There is provided improvement of a light-heat conversion in a light-stimulated writing method.

The present invention relates generally to an image recording body and an image forming apparatus by use of the image recording body, and more particularly to a structure of the image recording body in order to form a latent image by means of a light (or heat)-stimulated writing method, improvement of a light-to-heat conversion efficiency during a light-stimulated writing operation, a long-life operation of a source for writing, an adjustment of a light (or heat) amount during the light-stimulated writing operation, a method for removing an ink remaining on the image recording body and a method for forming the latent image thereon.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of an essential part of an image forming apparatus of an embodiment according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus comprises a heating source 1, a recording roller 2, an inking unit 3, an intermediate transfer roller 4, a recording paper 5, a pressure roller 6, an infrared heater 7, a cleaning unit 8, a liquid layer-forming roller 9 and an image recording body 10. Examples of the heating source 1 (preferably light source having a wavelength from 300 nm to 1300 nm) include a light-emitting diode array (which is hereinafter referred to as LED array), a semiconductor laser, a solid laser or the like. The image recording body 10 has surface characteristics that a receding contact angle decreases when a surface of the image recording body in a heated state is brought into contact with a liquid (hereinafter referred to as a liquid-attracting state), and the receding contact angle increases when the image recording body is heated in a state where the image recording body is not contact with the liquid (hereinafter referred to as a liquid-repelling state).
When the surface of the image recording body 10 is treated to become the liquid-attracting state, a liquid layer is formed on the surface of the image recording body 10 before the surface of the image recording body 10 is heated, or a liquid is come into contact with the surface of the image recording body 10 during a heating operation, or the liquid is come into contact with the surface of the image recording body 10 right after the surface is heated. As shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to form the liquid layer on the image recording body 10 by means of the liquid layer-forming roller 9. However, it is not necessary to use the liquid layer-forming roller 9 for formation of the liquid layer. For example, it is possible for the image recording body 10 to remove from the recording roller 2 or for the recording roller 2 to dip in the liquid, or for the liquid layer to form on the surface of the image recording body 10 by means of the cleaning unit 8.
As mentioned above, after the surface of the recording body becomes the liquid-attracting state, writing of an image can be carried out thereon. This image writing can be performed by scanning the heating source 1 with separation of the image recording body 10 from the inking unit 3, the intermediate transfer roller 4, the cleaning unit 8 or the like. As a scanning method, writing can be carried out by moving the heating source 1 in a main scanning direction by a linear motor or the like while rotating the recording roller 2, or a raster scanning can be applied for writing by means of polygon mirror or galvano mirror.
The image is then formed on the image recording body 10 and at this image forming period the recording paper 5 is fed while pressing the image recording body 10 with the intermediate transfer roller 4 and the inking unit 3. As the inking unit 3, a plurality of inking rollers can be used in order to control a thickness of an ink layer by means of a blade or the like 3b. An ink can be supplied from an upper portion of the blade 3b by dropping an ink from an ink supply container 3a.
After printing a desired press run, it is possible to reuse the image recording body 10 by forming another image thereon newly. At this time, that is to say, at the end of printing, the intermediate transfer roller 4 and the inking roller 3 are separated from the image recording body 10 and the cleaning unit 8 is brought into contact with the image recording body 10 so that the ink remaining thereon can be removed. After removal of the ink remaining on the image recording body 10, another liquid layer is formed on the surface of the image recording body 10 and the image recording body 10 is heated by means of the infrared heater 7 to treat the surface of the image recording body 10 so as to become the liquid-attracting state, while erasing the latent image of the previous image. However, in addition to the above method, as a method for treat the surface of the image recording body 10 so as to become the liquid-attracting state, it is possible to heat in a state where the liquid is come into contact with the surface of the image recording body 10 or for the surface of the image recording body 10 to bring into contact with the liquid right after heating the surface. In other words, as mentioned above, after printing a predetermined press run on the recording paper 5, the ink remaining on the image recording body 10 is removed and the latent image (a liquid-repelling region) formed on the image recording body 10 is erased, and the surface of the image recording body is then treated so as to become the liquid-attracting state. In this way, a new image (a latent image) can be formed on the image recording body 10 so that the image recording body 10 can be reused. That is to say, reuse of the image recording body 10 can be achieved by the following steps of: removing the ink remaining on the image recording body 10; forming the liquid layer on the surface of the image recording body by means of the liquid layer-forming roller 9; and heating the surface of the image recording body 10 by means of the infrared heater 7 to perform the liquid attracting treatment of the image recording body 10. As the cleaning unit 8, it is possible to use a waste 8b soaked with a cleaning liquid from the cleaning supply container 8a. The surface of the image recording body 10 is washed by pressing it with this waste 8b.
In writing of the image into the image recording body, there are positive writing and negative writing. As negative writing, by heating the image recording body 10 in a state where the body 10 is come into contact with an element selected from the liquid and/or a solid, or brought into contact with the element selected from the liquid and/or the solid right after the surface of the image recording body 10 is heated, the receding contact angle of an image region of the image recording body decreases so as to subject the surface of the image recording body 10 to the liquid-attracting treatment. By selectively heating a non-image region of the image recording body in the absence of the above contacting element, the receding contact angle of the non-image region of the image recording body increases so as to subject the surface of the image recording body to the liquid-repelling treatment. On the other hand, as positive writing, by selectively heating only the image region of the image recording body 10 in a state where the body is come into contact with the element selected from the liquid and/or the solid, or selectively brought into contact with the element selected from the liquid and/or the solid right after selectively heating the surface of the body, the image region of the image recording body 10 is subjected to the liquid-attracting treatment.
As stated above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the liquid-attracting treatment is performed on the image recording body 10 according to image information. The ink is attached to portions of the image recording body 10 subjected to the liquid-attracting treatment and the ink attached to the body 10 can be directly transferred to the recording paper 5 through the intermediate transfer roller 4 so as to achieve transfer and printing steps.
As described above, the image recording body 10 can be reused by the following steps of: printing the predetermined press run onto the recording paper 5; erasing the latent image (the liquid-attracting region) formed on the body 10 and removing the ink remaining thereon; and forming a new image (the latent image) on the body 10. That is to say, reuse of the image recording body 10 can be carried out by removing the ink remaining on the body 10 by use of the cleaning unit 8 or other means and then heating the image recording body 10 by means of the infrared heater 7 to provide the liquid-attracting state for the surface of the image recording body 10.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 3-178478 describes a recording method by use of a thermosensitive material having changeable character of wettability. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-276663 describes a recording method by negative writing. However, the invention of the above patent application No. 3-178478 mainly relates to the recording method by means of a thermal head in which there may be occasions that a recording layer is mechanically damaged due to contact recording between the thermal head and a recording body having the recording layer. Also, for the recording method by negative writing described in the above patent application No. 8-276663, an efficiency of light-heat conversion of a light source is not enough high because of continuous oscillation of the light source. There are problems that writing for the above method is time-consuming and is required to employ an expensive device as the light source.
Further, in the recording method disclosed in the above patent application No. 8-276663, there are disadvantages that a lifetime of the light source is shorter as compared to positive writing.
Moreover, in a case where the above recording body having a light-heat converting layer, for example in a case of writing by means of laser light, when incident light from a surface of the recording layer is reflected at a surface of a substrate through the recording layer and the light-heat converting layer, regular reflecting component is strong and this component reaches a boundary surface between the light-heat converting layer and the recording layer or the surface of the recording layer, thereby leading to multi-reflections within the above layers. This results in spreading of exposed areas and a recording irregularity, such as a moire.
In addition, in order to reuse the recording body used once, a clear printing can not be performed with a recording paper fouled by the remaining ink unless the ink remaining on the recording body is removed completely.
Furthermore, in a case of writing to the recording body by use of a plurality of heating means, if only one of the heating means is broken, a non-image region which is not heated is produced, thereby giving rise to a line of scumming.
In a case where negative writing is also carried out, an irregularity in heating and cumulative heat of an image forming means during negative writing operation cause the image to be degraded.
In a case where negative writing is also performed through a rotating multi-face mirror, if sensitivity of the recording body is low, a rotation rate of the rotating multi-face mirror must be low, so that the rotation rate is unstable because of the absence of an action of inertia induced by the rotation. This result in an irregularity of the light-heat conversion, thus producing irregularities relating to an image density, dot size and dot line.
A technical feature of the present invention resides in an image recording body comprising an element, which absorbs light (which includes an electromagnetic wave) in response to image information to achieve recording, provided in a recording layer of the image recording body formed on an uppermost layer thereof comprising a material having thermal changeable character of wettability, or in a substrate of said image recording body or an intermediate layer thereof, thereby improving a light-heat conversion efficiency in the light-stimulated writing.
The present invention provides the recording body having the highest efficiency of the light-heat conversion, in which the material having the thermal changeable character of wettability includes an organic material comprising an element having the changeable character of wettability and an element which absorbs the light (which includes the electromagnetic wave) in response to image information to achieve recording.
