Method and apparatus for plotting a raster image on a plane record carrier. A computer-stored raster image includes raster points and is convertable into controllable, raster-point related light beams in which picture elements corresponding to the raster points are plotted on the record carrier. The method includes dividing the computer raster image into matrix-like imaginary computer raster image subareas, dividing the raster image of the record carrier into matrix-like imaginary raster image subareas of the record carrier, and associating the subareas of the computer raster image and the subareas of the raster image of the record carrier with each other. The method further includes dividing the computer raster image subareas into n matrix-like imaginary raster point positions, dividing the raster image subareas of the record carrier into n matrix-like imaginary picture element positions, and associating the n matrix-like picture element positions with the n matrix-like raster point positions. Further, the method provides for successively plotting the picture elements that correspond with the raster points in successive time intervals Tq, wherein q represents values 1-n, and simultaneously plotting, during a q.sup.th time interval, respective q.sup.th picture elements associated with a q.sup.th picture element position of the raster image subareas of the record carrier, and moving, during the q.sup.th time interval, an aperture matrix that includes matrix-like arranged aperture matrix fields, each having an aperture for passing a light beam, and aligning each aperture with the q.sup.th picture element position to plot the respective q.sup.th picture element. The apparatus includes the matrix-like arrangements of the computer raster image, the computer raster image subareas, the raster image of the record carrier, and the raster image subareas of the record carrier, and the aperture field.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a photoplotting method and an arrangement for plotting a computer-stored raster image on a plane, photosensitive record carrier, i.e., for plotting picture elements (pixels) on a record carrier. The picture elements to be plotted may be arranged, at raster (grid pattern or matrix) positions, according to a raster, which may be defined by points of intersection of equidistant X/Y lines.
The photoplotting method and arrangements serve, e.g., to produce photographic artwork for printed circuit boards.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Photoplotters plotting a computer-stored raster image on a plane, photosensitive record carrier are known in the prior art (information sheet "Xenon Plotter" by the company MIVATEC, Hard- und Software GmbH, Benzstr. 17, D-71171 Schonaich, of Oct. 15, 1996).
During said plotting, an exposure head (with a plotting area of about 5.times.7.5 mm) is guided over a record carrier, which has a large area (up to about 720.times.600 mm) in relation to it, for the purpose of plotting picture elements, which make up the raster image of the record carrier.
The exposure head is provided with an LCD (liquid crystal device) matrix (or liquid crystal array) of light modulation elements. This LCD matrix comprises multiple liquid crystal elements arranged in form of a matrix, each of which can be selectively controlled by electrical means in order to open or block it for transmitted light.
If transmitted light is projected onto this LCD matrix, it can only pass as a "light beam" through the matrix at the those element points that are controlled to admit passage. Each of the light beams admitted forms a corresponding picture element on the photosensitive record carrier. Missing light beams--equivalent to blocked elements--form "missing picture elements".
The raster image of the record carrier comprises a multiplicity of picture elements, including plotted or non-plotted (missing) ones.
In the aforesaid arrangement, light from a Xenon flash lamp is projected onto the LCD matrix. Since the exposure head containing the LCD matrix has a much smaller area (to be compared with the square of a chessboard) than the record carrier (to be compared with a chessboard with an enormous number of squares), said exposure head must successively be guided to all the positions of the chessboard squares so that picture elements can be plotted there.
In view of the desired high resolution (in the range of >10 micrometers) of the raster image of the record carrier, the movement of the exposure head over the entire area of the record carrier imposes the highest tolerance requirements with regard to the precision of the movement mechanism for the movement of the head.
The greater the movement distances, the more difficult it is to fulfil the highest tolerance requirements. The movement of the exposure head over the entire area of the record carrier is therefore problematic and limits the accuracy of plotting, quite apart from the enormous equipment and cost expenditure for such a movement mechanism. Additionally, the aforesaid photoplotters involve long plotting times (6 minutes to 1 hour, depending on resolution).

Photoplotting method and an arrangement for plotting a computer-stored raster image on a plane, photosensitive record carrier


Techniques for time-bound batch status rollup for logged events are provided. A status for each action defined in a database log is resolved during a configured interval of time. The statuses for the actions are aggregated at the end of the interval of time and then joined back into the log.

Some Data Warehouse's provide what is known as a Common Alerting Mechanism (CAM). CAM provides an alerting service wherein clients, send requests for action sets to be performed. An action set is a named aggregation of one or more physical actions, where a physical action may be one of: send email; generate SNMP trap; run a user-defined program; etc.
The CAM service receives alert requests, executes the actions configured for the alert, and logs the statuses of the actions to database tables. For each action set, statuses are logged at two levels:                1) A summary status is written in table cam_alert_log; one status per action set.        2) Each individual, physical, action within the action set is assigned its own status in table cam_alert_status_log; e.g. an action set that sends an email and generates a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap will have two statuses in cam_alert_status_log: one for the email and one for the trap.
An action set's summary status reflects the set of statuses for its physical actions, and will change dynamically as its associated physical actions are executed, encounter errors, or complete successfully. For example, a typical action set will begin with a PENDING status, meaning that the associated physical actions have not yet completed. If all physical actions complete successfully, then the action set summary status is updated to SUCCESS. On the other hand, if all physical actions fail, then the summary status is updated to FAILED. Finally, if some physical actions were successful and others failed, then the summary status is updated to PARTIAL.
CAM has the capability to process multiple alert actions at any given time. Monitoring the statuses of the physical actions and rolling them up to the corresponding action set summary statuses in cam_alert_log are costly operations for the CAM service.

Time-bound batch status rollup for logged events


An injection device for injecting a filling into a wall includes a filling housing having a nozzle, and a plunger slidably engaged in the housing for drawing and injecting the filling relative to the housing. One or more vacuuming housings are secured to the filling housing and each has a plunger for vacuuming the vacuuming housing. The vacuuming housing plunger may force the plunger of the filling housing to inject the filling into the cracks of the walls. The plungers may be secured to the respective housing and may be disengaged from the housing when required.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection device, and more particularly to an injection device for injecting filling into cracks of walls.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, walls or the like may include various kinds of cracks formed therein. A filling or the like may be required to be injected into the cracks, but may not be easily injected into the cracks of the walls.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional the injection devices.

Device for injecting filling into cracks of wall

No. 365, Da Jen North Road, Gang San Town


A lane assistance system of a host vehicle for reacting to fast and extremely fast approaching vehicles includes a rear radar sensing unit having a sensor and an electronic controller. The electronic controller determines the distance and relative velocity of the fast approaching vehicle to the host vehicle. Further, depending on the closeness of the approaching vehicle, the lane of the approaching vehicle is determined from angular resolution of the radar signal. When the vehicle is approaching at an extremely fast rate and the angular resolution of the radar signal is not capable of determining an exact relative lane of the approaching vehicle due to the vehicle being too far away, the assistance system warns against or prevents lane changes by the host vehicle.

The present invention relates to a lane assistance system for sensing rapidly approaching vehicles from the rear of a vehicle to avoid inopportune lane changes.
Today, rear radar sensors are used for functions, such as blind-spot detection, rear cross traffic alert and closing vehicle warning. For closing or rearwardly approaching vehicle warning functions, systems must meet the ISO17387 norm, which requires that vehicles approaching at a velocity that is 20 meters/second (45 miles per hour (mph)/72 kilometers per hour (kph)) faster than the velocity of a host vehicle, result in a warning for the host vehicle. The warning must occur 3.5 seconds before the closing rearwardly approaching vehicle overtakes the host vehicle.
For all variants of automated driving which allow lane changes, it is important to identify if a subject vehicle on a neighboring lane is approaching extremely quickly, such that a lane change that could be potentially dangerous is not performed by the host vehicle. Unfortunately, today's systems, which are designed to meet a 3.5 second warning of a vehicle approaching a host vehicle from the rear at a relative velocity of 20 m/sec., typically cannot accurately sense a large enough distance rearwardly. Thus, the arrangement is not suitable for autonomous driving applications, as the system cannot provide the information fast enough for vehicles approaching extremely fast.
Some high relative velocity difference scenarios addressed herein are as follows.
On highways, e.g. German Autobahn for example, it is common on certain stretches that cars travelling at 250 kph overtake vehicles travelling at 80 kph. A common accident source is an operator driving a vehicle that is changing lanes behind trucks travelling at 80 kph to pass, not realizing that vehicles on the neighboring lane are approaching very quickly. Although this situation is not typical in some countries, there are additional situations when people speed considerably that need to be considered.
In highway traffic jam situations, occasionally a host vehicle is in a lane travelling slowly (e.g. 10 kph), but vehicles in a neighboring lane are travelling near the speed limit (e.g. 130 kph in many countries).
In city/city-expressway/country-road situations, vehicles in different lanes typically travel at different speeds. Lane changes and lane mergers by a host vehicle travelling at very low speeds to lanes where higher speeds are allowed (e.g. 100 kph) are also common, such that autonomous driving must be able to perform under such conditions.
In current implementations of radar sensing units, the radar sensing unit typically searches for peaks in the received spectrum, and translates the peaks into a measured distance and velocity, wherein high power was received off of reflections of objects. At this data point, angles of the objects with respect to the host vehicle orientation are also calculated.
However, when the angles of objects/vehicles relative to the host vehicle are not determinable or very uncertain, the measurements get rejected. Thus, the position of the approaching object is unknown and no action can be taken.
In other instances, values for the angles of objects relative to the host vehicle are obtained, but due to the large distance of the object from the host vehicle, the objects have a distribution that covers multiple lanes, such that there is no possibility of associating the detected vehicle to a specific lane. This event leads to missed or false interpretations of what lane the fast approaching object is in.
The objective of the invention is to identify when a vehicle is approaching extremely quickly from the rear of a host vehicle at a high relative velocity, such that a lane change by the host vehicle that may potentially be dangerous can be prevented, even when the specific lane of the closing rearwardly approaching vehicle is not certain.

