One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for efficiently and flexibly performing coalesced memory accesses for a thread group. For each read application request that services a thread group, the core interface generates one pending request table (PRT) entry and one or more memory access requests. The core interface determines the number of memory access requests and the size of each memory access request based on the spread of the memory access addresses in the application request. Each memory access request specifies the particular threads that the memory access request services. The PRT entry tracks the number of pending memory access requests. As the memory interface completes each memory access request, the core interface uses information in the memory access request and the corresponding PRT entry to route the returned data. When all the memory access requests associated with a particular PRT entry are complete, the core interface satisfies the corresponding application request and frees the PRT entry.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to parallel processing and more specifically to systems and methods for coalescing memory accesses of parallel threads.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical parallel processing subsystem is capable of very high performance using a relatively large number of small, parallel execution threads on dedicated programmable hardware processing units. The specialized design of such parallel processing subsystems usually allows these subsystems to efficiently perform certain tasks, such as rendering 3-D scenes or computing the product of two matrices, using a high volume of concurrent computational and memory operations. Each thread typically performs a portion of the overall task that the parallel processing subsystem is configured to perform and accesses specific memory addresses.
As is well-known, to perform highly-efficient coalesced memory transfers, parallel processing subsystems often require memory read or write operations to consist of large, contiguous blocks of memory on aligned block boundaries. More specifically, if a particular thread group (i.e., a group of parallel threads) accesses a block of memory that is aligned to a multiple of the memory fetch size, and each of the threads in the thread group accesses a sequential portion of the block, then the parallel processing subsystem may perform a single coalesced memory transfer. However, if a particular thread group does not conform to these requirements, then the parallel processing subsystem will perform a non-coalesced memory transfer for each individual thread in the thread group. For example, suppose that a thread group of sixteen parallel threads accesses a contiguous block of memory, but the block is shifted by one byte from a multiple of the memory fetch size. The parallel processing subsystem will typically perform sixteen non-coalesced memory transfers, each of which satisfies a specific thread. Performing sixteen non-coalesced memory transfers is far less efficient than performing a coalesced memory transfer and, therefore, substantially reduces the overall performance of the executing application program.
In one approach to addressing the problem, an application developer may take into consideration the memory fetch size and write an optimized application program that enables coalesced memory transfers wherever possible. One drawback to this approach is that developing such an optimized application program involves a complicated programming environment and is time-consuming for the application developer.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a technique for more efficiently and flexibly performing memory accesses for thread groups.

Systems and methods for coalescing memory accesses of parallel threads


Metal-chalcogenide films disposed on a substrate comprising at least one monolayer (e.g., 1 to 10 monolayers) of a metal-chalcogenide. The films can be continuous (e.g., structurally and/or electrically continuous) over 80% or greater of the substrate that is covered by the film. The films can be made by methods based on low metal precursor concentration relative to the concentration of chalcogenide precursor. The methods can be carried out at low water concentration. The films can be used in devices (e.g., electrical devices and electronic devices).

The large scale growth of semiconducting thin films is the basis of modern electronics and optoelectronics. Reducing film thickness to the ultimate limit of the atomic, sub-nanometer length scale, a difficult limit for traditional semiconductors (e.g., Si and GaAs), would bring wide benefits for applications in ultrathin and flexible electronics, photovoltaics and display technology. For this, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which can form stable three-atom-thick monolayers (MLs), provide semiconducting materials with high electrical carrier mobility, and their large-scale growth on insulating substrates would enable batch fabrication of atomically-thin high-performance transistors and photodetectors on a technologically relevant scale without film transfer. In addition, their unique electronic band structures provide novel ways to enhance the functionalities of such devices, including the large excitonic effect, bandgap modulation, indirect-to-direct bandgap transition, piezoelectricity and valleytronics. However, the large-scale growth of ML TMD films with spatial homogeneity and high electrical performance remains an unsolved challenge.
Existing growth methods for large-scale ML TMDs have so far produced materials with limited spatial uniformity and electrical performance. For instance, the sulphurization of metal or metal compounds only provides control over the average layer number, producing spatially-inhomogeneous mixtures of mono-, multi-layer and no-growth regions. While chemical vapour deposition (CVD) based on solid-phase precursors (e.g. MoO3, MoCl5, or WO3) has demonstrated better thickness control over large scale, the electrical performance of the resulting material, which is often reported from a small number of devices in selected areas, fails to show spatially uniform high carrier mobility.

Monolayer films of semiconducting metal dichalcogenides, methods of making same, and uses of same


A deposition apparatus for depositing a deposition material on a substrate in order to improve characteristics of a deposition layer includes: a deposition source facing the substrate and ejecting the deposition material; a patterning slit sheet including patterning slits for depositing the deposition material in a desired pattern and disposed to face the substrate; a frame coupled to the patterning slit sheet; and a stage bonded to the frame to support the frame, wherein a separation area is formed between the frame and the stage.

1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a deposition apparatus, a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display apparatus, and an organic light emitting display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices including display apparatuses may include a plurality of thin films. Here, various thin films may be formed by deposition processes.
In particular, a mask having a set or predetermined pattern may be used to form a deposition layer in a desired pattern. However, it is not easy to precisely align such a mask and a substrate, and thus, there is a limitation in improving characteristics of deposition layers.
Meanwhile, display apparatuses have been replaced with thin flat panel display apparatuses that may be portable. Among the flat panel display apparatuses, organic light emitting display apparatuses are self-emissive display apparatuses that are considered as next generation display apparatuses due to their wide viewing angles, high contrast, and fast response speeds.
An organic light emitting display apparatus includes an intermediate layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The intermediate layer includes an organic emission layer, and when a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the organic emission layer emits visible rays.
An intermediate layer and other thin films in an organic light emitting display apparatus may be formed by using a deposition process. In order to form a certain pattern on a substrate using the deposition process, a deposition mask is generally used.
It is not easy to form a fine and precise pattern through the deposition process using the deposition mask. In particular, as organic light emitting display apparatuses become larger, it is not easy to align a substrate and a deposition mask with each other precisely, and thus, it is difficult to control a precise pattern of the deposition layer.
That is, there is a limitation in improving characteristics of a deposition layer in an organic light emitting display apparatus.

Deposition apparatus, method of manufacturing organic light emitting display apparatus, and organic light emitting display apparatus


The holding voltage (the minimum voltage required for operation) of a LVTSCR-like device is increased to a value that is greater than a dc bias on a to-be-protected node. The holding voltage is increased by reducing the size of the p+ emitter defined by the LVTSCR-like device. As a result, the LVTSCR can be utilized to provide ESD protection to power supply pins, having better current capabilities than a GGNMOS and better holding voltage characteristics than a LVTSCR.

