A valve actuator having a pivotal cam-lever driven push-pull mechanical linkage system. A power mechanism moves a cam-lever member which then moves a connecting rod to move a push-pull member to lift out or push in a conventional valve stem. This then opens or closes the valve. In an alternative embodiment, the actuator includes an adjustable block member to which the cam-lever is pivotally attached. This provides a separate adjustability for the ultimate maximum movement of the push-pull member and thereby also of the valve stem in order to ensure a proper closing force is imparted to the valve. Also in this embodiment, it is preferred that the push-pull member includes at least one spring washer disposed therein. This provides a desirable compressibility in the system during the imposition of the force that the push-pull member exerts on the valve stem during the opening and/or closing process.

Many valves in, for example, high and ultra high vacuum systems are of a push-pull type which are manipulated into open and closed positions by hand tools. Some valves of this type also generally do not provide readily available accommodation for automation. Other currently available valves in this art which are automated suffer numerous drawbacks. A primary drawback is in the inability of the previous automation devices to withstand the high temperatures necessarily associated with the operation of ultra high vacuum systems.
In particular, ultra high vacuum systems must be operated at very high temperatures (on the order of about 350 degrees centigrade) for several hours during the initial pumping period. This cleans the vacuum system by what is called "outgassing" the internal surfaces of the system. Thus cleaned, the ultimate desired quality of vacuum can be reached. This is also referred to as the "bake-out" procedure.
Additionally, these high temperatures dictate that valves employed in ultra high vacuum systems be limited as to the materials used in their fabrication. Thus, all the materials in each valve must have inherent characteristics sufficient to withstand the rigors of cycling between normal operating temperatures (room temperature) and approximately 350 degrees centigrade. This usually means stainless steels are used for nearly every part of such a valve. An exception is the usually copper sealing portion of the valve element which is forced onto and against a knife-edge valve seat of stainless steel. Again, because of the temperature extremes, other materials such as rubbers, plastics, aluminum and brass cannot be used at the seal interface. Background materials which describe vacuum systems in more detail particularly regarding the bake-out and outgassing procedures as well as choices of materials include: VARIAN Vacuum Products, Inc. 1993/1994 Catalog, 172; J. F. O'Hanlon, A User's Guide to Vacuum Technology, Chapters 6 and 11 (J. Wiley & Sons 1980); R. R. LaPelle, Practical Vacuum Systems, 18-21 (McGraw-Hill 1972); P. A. Redhead, et. al., The Physical Basis of Ultrahigh Vacuum, 100-105 (Chapman and Hall 1968).
Moreover, a still further consideration involving the high temperature baking out of the ultra high vacuum system is that the cleanliness of the system, in addition to the precision used in manufacturing the valve parts, is what governs the force necessary to achieve and maintain a seal between the copper portion of the valve element and the knife-edge valve seat. A cleaner, more precisely manufactured valve will require less force to maintain valve closure regardless the vacuum forces in the system.
Examples of valves of this type used in ultra high vacuum systems include those made by VARIAN Vacuum Products, Inc., model no. 951-5014, inter alia. Note, this and similar models of valves are currently manually operated by the turning of a drive screw which ultimately pushes in the valve stem to close the valve and pulls it out to open it.
In view of the foregoing, there appears to be a need for valve actuators for existing push-pull valves such that the actuators provide ready, non-manual operation and also endure the extreme conditions inherent in high and ultra high vacuum systems.

Automated actuator for pull-open, push-closed valves


A disposable toothbrush, comprising a first section (12) having a first proximate end (16) and a first distal end (18), a second section (22) having a second proximate end (28) and a first distal end (25), a plurality of bristles (20) coupled to the first distal end (18), a plug (30) sealingly disposed within the second section (22) and thereby forming a compartment (26) within the second section (22) between the plug (30) and the second proximate end (28), a quantity of powdered dentifrice disposed within the compartment (26) and a sealing means (32) sealingly disposed on the second proximate end (28) in order to seal the compartment (26) wherein the first proximate end (16) has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than the second distal end (25) so that the first section (12) may be placed in frictional, sliding engagement with the second section (22) when the first proximate end (16) is inserted into the second distal end (25).

It is well known that pathogenic organisms thrive on the bristles of conventional toothbrushes and it has been established that the toothbrush is responsible for the transmission of various infections. Various pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts and viruses can remain alive on a moist toothbrush for up to a week The toothbrush is used in the mouth, which is a known bacteria containing area and the moist and humid environment of the bathroom in which the toothbrush is usually stored assists, and in some cases accelerates, microbial growth.
Cleaning the conventional toothbrush by a simple "rinse and tap" method is generally ineffective in removing toothpaste residue, saliva and food debris trapped in the bristles or tufts, all of which provide an environment to maintain pathogenic organisms alive until the next use of the toothbrush. Potential cross-contamination results from the maintenance of these pathogenic organisms on the toothbrush.
It has also been recognized that it is desirable to brush the teeth at more frequent time intervals than is routinely done, such as after every meal However, this is difficult to accomplish since individuals usually do not have tooth brushing equipment available throughout a work day, when travelling, dining out, or the like. There have been efforts made to provide a collapsible or travelling toothbrush, some of which are also provided with a supply of dentifrice. However, many such devices are relatively bulky and not disposable, which does not overcome the problem of maintenance of pathogenic organisms on the toothbrush from one brushing to the next. Other such devices are designed to be disposable, however they are not compatible with the use of a powdered dentifrice.


The present invention generally relates to a technology of accurately mapping a specific point in CCTV video onto the corresponding point on a map. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technology of mapping a specific point in CCTV video onto the corresponding point on a map through coordinate transformation between pixel coordinate of canvas plane of the CCTV camera and global coordinate of physical space for the video surveillance system. The present invention may provide an advantage of improving the efficiency of video surveillance system. When an urgent situation is found in CCTV video, the location in which the urgent situation is occurring may be accurately specified, which renders an effective action possible.

The present invention generally relates to a technology of accurately mapping a specific point in CCTV video onto the corresponding point on a map.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a technology of mapping a specific point in CCTV video onto the corresponding point on a map through coordinate transformation between pixel coordinate of canvas plane of the CCTV camera and global coordinate of physical space for the video surveillance system.
In recent years, the video surveillance system is widely used in many fields. The police system or the national defense surveillance system actively adopts the video surveillance technology. For example, in case of the national defense surveillance system, in order to cope with the military power reduction problem according to the decrease of population, the video surveillance system based on CCTV cameras is used in the national border defense.
The GIS (Geographic Information System) technology may cooperate with video surveillance system in order to improve the efficiency of video surveillance. In this case, the location of camera is marked on a map. Because the camera does not have a geomagnetic sensor, it cannot know for itself which direction it is pointing in. In conventional GIS solutions, only the location of camera is marked on a map.
However, in the video surveillance system, the area covered by a CCTV camera is generally very large. When an urgent situation occurs, it is difficult to effectively respond if only knowing the location of the camera which is viewing the urgent situation.

Method of mapping monitoring point in CCTV video for video surveillance system


In one embodiment, a method of classifying a polymer containing surface is provided including collecting one or more spectra of infrared energy reflected from the surface over a spectrum of wavelengths; performing multivariate processing at one or more wavelengths; comparing results of the multivariate processing with one or more predetermined material classification models derived from model material infrared energy spectra collected from one or more model material surfaces, the one or more model material surfaces each having a known polymer material composition; and, sorting the polymer containing surface into the proper class based on a similarity of the results of the multivariate processing at one or more wavelengths with the predetermined material classification models.

IR spectroscopy measurements may be useful for a variety of purposes including aerospace, automotive and industrial applications, as well as biological and bio-medical applications. For example, infrared (IR) radiation is readily absorbed by materials in association with relative motions (vibrations) of bonds between common atoms such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. As such, IR spectroscopy measurements may indicate a condition and/or identity of a wide variety of organic as well as inorganic materials.
Polymer composite materials such as fiber-resin-based materials including carbon fiber reinforced plastic composite materials have been widely used for a variety of purposes including as a structural material. Increasingly, it is desirable to recycle polymer materials including polymer composite materials.
In performing recycling processes, it is first desirable to know the chemical make-up or resin type of a particular CFRP composite material. For example, subsequent processing steps including optimal heat treatments may depend on the particular resin system.
Prior art methods for determining chemical properties of a resin material such as commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,147, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, include using optical interfaces such as filters and ATR crystals positioned on a sample surface to determine a normalized TR absorbance of sample material. In addition, a relatively bulky IR spectrometer is useable where the source and the detector are separately positioned to make an IR measurement, such as in a controlled environment.
While the prior art methods and TR apparatus may be desirably useable in a controlled environment where IR absorbance is separately collected and compared in a relatively time-consuming process, it would be additionally desirable to make IR spectroscopy measurements in a relatively quick and simple manner in a field setting.
Accordingly there is a need for a method for making IR spectroscopy measurements and an IR spectrometer that overcomes at least some of the drawbacks of prior art including making IR spectroscopy field measurements in a relatively quick and simple manner.