Lane assistance system responsive to extremely fast approaching vehicles


A transfer apparatus is provided for transferring articles laterally off of a conveyor. One embodiment of the apparatus is designed for use with a belt driven live roller conveyor, and has a serpentine transfer belt arrangement having first and second uppermost portions which when in the raised position will be located on either side of the drive belt of the main conveyor. Other features include the use of a toothed drive belt driven by a motor that may have a motor brake. The apparatus may also include a stop abutment to prevent interference by an upstream article with an article which has been selected for lateral transfer. A lifting mechanism for the transfer apparatus preferably includes an actuating ram having a ram axis oriented parallel to the width of the main conveyor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transfer apparatus for transferring an article laterally off of a conveyor system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the design of conveyor systems such as those utilized in manufacturing operations and warehousing and shipping operations, roller type conveyors are often utilized.
A roller conveyor has a plurality of regularly spaced cylindrical rollers upon which the articles, typically boxes, roll as the articles move along the length of the conveyor.
The rollers are powered in order to drive the articles along the conveyor, and power can be provided to the rollers in many different ways.
One conventional type of driven roller conveyor system is that generally known as a belt driven live roller system. A belt driven live roller system utilizes an endless drive belt that runs along the center of the conveyor with the upper side of the drive belt engaging lower surfaces of the drive rollers so that the drive rollers are driven by the drive belt. A series of idler rollers are located on the opposite side of the drive belt from the drive rollers in order to create the appropriate frictional engagement of the drive belt with the drive rollers.
Another conventional type of driven roller conveyor system is that known as a line shaft drive conveyor. A line shaft drive conveyor has a drive shaft located below the rollers and typically oriented adjacent the edge of one side of the conveyor. Each of the drive rollers is connected to the drive shaft by a flexible belt oriented in somewhat of a figure-8 shape so as to transfer the rotation of the drive shaft to rotation of the drive rollers.
Other types of driven roller conveyor systems include a xe2x80x9cDC rollerxe2x80x9d system wherein some of the rollers have electric motors built into them, and each motor driven roller is connected to several other non-powered rollers with flexible drive belts. One DC powered roller will drive four or five adjacent rollers.
With any conveyor system there is a need for a transfer apparatus to move selected articles laterally off of the main conveyor.
With some of the above noted standard forms of driven roller conveyors, such as for example, the line shaft drive conveyor, transfer mechanisms have been constructed which utilize a plurality of transfer drive belts carried on a transfer frame. When it is desired to move an article laterally off of the conveyor, the transfer frame raises up so that the transfer drive belts extend up above the top of the rollers to lift an article off of the rollers. The drive belts are oriented parallel to the rollers and thus, the drive belts will move the article laterally when it engages the article.
With other types of driven roller conveyor systems, however, such as for example, the belt driven live roller conveyor, such a transfer mechanism has never been possible because the main conveyor drive belt is located along the center line of the conveyor and thus would interfere with the placement of such a transfer device. Accordingly, the transfer devices used to date with belt driven live roller systems have consisted of a pusher mechanism located at an elevation above the main conveyor rollers, which simply engages the article and shoves it laterally off of the main conveyor. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, such a pusher type transfer device does not provide precise control of the articles which are being moved laterally.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved transfer devices, and particularly for improved transfer devices for use with a belt driven live roller conveyor system.
In a first embodiment the present invention provides a transfer device for transferring articles laterally off of a conveyor such as a belt driven live roller conveyor. The apparatus includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of transfer drive belts. Each of the drive belts is mounted upon a transfer frame with a plurality of belt guides, preferably roller pulleys. Each drive belt is mounted upon its respective belt guides so as to define a serpentine belt path having first and second uppermost belt portions for engaging the article to be transferred, and a lower belt portion located between the first and second uppermost belt portions. This provides a U-shape path for the upper portion of the transfer drive belt, with the bottom of the U being sufficiently deep that a conventional main conveyor drive belt of a belt driven live conveyor system can be received within the U. Thus the first and second uppermost belt portions will rise up through the rollers of the conveyor system on either side of the main conveyor drive belt to engage the article and move it laterally off of the main conveyor. A lifting mechanism is operably associated with the transfer frame and moved between a retracted position wherein the drive belt is located below the articles on the conveyor, and a raised position wherein the first and second uppermost belt portions of each transfer drive belt engage the article to be transferred.
Preferably the transfer drive belt is a toothed belt and it is driven from a toothed drive sprocket driven by a drive motor. The motor preferably has a brake so that very precise position control can be provided to the article being transferred.
The lifting mechanism preferably includes an actuating ram having an axis oriented parallel to the rollers and thus parallel to the width of the main conveyor system.
The apparatus preferably includes a stop abutment attached to the transfer frame and extending upwardly on an upstream side of the transfer apparatus so that when the lifting mechanism is in its raised position, the stop abutment extends above the main roller conveyor.
Certain aspects of the invention such as the toothed drive belts with associated toothed sprocket and motor with a motor brake, the lifting mechanism having the actuating ram oriented parallel to the width of the main conveyor, and the use of the stop abutment are also applicable to other types of conveyor systems other than the belt driven live roller conveyor system. For example, these features may be utilized with a line shaft drive conveyor system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved transfer mechanism for use with conveyor systems.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a transfer mechanism which may be utilized with a belt driven live roller conveyor system.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of a transfer mechanism utilizing toothed belts, particularly with a toothed drive sprocket driven by a motor having a motor brake so as to provide precise lateral position control.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of transfer mechanisms utilizing a stop abutment to prevent interference by a following article with an article being laterally transferred.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved lifting mechanism for use with a transfer apparatus.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of a transfer mechanism which can easily be removed from the main conveyor system by simply unbolting a support frame from the frame of the main conveyor system and dropping the transfer mechanism out from between the rollers of the main conveyor system.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


An electronic device may have a main display and an ancillary display. The device may also have a backlit keyboard with glyphs. An ambient light sensor may measure ambient light levels. Control circuitry in the laptop computer may adjust the color cast of content on the ancillary display depending on whether the content contains glyphs or other input display content or whether the content contains images, color gradients, or other output display content. Input display content may be matched in color cast to the color cast of the glyphs, which may be determined based on backlight status and/or measured ambient light information. Output content may be color matched to the main display.

Electronic devices often include displays. For example, a laptop computer may have a color display for displaying images for a user. Laptop computers may also have keyboard keys and other input-output devices.
During operation, the intensity and color of ambient lighting may change. If care is not taken, ambient light changes and changes in the operating settings of components in the laptop computer may cause the appearance of keyboard keys, displays, and other input-output devices to vary in ways that are not aesthetically appealing.

Electronic device having ancillary display with color control


There is provided a varnish of a low dielectric loss tangent resin composition which is low in viscosity and excellent in storage stability. The varnish of a low dielectric loss tangent resin composition contains a thermosetting monomer (A) having a weight average molecular weight of not more than 1,000, a high polymer (B) having a weight average molecular weight of not less than 5,000, a halogen flame-retardant agent (C), a silicon dioxide filler (D), and an organic solvent (E). The average particle diameter of each the components (C) and (D) is in the range of 0.2 to 3 μm.

