An on-chip parallel/load, serial-shift shift register stores information bits for one or more chip parameters. The bits are represented by fuses that are connected to respective input terminals of the shift register. When the chip is not in test mode (TM), the fuses are electrically connected to respective cells of the shift register, and the output of the shift register is electrically isolated from an output buffer. When the chip is put into test mode, the electrical connections between the fuses and the shift register bits are broken, leaving the fuse information isolated in the shift register. The test mode also connects the output of the shift register to the output buffer and the output of the first shift register bit is seen on the output pin. The rest of the shift register information bits are serially shifted out of the shift register by toggling the CEB pin. When not in the test mode an output terminal of a memory array that stores normal data in the integrated-circuit chip is connected to the output buffer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to techniques for providing various information parameters stored on an integrated circuit die.
2. Prior Art
Certain information is of great assistance to process/design engineers for enhancing performance of an integrated-circuit manufacturing process. This information includes various parameters for a particular die or a packaged part. These parameters include, but are not limited to, the following: lot number; wafer number; wafer row number; wafer column number; row fuse number blown for redundancy, if any; column fuse number blown for redundancy, if any; etc. A need exists for a technique for storing various parameters to assist process and design engineers in improving a particular fabrication process.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system and a method for storing and presenting various parameters related to an integrated-circuit chip.
A number of fuses are connected through electrical links provided by a CMOS transmission gate to respective input terminals of a multi-bit serial shift register. The output of the serial shift register is connected through a multiplexer to an output buffer. When the chip is not in test mode (TM=0), the fuses are electrically connected to respective input terminals of the shift register, and the output of the serial shift register is electrically isolated from the output buffer.
When the chip is in test mode, the electrical links between the fuses and the shift register bits are open leaving the fuse information isolated in the shift register. The test mode also connects the output of the shift register to the output buffer through the multiplexer so the output of the first shift register cell is provided on the output pin of the output buffer. The rest of the shift register information is serially shifted out by toggling a CET pin with thirty one negative edges of a positive-logic CET signal.
The present invention is for a system and method that provides a serial bit sequence that represents one or more information parameters stored in an integrated-circuit chip. The system includes a plurality of fuse modules, each having a fuse that is blown or not blown to represent a respective bit of the serial bit sequence at an output terminal of each fuse module. A parallel-load/serial-shift shift-register has a number of serially-connectable bit storage cells and a shift-register output terminal. Each bit storage cell has a bit-cell data input terminal and a bit-cell data output terminal. Each bit cell stores a respective bit of the serial bit sequence provided by a fuse module.
Each of the bit storage cells has a respective fuse-input transmission gate that has an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of a respective one of the plurality of fuse modules. Each of the bit storage cells also has an output terminal coupled to a an input terminal of an adjacent bit storage cell. The fuse-input transmission gate is controlled by a TEST MODE (TM) signal to provide parallel loading of the bit storage cells of the shift register with the bits of the bit sequence from the fuse modules.
Assume that the bits of the shift register are stored so that higher-ordered bits are first shifted out of the register. Each of the bit storage cells, except for the starting shift register bit cell, also has a serial-data transmission gate that has an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of an adjacent lower-order one-bit storage cell and that has an output terminal coupled to a respective bit storage cell data input terminal of a higher-order bit storage cell. The respective transmission gates are controlled by a SHIFT signal to serially connect the bit storage cells together to provide for serially shifting data through adjacent cells of the shift register to the output terminal of the shift register.
A two-input data selector and buffer has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminal is coupled to an output terminal of a memory array for storing normal-data in the integrated-circuit chip. The second input terminal is coupled to the data output terminal of the parallel-load/serial-shift shift-register. The two-input data selector and buffer has a control terminal that controls connection between the multiplexer output terminal and either the first input terminal or the second input terminal.
The system in a test mode has the respective fuse-input transmission gates off, the respective serial-data transmission gates on, and the two-input data selector and buffer provides data at its output terminal from the shift-register.
The system in a non-test mode has the respective fuse-input transmission gates on, the respective serial-data transmission gates are off, and the two-input data selector and buffer provides normal data at its output terminal.
The present invention also includes a method for providing a serial bit sequence that represents one or more information parameters stored on an integrated-circuit chip. The method includes the steps of: storing each respective bit of the serial bit sequence in a respective ones of a plurality of fuse modules by blowing or not blowing a fuse in each of the plurality of fuse modules; connecting output terminals of the fuse modules to respective input terminals of one of a plurality of serially-connectable bit storage cells of a parallel-load/serial-shift shift-register; parallel loading through a fuse-input transmission gate respective ones of the bit storage cells of the shift register with a bit from a respective one of the fuses. Each of the bit storage cells has a respective fuse-input transmission gate that has an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of a respective one of the plurality of fuse modules and that has an output terminal coupled to a respective bit storage cell data input terminal, wherein the serial data transmission gate provides for serially shifting data through an adjacent cell of the shift register to the output terminal of the shift register. Each of the bit storage cells, except for the starting shift register bit cell, also has a serial-data transmission gate that has an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of an adjacent lower-order one-bit storage cell and that has an output terminal coupled to a respective bit storage cell data input terminal of a higher-order bit storage cell, wherein the respective transmission gates serially connect the bit storage cells to provide for serially shifting data through adjacent cell of the shift register to the output terminal of the shift register.


A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a first path and a second path through which a sheet is conveyed, and a guide portion rotatable between a first position where the sheet is guided to the first path and a second position where the sheet is guided to the second path, wherein the guide portion includes a resin member including a first guide surface configured to guide the sheet to the first path at the first position, and a second guide surface configured to guide the sheet to the second path at the second position, and a reinforcing member including a main body portion extending in a direction along an axis line of guide portion, and protrusions protruding, along the first guide surface and the second guide surface, from both end portions in a longitudinal direction of the main body portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveyance apparatus configured to convey sheets and to an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet conveyance apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, there is a demand for a further reduction in the size of image forming apparatuses for the purpose of space saving or the like. For example, there is a tendency for a switching member configured to switch sheet conveyance paths at a branching position in the sheet conveyance path to be reduced in thickness.
The switching member has two guide surfaces. In order that no step may be formed in the sheet conveyance direction with respect to an upstream or a downstream guide member to be connected to the guide surfaces, the two guide surfaces are required to have a complicated configuration for smooth connection with comb-teeth-like overlapping. In view of this, the switching member is generally formed not of metal material but of resin material (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-86920).
However, when the switching member is formed of resin material and the thickness of the switching member is reduced, there is a problem of a shortage of bending rigidity, thus resulting in instability in configuration. For example, when there is a variation in a distal end position due to deflection or torsion caused by the weight of the switching member itself, the switching member may protrude with respect to the upstream or downstream guide surface overlapped in a comb-teeth-like manner. That results in generation of a step in the sheet conveyance direction, which will catch the leading edges of the sheets.

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus


A new type of gas heat engine is described that has several features similar to a gas turbine or jet engine. The engine is developed in many different configurations, each yielding different theoretical advantages and degrees of freedom. All of this family of engines have no moving components, provide heat recovery and operate over a wide range of input gas velocities. The new engines can use higher combustion temperatures and consequently have the potential for improved efficiency over current technology.