Method for classifying resins types in carbon fiber reinforced plastic materials using IR spectroscopy


There is provided a polishing compound for sheet metal coating comprising an polishing material and a surfactant in which a RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics powder is used at least as a part of the polishing material, thereby shortening a stain removing process of a coated surface in reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, etc. without conducting a washing process thereafter.

This invention relates to a polishing compound for sheet metal coating and more particularly relates to a polishing compound for sheet metal coating for removing stains on a coated surface and simultaneously washing the surface in reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, etc. and other similar operation.
Conventional reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, etc. is carried out by removing stains with polishing materials such as polishing grains, paper, etc. and then washing and degreasing a coated surface by means of toweling, cotton cloth and other rags saturated with a degreasing agent, followed by face coating.
However, it has been imperfect and taken a long time for these conventional polishing materials to abrade the surface and sometimes difficult to wash out wax or oily dirt from hands completely, although stains of ordinary dirt or dust can be removed.
Such wax or oily dirt from hands still sticks on the coated surface even after a stain removing process with conventional polishing materials and thus should be washed out additionally.
Inferiority in adhesion, scaling, peeling, blister and the like would be resulted in after coating, if the above mentioned additional wash-out process is neglected. This is the reason why the conventional stain removing work takes a long time including the indispensable process to wash out and degrease the coated surface with a degreasing agent after the polishing process is finished, which causes a problem of lowering efficiency in the reparative sheet metal coating work.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a polishing compound for sheet metal coating in reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, etc., which shortens a stain removing process of a coated surface without conducting a wash-out process thereafter.
The inventors have eagerly investigated and found that the above mentioned problem can be solved by using RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics at least partially as an polishing material for a polishing compound for sheet metal coating and further formulating the ceramics in a detergent. The present invention has been developed on the basis of this fact.
RB ceramics used in the present powder detergent is a powder of RB ceramics or CRB ceramics formed by grinding these ceramics to particles of 1 to 1000 xcexcm.
Each material of RB ceramics and CRB ceramics used in the present invention is prepared by the following manner.
As is known, Dr. Kazuo Hokkirigawa, the first inventor of the present invention, proposed an idea to obtain a porous carbon material by the use of rice bran which is by-produced 0.9 million ton/year in Japan or 33 million ton/year in the world (see, Kinou Zairyou, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 24 to 28, May 1997).
The above mentioned literature describes a method for preparing a carbon material or so-called RB ceramics by mixing and kneading a defatted product of rice bran and a thermosetting resin, press-molding the mixture to form a molded material, drying and then baking the dried material in an atmosphere of inert gas.
Defatted rice bran used in the present invention is not limited to a specific species of rice and may either be a product of Japan or foreign countries.
A thermosetting resin used herein may also be any resin which can be thermally set and typically includes phenol-, diarylphthalate-, unsaturated polyester-, epoxy-, polyimide- and triazine resins, although a phenol resin is preferably used.
A thermoplastic resin such as polyamide may also be used together without departing from a scope of the present invention.
A mixing ratio of the defatted rice bran to the thermosetting resin is in the range of 50 to 90:50 to 10 and preferably 70 to 80:30 to 20 in by weight.
According to the above mentioned method, difference in ratio of shrinkage between the press-molded material and the finally molded material which is baked in an atmosphere of inert gas reached almost 25%. Such a difference made it substantially difficult to form a precisely molded material, but has been finally improved as a result of development of CRB ceramics.
CRB ceramics used in the present invention is an improved material of RB ceramics obtained from defatted rice bran and a thermosetting resin. The defatted product of rice bran and the thermosetting resin are mixed and kneaded, primarily baked in an inert gas at 700 to 1,000xc2x0 C. and ground to form a carbonated powder of about 60 mesh or less. The powder is then mixed and kneaded with the thermosetting resin, press-molded at a pressure of 20 to 30 Mpa and heat-treated again in an atmosphere of inert gas at 100 to 1,100xc2x0 C. to form CRB ceramics as a black resin or porous product.
General properties of RB ceramics and CRB ceramics are as in the following:
extremely high hardness;
oil absorptive;
extremely small heat expansion coefficient;
porous structure;
electrical conductivity;
low specific gravity, light weighted;
improved abrasion resistance;
easiness of molding and mold die making;
capable of being powdered; and
less negative effect to global environment and more resource conservation due to rice bran to be used a s a starting material.
The most typical distinction of RB ceramics and CRB ceramics is that a difference in ratio of shrinkage between molded RB ceramics and a final product thereof is almost 25%, while that of CRB ceramics is so low as 3% or less, which makes the latter material much useful. However, such distinction between them is not important in the present invention, because the final product is formed not as a molded material but as a powder. So, either of RB ceramics or CRB ceramics may basically be used in the present invention.
Hardness is an important factor of RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics used in the present invention, which is influenced by the primary baking temperature of RB ceramics and both of the primary baking temperature and the secondary heat-treating temperature of CRB ceramics.
In general, the primary baking and the secondary heat treatment at a temperature of 500 to 1,000xc2x0 C. yield RB ceramics or CRB ceramics of high hardness.
Particle size of a RB ceramics or CRB ceramics powder may vary depending on the purpose to be used but usually in the range of 1 to 1,000 xcexcm in average particle diameter, although, in general, a powder of a larger particle diameter is applied to a coarse surface and smaller one to a smooth surface.
Well-known polishing materials which may be used in combination with RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics in the present invention include diatomaceous earth, pumice powder, alumina, silica, calcium oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, cesium oxide, synthetic or natural diamond, metal silicide, tungsten oxide, titanium nitride, titanium oxide and the like.
It is preferable to use diatomaceous earth and pumice powder as a natural polishing material; or an alumina polishing material such brown-, white-, pale red- and crushed type alumina polishing material, and a silicon carbide grinding material such as black- and green silicon carbide grinding material as a synthetic one. These polishing or grinding materials may be used alone or in combination with two or more of them.
A combining ratio of these materials may vary depending on the purpose to be used and, in general, 30 to 90 parts by weight of a RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics powder is combined with 70 to 10 parts by weight of one or not less than two kinds of powders selected from a group consisting of silica, calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, cesium oxide, natural or synthetic diamond, metal silicide, tungsten oxide, titanium nitride and titanium oxide.
A detergent used in the present invention is selected from annionic surfactant,amphoteric surfactant,nonionic_surfactant or_cationic surfactant and the like.
The anionic surfactant includes, for example, a fatty acid salt such as potassium laurate, potassium myristate and potassium oleate; an alkyl sulfate such as sodium laurylsulfate, ammonium laurylsulfate and lauryl sulfate triethanolamine; alkylbenzene-sulfonate such as sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate; a N-acylamino acid salt such as lauroylsarcosine sodium salt and lauroylsarcosine potassium salt; an alkyl ether carbonate such as polyoxyethylene dodecyl ether sodium acetate; a N-acyl taurine salt such as N-lauroyl-methyltaurine sodium salt and N-cocoylmethyltaurine sodium salt; a N-acylalnine salt such as lauroylalanine sodium salt; a sulfonate such as sodium laurylsulfoacetate; polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfuric acid ester salt such as sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfate and poloyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfuric acid triethanolamine; an alkanesulfonate such as sodium tetradecanesulfonate and sodium pentadecanesulfonate; an xcex1-olefinic sulfonate such as sodium tetradecenesulfonate; an alkylphosphate such as sodium laurylphosphate; a polyoxyethylene lauryl ether phosphate such as sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether phosphate and the like.
The amphoteric surfactant includes, for example, an acetic acid betain type surfactant such as lauryldimethylaminoacetic acid betain, lauric acid amide propyl-dimethylaminoacetic acid betain and coconut oil fatty acid amide propyldimethyl-aminoacetic acid betain; and an imidazoline type surfactant such as N-coconut oil fatty acid acyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethylenediamine sodium salt.
The nonionic surfactant includes, for example, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether such as polyoxyethylene lauryl ether; and an alkyl alkanolamide.
The cationic surfactant includes, for example, an alkylammonium salt such as lauryltrimethylammonium chloride; and an lauryldimethylamine oxide.
An amount of the detergent to be added is preferably 1 to 30 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the polishing material.
An amount thereof less than 1 part by weight results in too weak detergency to wash out wax and dirt from hands sufficiently, while the amount of more than 30 parts by weight lowers rinsing efficiency and is not preferable from an economical viewpoint.
The detergent may either be used alone or in combination of two or more.
The present polishing compound for sheet metal coating may be compounded by mixing an polishing material and a surfactant in the following two manners.
In one type, a polishing material is dispersed in an aqueous solution of detergent to form a polishing compound for sheet metal coating of adequate viscosity in a state of paste or liquid depending on an amount of water to be added to the detergent. When the liquid or pasty polishing compound for sheet metal coating is used in practice, the polishing material and the detergent are thoroughly mixed by shaking a container containing the compound sufficiently to apply by means of rag or other waste cloth soaked therewith.
In the other type, a detergent and a powdery polishing material are mixed and solidified with a binder. When the thus formed solid compound is used in practice, the compound is soaked in a solvent such as water which dissolves the binder, and applied to a surface to be coated by scoring thereon, thereby the coated surface being abraded and washed.
A binder used in the present invention includes carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), starch, alcohol soluble polyamide, etc. In particular, carboxy-methyl cellulose (CMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and starch are a water soluble high polymer and preferably used in the present invention.
The present invention will be summarized as in the following.
1. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating comprising a polishing material and a detergent in which a RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics powder is used at least as a part of the polishing material.
2. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in the above item 1 in which an polishing material is one or not less than two kinds of powders selected from a group consisting of diatomaceous earth, pumice powder, alumina, silica, calcium oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, cesium oxide, synthetic or natural diamond, metal silicide, tungsten oxide, titanium nitride and titanium oxide.
3. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in the above item 2 in which an polishing material comprises a RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics powder and one or not less than two kinds of powders selected from a group consisting of silica, calcium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, cesium oxide, synthetic or natural diamond, metal silicide, tungsten oxide, titanium nitride and titanium oxide, in a weight ratio of 30 to 90:70 to 10, respectively.
4. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in any one of the above items 1 to 3 in which an average particle diameter of RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics powder is 1 to 300 xcexcm.
5. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in any one of the above items 1 to 4 in which a detergent is one or not less than two surfactants selected from a group consisting of an anionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, nonionic surfactant or cationic surfactant.
6. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in any one of the above items 1 to 5 in which an polishing material and a detergent are solidified with a binder.
7. A polishing compound for sheet metal coating described in the above item 6 in which a binder is a water soluble polymer.
As has been described above, the present invention provides a polishing compound for sheet metal coating in reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, which shortens a stain removing process of a coated surface without conducting a cleaning process thereafter in reparative sheet metal coating work of cars, etc. by using an environmentally acceptable material of RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics as an polishing material.
Further, as RB ceramics and/or CRB ceramics is a black material, its residue on the abraded surface is quite noticeable, if any, and is useful as an indicator of surface washing with water.

