A linear motor and a camera module having the linear motor are provided. The linear motor includes: a piezoelectric substrate generating a vibration mode in a longitudinal direction on the basis of an applied voltage; first and second shafts coupled to both sides of the piezoelectric substrate with the piezoelectric substrate interposed therebetween; and a moving member coupled to at least one of the first and second shafts to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the first and second shafts and connected to a camera lens on one side. Accordingly, it is possible to remove a dead zone with a simple structure, to prevent an unnecessary increase in thickness, not to cause a stoppage at the time of moving a camera lens, to cause a small amount of tilt to enable a linear control, and to contribute to a decrease in thickness and a compactness of a mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear motor and a camera module having the linear motor, and more particularly, to a linear motor that can remove a dead zone with a simple structure, can prevent an unnecessary increase in thickness, does not cause a stoppage at the time of moving a camera lens, has a small amount of tilt to enable a linear control, and can contribute to a decrease in thickness and a compactness of a mobile terminal and a camera module having the linear motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals such as mobile phones and PCS have required various functions and a decrease in size and thickness.
Particularly, with the generalized use of mobile terminals having a camera attached thereto, techniques associated with an optical lens and an image sensor for high image quality and techniques associated with a zoom function of a camera are considered as being more important.
Mobile terminals equipped with a camera having three million or more pixels, which were embodied in past digital cameras, come to the market. An auto focusing function is required for the cameras of the mobile terminals so as to satisfactorily exhibit their functions.
To additionally provide the auto focusing function to a camera of a mobile terminal, an actuator (actuation unit) moving a camera lens of the mobile terminal should be provided. The actuator needs the have small size and thickness for a decrease in size of the mobile terminal, that is, for a decrease in size and thickness of the mobile terminal. The linear movement, the power consumption, and the driving force of the camera lens should be also considered in addition to the size of the actuator.
A stepping motor or a voice coil motor enabling a linear control could be considered as the actuator for embodying the auto focusing function of the camera lens.
The stepping motor has an advantage of a precise control and a great force, but has a disadvantage of a complex structure and a great volume. The voice coil motor has an advantage of a precise control and a small volume due to the simple structure thereof, but has a disadvantage of great power consumption and weak driving force.
Accordingly, there is a need for a linear motor that can reduce the size, the noise, and the power consumption, does not cause a stoppage at the time of moving a camera lens, and has a small amount of tilt to enable a linear control. For this purpose, studies have been actively done.
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating a displacement in a longitudinal direction of a shaft under a free-free condition where both ends are not fixed. FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a displacement in the longitudinal direction of the shaft under a fix-free condition where only one end is fixed. FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating an elastic displacement when the shaft is not fixed. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of a linear motor applied to a past mobile terminal.
A structure of a linear motor 105 applied to a camera module 101 of a past mobile terminal will be first described with reference to FIG. 4. The linear motor 105 has a structure in which a shaft 131 is connected to one side of a piezoelectric substrate 120 generating a vibration mode in the longitudinal direction and a moving member 140 connected to a camera lens 150 is coupled to the shaft 131. A node fixing portion 160 is further disposed in an area adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate 120.
With this structure, when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric substrate 120 to generate a vibration mode in the longitudinal direction, the moving member 140 coupled to the shaft 131 moves in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 131 as indicated by the solid line or the dotted line in FIG. 4 to move the camera lens 150, thereby embodying the auto focusing function of the camera lens 150.
On the other hand, it has been reported with this structure that the vibration mode of the shaft 131 due to the ultrasonic vibration of the piezoelectric substrate 120 varies depending on a supporting condition of the shaft 131.
For example, under a free-free condition of FIG. 1 where both ends of the shaft are free, a node having an elastic displacement of 0 exists among many points in the shaft 131. This causes a dead zone (a section not moving) of an impact-type actuator depending on restriction conditions (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1). Under a fix-free condition of FIG. 2 where only one end of the shaft 131 is fixed, the displacement from the fixed point increases from 0 to the other end.
On the other hand, when the shaft 131 of the impact-type actuator is not fixed, a node having an elastic displacement of 0 exists, which is located in the vicinity of the piezoelectric substrate 120 as shown in the graph of FIG. 3.
In order to remove such a node, that is, the dead zone, not to influence the movement, the node fixing portion 160 may be disposed in the vicinity of the node as shown in FIG. 1. However, since the structure shown in FIG. 1 requires an unnecessary increase in thickness (indicated by t in FIG. 1), there is caused a problem that the volume and the thickness of the mobile terminal increases.

Linear motor and camera module having the same

Korea Polytechnic University Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation


This invention relates to a lubricating composition comprising a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity and (a) a extreme pressure improving amount of at least one sulfur compound, and an antiwear or an extreme pressure improving amount of the combination of (b) at least one ammonium salt of a phosphoric acid ester, (c) at least one phosphite, and (d) at least one thiophosphate or at least one reaction product of a phosphite and sulfur or a source of sulfur. The invention also relates to concentrates and greases containing the combination of the sulfur is compound and the specific phosphorus compounds.