According to the above invention, by dissolving or dispersing a dye or a pigment which absorb light (which includes the electromagnetic wave) in the material which exhibits the thermal changeable character of wettability so as to contain the dye or the pigment in the above material, the recording body comprises a recording material and a absorbing material, so that there is a wider selection for the recording and the absorbing materials.
According to the above invention, by providing a reflecting layer which reflects light (which includes the electromagnetic wave) placed between the recording layer comprising the material having the changeable character of wettability and the substrate, a number of reflections takes place at the recording body so that a optical path length in the redording layer extends, thereby increasing the efficiency of the light-heat conversion.
According to the above invention, a rough surface of the reflecting layer results in a scattering of the light, so that an even penetration of the light can be carried out.
The present invention further provides a recording apparatus by use of the recording body comprising the material showing the changeable character of wettability which is sensitive of heat, in which scannable light can be used as an image writing source and a long lifetime of the writing source can be realized as a positive light-stimulated writing by providing a liquid layer forming means for forming a liquid layer on a surface irradiated by the light of the recording body during the light-stimulated writing.
According to the above invention, when the liquid layer forming means is means for forming a gel-like element, both of an easy holding of the liquid layer and a liquid supply can be realized simultaneously.
According to the above invention, when the liquid layer forming means is means for forming a layer comprising a microcapsule-like fine particle element containing a liquid, stability both for the liquid supply and the liquid storage can be ensured.
According to the above invention, by providing a light (which includes the electromagnetic wave) transmissible film for the liquid layer forming means in order to keep the liquid layer between the liquid forming means and the surface of the recording body so as to form the film on the surface of the recording body in a state where the liquid is placed between the liquid layer forming means and the recording body, a High speed writing can by obtained easily.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer, a light-heat converting layer, a base body and a regular reflection-preventing layer between the base body and the light-heat converting layer to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used for writing. This results in weakness of the regular reflection component in a case of reflection at a surface of the base body, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises the recording layer, the light-heat converting layer, the base body has a finely irregular structure provided on a surface of a light-heat converting layer side thereof in order to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used for writing. This results in weakness of the regular reflection component of the light without an increase in the number of the layer, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having a light-heat converting agent dispersed therein, a regular reflection-preventing layer to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used for writing and passes through the recording layer and a base body carrying the regular reflection-preventing layer. The regular reflection component is weakened in a case of reflection at a surface of the base body, thereby lessening multi-reflection within each layer.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having a light-heat converting agent dispersed therein and a base body carrying the recording layer. By providing an finely irregular structure on a surface of a recording layer side of the base body in order to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used as writing and passes through the recording layer, the regular reflection component can be weakened in the event of reflection at the base body of the substrate without increase in the number of the layer, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
Since the recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer, a light-heat converting layer, a transparent base body and a regular reflection-preventing layer to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used to record onto an opposite side of the light-heat converting layer to the transparent base body, a regular reflection component can be weakened in a case of reflection at a back surface of the transparent base body, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
The recording body according the present invention comprises a recording layer, a light-heat converting layer and a transparent base body. Since the transparent base body comprises a back surface thereof having a finely irregular structure, the surface being arranged in an opposite side to the light-converting layer having the finely irregular structure, the regular reflection component can be weakened in the event of the reflection at the back surface of the transparent base body without increase in the number of the layer.
Since the recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having a light-heat converting agent dispersed therein, a transparent base body carrying the recording layer, a regular reflection-preventing layer provided on a surface arranged in an opposite side to the recording layer on the transparent base body in order to inhibit the regular reflection of light which is used for recording, the regular reflection component can be weakened in a case of reflection at a back surface of the transparent base body, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
Since the recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having a light-heat converting agent dispersed therein and a transparent base body, the transparent base body having a finely irregular structure on an opposite surface to the light-heat converting layer, the regular reflection component can be weakened in the event of reflection at the back surface of the transparent base body without increase in the number of the layer, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
According to the present invention, in a carrier of the recording body carrying a transparent recording medium against light which is used for recording, by providing a reflecting layer on the surface of the carrier of the recording body in order to inhibit the regular reflection of the light which is used for recording, the regular reflection component can be weakened in the event of the reflection at the surface of the carrier, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
According to the present invention, in a carrier of the recording body carrying a transparent recording medium against the light which is used for recording, by providing a finely irregular structure on the surface of the carrier, the regular reflection component can be weakened in a case of reflection at the surface of the carrier without increase in the number of the layer, so that multi-reflection can be lowered within each layer.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having the thermal changeable character of wettability and a substrate carrying the recording layer. The recording layer of the recording body is heated to form a latent image on the recording layer and the latent image is developed to transfer to a recording paper. The recording body has a surface having a roughness of less than 20 xcexcm.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having the thermal changeable character of wettability and a substrate carrying the recording layer. The recording layer of the recording body is heated to form the latent image on the recording layer and the latent image is then developed to transfer to the recording paper. The recording body has the recording layer having a pencil hardness of more than H.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having the thermal changeable character of wettability and a substrate carrying the recording layer. The recording layer of the recording body is heated to form the latent image on the recording layer and the latent image is developed to transfer to the recording paper. The recording body has the recording layer having a Young""s modulus of less than 1.0xc3x97107 N/m2 and a thickness of more than 2 xcexcm.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having the thermal changeable character of wettability and a substrate carrying the recording layer. The recording layer of the recording body is heated to form the latent image on the recording layer and the latent image is then developed to transfer to the recording paper. The recording body has the substrate having a Young""s modulus of less than 5.0xc3x97108 N/m2 and a thickness of more than 25 xcexcm.
The recording body according to the present invention comprises a recording layer having the thermal changeable character of wettability, a substrate and a cushion layer which is placed between the recording layer and the substrate and has a elastic property. The recording layer of the recording body is heated to form the latent image on the recording layer and the latent image is then developed to transfer to the recording paper. The recording body comprises the cushion layer having a Young""s modulus of less than 8.0xc3x97107 N/m2 and a thickness of more than 5 xcexcm.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a recording body having the thermal changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of coating a liquid which is compatible with a resin and a pigment which are contained in a recording ink on the recording body, and then wiping the liquid thus coated.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a recording body having the thermal changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of coating an involatilizable or a volatilizable solvent which is contained in a recording ink on the recording body, and then wiping the solvent thus coated.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a recording body having the thermal changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of coating a liquid which is compatible with a resin and a pigment which are contained in a recording ink on the recording body, and then supersonically cleaning the recording body.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a recording body having the thermal changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of coating a involatilizable or a volatilizable solvent which is contained in a recording ink on the recording body, and then supersonically cleaning the recording body.
According to the present invention, the surface of the recording body is cleaned after removal of the ink remaining on the recording body by any one of the methods described above.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a surface of a recording body having the changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of bringing a adhesive element into contact with the surface of the recording body developed already, and then stripping the adhesive element from the surface of the recording body, so that the remaining ink can be removed from the surface of the recording body together with the adhesive element.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a surface of a recording body having the changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of bringing an element having a rougher surface than that the surface of the recording body into contact with the surface of the recording body developed already, and then stripping the element from the surface of the recording body, so that the remaining ink can be removed from the surface of the recording body together with the element.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a surface of a recording body having the changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of forming a solid film on the surface of the recording body developed already, and then stripping the solid film from the surface of the recording body, so that the remaining ink can be removed from the surface of the recording body together with the solid film.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a surface of a recording body having the changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of completely curing the ink remaining on the surface of the recording body by an air drying, and then removing the ink by any one of the method described above.
