A vehicle seat upper portion, having a front side, a rear side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, and including: a frame structure; upholstery extending across the first lateral side and having an edge attached to a side trim list; a back panel at the rear side of and mounted to the frame structure including a main surface and two lateral surfaces; and a far side airbag module mounted on the frame structure including a side airbag, wherein the far side airbag module, on a side facing away from the frame structure, has a first hook, and the back panel on an inner lateral side has a second hook for engaging the first hook such that the hooks urge the lateral side of the back panel away from the upholstery to form a gap for passage of the deploying airbag, before the airbag contacts any of the back panel, upholstery and/or side trim list.

Far side airbag modules have long been integrated in vehicle seats, in particular in the driver's seat and/or front passenger seat. "Far side" in far side airbag module generally refers to the fact that the module is installed for deploying at a lateral side of the vehicle seat that faces towards the longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle, e.g. towards a tunnel console of the vehicle between two seats. When such a far side airbag module deploys, the inflated airbag deploys and helps to cushion a blow to the vehicle's occupants head, in particular during a sideways crash. A back panel having a living hinge which allows a portion of the back panel to hinge outwards upon deployment of the airbag is known, wherein typically, deployment of the airbag involves breaking a connection provided by a weak seam or some kind of friction connection, e.g. using a clip, which connection holds the hingeable portion of the back panel in place relative to the seat while the airbag is not deployed.
A drawback of using such a seam, clips or a friction fit is that these slow down deployment of the airbag. It is an object of the disclosure to provide a vehicle seat upper portion in which this drawback is at least partially overcome.

Vehicle upper seat portion with far side airbag module


A side panel for a fabric care appliance is described. The side panel includes an embossed pattern for increasing a first natural frequency (or first harmonic) of the side panel. Preferably, the first natural frequency is substantially higher than any ordinary operating frequency or driving frequency of the appliance. For example, in a washing machine, the first natural frequency of the side panel is preferably at least 1.6 times greater than the maximum rotational frequency of a drum or tumbler of the machine.

Vibration and noise are two significant customer complaint areas for home appliances such as clothes washing machines. In many cases, these two complaints are linked—excess vibration often leading to excess noise.
One source of vibration and noise can be side panels attached to each side of a washing machine. Side panels are commonly made of sheet metal and attached to the frame of the washing machine at the edges and/or corners of the panels. A vibration response pattern of a side panel may have several peaks, each peak representing a resonant or natural frequency of the side panel. By convention, the "first natural frequency" is the lowest natural frequency of the side panel. Likewise, the second natural frequency is the second lowest natural frequency, and so on. Operating the washing machine at a frequency near one of the side panel natural frequencies can result in a large resonant vibration response by the side panel.
In a washing machine, the primary driving frequency is created by the rotation of a drum (or tub) holding clothes inside the washing machine. The operating frequency of the washing machine is equivalent to the rotational frequency of the drum during operation. During a high-speed spin cycle, the rotational frequency of the drum may range from 0 Hz to 20 Hz or more. In that case, the rotational frequency of the drum may pass through one or more natural frequencies of the side panel, thus, causing resonant vibration.
One solution is to set the maximum operational frequency at a non resonant value, and, at the beginning of the spin cycle, quickly accelerate to the maximum operating frequency (thus, passing through the side panel natural frequencies). However, this approach still results in some resonant vibration. Additionally, in a high-speed spin cycle, the operating frequency may pass through several side panel frequencies, leading to further vibration.
Dampers and other shock absorbers can be helpful in reducing vibration and noise. However, those solutions require additional components and add weight to the washing machine. Minor additional structural stiffening has also been rejected because it was thought that increasing the first natural frequency of the side panel would cause the washing machine to pass through side panel resonance at a higher, more damaging speed.
Thus, a need exists for a washing machine side panel with a natural frequency that is significantly different from any operating frequency of the washing machine. Washing machines require many parts and are expensive to manufacture. It is therefore also desirable to have a lightweight, easily manufactured, and inexpensive means of reducing side panel vibration without increasing the number of components. Finally, side panel looseness or slack can also contribute to vibration, noise, and other problems. Thus, a further need exists for side panels with reduced looseness or slack.
Although these problems have been described in terms of clothes washing machines, other appliances also exhibit side panel vibration. For example, fabric driers, dish washers, standalone fans, appliances with incorporated fans, combination fabric care appliances and other devices may benefit from additional side panel vibration control.

Appliance panel with increased natural frequency


The invention relates to a plastic container with lid, preferably of rectangular or oval cross-section, for holding granular, powdery, pasty or liquid materials, with sealing edge and a locating part which is provided with an intermittent snap-on edge and is borne roughly centrally by a continuous supporting edge. The invention is intended to facilitate the grasping of the lid when the container is closed, on the one hand, and the pouring of liquid or pasty materials on the other. The invention is characterized in that the top edge of the locating part (6) and the supporting edge (7) are drawn down to the level of the lower edge of the locating part (6) in the form of an arc in at least one region of major curvature of the container perimeter, in such a way that a recessed grip (13) is formed in this region which makes it possible to grasp below the retaining fold of the lid and in such a way that the lower part of the recessed grip (13) is designed as a pourer (14) consisting of the laterally lowered surfaces of the supporting edge (7) and its lower, plane section.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a plastic container with lid, preferably of rectangular or oval planar cross-section, for holding granular, powdery, pasty or liquid materials, the wall of which has a top sealing edge for the load-bearing and sealing accommodation of a lid, the upper section of this container being provided with a locating part, said part being borne roughly at its center by a continuous supporting edge projecting in the vicinity of the sealing edge, and where the locating part is provided with an intermittent snap-on edge on the inside at the top, behind which the lid engages when put into place.
2. Prior Art
Such containers or buckets with lid are familiar in various forms. For example, the inner walls may be provided with roll-off ribs and the bottom with extension feet on the outside to allow the standardised application of printed pictures. In this way, they are designed to store the contained material safely, to prevent the undesired escape of this material and, similarly, the ingress of dust, dirt or moisture, to be mechanically stable and to allow opening without special tools and, if possible, tight re-sealing. The lid may be recessed to the level of the contents for better stackability.
Thus, for example, EP-A1-0287 980 describes a plastic bucket with associated snap-on lid where the edges of the bucket and the lid are designed in such a way that the lid seals and engages reliably. The top of the bucket wall is surrounded by a cylindrical ring with integrally moulded pockets for accommodating a carrying handle at diametrically opposite points on the perimeter of the bucket. At these points, the ring is extended downwards in an arc shape so that the lid engaged between the ring and the bucket wall can be grasped and lifted off.
In the case of rectangular containers or buckets, it is difficult or virtually impossible to grasp under the lid at the middle of the sides and lift it off. It is not practical to locate the pockets, with the ring extended downwards at this point, in the corners of the container because, on the one hand, this arrangement would be visually unappealing while, on the other hand, the carrying handle would have to be positioned diagonally.
Furthermore, the solution for paint buckets, described in EP-A1-0287 980, is unpractical because, when pouring, the paint can run between the cylindrical ring and the bucket wall with the result that re-opening of the paint bucket after previously re-closing it is made far more difficult as a result of the dried-on paint.
Another solution is known from GB-PS 14 89 515, which describes a plastic container with lid of circular cross-section for holding granular, powdery, pasty or liquid materials. The wall of this container has a top sealing edge for the load-bearing and sealing accommodation of a lid, and its upper section is provided with a locating part, surrounding the sealing edge at intervals. The locating part is borne by a continuous supporting edge projecting in the vicinity of the sealing edge. The fact that the top edge of the locating part and the supporting edge are extended downwards in the form of an arc to the level of the lower edge of the locating part creates a kind of recessed grip in this area which makes it possible to grasp below the retaining fold on the lid.
However, this solution does not eliminate the disadvantages described; specifically, it does not prevent the lid sticking to the container after pouring out the contents.


To improve the energy efficiency of electrical drive systems for doors, the electric motor is actuated position-dependently, the electrically driven door is disconnected from the supply network in a resting position, a change of position of the door performed in the state of being disconnected from the grid is detected by a position encoder unit that is independently supplied with power by an energy store, and the change of position is used for position-dependently actuating the electric motor after the supply voltage has been reapplied.