1. Field of the Invention
A new type of gas heat engine is described that has several features similar to a gas turbine or jet engine. The engine is developed in many different configurations, each yielding different theoretical advantages and degrees of freedom. All of this family of engines have no moving components, provide heat recovery and operate over a wide range of input gas velocities. The new engines can use higher combustion temperatures and consequently have the potential for improved efficiency over current technology.
There are many theoretical and practical advantages to the new concepts, which give flexibility in both engine design and operating characteristics that are difficult to embody in current turbo jets. Among the most important is the potential for a thermodynamic efficiency which exceeds that of current open cycle gas heat engines at a given pressure ratio.
A new term in the equation of the Enthalpy of a gas is described, which could be exploited in yet other variants of the engine.
An application of special interest that emerges from this work is the potential to design first stage rocket boosters.
The substantiate benefits of the new engines are improved safety to aircraft, fuel economy, reduced engine weight, and cost. Furthermore, the engine concepts can be scaled to create engines of any desired size and power output without the conventional mechanical limits associated with gas turbines.
2. Background of the Related Art
A gas-turbine is an engine designed to produce useful energy (or work) output by deriving that energy from chemical energy produced by the combustion (or breakdown) of fuel. (e.g. Kerosene). (N.B.1). A gas turbine or jet engine, is the most powerful engine, (Megawatts/per unit volume and weight) known to man which is continuously rated. Rockets are more powerful but work intermittently, usually for only a few minutes.
A gas turbine consists essentially of three basic parts:                1. A compressor which derives working gas or fluid from the intake (e.g. air), and increases the pressure of the gas and supplies it to the combustion system. For compressible fluids (i.e. gases) an increase in temperature is also normally obtained.        2. A combustion system that supplies fuel which is burnt and in the process gives out energy in the form of heat.        3. A turbine which derives mechanical energy from the hot gas after the combustion process and recycles the energy, by a mechanical-link, to the compressor to do work on the input gas.
Work left over at the output of the turbine is the useful work or energy output of the engine. Since the proportion of the energy derived from the gas by the turbine is reintroduced to the gas at the input to the engine by the compressor, these two components work ideally in a closed cycle, and are present to make the engine operate correctly by performing a thermodynamic cycle on the working fluid at the best possible efficiency. In practice both the compressor and turbine are a nuisance, because they are both less than 100% efficient thereby wasting useful work output, and they cause many other restrictions and difficulties which will be discussed later. (Sections 3, 4, 6 and Appendix 4). The useful work output appears as heat, velocity and increased pressure of the gas emerging from the engine. This energy can be used in a number of ways: In a jet engine it is used directly in the form of a force (thrust) to propel the engine forward when mounted in an aircraft. In ground installations it is used to drive another turbine whose mechanical energy is then employed to operate machinery or to generate electricity.
All gas turbines are governed by thermodynamic laws of physics, and are in the group generically known as heat engines. All operate in closed, partially closed or open forms of heat cycle. The theoretical maximum efficiency, or
  (            work                                      output              heat                                      input        )of heat engines has been well understood for decades. Carnot in 1824 was the first to calculate the basic rule for the theoretical efficiency of such engines. Nowadays there are more sophisticated ways of describing efficiency in terms of Entropy or Enthalpy diagrams and others. (N.B.2). However, for simplicity, the basic efficiency of an engine is related only to the ratio of the temperatures before and after the adiabatic compression of the input working fluid, where the temperatures are measured in degrees Absolute. (Kelvin).                Now if: η equals the efficiency in percent;        Tin equals the cold input gas temperature        Tcomp. equals the hot compressed gas temperature
Then for an ideal engine the maximum possible efficiency is given by:
  η  =            (              1        -                              T            in                                T                          comp              .                                          )            100
It can be seen that if Tin is as low as possible, and Tcomp. is as high as possible, then the ratio of the two terms,
      (                  T        in                    T                  comp          .                      )    ,is small, and the efficiency is greatest.
For a typical jet engine the value of Tin might be 300° K (27° C.), and Tcomp. might be 600° K (327° C.), (Corresponding to a compression ratio of about 12 to 1).
      Then                                                                  η    =            (              1        -                  300          600                    )        ×    100                          giving                          50        %
Unfortunately in practice losses of energy occur in all stages of actual gas turbines resulting in efficiencies usually in the range of 60 to 80% of the theoretical value. How these losses occur will be described later in Section 3. Suffice to say at this stage that the major losses are caused by the compressor and turbine. It can be seen that the higher the theoretical efficiency for a given percentage loss, then the higher will be the overall efficiency. It can also be seen that the limit is provided by the highest temperature point or combustion temperature of the cycle which must be higher than Tcomp., since it is impractical to reduce Tin. The combustion temperature in turn is limited by the hot strength of the turbine blades which are fully immersed in the gas exiting from the combustion process. In jet engines some 40 years of development has been devoted to the design of blades that will withstand higher and higher temperatures, and at the same time withstand large centrifugal forces. The use of single crystal alloys and all the skills of modern technology have given everyday engines which are only some 40% efficient. It is of interest to note what the progress has been:—The first flying Whittle engine in 1942 was about 10% efficient, and in 1982 the best (N.B.3) is about 40%, or on average an improvement of 30% in 40 years, or 0.75% per annum.
Since the compressor and turbine combination are needed to make the working fluid operate in a cycle, and do so by recirculating energy round the engine, and since the thermo/mechanical properties of the turbine blades limit the maximum temperature (or efficiency) of the cycle, it is essential in future developments to try to completely eliminate the turbine blade and hence the turbine from the operation of the engine. The limit on maximum temperature would then be mach higher and be caused instead by the heat resistance of the enclosing structure or body of the engine.
These structures can be lined with ceramics and locally cooled by bleeds of cool air, as is current practice for blades, combustion shields and other critical hot spots. It is not possible to make turbine blades of ceramics because they need a high strength to weight ratio due to the large centrifugal forces, whereas on body structures ceramics can provide the high temperature resistance and the metal backing the necessary strength.
It is therefore the elimination of the turbine can bring substantial benefits, but this would mean in turn that the compressor would also have to be eliminated, since there would be no source of mechanical energy to drive it. Some other new means of recirculating energy round the engine must be found to compress the input gas, and make it operate correctly and efficiently.

Abstract: The substantiative benefits of the new engines are improved safety to aircraft, fuel economy, reduced engine weight, and cost. Furthermore, the engine concepts can be scaled to create engines of any desired size and power output without the conventional mechanical limits associated with gas turbines.


Material webs (1), in particular printed products which are designed as two-ups or multiple-ups, are separated parallel to a conveyor direction (F) during an essentially continuous conveying, in that a waste strip is separated out of the material webs (1) in an alternating sequence of cutting steps. The material webs (1) in consecutive cutting steps, are cut in a shearing manner, and in an alternating manner on the one or the other side of the waste strip between essentially straight-lined cutting edges (3, 5) of the cutting knife (4) and the counter-knife (5). The cutting knives (4) are arranged around the periphery of a separating disk (2) rotating running in the same direction as the conveyor direction (F), wherein its cutting edges (3, 3′) lie in an alternating manner in the plane of the one and the other end-side of the separating disk (2). In each case, a stationary counter-knife (6) is aligned onto in each case one of the two end-sides of the separating disk (2).

The invention lies in the field of paper processing, and relates to a method and a device for separating continuously conveyed material webs, wherein the separation is effected roughly parallel to the conveyor direction. The method and the device are particularly suitable for separating multi-sided printed products which are designed as two-ups or multiple-ups, and which comprise two or more than two equal or different exemplars, and which are conveyed in a flow in a manner such that exemplars connected to one another in a printed product are arranged next to one another, and, for all printed products, are aligned to one another in the conveyor direction. Of course, other applications of the method and device according to the invention are also conceivable.
In contrast to the process of cutting printed products, in which edge regions are cut away from the printed products in a head cut, foot cut and/or front cut, and for this reason the quality of the paper edges is only important on the side of the printed product, but not on the side of the cut-away section, on separating multiple-ups, it is important that both edges arising due to the separation have an as high quality as possible.
It has been found that an edge quality which is equally good on both sides when separating continuously conveyed material webs may be better achieved if the separation is not effected by a single cut, but by way of creating a separating gap either by way of sawing or milling, and the removal of swarf-like waste, or by way of parallel cutting along two parallel cutting lines which run as closely as possible to one another, wherein a narrow waste strip arises between the two separated parts.
The publication CH-666651 describes a device for separating continuously conveyed material webs, in particular from an imbricate flow of printed products, with the help of a separating disk which is rotatably driven and which comprises two circular cutting edges arranged in each case in the plane of an end-face of the disk. Each of the two cutting edges thereby is arranged cooperating with a counter-knife rotating in the opposite direction, wherein the counter-knives too have a circular cutting edge in each case. The material webs are pressed against one another for the separation. The separating disk for example has a hollow grinding around its periphery, or consists of two disk parts applied against one another, wherein the sides of the two disk parts which face one another are obliquely ground on their periphery. Evidently, the material webs in such a device are separated by two cutting processes running in parallel, in a manner such that a waste strip arises between the two separated product parts.
It is also suggested, in the same publication, to design the separating disk as a milling disk or saw disk with a saw-tooth grinding, thus not as a cutting tool but as a material-removing tool. In the case of the saw-tooth grinding, it is suggested instead of the setting of the teeth common for sawing, to arrange these on two symmetrical disk parts which correspond to the disk parts mentioned further above.
A rotating separating disk for separating continuously conveyed material webs is likewise disclosed in the publication WO-2005/102624. This, on its periphery, comprises alternating saw teeth and peeling knives, wherein the cutting edges of the peeling knives lie in an alternating manner in the plane of the one, and in the plane of the other end-face of the separating disk. The function of the saw teeth lies in clearing a separating gap in a material-removing manner. The function of the peeling knife lies in improving the paper edges arising from the clearing, on both sides of the sawn gap, in a peeling cut. Thereby, the separating disk is operated in the opposite direction with regard to the conveying, in a manner such that the peeling knives cut essentially in the direction of the material webs and counter to the conveyor direction, by which means the application of a counter-knife is rendered superfluous for the peeling procedure (as well as, of course, for the sawing procedure).
It has been found that there is scope for improvement with regard to the edge quality, on separating continuously conveyed material webs. It is, therefore, the object of the invention to provide a further method and a further device, which are suitable for the separation of essentially continuously conveyed material webs, wherein the paper edges arising on separation should fulfill high demands with regard to the quality. Moreover, the method according to the invention should permit a device which is very space-saving.

