A ferrite core of the invention is useful for reducing the power loss of Ni--Cu--Zn ferrites, and so for particle accelerators, and power transformers. This core comprises a ferrite magnetic material containing as major components 47 to 50 mol % of iron oxide calculated as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, 10 to 25 mol % of nickel oxide calculated as NiO, 2 to 15 mol % of copper oxide calculated as CuO and 15 to 35 mol % of zinc oxide calculated as ZnO, and further containing as subordinate components 0.05 to 1.5 wt % of cobalt oxide calculated as CoO, 0.05 to 0.8 wt % of tungsten oxide calculated as WO.sub.3 and 0.03 to 0.5 wt % of bismuth oxide calculated as Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, all based on the major components. Consequently, there is achieved a ferrite core having a power loss at 100.degree. C. of up to 210 kW/m.sup.3, and a power loss at 25.degree. C. of up to 140 kW/m.sup.3, as measured at f.multidot.Bm product=25 kTHz (f=1 to 10 MHz).

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a low-resistance and low-loss ferrite magnetic material, and a ferrite core for power transformers or accelerators.
2. Background Art
Soft magnetic ferrites are often used for cores of inductance elements of power transformers, choke coils, etc.
Ni--Cu--Zn ferrites, because of having a high specific resistance of 1.times.10.sup.8 .OMEGA..multidot.cm or more, are suitable for inductance elements for high-frequency purposes. For instance, JP-A-62-56358 discloses to apply them to low-pass filter cores, JP-A-1-101609 to apply them to inductors used at high frequencies of 1 MHz or more, and JP-A-1-101610 to apply them to chip inductors used at high frequencies of 1 MHz or more. With such ferrites, cost reductions are achievable because they can be directly wound with no provision of insulating coatings on their surfaces, as set forth in JP-A-62-56358.
However, difficulty is involved in using Ni--Cu--Zn ferrites for power transformer cores because their power loss is relatively large.
Generally, Mn--Zn ferrites are used as a core material for power transformers, and contain various subordinate components to make power loss low. However, the Mn--Zn ferrites are unsuitable for high-frequency purposes due to their specific resistance being as low as about 1.times.10.sup.3 .OMEGA..multidot.cm, and cannot be wound directly into a core as well.
Among ferrite materials known for particle accelerators there is an Ni--Cu--Zn system having such a basic composition as set forth in the aforesaid JP-A-62-56358. However, this composition system has high power loss as already mentioned, and so presents some considerable obstruction to achieving performance improvements, for instance, making the efficiency and energy of accelerators high. It has also been known so far in the art that Q characteristics are improved by the addition of CoO to Ni--Cu--Zn ferrites. Shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are power losses and .mu.Qf products of a conventional basic composition consisting of 49 mol % of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, 3 mol % of CuO, 18 mol % of NiO and 30 mol % of ZnO with 0.1 to 1.0 wt % of CoO added thereto, as measured at 1 MHz-25 mT, room temperature (RT), and 100.degree. C. With 0.04 mol % of CoO added, a power loss of 240 kW/m.sup.3 is obtained at 100.degree. C. or a 27% reduction is achieved as compared with that achieved so far (330 kW/m.sup.3), with a .mu.Qf product of 9.times.10.sup.9, as can be seen from these figures. However, this value is still less than satisfactory for the aforesaid purposes, and so much more loss reductions are now desired.

Ferrite magnetic material, and ferrite core


Of process steps of polymer removal in a substrate processing apparatus (3), in a step of discharging and spreading a removal solution to coat a rotating substrate (W), data indicative of the number of revolutions of a substrate, the temperature and flow rate of a removal solution, and removal solution discharge time is collected and a combination thereof is synthetically assessed to detect a processing abnormality. In a pure water discharge step, data indicative of the number of revolutions of a substrate, the flow rate of pure water and pure water discharge time is collected and a combination thereof synthetically assessed to detect a processing abnormality. Thus, a processing abnormality in polymer removal is detected based on a combination of important control elements in important steps largely exerting influence on the results of processing, thereby allowing detection of a processing abnormality with a higher degree of accuracy.

Products such as semiconductor or liquid crystal displays are manufactured by a series of process steps including cleaning, resist coating, exposure, development, etching, formation of an interlayer insulating film, thermal processing on substrates. These process steps are generally performed in a substrate processing apparatus incorporating a plurality of processing units. In the substrate processing apparatus, a transport robot sequentially transports a substrate between the processing units at which a substrate is subjected to a predetermined process to experience a series of process steps.
Conventionally, these processing units, transport robot and the like are each provided with various types of sensors for monitoring operations and process conditions thereof. These sensors detect an abnormality in substrate processing, an exemplary technique of which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-3117. Various types of sensors monitor respective targets. When any one of the respective targets goes out of a predetermined range, a corresponding one of the sensors sends an abnormality detecting signal so that a processing abnormality is detected.
An apparatus for removing polymer is an exemplary substrate processing apparatus in which polymers deposited on a substrate which are generated as a result of transformation of a resist in dry etching using reactive ions are removed by cleaning. In such a polymer removal apparatus, sensors detect the number of revolutions of a spin motor for rotating a substrate, the flow rate of a polymer removal solution and the like. In the event that any one of these values goes out of a predetermined range, a corresponding sensor sends an abnormality detecting signal.
However, a combination of a plurality of factors synthetically acts to obtain the results of substrate processing. For example, the number of revolutions of a spin motor even going out of a predetermined range may cause no abnormality of the results of processing as a result of combination with other control elements.
Conversely, even when all control elements fall within their predetermined ranges, a plurality of control elements as a combination may cause an abnormality of the results of processing. In this case, no abnormality detecting signal is sent from each sensor and hence, a processing abnormality should be detected in an inspection step to be performed after a series of substrate process steps is completed.
That is, even with various types of sensors provided to each processing unit, transport robot and the like, processing giving rise to no problem as a whole may be detected as a processing abnormality, or processing containing an abnormality may not be detected as an abnormality. Thus, it has been difficult to detect a processing abnormality with a high degree of accuracy by monitoring the operation of each processing unit.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Substrate treating system, substrate treating device, program, and recording medium


An improved magnetopermanent plate, constituted by a metallic body with high magnetic permeability, in the active plane of which there are provided hollow seats for accommodating corresponding coils composed of turns of electrically conducting wire covered with a sheath made of a material based on fluorocarbon resins; the turns are further mutually bound by means of a vitreous medium and are enclosed in a likewise vitreous protective element; the coils can be accommodated in the hollow seats, between which magnetopermanent means with a low polarization temperature coefficient are accommodated; means are provided for retaining the coils in the corresponding hollow seats.

The present invention relates to an improved magnetopermanent plate.
Magnetopermanent plates which anchor metal parts, such as molds or the like, to particular machines in order to produce various products have long been used in various fields.
For example, said plates are often used in the ceramics industry for tilemaking: they are in fact meant to provide the support for the molds in presses, and said support must be as strong and precise as possible, in order to prevent the hammer, by falling onto the mold, from irreparably damaging the entire unit due to an even minimal accidental displacement.
In practice, conventional plates are constituted by a solid body made of ferromagnetic material, in which parallel grooves are provided which are in practice mutually similar slots in which the coils are positioned and fixed; the energization of the coils produces the anchoring effect.
Currently there are substantially two types of said plates: a first one, of the so-called flux-reversal type, in which the neutrality of the surface, which is periodically required for example to replace the molds, is provided by reversing the polarity of some magnetic poles, so as to close the field lines below the active contact surface; and a second one, of the full demagnetization type, in which the demagnetization of the active contact surface is achieved by means of a procedure for demagnetizing the permanent magnets located in the plates in order to bring residual induction to zero.
In both cases, the demagnetization of the magnets occurs by acting on the same coils used for magnetization and therefore for the activation of the attraction force.
These coils are usually constituted by windings of enameled copper wire, which are wrapped in a containment wrapping formed by means of a cotton tape and are inserted in said grooves, inside which they are locked by poured epoxy resin; the grooves are then closed with a brass bar.
The enameled copper wire currently used to form said coils has a maximum operating temperature that is significantly lower than 200.degree. C., while the epoxy resin has a maximum attainable limit of approximately 160.degree. C.
These limits prevent the use of magnetopermanent plates in molds used for the production of items made of thermosetting plastics or elastomers.
These molds must in fact operate at temperatures close to 200.degree. C. in order to allow correct processing of the raw materials; during the heating step, in order to overcome a natural thermal inertia of the metals that constitute said molds, the temperature may exceed the above threshold of 200.degree. C. and be then brought to a steady-state value.
The materials that compose the coils and the epoxy resins that retain them in the grooves collapse at these temperatures: the coils burn and the resins soften, losing their ability to provide mechanical retention.
This makes the plate unusable.
Additionally, another drawback which is typical of magnetopermanent plates, particularly of the type that uses flux reversal for demagnetization, resides in the fact that some of the magnetopermanent materials used, such as rare earths or ferrites, have high polarization temperature coefficients and this causes a decrease in the attraction force as the operating temperature increases.
Finally, magnetopermanent plates meant for use in machine tools must be impermeable to the emulsified water usually used for machining.
The penetration of said emulsion (water and oil) in the coil seats causes aggression of the insulation of the wire that composes said coils, which are accordingly damaged, thus making the plate unusable.