Polishing compound for sheet metal coating


Even if a halogen lamp is thermally expanded or contracted when electricity is supplied to it, the fixing unit in accordance with the invention responds to the thermal expansion or contraction of the halogen lamp without breaking it and supplies electricity to the halogen lamp reliably. In the fixing unit, lead pins extend from both ends of the halogen lamp that is disposed in a heating roller. Each lead pin is fixed at a pin fixing portion wherein each lead pin is pinched by a top pinching portion and a bottom pinching portion of one of a pair of conductive spring members. A static friction force generated between each conductive spring member and the corresponding lead pin is set to not exceed 10 kgf, and the surface roughness of each lead pin is adjusted to not exceed Rz 3.2 .mu.m. A cone-like pin guide portion which is open at the lead pin side is formed on the top pinching portion of the conductive spring member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fixing unit of an image forming apparatus for heating a paper sheet. An image is formed on the paper sheet by supplying toner on an electrostatic latent image formed on a sensitive drum of a developing unit. The image is transferred with a heating roller to fix the toner image transferred to the paper sheet. Specifically, the invention relates to an inexpensive fixing unit which, even if a halogen lamp disposed in the heating roller is thermally expanded or contracted due to the supply of electricity to the halogen lamp, can respond flexibly to the thermal expansion or contraction without breaking the halogen lamp and supply the electricity reliably.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of image forming apparatuses such as laser printers or similar devices that use electrophotography have been proposed. The specification and drawings of Japanese Published Patent Document No. 9-319201, for example, describes an image forming apparatus that generally includes a paper carrying unit, a laser scanning unit, a toner supply unit, a developing unit, a fixing unit and similar components. In such an image forming apparatus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of a sensitive drum in the developing unit according to image data. The electrostatic latent image is formed by the laser scanning unit. Toner is supplied to the sensitive drum according to the electrostatic latent image by the toner supply unit to form a toner image on the surface of the sensitive drum. The toner image is transferred to the paper sheet carried into the developing unit from the paper carrying unit by a transfer roller and the sensitive drum. The paper sheet subsequently is heated by the fixing unit to fix the toner image.
The fixing unit, in general, has a rotatable heating roller and a rotatable pressing roller which presses the heating roller. The toner image of the paper sheet is heated and fixed by the heating roller and the pressing roller. The heating roller is a rotatable roller. The rotatable roller is an aluminum cylinder, the surface of which is coated with Teflon resin. Moreover, a halogen lamp, which is used as a heating source, is fixed to the cover of the fixing unit and is disposed in the heating roller.
The halogen lamp includes a lamp, both ends of which are fixedly provided with electrodes coated with a coating material such as ceramic. The electrodes that are fixed at the both ends of the lamp are supplied with electricity by a harness connected thereto.
Typically, the halogen lamp that is used in the above-described fixing unit is expensive because the electrodes are previously fixed to both ends thereof and the electrodes are coated with a coating material such as ceramic. Therefore, providing an expensive halogen lamp as the heating source of the fixing unit increases the cost of the fixing unit and thus increases the total cost of the image forming apparatus.
Therefore, using a halogen lamp, whose both ends are not fixedly provided with electrodes and whose electrodes are not coated with a coating material, will reduce the cost of the fixing unit. In other words, using bare lead pins that extend from both ends of the halogen lamp will reduce costs.
However, when a halogen lamp, provided with bare lead pins extending from both ends thereof, is used as the heating source of the fixing unit, a problem arises regarding what structure is used for supplying electricity to the halogen lamp via each of the lead pins.
The halogen lamp is thermally expanded or contracted when it is turned on or off. The lead pins can be fixed with a large fixing force in contact with a conductive material that supplies electricity. However, if such a large fixing force is used, the pins are prevented from moving even if the halogen lamp expands or contracts due to temperature changes. As a result, the stress caused by the thermal expansion or contraction is applied to the joint portion of the lead pins and the lamp bulb to break the lamp bulb. However, if the fixing force between the lead pins and the conductive material is small, the lead pins move when the halogen lamp is thermally expanded or contracted. This movement prevents the lamp bulb from breaking. Electricity, however, may not be stably supplied to the halogen lamp via the conductive material, which prevents the toner image on the paper sheet from being reliably heated and fixed.
The inventor has made experiments and studies under these circumstances and has focused on a static friction force generated between the lead pins of the halogen lamp and the conductive material for supplying electricity. The invention is based on the static friction force which can flexibly move the lead pins when the halogen lamp is thermally expanded or contracted and can stably supply electricity to the lead pins.

Fixing unit that supplies electricity to a lamp of an image forming apparatus irrespective of expansion and contraction of the lamp


Permanent-magnetic hydrodynamic methods and apparatus stabilize a moving, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting, magnetically soft ferromagnetic casting belt against thermal distortion while moving along a mold cavity being heated at its front surface by heat coming from molten metal being cast while being cooled at its reverse surface by flowing pumped liquid coolant. Hydro-magnetic devices are arranged in an array wherein flows of pumped coolant pass through fixedly throttling passageways feeding pressure pockets facing the belt's reverse surface. These pockets are shown rimmed by magnetic pole faces. Coolant issues from the pressure pockets as fast-moving films radiating therefrom and travelling in gaps between the belt's reverse surface and the pole faces. These films cool the belt and apply hydrodynamic forces levitating the belt spaced from the pole faces while the belt is stabilized in even condition by powerful reach-out magnetic attraction forces reaching out from these pole faces and extending across the gaps to the moving belt. Pumped liquid coolant is twice throttled: once in feeding into the pressure pockets and once again in flowing out from the pockets escaping over the pole faces which rim the pockets. A hydro-magnetic array includes powerful permanent magnets formed of unique permanent-magnetic material in magnetic circuits in the array providing reach-out magnetic attraction having unusual characteristics critical to successful operation of disclosed embodiments of the invention. A hydro-pillow array without magnets may be positioned downstream from the hydro-magnetic array.