This invention relates to the combination of a sulfur compound and specific phosphorus compounds. The invention also relates to lubricating compositions, concentrates and grease containing the combination.
Lubricating compositions are used to prevent damage to machinery under operating conditions. Especially under boundary lubrication conditions, a lubricant must act to minimize harmful metal-to-metal contact. Often additives are useful at providing protection under boundary lubricating condition but sometimes these additive adversely affect other performance characteristics. For instance, a lubricant must still provide protection under high speed, shock loading condition, while not be corrosive to copper and other soft metals.
It is desirable to have a combination of additives which provide extreme pressure protection with out sacrificing other performance characteristics. A combination of additives is desired which will provide good extreme pressure properties to lubricants, which maintain the other parameters required of industry standards, such as API GL-5 and MIL-L2105D gear lubricant requirements.
This invention relates to a lubricating composition comprising a major amount of an oil of lubricating viscosity and (a) a extreme pressure improving amount of at least one sulfur compound, and an antiwear or an extreme pressure improving amount of the combination of (b) at least one ammonium salt of a phosphoric acid ester, (c) at least one phosphite, and (d) at least one thiophosphate or at least one reaction product of a phosphite and sulfur or a source of sulfur. The invention also relates to concentrates and greases containing the combination of the sulfur compound and the specific phosphorus compounds.
The term xe2x80x9chydrocarbylxe2x80x9d includes hydrocarbon as well as substantially hydrocarbon groups. Substantially hydrocarbon describes groups which contain heteroatom substituents that do not alter the predominantly hydrocarbon nature of the substituent. Examples of hydrocarbyl groups include the following:
(1) hydrocarbon substituents, i.e., aliphatic (e.g., alkyl or alkenyl) and alicyclic (e.g., cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl) substituents, aromatic-, aliphatic- and alicyclic-substituted aromatic substituents and the like as well as cyclic substituents wherein the ring is completed through another portion of the molecule (that is, for example, any two indicated substituents may together form an alicyclic radical);
(2) substituted hydrocarbon substituents, i.e., those substituents containing non-hydrocarbon groups which, in the context of this invention, do not alter the predominantly hydrocarbon nature of the substituent; those skilled in the art will be aware of such groups (e.g., halo (especially chloro and fluoro), hydroxy, mercapto, nitro, nitroso, sulfoxy, etc.);
(3) heteroatom substituents, i.e., substituents which will, while having a predominantly hydrocarbon character within the context of this invention, contain an atom other than carbon present in a ring or chain otherwise composed of carbon atoms (e.g., alkoxy or alkylthio). Suitable heteroatoms will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and include, for example, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen and such substituents as, e.g. pyridyl, furyl, thienyl, imidazolyl, etc.
In general, no more than about 2, preferably no more than one heteroatom substituent will be present for every ten carbon atoms in the hydrocarbyl group. Typically, there will be no such heteroatom substituents in the hydrocarbyl group. Therefore, the hydrocarbyl group is hydrocarbon.
As described above the lubricating compositions, concentrates, and grease contain a combination of (a) at least one sulfur compound and at least one mixture comprising (b) an ammonium salt of a phosphoric acid ester, (c) a phosphite, and (d) a thiophosphate or a reaction product of a phosphite and sulfur or a source of sulfur. In one embodiment, the sulfur compound (a) is present at concentrations in the range from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight, or preferably from about 0.2% up to about 8%, or more preferably from about 0.3% up to about 7%, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight. Here, as well as elsewhere in the specification and claims, the range and ratio limits may be combined.
Sulfur Compounds
The sulfur compounds include mono- or polysulfide compositions, or mixtures thereof. The sulfur compounds are generally characterized as having sulfide linkages containing an average from 1 up to about 10, or from about 2 up to about 8, or from about 3 up to about 4 sulfur atoms. In one embodiment, the sulfur compound is a mixture of di-, tri- or tetrasulfide materials, preferably having a majority of trisulfide. Materials having at least 70% trisulfide are preferred, with materials containing greater than 80% trisulfide more preferred.
In one embodiment, the sulfur compound is prepared by sulfurizing unsaturated compounds. Materials which may be sulfurized include oils, unsaturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty esters, olefins, terpenes, or Diels-Alder adducts. Oils which may be sulfurized are natural or synthetic oils, including mineral oils, lard oil, carboxylic acid esters derived from aliphatic alcohols and fatty acids or aliphatic carboxylic acids (e.g., myristyl oleate and oleyl oleate), and synthetic sperm whale oil substitutes and synthetic unsaturated esters or glycerides.
The unsaturated fatty acids generally contain from about 8 to about 30, or from about 12 to about 24 carbon atoms. Examples of unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic acid, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, erucic acid, lard oil acid, soybean oil acid, tall oil and rosin acid.
The unsaturated fatty esters include fatty oils, that is, naturally occurring or synthetic esters of glycerol and one or more of the above fatty acids. Examples of fatty esters include animal fats, such as Neat""s-foot oil, lard oil, depot fat, beef tallow, and vegetable oils, including cottonseed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, and sunflower seed oil. The unsaturated fatty esters also may be prepared by esterifying alcohols and polyols with a fatty acid. The alcohols include the above described mono- and polyhydric alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, and glycerol.
The olefins, which may be sulfurized, contain at least one olefinic double bond, which is defined as a non-aromatic double bond. In its broadest sense, the olefin may be defined by the formula R*1R*2Cxe2x95x90CR*3R*4, wherein each of R*l, R*, R*3, and R*4 is hydrogen, or an hydrocarbyl group. In general, the R* groups in the above formula which are not hydrogen may be represented by xe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94A, wherein n is a number from 0 to about 10 and A is represented by xe2x80x94C(R*5)3, xe2x80x94COOR*5, xe2x80x94CON(R*5)2, xe2x80x94COON(R*5)4, xe2x80x94COOM, xe2x80x94CN, xe2x80x94X, xe2x80x94YR*5 or xe2x80x94Ar, wherein: each R*5 is independently hydrogen, or a hydrocarbyl group, with the proviso that any two R*5 groups may be connected to form a ring of up to about 12 carbon atoms; M is one equivalent of a metal cation (preferably Group I or II, e.g., sodium, potassium, barium, or calcium); X is halogen (e.g., chloro, bromo, or iodo); Y is oxygen or divalent sulfur; Ar is an aromatic group of up to about 12 carbon atoms.
The olefinic compound is usually one in which each R group which is not hydrogen is independently alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group, preferably an alkyl group. In one embodiment, R*3 and R*4 are hydrogen and R*1 and R*2 are alkyl or aryl, especially alkyl, having from 1 up to about 30, or from 1 up to about 16, or from 1 up to about 8 carbon atoms. Olefins having from 2 up to about 30, or from about 3 up to about 16 (most often less than about 9) carbon atoms are particularly useful. Olefins having from 2 up to about 8, or from 2 up to about 4 carbon atoms are particularly useful. Isobutene, propylene and their dimers, trimers and tetramers, and mixtures thereof are especially preferred olefins. Of these compounds, isobutylene and diisobutylene are particularly desirable. In one embodiment, the organic polysulfides may be a mixture of di-, tri-, or tetrasulfide materials, preferably having a majority of trisulfide. Materials having at least 70% trisulfide are preferred, with materials containing greater than 80% trisulfide more preferred.
In another embodiment, the organic polysulfide comprise sulfurized olefins prepared by the sulfochlorination of olefins containing four or more carbon atoms and further treatment with inorganic sulfides according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,199.
In one embodiment, the sulfurized olefins may be produced by (1) reacting sulfur monochloride with a stoichiometric excess of a lower olefin, e.g. containing two to about seven carbon atoms, (2) treating the resulting product with an alkali metal sulfide in the presence of free sulfur in a mole ratio of no less than 2:1 in an alcohol-water solvent, and (3) reacting that product with an inorganic base. This procedure is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,404, and the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,404 is hereby incorporated by reference for its discussion of this procedure for preparing sulfurized olefins and the sulfurized olefins thus produced. Generally, the olefin reactant contains from about 2 to about 5 carbon atoms and examples include ethylene, propylene, butylene, isobutylene, amylene, etc.
The organic polysulfide may also be the reaction product of a hydrocarbyl mercaptan, sulfur and an olefin. The mercaptans used to make the polysulfide may be hydrocarbyl mercaptans, such as those represented by the formula Rxe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94H, wherein R is a hydrocarbyl group as defined above. In one embodiment, R is an xe2x80x94alkyl, an alkenyl, cycloalkyl, or cycloalkenyl group. R may also be a haloalkyl, hydoxyalkyl, or hydroxyalkyl substituted (e.g. hydroxymethyl, hydroxyethyl, etc.) aliphatic groups. R generally contains from about 2 to about 30 carbon atoms, preferably from about 2 to about 24, more preferably from about 3 to about 18 carbon atoms. Examples include butyl mercaptan, amyl mercaptan, hexyl mercaptan, octyl mercaptan, 6-bydroxymethyl-octanethiol, nonyl mercaptan, decyl mercaptan, 10-amino-dodecanethiol, dodecyl mercaptan, 10-hydroxymethyl-tetradecanethiol, and tetradecyl mercaptan.
The sulfurized olefin may also be prepared by reacting, under superatmospheric pressure, the olefin with a mixture of sulfur and hydrogen sulfide in the presence, or absence, of a catalyst, such as an alkyl amine, followed by removal of low boiling materials. The olefins which may be sulfurized, the sulfurized olefin, and methods of preparing the same are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,119,549, 4,199,550, 4,191,659, and 4,344,854. The disclosure of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference for its description of the sulfurized olefins and preparation of the same.
The organic polysulfide generally has hydrocarbyl groups each independently having from about two to about 30, preferably from about two to about 20, and more preferably from about two to about 12. The hydrocarbyl groups may be aromatic or aliphatic, preferably aliphatic. In one embodiment, the hydrocarbyl groups are alkyl groups.
In one embodiment, the sulfur compound contains a mixture comprising at least about 90% dihydrocarbyl trisulfide, from about 0.5% up to about 8% dihydrocarbyl disulfide, and less than about 5% dihydrocarbyl higher polysulfides. Higher polysulfides are defined as containing four or more sulfide linkages. In one embodiment, the amount of trisulfide is at least about 92%, or preferably at least about 93%. In another embodiment, the amount of dihydrocarbyl higher polysulfides is less than 4%, or preferably less than about 3%. In one embodiment, the dihydrocarbyl disulfide is present in an amount from about 0.5% up to about 5%, or preferably from about 0.6% up to about 3%.
The sulfide analysis is performed on a Varian 6000 Gas Chromatograph and FID detector SP-4100 computing integrator. The Column is a 25 m. Megabore SGE BP-1. The temperature profile is 75xc2x0 C., hold 2 min., to 250xc2x0 C. at 6xc2x0 C./min. The helium flow is 6.0 ml/min plus make-up. The injection temperature is 200xc2x0 C. and the detector temperature is 260xc2x0 C. The injection size is 0.6, ul. References are the monosulfide, disulfide and trisulfide analogues to the sulfur composition for analysis.
The references may be obtainied by fractionating the product to form sulfide fractions (S1, S2 and S3) to be used for analysis. The procedure for analysis is as follows. (1) An area % determination is run on each of the reference samples to determine its purity. (2) An area % determination is run on the sample to be tested to get a general idea of its composition. (3) A calibration blend is accurately weighed based on the area % results of the sample to be tested: then the internal standard toluene, is added to the blend in an amount equal to approximately one-half of the weight of the largest component. (This should give an area approximately the same as that of the largest component.) (4) The weights of each component (i.e., S-1, S-2 and S-3) are corrected by the % purity from step 1. (5) The calibration blend is run in triplicate using the corrected weights and then calculated, using the following formula, to reflect the multiple peaks in S-1 and S-2:       RF    =                            (                      concentration                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                                  components              *                                )                          (                      total                                      xe2x80x83                                    area                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    peaks                    )                                            (                      area                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    internal                                      xe2x80x83                                    standard                    )                          (                      concentration                                      xe2x80x83                                    of                                      xe2x80x83                                    internal                                      xe2x80x83                                    standard                    )                                                                           *                              Adjusted                                  xe2x80x83                        for                          xe2x80x83                        purity                          xe2x80x83                        of                          xe2x80x83                        the                          xe2x80x83                        standard                          xe2x80x83                                  i          .          e          .                      :                                            xe2x80x83                        component                          xe2x80x83                        weight                          xe2x80x83                        times
                  percent                    xe2x80x83                  purity                    xe2x80x83                  equals                    xe2x80x83                  concentration                    xe2x80x83                  of                    xe2x80x83                          component        .                        xe2x80x83
(6) These response factors, plus the response factor for the single S-3 peak are used for determining weight percent results for the samples to be tested. (7) Results for S-1 and S-2 are adjusted to include all the peaks attributed to them. (8) Higher polysulfides are determined by difference using the following formula:
S-4=100%xe2x88x92(S-1+S-2+S-3+light ends)
Light ends are defined as any peaks eluded prior to the internal standard.
In one embodiment, the organic polysulfide is prepared as described above using hydrogen sulfide, sulfur, and at least olefin to form an intermediate. The intermediate is fractionally distilled to form the organic polysulfide. In one aspect, the fractional distillation occurs under subatmospheric pressure. Typically the distillation pressure is from about 1 to about 250, preferably from about 1 to about 100, or preferably from about 1 to about 25 mm Hg. A fractionation column, such a Snyder fractionation column may be used. In one embodiment, the fractionation is carried out at a reflux ratio of from about 2:1 up to about 8:1, preferably from about 3:1 up to about 7:1, or preferably from about 4:1 up to about 6:1. S-21.