Method and device for separating continuously conveyed material webs


The present invention is a deep frying apparatus for cooking food items within a deep stock pot. The apparatus includes a pot-shaped basket and a plurality of stackable cooking racks with flat screen bodies and spaced handles which project vertically from the screens and which concomitantly provide a loop for handling each rack and for spacing apart adjacent stacked racks. A bottom-most cooking rack further includes feet which raises the bottom-most rack's screen above a bottom wall of the basket when inserted therein.

A popular new trend in cooking is that individuals and families have started to deep fry whole turkeys rather than more traditional cooking techniques, such as roasting. In response to this trend, a number of turkey-frying specific cooking vessels have been introduced. These "turkey fryers" include a deep, relatively narrow stock pot which is sized to receive a whole turkey. The turkey is lowered into the pot immersing it into heated cooking oil. In addition to the taste and relatively rapid cook time, this popularity is based in-part on the portable nature of these turkey fryers, which are typically heated using a propane-fueled fire.
One disadvantage of current turkey fryers is that they are used infrequently. One of the reasons for their infrequent use is that a whole cooked turkey is generally considered a food for special occasions, such as holidays. Furthermore, the turkey fryer's inherent depth and relatively large cooking oil requirements result in turkey fryer owners finding other cooking implements to prepare their "everyday" foods, such as chicken wings, breaded fish, or French fries. Presently, fryer baskets are provided to cook "non-turkey" foods in these fryers, but these baskets are cumbersome, relatively expensive, and difficult to load and unload. Additionally, these baskets do not provide for any separation of the food items being cooked. Consequently, the cooked food may be stuck together or uncooked as cooking oil may not fully surround each food item.
There is therefore a need for a system and method for utilizing a turkey fryer for cooking various and disparate foods simultaneously. The system including a plurality of stackable racks, each having individual lifting brackets which concomitantly operate as spacers between adjacent stacked racks to maintain separation of the food items. These stackable racks in combination with a cooking basket, the turkey fryer pot and portable heat/fuel source advantageously provide a user with a cooking apparatus that can be used much more frequently than traditional turkey fryers thereby increasing the overall utility and usefulness over these mainstream fryers.
The present invention provides a plurality of stackable cooking racks having wire mesh bodies for supporting various food items. Each wire mesh body is supported around its outer periphery by a metal border or edging, which provides stiffness and encloses the individual wire strands of the mesh. Each rack further includes a number of handle loops which extend from the border. The handles each have a hand-sized bail running parallel to the mesh body, which acts as both a grip for handling the rack and as a rest for another rack when the racks are stacked together. The handle's bail is offset a distance from the mesh body to allow sufficient space for food items to fit between stacked racks and to allow cooking oil to flow up and around each food item.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a novel combination for deep frying food items in a cooking fluid. The combination comprising: a cooking basket having a bottom surface and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, the sidewall and bottom surface cooperating to define an interior cavity; a pot which is shaped complementary to and is sized to receive the cooking basket within an interior opening; and a plurality of cooking racks, each rack comprising: a flat body having a wire mesh screen and a border which encloses a periphery of the screen, the border having an outer edge which is complementarily shaped with the sidewall; and a plurality of spaced handles mounted to the body. Each of the handles including an elongated bail which is parallel to the body, wherein each of the bails have an uppermost surface and each of the uppermost surfaces are coplanar. The cooking racks are stackable upon each other vertically such that each stacked cooking rack rests upon the uppermost surfaces of the adjacent lower cooking rack.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide an improved frying apparatus for deep frying food items within a pot sized to receive a whole turkey. The improvement comprising: a cooking basket shaped complementary to the pot having a vertical sidewall and a bottom wall which cooperate to define a cylindrical cooking cavity; and a plurality of cooking racks, each rack comprising a flat body having a wire mesh screen and a border which encloses the periphery of the screen. The border having a circular outer edge which is sized to leave a continuous gap between the outer edge and the sidewall of the basket that is between one-quarter inch to one-half inch when the cooking rack is centered within the cooking basket. Each rack further comprising a plurality of handles equally spaced around and mounted to a top surface of the border. Each of the handles including an elongated bail which is parallel to the body, wherein the bails have coplanar uppermost surfaces. The cooking racks are stackable upon each other vertically such that each stacked cooking rack abuts the coplanar uppermost surfaces of the adjacent lower cooking rack.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when viewed in accordance with the accompanying drawings.

Turkey fryer with vertically stacking cooking racks


An apparatus and method for selecting and dispensing coverglasses over specimens on slides for the purpose of viewing specimens through a microscope. The selecting device contains a suctioning mechanism for picking up a coverglass from a stack of coverglasses. It also contains the ability to bend the coverglass to assist in separating the coverglasses. The apparatus further contains a matched barrier to eliminate any coverglasses that may stick to the selected coverglass. The selecting device also contains spring members which aid in the dispensing of the coverglass. After the suctioning mechanism releases the coverglass, the spring members exert a force onto the coverglass to insure that it is released from the selecting device and placed onto the slide. After placement of the coverglass onto the slide, capillary action pushes air bubbles out from underneath the coverglass.

Scientists examine numerous specimens placed on slides using microscopes. Typically, a specimen is covered with a thin transparent coverglass. This is done for several reasons. The coverglass can flatten the specimen so that the specimen is in the same viewing plane, thereby allowing one to view the specimen better. The coverglass provides protection for the specimen from the objective lens of the microscope should the lens be placed too closely to the slide. The coverglass may further provide a housing structure or an area by which the specimen will be permanently retained on the slide. The coverglass, in combination with a liquid adhesive, also helps to preserve the specimen for archiving purposes.
The coverglass is typically a thin, rectangular, square or round piece of glass or plastic which is placed in direct contact with and over the specimen on the slide. The coverglass comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. One example of the coverglass has dimensions of about 1″×2″ and 0.005″ to 0.009″ thick. They are packaged stacked in a vertical pile. This stacking presents a problem: the coverglasses are difficult to handle and separately remove from the stack since they are fragile and may stick together easily. Typically, to remove one coverglass from the stack, a considerable amount of bending moment is applied at the middle of the coverglass. For example, some prior art systems, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,386 (Elliott) use two suction cup devices on a coverglass, placed on both sides of the middle of the coverglass. The suction cups thereafter bend the coverglass, creating great stress in the middle of the coverglass in order to separate the coverglass from the stack of coverglasses. However, this action results in numerous coverglasses breaking because they are very fragile and the force applied was greater than the stability of the glass. The bending force causes a disproportionate amount of stress at the center of the coverglass. Furthermore, the bending action did not guarantee that only one coverglass was selected.
After selecting a single coverglass, the coverglass is then placed over the specimen on a slide in the presence of a liquid adhesive. This presents other problems. For example, it is important that there are no air bubbles trapped under the coverglass when it is placed onto the slide. Also, it is important not to harm the specimen in any way when positioning the coverglass onto the slide. One way to apply the coverglass was to place the coverglass on the slide, and then apply pressure onto the coverglass compress to remove trapped air bubbles. In addition, handling and separating the coverglasses at times can charge them with static electricity. Electrostatic forces can hold the coverglass to the suction cups even after turning the mechanism off, making it difficult to apply the coverglass to the slide. Moreover, the compression of the coverglass to remove air bubbles may cause the adhesive on the tissue sample to expel outward, thereby potentially contaminating other slides or other portions of the machine.
Thus, there exists a need to provide a better automated coverslipper that avoids the problems of prior art automated coverslippers.

