A system and method of increasing a dwell time in a foil stamping press is provided. The dwell time is readily adjusted on the fly by the user for a given operating rate. A timer is used to adjust the press to stop on top dead center with changes in images per hour. An air clutch and an original equipment air brake are used in tandem to provide the desired dwell time. A pair of timers governs a pneumatic switch for control of the air clutch and the air brake. The present system and method increase die image area capacity as compared to conventional foil stamping presses. The increased dwell time press yields a flawless foil stamped image for an impression pressure less than that required in a conventional machine for a given die, mounted at a given height upon a stationary platen, and at a given temperature.

Conventional foil presses provide a constant and brief contact period of the honeycomb plate to the die, which is mounted on the platen. This period of high pressure contact, dwell time, is conventionally very brief, less than 0.25 seconds. Conventional foil stamping and embossing presses such as a 14×22 EHD (KLUGE, St. Croix Falls, Wis., US), for example, may have two possible press configurations, where each configuration yields a constant and short dwell time. Exemplary conventional dwell times are a first dwell time in a first configuration of less than 0.2 seconds and a second dwell time commensurate with the second configuration adding less than 0.2 seconds to the first less than 0.2 seconds.
FIG. 1A shows a conventional 14×22 EHE press with computer control from a right front perspective view. The entire press is driven from a single motor connected to a drive shaft via a belt and pulley. Cams, cranks, gears, chains, arms, belts, pulleys, valves, and solenoids are used to move different parts of the press assembly at the desired time and are driven from and/or timed from the aforementioned motor driven shaft. The press also employs a source of compressed air, which drives various suction and blowing devices on the press. Activation of pneumatic devices is also timed with or activated from the drive shaft and coordinated with the press's moving parts. A typical air pressure requirement is 90 PSI and a regulator assures the desired PSI is supplied to the press's pneumatic parts. Turning to FIG. 1A, guard plates 110 and grills 111 cover many of the key components in such a press, and these components are not visible in FIG. 1A. An automatic feed assembly 115 is shown at a top in the front 121 of the press 100 with pair of drive chains 141. Controls and indicators 117 are shown in the left front 120 foreground. Opposite the front 121 of the press a small portion of the back 121 of the press is visible. An exemplary air pressure regulator 131 is shown with associated pneumatic hoses 132.
FIG. 1B shows a left perspective view of a conventional 14×EHE. Safety grills 111 and safety guards 110 are shown spanning the left side from back 121 to front 120 of a conventional press 100. User controls 117 are provided in the foreground. And the feed system 115 is shown, again, here in the top front 120.
FIG. 1C shows a representative drawing of a conventional drive shaft and its two end flywheels, in accordance with a conventional press. A contrast between a conventional drive shaft, FIG. 1C with a drive shaft assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 12B, is described below. Turning to FIG. 1C, the drive belt 157 rests in the circumferential channel 156 of the left most 151 flywheel and serves as the drive flywheel 150. The far right 152 shows another flywheel upon which a pneumatic brake 162 is mounted. This brake 162 is applied to this far right 152 flywheel 160 when the stop button, not shown, is depressed by the user or if triggered for safety. The far right 152 flywheel 160 connects to the drive shaft 155 but does not connect to any pulleys or cams.
FIGS. 2A-2C show the feed assembly early in a cycle and the delivery assembly in an early and late part of a given cycle, respectively, from a top perspective view in a conventional 14×22 EHD press. The entire press cycle is driven, coordinated, and timed from the motor driven single drive shaft, Turning first to FIG. 2A, A blank 2-150 is retrieved from the feed magazine 2-115. More particularly, feed heads 2-130 attach to a feed bar 2-110 and move in parallel. Suction cups 2-140 attach to the heads 2-130 and pick up the blank 2-150. Air lines 2-120 apply and release suction to the heads 2-140. The heads 2-130 and the bar 2-110 move via pivot feed arm 2-170. A blank 2-150 is picked from the magazine 2-115 and the pivot feed arm 2-170 moves to bring the blank along trajectory 2-164. This trajectory 2-164 is shown in the blank 2-150 path and relative to the directions X-Y-Z 160, 161, 162, and 160. In accordance with a conventional press, the blank moves along the X-Z plane 2-161, 2-163 as a blank 2-150 is loaded on die mounted to the platen, not shown, and suction releases. In practice, foil rests on the honeycomb surface, not shown. The honeycomb closes on the die mounted on the platen, not shown, stamping the blank with foil in the desired die pattern.
FIG. 2B shows an early state of delivery in a given pressing cycle with the delivery system over the platen and the feed system just starting its approach with a blank to the platen. The feed heads 2-130, air lines 2-120, and feed suction heads 2-140 are shown with a subsequent blank 2-150-1. The feed bar, 2-110 shown in FIG. 2A, is not shown in FIG. 2B. Air lines 2-125 attach to delivery heads 2-135 and the heads have moved forward across the open platen 2-175. A delivery bar 2-117 attaches to the heads 2-135 and the heads move in parallel. FIG. 2C shows a late state of delivery in a given pressing cycle, the foil stamped blank already retrieved from the platen. Delivery heads 2-135 have rescinded from over the platen 2-175-f. Suction delivery heads 2-145 are shown at the end of the delivery heads 2-145 and grasp a foil stamped blank 2-155. The delivery arm 2-170 has moved over the platen face 2-175-f.
FIGS. 3A to 3C show a front perspective view of a conventional press under a foil stamping application. FIG. 3A shows the honeycomb plate just about to close on the platen. FIG. 3B shows the honeycomb plate closed on the platen and FIG. 3C shows the honeycomb lifted back off the platen. A blank is fed from the feeder, shown in FIG. 2A, and slid to butt against a mounting strip on the platen face 2-175-f, shown in FIG. 2B. Turning to FIG. 3A, the honeycomb 3-190-a rotates and translates forward with the drive shaft and its face 3-190-f comes to press upon the platen face, where FIG. 3A shows the back of the platen 3-175-b. Foil 3-160 rotates across the face 3-190-f of the honeycomb plate. Guards 3-111 are shown in the foreground. The platen remains stationary.
The speed and precision of a conventional foil stamping press is rapid and exacting. The foil supply rests upon the honeycomb surface facing the platen. The die for the desired stamp is secured to the platen, facing up. The blank is positioned upon the die and as the honeycomb closes upon the platen, the foil contacts the blank and as pressure is applied, the foil stamps onto the paper in die form. The honeycomb retracts and a delivery arm 2-117, shown for example in FIG. 2B, retrieves the stamped image clearing the platen surface 2-175-f, also shown in FIG. 2B. This high speed and precision of a conventional press will add to the challenge of altering a given cycle. A conventional 14×22 EHx, where x may be E, D, or F, can be equipped with three foil rewind clutches. The conventional foil system provides reliable foil draws with accuracy for image spacings across blanks of 0.125 inches.
Turning to FIG. 3B, the honeycomb plate has closed upon the platen plate, where the top of the honeycomb top 3-190-t is shown with the back of the platen 3-175-b. Guard rails 3-11 are shown in the foreground and the foil supply 3-160 disappears from view between the honeycomb top 3-190-t and the platen 3-175-b. In FIG. 3C, the honeycomb 3-190-a has opened up from the platen and the platen face 3-175-f and the honeycomb face 3-190-f are shown. The foil supply 3-160 is shown here against the face of the honeycomb 3-190-f and extending from the honeycomb top 3-190-t. Guard rails 3-111 are shown in the foreground.
It may be desirable to decrease a necessary impact and pressure for a given die size under foil stamp operation. It may be desirable to increase the service life of these large, heavy, costly presses. It may be desirable to enable foil stamping with a large die size, e.g. greater than 40 inches squared, on a 14×22 EHD press.
In a conventional 14×22 press, the reconfiguration to achieve the increased dwell time may take a user in excess of one-half of one manhour. Although newer conventional KLUGE machines, such as Brandjten enabled machines described below, may take less time to reconfigure to the longer dwell time, the additional dwell time is less than 0.2 seconds. The dwell time is set by the press configuration and cannot be varied for a given press configuration. The impact force, is also relatively constant across a first configuration and a second increased dwell configuration.
An adjustable dwell time is also taught by Brandtjen, Jr., et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,228). Brandtjen teaches parallel movable arms on either side of a moveable platen plate, or honeycomb plate, and a stationary fixed platen plate. Springs in parallel with the axis of each respective movable arm absorb translation energy of the driven arms to enable the movable honeycomb plate and the stationary platen to remain in contact under compression for a period of time slightly longer than the dwell time afforded in the absence of compressible springs. The springs on a 14×22 EHD can double the dwell for a given run speed in the absence of using said springs. Such conventional springs are briefly shown in and described below in relation FIG. 4. As a particular example, a 3000 image per hour (IPH) non-spring enabled cycle can be extended by 61 milliseconds in the presence of compressible springs. Brandtjen teaches a typical 1 ton per die square inch for satisfactory foil stamping and a maximum tensile strength on a honeycomb connecting arm approaching 45 tons. This maximum compression force of 45 tons a would yield a maximum die image size of 45 inches squared on a medium [14×22] press. The 14×22 EHD can double the dwell time by using the springs without decreasing the IPH, the running speed. As another example, the dwell time for 1500 IPH may be 0.12 seconds.
FIG. 4 shows one of two parallel moveable arms 4-400 in a conventional no dwell state, where the springs 4-410 neither compress nor expand during pressing as the framed space, spring window 4-415, is secured across the cylindrical spacer 4-420. The spring window 4-415 is reduced in height 4-425c, Z direction 4-206, by a block 4-470. In turn, both cylindrical spacer 4-420 and parallel springs 4-410 span the height 4-425c of the window 4-415, forming a solid arm. An adjustment 4-430 readily reconfigures the arm 4-400 into a spring compressible position. Raising 4-422 the cylindrical spacer to position 4-421, the springs 4-410 extend past the spacer 4-420. Conventionally, an extended spring configuration can increase the dwell time in a conventional foil press as described above.
Still other conventional presses have attempted to increase dwell time on a foil stamping press by using a clutch and brake system. Biron (U.S. Pat. No. 3,412,678) teaches a mounting plate to which a die is mounted and a platen plate onto which a blank is fed with dual magnetic clutches.
Conventional presses can also provide adjustable temperature settings to facilitate a desired foil stamp design, foil type, or press speed. Changing the heat/temperature of the die alone in a conventional 14×22 EHx may have only a small effect on a typical foil stamping result.
It may be desirable to increase the working life of a given press. It may be desirable to be able to increase the die image size that can be created on an existing automatic foil stamping press. A given press would be more versatile if the range of die sizes that can be foil stamped is increased. It would be desirable if any user made adjustments to a press in field applications were user friendly.