According to the present invention, a method of removing an ink remaining on a surface of a recording body having the changeable character of wettability, the method comprising the steps of completely curing the ink remaining on the surface of the recording body compulsorily, and then removing the ink by any one of the method described above.
According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming means for forming a latent image on an image region of a recording body by selectively heating a non-image region of a recording body, in which the latent image formed on the recording body is developed to transfer to a recording paper, wherein the image forming means comprises a plurality of heating sources for the recording body (that is to say, a multi-head), so that a same pixel can be heated by the plurality of heating sources and if a failed heating source is produced during writing, formation of a non-image region due to non-heating can be prevented, thereby eliminating generation of a line of scumming.
In the above invention, when a part of the multi-head is always heated to produce a failed heating source and the failed heating source is located at a marginal region, a region to be written by the failed heating source is not compensated by other heating source, so that time required for writing compensation is saved, thereby allowing capacity of control program to be reduced.
In the above invention, the image forming means comprises a multi-head having a broader recording width than that of an image formation area. A heating failure due to too much use can be inhibited by move the multi-head in a main scanning direction each time a predetermined printing is carried out.
In the above structure of the apparatus according to the present invention, the image forming means comprises a multi-head having a broader recording width than that of an image formation area. A heating failure due to too much use can be inhibited by move the multi-head in a main scanning direction every predetermined period.
In the above invention, the image forming means comprises heating means for heating an image region and heating means for heating a marginal region. A heating failure due to too much use can be inhibited by the above image forming means.
In the above invention, by using the heating means for heating the marginal region comprising the multi-head having a lower resolution than that of the heating means for heating the image region, so that a heating time for the marginal region can be shortened, thereby reducing a time for image formation.
In the above structure of the apparatus according to the present invention, a resistance value of each heating source of the multi-head and/or a voltage across a resistant element connected in series with the heating source are detected to examine whether or not the failed heating source is present by comparing the detected voltage with a defined voltage. If the failed heating source is generated, no formation of a non-image region by non-heating can be prevented, thereby eliminating generation of a line of scumming.
In the above structure, as a negative writing means, the image forming means heats the recording body in a state where the recording body is in contact with an element selected from a liquid and/or a solid, the recording body having surface properties in which a receding contact angle decreases (a liquid-attracting state) when the recording body comes into contact with the liquid in a heated state thereof and the receding contact angle increases (a liquid-repelling state) when the recording body is heated in a non-contact state with the liquid. Alternatively, right after a surface of the recording body is heated, the surface comes into contact with the element selected from the liquid and/or the solid to decrease the receding contact angle of the surface of the recording body, that is to say a liquid-attracting treatment. And then, an entire area of the surface of the recording body becomes liquid-attracting state and a region not to be recorded is then heated selectively by the image forming means in the absence of the liquid and/or the solid to make the region liquid-repelling state.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises a plurality of heating sources corresponding to a respective recording ink color, so that a multi-color image can be obtained with high quality.
According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming means for forming a latent image on an image region of a recording body by selectively heating a non-image region of the recording body, wherein the image forming means has a function that a writing heat quantity can be adjusted and a heated temperature can be adjusted to prevent an irregularity of heating.
In the above structure, the image forming means has a function that the writing heat quantity can be adjusted in response to temperature information of the recording body, so that an optimal heat quantity can be supplied based on a standard temperature of the recording body, thereby allowing a high quality image to be produced.
In the above invention, the image forming means has a function that the writing heat quantity can be adjusted in response to heating information of a pixel neighboring a pixel to be heated (a pixel of interest) and the pixel written with the pixel of interest at the same time or the pixel written already, so that the influence of a temperature irregularity on the pixel of interest in accordance with a heated state of the neighboring pixel can be inhibited and formation of a high quality image can be carried out.
In the above structure, by using the image forming means, for the pixel of interest the writing heat quantity can be changed in accordance with a heat record of a plurality of written lines which are in the same scanning direction or are in a near position and the influence of the temperature irregularity on the pixel of interest in response to the heat record of the written plurality of lines, thereby producing the high quality image.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises the multi-head having a plurality of the heating source for the recording body. By changing the heat quantity form the multi-head in accordance with the number of the heating sources driving simultaneously, an irregularity of the heat quantity produced by the heat quantity of the heating source driving simultaneously can be inhibited, thereby producing the high quality image.
In the above structure, by using the image forming means, writing can be carried out every at least other line in a sub-scanning direction, so that accumulation of heat can be prevented during writing, thus allowing the high quality image to be produced while suppressing the thermal irregularity.
In the above structure, a writing rate can be changed in response to image information by use of the image forming means, so that an irregularity of accumulation of heat can be prevented during various writing in accordance with image information, thereby allowing the high quality image to be produced.
In the above structure, the writing rate can be changed in response to an increased temperature of the recording body by use of the image forming means, so that an increase in the temperature of the recording body can be lowered during writing, thereby producing the high quality image.
In the above structure, image formation can be carried out by increasing the heat quantity at an initial writing by use of the image forming means, so that a deficiency in the heat quantity can be prevented before the temperature of the recording body is stabilized, thereby producing the high quality image.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises the multi-head and the pixel in the same line can be recorded more than every at least other pixel, so that accumulation of heat can be inhibited and the irregularity of heating can be eliminated to produce the high quality image.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises the multi-head having a plurality of heating sources, each heating source being formed more than every other pixel, so that accumulation of heat can be inhibited and the irregularity of heating can also be eliminated to produce the high quality image.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises the multi-head and the-pixel in the same line and in a spiral line can be recorded every at least other pixel, so that accumulation of heat can be inhibited and the irregularity of heating can also be eliminated to produce the high quality image.
In the above structure, the image forming means comprises the multi-head and the pixel in the same line can be recorded every at least other pixel. After the last line is completed, the image forming means or the recording body is movable in the main scanning direction to continue formation of the image, so that accumulation of heat can be inhibited and the irregularity of heating can also be eliminated to produce the high quality image.
In the above structure, as a negative writing means, the image forming means heats the recording body in a state where the recording body is in contact with an element selected from a liquid and/or a solid, the recording body having surface properties in which a receding contact angle decreases (a liquid-attracting state) when the recording body comes into contact with the liquid in a heated state thereof and the receding contact angle increases (a liquid-repelling state) when the recording body is heated in a non-contact state with the liquid. Alternatively, right after a surface of the recording body is heated, the surface comes into contact with the element selected from the liquid and/or the solid to decrease the receding contact angle of the surface of the recording body, that is to say a liquid-attracting treatment, thereby making an entire area of the surface of the recording body liquid-attracting state and then a non-image region of the recording body is heated selectively by the image forming means in the absence of the contacting element, such as the liquid and/or the solid to make a region not to be recorded the region liquid-repelling state.
In the above structure, the image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of image forming means corresponding to a respective recording ink color, so that a multi-color image can be obtained with high quality.
According to the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprising a laser source controlled to emit laser light in response to image information, a rotating multi-face mirror to scan the laser light from the laser source, a motor to rotate the rotating multi-face mirror, and a recording body irradiated with the laser light reflected by the rotating multi-face mirror, in which a latent image is formed on the recording body by irradiating the laser light in response to image information, wherein the recording body is a low sensitive recording body comprising a light-heat converting material which converts the laser light irradiated onto the recording body to heat, the rotating multi-face mirror is stably rotated at a low rate with a rate reducing means to which the motor is rotated at a high rotation of a stable rotation region to transmit a rotating force, so that a rotation of the multi-face mirror can be stabilized to allow a scanning rate and a scanning time of the laser light to be constant and lesser irregularities of an image density, dot and a line size (for example, broadening or narrowing) can be obtained to provide an inexpensive light scanning apparatus.
In the above invention, by providing a disk-like mass member having a weight equal to or more than that of the rotating multi-face mirror for the motor or a rotating axis of the rotating multi-face mirror, the rotation of the multi-face mirror can be stabilized at the low rate, so that lesser irregularities of an image density, dot and a line size (for example, broadening or narrowing) can be obtained to provide an inexpensive light scanning apparatus.