Method and apparatus for automated coverslipping


An improved flange in a wind turbine is provided. The flange has a flange plate that is connected to a part of the wind turbine. The flange plate and the part of the wind turbine are connected via an edge to form an L-shaped flange. The flange plate includes a connection side to be detachable connected to a counterpart. The flange plate includes a plurality of holes to be used with a connector when the flange is connected to the counterpart. A recess is arranged in the surface of the connection side between the edge of the flange plate and the plurality of holes, to reduce fatigue loads in the area of the holes of the flange plate.

A wind turbine comprises a rotor, a nacelle and a tower. The rotor comprises rotor blades and a rotor hub.
The wind interacts with the rotor blades and rotates the rotor of the wind turbine. The rotor is connected to an electric generator. The rotation is transferred to the electric generator and the rotational energy is transferred into electric energy in the electric generator.
The rotor is connected to the electric generator. The electric generator is connected to a support structure in the nacelle. The nacelle is connected to the tower of the wind turbine. Flanges are used to establish connections between different parts of the wind turbine, for example between the rotor of the electric generator and the hub, or between the stationary part of the electric generator and a support structure of a direct driven wind turbine.
Due to the weight of the components of a wind turbine, and due to the loads induced into the wind turbine by the wind, static loads and varying loads need to be transferred over the flange connections in the wind turbine.
These loads lead to forces acting on the flange connection and the flanges. The flanges comprise holes that are used with connectors, like bolts or rivets, when the flanges are connected.
The forces acting on the flange connection lead to stress in the area of the holes and the connectors. The stress at the holes and connectors leads to fatigue, to a reduction of the durability, and thus to a reduction of the lifetime of the flange connection.
A reduction in lifetime is unwanted and thus the stress at the holes and the connectors of the flanges in the wind turbine needs to be reduced.


A press arrangement has a sliding tables which carry molds and are provided in the press stations. Holding systems on the sliding tables or on the molds are used for receiving holders which are arranged on the intermediate station arranged between the press stations. The holders carry templates for the intermediate deposition of workpieces. In addition, the holders have receiving devices for receiving workpiece-specific parts of the transfer system, particularly suction frames. During the mold exchange, the intermediate depositing station is operated such that it receives the suction frames by way of the associated holders. Thereafter, the holders are deposited on the holding systems.

This application claims the priority of German application 197 21 614.5, filed in Germany on May 23, 1997, the disclosure of which is (are) expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a press arrangement having at least two press stations, particularly a multistation press, sliding tables arranged in the press stations for receiving molds as required, the sliding tables being movable out of the respective press station, a transfer system which is used for the workpiece transport and which has workpiece holders, which can be separated from the transfer system, for the temporary holding of workpieces, at least one intermediate depositing device which is arranged between two press stations and which is provided with workpiece depositing apparatus as well as with a receiving device for the workpiece holders.
The present invention also relates to a method for tool exchange on a press arrangement having at least two press stations, particularly on multistation presses, sliding tables, which can be moved out of the press stations and on which molds are held, during the process, workpiece holders of a transfer system used for the workpiece transport being transferred to an intermediate depositing device which, in addition to workpiece receiving devices, has corresponding devices for receiving the workpiece holders, and relate also to a use of an intermediate depositing device pertaining to a press arrangement having at least two press stations, sliding tables arranged in the press stations for receiving molds as required, the sliding tables, being movable out of the respective press station, a transfer system which is used for the workpiece transport and which has workpiece holders which can be separated from the transfer system for the temporary holding of workpieces, and at least one intermediate depositing device which is arranged between two press stations and which is provided with devices for depositing workpieces as well as with a receiving device for the workpiece holders.
As a rule, presses or press arrangements have workpiece-dependent components which are to be exchanged, as required, for example, when the production is changed. First, these components are molds whose bottom mold part is held on a sliding table and whose top mold part is held on a press slide. The sliding table can usually be moved out in the lateral direction of the press or the press arrangement. In addition, the workpiece-dependent components comprise parts of the transfer system which is used for the conveying of the workpieces from press station to press station. The transfer system frequently has holding devices (e.g., vacuum suction devices) whose position and number is workpiece-determined.
The vacuum suction devices are usually held on suction frames which, in turn, are held on cross traverses of a two-axis transfer. The suction frames are workpiece-specific. Additional workpiece-specific elements are found on intermediate depositing devices which are arranged between two press stations and temporarily receive the workpieces without any machining being carried out on them. For receiving the workpieces, the intermediate depositing devices have depositing means called "templates" whose shape, size and position are dependent on the respective workpiece to be deposited. The holding means and the templates form the so-called tooling.
The change of all components, that is, of the mold, of the holding means and of the depositing means is to take place as automatically as possible and/or at low manual expenditures.
EP-A-0 191 397 describes a transfer press having intermediate depositing devices is known whose templates are transferred before the mold exchange to corresponding holding systems of the sliding table or of the mold disposed on this sliding table. For the transfer, the intermediate depositing device has a separate transfer device which is formed by a toothed rack and by a spring mechanism for guiding the template on a straight path to the sliding table. Devices for changing workpiece-specific elements of the transfer device are, however, not shown.
DE 41 24 083 A1 shows a transfer press line in which intermediate depositing devices are arranged between individual press stations and are moved laterally out of the press line during the mold exchange. The intermediate depositing devices hold the depositing templates used for receiving the workpieces so that they can be swivelled about a transverse axis. In addition, holding systems are provided at the intermediate depositing devices for receiving suction devices which are part of the transfer device. During the mold exchange, the intermediate devices, together with the depositing templates and the suction devices, are moved laterally out of the press. For this purpose, a corresponding clearance must be provided in the area of the press stands.
DE 33 34 021 C1 discloses a large-piece transfer press having an intermediate depositing device which has a gripping and holding device for depositing templates. For the mold exchange, these templates can be connected with the mold. For transporting the depositing templates from the intermediate depositing device to the molds, the gripping and holding device is used which, for this purpose, has toothed racks which are disposed to be slidable in the transport direction and are correspondingly driven and on whose outer end the templates are held. The exchange of workpiece-specific elements of the transfer system is not, however, taken into account in this case.
An object of the present invention is to provide a press arrangement which permits a mold and tool exchange at low manual expenditures.
Another object to provide a method for carrying out a mold and tool exchange.
These objects are achieved by a press arrangement in which at least one sliding table carries at least one holding device for the workpiece holders separated from the transfer system, and the intermediate depositing device has at least one transfer device for receiving and transferring the workpiece holders from the transfer system to the holding device.
The method of the present invention also achieves these objects by receiving the workpiece holders from the transfer system by way of the intermediate depositing device and transferring them to at least one holding device which is carried by the sliding table or the mold, and by using the intermediate depositing device for transferring the workpiece holders to a holding device provided on at least one of the sliding tables.
In addition to the sliding tables, which are in any event present and which carry molds which can be exchanged as required, the press arrangement according to the invention has a transfer system with workpiece-specific workpiece holding apparatus (suction frames) and intermediate depositing devices with also workpiece-specific workpiece depositing apparatus (templates). In addition, the intermediate depositing devices have transfer devices which are set up for taking over the workpiece holding apparatus of the transfer system and for transferring them to corresponding holding devices which are provided on the sliding tables and/or molds.
As a result, the intermediate depositing device can be used during the mold exchange as a handling device for transferring the workpiece holding apparatus from the transfer system to the sliding tables. The intermediate depositing device will then deposit the workpiece depositing apparatus and the workpiece holding apparatus simultaneously or successively on the holding device of the sliding table or of the mold resting thereon.
This arrangement and approach permit in particular the deposition of the workpiece holding apparatus at a point on the sliding table or the mold which cannot be reached by the transfer system itself. For example, the holding device for the workpiece holding apparatus may be arranged at a very low level. The intermediate depositing device bridges the distance between the transfer system and the holding device. Consequently, the tooling, i.e., the workpiece depositing apparatus and the workpiece holding apparatus, can be arranged at a low level. This benefits the mold exchange during which the mold is, for example, by way of a crane, lifted off the sliding table and another mold is placed on the sliding table.
As required, the holding device may also be provided on the mold which can then be stored with the pertaining tooling. Assignment problems between workpiece holding apparatus, workpiece depositing apparatus and molds are almost impossible. This approach simplifies the storage to great advantage.
Preferably, only the specifically constructed workpiece holding apparatus of the transfer system is exchanged. This means that, for example, carrying rails and cross traverses remain in the press arrangement and suction frames carried by the cross traverses are exchanged. The cross traverses remaining in the transfer system results in a noticeable saving of cost. For reducing weight, the cross traverses are often produced from carbon fiber materials so that every other, otherwise required set of cross traverses would clearly have cost disadvantages. Because of the fixedly mounted cross traverses and as the result of the weight reduction, there is an improvement of the dynamics and a reduction of the required driving energy.
High-expenditure and weight-intensive coupling devices for connecting the cross traverses are unnecessary. Separate holders for the workpiece depositing apparatus and the workpiece holding apparatus can be provided on the mold or on the sliding table as well as a holding arrangement which carries the workpiece depositing apparatus and, as required, receives the workpiece holding apparatus, whereby the holding arrangement is fastened on the mold-side or sliding-table-side holder.
The above arrangement is particularly advantageous if at least one supporting tube extending through in the transverse direction is part of the holding arrangement, on which supporting tube the workpiece depositing apparatus, such as the templates, are held. The supporting tubes may have individual holding elements for receiving the workpiece holding apparatus. The supporting tubes bridge the machine width in the transverse direction so that several workpiece holding apparatuses can be disposed on a supporting tube arrangement which, in turn, is again disposed on the holders of the sliding table or of the mold. The supporting tube arrangement is preferably fixedly connected with the templates and therefore forms the support thereof and thus forms an intermediate holding system for the holding apparatus. This intermediate holding system bridges, for example, a waste shaft adjoining the sliding table.
The intermediate depositing device is preferably disposed on a support so that it can be swivelled about a transverse axis. The support is also disposed on a lifting head so that it can also be swivelled about a transverse axis. The lifting head is preferably held so that it can be adjusted in at least two axes, preferably in three axes. By way of the swivelling of the support, different swivelling positions of the workpiece situated on the template can be adjusted. The swivelling of the templates has the purpose of changing these templates from their working position into a passive or depositing position. Thereby, the templates are movable via the sliding tables between the stands of one of the presses. While the transfer device, for example, a pin connected with the supporting tube, in the normal operative position of the templates, points to the lifting head and is therefore essentially horizontally aligned, it will stand up vertically when the templates swivel into the passive position. In this position, the pin will be ready to receive the holding apparatus.
Staying spaces are assigned to the holding apparatus and the depositing apparatus (templates) which, in the transfer direction, are arranged in front of and behind the mold or the sliding table and which mutually overlap with respect to the transverse direction. This permits a space-saving housing of the tooling while the accessibility to the mold is simultaneously good.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Press arrangements with automatic tool exchange and method of tool exchange