During the continuous casting of molten metal in a machine using at least one moving, flexible, thin-gauge, heat-conducting casting belt, e.g., a metallic casting belt, it is vitally important that the moving belt remain travelling along a predetermined desired path requiring substantial evenness or flatness of the belt itself despite the presence of hot metal and resultant thermal stresses induced in the belt by intense heat from hot metal entering its front surface while its reverse surface is being cooled by suitable liquid coolant. The continuous casting of molten metals in a machine using at least one such casting belt often has been affected by thermally-induced warping, buckling, fluting or wrinkling (herein called "distortions") of the casting belt. Hazelett et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,937,270; 4,002,197; 4,062,235; and 4,082,101 in FIG. 8 of each Patent and Allyn et al. in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,027 illustrate thermally-induced transverse bucking and fluting occurring in such a casting belt. Thermally-induced warping or wrinkling also has occurred in such belts. These belt distortions can occur quite suddenly, like a sudden popping of a lid on an evacuated container when the lid initially is opened and air rushes into the container. Moreover, these distortions can be erratic and unpredictable as to their extent and their particular locations in a casting belt which is intended to be even, without distortions, as it moves along the mold cavity.
Such thermally-induced distortions are more likely to occur near an input region of the mold cavity where the moving casting belt first experiences intense heating effects of hot molten metal introduced into or soon after its introduction into the moving mold cavity. Near the input region initial freezing of molten metal is occurring or commencing, and belt distortions during such freezing may result in a cast product containing slivers, stains or segregation of alloying constituents. In turn, these defects in the cast product lead to problems of strength, formability, and appearance.
C. W. Hazelett in U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,235 (in Column 7) described upper and lower cooling assemblies for upper and lower chilling bands. These cooling assemblies were identical in operation, and each cooling assembly comprised a plate that may be of some suitable readily magnetized material which formed the soft core of an electromagnet. It was the function of a plate when rendered magnetic by flow of current to pull a band toward itself. To prevent this movement of the band toward the plate, copper or brass spacers were utilized, these spacers allowing a formation of chambers between the band and the plate. In these chambers cooling water was introduced to chill the band. Even though this cooling water was introduced at considerable pressure, and sufficient normally to distort the band, the specification stated it will not do so because of the influence of the magnetic plate holding the band firmly against the rigid spacers. In this way, the specification stated, it is possible to cool the band while guiding it and holding it against distortion, and thereby maintaining accurate gauge of the product.
William Baker et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,193 disclosed apparatus for continuous casting of metal strip between moving belts. The belts were held against closely spaced support surfaces by means of externally applied attractive forces achieved by sub-atmospheric pressure conditions on the reverse side of the belts or magnetic forces employed for the same purpose.
Olivio Sivilotti et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,103 (in Column 2, lines 38-44) stated: "Thus in a practical embodiment of the above-mentioned apparatus, the belt has been drawn against the faces of the closely spaced supports by subatmospheric pressure in the water-filled housing. An alternative arrangement was to provide magnetic means, acting through ferromagnetic supports on a ferromagnetic belt, to hold the belt in the desired path."
The assignee of the present invention, Hazelett Strip-Casting Corporation, experimentally has tried stationary electromagnetic belt-backup finned platens in sliding contact with the reverse surfaces of moving casting belts but without performance which was satisfactory enough to justify their continuance in view of excessive wear and friction. Moreover, these electromagnetic finned platens failed to reliably retain or stabilize the moving casting belt in flat condition.

Permanent-magnetic hydrodynamic methods and apparatus for stabilizing a casting belt in a continuous metal-casting machine


An element arrangement board and method are provided. Where the element size is comparatively small with respect to the distance in element arrangement and the density of arranged elements is low, the elements can also be arranged with certainty and efficiently in a short period of time. The element arrangement board has an arrangement face on which fitting holes for receiving elements are formed and tapered faces are formed around the fitting holes and inclined downwardly toward the fitting holes. Elements to be arranged are mixed in fluid. The fluid is supplied to the arrangement face of the element arrangement board. The elements are acted upon by force toward the fitting holes on the tapered faces so that they are fitted in a self-aligned fashion into the fitting holes and arranged on the element arrangement board.

The present invention relates to an element arrangement board and an element arrangement method for arranging a plurality of elements at predetermined positions. More particularly, the present invention relates to an element arrangement board and an element arrangement method for arranging a plurality of elements in a self-aligning fashion using motion of the elements in fluid.
Conventionally, to arrange and assemble elements in a matrix to an image display apparatus, the elements are formed on a board as in a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel or a plasma display panel (PDP). Alternatively, independent LED packages are disposed on a board as in a light emitting diode (LED) display unit. A conventional image display apparatus such as an LCD or a PDP does not allow element isolation with regard to the pitch of elements or pixels. Therefore, elements are usually formed in a spaced relationship from each other by a pixel pitch of the image display apparatus from the beginning of the process of manufacture.
As one of the latest techniques, a method of arranging elements in a self-aligning fashion on a board has been proposed as a mounting method according to fluid self assembly. In the self-aligning fluid self assembly, a large number of elements after production are transmitted in a flow of liquid until they are received by holes formed on the surface of a film, and the film is transferred together with the elements to an apparatus on which the elements are to be mounted. The holes formed in the film are compatible with the elements to be mounted in terms of the shape. In this manner, the large number of elements are taken out in a state wherein they are retained on such a specific film as described above from the fluid and transferred to the apparatus.
Also another technique has been proposed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,856 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1), Japanese Translation of PCT for Patent No. Hei 9-506742 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-120943 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 3). According to the technique, concave structures for receiving elements are formed on a mounting board on which the elements are to be arranged. Then, in a state wherein the mounting board is placed in the atmospheric air or in fluid, a plurality of semiconductor chips are dispersed so as to be disposed into the concaves in a self-aligning fashion.
The technique disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 mentioned above is illustrated in FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 8, a flat board 10 having holes 11 formed thereon is immersed in fluid 13. Then, elements 12 for display are thrown into the fluid 13 such that they move in and together with the fluid 13 so that they may be fitted into the holes 11 and mounted on the board 10. In element arrangement, since an element miss which is appearance of a hole 11 in which no element 12 is fitted signifies deterioration of the yield, it is necessary to supply the elements 12 into the holes 11 with certainty so that no such element miss may occur.
Where the board 10 is used directly in an image display apparatus or a like apparatus, the distance between the elements 12 is equal to the pixel pitch. This makes the size of the elements 12 small in comparison with the distance in arrangement between the elements 12. Consequently, the density in which the elements 12 are arranged on the board 10 is comparatively low, and the distance over which an element 12 reaches a hole 11 is long and also the time until an element 12 is fitted into a hole 11 is long accordingly. Thus, to fix the elements 12 with a high yield at the pixel positions at which the holes 11 each in the form of a hole are formed, it is necessary to continue the operation until the elements 12 are fitted into the holes 11 with certainty. Therefore, the technique described has a problem in that the time required before the elements 12 are fitted into all of the holes 11 is long and the throughput is low.
Therefore, to allow the elements 12 to be fitted with certainty into the holes 11 in a short period of time, it is necessary to supply an overwhelmingly greater number of elements 12 than the number of holes 11 formed on the board 10 as seen in FIG. 8. Although only some of the great number of elements 12 supplied on the board 10 are fitted into the holes 11, such supply of an overwhelmingly great number of elements 12 raises the probability that all of the holes 11 may be filled with the elements 12 in a short period of time. Therefore, the time required for mounting of the element 12 can be reduced and the mounting yield can be improved. However, where the size of the elements 12 is comparatively small with respect to the distance in arrangement of the elements 12, it is necessary to prepare and supply a number of elements 12 much greater number than the number of elements 12 to be arranged into the fluid. Therefore, the technique described above has a problem in that the required number of parts is great and a high production cost is required.


The graphics display architecture provided by the present invention comprises an AGP slot, a PCIE slot, and a control chip set. The control chip set comprises a plurality of multi-defined pins, which are electrically coupled to the first pins of the AGP slot and the second pins of the PCIE slot simultaneously. When the first graphics adapter is plugged in the AGP slot and the first graphics adapter complies with AGP interface specification, the multi-defined pins serve to send/receive the signal complied with AGP interface specification. When the first graphics adapter is plugged in the AGP slot and the first graphics adapter complies with the Gfx interface, the multi-defined pins serve to send/receive the signal complied with the Gfx interface. When the second graphics adapter is plugged in the PCIE slot, the multi-defined pins serve to send/receive the signal complied wit the PCIE interface specification.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a graphics display circuit architecture, and more particularly, to a graphics display circuit architecture in the computer motherboard and a control chip set therein.
2. Description of Related Art
Besides pursuing improvement in computing capability, high speed graphics function is also a major target for computer system developers. 3D-graphics technique, which requires a great amount of data transmission and prompt interaction, has become broadly adopted, yet entire system performance is degraded thereby. In order to cope with congestion problem incurred at input/output of the system in prior art, a so-called Accelerated Graphics Port (or AGP) interface specification is introduced to directly link graphics chip and control chip set on a motherboard in the industry. The present AGP comprises a variety of operating modes including 1× mode, 2× mode, 4× mode, and 8× mode for transferring data between the graphics chip and the control chip set therein.
In addition, for the control chip set applying to a current computer motherboard, a variety of bus interface specifications is introduced for the north bridge chip and the south bridge chip connecting bus. Wherein conventional Peripheral Component Interconnection (or PCI) bus, Hyper Transport (or HT) bus, VLINK bus (VLINK bus is developed by VIA Technologies, Inc.), and Peripheral Component Interconnection Express (or PCIE) bus are included. Owing to excellent performance, PCIE bus is commonly used in the graphics display circuit architecture on a computer motherboard.
In current graphics display circuit architecture, a plurality of interface specifications are developed for different purposes. For example, conventional analog signal interface for Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) screen; FD interface for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen in a notebook computer; TV input/output interface for image capture; TMDS interface for long distance transmission; Low Voltage Differential Signaling (or LVDS) interface; or Digital Visual Interface (or DVI). Notice that all the foregoing interfaces above are commonly referred as Graphics (or Gfx) interface.
FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a conventional graphics display architecture on a Personal Computer (PC) motherboard. Referring to FIG. 1A, the control chip set 110 is electrically coupled to an 8× mode AGP 8× slot 115, and a graphics adapter (not shown) is plugged in the AGP 8× slot 115. The control chip set 110 controls the graphics adapter to display via the AGP 8× slot with data and control signals complying with AGP 8×-interface specification. FIG. 1B is a schematic view of another conventional graphics display architecture on a PC motherboard. Referring to FIG. 1B, the control chip set 120 is electrically coupled to a PCIE slot 125, and a graphics adapter (not shown) is plugged in the PCIE slot 125. FIG. 1C is a schematic view of yet another conventional graphics display architecture on a PC motherboard. Referring to FIG. 1C, the control chip set 130 is electrically coupled to a graphics interface 135 with the Gfx interface. Optionally, the control chip set 130 can be coupled to an expansion slot 145, whereas a graphics adapter (not shown) with Gfx interface graphics chip is plugged in the expansion slot 145.
As to the conventional graphics display architecture illustrated in FIG. 1A, 1B, and 1C, each interface has a corresponding control chip set and a corresponding slot with different specification, which causes a great inconvenience in circuit design, version control, and inventory control. Despite that it is feasible to optionally generate a display signal via the control chipset or via an external display adapter complying with AGP slot, it does not fulfill PCIE interface requirement quite yet. Thus, an integrated all-in-one interface specification that complies with PCIE, AGP, and Gfx is in great demand, whereas circuit layout and circuit design require to be simplified in order to avoid complication of motherboard design and manufacture processes.