System and method of varying dwell time in a honeycomb plate press


A lamp assembly having a lens plate covering the opening and spaced from the lamp. The lens plate is provided with a multiplicity of microlenses such that the lens plate and lamp assembly generates a well defined light cone with a sharp demarcation between the dark region outside the light cone and the illuminated region within the light cone and the illumination within the light cone is homogeneous.

Such lamp assemblies are available in a wide variety of variants, especially for illuminating building interiors. The lamp assemblies cast their light cones upon the floor surfaces of the building and generally are mounted in ceilings or at other upper levels in the structure. They can be mounted on the roof or in the roof structures as well. It should be understood, however, that such lamps may be mounted on walls of the building to illuminate floor and wall regions and can, if desired or required, be mounted on exterior surfaces of a building.
Where a view of the lamp or light source is not desirable, the lamp opening may be provided with a lens or diffuser and frequently a dark light reflector can be provided on the light source or in the lamp housing. Reflectors do tend to make the light cone reasonably well defined and do limit losses from the region in which maximum illumination is to occur. The lamp may also be provided with a diaphragm or other shield surrounding the opening from which the light emerges to assist in making the light cone sharp and in maintaining the region beyond the light cone free from illumination or in shadow.
A dark light reflector has the advantage, in addition, that the light source within the housing cannot easily be distinguished.
At the opening to the housing, gridlike structures which may have straight or curved surfaces can be provided as light guides and to mask the lamp or other light emitting structure within the housing.
Diffusers do not have effects similar to those of conventional dark light reflectors and it is difficult with such diffusers to obtain the advantages of dark light reflectors in illuminating lamps.
German Patent document DE-OS 1 497 293 discloses a light distributing plate at the outlet of a lamp housing which is formed with prismatic elements and which deflect and reflect the light from the source and thereby mask the source and distribute the light as may be required.
In a catalog of the assignee of the present application issued in the years 2000/2001 and entitled "Lighting Program" page 340, a prismatic lens is provided to close a lamp housing. The lens plate here has prismatic elements similar to those of DE-OS 1 497 293, although the prism points are slightly rounded. The use of this lens plate is intended to generate a brightening effect with a decorative purpose and, while the lamp within the housing is shielded, a multiplicity of light points can be readily noted in the housing closure element.

Lamp, especially for illuminating interiors


A proximity device for use in determining a distance and an angular displacement between the proximity device and an object or nearest surface of an object whereby alignment can be implemented. The proximity device contains a transmitter section for transmitting signal energy, an energy source for outputting the signal energy, a dual-channel receiver section, a plurality of energy sensors for receiving signal energy reflected from an object or nearest surface of an object and a channel-control section. Within the dual-channel receiver section there are means for determining the relative distance and an angular displacement to the object or surface of the object from the reflected signal energy.

The present invention relates to a device for determining the direction of and distance to an object. More particularly, the present invention is a device capable of determining the distance to the nearest object or nearest surface of an object relative to the proximity device, the angular displacement thereto, and of enabling a tracking system to track the same.


A display apparatus includes a backlight part including a backlight unit and a panel part including a display panel. The panel part is operated in a first state in which the display panel is substantially aligned with the backlight part or in a second state in which the display panel is not substantially aligned with the backlight part. The display panel receives the light from the backlight unit in the first state and receives an external light in the second state.

1. Field
The following description relates to a display apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a display apparatus to be operated in either transparent or non-transparent mode.
2. Discussion of the Background
Generally, a non-self-emissive display apparatus uses a separate light source, is which is different from a self-emissive display apparatus, e.g., an organic electroluminescent display apparatus, a plasma display apparatus. If anon-self-emissive display apparatus is used outdoors where the luminous intensity may be relatively high, there may be a reduction in the visibility of the non-self-emissive display apparatus due to reflection of external light even if brightness of the non-self-emissive display apparatus is set relatively high.
A transparent display apparatus has been developed which is able to show an object disposed in the rear thereof while displaying an image. The transparent display apparatus utilizes external light. The visibility of the transparent display apparatus may be degraded in an environment where aluminous intensity is relatively low.


A consumable insert for welding a first component to a second component is provided. The first component is positioned with respect to the second component in such a manner that a gap is defined between adjacent surfaces thereof. The consumable insert includes a body having a profile. The profile of the body matches a scan of a profile of the gap between the adjacent surfaces. The consumable insert also includes a dam portion having a profile. The profile of the dam portion matches, at least in part, a scan of corresponding surfaces of the first component and the second component respectively. The dam portion is provided in contact with at least one end of the body. The dam portion is configured to control an overflow of a weld puddle therefrom. The body and the dam portion are formed using three dimensional printing.

During welding of a joint formed between two surfaces, a backing plate may be used on one side of the joint when a large gap may be present in the joint or when there is a large variation in the joint. In such a situation, the backing plate may be permanently installed behind the joint after the welding, thus, adding extra weight and material cost to the joint. Also, the welded joint may have a lower fatigue class because of presence of stress risers in the joint leading to premature joint failure.
In some situations, the joint may be present in a confined area such that there may be limited or restricted access to set up the backing plate. In such a situation, a full penetration weld may have to be performed only from one side. As a result, a required quality of the weld joint may not be achieved. Further, a weld puddle formed during the welding may flow from sides of the joint and may get deposited therein after the welding as an excess material that could be a discontinuity or a defect. This excess material may lead to wastage of the material. Additionally, the excess material may have to be machined after the welding to complete the joint. This machining may add to welding time, effort and cost.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,490 describes a method of welding adjacent edges of two metal parts by the use of a welding torch and without the use of a backup plate. The method includes providing a consumable insert piece against which the edges of the parts to be welded together are abutted. The method includes moving the welding torch along one side of the insert and supplying sufficient heat through the torch to completely melt the insert to form successive molten weld puddles. The consumable insert is proportioned as to shape and composition such that the heat input from the welding torch completely melts the consumable insert and the parent metal of the parts being welded together.


The invention refers to a box-like transport container having at least one partially open side and a flexible covering element movable between an opened and a closed position. The box-like transport container preferably has a flexible covering element that in an opened position of the container is located close to an upright. In a preferred embodiment the flexible covering element can be rolled up or folded up.