In an example of the described techniques, a wireless communication system includes first memory, second memory, a first microcontroller, and a second microcontroller. The first microcontroller manages drivers for a wireless transceiver and direct data movement between the wireless transceiver and the first memory. The second microcontroller communicates with other systems that generate application data to be wirelessly transmitted. The application data to be wirelessly transmitted is stored in the second memory. Additionally, the second microcontroller direct data movement between the second memory and the first memory.

Devices communicate wirelessly using one or more wireless protocols. Wireless protocols include the WiFi standards (IEEE 802.11 and subsequent amendments, e.g., 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11ad, and so forth), Bluetooth, LorRa, Zigbee, and others. Wireless communications involve transmitting packetized data over the air from a source device to a destination device using a wireless physical layer link.

Wireless communication with code separation


In a filter, a plurality of coils include a plurality of line conductor layers that are each provided on an insulator layer, a plurality of via hole conductors that extend from one end of the line conductor layers in the y-axis direction to the negative direction side of the z-axis direction, and are electrically connected to a plurality of capacitor conductor layers, and a plurality of via hole conductors that extend from the other end of the line conductor layers in the y-axis direction to the negative direction side of the z-axis direction, and are electrically connected to a ground conductor layer. The distance between the via hole conductor layers connected to the ground conductor layer differs from the distance between the via hole conductor layers connected to the capacitor conductor layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter, and more specifically to a filter including a plurality of LC parallel resonators.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an invention related to a filter according to related art, for example, there is a multilayer band pass filter described in International Publication No. 2007/119356. FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of a multilayer band pass filter 500 described in International Publication No. 2007/119356.
The multilayer band pass filter 500 includes a laminate 502, and LC parallel resonators 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512. The laminate 502 is formed by laminating a plurality of insulator layers together. Each of the LC parallel resonators 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512 includes conductor layers and via hole conductors, and is in the form of a loop when seen in plan view from a direction substantially orthogonal to the laminating direction. The loop planes of the LC parallel resonators 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512 overlap one another.
In the multilayer band pass filter 500, the loop planes of the LC parallel resonators 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512 are slightly shifted from one another. Consequently, the degree of coupling between the LC parallel resonators 504, 506, 508, 510, and 512 is lowered, thereby making it possible to narrow the pass band of the multilayer band pass filter 500. As a result, the multilayer band pass filter 500 having a desired transmission characteristic is obtained.
Filters that can provide a desired transmission characteristic as described above are being desired.


Snow gun towers are provided for supporting a snow gun above the ground, e.g., above a ski trail. The towers are constructed to be easily rotated between raised and lowered positions, and to maintain the angle of the snow gun with respect to the ground substantially constant during rotation of the tower between its positions. Preferred towers include a compression spring to assist the user in moving the tower between raised and lowered positions.

The present invention relates to snow gun towers.
Many ski resorts use snow-making equipment to produce man-made snow when natural snow is unavailable or to supplement the available quantity of natural snow. Snow-making equipment typically includes a number of snow guns arranged at intervals along the side of or on a ski trail. Snow guns include nozzles through which a mixture of compressed air and water is sprayed into the ambient air. The rapid expansion of the compressed air in the relatively cool ambient air causes the water to cool and form snow crystals. Snow guns are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,230.
Snow guns may be mounted on fixed tower mounts, or on ground mounts that can be easily moved to different locations. While tower mounts allow the snow gun to be mounted high above the trail, for longer hang time and thus better freezing of the snow crystals, tower mounts are typically difficult to adjust, if they are adjustable at all. This lack of ready adjustability makes use of tower mounts impractical if the wind direction is unfavorable to the direction in which the snow gun is facing.


A system instantiates a unified interface for a telecommunications network including a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architecture of an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) with multiple Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) that each have multiple component VNFs. The system instantiates a tracing tool configured to evaluate performance of the IMS in response to execution of a test case, which includes a test script to test a computing product and where the performance of the IMS is based on packets captured concurrently from VNFs. The test script causes capture and analysis of parameters extracted from packets of the VNFs. In response to completing the test case, the system reports test results indicating the performance of the IMS relative to pass/fail criteria, where the test results are presented through the unified interface.

Product development in the telecommunication industry follows rigorous standards to ensure stability, protocol adherence and quality, which results in reliable products and associated systems. While this model worked well in the past, it inevitably led to long product cycles, a slow pace of development, and reliance on proprietary or custom hardware. The rise of significant competition in communication services from fast-moving organizations operating at large scale on the Internet has spurred service providers to improve product development models.
A network function virtualization (NFV) model is a network architecture that virtualizes classes of network node functions into building blocks that may connect, or chain together, to create communication services. A virtual network function (VNF) is a software implementation of a network function that can include one or more virtual machines running different software and processes, on top of servers, switches and storage devices, or even a cloud computing infrastructure, instead of having custom hardware for each network function. For example, a virtual Session Border Controller (SBC) could be deployed to protect a network without the typical cost and complexity of obtaining and installing physical network protection units.
An NFV infrastructure is the totality of hardware and software components on which VNFs are deployed. The NFV infrastructure includes virtual and physical processing and storage resources, and virtualization software. A Network Function Virtualization Management and Orchestration (NFV-MANO) architecture includes the collection of all functional blocks, data repositories used by the blocks, and reference points and interfaces through which the functional blocks exchange information for the purpose of managing and orchestrating VNFs. The NFV-MANO includes management components and virtualization software operating on a hardware controller. The NFV also system has carrier-grade features to manage and monitor components, to recover from failures, and to provide security.
The technologies described herein will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from studying the Detailed Description in conjunction with the drawings. Embodiments or implementations describing aspects of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and the same references can indicate similar elements. While the drawings depict various implementations for the purpose of illustration, those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative implementations can be employed without departing from the principles of the present technologies. Accordingly, while specific implementations are shown in the drawings, the technology is amenable to various modifications.

