An algorithm is provided for reducing distortion in an image captured by a camera or other imaging system having more than one optical viewpoint. The algorithm can use a captured image, statistical information regarding the depths of scene objects, and information regarding the geometrical characteristics of the imaging system to generate an approximation of a perspective projection representing the scene. The virtual viewpoint of the approximate perspective projection is selected so as to reduce distortion. The resulting image has less distortion than that of an image generated under an assumption that scene objects are infinitely distant. In addition, the parameters of any distortion reducing function can be optimized by minimizing an objective function representing the amount of image distortion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to imaging methods and systems, and more particularly to methods and systems for reducing distortion of single-viewpoint projections derived from images captured by non-single viewpoint imaging systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical imaging system receives one or more rays of light from each point in a scene being imaged. In a classic "pinhole" camera, a single ray of light is received from each scene point and is projected upon one point of a detector (e.g., a piece of film or CCD image detector array). In an imager which uses one or more lenses to collect more light than would otherwise be collected using a simple pinhole camera, a bundle of light rays is received from each scene point and is focused onto a single point of a focal plane within the imager. Each bundle of light emanating from a scene point is considered to have a chief ray which can be used to define the direction in which the scene point is located with respect to the field of view of the imager. Many conventional imaging systems are designed to have a single "viewpoint"—a point of intersection of all of the chief rays of the bundles of light received from the various scene points. The viewpoint can also be referred to as a "virtual pinhole".
FIG. 5A schematically illustrates an example of a single viewpoint imaging system. Incoming light rays 504 are effectively received by the system through a single viewpoint 502. The incoming light rays are projected—either directly or through internal optical components—onto an imaging plane 510 in the form of rays 508. A detector 506—which can include, for example, a piece of film or a CCD image detector array—is located at the imaging plane 510, and receives and detects the internal rays 508. The detector 506 generates, from the internal rays 508, an image which is a "perspective projection" of the scene as it would look if viewed directly from the virtual viewpoint 502.
The concept of a perspective projection can be further understood with reference to FIG. 5B. From a virtual viewpoint 502, geometric rays 514 and 524 can be considered to extend to various points (e.g., point 522) in the scene 512. If an arbitrarily-defined projection plane 510 is located between the virtual viewpoint 502 and the scene 512, a ray 514 extending from the viewpoint 502 to a scene point 522 intersects the plane 510 at a point 516. The set of points 516 in the projection plane 510 can be pixels representing, e.g., the brightness of each of the scene points 522. The set of such points 516 is considered to be a perspective projection (a/k/a/ a "perspective view"). It is desirable to obtain a perspective view (i.e., a perspective projection) of the scene 512, because within the field of view covered by the perspective projection, any other arbitrary perspective projection can be generated—i.e., a perspective projection can be generated using any other arbitrary plane. Furthermore, any arbitrary perspective projection of the scene 512—if viewed from the same distance and direction as those of the viewpoint 502 from which the perspective projection was generated—looks exactly as the scene 512 would look if viewed directly.
FIG. 5B also illustrates the projection of the scene 512 onto a cylinder 520. Such a projection can be referred to as a "panoramic projection." For example, a point 518 on the panoramic projection would be located at the intersection of ray 514 and the cylinder 520. Similarly, to a perspective projection, a panoramic projection can also be used to reconstruct how the scene would look if viewed directly from the viewpoint 502 used to generate the panoramic projection.
However, many imaging systems do not have a single viewpoint; in other words, not all of the chief rays of the bundles of light rays received by the imager intersect at a single point. Non-single viewpoint imagers can provide advantages such as wider field of view. However, unlike an image captured from a single viewpoint imager, an image captured by a non-single viewpoint imager typically cannot be used to generate an accurate, undistorted perspective view—or, in fact, any other single-viewpoint image—unless additional information regarding the scene geometry is available.
An example of a typical, non-single viewpoint imaging system is a fish-eye lens based system. Such a system is illustrated in FIG. 6. The illustrated system includes front objective lenses 606 which receive incoming rays 608. The incoming light is sent to a set of relay lenses 604 which focus the light unto an imaging plane 602. Such a system which includes lenses, but no reflective elements, can be referred to as a "dioptric" system.
Some imaging systems utilize reflective elements, rather than lenses, to capture images. Such systems can be referred to as "catoptric" systems. Examples of catoptric imaging systems are illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C. Each of the systems 702 illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C includes a pinhole camera 704 having a pinhole 708, and a reflector 706. In the system illustrated in FIG. 7A, the reflector 706 is spherical, and the camera 704 is positioned directly above the reflector 706. Such a system is an example of a catoptric system which does not have a single viewpoint. Accordingly, an image captured with such a system would not be a perspective view. The system can also be configured such that the camera 704 is not directly above the reflector 706, as illustrated in FIG. 7B. Furthermore, although the reflector 706 in the systems 702 illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B is spherical, non-spherical reflector surfaces have also been used, as illustrated in FIG. 7C.
In addition, although the above discussion refers to a camera 704 having an actual pinhole 708, most conventional cameras include lenses. Such a lens-based camera, if used as the camera 704 in one of the systems illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, would form a system including both mirrors and lenses. Such a system having both mirrors and lenses can be referred to as a "catadioptric" system.
Catadioptric systems such as those illustrated in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are capable of imaging extremely wide fields of view—significantly greater than 180° in certain configurations. However, such systems typically tend to be non-single viewpoint systems. Consequently, the wide field of view is obtained by sacrificing the ability to generate undistorted perspective views.

Method and apparatus for reducing distortion in images


A disposable absorbent article comprising a first waist region, a second waist region, a crotch region disposed between the first waist region and second waist region; a first waist edge and a second waist edge; the disposable absorbent article comprising a first waistband near the first waist edge and a second waistband near the second waist edge, wherein the Front-to-Back Delta Chassis Contraction is greater than about 9.0%.