Analog circuits typically display sensitivity to excessive voltage levels. Transients, such as electrostatic discharges (ESD) can cause the voltage handling capabilities of the analog circuit to be exceeded, resulting in damage to the analog circuit. Clamps have been devised to shunt current to ground during excessive voltage peaks.
One of the difficulties encountered in designing such protection circuitry is that the specifications for these clamps have to fit within a relatively small design window that, on the one hand, must take into account the breakdown voltage of the circuit being protected, and, on the other hand, avoid latch-up under normal operation. Thus, the clamp must be designed such as to be activated below the breakdown voltage of the circuit that is to be protected. At the same time, the latch-up or holding voltage must exceed the normal operating voltage of the protected circuit.
Typical protection clamps employ avalanche diodes such as zener diodes to provide the bias voltage for the base of a subsequent power bipolar junction transistor (BJT).
Grounded gate NMOS devices (GGNMOS) have also been used in the past as ESD protection devices. However, GGNMOS devices are not only large, consuming a lot of space on a chip, they also suffer from the disadvantage that they support only limited current densities. The protection capability of an ESD protection device can be defined as the required contact width of the structure required to protect against an ESD pulse amplitude, or, stated another way, as the maximum protected ESD pulse amplitude for a given contact width. Thus, the smaller the contact width for a given ESD pulse amplitude protection, the better. One possible ESD protection solution is to use a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR).
A silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) is a device that provides an open circuit between a first node and a second node when the voltage across the first and second nodes is positive and less than a trigger voltage. When the voltage across the first and second nodes rises to be equal to or greater than the trigger voltage, the SCR provides a low-resistance current path between the first and second nodes. Further, once the low-resistance current path has been provided, the SCR maintains the current path as long as the voltage across the first and second nodes is equal to or greater than a holding voltage that is lower than the trigger voltage. As a result of these characteristics, SCRs have been used to provide ESD protection. When used for ESD protection, the first node becomes a to-be-protected node, and the second node is typically connected to ground. The SCR operates within an ESD protection window that has a maximum voltage defined by the destructive breakdown level of the to-be-protected node, and a minimum voltage (also known as a latch-up voltage) defined by any dc bias on the to-be-protected node.
Thus, when the voltage across the to-be-protected node and the second node is less than the trigger voltage, the SCR provides an open circuit between the to-be-protected node and the second node. However, when the to-be-protected node receives a voltage spike that equals or exceeds the trigger voltage, such as when an ungrounded human-body contact occurs, the SCR provides a low-resistance current path from the to-be-protected node to the second node. In addition, once the ESD event has passed and the voltage on the to-be-protected node falls below the holding voltage, the SCR again provides an open circuit between the to-be-protected node and the second node.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view that illustrates a conventional SCR 100. As shown in FIG. 1, SCR 100 has a n-well 112 which is formed in a p-type semiconductor material 110, such as a substrate or a well, and a n+ region 114 and a p+ region 116 which are formed in n-well 112. The n+ and p+ regions 114 and 116 are both connected to a to-be-protected node 120. As further shown in FIG. 1, SCR 100 also has a n+ region 122 and a p+ region 124 formed in semiconductor material 110. The n+ and p+ regions 122 and 124 are both connected to an output node 126.
In operation, when the voltage across nodes 120 and 126 is positive and less than the trigger voltage, the voltage reverse biases the junction between n-well 112 and p-type material 110. The reverse-biased junction, in turn, blocks charge carriers from flowing from node 120 to node 126. However, when the voltage across nodes 120 and 126 is positive and equal to or greater than the trigger voltage, the reverse-biased junction breaks down due to avalanche multiplication.
The breakdown of the junction causes a large number of holes to be injected into material 110, and a large number of electrons to be injected into n-well 112. The increased number of holes increases the potential of material 110 in the region that lies adjacent to n+ region 122, and eventually forward biases the junction between material 110 and n+ region 122.
When the increased potential forward biases the junction, a npn transistor that utilizes n+ region 122 as the emitter, p-type material 110 as the base, and n-well 112 as the collector turns on. When turned on, n+ (emitter) region 122 injects electrons into (base) material 110. Most of the injected electrons diffuse through (base) material 110 and are swept from (base) material 110 into (collector) n-well 112 by the electric field that extends across the reverse-biased junction. The electrons in (collector) n-well 112 are then collected by n+ region 114.
A small number of the electrons injected into (base) material 110 recombine with holes in (base) material 110 and are lost. The holes lost to recombination with the injected electrons are replaced by holes injected into (base) material 110 by the broken-down reverse-biased junction and, as described below, by the collector current of a pnp transistor, thereby providing the base current.
The electrons that are injected and swept into n-well 112 also decrease the potential of n-well 112 in the region that lies adjacent to p+ region 116, and eventually forward bias the junction between p+ region 116 and n-well 112. When the decreased potential forward biases the junction between p+ region 116 and n-well 112, a pnp transistor formed from p+ region 116, n-well 112, and material 110, turns on.
When turned on, p+ emitter 116 injects holes into base 112. Most of the injected holes diffuse through (base) n-well 112 and are swept from (base) n-well 112 into (collector) material 110 by the electric field that extends across the reverse-biased junction. The holes in (collector) material 110 are then collected by p+ region 124.
A small number of the holes injected into (base) n-well 112 recombine with electrons in (base) n-well 112 and are lost. The electrons lost to recombination with the injected holes are replaced by electrons flowing into n-well 112 as a result of the broken-down reverse-biased junction, and n-well 112 being the collector of the npn transistor. Thus, a small part of the npn collector current forms the base current of the pnp transistor.
Similarly, as noted above, the holes swept into (collector) material 110 also provide the base current holes necessary to compensate for the holes lost to recombination with the diffusing electrons injected by n+ (emitter) region 122. Thus, a small part of the pnp collector current forms the base current of the npn transistor.
Thus, n+ region 122 injects electrons that provide both the electrons for the collector current of the npn transistor as well as the electrons for the base current of the pnp transistor. At the same time, p+ region 116 injects holes that provide both the holes for the collector current of the pnp transistor as well as the holes for the base current of the npn transistor.
One of the advantages of SCR 100 over other ESD protection devices, such as a grounded-gate MOS transistor, is the double injection provided by n+ region 122 and p+ region 116 of SCR 100. With double injection, SCR 100 provides current densities (after snapback) that are about ten times greater than the densities provided by a grounded-gate MOS device.
One of the disadvantages of SCR 100, however, is that a very large positive voltage, e.g., 50 volts, must be dropped across nodes 120 and 126 before the junction between p-type material 110 and n-well 112 breaks down. As a result, SCR 100 can not be used to protect devices, such as MOS transistors, that can be permanently damaged by much lower voltages, e.g., 15 volts.
One solution proposed in the past, was to use low voltage silicon controlled rectifiers (LVTSCRs) which are not only smaller but allow the reaching of current densities, after snap back, that are some ten times higher than the current densities of traditionally used grounded gate NMOS devices (GGNMOS), thus increasing the ESD protection capability for CMOS circuits.
An LVTSCR incorporates a NMOS transistor into SCR 100. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional diagram that illustrates a conventional LVTSCR 200. LVTSCR 200 and SCR 100 are similar and, as a result, utilize the same reference numerals to designate the structures that are common to both devices.
As shown in FIG. 2, LVTSCR 200 differs from SCR 100 in that LVTSCR 200 has a n+(drain) region 230 that is formed in both material 110 and n-well 112, and a channel region 232 that is defined between n+ (source) region 122 and n+ (drain) region 230. In addition, LVTSCR 200 includes a gate oxide layer 234 that is formed on material 110 over channel region 232, and a gate 236 that is formed on gate oxide layer 234. N+ (source and drain) regions 122 and 230, gate oxide layer 234, and gate 236 define a NMOS transistor 238 which is typically formed to be identical to the to-be-protected MOS transistors in the circuit.
In operation, when the voltage on the drain of a conventional NMOS transistor spikes up, the drain-to-substrate junction of the NMOS transistor breaks down, for example, at 7 volts, while the gate oxide layer that isolates the gate from the drain destructively breaks down at, for example, 10–15 volts.
Since NMOS transistor 238 is formed to be identical to the to-be-protected MOS transistors, the junction between n+ region 230 and material 110 breaks down at the same time that the to-be-protected MOS transistors experience junction break down as a result of an ESD pulse. Once the reverse-biased junction between region 230 and material 110 breaks down, the break down triggers LVTSCR 200 to operate the same as SCR 100.
Since junction break down occurs before the MOS transistors experience destructive gate oxide break down, LVTSCR 200 turns on before destructive gate oxide breakdown occurs, thereby protecting the MOS transistors. Thus, the junction break down voltage, which is less than the voltage level that causes destructive gate oxide break down, functions as the trigger voltage. In addition, other techniques, such as reducing the width of channel region 232, can be used to lower the trigger voltage so that the region 230 to material 110 junction breaks down before the to-be-protected MOS transistors experience junction break down.
Thus, LVTSCR 200 provides a SCR with a significantly lower turn-on voltage that allows MOS transistors to be protected from ESD events with an SCR. However, one disadvantage of LVTSCR 200, and, for that matter, any SCR is that it suffers from a holding voltage that is often less than the minimum (or latch-up) voltage of the ESD protection window. The low holding voltage of the LVTSCR which lies in the range of less than two volts, is due to the double junction injection of its conductivity modulation mechanism. While the p+ emitter allows one to define how many holes are injected, the injection of the holes leads to greater space charge neutralization and thus a lower holding voltage. As a result, standard LVTSCRs are >unattractive candidates for providing ESD protection to power supply pins.
As mentioned above, the major requirement when designing ESD protection circuits, is that the circuit operate within a so-called "ESD protection window" that is usually limited by both the maximum voltage in the protected line (which is related to the breakdown of the protected circuits) and the latch-up voltage when the DC bias is presented in the protected line. In the LVTSCR, when the minimum (or latch-up) voltage of the ESD protection window is equal to a dc bias, such as the power supply voltage, LVTSCR 200 can not turn off (thus latching up) after the ESD event has passed. Thus, power must be cycled after the ESD event.
For example, assume that node 120 is a power supply pin at 3.3 volts, node 126 is a ground pin, the junction breakdown voltages of the to-be-protected MOS transistors are 7.0 volts, and the holding voltage is 1.8 volts. In this example, LVTSCR 200 is turned off under normal operating conditions when the voltage on node 120 is 3.3 volts. When the voltage on node 120 spikes up to a value equal to or greater than the trigger voltage (7 volts in this example), LVTSCR 200 turns on, thereby protecting the MOS devices that receive power from node 120. However, once the ESD event has passed, since the normal operating voltage on node 120 is 3.3 volts, and it takes only 1.8 volts on node 120 to keep LVTSCR 200 in this example turned on, LVTSCR 200 remains turned on (latched up) after the ESD event has passed.
Thus, in spite of higher current availability from an LVTSCR after snap back, conventional CMOS integrated circuits are usually protected by grounded gate NMOS snap back structures (GGNMOS) due to the latch-up limitations of LVTSCRs.
What is needed is a device that fills the void between low current GGNMOS devices and low holding voltage, high current SCR and LVTSCR devices.