There is provided an ice making method capable of forming ice to an intended level although a sensing unit configured to sense whether or not a formation of ice has reached the intended level malfunctions. The ice making method includes: an ice making initiation step S100 of forming ice by an ice formation unit; an ice release time determining step S200 of determining a point in time at which ice is to be released in consideration of a signal from a detection unit for detecting whether the formation of ice has reached an intended level and an ice making lapse time which has lapsed after the formation of ice was initiated by the ice formation unit; and an ice releasing step S300 of releasing the formed ice when a point in time at which ice is to be released is determined in the ice releasing time determining step.

An ice maker IM is designed to make ice I, and such an ice maker IM is provided in a water purifier, a refrigerator, or the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ice maker IM includes an evaporator E in which a cold refrigerant or a hot refrigerant flows in a refrigerating cycle (not shown). Also, one or more dipping members D are connected to the evaporator E, and a cold refrigerant or a hot refrigerant may flow in the dipping members D. A tray member T is also provided in the ice maker IM. Water is maintained in the tray member T, and the plurality of dipping members D are immersed in water in the tray member T. Accordingly, with the one or more dipping members D immersed in the tray member T, when a cold refrigerant flows in the dipping members D, ice I is formed on the dipping members D. After the ice I is formed on the dipping members D, when a hot refrigerant flows in the dipping members D, the ice I formed on the dipping members D is separated from the dipping members D. Namely, the ice I is released.
Meanwhile, in order for the ice maker IM to make ice I having an intended size, the size of the ice I may be detected (or determined) and when the formation of ice has reached an intended level, the ice I may be released. In this case, in order to detect whether or not the formation of the ice I has reached the intended level, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a gyration member C, provided to gyrate in a tray member T, and a sensor S, associated with the gyration member C, may be used.
As shown in FIG. 1, the gyration member C may include a contact member Ca and an electromagnetic wave reflective member Cb, and the sensor S may include an electromagnetic wave transmission member S1 and an electromagnetic wave reception member S2. When the formation of ice I has not reached the intended level, electromagnetic waves transmitted from the electromagnetic wave transmission member S1, according to the gyration of the gyration member C, may be reflected by the electromagnetic wave reflective member Cb of the gyration member C and received by the electromagnetic wave reception member S2.
Meanwhile, when the formation of ice has reached the intended level, the contact member Ca of the gyration member C is brought into contact with the ice I, so the electromagnetic waves transmitted from the electromagnetic wave transmission member S1 are not received by the electromagnetic wave reception member S2 according to the gyration of the gyration member C. Then, when it is determined that the formation of the ice I has reached the intended level, the ice I is released.
In the ice making method, if a foreign object (i.e., debris), or the like, is attached to the sensor S, even if the formation of ice I has already reached the intended level, electromagnetic waves transmitted by the electromagnetic wave transmission member S1 may still be received by the electromagnetic wave reception member S2 so it may be continuously determined that the formation of ice I has not reached the intended level. Also, if a foreign object, or the like, is caught by the gyration member C, although the formation of ice I has not reached the intended level, electromagnetic waves transmitted by the electromagnetic wave transmission member S1 may not be received by the electromagnetic wave reception member S2 so it may be detected (or determined) that the formation of ice I has reached the intended level.
Namely, a malfunction of the ice (I) size detection unit, such as the gyration member C, the sensor S, or the like, may lead to a failure in making ice I having the intended size.
Meanwhile, in the above description, the dipping type ice maker in which a refrigerant flows and which includes the dipping members D immersed in water in the tray member D is taken as an example, but the same problem may arise in any other types of ice makers. For example, a water flow type ice maker in which water is jetted to an ice making pin in which a refrigerant flows to form ice on the ice making pin, or an injection type (or jet type) ice maker in which water is jetted to ice making plate provided an evaporator with a refrigerant flowing therein and including one or more cells so as to make ice in the one or more cells may have the same problem.


The present invention is a device for printing an outline of an opening to be cut in wall to facilitate the installation of a GEM electrical box in the wall. The outline is substantially rectangular having a first and second set of sides. The first set of sides is shorter than the second set of sides and includes a semi-oval portion located at the middle of each side. The second set of sides have a semi-oval portion located at the end of each side. The device includes a rubberstamp configured to print the outline on the wall, and also includes a handle and a pair of levels for locating (leveling) the device prior to imprinting the outline on the wall. The rubberstamp can includes an inking means for replenishing ink to the rubberstamp. The device can include a stud finder device to assist in positioning the device adjacent a stud under the wall surface. The device can also include a spring assembly so that the rubberstamp can initially be located at a position on the wall without imprinting the outline on the wall, but will print the outline on the wall upon the application of pressure to the rubberstamp.

The present invention relates generally to a printing device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a printing device for marking an outline of an opening to be cut in a wall for installing a GEM electrical outlet box in the wall.
The installation of an electrical outlet box in an existing wall generally requires an electrician to hold the box against the wall while leveling the box with a level to trace the exterior perimeter of the electrical outlet box on the wall. The electrician then cuts the opening in the wall based upon the tracing of the electrical outlet box. The openings that result through the practice of tracing the electrical outlet box generally do not provide a clean fit and generally must be trimmed further to accommodate the electrical outlet box. This requires additional time and effort by the electrician.
Accordingly, devices have been developed for facilitating the marking of an outline for cutting an opening to install an electrical outlet box in a wall. Many of the devices known in the prior art are configured to address new construction where the electrical outlet boxes are initially installed to the wall framing (studs) prior to the installation of the sheet rock. These devices are configured to print the outline on the back face of the panel and are configured to be attached to the outlet box during printing. (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,226,882; 6,101,731; 4,589,211; 3,913,235; and 3,745,664;). Other devices are configured to address situations where the sheet rock is already in place and an outlet box is now being added to an existing room. (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,223,445; 6,209,214; 5,813,130; 5,615,490; 5,222,303; and 6,810,598).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,130 to MacDowell and U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,214 to Talayera disclose templates having a pair of levels for drawing the outline of an opening to be cut in a wall. In particular, the '130 patent to MacDowell includes a plate, and first and second levels. The plate is formed with an opening configured to conform with a GEM electrical box outlet. The first level is mounted to the plate for horizontal leveling of the template while the second level is mounted to the plate for providing vertical leveling of the template. Similarly the '214 patent to Talayera includes a base and at least one level for positioning the template. The shape of the base is generally configured to conform with a GEM electrical box. The devices disclosed in both the MacDowell and Talayera patents requires the user to utilize a separate marking instrument, e.g., pen or pencil, for marking the outline on the wall. Accordingly, the user must use two hands for marking the outline on the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,445 to Schuette, Jr., et al. discloses a device and method for installing and supporting an electrical outlet box. The device is very similar to the template tool disclosed in the Talayera patent in that the template tool includes a base with a level. The perimeter of the base in the '445 Schuette, Jr., et al. patent however is substantially rectangular. That is, the perimeter does not take into account the actual perimeter of a GEM electrical outlet box.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,882 to Barr discloses a device for marking an outline on a sheet of material for defining a portion of the material to be cut out. The device includes a rubberstamp configured to print the outline of the material to be cut out on the interior side of a sheet of drywall. The device is configured to be mounted to an outlet box that is already installed and includes a rubberstamp and a spring loaded contact pad. The contact pad is configured to prevent the inadvertent marking of the wall prior to the application of sufficient pressure to engage the rubberstamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,664 to Altseimer discloses an apparatus for marking the blind side of a drywall panel for cutting a hole for an electrical outlet box. The apparatus is used in construction when the drywall is being installed after the electrical outlet box has been attached to a stud. The apparatus includes a stamp for marking the outline of the electrical outlet box and a plurality of legs for engaging the outlet box.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,235 to Tenneson et al. discloses an apparatus for marking an outline of an opening on a panel to be installed over an electrical outlet box. The apparatus includes a stamp having a rectangular shape and a plurality of projections that are configured to cooperate with the electrical outlet box to hold the stamp in place while marking the blind side of the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,303 to Jardine discloses a template for marking the location of junction boxes. The template includes a plate formed with an aperture and generally includes a leveling means. The aperture is configured to be the shape of a junction box or other electrical device receptacle while the leveling means is generally a pair of bubble-type levels.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,731 to Mesa discloses a system for locating an opening to be cut in new drywall panels that are installed after the electrical outlets. In the system, a plurality of pins for penetrating the drywall are initially attached to the outlet box which is already mounted to the stud framing. During the installation of the drywall, the pins penetrate the drywall to define the region of the drywall to be cut out.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,211 to Policka discloses a paneling template for marking the position of an electrical outlet box on the backside of a wall panel. The template includes a rectangular base with four felt tipped posts that extend outwardly from the corners of the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,598 to Boys discloses an adjustable template including a stud finder. The user places the template on a pre-existing wall and uses the stud finder to position the template. After the template is positioned, it is then attached to the wall using pins. The user then cuts the outlet box opening using the outline provided by the template. A problem with the device disclosed in the Boys patent is that the wall is damaged when the pins are pushed into the wall surface. Accordingly, the user must take additional time to repair the wall after the template is removed.
Each of the methods and apparatus described above has inherent shortcomings, and it is an object of the present invention to overcome such shortcomings and to provide a device for facilitating the printing of an outline of an opening to be cut in the wall for installing a GEM electrical box.