Described below are an electrical drive system for a door and to a method for operating an electrically driven door.
Door systems driven by electric motor are sufficiently well-known from the related art. Door systems of the type are usually driven by a rotationally operating electric motor which is supplied with current by a control device in such a way that the door is moved into its desired position (OPEN/SHUT). In order to supply such a drive system with electric power, a power supply unit is provided by which the grid-side supply voltage is converted into a voltage suitable for the door control device.
It is furthermore known to make the drive system aware of the end positions of the door, i.e. fully open or fully closed, with the aid of suitably positioned end switches. Alternatively, however, it is also possible and known to equip the electric motor with an encoder for determining the rotor position and the rotational speed. Taking the transmission ratio realized in the drive system in to account, it is possible to deduce the position of the door by suitable evaluation of the rotor position. Magnetic or optical encoder systems can be used for this purpose.
A distinction is made in principle between absolute and incremental encoders. So-called sine-cosine encoders are often used for determining the angular position of the rotor of the electrical machine or of the rotor shaft. These have the capability to determine the absolute position of the rotor in the range between 0° and 360° with the aid of two sinusoidal oscillations phase-shifted by 90°. With so-called single-turn encoders, the absolute position determination is possible for precisely one revolution. A suitable incrementation is therefore necessary in order to be able to track a change in the position of a door performed by an electric motor, since normally this requires numerous revolutions of the rotor shaft.
In order to be able to determine the absolute position of the door with the aid of such incremental encoder systems, it is first necessary to perform an initialization. For this purpose the door is initially driven into a known position, for example into one of the end positions. Starting from the position, each further position of the door can then be determined based on determination of the angular position of the rotor and the complete rotor revolutions that have already been performed.
However, if the drive system is disconnected from the electricity supply grid, such information about the absolute position of the door determined in the way described is lost. In order to be able to perform a further position determination with the aid of the rotary encoder system after the grid voltage is reapplied, the door must first be driven back into the initialization position.


An extruded plastics tube is flattened and the lateral side portions (4) are folded to form inwardly extending gussets (2). Each gusseted side portion is then folded about a longitudinal fold line (5) onto the medial portion (3) between the side portions. The resultant layers are heat sealed to form the bottom of the bag.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture of plastics bags, e.g., for use as bin liners.
2. The Prior Art
It is well known to manufacture plastic bags by extruding a tube of polyethylene, expanding the tube to reduce the thickness of the polyethylene film, flattening the tube and then heat sealing and severing or perforating the tube across its width. The heat seals form the bottoms of the bags. If the bags are initially divided by transverse perforation lines, a series of bags can be wound into a roll for supply to a customer who can tear individual bags off the roll as required for use. In order to reduce the size of the machinery demanded and also to improve the strength of the welded seals, it is well known to fold the polyethylene tubing prior to the heat sealing operation. An especially effective seal is obtained if the tubing is folded as described in GB-A-1584746. According to this method the sides of the tubing are folded inwardly to form longitudinal gussets which reach in substantially to the longitudinal centre line of the layflat tubing, and the gusseted tubing is then folded in half onto itself about the longitudinal centre line. When folded in this way, eight layers of film become welded together over substantially the whole length of the heat seal subsequently produced, and a strong seal is obtained. However, this folding method is not suitable for the manufacture of rolls of interconnected bags formed, by appropriate cutting, with handles at the bag mouths. Such handles may be desirable for tying closed the bag after it has been filled, e.g., with refuse. Because the gusseted tubing is folded in half, handles formed at the side edges, i.e., at the folds of the gussets, will be superimposed at the same side of the folded tube, and the resulting string of bags can not be satisfactorily wound into a roll.


Stable aqueous polishing compositions that can selectively polish silicon nitride (SiN) films and nearly stop (or polish at very low rates) on silicon oxide films are provided herein. The compositions comprise an anionic abrasive, a nitride removal rate enhancer containing a carboxyl or carboxylate group, water, and optionally, an anionic polymer. The synergistic combination of anionic (negatively charged) abrasives and the nitride removal rate enhancer provide beneficial charge interactions with the dielectric films during CMP, a high SiN rate and selectivity enhancement (over oxide), and stable colloidal dispersed slurries.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to polishing compositions, and methods for polishing semiconductor substrates using the same. More particularly, this disclosure relates to polishing compositions and methods for selectively polishing silicon nitride films over other dielectric films in semiconductor substrates containing multiple dielectric and metal films.
2. Description of the Related Art
The semiconductor industry is continually driven to improve chip performance by further miniaturization of devices by process and integration innovations. Chemical Mechanical Polishing/Planarization (CMP) is a powerful technology as it makes many complex integration schemes at the transistor level possible, thereby increasing chip density. Not surprisingly, there are a multitude of new CMP steps and requirements at the Front End of Line (FEOL) transistor fabrication step. These steps are new CMP requirements; quite different from the traditional shallow trench isolation (STI) and oxide polishing steps. These "exotic" FEOL CMP steps and processes started gaining attention (when compared to Back End of Line (BEOL) CMP) after the introduction of high-k metal gate technology at 45 nm and FinFET technology at 22 nm chip production by the Intel Corporation. Particularly, in many of these advanced integration schemes, silicon nitride (SiN) films are used as an Etch stop layer, capping material, and Hard Mask. In addition, SiN is also used as a diffusion or passivation layer, spacer material, and additional liner. In all such schemes, the SiN is used in combination with other dielectric films such as silicon oxide (e.g., TEOS) and poly-silicon. Thus, the chip manufacturing steps involving such integration schemes require selective polishing or removal of SiN films without removing the other dielectric material (such as TEOS). Therefore, for such kind of CMP polishing steps, slurries with very high and selective removal of SiN to silicon oxide films are required as most patterned wafers contain both the dielectric films at different density and feature size.
Other schemes, in which a composition that selectively polishes SiN over silicon oxide (e.g., TEOS) is required, are the "Reverse STI processes" and replacement of "Classic Etch Back processes." In the language of the field, a SiN selective composition over silicon oxide implies a CMP composition that polishes SiN films at very high Material Removal Rates (MRRs) and simultaneously polishes silicon oxide at very low (and near to zero) MRRs thereby removing SiN selectively versus silicon oxide films. For example, a STI composition displays very high silicon oxide rates and very low SiN MRRs. Conversely, a "Reverse STI" composition displays very high SiN rates and very low silicon oxide MRRs, or, in other words, polishes SiN selectively versus silicon oxide films in pattern structures involving both the films.
The same properties are shown on blanket wafers which contain only an individual film—high SiN rates on blanket SiN wafers and low (to zero) oxide rates on blanket TEOS wafers. However, at times, the selectivity is higher on blanket wafers than observed on patterned wafers. In addition to Reverse STI processes, the SiN selective slurries are now being used in CMP processes that replace Etching processes in schemes involving removal of SiN by "Classic Etch Back processes." In such schemes, it is desirable to utilize CMP rather than Etching methods because CMP delivers better defectivity and higher planarity on the substrate surface; to meet the ever increasing stringent requirements of semiconductor manufacturing.
FIG. 1 displays two applications, as examples, in which the Reverse STI CMP composition is used to polish off the SiN layer and then stop on the Silicon Oxide layer. After this Reverse STI CMP step, the semiconductor substrate is further processed.
The present disclosure provides stable compositions that show very high selectivities of SiN to silicon oxide by achieving nearly zero silicon oxide MRRs. The main body of the disclosure discusses the unique technologies that distinguish this disclosure from prior art.

Polishing compositions and methods for selectively polishing silicon nitride over silicon oxide films


A travel sensor (10) is proposed which has a insertion body (11) consisting of non-ferromagnetic material with good conductive properties. The insertion body (11) is submerged into a measuring coil (15) through which alternating current flows. In addition, the travel sensor is enveloped by a shielding sleeve (16) consisting of ferromagnetic material. Due to the alternating effect between the magnetic field of the coil (15), through which an alternating current flows, and the two materials, at designated frequencies of the alternating current and the respective volume of the insertion body (11) or the shielding sleeve (16), it is possible to compensate the effects of the temperature in such a way that at varying temperatures the measuring curves of the travel sensor (10) extend nearly parallel across the entire measuring range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a travel sensor and, more particularly, to a travel sensor for measuring a penetration depth of a body in a measuring coil through which an alternating current passes by measuring the damping of the alternating current.
2. Prior Art
From DE-OS 31 09 930.0 a travel sensor is known, in which the bar core with the exploring coil is inserted into a copper tubing attached inside a pipe. The frequency of the alternating current flowing through the coil is timed in such a way, that the eddy currents only develop in the copper surface. But the so-called eddy current principle used here has a low temperature dependency. However, at differing temperatures a temperature drift occurs which is a function of the depth of penetration of the insertion body into the exploring coil. In an electrical evaluation circuit this temperature drift can only be compensated with difficulty and requires a lot of time.
In the inductive travel sensor known from DE-OS 40 20 369.7 an insertion body is also moved in a measuring coil. In this case the insertion body consists of a layer of ferromagnetic and a layer of non-ferromagnetic material with good electrical conductivity properties. However, in practice it is very difficult to apply these two layers and to synchronize the two in order to avoid a temperature drift. For this reason the manufacture of this type of travel sensor is very time consuming, complicated and relatively expensive.