High holding voltage ESD protection structure and method


A method of manufacturing a quantum device such as a coupled quantum boxes device are disclosed. The quantum device comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of box portions made of a first semiconductor; and a layer made of a second semiconductor provided on circumferences of the box portions, a plurality of quantum boxes being provided with the box portions and the layer of the second semiconductor. The manufacturing method comprises the steps of: making a plurality of box portions of a first semiconductor on a semiconductor substrate; and covering circumferences of the box portions with a layer of a second semiconductor, a plurality of quantum boxes being provided with the box portions and the layer of the second semiconductor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a quantum device and its manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, in quantum wave electronics, a quantum microstructure called a quantum box, which has a cross sectional dimension equivalent to the de Broglie wavelength of an electron, is remarked, and the quantum effect exhibited by a zero-dimensional electron confined in the quantum box has become a matter of great concern.
A concept of a coupled quantum boxes device (also called an assembled quantum boxes device) has arisen as a sort of quantum devices using quantum boxes, and a study has started to realize it. Such a coupled quantum boxes device includes quantum boxes arranged so as to cause transition of electrons (e.sup.-) among the quantum boxes, due to quantum mechanical tunneling or other mechanism, to thereby change the distribution of electrons to effect information processing.
In order to realize a coupled quantum boxes device which utilizes tunneling of electrons among quantum boxes, it is necessary to arrange the quantum boxes in near positional relations by a distance less than the order of 10 nm.
Quantum boxes of a size on the order of 10 nm can be made by the electron beam lithography. As to the distance between the quantum boxes, however, the order of 50 nm is the limit because of the proximity effect and scattering of electrons during exposure. With the distance on the order of 50 nm between quantum boxes, the coupling force between the quantum boxes is very weak, and the operation speed of the coupled quantum boxes device is slow.
Such a decrease in operation speed similarly occurs also in a coupled quantum wires device which is a quantum device using quantum wires in lieu of quantum boxes.

Manufacturing method of a quantum device


A connector comprising a housing having a varistor-characteristic resin portion, and signal coupling terminal conductors which penetrate the varistor-characteristic resin portion. The housing itself is made of a varistor-characteristic resin material or the housing is fitted, at its side recess portion, with the varistor-characteristic resin material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and in particular to the connector which connects electrically an electronic instrument such as a telephone and a facsimile to a network line.
2. Description of Related Art
A connector which electrically connects an electronic instrument such as a telephone to a network line may be associated with a varistor (a nonlinear voltage characteristic resistor) in order to protect the electronic instrument against noise and surge (excessive voltages up to the order of a few kilo-volts to several tens of kilo-volt).
Both the connector and the varistor have been produced as two discrete parts, and, thus, the varistor needs mounting onto any of signal coupling terminal conductors on the connector housing. Mounting the varistor is a troublesome step. Also, the varistor needs space to mount it in the connector, presenting a difficulty in miniaturization of the electronic instrument.


A fluid pump is provided that produces an outflow of fluid that is not proportional to the speed of the input drive. Thus, the fluid pump can be tuned to provide a substantially constant outflow of fluid irrespective of the speed of the input drive. The fluid pump also provides fluid outflow when the rotational direction of the input drive is reversed.

The present invention relates generally to fluid pumps, and particularly, to a lubrication pump capable of providing a substantially constant outflow of fluid.
As is well-known to those skilled in the art of automotive vehicle, but also known by those in other arts, mechanical assemblies often require fluid lubrication for optimal performance and reliability. Typical examples where this need for lubrication is especially important in automotive vehicles include piston engines, transmissions, and other drivetrain components. Commonly, lubrication is provided to these components with a fluid pump that produces an outflow of fluid from a fluid reservoir. The outflow of fluid is then directed throughout the component that requires lubrication by a number of narrow passages or hoses.
To optimize lubrication, the fluid is often routed directly to critical friction surfaces within the component. Typically, these critical friction surfaces involve mating metal surfaces that slide against each other under high speed or high load. A common example of a critical friction surface that requires lubrication is the journal and bearing surface of a rotating bearing. Lubrication of moving parts generally provides two benefits. First, the fluid minimizes wear between the moving parts, thus lengthening the operating life of the component and also increasing efficiency of the component. Second, the fluid absorbs heat that is generated by the friction between the moving parts, thus dissipating the heat away from the moving parts and cooling the component. As is well-known by those in the art, a variety of fluids can be used to lubricate critical friction surfaces, and the choice is usually influenced by a number of different design considerations. Petrochemical oils with varying viscosities are commonly used for lubrication and are satisfactory for many applications. One example of a well-known and often used lubricant is automatic transmission fluid, or also referred to as Dextron II.
Traditionally, lubrication of automotive vehicle components has been provided by mechanically driven fluid pumps. Accordingly, the fluid pump is usually mounted directly to or close by the drivetrain component, and power is provided to the pump from rotating drive members in the component. A variety of drive systems have been employed to power lubrication fluid pumps, with one common example including an input drive shaft that extends into the fluid pump and a gear from the drivetrain component that drives the input drive shaft.
One characteristic of mechanically driven fluid pumps is that the volume of fluid outflow from the pump usually varies as the speed of the input drive shaft varies. Thus, as the speed of the drive gear from the component increases (and consequently the speed of the input drive shaft increases), the volume of fluid flowing from the pump will increase. Similarly, as the speed of the component decreases, the outflow from the pump also decreases. Thus, a proportional relationship generally exists between the speed of the component and the outflow of fluid from the pump.
Usually, this variation in outflow from the pump does not present any significant problems to the performance of an automotive vehicle. Typically, the engine in an automotive vehicle operates within a relatively narrow range of rotational speeds. Thus, the maximum speed of the engine is often about 3,000 rpm and the slowest speed of the engine is about 500 rpm when the engine is idling. The rotational speed of the drivetrain components are likewise relatively narrow. Therefore, because the speed of the input drive shaft for the fluid pump varies within a relatively narrow range, the resulting variation in lubricating fluid flow is also minimal. This limited variation in lubricating fluid flow generally has few adverse effects on the drivetrain components because a range of flow volume is acceptable.
However in some lubricating systems, a proportional relationship between component speed and pump outflow is unsatisfactory. One such example involves electric motor driven drivetrains. In these systems the electric motor can operate at much faster speeds than traditional drivetrain components. In addition, the electric motor can operate at very low speeds below the traditional 500 rpm idling speed, including speeds nearing zero rpm. In these types of drivetrains, the normal variation in outflow from a traditional fluid pump is too large to provide acceptable lubrication of the drivetrain components. The problem is especially acute at low speeds, where the outflow of fluid from a traditional pump is reduced significantly and approaches zero as the electric motor nears zero rpm. In contrast, the electric motor in these systems tends to operate at its worst efficiency and generates the most heat at low speeds. Thus, in drivetrains where the fluid pump is used to lubricate and cool the electric motor in addition to other drivetrain components, a traditional fluid pump is inadequate to provide acceptable fluid flow.
Another problem with mechanically driven fluid pumps is the inability to provide fluid outflow when the rotational direction of the input drive shaft reverses. This is generally not a problem with piston engine drivetrains because the major drivetrain components always rotate in the same direction and never reverse their direction of rotation. However, when an electric motor is used in the drivetrain, the rotational direction of the drivetrain components can easily be reversed by simply switching the direction of rotation of the electric motor through its logic controller. Thus, traditional fluid pumps are also inadequate for electric motor drivetrains because they do not provide lubrication fluid when the electric motor reverses direction.
One alternative to a traditional mechanically driven fluid pump is an electric powered fluid pump. In this alternative, the electrical system of the automotive vehicle supplies power to the fluid pump. The pump and the resulting outflow of fluid can then be controlled by a logic controller. Thus, the fluid outflow can be controlled irrespective of the speed or direction of rotation of the drivetrain. Accordingly, the volume of fluid outflow from the pump can be maintained at a substantially constant volume throughout the entire range of drivetrain component speeds. The electric pump is also unaffected by the rotational direction of the drivetrain, and thus lubrication fluid can be provided when the drivetrain is operated in a reverse direction.
Several problems exist with electric pumps however. Electric pumps generally operate less efficiently than mechanically driven fluid pumps. For example, in mechanically driven pumps the drive system is often about 96% efficient in providing power to the pumping assembly. On the other hand, an electric drive system is usually only about 80% efficient in providing power to the pumping assembly. Electric pumps are also usually less reliable than mechanically driven pumps during the operating life of the automotive vehicle. This lower reliability typically occurs because electric pumps are more complicated, thus providing more potential sources of failures. Electric pumps are also the source of more failures because the electric pump is usually mounted to the chassis of the automotive vehicle and is connected to the drivetrain components with fluid hoses and electrical wiring. As a result, these extra hoses and wires become susceptible to damage from being town, worn or cut. In contrast, mechanically driven pumps are often designed to be integral with a drivetrain component, making excess hoses and wires unnecessary. In addition, another problem with electric pumps is the difficulty of designing an electric pump into the electrical system of an automotive vehicle. Typically, automotive vehicles are provided with a 12V electrical system to power a variety of accessories. If an electric motor drivetrain is used in the automotive vehicle, another higher voltage electrical system may be provided for the electric motor. However, the electric pump is not always easily designed into either of these electrical systems because of load and efficiency considerations. One final problem with electric pumps is their cost, which is usually higher in automotive vehicles than mechanical pumps. As is well-known, automotive vehicles are typically produced by manufacturers in high volumes. As a result, mechanically driven pumps are usually less expensive since the capital cost of designing a specially adapted pump can be averaged across a large number of vehicles.
Accordingly, a mechanically driven fluid pump is provided for producing a fluid outflow that is not proportional to the speed of the input drive. The pump includes a control valve that directs some of the fluid from the pump assembly to an outflow port and some of the fluid to a diversion port. As the speed of the input drive charges, the position of the valve is altered, thus altering the proportion of fluid directed to the outflow and diversion ports. A mechanical governor that applies centrifugal force to swing arms can be used to alter the position of the control valve proportionately to the speed of the input drive.
Two embodiments of a pump assembly are provided with both embodiments capable of producing fluid flow when the rotational direction of the input drive is reversed. One embodiment is an impeller pump assembly that includes an impeller with forward and reverse impeller sections. When the input drive rotates, one of the impeller sections is sealed by a dividing plate, thus producing fluid flow from one of the impeller sections. Another embodiment is a cam piston pump assembly. The cam piston pump assembly includes a cam attached to the input shaft and a pushrod biased against the cam. The pushrod reciprocates a piston which forces fluid through a control valve.