The invention relates to a box-like transport container.
In the transport of vulnerable or sensitive products in an existing box-like transport container it is often desired to cover off one or more open sides of the box-like transport container which may be present. An example hereof is the protecting of open roller containers for transport of plants and/or flowers. The protecting of such a transport container takes place by wrapping it with a plastic wrapping foil. Such a screening protects the contents of the transport container in the desired way. The arranging of the wrapping foil prior to transport and removal of the wrapping foil after transport has taken place are labour-intensive. The wrapping foil is damaged during removal such that it is only suitable for once-only use. The removed wrapping foil has an adverse impact on the environment.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved box-like transport container with at least one in any case partially open side, the contents of which can be screened off and made accessible again in simple manner and wherein further the screening material is reusable.


A method for forming silica stain on a substrate to facilitate monitoring of the silica stain during integrated circuit manufacture. The method includes providing a silica stain test structure which has a silicon substrate, a hydrophilic silicon dioxide containing layer disposed above the silicon substrate, and a plurality of cavities formed in the silicon substrate through the silicon dioxide containing layer. The cavities have hydrophobic sidewalls. The method also includes exposing the silica stain test structure to deionized water, and drying the silica stain test structure to form the silica stain on the silicon dioxide containing layer.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to wafer stain monitoring apparatus and methods therefor.
In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits, the wafer may at times be processed using wet chemicals. For example, some process requires the appropriately patterned wafer to be immersed in wet, liquid chemicals for etching. After the exposed areas of wafer are etched by the wet chemicals, the wafer is then removed, washed with deionized water, and dried.
After washing and drying, it has been observed that silica stains sometimes appear on the surface of the wafer. The silica stains are caused by dissolved silica in the washing solution, which is redeposited on the surface of the wafer during drying. If a sufficiently thick layer of silica stain is left behind after washing and drying the wafer, the stain may affect subsequent processes. By way of example, the unwanted silica stains represent contaminants on the wafer, which may affect the electrical performance of the IC after fabrication. As another example, the silica stain may act as an unintended mask in a subsequent etch step. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such silica stains are generally undesirable.
To monitor for the presence and amount of silica stain on the wafer surface, a silica test structure is usually needed. The silica stain test structure is designed to enhance the formation of silica stains, thereby rendering them more susceptible to detection and monitoring.
In the prior art, various silica stain test structures have been proposed. To facilitate discussion, FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art planar silicon stain test structure 100, which is typically formed atop a silicon wafer 102. Above silicon wafer 102, there is shown a plurality of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) strips 104. Silicon dioxide strips 104 are typically formed by first blanket depositing a layer of silicon dioxide above silicon wafer 102 and then etching back some of the silicon dioxide (using an appropriate photoresist mask and etchant) to form the strip pattern.
As the wafer containing silica stain test structure 100 is washed and dried, the alternating strips of silicon and silicon dioxide materials permit the silica-containing droplets of the wash solution to adhere to the surface of the test structure. When the droplets dry, the stain remains. The stain is depicted in FIG. 2 as stain 202 on silica stain test structure 100.
In FIG. 2, stain 202 is depicted as being fairly visible and hence detectable. In reality, prior art silica stain test structures (such as prior art silica stain test structure 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2) typically do not yield stains of sufficient sizes and thicknesses to be detectable by conventional (e.g., 10X-100X) optical microscopes. In the typical situation, it is necessary in the prior art to perform additional processing on the stains in order to facilitate stain detection and measurement. By way of example, one prior art stain monitoring technique requires that the stains formed on the prior art silica stain test structure be further etched via reactive ion etching (RIE) before it can be detected and/or measured. The presence and amount of stain may be ascertained by, for example, monitoring the RIE distortion.
As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the additional processing steps required to detect and/or measure stains formed on prior art silica monitor test structure are highly disadvantageous. At minimum, the additional processing represents an inconvenience to the process engineers, who must perform additional work before the presence and/or amount of silica stain can be detected. Additional processing also involves additional complexities, which can often be measured in terms of additional required time and/or expenses.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired improved silica stain monitoring techniques.

Method for making silica strain test structures

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention provides an electromagnetic wave generation device. The device includes a substrate provided with a terahertz wave oscillation section including a resonant tunneling diode structure, a two-dimensional electron layer having a semiconductor heterojunction structure, and a transistor section including a source electrode and a drain electrode provided at end portions of the two-dimensional electron layer and a gate electrode provided above the two-dimensional electron layer. The terahertz wave output of the terahertz wave oscillation section changes distribution of electrons in the two-dimensional electron layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oscillation device, a detection device, and the like, of a semiconductor, for a terahertz waveband.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, non-destructive sensing techniques using electromagnetic waves in a terahertz (THz) waveband (at frequencies of approximately 30 GHz to 30 THz) have been developed. Electromagnetic waves in such a frequency band allow applications in imaging techniques developed in the form of safe imaging and examining apparatuses without the use of X-rays. Other techniques that have been developed include spectroscopic techniques for obtaining the absorption spectrum and the complex permittivity of a substance to determine its properties such as molecular bonding, measurement techniques for determining properties such as carrier density and mobility, conductivity, and the like, and analytic techniques for biomolecules. Additionally, the IEEE802.15 THz Interest Group has been active in the development of wide-band wireless communications using THz waves as carrier waves.
Light sources for such THz waves have been developed using nonlinear phenomena through laser excitation or using photoconductivity of semiconductors. Microwave-band oscillators that multiply waves are also used. However, they all suffer difficulty in improving the efficiency of generating THz waves and have complex configurations, and thus there is demand for semiconductor chips that can be driven electrically. One such oscillator is a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) device (see IEEE Microwave and Guided wave letters, vol. 5, p. 219, 1995.). This device, through electromagnetic wave gain due to the negative resistance of the RTD and the integration of a resonator that also works as an electromagnetic wave emitter, provides oscillation output in a terahertz waveband with voltage application at room temperatures.
Other attempts include integrating such a device having the negative resistance with a transistor device for amplification and mixing of the oscillation output to thereby improve the performance of space transmission by high frequency electromagnetic waves (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-142476).
An HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) device provided with grating electrode gates has been disclosed as one type of high speed transistor (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-224467). In this device, the frequency of a plasmon occurred in a two-dimensional electron gas region is adjusted through the grating electrode gates. External rays of light with two wavelengths are allowed to enter the device, and the beat frequency is tuned in the resonance frequency of the plasmon to generate THz waves.
An RTD oscillator necessitates the integration of a shunt resistor and a MIM capacitor in proximity to an RTD device to oscillate at a desired oscillation frequency. Depending on the structure of a resonator required for the oscillator, there may be problems as described below. That is, the structural size may be limited for obtaining a resistance value required for the integrated-type shunt resistor, and the application of a modulation signal from an external power source may impose an upper limit of approximately 10 GHz by the MIM capacitor required to prevent parasitic oscillation. Note that this calculation assumes a modulation bandwidth of 3 db down, MIM capacitance of 10 pF, and wiring resistance slightly less than 1Ω.
By integrating this type of oscillator with a transistor as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-142476 to obtain an amplifying function, the transistor may provide a modulating function to alleviate the problems described above. Fabricating such an integrated circuit for a terahertz region, however, may require highly accurate shape control, making it difficult to obtain a high yield.

Electromagnetic wave generation device and detection device


An improved method and system for entering text with an on-screen keyboard. The preferred on-screen keyboard includes an alphabetical list of character buttons interspersed with buttons for the 92 most common English words, prefixes, and suffixes. The characters and words of the on-screen keyboard are typically entered with a single tap from a pen on the appropriate button. However, a double tap with a pen on a word button enters the word associated with the button followed by a space character, the word "the", and a space character. If the user taps a character button and drags the pen in either the north, south, east or west direction (called a "flick"), then the embodiment enters the character associated with the character button along with one of the vowels, "o", "e", "i" or "a", respectively. The preferred on-screen keyboard also includes smart punctuation buttons, which enter text in addition to the punctuation character itself. For example, the "PERIOD" button enters a period character followed by two space characters, and then activates the "Shift" button so that the next entered word is capitalized.