Travel sensor having approximately constant measured signal temperature dependence across an entire measurement range


An apparatus that controls the action of a pet robot. The apparatus includes a portable terminal (3) having an electrode that may contact a user (2). When the user touches the electrode provided on the head of the robot (1), the user ID stored in the memory section of the portable terminal (3) is transmitted to the robot (1) through the user (2). The robot (1) retrieves the information associated with the user ID it has received, thereby identifying the user (2). The robot (1) may determine that the user (2) touched it in the past. In this case, the robot (1) performs an action in accordance with the information about what the user (2) did to it in the past.

Pet robots (e.g., AIBO (trademark)) have been commercialized for entertainment use and other uses. They can take various actions when users call them or touch them.
A robot of this type has sensors that detect the user's voice, the user's motion, and other stimuli. The robot stores a program that makes it "grow" to be a pet having specific character, in accordance with the stimuli it received in the past. The robot will grow to be friendly with people if the user often plays with it. If the user does not play with the robot so often, the robot will grow to be fond of playing by itself.
It is desired that growth patterns, as many and as complex as possible, be prepared for such an entertainment robot. For example, a robot friendly with people may be programmed to change it attitude to some degree, from person to person who contacts with it. In this case, the robot will be lovelier to its user.

Device for controlling robot behavior and method for controlling it


An automatic transmission controller for controlling an automatic transmission includes a neutral controller which is configured to perform neutral control, a neutral control permission determiner, and an engagement controller. The automatic transmission includes a plurality of planetary gear mechanisms and a plurality of engagement mechanisms. One of the plurality of engagement mechanisms is a mechanical engagement mechanism. The engagement controller is configured to allow rotation of an input shaft of the automatic transmission in a case where the neutral control determiner permits the neutral control and configured to set the plurality of engagement mechanisms including at least the mechanical engagement mechanism so as to fix an output shaft of the automatic transmission to a casing of the automatic transmission in a case where the output shaft of the automatic transmission is rotated by a wheel of a vehicle in a rotational direction such that the vehicle moves backward.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an automatic transmission controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
To improve driving performance and drivability, the number of gear ratios of an automatic transmission for an automobile is being increased. In general, an automatic transmission includes engagement mechanisms, such as planetary gear mechanisms, clutches, and brakes. The gear ratio of the automatic transmission is changed by changing the power transmission path by using the engagement mechanisms. Such an automatic transmission includes a torque converter (starting mechanism) that is disposed between a drive source and a driving wheel of a vehicle and that transmits rotational power from the drive source to the driving wheel.
In recent years, automatic transmission controllers that perform so-called "idling neutral control" when a vehicle stops have been increasingly used. The term "idling neutral control" (hereinafter referred to as "idling N control") refers to control in which the automatic transmission is automatically changed to an idle neutral mode in order to reduce energy loss in the torque converter when the vehicle stops.
When a vehicle that performs idling N control stops on, for example, an uphill slope, it is not possible to prevent backward movement of the vehicle on the slope because the torque converter does not have a creep torque or has only a very small creep torque.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 4711443 describes an automatic transmission controller that detects the inclination angle of a slope with high precision by using a rotation sensor for detecting a backward slope in order to prevent backward movement of the vehicle when control of the vehicle is returned from idling N control. The rotation sensor, which actively detects backward movement, has a special structure because it is difficult for an ordinary sensor to detect backward movement of a vehicle because the rotational speed of a wheel of the vehicle is low when the vehicle moves backward.
Japanese Patent No. 4839865 describes an automatic transmission controller that detects the inclination angle at a position at which a brake of a vehicle is operated by detecting the master cylinder pressure of the brake. The automatic transmission controller includes a brake hydraulic pressure sensor for detecting the amount by which a brake pedal is depressed. If the brake hydraulic pressure detection sensor detects a hydraulic pressure that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value A, a brake-pedal-depression condition is satisfied and a creeping-prevention control (neutral control) is performed. There is a difference between the threshold of the amount by which the brake pedal is depressed for starting neutral control and the threshold for returning from neutral control, that is, there is so-called hysteresis between the conditions for starting and returning from the control. Therefore, starting of neutral control when the driver does not intend to can be prevented. Moreover, because neutral control is not started unless the brake pedal is depressed by a considerable amount, the automatic transmission controller has an advantage in that a vehicle can be driven very easily when parallel-parking or garaging the vehicle, for which it is necessary to drive the vehicle at a creeping speed or less.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A system and method includes a paving machine, a vehicle, and one or more controllers. The paving machine includes an engine for powering the paving machine and the vehicle is associated with the paving machine. The one or more controllers are configured to determine an estimated time of arrival for the vehicle at the paving machine based on a location of the vehicle; identify a startup time for the paving machine, wherein the startup time comprises a time period between starting the engine of the paving machine and an operational parameter of the paving machine reaching a threshold value; and generate an indication to shut down the engine of the paving machine if the startup time for the paving machine is less than the estimated time of arrival of the vehicle associated with the paving machine.

Work machines, such as paving machines, are often utilized in conjunction with other work machines and/or vehicles. For example, a paving machine may receive asphalt from a haul track that has carried the asphalt from an asphalt plant to the paving machine. In ideal situations, the haul truck arrives at the paving machine when the paving machine requires further material. However, certain factors such as traffic and other real-world conditions can cause delays in arrival time of haul trucks to paving machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,474,338 B2 describes a system for tracking various machines related to paving operations, including haul trucks and paving machines.

Paving machine engine idle time reduction


A motherboard may be adapted to selectively implement one of two different memory technologies. For example, the motherboard may be able to subsequently implement a subsequently developed memory technology. In some embodiments, the motherboard is capable of detecting whether a memory module is in a slot dedicated to a first or a second memory technology and, based on the presence of a memory module in an appropriate slot, the motherboard may be adapted to operate with the particular, selected memory technology.

This relates generally to motherboards used in processor-based systems.
A motherboard may provide basic components of a computer system, including a processor and memory. Currently, many motherboards include the double data rate two synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR2 SDRAM) on board. The DDR2 memory comes in particular package types and particular densities. Generally, the DDR2 memories have a maximum density of 4 gigabytes. They have data rates from 400 to 1066 megabytes per second, per pin. They have supply voltages of about 1.8 volts and have specific packaging types. Thus, a motherboard adapted for DDR2 memories generally is not amenable to handling other memory technologies.

Selectively supporting different memory technologies on a single motherboard


A fuel tank for a motor vehicle comprising a wall composed of two shells arranged one above the other. The outer shell of the wall preferably has an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice. A filter element is arranged in front of the outlet orifice. Scavenging air from the inlet orifice thereby passes first into a gap between the shells and subsequently to a filter element. As a result, fuel vapors can no longer diffuse through the wall and pollute the environment.

