In online shopping or the like via the Internet, a user transmits information indicating a credit card number or the like from a client computer of the user to a server of a mail-order dealer. Before such information is actually transmitted, the client computer displays an object selected depending on the importance level of the information which is going to be transmitted and moves the object from a location close to an information providing agent representative of an agent for the user to a location close to a shop agent representative of an agent for the mail-order dealer. Displaying the object in such a manner makes it possible for the user to recognize that the information is going to be transmitted and recognize the importance level of the information. After completion of moving the object, the client computer actually transmits the information to the server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an apparatus and method for processing information, and an information processing program, and more particularly, to an information processing system, an apparatus and method for processing information, and an information processing program, which allow a user to easily transmit/receive information in a secured manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many situations, personal information of a user is transmitted from a device connected to a network such as the Internet to another device on the network.
For example, when a user accesses a mail-order sales Web site from his/her general-purpose personal computer to purchase merchandise (in so-called online shopping), the user is required to transmit personal information such as a credit card number, a user name, and/or a telephone number from his/her personal computer to a particular computer. When a user responds to a questionnaire from a particular Web site, the user transmits a reply to the questionnaire from his/her personal computer to a particular computer. In another example, when a user makes a user registration of a purchased electric appliance via a network, the user transmits registration information from his/her personal computer to a particular computer.
In another example, when a reservation for a ticket or the like is made via a network or when stocks are sold/purchased via an electronic commerce system, users are required to transmit information necessary in transactions to specified computers via networks such as the Internet.
Also in many other situations, it is required to transmit personal information from a device connected to a network to another device on the network.
However, when personal information of a user is transmitted from a device connected to a network to another device on the network, the user cannot easily know whether or not the information has been transmitted or where the information has been transmitted to, and thus the user must be worried.
In particular, in a case in which information transmitted from a device such as a personal computer to another device on the network includes information which should be kept secret such as a credit card number, it is important for a user to know whether the information has been successfully transmitted to a correct destination. If the user cannot know whether or not the information has been transmitted to the correct destination, the user must be worried.
Another problem is that in some cases information is transmitted from a personal computer or the like to another device on the network without letting a user know how important information (which should be kept secret) is going to be transmitted.
A system is known in which a 3-dimensional virtual space is displayed on a display of a general-purpose computer, and a character allowed to be freely moved by a user is displayed in the virtual space. Such a system is used, for example, for online shops or various kinds of questionnaires.
When online shopping or a questionnaire is performed in such a 3-dimensional virtual space, a window for displaying a payment Web page or a questionnaire Web page is displayed on a display of a personal computer separately from the 3-dimensional virtual space so that information to be transmitted/received is input via the displayed separate window. However, employing such a window for displaying a payment Web page or a questionnaire Web page displayed separately from the 3-dimensional space makes it impossible to provide all service in a consistent manner only via the single 3-dimensional virtual space.
When personal information of a user is transmitted from a device connected to a network to another device on the network, if the user cancels the transmission of the information in the middle of transmission, a part of the information can have already be transmitted before the transmission is cancelled.
When information which should be kept secret, such as a credit cart number or the like, is included in information transmitted from a personal computer or the like to another device on the network, if even a part of the information is transmitted, there is a possibility that the transmitted information is used for a bad purpose, and thus the user must be worried.

Information processing system, apparatus and method for processing information, and program


A primer layer composition for a non-stick coating on a smooth substrate consists essentially of polytetrafluoroethylene and polymer binder in a weight ratio of 0.2 to 1.4:1. Other fluoropolymer can be used, and the polymer binder can be a single polymer binder.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,394 (Concannon) discloses an aqueous dispersion of certain fluoropolymers which contained dissolved film-forming material (binder) for forming a non-stick coating, the weight proportion of fluoropolymer-to-binder being 1.6:1. The dispersion was applied to a substrate such as aluminum sheet to provide a non-stick coating. The coating is disclosed to be a stratified composition, with the binder being concentrated at the substrate surface to provide adhesion of the coating to it and the fluoropolymer being concentrated at the outer surface to provide the release property. For adequate adhesion to the substrate, it became customary to grit-blast or otherwise roughen the substrate surface.
It became desirable to eliminate the step of roughening the substrate surface, requiring that the substrate receive multiple coatings of fluoropolymer, the first coat being the primer layer adhering the remaining layers to the substrate, e.g. the topcoat layer and possibly a midcoat layer between the primer layer and topcoat layer. Adequate adhesion to the smooth surface substrate was achieved by compositions which promoted stratification within the fluoropolymer/binder primer layer. In this case, the concentration of fluoropolymer away from the substrate surface had to provide adhesion to the fluoropolymer mid- or topcoat next applied.
Primer compositions promoting stratification are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,013 and 5,240,775 (both by Tannenbaum), the fluoropolymer component of the fluoropolymer/binder composition being the combination of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) of low and high melt viscosity or of PTFE and TFE/perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) (PAVE) copolymer, respectively. PCT WO 94/14904 (Thomas) discloses the fluoropolymer component to be two different fluoropolymers, generally having a lower melt viscosity than the Tannenbaum PTFE and the binder component being the combination of two different binders of specified identity. The primers prepared in these references were applied to smooth, degreased aluminum and had fluoropolymer-to-binder ratios of 2.5, 2.4, and 1.5:1, respectively. In Thomas, the composition is applied by roller coating and cannot be applied by spray coating.


Wireless transmission process and apparatus include a frequency diversity process for carrying out spectral spreading of a modulated SHF (Super High Frequency) carrier. The modulated SHF carrier transports information between a transmitter and at least one receiver. The frequency of the SHF carrier is varied continuously in a specified band so as to transmit to the receiver a signal having a spectrum containing a plurality of frequencies representing a plurality of uncorrelated signals each transporting the information to be transmitted.

In the known wireless transmission processes based on modulating an SHF carrier, the signals transmitted by the transmitter reach the receiver along a plurality of separate paths. This results in interference at the receiver which may cause fadings of the signals transmitted and consequently a loss or degradation of the information to be transmitted.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the swings in the power received by a receiver according to a prior art process in a frequency band extending from 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz. As may be seen in this figure, the power curve exhibits several sudden drops signifying breaks or degradations in the transmitter-receiver link. The frequencies corresponding to the power minima vary according to the spatial position of the receiver, and for a given position, the power level may change over time as a function of the environment which may be modified by the movement of people for example. Such breaks or degradations are unacceptable in applications such as the transmission of sound between a television set and loudspeakers for example.
The solutions used in the prior art to solve this problem are generally based on techniques such as space diversity or frequency diversity. Space diversity consists in using a transmitting antenna and a plurality of receiving antennas spaced apart in such a way as to decorrelate the signals received. In addition to multiplying the number of receiving antennas used, this technique requires the use of a complex device for combining the signals received by the various antennas.
The technique based on conventional frequency diversity consists in using a separate transmitter for each carrier frequency. Moreover, good stability of each of the frequency sources is often necessary. Finally, in order to avoid the simultaneous fading of the various carriers, the width of the frequency band separating the said carriers should be greater than or equal to the width of the coherence band of the wireless channel used. Thus, within the coherence band, the signals received are very strongly correlated, and the effectiveness of conventional frequency diversity is very strongly diminished. Now, the width of the coherence band depends on the environment in which the transmission of the SHF signals is performed. Also, the diversity of conventional frequencies used in a given environment is not always suited to a different environment.
The purpose of the invention is to alleviate the drawbacks of the prior art. According to the process of the invention, the SHF carrier is amplitude-modulated by a VHF carrier of frequency f.sub.AM, previously frequency-modulated by a signal S.sub.1 representing the information to be transmitted, and simultaneously, the variations of the frequency f.sub.p are controlled by a sinusoidal signal S.sub.c of frequency f.sub.FM.
By virtue of this process, the power received by the receiver is equivalent to the average of the powers received via the various carriers of the spectrum spread over the band B. Thus, the level of the signal received is held relatively constant, avoiding sudden fadings due to interference resulting from the multiple nature of the paths through which the signals are sent in the SHF range.
The process according to the invention is implemented by means of a transmitter including three stages mounted in cascade, namely an RF (radio frequency) stage for amplification/filtering of the signal S1, a VHF stage for frequency-modulation of the VHF carrier and an SHF stage for amplitude-modulation and frequency-modulation of the SHF carrier.

Frequency diversity process and device for an SHF carrier


The present invention is a robotic system for maintaining product inventory and dispensing products upon request from a customer or other user. Product items are stored in an inventory storage unit (ISU), one item per bin. Controller logic allows items to be stored in, and retrieved from, arbitrarily-assigned storage locations. The bins hang on rails within drawers. In a replenishment operation, the system transfers empty bins to an operator station for replenishment. An operator fills the empty bins with product items. The system inserts these bins into drawers in the ISU. In a purge operation, the operator enters an identifier of a class of product to be removed. The system moves the bins containing the affected items to the operator station. After the product items are removed, the empty bins are moved to the ISU.