Printing device including stud finder for installing gem electrical outlet box


Provided is a structure configured to electrically connect multi-layer dielectric waveguides, each including a dielectric waveguide formed of conductor patterns and vias in a laminating direction of the multi-layer dielectric substrate, in which the vias for forming part of a waveguide wall of each of the dielectric waveguides are arranged in a staggered pattern in the multi-layer dielectric substrate side having choke structures formed so as to electrically connect the waveguides to each other.

Hitherto, in transmission of a high-frequency signal between dielectric substrates, there is a known connection structure in which openings of dielectric waveguides respectively, formed in the dielectric substrates are opposed to each other in close proximity. In the connection structure described above, an electromagnetic wave leaks from a gap formed between the openings of the dielectric waveguides. Thus, a high-frequency transmission characteristic between the dielectric substrates and an isolation characteristic from a high-frequency transmission line adjacent thereto deteriorate.
Thus, in order to suppress the leakage of the electromagnetic wave from the gap formed between the openings of the dielectric waveguides, a choke structure including a first choke passage and a second choke passage extending from opening edges of the dielectric waveguides along the gap formed between the dielectric substrates is applied (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
The first choke passage corresponds to a choke passage extending to a cutout, which is formed in a conductor provided on a surface of the dielectric substrate so as to be located at a position spaced by λe′/4 away from the opening edge of the dielectric waveguide along the gap formed between the dielectric substrates, in which λe′ is an effective wavelength in the gap.
The second choke passage corresponds to a choke passage having a length of λe/4 from a position in the dielectric substrate, which corresponds to the cutout in a laminating direction, in a plane direction, in which λe is an effective wavelength in the dielectric substrate.
Further, hitherto, there is known a waveguide connection structure including a dielectric waveguide or a hollow waveguide formed of a dielectric substrate and a metal waveguide having a plate shape. The dielectric waveguide or the hollow waveguide and the metal waveguide are arranged in close proximity so that openings thereof are opposed to each other.
Even in the waveguide connection structure described above, choke structures are formed in the dielectric substrate so as to suppress the leakage of the electromagnetic wave from the gap formed between the opening of the dielectric waveguide or the hollow waveguide and the opening of the metal waveguide (see, for example, Patent Literature 2).
Further, in a related-art metal waveguide connection structure, there is a known choke structure including first choke passages and second choke passages formed along a gap formed between metals to extend from an aperture edge of the waveguide on a broad face side (see, for example, Patent Literature 3).
Each of the first choke passages corresponds to a choke from the aperture edge of the waveguide on the broad face side to a groove formed in a metal so as to be spaced by λ/4 away along the gap formed between the metals, in which λ is a free space wavelength. Each of the second choke passages corresponds to a choke passage having a length of λ/4 in a depth direction from the groove.
Further, in a related-art hollow waveguide connection structure made of a metal, there is a known connection structure, in which inner waveguide horizontal and vertical dimensions of two waveguides provided in close proximity so as to be opposed to each other are set to different values (see, for example, Patent Literature 4).

First and second dielectric waveguides disposed in respective multi-layer substrates which are connected by a connection structure having choke structures therein


The present invention provides processes and intermediates for the preparation of aminoethoxybenzyl alcohols of Formula I useful in the production of pharmaceutically useful compounds

Aminoethoxybenzyl alcohols are widely useful as intermediates for the preparation of various pharmaceuticals. For example, conversion of the benzylic alcohol to a halogen results in the appropriate intermediate for the preparation of indole based estrogen receptor modulators as described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,402. Additionally, similar benzylic halides that can be derived from their corresponding benzylic alcohols have been described as intermediates used in the preparation of compounds known to have inhibitory activity against various matrix metalloproteinase enzymes as well as against tumor necrosis factor α converting enzyme (TACE) (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,097).
Previous processes for preparing aminoethoxybenzyl alcohols are reported in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,005,102, 6,242,605 and 6,268,504, as well as PCT Pat. Appln. No. WO 99/19293. Reports of preparation of related compounds can also be found in German patent document, DE 4438028. A summary of such a method is shown in Scheme I:

The reported synthetic methods employ unstable materials such as haloethylamines, which are well known to be difficult to handle (see, e.g., Ludwig Knorr, Berichte, (1904) 37: 3507). The multi-step procedures also reportedly employ dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent, an expensive and difficult solvent to handle, especially in large scale preparations. Accordingly, more efficient methods for preparing aminoethoxybenzyl alcohols are needed. The processes and intermediates described herein help meet these and other needs.

Processes for the preparation of aminoethoxybenzyl alcohols


A bag reloading garbage unit includes a base with a compartment therein for containing a plurality of separably interconnected garbage bags. The base includes a slot through which the garbage bags can be pulled into position for use. The base includes at least two articulable guide arms with guide channels therein for engaging with a garbage bag being pulled into position. When the garbage bag top arrives at the top of each articulable guide arm, the top of the garbage bag is secured in position within the unit. The guide arms operate to open and close the garbage bag. When the garbage bag is full, it is closed and removed by pulling upward and pulling with it a connected garbage bag into position in the garbage unit.

Garbage bags are typically placed into garbage receptacles after emptying full garbage bags and replacing them with clean garbage bags by various persons, including cleaning crews. The problem with such devices is that a user must gather garbage bags from a supply closet or from a cart, and then manually replace the garbage bag into the garbage receptacle. More often than not, replacement garbage bags are not readily available, which causes inconvenience and a time consuming operation.
Presently, specialty garbage receptacles are available with various garbage bag dispensers built into and becoming an integral part thereof. However, such specialty garbage receptacles are often complex and difficult or cumbersome to use.
One prior art device includes a garbage bag dispenser for receiving a garbage bag continuously joined to, and separable from, other garbage bags. The device includes a housing for containing the garbage bag and a cover having a slot therein for guiding the garbage bag therethrough. The cover is moveably connected to the housing and integral therewith for allowing the cover to capture the garbage bag and to allow the garbage bag to freely move when urged through the slot. A closure made up of a snap button fastener and means for attaching the garbage bag dispenser to an interior of a garbage bag receptacle is made up of an adhesive backed hook and loop type fastener.
The system previously described relies on having a plurality of garbage bags continuously joined to and separable from another garbage bag for being received in a garbage receptacle, and for dispensing the garbage bag from the receptacle. While the feature of having a plurality of garbage bags separately attached to each other is used, the system described is complicated in structure and difficult to use.
In accordance with the invention, the problems of complex prior art systems are overcome by providing a simple structural device in which garbage bags separably secured to each other can be contained within a garbage unit with a garbage bag in place for receiving garbage. As the garbage bag becomes filled, it can be closed and removed from the garbage unit, and another garbage bag is automatically pulled into place and secured into position for use as a new garbage bag.


Provided are azeotropic or azeotrope-like mixtures of 1,3,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoro-propane (HCFC-242fa) and hydrogen fluoride. Such compositions are useful as a feed stock or intermediate in the production of HFC-245fa and HCFO-1233zd.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) based chemicals have been widely use in industry in a variety of different applications including as refrigerants, aerosol propellants, blowing agents and solvents, among others. However, certain CFCs are suspected of depleting the Earth's ozone layer. Accordingly, more environmentally friendly substitutes have been introduced as replacements for CFCs. For example, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245fa) is recognized as having favorable physical properties for certain industrial applications, such as foam blowing agents and solvents, and therefore is consider to be a good substitute for the CFCs previously used for these applications. Unfortunately, the use of certain hydrofluorocarbons, including HFC-245fa, in industrial applications is now believed to contribute to the global warming. Accordingly, more environmentally friendly substitutes for hydrofluorocarbons are now being sought.
The compound 1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene, also known as HCFO-1233zd or simply 1233zd, is a candidate for replacing HFC-245fa in some applications, including uses as blowing agents and solvents. 1233zd has a Z-isomer and an E-isomer. Due to differences in the physical properties between these two isomers, pure 1233zd(E), pure 1233zd(Z), or certain mixtures of the two isomers may be suitable for particular applications as refrigerants, propellants, blowing agents, solvents, or for other uses.
1,3,3-Trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane (HCFC-242fa or simply, 242fa) can be either a starting material or an intermediate (if starting with a less fluorinated chlorocarbon, e.g., HCC-240fa, 1,1,3,3-tetrachloropropene, 1,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene, and/or 1,1,3,3-tetra-chloro-1-fluoropropane) in the production of both 245fa and 1233zd which are well known in the art as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,706 and 6,844,475, respectively. In the case of 1233zd, see U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011-0201853. These documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
It has now been found that an important feed stock or intermediate in the production of both 245fa and 1233zd, is an azeotrope or azeotrope-like mixture of 1,3,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane (HCFC-242fa) and hydrogen fluoride (HF). This intermediate, once formed, may thereafter be separated into its component parts by extraction or distillation techniques. HCFC-242fa has a boiling point of about 109° C. and HF has a boiling point of about 20° C., at standard atmospheric pressure. The azeotropic or azeotrope-like compositions find use not only as reactor feeds in the production of 245fa and 1233zd, but they are additionally useful as solvent compositions for removing surface oxidation from metals.