The present invention relates generally to a fuel tank for a motor vehicle with a wall manufactured from plastic, in particular by the injection molding method.
Plastic fuel tanks are often used in present-day motor vehicles and are therefore known. In such cases, the fuel tank is usually composed of a plurality of parts manufactured by the injection molding method. Manufacturing the fuel tank by the injection molding method makes it possible to easily produce complicated shapes or insert build-in components. The fuel tank thereby becomes highly cost-effective.
The disadvantage of fuel tanks made of plastic is that fuel vapors may diffuse through the tank wall. This leads to unnecessary pollution of the environment by fuel vapors.
Thus, there is a need for a fuel tank of the type initially mentioned, that can be produced particularly cost-effectively and that as few fuel vapors as possible pass through its wall into the environment.
Other needs will become apparent upon a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
In one form of the invention, the aforementioned needs are fulfilled by a fuel tank, whereby the fuel tank wall contains at least two shells arranged one above the other, and the fuel tank has means for the removal of fuel vapors present in a gap between the shells.
By virtue of this design, the fuel tank has a double wall which prevents direct diffusion of the fuel vapors. The fuel vapors which have passed through the inner shell collect initially in the gap between the walls. Further diffusion through the second wall is prevented by the means for the removal of the fuel vapors. As a result, virtually no fuel vapors pass into the environment.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the means for the removal of the fuel vapors are designed to be particularly cost-effective if they have a filter element arranged between the two shells for absorbing fuel vapors. Another advantage of this design is that noises emanating from the fuel tank are damped by the filter element.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the means for the removal of the fuel vapors permanently prevent fuel vapors from escaping if they have, arranged on the outer shell, an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for scavenging air. In this case, the scavenging air may be provided, according to choice, either alone or together with the filter element arranged between the shells, for the removal of the fuel vapors.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, any inadvertent escape of scavenging air laden with fuel vapors from the gap between the shells can be avoided if the inlet orifice and the outlet orifice are capable of being closed in each case by a valve.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the fuel vapors can be eliminated by means of the scavenging air if a connection for a line leading to an internal combustion engine of the motor vehicle is arranged in the region of the outlet orifice. The scavenging air is thereby delivered to the internal combustion engine. The fuel vapors are subsequently combusted.
The filter element arranged between the shells could be exchanged, for example, after an intended timespan. However, this necessitates highly cost-intensive maintenance of the fuel tank. According to another advantageous development of the invention, regular exchange of the filter element can be avoided if the filter element is spaced from the shells. A gap, through which scavenging air can flow, is thereby located between the filter element and the shells. As a result, the filter element is cleaned by the scavenging air. By virtue of this design, there is no need for scavenging air to flow constantly through the gap between the shells. Throughflow can take place, for example, at intended time intervals.
The fuel tank according to the invention can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively if the means for the removal of the fuel vapors have a filter element arranged at the outlet orifice. Another advantage of this design is that the filter can be separated in a simple way from the remaining regions of the fuel tank. This results in the fuel tank according to the invention being recyclable in a particularly simple way. The fuel vapors are removed particularly reliably if the filter element contains activated charcoal.
A contribution to further reducing the manufacturing costs of the fuel tank according to the invention is made if spacers for separating the shells are manufactured in one piece with one of the shells. The spacers can be manufactured in one piece with one of the shells in a very simple way by the injection molding method. The shells can subsequently be assembled very simply.
According to another advantageous development of the invention, the shells can be manufactured in cost-effective, simply designed injection molds if the spacers are designed as a lattice-like insert part.
A contribution to a further reduction in the manufacturing costs of the fuel tank according to the invention is made if the filter element arranged between the shells forms a structural unit with the spacers.
The invention permits numerous embodiments. In order to make its principle even clearer, two of these are illustrated in the drawings and are described below.


The sheet presenter includes an elongated platform adapted to engage a printer. A pair of spaced apart walls extend upwardly from the platform to support pivotably an arm at one and thereof. A motor disposed at another end of the arm is operatively connected to a drive roller wherein the mass of the motor urges the corresponding end of the arm downwardly to engage a sheet received on the platform.

Increasingly, the general public has been demanding that businesses provide goods and services in a quick and convenient manner. In response, automated and stand alone public access stations, such as kiosks, automated teller machines, and vending machines, were implemented to meet the demands of consumers. Such public access stations enabled a consumer to have access to the goods and services of the participating businesses from an easily accessible public place, such as an airport, department store, grocery store or shopping mall.
For example, kiosks have been placed in public places for dispensing documents on demand. The kiosks have included an input device to enable the consumer to select a desired document type, and to determine the information to be contained on the document. Contained within the confines of the kiosks, and inaccessible to the consumer, a processing device utilizes the information input by the consumer to cause a printer to produce the desired document. Once printed, the document was delivered to an access tray in the kiosk to enable the consumer to obtain the document. A payment receiving arrangement was coupled to the processing arrangement to obtain payment for the desired printed document.
In particular, the use of laser printers in the kiosks was preferred to produce the document. Laser printers provided many advantages, including high speed capability and high quality output.
To enable the laser printers to deliver the printed document to the access tray, the laser printers were required to have relatively complicated transport mechanisms. As a result, standard off the shelf laser printers were not suitable for use in the kiosks. Instead, special laser printers having special maintenance requirements were required to be used in the kiosks, thereby increasing the cost to construct and maintain the kiosks.
Therefore, it would highly desirable to have a new and improved sheet presenter that is universally adaptable for standard off the shelf laser printers located in a non-accessible location for delivering printed documents through an opening to an accessible location.

Sheet presenter and method of using same


A solid marine seismic cable assembly includes a cable, hydrophone housings, a buoyant filler, and an outer protective jacket. The cable includes a load-bearing fiber bundle, data-transmitting wires, power conductors, optical fibers, and a protective sheath. The data-transmitting wires, power conductors, and optical fibers surround the load-bearing fiber bundle. The protective sheath surrounds the assembly of the data-transmitting wires, power conductors, optical fibers, and the load-bearing fiber bundle. The hydrophone housings affix around the cable in a spaced-apart relationship. Each hydrophone housing includes a hydrophone module, and each hydrophone module contains a hydrophone. The buoyant filler surrounds the cable, and separates the hydrophone housings. The outer protective jacket surrounds the hydrophone housings and the buoyant filler, enclosing the cable assembly.

This invention relates to marine seismic cables, and, more particularly, to a towed seismic cable which flexible solid materials, disposed within the cable, buoyantly support.
For many years, the marine seismic exploration industry has relied on fluid-filled seismic cables. Marine seismic cables are one of the most critical components aboard today's seismic exploration vessels, and have a direct affect on the accuracy of the results which researchers and technicians obtain. The amount and type of fluid in oil-filled cables must be adjusted dependent on changes in water temperature and/or salinity. Also, oil-filled cables are prone to leakage. The outer jacket of the seismic cables of the prior art is prone to rupture or tearing. This is particularly undesirable because this exposes the internal electrical components to seawater, and disrupts the buoyancy of the cable.
Some of the hazards which seismic cables face include underwater obstructions, fishing vessels, and sea animals. These hazards can sever cables, which may then sink, and, consequently, cause significant downtime and lost efficiencies.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,089,668, 5,141,796, and 5,471,436 disclose the use of a buoyant material to permit solid or semi-solid composition of a seismic cable. However, in these cases, the positioning or housing of hydrophones is not discussed.
The industry needs a seismic cable which is streamlined, buoyant even when the jacket ruptures, durable, and which requires little maintenance. The industry needs a seismic cable which requires less change-over time to accommodate different marine environments. The industry needs a seismic cable which minimizes hydrophone noise generated by the relative motion of cable components.


An image forming elements array includes a plurality of image forming elements which are integrated with each other and are arranged to extend in an arrangement direction so as to generate an image having common magnification. When the distance along the optical axis from an object plane to the incident surface of the image forming element is represented by L and the distance along the optical axis from the incident surface to the emerging surface is represented by T, a condition 0.20xe2x89xa6T/Lxe2x89xa60.50 is satisfied.