A "user interface" (UI) allows a user to interact with a computer or processing system. A UI may contain a display, tactile controls, or peripheral devices (e.g., mouse, touch pad, joystick) to facilitate entering data and making selections. The processing system, under control of one or more computer processors, might provide a graphical UI (GUI) though the display. A GUI might or might not include touch controls.
A "database" stores and organizes data in any number of file structures and tangible computer-accessible storage devices, in any format. A "database system" (and, indeed, a database) may be hierarchical, and include one or more databases, possibly of a variety of different contents, types, formats, and access means. For example, a database in a database system might be a relational database, an object-oriented database, a flat text file, or a collection of images or audio/video tracks.
By "logic" we mean hardware, and software instructions executing on that hardware, that executes instructions, makes decisions, and initiates actions.
A "robot" is an apparatus or system that performs physical tasks under control of a processing system or controller, which executes controller logic. Note that two robots, each with separate controllers, may be under common supervision or direction by a single controller. This combination of robots may be regarded as a single robot. Similarly, if robot A directs robot B, the combination of A and B may be regarded as itself a robot. In some instances, to emphasize that two or more robots might be involved, we may use the term "robotic system" rather than "robot."
A "scanning system" consists of one or more scanners acting under a common control. Each scanner in the system has a respective scanning technology, scans specific types of objects, and obtains from those objects specific types of information. Between any two scanners in the system, the technologies used may be the same or different; the types of objects may be the same or different; and the types of information may be the same or different. A scanning system might or might not be part of a robotic system.
A "product item" is an individual instance of a product model. A "product type" is a set of product items having something in common. The following are exemplary product types: all product items of a given model or stock-keeping unit (SKU); all product items from a given manufacturer; all product items from a given supplier; all product items having a given functionality (e.g., video cameras); all product items of a given model having a particular color; all product items of a given variety (e.g., freeze-dried strawberries) and shelf-life or sell-by date; a set of individually-identified product items.
Herein, we will regard the terms "replenish" and "restock" as synonyms.

Random-access robotic inventory dispensary: replenishment and purge


An image reading system with a light irradiating portion for irradiating light onto a predetermined range of the surface of a manuscript to be read, an image reading portion for outputting a signal obtained by first converting light reflected or transmitted by the manuscript into a luminance signal and then referring to a look-up table, an interface portion for inputting a signal from and outputting a signal to an external computing device, a manuscript scanning portion for scanning the surface of the manuscript, a central processing portion for controlling the manuscript scanning portion and a storage portion capable of storing at least one kind of density transformation curve data.