Azeotropic compositions of 1,3,3-trichloro-1,1-difluoropropane and hydrogen fluoride


A lipid bilayer with affinity to an analyte, which directly signals binding by a changes in the light absorption spectra. This novel assay means and method has special applications in the drug development and medical testing fields. Using a spectrometer, the system is easily automated, and a multiple well embodiment allows inexpensive screening and sequential testing. This invention also has applications in industry for feedstock and effluent monitoring.

The present invention relates to a method for direct detection of analytes using observable spectral changes in monomolecular films which occur upon the analytes selective binding to the film.
Analytical Chemistry
Analytical chemistry techniques have been used for many years to determine such medical parameters as hematocrit levels. While useful in their own right, analytical chemistry methods are of limited or no practical applicability to many biological parameters in which assessment would be valuable. Unless expensive and cumbersome gas chromatography methods are used, large quantities of analytes are generally required to accomplish such methods. Often, quantitative results are limited or not available. However, such techniques have been used for such basic chemical tests as creatinine assays.
Microbiological and Pathology Methods
Another approach to medical-biological systems analysis has been direct microscopic observation using various cell-staining and classic pathology techniques. Augmenting these capabilities have been well developed microbiological techniques, such as culturing, colony characterization, and observation of metabolic and nutrient limitations. Most of medical science has been developed using this basic arsenal of analytic techniques.
While culturing and direct tissue observation techniques have served as the bulwark of medical detection processes for many years, they have considerable limitations. Pathological analysis of patient tissues to determine the development of a disease state and the identification of the causative pathogen generally requires an invasive procedure. On the other hand, culturing the pathogen from various body fluid or other samples is time consuming and expensive.
Immunoassays
A breakthrough in medicine occurred with the development of immunoassay techniques. In these methods, an antibody is developed which will specifically bind to a target of interest. While costly in both their development and production, antibodies from animals allowed a very accurate analysis of a number of analytes which had previously been virtually unassessable in both research and particularly clinical situations.
An important technical advancement in immunoassay was the development of monoclonal antibodies. Instead of subjecting an animal to an analyte and harvesting its whole range of antibodies, in this techniques a single spleen cell of a sensitized animal is rendered immortal and multiplied many times. The resulting cell line is then cultured to produce a very specific and pure antibody product.
Because the antibody itself is a small molecule, it must be labeled in some way so that the binding event can be detected. This can be done with a dye, flourescent, radioactive or other label. Conversely, if binding inhibition occurs between a known amount of introduced, labeled analyte and the material to be analyzed, the diminution of the signal will indicate the presence of test analyte. If the agglutination of the antibody particles is of sufficient volume and density, the formation of a precipitant can also serve to signal the presence of an analyte.
In recent years, the research and medical communities have come to rely heavily on immunoassay techniques to detect and quantify biological materials. While successful in many respects, the indirect nature of immunoassay methods as well as their dependence on antibody materials, results in a variety of complications, problems, and assay limitations. Briefly, the development and production of antibodies remains expensive, and these molecules are sensitive to environmental changes. Also, only those materials to which antibodies can be produce can be detected by these systems.
Immobilization of Assay Components
Many types of analytical chemistry techniques can be optimized and their implementation expedited by the immobilization of one or more of the components of a reaction. For instance, if the material to be tested is present in only a small quantity in a test sample, the analyte may be at so small a concentration that it is beyond the detection capabilities of a particular assay system.
Many immobilizing materials are available. These materials have been used extensively in analytical chemistry procedures for such purposes as the concentration materials. Sephadex columns are very commonly used for such purposes. Except for their specific binding properties, it is preferred that immobilization materials are relatively inert so that they themselves do not interact in the test reaction or otherwise interfere with the assay. Another important quality for immobilization materials is that they be regular in their structure, so as to provide predictability in the testing situation.
Classically, immobilization has been accomplished on columns, liposomes or other surfaces. The use of such materials provides many advantages for an assay system. For instance, these materials allow easy segregation of reactants from the surrounding test washes. Bi-lipid layer surfaces on support structures, as is described below, are also serving an immobilizing role in analytical systems.
In a typical immobilization scheme, the analyte is concentrated by adhesion to a column for which it has affinity. The testing can then take place on a limited area surface, rather than in the defused three-dimensional array of the original sample fluid. The reaction of the results are then concentrated in a smaller area, and are more likely to reach the level of detectability. A number of iterations of this technique are equally applicable to assay systems. These include concentrating the bound reactants to achieve an intensified signal, binding the signal producer and reacting the analyte on that surface, etc.
Immobilization techniques have proven very useful in the case of immunoassay approaches. Some of the difficulties with immunoassays lie in the submicroscopic nature of these materials. In a free-floating system, it is difficult to separate various parts of a sample which can obscure results, and to assure the maintenance of critical materials. For instance, there may only be a small amount of analyte in a sample, and the antibody can be very expensive, so that pure agglutination procedures will not accomplish a practical assay.
In response to these limitations, the research community has developed means of "immobilizing" the various components of an assay, both to concentrate analyte, and to localize a binding event. Basically, one component of the test is "tacked down" to a surface, and anything which subsequently binds to that component is likewise immobilized. This approach allows many advantages in using immunoassay techniques to their full potential.
An example of the use of immobilization in immunoassay techniques is where a test sample is washed across a surface to which it binds. An antibody is then washed across this treated surface, allowing specific immunogenic binding to occur. The antibody may have been pre-treated with a tag, in which case a color change, fluorescences or other such label is observed in a small, limited area. This approach provides maximum efficiency by limiting the amounts of both analyte and test materials required.
Bilayer Films as Immobilizing Supports
Bilayer films on surfaces have been used to provide the qualities of relatively expensive film materials to low cost support bases. Chemical modification of surfaces by organic monomolecular films has recently been used in an effort to develop such new materials. The ultrathin film coatings which can be achieved by these new approaches can effectively alter the surface properties of the original underlying material.
Because of these motivations, the techniques of molecular self-assembly, such as that described by Swalen et al., (Langmuir, Vol. 3, page 932, 1987) as well as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition (Roberts, Ed. Langmuir-Blodgett Films, Wiley, New York, 1966) are being used for coating surfaces with a well-defined, quasi two-dimensional array of molecules. The initial use for this new advancement was for materials science applications such as wetting (Whitesides, et al., Langmuir, Vol. 6, p. 87, 1990) and friction (Novotny et al., Langmuir Vol. 5, p. 485, 1989).
These bilayer films are also being used as immobilizing supports for analytic reactions. Bio-sensors based on LB films can detect molecules of diagnostic significance such as glucose (Okahata, et al., Thin Solid Films, Vol. 180, p. 65, 1989) and urea (Arisawa, et al., Thin Solid Films, Vol. 210, p. 443, 1992). In these cases, classic analytical chemistry systems are immobilized on the films in order to improve the readout of the test results and otherwise simplify and improve the detection capabilities of the test procedure.
The detection of receptor-ligand interaction is generally accomplished by indirect assays such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Although biotechnological functionalized films have led to elegant examples of molecular recognition at an interface, the problem of transducing the molecule recognition event into a measurable signal has remained a difficulty until the advent of the subject invention.
In the case of biosensor devices, detection is generally carried out by coupling the LB films to a secondary device such as an optical fiber (Beswick, Journal Colloid Interface Science, Vol. 124, p. 146, 1988), quartz oscillator (Furuki et al., Thin Solid Films, Vol. 210, p. 471, 1992), or electrode surfaces (Miyasaka, et al., Chemical Letters, p.627, 1990).
Some of the analytes bound to these films provide for fluorescent label, where the fluorescence or its quenched state indicate the occurrence of a binding event (Beswick, Journal Colloid Interface Science, Vol. 124, p. 146, 1988). In some cases, these detection materials have been embedded in the surface of the supporting bi-lipid layer (Tieke, Advanced Materials, Vol. 3, p. 532, 1991).
Polydiacetylene films are known to change color from blue to red with an increase in temperature or changes in pH due to conformational changes in the conjugated backbone (Mino, et al., Langmuir, Vol. 8, p. 594, 1992; Chance, et al., Journal of Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 71, p. 206, 1979; Shibutag, Thin Solid Films, Vol. 179, p. 433, 1989; Kaneko, et al., Thin Solid Films, Vol. 210, p. 548, 1992). While it has been a goal of the research community to exploit this characteristic in the detection of binding events, researchers have yet to develop a method using this phenomenon in practical applications.
It would be highly desirable if the direct detection method of analytical chemistry techniques could be achieved with very small and biological molecules present in minute amounts in the analytic fluid, as this would represent a revolution in the bio-medical analytic arts. It would be ideal if the technology of monomolecular film supports could be developed in a unique way so that the binding event causes a change in the support material that could be directly detected.