In recent years, the signal band of information communication equipment, such as a PHS or a mobile telephone, and the CPU clock time of a computer have reached the GHz band. The trend toward higher frequencies has been increasingly growing. The transmission loss of an electric signal is represented by the sum of a dielectric loss, a conductor loss, and a radiation loss. The higher the frequency of the electric signal, the more dielectric loss, the conductor loss, and the radiation loss. Since the transmission loss attenuates the electric signal and degrades the reliability of the electric signal, it is necessary to take any measure to suppress increases in dielectric loss, conductor loss, and radiation loss in a wiring board which handles a high-frequency signal. The dielectric loss is directly proportional to the square root of the dielectric constant of an insulator forming a circuit, and to the product of the dielectric loss tangent thereof and the frequency of a signal in use. Accordingly, an increase in dielectric loss can be suppressed by selectively determining an insulating material having a low dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss tangent as the insulator.
Representative materials having low dielectric constants and low dielectric loss tangents will be shown below. A fluorine resin typically represented by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTE) is low in each of dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent, so that it has been used previously for a substitute material which handles a high-frequency signal. On the other hand, various non-fluorine insulating materials having low dielectric constants and low dielectric loss tangents have also been studied. Because they are readily rendered as varnishes with organic solvents, and they are low in each of molding temperature and curing temperature, and easy to handle. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 08-208856 discloses that a diene polymer such as polybutadiene is impregnated into glass cloth and cured with peroxide. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 10-158337 discloses an example of annular polyolefin prepared by introducing an epoxy group into a norbornene containing polymer and imparting curability thereto. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-124491 discloses that acyanate ester, a diene polymer, and an epoxy resin are rendered into the B-stage by heating. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 09-118759 discloses an example of a modified resin made of polyphenylene oxide, a diene polymer, and triallyl isocyanate.
Japanese patent Laid-Open No. Hei 09-246429 discloses an example of a resin composition made of allylated polyphenylene ether, triallyl isocyanate, and the like. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 05-156159 discloses that polyetherimide and styrene, divinylbenzene, or divinylnaphthalene are alloyed. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 05-078552 discloses an example of a resin composition made of, e.g., bis(vinylbenzyl)ether and a novolac phenol resin; the resin composition has been synthesized from a dihydroxy compound and chloromethylstyrene through the Williamson reaction. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-249531, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-012710, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-105036 disclose that a multifunctional styrene compound having a total hydrocarbon skeleton is used as a crosslinkable component.
Furthermore, prior arts disclose that a filler, a flame-retardant agent, and the like, each having a low dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss tangent is added to the above mentioned insulating materials having low dielectric constants and low dielectric loss tangents, thereby further improving the dielectric properties and imparting a property such flame retardancy thereto. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-342311 discloses such an approach which combines 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl)ethane, 1,2-bis(tetrabromophthalimide)ethane, and a multifunctional styrene compound. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-043041, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-043042 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-198113 disclose that 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl)ethane is added to a curable polyphenylene ether resin composition as such an approach. Japanese patent Laid-Open No. Hei 09-031275 discloses that 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl)ethane is added to polystyrene.
An object of the present invention is to impart stability to a low dielectric loss tangent-resin varnish used in the process of manufacturing a prepreg, for the purpose of improving the productivity of a printed wiring board or multilayer printed wiring board with a low dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss tangent. Prior arts disclose that an insoluble component such as a filler or flame-retardant agent is added to a low dielectric loss tangent resin composition. By the way, when the low dielectric loss tangent resin composition is rendered as a varnish, precipitation of the insoluble component may occur. In prior arts, sufficient measures have not been made against the precipitation of the insoluble component. The present invention intends to cope with such a problem.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low dielectric loss tangent-resin varnish having excellent storage stability and being capable of providing a cured product exhibiting excellent dielectric properties in a high-frequency range. Furthermore the present invention is to provide a wiring board member using the same, such as a prepreg, a laminated board, a printed wiring board, or a multilayer printed wiring board.

Low dielectric loss tangent-resin varnish, prepreg, laminated sheet, and printed wiring board using the varnish


A cooling system utilizes a pulse-tube expander having a hollow pulse tube and three hollow regenerator tubes that lie parallel to and laterally displaced from the pulse tube, and are arranged in triangular fashion about the pulse tube. A cold end of each of the regenerator tubes is in gas pressure communication with a cold end of the pulse tube. Pulsing gas pressure is supplied to a warm end of each of the regenerator tubes, and a surge volume communicates with a warm end of the pulse tube. A heat sink is provided at the warm end of the regenerator tubes and the pulse tube to remove heat therefrom and from the pulsing gas. Heat is extracted from a heat load at the cold end of the regenerator tubes and the pulse tube.

This invention relates to cooling devices particularly useful for cooling to low temperatures, and, more particularly, to a cooling system utilizing a pulse tube expander having no moving parts.
Some types of sensors and electronic devices are not practically operable at temperatures above about 50.degree.-75.degree. K. and therefore must be cooled into this temperature range for proper operation. The cooling into this mid-cryogenic range is readily accomplished in some settings, such as a laboratory or a stationary service application, using a reservoir of a cryogenic fluid. In field operations, however, it is often not practical to supply a reservoir of the cryogenic fluid, and thermodynamic-cycle cooling devices must be used.
Several types of thermodynamic-cycle cooling devices are known. One commonly used cooler is based upon the Joule-Thompson gas-expansion principle. Another cooler is the pulse tube expander, based upon a modified Stirling cycle, in which pressurized gas in a regenerator/pulse tube assembly is rapidly pulsed such that compression work is done in the warm region of the assembly to remove heat from the expander, and expansion work is done in the cold region to absorb a thermal load. Pulse tube refrigeration devices are reasonably efficient, have minimal vibration, are dependable over long service lives, and are of moderate cost. The present invention deals with a cooling system utilizing an improved form of the pulse tube expander.
A basic pulse tube expander refrigerator has a regenerator linearly in series with the pulse tube, producing quite a long structure. One design modification to make the device more compact and simplify the heat rejection is a concentric design wherein a pulse tube of relatively small diameter is positioned inside and along the cylindrical axis of an annular regenerator of larger diameter. This design halves the total length of the linear device and colocates the heat rejection spaces within a single heat exchanger block, thereby simplifying the thermal management. In such a design, the regenerator must be radially insulated from the pulse tube, so that each component maintains its optimal axial temperature profile.
Most commonly, the insulation is provided by a vacuum gap between the outer wall of the pulse tube and the inner wall of the regenerator. While such a design is operable, its fabrication is relatively expensive due to the need for careful sealing of the vacuum structure and the numerous components involved. Vacuum ports must also be provided and sealed after the vacuum space is evacuated. If a vacuum leak is present or develops during service, the performance of the concentric pulse tube expander gradually degrades. Such degradation is a particular concern where the pulse tube expander must be operable continuously over a long life or after extended storage periods, a circumstance often encountered in the cooling of sensors.
There is a need for an improved pulse tube expander that has the advantages of other pulse tube expanders, but is both compact and not susceptible to degradation effects such as experienced in the conventional concentric design. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.

Cooling system using a pulse-tube expander


A method for forming interconnects in an integrated circuit chip which includes a plurality of active devices over which a layer of dielectric material is deposited. The method comprises: (a) depositing a selective nucleating layer on the dielectric layer; (b) depositing a sacrificial layer over the nucleating layer; (c) pattering the sacrificial layer and nucleating layer such that the resulting pattern of the nucleating layer and sacrificial layer is equivalent to the desired pattern of conductive lines; (d) depositing a sidewall guide material over the patterned sacrificial and nucleating layers; (e) forming sidewall guides; (f) removing the sacrificial layer; and (g) depositing conductive material between the sidewall guides and on the nucleating layer. The nucleating layer may comprise titanium nitride, the sacrificial layer may comprise silicon dioxide, the sidewall guide material may comprise silicon nitride, and the conductive material may comprise copper. In another aspect of the invention, a layer of silicon nitride may be provided over the conductive material.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the formation of integrated circuit devices, and specifically to improvements in the process used to manufacture connecting metals in such devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
As integrated circuit device manufacturers continually strive to integrate ever more device components into limited chip sizes, device interconnects have increasingly become an important design consideration. Essentially, such interconnects comprise the "wiring" for the component parts of the circuits on such chip by coupling the components to other such components in the overall device. Indeed, in ultra large scale integration (ULSI) devices having dimensions on the order of 1 micron or less, interconnects define the limits in performance, density and reliability, and are thus required to have very low electrical resistivity and high reliability.
Interconnect structures are generally desired to have good adhesion to the top surface of the wafer (which generally comprises a dielectric layer such as SiO.sub.2), be relatively easy to pattern, be of high purity, and make good electrical contact with the wafer material. A number of different metals, (most often aluminum), composite materials, (such as aluminum/silicon/copper alloys and refractory metal silicides), and doped polysilicon, have all been utilized as interconnects, each having various advantages and disadvantages.
Various methods of depositing such interconnects on the wafer surface have been utilized. One desirable processing technique is chemical vapor deposition (CVD). CVD offers such advantages as the use of low maintenance machinery, the provision of conformal step coverage, and high speed production. However, in utilizing CVD to deposit metal layers for use as interconnects, it has been found that the resulting cross-sectional profile of the deposited metal interconnect layer is generally hemispherical in form. A hemispherical profile reduces the integration efficiency of the interconnect since excess lateral area is required for the amount of interconnect material. Thus, it is desirable that the edge profile of the interconnect lines be vertical, or nearly vertical, to improve the packaging density of the integrated circuit device and to improve isolation of the interconnects. This criticality is enhanced by the decrease in spacing between the lines which follows from increased integration.
Copper is a material which has been suggested for use as an interconnect since it achieves many of the above-mentioned desirable interconnect characteristics. As noted in an article entitled "New OMCVD Precursors For Selective Copper Metallization", Norman et al., IEEE No. TH-0359-0/91/0000-0123, (Jun. 11-12, 1991 VMIC Conference), copper interconnects may be selectively deposited in low temperature CVD processes, making the use of copper attractive from a manufacturing point of view as well. In general, the process of depositing copper as an interconnect involves first depositing a selective nucleation layer to provide for selective deposition of copper. A number of materials are suitable for use as the nucleating layer, such as tungsten, titanium nitride, and tantalum are suitable for this purpose.
Attempts to control the hemispherical profile of copper using sidewall barriers have also been suggested. The article entitled "Encapsulated Copper Interconnection Devices Using Sidewall Barriers," Gardner, et al. IEEE No. TH-0359-0/091/0000-0099, (Jun. 11-12, 1991 VMIC Conference), describes an interconnect structure wherein copper is encapsulated by an upper and lower layer of barrier material, and wherein sidewall barriers are used to prevent lateral or horizontally oriented hillocks. The method disclosed therein involves (a) providing a layer of barrier material over the dielectric material overlying a wafer surface; (b) providing a low resistivity conductor (such as copper) over the barrier layer; (c) providing a second layer of barrier material over the low resistivity material; (d) patterning the composite layer by dry etch or (for copper) ion milling followed by dry etching; and finally (e) forming sidewall barriers by (1) depositing a thin layer of molybdenum or SiN, and (2) anisotropic etching to leave sidewall material. While the aforementioned process achieves the results desired of a interconnect while preventing lateral diffusion, the method chosen for fabrication involves a significant number of steps resulting in increased costs to achieve the desired results of an improved interconnect structure.

