Provided is a method of manufacturing a dental cord. The method including: producing a spinning solution by dissolving a fiber-moldable hydrophobic polymer material in a solvent; spinning the spinning solution to obtain a polymer nanofiber web composed of nanofibers and including three-dimensional micropores; laminating the polymer nanofiber web to obtain a polymer membrane; slitting the polymer membrane to obtain a nanofiber tape yarn; hydrophilic-treating the nanofiber tape yarn to obtain a hydrophilic-treated nanofiber tape yarn; plying and twisting the hydrophilic-treated nanofiber tape yarn with a covered yarn to obtain a nanofiber multiple yarn; and impregnating the nanofiber multiple yarn with a hemostatic agent.

Gingival retraction is a technique that accurately models the shape of the teeth hidden in the gingiva when modeling a gold or porcelain impression, in dental clinics in which a gingival retraction cord of slender yarns is inserted between the teeth and the gums, that is, in the gingival sulcus, to temporarily retract the gums from the teeth, without causing damages on the gums.
Gingival retraction cords (dental cords) are made of textile materials such as wools, cottons, or silks, and are classified into twisted cords, braided cords and knitted cords depending on the shape and degree of kinking.
These dental cords (gingival retraction cords) exhibit some differences depending on products, and are represented by ultrathin (#0), thin (#1), medium (#2), and thick (#3) according to thickness. Using hemostasis and gingival contraction (convergence) effect of the gingival sulcus, the dental cords perform the hemostasis of the blood remaining in the gingival sulcus in the mouth, reduce moisture such as saliva, tissue fluid, etc., and physically expose the marginal margin of the cervix through opening of the gingival sulcus. In addition, the dental cords can be used to obtain an impression for making dental prosthesis, for filling of direct cervical restoration (amalgam, composite resin, GI (Glass lonomer) restoration and cement, temporary filler), and for making indirect restoration (inlays, onlays, and all-optical tubes), and are used as an indispensable tool to prevent the bleeding of the gingival sulcus for securing the view of the operator and implantation of the abutment of the implant and the preparation of the final prosthesis of the implant.
Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0010058 (Patent Document 1) discloses a method of manufacturing a cord for shrinking gums using cotton yarns, and a method of using a conventional dental cord dressed with a hemostatic agent (astringent agent).
However, in the case of the conventional dental cord disclosed in Patent Document 1, the use of natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and wool may cause the gingival sulcus to be excessively opened or permanently opened by the thickness of the fibers of tens to hundreds of micrometers (μm), and may tend to cause the excessive use of the drug of hemostatic agent, etc.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, since a filament is made in the form of spun yarns in order to make short fibers into long fibers, there were a disadvantage that a large amount of lint is generated, and a disadvantage that the filament should be made into a knitted type yarn by using special equipment in order to impart elasticity.


An uninterruptible power system and a power control system thereof are disclosed. The power control system includes the uninterruptible power system and a computer system. The uninterruptible power system supplies power to the computer system and includes an external power adaptor, a battery module, a first switch module, a second switch module, and a switching control module. When external power is input, the external power is transmitted to the computer system via the external power adaptor. When the external power is not input, the first switch module switches automatically to supply a backup power signal from the battery module to the computer system. When the external power is not input and a control signal is not received from the computer system, the switching control module controls the second switch module to electrically disconnect a connection between the computer system and the battery module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an uninterruptible power system and a power control system thereof; more particularly, it is related to an uninterruptible power system and a power control system thereof that can save the power consumption of a battery module.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of modern technology, computer systems have been widely applied in various kinds of conditions. A computer system needs to receive a power signal stably and operate for a long time to maintain normal execution and prevent damage to the computer system. Therefore, an uninterruptible power system can be disposed in a computer system for allowing the computer system to maintain normal execution over a period time by drawing power from a battery module of the uninterruptible power system when the power fails. However, the capacity of the battery module of the uninterruptible power system is limited. The computer system cannot depend on the power of the battery module endlessly. Furthermore, in the prior art, the computer system cannot automatically break the connection with the uninterruptible power system. The computer system can only be shut down by a user manually; otherwise, the computer system will draw power from the battery module continuously until the battery module is exhausted. Should that occur, the computer system would be shut down suddenly, and damage to the computer system might occur. In addition, if the power of the battery module is consumed continuously, the resulting over-discharge effect can reduce the life of the battery module.
Therefore, there is a need for a new uninterruptible power system and a power control system thereof that can solve the problems of the prior art.

Uninterruptible power system and power control system thereof


A fire stopping apparatus for fire stopping a through-penetration includes fire stop material arranged within the through-penetration, a frame arranged adjacent the top opening of the through-penetration, and a plurality of slats arranged on the frame adjacent the through-penetration top opening.

One mechanism by which smoke and fire may spread from one compartment of a building to another is through passages or openings, often referred to as through-penetrations, in floors, walls, ceilings, or the like. Such openings are provided to allow for the passage of cables, wires, pipes or the like within the building.
Current methods for preventing the spread of fire and passage of smoke through such openings use intumescent sheets that are cut to follow the contour of the penetrating cables. A bead of moldable intumescent putty is provided along the perimeter of the sheets. When the opening is contained in a floor, a cover plate is also typically installed over the opening. This is desirable for safety reasons, to prevent foot traffic damage to the fire stop material in the opening, and to prevent unwanted debris from entering the opening. The cover plate may also be a requirement of the fire stopping system While installations utilizing conventional cover plates are generally satisfactory for these purposes, they have shortcomings.
Existing cover plate designs require removal of the entire cover plate and profile cutting of the leading edge of the cover plate to conform to the contour of the items passing through the opening each time an item is added to the opening. And in the case where items are removed from the opening, the existing cover plate must be replaced with a completely new cover plate that has been cut to the necessary profile. In addition, current cover plates are installed using bolts/washers and various other components. The complexity of current installations increases the likelihood of improper installation due to misalignment and/or missing or lost parts.
Standard openings for the passage of cable in the telecommunications industry, for example, are generally 12 inches by 24 inches but may range up to 12 inches by as much as 72 inches. Materials used for the current cover plates include sheet goods made of steel, aluminum, or non-metallic composite boards up to ¼ inch thick. Thus, modification and/or replacement of such cover plates over the life of the opening can be a time consuming, expensive, and wasteful endeavor.
Due to the drawbacks and shortcomings of current cover plates, there exists a need in the industry for a method and apparatus for fire stopping a through-penetration that allows items passing through the opening to be readily added or removed. An adjustable cover that can be quickly and easily opened and closed can provide considerable long-term cost saving to fire stop users over currently available systems and techniques.

Cover assembly for a through-penetration


A method of observing overlay errors associated with two masks or reticles includes providing alignment marks to a substrate. The alignment marks can be observed to determine overlay errors. In one embodiment, the lightness or darkness of the alignment marks can indicate an overlay error. The technique can be utilized in any photolithographic system including an EUV, VUV, DUV or conventional patterning device.