Many diapers on the market today have waistbands or waist stretch elements in which a laminate of nonwovens and elastics strands are combined with the chassis under some tension. Elastic strands are the most cost effective way to get stretch that exhibits little relax or set over time. Nonwovens are preferred for the exterior of the waist material because it is breathable and softer than film alternatives. Some executions of applied waistband consist of elastics stretched in the process and applied transversely to the length of the product sandwiched in between some body-facing and some garment-facing material.
Other executions create a laminate of elastic strands and nonwoven and apply the laminate to the chassis under contraction transversely to the length of the product on the body-facing side such that the only material between the elastics and the body surface is a nonwoven in the waistband region. It is known that contraction around the waist will improve the perceived fit of the product by closing gaps at the back of the diaper, therefore, closing of these gaps could positively impact real or perceived leakage/containment. It is also known that when strands of elastic are combined under strain with other often non-extensible materials and then allowed to relax, they will create a laminate that has gathers of a certain frequency and a resulting basis weight that is higher than the starting materials laid flat. Since waistbands or stretch elements around the waist are added at full strain, when pulled tight during application, the waistbands fully extend or flatten around the waist area resulting in a basis weight around the waist similar to the starting materials. Therefore, a need exists to improve waist and leg band construction and application to the chassis to improve fit and leakage containment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Absorbent article with waistband having contraction


An apparatus comprises an emissions trap and a loading determination device. The emissions trap is configured to trap emissions present in exhaust gas and comprises a first local region and a second local region. The loading determination device is configured to determine emissions loading of the first local region and emissions loading of the second local region. An associated method is disclosed.

Emissions traps are used to trap and thus remove emissions from exhaust gas to reduce discharge of emissions to the atmosphere. From time to time, emissions traps are "regenerated." During such regeneration events, emissions trapped by an emissions trap are purged therefrom for further use of the emissions trap.
A soot trap is one type of emissions trap. A soot trap is used to trap and thus remove soot from exhaust exhaust. It is regenerated by burning off the soot trapped thereby.
A NOx trap is another type of emissions trap. A NOx trap is used to trap and thus remove NOx (i.e., oxides of nitrogen) from exhaust gas when the exhaust gas is relatively lean (i.e., has excess oxygen). The NOx trap is regenerated in the presence of a NOx-reducing agent [e.g., fuel, hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide].

Method and apparatus for determining local emissions loading of emissions trap


A lawn rake with debris pickup capability is disclosed. The lawn rake is particularly useful as an implement for raking leaves/debris from a grassy lawn into piles, then to encircle/grasp the debris pile for lifting, transport and dumping. In using the Lawn rake, the operator does not have to bend over to pick up leaf/debris piles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rake implement, for sifting/combing leaves/debris from a grassy lawn, which also has the capability for leaf/debris pile pickup for transport and dumping.
2. Prior Art
Attempts have been made in the past to provide leaf rakes or lawn combing devices that will have low frictional drag (as used in the raking process) and can store a growing quantity of leaves as they are being raked from a lawn. In addition, the picking up of leaves, after they have been gathered into small piles from raking, has been done by using a shovel, pitchfork, a second leaf rake to entrap the leaf pile between the two rakes, or use of the hand to push the leaf pile against the inside surface of the leaf rake's rack assembly to trap the leaf pile for lifting. Other means, such as raking a quantity of leaves onto a large surface cloth sprawled on the ground to allow them to be bundled together to be dragged away, or pushing a pile with a shovel, or other means such as hand pressing them into a trash can laid over on its side.
Relevant prior art devices used for raking leaves are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,137,608 issued on Nov. 22, 1938 to W. K. Flavin and U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,483 entitled "Multi-Purpose Household Garden and Yard Hand Tool," issued to Dave H. Hamilton. This latter patented device has a bag attached to the rake which the operator manipulates to scoop up a pile of leaves.
Known leaf rakes are usually comprised of a rake assembly having tines that extend outward from a triangularly shaped plate-like frame at one end, and mounting means for its attached handle at the other end. Leaf rakes are commonly used to gather and remove fallen leaves from a grassy lawn without damaging the lawn surface or the grass growing therein. Many popular present-day leaf rakes are made of plastic (reinforced with metal) having multiple tines (which are long narrow contoured rectangular strips that extend outward from a triangularly shaped base). Rakes with designs such as this, tend to rub leaves off the grass and considerable effort (energy) must be exerted to separate leaves from the grass matt in applying a downward/pulling force. The greater the downward pulling force exerted in raking, the greater the frictional resistance to pulling the rake. An increase in frictional resistance, requires more work (Force X Displacement) to be exerted/expended in the raking process.
Still other types of leaf rakes utilize tines of contoured wire that are operated in raking just as the aforementioned rake types. There is a variety of hand operated rake types on the commercial market, they all are operated in a manner similar to that described above. They differ mostly in their composition materials. Leaf rake types now in use for separating leaves from lawn grass do the job, while requiring the exertion of considerable effort (work, energy), including bending over by the operator to grasp and pick up the leaf pile, or pulling along a growing pile of gathered leaves for eventual pickup and disposal.
Conventional garden rakes, which usually have short stiff metal blunt pointed tines, cannot be used successfully in raking leaves from lawn grass, as the tines tend to dig into the turf (which inhibits smooth raking) and damage it. However, ordinary rakes (lawn or leaf) do not have the physical structure for being used to grasp and pick up a pile of leaves to transport it.
None of the aforesaid prior art and no other means, known to this applicant, attempts to utilize outrider skis in combination with an adjustable (up and down) tine rack that can enable the rake operator to selectively alter and control the depth of penetration of the rake's tines into the grass. Also, no other hand operated lawn rake device utilizes an attached second rack, a prong rack, for grasping a leaf/debris pile for lifting/transporting. No other leaf rake offers an adjustable tine rack that is fitted with contoured circular rod tines, contoured flat tines or alternating combination of flat and rod tines that can provide regular raking capability and/or the combing capability. Still another embodiment of the lawn comb utilizes a jointed spring-loaded prong rack that bends from the action of its V-shaped coil springs to facilitate the encircling and grasping of a leaf/debris pile.


