An easy start adapter secured to the actuator of an automotive vehicle ignition switch and steering shaft lock. The adapter is in the form of a pair of clamp members adapted to be securely clamped to the diametrically opposed projecting wings or lugs utilized on existing steering column mounted ignition switches which operate the ignition circuit and also actuate the vehicle starter motor and lock and unlock the steering control shaft within the steering column. The clamp is provided with an elongated lever arm rigidly and adjustably secured thereto oriented generally in perpendicular relation to the rotational axis of the ignition key and lock cylinder which receives the ignition key in order to enable a vehicle operator to apply the necessary force to the ignition switch actuator to start the vehicle even though the vehicle operator has physical conditions that would not enable actuation of the ignition switch by conventionally engaging the usually provided ignition key diametrically opposed wings or lugs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an easy start adapter secured to the actuator of an automotive vehicle ignition switch and steering shaft lock. The adapter is in the form of a pair of clamp members adapted to be securely clamped to the diametrically opposed projecting wings or lugs utilized-on existing steering column mounted ignition switches which also actuate the vehicle starter and lock and unlock the steering shaft within the steering column. The clamp is provided with an elongated lever arm rigidly and adjustably secured thereto oriented generally in perpendicular relation to the rotational axis of the ignition key and lock cylinder which receives the ignition key. This enables a vehicle operator to apply sufficient rotational force to the ignition switch actuator through the elongated lever arm to rotate the ignition switch actuator to the engine "start" position even though the vehicle operator has physical conditions that would not enable actuation of the ignition switch by engaging the usually provided diametrically opposed wings or lugs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Present day automotive vehicles utilize an ignition switch mounted on the steering column of a vehicle immediately below the steering wheel. The ignition switch not only operates the ignition circuit but also the starter motor circuit and locks and unlocks the steering shaft within the steering column to prevent rotation of the steering wheel when the ignition switch is in a locked condition. This type of ignition switch includes a lock cylinder having a slot to receive the ignition key and an actuator in the form of an annular ring secured to and oriented peripherally of the ignition lock cylinder with the annular ring including a pair of diametrically opposed radially and axially extending wings or lugs which enable a vehicle operator to insert the key into the lock cylinder and then engage the wings or lugs and the ignition key with the thumb and forefinger in order to partially rotate the ignition switch actuator to a position to close the ignition switch, actuate the starter or move the ignition switch to an accessory position if desired. The ignition switch structure includes a spring biased feature which must be overcome to move the ignition switch to a position to energize the vehicle's starter with this spring bias returning the ignition switch to a position with the ignition circuit closed after the vehicle has started and the wings or lugs are released.
Some vehicle operators do not have strength characteristics sufficient to effectively rotate the ignition switch actuator to the "start" position. Other vehicle operators may have physical conditions, such as arthritis, which makes the actuation of the ignition switch actuator painful or very difficult to accomplish especially when considering the orientation of the ignition switch actuator in closely underlying relation to the steering wheel of the vehicle.
Some efforts have been made to provide adapters or attachments to manually rotatable actuators to provide a lever arm to more easily rotate the actuators against a spring biased or other restraining force. The following U.S. patents relate to this field of endeavor.
______________________________________ 1,219,344 4,036,040 1,381,259 4,783,883 3,507,259 4,821,372 4,018,465 D304,994 ______________________________________
The above listed patents do not disclose the clamp structure and lever arm arrangement of this invention in which the position of the lever arm is adjustable and the clamp structure effectively secures the attachment to the ignition key actuator.

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An amusement and recreational apparatus includes a rotatable support having at least one elongated flexible member in engagement therewith which includes a flexible light transmitting portion spaced from the rotatable support. Chemiluminescent liquid material is disposed within the interior of the flexible light transmitting portion. Structure is provided to rotate the rotatable support. The elongated flexible member changes shape during rotation to provide a variable light display.

Above referenced U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/419,891 discloses an amusement and recreational apparatus in the form of an aerodynamic flying disc to be launched by hand as well as structure for illuminating the flying disc. The apparatus includes a container releasably attached to the flying disc having chemiluminescent liquid material within the interior thereof. Rotation of the flying disc serves to agitate the luminescent liquid material, and the light generated by the chemiluminescent liquid material is visually perceived during flight of the disc.
The following patents are believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art in the field: U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,702, issued Jun. 17, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,876, issued Jan. 26, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,570, issued May 7, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,723, issued May 2, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,357, issued May 27, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,575, issued Mar. 10, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,523, issued Apr. 6, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 209,763, issued Jan. 2, 1968.


An electrostatic chuck plate is connected to a base plate, which includes a cooling mechanism, by an adhesive layer. The electrostatic chuck plate includes a substrate setting surface on which a processed substrate is set, an electrostatic electrode capable of attracting the processed substrate, and a resistance heat generation body capable of heating the processed substrate. The electrostatic electrode and the resistance heat generation body are incorporated in the electrostatic chuck plate. An adjustment portion is arranged at a position according to a temperature distribution of the substrate setting surface in at least one of the upper surface of the base plate and a lower surface of the electrostatic chuck plate that faces the upper surface through the adhesive layer. The adjustment portion is filled with a resin having a heat conductivity according to the temperature distribution.

A film formation device, such as a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) device or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) device, or a plasma etching device is used to form a semiconductor element. Such devices include a stage to hold a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer) in a depressurized processing chamber. One such stage is an electrostatic chuck including, for example, an electrostatic chuck (ESC) plate adhered to a base plate (base). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-152475 describes an electrostatic chuck plate incorporating an electrode, which is capable of attracting a substrate, and a heat generation body, which controls the temperature of the subject to be attracted (i.e., substrate). The temperature of the substrate attracted to an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck plate is adjusted by a cooling fluid, which flows through a conduit formed in the base plate, and the heat generation body, which is incorporated in the electrostatic chuck plate.
In the electrostatic chuck, the heat density may vary at the upper surface (substrate setting surface) of the electrostatic chuck plate that attracts the substrate. Such variation in the heat density causes variations in the temperature of the substrate. This may vary, for example, the etching rate of the plasma etching device and thereby lower the yield of the semiconductor element.

Electrostatic chuck and method for manufacturing electrostatic chuck


A semiconductor light emitting device has a stacked structure including an n-type clad layer, an active layer, and a p-type clad layer on an InP substrate. The p-type clad layer is made from an MgZnSeTe-based compound semiconductor lattice-matched with InP. The n-type clad layer is made from a compound semiconductor lattice-matched with InP and selected from an MgZnSeTe-based compound semiconductor, an MgZnCdSe-based compound semiconductor, and an MgCdSSe-based compound semiconductor.

The present invention relates to a II-VI compound semiconductor light emitting device and, more particularly, to a visible light emitting diode and a laser diode.
In conventional group II-VI light emitting devices formed on an InP substrate, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2-125477 and 5-21892, to efficiently emit light by injection of a current a double hetero structure is formed by using a ZnCdSeTe, MgZnCdSe, or MgZnSSe mixed crystal in a clad layer. Also, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-94832, a ZnCdSe mixed crystal is used to decrease the resistance of a p-type electrode.
Unfortunately, these conventional II-VI light emitting devices have a large device resistance and a low light emission efficiency. This is so because the band gap of a ZnCdSeTe mixed crystal is not so large as to strongly confine carriers. Also, p-type doping for ZnCdSe, MgZnCdSe, or MgZnSSe mixed crystals are difficult. Consequently, the hole concentration cannot be increased to 1.times.10.sup.17 cm.sup.-3 or more.


A method comprising acquiring an analog first sound signal, performing analog-to-digital conversion on the first sound signal to generate a digital second sound signal, performing reverberation processing, at a system bottom layer, on the second sound signal to generate a digital third sound signal, performing digital sound mixing processing on the third sound signal and a background sound signal sent from an application layer to generate a digital fourth sound signal, performing digital-to-analog conversion on the fourth sound signal to generate an analog fifth sound signal, performing analog sound mixing processing on the first sound signal and the fifth sound signal to generate an analog sixth sound signal, and playing the sixth sound signal.

As a multimedia function and an application of a mobile phone are increasingly diverse, a Karaoke application, as an emerging application, is increasingly welcomed. In this type of application, accompanying sound or an accompanying video is played, a sound of a singer is recorded by using a microphone, and after beautification processing is performed on the sound of the singer, the sound of the singer is synthesized with the accompanying sound or the accompanying video. Typical applications include Oke Hero, Chang Ba, and the like.
A Karaoke technology has an extremely high requirement on a delay of a sound recording/playing channel (the delay is less than 50 millisecond (ms)); otherwise, a human ear can sense that beautified sound is delayed as compared to a sound of a singer, and the delay is mainly caused by a software platform. For example, on the Android platform, a designed delay of an application layer is relatively long (greater than 100 ms); therefore, if a sound is input in real time, beautified in real time, and output in real time, a beautified and output sound is obviously delayed as compared to a sound of a singer.