1. Field of The Invention
This invention generally relates to image processing and more particularly to an image reading system for setting values indicated by signals (hereunder referred to as density signals) representing gray levels (namely, densities) at a point of a high-light portion of an original image (hereunder referred to simply as a high-light point) and a point of a shadow portion of the original image (hereunder referred to simply as a shadow point) for predetermined values and for reading a manuscript in accordance with gray scale transformation characteristics determined according to the kind of the manuscript.
2. Description of The Related Art
In a prior art image reading system, a manuscript is first irradiated by light and next a quantity of light reflected or transmitted by the manuscript (hereunder referred to as a quantity of reading-light) is measured. Subsequently, the prior art reading system generates a signal (hereunder referred to as a density signal) representing densities of the manuscript from the result of the measurement of the quantity of reading-light and outputs the generated density signal. A method of generating a density signal, which is employed by the prior art reading system, will be described hereinbelow. In case of this method, in order to freely establish a corresponding relation between quantities of reading-light and values indicated by a density signal, a quantity of reading-light is first converted into a luminance signal by a photoelectric conversion portion and a signal amplification portion of the prior art reading system and thereafter a density signal is generated by referring to a look-up table (hereunder abbreviated as an LUT).
Generally, the following three kinds of methods are employed for establishing the LUT:
(1) A first method which uses a quantity of reading-light measured when reading a gray scale chart;
(2) A second method which uses quantities of reading-light measured correspondingly to at least three points (namely, a high-light point, a point of a half-tone portion (hereunder referred to as a half-tone point) and a shadow point) of a manuscript when reading the manuscript; and
(3) A third method which uses quantities of reading-light measured correspondingly to a high-light point and a shadow point of a manuscript when reading the manuscript. Further, in case where a picture is read in conformity of the range of gray levels of picture elements of the picture, the second or third method is employed. As a result of making a comparison between the second and third methods, it is found that the latter method can be performed by an operator more easily than the former method.
Additionally, the third method of establishing the LUT by using the quantities of reading-light corresponding to the high-light point and the shadow point on the manuscript has the following two types. A first type of the third method is comprised of the steps of preparing first LUT data corresponding to a positive manuscript and second LUT data corresponding to a negative manuscript, then writing the first or second LUT data to the LUT in accordance with the kind of the manuscript and subsequently regulating the signal amplification portion such that the quantities of reading-light corresponding to the high-light point and the shadow point are adjusted to operator's desired amounts.
The other type of the third method is comprised of the steps of first modifying a plurality of standard tone curve data stored in a memory such that a signal indicating data outputted from the LUT when signals representing quantities of reading-light corresponding to the high-light point and the shadow point are inputted thereto indicate desired values, then selecting the most appropriate data therefrom and subsequently writing the selected data to the LUT (see Japanese Patent Application Provisional Publication No. 60-37878 Official Gazette). In case of this type of the third method, the modification of the standard tone curve data g.sub.i (X) is performed by first obtaining parameters a and b of modified tone curve data (namely, a standard tone curve function of X-coordinates) g.sub.i ' (X) by using signals inputted to the LUT respectively representing the gray level X.sub.yh of the high-light point having X and Y coordinates (X.sub.ho, Y.sub.h) on the manuscript and that X.sub.ys of the shadow point having X and Y coordinates (X.sub.so, Y.sub.s) thereon. The parameters a and b are defined as follows. EQU a=(X.sub.so -X.sub.ho)/(X.sub.ys -X.sub.yh) EQU b=X.sub.ho -a*X.sub.yh
Then, the modified tone curve data are obtained by the following equation. EQU g.sub.i '(X)=g.sub.i (a*X+b) (1)
Such a modification is performed on all of the standard tone curve data. Thereafter, the most appropriate data are selected and is written to the LUT.
In case where a manuscript is read by the image reading device, it is necessary to establish a reference point on the manuscript and set the system such that the difference (O-O.sub.H) between the value O indicated by a density signal corresponding to a given point on the manuscript and that O.sub.H indicated by another density signal corresponding to the reference point thereon is obtained as a linear function of the difference (D-D.sub.H) between the density D at the given point and that D.sub.H at the reference point. Hereunder, this condition will be referred to simply as a linear condition. Incidentally, in case of the third method of setting the LUT by using the quantities of reading-light corresponding to a high-light point and a shadow point, the high-light point is employed as the reference point. Further, the linear condition can be expressed as follows: EQU (D-D.sub.H)=S.sub.D *(O-O.sub.H) (2)
where S.sub.D is a proportional factor (hereunder referred to as a density step). Furthermore, let Ds denote the density at the shadow point. In order to set the value indicated by the density signal corresponding to the shadow point as a desired value Os, the density step S.sub.D needs to be determined by the following equation: EQU S.sub.D =(Ds-D.sub.H)/(Os-O.sub.H) (3)
Additionally, when a fixed quantity of light is irradiated on a point of a positive manuscript, the relation between a quantity L of reading-light and a corresponding density D is expressed as follows: EQU D=-log ((L-L.sub.O)/C)
where C denotes a constant determined depending on the kind of the manuscript and the quantity of the irradiated light; and L.sub.O a quantity of reading-light when the fixed quantity of the light is not irradiated. Generally, the value indicated by a luminance signal I is represented by the following equation: EQU I=K*L
where K designates a constant; L a quantity of reading-light. Therefore, ##EQU1## where .alpha. is a given constant. Thus, as is understood from the equations (2) and (4), the linear condition expressed by the equation (2) holds if the relation between the value O indicated by the density signal indicating data outputted from the LUT and that I indicated by the luminance signal inputted to the LUT is given as follows: EQU O={log ((I.sub.H -I.sub.O)/.alpha.)-log ((I-I.sub.O)/.alpha.)/S.sub.D +O.sub.H ( 5).
Incidentally, data indicating the relation of a type as expressed by the equation (5) are referred to as gray scale transformation curve data (hereunder sometimes referred to as density transformation curve data). Furthermore, in order to make the value indicated by the density signal corresponding to the density condition equal to the desired value Os, the density step S.sub.D is determined from the equations (3) and (4) as follows: EQU S.sub.D ={log ((I.sub.H -I.sub.O)/.alpha.)-log ((Is-I.sub.O)/.alpha.)/(Os-O.sub.H) (6)
Thus, in order to satisfy the linear condition and meet the requirement that a manuscript should be read in such a manner that the values indicated by reading-signals respectively representing the density of the high-light point and that of the shadow point become predetermined levels, it is necessary to write data satisfying the equations (5) and (6) to the LUT before the reading of the positive manuscript is started. Therefore, in order to satisfy the above described requirement, the data as given by the equation (5) (namely, the data obtained by first dividing opposite logarithmic curve data by the density step S.sub.D and next adding a constant to the result of the division) should be written to the LUT.
Further, if the difference (Os-O.sub.H) between the desired values indicated by the reading-signals corresponding to the shadow point and the high-light point is considered to be a fixed value, the data of the LUT (hereunder sometimes referred to as the LUT data) are determined regardless of the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) between the densities at the high-light point and the shadow point in case of the prior art method of setting the LUT by writing specific data to the LUT according to the kind of the manuscript. However, as can be understood from the equation (3), the density step S.sub.D varies with the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) when the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) changes. Therefore, it can be concluded from the equation (5) that the data of the LUT for satisfying the linear condition should be changed and thus the above described requirement cannot be met by performing the prior art method.
Similarly, in case of the LUT setting method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Provisional Publication No. 60-37878 Official Gazette, the data of the LUT for satisfying the linear condition vary with the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) when the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) changes. Hereinafter, it is studied whether or not the system can generate data of the LUT satisfying the equation (5) such that the linear condition holds for the positive manuscript. First, let A, I and B denote the number of data inputted to the LUT, a natural number equal to or less than A and a given positive constant, respectively. Further, the following function g.sub.i (I) is employed as standard data: EQU g.sub.i (I)=(-1)*B*log (I/A)
In this case, the modified data g.sub.i (I) are obtained from the equation (1) as follows: ##EQU2## Thus, there is established the following relation between the values indicated by an output signal O and an input signal representing I of the LUT generated by using the modified data: EQU O=-B*{log ((I-b/a)/A)+log (a/A)} (7)
However, the constant B of the equation (7) is peculiar to the standard data g.sub.i (I) and is not necessarily equal to the density step S.sub.D which is determined according to the difference (Os-O.sub.H) between the desired values and the difference (Ds-D.sub.H) between the densities at the shadow point and the high-light point. Thus, the data of the generated LUT do not always satisfy the equations (5) and (6). Therefore, this prior art method cannot meet the above described requirement. Moreover, even if a plurality of standard data are used, the constant B will take a plurality of values. The above described requirement cannot be met by employing this prior art method for the same reason as in case of the third method of setting the LUT.
Further, when a fixed quantity of light is irradiated on a point of a negative manuscript, the relation between a quantity L of reading-light and a corresponding density D in a positive manuscript is established as the following function: EQU D=F((L-L.sub.O)/(L.sub.M -L.sub.O)) (8)
where L.sub.M denotes a quantity of reading-light when the quantity of the irradiated light is directly read or measured. As is understood from the equations (2) and (8), the linear condition is satisfied if the density O indicated by the density signal meets the following equation: EQU O-O.sub.H =S.sub.D *{F((L.sub.H -L.sub.O)/(L.sub.M -L.sub.O))-F((L-L.sub.O)/(L.sub.M -L.sub.O))} (9)
Furthermore, as is seen from the equations (3) and (8), the density step S.sub.D should be determined by the following equations for the purpose of making the density signal corresponding to the shadow point indicate a desired value Os: EQU S.sub.D =(Os-O.sub.H)/{F((Ls-L.sub.O)/(L.sub.M -L.sub.O))-F((L.sub.H -L.sub.O)/(L.sub.M -L.sub.O))} (10)
Hence, in cases of the conventional methods of setting the LUT, a negative manuscript cannot be read in a manner in which the above described requirement is met.
The present invention is created to solve the above described problems of the prior art system.
It is accordingly a first object of the present invention to provide an image reading system which can satisfy the linear condition and meet the requirement that a manuscript should be read in such a manner that the values indicated by reading-signals respectively representing the density of a high-light point and that of a shadow point become predetermined values.
Further, it is a second object of the present invention to provide an image reading system which can omit an operation of inputting density transformation data for frequently used manuscript from an external device and achieve the first object.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A fixing device includes a fixing section, a sheet-width detector, a heating-width changing mechanism, a mixed feeding detector, and a controller. The fixing section includes at least a fixing member that fixes a toner image on a recording medium upon application of heat thereto. The sheet-width detector detects a width of the recording medium and outputs a sheet-width signal. The heat-width changing mechanism changes a heating width of the fixing member. The mixed feeding detector detects whether or not mixed feeding of a plurality of sheets of the recording medium having different widths is performed during a successive sheet feeding, and outputs a mixed feeding signal. The controller controls the heating-width changing mechanism to control the heating width based on the sheet-width signal and the mixed feeding signal.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus and the changing of the heating width of its fixing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, image forming apparatus of recent years such as copiers, printers, facsimile machines, and multifunctional peripherals employ an electro-photographic method to form a toner image on an image carrier by a series of image forming processes such as charging, writing, developing, transferring, cleaning, and discharging. The toner image on the image carrier is transferred on a recording medium such as transfer paper and overhead projector films. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing device in which heat and pressure are applied by a fixing member and a pressure member to fix the toner image on the transfer medium.
Such image forming apparatuses are demanded to shorten a warm-up time when power is initially turned on. The fixing member of the fixing device increases the temperature thereof to a suitable level during warm-up so that the image forming apparatus can become operatable.
In attempting to shorten the warm-up time, fixing devices having a fixing member with a relatively low heat capacity have been developed and practically used. Specific examples thereof include a fixing device in which a nip is formed between a rotation member and a fixing film that has a relatively low heat capacity and faces the rotation member. Another example is a fixing device that employs a fixing belt as the fixing member, wherein and the fixing belt is tightly stretched by a plurality of rotation members. One of the plurality of rotation members has a relatively low heat conduction and forms a fixing nip with the a rotation member while another of the plurality of rotation members includes a heat source such as heaters. Recently, induction heating systems in which a fixing member having a relatively low heat capacity is directly heated have been used as the heat source as well as heaters. The fixing devices with the induction heating system have an advantage such that the fixing member having a relatively low heat capacity can increase the temperature thereof in a relatively short time period, resulting in shortening of the warm-up time of the fixing device. One example attempts to shorten the warm-up time by applying a relatively large amount of heat to the fixing belt in a short time period. The fixing device includes a contact member which presses the fixing belt so that the fixing belt and a heating roller having a heat source therein have a large contact length. Thereby, a relatively large amount of heat is applied to the fixing belt in a short time period.
According to another example of an attempt to reduce fixing errors when a variety of recording media having different widths are used, an increase in temperature at both ends of the fixing member in a width direction is controlled even when a plurality of recording media having small widths are successively fixed. In addition, the fixing device includes an induction heating unit including a shielding member for shielding and a core. The shielding member varies the heating area in a width direction of the fixing member by shielding a part in a width direction of the core when an electric current is applied to a coil of the induction heating unit. The core includes a protrusion member at the end in the width direction thereof. The protrusion member protrudes towards the coil of the induction heating.
Therefore, the related art fixing device attempts to reduce the increase in temperature of the fixing member at a non-sheet feeding area, by controlling the width of the heated portion of the fixing member when a recoding medium having a relatively small width is fed.
However, when the width of the recording medium is frequently switched for one printing operation, the control of the heating width is late due to the response speed of the mechanical operation or the response speed by the heat capacity of the fixing member. Thereby, the heating width is not properly controlled. When a related art heat fixing device with a low-speed and low-heat amount and a high-speed and high-heat amount is used, the temperature of a non-sheet feeding area cannot reach a risk range immediately because the control of the heating width is late.

Image forming apparatus which controls heating width of fixing device


A terminal apparatus includes: by way of a gateway apparatus configured to perform communication with an in-vehicle apparatus capable of playing back a content through a CAN bus, a first communication section configured to transmit command information for changing a mode of the in-vehicle apparatus to the in-vehicle apparatus; and a second communication section configured to transmit content data to the in-vehicle apparatus.

The present technique relates to a terminal apparatus, a content transmission method, a content transmission program, and a content playback system.
In recent years, mobile terminal apparatuses, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, and the like, that have a large variety of applications for providing various services and functions have become widespread. And in order to improve convenience by the applications furthermore, it is desired that those mobile terminal apparatuses cooperate with the other apparatuses and the other networks. For example, proposals have been made of a vehicle communication system and a gateway apparatus that allow general mobile terminals to connect to an in-vehicle network (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-236560).

Terminal apparatus, content transmission method, content transmission program, and content playback system


A portable barcode printer includes a circuit coupled between a main battery and a read/write memory of the printer to provide power to the memory from the main battery with a minimal voltage drop across the circuit. The circuit is also coupled between the main battery and a backup battery to prevent leakage current from the backup battery from flowing through the circuit. The circuit in includes a P-channel field effect transistor having a drain coupled to the main battery and a source coupled to the read/write memory. A N-channel field effect transistor having a source connected to ground has its drain connected to the gate of the P-channel field effect transistor so that when the N-channel field effect transistor is turned, on the P-channel field effect transistor is turned on and driven to saturation to allow a positive current flow from the drain to the source of the P-channel field effect transistor.

