The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

The industrial production of the amino acid lysine has became an economically important industrial process. Lysine is used commercially as an animal feed supplement, because of its ability to improve the quality of feed by increasing the absorption of other amino acids, in human medicine, particularly as ingredients of infusion solutions, and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Commercial production of this lysine is principally done utilizing the gram positive Corynebacterium glutamicum, Brevibacterium flavum and Brevibacterium lactofermentum (Kleemann, A., et. al., "Amino Acids," in ULLMANN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY, vol. A2, pp. 57-97, Weinham: VCH-Verlagsgesellschaft (1985)). These organisms presently account for the approximately 250,000 tons of lysine produced annually. A significant amount of research has gone into isolating mutant bacterial strains which produce larger amounts of lysine. Microorganisms employed in microbial process for amino acid production are divided into 4 classes: wild-type strain, auxotrophic mutant, regulatory mutant and auxotrophic regulatory mutant (K. Nakayama et al., in Nutritional Improvement of Food and Feed Proteins, M. Friedman, ed., (1978), pp. 649-661). Mutants of Corynebacterium and related organisms enable inexpensive production of amino acids from cheap carbon sources, e.g., molasses, acetic acid and ethanol, by direct fermentation. In addition, the stereospecificity of the amino acids produced by fermentation (the L isomer) makes the process advantageous compared with synthetic processes.
Another method in improving the efficiency of the commercial production of lysine is by investigating the correlation between lysine production and metabolic flux through the pentose phosphate pathway. Given the economic importance of lysine production by the fermentive process, the biochemical pathway for lysine synthesis has been intensively investigated, ostensibly for the purpose of increasing the total amount of lysine produced and decreasing production costs (reviewed by Sahm et al, (1996) Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 782:25-39). There has been some success in using metabolic engineering to direct the flux of glucose derived carbons toward aromatic amino acid formation (Flores, N. et al., (1996) Nature Biotechnol. 14:620-623). Upon cellular absorption, glucose is phosphorylated with consumption of phosphoenolpyruvate (phosphotransferase system) (Malin & Bourd, (1991) Journal of Applied Bacteriology 71, 517-523) and is then available to the cell as glucose-6-phosphate. Sucrose is converted into fructose and glucose-6-phosphate by a phosphotransferase system (Shio et ah, (1990) Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 54, 1513-1519) and invertase reaction (Yamamoto et al, (1986) Journal of Fermentation Technology 64, 285-291).
During glucose catabolism, the enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 126.96.36.199) and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (EC 22.214.171.124) compete for the substrate glucose-6-phosphate. The enzyme glucose-6-phosphate isomerase catalyses the first reaction step of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway, or glycolysis, namely conversion into fructose-6-phosphate. The enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyses the first reaction step of the oxidative portion of the pentose phosphate cycle, namely conversion into 6-phosphogluconolactone.
In the oxidative portion of the pentose phosphate cycle, glucose-6-phosphate is converted into ribulose-5-phosphate, so producing reduction equivalents in the form of NADPH. As the pentose phosphate cycle proceeds further, pentose phosphates, hexose phosphates and triose phosphates are interconverted. Pentose phosphates, such as for example 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate are required, for example, in nucleotide biosynthesis. 5-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate is moreover a precursor for aromatic amino acids and the amino acid L-histidine. NADPH acts as a reduction equivalent in numerous anabolic biosyntheses. Four molecules of NADPH are thus consumed for the biosynthesis of one molecule of lysine from oxalacetic acid. Thus, carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA) remains constant regardless of system perturbations (J. Vallino et al, (1993) Biotechnol. Bioeng., 41, 633-646).

Methods for the preparation of lysine by fermentation of


A laminate has a core layer and a skin layer on either side of the core layer, wherein the skin layer is formed of a copolymer having a glass transition point of 85° C. or more and 115° C. or below and consisting of 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid or its lower alkyl ester, terephthalic acid or its lower alkyl ester and ethylene glycol or a polymer alloy having a glass transition point of 85° C. or more and 115° C. or below and consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate. Thus, it can be used suitably as a packaging container for food and drink, such as jelly containers, which has flavor resistance and aroma retention sufficient not to be limited by types of flavor used for jelly or the like, excels in sealing properties with a lid body, can be hermetically sealed with an easy-peel transparent lid body, and is also superior in gas barrier properties, impact resistance, heat resistance, cost efficiency and transparency.

As a material for food packaging, plastic having improved heat resistance and the like is now being used increasingly. And, polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate (PEN), which is one type of polyester resin, is particularly superior to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in mechanical strength (Young's modulus, breaking strength), heat resistance (long-term heat stability, dimensional stability), ultraviolet shielding property (weather resistance), chemical properties (chemical resistance, gas barrier properties) and the like because of inflexibility and planarity of its molecular chain, and has come into the limelight in recent years. But, it has inferior heat-sealing properties with a lid material. Specifically, it has poor heat-sealing properties with an aluminum closure (aluminum foil lid material) which has a polyester based adhesive layer as the innermost layer and also inferior adhesive force depending on use conditions. And, because the forming conditions are different when the PEN resin is contained, it cannot be included in a recycling system of the PET resin and also has the same drawback as the multi-layered film view of recycling efficiency. Besides, there were also problems of impact resistance and high cost.
The present inventors have proposed, as packing materials for food which are free from the drawbacks of polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate (PEN), a polyester copolymer indicated by a general formula, HO—(COArCOORO)n—H (n is 100 to 1000. But, Ar is 2,6-naphthalene group and phenylene group, and R is ethylene group and 1,4-cyclohexylene group.) (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-113631) and a laminated sheet made of a polymer alloy formed of a polyarylate resin and a thermoplastic polyester resin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-34271).
The former copolymer excels in heat resistance, impact resistance, heat-sealing properties with a lid material, gas barrier properties and recycling efficiency, but the copolymer has a problem of high cost when it is used as a single-layer film for a food packaging container. And, the latter laminated sheet is superior in heat resistance, impact resistance and heat-sealing properties with a lid material but insufficient in gas barrier properties, flavor resistance (flavor attack resistance) and aroma retention. For example, when it is used as a jelly container, it has a problem of being limited by used flavor.
It is an object of the present invention to remedy the problems of the prior art and to provide a transparent plastic laminated sheet which has sufficient flavor resistance and aroma retention and also excels in gas barrier properties (oxygen barrier properties), impact resistance, heat resistance, sealing properties and cost efficiency.
And, its object is to provide a transparent plastic laminated sheet which excels in heat-sealing properties with a lid material and recycling efficiency, has sufficient flavor resistance and aroma retention, and also excels in gas barrier properties (oxygen barrier properties), impact resistance, heat resistance, cold-impact resistance and cost efficiency.
Besides, its object is to provide a packaging container for food, drink and the like, which is formed of the above-described plastic laminated sheet.


A construction component provides structural reinforcement of structures built therewith, by embedding an internal support structure within a substrate component such as a cast concrete block during fabrication of the construction component. The embedded internal support structure can include interface plates that are structurally coupled to the internal support structure and are made accessible outside of the substrate to permit the internal support structures of the individual construction components to be mechanically tied together in constructing a structure therewith. The internal support structure can be triangular, and can be coupled together using threaded bolts, rivets or welds. The substrate block is formed with vertical channels to provide access to the interface plates of components being coupled during construction.

Pre-manufactured cast concrete blocks of various designs have been used in the construction industry for many years. One commonly employed concrete block design is often referred to as a CMU (Concrete Masonry Unit). Typically, a bed of mortar is manually applied over the blocks, which are then hand set and aligned into the mortar in a staggered fashion to create mortar joints therebetween. The construction is therefore highly labor intensive. The CMU is sized to balance ease in handling and the ability to construct walls of various shapes, with being large enough to reduce the total number of manual operations required in constructing those walls. While the size of a CMU varies internationally, the most common nominal size is 16 inches×8 inches×8 inches (about 410 mm×200 mm×200 mm).
Because concrete is strong in compression, but relatively weak in tension, concrete is often structurally reinforced to compensate for this structural imbalance. Thus, CMUs are typically made with hollow channels, sometimes referred to as voids or cores, that permit the deployment of steel rebar (reinforcement bar) there through. Because the blocks are staggered, the channels or voids overlap from one layer to another, permitting rebar to extend from the top of the wall to the bottom. The rebar is typically secured within the voids using grout or concrete.
While this technique of reinforcement can be effective to internally reinforce a constructed wall, the reinforcement process, when combined with the process of actually laying the blocks is highly labor intensive, time consuming, and therefore costly. Furthermore, variations in environmental conditions as well as the skill of the masons during construction, can lead to inconsistencies in the quality of a completed wall.
In an attempt to lower the cost of construction, the construction industry has also employed building blocks that are much larger in size than the CMU. However, as the size of concrete blocks increase, they have tendency to become brittle, thereby necessitating reinforcement. To further reduce construction costs, the larger prefabricated blocks are sometimes pre-fabricated with internal reinforcement materials already built into the block during fabrication. Not only does this render the pre-reinforced blocks more difficult to handle and transport, but the reinforcement materials are neither interconnected, nor are they directly coupled to external structures used to create overall stability of the walls. This lack of integration can result in overuse of such reinforcement material to achieve a wall of a desired strength.
It should be further pointed out that while the geometry of CMUs and other concrete blocks is favorable for providing reinforcement in vertical and horizontal planes, walls constructed of such blocks still tend to have low resistance to sheer stress, which makes them less than ideal for seismically-resistant construction.