A system and method for detecting damage to a structure is provided. The system includes a voltage source and at least one capacitor formed as a layer within the structure and responsive to the voltage source. The system also includes at least one sensor responsive to the capacitor to sense a voltage of the capacitor. A controller responsive to the sensor determines if damage to the structure has occurred based on the variance of the voltage of the capacitor from a known reference value. A method for sensing damage to a structure involves providing a plurality of capacitors and a controller, and coupling the capacitors to at least one surface of the structure. A voltage of the capacitors is sensed using the controller, and the controller calculates a change in the voltage of the capacitors. The method can include signaling a display system if a change in the voltage occurs.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Generally, in operation, mobile platforms can be subjected to high-velocity impacts from debris. This is especially so with high-speed mobile platforms, such as jet aircraft. These high-velocity impacts can cause damage to the mobile platform, the extent of which may or may not be readily visually detectable by the crew. Currently, damage detection in mobile platforms is labor intensive and many damage detection apparatuses require a portion of the mobile platform to be disassembled, which is time consuming and costly. In addition, some forms of damage detection may not be compatible with mobile platforms that are composed of certain materials. Many presently available damage detection systems also are unable to be used on jet aircraft while in-flight, which can be undesirable. Such systems require the aircraft to remain at a specified location for maintenance testing, which can result in lost service time for the aircraft if it is ultimately determined that an impact occurrence did not result in any structural damage to the aircraft.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a damage detection system that provides for even more efficient damage detection, and also damage detection that can be used while a mobile is traveling en route to a given destination.

Three-dimensional structural damage localization system and method using layered two-dimensional array of capacitance sensors


A method provided in the present application for implementing a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) includes: a user equipment (UE) determining an Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe; and the UE receiving an SPS transmission data packet in the MBSFN subframe, in order to achieve semi-persistent scheduling via a MBSFN subframe.

A Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) provides a multimedia broadcast/multicast service for a user in a radio cell. In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, an MBMS can be provided at both a frequency layer specific to the MBMS and a frequency layer shared with a non-MBMS service. An LTE cell supporting an MBMS can be an MBMS-specific cell or an MBMS and unicast hybrid cell. An MBMS can be transmitted in a single cell or in a plurality of cells. Multi-cell transmission of an MBMS needs to support a Multimedia Broadcast multicast service Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) transmission mode.
The MBSFN transmission mode refers to synchronous transmission in a plurality of cells at the same frequency at the same time. The use of this transmission mode can save a frequency resource and improve a spectrum utilization ratio. It requires the plurality of cells to transmit the same content at the same time, thus a User Equipment (UE) can regard the plurality of MBSFN cells as a large cell. Therefore, the UE cannot be subject to interference of a signal from an adjacent cell but can benefit from superposition of signals from the plurality of MBSFN cells. Both the MBMS-specific cell and the MBMS and unicast hybrid cell can adopt the MBSFN transmission mode. Moreover, if an advanced UE receiver technology is utilized, the problem of a time difference in multi-path propagation can be addressed, to eliminate intra-cell interference. A diversity effect resulting from such multi-cell transmission at the same frequency can further address the problem of coverage of a dead zone, to enhance the reliability of reception and improve a coverage ratio.
MBMS multi-cell transmission have the follow technical features:
There is synchronous transmission of an MBMS in an MBSFN area;
Integration of multi-cell MBMS transmission is supported;
Logic channels, i.e., a Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH) and a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH), are mapped to a transmission channel for Point to Multipoint (PTM) transmission, i.e., a Multicast Channel (MCH) and further to a Physical Channel, i.e., a Physical Multicast Channel (PMCH);
The MBSFN synchronization area can be configured semi-statically, for example, by Operation & Maintenance (O&M); and
A first 1 to 2 symbols in an MBSFN sub-frame are control symbols bearing a PDCCH for unicast transmission scheduling, and following symbols are a data field bearing the PMCH when there is an MBMS to be transmitted.
Logic channels related to MBMS transmission generally include a Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH), the MCCH and the MTCH.
The respective channels generally have the following functions.
The Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is for the network to broadcast system information to the UE. For the MBMS, there are two parts of a broadcast message to be transmitted:
All of MBSFN sub-frames indicated in a System Information Block (SIB) 2; and
An SIB13 schedules notification sub-frame (a notification mechanism for an MCCH change notification) and the MCCH, where the scheduling command is used to indicate for an MBSFN sub-frame for transmitting the notification and the MCCH.
The Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) is a point to multipoint downlink channel for the network to transmit MBMS related control information in the MBSFN area to the UE, where an MCCH can correspond to one or more MTCHs (that is, can carry control information of a plurality of MTCHs). The MCCH can include sub-frame assignment of the MBSFN area, configuration information of the PMCH (or MCH), etc., where the configuration information of the PMCH (or MCH) includes, for example, MBMS session information, data Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) configuration, a PMCH sub-frame location and a scheduling period.
The Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH) is a point to multipoint downlink channel for the network to transmit MBMS data to the UE.
The network indicates the configuration information of the MCCH to the UE over the BCCH (including the SIB2 and the SIB13) and further provides the UE with the PMCH or MCH information over the MCCH, and the UE reads MCH Scheduling Information (MSI) of the specific service over the PMCH or the MCH and thereby can receive the MBMS over the MTCH. An MBSFN sub-frame for transmission of the MBMS is finally indicated by an MCH Scheduling Information Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (MSI MAC CE).
FIG. 1 illustrates a relationship between an MBMS service area and MBSFN synchronization areas, etc.
As specified in the physical layer protocol, a UE of an LTE Release 10 (RIO) system can receive data transmitted over a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) in an MBSFN sub-frame. Specifically, only a UE configured with the transmission mode 9 (tm9) by an evolved NodeB (eNB) can receive data, including downlink transmission data of Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS), transmitted over a PDSCH in an MBSFN sub-frame.
The semi-persistent scheduling transmission has a characterization that an Evolved NodeB (eNB) notifies a UE of information of a semi-persistent scheduling resource assigned for the UE, including a time-frequency resource, a transmission format (e.g., a modulation and coding scheme, etc.), etc., in a scheduling command transmitted over a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and starting from an assigned sub-frame of the semi-persistent scheduling resource, time-frequency resource locations corresponding to subsequent sub-frames spaced at a fixed interval are reserved for the UE to transmit data in the specified transmission format without being further instructed by a PDCCH command, and such semi-persistent scheduling transmission without a scheduling command is also referred to as configured downlink (DL) assignment. Semi-persistent scheduling transmission will not be terminated until the eNB transmits a PDCCH command to release the SPS resources. Referring to FIG. 2, downlink semi-persistent scheduling transmission will be described below as an example.
At a moment of time T1, the eNB transmits a PDCCH command to assign an SPS resource and the first downlink SPS transmission data at the moment of time T1, where information of the SPS time-frequency resource and a transmission format is carried over the PDCCH;
At moments of time T2 to T4, the UE receives the SPS transmission data in the specified transmission format over the specified time-frequency resource in sub-frames spaced at a fixed interval (T), and no further PDCCH command is required for scheduling in these sub-frames, that is, the SPS resources at the moments of time T2 to T4 are pre-configured downlink resources, and such downlink transmission is so-called configured DL assignment; and
At a moment of time T5, the eNB transmits PDCCH information to instruct the UE to release the SPS resource so that the UE is instructed to release the originally assigned SPS resource, to terminate the SPS transmission.
However, the existing higher-layer protocol does not support reception of the SPS transmission data by the UE in an MBSFN sub-frame, therefore, the semi-persistent scheduling transmission cannot be implemented in the MBSFN sub-frame in the prior art.