Combination of a sulfur compound and specific phosphorus compounds and their use in lubricating compositions, concentrates and greases


Disclosed are: a paste for an electron emission source, which enables omission of an activation process and is capable of emitting electrons at a low voltage, while exhibiting excellent adhesion to a cathode substrate; and an electron emission source which uses the paste for an electron emission source. Specifically disclosed is an electron emission source which is produced by subjecting a paste for an electron emission source containing the components (A)-(C) described below to a heat treatment. The electron emission source has cracks and carbon nanotubes project from the surfaces of the cracks. (A) carbon nanotubes (B) glass powder (C) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of metal salts, metal hydroxides, organic metal compounds, metal complexes, silane coupling agents and titanium coupling agents.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paste for electron emission sources and an electron emission source using the paste.
(2) Description of Related Art
A carbon nanotube has excellent physical and chemical durability and has a sharp-pointed tip shape and is therefore suitable to an electron emission material. This is why electron emission sources using a carbon nanotube are being researched and developed in the fields of displays and luminaries.
The structure configured to obtain emission in displays, luminaries and the like by an electron emission source using a carbon nanotube is as follows. First, a high electric field is applied by a gate electrode and the like to an electron emission source including a carbon nanotube formed on a cathode substrate in a vacuum-sealed container. Then, the electric field is concentrated at a sharp-pointed tip of the carbon nanotube. When the intensity of the electric field exceeds a fixed threshold value, electrons are emitted by a tunnel phenomenon. The electrons emitted in this manner collide with a fluorescent layer formed on an anode substrate to obtain emission.
Among methods of producing an electron emission source using a carbon nanotube, there is a method in which a carbon nanotube is made into paste, which is then applied to a cathode substrate. This method involves a step of forming a coating film of a carbon nanotube-containing paste on a cathode electrode by screen printing, a step of removing organic materials which are the cause of deteriorating the degree of vacuum by heat treatment, from the coating film of the carbon nanotube-containing paste, and a step of performing activation treatment such as the tape peeling method and laser radiation method to the heat-treated surface of an electron emission source. As the paste material of the carbon nanotube used in this method, carbon nanotube-containing pastes containing a glass powder (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-115675), a carbonate (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-242898) or a metal carbonate (see, for example, Japanese Published Patent Publication No. 2008-500933) are known.
In the meantime, the activation treatment among the above steps is carried out to expose a carbon nanotube from the electron emission surface by napping treatment or the like to obtain good electron emission characteristics. However, if the step of activation treatment can be omitted, this can largely contribute to further reduction in cost.
As a method used to obtain good electron emission characteristics without performing the napping treatment, an electron emission source is proposed which comprises an electron emission material including a carbon nanotube, a cathode electrode and gate electrode that impart an electric field to the electron emission material, and a porous member including continuous pores between the cathode electrode and gate electrode wherein the porous member contains electron emission material and the tip part of the electron emission material projects from a pore wall of the porous member (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-87304). This electron emission source is obtained by forming voids in a region where plastic particles exist, thereby forming a continuous hole in a process in which the plastic particles such as methyl polymethacrylate are mixed in a carbon nanotube-containing paste to remove organic materials from the carbon nanotube-containing paste coating film by heat treatment. Since a carbon nanotube projects from a pore wall, it is unnecessary to carry out activation treatment. In this method, it is easy to increase the exposure amount of the tip part of the electron emission material and to improve the uniformity of exposure, enabling electron emission characteristics to be uniformed.

Paste for electron emission source, and electron emission source


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, transmitting a first identifier associated with a processing system to a communication device, transmitting first data to the communication device, obtaining, from the communication device and based on the transmitting of the first identifier and the first data, a first directive, wherein the first directive directs the processing system to utilize a first radio access technology for a first communication session, and utilizing, based on the first directive, the first radio access technology for the first communication session. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Network operators continue to enhance a scope of geographical coverage that is available via a deployment of additional resources. For example, as access technology evolves from one generation to the next, the geographical area/region that is covered continues to expand. With that expansion, additional opportunities are being generated/created in terms of providing network services to users. However, given the costs associated with deploying, operating, and maintaining network resources (e.g., network infrastructure), in many instances it is impractical to achieve complete (e.g., 100%) coverage. Still further, communication devices can connect to network services via multiple/various access technologies. However, a lack of information regarding the communication devices can lead to poor decision-making/choices regarding access technology utilization.

Apparatuses and methods for enhancing network controls based on communication device information


The present invention relates to a process for the catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases from combustion, which process comprises bringing said exhaust gases into contact with a Beta Zeolite exchanged with suitable amounts of cobalt salts, in the presence of a light hydrocarbon as the reducing agent. The present invention relates also to a catalyst for such a process, which catalyst comprises a Beta zeolite exchanged with cobalt salts, characterized by a Co: zeolite AL molar ratio of<0.5.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases from combustions, which process comprises bringing said exhaust gases into contact with a Beta Zeolite exchanged with suitable amounts of cobalt salts, in the presence of a light hydrocarbon as the reducing agent.
The present invention relates also to a catalyst for such a process, which catalyst comprises a Beta Zeolite exchanged with cobalt salts, characterized by a Co:Zeolite Al molar ratio of<0.5.
The emission of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO.sub.2), commonly defined as "NO.sub.x ", from traveling sources, such as automobiles, and from stationary sources, such as gas turbines and power stations, is among the major sources of atmospheric pollution.
The most effective techniques for removing NO.sub.x from the exhaust gases from combustions, can be classified into two categories:
(1) flame treatment, which limit NO.sub.x generation;
(2) post-combustion treatments.
Typical flame treatments are carried out, e.g., by varying the reaction stoichiometry, or decreasing the combustion temperature. Such treatments make it possible the decrease in NO.sub.x formation to be attained with only limited success.
Among post-combustion treatments, the catalytic processes result to be the most advantageous ones.
At present, nitrogen oxide removal is acoomplished at the industrial level through the so said "selective catalytic reduction" process (SCR process) carried out with ammonia, in the presence of a catalyst constituted by V.sub.2 O.sub.5 /TiO.sub.2, at a temperature comprised within the range of from 300.degree. to 400.degree. C. A conversion of nitrogen oxides of about 90% is described, which, however, decreases under operating conditions. This process also suffers from considerable drawbacks, such as e.g.:
(a) catalyst cost, and short life time of said catalyst, due to poisoning and sintering phenomena;
(b) presence of unreacted ammonia which, per se, is a pollutant;
(c) reaction between ammonia and sulfates, leading to NH.sub.4 HSO.sub.4 and (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4, which are corrosive for the facility components and poison the catalyst;
(d) difficulty of storage, handling and use of ammonia in the facility.
Owing to these problems, processes were studied which, on the one side, make it possible the direct catalytic decomposition to be performed of NO.sub.x, and, on the other side, aim at catalytically reducing NO.sub.x in the presence of different reducing agents from ammonia.
For both said process types, the most promising catalysts resulted to be those of zeolitic type, exchanged with transition metal salts.
As regards the direct catalytic decomposition processes, which preferably use ZSM-5 Zeolite exchanged with Cu.sup.2+ (Iwamoto, Yahiro, Shokubai, Catalyst, 1989, 31, 112), the main drawbacks are:
short catalyst life, due to the fact that the active sites of said catalysts are poisoned by oxygen, increasing amounts of which are formed as the decomposition reaction proceeds; PA1 sharp decrease in conversion rate values if an excess of oxygen is present, as it normally occurs under the operating conditions.
Owing to these problems, research mainly developed towards catalytic processes for NO.sub.x reduction with reducing agents which are different from ammonia.
As possible reducing agents free from environmental problems, light hydrocarbons were taken into consideration. Their use allows to operate also in the presence of oxygen. For example, Hamada et al. (Appl. Catal., 64 L1-L4, 1990) describe the reduction of NO.sub.x into gases containing oxygen which uses, as the catalyst, Zeolites in acidic form and alumina and, as the reducing agent, propane or propene. The best results described by the Authors consist in a conversion of 65%, obtainable with an H-mordenite at 400.degree. C.
Iwamoto et al. Shokubai 32, (6), 430, 1990! use copper-exchanged Zeolites and lower hydrocarbons as the reducing agents. The obtainable results depend on both hydrocarbon and oxygen concentrations. In the presence of large oxygen excesses, or at not high hydrocarbon concentrations, a considerable decrease is observed in conversion rates.
EP 499 087 and EP 499 286 disclose a method for purifying oxygen-rich exhaust gases containing NO.sub.x, CO and methane, in the presence of Zeolites of Y type, ferrierite, mordenite, ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 exchanged with transition metal salts. The highest obtainable NO.sub.x conversion is 50% and is attained when a cobalt-exchanged ZSM-5 Zeolite (Co-ZSM-5) is used, and the reaction Is carried out at 400.degree.-500.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,512 discloses a catalytic process for destroying NO.sub.x contained in exhaust gases from combustion processes, which uses, Zeolite catalysts having a silicon:aluminum ratio of>2.5, exchanged with cations selected from cobalt, nickel, iron, chrome, rhodium and manganese. Preferably Zeolites of MFI and MOR types are used; however, also a Beta Zeolite exchanged with cobalt is generally mentioned. This process consists of bringing the combustion gases, containing NO.sub.x and oxygen, into contact with said Zeolites, in the presence of methane as the only reducing gas.
Patent application JP 05220403 discloses a catalyst for the reduction of the nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gases, comprising a Beta Zeolite with a molar ratio of SiO.sub.2 :Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 comprised within the range of from 10 to 100, exchanged with at least one metal selected from Cu, Co, Ni, Fe and Pt, in such an amount that the molar ratio of metal to aluminum in said Zeolite is comprised within the range of from 0.5 to 2.
In particular, for exemplifying purposes, only mentioned is the use of a Beta Zeolite having a molar ratio of SiO.sub.2 :Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 of 40, which Zeolite is exchanged with Cu, to such an extent that the molar ratio of copper to aluminum in the Zeolite is of 0.53. When the values of this ratio are lower than 0.5, the desired catalytic activity is no longer obtained. The process of nitrogen oxides reduction is carried out in the presence of propene as the reducing agent and at a hourly space velocity of 420,000 h.sup.-1.