The present specification relates to the fabrication of integrated circuits (ICs). More specifically, the present specification relates to a process of observing alignment or overlay errors associated with tools utilized in IC fabrication. The present specification also relates to alignment patterns for such a process.
Semiconductor devices or integrated circuits (ICs) can include millions of devices, such as, transistors. Ultra-large scale integrated (ULSI) circuits can include complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors (FETs). Despite the ability of conventional systems and processes to fabricate millions of devices on an IC, there is still a need to increase the number of devices on an IC.
The increased demand for higher performance integrated circuit (IC) devices has required a higher density of transistors and other components on the IC substrate. The increased density of components, in turn, has required an increase in the number of the layers associated with the IC. Further, as devices have become more complicated, each layer often includes a number of levels of material. For example, a flash memory cell can include a floating gate structure with five or more different levels of material (a gate dielectric, a floating gate, an ONO layer, a control gate, and a silicon layer).
One limitation to the smallness of IC critical dimensions is conventional lithography. In general, projection lithography refers to processes for pattern transfer between various media. According to conventional projection lithography, a silicon slice, the wafer, is coated uniformly with a radiation-sensitive film or coating, the photoresist. An exposing source of radiation illuminates selected areas of the surface through an intervening master template, the mask, for a particular pattern. The radiation can be light, such as ultra-violet light, vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) light and deep ultra-violet light. The radiation can also be x-ray radiation, e-beam radiation, etc.
The photoresist material or layer associated with conventional lithographic technologies is often utilized to selectively form various IC structures, regions, and layers. Generally, the patterned photoresist material can be utilized to define doping regions, deposition regions, etching regions, or other structures associated with an integrated circuit (IC). A conventional lithographic system is generally utilized to project the pattern to the photoresist material or layer. The photoresist material may be either a positive or a negative photoresist layer.
Registering or aligning the image of one level or layer on an IC to a previously etched, doped, or deposited level or layer of the IC is a significant factor in producing small IC device features. The pattern of the previous level or layer must match (be aligned with) the pattern being formed. When a level or layer is not perfectly aligned, an overlay or alignment error exists and the IC may not function properly. In fact, a limiting characteristic of process fabrication is the aligner fabrication capability, e.g., the overlay accuracy, and machine-to-machine repeatability. The aligner fabrication capability can often be more important to IC fabrication than line width control.
Registration, overlay or alignment errors can be due to several factors. For example, reticles or masks may include overlay errors with respect to each other. In other words, the reticles or masks are not aligned to each other. With this type of overlay error, it is very difficult to realign the masks or reticles through conventional corrective action. Overlay or alignment errors can also be caused by temperature differences between times of exposure, which can cause mask or reticle expansion or contraction so that even perfectly manufactured reticles are not in alignment during IC fabrication. Yet further, alignment tools can often have limited registration capabilities, thereby being another source of alignment errors.
Heretofore, conventional techniques have utilized a rectangle within rectangle (box in a box) technique to measure overlay errors and registration tolerance. According to one conventional technique, a larger rectangle is formed on a previous layer of the IC. A smaller rectangle is formed on a subsequent layer of the IC. If the layers are in alignment, then the smaller rectangle falls within the larger rectangle with appropriate nesting tolerances.
Such nested rectangles can be observed by various conventional inspection equipment. For example, optical inspection equipment can view the larger rectangle and smaller rectangle to ensure that appropriate overlay accuracy has been achieved. However, the use of such equipment adds to the manufacturing time associated with the fabrication of the IC. The overlay measurement requires that the wafer be removed from the commercial semiconductor fabrication equipment and viewed in an inspection tool.
Thus, there is a need to pattern IC devices without requiring complicated overlay error inspections. Further, there is a need to more easily detect overlay errors associated with reticle or mask misalignment. Yet further, there is a need for an alignment pattern which can indicate an overlay error to the naked eye.
An exemplary embodiment relates to a method of observing alignment errors between a first mask or reticle and a second mask or reticle. The first mask or reticle and the second mask or reticle are used in fabricating an integrated circuit. The method includes steps of providing a photoresist layer over a semiconductor substrate, providing a first pattern of radiation to the photoresist layer with the first mask or reticle, providing a second radiation to the photoresist layer with the second mask or reticle, developing the photoresist layer to reveal a plurality of wafer alignment marks, and observing the darkness of the wafer alignment marks.
The first pattern of radiation includes a plurality of first alignment marks. The second pattern of radiation includes a plurality of second alignment marks. The wafer alignment marks are related to a combination of the first alignment marks and the second alignment marks.
Another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of determining an overlay error between a pair of masks or reticles used to fabricate an integrated circuit. The method includes providing a pattern of radiation to a substrate with a first mask or reticle, and providing a pattern of radiation to the substrate with a second mask or reticle. The method also includes providing a plurality of alignment features on the substrate. The alignment features are related to the first mask or reticle and the second mask or reticle. A characteristic of the alignment features can be observed via the naked eye to determine the overlay error between the first mask or reticle and the second mask or reticle.
Still another exemplary embodiment relates to a method of determining an overlay error with the naked eye between a first mask or reticle and a second mask or reticle. The first mask or reticle and the second mask or reticle are utilized to fabricate an integrated circuit. The method includes forming a set of alignment marks on a substrate and observing the darkness characteristic of the alignment marks with the naked eye. The alignment marks are related to alignment patterns associated with the first mask or reticle and the second mask or reticle. The set of alignment marks have a darkness characteristic related to the overlay error.

Process for observing overlay errors on lithographic masks


Provided is a Bi-substituted rare earth iron garnet single crystal which has a composition of R3-xBixFe5-wAwO12, wherein R denotes one or more rare earth elements among Y, Eu, Gd, Ho, Yb, Lu, Nd, Tm, La, Sm, Dy, Er, Ce, and Pr while definitely including Gd, A denotes one or more elements among Ga, Al, In, Sc, Co, Ni, Cr, V, Ti, Si, Ge, Mg, Zn, Nb, Ta, Sn, Zr, Hf, Pt, Rh, Te, Os, Ce, and Lu, 0.7<x≦1.5, and 0<w≦1.5, does not contain Pb and contains Pt, and additionally contains M which denotes Mn or at least one Group 2 element, wherein a coefficient α is set to any value within a numerical range of 0.815±0.035 and Δ (which means (α×[M])−[Pt]) is set from −0.40 atppm to 3.18 atppm.

A Faraday rotor used in an optical isolator, an optical circulator, or the like uses a Bi-substituted rare earth iron garnet single crystal (hereinafter, referred to as a "garnet single crystal" as occasion demands) that is grown according to a liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. The LPE method is a method of growing a single crystal, wherein a melt is prepared by putting a material in a crucible and melting the material and a garnet single crystal is epitaxial-grown by contacting a growing substrate with the melt. Since PbO is used in the melt along with B2O3, Bi2O3, or the like, Pb (lead) contained in the grown garnet single crystal is unavoidable.
Recently, in order to prevent an adverse effect of a highly harmful chemical material on the environment, there have been movements to restrict harmful material from being included in a product worldwide, and lead is also designated as a harmful material. An example of a restriction on harmful materials includes Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) enforced by the European Union (EU). Moreover, even a small amount of lead included in a garnet single crystal may cause environmental contamination, and this has been a problem.
Thus, in order to remove lead included in a garnet single crystal, it is required to grow a garnet single crystal from a melt that does not include lead. Specifically, in a garnet single crystal included in an optical isolator, a thickness for rotating a plane of polarization of light to about 45° was required for optical communication in a wavelength from about 1.3 μm to about 1.6 μm based on a relationship of a Faraday's rotation angle.
Also, along with such a predetermined thickness, it is important to reduce an insertion loss (hereinafter, referred to as "IL"), which is obtained by converting into the thickness generating the Faraday's rotation angle of 45°, to 0.10 dB or lower, which is a market demand for an optical isolator. When a garnet single crystal is grown from a conventional lead-containing melt, platinum (Pt) is used in a crucible for melting a material considering heat resistance and corrosion resistance. Here, when the garnet single crystal is grown in an atmosphere, platinum that is a crucible material is oxidized and dissolved in the melt, and a small amount of platinum is also included in the grown garnet single crystal as quadrivalent platinum ions (Pt4+).
Then, it is assumed that bivalent lead ions (Pb2+) and quadrivalent platinum ions (Pt4+) included in the garnet single crystal generate optical absorption, and bivalent or quadrivalent iron ions (Fe2+ or Fe4+) induced by the bivalent lead ions and quadrivalent platinum ions increase optical absorption in a wavelength band from 1.3 μm to 1.6 μm, thereby increasing IL.
Since the garnet single crystal is stable in trivalence, charge compensation is performed by using quadrivalent additives when bivalent impurities are excessive, and charge compensation is performed by using bivalent additives when quadrivalent impurities are excessive. It is thought that since the conventional garnet single crystal contains Pb, the Pb exists in the garnet single crystal as bivalent ions (Pb2+) and quadrivalent ions (Pb4+), and thus a contained balance of the bivalent ions (Pb2+) and the quadrivalent ions (Pt4+ and Pb4+) in the entire garnet single crystal is almost equally maintained. As a result, the generation of Fe2+ or Fe4+, which increases optical absorption, is low in the conventional garnet single crystal, and thus it is thought that IL is suppressed from being increased (assuming that Pb2+ content>Pb4+ content).
However, since a melt that does not include lead does not contain Pb2+ and Pb4+ at all, Pt4+ is relatively excessive in a garnet single crystal grown from the melt. Accordingly, Fe2+ ions, which are bivalent ions, are generated to perform charge compensation on the excessive Pt4+, and thus optical absorption is increased, thereby increasing IL.
Accordingly, a method of using gold (Au), instead of platinum, as a crucible material while growing a garnet single crystal from a melt that does not include lead has been suggested. For example, Patent Reference 1 suggests adding an alkali metal such as Na, instead of Pb, as a melt component that does not include lead.
Also, a technology of suppressing an increase in IL by adding Ca that is bivalent like Pb2+, instead of Pb2+, has been suggested (for example, refer to Patent Reference 2).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bi-substituted rare earth iron garnet single crystal, method of manufacturing the same, and optical device

NAMIKI SEIMITSU HOUSEKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA


Wire of co-drawn composite of conductor core and matrix is provided, for instance in the form of high purity aluminum conductor and Al-Fe-Ce alloy matrix, suitable for use for electrical conduction at cryogenic temperatures. Included are extrusion and drawing processes enabling successful production.