Polymeric assay film for direct colorimetric detection

The Regents of the University of California


A heat-electricity combined production system includes: a solar cell module in which a flow path through which a heat source side heating medium heated by solar heat flows, is formed and which generates electricity by solar light; a geothermal heat exchanger that absorbs geothermal heat through the heat source side heating medium; a heat pump including a heat source side heat exchanger that performs heat-exchange between the heat source side heating medium and a refrigerant and a load side heat exchanger that performs heat-exchange between the refrigerant and a load side heating medium; a controller that control the heat source side heating medium to pass through both the solar cell module and the geothermal heat exchanger; and a plurality of pipes that connect the solar cell module, the geothermal heat exchanger and the heat pump.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-electricity combined production system that utilizes solar energy and geothermal heat, and more particularly, to a heat-electricity combined production system that is capable of producing heat and electricity in a combined manner by fusing solar energy and geothermal heat.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Solar energy has characteristics of an energy resource that is close to non-pollution, no noise and infinity and thus is main alternative energy. In particular, the usage of solar energy is increasing due to regulations and a tendency of controlling the usage of a fossil fuel.
As part of the usage of solar energy, there is a solar cell that is manufactured using a specific semiconductor, such as solar silicon, zinc sulfide (ZnS) or gallium arsenide (GaAs), that emits electrons while colliding with photons.
Meanwhile, technology that uses geothermal heat as one new renewable energy has been continuously developed. Geothermal heat is a heat source in which about 47% of solar energy that reaches the earth is stored in the underground through the earth's surface. The temperature under the ground that is close to the earth's surface is about 10° C. to 20° C., and there is no annual large temperature change, and the temperature under the ground of several kilometers is a heat source of about 40° C. to 150° C.
In particular, geothermal heat cannot be used as a primary energy source, however, if geothermal heat is used as a heat pump heat source having high energy efficiency, there is a very high possibility that geothermal heat will be used as building cooling and heating energy.
The development of technology for fusing the above described new renewable energy is recently required. Thus, Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2004-004921.3 discloses a "Heat Pump System Using Combined Heat Source". The related art discloses technology that includes a solar heat exchanger and a geothermal heat exchanger and heat generated in the solar heat exchanger and the geothermal heat exchanger is used for heating and cooling.
However, according to the related art, since heat is individually transferred from solar heat and geothermal heat and is used, thermal efficiency is not high. In case of a geothermal heat pump system using geothermal heat, when the heat pump system operates for winter heating, a large load is applied to a compressor such that problems of frequent trouble of the compressor and reduction in the lifespan caused thereby may occur. Thus, a structure for fusing solar heat and geothermal heat and a method of reducing a load applied to the compressor in the geothermal heat pump system are needed.
Also, the efficiency of the solar cell depends on the amount of incident light and the temperature of photoelectric cells arranged in a photoelectric cell layer. That is, as the temperature of the photoelectric cells rises, the efficiency of the solar cell is lowered. Thus, related arts related to a solar cell module having a cooling unit have been proposed so as to prevent a high-temperature rise of the temperature of the solar cell. However, in most prior arts, there is a structure in which a single refrigerant is used and the installation of a cooling pipe for a flow path of the refrigerant is complicated.
As part of methods using solar heat, Korean Patent Application No. 2002-28178 discloses a method of using solar heat, whereby a sandwich panel manufactured by injecting a urethane solution or a foaming resin into both metal plates and by hardening the urethane solution or the foaming resin. In the structure using the sandwich panel, an outer wall does not directly contact the outside, and a buffering space as an air layer is obtained so that a temperature difference between the interior and the exterior can be reduced to reduce a heating loss and a part of air heated in the air layer flows into the interior so that heating costs can be partially reduced.
However, in the above prior-art documents, additional power is required to flow heated air into the interior or to drive a blowing fan for discharging air in a separation space. Also, the flow path itself is configured to block the interior and the exterior such that an additional window or unit is required for ventilation.

Heat-electricity combined production system that utilizes solar energy and geothermal heat


A method of terminating a plurality of wires to an electrical connector. The method generally includes providing a heat applicator device that selectively applies heat to a specific connector pin within an electrical connector so that a corresponding wire may be soldered to the connector pin. The heat applicator device applies heat to a first connector pin for a period of time for soldering of a first wire to the first connector pin and then the heat is removed. The heat applicator device then applies heat to the next connector pin for soldering a next wire to the next connector with the process continuing until all of the wires are soldered to their corresponding connector pins on the electrical connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wire termination and more specifically it relates to a wire termination system for efficiently connecting a plurality of wires to an electrical connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
There are various types of electrical connectors used today including but not limited to fine wire terminations, pinned connectors, terminal blocks, plug and socket connectors, medical connectors, transition devices and custom connectors. Conventional electrical connectors include a plurality of connector pins that have a corresponding plurality of wires from a cable that must be soldered together according to a pinout which cross-references the wires to the connector pins. Today, technicians manually connect each individual wire to a corresponding connector pin on the electrical connector. The number of connector pins on a connector range from 2 to greater than 100 connector pins which receive a corresponding number of wires.
Medical probes typically have numerous connector pins within an electrical connector that require a corresponding number of fine wires to be connected to. For example, modern catheters may contain more than 120 40-gauge wires connecting medical transducers. A skilled technician manually connects each of the fine wires to a corresponding connector pin on the electrical connector utilizing a soldering device (e.g. soldering iron or soldering gun). The technician must identify a fine wire and a corresponding connector pin where the fine wire will be connected to. After identifying the proper connection point for the fine wire, the technician then must position the fine wire adjacent to the connector pin and then heats the solder with the soldering device to melt upon both the fine wire and the connector pin. Once the technician removes the soldering device, the melted solder solidifies thereby physically and electrically connecting the fine wire to the connector pin. The technician manually repeats this process for each individual fine wire until all of the fine wires are connected.
As can be appreciated, the manual process of soldering a plurality of wires to an electrical connector is labor intensive, time consuming, costly and creates a significant amount of discarded material. Errors by technicians soldering wires to electrical connectors are common with error rates approaching 25% with some medical connectors where the wires are very thin and where a single mistake typically results in the complete loss of the connector. For example, technicians may mistakenly connect a wire to an incorrect connector pin thereby resulting in a defective electrical connector being produced thereby requiring additional time to fix or the complete loss of the electrical connector. Errors by technicians are further compounded by the increasingly smaller wires used in electrical connectors today, particularly in the medical industry, where some devices require 100 or more connector pins within a square centimeter. To make matters worse for technicians, they must often times connect extremely fine wires having a 40-gauge or 50-gauge size.
Because of the inherent problems with conventional wire termination systems, there is a need for a new and improved wire termination system for efficiently connecting a plurality of wires to an electrical connector.

Method of terminating a plurality of wires to an electrical connector


The invention relates to a liquid catalyst solution containing a polycondensation catalyst for polyester production, which contains titanium atoms, alkaline earth metal atoms and phosphorus atoms, has high reactivity and excellent long-term storage stability, can be easily produced industrially, and has an advantage in cost.