Image recording body and image forming device using the image recording body

Abstract: An image recording body includes an element, which absorbs light (electromagnetic wave), provided in a surface of a recording body 10, or in a recording layer formed on uppermost layer of the recording body having a material exhibiting thermal changeable character of wettability, or in a substrate or an intermediate layer of the recording body. After a liquid is on the recording body 10 by a liquid forming means 3, light-stimulated writing is carried out. When the light-stimulated writing is carried out with light (electromagnetic wave) from a light (electromagnetic wave) source according to image information, an efficiency of light-heat conversion can be enhanced by a light (electromagnetic wave)-absorbing element.


A silicon-nitride beta-phase material including a non-densified structure of beta silicon nitride crystals having appreciable strength without any significant amount of liquid forming agents is made by comminuting a slurry including a mixture of silicon powder and water to form non-oxidized surfaces on the silicon powder and to allow chemical reaction between the silicon and the water, reducing the water content of the reacted slurry to a degree sufficient to form a resultant dry mass, nitriding the dry mass by exposure to a nitriding gas including at least nitrogen to form a mass of alpha-phase silicon nitride, and converting the resultant silicon nitride mass at a conversion temperature of from about 1450.degree. C. to about 2100.degree. C. to convert the silicon nitride from an alpha-phase material to a non-densified beta phase silicon nitride material.

Alpha-phase silicon nitride material has been made in a variety of ways, most of them expensive, time and labor intensive. It is desirable to produce a high alpha-phase content silicon nitride from an inexpensive starting material in order to be later processed into various products. For some applications, such as refractory products, it is advantageous to convert the alpha-phase silicon nitride material to beta-phase silicon nitride material. Beta-phase material may either be in the form of densified or non-densified silicon nitride. To densify silicon nitride material, there generally is a requirement for the inclusion of densification aids, or liquid forming agents. To form non-densified beta-phase, densifying agents would be present in the alpha-phase silicon nitride body, however the body would not be heated to a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to cause complete densification.
Heat treatment of the alpha silicon nitride above 1450.degree. C. can result in either densified or non-densified beta-phase material. In order for the alpha-phase material to be sintered and converted into densified beta-phase material, either densification aids or liquid forming agents must be included in the alpha-silicon nitride body before the sintering temperature is reached and maintained for a sufficiently long time to sinter the material. The presence of liquid forming agents in silicon nitride bodies are well known to decrease their high temperature strength. There are some applications, particularly as refractories, for which a beta-phase material without liquid forming agents would be desirable.
Densification of silicon nitride occurs by the transformation of the alpha phase of silicon nitride into the beta phase of silicon nitride in the presence of a high temperature liquid phase, accompanied by about a 10-12 percent reduction in volume. The liquid phase promotes the conversion of the alpha-phase silicon nitride to the densified beta phase silicon nitride during sintering or densification. It has been found that densification does not generally occur without liquid forming agents.
In the past there has been a major problem associated with the processing of reaction bonded silicon nitride which is the extensive time required for preparation and nitridation of the silicon powder. Typically, in order to manufacture a reaction bonded silicon nitride, very pure silicon has been ground and mixed dry with sintering aids for long periods of time, upwards of 48 hours, and then nitrided for long times, on the order of hundreds of hours to weeks. Total fabrication times of 200 to 400 hours are not uncommon.
Reaction bonded silicon nitride is commonly prepared by reacting and nitriding the silicon (either as a powder or as a formed article) with nitrogen by exposing the silicon to a nitrogen-containing atmosphere at temperatures of 1100.degree. C. to about 1420.degree. C. for times sufficient to produce the silicon nitride. It is not uncommon for the nitriding time in prior art methods to be 100.degree.-200 hours. It is normal for a small amount of nitriding aid (e.g., iron oxide or nickel oxide) to be initially mixed with the silicon powder to enhance the nitridation of the silicon during the nitriding step.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,895 to Mangels et al. teaches that sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride articles can be made by incorporation of a densification aid into the reaction bonded silicon nitride article, surrounding the article with a packing powder of silicon nitride and densification aid and subjecting the article and powder mixture to a temperature above 1700.degree. C. with a nitrogen atmosphere of sufficient pressure to prevent volatilization of the silicon nitride for a time sufficient to permit sintering of the reaction bonded silicon nitride articles.
Several methods for introducing the densification aid into the reaction bonded silicon nitride article are disclosed in the above referenced Mangels et al. patent. These include (1) the impregnation of the densification aid into the reaction bonded silicon nitride article; (2) incorporation of the densification aid into the cover powder and then relying upon diffusion of that densification aid into the article the sintering temperature; and (3) incorporation of the densification aid into the silicon powder mix prior to nitriding. The densification aids cited are magnesium oxide, yttrium oxide, cerium oxide, and zirconium oxide. The Mangels et al. patent also teaches that the nitrogen pressure at the sintering temperature may be in the range of 250 to 1500 psi.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,787 to Martinengo et al. teaches that sintered silicon nitride articles can be prepared by forming a silicon powder mixture containing one or more sintering additives into a compact, the additives being present in the powder in an amount such as to ensure an additive content of from 0.5 to 20wt % in the silicon nitride compact; heating the compact under a nitrogen gas blanket at a temperature not exceeding 1500.degree. C. to convert the silicon into reaction bonded silicon nitride; and sintering the reaction bonded silicon nitride compact by heating in a nitrogen gas atmosphere at a temperature of at least 1500.degree. C. Furthermore, it is taught that the silicon powder size is from 0.1 to 44 microns in size and of high purity or containing only very small amounts of nitriding catalysts. The Martinengo et al. patent teaches that any conventional sintering additive may be used. Best results are said to be achieved by using MgO, and especially in combination with Y.sub.2 O.sub.3. Other preferred additives mentioned in the patent are MgO, Y.sub.2 O.sub. 3, CeO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, BeO, Mg.sub.3 N.sub.2, and AlN. Other examples of additives are given as Mg.sub.2 Si, MgAl.sub.2 O.sub.4, and rare earth additions such as La.sub.2 O.sub.3. Also iron can be used with advantage, usually in mixture with conventional additives such as MgO, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, and CeO.sub.2.
As a final example of sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride practice, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,394 to Ezis which teaches a method for making a fully densified silicon nitride body. The basic principle taught is that silicon nitride will not sinter by itself, but requires a liquid phase at the sintering temperature. Ezis found that, by having an yttrium oxynitride and alumino-silicate liquid phase present at sintering temperatures of 1650.degree.-1750.degree. C., the need for an over pressure of nitrogen and cover or packing powder during sintering could be eliminated in order to densify the silicon nitride.
The Ezis patent teaches that, by (1) forming a nitridable mixture of: silicon powder, SiO.sub.2 (carried with the Si metal), Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ; (2) nitriding the mixture to form a reaction bonded silicon nitride, with consequent formation of a Y.sub.10 Si.sub.6 O.sub.24 N.sub.2 phase, and an alumino-silicate which resides on the silicon nitride grains; and then (3) sintering in the 1650 to 1750.degree. C. temperature range for 5-12 hours, a substantially fully densified silicon nitride is produced which exhibits a 4-point bending strength of 100,000 psi at room temperature.
The Ezis patent further teaches the need for a long ball milling time of 48 hours, preferably dry, a nitridation cycle time of 200 hours, and sintering times of 5-12 hours. Total processing time including the milling can be estimated from the preferred embodiment as approximately 260 hours.
It is known that the presence of significant amounts of liquid forming agents in silicon nitride will reduce the high temperature strength of the body. When a temperature is reached such that the liquid forming agents begin to soften, or turn liquid then they act as internal lubricants and significantly reduce the strength of the silicon nitride. Generally silicon nitrides show a gradual decrease in strength with increasing temperature until a specific temperature is reached wherein a drastic decrease in strength occurs over a narrow additional temperature increase. A silicon nitride without significant amounts of liquid forming agent would not be expected to show this sudden decrease in strength, but would rather show a gradual, or small decrease in its strength with increasing temperature. For instance a change in hot flexure strength of 10,000 pounds per square inch or more over about a 100.degree. C. increment in test temperature would constitute a drastic change in strength. Likewise it is expected that the liquid forming agents present in amounts greater than 1-2 volume percent of the silicon nitride would be considered significant amounts of liquid forming agents.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive material which is stable at high temperatures and may be used as a refractory material.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a body of non-densified beta-phase material.