Electrical resistance of pure metals at cryogenic temperatures is extremely low. This makes pure metals attractive as cryogenic conductors. Of all the pure metals, aluminum is particularly promising for a number of reasons. Primary among these reasons is the low density of aluminum which makes it an optimum choice for weight critical applications such as space based systems. Secondly, aluminum has very high electrical and thermal conductivity at cryogenic temperatures. Aluminum also can be more economically produced in a high purity form than the other conductor material most commonly used, copper. The third most important advantage aluminum possesses over copper is its behavior in a strong magnetic field (>2 Tesla). In the presence of a strong magnetic field, the electrical resistance of most pure metals increases. However, in the case of aluminum, the resistance approaches a saturation value at high magnetic fields or in essence has a very small linear increase with field. See H. Nomura, M. Obata and S. Shimanoto, Cryogenics, Vol. II, No. 5, p. 396, 1971. In comparison, copper shows a strong increase in resistance with field.
High purity aluminum conductors have very favorable electrical properties at the boiling point of hydrogen, 20K, and hence they are excellent candidate materials for use at this temperature. The resistance of high purity aluminum at this temperature is 1/500th its resistance at room temperature. In addition, it has been shown that the advantage of reducing resistivity of a cooled high purity aluminum conductor exceeds the energy spent to obtain the low temperatures. See V. I. Gostishehev, "Cryogenic Conductor Made of High Purity Aluminum", Fiz. Met. Metalloved, Vol. 62, No. 2, p. 303, 1986. An important advantage of 99.999 percent pure aluminum occurs at 20K, where such conductors are ideally suited for space based applications on the basis of liquid H.sub.2 being used as a fuel source and being available for use as a cryogen. Additionally, aluminum conductors are preferred over conventional superconductors in certain applications. Conventional superconductors require liquid He (4.2K) for their operation and the equipment for liquefaction and handling of liquid He adds complication and weight to the overall system. The advantage of aluminum is particularly true for fast pulsed power devices where superconductors are inherently unstable.
Due to its low mechanical strength, high purity aluminum needs to be structurally supported to withstand the large electromagnetic forces generated in high current density devices. As indicated in the article of Gostishehev, in windings made of cryogenic conductors, mechanical stresses come from two sources: the interaction of the magnetic field with the flowing currents and residual stresses during cooling. The stresses due to magnetic forces can be very significant and the high plasticity of aluminum can result in severe permanent deformation. Besides causing physical damage to the windings, the plastic strain also increases the resistance of the conductor significantly. Hence, in order to overcome the negative effects of low strength, pure aluminum conductors have to be structurally reinforced by some means.
High purity Al conductor may be braided with a high strength material to provide mechanical support. A preferred approach with economic and technical benefits is to embed the Al in a high strength matrix and co-fabricate them. The matrix material supporting the conductor in the composite assembly must have high strength, good thermal conductivity to remove heat generated in the conductor due to passage of current, reasonably high electrical resistivity to minimize eddy current losses in the matrix and workability compatible with high purity aluminum. In the absence of a barrier, probably the most important requirement is that the alloying elements of the matrix must have very low diffusion rates in aluminum to prevent contamination of the high purity Al conductor during processing. This precludes the use of most commercial aluminum alloys.
Powder metallurgy (P/M) processed Al-Fe-Ce alloys provide a good combination of properties toward satisfying the above requirements for a matrix material. These alloys were actually designed for elevated temperature applications and utilize thermodynamically stable aluminides for dispersion strengthening. The alloying elements Fe and Ce are two of the slowest diffusing species in aluminum. Research efforts at the Aero Propulsion Laboratories, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio have demonstrated the feasibility of co-extruding a multifilament composite conductor, consisting of Al filaments in an Al-Fe-Ce matrix. See C. E. Oberly et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,825, 1985 December 08, and J. C. Ho, C. E. Oberly, H. L. Gegel, W. T. O,Hara, Y. U. R. K. Prasad and W. M. Griffith, "Composite Aluminum Conductors for Pulsed Power Applications at Liquid Hydrogen Temperatures," Fifth IEEE Pulsed Power Conference. Arlington, Va., 1985 June 11. While 4,711,825 mentions the concept of using wire drawing for manufacturing its composite conductors, we do not believe such to have been accomplished, at least not in a practical sense, prior to the present invention. Thus, there can be varying degrees of success in the drawing of wire. For instance, it is one thing to pull a material straight on a draw bench, and quite another accomplishment to be able to pull material essentially continuously using a draw block to accomodate the drawn material as it collects.

Drawn conductors for cryogenic applications


A data storage device includes a plurality of sectors and a port, the port having a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment a method includes coupling the transmitter to receiver, providing power to the data storage device, detecting that the transmitter is coupled to the receiver, and executing code for exercising the data storage device.

The description herein relates generally to information handling systems and specifically to data storage device characterization.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
A data storage device is a source of electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions. These EMI emissions can adversely affect computing devices and are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the European Union (EU). It has been determined that measuring the EMI emissions from the data storage device can provide an early criterion for data storage device characterization. Conventionally, EMI testing of the data storage device requires a host computer. Waiting for the host computer to be available can result in delayed testing and increased costs. Additionally, the host computer may introduce variables that can compromise or mask the EMI emissions of the data storage device.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an EMI testing setup and procedure absent the disadvantages discussed above.

Standalone data storage device electromagnetic interference test setup and procedure


The present development is a process to produce commodity chemicals such as methanol and syngas using an integrated plasma catalysis technology. The method comprises providing a fixed or fluidized bed reactor having a microwave plasma flame and a catalyst bed with a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is an alloyed bimetallic nanowire. In the process, the plasma flame fluidizes the catalyst thereby producing a more effective catalyst than the non-fluidized catalyst. It is anticipated that the reactor can have a throughput capacity of up to 30 Lpm/kW and can be effective for the conversion of CO2, CH4, air, water, and combinations thereof, through reactions such as pure CO2 splitting, reverse water gas shift (RWGS) for CO production, methanol synthesis, and plasma reforming of methane, thereby making a system that would be attractive for small GTL units.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major contributor to greenhouse gases. However, CO2 can also be a rich carbon source that can be used in value-added products. For example, one well-known use of CO2 is for the production of synthesis gas or syngas. Syngas is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2). CO2 can react with decomposed methane (CH4) to generate syngas by the equation CO2+CH4→2CO+2H2. Alternatively, CO2 can be split into CO and oxygen by use of, for example, microwave radiation and then the CO can be combined with H2. The resulting CO is the building block of many relevant chemical products, such as methanol and other alcohols, various aldehydes, and metal carbonyls.
The challenge is identifying relatively inexpensive methods to convert CO2 into value-added starting materials that can then be used in known processes for producing value-added products. Traditional conversion facilities can be expensive to build, to operate, and to maintain. One option is to use a small-scale conversion facility. Small gas to liquid conversion (GTL) units that convert natural gas into valuable liquid products have a nominal capacity of 100,000-300,000 standard cubic feet per day (scfd) production, require relatively low capital expenditures, allow for customization with existing processes, provide opportunities for the monetization of flared gas in remote locations, and provide decentralization flexible for production facilities. Further GTL technologies implemented at small scales provide liquid fuel and chemicals with energy content which is easier to handle for storage and transportation, and provide opportunities to reduce energy costs and lessen the dependence on fossil fuels by utilizing wind and/or solar power for operation. Small scale reactors for the conversion of syngas (mixture of CO and H2) to methanol are known in the art. However, no similar systems are known for the conversion of CO2.
The authors believe that small scale GTL reactor units could improve conversion rates and selectivity by using plasma reactors rather than traditional thermal reactors. Plasma reactors normally operate at mild conditions, such as at atmospheric pressure, yet still allow for a range of reaction temperatures depending on the plasma source. Warm plasmas, such as microwave plasma (MW), can simultaneously provide a high degree of non-equilibrium and a high electron density which translates to efficient reactor productivity and selectively and might be very promising for CO2 conversion. However, to maximize efficiency, catalysts designed specifically for use with plasma reactors are needed.

Plasma assisted distributed chemical production


Disclosed is an image sensor. The image sensor includes a lower structure having a photodiode and an interconnection, a passivation layer on the lower structure, a thermo-setting resin layer on the passivation layer, a color filter array on the thermo-setting resin layer, a micro-lens array on the color filter array, and a Low Temperature Oxide (LTO) layer on the micro-lens array.

Embodiments of the invention relate to an image sensor and a method of fabricating the same.
An image sensor is a semiconductor device that converts an optical image into electrical signals. Such an image sensor includes a micro-lens array that guides incident light toward a photodiode.
One factor to be solved in fabricating an image sensor is to increase a rate (e.g., the sensitivity) of converting incident light into electrical signals. Studies and research are being pursued to realize a zero gap in which no gap exists between lenses adjacent to each other in the micro-lens array.
However, in a method for manufacturing a CMOS image sensor, delamination of a capping layer may occur in a pad open section, the pad of which serves for signal connection with exterior signal lines, due to a stress difference between layers of and/or over the pad. Also, in a wafer back grinding process, a packaging process and the like, polymer particles derived from the photoresist layer and the like may be generated and may attach to the micro-lens array. Thus, the sensitivity of an image sensor can be lowered and the yield rate can be reduced due to the difficulty of cleaning the micro-lens array.