Semi-persistent scheduling method and apparatus

CHINA ACADEMY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY


Composite structures having an integral intelligent skin are made of one or more plies of a structural base material and an intelligent or smart film by molding one or more plies and the film into an integral unitary body with the intelligent film outermost. The intelligent or smart film contains or bears a functionally active or interactive component such as antennae, electronic sensors, electric and/or electronic circuitry, and/or spectrally tailored coatings. A method of making the composite structure in a very economical manner is disclosed.

Spectral control coatings, for example, are conventionally applied to substrates, such as the outer surfaces of military and other installations, vehicles, watercraft and air and space craft by applying an appropriately treated paint to the surfaces or by adhering appropriately treated flexible films to the surfaces.
Application of existing topcoats to substrates, whether paints or films, is time consuming and labor intensive and therefore expensive. In many cases, the cost of application is far greater than the cost of the coating itself. Also, existing paints and films have a tendency to wear or peel off the surfaces to which they are applied, thus necessitating re-application of the paint or film, at further expense.

Composite structures with integral intelligent skin


A tool box attachment kit for attaching accessories in connection with the use of television and video cameras having a two-shoe base bar with female shoes approximate to the first and second longitudinal ends of the base bar. The shoes are disposed in the same plane and have at least one threaded bore hole located therebetween and extending substantially perpendicular to their plane. The kit also includes an extension rod having a single male shoe attached at a first end and having a threaded section adjoining said single male shoe at the first end and wherein the threaded section is adapted to engage the threaded bore hole of said base bar. The kit contains various other cooperative components which can be assembled to provide a universal attachment assembly for video and television cameras.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mounting means for cameras and accessories providing a tool box for attaching accessories such as lamps, microphones, etc. to a camera, to a pistol grip, to a fishpole boom, and the like.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
Currently, there is no standard way to mount more than one microphone, light or the like onto a video camera. Some cameras provide a "female shoe" into which a microphone's male shoe or a light's male shoe is mounted. Some cameras provide a 1/4-20 accessory thread into which the microphone's 1/4 inch male thread or a light's 1/4 inch male thread is mounted. The problem is, not all microphones and lights can be adapted to mount into both types of fixtures on the video camera. One may have a microphone that will mount easily on a camera with a shoemount type of fixture, but not into the 1/4-20 thread--or vice versa. Adaptors are made for some accessories, but it becomes quite a task to find all the pieces needed to cover every situation.
More importantly, cameras that do provide two fixtures for simultaneous microphone mounting and light mounting do not allow for conflicts in positioning of the pieces to be mounted. That is, a camera may provide two shoemounts, but they are placed linearly (or back to back) causing the microphone and the light to be in each other's way. The camera's design provides a fixed, unchangeable state.
Some cameras provide the 1/4-20 thread and a shoemount or just two 1/4-20 threads. The problem that arises again is that the fixtures are unmovable. The cameraman is at the mercy of where these fixtures are located on the camera. If his microphone comes only with a 1/4-20 thread, he must mount it where the camera manufacturer has placed this fixture. This may place the microphone right in the middle of the light's light field because he is forced to mount the light behind the microphone. The result is a visible shadow on the subject being video-taped and this is unacceptable for critical camera work.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,794 to Bohannon, issued 1988, teaches a multiple shoe assembly for the attachment and removal of accessories on a standard 35 mm camera. More specifically, the device consists of a grip handle that telescopically extends from a base portion to which the camera is attached. At the top of the telescopic grip handle is a universal head which includes a female shoe on its top surface. The universal head includes a lock screw that intersects an aperture which receives an accessory bar that is movable and horizontally adjustable with respect to the grip handle post by tightening or loosening the lock screw. At the distal end of the accessory bar there are two additional female shoes in a 180 degree spatial relationship to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,250 to Woodruff, issued May 27, 1986 teaches a standard camera hot shoe with a level attached on a threaded mount where a base serves as a male shoe, which is slidably attached to the female counterpart on the top of the camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,872 to Vance, et al., issued Jul. 16, 1991, discloses a microphone noise frequency and vibration absorbing mount which is merely a variation on the standard one-shoe mount well known in the art. The device consists of a hollow, accordion-like resilient material attached to a rectangular base, the bottom of which has a standard male shoe that slidably attaches to a female shoe on the top of a video camera. Attached to the top surface of the resilient accordion-like material is a female type shoe device which receives the male shoe of a microphone.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,519 to Padelt, issued Aug. 1, 1967, teaches and claims a mounting means for camera accessories, where a flash attachment, a tripod, and a handle can be simultaneously attached to a camera by means of a mounting stud. The accessories are attached to the mounting stud at three different points by means of a locking screw that threads into a socket at each of the three different positions, i.e., at the base of the camera for the tripod, and at each of the two sides of the camera for the handle and flash.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,493 to Nakagawa et al., issued 1977, teaches a flash holder for a camera made primarily for underwater photography. The flash holder consists of an elongated arm that possesses grooved arm holders at the distal ends with clamps that rotatably attach to the camera and the flash portion respectively. By loosening the clamps, the arm may be moved with respect to the camera, the flash unit and/or both.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,465 to Gallegos, issued 1989, discloses another device for eliminating shadows caused by a flash mechanism. The device is comprised of a unitary mounting bracket for supporting the camera and the flash unit while positioning the flash unit above and rearwardly of the camera lens at a distance that avoids both "red-eye" in the subjects and shadows. The bracket includes a track means with an accessory shoe to which the flash unit is mounted. This enables the flash unit to be moved 90.degree. about the camera lens by merely loosening the screw that secures the shoe to the tract means. Whenever the camera must be rotated in order to change the format, the flash can also be moved with respect to the lens so that it is always above and rearward of it. This is but another teaching of adjustable light sources, but again there is no suggestion of a two-shoe device and its application in attaching two accessories to a video camera while at the same time solving the camera/microphone/light spatial interference problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,343 to Nakatani, issued 1985, teaches a standard video camera with a special switch circuit that insures correct stereophonic recording when a rotatable and detachable stereo microphone is attached to the camera. This is important when the electronic view finder is in a reverse posture mounting as opposed to a normal forward posture mounting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,183 to Ostlund et al., issued 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,402 to Siegel (1978), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,114 to Telfer, issued 1977, all teach various proposals for movably securing modular lighting accessories to cameras so as to afford the photographer ultimate lighting under different conditions. All these references involve slidable posts, some telescopic, with lockable or engageable lock means that provides variable light orientation positions with respect to the camera lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,135 to Crouch, issued 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,437 to Lippman, issued 1970, U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,716 to Bensen, issued 1949, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,130,262 to Burlin, issued 1938, all teach various bracket means for either attaching a lighting source or handle/tripod mount to a camera. The references teach using threadable posts ('135) and brackets ('437) that allow for the movable attachment of accessories.