Graphics display architecture and control chip set thereof


In a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having a storage cell array and a peripheral circuit, the thickness of a gate oxide layer of the peripheral circuit area is independent of the formation of an O--N--O insulation layer on the storage cell area. A floating gate of a storage cell array is formed as a first conductive layer on a semiconductor substrate, an O--N--O insulation layer covering the floating gate is formed on the top surface of the substrate, and a gate oxide layer of the peripheral circuit area is formed by making an oxide layer on the top surface of the substrate after removing the O--N--O insulation layer on the top surface of the peripheral circuit area. The O--N--O insulation layer is solely formed on the top and side surfaces of the floating gate in the direction of word lines and absent from side surfaces of the floating gate in the direction of bit lines.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device a method for fabricating, and more particularly to non-volatile semiconductor memory devices having a storage cell array including therein an Electrically Programmable Read-Only-Memory (hereinafter referred to as EPROM) or Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only-Memory (hereinafter referred to as EEPROM) and having a peripheral circuit which consists of MOS transistors.
Among non-volatile semiconductor memory devices, EPROM and EEPROM devices have a floating gate and a control gate deposited on a semiconductor substrate having a source and a drain thereon. Basic structures of the EPROM and EEPROM are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,142.
In general, as disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. patent, an EPROM is programmed by injecting hot electrons to floating gates from channel area and the program is erased by exposing the memory device under ultra-violet rays. Likewise, the EEPROM is programmed by tunneling of electrons from drain area to floating gates and the program is erased by tunneling of electrons from the floating gates to the drain area. Here, the capacitance required for programming operation of EPROM, or programming or erasing operation of EEPROM, is secured by an insulation layer formed between the floating gate and the control gate above the floating gate.
In case of EEPROM, for example, programming or writing operation is performed by tunneling of electrons from a drain to a floating gate by applying a high voltage and a ground voltage to the control gate and the drain, respectively, and floating the source, while erasing or reading operation is performed by tunneling of electrons from the floating gate to the drain by applying a high voltage to the drain and grounding the control gate while the source is in floating state. In programming, a voltage between a floating gate and a substrate can be described by the following expression: ##EQU1## wherein a voltage applied to the control gate is represented by V.sub.pp, a capacitance between the control gate and a floating gate is represented by C.sub.1, a capacitance between the floating gate and a substrate is represented by C.sub.2, a voltage between the floating gate and the substrate is represented by V.sub.FG Here, the larger the V.sub.FG is, the stronger electric field is induced between the floating gate and the substrate, and accordingly the tunneling characteristics of electrons is improved. Hence, in order to improve the tunneling effect of electrons, value of the V.sub.FG needs to be increased. As obvious from the expression (1), increase of the capacitance C.sub.1 between the control gate and the floating gate is required to increase the value of V.sub.FG in a given voltage V.sub.pp. However, since semiconductor devices are nowadays getting more highly integrated and becoming smaller and smaller, which inevitably leads to a reduced space for containing the semiconductor, it is necessary to find a solution to overcome the decrease of capacitance caused by such reduced space of cell occupation in a semiconductor device having storage cell array, which consists of a floating gate memory, and peripheral circuits.
As a solution, it has been proposed to use a O--N--O (Oxide-Nitride-Oxide) layer, which has a greater permittivity than silicon oxide layer, for forming an insulation layer between the floating gate and the control gate. The permittivity of the oxide layer is .epsilon..sub.ox .apprxeq.3.9 and permittivity of the O--N--O layer is .epsilon..sub.sin .apprxeq.7.5. Therefore, the O--N--O insulation can achieve a capacitance of about twice as much as that in the oxide layer insulation, in accordance with the following expression: ##EQU2## when the two layers have the same thickness (t) of insulation layer. Another proposal is to increase area of a capacitor to achieve a larger capacitance.
FIGS. 1A through 1E, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,330, illustrate a part of fabrication process of a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having storage cell array and peripheral circuit according to the prior art. As shown in the figures, a semiconductor substrate 10 has a storage cell area 35 and a peripheral circuit area 40. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, after forming field oxide layer 12 on the semiconductor substrate 10 by employing a known local oxidation process, a gate insulation layer 14 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. And a first polycrystalline silicon layer 16, a first oxide layer 18 made of silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2), a first nitride layer 20 made of silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) and a first photo-resist layer 22 are sequentially formed on the substrate 10, and a given mask pattern is formed thereon. Then, by a local etching process, a floating gate 16 of the storage cell area 35 is formed. The upper surface of the field oxide layer 12 and the bulk silicon substrate 10 of the peripheral circuit area 40 are exposed by this local etching.
As shown in FIG. 1B, after the photo-resist layer 22 is removed, a second oxide layer 26 made of silicon oxide layer is formed on the upper surface of the O--N layer over the storage cell area 35 and the upper surface of the exposed bulk silicon substrate 10 of the peripheral circuit area 40 by employing a thermal oxidation method or oxide deposition. The second oxide layer 26, which is formed on the bulk silicon substrate 10, serves as a gate insulation layer for a MOS transistor of the peripheral area 40. On the other hand, when the second oxide layer 26 is being formed, a first polycrystalline silicon oxide layer 27 is formed onto the side of the floating gate 16 due to a sort of reaction between the polycrystalline silicon exposed on the side of the floating gate 16 and the second oxide layer. Thereafter, a second polycrystalline silicon layer 28 is formed on the top surface of the bulk silicon substrate 10.
As illustrated in FIG. 1C, a second photo-resist layer 30 is coated on the second polycrystalline silicon layer 28. And, after a mask pattern of the second photo-resist layer is formed, a control gate is etched so as to complete formation of a cell array of the storage cell area 35. Then, the second photo-resist layer 30 is removed, and a pattern is formed after coating a third photo-resist layer 32 on the entire surface of the substrate 10 so as to complete formation of a gate 33 of the MOS transistor of the peripheral circuit area 40, as illustrated in FIG. 1D.
FIG. 1E shows a cross-sectional view of a completed semiconductor device having a storage cell and peripheral circuit after the third photo-resist layer 32 is removed. In the drawing, it will be well known that a first polycrystalline silicon oxide layer 27 is thickly formed onto the side of the floating gate, referring to a cross-sectional view 36 in the direction of word line of the storage cell area 35. And it will be also clear that the floating and the control gates are formed in sequence in a bit-line direction, referring to a cross-section view 37 of the bit-line direction.
As understood from the foregoing description, when patterning of the floating gate is carried out after formation of the first polycrystalline silicon layer, the first silicon oxide layer 18 and the nitride layer 20, the O--N (Oxide-Nitride) layer itself alone formed of the silicon oxide layer 18 and nitride layer 20, is not enough to serve as a dielectric layer to block a leakage current caused by electric charge retention or any electric field. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, the O--N--O layer has to be completed by forming the second silicon oxide layer 26 on the nitride layer 20. At this time, the second silicon oxide layer 26 is formed not only on the top surface of the nitride layer 20 of the O--N insulation layer but also on the top surface of exposed silicon substrate of the peripheral circuit area, and is then formed into a thick silicon oxide layer on the side of the floating gate.
As a consequence, the thickness of the gate oxide layer 26 of the peripheral circuit area 40 cannot be properly controlled because the growth rate of the oxide layer is different between on the top surface of the nitride layer 20 of the storage cell area 35 and on the top surface of the exposed silicon substrate. That is, since the second silicon oxide layer 26 formed on the surface of the nitride layer 20 requires a thickness of approximately 30 .ANG. to maintain a sufficiently even layer quality, a thick formation of a gate oxide layer having a thickness of more than at least 300 .ANG. is rendered on the surface of the exposed silicon substrate of the peripheral circuit area while the second silicon oxide layer is growing to such a thickness. Accordingly, the prior art has a drawback in that the thickness of the gate oxide layer of the peripheral circuit area could hardly be controlled in order to obtain an optimum thickness for effective circuit operation.
Attempts to obtain the optimum thickness inevitably result in insufficient layer quality of the second oxide layer 26 on the surface of the nitride layer 20. As these days there has been a trend towards a thinner gate oxide layer in MOS transistors, this drawback has led to further serious problems.
Meanwhile, when the second silicon oxide layer 20 is being formed, the polycrystalline silicon oxide layer 27, which is formed on the side of the floating gate 16, requires a thickness of more than 600 .ANG. in order to get an electric field strength that can be obtained from the insulation layer of O--N--O structure. To meet these conditions, a method of doping the first polycrystalline silicon layer with impurities has been typically employed.
Accordingly, since the first polycrystalline silicon oxide layer 27 is formed with a substantial thickness, the capacitance obtained at the side of the floating gate having the polycrystalline silicon oxide layer 27 as an insulator, can hardly contribute to an increase of the total capacitance. Thus, the capacitance obtained at the storage cell area will be limited to a capacitance that can be obtained at the planar area of the top surface of the floating gate.
That is, the more that the semiconductor devices are integrated, the more that the planar area on the top surface of the floating gate is reduced, while the side area of the floating gate becomes larger. However, since the capacitance obtained at the storage cell area is limited to the capacitance that can be obtained at the planar area of the top surface of the floating gate, there is another drawback that sufficient capacitance for the optimum operation of a semiconductor device cannot be secured.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device having storage cell array and peripheral circuit