Many pen-based computer systems provide handwriting recognition software that allows users to enter handwritten data using a pen input device. The handwriting recognition software translates characters in the handwritten data into ASCII characters and displays the ASCII characters to the user. The user may write directly over the displayed ASCII characters with the pen input device to correct any errors in how the software recognized the handwritten input. Unfortunately, the reliability of such handwriting recognition software is currently limited, due in part to the variance in handwriting styles.
Other pen-based computer systems allow users to enter data using on-screen keyboards (i.e., keyboards displayed on a display device). Each displayed key corresponds with a printable character. The displayed keys of the on-screen keyboard are typically configured in the conventional pattern found on most typewriters. To enter data, the user simply taps on a displayed key of the on-screen keyboard with the pen input device. The character represented by the displayed key is automatically entered as input to the computer system. Unfortunately, conventional systems that use on-screen keyboards are difficult to use and prone to error. A user of the conventional on-screen keyboard must enter data one character at a time. In particular, the user must position the pen over a character and then select the character to input the character. Then, the user must position the pen over the next character to be input and select the next character. This is repeated on a per character basis until all of the characters have been input are inputted. As a result, it may take a long period of time to enter data. Moreover, since a user must select each character of the input, the user has a high probability of making an error.

Method and system for entering data using an improved on-screen keyboard


A frequency changer cabinet includes a transformer cabinet to accommodate a transformer, a first air outlet being disposed at a top of the transformer cabinet, and a first air inlet being disposed at a side wall; and a power unit cabinet to accommodate at least one power unit, a second air inlet being disposed at a front side wall, and a rear side of the being connected to the transformer cabinet. In an embodiment, a first air passage baffle and a second air passage baffle are respectively disposed at an upper end and a lower end of a secondary coil, such that air entering from the power unit cabinet to the transformer cabinet can be directly sent to the secondary coil. Further, air entering from the first air inlet can pass through a primary coil and the secondary coil, and then flow out of the transformer cabinet.

A frequency converter, that is to say, an electric energy control device utilizing the make and break function of a power semiconductor device to convert an industrial-frequency power supply to another power supply whose frequency is different, is widely applied for the control of AC motors. As the operating voltage and the power of a frequency converter increase, the volume of the transformer and the number of power units in the frequency converter will increase accordingly. To avoid too large a volume from influencing the deployment of a frequency converter, a higher-power-density frequency converter needs to be designed, that is to say, the specific volume power in a frequency converter cabinet body needs to be increased.
Increasing the power density of a frequency converter can reduce the volume of the frequency converter, but will also reduce the space of the cooling air duct in the frequency converter cabinet body. To make up for the reduced cooling effect caused by a small space occupied by the cooling air duct, currently a higher-performance fan is usually used for heat dissipation of the frequency converter. However, the higher the performance of the fan is, the larger the size is. The size of the fan is also restricted by the size of the frequency converter cabinet body. When the frequency converter cabinet body cannot hold the fan, the cabinet body must be increased to satisfy the heat dissipation requirement.

Frequency converter cabinet body and frequency converter


A nanoscale selective functionalization method is provided. The nanoscale functionalization method includes self-assembling first molecules to nanowires of transistors provided on a wafer. The nanoscale functionalization method further includes identifying a transistor as a target transistor and transistors neighboring the target transistor as neighboring transistors. In addition, the nanoscale functionalization method includes disassembling the first molecules from the nanowire of the target transistor without disassembling the first molecule from the nanowires of the neighboring transistors. The nanoscale functionalization method also includes self-assembling second molecules to the nanowire of the target transistor.

The present invention generally relates to nanoscale sensors. More specifically, the present invention relates to selective functionalization of a sensing surface with nanoscale spatial resolution.
Nano-scale sensors or nanosensors are sensors whose active elements are characterized in that they are of nanometer length scale. Nanosensors can be made in several ways including, but not limited to, top-down lithography, bottom-up assembly and molecular self-assembly.
Nanosensors have several benefits in sensitivity and specificity over sensors made from traditional materials. Nanosensors can have increased sensitivity and resolution because they operate at a similar scale as natural biological processes, allowing functionalization with chemical and biological molecules through recognition events that cause detectable physical changes. Enhancements in sensitivity stem from high surface-to-volume ratio of nanomaterials, as well as novel physical properties of nanomaterials that can be used as the basis for detection, including nanophotonics. Nanosensors can also potentially be integrated with nanoelectronics to add native processing capability.
For example, one-dimensional nanomaterials such as nanowires and nanotubes are often well suited for use in nanosensors, as compared to bulk or thin-film planar devices. These materials can function both as transducers and wires to transmit signals and their relatively high surface area can cause large signal changes upon the binding of an analyte while their relatively small size can enable extensive multiplexing of individually addressable sensor units in a small device.

Selective functionalization of sensing surface with nanoscale spatial resolution

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A method and apparatus for providing an on-site diagnosis of a subject to determine the presence and/or severity of a concussion is provided. The method includes placing an electrode set coupled to a handheld base unit on the subject's head, acquiring brain electrical signals from the subject through the electrode set, processing the acquired brain electrical signals using a signal processing algorithm stored in a memory of the base unit, determining the presence and/or severity of a concussion from the processed signals, indicating the presence and/or severity of a concussion on the handheld base unit, and determining a course of treatment for the subject based on the indication.

Objective and sensitive methods to detect subtle brain dysfunction resulting from concussion is needed. According to reports from the U.S. Military, blast concussion brain injury is the most significant proportion of current casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, inadequate preparation and clinical tools to recognize and properly treat such casualties increases the profile of these injuries and their aftereffects. The brain performs the most complex and essential processes in the human body. Surprisingly, contemporary health care lacks sophisticated tools to objectively assess their function. A patient's mental and neurological status is typically assessed clinically by an interview and a subjective physical exam. A typical clinical laboratory currently has no capacity to assess brain function or pathology, contributing little more than identification of poisons, toxins, or drugs that may have externally impacted the CNS. These laboratories can diagnose possible concussions, through the physical exam, but determining the severity of the concussion cannot be done with any accuracy.
Brain imaging studies, such as computed tomography imaging (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are widely used and useful. These structural and anatomical tests, however, reveal little information about brain function. The "functional MRI" (fMRI) is a recent improvement over MRI. fMRI testing provides relative images of the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in various parts of the brain. While the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin, which shows the usage of oxygen, is a useful indication of the gross metabolic function of specific brain regions, it provides very limited or no information about the underlying brain function, i.e., the processing of information by the brain, which is electrochemical in nature.
For example, an injured brain part can be using a "normal" amount of oxygen. An fMRI will thus not be able to diagnose a condition or injury which may be dramatically dysfunctional. Moreover, in the immediate time following an acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, CT and MRI/fMRI imaging studies are typically negative, revealing no structural abnormalities, even when there is clear and dramatically abnormal brain function. The same is also true of diffuse axonal injury (DAI), related to shearing of nerve fibers which is present in the majority of concussive brain injury cases, and can remain invisible on most routine structural images. Swelling or edema from DAI resulting from a concussion can subsequently lead to coma and death.
Further, CT and MRI/fMRI testing devices are completely unavailable in portable, field-deployable applications, due to their size, power requirements and cost. These assessment tools play an important role in selected cases, but they are costly, not universally available, and they do not provide critical information at the early stages of acute care situations. Current technologies are unable to provide the immediate, actionable information critical to timely intervention, appropriate triage, or the formulation of an appropriate plan of care for acute brain trauma such as a concussion. However, the brain has the least capacity for repair among organs, and thus time sensitive triage and intervention is very important in treating brain injuries such as concussions.
All of the brain's activity, whether reflexive, automatic, unconscious, or conscious, is electrical in nature. Through a series of electrochemical reactions, mediated by molecules called neurotransmitters, electrical potentials (voltages) are generated and transmitted throughout the brain, traveling continuously between and among the myriad of neurons. This activity establishes the basic electrical signatures of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and creates identifiable frequencies which have a basis in anatomic structure and function. Understanding these basic rhythms and their significance makes it possible to characterize the EEG as being within or beyond normal limits. At this basic level, the EEG serves as a signature for both normal and abnormal brain function.
The electrical activity of the brain has been studied extensively since the first recordings over 75 years ago, and especially since the advent of computers. "Normal" electrical activity of the brain has been well characterized in hundreds of studies, with a narrow standard deviation. The frequencies of electrical activity of some parts of the brain are the normal response to various stimuli, such as acoustic, visual, or pain, known as "evoked potentials."
Evoked potentials (EP) are particular waves that have characteristic shapes, amplitudes and duration of peaks within those wave shapes, and many other features, all of which have well established normative data, generated over decades of research. Normative data for all of the EEG and evoked response waves are remarkably constant across different genders, ages, and ethnicities. Moreover, any variability that does exist is well described and explained.
Neuroscientists have also characterized the EEG signature of various different brain pathologies. Just as an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern is a strong indication of a particular heart pathology, an irregular brain wave pattern is a strong indication of a particular brain pathology such as concussion. A large body of data, with continuing refinements and contributions, constitutes the field of clinical neurophysiology.
Even though EEG-based neurometric technology is accepted today and a tremendous body of data exists, application in the clinical environment is notably limited. Some of the barriers limiting its adoption include: the cost of EEG equipment, its lack of portability, the need for a technician to administer the test, the time it takes to conduct the test, and the need for expert interpretation of the raw data. More importantly, the technology is neither available nor practical in the acute care setting, especially at the point of care. A complete diagnostic EEG instrument typically costs $80,000, fully equipped. Despite the high costs, the instrument produces essentially raw waveforms which must be carefully interpreted by an expert. Moreover, use of the standard EEG equipment remains extremely cumbersome. It can take 30 minutes or more to apply the required 19 electrodes. Once a subject is prepared for the test, the EEG recording can take from 1 to 4 hours. Data is collected and analyzed by an EEG technician, and is then presented to a neurologist for interpretation and clinical assessment. There are some self-standing dedicated neurodiagnostic laboratories which focus strictly on detailed analysis of electrical brain data. Neither the specialized centers, nor the typically large hospital EEG machines are practical for the ER, operating room (OR), intensive care unit (ICU), or any other acute care medicine setting where patients are in the greatest need.
Studies conducted by medical professionals worldwide have highlighted the need for developing a way to provide an early diagnosis and effective treatment for patients who have suffered a traumatic head injury, in particular, a concussion. Head injuries, such as a concussions, may have serious long term effects. For example, one of the largest threats posed by a concussion is delayed brain swelling caused by fiber shearing, which, if left untreated, can cause coma and death. When properly diagnosed, concussions may be treated using different treatment options, but each of the treatments includes its own risk, and should be administered based on the severity of the injury. Immediate, functional concussion detection is needed to treat patients with possible concussions for the prevention of further damage and disability.
Many times, despite the need for early detection, concussions often go undetected, particularly when a subject is not exhibiting any visible wounds. CT scans and MRI images have less than a 60% accuracy for the detection of a concussion, and are limited in tracking progress of the concussion and guiding treatment. Electrical signals emitted by the brain, however, may be an accurate detector of concussion and its' aftereffects, usually having an accuracy of 90-95%. Moreover, monitoring the brain's electrical signals may also be used to monitor the progress of the concussion over time allowing for excellent treatment management.