Polyester resins are extensively used in various applications including containers, e.g., bottles, films, sheets, and fibers because they have excellent chemical and physical properties.
In general, a polyester resin is produced through the esterification reaction or transesterification reaction of a dicarboxylic acid and/or an ester-forming derivative thereof with a diol and a melt polycondensation reaction. According to need, the resultant polymer is further subjected to a solid-phase polycondensation reaction especially in producing a resin for container use. For these polycondensation reactions, a compound of antimony, germanium, titanium, or the like is used as a catalyst.
However, polyester resins produced with an antimony compound as a catalyst have peculiar dullness. Because of this and because there is a fear about safety/hygiene and the environment in the use of antimony compounds, there has been a strong desire for a reduction of the amount of the antimony compound to be used or for the advent of a polycondensation catalyst usable as a substitute for the antimony compound. Polyester resins produced with a germanium compound as a catalyst are satisfactory in transparency, safety/hygiene, and the like but unavoidably have a disadvantage in cost because the germanium compound itself is exceedingly expensive. From this and other standpoints, there has been a strong desire, in the case of germanium compounds also, for a reduction in the amount of the germanium compound to be used or for the advent of a polycondensation catalyst usable as a substitute for the compound.
On the other hand, titanium compounds are attracting attention because they are inexpensive and are free from a fear about safety/hygiene, etc. Titanium compounds have come to be used in place of antimony compounds or germanium compounds. However, polyester resins produced with a titanium compound as a catalyst have peculiar yellowness and have further had quality defects such as poor thermal stability.
For overcoming such defects, patent document 1 proposes a process in which titanium, magnesium, and phosphorus compounds are separately added as respective ethylene glycol solutions in specific proportions to thereby produce a polyester resin of excellent quality. In this process, however, at least three independent catalyst addition devices are necessary and it is not easy to divert an existing polyester resin production equipment employing an antimony catalyst or the like to this process. It is therefore necessary to additionally install a new apparatus, resulting in the necessity of a further investment.
There has hence been a desire for a polycondensation catalyst for polyester production which contains titanium atoms, atoms of an alkaline earth metal such as magnesium, and phosphorus atoms in the same catalyst and which enables an existing polyester resin production equipment to be stably used as it is.
Patent document 2 discloses, as such a polycondensation catalyst for polyester production, a catalyst comprising an alkyl titanate treated with an aromatic polycarboxylic acid, a magnesium compound, a specific phosphorus compound, and ethylene glycol. However, as a result of an investigation made by the present inventors, this catalyst was found to lack long-term stability in ethylene glycol and opacify in several days during storage to give a slurry containing a precipitate of a metal ingredient. Since this catalyst is in a slurry form, the catalyst was found to have problems concerning poor handleability. For example, it is difficult to add the catalyst with satisfactory precision during a polycondensation reaction for polyester production, and the catalyst in a slurry form sediments in a catalyst storage tank or catalyst addition line and scales. Furthermore, there has been a problem that since it is essential to treat a titanium compound with an aromatic polycarboxylic acid for preparing the catalyst, this makes the production steps complicated and more costly. In addition, this process necessitates a heating step for heating to 100° C. or higher and, hence, is not easy to practice.
Patent document 3 discloses a homogeneous-solution catalyst comprising ethylene glycol or the like and, contained therein, titanium atoms and atoms of a Group 2A metal of the periodic table. In patent document 3, it is disclosed to add an organic acid or inorganic acid to the solution to make the solution acidic for the purpose of keeping the turbidity of this homogeneous-solution catalyst stably low. However, there is no statement in this patent document concerning a technique in which the phosphorus compound to be added in a polyester resin production reaction is added to the homogeneous solution. In the process proposed, it is necessary in polyester resin production to separately add the phosphorus compound as a stabilizer for the polyester resin.
In the processes according to patent documents 1 and 3, a solution containing titanium element, magnesium element, and phosphorus element is added in two or three portions. However, in the case of employing portion-wise addition in industrial production, it is necessary to strictly control an addition method and the like in order to enable the polycondensation catalyst components to be present in the reaction system in given concentrations from the standpoints of productivity or stability of the performance and product quality of the polyester to be obtained, etc.
Patent document 4 discloses a process employing as a catalyst an ethylene glycol solution containing titanium atoms and magnesium atoms which has been obtained using, as a raw material, a titanium compound synthesized beforehand which is a solid titanium compound or a solid titanium compound containing magnesium. However, this technique has a problem that the catalyst production steps are complicated partly because of the necessity of a step in which a metal compound is hydrolyzed and that the product is costly accordingly. Furthermore, there is no statement in this patent document concerning a technique in which the phosphorus compound to be added in a polyester production reaction is added to this ethylene glycol solution, and it is necessary to separately add the phosphorus compound during polyester production.
For overcoming such drawbacks, patent document 5 proposes: a liquid polycondensation catalyst for polyester production which contains titanium atoms, alkaline earth metal atoms, and phosphorus atoms, can be easily produced industrially, is less expensive, and has excellent long-term storage stability; and a process for producing the catalyst. However, the liquid catalyst of this invention contains titanium atoms in a relatively low concentration and is hence bulky. Because of this and because the catalyst contains a solvent in a large amount, the liquid catalyst proposed is unsuitable for conveyance/transport.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-124068    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2004-224858    Patent Document 3: JP-A-2004-292803    Patent Document 4: JP-A-2004-176033    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-014379

Catalyst for polyester polycondensation and method for producing polyester resin using the same


In at least one embodiment, a projector comprises a projection unit configured to project a video based on a video signal. An image pickup unit is configured to pick up an image of a projection video projected by the projection unit and output the picked-up image. A control unit is configured to determine a projection video projected by an other projector based on the picked-up image received from the image pickup unit. A keystone correction unit is configured to carry out keystone correction of the video signal so that the projection video projected by the projection unit is aligned with the projection video projected by the other projector.

Traditionally, with respect to a projection-type display system, it is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-8-168039 that "an inspection pattern is combined with video signals 810 and 820 and projected onto a screen 7 from two projectors 110 and 120. The position of this inspection pattern is detected by an image sensor 60, and on the basis of the detected position, a displacement quantity analyzing unit 50 calculates a positional shift of the projection position by image processing and so on, as a displacement quantity. In accordance with this displacement quantity of the projection position, feedback is given to display position adjustment mechanism units 210 and 220 and the positional shift is automatically corrected optically and mechanically. Thus, pixel alignment of plural projectors to realize high definition can be carried out easily and accurately," as a technique for the purpose of "providing a projection-type display system that facilitates pixel alignment in order to achieve light weight and high definition, and a projection position adjusting method for the same."
With respect to a multi-screen display apparatus, it is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-2000-241879 that "an automatic screen position adjustment device for a multi-screen display apparatus including a reflection mirror and a light detection sensor arranged for common use at a seam part of screens that are next to each other, wherein light projected from projectors that are next to each other is reflected by the reflection mirror and a detection signal obtained by detecting the reflected light by the light sensor is used to automatically adjust the screen position of video light projected from the projectors, to a predetermined position," as a technique to cope with a problem that "traditionally, in a multi-screen display apparatus, a person skilled in the art takes a long time to make screen position adjustment in order to match seams of videos displayed on screens that are next to each other."
With respect to a table-type display, it is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-2006-251604 that "an image sensor 51 is caused to operate first, and an image pickup signal from the image sensor 51 is taken into an image pickup data processing unit 63. The image pickup data processing unit 63 detects the coordinate position of a mark MA on a screen 40 and updates a position conversion table in a position data conversion table unit 64. Thus, initial processing is complete. In this state, when an image signal is inputted to an image data processing unit 61 from outside, the image data processing unit 61 carries out coordinate conversion for the image signal by referring to the position conversion table in the position data conversion table unit 64 via a control unit 65. Thus, image light modulated by light valves 35a, 35b and 35c is projected to perfectly fit in a display area 41 of the screen 40," as a technique for the purpose of "providing a table-type display that enables accurate projection of an image at a target position on a screen."
Traditionally, if a multi-screen system is formed by using plural projectors, the person who installs the system manually confirms and adjusts the positional relation between each projector and screen, lens power, defocusing and so on. This requires a considerable amount of time and effort.
With respect to this point, it is described in JP-A-8-168039 that pixel alignment of plural projectors is carried out by using the image sensor 60. However, this achieves higher definition of a single screen and no specific measures are described for positional alignment of projectors in a multi-screen system.
In JP-A-2000-241879, the reflection mirror and the light detection sensor must be arranged at the seam part of screens. Additional cost and work are required for this.
In JP-A-2006-251604, since coordinate conversion of an image signal is carried out to match the mark MA on the screen 40, the mark MA must be provided in advance on the screen 40. This poses a problem in terms of versatility.

Projector, multi-screen system, projector control method, computer program product, and information storage medium


The present invention relates to an X-ray tube, having a structure enabling capturing of a clear magnified transmission image and enabling increase of a magnification factor of the magnified transmission image, and an X-ray source including the X-ray tube. In the X-ray tube, X-rays are generated by making electrons from an electron gun incident onto an X-ray target of an anode, disposed inside an anode housing unit, and the generated X-rays are taken out from an X-ray emission window. In particular, the anode housing unit has a pair of conductive flat portions disposed parallel to a reference plane, orthogonal to an electron incidence surface of the X-ray target, and so as to sandwich the X-ray target. The reference plane contains a first reference line, joining an electron emission exit center of the electron gun and an electron incidence surface center of the X-ray target, and a second reference line, being a straight line intersecting the first reference line on the electron incidence surface of the X-ray target and joining the electron incidence surface center and an X-ray emission window center.

X-rays are electromagnetic waves that are highly transmitted through objects and are frequently used for nondestructive, noncontact observation of internal structures of objects. Normally with an X-ray tube, X-rays are generated by making electrons, emitted from an electron gun, incident on an X-ray target. As described in Patent Document 1, with an X-ray tube, a tubular member, housing an electron gun, is mounted onto a housing member that houses a target. Electrons, emitted from the electron gun, are made incident on the target and X-rays are generated from the target. The generated X-rays are transmitted through an X-ray emission window of the X-ray tube and irradiated onto a sample disposed at an exterior. The X-rays transmitted through the sample are captured as a magnified transmission image by any of various X-ray imaging means.
Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,771

X-ray tube and x-ray source including same


An electro-optic device comprises a first substrate having a rear surface and a second substrate having a front surface opposed to the rear surface of the first surface; a cavity defined between the opposed rear surface of the first substrate and the front surface of the second substrate; a sealing member bonding first substrate and second substrate together in a spaced apart relationship; and a bi-level bus bar assembly comprising a first layer and a second layer, and disposed between the first and second substrates. The bi-level bus bar assembly extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the electro-optic device.