Unified interface and tracing tool for network function virtualization architecture


A first torque coupler adapted for use with a second torque coupler having first and second lugs spaced apart by a first distance includes a support, a first member rotatably coupled to the support and including a third lug, and a second member rotatably coupled to the support and including a fourth lug. The first and second members engage one another to prevent unrestricted rotation of the first and second members in the same direction. The first and second members are rotatable in opposite directions when in engagement with at least one of the first and second lugs to move at least one of the third and fourth lugs, a first torque transmitting position in which the third and fourth lugs are spaced from one another by a second distance substantially equal to the first distance to a second position in which the third and fourth lugs are spaced from one another by a third distance unequal to the first distance.

Disengageable drive coupling systems are utilized in a variety of different machines. Disengageable drive coupling systems are typically utilized in machines where the driven portion of the coupling system must be periodically separated and removed from the drive train or drive portion of the system for various reasons.
One example of a machine incorporating a disengageable coupling system is a conventionally known plate planter. Plate planters typically include a frame supporting a multitude of planting units across the width of the planter for implanting seeds into the ground. Each planting unit includes a furrow opening mechanism and a furrow closing mechanism. Each planting unit further includes a hopper and an associated seed meter. The seed meter includes a seed disc or plate, which upon being rotated, meters seeds to the furrow unit in a conventionally known manner. The seed plate is driven by a driven shaft which is operably coupled to a drive shaft and a drive train of the planter.
During planting, the seed meter often fills with dirt, chaff and other foreign matter. As a result, it is often necessary to periodically remove the meter for cleaning. It is also frequently necessary to remove the meter in order to change the seed plate. To remove the meter from the planter requires that the driven shaft be separated and removed from the drive shaft and the planter drive train.
Because conventional plate planters include a seed meter and hopper for each individual row unit and row, the hoppers and seed meters are often closely spaced to one another across the width of the planter. As a result, it is extremely difficult to axially separate the driven shaft and the drive shaft so as to disengage the driven shaft and associated seed meter from the drive shaft. It is also extremely difficult to axially couple the driven shaft and the drive shaft to one another for the transmission of torque. Thus, there has been a continuing need for a disengageable coupling system that enables the driven shaft to be disengaged and separated from the drive shaft by simply vertically lifting the driven shaft relative to the drive shaft. Conversely, there has also been a continuing need for a disengageable coupling system that enables the driven shaft to be engaged to the drive shaft by simply vertically lowering the driven shaft adjacent to the drive shaft.

Automatic coaxial engagement drive coupler


Provided are systems and methods for generating propensity-driven employment-based search results. In one example, a method may include retrieving consumption data of a user associated with the user device and geographic location data of at least one of the user and the user device, the consumption data comprising behavior of the user captured over time, predicting one or more value-generating opportunities for the user from among a pool of value-generating opportunities via execution of a predictive model, where the predictive model determines a propensity of the user to respond to the value-generating opportunities based on the behavioral attributes included in the retrieved consumption data of the user and the geographical location data, and transmitting the one or more predicted value-generating opportunities to the user device via a content channel between the server and the user device.

More and more people are finding that they need multiple jobs to keep up with financial demands and the are routinely facing dramatic shifts in income from one month to the next. By not having a stable income and relying on more than one income source on a regulator basis makes it difficult for such workers to qualify for financial services. People who find themselves in this situation often turn to high-interest credit cards or payday lending to fill gaps in their budgets.
Recently, individuals have begun using web-based resources (mobile applications, websites, etc.) to post and find jobs. For example, in a shared economy, also referred to as a gig economy, organizations and individuals may contract with independent workers for short-term engagements, longer-term temporary engagements, full-time positions, and the like. The trend towards a gig economy is well underway. A recent study predicted that by 2020, approximately forty percent (40%) of American workers will have some form of earnings as an independent contractor. A contributing factor for this shift is due to the increasing mobility of jobs. In many cases, job performance and its location are decoupled allowing for jobs to be performed remotely or at multiple locations.
One of the difficulties in a shared economy environment is connecting potential employees with employment opportunities they are likely to be of interest. For example, two people with similar educational backgrounds may have very different interests when it comes to the type of employment they desire. A typical job-based search engine receives various keywords and provides a list of search results thereon. However, these search engines fail to consider attributes of the user that can influence the user's interests in a job opportunity. As a result, many of the search results provided are not of interest to a particular user. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved mechanism for providing users with optimized job-related information in a rich user convenient format.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated or adjusted for clarity, illustration, and/or convenience.


(Meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl or curable silyl groups at the chain ends high functionality ratios are prepared by a process which comprises (i) preparing a (meth)acrylic polymer having halogen atoms at the chain ends, using an organohalogenated compound or a halosulfonyl compound as an initiator and a metal complex catalyst wherein the central metal atom is selected from the group consisting of the elements of Groups 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the periodic table; and (ii) transforming the halogen atom into an alkenyl group- or a curable silyl group-containing substituent. The obtained (meth)acrylic polymers form homogeneous curing materials.

Polymers having functional groups at the chain ends can be cured by themselves or with the help of an adequate curing agent to give cross-linked materials with high heat resistance and durability. Representative examples are the polymers having alkenyl groups or curable silyl groups at the chain ends. A polymer having alkenyl groups at the chain ends can be cured using a polyvalent hydrogensilicon compound as a curing agent or by photopolymerization. A polymer having curable silyl groups can be cured by absorbing moisture in the presence of an adequate condensation catalyst to give a cross-linked material.
Some examples of the main chain structure of these polymers are the polyether polymers such as polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide and polytetramethylene oxide; the hydrocarbon polymers such as polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, polyisobutylene and their hydrogenated derivatives; the polyester polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutyleneterephthalate and polycaprolactone. These polymers are being used for many applications based on their main chain structure and curing system.
The polymers exemplified as above are prepared by ionic polymerization or polycondensation. On the other hand, vinyl polymers having functional groups at the chain ends, which may be prepared by radical polymerization, are rarely commercialized. Among vinyl polymers, (meth)acrylic polymers exhibit excellent physical properties such as high weatherability and clarity, which properties can not be obtained from the aforementioned polyether polymers, hydrocarbon polymers and polyester polymers. Due to those properties, (meth)acrylic polymers possessing alkenyl groups or curable silyl groups at the side chains are being used for high weatherability paints.
(Meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl or curable silyl groups at the chain ends would impart to the cross-linked material with better mechanical properties than obtained with (meth)acrylic polymers with such functional groups at their side chains. Considerable efforts have been made so far to develop a method to synthesize such polymers, however, their commercial production has yet to be reached.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.5-255415 (1993) discloses a synthetic method for the preparation of (meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl groups at both ends using an alkenyl group-containing disulfide compound as a chain transfer agent. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.5-262808 (1993) also discloses a synthetic method for (meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl groups at both ends via (meth)acrylic polymers with a hydroxyl group at both ends, which in turn, are prepared using a large excess of a hydroxyl group-containing disulfide compound as a chain transfer agent. However, it is difficult to introduce alkenyl groups onto both chain ends of the polymers in a high functionality ratio by these methods.
On the other hand, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.59-168014 (1984) discloses a synthetic method for (meth)acrylic polymers having curable silyl groups at both ends using a curable silyl group-containing disulfide compound as a chain transfer agent. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.61-133201 (1986) also discloses a method for the preparation of (meth)acrylic polymers using a curable silyl group-containing hydrogensilicon compound or a halosilane compound as a chain transfer agent. However, it is also difficult to introduce curable silyl groups onto both chain ends of the polymers in a high functionality ratio by these methods.
The object of the present invention is to provide methods for the preparation of (meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl groups or curable silyl groups at the chain ends in a higher functionality ratio than those obtained by the conventional methods, and also provides curable compositions containing those polymers.
Recently, new living radical polymerization methods were developed and made possible the synthesis of (meth)acrylic polymers having halogen atoms at the chain ends in a high ratio (see: Matyjaszewski et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 5614; Macromolecules 1995, 28, 7901; Science 1996, 272, 866; Sawamoto et al, Macromolecules 1995, 28, 1721).
The present inventors have found that (meth)acrylic polymers having alkenyl groups or curable silyl groups at the chain ends in a high functionality ratio can be obtained by using the above living radical polymerization method.

Processes for preparing (meth)acrylic polymers having functional groups at the chain ends


Techniques for persisting user data across secure shell instances are provided. The techniques include a method wherein a computer system receives a request to reserve a block volume, the request being received from a session manager service. The method also includes reserving the block volume, identifying a data center identifier of the block volume, returning the data center identifier of the block volume to the session manager service, attaching the block volume to a volume management fleet machine, receiving an instruction from the session manager service to release the block volume, creating a backup of the block volume comprising the data stored in the block volume, and releasing the block volume.