The present invention relates to an image forming elements array for use in a digital image writing optical system of image forming apparatuses such as digital copying machines, printers and facsimile machines, and an optical printing head and an image forming apparatus using the image forming elements array.
Recently, because image forming apparatuses such as digital copying machines, printers and facsimile machines must be smaller, digital image writing apparatuses included in such image forming apparatuses must also be smaller. Generally, digital image writing systems are classified into two types: (1) an optical scanning system which scans a light flux emitted from a light source such as a semiconductor laser by deflecting the light flux with a deflector and form the deflected light flux into an optical spot with a scanning image forming lens; and (2) a solid scanning system which forms a light flux emitted from a light emitting elements array such as an LED array into an optical beam spot with an image forming elements array.
The optical scanning system requires a relatively long light path due to the use of an optical deflector to deflect a light flux from a light source so as to scan a scanned surface. Therefore, the size of an apparatus using a digital image writing apparatus including the optical scanning system is relatively large. On the other hand, the solid scanning system can make a light path relatively short, and thereby an apparatus using a digital image writing apparatus including the solid scanning system can be made relatively small. Further, the digital scanning system has advantage in that mechanical devices that have to be driven, such as an optical deflector, are not required.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-153751 describes an example of such digital image writing apparatuses using a solid scanning system. As illustrated in FIG. 1(A), an image forming elements array 90 included in the digital image writing apparatus includes a plurality of image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction. Each image forming element has an incident surface 90a at the incident side, i.e., the light emitting elements array side, an emerging surface 90b at the emerging side, i.e., the scanned surface side, and a pair of reflective surfaces 90c, which are formed integrated with each other. The pair of reflective surfaces 90c are arranged at right angles relative to each other so as to define a roof-prism. The reflective surfaces 90c do not affect an imaging function and are slanted 45 degrees relative to the incident light axis.
A light flux emitted from a point of the surface of a light emitting element is transmitted to the incident surface 90a of the image forming elements array 90, is sequentially reflected by the pair of reflective surfaces 90c and then emerges from the emerging surface 90b to reach a scanned surface of a photoconductor. The incident light axis and the emerging light axis are substantially at right angles to each other. An image at the point of the light emitting element surface is formed by the image forming function of the incident surface 90a and the emerging surface 90b at a corresponding point of the scanned surface of the photoconductor.
The image forming elements array 90 further includes, as illustrated in FIG. 1(B), an aperture member 91 having a plurality openings 91a for optimizing the light quantity and for preventing cross talk between the adjacent image forming elements. The aperture member 91 has a plate-like shape having an L-shaped configuration in the cross-section, and as illustrated in FIG. 1(C) the openings 91a are provided in both parts of the L-shaped plate at equal intervals in the direction in which the image forming elements are arranged so as to correspond to the incident surface 90a and the emerging surface 90b of each image forming element.
The aperture member 91 having an L-shaped plate configuration in the cross-section as described above shields a relatively large part of the light flux emitted from the light emitting elements array 90, and as a result the transmission efficiency of the image forming elements array 90 is significantly decreased. Particularly, when the thickness of the aperture member 91 is about one n-th of the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements, or the diameter of the openings 91a of the aperture member 91 is smaller relative to the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements, the decrease of the transmission efficiency is remarkable.
The image forming elements array 90 is generally used as an imaging device to form an image of an original document, that is placed on an object plane, on a scanned surface of a photoconductor or surfaces of light receiving elements of a light receiving elements array. In order to form an high quality image of an original document on a scanned surface of a photoconductor, the scanned surface of the photoconductor is required to be appropriately lighted by the light flux reflected from the surface of the original document carrying information of the image. Therefore, when an aperture member is used with an image forming elements array for optimizing the light quantity and for preventing cross talk between the adjacent image forming elements of the image forming elements array, it is important to configure the aperture member so as not to decrease the transmission efficiency of the image forming elements array so that an appropriate quantity of light is maintained.
On the other hand, a light emitting elements array for use in a solid scanning system for a higher resolution, such as 600 dpi or higher, for example, can increase the quantity of an emitting light by increasing the inputting current to the light emitting elements array. However, an excessive inputting current over the limit may damage the light emitting element itself, and further, even when an increased inputting current does not exceed the limit, increase of a current causes increase of emitted heat and power consumption. Therefore, increasing the quantity of an emitting light of a light emitting elements array by increasing the inputting current has some limitation. Accordingly, it is desired that an image forming elements array effectively utilizes a light quantity allowed for a light emitting element of the image forming elements array so as not to decrease the transmission efficiency of the image forming elements array. When the aperture member 91 as described above is used, it is necessary to increase the diameter of the openings 91a of the aperture member 91 and at the same time to reduce the thickness of the aperture member 91 as much as possible. It may be ideal if the aperture member 91 can be eliminated, but, without the aperture member 91, the image forming performance of an image forming elements array may be decreased and as a result, optical beam spots having a good circularity can not be formed reliably.
Further, a solid scanning system using an image forming elements array has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to obtain uniform density in a half-tone image. It has been known that non-uniform density in a half-tone image is caused periodically according to the arrangement pitch of image forming elements of the image forming elements array. A human being is most sensible to non-uniform density occurring in a low frequency area, for example, at about 0.2 to about 1 cycle/mm. The arrangement pitch of image forming elements corresponding to the low frequency cycle of about 0.2 to about 1 cycle/mm is about 1 mm to about 5 mm. Therefore, the arrangement pitch for image forming elements is desired to be made shorter than about 1 mm so that the above low frequency area is avoid.
The image forming elements array used in such a solid scanning system is classified into three types, a lens array having distributed refractive index, a lens array as described for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 6-344598 and an in-prism lens array or a roof-mirror lens array as described for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 5-232400.
A lens array with distributed refractive index is constructed by bundling lenses having distributed refractive index respectively and joining them together using adhesive or other suitable material. Therefore, the optical axis of each lens tends to deviate from that of the other lenses and thereby, the focal point tends to be varied.
A lens array as described for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 6-344598 is not configured as an image erecting system in a direction in which lenses are arranged. Therefore, a shielding mechanism is required for each lens and as a result the optical transmission efficiency is decreased and the light quantity distribution is not uniform.
An in-prism lens array as described for example in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 5-232400 has a spherical surface and therefore, an optical performance required in an image writing device cannot be obtained. Particularly, the beam spot diameter tends to largely fluctuate.
The applicant of the present application has proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-282295 to provide an image forming elements array that reliably forms an optical beam spot having a relatively small diameter and that has an optical performance required in an image writing device by arranging the image forming elements along a line in an arrangement direction and integrating a plurality of image forming elements having an incident surface, an emerging surface and a pair of reflective surfaces, with the incident surface and the emerging surface having a non-spherical shape.
A solid scanning system using a light emitting elements array and an image forming elements array as described above has been also known to have a disadvantage in that image density is not uniform and white vertical stripes partially appear in a solid black image. It has been confirmed by the applicant that such non-uniformity in the image density in a solid black image is caused by variation of the performance of light emitting elements of the light emitting elements array and/or image forming elements of the image forming elements array.
Further, as described above, the solid scanning system has a disadvantage in that it is difficult to obtain uniform density in a half-tone image, and it has been known that non-uniform density in a half-tone image is caused periodically according to an arrangement pitch of the image forming elements. As also described above, human beings are most sensible to non-uniform density occurring when the arrangement pitch of image forming elements is about 1 mm to about 5 mm (corresponding to the low frequency cycle of about 0.2 to about 1 cycle/mm).
The applicant of the present application has therefore proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-287460 an image forming elements array that reduces non-uniformity in image density occurring partially or periodically by making the arrangement pitch of image forming elements constructing an image forming elements array shorter than about 1 mm.
In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an image forming element array, and an optical printing head and an image forming apparatus including the image forming element array, in which the optical transmission efficiency and the image forming performance are greatly improved and an excellent quality image is produced.
The preferred embodiments further provide an image forming elements array, and an optical printing head and an image forming apparatus using the image forming elements array, in which non-uniformity in the image density is minimized to a level that is not detectable by human beings and thereby, excellent image quality is obtained.
Other preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an image forming elements array, an optical printing head and an image forming apparatus using the array, in which the processing and the mass-production properties are greatly improved.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image forming elements array includes a plurality of image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction and integral with each other so as to generate an erected image in the arrangement direction with a common magnification. When the distance along the optical axis from an object plane to an incident surface of the image forming element is represented by L and the distance along the optical axis from the incident surface to the emerging surface is represented by T, a condition 0.20xe2x89xa6T/Lxe2x89xa60.50 is satisfied.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image forming elements array includes a plurality of image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction and integral with each other so as to generate an erected image in the arrangement direction with a common magnification. When the distance along the optical axis from the incident surface to the emerging surface is represented by T, and the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements is represented by P, a condition 0.16xe2x89xa6P/Txe2x89xa60.50 is satisfied.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement pitch P of the image forming elements is preferably less than about 1 mm. Further, the incident surface and the emerging surface may be non-spherical.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an optical printing head for forming an optical spot on a scanned surface includes an image forming array having a plurality of image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction and are integral with each other so as to generate an erected image in the arrangement direction with a common magnification. When the distance along an optical axis from an object plane to an incident surface of the image forming element is represented by L and the distance along the optical axis from the incident surface to an emerging surface of the image forming element is represented by T, a condition 0.20xe2x89xa6T/Lxe2x89xa60.50 is satisfied. The optical printing head further includes a light emitting elements array including a plurality of light emitting elements. The image forming elements array is constructed to generate a light flux from each of the plurality of light emitting elements into the optical beam spot on the scanned surface.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a scanned surface and an optical printing head for forming an optical beam spot on the scanned surface. The optical printing head includes an image forming array having a plurality of image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction and integral with each other so as to generate an erected image in the arrangement direction with a common magnification. When the distance along an optical axis from an object plane to an incident surface of the image forming element is represented by L and the distance along the optical axis from the incident surface to an emerging surface of the image forming element is represented by T, a condition 0.20xe2x89xa6T/Lxe2x89xa60.50 is satisfied. The optical printing head further includes a light emitting elements array including a plurality of light emitting elements. The image forming elements array forms a light flux from each of the plurality of light emitting elements into the optical beam spot on the scanned surface.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image forming elements array includes a plurality of equivalent image forming elements which are arranged in a direction and formed integrated with each other. Each of the plurality of image forming elements includes an incident surface positioned at the incident side, an emerging surface positioned at the emerging side and a pair of reflective surfaces to guide a light flux from the incident surface to the emerging side. The incident and emerging surfaces are respectively non-spherical and the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements is preferably less than about 1 mm.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the immediately above image forming elements array, when H represents a lens height, R represents a paraxial radius of curvature, K represents a cone constant, and A, B, C, D represent fixed numbers, a non-spherical shape surface XASP(H) satisfies a condition; XASP(H)=H2/[R+R{1-(1+K)(H/R)2}]+AH4+BH6+CH8+DH10 . . . and a spherical shaps XASP(H) satisfies a condition; XASP(H)=H2/[R+R{1-(H/R)2}], and when a deviation amount (H) of the non-spherical shape XASP(H) from the spherical shape XSPH(H) is represented by; (H)=XASP(H)xe2x88x92XSPH(H), the non-spherical shape XASP(H) may be set such that the deviation amount (H) continuously decreases as the lens height H increases.
Further, the image forming elements array may be configured such that the incident surface and the emerging surface are formed in a substantially same non-spherical shape and each of the plurality of image forming elements forms an erected image in a same magnification in a direction in which the plurality of image forming elements are arranged, and furthermore such that an angle formed by the incident light axis and the emerging light axis is greater than 90 degree.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an optical printing head for forming an optical spot on a scanned surface includes an image forming elements array having a plurality of equivalent image forming elements which are arranged in a direction and formed integrated with each other. Each of the plurality of image forming elements includes an incident surface positioned at the incident side, an emerging surface positioned at the emerging side and a pair of reflective surfaces to guide a light flux from the incident surface to the emerging side. The incident and emerging surfaces are respectively non-spherical, and the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements is preferably less than about 1 mm. The optical printing head further includes a light emitting elements array including a plurality of light emitting elements. A light flux from each of the plurality of light emitting elements of the light emitting elements array forms the optical beam spot on the scanned surface via at least two image forming elements of the plurality of image forming elements.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical printing head described in the preceding paragraph may include an opening member having a plurality of openings. The opening member may be arranged between the light emitting elements array and the image forming elements array or between the image forming elements array and the scanned surface such that the plurality of openings of the opening member respectively correspond to the image forming elements of the image forming array. Further, the beam spot diameter may be smaller than the arrangement pitch of the light emitting elements.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a scanned surface and an optical printing head for forming an optical spot on the scanned surface. The optical printing head includes an image forming elements array having a plurality of equivalent image forming elements which are arranged in an arrangement direction and are integral with each other. Each of the plurality of image forming elements includes an incident surface positioned at the incident side, an emerging surface positioned at the emerging side and a pair of reflective surfaces to guide a light flux from the incident surface to the emerging side. The incident and emerging surfaces are respectively non-spherical, and the arrangement pitch of the image forming elements is preferably less than about 1 mm. The optical printing head further includes a light emitting elements array including a plurality of light emitting elements, and a light flux from each of the plurality of light emitting elements of the light emitting elements array forms the optical beam spot on the scanned surface via at least two image forming elements of the plurality of image forming elements.
Other features, elements and advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed in the detailed description of preferred embodiments below.