Non-densified silicon nitride beta-phase material


A permeable cement stone fracturing exploitation method for non-conventional oil and gas layer comprising the following processes: transporting and storing a supercritical carbon dioxide to a well site; selecting, transporting, and storing an oil well cement and admixtures to the well site; mixing the oil well cement and the admixtures into a first mixture, forming a cement slurry; pumping the supercritical carbon dioxide and the cement slurry respectively into a high pressure mixer; automatically mixing the supercritical carbon dioxide and the cement slurry into a second mixture by the high pressure mixer; continuously on-line monitoring and temporarily storing the second mixture; and injecting the second mixture into the non-conventional oil and gas layer for fracturing to form a reticulate artificial fracture; the second mixture is automatically heated, pressure reduced, gasified, solidified, carbonic acid dissolved and eroded, leached to form the a permeable cement stone.

According the research studies of the inventors, conventional fracturing stimulation method that is identical or similar to that used in conventional oil and gas layers is commonly used for non-conventional oil and gas layers, such as tight oil and gas, shale gas, and coal-bed methane. The conventional fracturing stimulation method uses large-scale water-base fluid with proppant, therefore mainly having the following problems:
1. A large amount of fracturing fluid having poor compatibility with the strata is needed and tends to pollute the strata. Large amount of flow-back fluid with complex composition is left after fracturing, and detoxification of the disposal is very difficult and expensive, resulting in pollution of the environment.
2. The stimulation of oil and gas is poor. In conventional fracturing, there is only point contact between the fracture surface and the spherical ceramic proppant, which is easily crushed and embedded into the soft strata, resulting in short effective duration of stimulation. Moreover, as the proppants are separated from each other, small particles in the proppants tend to move and flow back, causing complex and dangerous issues such as blocking and abrading the pipeline system laid on the ground, under the ground and at the wellhead.
3. Large hydraulic horsepower is needed. For example, in a horizontal shale gas well with a vertical depth of 3000 meters and a horizontal length of 1000 meters, over 20,000 HHP of hydraulic horsepower is needed for the fracturing trucks in conventional staged fracturing operations.
4. Large well site is needed. Lots of conventional fracturing equipments and accessorial equipments are used to transport and store materials for fracturing, oil, proppant, water, etc., thus occupying large well site.
5. High risk of environmental damage. The conventional fracturing uses large-scale water-based fluid and proppant producing a mass of flow-back fluid after fracturing, causing costly disposal detoxification and reuse of the flow-back fluid and serious pollution to the natural environments such as water, land air, and so on. The massive fracturing using water-based fluid for coal-bed methane or gas hydrate in the shallow strata would bring geological disasters, such as land collapse, landslide, earthquake, etc.
6. High cost of exploitation. Using conventional fracturing stimulation in non-conventional oil and gas layer has the disadvantages of needing large amount of fracturing fluid, large hydraulic horsepower, large well site, high environmental expenses, and short effective duration of stimulation, resulting in high cost of exploitation, therefore limiting rich non-conventional oil and gas to be mined in an effective, environmentally friendly and massive way. The rich non-conventional oil and gas include tight oil and gas, shale gas, coal-bed methane, gas hydrate and etc.

Permeable cement stone fracturing exploitation method for non-conventional oil and gas layer

Sichuan Xingzhi Zhihui Intellectual Property Operation Co., Ltd.


A printed wiring board (PWB) comprises an inner high density circuit routing component laminated within the wiring board, and plated through holes electrically coupling the inner high density circuit to a conductive pattern located on a surface of the PWB. A preferred method for forming such a PWB comprises: providing a built up high density routing component; providing two wiring boards; laminating the built up routing component between the two wiring boards; and using plated through holes to electrically connect a conductive portion of each of the wiring boards to the built up routing component.

The field of the invention is printed wiring board fabrication.
Printed wiring boards are known electronic component structures which contain copper strips or paths arranged in a conductive pattern on a relatively flat electrically insulative structure or base. The copper strips form current-conducting paths, the electric wiring, by means of which other electrical components thereafter mounted on the board may receive or pass electrical current to other electrical components, similarly mounted, or from a power source. These circuit/wiring boards are notoriously old and well-known, having achieved wide application in all kinds of electronic devices, including radios, televisions, and computers, to name a few.
One wiring board structure is referred to as a two-sided plated through-hole board. The board contains electrical conductors on its front and back surfaces, and at least some of those conductors on opposite sides are electrically inter-connected by means of the plated xe2x80x9cthrough-holexe2x80x9d connections. The through-hole is a hole formed through the board between intercepting conductors on the opposite board sides and the hole wall is plated with metal electrically connecting the two conductors. A number of these wiring boards may be laminated or bonded together to form what is known as a multi-layer printed wiring board, and in such multi-layer wiring board through-holes drilled through the layers after the layers are aligned may form electrical connections to different conductive layers in the bonded stack. A less complex printed wiring board is a single-sided plated through-hole wiring board in which a through-hole is drilled through the board and plated with metal even though a conductor circuit pattern appears on only one board surface.
Unfortunately, increasing the number of layers in a multi-layer board tends to cause difficulties in processing and to reduce yields. In particular, drilling and electro-plating through holes becomes more difficult as layer counts increase. Thus, there is a continuing need for newer assemblies and methods for producing assemblies having lower layer counts.
The present invention is directed to methods and devices relating to the fabrication of wiring boards having a built up layer laminated within the board. More specifically, a preferred printed wiring board (PWB) comprises an inner high density circuit routing component laminated within the wiring board, and plated through holes electrically coupling the inner high density circuit to a conductive pattern located on a surfaces of the PWB. A preferred method for forming such a PWB comprises: providing a high density routing component having an exposed conductive pattern on at least one surface; providing wiring board layers; laminating the high density routing component between the two wiring board layers; electrically connecting a conductive portion of each of the wiring board layers to the high density routing component.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

Printed wiring board with high density inner layer structure


A multi-color ink pad assembly with end user configurable pad/plate assemblies. The pad/plate assemblies comprise an absorbent pad impregnated with ink attached to a rigid mounting plate. Attachment means are provided which engage the mounting plate to attach the pad/plate assemblies onto a base such that the user may manually remove and reattach the pad/plate assemblies to the base in any number of configurations. The end user thus has tremendous flexibility in constructing multi-color inking surfaces.

The stamping industry is divided into two distinct fields: the art stamping field and the industrial stamping field. In the industrial field, the impression to be formed usually comprises a single word or phrase formed in a single color. The paramount considerations in the design and manufacture of industrial ink stamps and related items are durability, consistency, and ease of use. The quality of ink impression, the flexibility of the ink stamp, and the ability to form ink impressions comprised of a plurality of colors are of minimal importance.
In the art stamping field, on the other hand, the goal is to form an artistic image. Therefore, the quality of the ink impression, flexibility of the stamping apparatus, and ability to form multicolor images are highly valued. Considerations of durability and ease of use are important, after aesthetic considerations.
Given the different goals underlying the use of ink stamps in the art stamping field and in the industrial stamping field, most products designed for use in one field are not appropriate for use in the other field. This division between the two stamping fields is accentuated by the difference in the marketing and distribution channels for the two sets of products: art stamping supplies are usually sold through art, hobby supply, or gift stores, while industrial stamping supplies are usually available in office supply outlets.
The present invention is particularly effective when used in the field of art stamping. As briefly mentioned above, in the art stamping field it is highly desirable to form a single image ink impression in which the ink impression comprises two or more colors.
The transfer of ink to a rubber stamp to obtain such multi-colored ink impressions can be performed in two basic ways. First, single color ink pads may be consecutively brought into contact with specific portions of a rubber stamp to obtain a desired color configuration on the rubber stamp. This method is described, for example, in the Applicant's copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/224,071. Second, the ink pad itself may be made up of several colors of ink; the rubber stamp is brought into contact with the pad to transfer several colors of ink at one time. Examples of such multi-color ink pads are shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 331,418 and 4,817,526 issued to the present Applicant and commercially available from the Applicant under the trademark RUBBER STAMP PAINTBOX.
Ink pads have traditionally been supplied in single color configurations that comprise an ink-impregnated absorbent pad permanently glued onto a base and covered by a lid. These single color ink pads are traditionally rectangular but have been supplied in other configurations that enhance the end user's ability to apply ink onto the rubber stamp.
Multi-color ink pads are a more recent development and generally comprise a base, a number of discrete ink-impregnated absorbent pads permanently glued to the base at the factory, and a lid to cover the base. The discrete absorbent pads of the most popular ink pads are normally rectangular and are arranged edge to edge to form a rectangular inking surface. Some ink pads comprise discrete absorbent pads in shapes other than rectangular, although these ink pads having irregularly shaped absorbent pads are more limiting and not as popular as the rectangular ink pads.
Since approximately 1990, the Applicant of the present invention has produced and sold multi-color ink pads in which the colors in each of the ink pad configurations are coordinated and often arranged by theses such as "SPRING" or "CHRISTMAS". Many end users will collect several ink pad configurations and use the color configuration that is appropriate for a given ink image. Since their introduction, such ink pads have proven to be very successful in the marketplace and are currently available in dozens of color configurations. These ink pads are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 331,418.
The cleaning and re-inking of such multi-color ink pads is not easy because colors tend to smudge from one individual absorbent pad to the absorbent pad adjacent thereto. However, both end users and manufacturers of art stamping equipment have been generally satisfied with the state of the art of ink pad design.

