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds" and published by Academic Press, N.Y. in 1981. A wide variety of means are disclosed for removing polynuclear aromatic compounds and aromatic compounds from a hydrocarbon stream. U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,315 issued to Lamb et al. teaches a hydrocracking process wherein polynuclear aromatics are adsorbed from a liquid stream. U.S. Pat. No. 2,395,491 issued to Mavity discloses a process for removing mononuclear from polynuclear aromatic compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,668 issued to Hemminger teaches use of a molecular sieve or silica gel to remove aromatics or n-paraffins from a reaction mix. U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,316 issued to Wackher et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,404 issued to Hofer et al. teach removal of hydrocarbons using activated carbon.
All of the above references are silent about the effect of aromatic by-products formed during paraffin dehydrogenation on the activity and lifetime of catalysts, especially solid alkylation catalysts, used in LAB processes.

Alkylaromatic process with removal of aromatic by-products


The present invention provides a novel material capable of realizing excellent color purity of blue, a light-emitting element and a light-emitting device using the novel material. The present invention provides an oligonaphthalene derivative represented by the formula (1). The oligonaphthalene derivatives of the present invention have an extremely large band gap, can emit light with extremely short wavelength, and can emit blue light with favorable color purity. In addition, a light-emitting element that can exhibit excellent color purity of blue can be obtained by applying this material to the light-emitting element or a light-emitting device; therefore the light-emitting element having superior color reproducibility can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luminescent material. Further, the present invention relates to a light-emitting element having a pair of electrodes, a layer including a luminescent material that can emit light by being applied with electric field. Moreover, the present invention relates to a light-emitting device having such a light-emitting element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light-emitting element using a luminescent material has advantages of thinness, lightness in weight, fast response, direct-current low-voltage driving, and so on, and is expected to be applied to a next-generation flat panel display. Further, a light-emitting device having light-emitting elements arranged in matrix is superior to a conventional liquid crystal display device in a wide viewing angle and high visibility.
A light-emitting element has the following light-emission mechanism; voltage is applied to a light-emitting layer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes, electrons injected from a cathode and holes injected from an anode are recombined in a light-emission center of the light-emitting layer to form molecular excitons, and then light is emitted by releasing energy when the molecular exciton returns to the ground state. As the excited state, a singlet-excited state and a triplet-excited state are known, and the light emission is possible by either of the excited states.
Emission wavelength of a light-emitting element is determined by energy difference between a ground state and an excited state, i.e., a band gap, of a light-emitting molecule included in the light-emitting element. Therefore, various emission colors can be obtained by devising structures of the light-emitting molecules. By forming a light-emitting device using light-emitting elements capable of emitting red light, blue light and green light, which are light's three primary colors, a full-color light-emitting device can be manufactured.
However, there is a problem of such a full-color light-emitting device. The problem is that formation of a light-emitting element having excellent color purity is not easy. This is because it is difficult to realize a light-emitting element with high reliability and excellent color purity, although light-emitting elements for red, blue and green with excellent color purity are needed so as to manufacture a light-emitting device having superior color reproducibility. As a result of recent development of materials, light-emitting elements for red and green have achieved high reliability and excellent color purity. However, in particular, a light-emitting element for blue cannot be realized high reliability and excellent color purity.

Oligonaphthalene derivatives, and light-emitting element and light-emitting device using oligonaphthalene derivatives

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


This invention is a partially or semi-cured foam used to form the pipe insulation. The semi-cured foam is very flexible and can be formed around a pipe for a long period of time after production. The semi-cured phenolic foam board of this invention is a closed cell foam. The semi-cured foam is further cured in the formed shape. Upon curing the foam retains the shape of the preform. The semi-cured product is very flexible, once fully cured, the insulation becomes rigid.

Industry has produced semi-flexible or flexible phenolic foams having a substantially open cellular structure. The foams are the reaction product of a mixture of a phenol-aldehyde resin, a surfactant, a blowing agent; optionally a wetting agent and a catalyst. The method for producing a semi-flexible or flexible phenolic foam composition having a substantially opened cellular structure comprises mixing a phenol-aldehyde resin with a surfactant, a blowing agent and optionally a cell opening and wetting agent; curing the mixture by reacting it with an acid catalyst; compressing the cured or semi-cured product below its original thickness and releasing the pressure, thereby obtaining the desired semi-flexible or flexible phenolic foam composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,546 discloses such a semi-flexible or flexible phenolic foam composition. This foam composition is a substantially open cellular structure. Open cell phenolic foams have about half the R value of closed cell phenolic foams. The open cell foams are intended for conventional insulation uses, fluid absorption, sound absorption cushioning and the like. The open cell foams are not intended for pipe insulation.
Other prior art processes typically spray a liquid on the pipe which foams in place to produce foam insulation. The liquid systems are difficult to use and must be used on site immediately. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,464 discloses thermally insulating storage tanks or water heaters. The invention uses a jacket which forms a hollow insulation space where a liquid foam insulation is injected into the space. This is the conventional way of foaming in place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,665 shows another conventional foam in place pipe insulation. Multiple non-foam layers and foam layers are used. This pipe insulation is a multi-layer foam, heat shrinkable tube which also uses a hot melt adhesive. The use of hot melt adhesives presents another complicating step in production.

Process for producing shaped phenolic foams

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Technology, Inc.