The engine equipped with a generator is provided. The stator fixed to the crankcase includes a plurality of iron cores arranged in the circumferential direction about the crankshaft, and coils that are wrapped around the plurality of iron cores. The rotor includes a flywheel that is fastened to the crankshaft by a fixing mechanism, and a plurality of permanent magnets fixed to the flywheel. The fixing mechanism mounts the flywheel on the crankshaft in a position in which the center of one permanent magnet among the plurality of permanent magnets coincides with the center point between two mutually adjacent iron cores among the plurality of iron cores when the piston is at the top-dead-center or the bottom-dead-center.

Known engines include a generator-equipped engine into which a generator is incorporated. The generator is composed of a stator that is fixed to the crankcase, and a rotor that is capable of rotating. The rotor is composed of a flywheel attached to the crankshaft, and a plurality of magnets provided to the flywheel. The plurality of magnets are arranged in the radial direction of the flywheel.
The following process is an example of the procedure for assembling a generator-equipped engine. First, the stator is attached to the crankcase. A piston is then connected to the crankshaft via a connecting rod. Then, the flywheel is mounted on the crankshaft while the piston is positioned at the top-dead-center point. The generator is thereby incorporated into the engine.
When the stator and the magnets are assembled together, a magnetic force occurs between the stator and the magnets. In other words, cogging (magnetic attraction) occurs between the iron cores of the stator and the magnetic poles of the rotor.
When an engine is built or serviced, the piston must be maintained in the top-dead-center position. However, the effects of cogging tend to make it difficult to position the piston near the top-dead-center point. In other words, when the magnetic force that occurs is unstable, this magnetic force causes the flywheel to rotate. When the flywheel rotates, the crankshaft rotates, and the piston moves away from the top-dead-center point. The flywheel must therefore be prevented from rotating about the crankshaft due to the magnetic force during mounting of the flywheel on the crankshaft, thus adding labor to the engine assembly process.
A technique is therefore desired that can facilitate the work of assembling a generator-equipped engine.
A kick-starting engine for a two-wheeled automobile is described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 62-203973 as another engine technique. In order to facilitate kick-starting in the engine described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 62-203973, the engine is configured so that it can easily be detected whether the piston is near the top-dead-center position, which is optimal for kick starting. However, the assembly process is difficult to facilitate even when this type of technique is applied in a generator-equipped engine.

Generator-equipped engine and method for assembling same


Provided is a card-like portable shoehorn, comprising a body, characterized in that: the body is plate-shaped; the body has a thick hard portion, a taper portion, and a thin soft portion; the taper portion tapers toward the thin soft portion; and the thin soft portion is thinner than the thick hard portion. Hence, the thick hard portion and the thin soft portion together operate in a manner to allow a user to stretch the shoe's counter outward with the thick hard portion and exert a force on the thin soft portion with the user's heel so as to bend the thin soft portion, thereby allowing the body to function as a shoehorn.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to shoehorns, and more particularly, to a card-like portable shoehorn whereby a user stretches the shoe's counter outward with the thick hard portion and exerts a force on the thin soft portion with the user's heel so as to bend the thin soft portion, thereby allowing the body to function as a shoehorn.
2. Description of Related Art
A shoehorn or shoe horn is a tool that lets the user put on a shoe more easily. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional shoehorn 2 is essentially plate-shaped and smooth, with one end to be held by a user and the other end functioning as a sliding channel which bends centrally and inward. The conventional shoehorn 2 is traditionally made of metal or wood but is nowadays made mostly of plastic. A user puts the conventional shoehorn 2 into the heel of a shoe in order to put on the shoe easily and quickly.
Although the conventional shoehorn 2 lets the user put on a shoe more easily, its shape compromises its portability. As a result, the conventional shoehorn 2 still has room for improvement.


A steering device includes a handle unit; a steering connection piece; a joint connecting the handle unit to the steering connection piece; a steering connection rod movably connected to the steering connection piece; and a pair of steering rods each rotatably connected to the steering connection rod. In response to a rotation of the handle unit about a first rotational axis, the joint is configured to force the steering connection piece to rotate along with the handle unit about the first rotational axis to cause a shift of the steering connection rod along a first direction perpendicular to the first rotational axis, and the pair of steering rods is configured to rotate about second and third rotational axes, respectively, in response to the shift of the steering connection rod.

When riders ride on ride-on toys, biomimetic four-legged ride-on toys, or ride-on amusement facilities, steering devices of these ride-on toys or amusement facilities according to other approaches may not be able to be flexibly steered. For example, when the rider on the ride-on toy according to other approaches moves up and down, the rider may not be able to freely steer the ride-on toy to turn clockwise or counter clockwise. Thus, the steering experience of such ride-on toys according to other approaches may be poor, and the riders may not have much fun when riding on such ride-on toys. Therefore, the inventor(s) propose(s) a steering device which in some embodiments provides a more flexible steering experience regardless of the up or down moving status of the rider of the ride-on toy. Such steering device can also let the rider simulate the image and feel close to the real "horse riding" experience, so that the rider can get fun from the riding.


An output compensating device capable of effectively correcting pixel signals composing an image taken and output by the image sensor having a wide dynamic range to be adaptively displayed with high quality and high contrast on a viewable screen area by using means for detecting a minimal value and a maximal value of sensor (pixel) signals output from the image sensor to be displayed on the screen area, means for offsetting the detected minimal value of the sensor signal to a lower limit value of the screen area and means for adjusting a gain of the sensor signal in such a way that an output width determined by the detected minimal and maximal values of the sensor signals may be equal to the maximal width or a specified width of the screen area.