Sound processing method and terminal device


A process for treating paper to prevent discoloration when exposed to light which comprises adding 1% to 10% by weight of hypophosphorous acid or its salt based on the paper at any stage during or after paper making and maintaining said hypophosphorous acid or its salt therein. The invention also provides paper which contains hypophosphorous acid or its salt to prevent discoloration when exposed to light.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preventing the discoloration of paper and paper prevented from discoloring.
More particularly, it relates to a process for preventing the discoloration, in particular, caused by irradiation of paper with light which comprises adding or applying hypophosphorous acid or its salt to the paper at any step during or after papermaking, and to paper prevented from discoloring by adding or applying hypophosphorous acid or its salt thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is widely known that paper is made by mechanically or chemically treating a vegerable material such as wood to thereby give a pulp such as mechanical, chemical, semichemical, wastepaper, hemp or linter pulp and feeding said pulp into a paper machine.
When an unbleached pulp is fed to a paper machine as such, the obtained paper has an unsatisfactory whiteness. In such a case, the pulp may be bleached through oxidating by using, for example, chlorine, hypochlorites, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide or oxygen or through reduction by using, for example, hydrosulfite or aqueous sulfurous acid, if desired.
A papermaking process comprises a preparation step where a pulp or a mixture thereof is ground and chemicals such as a sizing agent or a filler are added thereto, a papermaking step where the above mixture is treated with various papermachines, dehydrated, dried and glazed, and a conversion and finishing step where a coating suitable for the purpose is applied onto the surface of the resulting paper. Thus a paper having the desired properties is obtained.
Although the paper thus obtained has a certain whiteness immediately after the production, it suffers from serious discoloration when exposed to sunlight involving UV light. Such a discoloration occurs regardless of the type of the pulp or bleaching.
Recently, the application of so-called high-yield pulps has been more and more increasing in order to efficiently utilize wood resources and to lower waste matters. These high-yield pulps contain a large amount of lignin and thus suffer from significant discoloration upon irradiation with light. This causes a serious problem when these high-yield pulps are employed not only alone but also as a mixture with chemical pulp(s).
It has been attempted to suppress the discoloration upon irradiation with light. For example, it is proposed to add an UV absorber to paper. However this method is disadvantageous in that a large amount of an expensive UV absorber is required and the UV absorber generally has a yellow color, thus imparting an undesirable color to the paper.
It was reported that a low molecular weight mercapto compound such as thioglycerol or thioglycol was effective in the prevention of the discoloration of high-yield pulps caused by light (cf. Tappi Journal, Nov. 1987, 117-122). However this method was inavailable in practice, since it could not give any satisfactory effect and, furthermore, the mercapto compound to be used had an offensive odor.
Thus it has been eagerly desired to establish a process for preventing the discoloration of paper without exerting any undesirable effects on other properties of the paper.
U.S.S.R. Patents No. 485178, No. 542775, No. 697617 and No. 857328 disclose that the use of a hypophosphite in the production of pulp enables the Production of the pulp at a high yield. However it is obvious that the hypophosphite used during the production of the pulp would never substantially remain in the paper. Furthermore, none of these patents discloses an effect of preventing the discoloration of the paper after the completion of the papermaking.

Method for preventing the discoloration of paper and paper treated to prevent discoloring


A rip fence adjustment structure includes a guide rail, a first slide slidably coupled to the guide rail and fixedly connected with a rip fence, a micro-adjustment device mounted in the first slide, a second slide slidably coupled to the guide rail and connected to the first slide by the micro-adjustment device for movement with the first slide. Thus, after moved the first slide to achieve coarse adjustment of the position of the rip fence, a second locking member is fastened up to lock the second slide, and then the micro-adjustment device is operated to drive the first slide in moving the rip fence, and then a first locking member is fastened up to lock the first slide, achieving fine adjustment of the position of the rip fence.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to saw machine technology, and more particularly to a rip fence adjustment structure used in a saw machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a saw machine (such as band saw), rip fence is a requisite part adapted for supporting a workpiece in position for linear cutting, avoiding deviation of the cutting path, enhancing the efficiency and stability of the cutting operation and maintaining optimal cutting precision.
In order to meet different application requirements, the position of the rip fence can be adjusted at any time for cutting different workpieces of different sizes. Generally, the rip fence is coupled with a handwheel by means of a screw joint. Rotating the handwheel causes movement of the rip fence linearly leftwards or rightwards. After reached the desired position, the rip fence is locked. However, for a long distance adjustment of the position of the rip fence, the user needs to rotate the handwheel continuously until the rip fence reaches the desired position. This adjustment manner is inconvenient, leading to low operational efficiency.

Rip fence adjustment structure for saw machine


Apparatus and a method for improving image quality in an image sensor, where a black level of a photographed image is calibrated and luminance of an image signal is expanded within the allowable range of luminance through knee correction for the image signal in which the black level is calibrated. Interpolation for restoring a dead pixel may be achieved before gamma correction for image signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for improving quality of a photographed image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, image sensors are increasingly being developed due to rapid development of imaging appliances. Herein, the term 'image sensor' is a general term which refers to devices used when photographing an image by using semiconductors which are sensitive to light. Generally, parts of a target object in the natural world have different luminance and different wavelengths. Accordingly, the image sensors convert light energy (photons) obtained by means of the luminance, the wavelength, etc. of light obtained through a lens into an electrical signal (electrons). Such image sensors representatively include a charge coupled device ("CCD") image sensor and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor ("CMOS") image sensor. The two image sensors include a photo detector for generating charges according to intensity of light from the light incident on the image sensors and a circuit for delivering the charges to external devices. Although the above two sensors may generate charges by means of a photo detector through the same procedures, they process the charges differently after generating the charges.
In the CCD image sensor, what transfers charges is an element called "CCD". The CCD image sensor has been mainly employed for a digital camera or a video camera for a long time.
The CMOS image sensor deals with charges by using switching of a CMOS transistor in place of the CCD. Since the CMOS image sensor has a switch for every photo detector, the CMOS image sensor can directly process charges regardless of places. Accordingly, the CMOS image sensor performs faster reading and consumes lower power as compared with the CCD image sensor. In addition, the CMOS image sensor is made similarly to a fabrication process of a computer chip. Therefore, in the CMOS image sensor, image sensor circuits can be arranged together with image processing circuits.
Such a CMOS image sensor has been mainly employed for portable telephones and small sized digital cameras. Recently, since the CMOS image sensor is employed for high-quality digital cameras, the CMOS image sensor is growing as a challenger of the CCD image sensor.
In the meantime, the CMOS image sensor photographs an image in a cell with a pixel unit by using at least one transistor and at least one photo diode. In other words, the CMOS image sensor is an image capture device which amplifies charges generated due to optical/electric conversion of horizontally-arranged photodiodes by means of internal transistors and reads out an image by one pixel through a switch circuit. Thus, since the CMOS image sensor performs an amplification function for every pixel, the CMOS image sensor can obtain high sensitivity and a high SNR. In addition, the CMOS image sensor has a random access function, so that the CMOS image sensor can read out a predetermined pixel by selecting one horizontal signal line and one vertical signal line.
In addition, since the CMOS image sensor is based on a standard CMOS processing technology, a small-sized chip, a light camera, and on-chip including peripheral driving circuits can be realized, and lower consumption of power can be achieved. Additionally, in the CMOS image sensor, an image can be photographed under weak illumination because current is amplified in proportion to signal charges.
However, a digital camera employing the CMOS image sensor cannot provide the best image quality due to the following causes.
First, since elements used for a pixel array part of the CMOS sensor are sensitive to change of a temperature, dark current occurs depending on a changed temperature. The dark current becomes a cause in which an undesired black level is included in an image.
Second, in the digital camera employing the CMOS image sensor, when a target object such as the fluorescent light having great light intensity is photographed, a ghost image appears due to saturation of an image signal.
Third, if interpolation is achieved with respect to an image processed through gamma correction, the optimum value for gamma correction cannot be obtained correspondingly to a dead pixel restored through the interpolation.

Apparatus and method for improving image quality in image sensor


The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. In an embodiment, an operating method of a terminal that provides a streaming service includes detecting a streaming operation for the streaming service, performing a streaming acceleration, based on the detected streaming operation, and sharing a rule associated with the streaming acceleration with a server.

To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased since deployment of 4G communication systems, efforts have been made to develop an improved 5G or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a 'Beyond 4G Network' or a 'Post LTE System'. The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60 GHz bands, so as to accomplish higher data rates. To decrease propagation loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antenna techniques are discussed in 5G communication systems. In addition, in 5G communication systems, development for system network improvement is under way based on advanced small cells, cloud Radio Access Networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation and the like. In the 5G system, Hybrid FSK and QAM Modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as an advanced access technology have been developed.
The Internet, which is a human centered connectivity network where humans generate and consume information, is now evolving to the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed entities, such as things, exchange and process information without human intervention. The Internet of Everything (IoE), which is a combination of the IoT technology and the Big Data processing technology through connection with a cloud server, has emerged. As technology elements, such as "sensing technology", "wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure", "service interface technology", and "Security technology" have been demanded for IoT implementation, a sensor network, a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and so forth have been recently researched. Such an IoT environment may provide intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected things. IoT may be applied to a variety of fields including smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected cars, smart grid, health care, smart appliances and advanced medical services through convergence and combination between existing Information Technology (IT) and various industrial applications.
In line with this, various attempts have been made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, technologies such as a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication may be implemented by beamforming, MIMO, and array antennas. Application of a cloud Radio Access Network (RAN) as the above-described Big Data processing technology may also be considered to be as an example of convergence between the 5G technology and the IoT technology.
Typically, methods for using various kinds of content services through a data communication network may be divided into a download method and a streaming method. The streaming method includes an adaptive streaming method.
The content service collectively refers to services that provide various kinds of digital media data such as broadcast, movie, music, and the like. The digital media data refers to digital information such as sound, image, and the like created for corresponding digital content.
The streaming method is to continuously provide digital media data in real time for a desired content service. Therefore, the streaming method is mainly used for a content service corresponding to a real-time broadcast such as a long video or a sports broadcast.
The adaptive streaming method, which is one type of the streaming method, is to transmit digital media data by adjusting the quality or the like of data to suitably change the amount of data, depending on situations of the data communication network.