A surgical preparation protective barrier device includes a hollow flexible barrier pouch for preventing the spread of a caustic pre-surgical preparatory topical substances, such as for example BETADINE.RTM.. The barrier device is indented with a centrally located hole which extends through the barrier device from top to bottom to permit application of a topical antiseptic substance therethrough for topical application to a designated portion of skin defined by a hole in the pouch at a surgical site of a human or veterinary patient. The flexible barrier pouch further includes an inner compartment extending between peripherally extending walls and the centrally lowered hole. Fluid absorbent members are provided with the hollow compartment to collect and prevent the spread of the topical antiseptic beyond the boundaries of the predetermined surgical site. In use, the hollow pouch is applied to the skin by an adhesive which is placed on the skin surrounding the predetermined surgical site. The topical antiseptic is then applied in a standard fashion to the skin, wherein excess topical antiseptic collects and is absorbed by the spongy material placed within the hollow compartment of each pouch.

BETADINE.RTM. is a topical antiseptic solution which is very commonly used in both the operating room and office for skin preparation prior to a surgical procedure. Skin preparation is performed in order to try and prevent post surgical infection. Two common problems encountered by the health care provider performing the preparation of the surgical site are (1) applying the BETADINE.RTM. solution to a field that is either too small or too large for the procedure and (2) allowing excess BETADINE.RTM. solution to "pool" around the dependent areas of the patient. These problems can cause a higher infection rate post operatively if the surgical field is not adequately covered. If too much BETADINE.RTM. solution is applied and the patient is "sensitive" to this chemical then a larger adverse reaction can occur. Most importantly, if excess BETADINE.RTM. solution pools in dependent areas, a severe skin reaction can occur commonly called "BETADINE burns". These chemical "burns" can cause significant morbidity to the skin and tissues of the patient.
While the present invention relates to a generally non-sterile preparation barrier device which isolates a surgical patient from chemical bums caused by exposure to topical antiseptics, sterile surgical drapes including fenestration holes placed at a surgery site have been known. Among patents for surgical drapes include U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,205 of Madden, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,206 of Binard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,331 of Hartigan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,720 of Wichmangue, U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,243 of Glassman, as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,394,891, 5,398,700 and 5,464,024 all three of Mills.
However, the surgical drapes of these patents are used as draping at a surgical field or as a device to collect gushing bodily fluids.
However, these surgical drapes are not used as a template accessory in preparing a surgical field and to prevent the harsh effects of chemical preparation of the skin of a patient with topical antiseptic.

Barrier protector for protecting a surgical patient from chemical burns caused by topical application of antiseptics


One embodiment provides an access-control framework for publishing and obtaining a collection of encrypted data in encrypted form. During operation, a content consumer can obtain a Manifest object for a data collection, such that the Manifest includes references to a set of encrypted Content Objects of the data collection, and includes one or more Access Control Specifications (ACS) that each specifies a decryption protocol for decrypting one or more Content Objects of the data collection. The consumer can disseminate Interest messages to receive encrypted Content Objects listed in the Manifest over an Information Centric Network (ICN). The client can also obtain, from the Manifest, an ACS associated with a respective encrypted Content Object, and decrypts the respective encrypted Content Object using the decryption protocol specified in the ACS.

Field
This disclosure is generally related to Information Centric Networks. More specifically, this disclosure is related to an access control framework for publishing and accessing encrypted data.
Related Art
Information-centric networking architectures (ICNs) are quickly becoming an attracting alternative to the current host-to-host design Internet design in both research and industrial communities. Several novel networking architectures have been recently proposed as instances of the ICN. The most common and fundamental features of these ICN architectures include interest-based content retrieval, content oriented routing, and in-network caching. Interest-based content retrieval and content oriented routing allow users to acquire content from the network via explicit queries for uniquely named content, rather than by establishing point-to-point connection with a target computer that can serve the content. In-network caching permits a router to cache content for predetermined lengths of time such that subsequent requests for content of the same name can be satisfied via the cache, rather than by forwarding the request upstream to a network endpoint identified by the request.
Due to in-network caching, ICN content objects may not always arrive from their original producer. However, if the cached content was encrypted for a given consumer, it is not possible for other consumers to decrypt the content even though they're authorized to access the content. Therefore, ICN architectures typically require requests for encrypted content to be forwarded directly to the content producer so that each consumer can receive a copy of the content which has been encrypted using the consumer's public key. Unfortunately, requiring ICN nodes to forward requests to the content producer does not allow the consumer and publisher to benefit from in-network caching, which can result in slow response times for the consumer and undesirably large request loads for the content producer.

Access control framework for information centric networking


Thermally processable imaging elements in which the image is formed by imagewise heating or by imagewise exposure to light followed by uniform heating has a protective overcoat layer containing poly(silicic acid), and a mixture of a water-soluble hydroxyl-containing polymer and a polyvinyl acetal.