The present invention relates to an output compensating device for compensating for variations in pixel outputs of an image sensor.
In a conventional MOS type image sensor, a light sensor circuit used as a unit pixel comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a photo-diode PD operating as a photoelectric converting element for producing a sensor current proportional to the quantity of incident light Ls falling thereon, a transistor Q1 having a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state for converting the sensor current produced in the photodiode into a voltage signal Vpd, a transistor Q2 for amplifying the voltage signal Vpd and a transistor Q3 for outputting a sensor signal Vo in accordance with a timing pulse of a readout signal Vs and which circuit is characterized by its a wide dynamic range obtained by giving the output a logarithmic characteristic, thereby achieving the high sensitivity of detecting a light signal.
The above-described light sensor circuit of the image sensor can produce a sensor current in the transistor Q1 while a sufficient quantity of light Ls is falling on the photodiode PD and therefore detect a light signal at a response speed sufficient not to produce an afterimage of the pixel owing to a relatively small value of resistance of the transistor Q1. However, since the transistor Q1 is set to operate with resistance increased by one order when a current therein decreases by one order, decreasing the current flowing in the transistor Q1 with a decrease in the quantity of incident light Ls falling on the photodiode PD causes the transistor Q1 to rapidly increase its resistance. At the same time, a time constant of the circuit containing a parasitic capacitor C of the photodiode PD with the increased resistance is increased to elongate time necessary for removing electric charge accumulated in the parasitic capacitor C. Consequently, an afterimage can be viewed for a longer duration as the quantity of incident light Ls decreases.
FIG. 6 shows a characteristic change of the voltage signal Vpd when the sensor current of the photodiode PD rapidly changed from IE-10A to IE-15A. As is apparent from the characteristic of FIG. 6, if a pixel signal Vo is output at an interval of 1/30 seconds at a small sensor current of 1E-12A with a small quantity of light falling on the photodiode PD, the voltage signal Vpd cannot be saturated within the above time interval. Thus, the saturation time of a voltage signal Vpd corresponding to a sensor current in the photodiode PD with a decreased quantity of incident light thereto also increases. Therefore, if a pixel signal Vo is output in accordance with timing pulses of a reading signal Vs as shown in FIG. 8, then an output appears with an afterglow that may be of a higher level at an earlier time. In FIG. 8, Vpd′ designates an inverse amplified voltage signal produced by the amplifying transistor Q2.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-329616 discloses a conventional MOS transistor type image sensor composed of a number of a light sensor circuits arranged to form a matrix of pixels, each of which can produce in a photoelectric converting element a sensor current proportional to the quantity of incident light when the image sensor is taking a picture and convert the sensor current into a voltage signal by a MOS type transistor having a logarithmic output characteristic in a weak inverse state and which is also capable of initializing itself before detecting a pixel signal Vo by removing electric charge accumulated in a parasitic capacitor C of the photodiode PD by changing a drain voltage VD of the transistor Q1 to a level lower than a normal for a specified period. This enables the light sensor circuit to immediately obtain a voltage signal corresponding to the quantity of incident light Ls at that time even if a sensor current rapidly changed. Thus, the light sensor circuit may not cause an afterglow of the pixel even with a small quantity of incident light Ls.
As shown in FIG. 3, the above-described light sensor circuit may output a signal with a logarithmic characteristic at a normal quantity of sensor current corresponding to a normal quantity of incident light falling on a photodiode but it may not maintain the logarithmic output characteristic and may have a substantially linear output characteristic at a decreased sensor current due to a delay of charging the parasitic capacitor of the photodiode. In FIG. 3, WA represents a region of responding with a non-logarithmic characteristic output and WB represents a region of responding with a logarithmic characteristic output.
In case of applying an image sensor using the above-described light sensor circuits for taking an image of, for example, a white divisional line indicated on a road ahead of a vehicle running thereon by using an automatic running control system, it can always provide a high quality road image clearly indicating the white line on the road owing to its wide dynamic range enough to take the image of the subject under severe conditions, e.g., with a great change in brightness of the subject while taking video day and night or when taking video from an entrance or an exit of a tunnel. However, the image sensor using light sensor circuits each presenting a unit pixel and having a logarithmic output characteristic cannot effectively use its wide dynamic range if an output range of each sensor (pixel) signal is narrower than a viewable screen area DA for displaying an image taken by the image sensor as shown in FIG. 9.
On the other hand, a constant difference of brightness between a white line and a road is maintained day and night, sensor signals detected by respective light sensor circuits can represent a constant difference of luminosity and can be easily processed by logarithmic operation.
The light sensor circuit having the logarithmic output characteristic and provided with a means for initializing itself for preventing the occurrence of an afterimage may not exhibit its logarithmic output characteristic at a small sensor current produced in a photodiode PD in accordance with a small quantity of light falling thereon (with low level of illumination) as shown in FIG. 3 because of a delay in charging a parasitic capacitor of the photodiode.
The image sensor thus constructed, specifically, using light sensor circuits possessing a logarithmic output characteristic involves such a problem that the image sensor may not effectively use its wide dynamic range if an output range of each sensor (pixel) signal is narrower than a display screen area DA for displaying an image taken by the image sensor.
In an image sensor using light sensor circuits each of which represents a unit pixel and works in such a manner that, when taking an image by the image sensor, sensor current corresponding to a quantity of incident light is produced and converted by a photoelectric element into an electric voltage having a logarithmic characteristic in a weak inverse state using the sub-threshold region property of the transistor and, then, a sensor signal corresponding to the voltage signal is produced and output while initializing itself before detecting a pixel signal by removing electric charge accumulated in a parasitic capacitor C of the photodiode PD by changing a drain voltage of the transistor to a level lower than a normal for a specified period, there is still a problem that each light sensor circuit may loose its logarithmic output characteristic at a low level of illumination.


A conductor torquing system is provided for large diameter threaded conductor casing which comprises a lower chain vise or fixed grip head adapted to grip a first joint of conductor casing, a plurality of movable arms operable to apply a retaining force to a second joint of conductor casing to maintain the latter in rotational contact with a spinning means. The spinning means is operable to rotationally make-up the second joint of conductor casing to the first joint of conductor casing to an initial make-up torque valve. The apparatus also includes an upper chain vise or rotary grip head for gripping the second joint of conductor casing and applying a final make-up torque to the threaded connection. The apparatus will allow a conductor connection to be made-up in a safe and efficient manner and generally assist in reaching the final torque stage more rapidly.

Large diameter threaded conductor casings and piles are commonly used in drilling wells in the oil and gas industry, particularly for offshore wells. Typical conductor casing sizes used in the oil and gas industry range from 16 inches to 48 inches in diameter. Large diameter threaded tubulars are also used as pilings to secure offshore structures to the seafloor. These pilings may range from 16 inches to 48 inches and larger in diameter. These tubulars typically come in joints that are 30 to 40 feet in length with a threaded pin member on one end and a threaded box member on the other end.
Make-up of such large diameter threaded conductor casings typically requires rotating an upper joint so that its threaded pin member can screw into and make-up with the threaded box member of a stationary joint located in the rotary table. Currently, most conductor make-up service companies use rope to rotate or spin the upper joint of casing to partially make-up the connection. Two manual rig tongs are then connected to the two joints of conductor pipe, one above and one below the threaded connection, to torque the connection to the final make-up value. Other conductor make-up service companies may use a power tong to rotate or spin the upper joint of casing to make-up the connection. A separate manual tong is used on the bottom joint of casing to provide backup support to prevent the lower joint from rotating relative to the first joint of casing.
The current method of making up large diameter threaded connections is a hazardous process at best, involving several pieces of large, cumbersome equipment and several personnel working on the rig floor. There are safety hazards with the use of a rope for spinning pipe and in the handling and manipulation of both manual and powered tongs.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method of making up, or breaking out, large diameter threaded conductor casing which reduce the potential for injury to the operator and equipment and to create a more cost effective, efficient operation. The present invention is directed to a system and method which addresses this need for running large diameter threaded casings and/or piles. The invention also has application in the make-up or break-out of large diameter threaded tubulars in the horizontal mode, such as the laying of new pipeline.


Disclosed is an integrated wireless head protection garment and harness, to a head protection garment and harness with an integrated wireless communication device including a head garment for wearing by a wearer, a harness attached to the head garment, and a wireless communication device attached to the harness. The wireless communication device includes a casing that houses a micro-processing unit and a wireless module along with a depressible button. Depression of the depressible button by the wearer initiates communication of sensor data including at least an event signal to another device by means of the micro-processing unit and the wireless module over a wireless communication network. The micro-processing unit and the wireless module facilitate 2-way communication with the wearer of the wireless communication device.

Generally, individuals, who are working in various industries, are required to wear head protection garments, otherwise head injuries may be sustained. For example, in many industrial working environments, such as mining, power, construction, and forestry, the risk of head injury to the individuals is constantly present. The most serious risks are physical injuries, which can be as a result of the impact of a falling object or collision with fixed or moving objects at the workplaces. Due to the nature of these work activities, it is not always possible to eliminate such risks with just appropriate organizational solutions or collective protective equipment. Therefore, the only way to ensure the safety of the individuals is by using safety helmets. The type of helmet will depend on the specific nature of the physical risks that have been identified in the risk assessment undertaken for the activity.
Even though the use of the safety helmets by the individuals at these workplaces has increased tremendously due to the compulsory implementation of the standardized governing guidelines, various types of on-site incidents at these workplaces are on the rise resulting in loss of lives and properties. One of the main reasons for such incidents is lack of proper communication among various workers and/or with an external entity. With poor communication, the workers end up going to the workplaces that are not suitable for working and hence get trapped, resulting into fatal accidents. Furthermore, due to the lack of timely communication, the external entity fails to facilitate timely rescue operations or medical treatment that may cause loss of lives (or life-long disabilities) and properties. Even if the rescue team reaches the incident location, it becomes a hefty challenge for the rescue team to find the exact location of each individual. In one solution currently being used at these workplaces where multiple individuals wearing head protection garments are present in a defined location, the standard approach to monitor the attendance, location, and safety of these individuals is to rely on each garment wearer to carry mobile devices such as pagers, mobile phones, or other communication devices about their body. However, communication with multiple mobile devices across a defined location presents difficulties for site management due to the need to supply mobile devices to every individual on site, ensure the mobile devices are retained in personal contact at all times, and also the provision of location wide communication to all, or selection, of mobile devices.
Few references were located describing the safety of the individuals working at such locations. For example, U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,298,258 describes about a construction hard hat having electronic circuitry. In this patent, personnel activity at a construction site is tracked using the electronic circuitry included in hard hats worn by personnel at the site. The electronic circuitry monitors the location of the personnel working at the construction site. One or more messages are generated based on the location information and are used to warn the particular personnel that they have entered an unauthorized area at the construction site.
Additionally, U.S. patent application US20090199317 describes about a hard hat involving wireless data transmission. This invention is characterized by a device at which the hard hat is equipped with a transponder which is just an additional device, and in turn, is data connected with several measuring sensors arranged in and at the hard hat. The transponder is also connected with an antenna located in the upper part of the hard hat. This antenna is able to transmit as omnidirectional wave. Thus, the invention has its own limitation of communication.
Further, U.S. patent application US20060057972 describes an adapter for a modular wireless communication device. The invention describes an additional device that is attached to the helmet as a speaking and hearing device. The device is not an integral part of the safety helmet.
Yet another solution disclosed in U.S. patent application US20130265745 describes a light integrated hard hat that includes a protective head covering having a crown and a brim. The invention uses a first mechanism for producing an illumination carried within the casing behind the open window. The invention further uses a second mechanism for supplying electrical power to the illumination producing mechanism, so as to provide a projected focused beam through the open window of the casing. Thus, the invention describes about an additional device for guiding the users.
Furthermore, another identified U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,628 describes a helmet suspension having a ratchet assembly that is adjustable. The assembly has no metal parts and is therefore suitable for use around electricity and electrical apparatus. The invention does not describe about communication among devices or individuals.
Yet another identified U.S. patent application US20090199326 describes about a retractable earplug assembly for a hard hat which is an additional device for the hard hat that provides protection to the individuals against the insalubrious sounds generated at these workplaces.
In light of the foregoing, there exists a need for a technical and more reliable solution that solves the above-mentioned problems and provides a head protection garment and harness with remote communication capability as its integral part that can receive as well as transmit data both individually or as a part of communication network.