Image sensor and method of fabricating the same


A furniture skid plate to transport and protect a piece of furniture or a cabinet that includes a general triangular shape base skid plate that includes a bottom surface with a bottom perimeter and a top surface with a top perimeter, a pair of linear rail protrusions that protrude upward and are disposed on the top perimeter of the base skid plate and are in contact with furniture or appliance transported and a pair of indentations that are disposed on the bottom surface of the base skid plate.

Furniture moving has always been a difficult and physically demanding job. Many times furniture movers utilize relatively crude dollies or wood blocking to place under any furniture or a cabinet to be transported that can often result in damage to the furniture, the cabinet or flooring being transported on.
The present invention generally relates to a skid plate. More specifically, the invention is a furniture skid plate that protects a bottom portion of a piece of furniture or a cabinet while it is being transported.
It is an object of the invention to provide a furniture skid plate that bridges one or more gaps of uneven surfaces with relative ease of use and a smooth gliding motion.
It is an object of the invention to provide a furniture skid plate that provides a relatively strong attachment of a piece of furniture or a cabinet to the furniture skid plate providing relative consistent reliability.
It is an object of the invention to provide a furniture skid plate with a plurality of tapered edges that helps the skid plate travel over one or more uneven surfaces with a relatively larger, flatter, and smoother contact area.
What is really needed is a furniture skid plate that provides a relatively strong attachment of a piece of furniture or a cabinet to the furniture skid plate providing relative consistent reliability that provides a relatively strong attachment of a piece of furniture or a cabinet to the furniture skid plate providing relative consistent reliability that helps the skid plate travel over one or more uneven surfaces with a relatively larger, flatter, and smoother contact area.


Even if a divided wavelength plate filter is mounted, it is possible to reliably display a three-dimensional image or perform a displaying operation on from one screen to a plurality of screens. In a display device, the relative positions of an image display section and a divided wavelength plate filter for rotating polarized light from image information at a first segment in a direction that is different from the direction of polarized light from image information at a second segment can be adjusted. At the time of positional adjustment, the display device displays a position adjustment pattern (112) having colors, figures, characters, symbols, diagrams, or designs, or combinations thereof which differ from each other depending on the segment.

The present invention relates to a display device which allows an image containing parallax information to be viewed three-dimensionally or which can perform a displaying operation on from one screen to a plurality of screens, a position adjustment pattern display program used in such a display device, a recording medium, polarized glasses, and a method of adjusting the position of a filter of the display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a filter position adjustment pattern for displaying an optimal three-dimensional image or for performing a displaying operation on from one screen to a plurality of screens when a divided wavelength plate filter is mounted, and a method of adjusting the position of the filter.
Hitherto, various attempts have been made to provide technologies for presenting images three-dimensionally. In many fields, such as photography, movies, and television, methods for displaying images three-dimensionally have been studied and put into practical use. Methods for displaying images three-dimensionally are broadly divided into a method using glasses and a method not using glasses. In both of these methods, an image having binocular parallax is input to the left and right eyes of a viewer to allow the viewer to view three-dimensional images. Typical examples of the method using glasses are what are called an anaglyph method using red, blue glasses and a method using polarized glasses. Color separation methods, such as the anaglyph method, have many qualitative problems including a difficulty in color presentation and reduction in the field of view. The method using polarized glasses has problems such as the necessity of generally using two projection devices. In recent years, however, a method which allows a three-dimensional display using one direct-viewing display device has been proposed.
FIG. 24 schematically shows a three-dimensional image display device making use of the method using polarized glasses. A three-dimensional image display device 200 comprises a liquid crystal panel 201 and a divided wavelength plate filter 202 mounted to the liquid crystal panel 201. The liquid crystal panel 201 has a pair of transparent supporting substrates 204 and 206, which are formed between a pair of polarizing plates 203 and 207, and pixel liquid crystal sections 205 each having RGB pixels being formed between the pair of transparent supporting substrates 204 and 206. The divided wavelength plate filter 202 is provided at a surface of the liquid crystal panel 201, and has a structure in which separated wavelength plates 208 are disposed at, for example, every other line on one surface of a transparent protective substrate 209. The divided wavelength plate filter 202 is also called a μ-Pol or a micropolarizer.
In the three-dimensional image display device 200 having such a structure, linearly polarized lights from an even-numbered line and an odd-numbered line on a display screen are converted into lights that are orthogonal to each other by rotating the direction of linearly polarized light that has exited from the liquid crystal panel 201. In other words, the linearly polarized light from the liquid crystal panel exits unchanged from an even-numbered line, whereas, the linearly polarized light from the liquid crystal panel is converted into a linearly polarized light which is orthogonal to the linearly polarized light exiting from the even-numbered line by the divided wavelength plates 208 and exits from an odd-numbered line. By viewing the lights from the display device with glasses 210 in which polarization directions are orthogonal to each other, a right-eye image light is incident upon the right eye, and a left-eye image light is incident upon the left eye. By viewing the images with the glasses 210, it is possible to view full-color three-dimensional images without any flickering.
A three-dimensional display device which does not require a viewer to wear glasses as a result of effectively making use of a wavelength plate filter such as that described above has been proposed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-63199). In addition, the present inventor et al. have proposed a display device which performs a displaying operation on from one display screen to a plurality of screens as an example of a display device which effectively makes use of the above-described wavelength plate filter (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-249593), wherein a system takes out predetermined original images by an image separation mechanism after displaying a combination of two or more images on one display surface which potentially has an image separation mechanism.
When the divided wavelength plate filter 202 is mounted in a display device comprising the liquid crystal panel 201, etc., the divided wavelength plate filter 202 must be reliably secured to locations corresponding to predetermined areas (pixel positions) of the display device. However, this is not easy to achieve, thereby giving rise to the following problems.
The first problem occurs when mounting the divided wavelength plate filter. Since the above-described display method uses the display surface by dividing it in accordance with predetermined areas, forming the divided areas as thinly as possible in the form of a nest is effective in providing resolution. In addition, since the pixels of the display surface having higher resolution are becoming more minute, a high-definition panel can be obtained, but it is very difficult to precisely secure a corresponding high-definition divided wavelength plate filter, which is produced in a separate process, in correspondence with the pixels of the predetermined areas.
Even in the case where the divided wavelength plate filter is successfully precisely mounted, since the filter is generally secured using resin or the like, the position of the divided wavelength plate filter tends to become shifted during the period in which it is being secured until the resin hardens even if the position of the divided wavelength plate filter has been adjusted once. In addition, various factors, such as heat and vibration during conveyance of the divided wavelength plate filter, often cause the position of the divided wavelength plate filter to be shifted. Further, due to manufacturing problems, in order to maintain the precision of the predetermined areas, a glass substrate is, in general, often used for the divided wavelength plate filter, so that its position is, in particular, shifted by its own weight. Still further, various durability conditions, such as deterioration of the fixing agent, may cause the divided wavelength plate filter to be shifted, so that, when the hardened resin is shifted, it is very difficult to correct the position of the divided wavelength plate filter afterwards. Therefore, the relatively expensive display panel becomes utterly useless.
In the three-dimensional image display method, the optimal position of disposing the filter is determined by the positional height of the eyes of the viewer viewing an image. Therefore, the position where the filter is previously secured is not necessarily the optimal position when an image is being viewed. FIG. 25 shows this situation. A display device 220 shown in FIG. 25 comprises a pixel section 223, which is interposed between transparent supporting substrates 221 and 222, and a divided wavelength plate filter 225. In FIG. 25, the optimal position of disposing the wavelength plate filter for a viewer at a viewing position a corresponds to the position of the wavelength plate filter indicated by solid lines, whereas the optimal position of the wavelength plate filter for a viewer at a viewing position β corresponds to the position of the wavelength plate filter similarly indicated by dotted lines. In this way, as is clear from FIG. 25, the optimal position of disposing the filter depends upon, for example, the positional height of the eyes of the viewer viewing an image as well as, for example, the angle of the monitor or the liquid crystal panel, so that the position where the divided wavelength plate filter is previously secured does not necessarily correspond to the optimal position of disposing the divided wavelength plate filter when an image is being viewed.
By any of the aforementioned factors, when the divided wavelength plate filter is shifted by a few percent to tens of percent (tens of μm in the example above) with respect to the pixels, the shift appears large as crosstalk between the pixels. When the divided wavelength plate filter is properly set, a light ray from the corresponding pixel always passes through the corresponding wavelength plate area, so that light rays from the pixels other than the corresponding pixel do not pass through the corresponding wavelength plate area. However, when the divided wavelength plate filter is tilted, even if the divided wavelength plate filter is only slightly shifted by an amount of the order of a few percent to tens of percent with respect to the pixel, and by an absolute value of, for example, of the order of 50 μm, the amount of shift in the vertical direction becomes large at both ends of the divided wavelength plate filter, so that there may be a portion of the light ray from the corresponding pixel that does not pass through the corresponding wavelength plate area. As a result, crosstalk between images occurs, so that proper three-dimensional images cannot be displayed.
Hitherto, in the mounting of the wavelength plate filter, a composite image for three-dimensional display similar to the usual composite image has been displayed on a screen, and a viewer wears polarized glasses and views the composite image to see whether or not it actually appears as a three-dimensional image in order to determine the position of the divided wavelength plate filter. However, the standard for determining whether or not the image appears as a three-dimensional image is very unclear, so that there is a demand for making it possible to position the divided wavelength plate filter using a more accurate method.
Accordingly, in view of the aforementioned technological problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display device which allows an image containing parallax information to be reliably viewed three-dimensionally even when a divided wavelength plate filter is mounted, or a display device which can reliably perform a displaying operation on from one display screen to a plurality of display screens, polarized glasses used in such display devices, and a method of adjusting the position of the filter of the display device.

