Disclosed is an apparatus for laminating a plurality of ceramic greensheets which includes a frame, a bottom plate at one end of the frame, a punch at a second end of the frame, and a non-metallic pad within the frame and between the bottom plate and punch. In operation, a plurality of ceramic greensheets are placed within the frame, the non-metallic pad is placed underneath of, or on top of, the plurality of ceramic greensheets, and pressure is applied to the non-metallic pad and the plurality of ceramic greensheets wherein the non-metallic pad causes the lamination pressure to be uniformly distributed across the plurality of ceramic greensheets. Also disclosed is a method for laminating a plurality of ceramic greensheets using the non-metallic pad.

The present invention relates generally to a new quasi-isostatic lamination apparatus and quasi-isostatic lamination method for forming semiconductor ceramic carriers or substrates (hereafter semiconductor substrates or just substrates) with isotropic density.
Semiconductor substrates and devices are becoming smaller and more dense with the evolution of new technologies. However, increases in circuit density produce a corresponding increase in overall manufacturing problems. These manufacturing problems must, however, be kept to a minimum in order for the semiconductor manufacturer to remain competitive. The semiconductor manufacturers are therefore constantly being challenged to improve the quality of their products by identifying and eliminating defects which produce defective parts or components. Whereas significant improvements are being made to eliminate systematic defects by reducing process variability, process improvements alone are not sufficient to eliminate all the random defects which affect both yield and reliability. Historically, screening techniques have been employed to improve product failure rates to acceptable levels by culling out many of these random defects.
In their desire to improve their products, the semiconductor substrate manufacturers are constantly finding new ways and new techniques to improve or provide new products. It has been found that for most applications, control of sintered substrate dimensions like camber, distortion, feature positional accuracy and overall substrate size are extremely important for post-sinter operations like chip attach and bonding/joining. For a given substrate material set or a given green sheet technology, the actual sintered dimensions may depend on substrate design, such as the amount of metal loading and metal distribution; ceramic and metal compaction and their distribution due in part to lamination pressure and pressure distribution across the substrate; and substrate thickness and sintering conditions. Usually, there is no choice available for a ceramic foundry on metal loading and distribution as well as substrate thickness. Even though the foundry has the option of altering the sintering conditions, it is extremely expensive and prohibits sintering multiple type products in a single furnace run. Lamination pressure and pressure distribution on the other hand are an extremely simple and inexpensive way of controlling the dimensions. One could make a substrate having low camber and feature distortions and then have the semiconductor device mounted on to the substrate. These semiconductor substrates with the mounted semiconductor device are often referred to as modules and are made from a plurality of ceramic layers forming an MLC (multilayer ceramic) module.
MLC modules are normally used in the electronic industry to package high performance devices (also known as integrated circuits and chips). These high performance devices have a large number of external inputs/outputs (called I/Os) such as pads or solder balls, to name a few, and these devices have a very high power dissipation. In order to accommodate such high performance devices, the MLC module also has to provide a high number of external I/Os, such as pads, pins, solder balls, to name a few, and also be able to handle the very high power dissipation that is being generated both from the module as well as the device.
The MLC substrates are typically laminated with the aid of a uniaxial hydraulic lamination press as is well known to those skilled in the art.
Hass et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,622, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an apparatus for laminating substrates having cavities. In the apparatus, a compliant material (for example, a silicone gel), significantly thicker than the depth of the cavity, is applied to the top of the stack of green sheets to aid in the lamination of the stack of green sheets. Lamination is done at a low pressure of 100 to 5000 psi to avoid deforming or rounding the edges of the cavity. A compliant material with large elongation is necessary to the Hass et al. invention.
Lichti et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,711, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses the compressing of a body by burying it in a bed of flowable particles and applying an external pressure to the flowable particles.
Horner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,171, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, discloses an isostatic lamination press wherein an MLC substrate is placed in a liquid which is pressurized.
Strobel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,646 and Onder U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,986, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein, disclose the dry pressing of powder between rigid surfaces.
One purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that will enable better dimensional characteristics in semiconductor substrates.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method that will eliminate the need for flattening the semiconductor substrates by refiring.
Yet another purpose of the present invention is the elimination of surface machining/finishing of the semiconductor substrate for post-sinter processing.

Apparatus and method for forming isotropic multilayer ceramic substrates


A method of fabricating doped quartz component is provided herein. In one embodiment, the doped quartz component is a yttrium doped quartz ring configured to support a substrate. In another embodiment, the doped quartz component is a yttrium and aluminum doped cover ring. In yet another embodiment, the doped quartz component is a yttrium, aluminum and nitrogen containing cover ring.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a plasma resistive chamber component and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor processing involves a number of different chemical and physical processes whereby minute integrated circuits are created on a substrate. Layers of materials which make up the integrated circuit are created by numerous plasma processes, such as chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition and the like. Some of the layers of material are patterned using photoresist masks and wet or dry plasma etching techniques. The substrate utilized to form integrated circuits may be silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphate, glass, or other appropriate material.
During plasma processing, the energized gas is often comprised of highly corrosive species which etches and erodes exposed portions of the chamber and components positioned therein. The eroded chamber components must be replaced after a number of process cycles before it contributes to inconsistent or undesirable processing results. Additionally, particles eroded from the chamber component may contaminate substrates processed within the chamber, thereby resulting in processing defects.
Thus, there is a need for chamber components with enhanced plasma resistance.

Erosion resistance enhanced quartz used in plasma etch chamber


A porous silicon layer is created by using wet etching to etch a polysilicon layer. In preferred embodiment, the polysilicon layer is treated by H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 solution at 60-165.degree. C. for about 3-200 minutes. The porous silicon layer is subsequently treated by using a SC-1 solution at a temperature about 50-100.degree. C. for about 5-30 minutes to form a roughened polysilicon layer. The SC-1 solution is composed of NH.sub.4 OH, H.sub.2 O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O. The volume ratio for the three compounds of said SC-1 is NH.sub.4 OH:H.sub.2 O.sub.2 :H.sub.2 O=0.1-5:0.1-5:1-20. The next step of the formation is the deposition of a dielectric film along the roughened surface of the micro-islands polysilicon layers. A conductive layer is deposited over the dielectric film. Next, photolithgraphy and etching process are used to etch the conductive layer, the dielectric film and the micro-islands polysilicon layer into a portion of the layer.

The reduction in memory cell area is required for high density DRAM ULSIs. This causes reduction in capacitor area, resulting in the reduction of the capacitance. A memory cell for each bit to be stored by the semiconductor DRAM typically consists of a storage capacitor and an access transistor. Either the source or drain of the transistor is connected to one terminal of the capacitor. The other side of the transistor and the transistor gate electrode are connected to external connection lines called a bit line and a word line, respectively. The other terminal of the capacitor is connected to a reference voltage. Thus, the formation of a DRAM memory cell comprises the formation of a transistor, a capacitor and contacts to external circuits. The capacitor type that is most typically used in DRAM memory cells are planar capacitors, which are relatively simple to manufacture.
In order to achieve high performance (i.e. high density), memory cells in DRAM technology must be scaled down to the submicrometer range. Further, the size of the capacitor decreases, the capacitance of the capacitor also decreases. Similarly, the size of the charge capable of being stored by the capacitor decreases. This results in the capacitor being very susceptible to .alpha. particle interference. Additionally, as the capacitance decreases, the charge held by storage capacitor must be refreshed often. A simple stacked capacitor can not provide sufficient capacitance, even with high dielectric Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 films as the capacitor insulator.
Prior art approaches to overcom these problems have resulted in the development of the trench capacitor (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,580) and the stacked capacitor. The trench capacitor has the well-known problem of "gated diode leakage," which is the leakage of current resulting in the trench capacitor failing to hold a charge. Reducing the thickness of the dielectric also can improve the capacitance of the capacitor, but this approach is limited because of yield and reliability problems.
A capacitor-over-bit-line (COB) cell with a hemispherical-grain (HSG) polysilicon storage node has been developed (see "A Capacitor-Over-Bit-Line Cell With Hemispherical-Grain Storge Node For 64 Mb Drams", M. Sakao etc. microelectronics research laboratories, NEC Corporation). The HSG-Si is deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition method at the transition temperature from amorphous-Si to polycrystalline-Si. Further, a cylindrical capacitor using Hemispherical-Grained Si has been proposed (see "A New Cylindrical Capacitor Using Hemispherical Grained Si For 256 Mb DRAMs", H. Watanabe et al., Tech Dig, December 1992, pp.259-262).
Another way to form the hemispherical grained Si has been disclosed by M. Yoshimaru (IEEE IEDM-90, p.659) and H. Watanabe et al. (see "J. Appl. Phys. 71(7) p.3538, 1992). The hemispherical grained Si can be formed by using LPCVD at a temperature about 560-600.degree. C. Further, a crown shape capacitor or cylindrical structure have also been disclosed. However, the formation of the cylindrical structure capacitor and the crown shape capacitor are very complex. They also have reliable, stable problems that have to be overcome. In addition, a porous silicon can be formed by using an in-situ doped polysilicon in phosphoric acid solution at 150.degree. C. (H. Watanabe et al, Symposium on VLSI Technology p.17,1993).