Ink pad assemblies with interchangeable ink-impregnated pads


There is disclosed an improved wiper head which includes a laminated wiper including a plurality of discrete layers of a fibrous material and means for bonding the layers to provide a unitary structure. A wiper holder is mounted adjacent an exit end of a tank and includes structure for supporting the wiper in a path of movement of the wire so that the wiper removes excess plating material from the wire.

Steel wire has found wide application, particularly in connection with masonry. The wire can be used, for example, as a truss system to provide stability to masonry walls and the like. The wire can be subject to moisture both during and after construction. The moisture can cause corrosion of the wire which might bleed through the masonry and also deteriorate the strength of the wire.
Galvanizing is commonly used to prevent corrosion of steel. Galvanizing has long been used on steel wire, such as that used for masonry reinforcement.
One known system for galvanizing steel wire contemplates plating the wire with a zinc base material. A typical system includes a plating tank holding a plating material and suitable conveying structure for drawing wire through the plating tank from an entry end to an exit end to apply the plating material to the wire. To avoid excess material on the wire, such systems often employ wipers sandwiching the wire at the exit end. The wire passes between an upper and lower wiper to remove the excess. The wipers must function without rapid deterioration from the pulling of the wire thereacross. Also, since the plating material is often heated, the wipers must withstand the higher temperatures while continuing to serve the intended function.
One common wiper comprises a coil of asbestos fabric material wound to form a block of suitable configuration. While asbestos is an adequate material for such an application, it is inherently dangerous. Alternatives to asbestos, which are safer, tend to be much more expensive. Since the wipers are generally only used for relatively short periods of time, they are intended to be disposable. Thus, the wipers should be inexpensive so that they can be thrown away and replaced as necessary.
The present invention is intended to overcome one or more of the problems set forth above in a novel and simple manner.


A spindle motor for a disk drive including a hub defining a longitudinal axis having a hub flange defining a mounting surface extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis, wherein the hub flange of the hub extends longitudinally relative to the mounting surface to define a vertical surface; and a motor base coupled to the hub proximate to the hub flange of the hub, the motor base having a central axis substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis, wherein the motor base extends longitudinally, wherein a radius of the motor base is greater than a radius of the hub flange of the hub.

Disk drives typically include a spindle motor for rotating one or more disks in order to read data from and write data to surfaces of the disks. The spindle motor, an example of which is shown in FIG. 1A, includes motor base 1005 made up of a stator having a plurality stator teeth 310, which are wrapped with wire to form a plurality of coils 315, and a rotor having one or more rotor magnets 320 and a rotating hub 1000 coupled to the motor base on which the disks may be mounted and clamped. Different coils 315 of the stator are alternately energized to form a changing electromagnetic field that pulls/pushes the rotor magnets, thereby rotating the hub. Rotation of the hub, in turn, results in rotation of the disks mounted thereto.
In one type of current spindle motor designs, the motor base 1005, which includes the magnet 320 and back iron 325, is vertically spaced separated from the plane that the heads operate in. A hub 1000 is provided that supports the disk with the motor base 1005 being positioned below the hub 1000. The outer diameter of the motor base 1005 is sized to have the same outer diameter as of the hub 1000 having a disk mounting surface 1030 for supporting a disk (not shown).

Spindle motor magnet diameter increase above head plane


An anti-theft device (40) for attachment to a vehicle steering wheel having an elongated tubular member (451), a sleeve (45) slidable along the member (41) and an arm (51) telescopically received in the member (41) and coupled to the sleeve (45). The sleeve (45) carries a locking device (47) which engages apertures (43) to lock the sleeve (45) to the member (41) in a position where the arm (51) extends from the member (41). The member (41) and sleeve (45) carry hooks (42) and (49) to engage the rim of a steering wheel and the arm (51) limits rotation of the steering wheel.

A number of different vehicle anti-theft devices of the type which are attachable to a steering wheel are presently known. In one common form, such a device includes two parts which are provided with hooks for engaging opposite diametrical portions of the steering wheel. Such devices normally also include a member or part which extends beyond the periphery of the steering wheel to engage a portion of the vehicle when the wheel is rotated so that rotation of the steering wheel limited and thereby the risks of theft considerably reduced. Examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,738,127 and 4,970,884. Other devices are attachable between the vehicle steering wheel and a vehicle operating pedal such as a brake pedal as for example devices of the type disclosed in Australian Patent No. 599230. These devices, not only limit wheel rotation, but also prevent operation of the vehicle pedal to which it is secured.
The devices that are presently known are often relatively complex and their locking mechanisms do not provide a desired degree of security. Additionally, the strength and rigidity of some of these devices is limited.

Vehicle steering wheel anti-theft devices


A gaming system including one or more group event eligibility sequences. Each group event eligibility sequence is associated with a set duration. In these embodiments, if one or more players at one or more gaming machines collectively satisfy a group event eligibility threshold within the set duration of an initiated or triggered group event eligibility sequence, the gaming system determines that such players are eligible to participate in a group event. For the group event, the gaming system provides one or more group event awards to such participating players.

Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards. In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player may vary.
Secondary or bonus games are also known in gaming machines. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. For instance, a bonus symbol occurring on the payline on the third reel of a three reel slot machine may trigger the secondary bonus game. When a secondary or bonus game is triggered, the gaming machines generally indicates this to the player through one or more visual and/or audio output devices, such as the reels, lights, speakers, video screens, etc. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be).
Certain known secondary or bonus games include a group gaming aspect wherein a plurality of players participate in a group event for one or more bonus awards, such as progressive awards. Certain known gaming machines are configured such that the players of these gaming machines compete for one or more awards. Other known gaming machines are configured such that the players share with each other or can each win one or more awards. These awards are sometimes displayed by one or more secondary display devices above the bank or group of gaming machines.
These types of group or community gaming systems (where the players are competing for awards, where the players are sharing awards, or where the players are winning awards at the same time) continue to grow in popularity. Certain of these group or community gaming systems create an aura of excitement and entertainment for the people playing the gaming machines and for people watching play. There is a continuing need to provide new and different gaming machines and gaming systems which excite and entertain players.

Gaming system and method for providing a group event eligibility sequence and a group event


A jar (10), for use in a downhole toolstring comprising: a hollow housing (11); a jar mandrel (13); a latch sub (14); one or more latch keys (16); a cam surface (17); a chamber (23); a compression spring; and an adjuster (24). The hollow housing (11) supports, moveably retained therein, the jar mandrel (13). The jar mandrel (13) and the latch sub (14) are releasably securable together by means of the one or more latch keys (16), and each latch key (16) is moveable between a latching position, in which the latching sub (14) and the jar mandrel (13) are connected together, and a release position permitting separation thereof. The cam surface (17) engages each latch key (16) to move it from its latching position to its release position when the jar mandrel (13) occupies a preselected position in the housing (11). The compression spring (24) is constrained within the chamber (23) and acts between the latch sub (14) and the hollow housing (11) to bias the jar mandrel (13) when connected to the latch sub (14) away from the predetermined position; and the adjuster (27) includes an adjuster mandrel (47) that is rotatable relative to the hollow housing and has an external portion (49) that is engageable from outside the hollow housing (11) via a side thereof. An adjuster portion (51) is threadedly connected to the jar mandrel (13) such that rotation of the adjuster mandrel (47) relative to the jar mandrel (13) alters the length of the chamber (23) and hence the degree of compression of the compression spring (24).