Two-shoe adapter kit for mounting microphones and lights on television cameras and video recorders


A portable component assembly device for extending the length of the pickup bed for hauling objects longer than the bed of the pickup is adapted to the receiver hitch attached to the rear end of a pickup with a primary support bar inserted within the receiver hitch with a first upright horizontal support bar extending upward from the primary support bar beyond the tailgate to support objects up to ten feet in length with a second upright horizontal support bar connected to the primary bar having a second upright horizontal support bar extending upward from the secondary support bar to support objects longer than ten feet. Each first and second upright horizontal support bar includes a set of adjustable width anchor chocks attached to each support bar, with the second upright horizontal support bar including running lights with brake and turn indicators connected to the vehicle wiring system by a wiring harness.

1. Field of Invention
An assembly device for extending the length of the pickup bed for hauling objects longer than the bed of the pickup is adapted to the receiver hitch attached to the rear end of a pickup with a primary support bar inserted within the receiver hitch with a first upright horizontal support bar extending upward from the primary support bar beyond the tailgate to support objects up to ten feet in length with a second upright horizontal support bar connected to the primary bar having a second upright horizontal support bar extending upward from the secondary support bar to support objects longer than ten feet. Each first and second upright horizontal support bar includes a set of adjustable width anchor chocks attached to each support bar, with the second upright horizontal support bar including running lights with brake and turn indicators connected to the vehicle wiring system by a wiring harness.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to towing hitch extensions adapted to the receiver hitch of a vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,391 to Whiteford, a cargo deck is attached to a support bar adapted to the receiver hitch. The support bar has two bent portions which position the cargo deck at a level even with the cargo bed of the vehicle, elevating the height of the cargo deck from the level of the receiver hitch to the cargo bed of the vehicle. The cargo deck is adjustable in distance from the tailgate of the cargo bed of the vehicle. It appears that an additional ball hitch extension is also attached to the support bar and light signal indicators are disclosed and incorporated into the Whiteford device.
A similar structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,088 to Kahlstorf which indicates a table top attachment with a support bar attaching the table top within the receiver hitch of the vehicle. A double support bar device attaching to a support bar inserted within the receiver hitch of a vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,926 to Hardin having adjustable distance upright support structures removably attach to a support bar inserted and attached to the receiver hitch, this device also disclosing a wiring harness for auxiliary signal light indicators. Each upright support structure has a height adjustment feature to raise and lower the support structures from the support bar. This upright structure attached to the support bar is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,389 to Young, which shows a support bar adapted to a receiver hitch with a singular upright support bar having a means of adjusting the height of the support structure.
An extension device adapted to the receiver hitch having a curved drawbar is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,092 to Johnson. The drawbar curvature compensates for the height difference between the receiver hitch and the cargo bed of the vehicle, along with the variable height position of the connection between the drawbar vertical receiver and the vertical insertion end of the support structure allowing the support structure level to be even with the cargo bed of the vehicle, as indicated in FIG. 2 of that patent.
However, these prior patents, alone or in combination do not demonstrate the elements of the present tailgate extension device, which allows for an enhanced ability to carry and support long objects being transported in a vehicle having a cargo bed, adapted to both length and width of the objects to be carried in the cargo bed of the vehicle in a complete and collapsible embodiment with secure support features.


The invention provides an adhesive formulation comprising an olefin block copolymer comprising hard blocks and soft blocks wherein the hard blocks comprise 4-8 mol % comonomer; and are present in an amount of 20 wt %-45 wt %. This formulation is particularly advantageous for use in hot melt adhesives but may be used in other applications as well.