Portable battery powered barcode label printers are known that use a static random access memory to store information, such as programmable software routines and/or programmable font and format data which is necessary for the intended operation of the label printer. This information generally remains fixed over numerous operations of the label printer and until the label printer is reprogrammed. This is opposed to the data to be printed which changes frequently. One such printer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,624.
However, when such a memory is used to store information that is necessary for the intended operation of the printer, a minimum voltage must be applied to the static RAM to ensure that the stored information is maintained therein and not lost or corrupted. In order to ensure that the static RAM is always powered sufficiently to maintain necessary, stored information intact therein, prior portable label printers have included a backup battery in addition to a main battery as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,033.
An example of the circuitry connecting the main battery and backup battery to a memory such as a static RAM as was used in the prior art is depicted in FIG. 3. As shown therein, +Vcc, which is the regulated voltage provided from the main battery via a voltage regulator is coupled to a static RAM which is powered by +Vmem through a Shottky diode 10 wherein the anode of the diode 10 is connected to +Vcc. A second Shottky diode 12 having its cathode connected to the cathode of the diode 10 with its anode coupled to a backup battery via a resistor 14. It has been found that this circuit contributes to failure of the static RAM and/or corruption of the data therein due to the large voltage drop across the Shottky diode 10 which may be as large as 0.5V-1V. It has also been found that there is leakage current from the backup battery across the Shottky diode 10 which is undesirable and could cause a draining of the backup battery too quickly.