Method for profile control of selective metallization


A communications system (FIG. 7) couples together a number of entities or communications devices 710 by means of alternating stages (722, 726) of crossbar switches (712, 716) and stages (724, 728) of stride extender coupler circuits, which are preferably in the form of modules (714, 718), together with a final stage (730) of cross-connecting "termination" circuits or modules (720). The system can be expanded in performance capability (FIG. 8) by adding further stages (822, 828) of crossbar switches and stride extender coupling circuits or modules.

In parallel computers, a plurality of processors are interconnected in a manner which is adapted for performing a particular computing task. In such parallel computers, and in other systems, it is desirable to be able to quickly switch or change the interconnection configuration. A particular other system might be a telephone system. The telephone system is an example of a blocking network, in which any two entities or terminals may be interconnected, but not all possible interconnections can be made simultaneously.
The practical difficulties of construction of interconnection networks tends to become dominant as the number of devices to be interconnected increases. While a custom-made interconnection can be fabricated for each separate configuration in the context of a parallel processing computer, a separate, custom-made back plane is required for each different configuration. In a telephone context a new system of telephone lines would be required for each different pair of parties who wished to speak together. Many types of interconnection schemes have been proposed for rapid reconfiguration of the network extending between communication devices. While most of these schemes are effective for interconnection of small numbers of communication devices, some of the schemes grow more rapidly than others as the number of devices increases.
Various types of networks, such as common bus, tree, multistage switch network, ring, N-dimensional hypercube, and 2-dimensional mesh, have been proposed for interconnecting communication devices. Crossbar switched systems allow complete interconnectability, but practical considerations limit the number of interconnections in a complete crossbar switch.
FIG. 1a illustrates a common bus interconnection arrangement, and FIG. 1b represents a star network, its topological equivalent. These systems are not switched. A common bus 8a, and a common point 10b of FIGS. 1a and 1b, respectively, allow information to be transmitted by a plurality of devices or entities 10a, 10b, 10c . . . 10n, each of which is connected to bus 8 by a data link 9, and received by others of the entities. Each communication device or entity 10 is identified by the letter P, representing a processor. Bus 8a or point 8b must carry all the information, and it can be active 100% of the time. Each device 10 connected to the bus must share the available bus time. Thus, a device can transmit onto the bus only if no other device is transmitting, which requires time-multiplexing. The common-bus arrangement is not satisfactory for systems or processors which must be expandable, or which must have greater capability by virtue of additional devices, because it fails to increase in capability as it is enlarged. An increase of system size by addition of further communication devices 12 reduces the per-device share of the available time. In general, this may be viewed as reducing the bandwidth available to each device. It should be noted that processors 10 of FIGS. 1a and 1b are connected to bus 8 by bidirectional links, and that the connection of a link 9 to a processor 10a or 10b is at a port (not separately designated) which is an input port when the processor receives data and an output port when the processor transmits data. Thus, the nature of the port (input or output) depends on the direction of signal flow.
FIG. 2 represents a tree network, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,011, issued Jun. 16, 1992 in the name of Hein et al. Such a system is not switched to change configurations. As described therein, a total of 63 out of 64 processing units (P) 10 are arrayed in tree fashion in ranks numbered 1 to 6. Processor 10 of rank 1 (the "root" node) is connected by two data paths or links 12, 14 to inputs (or outputs, depending upon the direction of flow of signal or information) of two further processors 10 of the second rank. Outputs of the two processors 10 of the second rank are connected by links 16, 18, 20 and 22 to four further processors 10 of the third rank. Rank 4 includes eight processors, rank 5 includes 16 processors, and rank 6 includes 32 processors. As described in the aforementioned Hein et al patent, the inter-processor links may be serial or parallel bit paths. Tree structures may be optimal for specific applications. In many cases, however, the tree structure results in concentrations or "funneling" of traffic volume around the root node. This in turn results in the practical limitation that the network performance may be limited by the bandwidth of the root node, or those nodes near the root node, regardless of the size of the system. In some systems, "expansion" of capability is achieved by increasing the throughput of links near the root node, but this mode of expansion is limited by the available technology.
A conceptually desirable type of interconnection network is the multistage switch network (MSSN), of which the shuffle-exchange based network, Claus, Omega, and banyan are variations. FIG. 3 illustrated a three-stage full banyan network as described in the abovementioned Hein et al patent. In FIG. 3, three stages 213, 217 and 221 of bidirectional crossbar switches (S) are arranged in columns at the left, center and right, respectively. Sixty-four data paths 212 at the left of FIG. 3a are adapted to be connected to the output ports of a corresponding number of processors (not illustrated). Input data paths 212 are grouped into sets of eight, and each set is coupled to the inputs of eight 8.times.8 crossbar switches, designated 214, of first stage 213. Each first stage switch 214 accepts eight inputs 212, and can controllably couple any of its input data paths to any of its output data paths. The output data paths of uppermost crossbar switch 214 in FIG. 3a are designated 216. Each of the eight output paths 216 of uppermost crossbar switch 214 is connected to an input data path of a different one of eight 8.times.8 crossbar switches 218. Each of the seven other crossbar switches of first stage 216 has one of its output data paths coupled to an input port of one of the crossbar switches 218 of second stage 217. This allows an input signal which is applied to any one of the input stage 216 crossbar switches 214 to reach any crossbar switch 218 of the second stage. The eight output data paths 220 of uppermost crossbar switch 218 of second stage 217 are each coupled to an input port of a different one of crossbar switches 222 of output stage 221. Each of the other seven crossbar switches 218 of second stage 217 has one of its eight output data paths 220 connected to an input port of a different one of the crossbar switches 222 of output stage 221. Since the interconnection structure is symmetrical about an axis of symmetry 200, a signal path can be established between any output port 224 of an output stage 221 crossbar switch 222 and any crossbar switch 218 of second stage 217.
In general, multistage switch networks (MSSNs) provide good performance in most applications, and also tend to require less hardware in terms of linkages and switch nodes. However, MSSNs are not easily expanded due to the apparent irregularity of the link connections for different network sizes. For example, if the network of FIG. 3a were to be reduced to one-half its illustrated size, by cutting and discarding that portion lying below horizontal line of symmetry 202, the connections between stages would clearly have to change, since half the connections would no longer be connected. Also, addition of further stages to an existing network pattern requires different connections, more readily seen in the network of FIG. 3b. In FIG. 3b, the link pattern joining first stage 223 and second stage 227 differs from the link pattern joining second stage 227 and third stage 231, and each differs from the link pattern extending between third stage 231 and fourth stage 233. It appears that the "back-plane" connections, i.e. the link connections, have patterns and repetition dimensions which depend upon both the size of the network and the particular stages being joined. A backplane pattern useful for first to second stage interconnect in FIG. 3a cannot be used in FIG. 3b, nor can the first-to-second, second-to-third, or third-to-fourth stage interconnect patterns of FIG. 3b be interchanged. Consequently, the MSSN pattern, despite its other advantages, requires a custom interconnection for each different size system, and cannot readily be enlarged.
Ring networks, hypercubes, and 2-d mesh networks are generally similar, in that each network switch node corresponds to a network input/output node, which is different from the above described MSSN, in which there may be fewer switch nodes than network ports.
FIG. 4 illustrates a ring network, including a plurality of communication devices 410a, 410b, 410c . . . 410h, each of which is connected by a corresponding 3-port switch 414a, 414b, 414c . . . 414h into a closed loop or ring 16. Such an arrangement in effect partitions the bus of FIG. 1a into different portions, which different portions may be used simultaneously for communication between different devices 210. For a uniform communications distribution, about half of the messages must travel less than a quarter of the way around the ring, while the other half must travel more than one-quarter of the way. This means that, on average, each message must consume bandwidth on one-fourth of the available inter-switch links in the network. The total bandwidth of the network, on average, is equal to that of only four links. This surprising result arises, because any single message occupies one-fourth of the total network bandwidth, regardless of the network size. The network can only "carry" four messages at a time, corresponding to four links. Since this is invariant regardless of the network size, the per entity share of bandwidth decreases as additional entities are added. Thus, the ring network is not expandable. An additional disadvantage of the ring network is that, as the network grows, each message must, on average, make more link-hops, as a result of which the latency (delay between initial transmission and reception at the intended receiver) increases. The increase in latency occurs because the switches at each mode assume a state which depends upon the destination of the message, which requires that at least the address portion of the message be decoded.
FIG. 5 illustrates an N-dimensional hypercube network, in which N=4. In FIG. 5, each processor (or communication device or entity) 510 is connected by a data link to one port of a corresponding M-port switch 512, where M=9. In such a hypercube, each M-port switch is connected to its own processor and to each immediate neighbor. More particularly, eight processors 410a1, 510a2, . . . 510a8 of FIG. 5 are associated with the vertices of the outermost of the illustrated cubes, and each is connected to a corresponding one of eight nodes 512a1, 512a2, . . . 512a8, each of which represents a six-port switch. Only the front, upper left corner processors 510b1, 510c1 of the center and innermost cubes, respectively, are illustrated, but each vertex or corner of every hypercube is associated with a corresponding processor 510 and a six-port switch 512. The number of ports per switch can be understood by examining the connections of central-cube node 512b1. A first link 514b1 connects a port of switch 512b1 to its associated processor 510b1. Three additional links designated 516b1/b2, 516b1/b4, and 516b1/b5 connect node 512b1 to adjacent nodes 512b2, 512b4, and 512b5 of the same cube. Two additional data links 510b1+ and 510b1- connect node 512b1 to adjacent nodes 512a1 and 512c1, respectively, in the next larger and next smaller cubes. Node 512b1 is also connected to three additional nodes (not illustrated) by extensions of links 516b1/b2, 516b1/b4, and 516b1/b5 designated 515'b1/b2, 516'b1/b4, and 516'b1/b5, which connect to other adjacent structures (not illustrated) equivalent to that illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, each node or N-port switch is connected to eight adjacent nodes and to the associated processor, for a total of nine data links or switch ports. While a hypercube of dimension 4 has been described, corresponding structures using four and five-sided pyramids are possible. These types of communication network architectures are very effective, but present considerable construction difficulties for moderate or large networks.
FIG. 6 illustrates a 2-d mesh architecture 600. All the communication devices 610xy, where x represents the column, and y represents the row, and the five-port switches 612x,y of network 600 lie in a plane, and it is therefore termed "two-dimensional" (2-d). One port of each 5-port switch 612x,y is connected to the associated communication device or entity 610xy. The other four ports of each 5-port switch are coupled by links, some of which are designated 614, to the four nearest neighbors. The two-dimensional structure allows straightforward design, layout and expansion of the networks. The average communication latency of a 2-d mesh network can be improved by connecting the edges of the 2-d mesh to the other side, which is accomplished by "toroidal" connections illustrated in FIG. 6 as 616. The toroidal connections 616 do not conform to the equal-length connection links 614 lying in the 2-d plane. These toroidal connections therefore present an implementation challenge which adds complexity to the 2-d mesh communications network.
It appears, from the foregoing considerations, that the 2-d mesh is the most reasonable network to consider for a communications system which must be expandable and realizable at reasonable cost.
Many parallel processing systems are currently available, some of which are described above, but they are not widely applied to the many uses for which they are well adapted. It is widely recognized that the single greatest barrier to usage of parallel processing is the difficulty of efficiently mapping applications onto the parallel system. The programming or mapping task for efficient use of parallel processors is so cumbersome and complex, and therefore time consuming, costly and risky, that few applications have been paralleled. Part of this complexity arises from the dependence of the performance on the match between the processing system's architectural limitations and the application's communication requirements.