Image forming elements array, and optical printing head and image forming apparatus using the array


A fluxgate magnetometer including a fluxgate and a digital processor. The digital processor includes an analog to digital converter for digitizing the back EMF from the fluxgate and a signal generator to generate the fluxgate driving signal. Further, a current sourcing circuit is provided to receive the fluxgate driving signal from the signal generator and transmit a current amplified driver signal to the fluxgate capable of driving the fluxgate in and out of saturation. The signal generator is a pulse width modulator used in conjunction with a voltage shaper and driver to create a triangle-shaped driving signal to excite the fluxgate. The digital processor is further configured to reverse the sign of the digital back EMF signal at a frequency corresponding to two times the frequency of the fluxgate driving signal thereby capturing only the second harmonic of the back EMF signal.

The present invention generally relates to the signal conditioning of magnetometer circuits and more specifically to a sensing system utilizing a fluxgate magnetometer and a digital processor.
Fluxgate magnetometers are well known devices and have been used in the implementation of magnetoelastic torque transducers. Such transducers are used in many applications, including without limitation, transmission control driveline measurement, electronic power assisted steering inputs, etc.
Traditionally the back electromagnetic field (EMF) from fluxgate magnetometers has been processed in the analog domain. This requires many discrete analog devices incorporated into a large circuit, or alternatively, very expensive analog application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved signal conditioning solutions for conditioning signals from fluxgate magnetometers.

Digital signal conditioning solution for a magnetometer circuit


A heat-treating plate has, arranged on the upper surface thereof, support elements for supporting a substrate, and a first sealer for closing lateral areas of a first space formed between the heat-treating plate and the substrate supported. Further, second sealers ring-shaped in plan view are arranged around openings of perforations accommodating transfer pins. The second sealers close lateral areas of second spaces opposed to the perforations. Gastightness of the first space excluding the second spaces is never impaired through the perforations. By exhausting gas from the first space through exhaust bores, the substrate is effectively sucked for heat treatment.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, glass substrates for photomasks and substrates for optical disks (hereinafter simply called "substrates"). More particularly, the invention relates to a technique for heat-treating a substrate as sucked in a position slightly spaced from a heat-treating plate.
(2) Description of the Related Art
With an increasingly fine line width of patterns formed on substrates today, the requirements for line width uniformity have become stringent, which has led to a strong demand for temperature uniformity in baking treatment in photolithography, especially in baking treatment after exposure (PEB: Post Exposure Bake). However, with enlarged substrate sizes, increased curvatures of substrates take place in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It is difficult to satisfy the requirements for temperature uniformity in a proximity heating mode that heats each substrate only by placing the substrate as separated by a minute space from a heat-treating plate.
Thus, a suction bake mode has been proposed in order to perform uniform heat treatment even for curved substrates. This type of apparatus includes a heat-treating plate with a heater, support elements and a sealer arranged on the upper surface of the heat-treating plate, exhaust bores for exhausting gas, and perforations for receiving transfer pins (as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H10-284360 (1998), for example). As the transfer pins are driven up and down to transfer a substrate introduced into the apparatus to the support elements, the sealer as well as the support elements contacts the substrate. The sealer then closes lateral areas of a space formed between the substrate and heat-treating plate. The substrate is sucked by exhausting gas through the exhaust bores. By sucking the substrate in this way, any curvature of the substrate is corrected whereby the substrate is heated uniformly.
The conventional apparatus noted above has the following drawback.
The perforations are in communication with the space formed between the substrate and heat-treating plate and closed by the sealer. Since the transfer pins move up and down inside these perforations, it is difficult to seal the space and its gastightness can be lost. In this case, the pressure in the space does not become a negative pressure even when gas is exhausted through the exhaust bores, thereby failing to suck the substrate and correct the curvature. As a result, the substrate cannot be heat-treated properly.


The invention provides a method and system for Bluetooth-based multi-end-to-multi-end communication, including: obtaining, through a short-term connection-oriented communication, a UUID of a device that needs to receive private data, corresponding the UUID to a private label according to a private label allocation table and storing the UUID in a mapping table within a broadcast host; and looking-up the mapping table, if data to be sent contains private information targeted for a specific receiving object group, then determining whether encryption is required; if encryption is required, then performing dynamical encryption based on the private label and proceeding to a step of Bluetooth broadcast payload sending; and performing corresponding non-private data hosting encapsulation or private data hosting encapsulation for the data to be sent and broadcasting the data. The invention not only satisfies the Bluetooth low energy specification, but also achieves many-to-many real-time communication, and includes a highly reliable encryption method.

At present, Bluetooth low energy is mainly used in the one end to one end (one-to-one for short) or one end to multi-end (one-to-many for short) communication scenarios between master and slave nodes, but when multi-end to multi-end communication is required (many-to-many for short), it is needed to use time-sharing one-to-one intermittent polling short-term connection, or to combine active one end to multi-end (such as GATT protocol) improved intermittent polling short-term connection to achieve many-to-many communication at the business level and follow the low power consumption design. There are also application protocols that simply use broadcast to trigger notifications, such as IBeacon, combined with a specific mobile-end application to obtain agreed information from a designated third-party cloud.
However, the limitation of polling connection is that the number of connection terminals is in a close linear inverse relationship with the unit time required to complete a single communication, and the time-sharing intermittent design will frequently initiate connecting operations and disconnecting operations. Although the connection-oriented communication will exclusively occupy the channel and guarantee good security, the overhead of the connecting and disconnecting operations is not only time-consuming, but also brings higher system power consumption overhead. The simple broadcast communication triggered notification is to trigger a single associated one-way data through the associated registered broadcast ID, and there is no new information transmission that is continuously generated of real payload, that is, it is not a real continuous communication.
The more serious defect is that in continuous and disordered many-to-many communication, time-sharing polling cannot efficiently associate the information pieces to be sent with the connected and unconnected peer nodes. Although theoretically successful history of sending and receiving is recorded by establishing a transmission mapping table, taking into account the relative displacement between wireless communication nodes and the variability of the in-and-out signal range, this is achieved in the topology of five or more master-slave nodes. The more nodes there are, the worse the continuity, the sequence of completeness within sending and receiving of information pieces. The effect of directly initiating the transmission of the payload information through Bluetooth broadcasting is that the broadcast is sent to all objects within the signal range extensively, and there is no distinction between different receivers and no distinction in the treatment of the payload that is about to be sent.