Apparatus and method for providing streaming service


An emergency overspeed brake is depicted which is mountable onto a shaft rotatable at low speeds in either direction for stopping the shaft when an overspeed condition is obtained. In one embodiment of the invention, the brake features two pawls mounted for movement of the entire pawl in an outward, radial direction in response to centrifugal force acting on said pawl. An annular outer hub rigidly mounted to a stationary frame has a central orifice through which the shaft extends. Two inwardly depending stops are integrally mounted onto an axial flange of the outer hub and engaged by one end of a corresponding pawl when the pawl has been thrown outwardly due to the centrifugal force. A spring member engages each pawl to prevent the outward movement of the pawl until after a predetermined speed has been attained, after which the pawls are thrust rapidly outwardly. The brake also comprises an inner hub rigidly mounted to the shaft, an annular drive plate onto which the pawls are mounted, at least two lugs rigidly attached to the drive plate for engaging one end of corresponding pawls, and a disc brake assembly operatively connecting the outer drive plate and the inner hub. Finally, two symmetric cam surfaces located on the internal side of the flange of the inner hub permit only the leading edge of the pawl to be extended completely outwardly in response to the centrifugal force.

Overspeed braking devices for shafts are relatively well known. These devices usually include a pawl which rotates with the shaft and can travel outwardly as a result of centrifugal force to engage a stationary lug at a predetermined overspeed and thereby brake the shaft's rotation. Overspeed safety brakes of this type are generally used for stopping shafts that rotate at relatively low speeds on the order of about 200 rpm and find application, for example, in lifts, hoists, loading bridges for aircraft, elevators, and turrets. Obviously, however, there are other applications which would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art and the foregoing list is only exemplary. Some prior art overspeed braking devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,015,696 to Lichti (one of the present inventors); 3,934,682 to Hedstrom; 3,768,609 and 3,695,399 to Laing; 3,729,071 to Laing et al; 3,576,242 to Mumma; and 3,415,343 to Svensson.
In most of the foregoing brake mechanisms, a rotating pawl is continuously pivoted outwardly by centrifugal force against an opposing resilient force from a spring until the pawl is moved far enough radially outwardly such that it engages a stationary stop. Thus, the shape of the pawl, its weight, and the attaching spring are very critical in order for the device to actuate at the proper speed. In all of the devices in which the shaft is stopped upon engagement of the pawl with a stationary stop, the stopping torque is transmitted through the pawl and to the shaft which the pawl is journalled and rotates and from the shaft to some type of braking mechanism. This arrangement provides a large, undesirable shearing force on the pawl shaft. In addition, this common pawl system does not function well at very low speeds (under 200 rpm) because the entire pawl is not free to travel outwardly, but instead is constrained to pivot about an arc. Other disadvantages of many of the prior art overspeed braking devices used to stop large shafts include their relatively large size, complexity, and inaccuracy. Furthermore, many of these devices require disassembly of the system for resetting once the brake has been engaged.


A method and apparatus for applying a liquid coating which can be cured to a dry film to a plurality of fasteners each with a blind recess therein without accumulating excessive coating in the blined recesses. The fasteners are received in a cage with a cylindrical sidewall which is rotated with its axis inclined at an acute included angle of about 25.degree. to 65.degree. to the vertical and a speed of 1 to 30 rpm to circulate the fasteners while the liquid coating is sprayed onto the fasteners in the rotating cage. The fasteners with a liquid coating thereon are heated to a temperature of about 325.degree. F. to 425.degree. F. for 10 to 30 minutes to cure the coating to a dry film adhered to each fastener.

Previously corrosion resistant liquid coatings have been applied to steel fasteners such as bolts by placing a quantity of bolts in a cage with a perforate bottom and a cylindrical sidewall, dipping the cage and bolts in a pool of liquid coating, and then rotating the cage with the bolts therein at a relatively high speed of about 200 to 500 RPM to remove excess liquid coating from the bolts by centrifugal force. Thereafter the coated bolts were removed from the cage and heated in a furnace to a peak metal temperature of 325.degree. to 450.degree. F. for about 20 minutes to cure the liquid coating to a dry film adhered to the bolts. Previously the liquid coating has also been applied by rotating a cage with a quantity of bolts therein while pouring a stream of liquid coating on the bolts. After sufficient coating has been poured to cover all of the bolts, rotation of the cage is continued to remove excess coating from the bolts by centrifugal force.
These previously known methods cannot satisfactorily apply a liquid coating to fasteners having a blind hole or recess therein such as a socket in the head of a fastener for driving it. Typically these internal drive sockets are known as Torx, Phillips, Cross, Hex, Allen, Robertson, and the like head screws, cap screws, bolts, and other fasteners. With these prior methods excess liquid coating accumulates in the blind holes or sockets and when cured results in a dry film which is too thick. The thick dry film often makes it more difficult to insert a driving tool in the socket and more importantly is frequently scraped off the fastener or scratched sufficiently so that its ability to provide corrosion resistance is greatly impaired and frequently destroyed. If the coating is intended to provide a desired color or finish for decorative purposes, this scraping or scratching is also unacceptable.
Because the results of these previous methods were unacceptable, fasteners with blind holes or sockets had to be electroplated at considerable cost with metal coatings such as nickel and chrome to provide satisfactory corrosion resistance and/or decorative appearance.


The present invention relates to a method of inducing the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by CXCR2 stimulation, and more particularly, to a method of promoting the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by stimulating and activating the surface receptor CXCR2 of the embryoid bodies with the CXCR2-specific ligand GRO-α. The method of inducing the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm by CXCR2 stimulation according to the present invention can increase the efficiency and utility of stem cells as a cell therapeutic agent, because it promotes the differentiation of stem cells into a specific germ layer serving as the origin of target cells, which is the first important step for inducing the differentiation of stem cells into specific cells.

Stem cells refer to cells having not only self-replicating ability but also the ability to differentiate into at least two types of cells, and can be divided into totipotent stem cells, pluripotent stem cells, and multipotent stem cells. In recent years, studies have been actively conducted to treat various diseases with stem cells capable of differentiating into various cells. Thus, the ultimate object of stem cell studies is to make a desired type of cell or tissue for use in technology such as cell therapy or tissue engineering.
Thus, the problem to be solved to use stem cells in actual applications is the development of a technology capable of inducing the differentiation of stem cells into desired cells. Accordingly, studies have been attempted to induce stem cells to differentiate into specific cells, and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells produced by reprogramming of somatic cells, etc., have been used in differentiation for cell therapy.
Generally, methods of promotes differentiation are used to induce the differentiation of stem cells. Typical examples of these methods include a method of inducing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neurons by using retionic acid (Dev. Dyn. 236:3255-3266, 2007), a method of inducing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into hepatocytes by using activin A (Nat. Biotechnol. 23:1534-1541, 2005), a method of inducing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocytes by using ascorbic acid (Circulation 107:1912-1916, 2003), and the like. However, conventional methods have disadvantages in that these methods are expensive due to the use of expensive reagents such as cytokines and show low differentiation rates. Thus, in order to effectively use stem cells in various fields, it is required to develop an inexpensive and easy method capable of inducing the differentiation of stem cells into a desired specific tissue with high differentiation efficiency.
In most vertebrates including humans, three-germ-layer cells (endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm) are formed through gastrulation of early embryos, and all cells constituting the human body tissue differentiate from the three-germ-layer cells. In the case of embryonic stem cells established in vitro by extracting an inner cell mass from blastocysts that are early embryos, an event similar to gastrulation is observed during the formation of embryoid bodies. The first important step for inducing the differentiation of specific cells from embryonic stem cells is to increase a specific germ layer which is the origin of the target cells to be obtained by differentiation, and inducing the differentiation of desired cells from the three-germ-layer cells will be the most efficient differentiation method. In particular, in order to increase the utility of stem cells as a cell therapeutic agent, a technique of efficiently inducing the differentiation of stem cells into specific cells is required.
Recently, a method of promoting the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies by inhibiting their mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) (Zhou J et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 106(19):7840-5, 2009) was reported. However, this method is a technique that does not act on a cell receptor, but acts on a signaling protein, and promotes the specific differentiation of embryoid bodies into endoderm or mesoderm. In order to control the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies, it is most important to develop a technique that acts on a cell receptor. This is because a technique that acts on a signaling protein or enzyme is highly likely influenced by other intracellular factors that influence signaling or enzymatic activity, compared to a technique that acts on a cell receptor, and because an operation for controlling the degree of differentiation can be relatively difficult. However, controlling the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies by use of a cell receptor is not yet known.
Accordingly, the present inventors have made extensive efforts to induce the differentiation of stem cells into desired specific tissue or cells in order to increase the utility of stem cells as a cell therapeutic agent, and as a result, have found that the selective differentiation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies into ectoderm is promoted by stimulation of CXCR2 receptor, thereby completing the present invention.