Construction component having embedded internal support structures to provide enhanced structural reinforcement and improved ease of construction therewith


A graphics to video encoder is disclosed. The encoder comprises a client image constructor that receives client input and constructs client image frames based on the client input. A scene integrator is coupled to the client image constructor. The scene integrator accesses base image frames and integrates client image frames with base image frames to generate client scene frames. The graphics to video encoder also has coupled to the scene integrator a video encoder that encodes and outputs the client scene frames as a video bitstream.

A wide array of mobile clients, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones, include a display screen for displaying streaming video content. With the expanded bandwidth of wireless networks (e.g., 3G wireless networks), it was believed that streaming video would occupy the vast majority of wireless media. However, the fastest-growing applications have instead been in the arena of mobile network games based on three-dimensional (3D) graphics models. For instance, in countries such as Korea and Japan, the use of mobile network games has increased such that there is a substantial desire to access mobile network games using mobile electronic devices.
Mobile network games require real-time interactivity, which demands high-volume and timely delivered data. This is a difficult task for the current 3G wireless network real-time mechanism. Moreover, typical mobile clients are low-powered lightweight devices with limited computing resources; therefore, they lack the ability to render the millions of triangles per second typically necessary for high quality graphics. As a result, current mobile online games are typically limited in group size and interaction, and are simplistic in visual quality.
In order to improve the quality of mobile online games, a fundamental advance in wireless network technology and a drastic speedup in mobile computing hardware are required. However, game observers comprise a large and growing set of mobile client users. Game observers are users that access network games as non-participants who are interested only in viewing the action. As network games mature, highly skilled players acquire fan bases that loyally follow and observe their heroes in action en masse in multicast channels.
Currently, mobile network game observers are subject to the same limitations as active game participants. Specifically, in order to observe a network game, the observer's mobile client typically must meet the hardware requirements necessary to display 3D graphics. However, as describe above, typical mobile clients do not include hardware capable of rendering high-quality 3D graphics. Accordingly, mobile game observers are limited to viewing mobile online games, which are often less compelling and have simplistic graphics, and therefore less desirable to observe.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A golf ball retriever system that includes a hook assembly, constructed from a wire material covered with a rubberized coating to minimize disturbance of the bottom materials of the water hazard so that the water clarity would stay as clear as possible during retrieval of the golf ball. The hook assembly is secured to the end of the telescopically extendable handle that collapses for convenient storage.

The present invention relates to devices and a system for helping golfers to retrieve a golf ball that has landed in a water hazard and more particularly to a golf ball retriever system that includes a telescoping handle assembly including a hand grip attached to a first end of a telescoping section that retracts into a cavity provided within the hand grip and a second end attached to two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members each having a curved portion that terminates in a prong projecting upwardly from a plane defined by the curved portion at an angle of about forty-five degrees; the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members being connected to the second end of the telescoping section such that the prongs define a split opening therebetween that provides an area for receiving a golf ball held within a holding area defined by the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members.
It is often desirable for a golfer to retrieve a golf ball hit into a water hazard because of the expense of the golf ball. It would be desirable, therefore, to have a golf ball retriever system that could be collapsed into a small area for storage when not needed but which could be telescopically extended to a considerable length when needed. In order not to disturb the silt and mud laying at the bottom of the water hazard while attempting to retrieve the golf ball, it would be further benefit to have a golf ball retriever system that included a hook assembly, constructed from a wire material covered with a rubberized coating to minimize disturbance of the bottom materials of the water hazard so that the water clarity would stay as clear as possible during retrieval of the golf ball.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a golf ball retriever system that includes a telescoping handle assembly including a hand grip attached to a first end of a telescoping section that retracts into a cavity provided within the hand grip and a second end attached to two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members each having a curved portion that terminates in a prong projecting upwardly from a plane defined by the curved portion at an angle of about forty-five degrees; the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members being connected to the second end of the telescoping section such that the prongs define a split opening therebetween that provides an area for receiving a golf ball held within a holding area defined by the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members.
Accordingly, a golf ball retriever system is provided. The golf ball retriever system includes a telescoping handle assembly including a hand grip attached to a first end of a telescoping section that retracts into a cavity provided within the hand grip and a second end attached to two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members each having a curved portion that terminates in a prong projecting upwardly from a plane defined by the curved portion at an angle of about forty-five degrees; the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members being connected to the second end of the telescoping section such that the prongs define a split opening therebetween that provides an area for receiving a golf ball held within a holding area defined by the two mirror image, rubberized, metal gripping hook members.


A machine element, in particular for a shaping machine, includes a lubricated bearing and/or a seal and a primary drainage conduit for catching a fluid medium issuing from the bearing and/or the seal, preferably substantially pressure-lessly. A collecting device is provided for collecting the fluid medium which is caught in the primary drainage conduit over a period of time, and a measuring device is adapted to directly and/or indirectly measure an amount of the fluid medium collected by the collecting device over the period of time.

The present invention concerns a machine element, in particular for a shaping machine, having a lubricated bearing and/or a seal and at least one drainage conduit for catching a fluid medium issuing from the bearing and/or the seal, preferably substantially without pressure, and a corresponding method.
The state of the art is illustrated hereinafter by reference to the example of a rotary feedthrough.
Rotary feedthroughs as are used in particular in shaping machines like, for example, injection moulding machines make it possible to circulate a medium, in particular a fluid medium, that is to say a gaseous or liquid medium, to be transmitted from a component to a shaft which rotates in relation to the component.
The fluid medium passages of those rotary feedthroughs are provided with annular seals on the one hand to prevent the fluid medium from issuing (leaking) from the fluid medium passage and on the other hand to prevent the medium from being contaminated by oil or grease coming from the lubrication for the shaft bearing means.
It will be appreciated that, depending on the operating hours of the bearing locations or seals, leakage occurs both of the lubricant and also of the fluid medium. Drainage conduits are provided for that purpose, and the drainage conduits open for example into a container.
It is also known in the state of the art to provide pressure sensors in the drainage conduits. By virtue thereof, the operator of the installation can be warned if damage to the rotary feedthrough has occurred, and as a result larger amounts of lubricant or fluid medium issue and possibly contaminate each other.
Admittedly, that system relatively reliably provides information about damage or at least increased leakage at the rotary feedthrough. If, however, the pressure in the drainage conduit is already increased, the risk of mutual contamination naturally already arises (that is to say, in general, damage has already occurred).


Provided is a portable terminal. The portable terminal includes a metal frame including a cable accommodation part; an antenna cable accommodated into the cable accommodation part, the antenna cable including a conductive part; and a bracket clamping the antenna cable, the bracket being inserted into and coupled to the cable accommodation part. The bracket is formed of a conductive material and in contact with the conductive part.

The present disclosure relates to a fixing bracket for an antenna cable and a portable terminal having the same, and more particularly, to a portable terminal which includes a conductive bracket clamping an antenna cable to improve grounding effects and assemblability.
Portable terminals represent devices that are portable by a user to perform wireless communication. Such a portable terminal includes an antenna.
The antenna is connected to a main board within the portable terminal to transmit a signal. Also, the antenna is fixed to a metal frame.
The metal frame provided within the portable terminal may be accurately molded by die casting. Thus, since the metal frame is not elastically deformed, relatively high accuracy is required when assembled.
Also, when a portion of the antenna cable is fixed to the metal frame, possibility in the occurrence of defects due to location deviation and product deviation is high.
Particularly, the portable terminal should be grounded to reduce signal noises. Here, when a separate member, e.g., a gasket tape is coupled to the outside of the antenna cable to ground the portable terminal, possibility in the occurrence of defects may be further increased. Thus, it may be difficult to ground the portable terminal.

Fixing bracket for antenna cable and portable terminal having the same


A garage door operator with light control includes a garage door movement apparatus for moving the garage door in an open and in a close direction within a doorway, a light having an on and an off state, a controller for generating a door movement signal for operating the door movement apparatus and for generating a light enable signal for operating the light in one of a plurality of on and off states and an obstacle detector for detecting the presence of an obstruction in the doorway. The controller responds to the door state (traveling open, traveling closed and stopped open) in order to control operation of the door and activation of the lights. When the door state indicates the door is stopped open and the obstacle detector detects an obstruction in the doorway, the controller generates a light enable signal for enabling the light.