DRAM cell with a roughened poly-Si electrode


A method for data acquisition in a memory system includes oversampling a data signal and a strobe signal with a multiphase clock having n phases to generate a series of data signals and a series of strobe signals representing a first data series and a first strobe series respectively, generating a second strobe series by edge detection of the first strobe series followed by retiming of the edge detected series, generating a third strobe series by edge adjustment of the second strobe series, wherein the edge adjustment ensures that there are no overlapping edges among the signals of the third strobe series, generating a sample selected series by linear shifting of each signal of the third strobe series by n/2, generating a second data series by retiming the first data series, generating a third data series by sample adjustment of the second data series, wherein the sample adjustment ensures that the third data series is in synchronization with a sampling window of the sample selected series, and determining a final data signal by multiplexing the third data series with the sample selected series.

Digital electronics systems and computer systems generally employ a memory subsystem that includes memory devices interfaced to one or more processors/controllers that perform read-write function on the memory devices. Because the speed of operation of processors/controllers is higher than that of the memory subsystem, the operation speeds of such a memory subsystem can always be improved so as to enhance the overall performance of the system.
One of the approaches for improving performance is the use of DDR SDRAM memory devices. The DDR SDRAM enables data to be read and written on both rising and falling edges of the clock cycles, thereby effectively doubling the rate of operation and enhancing performance.
In a DDR memory system, READ and WRITE modes are performed using a data strobe signal (DQS) and a data signal (DQ). The DQS must be aligned at the center of the DQ for successful detection of data. In the WRITE mode, the DQS and the DQ are both sent by an SDRAM PHY such that the DQS is aligned at the center of the DQ while performing the WRITE operation.
However, in the READ mode, because the DQS is not aligned at the center with respect to the data, the DDR PHY (or the memory controller) is required to shift the DQS to the center of the DQ. In a conventional technique, such shifting is normally performed by using a Master-Slave Delay Locked Loop (DLL). A typical configuration of the Master-Slave DLL for shifting the DQS is shown in, for example, FIG. 15. Particularly, a DQS signal is shifted using a Master-Slave DLL and the shifted DQS is then used for capturing the DQ, as shown in FIG. 15. However, the use of such a DLL not only requires additional hardware (such as FIFO circuitry), but also, causes substantial jitters and/or on-chip variations. The use of such a DLL makes it difficult to capture the correct data signal and, thus, is not desirable.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,229,759 and 7,679,986 disclose systems for performing WRITE operation on a memory. However, these patents do not solve the problem of capturing the DQ in the READ mode where the DQS is not aligned at the center of the DQ. Further, in the '759 Patent, the DQS is used as a synchronizing signal such that the DQ is sampled with the DQS. However, synchronizing DQ with the DQS requires separating rising and falling edges of the DQS, which requires additional circuitry and logic implementation.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,299,948 discloses a scheme of data capturing using a multiphase clock generating circuit that is required for every bit of data. Such a data capturing scheme is not suitable for a DDR system because it requires 'k' number of multiphase clock generating circuits for a k-bit word length memory. Such a scheme not only adds to the circuit area, but also, consumes a lot of power.
One way of extracting the correct DQ sample without using the Master-Slave DLL is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,197. This patent discloses how the DQ and the DQS are to be oversampled with a clock signal having a frequency 'X' times that of the system clock, where X is an integer. Upon oversampling, this patent employs a method for extraction of correct data on the basis of a defined bit boundary range (BBR). Particularly, the '197 Patent recites a voting scheme on the basis of values of the DQS to determine the DQ. However, the use of this voting scheme also consumes a lot of power and requires a large area on the circuit.
Therefore, even upon implementing such a scheme for data capturing, there still remains an unfulfilled need of capturing correct data with reduced circuitry, power consumption, and area requirements.
In view of the above, there exists a need for data recovery at the DDR PHY in the READ mode in a manner that improves timing margins and substantially reduces jitters and/or distortions. Further, there exists a need for data recovery in a manner that reduces the "overheads," such as circuit area requirements and power consumption.

Method and apparatus for data capture in DDR memory interface


A method and apparatus for optimizing sample fetching in a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) environment. In one embodiment the present invention generates a sample page base address corresponding to a first part of a first address received from a digital signal processor (DSP). The generated sample page base address is then stored in a sample page base address cache which can be accessed by the DSP without accessing a PCI bus. The first part of the first address is compared to a first part of a second address. Provided that the first part of the first address and the first part of the second address are the same, the present invention combines a second portion of the second address sent from the DSP with the generated sample page base address stored in the sample page base address cache. In so doing, the present invention generates a complete address of a sample to be fetched without accessing the PCI bus.

Wavetable audio is a widely used and well known technique in the audio processing art for generating or recreating audio sounds. In the past, an audio processing component such as, for example, an audio card would have dedicated read only memory (ROM) associated therewith. Audio samples referred to as "wavetable samples" would be stored in the dedicated ROM. In order to recreate a particular sound (typically referred to as a "voice"), the audio card fetched the desired wavetable samples from the dedicated ROM, processed the sample, and created the desired voice. Commonly, numerous samples have to be fetched and processed in order to create a desired voice. Although dedicated ROM facilitates the rapid acquisition of numerous wavetable samples, permanently dedicating a specific portion of memory to a particular application is not always a cost effective or desired implementation.
Some prior art approaches to wavetable audio now store the avetable samples in system memory, for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM). By storing the wavetable samples in system DRAM, the need to have a permanently dedicated memory space allocated for audio processing purposes is eliminated. That is, a particular memory space can be allocated storing wavetable samples at one time, and can then be used for another purpose at a different time. Also, by storing the wavetable samples in system memory, more space is available to store the samples. The use of system memory for storing wavetable samples is not without complications, however. In order to access wavetable samples stored in system memory, the digital signal processor of the audio card must access a PCI bus.
As shown in Prior Art FIG. 1A, when dedicated ROM is used to store the wavetable samples, the DSP 10 directly accesses the dedicated ROM 12. On the other hand, as shown in Prior Art FIG. 1B, DSP 10 must first access a PCI bus 14 before accessing wavetable samples stored in system memory 16. Thus, in such an instance, the DSP must request access to the PCI bus, receive a grant to the PCI bus, and traverse the PCI bus in order to fetch a wavetable sample from system memory. Such required actions prolong the sample fetching time, thus increasing audio processing latency. As a result, the quality of generated audio voices can suffer.
Additionally, wavetable samples stored in system memory are typically stored in a discontiguous manner. That is, in dedicated ROM applications, for example, an entire megabyte of wavetable samples is stored in a single contiguous block of memory space. In system memory applications, however, wavetable samples are typically stored in numerous discontiguous blocks of memory space. The numerous discontiguous blocks of memory space are referred to as "sample pages". With reference now to Prior Art FIG. 1C, a schematic diagram showing numerous wavetable sample pages, typically shown as 18, is given. By storing the numerous wavetable sample pages in separate discontiguous blocks of memory space, the sample pages can be stored in various locations within the system memory. In so doing, the need to allocate or reserve a single large contiguous block of system memory solely for wavetable samples is eliminated. Hence, effective use of the system memory is achieved.
Although, storing wavetable samples in various discontiguous locations permits effective use of system memory, such an approach necessitates an intricate addressing scheme. Referring now to Prior Art FIG. 2, a schematic diagram of a conventional architecture employed to fetch wavetable samples from system memory is shown. In the prior art architecture of Prior Art FIG. 2, a DSP 10, of Prior Art FIGS. 1A-1C, generates an address 200 corresponding to a respective wavetable sample. A sample page address table (SPAT) base address register 202 is disposed to receive part of address 200. An adder 204 then combines a SPAT base address with the received part of address 200. The combined address points to a particular location in a SPAT 206 residing in system memory. SPAT 206, in turn provides a sample page base address. The sample page base address points to the base of a particular wavetable sample page, typically shown as 208, residing in system memory. Thus, DSP 10 must access a PCI bus 14, of Prior Art FIGS. 1B and 1C, in order to fetch the base address of a given sample page. Hence, prior art schemes require "one trip" across PCI bus 14 simply to fetch the base address of a sample page.
Referring still to Prior Art FIG. 2, after the sample page base address has been fetched, another adder 210 combines the sample page base address with a sample page offset address. The sample page offset address comprises another portion of address 200 generated by DSP 10 of Prior Art FIGS. 1A-1C. The combined sample page base address and sample page offset address point to a particular entry in one of the wavetable sample pages, typically shown as 208. Thus, DSP 10 is then able to fetch a particular entry from the collection of wavetable sample pages 208. As mentioned above, wavetable sample pages 208 reside in system memory. Thus, after generating the complete wavetable sample page entry address, DSP 10 must make yet another trip across PCI bus 14 of Prior Art FIGS. 1B and 1C in order to fetch a respective wavetable sample page entry. Therefore, prior art sample fetching schemes require a first trip across a PCI bus to fetch a sample page base address, and then a second trip across the PCI bus to fetch a desired wavetable sample page entry. Hence, prior art sample fetching methods require at least two trips across a PCI bus. As mentioned above, each of the trips across the PCI bus requires the DSP to request access to the PCI bus, receive a grant to the PCI bus, and then traverse the PCI bus. Furthermore, if the grant to the PCI bus is lost, interrupted, or otherwise deasserted before the DSP has successfully fetched either the sample page base address or the wavetable sample page entry, the DSP must again regain access to the PCI bus. As a result, it is possible in prior art sample fetching schemes, that more than two trips across the PCI bus will be required to fetch a single wavetable sample page entry.
Additionally, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that a DSP will typically desire to consecutively fetch several wavetable sample page entries. As a result, the sample fetching latency incurred by repeatedly accessing the PCI bus can become a performance limiting factor.
Thus, a need exists for an apparatus and method which expedites sample fetching from system memory. A further need exists for an apparatus and method which decreases the need to access a PCI bus when fetching samples from system memory.