Reversible volume oil impeller pump with mechanical governor

International Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC


A camshaft adjusting device of a drive, such as a motor vehicle drive, for example, for adjusting a phase position of a cam segment may include a camshaft and a phase shifter that is operatively connected to the camshaft. The camshaft may comprise a shaft segment including an inner shaft and an outer shaft at least partially surrounding the inner shaft. The camshaft adjusting device may further comprise a drive segment for driving the shaft segment and a cam segment that is connected in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner to the outer shaft. The phase shifter may comprise a rotor element and a stator element. A compensating element for compensating for part tolerances between the camshaft and the phase shifter can be disposed at least in sections between the rotor element and the drive segment.

It is fundamentally known that adjustable cams or cam segments in respect of their positioning on the shaft rod of a camshaft, in particular in the case of valve-controlled internal combustion engines, serve for specific influencing of the control times of the valves of the internal combustion engine in respect of the available power thereof and of the torque, wherein, for example, the fuel consumption and consequently the emission of exhaust gases can thereby also be reduced. For the adjustment or positioning of at least one cam or a cam segment, wherein a cam segment may also consist of at least two cams comprising cam contours which are oriented differently with respect to one another or are arranged with respect to one another or differ from one another, an outer shaft of the camshaft is rotated in a known manner relative to an inner shaft of the camshaft, which inner shaft is arranged coaxially with respect to the outer shaft, and vice versa, and therefore the cams which are connected rotatably to the outer shaft, but fixedly to the inner shaft, are moved relative to the cams which are connected fixedly to the outer shaft. For the adjustment or positioning of the cams or the cam segments with respect to one another, use is made, for example, of a phase shifter which permits a rotation of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft, and therefore a phase displacement of the valve control times can be achieved or the opening duration of the valves can be varied.
Fundamentally known camshaft adjusters or phase adjusters are designed, for example, in the form of a swivel motor which is provided with a plurality of vanes in order to increase the transmittable torque. Said phase shifter, which is also referred to as swivel motor phase adjuster, is operated with engine oil pressure. Furthermore, it is fundamentally known that a phase shifter of this type is placed in the force transmission in the region of the camshaft ends and comprises drive elements which are connected directly or else indirectly to the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and are advantageously also driven by said crankshaft. Adjusting elements of a phase shifter of this type are rotated relative to the drive elements because of a hydraulic actuation in order consequently to permit an intended phase adjustment of the camshaft relative to the crankshaft.
When the phase shifter is connected to the camshaft, in particular in the construction in which the rotor element of the phase shifter is arranged on the inner shaft of the camshaft and the stator element of the phase shifter is arranged on the outer shaft of the camshaft, component tolerances of the individual components which are connected to one another and are also operatively connected to one another, that is the inner shaft, the outer shaft, the rotor element, the stator element, etc., must be able to be compensated for in order, for example, to avoid jamming of the components and consequently an associated wear of the components and also damage to the entire camshaft adjusting device and to ensure a reliable operation of the adjustment of the cams.
WO 2011/133452 A2, for example, describes an arrangement of a flexible body which is arranged in the form of a plate between the cam adjuster and the inner shaft and outer shaft of the camshaft. However, such a flexible body extending completely over the entire connecting surface of the cam adjuster requires a large construction space, in particular in the axial direction. In addition to the use of the abovementioned flexible body, structures in respect of a double toothing or else plug-in toothing in order to be able to compensate for tolerances of the components when the phase shifter is connected to the camshaft are also known to the applicant from the general prior art. However, toothings of this type disadvantageously increase the costs of the entire construction, in particular because of the integration of an additional gearwheel. In addition, when gearwheels are used, the generally known toothing clearance should also be considered to be disadvantageous.

Camshaft adjusting device for adjusting a position of at least one cam segment


The present invention provides a method for the quantification of virus particles in a biological sample, comprising the steps of: (a) introducing said biological sample comprising virus particles into a capillary tube containing a buffer solution; (b) applying an electrical field to said capillary tube of sufficient voltage to allow for the separation of the virus particles from additional constituents in said sample, to obtain electrophoretical fractions; (c) generating an electropherogram associated with the electrophoretical fractions; and (d) determining the concentration of virus particles in said sample by comparing the electropherogram with an electropherogram generated from a reference sample containing a known concentration of said virus particles.

Viruses, in particular adenoviruses, are potentially useful vectors for vaccination and/or gene therapy. Recombinant adenoviruses are a preferred class of viral vectors for use in vaccination or gene therapy. Robust and high yield processes for large scale manufacturing are needed to support the world with sufficient amounts of (recombinant) vaccines to combat infectious diseases. In support of commercial scale production reliable analytical methods are required to monitor the quantities of (adeno)viruses throughout the manufacturing process (from upstream processing to downstream processing) to ensure the safety, efficacy and quality of (adeno)virus-based vaccines/therapies.
In addition, during process development and for production of adenovirus-based clinical trial material, samples are analysed in order to either monitor or control the production process and the safety of the product. One of the analyses typically performed on such samples is the determination of the total concentration of intact adenovirus particles. Current methods with limited suitability for this purpose are quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and anion exchange chromatography (AEX-HPLC). qPCR is based on DNA amplification of a region specific for the adenovirus and fluorescence detection of the formed amplicon. Quantitative PCR is an expensive (cost price of chemicals) and laborious technique. The total time from sampling to result reporting can be up to three days, since numerous replicates are required for the results to have acceptable precision. An additional drawback is that qPCR determines the concentration of adenovirus particles indirectly by determining the DNA content of the particles instead of determining the intact particles themselves.
AEX-HPLC with UV detection makes use of a charge-based separation of intact adenoviruses from sample matrix components. Quantification is performed by external calibration using an adenovirus reference standard. The AEX-HPLC method suffers from adsorption, carry-over and recovery issues for samples containing cell lysate or high salt concentrations, and is therefore not suitable to determine the concentration of adenoviruses accurately and precisely throughout the entire production process.
There thus is a need for an improved method for the quantification of (adeno)viruses. In particular, in order to support process development for (adeno)virus based vaccines, it would be useful to have one single method that allows for direct quantification of (adeno)virus particles throughout the process with high accuracy and precision and with a short time to result, without the drawbacks of for example adsorption, carry-over and/or poor recovery.

Method for quantification of virus particles using capillary zone electrophoresis


A front-loading reusable picture frame is constructed of two nesting components. A rigid rectangular outer framework has first and second walls which define a forwardly facing seating and confining structure. A rectangular inner framework is formed by discrete side members having a continuously inwardly open channel for receiving a stack of framed elements whereby the side members may circumscribe the stack to bind its components. The inner framework seats within the outer framework and is confined therein.