Method for inducing ectodermal differentiation of embryoid bodies derived from human pluripotent stem cells by CXCR2 stimulation

KOREA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND BUSINESS FOUNDATION


The purpose of the present invention is to obtain a spunbonded nonwoven fabric, which comprises a single-component polyester-based fibers, having a high basis weight and a high rigidity by embossing, which is difficult to attain in the conventional art. Further, the present invention provides a filter base material having excellent pleatability, pleat retention property and durability, and a filter using thereof. The present spunbonded nonwoven fabric is obtained by subjecting a deposited fiber assembly to a thermocompression bonding by embossing with a pair of an embossing roll and a flat metal roll, and has a basis weight of 150 to 400 g/m2, a longitudinal bending repulsion of 20 to 60 mN and a longitudinal tensile strength of 400 N/5 cm or more.

Conventionally, an air filter, e.g., a dust collector filter or the like, has been used widely for improving the labor environments in factories such as metal cutting factories or factories where powder dust is generated in a large amount, or for recovering relatively expensive powder. A polyester filament nonwoven fabric, which serves as a general-purpose polyester filament nonwoven fabric, and a polyester staple nonwoven fabric have been used as a filter base material thereof.
A bag filter obtained by sewing and forming a nonwoven fabric produced from staple fibers as a raw material into a cylindrical shape has been used so far as a filter base material for a dust collector; however in order to obtain sufficient filtration throughput, the cylindrical bag filter inevitably requires enlargement. Accordingly, in order to save the space and widen the filtration surface area, a filter using a pleated nonwoven fabric as a filter base material has been used. For this pleated-type filter, a nonwoven fabric with high rigidity is required so as to bear a load during filtration.
In order to obtain a nonwoven fabric with high rigidity, it is necessary to heighten the cross-sectional shape moment of the nonwoven fabric, that is, to make the thickness of the nonwoven fabric large. However, when the thickness is made large while lowering the fiber density, the network structure of the fibers is coarse, so that rigidity is not exerted. Consequently, a technique for making the thickness large by increasing its basis weight has been employed.
Regarding a polyester filament nonwoven fabric, in the case of using fibers in an oriented crystallization state by high speed spinning, a high basis weight causes insufficient fiber fusion by embossing, low elongation, high rigidity and insufficient moldability, so that there is a problem of deterioration in shape retention property.
Accordingly, in order to improve the fiber fusion property, there is proposed a method in which undrawn yarns that are not subjected to oriented crystallization are used as a thermobonding component, followed by embossing (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). However, in this method, since crystallization is promoted for fibers with low orientation degree by embossing, the fibers become brittle and there is a problem of deterioration in shape retention property and durability.
As a method for improving the rigidity and pleat retention property of a nonwoven fabric, there are proposed many methods using thermobonding components. There are proposed methods embossing a sheath-core type composite filament nonwoven fabric containing the low melting point component as a sheath component by compression bonding to form a shallow unevenness and suppress fuzz, thereby obtaining a nonwoven fabric having a bending resistance of 500 mg or more and a good pleat retention property (e.g., see Patent Literatures 2 and 3).
There is proposed a method for forming a shallow unevenness by compression bonding, through embossing, a low melting point component of a filament nonwoven fabric containing the low melting point component as a sheath component and defining a basis weight and bending resistance (e.g., see Patent Literature 4). Further, there is proposed a method of integrating a filament layer containing a low melting point component as a sheath component and a layer obtained by mixing a filament containing a low melting point component and a filament containing a high melting point component, subjecting the stacked material to embossing, and further adjusting the thickness thereof by calendering (e.g., see Patent Literature 5). There is proposed a method for improving pleatability and pleat retention property by mixing thick composite fibers containing a low melting point component and thin fibers in order to decrease a thermobonding component, subjecting the mixed fibers to embossing, and constituting a frame function with the thick thermobonding fibers (e.g., see Patent Literature 6). As a method for decreasing a bonding component, there are also proposed many methods using petal parts of those having petal type cross sections as thermobonding components (e.g., see Patent Literatures 7 to 12). These methods have a problem of deterioration in durability caused by relaxation attributed to the glass transition temperature of the low melting point component.
As a different method for obtaining a nonwoven fabric with high rigidity, there is proposed a method for three-dimensionally interlacing a filament nonwoven fabric containing no low melting point component by needle punching, impregnating the nonwoven fabric with a binder resin, and fixing the crossing points of the fibers with the resin (e.g., see Patent Literature 13). This method improves rigidity, but has problems that the filtration performance is lowered because of pores by needle punching and further that the binder resin is dropped from the crossing points by outside force during pleating or repetitive use.
As described above, there are proposed methods for improving pleatability or enhancing pleat retention property while keeping the filter performance; however, a problem for obtain a nonwoven fabric with high rigidity that is suitable as a filter having a pleat retention property and durability even in a heating atmosphere has not been yet solved.

Spunbonded nonwoven fabric and filter using same


An artificial forearm and hand having a fully-articulated wrist motion. The invention provides an integrated digitally-controlled remote manipulator device capable of reproducing all of the major motions of the human forearm, wrist and hand in a cmpact in-line package. This motion is accomplished without the requirement for feedback thereby making the invention ideally suited to digital computer control. The packaging of the device permits it to be sealed, meaning that it can be used as a remote manipulator that can reproduce human arm and hand motions. The packaging also produces a lightweight, cosmetically pleasing prosthetic device for use by humans.

As is known, most artificial or prosthetic arm and hand devices are clumsy, have severe motion limitations, and are unnatural in appearance. While remote manipulators similar to the forearm and hand have been used in space, planetary exploration, deep-sea work and in nuclear research, these suffer primarily from cost, controllability and an inability to reproduce human arm and hand motions. In this respect, most remote manipulators of the foregoing types, including the prosthetic devices, are unable to perform wrist motion in a compact mechanism. Designers have approached the problem along two separate lines. The first, and most common approach, is not to use wrist motion at all. This is most easily visualized by the "claw" or "hook" type of prosthetic. In the absence of wrist motion, the claw must be rotated about the axis of the arm to align the claw with the object to be grasped. This motion must be followed by orienting the arm such that the object picked up can be held at an acceptable angle relative to vertical.
Where size, weight and cost are not constraints and the degree of freedom provided by wrist motion is necessary, a gimbaled, azimuth/elevation type of wrist joint is used. However, only a two degree of freedom gimbaled wrist manipulator can duplicate the total wrist motion. Even if a two degree of freedom gimbaled arrangement is utilized, the required placement of the drive motors for the manipulator results in a rather large and bulky package.


A circuit and method for providing an improved current monitoring circuit for a switching regulator. A circuit providing switching regulation with an improved current monitor, comprising a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller configured to provide P- and N-drive signals, an output stage connected to said PWM controller and configured to provide switching, comprising a high-side and low-side transistor, driven by said P- and N-drive signals, respectively, a sense circuit configured to provide output current sensing from the output stage during a sampling period when the N-drive signal is active, and a sampling timing generator configured to provide a an n-sampling signal, nsample, to the sense circuit, wherein a start of the n-sampling signal is delayed by a first delay after the sampling period and the n-sampling signal is ended prior to an end of the sampling period by a second delay.