Process and catalyst for reducing No.sub.x in exhaust combustion gases


An optical microbench configured to facilitate wafer-level testing of opto-electronic devices is provided. The optical microbench includes an optoelectronic device mounted to a wafer in which the optical microbench is provided. The optical microbench also includes a beam deflector provided in the wafer and disposed along the optical path of the optoelectronic device. The beam deflector is configured to deflect a portion of the optical path to lie along a direction oriented out of the plane of the wafer. The optical microbench further includes an optical feed-through disposed along the optical path between the optoelectronic device and the beam deflector. The optical feed-through is configured to conduct an optical signal between the beam deflector and the optoelectronic device. A method for testing optoelectronic devices at the wafer level is also provided.

Optoelectronic devices play a crucial role in applications ranging from data communications to consumer electronics, as well as to devices for developing applications, such as optical computing. The ability to manufacture optoelectronic devices efficiently is of critical importance in reaching the low cost targets required for making the devices acceptable for use in such applications. In particular, it is desirable to fabricate as many devices as possible during a single manufacturing process to reduce manufacturing costs. For example, it is highly desirable to fabricate a plurality of devices in parallel at different regions of a wafer. However, fabrication of multiple devices on a single wafer can often make it difficult to test the devices on the wafer before the devices are singulated, because the optical output/input from a first device on the wafer may be blocked by a second device on the wafer, making it difficult for a testing device to receive the optical output/input. The testing of singulated devices, however, can add an unacceptable cost to the fabrication of optoelectronic devices, since each device must be manipulated and tested individually. Therefore, there is a need in the art for technology that would permit wafer-level testing of a plurality of optoelectronic devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical device package having optical feedthrough


A preset waiting period is previously set on the basis of a signal in correspondence to a detection of a start point of a detection of a no-tooth portion of a signal rotor. In the case of a control for injecting a fuel after the preset waiting period has elapsed, an output of a signal indicating a start point of an actual detection of the no-tooth portion by a waveform shaping portion is delayed due to the existence of the no-tooth portion. A control computer corrects the preset waiting period to be shorter by an amount corresponding the delay. Accordingly, an accuracy of a fuel injection start timing control is improved.

The present invention relates to a fuel injection control apparatus and a control method in an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus is provided with a fuel injection portion and a control portion. The fuel injection portion injects a fuel which is burned in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The control portion controls injection start timing for injecting fuel from the fuel injection portion.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 7-174773 and 2002-303199 each discloses a crank angle sensor detecting a crank angle of an internal combustion engine. A toothed rotor made of a magnetic material, that is, a signal rotor is attached to a crankshaft. The crank angle-sensor includes a magnet pickup coil.
The signal rotor has a plurality of teeth provided in an outer periphery at a uniform interval. A part of the outer periphery is provided with no teeth. A reference position of the crank angle is detected by utilizing such the no-tooth portion of the signal rotor.
The shape of the no-tooth portion is different from the shape of the tooth portion. Accordingly, a rising portion of a rectangular wave obtained by shaping the waveform of an output signal at a time of detecting the no-tooth portion is delayed from a rising portion of a rectangular wave obtained by shaping the waveform of an output signal at a time of detecting a normal tooth portion. The control disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-174773 accurately determines an instantaneous rotational speed by correcting the delay (deviation) mentioned above.
In order to increase an engine output and an exhaust performance, it is necessary to inject fuel at a proper timing. However, neither of the above publications discloses an idea for injecting the fuel at a proper timing while taking the deviation accompanying the detection of the no-tooth portion.

Fuel injection control apparatus and method in internal combustion engine


A tent including a structural member and an end cap insertable into the structural member and a method of forming a tent are provided. The structural member is preferably a rafter. The rafter has C-channels aligned with support troughs of the end cap. The C-channels and support troughs receive edge portions of a fabric panel therein to secure the fabric panel to the rafter. The end cap supports the weight of the fabric panel during assembly to reduce or avoid engagement of the fabric panel with corners of the C-channel or burs formed in the end of the C-channel of the rafter as the fabric panel is fed through the C-channel. The end cap may also include an optional tension push down bar assembly for providing additional tensioning of the fabric panel.

A tent can be very large and can be used for providing a shelter and environment for large gatherings and celebrations such as, for example, concerts, theatrical events, wedding receptions and conventions. The tent generally includes a shell, formed from one or more fabric panels, that is supported by a frame made of numerous structural members. The structural members may include vertical legs that define the walls and rafters that extend at an angle relative to the vertical legs and toward a peak of the tent to define the roof.
Many of the structural members are formed from extruded aluminum box beams to reduce weight while structural strength is retained. Some extrusions include C-channels formed at the corners of the box beams. The C-channels receive enlarged edges of individual fabric panels that combine to form the shell of the tent.
However, when the structural members are cut to length, the ends of the structural members, and particularly the C-channels can become burred. Additionally, the rafters can be dropped or banged during assembly or transportation such that the corners of the C-channels at the ends of the structural members provide a sharp or bent edge. If the C-channels are burred or the corners bent, the fabric panels can be caught on the burs and corners and then tear as the fabric panels are fed along the length of the rafters.
To prevent tearing of the fabric panels, the ends of the rafters are typically manually deburred or unbent after the rafters are cut to length. However, this process can be very time consuming. Further, even if the ends have been deburred, the corners can still be damaged as described above, and the user may not realize that a corner of the C-channel has become sufficiently bent or damaged to snag the fabric panels during assembly.
The present invention provides improvements to structural members for forming tents to prevent the fabric panels from being caught on burs or bent corners of the rafters. Embodiments of the present invention also provide more cost effective methods of avoiding necessary time consuming secondary deburring.

Tent rafter end cap and tent incorporating same


A glow plug includes: a tubular body (2) having at one of its ends a plug head as well as a fixing zone including elements (12, 13) for being fixed in a bore, an arm (4) mounted on the body (2) of the plug at the end opposite to the plug head, and a pressure sensor (8) sealingly insulated from the corresponding cylinder. The arm (4) is fixed to an elastically deformable tubular zone (17) designed to project inside the cylinder. The pressure sensor (8) is mounted between the arm (4) and a support component (18) fixed inside the tubular body (2).

In an internal combustion engine, in particular a diesel type engine, each cylinder has a glow plug for heating the interior of the corresponding combustion chamber, in particular when starting the engine. This glow plug is disposed in a threaded bore that passes through the cylinder head of the engine. This glow plug therefore includes a threaded body adapted to be fitted into the corresponding bore of the cylinder head and a finger in which a preheating electrode is housed.

Glow plug with integrated pressure sensor


A system is provided that includes a CPU, a graphical user interface coupled to the CPU, and a memory coupled to the CPU. The memory stores a bump map application and a data extraction application executed by the CPU. The bump map application displays a plurality of editable textual character groups representative of a plurality of bumps. The textual character groups are arranged on the graphical user interface according to a relative coordinate position of the bumps with respect to an origin. The data extraction application automatically extracts data from the bump map application for use by a router application.

Integrated circuits (ICs) are continually increasing in complexity. When designing an integrated circuit, computer aided design (CAD) programs may be used to layout electronic components (e.g., transistors, capacitors, resistors, inductors), contacts for the components, interconnects between components, and bumps that are used to connect a semiconductor die to a package. Unfortunately, the process of integrated circuit layout may require a significant amount of time and is prone to human error. Therefore, methods and systems that may reduce human error and/or expedite the amount of time required for circuit layout design and maintenance are desirable.