Wavetable address cache to reduce accesses over a PCI bus


The specification relates to a preparation for the prophylaxis or treatment of renal diseases, and a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of renal diseases, and specifically, it relates to the above preparation and method using a sulfated polysaccharide as an active ingredient.

This invention relates to a pharmaceutical preparation for renal diseases, and more specifically, relates to a pharmaceutical preparation containing a sulfated polysaccharide. Further, the invention relates to a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of a renal disease which comprises administering a sulfated polysaccharide to a patient suffering from the renal disease.
Renal diseases are, usually, such diseases that renal functions are lowered progressively, resulting in renal failure. A certain extent of therapeutic efficacy by the use of a steroid agent or an immunosuppressant is recognized on renal diseases based on certain causes, but renal diseases not fit for treatment by steroid agents are hard to cure and it is said that such renal diseases develop to renal failure in the course of time. In this connection, it is the present state of things that even when a renal disease is fit for treatment by a steroid agent, its use is restricted because it causes side effects in a high frequency, and thus it is mainly treated by dietetics.
Further, there is a report wherein a certain renal disease, for example an autoimmune renal disease is grasped from the viewpoint of inflammation, attention is payed to the action of an adhesive molecule, and it is attempted to suppress the inflammation by an antibody against ICAM-1 (J. Immunol. 150, 1074-1083, 1993).
On the other hand, as publications wherein the application of sulfated polysaccharides used in the invention to pharmaceuticals is described, there is Japanese Patent Publication No. 7577/1990. It is disclosed in this official gazette that sulfates of various saccharides including salfated hyaluronic acid can be used for the treatment of human immunodeficiency viral diseases. However, the official gazette does not describe nor suggest that not only these polysaccharides can be used as anti-inflammatory agents, but they can be used as agents for the treatment of renal diseases.
As is seen from the foregoing, it is the present state of things that it can be said that pharmaceuticals which can be used safely for the prophylaxis or treatment of renal diseases have not yet been provided. Thus, the object of the invention lies in providing a pharmaceutical preparation which can be used more safely for the prophylaxis or treatment of renal diseases, and moreover has significantly excellent efficacy.
In recent years, the importance of the adhesive molecule in inflammatory reactions has gradually understood due to the rapid progress of researches into adhesive molecules. In view of the roles of adhesive molecules, for example, L-selectin molecules in inflammation, it is known that L-selectin is expressed in various leukocytes including neutrophiles, T and B lymphocytes and monocytes, and plays a role to make those mononuclear cells flowing with rapid force in the blood gently roll on the hemal endothelial cells (von Andrian et al., Proc. Natl. Acd. Sci. U.S.A. 88, 7538-7542, 1991). It is said that then, the mononuclear cells bind tight to the endothelial cells, and infiltrate into tissues through the endothelial interstitium.
As to the renal tissue, it is reported that the ureteral obstruction of a laboratory model rat can be an initial model for the analysis of the mechanism of tissue infiltration by mononuclear cells and for some renal diseases (for example, Schreiner, G. F. et al., Kidney Int. 34, 487-493, 1988, and Heptinstall R. H. in Pathology of the Kidney (edited by Heptinstall), 1489-1562, 1991).

Preparation for prophylaxis or treatment of renal diseases containing sulfated polysaccharide


Apparatus and methods for repairing damaged tendons or ligaments. Various repair apparatus include an elongate tensile member and a pair of anchor structures connected for movement along the tensile member on either side of a repair site, such as a tear or laceration. The anchor structures may take many forms, and may include barbed, helical, and crimp-type anchors. In the preferred embodiments, at least one anchor structure is movable along the elongate tensile member to assist with adjusting a tendon segment to an appropriate repair position and the anchor structure or structures are then lockable onto the elongate tensile member to assist with affixing the tendon at the repair position. Tendon-to-bone repair apparatus and methods are also disclosed employing similar concepts. Tendon retrieval devices include helical members for rotating into a tendon end and subsequently moving the tendon to an appropriate operating position.