An illumination fan connectable with at least one illumination fan for a computer includes a body, provided with a fan in center of the body, an illumination area on at least two sides of the fan at top of the body, a power socket and a first connector on one side of the body, and a second connector on another side of the body. The power socket is electrically connected with the first connector, the second connector, the fan and the illumination area. When the power socket is supplied with power, the fan and the illumination area of the body is respectively driven into rotation and illumination, and when the first connector of the body is connected with a second connector of a body of another illumination fan, a fan and an illumination area of the body of another illumination fan is respectively driven into rotation and illumination.

In recent years, computing devices are making progress by leaps and bounds, and the applications of computing devices can be seen everywhere. Among these, computers have been satisfying the needs of people by providing a myriads of functions, such as executions and calculations. For example, many personal computers have taken the center stages in family lives in offering entertainments, document processing, image displaying, etc.; industrial computers provides services such as management, control and monitoring for factories; and automotive computers provides drivers and passengers with multimedia entertainments and the ability to receive information in real time. On the whole, computers have become an integral part of the human society.
Moreover, more attention has been focused on heat dissipation inside the housings of the computers with increasing demands for higher specifications of the computers. Therefore, fans are usually provided during assembly to dispel heat accumulated inside a housing to the outside. However, each fan has to be connected to the power supply through an independent power cable, so the number of fans that can be assembled is limited by the finite number of connections available on the power supply. This in turn limits the efficiency of heat dissipation. Furthermore, the additional wire inside the housing makes cable routing and managing much more cumbersome.