Portable barcode label printer battery switching circuit


For decreasing overlap widths between the gate electrode and the source/drain electrode, a photoelectric conversion apparatus is formed through a step of forming a first conductive layer on a substrate and forming a first electrode pattern therefrom, a step of forming a first insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a second insulating layer so as to cover the first electrode pattern, a step of patterning the second insulating layer, and a step of converting a part of a surface of the semiconductor layer into N- or P-conduction type.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film semiconductor apparatus and a production method thereof and, more particularly, to a thin film semiconductor apparatus having the structure suitable for high performance and large area and a production method of thin film semiconductor apparatus capable of producing it readily and at low cost.
2. Related Background Art
The large-area thin film semiconductor apparatus includes apparatus such as image reading apparatus or image display apparatus in which unit elements are arrayed one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, and a thin film transistor is a device often used for driving of the apparatus and for reading or writing of information.
This thin film transistor will be first described. The structure of the thin film transistor is assumed to be of the general inverse stagger type. FIGS. 1A-1D, which are illustrated as schematic cross-sectional views, show an example of the structure of the thin film transistor and an example of steps of a production method thereof.
Using a material such as aluminum or chromium, a first conductive layer 602 is deposited on substrate 601 such as a glass substrate by vapor deposition or sputtering (FIG. 1A). This layer is then patterned in a desired shape by photolithography. This forms gate electrode 603 of thin film transistor (FIG. 1B).
Then a gate insulating layer, semiconductor layers, etc. will be deposited on this gate electrode, using the CVD process (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or the like. Specifically, a hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride film is deposited as gate insulating film 604, using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas, ammonia (NH.sub.3) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas. Subsequently, with silane gas and hydrogen gas, an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is deposited as intrinsic semiconductor layer 605. Further, using silane gas, and phosphine (PH.sub.3) gas diluted with hydrogen gas, an N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is deposited as impurity semiconductor layer 606. Then a second conductive layer 607 is deposited using the material such as aluminum or chromium by vapor deposition or sputtering (FIG. 1C). Subsequently, it is patterned in a desired shape by photolithography. This is used as a metal layer for the source electrode and drain electrode of thin film transistor. Then an unnecessary portion of the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is removed by dry etching to form ohmic layer to the source electrode and to the drain electrode, thus completing the source electrode and drain electrode 608, 609 (FIG. 1D).
Further, a two-dimensional image reading apparatus is exemplified as a thin film semiconductor apparatus which is a combination of such inverse stagger type thin film transistors with photoelectric conversion elements. FIG. 2A is a schematic plan view of one pixel in the image reading apparatus. FIG. 2B is a schematic, cross-sectional view along 2B--2B of FIG. 2A.
In FIGS. 2A and 2B, numeral 801 designates a substrate, 802 a lower electrode of photoelectric conversion element, 803 a gate electrode, 804 an insulating layer, 805 a semiconductor layer, 806 an ohmic layer (ohmic contact layer), 807 a drain electrode, 808 a source electrode, and 809 an insulating, protective layer. Further, S11 represents the photoelectric conversion element (an MIS type photosensor in this example), T11 the thin film transistor (TFT), SIG a signal line, g1 a gate driving line, and V.sub.1 a power source line. In FIG. 2A the insulating layer 804, ohmic layer 806, and protective layer 809 are not illustrated in order to avoid complexity of illustration, and the semiconductor layer 805 is illustrated by a solid line.
As illustrated, the photoelectric conversion element S11 has the structure in which the lower electrode 802, insulating layer 804, semiconductor layer 805, and ohmic layer 806 are stacked in the stated order on the substrate 801. The ohmic layer 806 has a function as an upper electrode of the photoelectric conversion element S11. The photoelectric conversion element S11 has the insulating layer 804 and semiconductor layer 805 between the ohmic layer 806 and the lower electrode 802 becoming the upper and lower electrodes, thereby composing the MIS type structure.
The thin film transistor has the gate electrode 803 on the substrate 801, and has the insulating layer 804 becoming a gate insulating film, and the semiconductor layer 805 in this order thereon. The ohmic layer 806 is formed on the semiconductor layer 805 with a space forming a channel region corresponding to the gate electrode 803, and through this ohmic layer 806 the transistor has a conductive material, for example a metal such as aluminum, as source and drain electrodes 808, 807.
The lower electrode 802 is formed so as to extend from the power source line V.sub.1, the gate electrode 803 from the gate driving line g1, and the drain electrode 807 from the signal line SIG, respectively.
In the drawing numeral 806 on the photoelectric conversion element S11, being the MIS type photosensor, is an N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer and functions as a window layer. This N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer also functions as an injection preventing layer (a blocking layer), as well as functioning as an electrode layer as described above.
FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of one pixel of this image reading apparatus. One pixel has an MIS type photosensor S11 and a thin film transistor T11 for transmission of signal. Letters D, G indicate the upper electrode (the ohmic layer 806 in this example) and the lower electrode 802, respectively, of the MIS type photosensor. Symbols Cgs, Cgd represent capacitors formed by overlap between the gate electrode 803 and the source electrode 808 and overlap between the gate electrode 803 and the drain electrode 807 (d.sub.1, d.sub.2 in FIG. 1D) of the thin film transistor, and Vs stands for a power source. The charge created in the MIS type photosensor S11 by light is stored through the thin film transistor T11 in the capacitors Cgs, Cgd, and thereafter this charge is read out by a reading circuit not illustrated. This is a case of one bit, but, in practice, these Cgs, Cgd are added to those of the other thin film transistors connected to this gate line. In this way storage capacitors make use of Cgs, Cgd.
The thin film transistor and photoelectric conversion element both can be produced by the same layer-forming process and both have the MIS (Metal Insulator Semiconductor) type structure having the electrode on the lower side.
An example of drive of the above-stated MIS type photosensor will be described below, using the schematic energy band diagrams shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B.
FIG. 4A is a schematic energy band diagram of the photoelectric conversion element to show the action in a refresh mode and FIG. 4B the action in a photoelectric conversion mode. In FIG. 4A numerals 1 to 5 correspond to the drain electrode 807, the ohmic layer 806, the semiconductor layer 805, the insulating layer 804 and the lower electrode 802, respectively. Accordingly, the diagrams show the states along the direction of the layer thickness. In the refresh mode the D electrode has a negative potential relative to the G electrode and, therefore, holes indicated by black dots in the intrinsic (intrinsic or substantially intrinsic) hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3, which is, for example, the semiconductor layer 805, are guided into the D electrode by an electric field. At the same time as it, electrons indicated by white circles are injected into the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3. At this time some holes and electrons are recombined in the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 2, which is, for example, the ohmic layer 806, and in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3 to annihilate. After a lapse of a sufficiently long period of time, the holes in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3 will be swept out of the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3 (FIG. 4A). When the mode is switched from this state into the photoelectric conversion mode, the D electrode will be provided with a positive potential relative to the G electrode and, therefore, the electrons in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3 are instantaneously guided into the D electrode. However, since the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 2 acts as an injection preventing layer, holes are prevented from being injected from the D electrode into the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3. When in this state light is incident into the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3, the light is absorbed to create an electron-hole pair. This electron is guided into the D electrode by the electric field and the hole moves in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3 to reach the interface to the hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride film 4, which is, for example, the insulating layer 804. At this point the movement of the hole is blocked, so that the hole will remain in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3. At this time the electron moves into the D electrode while the hole moves to the interface to the hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride layer 4 in the intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 3. Therefore, an electric current flows from the G electrode in order to keep the electrical neutrality in the element. Since this electric current corresponds to the electron-hole pair created by the light, the electric current is proportional to the incident light.
FIG. 5 shows an example of a schematic circuit diagram of the whole of the image reading apparatus. Photoelectric conversion elements S11 to S33, thin film transistors T11 to T33 for driving, wirings, etc. are of the structure as described above, whereby they can be formed on the same substrate, using the layers formed by the same process. Vs represents a power source for reading and Vg a power source for refresh. Each power source Vs, Vg is connected through switch SWs, SWg to the lower electrodes G of the all photoelectric conversion elements S11 to S33. The switch SWs is connected through an inverter to a refresh control circuit RF while the switch SWg directly to the refresh control circuit RF. The switches are controlled in such a manner that the switch SWg is on during a refresh period and the switch SWs is on during the other periods. Signal outputs are connected to an integrated circuit for detection IC by signal lines SIG. In FIG. 5 nine pixels are arranged in three blocks, outputs of three pixels per block are transferred at one time, and the detection integrated circuit successively converts the signals into outputs to output them. Although this example shows the two-dimensional image input section of nine pixels for easier description, the image input section is practically constructed in the structure of higher density of pixels. For example, supposing the pixel size is 150 .mu.m square and the image reading apparatus is constructed in the size of 40 cm square, the number of pixels is approximately 1,800,000.
An example of production steps of the above image reading apparatus is shown in FIGS. 6A-6F.
1. On clean glass substrate 801 after cleaned, chromium is deposited in the thickness of 1000 .ANG. by sputtering. A pattern of photoresist is formed in a desired shape on this chromium layer. Etching is conducted with this photoresist pattern as a mask. After that, the photoresist is peeled off and the substrate is cleaned, thereby forming the gate electrodes 803 of thin film transistor of each pixel, lower electrodes 802 of MIS type photosensor, and wiring portions. (FIG. 6A)
2. On this substrate a hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride layer to become the insulating layer 804 is then formed by the plasma enhanced CVD using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas, ammonia (NH.sub.3) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas. Subsequently, an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer to become the semiconductor layer 805 is formed by the plasma enhanced CVD using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas. Further, an N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer to become the ohmic layer 806 is formed by the plasma enhanced CVD using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas, phosphine (PH.sub.3) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas. (FIG. 6B)
3. A photoresist pattern for contact holes and isolation is produced by photolithography and with this photoresist pattern as a mask dry etching is carried out to remove parts of the insulating layer 804 (hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride layer), semiconductor layer 805 (intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer), and ohmic layer 806 (N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer). Then the photoresist is peeled off and the substrate is cleaned, thus achieving formation of contact holes (not illustrated) and isolation. (FIG. 6C)
4. Aluminum is deposited in the thickness of 1 .mu.m thereon by sputtering. After that, a photoresist pattern is formed in a desired shape on the aluminum layer. Using this photoresist pattern as a mask, etching is carried out. Then the photoresist is peeled off and the substrate is cleaned, thus obtaining the source electrodes 808 of thin film transistors, the drain electrodes 807 of thin film transistors, and electrodes of wiring portions. At this time the aluminum layer on the MIS type photosensor is removed, and in this example the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer being the ohmic layer 806 is utilized as a window layer and as upper electrodes. (FIG. 6D)
5. Subsequently, a photoresist pattern is formed in a desired shape on this aluminum pattern and with this pattern as a mask, etching is carried out of only the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer of the ohmic layer 806 in channel portions of thin film transistors corresponding to portions between the source electrodes 808 and the drain electrodes 807. Then the photoresist is peeled off and the substrate is cleaned, thus forming the channels. (FIG. 6E)
6. Subsequently, a hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride layer is formed as the surface protective layer 809 in the thickness of 6000 .ANG. by the plasma enhanced CVD using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas, ammonia (NH.sub.3) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas.
In the thin film transistor described above, the overlap widths d.sub.1, d.sub.2 of 2 to 3 .mu.m are necessary between the gate electrode 603 and the source or drain electrode 608, 609, as shown in FIG. 1D. This results from the limitation of accuracy of alignment in forming the photoresist pattern for the source and drain electrodes in the production method as described above. Namely, redundancy is given to alignment so that deviation of alignment will not degrade the function of TFT. In the portions of the overlap widths, however, the capacitor Cgs is formed between the gate electrode and the source electrode and the capacitor Cgd between the gate electrode and the drain electrode.
The capacitors Cgs, Cgd of thin film transistor sometimes cause various negative effects. For example, the capacitors delay the response of thin film transistor to the gate voltage. Specifically, when the charge of each pixel is read out, the voltage is successively applied to the gate electrodes of thin film transistors for transmission in the respective pixels to turn each gate on, thereby transferring the stored charge. The response to the gate voltage at this time is defined by resistance R of gate wiring and capacitances of the capacitors Cgs, Cgd. This sometimes raised the problem that the image reading apparatus failed to follow high-speed switching operation for operating the whole apparatus, for example, in a mode compatible with moving picture. The capacitors often have too large capacitances relative to signal amounts to be used as storage capacitors. Therefore, even a small output needs to be read out, and a very low noise IC is necessary for reading, posing the problem of increase in the loads on the IC. Since the capacitances of the capacitors are large at present, it is inevitable to use the capacitors as read capacitors. This sometimes results in narrowing the design margin. If the capacitances of the capacitors are decreased to a low level, the optimum read capacitor can be designed separately without using the capacitors. By placing this capacitor immediately before reading of IC, the loads on the IC can be decreased.
When such thin film transistors with the capacitors Cgs, Cgd are used for driving and for reading of one-dimensional or two-dimensional sensors arrayed in a matrix, these capacitors often become parasitic capacitances to cause crosstalk or the like in reading of signal and to negatively affect the operation.
Therefore, efforts have been made to eliminate the overlap widths by the so-called self-alignment (self-aligning) process for the single thin film transistor. An example thereof is shown in FIGS. 7A-7F to show schematic step diagrams for explaining an example of the production technology of self-alignment. It will be described referring to FIGS. 7A-7F.
On glass substrate 701, a first conductive layer 702 is first deposited using a material such as aluminum or chromium by vapor deposition or sputtering. Subsequently, it is patterned in a desired shape by photolithography. This is used as gate electrode 703 of thin film transistor.
Then a gate insulating film, semiconductor layers, etc. will be deposited on this gate electrode by the CVD process (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or the like. A hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride film is first deposited as gate insulating film 704, using silane (SiH.sub.4) gas, ammonia (NH.sub.3) gas, and hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas. Subsequently, an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is deposited as intrinsic semiconductor layer 705 with silane gas and hydrogen gas. Further, an N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer is deposited as impurity semiconductor layer 706, using silane gas, and phosphine gas diluted with hydrogen gas. The technology of self-alignment is realized by improving the exposure method in photolithography upon formation of source electrode and drain electrode. Namely, photoresist 707 is formed on the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 706. This photoresist is subject to back exposure from the back side of substrate, using the gate electrode 703 formed in the desired shape, as a mask. By this step the photoresist pattern 708 is formed in the same width as that of the gate electrode. After this, while keeping this photoresist pattern there, a second conductive layer 709 is deposited using the material such as aluminum or chromium by vapor deposition or sputtering. Then a stripping step of the photoresist is carried out. This causes the photoresist pattern on the gate electrode to be lifted off, whereupon the metal layer is left in the source electrode and drain electrode portions to form the source and drain electrodes. Subsequently, with the metal layer of the source electrode and drain electrode as a mask, dry etching is carried out to remove unnecessary portions of the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer to form the ohmic layer to the source electrode and to the drain electrode, thereby completing the source electrode and drain electrode 710, 711 having reduced overlap widths with the gate electrode.
However, since this method employs the back exposure, the second conductive layer of the light-shielding property must be formed after the exposure, and the lift-off method is unavoidable. The step of forming the source electrode and drain electrode by the lift-off takes place at the same time as stripping of the photoresist pattern on the gate electrode in the development step. In some cases cross sections of the source and drain electrodes were not always formed in self-alignment fashion (self-aligning manner) with respect to the gate electrode, contrary to expectation. There sometimes arose the problem that the step of forming the second conductive layer with the photosensitive resist kept remaining was likely to be the cause of decrease in the yield, because of development failure caused by deterioration of the photoresist by a high-temperature step (150 to 200.degree. C.).
In order to avoid the lift-off step, it is also possible to use a transparent conductive, e.g. ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), for the second conductive layer in such manner as to form the conductive material on the N.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer 706, then form a negative photoresist thereon, remove non-irradiated portions while leaving the resist only in irradiated portions, and etch the removed portions. By using the negative photoresist, the photoresist pattern except for the channel portion can be formed in the self-aligning manner with respect to the gate electrode, but, in applications of this thin film transistor for driving or for reading of one-dimensional or two-dimensional image reading apparatus in which such transistors are arrayed in a matrix, the wiring resistance is increased by the ITO wirings, which could cause difficulties in driving. Thus, it is not preferable.
In applications wherein the thin film transistors were combined with other devices, the above-stated self-aligning process had the improvable points as described above.