Method and system for Bluetooth-based multi-end to multi-end communication


A crane-excavator apparatus and method is provided. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile apparatus adaptable for use as a crane and as an excavator, and an associated method. The crane includes a lower crawler adapted for use with an excavator, an upper body adapted for use with an excavator, a boom adapted to engage a crane body, and an adapter for engaging a receptacle of the excavator upper body. Typically, the receptacle would accept an excavator boom. The adaptor and the receptacle are fixedly secured together such that the adaptor defines a connector for receiving the crane boom in the same manner as the crane boom would be accepted by a crane body for providing a range of boom angles comparable to the range of boom angles available to the boom connected to the crane body. The method for adapting an excavator for use as a crane is provided. Typically, the excavator includes a lower crawler, an upper body and a receptacle secured to the upper body for receiving an excavation boom associated with an excavation implement. A crane boom associated with a crane implement is also utilized in the method. The method starts with disengaging, if connected, the excavator boom from the receptacle. Then, the adaptor is engaged with the receptacle secured to the upper excavator body. The adaptor defines a connector for receiving the crane boom in the same manner as the crane boom would be accepted by a crane body, in other words, providing a range of boom angles comparable to the range of boom angles available to the boom connected to the crane body. The crane boom is engaged with the connector.

Heavy duty earth moving and material handling equipment is very expensive. Each piece of equipment can represent a significant investment to accomplish a very specific or limited utility with respect to the piece of equipment. The industry has recognized the need to have such expensive equipment serve more general or at lease multiple applications. An example is the familiar back-hoe device having loader arms on one end mounted with a digging bucket or scraper, and a swiveling articulated boom at the other end mounted with a bucket, jack hammer or another material handling device. For example, the industry has taken the familiar back-hoe device and adapted it to new applications to increase their utility. U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,902 to Heroz, et al. is an example of such a novel adaptation of a familiar tool to achieve new utility. Other novel adaptations which increase the scope of application of existing equipment are beneficial to the industry. A device is needed for mounting different booms, e.g., a crane boom or an excavator boom, to the same platform.
It is, therefore, a feature of the present invention to provide a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices for mounting different booms to the same platform.
A feature of the present invention is to provide a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices that uses an excavator lower crawler and an excavator upper to be a crane.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices that can accept either excavator implements or crane implements.
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices that is stable when adapted to be used as a crane or as an excavator.
Still another feature of the present invention is providing a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices that provides a range of boom angles comparable to the range of boom angles available to the boom connected to the crane body.
Yet still another feature of the present invention is to provide a conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices having the same operating and stability characteristics as a crane.
Yet further, an additional feature of the present invention is to provide a method for adapting an excavator for use as a crane.
Yet still further, an additional feature of the present invention is to provide a method for adapting various boom devices for use with nonconforming superstructure and crawler components.
Still further, an additional feature of the present invention is to provide a method for determining a luffing triangle effective to provide a full or near-full capacity crane.
Yet still further, an additional feature of the present invention is to provide an article of manufacture for adapting an excavator for use as a full or near-full capacity crane.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized by means of the combinations and steps particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Conversion apparatus and method for use with excavator and crane devices


Non-transition metal containing Ziegler-Natta like catalysts are prepared and used for polymerization reactions. The catalysts are cationic aluminum amidinate compounds. The compounds successfully catalyze polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons such as alpha olefins and avoid the expense of transition metals and, as well, the environmental objections to the use of the same.

Ziegler-Natta type catalysts for polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as alpha olefins, have long been the state of the art catalysts for such reactions. Typically, Ziegler-Natta type catalysts are composed of transition metal salts and aluminum alkyl compounds. While these catalysts are very effective and have a long-established record of use, they are not without drawbacks. For example, transition metals are expensive, potentially present some toxicity hazards, and to some are environmentally objectionable. Therefore, continuing efforts towards development of other suitable olefin polymerization catalysts have occurred. For example, metallocene catalysts have been developed for use in alpha olefin polymerization.
This invention has as its primary objective the development of catalysts for polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons which successfully polymerize without a transition metal moiety as part of the catalyst.
Another objective of the present invention is to prepare such catalysts in high yields and by use of convenient and practical synthetic methods.
A yet further objective of the present invention is a method of polymerizing unsaturated hydrocarbons using Ziegler-Natta like catalysts in the sense that the catalyst behaves similarly to Ziegler-Natta catalysts, but yet avoids the use of transition metals.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives, as well as others, will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows hereinafter.

Cationic aluminum alkyl complexes incorporating amidinate ligands as polymerization catalysts


A method and corresponding circuit that adjusts the gain of an audio output stage having a class D amplifier, this method including the steps of setting the gain to a nominal value, analyzing an output signal during successive clock periods, counting the number of clock periods during which the signal is in a state corresponding to a saturation, decreasing the gain if the number reaches, before the end of a first time interval, a value corresponding to a first percentage, maintaining the gain constant if, at the end of a second time interval, different from the first interval, the number corresponds to a second percentage being comprised between the first percentage and a third percentage, and increasing the gain if, at the end of the second time interval, the number corresponds to a fourth percentage, lower than the third percentage.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to audio devices especially utilizing an output amplifier connected to a speaker, the output amplifier capable of entering a saturation state.
2. Description of the Related Art
An audio device generally includes upstream stages, the main function of which is to process or to decode and to pre-amplify an audio signal stored in any support, for example, an internal memory, an optical disk, or any incident audio signal, and an output power amplifier, having the function of generating an analog audio signal adapted to output speakers.
FIG. 1A schematically shows the terminal portion of an audio device. An amplifier 1 receives an audio signal VIN, generated by upstream stages, and delivers an audio signal VOUT, which is an amplified image of signal VIN, to a speaker 3 of a known configuration. Amplifier 1 has a maximum output amplitude VCC determined by its supply voltage.
FIGS. 1B and 1C show examples of the variation of audio signal VOUT along time.
FIG. 1B shows a case of optimal use of amplifier 1, that is, where the amplitude of the output audio signal is maximum (equal to VCC).
FIG. 1C shows another example of the variation of audio signal VOUT along time. In this case, amplifier 1 is strongly saturated and the output signal is clipped. The characteristics of the sound signal are then altered, especially by the introduction of unwanted harmonics.
The power of output signal VOUT is equal to the surface area delimited by the curve representative of the signal and by the straight line representing the midpoint, or common-mode D.C. voltage, of amplifier 1. This surface is shown by the hatched areas of FIGS. 1B and 1C. Due to the clipping of the signal peaks, the output power increases along with the saturation. The power of an optimal output signal, such as shown in FIG. 1B (amplitude equal to VCC and no clipping), corresponds to the nominal power of amplifier 1. In case of a very strong saturation (FIG. 1C), the power of output signal VOUT may double with respect to this nominal power. Further, the signal then includes a large number of distinct harmonics that may be critical for the speaker.
Thus, a clipping in case of a saturation implies to provide a speaker 3 capable of withstanding up to twice the nominal power of the output signal. This is regrettable and is contrary to today's miniaturization aims.
An alternative solution to the clipping of output audio signal VOUT in case of a saturation is thus desired.
A protection method, currently designated as "soft-clipping" in the art, which systematically rounds off, by filtering, the audio signal peaks, enables elimination of slight saturations. A disadvantage of this method is that it decreases the nominal power of the amplifier. Further, the signal is distorted, even when the amplifier is not saturated. This protection is further inefficient against strong saturations.
Automatic gain control methods, currently designated in the art as AGC, are also used. These methods include bringing too intense peaks of the audio signal down the maximum output amplitude VCC of amplifier 1. Means for measuring the average value of output voltage VOUT are connected to means for controlling the gain of amplifier 1. Such methods strengthen the low-amplitude portions of the signal and attenuate the strong portions. A disadvantage of this type of method is the loss of data as to the amplitude of the audio signal. Further, the measurement of the average value of voltage VOUT at the output of amplifier 1 delays the gain adjustment.
A maximum saturation rate in signal VOUT capable of being withstood by speaker 3 without causing any damage is generally determined (for example by simulation). It is thus desirable to be able to accurately determine the saturation rate of output signal VOUT. Existing solutions for measuring the saturation rate, especially based on measurements of the average level of output voltage VOUT, are inaccurate and introduce delays.