Illumination fan connectable with at least one illumination fan for a computer


A panel clamping assembly (10) facilitates gluing wooden boards (12) edge-to-edge so that they will form a perfectly flat panel after the glue sets. The assembly (10) includes a plurality of vertically oriented platens (14) each having a leading edge (16). All of the leading edges (16) lie in a common vertical plane. Wooden boards (12) are gently pressed against the leading edges (16) of the platens (14) by opposing press bars (22). Press actuators (28) create compression between the press bars (22) and their opposing platens (14). Conventional bar clamps (40) are removably hooked into respective clamp saddles (54) flanking the platens (14) to provide distributed clamping pressure normal to the glue lines. The lower ends (44) of the bar clamps (40) are slidably captured in shaft guides (92). The clamp saddles (54) are mounted to an upper mounting board (86) through the convenience of a lip (82). Likewise, the lower shaft guides (92) are attached to a lower mounting board (96). The assembly (10) can be scaled for gluing large or small wooden panels, doors, frames and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
A panel clamping assembly of the type for edge gluing wooden boards, doors, frames and the like, and more particularly a panel clamping assembly that uses commercially available bar clamps.
2. Related Art
Lumber panels are used extensively in fine furniture making and cabinetry. Large wood panels are created by gluing smaller boards together edge-to-edge. During this process, adhesive is applied to the mating edges, and then the boards pressed together using clamps. Sometimes, dowel pins, biscuits, or splines are used to help align the boards and improve joint strength. Clamp pressure is maintained until the adhesive has set.
Quality edge glued panels depend on strong glue bonds, closed joints, aligned surfaces and perfectly flat, planar edges. Edge glued boards that twist, cup or rack during the gluing process result in a panel that at best is difficult to work with and at worst unsuitable for the intended application.
Gluing boards into suitable panels can be a stressful operation. Handling long boards can be awkward. Keeping the boards aligned and in place before the glue sets can be difficult. If not careful, misapplied or dripping glue can cause a sticky mess. And limited glue curing time demands swift work.
To achieve high quality finished panels, skilled woodworkers take great care during the laminating process to ensure that freshly glued boards are held flat and undisturbed while the adhesive sets, and that clamping pressures are distributed evenly across the boards. The skilled worker will also assure that the clamps apply pressure centrally through the boards so as to minimize unbalanced and torsional stresses within the wood. Alternating clamps on opposite sides of the panel and evenly spacing the clamps are two techniques used to counterbalance unwanted induced stresses.
Various commercial attempts have been proposed to assure consistently flat edge-glued panels, some aimed at the commercial furniture manufacturing industry, whereas others are suited for the small cabinet shop and home woodworking enthusiast. Perhaps the best known example of a panel laminating system directed to the small cabinet shop is sold under the trade name Plano, marketed by Advanced Machinery Imports Ltd., of Newcastle, Del. The Plano vertical glue press, as it is known, comprises two or more vertically oriented clamps which surround all four sides of a gluing panel. Each clamp includes two opposing vertical rails formed by aluminum extrusions that sandwich the boards. The vertical rails have a generally U-shaped configuration wherein the two legs at the top of the "U" engage the wooden boards directly. Thus, for each vertical rail, two legs of the U make contact with each face of the gluing panels. Upper and lower linking arms join the two vertical rails and support the wooden panel from above and below. A screw mechanism associated with the upper linking arm comprises the sole means by which pressure is applied to the gluing panels in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
While generally effective at producing consistently flat panels, there are numerous disadvantages with the Plano vertical glue press. The system is composed entirely of specially manufactured items which are expensive and beyond the means of many woodworking enthusiasts and small shops. Another disadvantage of the Plano system resides in its committed use to one specific task—edge gluing wooden boards into panels. It is not convertible to other uses and there are no components of the Plano press assembly that can be detached and used for other purposes. Furthermore, horizontal and vertical clamping pressure for each clamp assembly is provided by a single screw associated with the upper linking arm. It is very difficult for this type of arrangement to produce ideal proportions of vertical and horizontal clamping pressure. Horizontally applied pressure, i.e., pressure exerted onto the face of the boards by the U-shaped vertical rails, is a function of the amount of pressure applied by the screw wheel. In other words, horizontal force can only be increased simultaneously with increased vertical force and vice-versa. There is no mechanism by which horizontal force to keep the boards flat can be increased while vertical pressure to squeeze the board edges together remains constant, nor by which different proportions of horizontal and vertical pressure can be applied to the boards. Thus, in situations where proportionally more pressure is required horizontally than vertically, the Plano system cannot accommodate. Yet another shortcoming of the Plano vertical glue press resides in the U-shaped configuration of the vertical rails. Because the rails are relatively wide, they cover relatively large areas of the wood during the clamping operation. When glue squeezes out from the edges during glue-up, the regions of wood covered by the rails, i.e., inside the "U," are inaccessible and therefore not all of the glue squeezed from the joints can be cleaned before it sets. Also, the wide vertical rails disadvantageously dissipate the horizontal clamping force over a relatively large area. The wide distribution of force is more likely to compel excessive tightening of the clamping screws in order to achieve the needed horizontal clamping forces. Keeping in mind that horizontal clamping pressure increases as a function of vertical pressure, excessively tightened clamping screws can lead to overcompression in the vertical direction, resulting in excessive glue squeeze out from the joints, too much induced stress in the boards, and a weaker finished panel.
Another example of a vertical panel clamping and assembly rack for small production shops can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,561 to Phillips, issued Dec. 30, 1997. Phillips discloses an apparatus and method for edge gluing wooden boards wherein the boards are supported on a lower spacer bar and stacked against a series of co-planar center support channels. Outer press bars are carried on cantilevered threaded bolts and screwed, with the aid of nuts, against the wooden boards to press them against the center support channels. Conventional bar clamps are then used to provide pressure while the adhesive sets. Numerous disadvantages are evident from the Phillips system. Firstly, the center support channels and press bars have wide flat contact surfaces, resulting in a large surface area of the wooden panels covered during the gluing operation. This frustrates glue clean-up, disadvantageously dissipates clamping force, and can result in staining of the wood, as well as uneven drying of the glued joints. Also, there is no provision for supporting the bar clamps directly from the assembly rack.
Some commercially available systems are suited only for large scale production. These systems employ various techniques to assure consistently flat panels. Examples of commercial grade systems may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,255 to Yow, issued Oct. 15, 1985, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,576 to Cable, issued Aug. 24, 2004. Both of these systems describe highly automated pieces of capitol equipment for producing consistently flat edge glued panels from wooden boards. Their designs are beyond the reach of all but large-scale production furniture makers and material suppliers. As a result, they do not employ techniques or devices which are common to home woodworkers and small shop environments. Furthermore, they represent single use, dedicated machines whose components are not suitable for alternative uses.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved panel clamping assembly of the type for edge-gluing wooden boards, doors and frames that is suitable for use in small cabinet shop and home woodworking environments. Furthermore, there is a need for a panel clamping assembly that uses commercially available, conventional bar clamps, that is convenient to use, and which permits the bar clamps to be readily removed from the clamping assembly for use in other applications.


A system for preventing overflow of a toilet includes a sensor, a processor and an actuator. The sensor senses a parameter caused by fluid dynamics within the toilet during a flush cycle. The parameter may involve vibration, sound, pressure, fluid flow rate or other detectible characteristics of the toilet. The processor uses information regarding the parameter that is gathered by the sensor to evaluate the condition of the flush cycle to determine if an impeded flush condition exists. In the event of an impeded flush condition, the processor directs the actuator to close a valve, which may be the toilet flapper valve in some embodiments. Also disclosed are methods for preventing toilet overflow, detecting an impeded flush condition and calibrating the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to toilets. More specifically, the present invention relates to an overflow prevention device for a toilet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although significant advances have been made in toilet technology, particularly in reducing the amount of water needed for flushing purposes, a satisfactory solution for preventing the overflow of a toilet in the event of a blockage of the toilet bowl, or associated waste plumbing, has not been achieved. Existing overflow prevention devices, in order to provide acceptable reliability, are often complex and result in the devices having a high cost. Furthermore, existing overflow prevention devices often include visible components, which can result in a displeasing appearance.

Toilet overflow prevention system and method


An antistatic solution is disclosed to aid in the measurement of patterned resists by scanning electronic microscopes. The solution comprises a quaternary ammonium salt and a suitable solvent. The anion of the salt is selected from the group consisting of saccharinate, nitrate, sulfates, alkyl sulfates and alkoxylate. The four groups of the cation are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and alkyl derivatives.

A resist is a layer of a material that adheres to a substrate during semiconductor fabrication. A pattern of openings is formed in the resist through which the substrate is etched or impurities are implanted. The pattern in the resist may be formed, for instance, by exposing certain portions of the resist to ultraviolet (UV) light and etching with a suitable chemical. Sizing control of resist openings or geometries during integrated circuit ("IC") manufacturing is therefore essential to the success of product fabrication.
As circuit complexity is increased, either the size of the ICs or the density of the circuitry must increase. For a number of reasons, small device size is desirable. circuit density and resist geometry size must therefore be minimized. This decrease in geometry size has put a strain on linewidth control efforts. For a smaller geometry, the same sizing variation will have a proportionately greater effect.
Many factors in the pattern transfer process can adversely affect the sizing of geometries. These include resist coating thickness, imaging tool conditions, temperature and concentration of developer, and the etching equipment conditions, among others. Even if all the factors which influence sizing are constantly monitored and adjusted to bring them into control, the final pattern size itself must be measured before further processing to assure that the desired sizing is achieved.
Sizing measurement to monitor and control resist geometries is done using two techniques. The first technique uses an optical instrument to measure the linewidth and geometry of a resist. The resolution of this type of instrument is limited by the wavelength of visible light to around 1.2 micrometers. Optical linewidth measurement is also sensitive to substrate conditions and to the edge profile of the resist geometries being measured.
Where the geometry needed to be measured approaches 1 micrometer, most fabrication facilities find it necessary to use a second technique. There, a scanning electronic microscope (SEM) is used to precisely monitor critical resist dimensions. Recent advances in SEM technology make it now possible to efficiently use SEMs in production lines without destroying the measured product.
Although SEMs can measure geometries smaller than one micrometer, a charging phenomenon increases the uncertainty of the ultimate measurement. This charging phenomenon arises because the number of electrons emitted from the SEM and impinging upon the surface of the measured substrate is greater than the number of electrons emitted from the substrate. This ultimately degrades the focusing ability and hence the resolution of the SEM. The charging problem is aggravated when a nonconductive resist pattern lies on top of a conductive substrate and after baking.
Several techniques have been developed to minimize the electron charging phenomenon. The phenomenon can be minimized by using a lower electron beam current, by tilting the substrate with respect to the beam, and by adding water or other chemicals to the resist. Fewer electrons penetrate into the substrate at lower currents but fewer electrons will be present to illuminate the subject. Similarly, fewer electrons penetrate a substrate when the electrons strike at an oblique angle. Most SEMs, however, are not able to tilt their subject. Furthermore, poor conductors, even when tilted, will charge under prolonged exposure. The water content in an organic resist is unfortunately decreased to a level which makes it ineffective in controlling charging after most patterning and developing processes. Baked or etched resists are further hardened such that virtually no water exists in or on the surface of the resist. Finally, adding electrolytes is undesirable because they change the etching properties of the resist.
Therefore, a need has arisen for an antistatic coating for integrated circuits which permits precise linewidth measuring by a SEM, which does not require modification to existing SEMs to be compatible therewith, and which does not interact with the wafer chemistry during fabrication.