This invention relates to picture frames which may be disassembled to permit changing of the print, canvas, photograph or other image contained therein.
It is common practice to provide reusable rectangular picture frames comprising four extruded side members cut to a miter at each end. Each side member is commonly made of metal, to give it the necessary rigidity. It is also formed to provide two channels. One channel is designed to receive the stack of elements to be framed--commonly a backing plate, the image-bearing sheet, and a glass plate. The other channel receives right-angle locking elements, each of which form one pair of ends of a pair of side members into a right angle corner configuration and locks them in that condition. Thus the side members are assembled to form a rigid rectangular frame. The right angle elements typically comprise a pair of L-shaped plates. Screws extend through openings in one such plate and bear against the other plate; thus the plates may be forced apart so that they press against the walls of the channel in which they are disposed and give a friction lock.
A reusable frame therefore involves the following concepts:
1. Rigidity of the frame is required to give strength to the structure;
2. To permit reuse, the frame needs to be formed in sections which are mechanically but releasably locked together to form a unit--the locking devices used also force the sections into a right angle corner configuration; and
3. The sections are formed to provide a bounding channel, to hold the stack of framed elements, and a locking element channel, in which the mechanical locking devices are positioned.
There are certain disadvantages accruing to the reusable picture frames as previously described.
For example, the appearance of the unit cannot easily and cheaply be modified. More particularly, it is frequently desirable to be able to change the thickness of the frame molding or its coloration. Since the front wall of the extruded side member provides the molding in a conventional frame, the only way in which a supplier or user of frames can provide variation in this regard is to maintain a stock of relatively expensive side members having front walls of different thickness or coloration. It is one object of this invention to provide a frame in which the molding thickness or coloration can easily and cheaply be varied.
Another disadvantage of the conventional system is its relatively high cost. The need to make the extruded metal side member so it provides two channels and the use of screws and locking plates contribute to this cost. It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a simpler side member and to eliminate screws and tensioned metal spring clips to thereby reduce the cost of the frame.


In a hydraulic brake system the fluid slack is maintained at a predetermined volume by a flow control valve that is positioned between a fluid reservoir and a slack adjusting cylinder. The flow control valve closes the fluid path to the reservoir after a chamber in the cylinder fills with a predetermined amount of slack fluid. The flow control valve can be held open with a detent mechanism to permit servicing of the brake system. The detent is automatically released when the brakes are applied.

This invention relates to hydraulic brake control apparatus, and more particularly, to a take-in slack adjusting apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,309, there is described a hydraulic brake system for railway rapid transit service which is known commercially as the PS-68 Brake Equipment, P.S.B.E., marketed by New York Air Brake Company, a Unit of General Signal Corporation. In that system, the brake cylinders on each truck are provided with a translating and valving unit of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,207, granted Nov. 23, 1971, which joins these cylinders to a hand brake control unit and to a hydro-pneumatic booster assembly constructed in accordance with the preferred teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,656, granted May 26, 1970.
In such a braking system, it is desirable to have a small, predetermined amount of clearance between the brake shoe and its wheel. Hence, the system includes a provision for some amount of hydraulic fluid slack in the hydraulic braking circuit. It is critical that this hydraulic slack neither be too great nor too small. If the slack is too small, then the brake shoe may be in constant contact with the wheel resulting in an undesirable stuck brake condition. On the other hand, if there is too much hydraulic slack, then the shoe might not engage the brake upon operation of the hydro-pneumatic booster, thereby resulting in an undesirable brake failure. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,370, granted May 11, 1976, there is described a hydraulic slack adjuster which affords double-acting slack compensation so that it corrects for insufficient as well as excess shoe clearance during cycling of the brakes. In addition, that adjuster enables the shoe clearance to be increased intentionally during maintenance operations by cycling of the brakes.
That slack adjuster essentially includes a cylinder disposed between the hydraulic brakes and the hydro-pneumatic booster. The cylinder includes a differential piston which carries a double-acting check valve. During maintenance operations, the slack between the shoe and the wheel manually increased by retracting the brake cylinder with a pry bar. In effect, all one has to do is to apply a force to the brake shoe that results in a pressure high enough to open the check valve in the piston. Once the check valve is open, hydraulic fluid will drain out of the brake circuit thereby increasing shoe clearance.
Under severe winter conditions, it is possible that snow, ice or sleet may accumulate on the railway right-of-way. It is recommended practice that the right-of-way be cleared by appropriate plows. However, such accumulations may occur before a plow has had time to clear the right-of-way in which case the brake rigging may become a plowing or profile clearing device. When such a condition exists, it is possible that the accumulated snow or ice will cause a considerable force to be applied against the brake shoe thereby forcing open the check valve in the slack adjuster device and forcing an excess amount of fluid out of the brake lines. The hydro-pneumatic booster is only capable of applying a predetermined volume of hydraulic fluid for each service application. Hence, if the oil forced out of the brake lines exceeds the amount of applicable fluid, then these brakes will not be applied upon the initial service of the hydro-pneumatic booster. Under such conditions, it is recommended practice that the hydro-pneumatic booster be applied 2 or 3 times before an expected braking application can occur.
Since an operator or brakeman may fail to follow the recommended application, it would be desirable to have a slack adjusting apparatus which retains all of the desirable features of a double-acting slack adjuster as well as having means for limiting the amount of excess slack in a brake line.


A disc skew detecting apparatus having a skew sensor for detecting skew of a disc in which information signals are recorded and reproduced with an optical pickup device, the skew sensor being located on a track on which a beam spot of the optical pickup device is positioned. Preferably, the disc skew detecting apparatus has two skew sensors for detecting skew of a disc in which information signals are recorded and reproduced with an optical pickup device, the skew sensors being located in preceding and succeeding positions of an objective lens of the optical pickup device and along a track which is incident a recording/reproducing light beam. The skew sensor being located with its measuring direction toward the center of the disc.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disc skew detecting apparatus for detecting the skew of a disc in which information signals are written and read out with an optical pickup device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the technical field of recording and reproducing data in and from a recording medium such as an optical disc, a small-sized optical disc having a large capacity, which enables high density for recording and reproducing data, such as, high-definition static and dynamic images, is demanded. To satisfy the above performance conditions, a technique for shortening the wavelength of a laser beam radiated from an optical pickup device and increasing the numerical aperture (NA) of an objective lens so as to reduce the spot size of the laser beam has been broadly researched.
However, in an optical disc device having a smaller spot size of the laser beam, the track pitch of the optical disc is narrowed. As a result, when the objective lens of an optical pickup device has an optical axis skewed in relation to the optical disc, greater interference of information signals from adjacent tracks, that is greater crosstalk and interference of preceding and succeeding in information signals than in conventional disc recording and reproducing system, is caused. Consequently, it is more difficult to record and reproduce information signals precisely when the optical disc device has a narrower track pitch as demanded by the high density recording.
The relationship of the tolerance to skew of an optical disc device of wavelength .lambda. of the laser beam and the numerical aperture NA is expressed in the following equation. EQU Skew Tolerance=.lambda./(NA).sup.3 ( 1)
For this reason, a precise skew servo must be realized in attaining higher density of the optical disc, and therefore a skew detecting apparatus capable of precisely detecting the actual skew amount in recording and reproduction is required.
A conventional skew detecting element is showing in FIG. 1 as including a reflecting skew sensor (called a tilt sensor) comprised of a light emitting diode 21 and a photodetector 22. The reflecting skew sensor detects the disc skew in one direction only via the position of the reflected light from the disc.
As is clearly shown in FIG. 2, the reflecting skew sensor shown in FIG. 1 is mourned slightly away from an objective lens 24 and an actuator 25 of the optical pickup device, with a measuring direction m of the skew sensor parallel to the radial direction r of the disc. Thus, this reflecting skew sensor does not take account of the curvature of the actual track.
For this reason, the spot of the laser beam (hereinafter referred to simply as the beam spot) for recording and reproducing information signals radiated from the objective lens of the optical pickup device is deviated from the skew measuring position of the reflecting skew sensor. The deviation includes a deviation due to the difference between the track on which the laser beam spot is located and the track on which the skew is detected, a phase deviation of rotation synchronous components of the skew caused by the disc rotation, and a deviation in the skew measuring direction due to the difference in the track curvature on the disc. These deviations generate errors in the skew amount detected by the reflecting skew sensor having its skew measuring direction parallel to the radial direction. Thus, with the conventional reflecting skew sensor, it is difficult to precisely detect the skew amount of the disc on the beam spot radiated by the optical pickup device.

Disc skew detecting apparatus using two skew detectors arranged along the reproduced track


A computer functional card connecting apparatus comprised of a base having two parallel channel frames at two opposite ends thereof at right angles, wherein the base has a step block longitudinally disposed at the top with pin holes formed thereon, an elongated groove longitudinally disposed on the bottom with vertical contact pins made thereon for connecting to a mother board, transverse contact pins on an inner side for electrically connecting a computer functional card that has been inserted in between the two parallel channel frames, and a circuit board set between the step block and the bottom groove for electrically connecting said transverse contact pins, the vertical contact pins and the pin holes. Dowels and dowels holes are made on the two parallel channel frames at suitable locations so that the dowels of one computer functional card connecting apparatus can be respectively inserted in the dowel holes on another computer functional card connecting apparatus for positioning when two or more computer functional card connecting apparatus are attached together.