Method and system for automatically extracting data from a textual bump map

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, LP.


A vehicle includes an engine having a crankshaft, an electric machine having a shaft, and a front end accessory drive (FEAD). The FEAD includes a multi-speed pulley assembly mounted to one of the crankshaft and the shaft, a pulley mounted to the other of the crankshaft and the shaft, and a tension member trained around the multi-speed pulley assembly and the pulley. The multi-speed pulley assembly is configured to establish a low speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft and a high speed ratio between the shaft and the crankshaft. A vehicle controller is programmed to, in switch between the high speed ratio and the low speed ratio to optimize operating conditions of the FEAD.

Engines include a front end accessory drive (FEAD) for powering accessories such as a water pump, a power steering pump, an alternator, and air conditioning. The engine crankshaft and each of the accessories includes a pulley. One or more belts is trained around the pulleys to drivably connect the accessories to the crankshaft.
Some hybrid vehicles include a starter/generator, such as a belt integrated starter/generator (BISG) that is connected to the FEAD. The BISG is electrically connected to a battery. The BISG may be used to provide additional drive torque.

Front end accessory drive with multiple speed ratios


A radar transmitting unit Tx transmits a radio-frequency radar transmission signal from a transmission antenna which is inclined in the direction of a depression angle φ. A radar receiving unit Rx estimates the height and speed of a vehicle which travels on a road surface using a reflected wave signal from the vehicle. A template generating unit 19 generates a variation in a phase component of the reflected wave signal corresponding to N heights and speeds of the vehicle as N templates. N vehicle height/speed template correlation calculation units #1 to #Nrep calculate correlation on the basis of any one of the N templates and a correlation value between the reflected wave signal and a transmission code of the radar transmission signal.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a radar device which determines traveling speed and type of a vehicle.
Description of the Related Art
A vehicle sensor is provided, for example, at the upper part of a pole on the road or on the side of the road and determines traveling speed or type of the vehicle which passes along a vehicle travel lane immediately below the vehicle sensor. In recent years, the application of a radar device using microwaves or millimeter waves to the vehicle sensor has been examined.


A method of and device for processing a radiation pulse are described based on: detecting an event at the detector; producing a pulse; determining for the pulse: a pulse height measurement representative of pulse magnitude; a pulse width measurement representative of pulse duration; assigning the pulse to one of at least two classes based on the determined pulse height/pulse width; applying to each pulse an algorithm specific to its particular class to produce an output pulse height/pulse width profile.

The invention relates to a method of detection of radiation, for example high energy electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays and/or gamma rays, or subatomic particle radiation, and to a method of processing of detected radiation data from a semiconductor device for high energy physics applications, such as a detector for high energy radiation. The invention also relates to a detector device embodying the principles of the method. The invention in particular relates to a semiconductor detector device comprising a large direct band gap semiconductor material, for example a group II-VI semiconductor material such as cadmium telluride (CdTe), cadmium zinc telluride (CZT), cadmium manganese telluride (CMT) or the like, for example formed as a bulk single crystal.
Cadmium telluride and similar semiconductor materials have found application in recent years in a variety of high energy physics applications, such as high energy radiation detection. In particular their ability to resolve high energy electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays or gamma rays spectroscopically has been utilised. This may be especially the case where the material is fabricated as a bulk scale single crystal, which has become a more practical proposition as a result of the development of bulk vapour deposition techniques, for example multi-tube physical vapour phase transport methods, such as that disclosed in EP-B-1019568. For example devices may be fabricated for the detection of radiation at a detector from a suitable high energy source either directly or after interaction with an object under test, involving for example transmission, scattering, backscattering, absorption etc.
The high quantum efficiency of CdTe and CZT and CMT makes these materials ideal for high energy spectroscopy applications. However, in high count rate systems deterioration of the energy spectrum due to pulse pile up can become significant. In the case of systems which rely on an I/I0 data analysis (that is, which process data by taking a ratio of the spectrum when an object is present to that when an object is not present) this can be problematic as this effect is not normalised out of an I/I0 measurement owing to the differing count rates in both I and I0. In addition to this, the short shaping time used in this application can result in ballistic deficit effects due to interactions far from the cathode which further degrade the detector resolution. This effect is also not normalised out by and I/Io measurement due to beam hardening in the I spectrum which results in a larger average depth of interaction. Other depth of interaction effects such as incomplete hole charge collection can also result in degraded spectral resolution. This is particularly significant in large volume high energy detectors where the drift lengths of electrons and holes to the read out electrodes are large.
Photon interactions in the detector (events) in this invention can be subject to a number of effects as a result of which the interaction event may be more or less fully collected. In addition to pulses that are substantially fully collected other pulses may be more poorly collected due to effects including without limitation depth of interaction effects within the detector, pulse pile up of very closely piled up pulses, ballistic deficit effects in the readout electronics etc.
Each presents different problems if an accurate pulse height spectrum is to be collected, particularly for an I/I0 or like data analysis, and particularly at high count rate or for large detector thicknesses.