This invention relates to remotely controlled garage door opening apparatus and more particularly, to such apparatus integrally combined with remotely controlled lighting.
Remotely controlled garage door openers include associated garage lights which are turned on automatically when a garage door movement is commanded from a remote transmitter. A remote transmitter sends a predetermined coded signal to which a receiver responds by activating a garage door moving device and the associated lights. The lights remain on for a preset period of time to permit lighted use of the garage, then automatically turn off.
With such known garage door openers, a user can activate the system when preparing to leave a closed garage and the lights will be turned on for the predetermined period. If the user exits the garage before the predetermined period expires, then a lighted exit is provided. Similarly, when a user arrives at a closed garage door, he or she can activate the door opener, the door will open and the lights will be turned on and remain on for the predetermined period. In the ordinary situation, the user will enter the garage and exit it again before the lights automatically turn off. With known garage door opening systems, the lights of the opening are turned on only as a part of implementing normal door movement commands.
With the prior systems, a person who opens the garage door but waits for whatever reason until after the lights have turned back off to drive out of the garage must do so in the dark. Also, a person who drives up to an open garage door in the dark must drive into the garage in the dark or close, then re-open, the door, to achieve an open door with the lights on. Similarly, a person without a door activating transmitter who approaches an open garage after its lights have turned off, must enter a dark garage. These situations create potential safety hazards and/or inconvenience on the part of the person using the system. A need exists for improved lighting arrangements in combination with garage door openers to eliminate the aforementioned lighting problems with prior garage door opening systems.


There is disclosed a polycarbonate and polysiloxane block copolymer includes 1 to 50 percent by mass of a siloxane portion derived from a polysiloxane block represented by the following formula (I) and 50 to 99 percent by mass of a carbonate portion derived from a polycarbonate block represented by the following formula (II). There can be provided a novel polycarbonate and polysiloxane block copolymer capable of readily imparting excellent flame retardance, and a flame retardant resin composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polycarbonate and polysiloxane block copolymer, particularly a novel polycarbonate and polysiloxane block copolymer useful as an engineering thermoplastic resin, and a flame retardant resin composition containing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A copolymer having a polysiloxane block and a polycarbonate block, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, can be obtained as a polycondensate from a dialkylpolysiloxane containing a phenolic hydroxyl group at both terminals, a bisphenol A and a carbonating agent. In fact, such a polycarbonate-based resin can provide excellent properties in low-temperature impact resistance and processability, but fails to provide sufficient flame retardance.
Meanwhile, Patent Documents 3 and 4 disclose methods for providing a flame-retardant polycarbonated copolymer comprising a brominated bisphenol A and a halogenated phenol. Nevertheless, these methods are undesirable due to the use of halides whose halogen, when combusted, is harmful to the environment and thus human health.
Furthermore, Patent Documents 5 to 7 disclose flame retardant polycarbonate resin compositions. In these methods, a phenyl group-containing hydrogenpolysiloxane is added to a thermoplastic polycarbonate resin to attain favorable flame retardance. Unfortunately, these methods involve such problems as the use of an expensive phenyl group-containing hydrogenpolysiloxane and unstable flame retardance resulting from a small amount thereof according to kneading conditions.

Polycarbonate and polysiloxane block copolymer and flame retardant resin composition


An electron beam welding method capable of restoring toughness even when high heat input welding is performed. The electron beam welding method comprises: forming a first weld bead (3) so as to include a groove (2) provided at the butt portions of two base materials (1), and forming a second weld bead (4) and a third weld bead (5) having a narrower width than the first weld bead (3), at predetermined positions displaced from the groove (2) and centered symmetrically about the butt portions so as to include a portion of the first weld bead (3), using a lower heat input than that used during formation of the first weld bead (3).

One method of welding low-alloy steel or a similar steel material is a method that uses a high-density electron beam (see PTL 1). It is known that the crystal grains become coarser and the toughness deteriorates in weld zone. Accordingly, the weld is subjected to a post weld heat treatment or the like to restore the toughness.
Further, in steam generators of pressurized water reactors and the like, the desire to increase output of power generation plants has lead to demands for larger generators, and this has been accompanied by a trend toward the use of thicker plates in structures.


The present invention is a system and method for the organization, display, and navigation of digital information. The present system allows for the easy navigation of a primary source of information, as well as the navigation of secondary information related to the primary information source. The present system may be used to organize, display, or navigate any type of digital information, but is primarily intended to be used to organize, display, or navigate the results of a web based search engine. Primary source information is displayed in a search results window while secondary information is displayed in an operational window. The primary source information may be displayed as thumbnail images of web pages that satisfy a search request. The user may scroll through the thumbnail images of the web pages of the primary information source and navigate web pages of interest in the operational window.

A web based search engine is a common tool employed by users of the internet to find and explore web based content. A user enters search terms into a search engine, and the search engine finds relevant web pages based upon the specified criteria. Once the relevant web pages are found, the search engine displays the search results to the user. Typically, the user is provided with a list of links to web pages with relevant information and text based excerpts of the content at the linked web page. A second method of displaying search engine results uses "thumbnail" images of the content of individual web pages, displayed in conjunction with the link to the web page and associate text excerpt. A thumbnail image of web page content is a miniaturized picture of content from the HTML page at the corresponding URL.

System for organization, display, and navigation of digital information


A flow diverter for an air separator of a gas turbine includes a cylindrical body configured to fit within a cooling hole of the air separator. One or more air flow vents are defined through and around a partial circumference of the cylindrical body. A bottom panel closes the cylindrical body at one end. A mounting flange surrounds the cylindrical body at an open end and extends radially outward from the cylindrical body. When the flow diverter is installed, air flows through the open end in a radial direction and exits through the air flow vents in an axial direction. The cylindrical body may include a collapsible region that collapses to engage the air separator and prevent the flow diverter from being dislodged. The air separator may additionally or alternately include supplemental cooling holes in a recessed area proximate to its mounting flange.

Some conventional turbo machines, such as gas turbine systems, are utilized to generate electrical power. In general, a gas turbine system 2 (a portion of which is illustrated in FIG. 1) includes a compressor 10, one or more combustors 20, and a turbine 30. Air may be drawn into the compressor 10, via its inlet, where the air is compressed by passing through multiple stages of stationary vanes 12 and rotating blades 14. The compressed air is directed to the one or more combustors 20, where fuel is introduced, and a fuel/air mixture is ignited and burned to form combustion products. The combustion products function as the operational fluid of the turbine 30.
The operational fluid then flows through a fluid flow path in a turbine 30, the flow path being defined between a plurality of stationary nozzles 32 and a plurality of rotating blades 34 disposed between the stationary nozzles 32, such that each set of stationary nozzles 32 and each corresponding set of rotating blades 34 defines a turbine stage. As the plurality of rotating blades 34 rotate the rotor 40 of the gas turbine system 10, a generator (not shown), coupled to the rotor 40, may generate power from the rotation of the rotor 40. The rotation of the turbine blades 34 also causes rotation of the compressor blades 14, which are coupled to the rotor 40.
In some gas turbines, the rotor 40 is formed by stacking a series of rotor wheels and, optionally, spacer components to form sections of the stacked rotor. It is well known to couple a torque tube 50 between the compressor section of the stacked rotor (represented by rotor wheel 16) to the turbine section of the stacked rotor (represented by rotor wheel 36). The torque tube 50 includes a bulky forward end 52 that is connected to the compressor rotor wheel 16, a bulky aft end 56 that is connected to the turbine rotor wheel 36, and a thin intermediate section 53 extending axially between the forward end 52 and the aft end 56. The aft end 56 of the torque tube 50 is circumferentially surrounded by an air separator 60.
The air separator 60 has a generally cylindrical shape and includes a forward flange 64 and an aft flange 66. The forward flange 64 is connected, via a circumferential array of bolts, to the torque tube 50 at an intermediate flange 54 extending radially outward from the intermediate section 53 proximate to the aft end 56. The air separator 60 defines a circumferential array of cooling holes 62 to direct cooling air 72 for the rotor 40 and the turbine components (e.g., blades 34) from a cooling air duct 70 into an annulus 80 between the air separator 60 and the aft end 56 of the torque tube 50. This cooling air 72 impinges directly on the aft end 56 of the torque tube 50.
It has been observed that the torque tube 50 may experience thermal stress due to the insufficient and mal-distributed cooling in the area inboard of the air separator 60. The direct impingement of cooling air 72 further exacerbates these thermal stresses. Cracking of the torque tube 50 in this region may lead to vibration events in the gas turbine, which in turn may lead to forced outages. The presence of the air separator 60 makes visual detection of the cracks impossible without costly and time-consuming disassembly of the rotor shaft 40.
Prior efforts to reduce the thermal stress included providing relief grooves 58 at the aft end of the torque tube 50 near the bolt connecting the torque tube 50 to the turbine section of the rotor 40; and increasing the thickness of the torque tube 50. However, such efforts have proven unsuccessful, and improvements in the cooling configuration of the torque tube 50 and the air separator 60 are needed to minimize or delay cracking and to extend the useful life of the torque tube 50.