Display device, position adjustment pattern display program, recording medium, polarized glasses, and method of adjusting position of filter of the display device


A mechanical set of plates is able to simultaneously and quickly removably secure and remove one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) in an enclosure in one single motion, and act as a heat sink to conduct heat away from the PCBs. The PCBs are removably secured through a clamping mechanism that may be a screw type or cam lever action by clamping down on the exposed card edges, thus allowing thermal transfer to begin on all cards. The apparatus may be used with any enclosure requiring thermal transfer from PCBs to the enclosure, including cages and enclosures that may or may not use forced airflow (fans or blowers) for heat dissipation.

As integrated circuit technology has improved, substantially greater functionality has been incorporated into devices. Along with this expanded functionality, the size of devices has diminished resulting in higher clocking frequencies and increased power consumption. As a consequence, the integrated circuit devices of today generate more heat while possessing smaller surface areas to dissipate the heat. Therefore, it is important to have a high rate of heat transfer from the integrated circuit package to maintain the temperature of the integrated circuit within safe operating limits. Excessive heat may adversely affect the performance of the circuit, cause permanent degradation of its components and increase failure rates.
A heat exchange with a heat sink may be used for transferring heat away from a heat source, such as an electronic component or printed circuit board (PCB), to maintain the component within an optimum operating temperature range, so that the component can operate continuously and with maximized efficiency. Often, the heat sink used is a special plate, called a cold plate, that contains slots for holding individual PCBs. The PCBs are held in place by a retainer, which is generally a thermally conductive metal block that is fastened along the PCB to create a point of thermal conduction with the cold plate. The retainer, along with the PCB, is placed into a slot of the cold plate.
Prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,713 to Weisman, provides a retainer for holding a single card in the slots of a cold plate with a rail mounted to either the module or the holder and wedge shaped bodies to be slid over the rail, attaching the rail to the cold plate, thereby providing a surface for thermal conduction. However, these devices are expensive, require an enclosure to be designed specifically to accommodate the retainer and mandate that the retainer is fixed per manufacturer instructions, which may not work for all enclosure designs. Further, if multiple cards are present, each card must be individually unfastened before removal from the enclosure, which is a time-consuming and cumbersome process that may involve numerous screws, washers and other pieces.

Multiple printed circuit board heat transfer guide plates


An inexpensive packaging pouch for use in a microwave oven, in which the packaging pouch can be prevented from opening at the base part of a branch section when used for retorting or for cooking in the microwave oven, and pressure in the packaging pouch can be automatically released when the pouch is used for cooking in the microwave oven. A packaging pouch for microwave oven hermetically sealed by heat-sealing a plastic film is provided with a branch section, and a vapor release seal part having at least one weakened part is formed at the branch section. Opening preventive means are provided at the branch section and inside a peripheral edge seal part, facing the branch section, of a packaging pouch body.

Heating of a packaging pouch hermetically filled with a retort food, a frozen food, or the like in a microwave oven increases the pressure inside the pouch due to water vapor or the like being generated from its content under heating. The packaging pouch may tear, and the content may scatter, to thereby make the inside of the microwave oven dirty or harm a human body by burning or the like.
Thus, before heat-cooking such a packaging pouch in a microwave oven, a method of preventing tearing of the packaging pouch is employed. That is, the packaging pouch is partly opened in advance or the packaging pouch itself is pierced, to thereby discharge water vapor or the like that is generated inside the packaging pouch.
However, such a method involves much time and effort for a general consumer. Further, this method has a disadvantage in that flavor is lost because the water vapor generated by microwave heating is immediately discharged out of the packaging pouch and heat steaming effect of the water vapor on the content is reduced.
There are known various packaging pouches each provided with means for automatically relieving an increase in the inner pressure of the packaging pouch under heating in a microwave oven. Proposed examples of a conventional technique include: (1) a packaging pouch provided with a butt-seam part that is seamed to the packaging pouch through a heat seal of a predetermined width, in which the butt-seam part is formed of an easily opened seal (JP-A-2001-106270, for example); (2) a packaging pouch provided with a weak seal part partly formed in a heat seal part of the packaging pouch by interposing a thin film, and partly provided with a narrow seal part of a small heat seal width in the weak seal part (JP-A-10-59433); and (3) a packaging pouch provided with a branched section (fin part), and provided with automatic opening means for inner vapor in the branched section (see JP-A-2002-80072, JP-A-2003-2374, and JP-A-2003-81360).
However, the packaging pouch provided with automatic opening means for inner vapor in the branched section as described in the conventional technique (3) has a problem in that a heat seal part of the packaging pouch peels off from a base part of the branched section during retort treatment under conditions of 120° C. for 30 minutes or during heat-cooking of the packaging pouch filled with a contents with a high power microwave oven, such that the packaging pouch is liable to open to leak the contents or is liable to tear.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide at a low cost a packaging pouch for a microwave oven having a branched section capable of preventing opening of the packaging pouch from a base part of the branched section during retort treatment or during heat-cooking in a microwave oven and capable of automatically releasing pressure inside the packaging pouch during heat-cooking in a microwave oven.


An image reading apparatus comprises a correction coefficient determining circuit 4 for determining a correction coefficient per each bit of white reference data in a main scanning direction which are read immediately before reading an original image, a correction coefficient modifying circuit 5 for producing a modified correction coefficient, and a correction coefficient predicting circuit 6 for producing a predicted correction coefficient with reference to the modified correction coefficient. If an absolute value of a difference between the correction coefficient and the predicted correction coefficient is smaller than and not smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the correction coefficient modifying circuit 5 produces the correction coefficient and the predicted correction coefficient as the modified correction coefficient respectively. A correction coefficient memorizing circuit 7 memorizes the modified correction coefficient as shading correction coefficient data. The correction coefficient predicting circuit 6 produces the predicted correction coefficient for a particular bit of the white reference data in the main scanning direction with reference to at least a preceding adjacent bit preceding the particular bit in the main scanning direction.