Method for measuring the saturation rate of an audio amplifier


A method to prepare crystalline interferon alpha suitable for aerosol formulation either for systemic or topical (inhaled) drug delivery. The bioavailable interferon is in the form of crystalline submicrometer particles having a predetermined medium diameter.

Polypeptides and proteins have limited modes of administration. Transdermal or oral delivery is difficult because of the sheer size of proteins and polypeptides (>7,000 MW) and their instability in the gastrointestinal environment. In general, protein drugs are administered either by subcutaneous (s.c.) or intravenous (i.v.) injection usually in hospital or clinical settings. Proteins (<30,000 mw) injected s.c. or i.v. have serum half lives in duration of hours. Limitations in the mode of administration and serum half-life have limited the utility of protein therapeutics. There is a need for more effective and well-tolerated methods for the delivery of proteins and peptides. A possible mode of administration of a protein is via the lungs. There is a need for novel and effective methods for delivering therapeutic proteins to the lungs.

Crystalline interferon alpha for pulmonary delivery and method for producing the same


Apparatus and method for the trenchless laying of pipework underground, having a total and a gauge for the continuous widening of a preferably wound preformed pipe on a linkage for use in pits of small dimensions, preferably inspection shafts of sewage systems.

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the trenchless laying of pipework underground.
The primary purpose of such apparatuses and/or methods is the laying of line systems, such as drains, for example under roads or pavements without at the same time having to dig up the road surface or pavement. As a drilling, bursting or widening apparatus moves through the earth, it forces the earth aside or removes it and leaves behind an underground. channel into which a supply line can then be drawn as a follow-up pipe.
A drilling. apparatus of this type is known from Genaan Published Application 196 08 980. It comprises a platform with a hydraulic piston/cylinder unit which reciprocally moves a traveler in a linear manner. The traveler is connected to a locking pawl which, during the advance of the traveler, engagesbehind a rung of a ladder-type linkage and so moves the linkage, connected to the drilling head, forward in the drilling direction in accordance with the stroke of the hydraulic piston/cylinder unit At the end of to stroke, the locking pawl is automatically released from the rung and the traveler moves back automatically into its initial position, in which the locking pawl again engages behind a rung. The disposal or supply line which is to be laid is secured to the drilling head.
The line, in this method, is screwed or plugged together, for example, from individual pipe sections which are drawn in during the forward advance. In particular, the screwing of the pipe sections entails an additional working effort and causes problems because the screw connection can easily be contaminated and because the screw connection always results in a surface irregularity at the point of the butt joint
In plug-in Systems the pipe sections, if their connections are not resistant to traction, have to be drawn into the tube made in the earth via a traction means, and have first to be threaded onto the traction means. The pipe sections that are drawn in have to be shorter than the length of the launch pit or the launch shaft In many cases drainage shaft have a diameter of only 1 m. In practice, only pipe sections 0.7 m in length can be drawn in from such constricted shaft, in other words the newly laid pipe has a socket joint every 0.7 m which may develop leaks. This pipe joint is always a weak point, since its wall thickness may not be greater than that of the actual pipe.
In order to avoid this disadvantage, PE pipes wound into coils are used. A disadvantageous effect of these pipes is that they are relatively rigid and have only a limited bending radius. The consequence of this is that the volume of the coil is very great and the pipes snap back powerfullyxe2x80x94which is associated with a high risk of injury to the workersxe2x80x94and that the launch pit from which the drilling begins must have a certain size so that the PE pipe can be unwound from the roll situated at ground level and drawn into the microtunnel without being bent bow the admissible bending radius, causing damage to the pipe.
Especially in the laying of disposal or supply lines in cities, the dense building development means that it is often impossible to excavate sufficiently large pits for coiled pipes to be able to be used as follow-up pipes.
In addition, it is desirable for cost reasons to use as launch pits existing manholes which generally have an internal diameter of 1 m and an aperture having a diameter of about 80 cm.
In order to avoid these disadvantages what are known as folded pipes have been developed (cf. Series of publications from the Institute for Pipework Engineering at Oldenburg Technical University, Volume 14 xe2x80x9cFehler in der Kanalsanierung [Errors in sewer renovation]xe2x80x9d, Vulkan-Verlag, Essen, 1998). These pipes are notable for the fact that their diameter is reduced by their being folded to the cross section of a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d. As a result, these pipes are much more flexible than conventional circular pipes and so easier to handle. In the laying of these pipes, a folded pipe is initially drawn into an old line. In a second step it is brought into its final shape with the use of hot media subjected to the action of pressure.
This method, however. is suitable only for the laying of new pipes in existing ones which are not destroyed in the process. This means that the pipes are merely made good but not replaced, since the old line remains in place and is merely lined with an expansible or expanded pipe. It is, therefore, always necessary to accept a reduced diameter by comparison with the old line. In addition, much energy is needed to provide the hot media subjected to the action of pressure, which makes the method expensive. Furthermore, the control of the widening process is very laborious if it is desired to avoid damage to the new pipe.
In the light of this background the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for the trenchless laying of pipework which can be implemented from pits of small dimensions, preferably existing inspection shafts of sewage system , and perferably permits the use of a compactly wound coiled or follow-up pipe.
The achievement of this object is based on the idea of using an easily transported and handled preformed material, especially a performed pipe of small cross section, which is given its final, preferably circular cross section only on site, for example in a narrow launch pit.
On this basis, the use is proposed of a preformed pipe of reduced cross section which, before being drawn into the ground, is continuously brought into shape by means of a gauge. Bringing into shape means that the pipe is brought to the intended final cross section on site or before entry into the ground, and is not shaped in its entirely after it has been laid. Such a preformed pipe offers the advantage of much smaller possible bending radii than a pipe of circular cross section. A PE pipe of U-shaped cross section is preferably used. Whereas a PE pipe of 200 mm diameter can be bent only to a radius of 6 m (equal to 30xc3x97d), a preformed pipe of the same diameter in the widened state having a U-shaped cross section can be bent to a radius of 0.9 m, in other words 6.1 m less, without sustaining damage.
The gauge which widens the PE pipe, folded for example in a U-shape to a smaller cross section, to a circular cross section before its entry into the ground is located in a stationary manner in the launch pit and is so designed that it can absorb the axial tension forms acting on the preformed pipe.
Instead of a U-shaped preformed pipe, it is also possible to use an elliptical preformed pipe in the form of a coil. It is also conceivable to use a pipe of smaller diameter which is stretched to a larger diameter in the launch pit
The gauge may be heatable. It is however also conceivable to place the gauge, together with the preformed pipe section located immediately in front of it, in a bath filled with a temperature-controlled fluid, or to lay a heating collar around the gauge together with the pipe section, so that the pipe passes through between the gauge and the heating collar. The warming of the pipe permits non-destructive and low-energy widening to the final diameter.
The invention makes it possible to lay, instead of old lines, lines whose diameter is greater than that of the old line.
A cooling system may also be used to cool the previously warmed and shaped and/or widened pipe run and so bring it back to its original strength if the new pipe, after entry into the ground, is exposed to the full pressure of the ground and it is desired to prevent the shards of the old burst pipe from failing down.
In addition, the gauge can also be provided with lubricant nozzles In order to reduce the friction between gauge and PE pipe, using a conventional lubricant Similarly, the annulus space between the PE pipe and the ground can be filled with a lubricant and/or filler which simultaneously acts as a coolant
Guide points may also be arranged in the area of entry of the pipe into the ground so that the pipe is bent to a preselected radius in that area. Such guide points are described in German Application 197 14 7054. As a result of this enforced guidance, which preferably consists of rollers, the pipe can be fed non-destructively in such a way that it extends in a space-saving manner in the launch shaft, so that shaft size can be further minimized.
The invention can be used both for introducing a new disposal or supply line into an existing line and for the laying of a new line instead of an old pipe which is demolished by means of a bursting head during laying and whose shards are displaced laterally or removed, and also in the laying of new lines.

Method and apparatus for the trenchless laying of pipework underground

Tracto-Technik Paul Schmidt Spezialmaschinen