Integrated wireless head protection garment and harness


Proteasome inhibitors are useful for treating dry eye disorders and other disorders requiring the wetting of the eye.

Dry eye, also known generically as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is a common ophthalmological disorder affecting millions of Americans each year. The condition is particularly widespread among post-menopausal women due to hormonal changes following the cessation of fertility. Dry eye may afflict an individual with varying severity. In mild cases, a patient may experience burning, a feeling of dryness, and persistent irritation such as is often caused by small bodies lodging between the eye lid and the eye surface. In severe cases, vision may be substantially impaired. Other diseases, such as Sjogren's disease and cicatricial pemphigoid manifest dry eye complications.
Although it appears that dry eye may result from a number of unrelated pathogenic causes, all presentations of the complication share a common effect, that is the breakdown of the pre-ocular tear film, which results in dehydration of the exposed outer surface and many of the symptoms outlined above (Lemp, Report of the National Eye Institute/Industry Workshop on Clinical Trials in Dry Eyes, The CLAO Journal, volume 21, number 4, pages 221–231 (1995)).
Practitioners have taken several approaches to the treatment of dry eye. One common approach has been to supplement and stabilize the ocular tear film using so-called artificial tears instilled throughout the day. Other approaches include the use of ocular inserts that provide a tear substitute or stimulation of endogenous tear production.
Examples of the tear substitution approach include the use of buffered, isotonic saline solutions, aqueous solutions containing water soluble polymers that render the solutions more viscous and thus less easily shed by the eye. Tear reconstitution is also attempted by providing one or more components of the tear film such as phospholipids and oils. Phospholipid compositions have been shown to be useful in treating dry eye; see, e.g., McCulley and Shine, Tear film structure and dry eye, Contactologia, volume 20(4), pages 145–49 (1998); and Shine and McCulley, Keratoconjunctivitis sicca associated with meibomian secretion polar lipid abnormality, Archives of Ophthalmology, volume 116(7), pages 849–52 (1998). Examples of phospholipid compositions for the treatment of dry eye are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,651 (Shah et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,325 (Packman), U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,205 (Shively), U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,744,980 and 4,883,658 (Holly), U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,088 (Glonek), U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,104 (Gressel et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,151 (Korb et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,607 (Glonek et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,108 (Korb et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,586 (Glonek et al.). U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,988 (Mautone et al.) discloses phospholipid drug delivery systems involving phospholipids, propellants and an active substance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,759 (Urquhart) discloses the use of ocular inserts in the treatment of dry eye. Other semi-solid therapy has included the administration of carrageenans (U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,841, Lang) which gel upon contact with naturally occurring tear film.
Another approach involves the provision of lubricating substances in lieu of artificial tears. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,537 (Guo) discloses the use of a lubricating, liposome-based composition, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,807 (Hu et al.) discloses compositions containing glycerin and propylene glycol for treating dry eye.
Aside from efforts directed primarily to the alleviation of symptoms associated with dry eye, methods and compositions directed to treatment of the dry eye condition have also been pursued. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,434 (Lubkin) discloses the use of sex steroids, such as conjugated estrogens, to treat dry eye conditions in post-menopausal women; U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,572 (MacKeen) discloses the use of finely divided calcium ion compositions to stimulate pre-ocular tear film production; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,773 (Gressel et al.) discloses the use of microfine particles of one or more retinoids for ocular tissue normalization.
Although these approaches have met with some success, problems in the treatment of dry eye nevertheless remain. The use of tear substitutes, while temporarily effective, generally requires repeated application over the course of a patient's waking hours. It is not uncommon for a patient to have to apply artificial tear solution ten to twenty times over the course of the day. Such an undertaking is not only cumbersome and time consuming, but is also potentially very expensive. Transient symptoms of dry eye associated with refractive surgery have been reported to last in some cases from six weeks to six months or more following surgery.
The use of ocular inserts is also problematic. Aside from cost, they are often unwieldy and uncomfortable. Further, as foreign bodies introduced in the eye, they can be a source of contamination leading to infections. In situations where the insert does not itself produce and deliver a tear film, artificial tears must still be delivered on a regular and frequent basis.
The 20S proteasome is a complex of several enzymes that functions to degrade certain cellular proteins. Besides its involvement in the removal of misfolded or otherwise abnormal proteins, the proteasome also constitutes an integral part of several signaling mechanisms. One of these pathways involves inflammatory responses mediated by the nuclear transcription factor NF-κB. In its quiescent state NF-κB exists as a heterodimer with the protein Iκ-Bα, which masks the nuclear localization signals and DNA binding domain of the former protein. Under inflammatory conditions Iκ-Bα is phosphorylated, causing a conformational change which results in its tagging with multiple copies of the ubiquitin protein. Ubiquinated Iκ-Bα is recognized and degraded by the proteasome, which liberates NF-κB. The free protein is translocated to the nucleus, where it binds to the appropriate DNA sequence and upregulates the production of several inflammatory mediators, such as COX-2, iNOS, IL-1, and TNF-α. Inhibiting the activity of the proteasome may therefore represent a potential strategy for reducing excessive inflammation.
Some recent literature reports suggest that patients suffering from dry eye syndrome disproportionately exhibit the hallmarks of excessive inflammation in relevant ocular tissues, such as the lacrimal and meibomian glands. The use of the following types of pharmaceutically active compounds to treat dry eye patients has been disclosed: steroids [e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,912; Marsh, et al., Topical nonpreserved methylprednisolone therapy for keratoconjunctivitis sicca in Sjogren syndrome, Ophthalmology, 106(4): 811–816 (1999); Pflugfelder, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,607], cytokine release inhibitors (Yanni, J. M.; et. al. WO 0003705 A1), cyclosporine A [Tauber, J. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 1998, 438 (Lacrimal Gland, Tear Film, and Dry Eye Syndromes 2), 969], and 15-HETE (Yanni et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,166). Additionally, while proteasome inhibitors, have been disclosed as antiinflammatory agents for the treatment of various non-ocular (e.g., septic shock, ischemia-reperfusion injury, cancer, and graft rejection; see U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,903, WO 0043000, WO 0064863, WO 9922729, WO 9915183, WO 9835691, and WO 9632105) and ocular diseases (glaucoma and damage due to ocular surgery; see Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 10036289 A2, Chemical Abstracts Accession Number 128:226254), the use of proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of dry eye syndrome has not been previously suggested or disclosed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Use of proteasome inhibitors to treat dry eye disorders


This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for provisioning components. For instance, a component may be initially provisioned by a first system. To initially provision the component, the component may receive first data representing a uniform device type, a device identifier, a serial number, and/or a first certificate chain. The component may then store the first data in memory. Additionally, the component may be provisioned using a second system. To provision the component, the component may receive second data representing a product device type, a code, and a second certification chain. The second data received during the second provisioning may be associated with one more capabilities of a device. The component may then store the second data in the memory.

As the processing power available to devices continues to increase, it has become practical to interact with users in new ways. For example, smart-home devices may include capabilities that users can activate through voice commands or applications executing on mobile devices. In order for these smart-home devices to operate, the smart-home devices may include network components that communicate via a network with other devices. These other devices may be proximate to the smart-home devices, such as within the same environment as the smart-home devices, or these other devices may be remote from the smart-home devices.