Thin film semiconductor apparatus and production method thereof


The disclosed occupant protection device for a vehicle can include at least one airbag that protects a vehicle occupant in the event of a collision of the vehicle. The airbag can have an outflow opening through which the gas can exit the side airbag and/or has an overflow opening located inside the airbag. After the occupant protection device has been tripped, the side airbag can be inflated and be positioned laterally next to the vehicle occupant in such a manner that the outflow opening and/or the overflow opening is closed, is throttled, or remains open according to the body size of the vehicle occupant.

The invention relates to an occupant side protection device, in particular for a motor vehicle, with at least one side airbag which protects a vehicle occupant in the event of a side collision of the vehicle.
An occupant side protection device of this type is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,340 B2. To protect a vehicle occupant this previously known occupant side protection device has a gas generator which, in the event of an accident, inflates a side airbag of the occupant side protection device. In the deployed state, the side airbag covers a side wall section of the vehicle, thus preventing the vehicle occupant, such as the vehicle occupants head, from striking against the side wall section. In addition to its main chamber or working chamber covering the side wall section, the airbag has finger-like projections which are intended to be used for preventing the main chamber from bending away from the side wall.
The present application is based on the object of describing a side protection device which provides a particularly high level of safety for the vehicle occupant to be protected.


An inductor-less balun low-noise amplifier (LNA) includes a cross-coupled network coupled between first and second input terminals and first and second summing nodes. The cross-coupled network may include: a first non-inverting gain stage coupled between the first input terminal and the first summing node; a first inverting gain stage coupled between the first input terminal and the second summing node; a second non-inverting gain stage coupled between the second input terminal and the second summing node; and a second inverting gain stage coupled between the second input terminal and the first summing node. The cross coupled network may be configurable to provide common-mode rejection when operated in a differential or in a single-ended mode of operation.

Many communication receivers use one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) at the front end of the receiver (e.g., close to an antenna) to amplify weak signals received from the antenna or the cable. The LNA can play a role in reducing the effect of the noise generated by the subsequent stages of the receive chain, as these noises are reduced by the gain of the LNA. Therefore an LNA may be required to contribute as little as possible to the noise and signal distortion, while boosting the gain of the receive chain. Various wideband applications such as satellite set-top-boxes (STBs), satellite outdoor units (ODUs), IP low-noise block (IP-LNB) tuners, cable tuners, and MoCA tuners may need radio-frequency (RF) programmable gain and single-end-to-differential conversion that can be implemented before or as a part of a wideband LNA.
Existing solutions include off-chip and on-chip balun circuits that may suffer from a number of drawbacks. For instance, they can be costly, may have difficulty in supporting a wide frequency range, may lack sufficient common-mode/supply rejection and second order distortion performance, may not be sufficiently compact, may have an insertion loss (e.g., 1 dB), and/or may not support differential mode signaling.

Wideband inductor-less balun-LNA with improved pickup noise rejection


An energy absorbing strut having, a first end coupled with an inner cylinder, and a second end connected with a hollow rod extending within the inner cylinder. A piston is carried by the rod having an outer surface sealing against an inside diameter of the inner cylinder and forming a compression chamber and a rebound chamber bounded by the piston, the rod having an internal passageway communicating between the compression chamber and the rebound chamber. An inertial mass carried by the rod movable axially on the rod between a closed position against and annular rod passageway and an open position opening the rod passageway and allowing the flow of a hydraulic fluid between the compression chamber and the rebound chamber. A spring acts on the inertial mass biasing the inertial mass toward the closed position. The energy absorbing strut may be used in a blast mitigation system for a military vehicle or other applications for providing shock isolation between two structures.

Certain military vehicles used as personnel carriers may be subject to explosive attacks such as those from an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated below the vehicle as it traverses the location where such a device is buried. Manufacturers of military vehicles seek to enhance protection afforded to military personnel operating in hostile combat environments. Injuries to personnel seated within the vehicle in response to a blast arise from numerous factors. One area for blast injury mitigation is by controlling the acceleration forces acting on the occupant seated in a personnel seat structure. In one design arrangement, a seat structure is mounted to the hull of the vehicle and energy absorbing elements are placed between the hull and the seat to control acceleration forces transmitted between the vehicle and the seat caused by an under-vehicle detonation. Another injury mitigation step is in controlling acceleration of the vehicle floor structure which support the lower extremities of the occupants in response to an under-vehicle explosion.
The present invention is related to an energy absorbing strut element which can be used in multiple applications. One application is mentioned above for acting between a vehicle hull and a floor structure for attenuating acceleration forces acting on the occupant's lower extremities caused by an explosive device detonation below the vehicle.
For any device having the above applications; reliability, cost and reusability are important considerations. Vehicle operations in hostile theaters can result in successive blast or acceleration events occurring in a short time. For example, after an IED explosion, the vehicle may be subjected to further dynamic conditions such as returning to ground. Ideally these energy absorbing systems are passive in the sense of not requiring control inputs, are reusable and can operate over a range of input parameters, for example, blast characteristics, and occupant characteristics such as occupant mass and personnel equipment load.
Various energy absorbing systems may be candidates for the above applications. In accordance with the present invention, an energy absorber (EA) device is provided that automatically adapts to target a constant acceleration over its linear stroking displacement. This allows, in the above-described application, the vehicle floor response to be independent of the system mass which, in turn, gives adaptability for the blast characteristics as well as variations of occupant mass and equipment loading. Additional potential applications for an energy absorbing device in accordance with this invention include but are not limited to; injury-mitigating blast seats, impact absorbing seats for, watercraft, aircraft or rotorcraft crash or for off-road use, cargo handling e.g. in vehicle or air-dropped, and suspension systems e.g. off-road vehicles.

Adaptive energy absorber for structural isolation and injury mitigation

PRATT & MILLER ENGINEERING AND FABRICATION, LLC


A rotor assembly for use in an electric motor or generator where the mass of the rotor assembly is reduced with respect to conventional rotor assemblies. In addition, the rotor assembly is configured to be scalable to different sized electric motors. Within the rotor assembly, the rotor hub, the shaft, and the permanent magnets can independently or collectively be modified to have a reduced mass. In one aspect, a portion of the rotor hub adjacent to the shaft is configured with passages and spokes. In another aspect, an intermediate hub with lightening holes is provided between the shaft and the rotor hub. In yet another aspect, a large diameter hollow shaft replaces a portion of the rotor hub. In yet another aspect, the permanent magnets are configured to have an arc-shape, which permits the thickness of the magnets to be reduced without reducing the efficiency of the magnets.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to electric machines, for example, permanent magnet motors and generators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric machines, such as electric motors and generators, are used in many applications, including those ranging from electric vehicles to domestic appliances. Improvements in machine performance, reliability, efficiency, and power density for all types of electric motors are desirable.
An electric machine converts electrical or electromagnetic energy into mechanical energy or conversely converts mechanical energy into electrical or electromagnetic energy.
The permanent magnets used in rotor assemblies are disposed within axially extending pockets. The pockets are typically formed near the outer perimeter of the rotor hub, which is built up from laminations made from electric grade steel. Electric grade steel is used on rotor assemblies because it has a greater permeability for conducting the magnetic lines of force. The process of building up a rotor with laminations is done to reduce eddy current losses in the rotor hub, especially during higher rotation speeds. The rotor extends from its outer perimeter to an inner diameter that interfaces with a shaft. The total mass of the rotor assembly is one of the parameters that affects the acceleration characteristics of the electric motor, the cost of the rotor assembly, and the amount of stress experienced by the various components of the rotor assembly, among other things.
Shafts used in electric machine are typically made from structural steel, which is slightly more dense and certainly stronger than electric grade steel. In one application, an electric motor of the Toyota Prius, which is a hybrid vehicle, utilizes a hollow shaft with an integrated carriage. The carriage includes a central web having one end connected to the main shaft and the other end connected to a carriage support that extends axially in either direction away from the central web. A laminated rotor hub with permanent magnets is retained within the carriage support. The inclusion of the central web extending radially from the shaft creates unique balancing issues with respect to vibration modes. The bearing positions on the shaft of the Toyota Prius shaft must be positioned to minimize the bending stress arising from the central web. Thus, although the Toyota Prius shaft provides dome marginal weight reduction benefits, the configuration of the rotor assembly is not readily convertible to other types or sizes of motors.
Conventional rotor assemblies include rectangular-shaped rotor pockets in which the rectangular-shaped permanent magnets are disposed. In these conventional rotor assemblies, the stress concentrations in the magnet pockets and in the rotor laminations exacerbate the localized stresses as the operating speeds increase. When the rotor rotates at high speeds, the permanent magnets exert an outward radial force on the magnet pockets, which results in the centrifugal forces being reacted at the outer corners of the pockets. These localized stresses in conventional rotor assemblies are one reason for providing more material in the rotor.
It would be desirable to reduce the mass of the rotor hub, the shaft, and the permanent magnets either individually or collectively while maintaining a rotor assembly configuration that could be easily manufactured and scaled to different size electric machines.

Rotor assembly for a permanent magnet power electric machine


A basketball court is disclosed, having a circle on the floor under each goal hoop to clearly designate the area under the hoop. This is a critical matter in the playing and refereeing of the game, in the determination by players and referees whether or not the defensive player is directly under the hoop, and therefore may be subject to being call for a foul in the case of contact between offensive and defensive players.