Thermally processable imaging elements, including films and papers, for producing images by thermal processing are well known. These elements include photothermographic elements in which an image is formed by imagewise exposure of the element to light followed by development by uniformly heating the element. These elements also include thermographic elements in which an image is formed by imagewise heating the element. Such elements are described in, for example, Research Disclosure, June 1978, Item No. 17029 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,080,254, 3,457,075 and 3,933,508.
An important feature of the aforesaid thermally processable imaging elements is a protective overcoat layer. To be fully acceptable, a protective overcoat layer for such imaging elements should: (a) provide resistance to deformation of the layers of the element during thermal processing, (b) prevent or reduce loss of volatile components in the element during thermal processing, (c) reduce or prevent transfer of essential imaging components from one or more of the layers of the element into the overcoat layer during manufacture of the element or during storage of the element prior to imaging and thermal processing, (d) enable satisfactory adhesion of the overcoat to a contiguous layer of the element, and (e) be free from cracking and undesired marking, such as abrasion marking, during manufacture, storage, and processing of the element.
A particularly preferred overcoat for thermally processable imaging elements is an overcoat comprising poly(silicic acid) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,992, issued May 3, 1988. Advantageously, water-soluble hydroxyl-containing monomers or polymers are incorporated in the overcoat layer together with the poly(silicic acid).
One of the most difficult problems involved in the manufacture of thermally processable imaging elements is that the protective overcoat layer typically does not exhibit adequate adhesion to the imaging layer. The problem of achieving adequate adhesion is particularly aggravated by the fact that the imaging layer is typically hydrophobic while the overcoat layer is typically hydrophilic. One solution to this problem is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,739, issued Dec. 12, 1989, in which a polyalkoxysilane is added to the thermographic or photothermographic imaging composition and is hydrolyzed in situ to form an Si(OH).sub.4 moiety which has the ability to crosslink with binders present in the imaging layer and the overcoat layer. Another solution to the problem is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,115, issued Jul. 17, 1990, in which an adhesion-promoting layer composed of certain adhesion-promoting terpolymers is interposed between the imaging layer and the overcoat layer. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,393,649, 5,418,120, and 422,234 also disclose the use of adhesion-promoting interlayers which contain (i) a polymer having pyrrolidone functionally ('649), (ii) a polyalkoxysilane ('120) or (iii) a polymer having epoxy functionality ('234).
The known solutions to the problem of providing adequate overcoat adhesion with thermally processable elements exhibit certain disadvantages which have hindered their commercial utilization. For example, while incorporation of a polyalkoxysilane in the imaging composition brings about a gradual increase in adhesion on aging of the element, the in situ hydrolysis of the polyalkoxysilane is slow and its rate is limited by the availability of water in the coated layer. Moreover, the alcohol which is formed as a by-product of the hydrolysis, for example, the ethyl alcohol that is formed by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane, is unable to escape through the highly impermeable overcoat layer and tends to migrate into the support. The support is typically a polyester, most usually poly(ethylene terephthalate), and migration of the alcohol into such a support causes a highly undesirable width-wise curl which makes the imaging element very difficult to handle. A serious consequence of such width-wise curl, even though it may be very slight in extent, is jamming of processing equipment.
The problem of unwanted curl can be reduced by use of the adhesion-promoting interlayer of U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,115, but use of this interlayer can result in adverse sensitometric effects, requires an additional coating step which makes it economically less attractive, and requires the use of terpolymers which are costly, difficult to handle and environmentally disadvantageous.
In general, the use of an adhesion-promoting interlayer between the imaging layer and the overcoat layer makes manufacture of the thermally processable imaging element more complex which adds to the cost of manufacture of the imaging element.

Thermally processable imaging element with improved adhesion of the overcoat layer


A removable headrest cover for a seat is described having improved features for securing and attaching the cover to a headrest. The improved features include integrated elastic elements that serve to secure the cover to a headrest, eliminating the need for engaging receptacles on the seat. The positioning and placement of attachment points for the elastic provide versatility to the headrest cover that allows it to be used with many different seat configurations. Methods for efficiently manufacturing and packaging the cover are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in replaceable seat headrest covers. The present invention relates more specifically to the means for attaching headrest covers to seats as well as the manufacturing processes for the headrest covers. The invention resides in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts as well as the methods of manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the purpose of illustration, most references made herein are to the use of headrest covers on airline carriers and cinema theaters, but the invention applies to all forms of transportation, public conveyances, and facilities in both commercial and residential settings; i.e.: buses, trains, boats, automobiles, medical/dental facilities, entertainment venues, offices, homes and the likes. The present invention finds utility anywhere an individual might find it necessary to use a seat that has been previously occupied by other individuals.
Ever since the introduction of the headrest portion of a seat on transportation vehicle seats, and more recently on cinema theaters, the issue of the headrest becoming soiled and potentially contaminated by constant contact with multiple occupants has been a latent concern to respective industries, health agencies, and the informed general public. This issue of concern is especially acute on long transit transportation vehicles and cinema theaters where the seat occupants constantly rub their scalps against the headrest while assuming a more relaxed position. Such continuous contact with the headrest results in it quickly becoming soiled, creating a potentially unsanitary surface, which may act as a conduit to transfer contaminants to subsequent occupants.
High traffic surfaces harbor microorganisms that can contaminate a multitude of people. The present invention is designed not only to prevent possible soiling of the head-rest portion of the seat, but also the possibility of transmission of scalp, skin, parasitic and other diseases from any of the many previous users of the seat to another user. This possibility of transmission increases due to the fact that most people, in many high traffic and crowded settings, use the headrest portion of seats, as handle bars. They are used as leverage to get in, out and up from seats, as balancing tools while moving down the isle or simply as a place to set ones hands while standing, chatting, or waiting to disembark.
Throughout the useful life of commercial airplanes and cinema theaters, seats can often be occupied by thousands of different individuals of various degrees of cleanliness and health conditions before seats are ever cleaned, replaced, or reupholstered. Some seats may even go years before being properly cleaned. In many cases, the cleaning process might not sufficiently sanitize the headrest. Most health agencies cite international travel as a major factor in the global spread of contagious diseases. If headrest surfaces are not consistently cleaned after each occupant, the seats can potentially expose a multitude of future occupants to serious health hazards which could later be transferred and spread across entire communities.
Upholstered headrests can hide the tiny gray-white head lice eggs called nits. Head lice can live up to two to three days apart from the body, on a seat headrest. Head lice are remarkably prolific and can spread and flourish even among so-called hygiene conscious communities. In the U.S. alone, as many as twelve million people could be host to head lice at any given time. Unless provisions are made to continuously provide the public and travelers with sanitized headrest surfaces, the potential for the rapid spread of infectious, communicable, contagious, and parasitic diseases is greatly increased. A separate, but closely applicable concern is the realistic threat of a terrorist act, i.e.; applying chemical type substances to seat surfaces which are in direct contact with a passenger's skin. Most chemicals are readily absorbed through the skin and in many cases skin is a more significant route of exposure than the lungs.
Presently, the most common method to reduce soiling and contamination on public seats is with the use of replaceable headrest covers. Unfortunately, the sporadic and inconsistent manner in which such covers are presently used does little in preventing the contamination of public seats and consequently that of their occupants. The general public, although not yet publicly expressing concern likely soon will, as they become aware of the imminent risk of using public seats without protective covers. Without public expressions of concern, applicable industries and agencies may downplay the risk, placing priority on economic efficiency over the safety of seat occupants. Individual, cost effective, solutions to the problem will therefore become very important.
Resting ones head on the headrest of an unprotected public seat could be the equivalent of resting ones head on a hotel pillow that has been used by multiple individuals, without changing the pillow casing. No one well informed of the potential risk and consequences would willingly rub their head against a stranger's scalp, much less with that of the hundreds of individuals with different degrees of hygiene and unknown health conditions that have used the seat before them. For these reasons alone, it might be concluded that in an effort to reduce or control the effects of a potential pandemic, public conveyances and entertainment venues might appropriately be required to provide sanitized covers after each leg of travel and prior to every show-time, respectively. If such a mandate were to be imposed today, many public carriers would be under prepared to comply with such a directive. Many transportation carriers would not be able to absorb the time and financial burden required in complying with such a legal requirement, and those industries that did, would likely pass the incremental cost directly on to the customers.
The airline industry and other agencies have long sought alternative means for efficiently addressing said problems without imposing further stress on an industry already under severe economic pressures. One reason airlines do not provide protective covers to passengers is the fact that most, if not all presently available headrest covers, are too costly to provide. They require extensive handling and are considered invasive to the seat, often requiring attachment elements to be previously and permanently embedded onto the seats.
Some earlier methods of attaching replaceable covers to the headrest included elaborate mechanisms as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,749 issued to Struble (1962) and even required special tools as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,803 also issued to Struble (1963). The need for a special tool to attach the cover to the headrest, and the requirement of having to permanently embed the receiving engagement element onto a seat, turns the method of attachment into an inefficient, inconvenient, and expensive alternative.
Another unpopular method to engage replaceable covers to a seat headrest is with the use of adhesive strips. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,059 issued to Zisblatt (1972) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,523 issued to Alpert (1972) as examples. An inherent problem with such methods of attachment is the build-up of adhesive residue on the headrest, which creates a sanitary hazard in itself. Separate from the hygiene concern, certain materials used in the construction of seats do not lend to adequately hold adhesive strips. Any method requiring repetitive application of adhesive substances on the seat's surface, especially to the area where occupants usually rests their heads, is not one that can be widely embraced by any industry or health agencies.
Several other improvements have been made to headrest covers over the years and in particular to the means for attaching the cover to the seat, but most suffer similar drawbacks; the need for special receiving engagement elements on the seat in order for the removable headrest cover to be held in place. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,841 issued to Altman (1966); U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,632 issued to Struble (1967); U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,458 issued to Jannoni (1974); U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,281 issued to Byrnes (1977); U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,609 issued to Ness (1978); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,781 issued to Andersson (1978) as further examples of previous efforts in the field.
For the above stated reasons, the use of such hook-and-loop and adhesive engagement devices and reusable covers is dramatically declining and even discontinued, as the handling process for the covers and specific requirement of embedding engagement elements onto the seat results in it being a costly alternative. In addition, the engagement elements permanently embedded onto the seats can degrade the seat's appearance and become cause for hygiene concern themselves. An even more deterrent factor materializes with the use of presently available reusable headrest covers. The reusable versions of headrest covers are primarily made of cloth, leather, or towel like material. These types of materials and reusable fastening elements are expensive to purchase and their loss by unauthorized removal and mishandling adds to the operating cost. The laundering of such covers is an expensive operation, requiring additional handling for packaging and transporting it to and from the processing locations. The life time replacement cycle for reusable covers would primarily depend on how often they are cleaned, as the laundering process deteriorates the fabric, its texture, and its colors. Unless a fresh cover is provided for each individual passenger, the frequency in which covers are currently utilized does little to fulfill the object of providing hygiene protection for passengers. In many cases, when airlines provide headrest covers on seats and are not regularly changed, it is primarily because its use is intended to protect the seat fabric and not necessarily the passengers. Even when carriers try to provide and replace covers after each passenger, significant waste results when service personnel are not able to distinguish between used covers and those that have not yet been utilized.
Efforts have gone as far as creating some type of recognition system to reduce such waste. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,701 issued to Kifferstain in which an arrangement in the cover sheet indicates whether it has been used such that a person intending to sit in the seat is informed whether the cover sheet is fresh or used, and the service personnel are able to identify the used cover sheets.
Thus it can be concluded, that the process of using any of the present headrest covers available is costly and time prohibitive for most carriers, especially when they have to be replaced with each leg of travel. This is therefore a long-felt, but unfulfilled need that the present invention efficiently will resolve.
In summary, a number of issues presently face carriers when using any of the currently available headrest covers and it becomes apparent that these issues are major deterrents to the consistent use of headrest covers. These issues include: the high cost to purchase; the cost to incorporate required engagement elements onto existing and new seats; the labor cost required to implement a one cover per passenger cycle; the cost of replacing all covers after each individual use; the cost of discarding fresh covers, not being able to distinguish the used from the new covers; the cost of shipping, laundering, storing and handling of reusable covers; the cost associated with potential delays to flight schedules contribute an unnecessary burden on industries already in distress.
The above harmful impact to the use frequency for headrest covers obliterates a cover's ultimate function; to protect individuals and communities from potential contamination. In addition to protection, the use of headrest covers provides the concerned public with a priceless added advantage; namely, user peace of mind. Once again in summary, all reusable and disposable replaceable headrest covers previously developed, suffer from a number of critical disadvantages that hinder the consistent use of said covers.
Research indicates that one convenient solution for such a critical, latent, and global dilemma would be to make available to applicable industries and the general public, an economical, replaceable, compact, disposable headrest cover that can be installed and removed easily and disposed of by the seat occupants themselves. If the travel community and general public have not yet publicly raised concerns, it is mainly because they are uninformed about some facts. In summary these facts include the following:
(a) Public seats seldom are properly cleaned and when they are, it is often only after months, if not years of continuous use.
(b) When individuals rest their heads on unprotected public seats they are rubbing their scalps against a surface that has been in contact with possibly hundreds of prior seat occupants with various degrees of cleanliness and health conditions.
(c) Every time individuals occupy a public seat without being adequately protected they can potentially become contaminated with a variety of skin conditions, parasitic caused illnesses and other contagious diseases.
(d) The human hand can be a major carrier (source) of viruses, germs, and bacteria. One common form of transmission of the flu and many other common illnesses is by contact with a surface that has been touched by an infected person. Rubbing ones' eyes, nose, or mouth after touching contaminated surfaces increases the possibility of becoming ill and of further spreading of germs. Again, most people use the headrest portion of seats as handle bars, especially in airplanes.
Becoming aware of these and other more specific consequences without the benefit of the present invention could cause public panic, disrupt communities, and even negatively impact the economy of a given sector. To minimize the potential for transmission of any virus, skin condition, or communicable diseases, the headrest cover should be used on a globally consistent basis. International carriers can be a major factor in the spread of a disease globally. Getting ill while aboard an airplane can be a serious matter. From the common cold to more serious infections, air passengers are more exposed to germs and viruses than ever before. High traffic surfaces harbor microorganisms that can contaminate a multitude of people. The present invention is designed not only to prevent possible soiling of the head-rest portion of the seat, but also the possibility of transmission of scalp, skin and other diseases from any prior user of the seat to others.
As some airlines literally struggle to survive, cost cutting has become a way of life for their industry. One of the first items eliminated with airline cutbacks were headrest covers. When still provided it can be assumed that it's primary intent is to protect the seat and/or to give the illusion that protection is being provided.