The repair of tendons or ligaments is a challenging and complication prone area of surgery. As one example, the dilemma in flexor tendon repair surgery in the hand is to adequately connect a severed tendon without compromising the functionality of the hand due to surgical intervention and repair techniques. Over the past 40 years, there have been only improvements in the basic suture techniques to repair tendons. In order to make any substantial improvement in the art of repairing a severed tendon one must first understand the composition and structure of tendons and ligaments.
Tendons can sustain high tensile forces resulting from muscle contraction, yet are flexible enough to bend around bony surfaces and deflect beneath retinacula to change the final direction of muscle pull. Tendons attach muscle to bone and transmit tensile loads from muscle to bone thereby producing joint movement. Ligaments attach bone to bone and can flex to allow natural movement of the bones that they attach, but are strong and inextensible so as to offer suitable resistance to applied forces. Ligaments augment the mechanical stability of the joints. The biomechanical behavior of tendons and ligaments is viscoelastic or rate dependent, that is, their strength and stiffness increase with an increased loading rate. Bundles of collagen fibers embedded in a connecting matrix, known as ground substance, provide the load carrying elements of natural tendons and ligaments. The arrangement of the collagen fibers is nearly parallel in tendons, equipping them to withstand high unidirectional loads. The less parallel arrangement of the collagen fibers in ligaments allows these structures to sustain predominant tensile stresses in one direction and smaller stresses in other directions. The ground substance in both tendons and ligaments acts generally as a cementing matrix holding the collagen fibers together. The ground substance retains large amounts of water essential to the non-compressive hydraulic function of the moving tissue. Also included in the tendon composition are elastic fibers, tenocytes, small blood vessels and nerves. In general, the cellular material (fibroblasts) occupies about 20% to 38% depending on references, of the total tissue volume, while the ground substance matrix accounts for the remaining 62% to 80%. About 70% of the ground substance matrix consists of water absorbed in an open polysaccharide matrix.
Two types of tendons exist in the hand for connecting phalanx (finger) bones to the appropriate muscles. Flexor tendons, which are connected to the volar or palm side of the fingers, lend the ability to curl the fingers towards the palm. Extensor tendons, which are connected to the dorsal or backside of the fingers, return the curled fingers back into a straight position. Sheaths and retinacula restrain most tendons in the hand to some extent and keep them close to the skeletal plane so that they maintain a relatively constant moment arm rather than bowstringing across the joints. The pulley system of the flexor tendon sheath in the finger is the most highly developed of these restraints. The flexor tendon sheath pulley system permits the flexor tendons to maintain a relatively constant moment arm and helps minimize stress risers between tendon and sheath. This system serves three important functions. First, it allows smooth tendon gliding or lubrication; second, the retinacular reinforcing pulleys maintain the flexor tendons close to the surface of the finger bones, preventing bowstringing; and third, it provides an enclosed synovial fluid environment for tendon nutrition and lubrication. As the finger moves, each tendon slides a certain distance, which defines the "excursion of the tendon". Excursion takes place simultaneously in the flexor and extensor tendons during joint motion. The tendons of the agonist, or contracting muscle, displace in one direction. The tendons of the antagonist or resisting muscles displace in the opposite direction to accommodate the motion.
Today, the most common methods of repairing torn, severed or otherwise damaged tendons involve approximating the severed ends of the tendons and suturing one side of the tendon to the other thereby returning the tendon to its natural position. A popular suture technique is the so-called Kessler technique and slight modifications thereof. Some of the other techniques include the Becker, Savage, lateral trap, double loop locking suture, four-strand interlock and variations of the Halsted technique. Other methods place prosthetic material either within or around the tendon. Polyester strips and sleeves along with polyester mesh have been used to reinforce the suture/tendon interface to provide a stronger repair.
After flexor tendon repair, resistance to tendon gliding increases at the repair site. Repair techniques that use an increased number of suture strands, or increased amounts of suture material or prosthetic material promote greater glide resistance. In particular, adhesions form due to the tendon's natural response to healing, i.e., the ingrowth of cells and vessels from surrounding connective tissue. Current literature suggests adhesions may constitute an inflammatory process at the site of repair and an extension of the intrinsic tendon healing process to the surrounding tissue.
An ideal repair would exhibit high strength, flexibility, and a joining of the tendon ends without any foreign material on the outside surface of the tendon. Physical therapy should begin immediately after the repair to prevent the tendon from adhering to the tendon sheath creating adhesions that limit the full excursion of the tendon in its sheath. For this reason, the repair site must withstand the immediate tensile stress being applied to it during physical therapy. In a relaxed state, a flexor tendon experiences about one pound of constant tension. When a person applies a light grip, such as by grasping a key, about three to four pounds of tensile force is applied to the tendon. A strong grip can apply over ten pounds of tensile force to a tendon.
Since most suture-based tendon repairs reach their tensile limit at about 6 lbs., surgeons must balance the desire to have full and immediate active motion to prevent adhesions against the need for immobilization to prevent rupture of the repair. Earlier loading of a repaired tendon promotes a more rapid increase in repair strength. For a tendon to properly rejoin, the opposed tendon ends do not have to touch but they do need to be approximated within 1-2 mm of each other to properly reattach. An ideal tendon repair would hold the lacerated tendons together to begin healing and tissue generation but slowly release tension allowing the tendon to become the primary load bearing structure. Tendons will heal at a rate that is proportional to the load being applied during physical therapy.
Another major problem is the softening of the damaged tendon ends, which begins shortly after the damage or injury occurs and continues for approximately the next twelve days. This softening results in a weakening of the tendon fibers, which contributes to the formation of a gap at the repair site during the early phases of tendon healing. It is believed that gaps form at the site of repair due to a loss of purchase by the grasping portion of the suture at the tendon-suture interface. The grasping suture may even completely tear out, resulting in a failure of repair. A term for this failure is "rake-out". Rake-out is a failure mode associated with suture tendon repair in which the end of the severed tendon has weakened and the suture tends to pull out of the tendon ends. This splits the tendon and results in an undesirable gap or total failure. Another common type of suture repair failure is of a suture knot.
The effectiveness of a suture depends on many factors, such as the suture material, the technique with which the suture is inserted, and knot strength. Immediately after a tendon is repaired, the strength of the repair depends almost entirely on the suture technique. The ideal suture knot should terminate securely, be strong, easy to handle and inelastic. The suture material used today is generally braided polyester or a monofilament polypropylene. Using current suture techniques, absorbable suture materials do not have enough residual tensile strength over time to resist gapping and rupturing. The ideal suture technique should be easy to use, minimize interference with tendon vascularity and be completely internal to the tendon without increasing the bulk of the tendon. Locating the knots outside the tendon rather than within the repair site may result in higher ultimate tensile strength but will also increase the risk of adhesions and increase the friction through the pulleys. This latter characteristic is known as "work of flexion".
Most suture methods employ an internal suture with external knots distal and proximal to the laceration or within the laceration. The surgeon typically uses a continuous running external suture at the junction of the repair, known as an epitendinous suture, to approximate the tendon ends. The use of the epitendinous suture increases the tensile strength of the repair and helps to resist gapping, but it can also increase the risk of adhesions and is difficult to master and very tedious to execute. The evolution of tendon repair with sutures starts with the two-strand technique. Some of the variations of this technique are the Bunnell, Kessler, and Tsuge methods. When two-strand repairs fail, the failure usually occurs at the knots. Studies have shown that the initial strength of these repairs is proportional to the number of suture strands that cross the repair site. This has led to a trend of doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the number of strands placed across the repair site. With these multiple strand techniques, Savage, Becker and Ketchum have shown significant tensile strength over the two-strand methods but they are more difficult to perform and add material to the outside surface of the tendon with more exposed knots. These techniques focus primarily on the increased effect on tensile strength and disregard the increased resistance to the tendon gliding through the pulleys. Therefore, the quest continues for the ideal suture technique having the tensile strength required to allow the patient to start physical therapy immediately, and having the low profile necessary to minimize adhesions that compromise the ability of the tendon to glide through the pulleys.
Techniques have also been developed that incorporate an internal or external prosthetic splint. Low porosity woven polyester, which is the same material used for aortic graft repair, is being used as an artificial splint. There are basically two methods of splint repair. The internal splint technique is accomplished by placing a horizontal slit transversely in each tendon stump proximal and distal to the laceration site. A rectangular piece of polyester splint is placed into this slit on both sides of the tendon. Sutures are then placed perpendicular to the graft along each tendon thereby attaching the splint to the tendon. The sutures attach the splint, which is basically a flexible tensile member, to the interior surface of the tendon. These suture knots are then tied on the outside of the tendon for ease of placement and an epitendinous suture is placed at the junction of the repair. As previously mentioned, the external knots will increase the risk for adhesions and also increase the work of flexion. The material of the tendon splint is inert and similar to the suture material being used in other techniques and its internal position within the substance of the tendon should promote tissue ingrowth and enhance the repair site. However, the large slits in the tendon ends might structurally damage the internal blood supply of the tendon and cause tissue degeneration.
In the external splint technique, also known as the dorsal tendon splint technique, the surgeon aligns both tendon ends and places a two-strand Savage type core suture on the anterior surface of the tendon. The surgeon then places a rectangular Dacron® splint on the dorsal surface of the tendon across the laceration site and sutures it to both tendon ends. In this technique, and as mentioned earlier, the splint acts as a flexible tensile member that prevents the tendons from gapping and rupturing during early movement. As with the internal method, the knots are placed on the exterior surface of the tendons and the splint is actually on the outside surface. This will increase the risk of adhesions and consequently increase the work of flexion. The internal tendon splint may add too much bulk to the repair site, and the external tendon splint may interfere with tendon gliding. Preliminary work of flexion studies suggest both tendon splints increase the work of flexion by 16-19%.
Another splint-type technique being used today is a Dacron® or Prolene® mesh sleeve that surrounds the tendons. The two ends of the lacerated tendons are placed in the proximal and distal openings of the sleeve. The tendon ends are butted together without any additional sutures, except that an epitendinous suture is placed thereby attaching the sleeve to the outside surfaces of the tendons. This is done on both ends of the sleeve. This technique is 117% stronger in tension than a conventional two-strand core stitch technique with an epitendinous suture on the external surface. Like the aforementioned splint techniques, these are tested in vitro (outside of the body) and do not take into account any of the in vivo (inside the body) problems that occur such as placing a significant amount of repair material external to the tendon and within the tendon sheath. Again, external repair material provides a potential source of fibrous adhesions and an increase in work of flexion.
Implanted anchors have also been used to attach two ends of a severed tendon. This type of anchor is similar to a Dacron® splint in concept but is usually fabricated from stainless steel or titanium. The geometry of the anchor also differentiates the anchor from a splint. The anchor, which may measure 20 mm in length, 3 mm in width and 1 mm in thickness, has a symmetrical double barbed end configuration. The anchor is placed into the severed end of the tendon by making a small transverse incision. Once the anchor is in the correct depth the surgeon will place a suture through the tendon at the flat side of the barb and knot the suture into a loop thereby preventing the barb from being pulled out of the tendon. The tendon will be sutured at each flat on the barb, providing two suture loops per tendon end. The same suture technique is performed on both ends thereby re-attaching the severed tendon. This repair technique shows an increase in mean ultimate tensile strength of 49-240% over traditional two-strand and multi-strand suture techniques. This technique is relatively easy to perform but it does not address the in vivo problems caused by placing the suture knots on the outside of the tendon. Here, they become a potential source of fibrous adhesions and increase the work of flexion. This type of tendon anchor can limit motion or cause pain when positioned directly over a joint with the finger in maximal flexion since it is long and fairly rigid. Also, the surgeon must still bring the tendon ends together with a separate surgical tool and, in the process, risk damaging the tendon ends.
Adhesives have been evaluated in the search for the ideal tendon repair. Studies have been conducted using adhesives of the cyanoacrylate group, more commonly known as super glues. These adhesives form a strong adhesive bond with most human tissue, particularly those containing a large amount of protein, such as skin and tendon tissue, because they polymerize in the presence of water and hydroxyl groups, both of which are abundantly present in tendon tissue, and they do not require a solvent. They are known to be biodegradable, although the time taken to degrade in tendons is unknown and only the long chain varieties are known to be minimally toxic to human tissue. The application of adhesives in tendon repair is in conjunction with two-strand or multi-strand core suture with an epitendinous suture. The adhesive is placed on the tendon ends after the sutures have been placed and approximated to allow for polymerization. The shortcomings that were discussed in connection with suture repair are experienced with adhesive techniques as well. Some problems with adhesives include their potential non-biodegradability within the tendon, their questionable effect on tendon healing, and their potential local and systemic toxicity. Currently, therefore, adhesives do not provide an adequate solution to tendon repair problems.
Current and past tendon or ligament repair techniques concentrate on increasing the tensile strength of the repair by adding more structural components to the repair, e.g., sleeves, splints, additional suture strands, additional knots and adhesive. All of these techniques trade off between early tensile strength, increased work of flexion, and increased risk of adhesions or other problems. While the surgeon debates the clinical technique, the patient may suffer from a less than desirable outcome and discomfort over the life of the repair. Adhesions cause pain and limit motion of the affected joints. By increasing bulk to the tendon, motion may be further limited and this can result in a defect called "trigger finger."
None of these techniques have utilized the physiological makeup of the tendon to provide a stronger repair. The tensile strength of the tendon is provided by the lengthwise parallel collagen fibers, which give it the ability to withstand high tensile loads. The ground substance is made up primarily of water and cannot be used to provide strength to the repair. The tendon sheath is also too weak to provide meaningful assistance with holding the two tendon ends together.
Similar problems arise when attaching tendons or ligaments to bone. That is, simply suturing the tendon or ligament to a bone anchor or using external tendon anchor members may not provide the necessary strength of repair. As further discussed above, these techniques also promote adhesion formation.
Finally, tendon retrieval has also been a problematic portion of tendon repair surgery. Typically, the surgeon must use a small grasping tool with thin, movable jaws similar to needle-nose pliers to grasp a tendon end and pull and transfix it in an appropriate operating position. Unfortunately, gripping the tendon ends in this manner often damages them and makes the tissue less able to hold the epitendinous suture. The damaged tendon ends will also form scar tissue or adhesions which further adversely affect the repair.
Therefore, there is a need for tendon repair techniques and apparatus that harness the intrinsic strength of the tendon fibers, but allow the tendon to flex while moving through the sheath. This repair apparatus should resist any gapping or rupture during immediate post-operative physical therapy, and reside in the interior of the tendon to reduce or possibly eliminate post-operative adhesions. The repair apparatus should also produce low work of flexion while gliding unhindered through the tendon sheaths. There is generally a need for tendon repair apparatus and methods that allow the patient to immediately begin active physical therapy without risking any tendon repair failure while minimizing or eliminating the need for sutures or other repair structure on the external surfaces of the tendon thereby reducing the occurrence of adhesions and friction between the tendon repair and the sheath pulley. There is a further need for tendon-to-bone repair techniques and apparatus with at least some of these attributes. Finally, there is a need for a tendon retrieval device which also harnesses the inherent strength of the tendon fibers and minimizes damage to the retrieved tendon end.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and methods for securing tendons or ligaments to bone