Flow-diverting systems for gas turbine air separator


Apparatuses and methods for gripping a pad are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to, but are not limited to, tools, and in particular, to the field of electronic device manufacturing tools.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of electronic device manufacturing, semiconductor wafers typically undergo a process known as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. In order to undertake such a process, a machine known as a CMP polisher is often employed. During the CMP process, the CMP polishing machine is used to planarize the surfaces of the wafers being processed. FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary prior art CMP polishing machine that may be used in a CMP process. The CMP polishing machine 100 includes, among other things, a polisher arm and wafer carrier 102, a control panel 104, a load station 106, an unload station 108, a platen 110, and a polishing pad 112. In a CMP process, a wafer 114 is typically retrieved from the load station 106 and coupled to the polisher arm and wafer carrier 102. During the process, the carrier 102 lowers the wafer 114 so that it contacts the polishing pad 112 facedown. The wafer 114 is than rotated on the polishing pad 112 planarizing the wafer 114. After the completion of the polishing process, the planarized wafer is deposited into the unload station 108.
The polishing pad 112, which is disposed on the platen 110 is typically made of a polymeric material such as filled polyurethane or Dacron™ felt. Although not depicted, the platen 110 may sometimes further include a suba pad that is disposed on top of the platen 110 between the polishing pad 112 and the platen 110. The polishing pad 112 may be secured to the platen 110 by an adhesive such as a polymer adhesive. Polishing pads typically have sponge cake like qualities having a number of air pockets and channels on the surface of the pads. Since polishing pads tend to wear out after prolong use, they must be replaced on a regular basis.
Presently, the polishing pads that are used in CMP polishing machines are physically removed from the platen 110 by hand, which tends to be a time-consuming and physically demanding task. That is, because of the way the polishing pads are attached to the underlying surface (e.g., platen surface) and the inherent characteristics of the pads (e.g., sponge-like), they must be removed delicately but with a relatively considerable amount of force. Further, the amount of working space available to remove the polishing pad 112 from the platen 110 may be quite limited depending upon the CMP polishing machine 100 being used.


A terahertz-based material identification system includes a terahertz source for transmitting a terahertz wave for interaction with an object. The interaction results in a resulting terahertz wave that is influenced by the object. A terahertz detector receives the resulting terahertz wave and is configured to output measurement data corresponding to the resulting terahertz wave. A processor is in communication with the terahertz detector for receiving the measurement data. The processor is also configured to calculate an object response signature based on the measurement data, and compare the object response signature to a set of known response signatures so as to identify the object. The material identification system may also be implemented as part of a sorting system that is configured to selectively separate the object from a mixture based on the identity of the object.

Material sensing, identification, and classification can be a challenge in many industries, such as electronic-waste and municipal waste recycling, chemical supplying, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, to name a few.
Existing sensor technologies, such as short-wave infrared sensors and X-Ray sensors, can be used to identify and separate a range of materials including plastic polymers, pharmaceutical compounds, and the like. However, there are material identification and classification requirements in some industries that cannot be addressed by the existing sensor technologies.
As an example, plastic sorting in the electronic-waste recycling industry requires a sensing technology that can separate both dark and light colored plastics. One problem in the electronic-waste recycling industry is sorting of black or dark plastics. It is currently estimated that around 10 million tons of electronic-waste plastic is being disposed every year, almost half of it is black plastics.
Current methods of sorting plastic objects (e.g. plastic flakes) have significant drawbacks when trying to identify black and other dark plastics. One method uses short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras to identify the plastic. This technique involves irradiating the unidentified plastic with infrared waves having a wavelength of between about 600-nanometers to about 2500-nanometers. The amount of infrared light transmitted or reflected by the plastic is measured and compared to known polymer spectra in order to identify the type of plastic. However, a problem arises when black and other dark plastics need to be sorted since dark colored plastics absorb infrared radiation and the SWIR cameras cannot detect the dark colored plastics. Instead, the SWIR camera detects a null reading. To date, there is no effective technology solution that satisfactorily addresses the problem of sorting dark plastics in the electronic-waste recycling industry.
In view of the above, there is a need of new systems and methods of identifying, sorting, and separating materials such as light and dark colored plastics and other polymers.

Methods and apparatus for identifying and sorting materials using terahertz waves


The present invention is an improvement to fuel pumps/injectors in which fuel is pressurized in a fuel chamber to a pressure great enough to open an injection valve allowing the fuel to be ejected under pressure into the combustion cylinder of an engine. More particularly, the present invention is a device positioned in the fuel path which typically runs from the plunger chamber to the injection valve. For injection, the device is positioned to allow fuel to flow from the plunger to the injection valve. To end injection, the device closes off the flow of fuel thereby separating the fuel path into two portions. The drainage of fuel from the first portion is restricted by an orifice, thereby maintaining pressure in the first portion which prevents the fuel pressurizing mechanism components from separating. In the second portion, pressure is vented back to the fuel supply manifold thereby allowing the injection valve to quickly close, ending injection.

In order to meet ever increasing consumer and governmental requirements for fuel economy, performance, and emissions, the trend in engine fuel systems is to change from a centrally located fuel pump with multiple plungers connected via fuel pathways to each combustion cylinder (commonly known as pump and line fuel systems), to unit fuel pumps/injectors which are placed over the combustion cylinder. In this way, the volume associated with fuel pathways is greatly reduced enabling higher injection pressures to be obtained and eliminating fuel line dynamics, leading to better engine performance.
Although not shown, in general, unit pumps differ from unit injectors only by the fact that the injector body is not placed over the combustion cylinder. Instead, the main body of the device is placed remotely from the combustion cylinder and connected by means of a heavy-duty fuel line to the injection tip, which is over the combustion cylinder. Remote positioning of the main body of the device allows more space in the cylinder head to be allocated for intake and exhaust valves. It also makes possible a more stiff drive mechanism, especially if the push rod/rocker arm mechanism is eliminated. Both mechanical and electronic unit pumps are possible.
Even pumps/injectors (hereinafter referred to as "injectors") have certain undesirable characteristics. Namely, it is difficult to achieve low minimum controllable fuel delivery volume. This is a problem because when the amount of fuel required by an unloaded engine is less than the minimum controllable fuel delivery volume of the injector, misfire or instability can occur. Also, the rapid release of hydraulic pressure in the injectors after injection causes high loads, noise, and wear in the plunger and plunger drive mechanism.
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a mechanical injector and its drive mechanism. Working of the drive mechanism and injector is explained later under the "BEST MODE" section of this case. However, for present purposes, it is important to understand the failings of such an injector. When fuel is being ejected, significant energy is stored in the drive mechanism due to deflection of its components and supports. When injection is finished, pressure on the plunger drops rapidly. This releases the load on the drive mechanism and allows it to spring apart or separate. The separation usually occurs at the push rod ends, but may also occur at other interfaces. A short time after separation, those parts of the drive mechanism which have separated are pushed back into contact by the injector return spring. The resulting impact causes high loads, noise, and wear of components in the drive mechanism and the gear train which drives the cam shaft.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an electronic injector is shown. The main difference between mechanical and electronic injectors is the method in which the fuel is bypassed from the fuel chamber to end or control injection. Although an electronic injector has a plunger, it is much simplified when compared to the mechanical injector. This is because there is no need for a rack bar, nor for the gear to rotate the plunger, nor for the scroll to be cut into the plunger for the purpose of starting and stopping bypass flow (these terms and their purpose are explained fully in the "BEST MODE" section of this case).
Bypass of fuel from the fuel chamber is controlled by a solenoid. With the solenoid de-energized, fuel can escape from the fuel chamber through a pathway, past the poppet seal land, and exit by way of another pathway to the fuel supply manifold. Therefore, no appreciable pressure is maintained below the plunger and the drive mechanism components can spring apart.
When the solenoid is energized, the poppet is pulled upward causing the poppet seal land to seat and shut off bypass flow. The pressure then increases in the fuel chamber and injection occurs in a manner quite similar to the mechanical injector. Injection ends when the solenoid is de-energized and the bypass is re-opened.
Now looking at FIG. 3, one attempt for improving an injector's minimum controllable fuel delivery volume is known as spill pulse assisted needle closure (SPANC), which is intended to provide a more rapid closure of the needle valve. It is also intended to reduce high loads, noise, and component wear in the drive mechanism by maintaining sufficient pressure in the fuel chamber until the cam follower reaches maximum lift. In an injector with the SPANC device, when the plunger nears the end of its pumping stroke, the bypass port is uncovered. The pressure pulse of fuel from the fuel chamber out the bypass port is restricted by an orifice and a portion of the pulse is re-directed through a pathway to a piston which sits above the needle valve. The pressure pulse force on the upper surface of the piston causes it to quickly move down against the needle valve, thereby quickly closing the needle valve.
Contrary to the original intent, tests of a SPANC device have shown that the minimum controllable fuel delivery volume is actually increased. This apparently follows from the fact that because the pressure pulse applied to the top of the piston also makes its way to the needle valve fuel chamber, flow out the tip orifices is at a faster rate, thus an increased volume of fuel is delivered before the pressure in the needle valve fuel chamber dissipates enough for the needle valve to close.
The present invention is intended to solve problems inherent in prior injectors by improving minimum controllable fuel delivery volume and by maintaining enough pressure in the fuel chamber at the end of injection to eliminate the ability of the drive mechanism components to separate.