An electrofishing method and apparatus employs programmable hardware to generate output waveforms that will stun or alter the behavior of fish while minimizing the harm done to the fish. By programming a variety of instructions into the programmable hardware, a wide range of different output waveforms can be produced. The programmable hardware can also monitor environmental conditions to automatically adjust and optimize the waveform parameters. Finally, the programmable hardware can be interconnected by a data network to form an array of charged electrodes, with each output related and synchronized in a predetermined way for use in electric fish barriers and guidance systems.

Electric fish shocking devices find numerous applications in stunning and collecting fish. Electric fish shocking devices also have applications in electric fish barrier arrays and electric fish guidance systems. For a description of such a fish barrier, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,451 issued on Jun.14, 1988 to David V. Smith.
Fish shocking devices typically seek to minimize the harm done to fish while accomplishing their designed functions. For example, electrofishers induce the fish to swim toward the anode (galvanotaxis) and hold the fish in an immobile state (galvanonarcosis) so they can be collected without excessive harm or damage. In electric fish barriers, the fish must be prevented from crossing the barrier without being injured or killed in the process.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the device, a careful balance must be maintained between applying the needed electrical power and minimizing fish damage. This is particularly true with threatened or endangered fish species. Factors that affect the amount of electrical power needed include: Voltage level, Constant versus Varying or Pulsed Current, Direct Current (DC) versus Alternating Current (AC), the conductivity of the water, the fish species, and fish size.
Prior art electric fish shocking devices generally limit the adjustment of waveform parameters and usually only provide a small number of simple waveforms. Typically, prior art electric fish shocking devices employ a series of rectangular pulses, and permit the user to manually adjust the voltage, width and frequency over narrow ranges.
In addition, prior art electric fishing devices usually have not provided flexibility for automatically adjusting these parameters as conditions change, and have been ill-equipped to generate a variety of other waveform types that might prove more effective or less harmful to the fish in given circumstances. Thus, there is a need for a new and improved electric fish shocking device which overcomes such difficulties.
In accordance with the present invention, this need is fulfilled by placing the waveform generating burden on programmable hardware. In a preferred embodiment, a microprocessor controls a high speed switch which is used to control the output of a high voltage power supply. Thus, the device has the ability to produce continuous output or variable length pulses. The programmable hardware allows the generation of more complex waveforms such as gated bursts (a number of short pulses followed by a longer quiet period) and pulses that vary their width and/or frequency over time (Pulse Width and/or Frequency Modulation).
If provision is made for programmable control of the power supply output voltage level, then the hardware can produce amplitude modulated waveforms. If environmental feedback sensors are used, such as water conductivity monitors or sonar fish locators, then the output waveform parameters can automatically adjust to optimize the desired effect while minimizing any harm done to the fish.
The foregoing and additional features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Electric fish shocking devices using programmable output waveforms


The present invention provides methods for preparing hydrothermally stable MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves incorporating aluminum and other transition metals. The materials prepared by these methods possess a very high surface area and narrow uniform pore distribution in the mesopore region, and are highly thermally stable whereby the ions are not leached out after high temperature annealing.