A composite layer of low k dielectric material for integrated circuit structures comprising a thick lower conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material, a low k center layer of carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material having good gap filling capabilities, and a thick upper conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material. The thick lower conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material protects the lower surface of the main low k dielectric layer and also protects against misaligned vias entering the main low k dielectric material below the height of the metal line without raising the capacitance of the structure as would a lower barrier layer of non-low k dielectric material. The thick upper conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material protects the upper surface of the main low k dielectric layer, as well as to provide thickness for vias to pass through without risk of via poisoning, and without raising the capacitance of the structure as would a thick upper barrier layer of non-low k dielectric material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the formation of low dielectric constant (low k) dielectric material for integrated circuit structures. More particularly, this invention relates to the formation of a composite layer of low dielectric material for integrated circuit structures comprising upper and lower conformal barrier layers of low k dielectric material with a low k center layer of carbon-doped dielectric material having good gap filling capabilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the continuing reduction of scale in integrated circuit structures, both the width of metal interconnects or lines and the horizontal spacing between such metal lines on any particular level of such interconnects have become smaller and smaller. As a result, horizontal capacitance has increased between such conductive elements. This increase in capacitance, together with the vertical capacitance which exists between metal lines on different layers, results in loss of speed and increased cross-talk. As a result, reduction of such capacitance, particularly horizontal capacitance, has received much attention. One proposed approach to solving this problem of high capacitance is to replace the conventional silicon oxide (SiO2) dielectric material, having a dielectric constant (k) of about 4.0, with another dielectric material having a lower dielectric constant to thereby lower the capacitance.
In an article by L. Peters, entitled xe2x80x9cPursuing the Perfect Low-K Dielectricxe2x80x9d, published in Semiconductor International, Volume 21, No. 10, September 1998, at pages 64-74, a number of such alternate dielectric materials are disclosed and discussed. Included in these dielectric materials is a description of a low k dielectric material having a dielectric constant of about 3.0 formed using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process developed by Trikon Technologies of Newport, Gwent, U.K. The Trikon process is said to react methyl silane (CH3xe2x80x94SiH3) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to form monosilicic acid which condenses on a cool wafer and is converted into an amorphous methyl-doped silicon oxide which i annealed at 400xc2x0 C. to remove moisture. The article goes on to state that beyond methyl silane, studies show a possible k of 2.75 using dimethyl silane in the Trikon process. The Peters article further states that in high density plasma CVD (HDP-CVD), dielectric material formed from methyl silane or dimethyl silane and O2 can provide a k as low as 2.75.
The use of this type of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material has been found to have good gap filling characteristics, resulting in the formation of void-free filling of the high aspect ratio space between parallel closely spaced apart metal lines with dielectric material having a lower dielectric constant than that of convention silicon oxide, thereby resulting in a substantial lowering of the horizontal capacitance between such adjacent metal lines on the same metal wiring level.
However, the substitution of such low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric materials for conventional silicon oxide insulation has not been without its own problems. Formation of the low k carbon doped silicon oxide dielectric material by the Trikon process is much slower than the conventional formation of undoped silicon oxide dielectric material. For example, in the time it takes to form a layer of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material by the Trikon process on a single wafer, it may be possible to deposit a conventional silicon oxide dielectric layer of the same thickness on as many as 5 wafers.
However, even more importantly, it has been found that the subsequent formation of vias, or contact openings, through such low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material to the underlying conductive portions such as metal lines, or contacts on an active device, can contribute to a phenomena known as via poisoning wherein filler material subsequently deposited in the via, such as a titanium nitride liner and tungsten filler material, fails to adhere to the via surfaces.
For example, contact openings or vias are usually etched in the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer through a photoresist mask. When the photoresist mask used to form the vias is subsequently removed by an ashing process, damage can occur to the newly formed via surfaces of the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material resulting in such via poisoning. Apparently the presence of carbon in the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material formed by the Trikon process increases the porosity of the low k carbon-doped dielectric material, thus rendering the material more susceptible to damage during subsequent processing of the structure.
It has also been proposed to deposit low k silicon oxide dielectric material by other processes such as by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), using CH4 and/or C4F8 and/or silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) with a mixture of silane, O2, and argon gases. Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is described more fully by Wolf and Tauber in xe2x80x9cSilicon Processing for the VSLI Eraxe2x80x9d, Volume 1-Process Technology (1986), at pages 171-174 .
While the formation of a low k silicon oxide dielectric material by PECVD is much faster than the formation of the same thickness low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer by the Trikon (i.e., at rates approaching the deposition rate of conventional silicon oxide), low k silicon oxide dielectric material deposited by PECVD has poor gap filling characteristics in high aspect ratio regions, resulting in the formation of voids in the dielectric materials deposited by PECVD in the spaces between the closely spaced apart metal lines in such structures.
Therefore, the formation of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material is the preferred material for use as electrical insulation between horizontally spaced apart metal lines, and between layers of metal lines to provide low capacitance between such metal lines or other conductive portions of the integrated circuit structure. However, the previously discussed susceptibility of the low k silicon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material to subsequent damage, such as during the removal of photoresist masks after formation of a via pattern in the low k material, or reaction to oxide layers or metal lines beneath the low k dielectric materials, has resulted in the use of barrier layers of dielectric material formed above and below the low k layer of dielectric material to respectively protect the upper and low surfaces of the low k silicon doped silicon oxide dielectric material.
Such barrier layers, while successfully fulfilling their function of protecting the layer of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material, are formed of conventional dielectric material such as conventional silicon oxide. The presence of such conventional high dielectric constant material, therefore, detracts from the goal of separating the metal lines from one another, both vertically and horizontally, by electrical insulation comprising low k dielectric material to reduce the capacitance between the metal lines.
To avoid the deleterious effects of using such barrier layers of high k dielectric material, the barrier layers have been formed as thin as possible, ranging in thickness from a minimum thickness of about 50 nanometers (nm) which is sufficient to provide the desired minimum barrier up to a maximum thickness of about 500 nm. The use of thicknesses greater than the minimum needed to protect the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material during further processing or reaction with underlying oxide layers and metal lines can have an adverse effect on the overall capacitance of the structure, since the barrier layers are not formed of low k dielectric material.
While such use of very thin barrier layers of conventional (non-low k) dielectric material does protect the upper and low surf-aces of the layer of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material while minimizing the contribution to high capacitance, another problem has arisen which the provision of a thin barrier layer does not address. In the prior art, the formation of very thin (narrow) metal lines, and the elimination of xe2x80x9cdog bonexe2x80x9d or enlarged contact regions on such lines for vias to intersect from another layer of metal lines can result in misalignment between the via opening and the underlying metal line, as shown in prior art FIG. 1.
Prior art FIG. 1 shows a fragment 2 of an integrated circuit structure having formed thereon raised metal lines 4a and 4b. Over metal lines 4a and 4b is formed a thin conformal barrier layer 6 of conventional (non-low k) dielectric material such as conventional silicon oxide having a thickness of 500 nm or less. A main dielectric layer 10 of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material is then formed over barrier layer 6. Low k main dielectric layer 10 of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material, as shown in FIG. 1, has good gap filling characteristics, resulting in a void free filling of the space between metal lines 4a and 4b. An upper barrier layer 20, which also comprises conventional (non-low k) dielectric material, such as conventional silicon oxide, is then formed over low k main dielectric layer 10 to protect the upper surface of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide main dielectric layer 10.
Still referring to FIG. 1, a via 30a is shown formed through dielectric layers 20, 10, and 6 from an upper metal line (not shown) down to raised metal line 4a, with via 30a shown formed in alignment with metal line 4a. However, such a via is not always etched through dielectric layers 20, 10, and 6 in perfect alignment with the underling metal line. Instead, what may happen, is the misalignment shown with respect to via 30b and underlying metal line 4b in FIG. 1. When this happens, the via etch, instead of stopping on the top surface of the metal line, extends down the sidewall of the metal line, as shown at 32. Furthermore, since barrier layer 6 on the sidewall of metal line 4a is formed very thin (to avoid excess capacitance through the non-low k barrier dielectric material), the misaligned etch not only etches away the portion of barrier layer 6 on the sidewall of metal line 4a, but also a portion of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer 10 as well. This, in turn, increases the overall exposed surface area of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material of layer 10 to the etching materials used to form the via as well as increasing the surface of low k dielectric material which may be damaged during the subsequent ashing process used to remove the photoresist via mask.
Increasing the thickness of barrier layer 6 beneath main low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer 10 would also increase the thickness of barrier layer 6 formed on the sidewall of the raised metal lines, thus inhibiting etching of the portion of the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material of layer 10 shown etched away at 32 in FIG. 1. However, this has been avoided in the past because of the increase in capacitance which can occur when the volume of non-low k barrier dielectric material of layer 6 is increase at the expense of a decrease in the volume of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material of layer 10 separating, for example, metal lines 4a and 4b from one another, as well as other separating them horizontally from other metal lines lying in the same plane, or other metal lines vertically spaced above or beneath metal lines 4a and 4b.
The formation and use of composite layers of low k dielectric material have been suggested by others. Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,061 entitled xe2x80x9cLOW DIELECTRIC CONSTANT SILICON OXIDE-BASED DIELECTRIC LAYER FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING IMPROVED COMPATIBILITY WITH VIA FILLER MATERIALS, AND METHOD OF MAKING SAMExe2x80x9d, was filed by two of us with others on Oct. 22, 1999, and is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,061 is hereby incorporated by reference. In one embodiment in that application, low k silicon oxide dielectric material having a high carbon doping level is formed in the high aspect regions between closely spaced apart metal lines and then a second layer comprising a low k silicon oxide dielectric material having a lower carbon content is then deposited over the first layer and the metal lines.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/425,552 entitled xe2x80x9cINTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURE HAVING LOW DIELECTRIC CONSTANT MATERIAL AND HAVING SILICON OXYNITRIDE CAPS OVER CLOSELY SPACED APART METAL LINESxe2x80x9d, was filed by two of us with another on Oct. 22, 1999, and is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/425,552 is hereby incorporated by reference. In one embodiment in that application, low k silicon oxide dielectric material which exhibits void-free deposition properties in high aspect ratio regions between closely spaced apart metal lines is deposited over and between the metal lines and over silicon oxynitride caps on underlying metal lines. After the formation of such void-free low k silicon oxide dielectric material between the closely spaced apart metal lines and the silicon oxynitride caps thereon, the structure is planarized to bring the level of the low k silicon oxide dielectric material down to the level of the tops of the silicon oxynitride caps on the metal lines. A further layer of standard k silicon oxide dielectric material is then formed over the planarized void-free low k silicon oxide dielectric layer and the silicon oxynitride caps. Vias are then formed through the standard k silicon oxide dielectric layer and the silicon oxynitride caps down to the metal lines. Since the vias are not formed through the low k silicon oxide dielectric material, formation of the vias does not contribute to poisoning of the vias. However, the presence of the low k silicon oxide dielectric material between the horizontally closely spaced apart metal lines reduces the horizontal capacitance between such metal lines.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,056 entitled xe2x80x9cLOW K DIELECTRIC COMPOSITE LAYER FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURE WHICH PROVIDES VOID-FREE LOW K DIELECTRIC MATERIAL BETWEEN METAL LINES WHILE MITIGATING VIA POISONINGxe2x80x9d, was filed by one of us with another on Oct. 22, 1999, and is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The subject matter of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,056 is also hereby incorporated by reference. In one embodiment in that application, a void-free low k silicon oxide dielectric material is formed in the high aspect regions between closely spaced apart metal lines by one of several processes, including the process used to form the first low k silicon oxide dielectric material described in the previously cited U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/426,061. A second layer of low k silicon oxide dielectric material is then deposited over the first layer and the metal lines by a process which deposits at a rate higher than the deposition rate of the void-free dielectric material. In a preferred embodiment, both of the layers are formed in the same vacuum chamber without an intervening planarization step.
The invention comprises a composite layer of low k dielectric material for integrated circuit structures comprising a thick lower conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material, a low k center layer of carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material having good gap filling capabilities, and a thick upper conformal barrier layer of low k dielectric material.

Composite low dielectric constant film for integrated circuit structure


A shift mechanism position sensor for a transfer case or transmission includes a plurality of Hall effect sensors disposed adjacent a ferrous, metallic plate having a plurality of apertures arranged to provide multi-bit binary signals in gray code. The metallic plate is secured to an internal component such as a shift control rod of the transfer case or transmission and translates bi-directionally adjacent the Hall effect sensors. Data coded in numerous distinct three or four bit binary numbers provides high resolution of the position of the shift mechanism, shift fork and associated clutch. Many four wheel drive motor vehicle transfer cases include a gear reduction assembly which provide direct and reduced speed drives. Such gear selection is often achieved by an electronic control system and it is important to provide information regarding the actual physical position of such gear selection mechanism to the control system. The Hall effect sensors and apertured plate are preferably disposed within the transfer case or transmission and provide accurate and well defined information to the control system.