This invention relates to an image reading apparatus for use in a facsimile machine, a copying machine, and the like.
In an image reading apparatus for use in a facsimile machine and a copying machine, a white reference as a reference of an image density is read by the use of a white reference plate before reading an original image. In presence of dust or dirt on the white reference plate, a shading correction waveform becomes abnormal. In this event, a white line is inevitably produced when the original image is read.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, proposal is made of a shading correction circuit disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H07-264400 (JP 7-264400A) which will hereinafter be referred to as a first conventional technique.
Referring to FIG. 1, the shading correction circuit according to the first conventional technique comprises an image sensor 1 for reading an original image to produce analog image data, an A/D (analog to digital) converter 2 connected to the image sensor 1 for converting the analog image data into digital image data, and a switch 3 connected to the A/D converter 2. Upon factory shipment, initial shading waveform data are acquired. Specifically, the image sensor 1 reads a white reference plate as a white reference to produce analog white reference data. The A/D converter 2 converts the analog white reference data into digital white reference data. Through the switch 3, the digital white reference data are supplied to a correction coefficient converting circuit 4 to be converted into a first correction coefficient per each bit in a main scanning direction. The first correction coefficient is sent from the correction coefficient converting circuit 4 through a switch 15 to a first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 to be memorized therein. Immediately before reading an original image, the white reference plate is similarly read so that a second correction coefficient is obtained by the correction coefficient converting circuit 4. The second correction coefficient is sent through the switch 15 to a second correction coefficient memorizing circuit 17 to be memorized therein. Supplied with the first and the second correction coefficients memorized in the first and the second correction coefficient memorizing circuits 16 and 17, a white reference contamination judging circuit 18 compares, per each bit, a difference between the first and the second correction coefficients with a predetermined threshold value to judge presence/absence of contamination of the white reference. If the difference between the first and the second correction coefficients is not greater than the threshold value and the white reference therefore includes no contamination, a correction coefficient calculating circuit 19 updates the content (i.e., the first correction coefficient) of the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 with the content (i.e., the second correction coefficient) of the second correction coefficient memorizing circuit 17. On the other hand, if the difference between the first and the second correction coefficients is greater than the threshold value and the white reference therefore includes some contamination with respect to a particular bit, the correction coefficient calculating circuit 19 updates the content (i.e., the first correction coefficient) of the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 with reference to the first and the second correction coefficients memorized in the first and the second correction coefficient memorizing circuits 16 and 17 for an uncontaminated adjacent bit and the first correction coefficient memorized in the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 for the particular bit. Upon reading an original image, a correction coefficient multiplying circuit 8 multiplies digital image data as an output of the A/D converter 2 by the first correction coefficient memorized in the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16. In FIG. 1, a reference numeral 20 represents a correction coefficient ratio memorizing circuit.
As described above, the first conventional technique requires the two correction coefficient memorizing circuits 16 and 17 in order to detect the contamination of the white reference. The first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 memorizes the first correction coefficient obtained upon the factory shipment of an apparatus comprising the shading correction circuit. The second correction coefficient memorizing circuit 17 memorizes the second correction coefficient obtained immediately before reading the original image. By comparing the difference between the first and the second correction coefficients memorized in the first and the second correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 and 17 with the threshold value, judgment is made of presence/absence of the contamination of the white reference. In absence of the contamination of the white reference, the content (i.e., the first correction coefficient) of the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 is updated by the content (i.e., the second correction coefficient) of the second correction coefficient memorizing circuit 17. In presence of the contamination of the white reference, the content (i.e., the first correction coefficient) of the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 is updated with reference to the first and the second correction coefficients memorized in the first and the second correction coefficient memorizing circuits 16 and 17 for the uncontaminated adjacent bit and the first correction coefficient memorized in the first correction coefficient memorizing circuit 16 for the particular bit.
In the first conventional technique, however, the first correction coefficient is updated into a new value one after another by the use of a previous value of the first correction coefficient and the second correction coefficient obtained immediately before reading the original image. Therefore, once an incorrect value is memorized due to signal noise or misjudgment upon the contamination of the white reference, the first correction coefficient is continuously updated into an incorrect new value thereafter. The white reference is at first acquired upon the factory shipment. Therefore, in case where dust is attached to the white reference plate itself in a production process, correction is impossible. Such white reference plate can not be used because it is defective. This deteriorates the yield of production of the white reference plate.
As a second conventional technique, proposal has been made of an image reading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H09-247445 (JP 9-247445 A). The second conventional technique describes that generation of an unnecessary line in an acquired image in presence of dust attached to a first mirror close to a surface of an original image is prevented by shading correction like in the first conventional technique. In the second conventional technique, correction is carried out when reading a multi-value image by comparing white reference data upon shading correction and image data upon reading the image. Therefore, in case where the white reference itself includes dust or dirt, a corresponding bit can not be corrected. Thus, according to the second conventional technique, correction is possible if the dust is attached to the mirror but is impossible if the white reference plate itself is contaminated.
Fine dust on the white reference plate is inevitable in its production process. If the resolution of the image reading apparatus is improved, such fine dust is read and manifested or expressed as a white line in image information.


In a screw compressor, a pair of rotors are located in a housing to be rotatable around their rotary axes to form in the housing a compression chamber in which gas sucked from a suction port of the housing is compressed thereby discharging the compressed gas from a discharge port of the housing. The suction port is provided in the housing at a position radial outside of the rotors, and the housing is provided with a communication passage through which the suction port communicates with the compression chamber before being communicated with the suction port. Furthermore, the communication passage is provided such that the gas sucked from the suction port flows into the communication passage in a direction approximately parallel with an axial direction of the rotors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screw compressor having a pair of rotors rotatable around its rotary axes.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 shows a conventional screw compressor including a pair of male and female rotors J1, J2 having spiral teeth that are provided to be engaged with each other (e.g., JP-A-2005-220785). In this screw compressor, by rotating the male rotor J1 and the female rotor J2 in a housing J6, gas is drawn from a suction port J6a into a compression chamber formed between tooth tips and tooth roots (grooves) of the rotors J1, J2. Then, the gas compressed in the compression chamber is discharged from a discharge port J6b of the housing.
In this screw compressor, after the volume of the compression chamber is gradually expanded from the zero, the compression chamber is made to communicate with the suction port J6a. Therefore, a negative pressure is generated in the compression chamber before being communicated with the suction port J6a (i.e., the area X shown in FIG. 5), thereby causing a drive loss during the rotation of the rotors J1, J2. In order to prevent the generation of the pressure loss in the compression chamber, a groove for communicating the compression chamber and the suction port J6a may be provided on an end surface of the rotors J1, J2.
However, when the suction port J6a is provided in the housing J6 to be opened in a radial direction, a gas flow Y, pushed toward the suction port J6a by the rotation of the rotors J1, J2, is generated toward radial outside of the rotors J1, J2, thereby this gas flow Y disturbs a gas flow from the suction port J6a into a groove J6c shown in FIG. 6. Accordingly, it is impossible to sufficiently reduce the negative pressure generated in the compressor chamber before being communicated with the suction port J6a.


A grasp assist device includes a glove with first and second tendon-driven fingers, a tendon, and a sleeve with a shared tendon actuator assembly. Tendon ends are connected to the respective first and second fingers. The actuator assembly includes a drive assembly having a drive axis and a tendon hook. The tendon hook, which defines an arcuate surface slot, is linearly translatable along the drive axis via the drive assembly, e.g., a servo motor thereof. The flexible tendon is routed through the surface slot such that the surface slot divides the flexible tendon into two portions each terminating in a respective one of the first and second ends. The drive assembly may include a ball screw and nut. An end cap of the actuator assembly may define two channels through which the respective tendon portions pass. The servo motor may be positioned off-axis with respect to the drive axis.

Manual operations, particularly those requiring repetitive or sustained grasping of a work tool or other object over an extended period of time, tend to cause fatigue. Fatigue may manifest itself in an operator's hands, fingers, and forearms. As a result, an operator's grasp strength and productivity may decline over the course of a work day. Relative grasp strength may also vary among different operators due to inherent differences in the physical stature, strength, injury, and/or relative levels of muscle fatigue of the operators.
The variable nature of an operator's grasp strength may result in inefficiencies in the execution of certain grasp-related work tasks. Prior art approaches that have recognized this problem tend to reinforce the operator's structural stability via wrist straps or back braces. To a certain extent, ergonomic improvements in the workplace have eased the levels of stress experienced during manual task execution, for instance by overhead lift assistance robots, improved materials placement, and the like. However, these and other prior art devices may remain less than optimal for improving the overall grasp strength of an operator.

Grasp assist device with shared tendon actuator assembly

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A problem in that a light emitting element slightly emits light is solved by an off current of a thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, thereby a display device which can perform a clear display by increasing contrast, and a driving method thereof are provided. When the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element is turned off, a charge held in the capacitance of the light emitting element itself is discharged. Even when an off current is generated at the thin film transistor connected in series to the light emitting element, this off current charges this capacitance until the capacitance of the light emitting element itself holds a predetermined voltage again. Accordingly, the off current of the thin film transistor does not contribute to light emission. In this manner, a slight light emission of the light emitting element can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device of an active matrix driving method in which a switching element is provided in each pixel, and a driving method thereof. In particular, the invention relates to a display device in which a luminance of a light emitting element is controlled by controlling a current supplied to the light emitting element by using a switching element connected in series to the light emitting element, and a driving method thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a display device including an element with diode characteristics as a light emitting element and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device including a thin film transistor as a switching element and a driving method thereof are suggested. FIG. 8A shows an example of a pixel configuration thereof.
In FIG. 8A, reference numeral 105 denotes a light emitting element, 102 denotes a thin film transistor, 103 denotes a first power source line, and 104 denotes a second power source line. The light emitting element 105 includes two electrodes and emits light at a luminance according to a supplied current value of a current flowing between two electrodes. One of the two electrodes of the light emitting element 105 is referred to as a first electrode 105a while the other is referred to as a second electrode 105b. In the pixel shown in FIG. 8A, a value of a current (hereinafter referred to as a drain current) flowing between a source and drain of the thin film transistor 102 is controlled according to a potential G1 applied to a gate of the thin film transistor 102. The drain current of the thin film transistor 102 flows between the first electrode 105a and the second electrode 105b of the light emitting element 105 connected in series to the thin film transistor 102. The light emitting element emits light at a luminance according to a supplied current. In this manner, by controlling the drain current of the thin film transistor 102, the luminance of the light emitting element 105 is controlled to perform a display.
An electroluminescence element and the like can be used as the light emitting element 105. An electroluminescence element has diode characteristics to flow a current in only one direction. FIG. 8B shows the light emitting element 105 in FIG. 8A as a diode. In FIG. 8B, the first electrode 105a is an anode and the second electrode 105b is a cathode.
A display device in which a reverse bias voltage is regularly applied to the light emitting element 105 as well as a forward bias voltage is applied to the light emitting element 105 to emit light, and a driving method thereof have been suggested (see Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002490390

Display device and driving method of the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


In a planetary reduction gear device of a starter, a planet carrier forms gear shafts and planetary gears are rotatably supported by the gear shafts through bearings. The planet carrier further forms waste shafts projecting in a direction same as that of the gear shafts. The waste shafts are arranged on a circle having a center coincident with a rotation axis of the clutch outer portion at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. The circle on which the waste shafts are arranged has a diameter different from that of a circle on which the gear shafts are arranged. A speed reduction ratio can be changed by mounting planetary. gears having a gear specification different from that of the planetary gears supported on the gear shafts on the waste shafts. The planet carrier can be integrally formed with a clutch outer portion of a one-way clutch.