This invention relates to inorganic mesoporous molecular sieves of MCM-41 type. This type of material has high thermal stability, well defined uniform pore openings in the mesopore range, 15 to 100 xc3x85and possesses very high surface area ( greater than 1000 m2/g). The pore openings also can be tailored during the synthesis process by using surfactant groups of suitable chain length.
These materials attracted considerable attention in recent years for their potential use in catalysis. Due to the large pore openings catalytic conversion of bulkier molecules as encountered in the cracking of heavy crude oils or in the manufacture of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals can be performed easily on these mesoporous molecular sieves.
Incorporation of metal atoms to the framework of mesoporous molecular sieve can generate active sites for catalysis. Incorporation of aluminum generates acidity in the framework. Other elements like vanadium, titanium can also be incorporated in the framework.
The main drawback of the application of MCM-41 molecular sieve in catalysis is its low stability in presence of water vapor and in many reactions water is formed as by-product during the reaction. Also many catalytic processes have to go through very harsh conditions. The practical application of these mesoporous molecular sieve will be slow unless their poor hydrothermal stability is improved. Improvement of the hydrothermal stability of mesoporous molecular sieve has been reported to be achieved by controlling the pH of the gel during the synthesis conditions. However, the described method is exhausting and requires multiple adjustment of pH and hydrothermal treatment of the gel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present investigation to provide MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve which possesses high hydrothermal stability.
Another object of -the invention is to provide a simple and economical method by which hydrothermally stable MCM-41 molecular sieve can be prepared.
A further object of the invention is to provide hydrothermally stable mesoporous molecular sieve which possesses high thermal stability and surface area for application as catalyst or catalyst support.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide hydrothermally stable mesoporous molecular sieve in which silicon atoms are substituted with other elements to generate active sites.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
Broadly, our invention contemplates the preparation of hydrothermally stable MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves.
More specifically, we have found that the hydrothermal stability of MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves may be greatly improved by addition of cations like tetra-alkyl ammonium or sodium ions in the synthesis gel. Similar method was also applied for the synthesis of aluminum and other transition metal containing MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves. These synthesized materials possess high stability in water at elevated temperatures. Our pure silica and transition metal incorporated MCM-41 molecular sieves are characterized by high surface area in the order of 900to 1100 m2/g. Furthermore, they possess a hexagonal crystal structure as evidenced from the X-ray powder diffraction analysis. Pore size distribution indicates that a large percentage of the pore volume is in the mesopore region, 18 to 100 xc3x85, which is highly desirable for their catalytic application.
Hydrothermally stable MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve is prepared by making a gel containing surfactant, inorganic silicate, tetra-alkyl cation and water. The reactants are mixed to provide ratios for the ingredients defined as follows:
surfactant/silica . . . 0.1 to 1
tetra-alkyl cation/surfactant . . . 0 to 2
H20/silica . . . 50 to 250
Si/M . . . xe2x89xa65
Reactant gels defined above are reacted for periods from about 2 hour to 4 days at temperature ranging from 250xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C. In preparing the reaction mixtures, surfactant of the general chemical formula, CnH2n+1(CH3)3N+Xxe2x88x92(where n=12 to 18and x=Cl, Br) was mixed with tetra-alkyl ammonium cation of the general chemical formula, CnH2n+1N+Xxe2x88x92(where n=1 to 3 and X=Cl, Br) before addition of the silicate or metal source.
In a particularly preferred method for preparing hydrothermally stable MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieves tetra-alkyl ammonium salt solution was slowly mixed with the surfactant solution. The mixture was stirred vigorously for a period of 30 to 60 minutes. To this mixture a solution of inorganic silicate was slowly added and further stirred vigorously for 45-60 minutes. The mixture was then slowly acidified with a dilute mineral acid until pH 9.5 to 10 reached. This gel mixture was aged for 2 hours to 2 days at temperature of 25xc2x0 C. to 600xc2x0 C. Subsequent to aging, the mixture was transferred to polypropylene bottles, sealed and kept at 100xc2x0 C. for 2 to 4 days without agitation. Finally, the bottles were quenched in cold water and the mixture was filtered to recover the solid product which was washed thoroughly with deionized water. To prepare substituted MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve suitable metal salt solution was added to the surfactant mixture. Typically, addition of metal salt solution was followed by the addition of silicate solution. The solid material obtained was dried at a temperature of 50 to 70xc2x0 C., followed by calcining at a temperature of 500 to 560xc2x0 C. The final product possesses a high surface area in the range of 1000 to 1200 m2/g and X-ray diffraction analysis shows well defined hexagonal pattern. Pore size distribution indicates that most of the pore volume is in the mesopore region, 18 to 100 xc3x85.
Having described the basic aspects of the present invention the following examples are given to illustrate specific embodiments thereof.

Synthesis of hydrothermally stable metal incorporated mesoporous molecular sieve of MCM-41 type


A control device of a continuously variable transmission for a vehicle to which power of a drive force source is input through a transmission path connecting/disconnecting device changes a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission to a lower vehicle speed side during vehicle deceleration when the transmission path connecting/disconnecting device is in a power transmission interrupted state of interrupting power transmission through a power transmission path between the drive force source and the continuously variable transmission, earlier as compared to when the transmission path connecting/disconnecting device is in a power transmittable state enabling the power transmission, and the control device changes a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission earlier to the lower vehicle speed side when vehicle deceleration is larger, when the transmission path connecting/disconnecting device is in the power transmission interrupted state.

A continuously variable transmission such as a belt-type continuously variable transmission and a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission is well known. For example, this corresponds to continuously variable transmissions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. Such a continuously variable transmission uses, for example, a rotation speed on an input side of the continuously variable transmission (transmission input rotation speed), a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission based on the transmission input rotation speed and a rotation speed on an output side of the continuously variable transmission (transmission output rotation speed) and the like to provide shift control of the continuously variable transmission through feedforward control (FF control) and feedback control (FB control). For example, to achieve reduction in cost, it is proposed to remove a rotation speed sensor for detecting a rotation speed. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle having a configuration in which an input rotation speed sensor detecting the transmission input rotation speed is removed. If a vehicle does not include the input rotation speed sensor in this way, it is contemplated to use as the transmission input rotation speed a detection value of a rotation speed sensor for detecting a rotation speed of a turbine shaft of a torque converter (or an output shaft of a drive force source) mechanically coupled to an input shaft of the continuously variable transmission.

Control device for vehicular continuously variable transmission


A steel wire is composed mainly of fine pearlite and/or coarse pearlite, where the lamellar cementite in the pearlite is amorphous or amorphous-like. Alternatively, the wire may be composed mainly of bainite, where the cementite in the bainite is amorphous or amorphous-like. To manufacture the steel wire, a starting steel product is subjected repeatedly to patenting and cold drawing, and then subjected to final drawing at a true strain of 2.0 or above while cooling. The steel wire is higher in strength and toughness than wire whose lamellar cementite consists of nano crystals. The steel wire does not suffer any delamination when subjected to torsion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medium to high carbon steel wires (content of C: 0.4 to 1.3%) which become products as cold worked without undergoing any further thermal treatments such as bluing and more particularly, to high strength and high toughness steel wires suitable as steel cord wires, wire saws, PC steel wire ropes and the like and also to a method for making the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the manufacture of steel wires used as steel cord wires and various types of steel ropes, it is usual to subject a high carbon steel wire product to patenting, followed by drawing. Especially, cold drawing enables one to obtain a high strength steel wire. However, if the strength becomes too high as a result of the drawing, delamination may occur, accompanied by poor ductility and toughness. Thus, limitation is placed on the manufacture of high strength steel wires through drawing.
Under these circumstances, we made studies from the crystallographic standpoint at a level of nanometers for the purpose of developing high strength, high toughness and high ductility steel wires. As a result, it was found that by appropriately controlling cold working conditions and annealing conditions, carbides of a steel wire composed mainly of pearlite or bainite were successfully changed into cementite crystals whose diameter was on the order of nanometers (nm) (hereinafter referred to simply as "nano crystals"). It was also found that steel wires which had lamellar cementite consisting of the nano crystals as a carbide in the structure exhibited high strength, high toughness and high ductility. Our earlier Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 8-120407 was based on the above findings.
It will be noted that the interrelation between the plastic deformability of pearlite and the lamellar space has been known prior to the filing of the above-mentioned application. In the field of very fine wires such as steel cord wires, any technique of evaluating the state of existence of lamellar cementite has never been established. The relations between the existing form of cementite and the mechanical properties are not known in many respects. It is merely known from the experimental results of changing constituent compositions and preparation conditions according to the rule of trial and error that where the structure obtained after patenting consists of a fine, uniform pearlite structure, mechanical properties are good.
We have developed a steel wire wherein the crystal structure of lamellar cementite consists of nano crystals (which steel wire may be sometimes referred to simply as a nano crystal steel wire hereinafter) and can thus provide a high strength, high toughness and high ductility steel wire. It should be noted that there has been a demand for a steel wire having better mechanical characteristics and that developments of a steel wire which is high in strength and excellent in ductility have been expected.

High strength and high toughness steel wires and method for making the same