The present invention relates to connecting apparatus, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a connecting apparatus for connecting a computer functional card to a mother board. Further, the structure is so arranged that two or more connecting apparatus can be conveniently attached together with less space occupation.
In order to make a personal computer versatile, different functional cards may be used. When a computer functional card is to be used, it must be connected to the mother board of a computer by a connecting apparatus. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a computer functional card connecting apparatus for connecting a computer functional card to a computer mother board. As illustrated, the connecting apparatus (10) comprises a transverse body (40) having two parallel side walls (20) at two opposite ends at right angles. The parallel side walls (20) define therein a channel (30) for inserting a computer functional card, for example, and IC card (60). The transverse body (40) has rows of contact pins (50) transversely vertically disposed at two adjacent sides, wherein the transverse contact pins are to be inserted into the pin holes (70) on the IC card (60) that has been inserted into the channel (30); the vertical contact pins are to be connected to a computer mother board. Therefore, a computer functional card can be conveniently connected to a computer mother board. However, this structure of computer functional card connecting apparatus is still not satisfactory in use because it is effective for connecting a single computer functional card through a transverse loading process.
The present invention has been accomplished under the aforesaid circumstances. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a connecting apparatus for connecting a computer functional card to a computer mother board, which is so arranged that two or more connecting apparatus can be conveniently attached together with less space occupation.

Connecting apparatus for connecting computer functional cards to a mother board


A bundle of truss plates useful in shipping, storage, and handling is disclosed. Also disclosed are a self-supporting stack of truss plate bundles and a shipping package in which such a stack is positioned on an underlying pallet.

Truss plates are generally employed to join planks of lumber that form floor and roof trusses used in residential housing. Truss plates typically comprise a backing plate and an array of sharp spike-like impaling members that extend outwardly from the backing plate. Adjacent planks of a truss with coplanar surfaces can be permanently joined by pounding or pressing the backing member of a truss plate so that its impaling members penetrate the planks.
Typically, the joints of a truss are not formed one at a time. Instead, all of the planks comprising the truss are arranged in the desired configuration on a large table or series of tables configured for truss construction. Truss plates are then placed at points of contact between two or more adjacent planks and are pounded with a single stroke of a mallet to set the planks temporarily. A mechanical roller or press is then applied to all of the planks comprising the truss, thereby pressing the impaling members of each truss plate completely into the adjacent planks to provide a secure and permanent joint therebetween. The truss is then inverted and the process is repeated on the opposing surfaces of the planks.
A particular house or building will usually require several trusses of identical configuration. To increase manufacturing efficiency, identical trusses are usually built in succession. As these trusses often have as many as 20 or 30 joints and require two truss plates per joint, line workers constructing the trusses should have many truss plates within easy reach to allow them to quickly position and set the plates prior to application of the roller or press. A convenient and accessible workspace on which to store the plates prior to use is the edge portion of the truss table itself. However, truss table rollers and presses are most commonly sized to extend the full width of the table in order to accommodate trusses of varying widths. As a result, the space on the truss table edge portion available to line workers for storage of truss plates is restricted in height to that residing below the elevation of the roller, which is typically about four inches above the table surface.
Because of this height restriction, line workers will often form the truss plates into cooperating pairs, or couplets, in which the impaling members of each of a pair of truss plates face and interpose with one another and the backing members of the pair are disposed in parallel relationship. The truss plates of a couplet are not permanently interconnected in any manner, but the positional interrelationship of the impaling members restricts lateral movement of the truss plates relative to one another, so the plates comprising a couplet tend to stay together. Couplets of truss plates can be neatly stacked along the edge portion of the truss table near the location of the joint they are to secure. Stacking the plates in couplets conserves space on the truss table edge portion, thus enabling the storage of more truss plates per unit area. Also, a couplet stack provides a predictable truss plate orientation for the line worker, who must handle these sharp items quickly without injury.
Truss plates are typically packaged in boxes or cartons in no order whatsoever; they are simply strewn haphazardly in their container. If the container is emptied or if it is somehow removed or destroyed, the truss plates spill and spread and can be quite hazardous until they are retrieved and restored. As a result, the truss plates are generally stored on-site in their packaging cartons until use.
Not surprisingly, removing sharp truss plates that have been packaged randomly in a box or carton, forming them into couplets, and stacking the couplets on a truss table is a tedious process. However, for improved efficiency and safety, many truss construction firms will form and stack couplets prior to truss construction despite the time and trouble doing so entails. The prior art is completely silent on packaging methods that address truss plate packaging.
Thus it is a first object of the present invention to provide a truss plate package which enables simple transfer of the truss plates from the package to a stack of couplets on a truss table.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a truss plate package from which truss plates will not spill or spread following removal of the enclosure.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a method of packaging truss plates that effects simple transfer of the truss plates contained therein to a stack of couplets.

Package for shipping, storing, and handling truss plates and method for forming same


There are provided a novel isocyanurate compound having a glycidyl group as a substituent to be bonded to a nitrogen atom. A monoglycidyl isocyanurate compound of the following Formula (1), (2), or (3).

An isocyanuric acid derivative having at least one glycidyl group has been conventionally known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses triglycidyl isocyanurate, monoallyl diglycidyl isocyanurate, and diallyl monoglycidyl isocyanurate. Patent Document 1 states that an epoxy resin composition obtained by mixing triglycidyl isocyanurate, monoallyl diglycidyl isocyanurate, and/or diallyl monoglycidyl isocyanurate is suitable for an adhesive, a coating, a mold material, a layering material, and the like. Patent Document 2 discloses a monoglycidylisocyanuric acid compound that can solve a problem of 1,3-diallyl-5-glycidylisocyanuric acid. However, the monoglycidylisocyanuric acid compound synthesized in Patent Document 2 has two aromatic rings in the molecule, and therefore, the solubility thereof in an organic solvent may be low.
Patent Document 3 discloses a method in which an isocyanuric acid derivative having at least one glycidyl group and/or at least one allyl group is used as a starting material to synthesize an alkenyl compound, the alkenyl compound is used as a reaction intermediate to synthesize an epoxy compound. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a resist underlayer film-forming composition using the synthesized epoxy compound.

Monoglycidyl isocyanurate compound and production method therefor

Abstract: (wherein two R1s are each a C2-10 alkyl group, two R2s are each a C1-5 alkylene group, two R3s are each a C1-2 alkyl group, two R4s are each a C1-2 alkylene group, and two R5s are each a C1-2 alkyl group).