Field
The disclosure relates generally to a voltage regulator and, more particularly, to output current monitoring circuit thereof.
Description of the Related Art
Voltage regulation is important where circuits are sensitive to transients, noise and other types of disturbances. The control of the regulated voltage over variations in both semiconductor process variation, and temperature is key to many applications. Additionally, power consumption is also a key design requirement.
In a recent power management integrated circuit (PMIC), precise output monitoring of a buck is required for more efficient power management of processors. Average output current is sensed and digitized, and used for controlling processors.
FIG. 1 shows average output current monitor in a circuit known to the inventor. The buck 100 is composed of pulse width modulation (PWM) controller 105 and output stage 130. Output current monitor is sampling timing generator 170, sampler and sense circuit 150. The PWM controller 105 has an input signal from Master clock output signal 102, and Error amplifier 115. The Error amplifier 115 a vout signal 120 and reference signal vref 125. The PWM controller 105 generates two output signals pdrv 111 and ndrv 112. The Output stage 130 contains p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) 135 and pre-drive inverter 140, and re-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS 145). The Output stage 130 drives node LX 136 which is connected to inductor 152, capacitor load C 153, and Load 154 for the output voltage level vout 155. The sample timing generator 170 receives a signal from ndrv 112. The sample timing generator 170 contains an AND logic gate 175 and delay device 180. The output of the Sampling timing generator 170 is connected to the Sense 150 to generate an Output current information 160.
FIG. 2 shows the timing diagram 200 for the signals. The master clock PWM controller 105 of FIG. 1 generates PWM signals, pdrv 220 and ndrv 230. Pdrv is activated with master clock rising 210. Pulse width of pdrv is determined by the control signal from the error amplifier. When pdrv 220 is deactivated, ndrv 230 is activated immediately and keeps active until master clock rising 210.
Output stage 130 is composed of PMOS 135 and NMOS 145. PMOS is turned on when pdrv is active and NMOS is turned on when ndrv is active. The output, LX node 136 swings almost rail-to-rail and the inductor current swing in triangular waveform. The voltage drop is caused by the inductor current. The voltage drop during NMOS is turned on is expressed as Rnon*I(LX) using NMOS on-resistance Rnon.
FIG. 2 highlights ndrv delay signal ndrv_dly 240, sample signal nsample 250, and current and voltage of the LX node 136, I (LX) 260, and V (LX) 270. Current monitor circuit is composed of sampling timing generator 170 and sense circuit 150 of FIG. 1. The sense circuit 150 estimates the average output current information 160 from the average of the voltage drop across the NMOS during sampling signal, nsample 250 of FIG. 2 is activated.
Sampling timing generator generates nsample 250 from NMOS on signal, ndrv. The sampling generator of prior art is composed of delay Td1 and AND logic. To wait LX node 136 voltage settling, start of nsample 250 is delayed from ndrv while end of nsample is almost the same as ndrv. So the center of sampling timing is shifted by Td1/2 from the center of NMOS on-timing, and it causes sensing error. Using the delay Td1 180 in the sampling timing generator 170, the sensing error is expressed as:ΔIsense=dILX/dt*Td1/2=−Vout/L*Td1/2It is affected by on the output voltage Vout and inductance L.
U.S. Patent Application 20100033146 to Irissou et al., describes a method for providing output (e.g., current) sensing and feedback in switching power converter topologies. Some embodiments include feedback functionality for generating a converter driver signal (for driving the switching converter) and/or a sample driver signal (for driving the sampling module) as a function of sensed output feedback from the sampling module
U.S. Patent Application 20080316781 to Liu, describes a buck converter LED driver circuit is provided. The driver circa, includes a buck power stage, a rectified AC voltage source, a voltage waveform sampler, and a control circuit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,894,464 to Zhang, describes a multi-phase synchronous buck converter having plural single phase synchronous buck converter stages, connected together to provide an output current to a load. A sensing circuit in each converter stage includes a variable gain current sense amplifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,750 to Zhang, describes a device constructed of a plurality of single phase buck converter stages, and a sensing circuit for each converter stage to generate an output signal representative of the output current provided by that converter stage.
WO 1999031790 to Clark et al, describes a regulator with a sampling circuit that makes measurements of an electrical characteristic of the voltage regulator at discrete moments of time. A feedback circuit is coupled to the sampling circuit and the switch, and is configured to use the measurements to control the duty cycle to maintain the DC voltage substantially constant.
In these prior art embodiments, the solution to establish a sampling circuit in switching regulator utilized various alternative solutions.

Output current monitor circuit for switching regulator


A clip structure for a USB wireless transmission device includes a housing, a flexible clip, a guide ramp, and a positioning wall. The flexible clip is pivotally disposed on the housing and is provided, on a surface thereof, with the guide ramp and the positioning wall. When the flexible clip is pivoted to a clipping position, the positioning protrusion of the housing happens to fall between the guide ramp and the positioning wall, and that the positioning wall restrains the positioning protrusion therein and prevents the flexible clip from pivoting and escaping from the clipping position. Therefore, a flexible object, to be clipped, is clipped in several folds so as to obtain a desirable clipping and securing effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip structure, more particularly, to a pivotable clip structure adapted for a USB wireless transmission device.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic view illustrating a conventional wireless music transmission device, the wireless music transmission device mainly comprises a receiver 91 and a transmitter 92. When in use, the transmitter 92 needs to be plugged in a computer system 93, for instance, a USB port. Listeners have to employ an earphone 95 of the receiver 91 in order to receive voice signals. This may include listening to music played from the computer system 93, or to voice messages through network communication software, etc. Because the conventional wireless transmitter has a merit in having users receive the voice signals remote from the computer system 93, limitation on requiring a real transmission cord can be avoided. Therefore, the receiver 91 will be accompanied with a clip 94 for holding the receiver 91 on the users' clothing.
However, the clip 94 used in a conventional wireless transmitter generally clips on the user's clothing in a "partial surface clipping measure" or in a "linear clipping measure." The clipping measure shown in FIG. 1 relates to a "surface clipping measure." No matter any one of the two clipping measures is used, experiences tell that there is a defect of "unstable clipping." That is to say, the receiver 91 would be slipped away from the clothing easily.
As such, an improved clip structure is necessary so as to obtain a more stable clipping effect.

Clip structure for wireless transmission devices


An integrated circuit package system provides a substrate and contact pads are formed on the substrate. A channel is formed in the substrate between the contact pads. A circuit component is electrically connected to the contact pads, with the circuit component over the channel. The circuit component, the contact pads, and the channel are encapsulated in encapsulant, the encapsulant flowing into the channel.

In the electronics industry, a continuing objective is to further and further reduce the size of electronic devices while simultaneously increasing performance and speed. Cellular telephones, personal data devices, notebook computers, camcorders, and digital cameras are but a few of the consumer products that require and benefit from this ongoing miniaturization of sophisticated electronics.
Integrated circuit ("IC") assemblies for such complex electronic systems typically have a large number of interconnected IC chips. Photolithographic techniques are used to form the various IC chips, commonly referred to as active and passive components. IC chips are then mounted on a substrate, such as a ball grid array.
The active components are typically secured to the substrate with a layer of adhesive or an adhesive film. The active components are then electrically connected to the substrate by a number of fine, conductive wires, typically gold (Au) or aluminum (Al), that electrically connect the die to the substrate. The wires are attached to the die at the bonding pads of the die, which are located around the periphery of the die.
Passive components are typically secured with solder paste at input/output mounting pads in the substrate. Thus, after reflow, solder electrically connects the passive components to the substrate. Mounting passive components to the substrate leaves a gap under the passive component, between the substrate.
After one or more IC chips are electrically connected to the substrate, the IC chips and the substrate are encapsulated in a mold material, such as plastic or epoxy, or in a multi-part housing made of plastic, ceramic, or metal. The encapsulation protects the substrate and the IC chips from physical, electrical, moisture, and/or chemical damage. The encapsulated product is referred to as the IC assembly and is ready to be incorporated into larger complex electronic systems.
During the encapsulation process, the mold compound is supposed to flow around the active and passive components, filling the gap under the passive component. However as the size of passive components continues to decrease, filling the gap under the passive component becomes an increasing problem. If the gap is not filled with mold compound, processes used to incorporate the IC assembly into larger complex electronic systems, such as ball grid array reflow, can cause the solder from different input/output mounting pads to melt and connect, causing a short circuit or delamination.
Thus, a need still remains for improved encapsulation processes. In view of the ever increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasing consumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to this problem. Moreover, the ever-increasing need to save costs, improve efficiencies, improve performance, and meet such competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the critical necessity that answers be found to this problem.
Solutions to this problem have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to this problem have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Integrated circuit package system with channel


The invention provides a composition having the formula (I): xXO2.yY2O5, (wherein: 0.5<x<0.7; 0.3<y<0.5; X comprises one or more of silicon, titanium, germanium and zirconium; and Y comprises one or more of phosphorus, vanadium arsenic and antimony), or a hydrate thereof, in which the composition comprises more than 50 wt % or more of crystalline material.