A resin molding device, resin molding method and resin molded product capable of guiding a sink to an optional position to perform a precise molding. A resin molding metal mold includes a gate formed in the central part of a cavity, a stepped part increasing the opening diameter of the cavity in the circumferential direction orthogonal to the flowing direction of a molten resin introduced into the cavity from the gate, and a fine outside air inlet part circumferentially formed on the outer part from the stepped part. The outside air inlet part is formed of a porous material and allowed to communicate with the outside of the resin molding metal mold through a communicating passage. Accordingly, the molten resin injected into the cavity from the gate is cooled with the outside air introduced from the outside air inlet part formed in the area except a transfer part after the reduction in resin pressure by the stepped part to generate a sink, forming a non-transfer part, so that the transfer property of the transfer part can be improved to enhance the shape precision of the molded product.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resin molding device, resin molding method and resin molded product, more specifically, a resin molding device, resin molding method and resin molded product capable of guiding a sink to an optional place to perform a precise molding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an optical writing optical system such as laser type digital copying machine, laser printer, facsimile device or the like, an optical element such as laser beam imaging rectangular lens or mirror having various correcting apparatuses or the like is used.
In recent years, such an optical element is changed in material from glass to plastic due to the demand for lower cost of product and variously diversified in shape as thick wall, thin wall, longitudinally uniform wall and non-uniform wall lenses according to required optical performances.
In resin molding, it is generally difficult to precisely arm a molded product having a thick wall part or non-uniform wall part, and a failure phenomenon of transfer precision by sink or contraction distribution is apt to occur in a part requiring functional precision or a part requiring transfer of fine surface shape.
Therefore, it was proposed in the past to press the reverse side or vicinity of a resin part requiring transfer precision to a transfer surface side by the pressure of fluid or gas in molding (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-156861).
However, this method requires a high-pressure fluid EURO and an expensive and complicated facility such as a control device for controlling the pressure and introducing timing of the fluid from the high-pressure source or the like because the reverse side or vicinity of the resin part requiring transfer precision is pressed to the transfer surface side by the pressure of fluid or gas, and also has the problem of poor availability in the use of a pressure-gas as the fluid, which has many restriction items up to the introduction of the facility including the necessity of permissions for the use of high-pressure gas, the setting position of device and the like.

Injection molding device with outside air inlet part


A deceleration control apparatus for a vehicle including a controller that performs deceleration control based on a first target deceleration set based on a distance to a starting point of an upcoming curve, when the deceleration control for the curve is started at a position distant from the starting point of the curve; and that performs the deceleration control based on a second target deceleration set based on a lateral acceleration that is estimated to be detected when the vehicle passes the starting point of the curve, when the deceleration control for the curve is started at a position close to the starting point of the curve. With this apparatus, it is possible to perform the deceleration control that provides drive assist according to the intention of the driver and that enhances driving convenience for the driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a deceleration control apparatus for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known technologies for performing deceleration control for a vehicle based on information concerning the configuration of the road ahead of a host vehicle (e.g. the curvature radius of an upcoming curve, and the distance between the host vehicle and the starting point of the curve).
Each of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-08-194889 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-202071 describes the technology related to a control apparatus for dealing with the state of the road ahead of a host vehicle. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-08-194889 describes the technology in which there are provided determining means, and alarm means. When recognizing that there is a curve in the road ahead of the vehicle based on the road information stored in advance, the determining means determines whether the present vehicle speed is too high for the host vehicle to appropriately go round this upcoming curve. The alarm means raises an alarm, if the determining means determines that the present vehicle speed is too high. The determining means is configured to determine the degree to which the present vehicle speed exceeds the appropriate vehicle speed for the upcoming curve, if the present vehicle speed is too high for the host vehicle to appropriately go round the upcoming curve. The alarm means is configured to raise different types of alarms depending on the degree to which the present vehicle speed exceeds the appropriate vehicle speed for the upcoming curve. With this technology, the driver can recognize the degree to which the present vehicle speed exceeds the appropriate vehicle speed for the upcoming curve depending on the type of an alarm.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-08-194889 merely describes an alarm device that raises an alarm based on the degree to which the present vehicle speed exceeds the appropriate vehicle speed for the upcoming curve. This publication does not describe the technology where deceleration control is performed using the deceleration calculated based on the distance to the starting point of the upcoming curve, the curvature radius of the curve, and the present vehicle speed. Namely, although Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-08-194889 describes the vehicle speed control (e.g. downshift control and throttle control), the vehicle speed control is basically performed just to urge the driver to decelerate the vehicle by means other than voice if the driver does not decelerate the vehicle even after an alarm is raised by voice (this publication merely describes the technology where, if the degree, to which the present vehicle speed exceeds the appropriate vehicle speed for the upcoming curve, is equal to or higher than a predetermined degree, the shift speed is reduced by one level). This publication does not describe the technology for performing the deceleration control based on the deceleration calculated as a value variable based on the curvature radius of the upcoming curve, and the like.
It is desirable that the deceleration control provide drive assist according to an intention of the driver and enhance driving convenience for the driver.

Deceleration control apparatus for vehicle


The present invention provides novel inhibitors of oligosaccharyl transferase, methods for producing Glc.sub.3 Man.sub.9 (GlcNAc).sub.2 --P--P--Dol, and methods for producing glycopeptides.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides inhibitors of oligosaccharyl transferase (OT), methods for obtaining Glc.sub.3 Man.sub.9 (GlcNAc).sub.2 -P-P-Dol, methods for obtaining glycopeptides and novel classes of antifungals,' antitumors and antivirals.
2. Discussion of the Background
The first committed step in the biosynthesis of all N-linked glycoproteins is catalyzed by the enzyme oligosaccharyl transferase and involves the transfer of a complex carbohydrate from a dolichol-linked pyrophosphate donor to the carboxamide side-chain of an asparagine residue (FIG. 1). Protein glycosylation is essential for the structure and function of many proteins and is involved in the control of many diverse biological processes (Paulson, Trends in Biol. Sci., 1989, 14, 272; Sadler, In Biology of Carbohydrates, 2nd Ed., Ginsburg & Robbins, Ed., John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1984, Vol. 2, pg. 87). For example, protein glycosylation has been found to be crucial for the development, growth and proper function of complex organisms, while, the aberrant glycosylation of proteins has been associated with diseased and transformed cells.
Despite the centrality of this biochemical transformation there are no synthetic or naturally occurring inhibitors that specifically target this enzyme-catalyzed reaction. In lieu of an inhibitor for OT, researchers have relied on the use of inhibitors of the dolichol phosphate cycle (FIG. 2).
For the synthesis of N-linked glycoproteins, the lipid linked oligosaccharide intermediate is Glc.sub.3 Man.sub.9 (GlcNAc).sub.2 -P-P-Dolichol. This precursor unit is assembled by a series of reactions onto a lipid carrier, dolichol phosphate (reviewed by Parodi & Leoir, Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 1979, 550, 1-37; Sharon & Lis, In The Proteins, 3rd Ed., Neurath & Hill, Ed., Academic Press: London, 1975, Vol. 5, pg. 1). Dolichol serves to firmly anchor the carbohydrate close to the lumen side of the ER membrane near to the site of the emerging polypeptide.
The assembly of the oligosaccharide begins with the reversible transfer of N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate from UDP-GlcNAc to Dolichol-P (FIG. 2), followed by the irreversible transfer of N-acetylglucosamine, also from UDP-GlcNAc, to the GlcNAc-P-P-Dol to give (GlcNAc).sub.2 -P-P-Dol. The .beta.-linked mannose residues of the pentasaccharide core are transferred directly from GDP-Man to (GlcNAc).sub.2 -P-P-Dol. Attachment of the remaining mannose residues, as well as of the three glucoses, is believed to proceed via the corresponding dolichol phosphate derivatives, formed respectively from GDP-Man and UDP-Glc. The ultimate product of this cycle is Glc.sub.3 Man.sub.9 (GlcNAc).sub.2 -P-P-Dol. The oligosaccharide is transferred en bloc from the lipid carrier to the nascent polypeptide. Thus, the final step of the dolichol cycle results in the transfer of a mannose-rich oligosaccharide chain to a polypeptide.
Tunicamycin, a glucosamine-containing antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces lysosuperificus, inhibits the first step in the dolichol phosphate cycle, the formation of GlcNAc-P-P-Dol (Tkacz & Lampen, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1975, 65, 248). Other inhibitors include 2-deoxyglucose, 2-fluoroglucose, and 2-fluoromannose (Schwarz & Heath, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1980, 77, 3811). These inhibitors compete for available dolichol phosphate and lead to formation of altered intermediates. However, these compounds are not recognized by OT and therefore inhibition of the overall reaction occurs only as dolichol phosphate supplies become exhausted.
Tunicamycin is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,336,333 and 4,330,624. Unfortunately, tunicamycin is not specific for OT.
Further, tunicamycin is an extremely potent compound and must be used with extreme care. Thus, it is desirable to find inhibitors which are both specific for OT and whose toxicity can be controlled.
Inhibitors specific for OT would be useful both in pharmaceutical applications and in bioengineering applications.
Imperiali et al. (JACS, 1992, 114, 7942) describe a weak inhibitor (1 mM) of OT. The present application describes inhibitors of OT which are 10,000 times more potent than those previously described.