Hydraulic flow shutoff device for a unit fuel pump/injector


A styling pyrotechnic device comprising multiple, two preferred, bearing members with each disposed with multiple locating holes to receive insertion of multiple pyrotechnic tubes; each pyrotechnic tube being erected at a certain inclination; multiple locating holes on each bearing member being arranged in a circle; each circle having its circumference same as or different from that of another circle for multiple pyrotechnic tubes to be erected at different inclinations to produce various styling effects when fired into the skies.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a styling pyrotechnic device to shoot multiple tubes each packed with explosive and arranged at different angles for producing various types of styling effects when launched into the skies.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional pyrotechnic device is essentially comprised of base, launching barrel, and ignition cord as disclosed in utility patents published in Taiwan Patent Gazette No. 347074 titled "Assembly of Sealing Layer of Fireworks Launching Barrel", No. 419056, "Fireworks Launching Stand", and No. 496515, "Improved Construction of Fireworks Launching Barrel".
Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawing for a perspective view of an explosive pyrotechnic device of the prior art, multiple fireworks tubes 12 are vertically arranged on a base 11 and are connected by means of an ignition cord 13 penetrating through a lower end of each tube 12, and the ignition cord 13 is led out and extends from the base 11 to become a blasting fuse 14 to ignite those fireworks tubes 12. Accordingly, other than colored flames and sparks, fireworks when launched into the skies fail to create special effects of showing aesthetic forms since they are fired straight up into the skies and can not create larger scope of colored flames and sparks in radiant fashion.


A composite support for fabricating a prototype electrical circuit has a rectangular planar board with a plurality of rows and columns of double sided annular toroidal connection eyelets. The planar board is mounted on a rectangular support tray having a well. The connection eyelets of the planar board have a diameter of from 1.30 mm to 1.80 mm. A high temperature sheet material adhered to the entire undersurface of the planar board, which is pierced by leads of electrical components inserted into the connection eyelets. A spongy retainer block or a breadboard may also be located in the support tray well.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the method and apparatus for making a prototype of an electronic circuit in circuit development particularly for educational and hobby purposes.
2. Background Art
In electronic circuit development, following the establishment of the design, it is necessary to build a prototype of the circuit to conduct testing so as to verify its operation and feasibility. The prototype may be built on a universal printed circuit board having an electrical connection pattern provided therein. The pattern consists of a plurality of rows and columns of relatively small openings having a solder connection eyelet commonly made of copper adhered on only its undersurface commonly referred to as the solder side. The openings typically have a diameter of 0.8 mm just sufficient for the leads of electrical components to be inserted therethrough. Leads of electrical components and connection wires are inserted through the top side commonly referred to as the component side of the board through the openings so that their end portion extend through the board to the undersurface. The end portion of these leads and wires are bent to secure them mechanically initially to the board in order that the board can be turned over so that solder can be applied to secure the component connections to the connection eyelets at its underside. However, in electronic circuit development it is frequently and inherently required to make numerous changes in various components and/or circuit connections during its testing operation. Therefore, a prototype circuit built on a universal printed circuit board would require de-soldering and re-soldering of various electrical components and connection wires to remove them therefrom and to re-attach them thereto. Such process is very awkward and troublesome to carry out and it often results in the destruction of the electrical components such that they are no longer re-usable thereafter for other circuit design projects. Moreover, since the connection eyelets are merely adhered to the board, they would become dislodged from the board by the heat of the soldering iron after several repeated de-soldering and re-soldering operations so that the board may also be no longer re-usable.
Attempts have also been made in using a double sided printed circuit board for prototype electronic circuit fabrication. Such double sided printed circuit board has connection eyelets provided on both the component side and the underside of the board. However, the connection eyelet is of the same small size as in the single sided printed circuit board, which just large enough to allow only one component lead to be inserted tightly therethrough. Commonly, the component leads are inserted into the board from the component side to the underside i.e. the solder side, and the lower end portion of the leads extending below the solder side of the board are then bent to secure them mechanically to the board similar to using a single sided board. Solder is applied to the connection eyelets at the solder side, thus the solder mainly attaches to the connection eyelets at the solder side with a small amount of the solder migrated to the other side of the eyelet by capillary action. Due to the small size of the eyelets, it is very difficult to extract the solder from one side of the eyelet opening when it is necessary to remove a component by de-soldering from underside of the board and it is even more difficult to extract the solder from the inside of the eyelets within the tight space between the component leads and the eyelets. The process would invariably destroy the components and/or the printed circuit board. Accordingly, such double sided printed circuit board with small eyelet openings is also not suitable for fabricating prototype electronic circuit.
The above problems may be obviated by using a pegboard-like support commonly referred to as a "breadboard" for building the prototype. The breadboard is a rectangular plastic board with conductive bus bars located therewithin. A plurality of rows and columns of receptacle openings are formed in the top surface of the breadboard. Spring socket contacts integrally formed with the bus bars are located in the receptacle openings so that lead wires of electronic components such as resistors, inductors, capacitors and transistors, and pins of IC chips may be inserted easily and removably into the receptacle openings for making electrical connections so called tie-points with one another. Also, jumper wires may be inserted into the tie-points for providing additional electrical connections among the electrical components.
However, there are numerous drawbacks in using a breadboard. Firstly, the circuit fabricated on a breadboard is only suitable for temporary testing purposes. Once the operation and feasibility of the circuit have been tested and verified, the circuit must be re-constructed on a universal printed circuit board for permanent use or application. Such re-construction process is time consuming and difficult to carry out as the components lay out and the electrical connections in using a universal printed circuit board usually require complete re-design. The prototype circuit constructed on the breadboard must also be preserved for ready reference while re-constructing the permanent circuit with a universal printed circuit board, so that it necessitates the acquisition of a complete second set of components for the re-construction. Therefore, it not only would incur additional costs to the user but would invariably introduce other unanticipated complications since the operation and feasibility of such second set of components have not been tested. Also, some components used in the breadboard experimenting circuit such as a pre-programmed microcontroller IC chip must be transferred for use in the re-constructed circuit. In such event, the original breadboard circuit could no longer be preserved for reference in the re-construction of the permanent circuit on the printed circuit board. Furthermore, a circuit constructed on a breadboard is often very messy particularly with the necessary use of long input/output wiring for connecting to external devices such as motors, switches and displays, etc., which are not mounted securely on the breadboard but are merely located alongside the breadboard. Thus, it is awkward in moving the circuit constructed on a breadboard from one place to another with all the input/output wires and the unmounted external devices loosely dragging along therewith. Also, installed jumper wires and components may easily become dislodged or their electrical connections may become loose particularly as the circuit is being moved, resulting in an unreliable circuit. Moreover, often due to improper insertion of the lead wires into the tie-points, the connection may be loose or short circuited to neighboring tie-points especially when stranded input/output wires are used. Short circuit between power input wires and other connecting wires is particularly damaging in causing malfunction of the circuit. Such defect is very difficult to trace and correct. An attempt to pull the incorrectly inserted connecting wire from the tie-point may result in deforming or destroying the spring socket contact to render it unusable thereafter.