The invention relates generally to electrical position sensors for mechanical devices and more specifically to a sensor for the gear selecting mechanism of a transfer case which utilizes Hall effect sensors and a coded, apertured plate.
Nearly every motor vehicle manufactured requires an indication of the condition, i.e., current operating state, of the transmission for some purpose. In early vehicles with fully mechanical transmissions, such indication was achieved by the position of the gearshift lever and was visually provided to the driver. With the advent of automatic transmissions and the limited range of movement of the gearshift lever, a dedicated display providing a positive visual indication of a selected gear was provided. Such displays, in their earliest and least complicated form, included an arrow or gun sight attached to the shift lever which traversed a stationary, sequential display of indicia corresponding to the available gears. In their more complicated configurations, a movable series of such indicia were displayed in a fixed viewing window or a movable light selectively illuminated stationary, translucent indicia.
As transmission vehicle control systems became increasingly complicated, collected data regarding the selected transmission gear might be used not only to provide information to the driver but also for use by other vehicle systems. Such devices are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat Nos. 4,100,530, 4,882,572 and 4,896,135. Gear selection detection and indication systems may also be utilized in conjunction with vehicle diagnostics. A system of this type is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,764.
Such sensing, display and diagnostic systems utilize diverse sensors, controlled devices and readouts. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,180, a plurality of electrical contacts which are arranged to partially overlap, provide distinct combinations of signals which indicate distinct transmission positions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,565 teaches a system wherein plurality of electrical contacts, in conjunction with a pattern of conductive and non-conductive areas on a sector plate, provide a four-bit binary code which may be utilized to deduce the transmission position. The four-bit binary code is supplied to both a transmission controller and a visual display.
One drawback the foregoing devices have in common is a separation of the position sensor from the actual positioned elements of the transmission or gear box. That is, the sensor typically senses the position of a gearshift lever or component external to the transmission as opposed to the position of the internal mechanical elements themselves. In many instances this separation is of no consequence as there is little opportunity for a disparity to develop between the commanded position and the actual position of the mechanical components.
Other devices, particularly motor vehicle transfer cases, in which a shift may be commanded but the positioning of the internal components of the transfer case may, by design, be delayed until another vehicle condition such as an off throttle condition is achieved or may simply be impossible to achieve until some current operational condition of the vehicle and driveline has changed, however, present challenges. In order to more accurately detect and provide data regarding the actual physical position of the transfer case gear selection components, it is preferable that the detection mechanism sense the actual position thereof and thus be mounted within the transfer case itself. The present invention relates to such a device disposed within a transfer case.

Hall effect transfer case shift mechanism position sensor


A method and apparatus for collocating an interface circuit with a disk drive read/write head is described. In one embodiment the interface circuit is attached to the load arm on one side and the miniflex interconnect on the other. The read/write head is mounted on the miniflex directly below the interface circuit. The interface circuit comprises a read signal preamplifier, a write driver, and head selection circuitry. A common multiplexer circuit is used to perform the other conventional read/write circuit functions. The common multiplexer circuit includes a head selection block to determine which heads are activated, a head driver block, and a read receiver block. The common multiplexer circuit is mounted at the base of the miniflex.

Disk drive read channel parasitics are a major limiting factor of further improvements in disk drive performance. The long wires that typically connect disk drive heads to interface electronics are a primary source of some of these parasitics. Also, typical yield loss for high sensitivity magnetoresistive vertical disk drive heads is over 33%. To better understand these problems, it is important to understand the following aspects of disk drive technology.
Disk drive memory systems ("disk drives") have been a popular means for storing computer-generated information for many years. In magnetic disk drives, digital information is typically recorded as bits on concentric tracks on disks comprised of a material capable of maintaining a magnetic field. Each stored digital bit is represented by a region of magnetic particles on the disk. Whether the bit is a 1 or a 0 is indicated by the orientation of the magnetic field on the disk.
Common disk drives may include several disks mounted on a single spindle and stacked vertically, with a gap between each disk. Data is written to and read from the surface of each disk by means of a magnetic read/write head located on a load arm assembly. If two disks are use in a drive, a "E" assemble is used to provide a assembly for the disks. A mux circuit physically electronically located between the two disk is used to multiply the control signals and data signals for the heads. The mux current acts as leading factors in the place of any preamplifier circuit. In high performance, high-density hard disk drives, typically eight or more disks may be stacked on the same spindle. Since the read/write head must be able to fit between the disks to read or write data, the minimum distance possible between adjacent disks is limited by, among other things, the vertical thickness of the head-arm assembly. Data is typically stored on both sides of each disk. Therefore, there are usually two head-arm assemblies located in the gap between adjacent disks.
Prior art head-arm assemblies typically consist of a load arm, with a magnetic read/write head mounted on one end of the arm, and a miniflex interconnect, to connect the read/write head to the head interface electronics. The head interface electronics are typically mounted at the base of the head-arm assembly. Head interface electronics typically include a write current driver, a read amplifier, and a multiplexer for the write current driver, multiplexing and control circuitry. The write current driver provides the current required to produce a magnetic field to define the magnetic orientation of a region of particles on the magnetic disk. The read amplifier amplifies the small amplitude electrical signals produced by changes in the magnetic field orientation between regions of the magnetic recording disk. The multiplexing and control circuitry connect the write current driver and read amplifier to the selected read/write head or heads. Typically, the read/write head is connected to the interface circuit using thin wires. These thin wires often introduce parasitic capacitance and inductance into the read channel because of the relatively long length of the wires compared to the other read channel circuit components. These parasitic effects are undesirable because they may reduce the read channel's frequency response and available head voltage swing.
One conventional disk drive head is known as a vertical head. Magnetoresistive (MR) type vertical heads are currently in widespread use. MR vertical heads typically comprise a magnetoresistive read head and a traditional thin-film inductive write head. Vertical MR heads are typically manufactured using a semi-batch process in which head coils are deposited on a ceramic wafer (typically aluminum oxide or silicon carbide). These wafers are sliced into bars, which are turned 90 degrees for grinding. Photolithography and etching are then used to produce an air-bearing surface on one side of the bar. The bars are then diced into individual heads with read and write coils located at opposite ends of each head.
One way to improve data storage and retrieval speeds in a disk drive system, as well as the overall capacity of the disk drive, is to increase the rotational speed of the disks. Alternatively, the data density (digital bits/disk area) may be increased. However, the parasitics caused by the wires connecting the read/write head to the interface electronics limit the bandwidth and the minimum pulse amplitude that can be transmitted through the read channel. Thus, these wires limit the performance improvements that can be provided by increasing the disk speed or data density in a disk drive system.
High sensitive MR read heads have been developed to detect the low-level magnetic flux changes present on high-density data disks. These MR read heads improve disk drive performance by detecting the flux changes of smaller magnetic disk regions than could be accurately detected with the previous generation of MR read heads. Unfortunately, the magnetic sensitivity of these MR read heads also makes them highly sensitive to Electronic Static Discharge (ESD), the discharge of static electricity that results when a high voltage is formed from static electricity across a thin insulator region. When this ESD voltage exceeds a threshold voltage for that insulator region, the insulator breaks down, allowing a charge to move across the region to eliminate the voltage difference. This movement of the charge through the insulator generally destroys the sensitive circuit elements of the MR read head. ESD failures are a serious yield problem, and may cause MR read head yield losses as great as 60%. Thus, there is a need for a new disk drive head-arm assembly that both reduces the parasitics of the read channel and protects the head from ESD effects.
An alternative to a vertical head, called the planar head, has been developed for use in disk drive systems. One planar silicon head in use today is comprised of a nickel-iron coil deposited on the surface of a silicon wafer. Approximately twenty mask layers are required to construct the skis and air bearing surfaces on the wafer, and to deposit the read/write coils planar to the silicon surface. Unlike conventional vertical thin-film conductive heads, a single planar head typically performs both read and write operations.
Head-arm assemblies have been described with magneto-diodes or transistors deposited on the back side of the planar head wafer to provide preamplification and multiplexing functions to the heads while reducing the parasitics caused by connecting the head to a separate interface circuit. However, such techniques cannot be used with conventional vertical heads. Thus, an improved head-arm assembly is needed to reduce parasitics and improve the yield of conventional vertical heads.

Active read/write head circuit with interface circuit


A method and apparatus which measures the electrical cable length of a ring in an active Token-Ring local area network. The system determines the data transmission speed of the ring, the type of cable being used to connect the stations of the ring, the manufacturer of the circuitry used in the active monitor station, and the number of standby monitors actively connected to the ring. The system determines the time between two successive tokens having no intervening non-token frames, and then subtracts the amount of delay through the active monitor station and the amount of delay through each of the standby monitor stations. It then multiplies this result by the speed of light and by a velocity constant determined by the type of cable being used, to produce the total cable length between all active stations on the ring.