Cloud-based platforms provide scalable and flexible computing resources for users. Such cloud-based platforms, also referred to as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), may offer entire suites of cloud solutions around a customer's data, for example, solutions for authoring transformations, loading data, and presenting the data. IaaS systems may implement data replication and backup to preserve user data.

Techniques for persisting data across instances of a cloud shell


A buffer memory includes a memory cell array, a flag cell array, and a error correction block. The memory cell array has a plurality of word lines. Each of the plurality of word lines are electrically connected to a plurality of memory cells storing data. The flag cell array has a plurality of flag cells. Each of the plurality of flag cells is connected to each of the word lines and stores information that indicates whether error correction of the data has been performed. The error correction block performs error correction on the data output from the memory cell array in response to a command received through a host interface and flag data output from the flag cell array.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory system, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory system performing data error correction.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A flash memory, such as a flash EEPROM, is a non-volatile memory that can electrically store or erase data. The flash memory may include a NAND flash memory and a NOR flash memory. The NOR flash memory may include a simple interface using a static random access memory (SRAM) or read only memory (ROM). In the NAND flash memory, the structure of the interface circuit is complicated as compared to the NOR flash memory, but a relative degree of integration is high and the cost is low.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a semiconductor memory system 100 having a NAND flash memory. Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor memory system 100 includes a NAND flash memory 110, a NAND flash interface 120, a state machine 130, an error correction logic 140, a buffer memory 150, a storage block 160, and a host interface 170.
The storage block 160 stores a command CMD and/or an address ADDR received through the host interface 170. The storage block 160 may be an internal register of the semiconductor memory system 100. The buffer memory 150 buffers data DATA output from the NAND flash interface 120 to the host interface 170.
The state machine 130 controls data input and/or output between the NAND flash interface 120 and the buffer memory 150 based on the command CMD and the address ADDR output from the storage block 160. The state machine 130 outputs the data DATA to the error correction logic 140 based on the command CMD and the address ADDR. The error correction logic 140 performs error correction on the data DATA and outputs a result thereof to the state machine 130.
When the data DATA is read out from the NAND flash memory 110, the error correction logic 140 performs error correction on the data DATA in real time. However, as the bandwidth of a data bus receiving data increases, there is a limit to the amount of data that can be error corrected in real time.
Thus, there is a need for a semiconductor memory system for performing error correction on data in real time.

Semiconductor memory system performing data error correction using flag cell array of buffer memory


Disclosed herein are systems, media, and methods for identifying and assessing topographical features such as vegetation density and surface water using satellite data, comprising: a digital processing device; a database of digital maps, each indicative of grazing area(s); and a computer program to create an application comprising: a software module receiving a first set of satellite data indicative of a first topographical feature of the land; a software module calculating a normalized index array of the first topographic feature for the time period using the first set of satellite data; a software module generating a custom map indicative of density of the first topographical feature; a software module combining the custom map with one of the digital maps to generate a combined map indicative of the density of the first topographical feature within the grazing areas; and a software module allowing a user to visualize or print the combined map.

Satellite images comprise digital images collected by imaging satellites operated by governments and businesses around the world. These digital images further comprise a plurality of pixels arranged in arrays of rows and columns.
Decisions on where to migrate with herds can mean the difference between survival and devastation for pastoralists. Each year in Africa, more than 200 million pastoralists seek available pasture for their herds, within their traditional grazing areas, using a combination of low technology methods such as indigenous knowledge, scouts, and oral communication.

System and method for identifying and assessing topographical features using satellite data


A fixing unit that fixes a toner image carried on a recording medium includes a rotation member, and a pressure belt module that is provided with a pressure belt, a pressure roller supporting the pressure belt and pressing the rotation member, and a belt-supporting roller supporting the pressure belt. The pressure roller includes a first roller that is formed into a cylindrical shape, and a second roller that is disposed inside the first roller and formed into a crown shape, in which an axially central portion thereof is larger in outer diameter than both end portions thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing unit and roller member for use in an image forming apparatus using, for example, an electrophotographic method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a copy machine and a printer which use an electrophotographic method, a photoreceptor that is drum-shaped for example (photoreceptor drum) is uniformly charged, and this photoreceptor drum is scan exposed by light controlled based on image information, thus forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum. And, this electrostatic latent image is converted into a visible image (toner image) using toner, and after directly transferred to recording paper from on the photoreceptor drum, or after once primary-transferred to an intermediate transfer body and then secondary-transferred to the recording paper from the intermediate transfer body, this toner image is fixed to the recording paper by a fixing unit.
The fixing unit for use in such an image forming apparatus includes, for example, a fixing roller and a pressure roller. The fixing roller, having a heating source disposed within a cylindrical core metal, is formed by laminating on the core metal a heat-resistant elastic layer and a release layer. The pressure roller, disposed in pressure contact with this fixing roller, is formed by laminating on the core metal a heat-resistant elastic layer and a release layer of heat-resistant resin film or heat-resistant rubber film. And, recording paper bearing an unfixed toner image is passed between the fixing roller and the pressure roller to heat and pressurize the unfixed toner image, thereby fixing a toner image to the recording paper. Such a fixing unit, which is of so-called roller-nip method, is widely used.
In the meantime, for an increase in speed in the fixing unit of roller-nip method, to supply a sufficient amount of heat to the toner and the recording paper, it is necessary to increase a nip width in proportion to a fixing speed. As the method of increasing the nip width, there are the method of increasing a load between the fixing roller and the pressure roller, the method of increasing the thickness of an elastic body, and further the method of increasing a roller diameter.
However, in the method of increasing the load and the method of increasing the thickness of the elastic body, roller deflection makes the shape of the nip width nonuniform along a roller axis, thereby causing a problem which may affect image quality, such as the occurrence of variations in fixability or cockles in paper. Besides, in the method of increasing the roller diameter, there is the problem of involving an increase in size of the apparatus and of lengthening a period of time (warm-up time) required to increase a roller temperature from a room temperature to a fixable temperature.
Thereupon, to solve these problems to realize a fixing unit responsive to an increase in speed of the image forming apparatus, the present applicant provides technology for a fixing unit of the following configuration (e.g., see Japanese Patent No. 3084692). That is, the fixing unit includes a fixing roller having an elastic body coated on a surface thereof and an endless belt stretched over plural support rollers, wherein the endless belt is wrapped a predetermined angle region around the fixing roller so as to form a nip region between the endless belt and the fixing roller. At the same time, disposed in an exit portion (the most downstream portion) of the nip region is a pressure roller that locally applies thereto higher pressure than any other portion of the nip region.
In such a fixing unit described in the Japanese Patent No. 3084692, the endless belt stretched over the plural rollers is brought into contact with the fixing roller, thereby forming a nip portion (which is also called a "belt-nip portion"). By adopting such a configuration (which is also called a "belt-nip method"), the width of the belt-nip portion formed by the fixing roller and the endless belt can be easily made larger than the width of the related-art roller-nip portion between the fixing roller and the pressure roller. This enables a response to the increase in speed and also facilitates a reduction in size of the apparatus.
Particularly, in the fixing unit of belt-nip method, the heat capacity of the endless belt brought into pressure contact with the fixing roller is low, so that heat transferred from the fixing roller is also difficult to diffuse. Consequently, even when the rotation of the fixing roller is started, the amount of heat drawn from the fixing roller to the endless belt side is comparatively small, thus increasing efficiency in the use of heat for fusing toner. Therefore, this fixing unit also has the advantage of being capable of improving toner fixability.
In the meantime, the fixing unit of belt-nip method as described in the aforesaid Japanese Patent No. 3084692 is configured such that one of the rollers having the endless belt stretched thereover presses against the fixing roller (fixing member) in the most downstream portion of the nip portion formed by the fixing roller and the endless belt. Thereby, such a roller is made to function as a pressure roller (pressure member) and thus is set to locally apply, to the most downstream portion, higher pressure than any other portion of the nip portion. By adopting such a configuration, it follows that the pressure roller applies local pressure to a toner image being heated and fused in the nip portion. Consequently, the fixability of the toner image passed through the nip portion is improved, and particularly the surface of the toner image before solidified is smoothed, thus imparting proper gloss to the toner image.
However, the pressure roller, which presses against the fixing roller in the most downstream portion of the nip portion, has the endless belt stretched therearound on an axially lateral peripheral surface thereof. Consequently, to set such a pressure roller to press toward the fixing roller side, it is necessary to adopt the configuration of pressing the fixing roller from both end portions of the pressure roller. However, in the configuration in which the pressure roller thus presses the fixing roller from the both end portions thereof, arcuate deflection occurs in the pressure roller (even in the fixing roller as the case may be). Therefore, there is the structural problem in which the pressure between the pressure roller and the fixing roller decreases toward an axially central portion of the pressure roller, so that nonuniformity in axial pressure is likely to occur.
Consequently, a declining trend of fixability occurs across a central portion of the recording paper, thus causing the disadvantage of a reduction in image quality. Besides, particularly, there occur so-called gloss variations in which the gloss level of the toner image decreases toward the central portion of the recording paper. Thus, there is the disadvantage that the reduction in image quality is conspicuous in a solid image such as a photographic image.