Electronic circuit prototyping composite support


A cool air supply apparatus dispersedly supplies a cool air into a freezer compartment of a refrigerator. In the apparatus, an inner shell which surrounds the freezer compartment. A cross flow fan assembly is mounted under said inner shell inside the cooler chamber and blows cool air generated by an evaporator. An air distribution plate is spaced apart from the inner shell by a predetermined distance inside the freezer compartment. An air distribution plate includes a plurality of cool air outlet openings formed therein, each of the outlet openings being disposed apart from adjacent cool air outlet openings by a predetermined distance and defining a cool air supply duct with the inner shell, dispersedly supplies the cool air from said flow fan assembly into the freezer compartment through the outlet openings. In accordance with the apparatus, even through freezing objects are stored at back side of the freezer compartment, the cool air generated by the evaporator can evenly be transmitted to the inside of the freezer compartment so that temperature distribution inside the freezer compartment becomes uniform.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to an apparatus for dispersedly supplying cool air into a freezer compartment of a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a refrigerator having a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment is configured so that cold air which is cooled by a cooler in a cooler chamber is sent through a damper device and a cold air duct to the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment to cool its inner space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,985 (issued to Sang-Moo Lee on Oct. 14, 1997) discloses a cool air supplying apparatus capable of dispersedly supplying cool air into a refrigerator by use of a swing plate disposed within a cool duct. The cool duct includes a main duct extending through a freezing room and a refrigerating room and at least one sub-duct communicated with the main duct and having a plurality of holes for supplying the cool air. The swing plate is disposed within the sub-duct along its longitudinal direction. A shaft is disposed within the main duct to be capable of reciprocating along its longitudinal direction and is operatively connected with the swing plate. A motor is installed at an upper portion of the main duct, and a crank is operatively connected with each of a rotary shaft of the motor and the shaft. The shaft and the swing plate are operatively connected with each other by means of a protrusion formed at a long side of the swing plate and having an U-shaped groove through which the shaft passes and pairs of collars fixed on the shaft to insert the protrusion therebetween. However, a configuration of a patent of Sang-Moo Lee is different from that of the present invention.
A conventional cool air supply apparatus 10 of a freezer compartment of a refrigerator will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of the conventional cool air supply apparatus 10.
The conventional cool air supply apparatus 10 includes a heat insulated housing 102 which constitutes a body of the refrigerator and first and second doors 104 and 106 for opening and closing of the heat insulated housing 102. The heat insulated housing 102 consists of an inner shell 108 made of a synthetic resin, an outer shell 110 made of metal such as a coated steel plate, and a foamed heat insulating material 112 such as foamed polyurethane resin which is filled between the inner and outer shells 108 and 110. The first door 104 is provided for a freezer compartment 114, and the second door 106 is provided for a refrigerating compartment 116.
A louver 118 is disposed at the back of the freezer compartment 114, and a plurality of cool air outlet openings 120 for supplying the cool air are perforated through the louver 118. Behind the louver 118, a cooler chamber 122 is formed. An evaporator 124 such as a cooler is provide inside the cooler chamber 122 and exchanges heat with the air returned to the cooler chamber 122 from the freezer compartment 114 through both an air return outlet opening 136a and a freezing cool air return duct 136 will be described later. An air blower 126 such as a propeller fan is disposed above the evaporator 124 and blows a cool air in a low temperature state generated from the evaporator 124 into an inside of the freezer compartment 114 through the plurality of cool air outlet openings 120.
A cold air duct 128 extends from the freezer compartment 114 to the refrigerating compartment 116 in the longitudinal direction of the refrigerator 100 along the inner wall 129 thereof. In order for the cool air generated from the evaporator 126 to flow, a cool air flow passage is provided from the cold air duct 128 installed with the evaporator 126 therein, which is then communicated with the freezer compartment 114 and the refrigerating compartment 116. The cool air in a low temperature state generated from the evaporator 126 is also supplied to the refrigerating compartment 116 through the cold air duct 128.
A reference numeral 130 designates a horizontal partition for dividing an inner space of the heat insulating housing 102 into two sections, i.e., upper and lower sections. The section over the horizontal partition 130 serves as the freezer compartment 114 that is cooled to a freezing temperature (e.g., about -20.degree. C.), and the section under the horizontal partition 130 serves as the refrigerating compartment 116 that is cooled to a temperature (e.g., about 3.degree. C.) at which foods do not freeze. A first separating plate 132 is installed to the bottom of the freezer compartment 114, and a second separating plate 134 is installed to the top of the refrigerating compartment 116. A freezing cool air return duct 136 is formed between the first separating plate 132 and the horizontal partition 130, and a refrigerating cool air return duct 138 is formed between the horizontal partition 130 and the second separating plate 134.
In regard to an operation of the conventional cool air supply apparatus, cold air cooled by the evaporator 126 is supplied to the freezer compartment 114 via cold air outlet openings 120. The cold air supplied into the freezer compartment 114 is returned to the cooler chamber 116 via the freezing cool air return duct 136. The cool air is again cooled by means of the evaporator 126 so that circulation of the cool air repeats.
However, in the conventional cool air supply apparatus, the cool air cooled by the evaporator 126 is supplied to the freezer compartment 114 from the back of the freezer compartment 114 to the front thereof via the cool air outlet openings 120 which are provided at the partition plate 118. When freezing objects are stored at back side of the freezer compartment 114, the freezing objects block a flow of the cool air. Accordingly, the cool air cannot easily be transmitted to the front of the freezer compartment 114 so that temperature distribution inside the freezer compartment 114 does not become uniform.

Cool air supply apparatus for freezer compartment of refrigerator


A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes one or more III-IV material-based semiconductor layers. A tensile-strained Ge layer is formed on the one or more a III-IV material-based semiconductor layers. The tensile-strained Ge layer is produced through lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy on the one or more a III-IV material-based semiconductor layers.

The invention is related to the field of semiconductor fabrication, and in particular to fabricating highly tensile-strained Ge through lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy on III-V templates.
In the last decade, strained-Si technology has been utilized to enhance the performance of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). To further improve the MOSFET performance, researchers have moved on to new materials with higher intrinsic carrier mobilities. Among these materials, Ge has been actively studied due to its intrinsically high hole mobility. To date, most of the MOSFETs utilizing Ge channels have been built on bulk Ge substrates or from compressively strained Ge thin films epitaxially grown on SiGe virtual substrates. Compressive strain enhances Ge hole mobility but degrades electron mobility, making it suitable for p-MOSFETs but disadvantageous for n-MOSFETs. It has been demonstrated that compressively strained Ge channels exhibit 10-12× hole mobility enhancement over Si channels. On the other hand, tensile-strained Ge has not been very well studied due to the difficulty of strain engineering with tensile Ge thin films. In theory, tensile strain enhances both electron and hole mobilities of Ge to levels much greater than those in unstrained or compressively-strained Ge and Si making it a highly promising channel material for future CMOS applications.

Tensile strained GE for electronic and optoelectronic applications


The invention relates to the use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug together with an opioid analgesic in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of arthritis.

This invention relates to the treatment of arthritis and to pharmaceutical compositions and usages therefor.
In general, the treatment of arthritic conditions has been limited to symptomatic treatment, for example to relieve symptoms such as inflammation and pain. Thus, for example, it has been proposed to use so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID's) in the treatment of arthritic conditions. It has also been proposed to use a variety of analgesics, including opioid analgesics, in the relief of pain in arthritic conditions.
It has now been found, in accordance with the present invention, that the treatment of arthritic conditions with both (i) an NSAID, and (ii) an opioid analgesic can serve to treat the arthritic condition itself, that is to inhibit the arthritic process.
Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention provides the use of an NSAID together with an opioid analgesic in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis). The invention also provides a method for the treatment of arthritis by the administration to a patient of an NSAID together with an opioid analgesic. The invention further provides certain pharmaceutical compositions containing an NSAID and an opioid analgesic.

Synergistic composition of codine and ibuprofen to treat arthritis


A roller bearing includes an inner ring and an outer ring and a cage between the inner ring and the outer ring in which a plurality of rollers are retained. The inner ring or the outer ring includes a guide flange for guiding the rollers, and a biasing member exerts a biasing force, directed toward the guide flange, on the rollers and/or on the cage.

In order to ensure a good running performance of roller bearings, for example, in wheel bearing units, it is important to ensure a secure position of the rollers with their end side on the guide flange or guide shelf. However, in the operation of the bearing it can happen that a roller loses contact between the roller end-side and the guide flange. This can lead to a misalignment of the rollers and thus to a jamming of the bearing as well as subsequent damage to the bearing. In order to ensure a correct positioning of the rollers it is possible to reduce the clearance in the cage of a roller bearing. For this purpose the pocket size of the cage can be adapted such that it corresponds to the actual roller shape. However, this has the disadvantage that tolerances in the manufacturing of the rollers or of the cage cannot be compensated for. Instead it is necessary to manufacture the rollers and the cage very precisely, which in turn leads to increased costs.


A switch is delineated comprising a first conductive region; a second conductive region aligned with the first conductive region, the second conductive region including a first conductive pattern forming a first switch terminal and a second conductive pattern forming a second switch terminal, the first conductive pattern separated by a space from the second conductive pattern; and a third conductive region between the first conductive region and the second conductive region, the third conductive region electrically coupling the first switch terminal to the second switch terminal to provide a first indication when the switch is open and a second indication when the switch is closed. Also delineated is a control panel including a plurality of such switches, as well as an appliance including such a control panel.

As used herein, the term "membrane switch" means a switch including a plurality of conductive regions with at least one of the conductive regions located on a layer of flexible material.
Current membrane switches may include a first conductive region on a first layer of material aligned over a second conductive region on a second layer of material. A flexible material may be used for one or both of the first and second layers. One of the conductive regions may include interdigitated fingers forming a pair of terminals for the switch. Normally, the conductive regions do not make contact with each other and the switch is open. When a user presses one of the conductive regions such that the two conductive regions touch, a circuit is completed across the interdigitated fingers to close the switch. A spacer material is typically located between the two layers to prevent inadvertent contact of the conductive regions and switch closure. Apertures in the spacer material leave exposed the conductive regions, so they may be selectively engaged to close the switch. The thickness of the spacer material is typically in the range of 0.006 inches to 0.012 inches.
Reducing the thickness of the spacer material may improve the feel of the switch to the user. For example, by reducing the thickness of the spacer material, the touching of a conventional membrane switch to close the switch may feel to the user more like touching of a capacitive touch switch, which is a higher-end, more expensive switch. However, it is currently impractical to reduce the spacer material thickness in a membrane switch below the currently-employed range, because in doing so, one would cause inadvertent switch operation due to temperature and/or pressure gradients.
Thus, there was a need to overcome these and other limitations in membrane switches, whether the improvements thereof are employed in membrane switches or in any other switch design.

Switches and systems employing the same to enhance switch reliability and control


A normal incidence reflectometer includes a rotatable analyzer/polarizer for measurement of a diffracting structure. Relative rotation of the analyzer/polarizer with respect to the diffracting structure permits analysis of the diffracted radiation at multiple polarity orientations. A spectograph detects the intensity of the spectral components at different polarity orientations. Because the normal incidence reflectometer uses normally incident radiation and an analyzer/polarizer that rotates relative to the diffracting structure, or vice-versa, the orientation of the diffracting structure does not affect the accuracy of the measurement. Thus, the sample holding stage may use X, Y, and Z, as well as r-θ type movement and there is no requirement that the polarization orientation of the incident light be aligned with the grating of the diffraction structure. A non-linear multivariate regression process is used to adjust the parameters of an optical model, such as rigorous coupled-wave analysis, to provide a match with the measured data.