An adhesive is a substance capable of holding solid materials (e.g., adherents or substrates) together by surface attachment. Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) generally are adhesive materials which bond to adherents when a required pressure is applied to effect an adhesion to the adherents. PSAs can be permanent or removable. Removable PSAs have been widely used in re-positionable applications, such as post-it notes. Pressure sensitive adhesives are generally based on a polymer, a tackifier and an oil. Some common PSAs are based on polymers such as natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers (e.g., styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and SIS), polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, and poly-alpha-olefins. The PSAs can be solvent-based, water-based, or hot melt systems.
Hot-melt adhesives at ambient temperature are generally solid materials that can be heated to a melt to hold adherents or substrates together upon cooling and solidifying. In some applications, the bonded substrates can be detached by remelting the hot melt adhesive if the substrates can withstand the heat. The hot melt adhesives can be used in paper products, packaging materials, laminated wood panels, kitchen countertops, vehicles, tapes, labels, and a variety of disposable goods such as disposable diapers, hospital pads, feminine sanitary napkins, and surgical drapes. These hot melt adhesives are generally based on a polymer, tackifier, and a wax. Some common hot melt adhesives are based on polymer components including ethylene based semi-crystalline polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), styrene block copolymers (SBC) such as styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) copolymer and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymer, ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymers (EEA), and polyurethane reactive adhesives (PUR). One desirable property of hot melt adhesives is the absence of a liquid carrier, thereby eliminating the costly process associated with solvent removal.
Some compositions that contain a polymer, a tackifier and optionally at least a filler or a pigment may be used as thermoplastic marking compositions. The polymer can be a silane-modified petroleum resin, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, an atactic polypropylene; a carboxy-modified hydrocarbon resin, an ester-modified hydrocarbon resin, a polyolefin copolymer, or a combination thereof.
Olefin block copolymers (OBCs) have been found to be advantageous in a variety of adhesive applications such as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,524,911 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,989,543 as well as in US Patent Application Publication No. 2011-0262747.
It would be desirable to provide further improved compositions wherein the compositions have an improved open time, where open time refers to the set up time of an adhesive, or the time it takes for the adhesive to solidify. Delays in the open time allows for increased time for adhesive wetting and bonding. The current market trend is to operate machinery at higher line speeds and at lower temperatures, so it would be desirable to be able to apply the adhesive at a lower temperature (100-120° C.) and still maintain the bonding performance required.


An image forming apparatus including a plurality of developing devices each having a plurality of guide parts on both lateral sides, a frame body having a plurality of guide members configured to receive the guide parts of the developing devices, a front door for receiving and removing the developing devices from the frame body, and a position regulating member having a plurality of regulating parts and a connecting part configured to connect each regulating part, the position regulating member having an L-shape to regulate movement of the plurality of developing devices, each end of the regulating part configured to be placed between the guide part and the guide member, and the connecting part configured to be placed between the developing devices and the front door.

1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates an image forming apparatus such as a printer or photo copier, and more particularly, relates to an image forming apparatus having a developing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier is transported with developing devices, the developing devices or the image forming apparatus might be destroyed by vibration or shock, for example, because the developing devices are not fixed to the image forming apparatus.
Consequently, the developing device and the image forming apparatus main body are packaged separately, without mounting the developing devices into the image forming apparatus.
In this case, if the apparatus main body and the developing device are packaged separately in one container box, the transport efficiency is reduced because the container box is larger, and the transport cost of the container box is increased.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-327293 describes an image forming apparatus which has a toner cartridge package inserted and fixed in a sheet storage space of an image forming apparatus main body. However, the image forming apparatus main body requires more space than provided by the sheet storage space when the toner cartridge package is for color printing. As a result, both the apparatus and the container box are much larger.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-71671 describes an image forming apparatus having a regulating member intervening between an apparatus body and a developing device when the image forming apparatus body is transported while mounting the developing device.
In the case where the developing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body by using a regulating member as disclosed by Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-71671, each developing device requires a regulating member when the image forming apparatus has plural developing devices for color printing. The plural regulating members are costly and provide a low degree of usability for user because of the increased work needed to remove the plural regulating members.
If the image forming is operated without removing a regulating member, the image forming apparatus main body, the developing device, or the regulating member may be broken by force during operation because the image forming apparatus was run while being loaded with a pressure of the regulating member.
Moreover, if a user removes the developing device from the image forming apparatus with the regulating member mounted between the image forming apparatus main body and the developing device, the main body, the developing member, or the regulating member may be damaged. This is because the regulating member is almost the same size as the mounting space, or slightly larger. Thus, it is not user-friendly.
A conventional apparatus has been constructed to disable itself without removing the regulating member by using a detecting part for the regulation member. However, this design has an increased cost because of the detecting part, etc.


A method of doping a semiconductor substrate with a single masking step. A semiconductor substrate having a first region and a laterally displaced second region is provided. A patterned masking layer is then formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate over the first region. A first well impurity distribution is then formed in the semiconductor substrate such that a peak concentration of the first well impurity distribution is located at a first well depth below the upper surface in the first region of the semiconductor substrate. The peak concentration of the first well impurity distribution within the second region of the semiconductor substrate is located at a depth approximately equal to the first well depth plus a well displacement. A second well impurity distribution is then formed in the semiconductor substrate. A peak concentration of the second well impurity distribution within the second region of the semiconductor substrate is located at a second well depth below the upper surface. A first adjust impurity distribution is then formed in the semiconductor substrate. A peak concentration of the first adjust impurity distribution within the first region of the semiconductor substrate is located at a first adjust depth below the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate. In the second region of the semiconductor substrate, a peak concentration of the first adjust impurity distribution is located at a depth below the upper surface approximately equal to the first adjust depth plus an adjust displacement. A second adjust impurity distribution is then formed in the semiconductor substrate. A peak concentration of the second adjust impurity distribution within the second region of the semiconductor substrate is located at a second adjust depth below the upper surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing and more particularly to the process of doping the substrate of a CMOS integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
In complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits, in which n-channel and p-channel transistors are fabricated in a single semiconductor substrate, threshold voltage and drain current are controlled through a number of interrelated process steps. The resistivity of the starting material and the subsequent doping of the starting material result in a substrate doping profile that, together with the thickness of the gate oxide, the quantity of charged sites within the gate oxide, and other variables, determine the threshold voltage and other critical operating parameters of the integrated circuit.
In a twin-well CMOS process, an n-well and a p-well are formed in the substrate with an n-type and a p-type dopant respectively. Early twin-well processes used two masking steps to form the wells. One of the masking steps prevented the n-type dopant from entering the p-well during formation of the n-well while the other masking step prevented the p-type dopant from entering the n-well during the formation of the p-well. A single-mask well formation process was developed to reduce the demands on expensive photolithography equipment. In such a process, the single masking step is used to pattern a silicon nitride layer on the semiconductor surface to expose the first well region. After the first well dopant is introduced into the first well region, a thermal oxidation is performed to grow a "well oxide" over the first well region while the nitride film prevents the growth of a significant oxide film over the second well region. The well oxide serves as a blocking layer over the first well region. The nitride film is thereafter removed, the second dopant introduced into the second well region, and, finally, the well oxide is stripped from the wafer. See, e.g., 2 S. Wolf, Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era, 432-33 (Lattice Press 1990) [hereinafter Wolf]. Despite eliminating a masking step, the single mask process described results in a non-planar substrate upper surface because the well oxidation process consumes a portion of the substrate in the first well region of the substrate thereby creating a "step" at the interface of the n-well and p-well regions. Non-planar surfaces increase the complexity of subsequent processing steps, including the patterning and etching of fine line interconnects. Such interconnects tend to undesirably "notch" over steps in the underlying topography creating localized regions of potentially high current density and, consequently, reduced reliability. See, e.g., 1 Wolf at 437-41 (Lattice Press 1986).
After the formation of the wells, the substrate is further selectively doped to minimize punchthrough subthreshold currents, increase the channel stop doping, and to adjust the threshold voltages to desirable levels. Each of these steps may require its own pair of masking steps and, accordingly, may still further increase the demands on the photolithography equipment. The two-mask threshold adjust process cannot typically be circumvented with a nitride mask/ thermal oxidation substitute as described above because the high temperature oxidation cycle would undesirably drive the first threshold impurity into the substrate away from the substrate upper surface. Thus, a conventional substrate doping sequence in a twin-well CMOS process includes a minimum of three masking steps and results in a non-planar step at the interface of the two well regions. It would be highly desirable to implement a process for doping the substrate of a semiconductor device requiring a single masking step and producing a substantially planar substrate upper surface.