With oil reserves being depleted, the possibility of using fuel cells as an alternative means to provide electrical energy is attracting ever-increasing interest. Of the many types of fuel cell devised to date, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are of greater and greater potential with the world moving towards a hydrogen-based technology. PEMFCs can cleanly and efficiently convert the chemical energy of hydrogen and oxygen into water and electrical & thermal energy.
In PEMFCs, hydrogen and oxygen react at separate electrodes—anode and cathode respectively—with the hydrogen being disassociated at the anode with the use of a catalyst into protons and electrons. The protons so generated diffuse through the electrically insulating polymer electrolyte membrane and the electrons travel by an external load circuit to the cathode, the passage of the electrons along this external load circuit providing the current output of the fuel cell. At the cathode, molecular oxygen combines with the protons that have passed through the polymer electrolyte membrane and the electrons that have passed through the external load circuit to form water.
A key feature of PEMFCs, therefore, is the nature of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) interposed between the anode and the cathode. Often this membrane is referred to as a proton exchange membrane (also PEM) given the requirement of the membrane to facilitate the migration of protons (but not electrons) within the fuel cell. In addition to these functions, the membrane must not permit the passage of gas in either direction and be able to withstand the reductive and oxidative chemistries taking place at the cathode and anode respectively.
The polymer electrolyte Nafion®, which is a sulfonated tetrafluroroethylene-based fluoropolymer-copolymer discovered in the 1960's, is probably the PEM most commonly used. The utility of Nafion® in PEMFCs is believed to arise from its ability to transport protons as a consequence of its pendant sulfonic acid side groups, but that it is electrically insulating to anions or electrons. Over time, Nafion® loses fluorine from its structure. Nafion® relies on the presence of water to function as a conductor of protons. This means that PEMFCs employing Nafion® as PEM are restricted to operating temperatures of less than 100° C., implying low-temperature applications. At temperature approaching and in excess of 100° C., so-called fuel cell dehydration takes place the PEM becomes too dry to conduct protons to the cathode effectively resulting in a drop in power output. This illustrates a particular difficulty inherent to PEMFCs: the presence and maintenance of appropriate amounts of water. Effective management of the water generated within PEMFCs is a key issue in relation to the success of PEMFCs. Whilst problems can exist in Nafion®-based PEMFCs, with other PEMs too much water can also be detrimental.
It would be advantageous to expand the range of potential application of PEMFCs, in particular to further their use in electric vehicles (EVs). Since automotive air cooling systems can operate effectively at temperatures of around 130 to 140° C., increasing the temperature at which PEMFCs can function would be particularly advantageous to the automotive industry as it seeks to accelerate research into the incorporation of PEMFCs into EVs on account of the present environmental and economic climate. Being able to operate PEMFCs at this temperature range would obviate the need for expensive cooling systems which are otherwise be necessary where PEMFCs employ PEMs such as Nafion®.
Accordingly, an increasingly popular approach taken with PEMFCs is to focus on high temperature PEMFCs—HTPEMFCs—in which alternative polymers such as polybenzimidazole (PBI) are used on account of their high thermal stability. Unfortunately, a disadvantage with PBI is observed in its pure state is a very low conductivity of the order 10−12 S/cm. Improved conductivities have been found when PBI is doped at relatively high levels of with phosphoric acid (typically 5 to 7 moles of H3PO4 per unit of monomer of PBI) resulting in PBI—H3PO4. PBI—H3PO4 has been reported by O E Kondsteim et al. (Energy 32 (2007) 418-422) to possess conductivity of approximately 6.8×10−2 S/cm at 200° C. with approximately 560 mol % pyrophosphoric acid (equating to about 5 molecules of H3PO4 per repeat unit within the PBI). However, a further disadvantage of PBI-based PEMs is the decrease in mechanical strength that takes place within increasing temperature and increased level of doping. Also, acid leaches out at temperatures of about 160° C.
A third PEM of potential use in HTPEMFCs is not based upon the use of a polymer but rather the use of heteropolyacids (HPAs), such H6P2W21O71, which has been reported to exhibit good conductivity, dependant on relative humidity K A Record et al., (US Department of Energy Journal of Undergraduate Research, VI (2006), 53-58); and L Wang, (Electrochimica Acta 52 (2007), 5479-5483)).
Polymer composites are mentioned in WO2007/082350 and are described as comprising at least one inorganic proton-conducting polymer functionalised with at least one ionisable group and/or at least one hybrid proton-conducting polymer functionalised with at least one ionisable group, and at least one organic polymer capable of forming hydrogen bonds.
There remains an ongoing need for the provision of proton exchange membranes suitable for use in (HT)PEMFCs which can operate at temperatures in excess of 100° C., and ideally, be less dependent upon the relative humidity within the (HT)PEMFC.

Silicon phosphate and membrane comprising the same

UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS


A technique is described herein for providing a personalized notification to a recipient-user. In one approach, the technique involves: receiving an original message sent by a sender-user; selecting a notification type from a set of possible notification types based on at least a portion of the original message; and selecting one or more property values from one or more respective ranges of possible property values. The selected notification type and selected property value(s) define a recipient-instantiated (RI) notification. The technique then displays the RI notification on a user interface presentation of a recipient-user computing device. In one approach, the technique can randomly select the notification type and/or the property value(s). In addition, or alternatively, the technique can make these choices based on context information.

A recipient-user may receive multiple messages sent by sender-users in the course of a single day. In a typical interaction, the recipient-user, who operates a recipient computing device, may receive a notification that informs the recipient-user that an original message has been received. The recipient-user may then choose to click on the notification. That action activates a message-sending application, if not already activated. The recipient-user may then interact with the message-sending application to reply to the original message, or otherwise interact with the message.
While this technology is ubiquitous, it can lead to poor user experience in those circumstances in which the recipient-user receives a large number of messages. For instance, this technology can clutter the recipient-user's workspace with information that the recipient-user comes to regard as a distracting form of noise. As an ultimate consequence, this technology can potentially impede the user's efficient interaction with the recipient computing device.


A harness cover is provided that covers end connectors of a group of wire harnesses installed on a body of an electrical connection box. When the harness cover is installed on the body, the wire harnesses are protected by the ceiling plate and prevented from curving upwardly. Further, the extension directions of the wire harnesses are restricted. After the electrical connection box and unconnected wire harnesses are delivered to a vehicle maker, an operation of connecting the unconnected wire harnesses with the body is performed. At this time, receiving portions for the end connectors of the unconnected wire harnesses are not covered by the harness cover so that they are easily found by an operator. Thus, it is possible to connect the unconnected wire harnesses with the electrical connection box easily and reliably.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a harness cover for an electrical connection box such as a fuse box, a relay box or a junction box, particularly such a box installed in a vehicle, and also relates to an assembly of the electrical connection box, wire harnesses and the harness cover.
2. Description of Related Art
An electrical connection box may be used in a vehicle to accommodate various kinds of electric circuits and electronic parts and also to serve as a branch point or junction of wire harnesses and the like. Wire harnesses connected with the electrical connection box in a vehicle may include those at a cowl side (i.e., the interior side) and those at an engine room side. After the wire harnesses are connected with the electrical connection box, a harness cover covering the wire harnesses may be installed on the electrical connection box to protect the wire harnesses and prevent the wire harnesses from curving upward or in any other undesired directions. Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 7-9021, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes such a harness cover.
Generally, the manner of connecting the wire harnesses at the cowl side and those at the engine room side with the electrical connection box in a right-hand drive vehicle is different from the manner of connection with the electrical connection box in a left-hand drive vehicle. In right-hand drive vehicles, connection of all the wire harnesses with the electrical connection box is performed by a harness maker, whereas in left-hand drive vehicles, connection of some wire harnesses with the electrical connection box may be performed by a vehicle maker.
When the harness maker connects the wire harnesses with the electrical connection box, the harness cover is installed on the electrical connection box before delivering the box to the vehicle maker.
When the wire harness are partially connected with the electrical connection box by the vehicle maker, harness cover is installed on the box by the vehicle maker. Thus, the harness cover is delivered to the vehicle maker separately from the box. An operator on an assembly line of the vehicle maker connects the unconnected wire harnesses with the electrical connection box and classifies all the wire harnesses into those which should be accommodated in the harness cover and those which should not be accommodated therein before installing the harness cover on the electrical connection box.
However, when the electrical connection box and the unconnected wire harnesses are delivered to the vehicle maker, the packing causes the wire harnesses to curve in undesirable directions. It is not easy thereafter to change the curvature directions of the wire harnesses to the operator's intended direction. Further, it is difficult for the operator to connect the unconnected wire harnesses with the electrical connection box because those connected with the box interfere with the operation of connecting the unconnected wire harnesses with the box. Thus, it is very difficult for the operator to classify all the wire harnesses into those which should be accommodated in the harness cover and those which should not be accommodated therein and to install the harness cover on the box within a limited period of time. Moreover, the operator has to adopt an uncomfortable posture while performing the wire connection operation and the harness covering-installing operation along the assembly line which may cause the harness cover to be defectively engaged on the electric connection box or the harness cover to be damaged or broken.

Harness cover for electrical connection box and assembly having the same


The invention relates to a system and method of re-programming memory, and in particular, to wirelessly re-programming software, such as the application code, residing in memory of a trainable transceiver. The wireless re-programming of memory allows for software in the trainable transceiver to be updated or replaced from a remote location, where a direct or wired connection to the product is not otherwise available.