Antistatic solution for microlithic measurement


On electronic typewriters which have the ability to record into a small working memory those characters, functions and escapements which are keyed at the keyboard, it is many times advantageous to be able to place the carrier and the print point over a character which has been previously typed without using repeated backspaces. Disclosed herein is a feature for an electronic typewriter which permits the operator to easily align the print point with a character on the page by positioning a reference mark on the card holder or print carrier in relation to a previously printed character and then through keyboard control cause the carriage to shift its position such that the print point is then exactly aligned with the character printed. The positioning of the carrier such that the reference mark is in relation to the desired print point is accomplished by a backspace operation and the repositioning or causing of the carrier to assume a position immediately over the subject character is accomplished by keyboard control through the electronics of the typewriter to cause the carrier to shift a predetermined distance.

In typewriters having the ability to position the print point at any of several different positions within a normal escapement pattern, such as for example, in those using a conventional lead screw type of escapement arrangement, it is possible to either intentionally or inadvertently create misalignment with the normal escapement pattern. A lead screw escapement arrangement is commonly used since such a system is conducive to the implementation of proportional spacing. Particularly in proportional spacing typewriters, it is difficult to reposition the print point over a previously printed character because of variances in character width. This repositioning can also be difficult where the print point at some point in the line has been misaligned either intentionally or inadvertently such as for example where a character has been squeezed in or where characters have been removed and then subsequent printed characters have been expanded to fill the space. In situations such as that immediately described above it is difficult to realign the print point with those positions for the removal and correction of erroneously typed characters. When the operator attempts to align the character it is dependent upon the operator's ability to visualize intersections of guide marks with edges or centers of characters and this does not lead to accurate reliable positioning. Thus when the operator attempts to remove the character from the page by erasure through the use of the corrections mechanism on such a typewriter the characters are not properly aligned and either ghost images remain on the paper or repetitive corrections at small escapement increments are necessary, thus thereby potentially tearing the page.
On some typewriters it has been necessary to provide an extendable guide member which may be extended into the print point area to facilitate repositioning. This member must of necessity be retractable in order to not interfere with subsequent printing operations. Other solutions have included guide marks on the card holder or other reference marks which the operator must observe and attempt to align with the desired print position. Due to the necessity for clearance between the impacting print element and the card holder or other structure in that area, it is many times necessary to displace these reference marks by some distance from the actual print point thereby increasing the possibility for misjudgments. This is particularly true where the typewriter is capable of positioning the print carriage in very small increments of a full escapement increment.
It is therefore, an object of this invention to facilitate the alignment of the print point of the typewriter with a desired location on the printed page.
It is an additional object of this invention to ease the operator's burden in relocating the print point over a desired position on a printed page.
It is an additional object of this invention to electronically move the carriage from a preliminary alignment position to a final alignment position thereby insuring accurate relocation of the print point over a particular position on a page.

Relocate feature for an electronic typewriter

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a method for coating a titanium based component with diamond-like carbon to reduce the thrombogeneticity of the component. In a preferred embodiment, the titanium based component is a heart valve.. According to the present invention, the component is placed in a vacuum chamber and heated to about 600.degree. -650.degree. C. (1112.degree.-1202.degree. F.). Thereafter, silicon is then deposited onto the component, and the component is simultaneously bombarded with a beam of energetic ions to form a metal-silicide bonding layer. The component then is cooled to at least about 100.degree. C. (212.degree. F.), preferably about 80.degree. C. (176.degree. F.), and a diamond-like carbon precursor is condensed onto the metal-silicide bonding layer. The precursor is simultaneously bombarded with a beam of energetic ions to form a coating of diamond-like carbon.

Titanium has become a popular metal for the manufacture of human implants. The FDA considers titanium and many of its alloys ("titanium based materials") to be biocompatible. Titanium based materials also ere easily machined, are not overly brittle, and are durable enough for the manufacture of most medical implants.
Unfortunately, titanium based materials also tend to encourage thrombogenesis. This tendency is undesirable, particularly for implants used in the circulatory system. An example of a medical implant that is used in the circulatory system is a heart valve.
A method for reducing the thrombogeneticity of titanium and its alloys would be highly desirable.

Treatments to reduce thrombogeneticity in heart valves made from titanium and its alloys


A foundation pier for supporting a movable dwelling, such as a mobile home or commercial coach is provided. The pier provides enhanced seismic and wind force absorption properties over prior art piers. The invented pier includes a base plate having a threaded shaft affixed thereto. A plurality of webs are spatially positioned about the shaft at predetermined intervals. A support member has a first end threadably coupled to the shaft for adjusting the height of the pier. Couple members detachably couple to second end of the support member for attaching the pier to a support beam of the movable dwelling to prevent movement between the pier and the dwelling. A clamp member is affixed to the plurality of webs. The clamp member couples to the support member for preventing movement of the support member relative to the shaft and the clamp member. Environmental forces applied to the support member are transmitted from the clamp member and distributed through the plurality of webs to prevent the pier from collapsing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to foundations for movable dwellings, such as mobile homes and commercial coaches, and more particularly, to an improved pier for supporting a movable dwelling that substantially resists environmental forces, such as seismic and wind forces.
2. Description of Related Art
Foundation piers are well known in the art. Piers are typically used to support beams, girders, floor joists, and the like. Piers are often used in the foundation systems of movable dwellings, such as mobile homes and commercial coaches for example. Since these dwellings are movable, foundation systems incorporating piers are a preferable system for supporting the dwelling, as the foundation system can be disassembled if it is desired to move the dwelling.
Movable dwellings typically comprise a prefabricated modular unit, with the length thereof substantially greater than the width, to provide ease of transporting the unit for example. The unit is typically fabricated with a plurality of spatially positioned, elongated support girders or beams that extend along the longitudinal axis of the unit. The support beams often have an "I" configuration. A plurality of spatially positioned floor joists are supported by the beams and extend across the width of the unit. Some movable dwellings may incorporate a perimeter chassis that has a beam having a "C" configuration.
Piers are used to support the beams and may be positioned beneath a beam, at an intersection of the beam and a joist. Units configured with C-beams may have piers spatially positioned along the beam at predetermined intervals to support the unit. The distance between the piers is governed by such factors as the dimensions of the unit and applicable building codes at the installation location of the unit, for example.
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a schematic representation of a prior art pier 10. The prior art pier 10 shown comprises a base plate 12 for supporting the pier on the ground 13 and pair of opposing supports 14 affixed to the base 12. The supports 14 may comprise opposing portions of angle iron, for example, that extend perpendicular to each other. Extensions 16 are coupled to the supports 14 using bolt-nut combinations 18. A plurality of holes 20 may be disposed through the longitudinal axis of both the supports 14 and extensions 16.
The piers 10 are installed by adjusting the extensions 16 until a top portion 22 of the extensions 16 abuts a desired beam (not shown). The bolts 18 are then disposed through the holes 20, then nuts (not shown) then threaded onto the bolts 18 to secure the extensions 16 to the supports 14. The plurality holes 20 enable the extensions 16 to be secured to the supports 14 at different locations for adjusting the height of the pier 10.
The piers 10 may include means for coupling the extensions 16 to the beam. Such coupling means (not shown) may comprise a platform affixed to the top edge 22 of the extensions 16. The platform may have an upwardly extending threaded shaft at each corner thereof. A plate is held is a desired horizontal position by the threaded shafts using well known methods. The plate is adjusted upwardly until it abuts the desired beam. A pair of brackets that are coupled to the shafts, are then placed over the bottom portion of the desired beam. The brackets are then tightened onto the bottom portion of the beam. A disadvantage of the discussed coupling means, is that is was somewhat unstable due to the length of the shafts. Lateral forces applied to either the beam or the pier 10 could cause the coupling means to fail.
A further disadvantage of the discussed prior art pier, is that while the extensions 16 reside tightly against the supports 14, a substantial amount of force on the extensions 16 is transferred to the bolts 18, instead of the supports 14. Seismic activity and wind forces can substantially increase the amount of force applied to the pier 10, causing the bolts 18 to fail. Particularly, force applied to the bolts 18 from the extensions 16 may shear the bolts 18, causing the extensions 16 to suddenly drop. Thus, the pier 10 no longer supports the beam, which could result in damage to the unit and to the pier 10.
There therefore exists a need for a pier that resists environmental forces applied thereto due to seismic activity, wind, and the like, to prevent the pier from failing.