It is desirable to measure circuit structures and other types of structures, e.g., resist structures, during the production of integrated circuits. Optical metrology tools are particularly well suited for measuring microelectronic structures because they are nondestructive, accurate, repeatable, fast, and inexpensive. Often different metrology tools are required to measure different structures or parameters on a wafer. For example, certain structures on a wafer act as diffraction gratings, which conventionally require a different metrology tool, e.g. critical dimension-scanning electron microscopy (CD-SEM), than is used to measure planar thin films.
One tool that is sometimes used to measure diffracting structures is a scatterometer. Scatterometry is an angle-resolved measurement and characterization of light scattered from a structure. Scatterometry is discussed in detail in U.S. Ser. No. 09/036,557, filed Mar. 6, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,483,580 B1, which has an International Publication No. WO 99/45340, dated Sep. 10, 1999, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Ser. No. 09/036,557 discloses the use of a spectroscopic ellipsometer to measure the diffracting structure. The sampling beam is incident on the sample at an oblique angle. The incident light of the spectroscopic ellipsometer is polarized to provide a beam in the TE mode (S-polarized) when the incidence plane of the beam is perpendicular to the grating of the diffracting structure or to provide a beam in the TM mode (P-polarized) when the incidence plane of the beam is parallel to the grating. Aligning the incident radiation with the grating of the diffracting structure unfortunately is difficult, particularly where the wafer stage is an r-θ stage. With an r-θ stage, the entire metrology apparatus must be rotated to properly align the incident radiation with the grating. U.S. Ser. No. 09/036,557 discloses a dedicated scatterometer instrument that uses a spectroscopic ellipsometer with non-normal incident light and that is used in a scatterometer mode.
In addition, U.S. Ser. No. 09/036,557 teaches that a reference database is generated using optical modeling. The reference database is simplified by measuring the film thickness and optical indices of film underlying the diffracting structure. Thus, prior to ellipsometrically measuring the diffraction grating, a measurement of the underlying film is performed. A broadband ellipsometric measurement is then made at a single polarization orientation, and the reference database is consulted to determine the structure of the diffraction grating. As can be seen, even though the size of the database is reduced by measuring the film thickness and optical indices of the underlying film, this process still requires the generation of a relatively large database. Further, the sample or metrology device must be moved and refocused to measure the underlying film, i.e., without the diffracting structure, and the diffracting structure itself, which is time intensive.
Thus, what is needed is an optical metrology tool to quickly and accurately measure diffraction gratings, as well as other non-diffracting structures, and that may be used with various wafer stages, including X, Y, Z, θ stages, as well as stages capable of r-θ movement only.

Spectrometer measurement of diffracting structures


On writing information to an information recording medium including multiple recording areas having logical addresses assigned thereto, each of the recording areas having information recorded therein with a check code generated based on the logical address of the recording area added thereto, the logical address is converted to a physical location of the recording area on the information recording medium, the information recorded in the recording area at that location is read and it is checked whether or not there is a match between the check code added to the information and the logical address so as to write the information only in the case where it is confirmed that there is a match.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information storage device for storing information and a write control circuit for controlling writing of information to an information recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an ever-increasing amount of information in conjunction with development of information society, where development of a large-capacity and low-cost storage device is required to address this increasing amount of information. In particular, a magnetic disk for performing information access in magnetic fields is receiving attention as an information-rewritable high-density storage medium. For the sake of furthering the large capacity, active research and development are going on as to a magnetic disk device having the magnetic disk and a head built therein to perform information access to the magnetic disk with the head.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the magnetic disk device.
The magnetic disk device normally has multiple magnetic disks 10 placed concentrically therein, and a head 20 for applying the magnetic fields is provided on each of the two sides of each individual magnetic disk 10. The magnetic disk 10 has linear tracks 12 provided thereon, and the tracks 12 provided at the same location on the multiple magnetic disks 10 are collectively handled as a cylinder 11. The magnetic disk 10 is divided into multiple areas (sectors 13) in a circumferential direction of the tracks 12, and the magnetic disk device has a series of logical addresses assigned to each of the sectors 13.
The magnetic disk device is often built in or connected to a host device, such as a personal computer. If a logical address is specified by the host device, the magnetic disk device calculates a physical address configured by a cylinder number representing one of the multiple tracks 12, a head number representing one of the multiple heads 20 and a sector number representing one of the multiple sectors 13 based on the specified logical address so as to move a scanning position 14 of the head 20 to the sector 13 indicated by the calculated physical address. The magnetic disk 10 is rotated in a state of having the head 20 moved so as to perform information access along the track 12 to the sector 13 to which the logical address specified by the host device is assigned.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-040111 describes a technique of recording the physical address in each of multiple storage areas (the sectors) on the magnetic disk in advance, and when writing information to the storage area indicated by the physical address calculated based on the logical address, moving the head to the storage area indicated by the calculated physical address and writing the information after confirming a match between the physical address recorded in the storage area of a location to which the head is moved and the calculated physical address. According to the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-040111, it is possible to write the information securely at the location indicated by the calculated physical address and reduce problems of writing the information to a wrong location.
In recent years, there are an increasing number of failures of hardware, and in particular, those of RAMs due to higher integration of semiconductors. There is also a problem of a failure as to the magnetic disk device, for instance, that the RAMs are used in a circuit for calculating the above-mentioned physical address and so the information is mistakenly written to a sector different from the sector to which the specified logical address is assigned due to a failure of the RAM.
In the case where the logical address is converted to a wrong physical address according to the technique described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-040111, however, the head is moved to the sector indicated by that wrong physical address so as to have the information written to a wrong sector in the end. In the sector having the information thus mistakenly written thereto, it is no longer possible to read out that information. In the sector having the specified logical address assigned and no information written thereto, there is also a problem that wrong information recorded therein by chance is read and data gets garbled.
The above-mentioned problem is not limited to the magnetic disk device but is the problem that generally arises in a field for using an information storage device which calculates a location on an information recording medium based on the logical address.