A magnetic tape cassette includes a slider fitted slidably along a bottom of a cassette case, as well as resiliently locking pieces formed in the bottom of the cassette case along the bottom in a cantilevered fashion and each having a head at a free end thereof for fitting in an engaging hole in the slider so as to retain the slider. Each of the resiliently locking pieces has a compression coil spring provided between the head 12a and an upper half 11a of the cassette case to maintain a resilient force for the head in a thickness-wise direction of the cassette. When the head is pushed into the cassette case by more than a predetermined amount, coils of the compression coil spring are set in a state of close contact with each other in a compressing direction of the spring so as to support the head from an inward direction of the cassette and positionally restrict the displacement of the resiliently locking piece in the inward direction of the cassette.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette, and more particularly to a magnetic tape cassette for use in effecting recording and reproduction by means of digital signals.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, magnetic tape cassettes have been used for PCM recording/reproducing apparatuses for converting analog information such as acoustic signals into digital signals, e.g., PCM signals, so as to record and/or reproduce the same on magnetic tape. In this magnetic tape cassette, since it is compact and lightweight, and high-density recording is effected, a structure is particularly adopted for preventing fingers from coming into contact the magnetic tape or dust from attaching to the same.
That is, if fingers come into contact with the magnetic tape or dust attaches to the same, a dropout occurs in a reproduced signal. Hence, in order to prevent this, it is necessary to hermetically seal the magnetic tape in a cassette case as much as possible such as during storage of the cassette. Meanwhile, when the cassette is used, insertion holes for reel shafts and a space for inserting guides and the like during recording and/or reproduction are naturally required in the cassette case. As a structure which is adopted in view of such a need, a lid for opening or closing a front portion of the cassette and a slider which slides in a transverse direction of the cassette in contact with the bottom of the cassette are provided.
As a conventional cassette case having such a function, a DAT cassette having a mechanism for locking a slider 3 is known, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this cassette, a resiliently locking piece 2 is a cantilevered arm formed in a bottom of a lower half 1b in the form of a cutout, and has a smaller thickness than the lower half 1b, and a head 2a adapted to be fitted in engaging holes 3a and 3b provided in a guiding shallow groove 3c of the slider 3 is formed at a distal end thereof.
In addition, center lines of the resiliently locking piece 2 and the guiding shallow groove 3c of the slider 3 in the transverse direction of the cassette overlap with each other. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the head 2a of the resiliently locking piece 2 is fitted in the rear engaging hole 3b in the slider 3 (i.e., a state in which the aforementioned space is closed by the slider).
A spring-receiving projection 4 is formed on the inner side of the head of the resiliently locking piece 2, while a projection 5 for fitting a spring at a position corresponding to this projection 4 is formed on the inner side of an upper half la. A compression coil spring 6 is interposed between these two projections so as to urge the resiliently locking piece 2 toward the slider 3 (toward the lower side).
However, with the above-described conventional arrangement, in order to avoid interference with the tape and the like accommodated in the cassette case, the coil diameter of the compression coil spring 6 is formed to be small as compared with its free-length direction (extending and contracting direction), and the compression coil spring 6 tends to be used as a relatively elongated compression spring. As a result, there is no problem if the compression coil spring 6, when compressed, operates such as to contract positively in the compressing direction, but there are cases where it is deformed such as to be twisted in the radial direction of its coil (in the lateral direction). Such unexpected behavior of the compression coil spring causes a lack in the stability of spring pressure, so that its function becomes impaired.
Meanwhile, if the resiliently locking piece 2 is provided with a structure for restricting its movement in the inward direction of the cassette, it is possible to contribute to the stabilization of the function of the resiliently locking piece. However, although it is desirable to provide this restricting effect at the distal end side of the resiliently locking piece 2, if a structure is adopted in which this restricting member is provided at the distal end or in its vicinity, there has been a problem in that the restricting member interferes with the compression coil spring or imparts a restriction to the arrangement of the compression coil spring.
There have been known the other type of conventional cassette case having such a function, those disclosed in, for instance, Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application (OPI) Nos. Sho. 61-121580 and Sho. 62-147188, and Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 62-189687.
The one disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho. 61-121580 is structured such that a limiter consisting of a large projection jutting out in the inward direction of the cassette is provided at a distal end of a resiliently locking piece, and this limiter is made to abut against an inner surface of an upper half so as to restrict an amount of deformation of the resiliently locking piece.
The one disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho. 62-147188 is arranged such that a limiter member is disposed on the upper half or the resiliently locking piece in correspondence with the inner side of the resiliently locking piece to restrict an amount of deformation of the resiliently locking piece by means of the limiter member, and a wall portion surrounding the limiter member is provided.
As shown in FIG. 3, the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 62-189687 is arranged such that a resiliently locking piece 2 is a cantilever formed in a bottom of a lower half 1b in the form of a cutout, and has a thickness smaller than the lower half 1b. A head 2a capable of fitting in engaging holes 3a, 3b formed in a shallow groove 3c of a slider 3 is provided at a distal end of the resiliently locking piece 2. A spring-receiving projection 4' is formed on the inner side of the head of the resiliently locking piece 2, while a projection 5' is formed on the inner side of an upper half la for fitting a spring at a position corresponding to this projection 4'. A coil spring 6 is interposed between these projections so as to urge the resiliently locking piece 2 toward the slider 3. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the resiliently locking piece 2 in a transverse direction of the cassette, and illustrates a state in which the head 2a of the resiliently locking piece 2 is fitted in the rear engaging hole 3b in the slider 3.
However, of the above-described conventional examples, in the structure disclosed in the afore-mentioned Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho. 61-121580, the provision of a limiter, which is a long and large projection as compared with the thin-walled resiliently locking piece, at the distal end Of the locking piece is fraught with problems in that the flow of a resin in a cavity during molding lacks smoothness, thereby causing a decline in moldability. In addition, in the case of the arrangement disclosed in the aforementioned Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho. 62-147188, in a case where a long pin-shaped projection (limiter) is formed on the upper half side, if the projection becomes high, moldability becomes poor in the same way as described above owing to sink marks and the like on the upper half case. As a result, there has been a high risk of producing the problem that the accuracy in engagement between the limiter and the head of the resiliently locking piece declines, thereby making it impossible to sufficiently attain the original object.
Meanwhile, in the structure in which a coil spring is fitted as in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho. 62-189687, the formation of a relatively long and large spring-receiving projection in the inward direction of the cassette in a projecting manner is advantage in the fitting of the spring and the like. Also, it is possible to expect the operation of the aforementioned limiter by causing this spring-receiving projection to project even further. However, in this case as well, not only does the moldability of the upper half case decline, but also there is the risk of producing unexpected engagement between the spring-receiving projection and the coil spring (e.g., engagement in which a tip of the spring-receiving projection is caught by the coil spring) in the case where the spring-receiving projection is made to jut out on a large scale. Thus, a portion of the coil spring which effectively operates as a spring may possibly change, so that there has been the risk of rendering the spring function unstable.

Magnetic tape cassette having improved slider lock


Retractable line guidance for a self-propelled machine, such as a self-propelled lawn mower, is provided by an operator moving a string or line to control the speed and direction of movement of the machine. A retractable and extendable line is mounted on the machine and is under tension in a retraction direction when the line is extended. A length of extension of the line is monitored, and a speed of movement of the machine is controlled in response to the length of extension of the line to maintain the length of extension of the line at a selected length. An angle of the line with respect to the machine is monitored, and a direction of movement of the machine is controlled in response to the angle of the line to maintain the angle of the line at a selected angle.

Self-propelled machines are characterized generally as machines that include an on-board machine source of motive power and a mechanism coupled to the source of power for propelling the machine through and/or across a medium. For example, self-propelled machines may employ various different forms of machine power and appropriate mechanisms for propelling the machine across land, through the air, through or on top of the water, or even in outer space.
The movement of a self-propelled machine is controlled or guided by a guidance system that includes an operator and a guidance control system. The operator determines the guidance to be provided to the self-propelled machine. The guidance control system implements the guidance determined by the operator to guide the self-propelled machine by controlling, for example, the speed and direction of movement of the machine. The operator may be, in many cases, a human operator. A human operator may provide guidance to the guidance control system either directly, such as using a direct mechanical and/or electromechanical human interface to the guidance control system, or remotely, using a system to transmit guidance commands from a remote location to the guidance control system. In other cases, the operator may be a machine, such as an on-board or remote computer. In this latter case the self-propelled machine may be operated as an autonomous robot.
Examples of self-propelled machines include various self-propelled machines that are used by individual operators to perform yard work and the like. Self-propelled lawn mowers and snow throwers are examples of such machines. These machines typically include a motor, such as an electric motor or gasoline or diesel engine, which is used to drive wheels that propel the machine across the ground. The same motor that powers the drive wheels typically also is used to power a task payload of the machine. For example, the task payload of a self-propelled lawn mower may include a mower blade driven by the machine motor. The task payload of a snow thrower may include an auger and impeller driven by the machine motor.
The operator of a typical self-propelled lawn mower or snow throwers is a human person who walks behind the self-propelled machine to guide it. In the most basic scenario, the guidance system for such a machine includes a lever or some other mechanism for controlling the speed of the machine and a handle for directing the machine in the desired direction. The speed control mechanism may provide for the operator to select from between just two speeds, forward and stopped, or may allow the operator to stop and start motion of the machine and to select from among multiple forward and reverse speeds. The operator may guide the direction of movement of the machine by pushing and pulling on the handle to force the machine to move in the desired direction.
Some self-propelled lawn mowers and snow throwers provide a mechanism to assist the walk behind human operator of the machine to turn the machine in a desired direction. For example, such a mechanism may include levers on the right and left sides of the machine handle that are actuated by the human operator. These levers are coupled to the wheel drive mechanisms of wheels on the right and left sides of the machine, respectively, such that drive power to the corresponding wheels is removed when the corresponding lever is actuated. Thus, for example, to turn the machine to the right, with the machine moving forward, the operator can actuate the lever on the right side of the machine handle. This will remove drive power to the right side drive wheel of the machine, causing it to stop. The left side drive wheel is still being driven, however, moving the left side of the machine forward, thereby turning the machine to the right as long as the right lever is actuated. The machine may be turned to the left by actuating the left side lever in a similar manner. If both levers are actuated simultaneously, drive power is removed from both the right and left side drive wheels, thereby bringing the machine to a stop.