This invention relates to a jar for use in a downhole toolstring.
When exploring for oil or gas, or when preparing a wellbore for production, it is common practice in the oil and gas industries to employ strings of tools.
These toolstrings are lowered or driven into the wellbores, and include various devices that are activatable within the wellbores at the downhole location to carry out predetermined tasks.
The wellbore is rarely straight and parallel-sided.
This is sometimes because it is necessary to drill portions of the wellbore at angles to other parts thereof, in order to avoid difficult geological formations and more significantly to ensure that the wellbore perforates as much as possible of the hydrocarbon-bearing fields.
Furthermore, the pressures which exist below ground in wellbores can be very significant. These pressures can cause shales and other comparatively soft geological types to encroach into a wellbore, thereby rendering the wellbore non-uniform.
Another cause of non-uniformity of a wellbore is so-called "wash out", caused when fluids in a surrounding rock formation cause decay and/or collapse of the wellbore.
All of the foregoing causes of non-uniformity can cause difficulty when attempting to operate exploration and/or production tooling within the wellbore.
For example, a common problem is for a toolstring that is being lowered into the wellbore on a wireline (i.e. a comparatively thick cable that supports, and sometimes conveys data transmission cables to, the downhole toolstring) to pass through a narrowed or deviated portion of the wellbore, and subsequently become stuck at that location as the wireline is being wound into a surface location to withdraw the toolstring.
Under such circumstances, there is a limit to the pull force that surface-located operators can apply via the wireline.
This is primarily because of the risk of breaking the wireline, thereby leaving the toolstring stuck in the wellbore.
Wireline used is usually either termed "slickline" comprising a single strand, common sizes being 0.108″ and 0.125″ diameter; or "braided line" comprising multi-strands of thinner wire which is wound or braided to give strength. This is available in common diameter sizes of 3/16″ and 7/32″ and sometimes larger. This type is stronger and more often utilized for "heavy duty" operations such as fishing.
Under such circumstances it is necessary to wind in the entire length of the wireline (over, perhaps, many of tens of thousands of feet), and then send into the wellbore a more robust cable carrying further tooling for cleaning the end of the broken wireline, and attaching to the toolstring for the purpose of attempting to withdraw it.
This practice suffers disadvantages, not least because it is time-consuming.
Since the operational time of an oil rig is typically costed in tens of thousands of dollars per day it is essential that rig operators recover stuck tooling as quickly as possible.
For this reason it has become commonplace to include a so-called "jar" in a toolstring.
In general terms, a mechanical spring jar is a device included in a toolstring that when needed utilities the limited pull force available via the wireline to cock a mass against a spring, and subsequently release it so that the energy resulting from tensioning of the wireline drives the mass into a part of the toolstring.
This imparts an impulse to the toolstring, which often is adequate to free the stuck tool.
Patents numbers U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,485 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,613 describe two known types of jar.
It is known to provide an adjustment mechanism in a toolstring jar, for adjusting the pull force needed to tension the wireline. Thus it is possible to match the force needed to operate the jar to the strength of the wireline being used and/or the mass of the toolstring, before the toolstring is inserted into the wellbore.
One known form of jar includes a cylindrical housing having a hollow, cylindrical interior.
Within the interior a jar mandrel and a latch sub are releasably secured together, with the jar mandrel located in use above the latch sub.
The latch sub includes a collar or other protuberance that bears against a compression spring defining a hollow cylinder. The latch sub and/or the jar mandrel extends through the center of the spring, the end of which opposite the collar bears against a further protuberance protruding from the wall of the hollow housing. The further protuberance and the collar between them define an elongated chamber for the compression spring.
The means of securing the jar mandrel and the latch sub together includes an annular array of latch keys that are moveable radially inwardly and outwardly relative to the jar mandrel.
A series of springs or other resiliently deformable members urges the latch keys to a radially outward position in which they engage a groove or recess formed in the radially inner surface at the upper end of a hollow, cylindrical latch sub. The groove is machined during manufacture of the latch sub, to define an annular shoulder of corresponding profile to the latch keys.
The interior of the housing includes one or more cam surfaces that, on movement of the jar mandrel upwardly in the housing, engage the latch keys.
This causes the latch keys to drive inwardly relative to the jar mandrel. This in turn causes their release from the latch fingers of the latch sub.
When the jar mandrel and latch sub are secured together any such upward movement of the jar mandrel involves similar movement of the latch sub. Therefore, the initial movement occurs against the force of the compression spring acting between the collar and the protuberance extending from the housing wall.
Thus when the cam surface causes release of the latch keys from the latch fingers, stored potential energy in the wireline reacts suddenly to drive the jar mandrel further upwardly within the housing, causing a hammer member secured to the jar mandrel to strike an anvil defined within the housing and thereby confer an upwardly acting impulse on the housing, and hence any further part of the toolstring secured thereto.
A portion of the jar mandrel at the upper end thereof protrudes via an aperture in the upper end of the housing.
This end of the jar mandrel includes a conventional rope socket for attachment to a wireline, such that when the toolstring is stuck in the bore the wireline is usable to draw the jar mandrel and latch sub upwardly against the action of the compression spring until the cam surface causes release of the latch keys from the latch fingers.
Typically the toolstring includes, located immediately below the rope socket, a number of weight bars. During the upward motion of the jar mandrel and latch sub the wireline stretches. When the latch keys release the resulting potential energy in the wireline converts to kinetic energy which accelerates the mass of the weight bars.
The rapid upward motion of the weight bars drives the hammer into FINNEGAN the anvil, to create the impulse on the stuck tool as aforesaid. It is, by this means, possible to confer significant impulses on the toolstring.
The length of the latch sub relative to the jar mandrel is effectively adjustable, by reason of its upper end passing through a bulkhead in the lower end of the housing, the dimensions of the latch sub above the bulkhead and the aperture through which it passes being such as to prevent withdrawal of the latch sub downwardly through the bulkhead.
The opposite (in use lower) end of the latch sub extends towards the open, lower end of the housing and is threaded. An adjuster nut is threaded onto the end of the protruding threaded portion. It is thereby possible to apply a spanner to the adjuster nut and drive it upwardly and downwardly relative to the housing, by turning the adjuster nut clockwise or anticlockwise.
Since the compression spring lies between the aforesaid bulkhead and a washer resting on the adjuster nut so as to encircle the latch sub, adjusting the adjuster nut in this way alters the length of the chamber containing the compression spring.
Such adjustment of the length of the chamber in turn alters the pre-load applied to the compression spring. This in turn affects the force needed to draw the latch sub and jar mandrel upwardly until the latch keys engage the cam surface. Thus it is possible to match the operating load of the jar to the strength of the wireline being used to lower and/or control the pull string; and/or to the mass of the toolstring, by altering the effective stiffness of the jar. When the level of pre-load is high, stretching of the wireline commences at lower wireline tension than when the pre-load is less (giving rise to a less stiff system overall).
However, the aforesaid method of adjusting the operating load of the jar is inconvenient.
This is principally because it is necessary to unscrew the jar from the toolstring in order to effect the adjustment.
This in turn involves withdrawing the toolstring, perhaps over the total depth of a long well, to a surface location. This may take several hours.
Thereafter it is necessary to remove the toolstring from the well; to disconnect the wireline from the upper end of the jar; and remove the jar from the toolstring. Only thereafter is it possible to apply the spanner to the adjuster nut in the free, lower end of the jar. Following these steps the time-consuming process of re-assembling the toolstring and lowering it back into the wellbore commences.
In view of the great cost of oil and gas rig downtime, there is a strong need for a more efficient method of adjusting the operating load of a mechanical spring jar.
Furthermore, in recent years the strength of the wirelines generally has increased.
This means that the wirelines are capable of operating the jars with ever larger springs and at ever increasing amounts of pre-load.
However, the latch sub shoulder and the latch keys limit the loads at which the jar mandrels and latch subs separate from one another.
In particular, a known latch key and latch sub groove combination FINNEGAN includes a latch key having a shaped outer surface that presents a recess having one or more upwardly facing shoulders. The latch sub groove includes a protuberance of complementary shape to the recess. The use of high loads in the wirelines causes the pairs of protuberances to slide one over the other thereby causing separation of the jar mandrel and latch sub even before the latch keys engage the cam surface.
Also, the repeated use of high loads causes premature wear in the latch keys and groove.
Thus, there is also a need in the design of a jar for a more effective arrangement for securing the components together before their intended separation.