The invention relates to a system and method of re-programming memory, and in particular, to wirelessly re-programming software residing in memory of a trainable transceiver.
Conventional systems for controlling appliances and devices, such as garage door openers, security gates, home alarms, lighting, computers, etc., use individual remote controls to operate a respective appliance and/or device. With this conventional system, it is difficult to control multiple devices or appliances, much less consolidate operation of the appliances and devices into a single, controllable system. For example, garage door opener mechanisms open and close a garage door in response to a radio frequency control signal. The control signal is typically generated and transmitted from a remote control that is sold with the garage opener. The control signal has a preset carrier frequency and control code such that the garage door opener mechanism is responsive only to the remote control issuing the associated control signal. A problem associated with this type of system is that the door opener must receive a specific predetermined control signal in order to be operated. That is, each appliance and device must receive a specific predetermined control signal. Therefore, a user wishing to control multiple appliances and/or devices is required to have multiple remote controls.
With an ever evolving technological society, there is an increasing demand for a wireless communication system that is capable of operating multiple remote electronic devices (such as appliances and electronic devices remotely located from the controlling device) in a consolidated manner. A wireless communication system currently exist which enable multiple appliances and devices to communicate with a central or single remote device. One such system is Homelink™, owned by Johnson Control's, Inc., in which a trainable transceiver is able to "learn" characteristics of received control signals such that the trainable transceiver may subsequently generate and transmit a signal having the learned characteristics to a remotely controlled device or appliance. For example, one such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,226, hereby incorporated by reference. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless control system 12 having a transceiver circuit 54 and a remote electronic system (remote device) 18 also having a transceiver circuit 53. Another such system is disclosed in EP Pat. No. 0 935 226 B1, also hereby incorporated by reference.
In order for the trainable transceivers to operate, each signal is typically associated with a user-actuated switch or a user selects one of the learned signals on the trainable transceiver by selecting an associated switch (e.g. by pressing a button on the trainable transceiver associated with the device to be operated). For the trainable transceiver to learn the signal characteristics of various signals of different length and duration, the amount of memory provided and allocated within the trainable transceiver for each transmission channel must be sufficient to store the characteristics of the largest signal to be learned.
Additionally, in order for the trainable transceiver to work properly in the communication system, it must be compatible with the remote electronic device, and in particular, with potentially numerous remote electronic devices that the trainable transceiver is likely to communicate with over the course of time. Naturally, it is difficult to predict which of these remote electronic devices a user may wish to control such that the trainable transceiver may be programmed for compatibility. Moreover, as new remote electronic devices are developed, after the trainable transceiver has been initially programmed, there is no current process to update the trainable transceiver such that the new remote electronic device is compatible for use in the wireless communication system.

System and method for wireless re-programming of memory in a communication system


Tumor necrosis factor receptor proteins, DNAs and expression vectors encoding TNF receptors, and processes for producing TNF receptors as products of recombinant cell culture, are disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to cytokine receptors and more specifically to tumor necrosis factor receptors.
Tumor necrosis factor-.alpha. (TNF.alpha., also known as cachectin) and tumor necrosis factor-.beta. (TNF.beta., also known as lymphotoxin) are homologous mammalian endogenous secretory proteins capable of inducing a wide variety of effects on a large number of cell types. The great similarities in the structural and functional characteristics of these two cytokines have resulted in their collective description as "TNF." Complementary cDNA clones encoding TNF.alpha. (Pennica et al., Nature 312:724, 1984) and TNF.beta. (Gray et al., Nature 312:721, 1984) have been isolated, permitting further structural and biological characterization of TNF.
TNF proteins initiate their biological effect on cells by binding to specific TNF receptor (TNF-R) proteins expressed on the plasma membrane of a TNF-responsive cell. TNF.alpha. and TNF.beta. were first shown to bind to a common receptor on the human cervical carcinoma cell line ME-180 (Aggarwal et al., Nature 318:665, 1985). Estimates of the size of the TNF-R determined by affinity labeling studies ranged from 54 to 175 kDa (Creasey et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:3293, 1987; Stauber et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263:19098, 1988; Hohmann et al., J. Biol. Chem. 264:14927, 1989). Although the relationship between these TNF-Rs of different molecular mass is unclear, Hobmann et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 264:14927, 1989) reported that at least two different cell surface receptors for TNF exist on different cell types. These receptors have an apparent molecular mass of about 80 kDa and about 55-60 kDa, respectively. None of the above publications, however, reported the purification to homogeneity of cell surface TNF receptors.
In addition to cell surface receptors for TNF, soluble proteins from human urine capable of binding TNF have also been identified (Peetre et al., Eur. J. Haematol. 41:414, 1988; Seckinger et al., J. Exp. Med. 167:1511, 1988; Seckinger et al., J. Biol. Chem. 264:11966, 1989; UK Patent Application, Publ. No. 2 218 101 A to Seckinger et al.; Engelmann et al., J. Biol. Chem. 264:11974, 1989). The soluble urinary TNF binding protein disclosed by UK 2 218 101 A has a partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of Asp--Ser--Val--Cys--Pro--, which corresponds to the partial sequence disclosed later by Engelmann et al. (1989). The relationship of the above soluble urinary binding proteins was further elucidated after original parent application (U.S. Ser. No. 403,241) of the present application was filed, when Engelmann et al. reported the identification and purification of a second distinct soluble urinary TNF binding protein having an N-terminal amino acid sequence of Val--Ala--Phe--Thr--Pro-- (J. Biol. Chem. 265:1531, 1990). The two urinary proteins disclosed by the UK 2 218 101 A and the Engelmann et al. publications were shown to be immunochemically related to two apparently distinct cell surface proteins by the ability of antiserum against the binding proteins to inhibit TNF binding to certain cells.
More recently, two separate groups reported the molecular cloning and expression of a human 55 kDa TNF-R (Loetscher et al., Cell 61:351, 1990; Schall et al., Cell 61:361, 1990). The TNF-R of both groups has an N-terminal amino acid sequence which corresponds to the partial amino acid sequence of the urinary binding protein disclosed by UK 2 218 101 A, Engelmann et al. (1989) and Engelmann et al. (1990).
In order to elucidate the relationship of the multiple forms of TNF-R and soluble urinary TNF binding proteins, or to study the structural and biological characteristics of TNF-Rs and the role played by TNF-Rs in the responses of various cell populations to TNF or other cytokine stimulation, or to use TNF-Rs effectively in therapy, diagnosis, or assay, purified compositions of TNF-R are needed. Such compositions, however, are obtainable in practical yields only by cloning and expressing genes encoding the receptors using recombinant DNA technology. Efforst to purify the TNF-R molecule for use in biochemical analysis or to clone and express mammalian genes encoding TNF-R, however, have been impeded by lack of a suitable source of receptor protein or mRNA. Prior to the present invention, no cell lines were known to express high levels of TNF-R constitutively and continuously, which precluded purification of receptor for sequencing or construction of genetic libraries for cDNA cloning.

DNA encoding tumor necrosis factor-.alpha. and -.beta. receptors


A lock device includes: a body having a striker insertion groove into which a striker is inserted; a hook lever shaft mounted to the body; and a hook lever rotatably mounted to the body via the hook lever shaft, and that moves to an engagement position where the hook lever is engaged with the striker inserted into the striker insertion groove, and that moves to a release position where the engagement with the striker is released. The lock device is rotatably supported by a support member so as to change an opening position of the striker insertion groove. The hook lever shaft is rotatably mounted to the body, and has a flange interposed between the body and the support member, and the body is supported by the support member so as to rotate about the hook lever shaft as a rotation shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock device used for fixing a detachable seat or a movable seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some vehicles such as minivans and buses include a detachable seat or a movable seat (hereinafter collectively referred to as "detachable seat"). The detachable seat is fixed to a vehicle body in such a manner that a lock device provided to the seat or the vehicle body restrains a striker mounted to the other one of the seat and the vehicle body.
The lock device for fixing the detachable seat to the vehicle body includes a lock mechanism having a hook lever or an open lever, and a lock mechanism housing member for housing the lock mechanism. The lock mechanism housing member includes a body having substantially a concave shape, and a cover plate covering an opening of the body. The lock mechanism housing member has a striker insertion groove into which the striker is inserted upon fixing the seat. The lock mechanism is configured such that the hook lever is engaged with the striker inserted into the striker insertion groove, and then, the striker is restrained by the most inward part of the striker insertion groove and the hook lever.
The lock device is fastened and fixed to a support member such as a frame of the detachable seat by use of a support bolt. However, when the lock device is fixed to the frame (support member), the striker may not be engaged with the hook lever due to the deviation (mounting error) caused on the mounting position of the lock device or the striker, resulting in that the detachable seat may not be fixed to the vehicle body. As one of countermeasures for solving this problem, a method of mounting the lock device to the frame so as to be rotatable or swingable has been proposed.
When the lock device is mounted to the frame so as to be rotatable or swingable, the mounting portion to the frame is formed to project from the outer surface of the lock mechanism housing member, and a circular hole and an arc-like elongated hole about the circular hole are formed on the mounting portion (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-324182). The lock mechanism housing member is mounted to the frame by use of the support bolt and a nut through the circular hole and the elongated hole. In this mounting method, the lock mechanism housing member (lock device) can swing about the circular hole. Therefore, even if the mounting position of the striker is shifted, for example, the lock device swings, so that the hook lever is engaged with the striker. Thus, the detachable seat can be fixed to the vehicle body.
The vehicle body and the detachable seat have variety of shapes, so that the environment of the portion where the lock device is mounted is different depending upon a type of vehicle. Therefore, considering versatility, the lock device for fixing the detachable seat to the vehicle body is desirably compact, and desirably has a lot of flexibility in the mounting position. However, the above-mentioned lock device having the mounting portion projecting from the outer surface of the lock mechanism housing member is large-sized as a whole.
When the above-mentioned lock device having the mounting portion is mounted to the frame so as to be rotatable or swingable, the rotation is inhibited by friction resistance generated on a contact surface between the mounting portion and the frame during the rotation of the lock device, which might cause incomplete engagement en the striker and the hook lever.
The present invention is accomplished in view of the above-mentioned circumstance, and aims to provide a lock device that can realize an accurate engagement between a striker and a hook lever without an increase in size of the device.