Method and apparatus for automatic cooking in a microwave oven capable of executing the automatic cooking in an optimal state by detecting an outflow air temperature and a weight of food at an initial stage, calculating an outflow air temperature difference after executing a cooking operation for a predetermined time, calculating an additional value by giving a fuzzy membership function to the outflow air temperature difference and the weight of food, calculating a first stage heating time by executing an operation process according to a fuzzy rule, calculating second to fifth stage heating times by multiplying the first stage heating time by predetermined values, respectively, and executing a cooking operation for the calculated stage heating times.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and an apparatus for automatic cooking in a microwave oven which are capable of executing automatic cooking in an optimal state by detecting an outflow air temperature and a weight of food to be cooked and calculating a cooking time using detected signals relating to the outflow air temperature and the weight of food with fuzzy control.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Various types of microwave cooking methods and apparati are well known in the art. One conventional microwave oven is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional microwave oven comprises a microcomputer 1 for controlling the operation of the whole system, a driving section 2 for supplying magnetron driving power, fan motor driving power, and turntable motor driving power under control of the microcomputer 1, a magnetron 3 for generating a microwave by being driven by the magnetron driving power from the driving section 2, a heating chamber 7 for heating the food positioned on a turntable 8 with the microwave generated at the magnetron 3, a cooling fan motor 5 which is actuated by the fan motor driving power from the driving section 2, a cooling fan 6 for blowing air in the heating chamber 7 through an air inlet 10 and cooling the magnetron 3 upon activation by the cooling fan motor 5, a turntable motor 9 for rotating the turntable 8 by being actuated by the turntable motor driving power from the driving section 2, and a weight sensing section 4, disposed below the heating chamber 7, for detecting the weight of the food and applying the detected weight signal to the microcomputer 1 as an electrical signal.
With reference to FIG. 2 the operation of the conventional microwave oven is described below.
Upon pressing a button for cooking in a state that the food to be cooked is positioned on the turntable 8 within the heating chamber 7, the microcomputer 1 executes an initial heating operation.
That is, the cooling fan 6 is actuated for a predetermined time by the driving section 2 to blow air into the heating chamber 7 so that the air temperature within the heating chamber 7 is uniform.
When the predetermined time has elapsed, the microcomputer 1 actuates the turntable motor 9 to rotate the turntable 8 on which the food to be cooked is positioned, and the magnetron 3 is driven by the driving section 2 to heat the food within the heating chamber 7. On the other hand, the weight sensing section 4 disposed below the heating chamber 7 detects the weight of food and converts the detected weight signal into an electrical signal and applies it to the microcomputer 1. As a result, the microcomputer 1 stores the weight signal W1 therein and multiplies the weight signal W1 by a predetermined constant C responsive to the kinds of food, thereby calculating a first stage heating time T1, as shown in FIG. 2.
The magnetron 3 is strongly actuated for the first stage heating time T1 calculated as above, and thus the food within the heating chamber 7 is heated as time elapses.
Thereafter, upon completion of the first stage heating time T1, the microcomputer 1 executes a second stage heating operation by calculating a second stage heating time KT1 by multiplying the first stage heating time T1 by a predetermined constant K and weakly actuates the magnetron 3 for the calculated second stage heating time KT1 to continuously heat the food.
Thereafter, when the second stage heating time KT1 elapses, that is, when the whole cooking time T2 has elapsed, the magnetron 1 stops the driving of the magnetron 3, the cooling fan 6 and the turntable motor 9 and finishes the cooking operation.
In such a conventional microwave oven, the first stage heating time is calculated by multiplying the weight of food detected at the weight sensing section by a predetermined constant in accordance with the kinds of food and the first stage heating operation is executed for the first stage heating time, but it executes the cooking operation indiscriminately with respect to the food of same kind and weight irrespective of the condition and shape of the food, resulting in the over heating or incomplete heating of the food.
Furthermore, since the first stage heating is executed for the first stage heating time which is calculated in response to the weight signal, the reliability of cooking becomes lower in the region where the voltage level is not irregular, and in case that an error occurs in the weight sensing signal of food detected at the weight sensing section, the cooking time may also involve an error, thereby causing the cooking condition to be poor.


This invention relates to augmented polymeric hypodermic needles and lancets. The needles and lancets are stiffened by augmenting means so that they are able to pierce the skin. The devices cost less to manufacture and are safer to use than present metal hypodermic devices. They make possible new types of ampules, phlebotomy devices and intravenous catheters. Most of the models are completely burnable. This invention makes possible safe, easy to use, low cost, disposable hypodermic devices for injection, blood withdrawal and testing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to hypodermic devices and, more particularly, is concerned with augmented polymeric hypodermic devices and their methods, use and manufacture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Metal hypodermic needles and lancets have not changed substantially in over 100 years. They have many disadvantages. The foremost, is that they are dangerous. They are involved in the transmission of such deadly diseases as AIDS through inadvertent "needle sticks" of health care workers. Currently the risk is an unacceptable 1 in 200. In addition, the metal needles can break during use, requiring surgery to remove. Further, the metal needles and lancets are extremely difficult to destroy. Even segments or stubs of the needles and lancets are dangerous. They are not combustible by ordinary means and, thus, pose a continuing disposal and health problem.
Others have made many attempts to solve these problems. Their proposed solutions have taken two main routes. The first, is a substitution of plastic for metal in the needle material. The second, is a guard to shield the needle. Both avenues have failed for a variety of reasons. Plastic has not replaced metal because thin plastic needles that are hard enough to puncture the skin are too brittle and shatter, while more flexible needles lack the requisite stiffness to pierce the skin. Previous needle guards have proven to be either unwieldy, too costly, inconvenient to use or ineffective.
The following patents are included for reference as to the state of the prior art at the time of this application.
A plastic hypodermic needle that attempts to mimic the shape and function of a conventional metal needle is described by U.S. Pat. No. 2,512,568 to Saffir. U.S. Pat. No. 2,512,569 also to Saffir illustrates metal and other hard materials used only on the tip of the plastic needles to facilitate skin puncture, much as metal arrowheads are put on wooden shafts. U.S. Pat. No. 2,954,768 to Hamilton shows plastic needles with unusual piercing tip configurations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,814 to Butler shows another large plastic needle with unusual tip geometry. A plastic hypodermic needle with angled side portals is revealed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,877 to Massau.
A closed, triangular cross section, metal hypodermic needle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,384 to Baldwin et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,906 to Holzner shows a standard hypodermic needle attached to an ampule with either a pressure seal or a breakable seal in the ampule. U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,601 to Lary reveals a standard needle with an ampule that is pierced by the rear of the needle to release the injectate.
Spring biased shields for conventional metal needles are shown by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,674,246 to Bower; 2,876,770 to White; 3,134,380 to Armao; 4,416,663 to Hall; 4,507,118 to Dent; 4,664,654 to Strauss; 4,795,432 to Karczmer; and 4,929,237 to Medway.
To guard conventional metal needles, hand operated shields which slide into different positions on the hypodermic syringe body are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,695,274 to Fox; and 4,702,738 to Spencer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,230 to Wulff describes a conventional metal hypodermic needle mounted on a flexible sleeve and surrounded by a biased spring assembly for inoculating livestock.
A resilient foam rubber or plastic biased guard of a conventional metal needle is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,369 to Schwartz. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,068 to Dechow illustrates a blood sampling device which uses resilient foam or springs for biasing and sequencing functions of conventional metal needles.
Needle sheaths for extremely long conventional metal hypodermic needles, mainly for cervical area injections, are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,356,089 to Francis; and 3,406,687 to Moyer.
No matter what the precise merits of the preceding, cited patents, none anticipates this invention.


Counterblade extracting device for extracting counterblades pivoted in slots of a wall including a disk element which is rigidly associated with a lever-like actuation element and which is arranged adjacent to the side of the counterblade and rotatably coupled thereto outside the wall.

The present invention relates to a counterblade extracting device, particularly for extracting the counterblades of trucks for shredding-mixing zootechnical fibrous products.
The use of shredding-mixing trucks with a vertical scroll to prepare fodder for livestock, in particular cattle, is known in the zootechnical field; said trucks are substantially constituted by a container in the shape of an inverted truncated cone arranged on a wheeled chassis inside which a scroll is arranged vertically; the profile of the helix of said scroll is arranged along an ideal conical surface.
Blades suitable for shredding the product being mixed, which is appropriately loaded from the top, are peripherally fixed to the scroll.
In order to contrast the rotary motion of the product being mixed, which is entrained by the rotating scroll, substantially radial counterblades are arranged at the lower part of the container and can be inserted and extracted through slots provided thereon.
Said counterblades are substantially constituted by disk sectors which are pivoted proximate to their vertex.
Extraction of the counterblades after insertion in the container can currently occur either simply manually, by means of handles appropriately applied to said counterblades, but this is particularly onerous due to friction and to the action exerted on said counterblades by the product inside the container, or by applying hydraulic jacks rigidly associated between the container and the blades.
However, the presence of the hydraulic jacks entails the execution of an offtake branch of the hydraulic circuit and necessarily entails the simultaneous actuation of all the counterblades, unless a distributor suitable for sending pressurized oil only to the desired counterblades is used.
This naturally entails rather considerable cost increases.