Troubleshooting of Local Area Networks (LANs) requires that the technician have considerable knowledge of how the network functions, including the protocols of the network. In addition, they must have detailed knowledge of each type of message sent over the network, and the implications of each particular type of message being sent. This problem is more severe if a technician must trouble shoot more than one type of LAN, thus they must become familiar with each different protocol.
The cable length for a local area network is an important parameter since all local area networks are limited in the distance over which signals can be sent. Thus, intermittent problems are common if this length is exceeded. For some types of local area networks, the length for a given segment will be static unless a new station is installed or an older station is removed from a segment. However, with a Token-Ring type local area network, the electrical length of the cable within a ring varies each time a station is activated or deactivated. This occurs because activation of a station causes the cable between the station and a media access unit (MAU), to which the station attaches, to be electrically inserted into the ring. Deactivation electrically removes this section of cable from the ring.
This change in cable length due to activating and deactivating stations can cause intermittent problems on a ring of the network. Each station within this type of network repeats each signal received before sending the signal to the next station, thus the cable distance between stations is the limiting factor in the size of the ring. If several adjacent stations are deactivated, particularly when all stations connected to a single MAU are deactivated, the length between active stations can exceed the specifications of the network, which can cause intermittent failures. Thus it is important in troubleshooting a Token-Ring network to be able to ascertain the cable length between all the active stations.
In prior art systems, the only known way to measure the length of a Token-Ring network is to use a time domain reflectometer device while the network is inactive. When the network is inactive, however, the stations are not electrically connected to the network. Thus, there is no prior art way to measure the actual length of an active Token-Ring local area network while it is active.
Of course the length can be measured by physically measuring the length of cable between each station and the MAU, measuring the length of cables between each MAU in the ring, manually determining which stations are actively connected to the network at the time the length is to be measured, and then manually adding the length of the cable between the multiple excess units and the cable length for each of the stations that is currently active. This is a time consuming process and prone to errors.
There is need in the art then for a way of measuring the length of a Token-Ring local area network while that network is active.

Method for determining the electrical cable length of an active ring of a token ring local area network


An improved arrow rest apparatus for use in archery in which the arrow rest apparatus includes a carriage having a slotted opening and a mounting bracket for attaching said arrow rest apparatus to an archery bow. The improvement consists of extending a lockable shaft between legs of the slotted opening such that said shaft is supported on both ends within the slotted opening. An arrow rest is attached to the lockable shaft between the legs of the slotted opening. The lockable shaft rotates to provide proper vertical adjustment of the arrow rest and the lockable shaft is locked in the desired position with a locking device. A micro adjustment is provided which allows for horizontal adjustment of the carriage with respect to the mounting bracket.

The present invention relates to an improved arrow rest apparatus, and more particularly, to an improved arrow rest for use on an archery bow for accurately holding an arrow when aiming and for accurately guiding the arrow when shot.
This is an improved arrow rest apparatus over the previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,884, entitled Arrow Rest Apparatus, issued on Mar. 17, 1992.
When an arrow is shot from a bow, and more pronounced using the modern compound bows of today, it is subjected to a sudden propulsive force, which accelerates the arrow from a resting state is to a possible several hundred feet per second almost instantaneous. This propulsive force combined with a sideways torque imparted to the arrow by the releasing of the string by the archer, causes the arrow to go through a series of bowing and flexing motions. The amplitude and frequency of these bowing and flexing motions have an effect of the aiming and accurate flight of the arrow.
The design of the arrow rest helps the archer in aiming and accurately delivering the arrow. The well designed arrow rest considers the bowing and flexing action of the arrow as it is shot. The most pronounced bowing is immediately as the string is released. Thus, if the arrow rest does not consider this factor the arrow rest may not provide the archer with assistance in accurately delivering the arrow.
There are currently several types of arrow rest available. This includes plunger type arrow rests having a head for contacting the arrow and some sort of extension from the head upon which the arrow actually rests. Any sideways pressure exerted by the arrow on the head of the plunger type arrow rest is absorbed by the plunger action of the plunger. The extension generally pivots, rotates or bends as the arrow is shot.
There are also wire type of arrow rest which can be mounted on a spring, bracket or some sort of pivot arm. The wire arrow rest of these designs have various shapes and bends to accommodate an arrow. When an arrow is shot the wire can flex, pivot or rotate as the arrow bows or flexes.
In some instances the plunger and the wire type of arrow rests are combined. The plunger absorbing the sideways pressures and the wire arrow rest flexing, pivoting or rotating as the arrow passes. The type of arrow rest the archer uses is the archers' choice. Many have preferences based upon experience with the various types available and the skill of the archer and the cost of the equipment.
The prior arrow rest apparatus consists of a carriage mounted on a bow with a mounting bracket. The carriage contains a slotted opening and a rotatable shaft extending between the legs of the slotted opening. An arrow rest means is attached to the rotatable shaft such that as the arrow is shot the arrow movement along the arrow rest means causes the shaft to rotate.
The arrow rest of this invention provides the archer with a new and improved arrow rest apparatus providing more stability to the arrow rest. This arrow rest considers the bowing and flexing of the arrow as it is shot from the bow, allows the archer a variety of combinations of components, and allows for secure and easy adjustment of the arrow rest.
The primary object of this invention is to provide an arrow rest which will assist the archer in aiming and accurately shooting an arrow from a bow.
Another object of the arrow rest of this invention is to provide an arrow rest which can be easily adjusted, both horizontally and vertically.
A further object of the arrow rest apparatus of this invention is to provide for a fixed shaft supported on both ends to provide maximum stability and support of the shaft.
Still another object of the arrow rest apparatus of this invention is to provide a micro adjustment means for horizontal adjustment of the carriage in respect to the bow or mounting bracket.
Yet another object of the arrow rest of this invention is to provide an arrow rest which is stable and secure, such that once adjusted the arrow rest will maintain the setting during subsequent shooting and handling of the bow.
Still another object of the arrow rest of this invention is to provide an arrow rest which allows the archer a combination of components of the arrow rest in accordance with his desires and experience.
A further object of the arrow rest of this invention is to provide an arrow rest which can be easily installed and adjusted to fit most bows available on the market.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following, summary of the invention and detailed description of the main embodiments thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying figures.


A cab and observation or hunting stand is temporarily attachable to and quickly and easily removable from the front and rear racks of an ATV. The cab may be enclosed for weather protection if desired; at least one openable window and latchable door are provided. The cab may include a foldable stand on top, for use as an observation and/or hunting stand. Seating is provided in the stand, along with provision for a removable shade. Stabilization for the stand is provided by at least one stabilizer bar and an access ladder for the stand, which also serves as an additional stabilizing device. The apparatus may be camouflaged if desired, and lighting may be included within the cab for low light level operations.

The development of relatively small and lightweight internal combustion engines and transmission systems, has led to the development of correspondingly small and lightweight motorized four wheel vehicles intended primarily for off road use. While the initial intent of such vehicles was for recreational travel in unimproved areas (e.g., "dune buggy" type operations), hunters quickly became aware of the utility of such all terrain vehicles (hereinafter known as "ATVs") to travel into remote and roadless areas where there was a greater likelihood of finding game. The use of ATVs for hunting has greatly lessened the chore of removal of game from such remote sites also.
However, a standard ATV provides nothing more than a motorized means of traveling to and from a remote site, and perhaps a means of carrying any game back out from such a site. Hunters have also learned of the advantages of elevated hunting sites, both to remove themselves from the horizontal field of view of the game, and further to provide a greater field of view and field of fire from such an elevated site. A conventional ATV is incapable of providing such elevational advantages. While various stands and the like have been developed for installation upon ATVs, most are permanent installations which render the ATV relatively useless for other operations, and/or fail to provide all of the versatility required of such a device.
The need arises for a temporarily installable and removable cab and stand structure for an ATV, which structure provides for the removal and/or folding of the stand components atop the cab. Additional refinements, such as a cab enclosure permitting a good view for the occupant(s) of the cab; camouflage means making detection by game more difficult; and additional features, such as interior lighting for low light conditions, should be provided in addition to the basic structure.

Removable cab and stand for all terrain vehicles


An ATV radial tire has a block pattern including a chamfered block. The chamfered block has a notch which comprises an inclined surface obtained by chamfering a corner between an upper surface of the block and a wall surface of the block on an outer side edge of the block which is directed outward of a vehicle when the tire is mounted on the vehicle.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ATV radial tire capable of enhancing cornering ability.
2. Background Technique
The ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is for running on a bad road such as sandy road and dirt road, and the ATV is also called a buggy. The ATV comprises one or two front follower wheels and left and right rear driving wheels. A differential apparatus is not interposed between the driving wheel and the vehicle body. Therefore, since the left and right driving wheels always rotate at the same rotation number, it is necessary to laterally slide driving wheels at the time of cornering.
In recent ATV tires, a block pattern is employed in a tread surface so as to sufficiently secure the grip force on a bad road. However, the block pattern has high traction force which tries to advance forward, it is difficult to slide the tire at the time of cornering and thus, the cornering ability tends to be deteriorated. In a tire of radial structure, since a tread portion is reinforced by a belt layer, the tread rigidity is high and deformation of the block is small. Thus, the traction is further increased and the cornering ability is more deteriorated.
Thereupon, based on the idea that an outer edge of a block which is directed outward of a vehicle is provided with a chamfered block formed with a chamfered notch, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ATV radial tire capable of bringing traction ability and sliding ability in balance and capable of enhancing cornering ability with a simple structure.