Inhibitors of oligosaccharyl transferase


Wireless communication link bandwidth utilization monitoring apparatus and methods are disclosed. Utilization of bandwidth on a wireless communication link is monitored to generate bandwidth utilization information. In order to provide a record of the distribution of bandwidth utilization, durations of bandwidth utilization above respective different thresholds might be determined. Such distributions could be useful for such purposes as network analysis and/or customer billing based on actual wireless bandwidth usage. Bandwidth utilization information may be collected from multiple wireless link nodes, illustratively the wireless link nodes at both ends of monitored wireless communication links, to allow total bandwidth utilization for bi-directional communications over the monitored links to be determined.

Ethernet networks can be realized using meshed or ringed network architectures. The use of wireless technology in the core and access links of such networks is gaining momentum because of the ease of installation of such links and the associated lower installation cost. One driving factor of post-installation cost, however, is the bandwidth offered by wireless links. While per link bandwidth offered by wireless links is controlled by varying factors such as radio spectrum in use, coding and modulation techniques used, etc., some of these factors are regulated by governing bodies. Customers using these links are therefore often faced with paying for the full bandwidth offered by the links even though their actual bandwidth requirements based on amounts of communication traffic could be much lower than the full bandwidth.
One way to mitigate this problem is to initially purchase a certain amount of bandwidth, to which communication traffic will be rate limited. This allows a customer to pay for an amount of bandwidth that is estimated to be sufficient for current requirements, instead of the full bandwidth offered by wireless links. Additional bandwidth can then be purchased as the need arises.
However, this type of mechanism may pose problems, especially in larger networks. For example, each wireless link might need to be individually monitored by the customer to check its bandwidth utilization. For this purpose, the customer would need some sort of mechanism to continuously monitor the bandwidth requirement of each link, which of course would be very tedious in a large network. Also, since bandwidth is limited to the amount that the customer originally purchased, rate-limited links might not be able to support bursty traffic which exceeds the pre-purchased bandwidth. This results in links discarding excess traffic.
A pre-purchase and rate-limiting mechanism may also create difficulties when additional bandwidth is needed, such as where links must be individually upgraded if higher bandwidth is required.


In an embodiment of the present invention, a light emitting diode (LED) recessed down light fixture comprises a housing, a reflector assembly mounted to the housing, and an LED circuit board attached to the housing over the reflector assembly. The LED circuit board includes a plurality of resistors electrically connected to the LED circuit board, a bridge rectifier, and a plurality of at least 80 miniature LEDs electrically connected to the LED circuit board and configured to provide light. The plurality of miniature LEDs are separated into a plurality of LED clusters. Each cluster is electrically connected to at least one resistor. Further, the plurality of miniature LEDs are arranged in a configuration such that a voltage differential across any two proximate LEDs is less than 36 volts. The down light fixture further comprises a lens cover attached to the top end of the reflector assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recessed light fixtures, more specifically to LEDs used in recessed down light fixtures.
2. Description of Related Art
Recessed light fixtures are known, and are typically used when it is desirable to minimize the projection of the light fixture below the ceiling surface. Recessed light fixtures, as opposed to light fixtures that substantially extend below the ceiling surface, tend to be more aesthetically appealing and provide a cleaner look when installed. Thus, recessed light fixtures tend to be used in commercial settings such as offices and the like.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used since the early 1970s as a reliable low energy light source for indicator lights. LEDs are generally single frequency light sources, but in the early 1990s, blue LEDs were introduced, which made it possible to generate white light by coating the blue LED die with phosphor. The first white LEDs had a high color temperature of the order of 5000° K to 6000° K and were low in power. The most common type is the familiar 5 mm LED. Around the year 2000, higher power LEDs from 1 to 5 watts became available and lower color temperature range increased to as low as 2700° K. Color rendering was low and efficacy was 30 to 50 Lumens per watt.
Today, LEDs are available for a wide range of applications. The 5 mm LED is still the most commonly used for indicators, and sometimes for illumination. Single die power LEDs produce in excess of 5 watts of power at an efficacy of 50 to 100 lumens/W, depending on color temperature and CRI (Color Rendering Index). As a general rule, the lumen output drops as the color temperature is reduced and CRI increased. Both CRI and color temperature are functions of the phosphor coatings that are applied to the blue LED die.
Power LEDs are also constructed from multiple lower power dies that are wired on the same substrate. Multi-die LEDs may offer a higher efficacy than single die LEDs. These lower power dies, of the order of 70 to 100 mW, are very efficient when powered one at a time, and may be packaged individually as a Miniature Power LED.
General illumination has been driven primarily by incandescent bulbs and gas discharge tubes, including fluorescent, and Ceramic Metal Halides. Gas discharge tubes were introduced as a low energy light source to replace incandescent. They also offered a longer operating life. Had it not been for their higher CRI, simple design and lower cost, incandescent lamps would have long been extinct.
LEDs are available today in color temperatures ranging from 6000° K to 2700° K, and as high as 98 CRI. Day light and low voltage halogen incandescent lamps have a CRI of 100. As mentioned earlier, the LED lumen output drops as the CRI of a white light LED is increased. This puts a limit on the maximum CRI of an LED for an optimum lumens-cost-performance. CRIs of 60 to 75 are the most common and are used in street illumination and car headlights, where color rendering is not critical. A CRI less than 85 is used in general illumination since it is compatible with the CRI of the majority of fluorescent lamps. LED lamps with a CRI of 90 or higher are considered ideal replacements of quality incandescent lamps, such as low voltage Halogen.
The efficacy of a typical power LED can reach over 100 lumens/W, which makes it a feasible replacement of both incandescent and fluorescent lamps. Like fluorescent tubes, LEDs are current driven devices, except that an LED is driven by a DC current at a lower voltage. If the light output of an LED is required to be constant against input power changes, the drive current should be regulated, otherwise, the LED drive DC current may be allowed to vary, provided it does not exceed the maximum rating.
LED drivers may require isolation from AC line voltage for safety, especially if the LEDs are accessible. If the LEDs are encased in an approved dielectric barrier, electrical isolation will not be required, and LEDs may be driven directly from AC sources.
While incandescent lamps rely on heat and high temperature to produce light, LEDs produce light from changes in quantum energy levels of electrons in the LED semiconductor chip. However, LEDs, like all electronic devices, are not without losses, where heat is generated as a by-product, and needs to be dissipated before it causes excessive rise in LED junction temperature.
Dissipating LED heat becomes more critical as the LED is driven closer to its maximum rating. This is usually the case when maximum light output is required by design, which comes with the penalty of lower life and higher losses.
Critical heat dissipation can be avoided by reducing the amount of heat generated. This is accomplished by reducing the light output of the LED, which also improves the efficacy and increases the life of the LED.
The manufacturing process of white light LEDs yields a wide variance in voltage, luminosity, and color temperature. Each packaged LED goes through a series of tests and is ranked in "Bins" according to performance. There are three main bins commonly used today: voltage, lumen output, and color temperature. Of the three, color temperature is the most critical, since it is readily detected by the human eye. Each color temperature bin is approximately 200° K apart from an adjacent bin on the chromaticity chart.


In an arrangement for reproducing standard analog audio compact cassettes and digital compact cassettes is provided with an analog output terminal (9) for supplying an analog audio signal obtained from reproducing a digital audio signal from a digital compact cassette, or an analog signal from a standard compact cassette. The analog reproducer (28) is coupled to the analog output terminal (9) via an A/D converter (20) and a D/A converter (13). A further measure that can be used separate or in combination with the previous measure, is that a digital output terminal (23) is provided and that the output of the analog reproducer is coupled to the digital output terminal (23) via an A/D converter (13).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a magnetic tape accommodated in a cassette, comprising a digital-signal reproducing part, an analog-signal reproducing part, an analog-signal output terminal and first switching means for coupling the analog-signal output terminal either to an output of the analog-signal reproducing part or via a D/A converter to an output of the digital-signal reproducing part.
Such an apparatus, described in EP 381 266 A1 (PHN 12.816 C), is capable of reproducing either analog-audio signals from a standard audio compact cassette or digital-signals from a digital compact cassette (DCC). Such apparatuses can be used in car radios, where preferably only the analog or digital reproduction facilities of the apparatus is required.
Apparatuses for home-use are however additionally provided with a digital recording facility, so as to record audio signals, in analog or digital form, on the record carrier included in a digital compact cassette. In that case, an A/D converter is provided for converting the analog audio signal into a digital audio signal so as to enable recording on a digital compact cassette.

Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing digital and analog magnetic tape signals with A/D and D/A converters


The present invention relates to a system for generating an identifier for guiding the transport of a return product during shipment from an end user to one or more processing or collection centers, wherein the identification is suitable for use during transport in a number of countries or by means of a number of transport organizations each utilizing their own identification system, including means for generating an identifier comprising: first, identification data for identifying of the product by the transport organization during transport, and second, identification data for identifying the return product during storage and/or processing.

The present invention relates to a system and a method for generating an identification for use in the transport of return products from a large quantity of pickup locations to several collection locations, wherein use is made of a number of transport or postal companies, at least some of which make use of their own identification system for individual packages.
It is known for return products such as products under guarantee or products which are otherwise defective to be collected and/or repaired. For this purpose they are transported by means of courier services, transport firms or postal companies. Carrying out these transports for a large number of packages requires an enormous amount of logistic work, such as coordination operations. This work is essential in achieving a good result, but involves an enormous cost outlay.

System and method for generating an identification


It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the solubility of a poorly-soluble substance, which is capable of increasing the solubility of substantially all poorly-soluble substances. This is a method comprising coating the surface of a poorly-soluble substance particle with microparticles of a calcium compound such as calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate, and at least one selected from a pH adjuster and a surfactant, by applying mechanical energy thereto.

Useful substances have often poor solubility in water in the fields of pharmaceutical products, veterinary pharmaceutical products, quasi-drugs, cosmetic products, food products, agricultural chemicals, and the like. This restricts the use of useful substances. Thus, it has been desired to develop a method for improving the solubility of poorly-soluble useful substances.
Under such circumstances, the present inventors had proposed a method for improving the solubility of a poorly-soluble substance, wherein the surface of the poorly-soluble substance particle is coated by applying mechanical energy to allow the microparticles of a calcium compound such as calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate to penetrate into the poorly-soluble substance particle to improve the solubility (see Patent Document 1).

Method for improving water solubility of slightly soluble substance


A nucleic acid trans-splicing molecule is provided that can replace an exon in a targeted mammalian ocular gene carrying a defect or mutation causing an ocular disease with an exon having the naturally-occurring sequence without the defect or mutation. A method of treating an ocular disease, e.g., Stargardt's Disease, caused by a defect or mutation in a target gene, e.g., ABCA4 comprising: administering to the ocular cells of a subject having an ocular disease a composition comprising a recombinant AAV comprising a nucleic acid trans-splicing molecule as described above.

A number of inherited retinal diseases are caused by mutations, generally multiple mutations, located throughout portions of large ocular genes. As one example, Stargardt disease, also known as Stargardt 1 (STGD1), is an autosomal recessive form of retinal dystrophy that is usually characterized by a progressive loss of central vision. Worldwide prevalence of STGD1 is estimated at 1/8,000-1/10,000. The disease typically presents within the first two decades of life. Although disease progression and severity varies widely, STGD1 is usually characterized by a progressive loss of central vision causing blurry vision and, occasionally, an increasing difficulty to adapt in the dark. STGD1 may progress rapidly over a few months or gradually over several years leading to a severe decrease in visual acuity. Most affected individuals also have impaired color vision or photophobia. There is no treatment currently available for STGD1.
STGD1 has been linked to mutations in the ABCA4 gene, which has a sequence of 6822 nucleotides that encodes an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette transporter (ABCR) of sub-family A number 4, which is expressed specifically in the cones and rods of the retina. Defects in ABCR function cause the accumulation of all-trans-retinal and its cytotoxic derivatives (e.g., diretinoid-pyridinium-ethanolamine) (lipofuscin pigments) in photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, ultimately causing RPE cell death and the subsequent loss of photoreceptors. Mutations in ABCA4 have been linked to a spectrum of phenotypes ranging from STGD1, to a juvenile onset macular degeneration, fundus flavimaculatus, to cone-rod dystrophy, and a form of retinitis pigmentosa. ABCA4 mutations also contribute to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and severe early-onset retinal dystrophy.
Similar retinal diseases are caused by defects in other large ocular genes, including CEP290 (7440 nucleotides) which defects or mutations cause Leber's congenital amaurosis, among other ocular disorders, and MYO7A (7465 nucleotides), which defects or mutations cause Usher's disease.
The occurrences and locations of multiple mutations in such large ocular genes has made strategies for repairing the mutations very challenging. There remains a need for effective compositions and therapeutic methods for treating such ocular disorders.

Compositions and methods for correction of heritable ocular disease

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


An image formation apparatus according to an embodiment may include: a fixation unit detachable from a main body of the image formation apparatus; a movable guide member holding a first connector and movably provided to the main body; a second connector provided to the fixation unit; and an engagement portion provided around the second connector. Upon mounting the detachable unit to the main body, the engagement portion contacts the movable guide member to move the movable guide member to position the first connector held by the movable guide member to a fittable range where the first and second connectors can be fitted to each other. Upon fitting the first and second connectors to each other, the first connector contacts the second connector to move the movable guide member holding the first connector to align the first connector to the second connector.

The disclosure may relate to an image formation apparatus equipped with a detachable unit including a connector, for example, a fixation device.
In a related art, in order to avoid poor contact between an electrode of a first connector provided at a unit and a contact terminal of a second connector provided at a member upon mounting the unit to the member, there is a configuration in which the first connector is mounted in a predetermined position in the second connector by inserting the first connector in a direction inclined to a predetermined direction while contacting an inclined surface of the second connector, and then rotating the first connector with the contact terminal being in contact with the electrode. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-191419 (see pages 8 and 9, FIG. 6)


A crank assembly for a bicycle uses a plurality of auxiliary sprockets and chains to achieve high ratios of wheel speed to pedal-rotation speed. The compact crank assembly is especially well suited for use on full-suspension bicycles, as high gear ratios are attained without altering the normal size and layout of the main sprocket and drive chain of the bicycle. The auxiliary sprockets may be coupled by a simple axle or, alternatively, may be coupled by a rider-adjustable transmission to provide greater control over the gear ratio of the crank assembly.

The use of different-sized sprockets between the pedals and the drive wheel of a bicycle in order to increase the speed of bicycle has been well-known for many years in the prior art. The standard multi-speed road bicycle employs one or more main or front sprockets coupled to the pedal crank arms, and one or more smaller rear or drive sprockets coupled to the axle of rear drive wheel. A single drive chain normally links the front sprocket to the rear sprocket, allowing the rider to propel the bicycle by operating the pedals. Typically, a gear-shifting device or derailleur is associated with the front sprocket and/or the rear sprocket, to allow the rider to manually shift the chain to a differently-sized sprocket in order to change the gear ratio of the drive system.
By providing a main sprocket of substantially larger circumference than the drive sprocket, a beneficial speed increase is achieved. As the circumference of the main sprocket is increased, the speeds attainable by the bicycle rider also increase. Thus, where a high-speed bicycle is desired, it is desirable to make the main sprocket as large as possible. There is a limit, however, to the practical size of the main sprocket. The main sprocket must not be so large that it contacts the ground or the other parts of the bicycle, as this would adversely affect the overall function of the bicycle. This limit on the size of the main sprocket is especially acute in the field of bicycles known as full-suspension bicycles. Full-suspension bicycles are designed for riding on rough terrain, often at high speeds in racing conditions. These bicycles are typically fitted with shock absorbers and other devices which deflect when the bicycle encounters shocks. Thus, full-suspension bicycles require increased ground clearance because of rough terrain, and because deflection of the shock-absorbing members may bring parts of the bicycle temporarily in closer proximity to the ground than the parts of a normal"road" bicycle.
In order to achieve higher speeds despite this limit to the size of the main sprocket, some prior art bicycles have employed a pair of intermediate sprockets between the pedal sprocket and the wheel sprocket. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 472,796 to Moskowitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,749 to Ross, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,155 to Chou. These bicycles employ two drive chains--one chain linking the pedal sprocket to the first intermediate sprocket, achieving a first speed increase, and a second chain linking the second intermediate sprocket to the drive sprocket, achieving a second speed increase. In this way, these bicycles are able to achieve higher gear ratios than two-sprocket, single-chain bicycles.
The four-sprocket, two-chain drive system shown in the prior art, however, is not suitable for use on certain types of bicycles. For example, full-suspension bicycles, which are designed for the heavy shocks and loads that are experienced when riding on rough terrain, cannot use the prior art four-sprocket, two-chain drive systems. This is because the full-suspension bicycle is very carefully designed around the size and position of the main sprocket and the drive chain of the drive system. As explained above, the bicycle has shock absorbers and other elements which are designed to yield in order to absorb bumps and shocks, and the acceptable amount of deflection is limited by the ground clearance required for the main sprocket. Thus, it is desirable for the main sprocket of a full-suspension bicycle to be compact.
Furthermore, the design of a full-suspension bicycle, like most bicycles, depends on a substantially constant distance between the main sprocket and the drive sprocket in order to function properly. This distance must remain fairly constant in order to keep a constant tension in the drive chain. If the rear wheel and drive sprocket were to move just slightly closer to the main sprocket, the drive chain would become loose and the drive system could cease to function properly. If the drive sprocket moves away from the main sprocket, the drive chain may become prohibitively tight, interfering with the function of the drive system and possibly breaking the chain. These problems are central to the design of a full-suspension bicycle, because although it is desirable to allow controlled deflection of various parts of the bicycle in order to absorb shocks, the distance between the main sprocket and the drive sprocket must remain substantially constant.
It is desirable for a full-suspension bicycle to have a deflection point between the rear wheel and the main frame, to absorb rear-wheel shocks. As can be seen in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 8, this is accomplished without changing the distance between the main sprocket and the rear sprocket by allowing the rear wheel forks to rotate about pivot points X and Y while the shock is absorbed by shock absorber Z.
The multi-sprocket high speed bicycle drive systems shown in the prior art are not suitable for use on such a full-suspension bicycle. For instance, the one pictured in U.S. Pat. No. 472,796 to Moskowitz shows an intermediate sprocket located above the rear wheel. Clearly, any substantial deflection of the rear wheel with respect to the main frame of the bicycle would cause unacceptable slackness in the chains of this drive system. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,155 to Chou shows an intermediate sprocket located between the main sprocket and the rear wheel which would also be ineffective during a deflection of the rear wheel.
The solutions disclosed in the prior art are also not easily adjustable by the bicycle user. The large intermediate sprockets must be detached and replaced with different sized sprockets in order to change the gear ratio of the drive system. Then the chains must be re-fitted, as the differently-sized sprockets will require chains of different lengths to achieve the required chain tension.
Another problem with the prior art solutions to the multiple-sprocket high-speed bicycle problem is that they are aesthetically unpleasing. Bicycle consumers and enthusiasts are accustomed to the traditional bicycle drive system's appearance, which consists of a main sprocket which is connected via a chain to a relatively smaller drive sprocket. Large intermediate sprockets clearly visible elsewhere on the bicycle frame are not consistent with this compact style.
Thus, there is a need for a high-speed bicycle drive system which uses a normally-sized main sprocket, which is aesthetically pleasing, which is easily adjustable by the bicycle user to achieve a wide variety of gear rations, and which is suitable for use with a full-suspension bicycle.