The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the game of basketball played in an organized manner utilizing one or more officials to referee the game. The National Basketball Association (NBA) Rule E relating to Charging-Blocking, paragraph 3 states: "If a defensive player acquires a position directly under the basket/backboard on anything but a `baseline drive,` he shall be responsible if contact occurs." A referee therefore needs to be able to determine accurately whether or not a defensive player is directly under the basket.
The current rule as to Charging-Blocking requires too much of a referee to make a judgement to determine the location of the players when a play is made. A referee must now look up to the goal hoop and project the diameter of the goal hoop down to the floor to determine whether or not a player is under the goal hoop. A referee caught out of position when a play is made must make a call without proper visual position of the player with respect to the goal hoop.
It is an object of this invention to assist a basketball referee make correct calls by providing reference marking on the floor.
It is an object of this invention to enable a referee to make a call without talking his eyes off the players to look at the goal hoop for position.
It is an object of this invention to make the referee calls more accurate by providing reference marking on the floor.
It is an object of this invention to speed up the game by reducing questions by coaches as to actual location of players involved in Charging-Blocking fouls.


A valve stem connector assembly, which connects a lead screw of a globe valve actuator to a valve stem of a globe valve, includes a retainer secured to the lead screw. The retainer includes a retainer body and at least one cam rotatably secured to the retainer. The valve stem connector assembly further includes a retainer latch coupled to the lead screw and the retainer. The retainer latch is configured to move from a normally unlocked position in which the valve stem is unsecured from the lead screw and a locked position in which the retainer latch moves toward the retainer to rotate the at least one cam to secure the valve stem to the lead screw. A method of releasably securing a valve stem of a globe valve to a lead screw of a globe valve actuator is further disclosed.

1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to valves, and more particularly to globe valves and globe valve actuators that are used in HVAC systems, and a tool-less valve stem connector assembly that is used to secure a lead screw of the globe valve actuator to a valve stem of the globe valve.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, globe valves are used for applications requiring throttling and shut off with an actuator that provides an operating force to aid in closing and opening of the valve as required. A typical globe valve includes a generally spherical body with two halves of the spherical body being separated by an internal baffle, which has an opening formed therein. The opening creates a valve seat in which a movable valve or plug is seated. An actuator, either manual or automatic, can be used to manipulate the movement of the plug to open and close the valve.
Typically, a conventional method used to connect a globe valve actuator to a valve stem of a globe valve requires the use of a tool and both hands to securely fasten the globe valve actuator to the bonnet, which is labor intensive. The added time required to secure the globe valve actuator to the valve stem of the globe valve can increase an "installed" cost associated with the globe valve.

Tool-less valve stem connector assembly for a globe valve assembly


DNA fragments and methods for obtaining them are disclosed which when put into mammalian cells together with a dominant marker gene are able to form functional centromeres. The sequences can be used to generate probes for these centromeres. Cell lines containing the functional centromeres are also provided. Methods are taught for isolating mammalian centromeric DNA as well as for producing cell lines carrying an excess of mammalian centromeres linked to a dominant selectable marker gene.

The centromere is a specialized region of the eukaryotic chromosome. It is the site of kinetochore formation, a structure which allows the precise segregation of chromosomes during cell division. In addition to this, a possible structural role in the higher-order organization of eukaryotic chromosomes has also been suggested (Hadlaczky (1985), Internatl. Rev., 94:57-76).
The isolation and cloning of centromeres is crucial, not only to understanding their molecular structure and function, but also for the construction of stable artificial chromosomes. Taking advantage of the existence of centromere-linked genes, functional centromeres of lower eukaryotes (yeast) have been successfully isolated (Blackburn, et al. (1984) Ann. Rev. Biochem., 53:163-194; Clarke, et al. (1985), Ann. Rev. Genet., 19:29-56). The combination of a functional centromere with telomeres, which stabilize the chromosome ends, permitted the construction of yeast artificial chromosomes (Murray, et al. (1983) Nature, 305:189-193; Burke, et al. (1987), Science, 236:806-812). This initiated a new era in the study of chromosome function and in genetic manipulation.
Higher eukaryotes (e.g., mammals), in contrast to yeast, contain repetitive DNA sequences which form a boundary at both sides of the centromere. This highly repetitive DNA interacting with certain proteins, especially in animal chromosomes, creates a genetically inactive zone (heterochromatin) around the centromere. This pericentric heterochromatin keeps any selectable marker gene at a considerable distance, and thus repetitive DNA prevents the isolation of centromeric sequences by chromosome "walking."
Thus there is a need in the art for methods of isolating higher eukaryotic centromeric DNA. Isolation of such DNA is necessary for construction of artificial mammalian chromosomes. Use of such chromosomes could overcome problems inherent in present techniques for introduction of genes to mammalian cells, including the concomitant creation of insertional mutations, size limitations on introduced DNA, and imperfect segregation of plasmid vectors.

Method of producing a cell carrying an excess of mammalian centromeres and the cell line carrying an excess of mammalian centromeres

The Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences


A thermosyphon for use in frozen or unfrozen soil includes an evaporator tion embedded in the soil, a condenser section exposed to ambient air, an intermediate section connecting the two sections and a heat exchanger connected to a mechanical refrigeration source and operable to cool either the condenser or the intermediate section of the thermosyphon during periods when the ambient temperature is higher than that at which passive thermosyphonic cooling occurs.

When structures are built in regions of permafrost, heat flow from the structure into the permafrost may cause thawing of the permafrost, degrading the stability thereof and resulting in structural damage. One approach to this problem is the use of passive thermosyphons to extract heat from the permafrost and maintain the same at a sufficiently low temperature to prevent thawing. A typical passive thermosyphon has an evaporator section buried in the permafrost, a condenser section exposed to the ambient and an intermediate section providing fluid communication between the evaporator and condenser sections. The thermosyphon is a closed system containing a working fluid such as CO.sub.2 or NH.sub.3. Such devices are substantially maintenance free and do not involve any operating costs.
A disadvantage of a passive thermosyphon is that it only operates when the ambient air temperature is below that of the soil. In permafrost regions this is typically from September to May. Consequently structural foundations may be vulnerable to unusually warm summers. Also, passive thermosyphons installed during summer months remain inoperative until fall, which may adversely impact construction schedules. Mechanical refrigeration systems with evaporator lines buried in the permafrost have been used to overcome these disadvantages of thermosyphons. While such mechanical systems do provide year around operation, they involve substantial operating costs and have the potential for an in-ground fluid spill if a buried circulation line fails.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a thermosyphon capable of operating in a self-contained passive mode when ambient temperature conditions are suitable or in an active mode with mechanical refrigeration assistance.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a passive-active thermosyphon which allows for the use of mechanical refrigeration without the need for buried mechanical refrigeration circulation lines.
Other objects of the present invention include providing ground freezing for construction purposes and providing immobilization of toxic liquids. These objects may be accomplished in geographical areas having unfrozen or seasonally frozen ground.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


In a stacked display device with light-emitting units composed of organic layers and stacked together, the use of a stable material in at least a portion of a charge generation layer makes it possible to achieve improvements in environmental stability and also to attain an improvement in the efficiency of injection of charges from the charge generation layer into the light-emitting units. The display device can be readily fabricated. In a display device (11) provided with a plurality of light-emitting units (14-1)(14-2), each of which includes at least an organic light-emitting layer (14c), stacked together between a cathode (16) and an anode (13), and also with a charge generation layer (15) held between the respective light-emitting units (14-1)(14-2), at least a portion of the charge generation layer (15) is composed of an oxide or fluoride which contains at least one of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.