An apparatus for accommodating at least one component of a SOFC fuel cell system includes a thermally insulating inner box and an outer box that surrounds the inner box. The inner box includes a base, a cover, and side panels. The outer box bears against the base, the cover, and the side panels of the inner box and presses them together, and wherein the at least one component can be arranged in the interior of the inner box. The base, the cover, and the side panels are at least partly over-dimensioned so that the inner box can be assembled with a press-fit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for accommodating at least one component of a SOFC fuel cell system comprising a thermally insulating inner box and an outer box surrounding the inner box, wherein the inner box comprises a base, a cover, and side panels, wherein the outer box bears against the base, the cover, and the side panels of the inner box and presses them together, and wherein the at least one component can be arranged in the interior of the inner box.
The present invention further relates to a method for producing such an apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is known to, at least partly, position components of a SOFC fuel cell system in a so-called "hot box" which may, at least partly, accommodate particularly those components of an SOFC fuel cell system which become very hot during operation. Such an apparatus for accommodating at least one component of a SOFC fuel cell system is, for example, known from the DE 10 2006 060 809 A1.
What is problematic with such designs is particularly the shrinkage of a used insulation material which may lead to more or less large or deep cracks or gaps in the insulation.
The present invention is, accordingly, based on the object to prevent any crack/gap formation and to improve the insulating properties in this way.

Thermally insulating apparatus for accommodating at least one component of an SOFC fuel cell system, and method for producing an apparatus of this kind


The present invention relates to an adjustable length dilatation balloon catheter that includes a balloon catheter, a sheath that is slidably disposed around the balloon catheter, and an inverting tethering system that permits the selective adjustment of the exposed balloon length.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to balloon dilatation catheters and systems having an adjustable length balloon for use in percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).
2. Description of the Related Art
In certain clinical applications, there is a need to adjust the working length of a balloon in order to achieve ideal functionality. For example, when treating vascular stenoses (narrowing in blood vessel) using techniques such as PTA or venoplasty, the physician may encounter multiple stenoses of different lengths. The length of the balloon chosen for the procedure may not be appropriate for all stenoses. In these situations, using multiple balloons to dilate the stenoses may increase the complexity and cost of a procedure, as well as increase the inventory of different length balloons a hospital must have on hand. Thus, there is a need for catheter systems that permit the length of the exposed balloon to be controlled during a medical procedure.


A bowl stabilizer device for use with mixing bowls or the like in food preparation wherein a round or semi-round bowl bottom is present. The bowl stabilizer resiliently engages a portion of the bowl base conforming to the bowl diameter and angular inclination of the bowl portion providing for resistance of co-planar movement with the resting surface. The bowl stabilizer has a contoured endless coil configuration for overlapping engagement with the bowl.

1. Technical Field
This device relates to container bases and stabilizing structures used to rest a contoured bottomed container in for upright stabilization position during use.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different structural shapes and forms to hold and stabilize a number of different container configurations, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 455,094, 166,346, 1,149,010, 1,184,851 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,766.
In U.S. Pat. No. 455,094 a supplemental base for graduate glasses is disclosed wherein a wire frame configuration having a circular base portion has a glass engagement section extending from oppositely disposed sides of said base and configured in a resilient contoured U-shaped planar pattern engaging the base of the graduate glass.
In U.S. Pat. No. 166,346 a wire dish stand is disclosed which shows a circular wire configuration with multiple arms radiating outwardly from a center position forming a plurality of arcuately spaced inverted U-configurations for engaging and holding dishes within.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,149,010 discloses a sterilizer used to hold multiple bottles within a container for high heat treatment. The multiple bottles are positioned and held in place by a spiral spring which extends vertically around the height of the bottle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,184,851, a dish holder is disclosed which shows, among other things, a multiple wire loop configuration adjacent the base of the device and a similar expanded overlapping loop configuration and extending around the perimeter edges of the base so as to support in a wire basket-like configuration a serving dish, etc.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,766 a chime for barrels is disclosed in which a chime is shown having a saddle support to hold and support a rounded ended barrel. This support stabilizes and holds the barrel and prevents it from lateral movement and does so with a specific structural configuration of rigid support elements.


A predictive coding system can encode motion vectors by determining a motion vector of a target partition in a frame picture of an encoding target; determining a first motion vector predictor candidate from a motion vector or motion vectors of one or more partitions belonging to a left-neighboring region to the target partition; determining a second motion vector predictor candidate from a motion vector or motion vectors of one or more partitions belonging to an above-neighboring region to the target partition; selecting an optimum motion vector predictor and outputting motion vector predictor indication information to specify the selected optimum motion vector predictor, the optimum motion vector predictor selected based on comparison between one or more motion vector predictor candidates including the first motion vector predictor candidate and the second motion vector predictor candidate, and the motion vector of the target partition; and encoding the motion vector predictor indication information.

Motion compensated prediction technology is occasionally used in video encoding and video decoding. In the motion compensation technology, a frame of a processing target in a video sequence is divided into a plurality of partitions. These partitions are sequentially selected as a partition of a processing target (target partition). A motion vector is then determined for the target partition. In the motion compensated prediction technology, a motion vector predictor is determined using motion vectors of neighboring partitions to the target partition and the motion vector of the target partition is predictively encoded or predictively decoded in some cases.

Method and devices for predictive coding/decoding with optimum motion vector


A conveyor surface for carrying off separated sheets in a web welding and separating machine is displaced from a welding gap between a welding roller having a welding tool and an opposing roller in the direction of the axis of the opposing roller. As the leading edge of a thin web passes beyond the welding gap, it tends to stay close to the surface of the opposing roller until it has been borne a substantial circumferential distance past the welding gap, whereupon it separates therefrom. A guide plate bridges a space between the opposing roller and the conveyor surface to smoothly transfer the separated sheets to the conveyor surface. An elastically compressible strip on the welding roller is optionally used to improve the separation of the leading edge of the web from the welding tool and to closely press it against the opposing roller.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for welding a web of thermoplastic material using a welding tool which, utilizing the surface of an opposing roller as abutment for the welding tool, forms a welding gap through which the web to be welded is moved toward a conveyor while laying loosely on the opposing roller.
Machines of this type are known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,185,647 and West German Provisional Patent 1,296,356, as well as West German Pat. No. 1,215,350. These known machines serve in particular to produce bags from a continuous two-ply thermoplastic web by simultaneously welding seams and separating individual bags from each other.
These known welding machines, however, have the disadvantage that, when thin webs are welded, the leading edge of the web moving away from the welding gap is disturbed and does not always reach the conveyor for removing the finished bags. To reduce the unsupported distance through which the leading edge of the web must travel past the welding gap the feed rollers which lead the separated sections of web away have been made with the smallest possible diameter so that they can be arranged as close as possible to the welding gap. This solution has the disadvantage that, with the decrease in diameter of these rollers, their flexural strength decreases. When long rollers are used they tend to sag. Experience has shown that, even using take-up rollers of the smallest possible diameter, extremely thin bags still cannot be produced.
In order to remedy this situation, West German Unexamined Application for Patent 24 02 545 proposes providing an abutment for the welding tool which is resiliently supported in an opposing roller and which protrudes by a small amount beyond the outer circumference of the opposing roller. This known opposing roller has chambers therein which are connected by openings with the outer circumference of the opposing roller and within which an elevated pressure or a vacuum can be alternatively produced. In this way, the oncoming web may be drawn against the drum by suction and be repelled from the opposing roller by pressure therein. In these known machines, the web does not lie loosely against the opposing roller but is drawn against the same and is therefore connected with it during the transportation along the surface of the opposing roller.

Machine for welding thermoplastic sheets