Single mask substrate doping process for CMOS integrated circuits


Steam turbine nozzle blades and buckets are profiled in accordance with Tables I and II or multiples of the X,Y and R coordinates of the charts. The profiles of the nozzle blades impose a parabolic flow distribution at the throat and the buckets accommodate the incoming flow. The nozzle blades and buckets are over-cambered at their roots and tips to constrict flow from the roots and tips into the mid-regions of the blades and buckets. Improved aerodynamic efficiencies are obtained by directing the flow away from the end walls of the blades and buckets toward the efficient mid-region of the blades and buckets whereby flow velocity and angle leaving the nozzle has a non-linear distribution and the bucket velocity leaving angles are similarly non-linear.

Nozzle and bucket stages for steam turbines have for some time been the subject of substantial developmental work. This is because the efficiency of the power plant cycle is largely dependent on the efficiency of the energy conversion in the turbine. Thus, in is highly desirable to optimize the performance of steam turbine nozzles and buckets to improve aerodynamic efficiency, particularly by minimizing aerodynamic and steam leakage losses. In a typical nozzle design, there is a substantially linear distribution of the flow velocity leaving the nozzle exit. The nozzle leaving angle is the angle between the flow angle and a plane normal to the machine or turbine axis. This angle typically changes in a linear manner from the root to the tip, for example, on the order of 12.degree. to 15.degree.. In a typical bucket design, the total velocity at the bucket exit is substantially constant, i.e., there is no flow shifting from root to tip, or vice-versa. Additionally, the bucket leaving angle .DELTA. i.e., the angle at which flow exits the bucket relative co the axis of the machine or turbine, is substantially fairly constant from tip to root for a typical stage having a free vortex design.
Present nozzle designs typically include a large number of nozzles to avoid excitation of bucket resonant modes. Because of the high nozzle count, nozzle blades having extended noses for structural strength purposes are often provided. This is turn results in efficiency-lowering high surface friction forces. A lower solidity nozzle is thus desirable to increase turbine stage performance.
While these characteristics of nozzle and bucket designs as described are quite efficient aerodynamically, the present invention provides still further improved aerodynamic efficiencies, improving the overall performance of the turbine.

Over-cambered stage design for steam turbines


An asphyxiation-safe adjustable bib and placemat provides a bib having a rear surface that supports a bib retainer in one of a plurality of positions so a length of the bib can be adjusted to accommodate a height of a wearer. The bib retainer and a portion of the bib adjacent the bib retainer are inserted into a bib retainer channel of the placemat to secure the bib to the placemat. The bib retainer in the bib retainer channel resists movement of the bib away from the placemat but enables forceful movement of the bib away from the placemat to protect against injury due to asphyxiation if the wearer slips or falls from a chair while using the bib and placemat.

Many different placemats for feeding babies and/or the elderly or physically challenged are commercially available. Placemats of this type may be a plain placemat or a placemat with an integral food dish. Both types are typically molded from a silicone rubber formulation or the like to eliminate breakage and promote adhesion to a smooth flat surface. The silicone material tends to cling to smooth surfaces, which makes it difficult for a wearer to pick up the placemat or push it off a table or high-chair tray.
Many different bibs designed to catch and retain food spillage are also known and commercially available, some of which connect directly or indirectly to a tray, placemat or dish of some sort. However, there is no known bib and placemat combination that provides a convenient system that is useful over an extended time, is easy to clean, clings to a flat surface and securely connects the bib to the placemat to contain food spillage while ensuring that the bib will readily detach from the placemat if a user slips from a chair while wearing the bib. There therefore exists a need for a bib with a placemat that meets each of these criteria.