Current electro-optic devices may comprise a conductive epoxy or other conductive material disposed along at least a portion of an edge of the electro-optic device between the first and second substrates to form an electrical bus. The bus bar may be hidden behind a bezel or a chrome ring. However, in some circumstances, such as in a heads up display, a bezel or chrome ring cannot be used or may not be aesthetically desirable. In that case, the bus bar may be visible through the surface of the electro-optic device.

Conductive bus bar with dark or colored appearance


A content addressable memory (CAM) architecture. For one embodiment, the CAM architecture includes a plurality of rows of CAM cells, each row configured to generate match results on a corresponding match line, a number of comparand lines, each coupled to a corresponding CAM cell in each of the plurality of rows of CAM cells, a plurality of timed storage circuits, each having a data input coupled to a corresponding match line and having an enable input coupled to an enable signal line, a timing generator configured to generate an enable signal on the enable signal line, and a plurality of load elements.

Content addressable memories (CAMs) can be used within a wealth of different electronic systems (e.g., computing systems such as laptop computers, personal computers (PCs), servers, etc.; networking systems such as routers, switches, base stations, etc.; etc.). Often, a CAM is used to perform a "look-up" function. For example, in networking applications, a portion of the header information of a packet is often used as a search key or comparand to look-up or identify an entry in the CAM. The address at which the matching entry is located in the CAM can then be used to address or index a location in associated memory where attributes as to how the packet is to be handled are found (e.g., an attribute that identifies the priority level of the packet, an attribute that identifies the specific fiber-optic cable over which the packet is to be launched, etc.).
FIG. 1 shows an example of at least a portion 100 of a CAM architecture. According to the depiction of FIG. 1, CAM architecture 100 includes a plurality ("K") of rows of CAM cells 1401 through 140K. Each CAM cell includes a memory storage element and a compare circuit and can be binary (i.e., effectively stores and compares on two logic states—logic 0 and logic 1) or ternary (i.e., effectively stores and compares on three logic states—logic 0, logic 1, and a don't care state).
A comparand is typically registered in comparand register 108 and then compared with the data values stored within the plurality of CAM cells 140. The comparison results are reflected as match signals on corresponding match signal lines 1101-110K. The match signals are typically then latched by latch 102. Latch 102 has K latch circuits 1021-102K that each latch a corresponding match signal state in response to the latch enable signal generated by timing generator 103. The latch enable signal is typically generated in response to a cycle clock and control signal CMP that indicates when a compare operation is taking place.
The latched match signals are provided to priority encoder 105 and flag logic 113 over signal lines 1041-104K. Priority encoder 105 processes the match signals in a predetermined manner to determine which of the matching entries (i.e., those data values in the CAM array that match the comparand) is the highest priority matching entry. An index or address of the highest priority matching entry in the CAM array is then output from priority encoder 105 over signal lines 106. Flag logic 113 typically generates a match flag signal that indicates if one or more of the match signals indicates a match, and thus qualifies the output of the priority encoder.
Semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) designers typically specify minimum performance levels that the IC will meet or exceed across a wide range of operating conditions of a CAM device. The operating conditions include environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture content in the operating environment, pressure, etc.), electrical conditions (e.g., supply voltage, input and output voltages, currents and loading, etc.), manufacturing variations (e.g., fabrication variations in transistor geometries and properties, material geometries and properties, etc., which are commonly referred to as "process variations"), and functional considerations (e.g., which operations have been performed by the device and which operations are currently being performed by the device, etc.).
With respect to CAM architecture 100, timing generator 103 is typically designed using simulation tools to transition the latch enable signal at a point in time when all of the match signals are stable after a compare operation. As such, the timing generator is typically designed to transition the latch enable signal to capture accurate match results even under worst case operating conditions. Worst case operating conditions are typically high operating temperature, low supply voltage, slow fabrication geometries, and the slowest time required for CAM array 140 to perform a match and/or a mis-match operation. Although this design approach may guarantee a minimum performance under worst case operating conditions, it sacrifices better performance that could have been realized under better than worst case operating conditions. This can adversely affect the rated performance of the CAM device and can decrease the overall operating frequency, speed or throughput of the device. For example, the longer time that is required to latch the match signals, the later in a particular clock cycle (e.g., of the cycle clock) that it takes for the priority encoder and flag logic to perform their respective operations. This slows down the maximum operating speed of the device.
Additionally, timing generator 103 is typically designed as a pulse generator (e.g., a one-shot) and/or a delay circuit (e.g., one or more inverting or non-inverting buffer circuits or resistor-capacitor (RC) circuits). Since these circuits are designed differently than CAM array 140 (i.e., do not include CAM cells), as operating conditions change the latch enable signal output by timing generator 103 typically does not track in time or voltage proportionally with changes to the match results provided on match lines 110. This variation is further simulated and accounted for during design, and typically results in additional delay added to the point in time at which the latch enable signal is designed to transition.
Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawing figures.

Content addressable memory having dynamic match resolution


Open, horizontal service platforms are described. Service providers can, via network operators, load software associated with a service onto a dedicated, service platform server. The service platform server is connected, via a LAN, to one or more remote devices (e.g., sensors, transducers, processors, etc.). The functionality associated with the service can be distributed among two or more of the entities involved in the architecture. The distributed software operates and/or monitors these remote devices to implement the subscribed service.

The present invention generally relates to information and communication systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for providing an open and horizontal platform to distribute and operate connectivity based services.
Recently, many advances have been made in the areas of information and communication technologies. For example, computers, and in particular personal computers, have radically changed the way in which information is manipulated and stored. Moreover, microprocessors are being incorporated into more and more products and are controlling an ever increasing number of processes in the modern world. It is not unusual today to find microprocessors controlling the household appliances we use daily, the automobiles we drive, and even the televisions and VCRs we view for entertainment. At the same time, communication systems continue to expand and develop. For example, in the last decade commercial wireless communication systems have become widely popular for personal communication services. Data communication services have rapidly become more widespread, as well. Notable among the proliferation of new data communication resources is the advent of the Internet.
Practitioners skilled in the information and communication arts frequently view the technologies of information and communication as rapidly becoming one integrated technology rather than two separate areas of research and development. As devices which process and manipulate data become further integrated with devices which communicate data, the potential to use such integrated technologies expands their applicability. For example, Applicants believe that in the near future the number and availability of connectivity based services, i.e., services which monitor or control the operation of remote devices, will rapidly increase.
For example, one form of connectivity based service might entail a utility company remotely monitoring and controlling the operation of a subscriber""s devices which consume electricity. Other potential uses for connectivity based services include industrial equipment monitoring and control, building automation, safety and security of both commercial and residential environments, Internet access and electronic commerce, telephony services and mobile communications. However, to date, no integrated solution exists for handling the installation, maintenance, operation control and billing for such connectivity based services.
FIG. 1 depicts existing communication tools arranged by the degree to which each is dedicated to a particular function. FIG. 1 further lists positive and negative attributes of dedicated communication tools and multifunction communication tools. The communication tools of today may be described as belonging to a spectrum ranging from those devices having dedicated functionality and dedicated connections to those devices which are multifunctional and may have many communication connections to different input/output devices.
The sampling of current communication tools shown in FIG. 1 depicts modems and electricity meters at the dedicated end of the functionality spectrum. These devices have certain positive characteristics which include security of information transfer, reliability, ease of maintenance and relatively low cost. However, dedicated communication devices also tend to have the drawbacks that they possess little intelligence or memory and are not very flexible in that they typically have a single dedicated communication channel, provide a limited communication interface for end users and are not easily reconfigurable. Because of these drawbacks, dedicated communication devices are inadequate for use in delivering connectivity based services.
At the other end of the spectrum, today""s personal computers provide a wide variety of information and communication services to the end user. These types of devices have the advantages of being relatively flexible with multiple communication interfaces, often have significant memories, and possess the capability to add new applications as they arise. However, in contrast to both personal computers and dedicated communication devices, multifunctional communication tools suffer from poor reliability, are relatively expensive, are difficult to maintain and support and typically require sophisticated user interaction in order to perform their desired functions and/or add new functionality. For these reasons, multifunctional communication devices are poorly suited for delivering connectivity based services.
Accordingly, Applicants recognize a need for a new platform to support the arrival of the anticipated plethora of connectivity based services which Applicants expect to be created in the wake of the evolution of the information and communication technologies. Such a platform should have as many of the positive characteristics of both dedicated and multifunctional conventional communication tools as possible, with as few of the drawbacks as possible.
These and other drawbacks and limitations of conventional information and communication systems are overcome according to the present invention wherein a platform for connectivity based services is provided in the form of a service gateway system.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide secure, robust connectivity based service gateway or services platforms. It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide a flexible system for remotely managing the service gateways, while maintaining compatibility with existing information and communication technologies, protocols and interface standards. It is a further purpose of the service gateway system to allow multiple service gateway applications to simultaneously operate without detrimentally affecting each other. It is a further purpose of the service gateway system to be able to cease operations and restart from any level, regardless of whether operations are ceased purposely or inadvertently (e.g., crash). It is a further purpose of the service gateway system that all configurations be persistent, and be either locally or remotely downloadable.
The service gateway system according to the present invention facilitates the development, implementation, operation and maintenance of services in an integrated manner so that the interface between different services providers and the end user is transparent to both. Each service may comprise a set of functionalities and logic which are implemented as software service applications. The service application may be distributed among various pieces of equipment which are geographically separated. Implemented in the software are functions designed to monitor, control and otherwise interact with remote devices in a manner which can be easily monitored by the service provider, the end user, and, potentially, other intermediary operators.
Service gateways according to the present invention are dedicated and scalable so that many different types of services can be implemented efficiently using the same service gateway. Service gateways according to the present invention are preferably open platforms to allow for the development of service applications by third party developers. Moreover, standard communication protocols and programming languages may be used in order to facilitate such software service applications development. In addition to being open platforms, service gateways according to the present invention are intended to be horizontal in nature so that a plurality of service providers can share the same platform infrastructure. While sharing the same infrastructure, the service applications can be modularized so that from the perspective of the service providers, a service gateway according to the present invention will appear as if it is dedicated to each service provider""s respective service.
Service gateways according to the present invention are preferably operated, maintained and supported by a business entity rather than end users or subscribers, in order to provide ease of operation, maintenance and support with respect to the end user and promote security and reliability of the services which are deemed to be significant characteristics of service gateways according to the present invention. The business entity which performs the operation, maintenance and support of the service gateways may be different from the entity which actually provides the services being subscribed to by end users. The end user may be an individual, a residence, a business or any other type of entity.
Service gateways according to the present invention are intended to be generic in many ways in order to support different types of services and different types of equipment which provide those services. For example, multiple types of access solutions are envisioned according to the present invention including those involving local area networks and external networks. Various types of terminals may be used to link with service gateways according to the present invention to obtain information about an implemented service or about results associated with such service. Interaction with the implemented service is separated from implementation of the service itself. Given the wide variety of communication devices available today, and a desire to support these various devices as terminals which may access service gateways according to the present invention, various types of output are supported including different types of display sizes.
According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, service gateway equipment can be connected to a local area network through which the service may be implemented. By providing, as part of the service gateway, such service gateway equipment, services can be personalized and adapted to individual users or entities. Moreover, by localizing some of the functionality of each service proximate the remote devices which are controlled or monitored to actually implement the service (i.e, in the dedicated platform servers), bandwidth associated with each communication link used to implement the service may be efficiently controlled.