Generally, a planetary reduction gear device used in a starter is constructed of a sun gear, an internal gear and planetary gears. The sun gear is provided on a rotation shaft of a motor. The internal gear is in a form of ring and is arranged concentric with the sun gear. The planetary gears are rotatably supported by gear shafts and engage with the sun gear and the internal gear.
When the sun gear rotates with the motor, the planetary gears rotate and revolute. The revolution movement of the planetary gears are transmitted to a planet carrier through the gear shafts, thereby to rotate the planet carrier. Accordingly, the rotation force of the motor is outputted from the planet carrier after the rotation speed is reduced by the revolution movement of the planetary gears. This kind of planetary reduction gear device is for example disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. JP-A-58-77952.
In recent years, an engine needs to produce high power output and improve fuel efficiency. With this, the starter is required to vary an internal speed reduction ratio so as to meet a wide range of engine loads. In the above planetary reduction gear device, however, the gear shafts are arranged on a circle having a center that is coincident with a rotation axis of the planet carrier. Therefore, specifications of planetary gears, which can be mounted on the planet carrier, are limited. That is, it is difficult to change the speed reduction ratio by mounting planetary gears having different gear specification to the same planet carrier.
Also, the gear shafts are integrally formed into the planet carrier. A cross-sectional area of the gear shafts is generally smaller than that of the carrier. Therefore, when the planet carrier and the gear hafts are formed by cold forging, because the cross-sectional areas are different largely, a stress of a die is increased. As a result, the die is likely to be broken. Also, processing accuracy of the gear shafts, that is, accuracy of the diameter and length of the gear shafts, is likely to be reduced.

Starter with planetary reduction gear device


A high protein dough mix for a leavened bakery product, consisting essentially of, by weight, in unflavored form, a blend of up to 20% water, 10-80% of a protein containing material selected from the group consisting of soy products, gluten, milk products, whey products, egg products and nuts, 10-80% of a sweetener, up to 40% of a vegetable shortening, up to 50% flour, and up to 8% of a leavening agent. The dough mix may be baked and served as a cookie, a muffin, a cake, a brownie, or a snack bar.

The present invention relates to a food compositions, and more particularly to a high protein dough mix for a leavened bakery product.
In recent years, various products have been marketed as substitutes for complete meals. For example, "instant" breakfast powders have been marketed which are mixed with milk and then eaten as a substitute for a full breakfast. Such products have become popular due to the "modern" fast paced lifestyles of some people who have little time for preparing food and eating a meal. Additionally, such products have become popular for people who do not wish to take time out from their busy work schedules to prepare and eat a meal.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a nutritional protein enriched food product which may be eaten as a meal substitute. Various high protein food products are known, as illustrated in the following U.S. Pats.:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 2,654,672 Selman Jr., et al Oct. 6, 1953 2,989,399 Ehle June 20, 1961 3,252,807 Kuramoto May 24, 1966 3,615,677 Scharschmidt et al Oct. 26, 1971 3,883,669 Tsen et al May 13, 1975 3,949,093 Mehltretter et al Apr. 6, 1976 3,950,545 Hayward et al Apr. 13, 1976 4,109,025 Lauck Aug. 22, 1978 4,137,336 Radlove Jan. 30, 1979 4,324,811 Eugley Apr. 13, 1982 ______________________________________


Three or more circuits, in which series-connected low-voltage and high-voltage side switches including MOSFETs including parasitic diodes are connected across positive and negative terminals of each of smoothing capacitors, are connected in series. One of elementary series circuits, each including a capacitor and an inductor, is disposed between any adjacent two of the circuits with the elementary series circuits set to have the same period of resonance. The MOSFETs of rectifier circuits are brought into an ON state simultaneously with the MOSFETs of a driving inverter circuit and brought into an OFF state earlier than the MOSFETs of the driving inverter circuit by a period of time not exceeding a time period equal to (period of resonance)/2. A resonance phenomenon of the capacitor and the inductor is used and conduction loss in the rectifier circuits is reduced in DC/DC power conversion performed through charging and discharging operation of the capacitor.

A DC/DC converter known as a conventional DC/DC power converting apparatus is configured with an inverter circuit provided with two or more semiconductor switches including a semiconductor switch connected to a positive potential and a semiconductor switch connected to a negative potential, and a voltage-multiplier rectifier circuit provided with a plurality of series-connected rectifiers and a plurality of series-connected capacitors, wherein the inverter circuit produces an AC voltage and, further, the voltage-multiplier rectifier circuit produces a high DC voltage which is supplied to a load (refer to Patent Document 1, for example).
A switched capacitor converter which is another example of a conventional DC/DC power converting apparatus is configured with an inverter circuit and a voltage-doubler rectifier circuit, wherein a capacitor is connected in series with an inductor. The switched capacitor converter increases charging/discharging currents to and from the capacitor by using an LC resonance phenomenon to realize power conversion in which a reduction in efficiency is insignificant even when a large amount of electric power is transferred (refer to Non-patent Document 1, for example).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1996-191638    Non-patent Document 1: "Control Characteristics of Resonant Switched Capacitor Converter," Deriha, Fumitoshi, et al., Shingaku-Giho, IEICE Technical Report, EE2005-62, pp 7-12, 2006.


Devices, systems, and methods for distinguishing tissue types are described herein. Such devices and systems may use dual polarization, conformal filters to acquire image data from target tissues and a processor to create an image in which the contrast between tissues has been enhanced.