The present invention relates to antibodies and related molecules that specifically bind to CK-B4. Such antibodies have uses, for example, in the prevention and treatment of cancer as well as immune system diseases and disorders including cancers, as well as immune system diseases and disorders including autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, immunodeficiencies, infections, HIV, arthritis, allergy, psoriasis, dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding anti-CK-B4 antibodies, vectors and host cells containing these nucleic acids, and methods for producing the same. The present invention relates to methods and compositions for preventing, detecting, diagnosing, treating or ameliorating a disease or disorder, especially cancers, as well as immune system diseases and disorders including autoimmune disease, inflammatory disorders, immunodeficiencies, infections, HIV, arthritis, allergy, psoriasis, dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease, comprising administering to an animal, preferably a human, an effective amount of one or more antibodies or fragments or variants thereof, or related molecules, that specifically bind to CK-B4.

Chemokines, also referred to as intercrine cytokines, are a subfamily of structurally and functionally related cytokines. These molecules are 8-14 kd in size. In general chemokines exhibit 20% to 75% homology at the amino acid level and are characterized by four conserved cysteine residues that form two disulfide bonds. Based on the arrangement of the first two cysteine residues, chemokines have been classified into two subfamilies, alpha and beta. In the alpha subfamily, the first two cysteines are separated by one amino acid and hence are referred to as the "CXC" subfamily. In the beta subfamily, the two cysteines are in an adjacent position and are, therefore, referred to as the "CC" subfamily. Recently, a new chemokine-like molecule, lymphotactin/SCM-1, which lacks the first and the third conserved cysteine residues, has been isolated and may represent a third subfamily (Kelner et al., Science 266:1395-1399 (1994)).
The intercrine cytokines exhibit a wide variety of functions. A hallmark feature is their ability to elicit chemotactic migration of distinct cell types, including monocytes, neutrophils, T lymphocytes, basophils and fibroblasts. Many chemokines have proinflammatory activity and are involved in multiple steps during an inflammatory reaction. These activities include stimulation of histamine release, lysosomal enzyme and leukotriene release, increased adherence of target immune cells to endothelial cells, enhanced binding of complement proteins, induced expression of granulocyte adhesion molecules and complement receptors, and respiratory burst. In addition to their involvement in inflammation, certain chemokines have been shown to exhibit other activities. For example, macrophage inflammatory protein I (MIP-1) is able to suppress hematopoietic stem cell proliferation, platelet factor-4 (PF-4) is a potent inhibitor of endothelial cell growth, Interleukin-8 (IL-8) promotes proliferation of keratinocytes, and GRO is an autocrine growth factor for melanoma cells.
Chemokine beta-4 (CK-β4; also known as CCL20, MIP-3α, and LARC) represents a novel, divergent beta-chemokine. CK-β4 contains the four cysteine residues characteristic of CC chemokines and shows sequence similarity with other human CC chemokines. The highest homology (28%) is with chemoline MIP-1β (Hieshima, et al. J. Biol. Chem. 272:5846-5853 (1997)). CK-β4 is expressed preferentially in lymphocytes and monocytes, and its expression is markedly upregulated by mediators of inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and lipopolysaccharide. The CK-β4 gene has been mapped between the bands of q33 and q37 of chromosome 2 (Ibid.). The only receptor identified for CK-β4, thus far, is CCR6 (Greaves, et al., J. Exp. Med 186:837-844).
The immune cells that are responsive to the chemokines have a vast number of in vivo functions and therefore their regulation by such chemokines is an important area in the treatment of disease. For example, eosinophils destroy parasites to lessen parasitic infection. Eosinophils are also responsible for chronic inflammation in the airways of the respiratory system. Macrophages are responsible for suppressing tumor formation in vertebrates. Further, basophils release histamine, which may play an important role in allergic inflammation.
Accordingly, promoting and inhibiting such cells, has wide therapeutic application. There is a clear need, therefore, for identification and characterization of compositions, such as antibodies, that influence the biological activity of chemokines, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize antibodies that modulate the biological activities of chemokine beta-4 for the treatment of proliferative disorders, as well as immune system diseases and disorders including autoimmune disease, inflammatory disorders, immunodeficiencies, infections, HIV, arthritis, allergy, psoriasis, dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Antibodies that specifically bind to chemokine beta-4


An apparatus for and a method of securing hubs and bearings on truck spindles includes a flat or non-flat washer with a key and a nut having an integral and axially spaced locking ring with threads through the nut and locking ring complementary to threads on a spindle. The nut also includes a plurality of axially oriented threaded openings and a plurality of threaded fasteners that extend through apertures in the locking ring and into the threaded openings. An alternate embodiment includes a washer, a nut having threads complementary to threads on the spindle and a plurality of axially oriented threaded openings, a locking plate having a pattern of arcuate slots and a key which engages a keyway on the spindle and a plurality of fasteners which secure the locking plate to the nut in a desired position.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Long haul trailers of semi-tractors and trailers may readily log over one hundred thousand miles a year. After the tires, the most significant wear item is the interface between the rotating tires and wheels and the stationary axles. This interface includes pairs of roller bearings which support each tire and wheel assembly on each axle.
Although well designed, the failure of the bearings and damage to the terminal portion of the axle, the spindle, is essentially a matter of time. That said, such failures are seldom predictable and it thus has not been found reasonable or economically practical to undertake preventative maintenance which typically includes replacement of these components. The result of the foregoing is that failure of these truck axle components will generally occur without warning and at some distance from a truck terminal or qualified repair facility.
I have therefore developed several on-site axle repair machines, components and procedures that render the repair of such truck axle failures at the failure site rapid, efficient, safe and far less expensive than towing the truck or trailer to a repair facility and replacing the entire axle. For example, my U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,418 discloses a repair method utilizing a long spindle having both inner and outer bearing surfaces and a sleeve or liner. After the damaged end of the axle has been removed, the spindle and liner are installed in the axle and welded at several locations away from regions of significant stress.
Whether completing the repair process described directly above or simply re-assembling a wheel hub and bearings after inspection and lubrication, one of the final steps is the re-installation of a washer and nut to retain the wheel hub and bearings on the threaded spindle. In one arrangement, the nut is a pair of thin nuts. A first or inner nut is tightened down to a specified torque to provide a preload on the bearings and then a second nut is rotated against the first nut to lock it in place.
This arrangement is not ideal for two reasons. First of all, although the first nut can be accurately torqued down to provide the proper bearing preload, when the second (lock) nut is tightened against it, the preload will generally increase to an unknown value. This is because the first nut, as it is tightened or torqued down, is forced away from the bearings and toward the inside faces of the threads on the spindle. However, when the second (lock) nut is tightened against it, it moves slightly inward such that it resides against the outside faces of the threads. This axial translation will increase the bearing preload by some unknown amount. Thus, even if the first nut were initially properly tightened or torqued to apply the proper bearing preload, tightening the second (lock) nut will increase the bearing preload. Second of all, the second (lock) nut which, when tightened, is carrying essentially all of the axial force is thin and can thus distort or damage the small number of spindle threads it is engaging under certain conditions. This, in turn, may make removal of the outer nut difficult or virtually impossible.
Another arrangement utilizes a nut with plural locking features that can be engaged by a pin that is held against rotation by a keyway on the spindle. Again, the nut is torqued down against the wheel and bearings to provide the proper preload. Now, however, since the locking features are spaced about the nut at, for example, 30 degree circumferential intervals, the nut must be rotated (typically back or out) to align a locking feature with the pin. Such rotation changes, and typically reduces, the optimum bearing preload.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that there is a need for improved components and an installation method addressing the problems of properly mounting, preloading bearings and tightening truck axle spindle nuts. The present invention is so directed.

Spindle nut and washer assembly and method of utilization