Application and communication platform for connectivity based services


Magnifying spectacles for surgical use have an automatic focusing device, a device for automatically altering the magnification factor and a device for automatic parallax compensation corresponding to the current focal length. During surgical operations, alteration of the working distance is commonly necessary due to the positions of different operating sites. Automatic adaptation of the focal length and the parallax angle allows optimum optical configuration to be reached without the need for the surgeon to use his hands. Focusing can be adjusted using a foot switch.

Magnifying spectacles have their principal application in those surgical areas in which an operating microscope cannot be used for technical and anatomical reasons but in which unaided human vision is inadequate to enable the surgeon to see adequately the field of surgery. This problem arises commonly in vascular surgery and neurosurgery. It is frequently desirable or even necessary during an operation to alter the working distance, i.e., the distance between the eyes and the operating point and/or the magnification factor with which the operating point is being observed. Known operating or magnifying spectacles either do not satisfy this requirement, or they do so only incompletely. No magnifying spectacles are known from the prior art which have means for automatically altering the focal length with parallax compensation and also means for altering or adjusting the magnification factor. Reference is made in this connection to the following documents which are briefly discussed below.
______________________________________ D1 AT E98 782B D2 US 4 865 438 D3 US 4 807 985 D4 DE 37 20 190 D5 US 5 078 469 ______________________________________
Document D1 relates to magnifying spectacles for surgical purposes with a device for automatically altering the focal length of the spectacles and the focal length adjustment is mechanically coupled to a device for automatically matching the parallax to the current focal length. The determination of the current distance of the spectacles to the subject is made by ultrasound or light sensors.
Document D2 also relates to magnifying spectacles, particularly for surgical purposes, whose focal length is automatically adjusted to the current distance of the subject. The distance determination is accomplished as in D1.
Documents D3 and D4 disclose telescopic spectacles for people with impaired vision for viewing near and remote objects. The spectacles in accordance with D3 have devices for automatically matching the focal length and for matching the angle of inclination to the position of the head of the user. Spectacles in accordance with D4 have manually operable devices for altering the focal length (slide-in prisms) and for parallax compensation (actuating lever).
Magnifying spectacles for surgical purposes disclosed in document D5 are equipped with a video camera which has a zoom lens system and permits not only photographic recordal but also the transfer of the field of view of the operator, which is illuminated by means of a fiber optic system, to remote stations.
When one is using fixed focus spectacles in certain situations, such as work in the stomach cavity, the user must move his head closer to the open stomach wall due to the requirement for a constant spacing between the eyes and the working field and thus moves, on the one hand, into an ergonomically undesirable body attitude and, on the other hand, obstructs the field of view of assisting doctors with his head, thus making the provision of assistance more difficult. Magnifying spectacles with manually adjustable focus also do not help in this connection because, for sterility reasons, the focus can only be adjusted before, but not during, an operation.

Magnifying spectacles with variable focus, variable magnification factor and automatic parallax compensation


A method of treating a patient, comprising: sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration; analyzing the biological parameter to identify a respiratory cycle; identifying an inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle; and delivering stimulation to a hypoglossal nerve of the patient, wherein stimulation is delivered if a duration of the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle is greater than a predetermined portion of a duration of the entire respiratory cycle.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent, affecting one in five adults in the United States. One in fifteen adults has moderate to severe OSA requiring treatment. Untreated OSA results in reduced quality of life measures and increased risk of disease including hypertension, stroke, heart disease, etc.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a standard treatment for OSA. While CPAP is non-invasive and highly effective, it is not well tolerated by patients. Patient compliance for CPAP is often reported to be between 40% and 60%.
Surgical treatment options for OSA are available too. However, they tend to be highly invasive (result in structural changes), irreversible, and have poor and/or inconsistent efficacy. Even the more effective surgical procedures are undesirable because they usually require multiple invasive and irreversible operations, they may alter a patient's appearance (e.g., maxillo-mandibulary advancement), and/or they may be socially stigmatic (e.g., tracheostomy).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,008 to Meer proposes hypoglossal nerve stimulation as an alternative treatment for OSA. An example of an implanted hypoglossal nerve stimulator for OSA treatment is the Inspire™ technology developed by Medtronic, Inc. (Fridley, Minn.). The Inspire device is not FDA approved and is not for commercial sale. The Inspire device includes an implanted neurostimulator, an implanted nerve cuff electrode connected to the neurostimulator by a lead, and an implanted intra-thoracic pressure sensor for respiratory feedback, stimulus trigger, and/or timing of stimulus delivery. The Inspire device was shown to be efficacious (approximately 75% response rate as defined by a 50% or more reduction in RDI (Respiratory Disturbance Index) and a post RDI of .ltoreq.20) in an eight patient human clinical study, the results of which were published by Schwartz et al. and Eisele et al. However, both authors reported that only three of eight patients remained free from device malfunction, thus demonstrating the need for improvements.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation has been proposed for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. An example of an implantable hypoglossal nerve stimulation system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,809,442 to Bolea et al. Published data suggest that response to hypoglossal nerve stimulation varies across subjects. Before undergoing a surgical procedure to implant a hypoglossal nerve stimulation system, it would be desirable to understand the likelihood of therapeutic success, and make clinical judgments accordingly. It would also be desirable to consider adjunct therapies to hypoglossal nerve stimulation to improve outcomes thereof.

Obstructive sleep apnea treatment devices, systems and methods


A method for a terminal receiving a guaranteed time slot (GTS) allocation in a wireless personal area network (WPAN), according to one embodiment in the present specification, comprises the steps of: deciding a GTS allocation interval based on characteristic information of the terminal; and transmitting a GTS request to a WPAN coordinator, wherein the GTS request comprises the GTS allocation interval which is decided by the terminal; and receiving the GTS allocation information from the WPAN coordinator, wherein the GTS allocation information comprises the GTS allocation interval which is decided by the WPAN coordinator based on the GTS request that is transmitted by the terminal.

Personal mobile devices may establish low-rate wireless personal area networks (hereinafter referred to as LR-WPAN), so as to perform communication.
An example of the LR-WPAN may include a network following the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard uses BPSK (binary phase-shift keying) in a 868/915 MHz band, so as to provide a transmission rate of 20 Kbps and 40 Kbps, and the IEEE 802.15.4 standard uses O-QPSK (offset quadrature phase-shift keying) in a 2.45 GHz band, so as to provide a transmission rate of 250 Kbps. The IEEE 802.15.4b standard may also use O-QPSK in a 868/915 MHz band, so as to provide a transmission rate of 250 Kbps

Method and apparatus for scheduling wireless personal area network