Spectroscopic imaging combines digital imaging and molecular spectroscopy techniques including Raman scattering, fluorescence, photoluminescence, ultraviolet, visible and infrared absorption spectroscopies. When such techniques are applied to the chemical analysis of materials, spectroscopic imaging is commonly referred to as chemical imaging or molecular imaging. Instruments for performing spectroscopic, e.g. chemical, imaging typically comprise an illumination source, an image gathering optic, a focal plane array imaging detector and an image spectrometer.
Generally, the sample size determines the choice of image gathering optic. For example, a microscope is typically employed to analyze sub-micron to millimeter spatial dimension samples. In the case of larger objects, in the range of millimeter to meter dimensions, macro-lens optics are appropriate. For samples located within relatively inaccessible environments, flexible fiberscope or rigid borescopes may be employed. Further, for very large scale objects, such as planetary objects, telescopes are appropriate image gathering optics.
For detection of images formed by the various optical systems, two-dimensional, imaging focal plane array ("FPA") detectors are typically employed. The choice of FPA detectors is governed by the spectroscopic technique employed to characterize the sample of interest. For example, silicon (Si) charge-coupled device ("CCD") detectors or CMOS detectors are typically employed with visible wavelength fluorescence and Raman spectroscopic imaging systems, while indium gallium arsenide ("InGaAs") FPA detectors are typically employed with near-infrared spectroscopic imaging systems.
Spectroscopic imaging of a sample is commonly implemented by one of two methods. First, point-source illumination may be used on a sample to measure the spectrum at each point of the illuminated area. Second, spectra can be collected over the entire area encompassing a sample simultaneously using an electronically tunable optical imaging filter such as an acousto-optic tunable filter ("AOTF"), a multi-conjugate tunable filter ("MCF"), or a liquid crystal tunable filter ("LCTF"). Here, the organic material in such optical filters is actively aligned by applied voltages to produce the desired bandpass and transmission function. The spectrum obtained for each pixel of an image forms a complex data set referred to as a hyperspectral image. Hyperspectral images may contain the intensity values at numerous wavelengths or the wavelength dependence of each pixel element in the image. Multivariate routines, such as chemometric techniques, may be used to convert spectra to classifications.
Spectroscopic devices operate over a range of wavelengths dependent on the operation ranges of the detectors or tunable filters employed. The devices may operate and provide analysis in the Ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), midwave infrared (MWIR), and/or long wave infrared (LWIR) wavelength ranges, including some overlapping ranges. These ranges correspond to wavelengths of approximately 180-380 nm (UV), 380-700 nm (VIS), 700-2500 nm (NIR), 850-1800 nm (SWIR), 650-1100 nm (MWIR), 400-1100 nm (VIS-NIR) and 1200-2450 nm (LWIR).
A LCTF employs birefringent retarders to distribute the light energy of an input light signal over a range of polarization states. The polarization state of light emerging at the output of the LCTF is caused to vary as a function of wavelength due to differential retardation of the orthogonal components of light, contributed to by the birefringent retarders. The LCTF discriminates for wavelength-specific polarization using a polarizing filter at the output. The polarizing filter passes the light components through the output that are rotationally aligned to the polarizing filter. The LCTF is tuned by adjusting the birefringence of the retarders so that a specific discrimination wavelength that is aligned to the output polarizing filter emerges in a plane polarized state. Other wavelengths that emerge in other polarization states and/or alignments are attenuated.
A highly discriminating spectral filter is possible using a sequence of several birefringent retarders. The thicknesses, birefringences, and relative rotation angles of the retarders are chosen to correspond to the discrimination wavelength. More specifically, the input light signal to the filter becomes separated into orthogonal vector components, parallel to the respective ordinary and extraordinary axes of each birefringent retarder when encountered along the light transmission path through the filter. These separated vector components are differentially retarded due to the birefringence. Such differential retardation also amounts to a change in the polarization state. For a plane polarized component at the input to the filter, having a specific rotational alignment at the input to the filter and at specific discrimination wavelengths, the light components that have been divided and subdivided all emerge from the filter in the same polarization state and alignment, namely plane polarized and in alignment with the selection polarizer, i.e., the polarizing filter, at the output.
A filter as described is sometimes termed an interference filter due to the components being divided and subdivided from the input and interfering positively at the output selection polarizer are the components that are passed through the filter. Such filters are sometimes described with respect to a rotational twist in the plane polarization alignment of the discriminated component between the input and the selection polarizer at the output.
There are several known configurations of spectral filters comprising birefringent retarders and such filters include, for example, Lyot, Solc, and Evans types. These filters can be constructed with fixed (non-tunable) birefringent crystals as retarders. A filter with retarders that are tuned in unison will permit adjustment of the bandpass wavelength. Tunable retarders can comprise liquid crystals or composite retarder elements, each comprising a fixed crystal and an optically aligned liquid crystal.
The birefringences and rotation angles of the retarders are coordinated such that each retarder contributes part of the necessary change in polarization state to alter the polarization state of the passband wavelength from an input reference angle to an output reference angle. The input reference angle may be, for example, 45° to the ordinary and extraordinary axes of a first retarder in the filter. The output reference angle is the rotational alignment of the polarizing filter, i.e., "selection polarizer."
A spectral filter may have a comb-shaped transmission characteristic. Increasing or decreasing the birefringence while tuning to select the discrimination wavelength (or passband), stretches or compresses the comb shape of the transmission characteristic along the wavelength coordinate axis.
If the input light is randomly polarized, the portion that is spectrally filtered is limited to the vector components of the input wavelengths that are parallel to one of the two orthogonal polarization components that are present. Only light at the specific wavelength, and at a given reference polarization alignment at the input, can emerge with a polarization angle aligned to the rotational alignment of the selection polarizer at the output. The light energy that is orthogonal to the reference alignment at the input, including light at the passband wavelength, is substantially blocked.
Currently, tunable optical filter technology is limited to single bandpass, low throughput operation and passes only one of two orthogonal components of input light. The transmission ratio in the passband is at a maximum for incident light at the input to the LCTF that is aligned to a reference angle of the LCTF. Transmission is at a minimum for incident light energy at the input that is orthogonal to that reference angle. If the input light in the passband is randomly polarized, the best possible transmission ratio in the passband is fifty percent. In addition, multiple discrete bandpass measurements are required for tissue type discrimination. The need for multiple measurements translates directly into overall measurement time.
Multivariate Optical Computing is an approach which utilizes a compressive sensing device, e.g. an optical computer, to analyze spectroscopic data as it is collected. Other approaches utilize hard coated optical computing filters such as Multivariate Optical Elements ("MOEs"). MOEs are application-specific optical thin film filters that are used in transmission and reflectance modes. The radiometric response of a MOE-based instrument is proportional to the intended tissue type in an associated matrix. While compressive sensing holds potential for decreasing measurement time, the use of MOEs has limitations. For example, MOEs are fixed and lack flexibility for adapting to different tissue types.
Cancer is an enormous global health burden, accounting for one in every eight deaths worldwide. A critical problem in cancer management is the local recurrence of disease, which is often a result of incomplete excision of the tumor. Currently, tumor margins must be identified through histological evaluation of an affected tissue biopsy post-surgery. As such, approximately one in four patients who undergo tumor resection surgery will require a follow-up operation in order to fully excise the malignant tissue. Recent efforts aimed towards significantly reducing the frequency of local recurrence have employed diffuse reflectance, radiofrequency spectroscopy, and targeted fluorescence imaging. However, there remains an urgent need to develop a highly specific and sensitive tool to detect features in biological tissues, including intraoperative real-time tumor margin detection methods that will reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and the need for subsequent operations.
Current techniques for gross anatomic pathology require inspection by a pathologist and are therefore inherently subjective. There exists a need for a system and method that would enable objective analysis of organ samples and other biological tissues. It would also be advantageous if such a system and method were designed as an intra-operative tool, providing both molecular and spatial information. There exists a need for an adaptable filter that can be used to detect a wide variety of tissue types while reducing overall measurement time. It would be advantageous if the filter could be incorporated into a system for biomedical applications such as intraoperative applications.

System and method for intraoperative detection of cancer margins using conformal filters in a dual polarization configuration


A receptacle connector includes a nonconductive housing comprising a plug insertion opening extending therein, a latch projection extending outwardly from the opening, and an alignment slot proximate the plug insertion opening and partly defining the latch projection.

This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and, more specifically, to connectors having latches for engagement with mating connectors.
To prevent unintended separation of electrical connectors in use, some known electrical connectors include housings having deflectable latches which provide locking engagement to mating connector housings. Other electrical connectors include alignment features, such as keying surfaces, which guide a user in mating one connector to another and ensure that the mating connectors are properly engaged to one another. The alignment features allow mating of the connectors in only one orientation of the connectors relative to one another, and physically prevent mating of the connectors in other orientations. Such latching and alignment features are sometimes used in combination to achieve and maintain proper engagement of mating connectors in an electrical system.
While known latching and alignment features in known connectors have achieved some success in realizing and maintaining proper electrical engagement of connectors, in certain applications the latching and alignment features can become an impediment to effective use of the connector. For example, in panel mount connectors the latching and alignment features tend to undesirably increase the physical size of the connector. Because of the latching and alignment features, the connector thereby occupies a greater area, sometimes referred to as a footprint, on the panel. The latching and alignment features also tend to increase the bulk of the connector and can interfere with the installation of the connector to a panel. Still further, the latching and alignment features tend to result in uneven wall thickness in the housing of one or both of the mating connectors. The uneven wall thickness can compromise the structural strength of the connector, especially when the connectors are subject to large insertion forces when mated together.

Panel mount connector with integrated latch and polarizing key


Embodiments of a modular knob system include a modular knob shell, bearing componentry, and detent componentry. A specific knob shell embodiment may accommodate various different detent mechanisms so that a single knob shell can be used with numerous switching mechanisms. The knob system also may include electronic, magnetic or other sensors.

The present disclosure illustrates several exemplary embodiments of modular knob systems configured to provide haptic feedback to a user. The modular knob systems can be used in connection with a touch sensor to provide a solid state rotary switching mechanism with haptic feedback. The modular knob systems can be used in connection with touch sensors, for example, capacitive sensors and field effect sensors, as well as with magnetic sensors and other solid state sensors.


The present disclosure discloses an assembling-facilitated breast pump, including, a main body, a milk flowing member and a breast cover; the main body includes a suction assembly and a milk storage container; the suction assembly is detachably connected to the milk storage container a negative pressure tank is arranged in the milk storage container; the suction assembly is communicated to the negative pressure tank; the entire main body is hemispherical; the milk flowing member is hermetically plugged, into the negative pressure tank; one end of the milk flowing member is provided with an opening; a side of the milk flowing member close to the opening is provided with a milk outlet; the milk outlet is used for being communicated to an accommodating cavity of the milk storage container; and a narrow end of the breast cover is hermetically plugged to the opening.

A breast pump is a tool used for pumping out breast milk that has accumulated in breasts. It is generally used when a baby cannot directly breastfeed, or when the mother has a nipple problem, or when the mother still desires breastfeed while working.
There are many kinds of breast pumps. Currently, electric breast pumps are commonly used on the market. Such an electric breast pump usually includes a breast pump main unit, breast pump cups, negative pressure conducting members and feeding bottles. The feeding bottles, the breast pump cups and the breast pump unit are connected and fixed, through a three-way member; and the negative pressure conducting members are arranged between the breast pump main unit and the three-way member. This kind of breast pump has many accessories, so that it is difficult for a user to assemble the breast pump, and the breast pump is inconvenient to use. Meanwhile, there are many parts needing to be assembled in a closed way, so that problems such as an assembling mistake and air leakage easily occur, which affects the normal use of the breast pump. Furthermore, most of such breast pumps can only be used when a user stands or sits. Cleaning after use is also troublesome.