Fixing unit image forming apparatus with interior crown-shaped roll


An image recording device includes plural retaining units each of which retains a recording medium on circumference thereof, a printing head that forms an image on the recording medium, a loop unit that retains the plural retaining units on a closed path, a first driving unit that drives each of the plural retaining units, and a second driving unit that conveys the retaining units on the loop unit, wherein when the first driving unit drives one of the plural retaining units to form an image on a first recording medium retained on circumference thereof, the first driving unit drives another one of the retaining units to mount a second recording medium on circumference thereof, and the second driving unit conveys one of the retaining units to a recording medium peeling position after completing image formation, and another one of the retaining units to a printing position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer using the so-called FWA (Full Width Array) ink-jet recording head that covers the width of recording medium is capable of enhancing a printing speed remarkably, compared to the so-called serial ink-jet printer, because it does not scan the print head back and forth. Therefore, the printer is suitable for mass continuous printing. Also the printer is capable of reducing the device size significantly, compared to the so-called laser printer using toner, because the structure of the printer is simple.
A drum-type printer 400 as shown in FIG. 12, for example, completes printing when an ink-jet recording head 404 scans one rotation in the rotating direction of a drum 402 (when the drum 402 makes one rotation with paper P wound thereon); therefore, the printer 400 is capable of high-speed printing, compared to the serial type printer, which does not complete printing until making several reciprocating scans of the ink-jet recording head 404 in the direction perpendicular to the transferring direction of the paper P. The printing speed of the drum-type printer 400 depends on the rotating speed of the drum 402; accordingly, the printing speed is enhanced theoretically as the rotating speed of the drum 402 is increased.
However, the drum-type printer as such involves a time loss while mounting/peeling the paper P on/from the drum, and the actual performance cannot be enhanced in proportion to increasing the rotating speed of the drum.
Increasing the rotating speed of the drum and mounting the paper at a high speed are likely to create dislocations and/or vibrations of the paper retained on the circumference of the drum. If this happens, it will dislocate the point of impact of the ink drops ejected from the ink-jet recording head and adhere the ink drops at dislocated positions on the paper, which will deteriorate the printing quality to a great extent and create a possibility of quality deficiencies.
To deal with this problem, a construction has been proposed which performs to divide a series of operations of mounting, printing, and peeling-off of printing paper by one rotation during the rotation of the drum (refer to, for example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 10-193581 (FIG. 1, pp. 3 to 5)).
The above method performs paper mounting and peeling separately from printing to attain a stable operation, but it takes extra time for that operation. Naturally, the throughput capacity will be deteriorated during continuous printing because the printing is impossible during paper mounting and peeling.
Another construction has been proposed which prepares a high speed and a low speed as the rotating speed of the drum, and controls the rotating speed of the drum to the low speed when mounting the paper on the drum and to the high speed when performing printing on the paper mounted on the drum (refer to, for example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-283629 (FIG. 3, pp. 3 to 4)).
This method only lowers the rotating speed of the drum without stopping the rotation during mounting the paper; therefore, the drum itself is driven without stopping the rotation, however this method does not deal with the lowering of the processing speed.


The invention is an optical switching device having a switching element which, in one aspect is a solid switching body to reduce beam spread, in a second aspect is trapezoidal in cross-section so that the optical channels selectively connected by the switching body are conveniently located on one side of the device, and in a third aspect is a retroreflective switching element that eliminates the need to achieve and maintain precise angular alignment between the switching body and the optical axes of the optical channels connected by the switching device.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical switching devices and, more particularly, to an optical switching device for switching an optical signal in a fiberoptic transmission system between two or more possible channels while maximizing signal transmission for each path, and, if desired, for simultaneously switching two separate sets of paths such as the transmitting and receiving legs of an infrared chemical analysis system.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known optical switching device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,934 entitled "Fiber Optics Channel Selection Device", issued to L. E. Curtiss on Apr. 9, 1991, and assigned to Galileo Electro-Optics Corporation. The '934 device uses two parallel mirrors to switch an optical beam between a first plurality of optical signal channels 62 and a second single signal channel 64. As shown in FIG. 1, the first plurality of channels 62 (only one is shown) include optical fibers 11 and lenses 12 for carrying signals from remote measurement locations and the second single channel 64 includes a lens 14 and an infrared detector 15. An open path 13 connects one of the first and channels 62 with the second channel 64 via first and second parallel mirrors 16, 17 that reflect the beam from the first channel 62 to the second channel 64. A stepper motor 18 rotates the mirrors 16, 17 so that the first mirror 16 is aligned with a desired one of the first signal channels 62 while the second mirror 17 remains aligned with the second signal channel 64.
The '934 device has two significant defects. First, beam spread occurs in the open path 13 between the two lenses 12, 14 and contributes to a significant loss of signal. Second the device only switches one leg of an analysis system (e.g. the receiving leg). In many systems, it is desirable to switch both the transmitted and received signals between various measurement locations.
The beam spread problem is illustrated by FIG. 2 where the open path 13 between the transmitting and receiving lenses 12, 14 is shown as a straight path for clarity. The item at the left of FIG. 2 represents the core of a fiber optic cable 11. The cables used in IR spectroscopic applications usually have quite large core diameters (e.g. 0.6 mm) due to limited signal levels and detector sensitivities encountered in this spectral region. The dashed lines in this figure represent three rays originating from a point at the edge of the core at a distance "r" from the axis of the fiber optic cable 11. Assuming the transmitting and receiving lenses 12, 14 are centered on the axis of the fiber 11, we find that the central ray makes an angle of .alpha. with the axis, where tan .alpha.=r/f. Since the end of the fiber 11 is positioned in the focal plane of the transmitting lens 12, the rays from the point on the edge will form a parallel beam 19 (neglecting optical aberration) making the same angle with the axis. By the time this beam 19 reaches the plane of the receiving lens 14, it will be displaced a distance, d, from the axis, where d=Ltan .alpha.=Lr/f. This results in a loss of signal, with the resultant transmission being proportional to T=D.sup.2 /(D+d).sup.2.
Although devices based on the '934 patent could be used to switch both the transmitted and received legs of an optical system, this is generally not done. There are two probable reasons for this. The first is the relatively high transmission loss of the open path design, discussed above. The second is the fact that the plurality of input channels 62 and the single output channel 64 inherently lie on opposite sides of the switching device. A "double pole, multi-throw" switching device for bi-directional analysis would require either two adjacent switching devices geared together or two devices on either end of a motor shaft that is long enough so that the two sets of fiberoptic connectors forming the plurality of "first optical channels" corresponding to the two directions would be spaced apart and not interfere with each other. Even if this were done, the fiberoptic connections would be awkwardly located.
As indicated by the IR detector 15, the '934 device is usually used to switch the receiving leg of an analysis system. This is acceptable given the usual approach at the transmitting end of the system of spatially dividing the available beam between several transmitting fibers. A bundle of seven fibers, for example, may be illuminated and split into seven channels. It is often possible to do this without sacrificing much usable signal because the throughput of the spectrometer is often considerably greater than that of the optical fibers being used.
Spatial division of the transmitted signal, however, has some disadvantages. FTIR spectrometers which use an interferometer to encode the frequencies are increasingly popular. Accordingly, the portions of the beam being directed to the various fibers may pass through the spectrometer optics at different angles. As a result, they can have different frequency scales, making it difficult to transfer calibrations between different channels of the system.
There is a need, therefore, for an optical switching device which more efficiently couples two or more channels and permits the simultaneous switching of two sets of such channels.