Information storage device and write control circuit


A diffraction grating element including a diffraction grating area which includes: a first area that is one of two areas into which the diffraction grating area is divided by a first straight line, and is divided, by a second straight line perpendicular to the first straight line, into a first sub-area having a first diffraction grating pattern and a second sub-area having a second diffraction grating pattern, the first and second diffraction grating patterns having different diffraction angles; and a second area that is the other of the two areas into which the diffraction grating area is divided by the first straight line, and is divided into three or more divisional areas that align in a direction perpendicular to the second straight line, the first and second diffraction grating patterns being alternately assigned to each of the divisional areas.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pickup used for a semiconductor laser apparatus or an optical disc apparatus, and relates to a diffraction grating element that is a component of the optical pickup.
(2) Description of the Related Art
There are various types of optical discs meeting the respective standards, such as CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), CD-R(Compact Disc-Recordable), CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable), MD (MiniDisc), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc-Read Only Memory), and DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable). Optical disc systems each adopt a servo signal detection method that meets the standard of the type of optical disc used in the optical disc systems.
Such servo signal detection methods include the spot-size detection method (hereinafter referred to as SSD method) for detecting a focus error signal. The servo signal detection methods also include methods for detecting a tracking error signal, such as the 3-beam method, the push-pull method (hereinafter referred to as PP method), the difference push-pull method (hereinafter referred to as DPP method), and the differential phase detection method (hereinafter referred to as DPD method).
In recent years, the mainstream of the optical disc system is a complex system that can deal with a plurality of types of optical discs, such as a CD complex system that can deal with CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW. Such complex systems are required to adopt both the DPP method and DPD method so that the tracking error signal can be detected from any of the different types of optical discs that have different pit depths.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-296873 discloses an optical disc system adopting the DPD method. FIG. 1 of the present application is a perspective view showing an error detection part of a conventional optical disc system. FIG. 2 is a plane view showing a diffraction grating element of the conventional optical disc system. FIG. 3 is a plane view showing a light-sensitive element substrate of the conventional optical disc system.
As shown in FIG. 1, a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser (not illustrated) travels along an optical axis 101, reaches and is reflected by an optical disc 102. The optical disc 102, a diffraction grating element 103, and a light-sensitive element substrate 104 are arranged in the stated order along the optical axis 101. A reflected beam 105, which is a laser beam reflected by the optical disc 102, passes through the diffraction grating element 103 along the optical axis 101, and reaches the light-sensitive element substrate 104.
The diffraction grating element 103 includes, at the center thereof, a diffraction grating area 106 having a diffraction function and a lens function. As shown in FIG. 2, the diffraction grating area 106 is divided into two: a first area 106a; and a second area 106b, by a straight line 106c that intersects with the optical axis 101 and is parallel to a direction 107 that is tangent to a curve of a pit sequence of the optical disc 102 (hereinafter, the direction 107 is referred to as a tangential direction 107).
The first area 106a and second area 106b have the same diffraction angle and different diffraction directions. Accordingly, the reflected beam 105 that enters the first area 106a is divided into a plus-primary diffracted beam 108a+ and a minus-primary diffracted beam 108a−, and the reflected beam 105 that enters the second area 106b is divided into a plus-primary diffracted beam 108b+ and a minus-primary diffracted beam 108b−.
The first area 106a and second area 106b also have a lens effect with which the diffracted beams 108a− and 108b+ converge, and the diffracted beams 108a+ and 108b− diverge.
As shown in FIG. 3, four light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− are formed on the light-sensitive surface of the light-sensitive element substrate 104. The light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− are arranged so that a first straight line 110a, which runs through the center of the light-sensitive areas 109a+ and 109a−, intersects, approximately at the optical axis 101, with a second straight line 110b that runs through the center of the light-sensitive areas 109b+ and 109b−.
Each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+ and 109a− is divided into areas Ea1, Ea2, Eb, and Ec by three straight lines that are parallel to the first straight line 110a, where Ea1 and Ea2 are inner areas and Eb and Ec are outer areas. Similarly, each of the light-sensitive areas 109b+ and 109b− is divided into areas Ea1, Ea2, Eb, and Ec by three straight lines that are parallel to the second straight line 110b, where Ea1 and Ea2 are inner areas and Eb and Ec are outer areas.
As shown in FIG. 2, the plus-primary diffracted beam 108a+ and minus-primary diffracted beam 108a− divided in the first area 106a are diffracted in directions indicated as 111a+ and 111a− along the first straight line 110a, respectively. Also, the plus-primary diffracted beam 108b+ and minus-primary diffracted beam 108b31  divided in the first area 106b are diffracted in directions indicated as 111b+ and 111b− along the second straight line 110b, respectively. The diffracted beams 108a+, 108a−, 108b+, and 108b− are then enter the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b−, respectively.
FIG. 4 shows how the focus error signal is detected by the SSD method. As shown in FIG. 4, a photoelectric conversion signal R+i is obtained from the inner areas Ea1 and Ea2 of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, a photoelectric conversion signal R+o is obtained from the outer areas Eb and Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, a photoelectric conversion signal R−i is obtained from the inner areas Ea1 and Ea2 of the light-sensitive areas 109a−, and a photoelectric conversion signal R−o is obtained from the outer areas Eb and Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109a−. Also, a photoelectric conversion signal L+i is obtained from the inner areas Ea1 and Ea2 of the light-sensitive areas 109b+, a photoelectric conversion signal L+o is obtained from the outer areas Eb and Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109b+, a photoelectric conversion signal L−i is obtained from the inner areas Ea1 and Ea2 of the light-sensitive areas 109b−, and a photoelectric conversion signal L−o is obtained from the outer areas Eb and Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109b−.
In the above-mentioned case, the focus error signal FE is calculated using the following equation.FE=[(L+i+L−o)+(R+i+R−o)]−[(L−i+L+o)+(R−i+R+o)]  Equation 1
FIG. 5 shows how the tracking error signal is detected by the DPD method. As shown in FIG. 5, obtained are: a sum Ru+ of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea1 and the outer area Eb of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, a sum Rd+ of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea2 and the outer area Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, a sum Ru− of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea2 and the outer area Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109a−, and a sum Rd− of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea1 and the outer area Eb of the light-sensitive areas 109a−. Also obtained are: a sum Lu+ of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea1 and the outer area Eb of the light-sensitive areas 109b+, a sum Ld+ of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea2 and the outer area Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109b+, a sum Lu− of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea2 and the outer area Ec of the light-sensitive areas 109b−, and a sum Ld− of the photoelectric conversion signals of the inner area Ea1 and the outer area Eb of the light-sensitive areas 109b−.
In this case, the tracking error signal is detected by comparing the phases of "(Ru++Ru−)+(Ld++Ld−)" and "(Lu++Lu−)+(Rd++Rd−)".
As explained above, the focus error signal is detected by the SSD method and the tracking error signal is detected by the DPD method, both from the plus/minus-primary diffracted beams 108a+, 108a−, 108b+, and 108b− diffracted in the diffraction grating area 106.
However, the above-described conventional optical disc system has the following problems.
As explained above, when the focus error signal is detected by the SSD method, signals from the inner areas Ea1 and Ea2 are always added up. As a result, it will be sufficient for each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b  to be divided into three areas. On the other hand, when the tracking error signal is detected by the DPD method, signals from the inner area Ea1 and outer area Eb are always added up and signals from the inner area Ea2 and outer area Ec are always added up. As a result, it will be sufficient for each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− to be divided into two areas.
When both the SSD method and DPD method are adopted, however, each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− needs to be divided into at least four areas. That is to say, to adopt the DPD method, each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− needs to be divided into four, while it was sufficient for conventional systems to divide each area into three.
When, as is the case with the conventional optical system, the number of the divisional areas increases, various problems occur. For example, an existing light-sensitive circuit needs to be modified significantly, or the light-sensitive circuit becomes complex, or more external output terminals are required in the light-sensitive element substrate 104. The significant modification of the light-sensitive circuit removes from it the compatibility with other existing equipment. The complex light-sensitive circuit or the increase in the number of external output terminals causes the light-sensitive element substrate 104 and the package to grow in size. This prevents the optical disc system from being reduced in size and cost and simplified.
The following explains examples of connections, in the case where each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− is divided into four small divisional areas, between the divisional areas and the external output terminals. FIGS. 6–8 show examples of connections between the divisional areas and the external output terminals.
FIG. 6 shows a case where no arithmetic circuit is provided on the light-sensitive element substrate 104. In this case, as many external output terminals as there are divisional areas (that is to say, 16) are required.
FIG. 7 shows a case where arithmetic circuits are provided on the light-sensitive element substrate 104 to perform operations of four signals (L+i+L−o), (R+i+R−o), (L−i+L+o), and (R−i+R+o) relating to the focus error signal and four signals (Ru++Ru−), (Ld++Ld−), (Lu++Lu−), and (Rd++Rd−) relating to the tracking error signal. In this case, eight external output terminals are required in total.
FIG. 8 shows a case where the minimum number of external output terminals are required. In regards with the focus error signal, the arithmetic circuits perform operations of two signals [(L+i+L−o)+(R+i+R−o)] and [(L−i+L+o)+(R−i+R+o)] that are obtained by performing operations of the four signals (L+i+L−o), (R+i+R−o), (L−i+L+o), and (R−i+R+o).
Also, in regards with the tracking error signal, the arithmetic circuits perform operations of only two signals (Ru++Ru−) and (Lu++Lu−), and do not perform operations of the remaining two signals (Ld++Ld−) and (Rd++Rd−). That is to say, the tracking error signal is detected by comparing the phases of signal (Ru++Ru−) and signal (Lu++Lu−), by the DPD method. In this case, only four external output terminals are required in total.
It is noted that the arithmetic circuits of FIG. 8 are simpler than those of FIG. 7 and the number of external output terminals of FIG. 8 is half that of FIG. 7. In regards with detection of the focus error signal, however, the allowable range for the amount of signal per terminal in FIG. 8 should be two times that of the original one. Otherwise, the terminal output is saturated. Also, in regards with detection of the tracking error signal, the amount of signal that can be used to detect the tracking error signal in FIG. 8 is half the original one.
In addition, if the arithmetic circuits of FIG. 8 is applied to a conventional complex system, the PP method should be additionally adopted. This may make the arithmetic circuits more complex or increase the number of external output terminals. It should be noted here that the PP method is a method for detecting a deviation of the optical axis 101 in a radial direction 112 (a direction perpendicular to the tangential direction 107) towards pit sequences of the optical disc 102, by detecting a difference in the amount of light between the reflected beam 105 having entered the first area 106a and the reflected beam 105 having entered the second area 106b.
With the PP method, the tracking error signal TE is calculated using the following equation using the signals shown in FIG. 4, in a manner similar the calculation of the focus error signal FE by the SSD method.TE=(R+i+R−o)+(R−i+R+o)−(L+i+L−o)−(L−i+L+o)  Equation 2
As understood from the above description, the signals used in the PP method are the same as those used in the SSD method, the signals being obtained by dividing each of the light-sensitive areas 109a+, 109a−, 109b+, and 109b− into three areas. Accordingly, when arithmetic circuits explained with reference to FIG. 7 are provided on the light-sensitive element substrate 104, the signals (L+i+L−o), (R+i+R−o), (L−i+L+o), and (R−i+R+o) can be used commonly to detect the focus error signal and the tracking error signal by performing different external operations, with use of the SSD method and the PP method, respectively.
On the other hand, to detect the tracking error signal by the PP method in the case shown in FIG. 8, an excessive number of operations are performed by the arithmetic circuits of the light-sensitive element substrate 104. This requires addition of arithmetic circuits and external output terminals, canceling out the merits of reducing the number of external output terminals.
As explained up to now, although it is possible for the SSD and PP methods to share signals in case a certain condition is met, it is difficult for the DPD method to share signals with other methods. That is to say, except for a case where no arithmetic circuit is provided on the light-sensitive element substrate 104, it is impossible for all the methods to share the signals output from the external output terminals, and it is impossible to prevent the arithmetic circuits from becoming complex or prevent the external output terminals from increasing in number.

Diffraction grating element and optical pickup

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.