Retractable line guidance for self-propelled machines


An eyepiece has an upper edge fittable into the upper portion of the eye socket to deter displacement by water force and a lower portion overlying and generally conforming to the cheekbone to absorb diving shock and to limit inward movement. A cushion seal wider than the upper edge and partially bonded to it cushions the eyepiece fit. A head strap lug projects upwardly and rearwardly from the eyepiece so that the head strap connected to it urges the eyepiece upper edge up under the upper portion of the eye socket. The transversely curved front lens is inclined forwardly and downwardly to promote forward visibility during swimming and the side lens is substantially flat to improve peripheral vision and is faired into the curved front lens. A water-pocket recess is adapted to hold water for washing mist from the eyepiece internal surfaces, while preventing the water from coming into contact with the wearer's eyes during swimming, forms an inner pocket extending along the lower margin of the eyepiece which opens upwardly adjacent to the lens and has temple and nose end pockets.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to eye protectors and goggles, and more particularly to competition swim goggles.
2. Prior Art
Swim goggles were introduced to protect competitive swimmers' eyes from prolonged exposure to chlorinated water during training and competition. The eyepieces of the goggles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,256 to Baratelli fit into the eye socket or orbit, designated by Baratelli as the orbital brim, closely surrounding the eye. While this design provides a fairly hydrodynamically smooth transition between the brow and the goggles, it results in distorted vision and discomfort when sufficient pressure is applied to make each eyepiece seal watertight. The goggles of Bengtson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,557, improve eye comfort and eliminate distortion by having the eyepiece seal area moved out of the eye sockets and onto the bone structure surrounding the eye. However, the bone structure between individuals varies greatly, resulting in a loss of watertightness. Additionally, the increased water resistance causes the goggles to dislodge and partially fill with water during racing dives.
Douglas in U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,819 addresses the problem of fogging of swimmers' goggles which results from moisture of air trapped in each eyepiece cup being condensed when the lens is cooled by contact with water. Douglas discloses a channel recess area which contains water for clearing the fog while preventing contact of such water with the swimmer's eyes, but in so doing restricts the vision, particularly the forward vision of a surface swimmer.


A coated optical fiber, including a coating layer with a high elastic modulus even when a glass optical fiber is coated with resin by using an ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element as a light source for curing resin and using a Wet-on-Wet method, is provided. A manufacturing method of the coated optical fiber includes: applying a first ultraviolet curable resin to a glass optical fiber; applying a second ultraviolet curable resin to the periphery of the first ultraviolet curable resin before curing the first ultraviolet curable resin; and irradiating the first and second ultraviolet curable resins with light in a wavelength range of 350 to 405 nm emitted from an ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element, wherein the second ultraviolet curable resin contains a photopolymerization initiator that absorbs the light from the ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element to generate radicals, and the photopolymerization initiator has photobleaching properties.

A coated optical fiber is generally manufactured by coating the surface of a glass optical fiber pulled from a preform (also referred to as the optical fiber base material) with resin. The coating is formed by first applying ultraviolet curable resin to the periphery of the glass optical fiber and then curing the ultraviolet curable resin by ultraviolet (UV light) irradiation. The ultraviolet curable resin is also used in various industrial fields other than the optical fiber coating. The ultraviolet curable resin is also used, for example, for curing paint or printing ink and for protective coating of various products including electronic circuits. Generally, the ultraviolet curable resin is efficiently cured in a short time by irradiation of ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 200 nm to 400 nm.
A high-pressure mercury lamp or a metal halide lamp (hereinafter described as the high-pressure mercury lamp or the like) has heretofore been used as a light source of UV light in an optical fiber coating and curing apparatus (coated optical fiber manufacturing apparatus). The high-pressure mercury lamp has high-purity mercury (Hg) and a small amount of noble gas sealed in a luminous tube made of quartz glass. The high-pressure mercury lamp has a main wavelength of 365 nm, and efficiently emits ultraviolet light of 254 nm, 303 nm, and 313 nm. Meanwhile, the metal halide lamp similarly used has metal sealed in the form of halide in addition to mercury in a luminous tube, and emits an ultraviolet spectrum over a wide range from 200 nm to 450 nm.
As a method for coating a glass optical fiber with ultraviolet curable resin, a Wet-on-Wet method and a Wet-on-Dry method are known. The Wet-on-Wet method is a method in which multiple ultraviolet curable resin layers are cured all at once by single ultraviolet irradiation after the ultraviolet curable resin layers are applied onto a glass optical fiber. On the other hand, the Wet-on-Dry method is a method in which a single ultraviolet resin layer is applied onto a glass optical fiber and then cured by ultraviolet irradiation, and ultraviolet resin layer application and ultraviolet irradiation are further performed thereon.
In the Wet-on-Wet method used in a manufacturing process of an optical fiber, in which multiple resins are applied and then cured, multiple coating layers are efficiently cured with the ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 200 nm to 400 nm described above. Therefore, for example, a photopolymerization initiator that absorbs ultraviolet light of about 200 nm to 350 nm is added to the upper secondary layer, and a photopolymerization initiator that absorbs ultraviolet light of about 200 nm to 350 nm and 350 nm or more is added to the lower primary layer. Thus, the respective coating layers sufficiently absorb ultraviolet light and are cured by ultraviolet irradiation using the high-pressure mercury lamp or the like described above.
To reduce power consumption in curing the ultraviolet curable resin, there has recently been an attempt to use an ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element such as an ultraviolet laser diode (UV-LD) or an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) as a UV light source, instead of the conventionally used high-pressure mercury lamp or the like.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ultraviolet irradiation device including an ultraviolet irradiation unit including a light guide path capable of emitting ultraviolet light from the side and a semiconductor light emitting element that is an ultraviolet light source. With this device, the ultraviolet light introduced into the light guide path can be linearly emitted to a coating resin from the side of the light guide path. Thus, a sufficient cumulative amount of light can be obtained even when a small number of ultraviolet light sources are used. As a result, curability of the coating resin and the life of the device can be improved.
Moreover, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for improving curability of a coating resin in a case where a semiconductor light emitting element with a single wavelength is used as a resin curing light source, as compared with a high-pressure mercury lamp having a wide wavelength range, and the like, the method including using a coating resin obtained by adding a photopolymerization initiator having an absorption region at an emitted light wavelength of the semiconductor light emitting element to an ultraviolet curable resin composition.

Coated optical fiber and method for manufacturing coated optical fiber


The optical fibre element comprises at least one optical fibre housing constituted by a polyolefin material having at least one additive which protects it against degradation due to oxidation, heat or the proximity of metals, and (b) at least one H.sub.2 -absorbing buffer. The additive is selected from the group comprising anti-oxidants, stabilizers and metal deactivators which cause a reduction in the hydrogen absorption capacity of less than 30% in the, or each, H.sub.2 -absorbing buffer when the, or each, buffer has been in contact with said polyolefin containing the, or each, additive for 30 days at 100.degree. C. in an air atmosphere saturated with water vapor at 150 mbar.

It is known that, to enable them to be handled, optical fibres are covered by a protective sheath. In the production of optical fibre elements, such as for example, cables, the optical fibres coated with said protective sheath are placed in appropriate housings which are generally constituted by polyolefin material.
Examples of such housings are loose sleeves described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,143,942, 4,153,332, 4,676,590, 4,688,889, and UK-1.598.540 and grooved cores described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,199,224, 4,491,386, 4,668,889, 4,690,498; EP-A-280.279; UK-1.448.793, 2.021.282, 2.099.173, 2.164.471, 2.170.921, 2.172.410, 2.174.822, and FR-2.200.535.
It is also known that in optical fibre elements other structures of polyolefin material can be present.
It is further known that hydrogen exerts harmful effects on optical fibres and jeopardizes their efficiency. It has, therefore, been proposed to incorporate, in optical fibre elements, some compositions capable of absorbing hydrogen before it exerts its harmful effects on the fibres. In this specification, such compositions are, for brevity, referred to by the expression "H.sub.2 -absorbing buffers".
The applicants or their assignee, have developed H.sub.2 -absorbing buffers substantially consisting of compositions comprising at least one unsaturated organic compound of silicon and at least one hydrogenation catalyst selected from the group comprising the salts and the organic and inorganic compounds of the transition metals.
Examples of these compositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,889 and in the U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/723,441 and 07/722,085, both filed Jun. 27, 1991.
It has now been observed unexpectedly some polyolefin materials poison the hydrogenation catalyst, which is based on transition metals, of the H.sub.2 -absorbing buffers.
Studies carried out with the object of identifying the cause of such poisoning have shown that this must be looked for in some additives added to protect the polyolefin against degradation due to oxidation (anti-oxidants) and/or heat (stabilizers) and/or the proximate metals (metal deactivators), in spite of the fact that, usually, the quantity of such additives is only of the order of 2.5.times.10.sup.-2 to 5.times.10.sup.-2 parts by weight with respect to the quantity of H.sub.2 -absorbing buffer in contact with the polyolefin material.
The additives which inactivate the H.sub.2 -absorbing buffer are identified by means of a test, described in detail later, with which it is possible to measure the quantity of hydrogen absorbed by a H.sub.2 -absorbing buffer before and after it has been placed in contact with a polyolefin, protected against oxidation and/or heat degradation, for 30 days at 100.degree. C. in an air atmosphere saturated with water vapour at 150 mbar.

Optical fibre element comprising an optical fibre housing constituted by a polyolefin material, and an H2-absorbing buffer