In FIG. 15, there is shown one construction example of self-emitting display devices equipped with organic layers (organic electroluminescent device). The display device 1 shown in this drawing is arranged on a transparent substrate 2 made of glass or the like, for example. The display device 1 is composed of an anode 3 arranged on the substrate 2 and made of ITO (indium tin oxide: transparent electrode), an organic layer 4 arranged on the anode 3, and a cathode 5 arranged on the organic layer. The organic layer 4 has, for example, a construction that a hole injection layer 4a, a hole transport layer 4b and an electron-transporting light-emitting layer 4c are stacked together in this order from the side of the anode. With the display device 1 constructed as described above, light produced upon recombination of electrons injected from the cathode and holes injected from the anode within the light-emitting layer 4c is outputted from the side of the substrate 2.
The lifetime of an organic electroluminescent device is generally determined by injected charges, and this problem can be resolved by lowering the initial brightness in each drive. However, the lowering of the initial brightness results in a limitation to the application in its practical use, negates by itself the potential of the organic electroluminescent device, and hence, makes it difficult to realize a next-generation television set.
For the resolution of this problem, it is necessary to increase the brightness without changing the drive current, in other words, to improve the efficiency or to realize a device construction that can obtain a similar brightness even when the drive current is lowered.
Therefore, stacked multiphoton emission devices (MPE devices) with a plurality of organic light-emitting devices arranged one over another have been proposed. Such proposals include the construction of an MPE device (display device 1′) that as illustrated in FIG. 16, plural light-emitting units 4-1, 4-2, . . . , each being formed of an organic layer having at least a light-emitting layer 4c, are arranged one over another via insulating charge generation layers 6, respectively. Each charge generation layer 6 plays a role that upon impression of a voltage, injects holes into the light-emitting unit 4-2 arranged on the cathode 5 side of the charge generation layer 6 and also injects electrons into the light-emitting unit 4-1 arranged on the anode 3 side of the charge generation layer 6, and is composed of a metal oxide such as vanadium oxide (V2O5) or rhenium heptoxide (Re2O7).
To improve the efficiency of the above-described electron injection from the charge generation layer 6 into the light-emitting unit 4-1 on the side of the anode 3, an electron injection layer 7 which acts as an "in-situ reaction inducing layer" may be arranged on the anode 3 side of the charge generation layer 6. As the electron injection layer 7 which acts as such an "in-situ reaction inducing layer", a mixed layer of bathocuproine (BCP) and metal cesium (Cs) or a stacked film of an (8-quinolinato)lithium complex and aluminum is used, for example.
In a stacked organic electroluminescent device with the light-emitting units 4-1, 4-2, . . . stacked one over another via the charge generation layers 6, respectively, as described above, it is considered possible to double the brightness [cd/A], ideally without any change to the efficiency of light emission [lm/W], when two light-emitting units are stacked together; or to triple the brightness [cd/A], ideally without any change to the efficiency of light emission [lm/W], when three light-emitting units are stacked together (in this connection, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-45676 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No 2003-272860).
In the display device 1′ of the construction that the light-emitting units 4-1,4-2 are stacked together as described with reference to FIG. 16, however, the material which makes up the electron injection layer 7 as the "in-situ reaction inducting layer" arranged on the anode 3 side of the charge generation layer 6 is very unstable. Therefore, the stoichiometric ratio of the individual materials that makes up the electron injection layer 7 is important, and its imbalance is considered to result in unstableness even as a layer.
For example, BCP is high in complex-forming ability and, if there is a free metal component or an organic material having an active site exists or in a like situation, there is a high possibility that BCP may form a complex with a surrounding material. BCP is, therefore, hardly usable when the stability of a device is taken into consideration. In addition, another problem is considered to exist in that a device making use of BCP has poor reliability in environmental stability.
When the charge generation layer 6 is formed with a metal oxide such as V2O5 or Re2O7 in such a stacked organic electroluminescent device, the efficiency of electron injection by direct contact of a general electron transport layer of Alq3 or the like with the charge generation layer 6 is extremely low. Accordingly, the formation of an interface on the anode 3 side of the charge generation layer 6 becomes an extremely important point.
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a stacked display device having light-emitting units composed of organic layers, respectively, and stacked together, which is provided with improved environmental stability by the use of a stable material, is provided with an improved efficiency of charge injection from a charge generation layer, which are held between each two adjacent ones of the light-emitting units, into the two light-emitting units, is hence high in brightness and excellent in long-term reliability, and is easy to fabricate.


The present invention is related to hydrophilic silicone powders and the methods to prepare the same that contain 1-30 mol % of units selected from a group consisting of (a) partially hydrolyzed silsesquioxane containing one hydroxyl group (T2) and silica (Q3), (b) partially hydrolyzed silsesquioxane containing two hydroxyl groups (T1) and silica (Q3), (c) silica containing three hydroxyl groups (Q1), hydrolyzed silicone containing siloxane (D1), and mixtures thereof, and hydrophilic silicone powders consisting of core described above and shells composed of silica, and/or titanium dioxide. The particles are useful as ingredients for cosmetics and emulsions because they have good heat resistance, good touching feeling, and readily disperse in water due to their hydrophilic nature and high water absorbency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to silicone powders and the method preparing the same that do not contain thermally degradable component to give non-deforming and no deteriorating powders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Silicon oligomers, polymers or resins are commonly used in cosmetics and various industrial coatings in forms of insoluble powders, soluble powders, soluble liquid with high viscosity, and oligomeric liquid with low viscosity. To summarize, silicone compounds are classified as solid and liquid based on their physical status and soluble and insoluble materials according to their solubility.
Most silicone compounds lack hydrophilicity. Hydrophilic silicone compounds are prepared by combining oligomeric ethylene glycol ad silicone, or by coating hydrophilic polymer on the pre-existing silicone materials. In specific example of polymethylsilsesquioxane, hydrophilic powders are prepared by coating hydrophilic ethylene glycol on the surface of polymethylsilsesquioxane. Such hydrophilic polymethylsilsesquioxane are susceptible to deterioration by heat or under harsh conditions due to organic polymers on the surface. Also the preparation procedure for the preparation such powders is complicated.
Hydrophilic silicone are highly demanded material in various fields including cosmetics in order to develop new formula and new applications. Silica, mica, talc, polymethylsilsesquioxane powders coated with hydrophilic polymer, starch, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and iron oxides are examples of currently available hydrophilic powders.
However, these materials do not feel soft on skin and do not spread on skin easily. These materials are often used after modifying their surfaces with organic compounds except polymethylsilsesquioxane, mica, and talc. Some particles still have poor properties even after they are treated with organic compounds. There are few examples of hydrophilic powders with good touching feeling and hydrophilic nature. Especially, there is no example of silicone powder with good touching feeling, heat resistance, and hydrophilic nature.
One of the most required properties for powders to be used in cosmetic properties is good touching feeling. Also the compatibility with other ingredients in cosmetics is highly demanding while powders that swell by specific components in the cosmetics is not desired.
Powders provide different touching feelings according to their sizes, therefore hydrophilic powders with different sizes are highly demanding to prepare various cosmetic formula.
Throughout the specification, a number of publications and patent documents are referred to and cited. The disclosure of the cited publications and patent documents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to more clearly describe the state of the related art and the present disclosure.

Hydrophilic silicon particles with improved heat-resistance and touch feeling and methods for preparaing the same


An image display device includes a plurality of signal input parts, a plurality of sub-controllers configured to process video signals from a plurality of signal input parts, and a controller configured to generate a display screen to be displayed on a display. The controller obtains the timing information for a video signal from the sub-controller based on the display information installed in advance.

Image display devices having multiple functions (e.g. increasing numbers of input signals) have been inclined to increase the number of microcontrollers (hereinafter, referred to as microcomputers) and the number of devices. Other than main microcomputers (or main controllers) relating to the entire image processing, sub-microcomputers (or sub-controllers) configured to process input video signals are mounted on image display devices. In addition, various devices configured to carry out signal selecting processes and signal-format conversion are mounted on image display devices. The number of sub-microcomputers and the number of devices will be increased as the number of input signals are increased.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of an image display device as a related art. An image display device 101 includes a single main microcomputer 111, two sub-microcomputers 112a, 112b, and two devices 113a, 113b. In addition, the image display device 101 is equipped with six signal input connectors 121a through 121f and a single external communication connector 122. In the image display device 101, the number of signal input connectors is "6"; the number of devices is "2"; and the number of microcomputers is "3". In another model in which the number of microcomputers is "10", the number of devices is "3" while the number of microcomputers is "6", wherein both the number of microcomputers and the number of devices will be increased as the number of input signals is increased.
Patent Document 1 discloses an image display device having a plurality of input terminals, which is designed to determine the presence/absence of image signals and to thereby switch over input terminals based on the result of determining the presence/absence of input signals applied to input terminals.

Image display device and image processing method


A hair removing device capable of selectively attaching an epilator head for hair epilation and a shaving head for hair cutting. The device includes the housing incorporating the rotary motor, and the epilator or shaving head detachable to the housing. The head includes a drive mechanism powered by the motor for hair epilation or cutting. The motor has an output rotor fixedly carrying a noncircular joint. The drive mechanism includes a coupler which is detachably connected to the joint to receive the rotary motion of the motor. The coupler is arranged coaxially with the joint and is movable along the axis of the joint together with the head into and out of engagement with and from the joint, and the coupler is slidable along the axis of the joint while keeping the driving connection therebetween.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,422 discloses a hair removing device having a detachable epilator head that can be separated from a grip housing for cleaning the head, or for replacement with an analogous shaving head. A rotary motor is incorporated in the housing to provide a driving force of epilating or shaving the hairs. Due to the detachable nature of the device, the housing also includes a gear which is driven by the motor and is responsible for detachable meshing engagement with an associated gear provided in the epilator head or the shaving head. That is, the epilator head is drivingly connected to the motor by meshing engagement of the gears when the epilator head is attached to the housing. With this gear connection, however, the device suffers from a strict dimensional tolerance between the gears, i.e., a distance between the axes of the gears for successfully transmitting the driving force from the motor to movable members in the head, which in turn requires a correspondingly strict detachable connection between the housing and the detachable head. Further, when the head is operating under a heavy load, the gear connection is likely to transmit vibrations occurring in the heavy load operation of the head directly to the housing, thereby generating harsh vibrations which detract from a comfortable operation by the user grasping the housing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.