Cooling of a meter by liquid flowing in a flow that is reverse from dispensing flow is described. A plurality of tubes is configured to transport a plurality of fluids comprising a first fluid and a second fluid. Dispense valves attached to corresponding tubes are configured to open when the first fluid is dispensed from a pump to a first outlet. Recirculation valves attached to respective tubes are configured to open when the second fluid is transported from the pump to a second outlet. A meter attached to a tube of the plurality of tubes is configured to measure properties of a fluid when the fluid flows through the tube, wherein the fluid is one of the first fluid and the second fluid. The meter is configured to sense reverse flow when the second fluid flows from the outlet section to the inlet section.

Cryogenic liquids are liquefied gases that are kept in their liquid states at significantly low temperatures. For example, some cryogenic liquids have boiling points below negative 150 degrees Celsius (that is, −150° C.). Cryogenic liquids can be used as fuels. For example, liquid hydrogen, which is an example of a cryogenic liquid, can be used as a rocket fuel. For such cryogenic liquids to be used, cryogenic liquids are transported in tubes. Cryogenic meters are placed in the tubes to measure a flow of the cryogenic liquids. Because the cryogenic liquids are required to remain in a liquid state at very low temperatures, the cryogenic meters need to be cooled down regularly.

Cooling of cryogenic meters sensing reverse flow


The present invention provides a time domain reflectometer for testing an electrical cable. The time domain reflectometer includes a test signal generator, at least one line feed resistor, connected between the test signal generator and a pair of terminals, for connection to the ends of the electrical cable under test, and a signal processor, connected to the terminals, to receive a line signal including a reflection of a test signal transmitted into the cable under test. The signal processor is programmed to filter the line signal to enhance a portion of the signal indicative of any fault on the cable by balancing the signal according to the electrical characteristics of a normal cable of the same type as the cable under test by applying a filter function, and acquiring at least one estimate of the input admittance of the transmission line from known or estimated electrical characteristics of the cable under test.

Whenever a signal travelling along a transmission line encounters some change, i.e., discontinuity, in the line characteristic, a portion of the signal is reflected back towards the sending end of the line. The nature of the reflection signal is determined by the discontinuity characteristic, which might be anywhere between a short circuit and an open circuit.
Time domain reflectometers provide a means to determine the characteristics of faulty and normal electrical transmission lines, by sending an excitation signal, receiving a reflected response and analysing the response.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) shows schematically the external appearance of a portable time domain reflectometer, TDR. Other forms are possible, for instance a fixed installation wherein the TDR is automatically controlled and does not require any user keypad or visual display.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) shows the typical blocks that make up a TDR. These are:
Power Supply—which provides the necessary power to the various circuits;
Processor/Memory—which, as in many examples of modern instrumentation, provides overall operational control, processing of user actions, control of information provided to the user, management for the generation of test signals, management for the acquisition of measured signals, mathematical analysis of measurements and the application of signal processing algorithms.
In this context, the term "user" might also mean a separate piece of linked system control equipment as well as a human operator;
User Interface(s)—in a portable TDR these would typically be a keypad for entering commands/data and a screen for the display of measured signal responses, derived measurements and system information. In a fixed installation, the user interface might consist of a serial communication port such as a RS232 or USB port;
Test Signal Generator—provides a test signal for application to the transmission line (cable) under test. In practice it might be in the form of a voltage source or a current source. It might also be presented in either a single-ended (unbalanced) or balanced form.
Line Feed Resistor(s)—this or these provide the correct matching impedance for the line being tested. As previously mentioned, when a signal travelling along a transmission line encounters a change in characteristic, a reflection occurs. This is also true for a reflected wave returning to the TDR instrument. The instrument should therefore present an impedance characteristic sensibly close to the impedance characteristic of the line under test, if it is to avoid causing further unwanted signal reflections. The line feed resistor(s) is or are therefore provided to give the correct matching characteristic for the line under test. Multiple selections may be provided to cater for various line types.
In practical realisations, the test signal generator may consist of a voltage generator which is then arranged in series with the line feed resistor(s) or a current generator arranged in parallel with the line feed resistor(s). These are equivalent as per the well known Thevenin and Norton equivalent forms. Also the signals might be provided, and the responses measured, as either a single-ended or a balanced form which are well known in measurement systems. The later analysis is presented in the single-ended (unbalanced) form although this is easily extended to the balanced form, as is well known.
Additionally, some form of dc isolation might be provided between the TDR instrument circuitry and the connectors providing the access to the line (cable) under test. Typically this is done by the use of capacitors whose value is chosen to have minimal effect on the signals generated to and received from the line (cable) under test. If these capacitors do have a significant effect, it can be compensated for by the use of traditional analogue or digital filter techniques.
Signal Measurements—This block provides the ability to capture the electrical signals appearing on the TDR line (cable) under test, access point. It can therefore acquire signals with or without the cable actually connected. Typically an input amplifier of suitable impedance when considered in conjunction with the line feed resistor(s) will pass the signal to an analogue to digital converter (ADC) which is used to capture signal values on a point by point basis in time, which are then passed via the processor to a memory store for later evaluation.
In a practical TDR, the effect on the measured signal due to any dc isolation may again be compensated for by use of traditional analogue or digital filter techniques. Also, the input amplifier/ADC circuit may be presented in either single-ended (unbalanced) or balanced configurations.
Access Point—provides the terminal connections such that the cable under test can be connected to the instrument's test and measurement circuitry.
Traditional TDRs use a substantially rectangular pulse, or pulses that are smoother in nature such as a half-sine shape or a raised cosine shape. Other TDRs use a step waveform, which does not return to zero over the duration of the measurement.
One characteristic of an electrical transmission line is the rise/fall charge transients that can be seen when signals are applied to its input. This effect can hinder the observation and analysis of weak reflection signals in TDR responses. It is thus of fundamental interest to substantially remove this unwanted characteristic.
A variety of hardware and software techniques exist to reduce the unwanted effect. These techniques may be referred to as compensation, correction, balance or signal processing, amongst others.
One technique is to make measurements (baseline reference results) on a known good line of the same type being tested and then to subtract this reference signal from the subsequent line test response. The resulting response then primarily consists of only the desired reflection response. This method has the disadvantage of requiring access to known good lines, which may not be convenient or even possible.
Another technique provides an adjustable hardware balance network, which attempts to provide an approximation of the unwanted effect, which can be subtracted from the overall response. In practice, the unwanted characteristic, which is described by a combination of Bessel functions and exponential decays, is not easily characterised by simple hardware circuits and the balance effectiveness is of only limited value. In any case it is desirable to replace hardware solutions with software solutions, where possible. This principle is illustrated in FIG. 3.
Other techniques based on signal processing software alone may be applied.


A retrofit apparatus for providing a signal indicative of the position of an aircraft control surface comprises a rotary coupling flexibly coupled to the control surface, an extensible coupling driven by the rotary coupling, a quadric-chain linkage coupled to the extensible coupling for converting a linear output into a substantially translatory displacement, a linkage for converting the translatory displacement into a substantially angular motion, and a transducer coupled to the linkage for converting the angular motion into an electrical output indicative of the position of the aircraft control surface. The invention is a simple modification to an existing quadric-chain linkage driving a mechanical indicator, enabling an electrical transducer to be retrofitted in the crowded control stand of an aircraft.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a transducer which transforms the mechanical position of an aircraft control surface such as a horizontal stabilizer into an electrical signal for use in other aircraft subsystems. The invention is particularly applicable to retrofit installation into aircraft which were not originally designed to have such electrical outputs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The position of the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer surface is generally controlled by electric or hydraulic actuators. In a typical electric actuator installation, the position is determined by an irreversible jackscrew which is turned by either of two motors, remotely operated by switch inputs from the pilots in the cockpit. Further inputs to the stabilizer jackscrew are provided by hand-operated wheels which are conveniently located to the Captain and the First Officer in the cockpit. These wheels rotate a relatively large number of turns to cover the full range of stabilizer operation and are connected to the jackscrew by cabling from the cockpit to the rear of the aircraft where the stabilizer is located. The cockpit wheels rotate whenever there is an input to the jackscrew, whether electric or manual; thus, providing a positive visual cue to the pilots that the stabilizer is moving. Since the wheels rotate many turns over the full range of stabilizer movement, it is also necessary to provide a limited range visual displacement cue to the pilots. This takes the form of mechanical displacement of a pointer covering an arc of about 40 degrees, corresponding somewhat linearly with a stabilizer movement of about 17 degrees. In older aircraft there was no requirement for an electrical output which reflected the position of the horizontal stabilizer. With the advent of new requirements such as retrofit of windshear detection devices, it is necessary to provide such electrical signals, which are difficult to obtain because of very crowded conditions that exist in the pedestal control stand between the Captain and First Officer.
The present invention adapts an existing quadric-chain pointer drive mechanism to actuate an electrical transducer which is remotely located. It provides a substantially linear rotation range of about 35 degrees with a corresponding signal output with minimum modification of the existing mechanism.

Aircraft control surface position transducer