Asphyxiation-safe adjustable bib with placemat


This specification discloses an image blur preventing apparatus having a movable member moved for image blur prevention, a driving device producing a drive force for operating the movable member in conformity with a signal conforming to the blur, a regulating member for regulating the movement of the movable member, the regulating member being movable to a regulating position for effecting the regulation and a non-regulating position in which the regulation has been released, and a step driving motor for moving the regulating member to at least one of the regulating position and the non-regulating position,:wherein the regulating member is moved by the step driving motor and the regulating member is held at a predetermined position by its self-holding force during the non-electrical energization of the step driving motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image blur preventing apparatus for preventing image blur caused by hand vibration or the like in a camera, an optical apparatus or the like.
2. Related Background Art
In cameras today, operations important to photographing, such as exposure determination and focusing, are all automated and even those unskilled in camera operation rarely fail to perform photography. Recently, a system for correcting hand vibration of a camera has been studied and the applicant has disclosed such a system in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 3-188430, etc.
In the correction of hand vibration, it has been necessary to perform a locking operation after completion of a hand vibration correction driving operation or upon cosumption of a power source as a counter-measure for preventing damage due to disturbance of the correction optical means when carrying the camera in an unlocked state, and for preventing photographing in an unlocked state except during a hand vibration correction driving operation.
A system for preventing hand vibration will be briefly described here. The hand vibration of a camera during photographing is a vibration of usually 1 Hz to 12 Hz as a frequency. The basic concept for enabling a photograph to be taken free of image blur, even if such hand vibration is caused at a point of time whereat the shutter is released, is that vibration of the camera due to the hand vibration is detected and a correction lens is displaced by an amount in conformity with the detected vibration.
Accordingly, to enable a photograph to be taken which will not make one sense image blur, even if vibration of the camera is caused, it becomes necessary to first detect the vibration of the camera accurately, and then correct any change in the optical axis caused by the vibration.
This detection of the vibration can be effected, in principle, by providing means for detecting angular acceleration, angular velocity, angular displacement or the like, and means for electrically or mechanically integrating the output signal of the vibration detecting means and outputting angular displacement. On the basis of this detected information, a correction optical device for making the photo-taking optical axis eccentric is driven, whereby image blur suppression is effected. An embodiment of a blur prevention system using the vibration detecting means will be described with reference to FIG. 29 of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 29 shows a system for suppressing image blur resulting from a vertical vibration component 81p and a lateral vibration component 81y of a camera vibration (arrow 81).
In FIG. 29, the reference numeral 82 designates a lens barrel, the reference characters 83p and 83y denote vibration detecting means for detecting camera vertical vibration and camera lateral vibration, respectively, and the directions of vibration detection thereof are indicated by 84p and 84y, respectively. The reference numeral 85 designates a correction optical apparatus (86p and 86y denote coils for giving thrust to correction optical means including optical apparatus 85, and 87p and 87y designate detection elements for detecting the position of the correction optical apparatus 85), and this correction optical apparatus 85 is provided with a position control loop, and is driven with the outputs of the vibration detecting means 83p and 83y as a target value, to provide image stabilization in the image plane 88.
FIG. 30 of the accompanying drawings is an exploded perspective view of a correction apparatus according to the prior art, and FIG. 31 of the accompanying drawings is a plan view from locking means side after completion of assembly. The vicinity of the locking means in this example will now be described. A permanent magnet 718 (lock magnet) is incorporated in a through-hole 71i formed in a ground plate 71 and is magnetically coupled to a second yoke 72. A coil 720 (lock coil) is adhesively secured to a lock ring 719, and there is a bearing 719b on the back of the ear portion 719a of the lock ring 719, and armature rubber 722 is extended over an armature pin 721, which in turn is extended through the bearing 719b, whereafter an armature spring 723 is extended over the armature pin 721, is fitted into an armature 724 and is fixed by caulking. Therefore, the armature 724 is slidable in the direction of arrow 725 relative to the lock ring 719 against the armature spring 723. The lock ring 719 is rotatably mounted on the ground plate 71 by a so-called bayonet coupling wherein cut-away portions 719c (three locations) formed in the outer diameter of the lock ring are pushed in accord with the inner diameter projected portions 71j (three locations) of the ground plate 71, whereafter the lock ring 719 is rotated to therebyeffect anti-slippage. However, In order to prevent the lock ring 719 from rotating and the cut-aways from becoming the same in phase as the projections again and coming off the projections, lock rubber 726 is forced into the ground plate and rotation is regulated so that the lock ring 719 can rotate only by the angle .theta. of a cut-away portion 719d regulated by the lock rubber. A permanent magnet 718 (lock magnet) is also mounted on a lock yoke 727 mode of a magnetic material and is threadably coupled to the lock yoke with holes 727a (two locations) fitted to the pin 71k of the ground plate 71 and by holes 727b (two locations) and 711. A conventional closed magnetic circuit is formed by the permanent magnet 718 on the ground plate 71 side, the permanent magnet 718 on the lock yoke 727 side, the second yoke 72 and the lock yoke 727. The lock rubber 726 is prevented from slipping off by the lock yoke 727 being threadably coupled.
In FIG. 31, the lock yoke 721 is not shown.
A lock spring 728 is extended between a hook 719e on the lock ring and a hook 71m on the ground plate 71 and biases the lock ring 719 in a clockwise direction.
An adsorption coil 730 is inserted in an adsorption yoke 729 and is threadably coupled to the ground plate 71 by a hole 729a. The terminal of the coil 720 and the terminal of the adsorption coil 730 are soldered to the trunk portion 716d of a flexible base plate 716 by means of lead wire or the like.
The operation of this lock means will now be described. A support frame 75 holding an optical member is provided with three radial projections 75f, and in the locked state, the tip ends of the projections 75f fit to the inner peripheral surface 719g of the lock ring 719. To bring about an unlocked state, an electric current is supplied to the lock coil 720 by a control circuit, not shown, through the flexible base plate 716 to thereby produce a torque for rotating the lock ring 719 about the optical axis because there is a coil in the closed magnetic circuit. Thereby the lock ring 719 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction against the spring force of the lock spring 728.
When the lock ring 719 is rotated, the armature 724 bears against the adsorption yoke 729 to thereby shrink the armature spring 723 and equalize the positional relation between the adsorption coil and the armature 724 and thus, the lock ring stops its rotation. When at this time, the adsorption coil is electrically energized, the armature 724 is adsorbed by the adsorption yoke 729. Even if thereafter the coil 720 is deenergized, the lock ring can be maintained at this position.
At this time, the projections 75f of the support frame 75 are in respective positions opposed to three cams 719f provided in the inner diameter of the lock ring and therefore, the support frame becomes movable in the directions 713p and 713y by the clearance between the projections 75f of the support frame and the cams 719f.
To bring about a locked state, the electrical energization of the adsorption coil 730 is stopped, whereby the adsorbing force of the armature 724 becomes null and the lock ring 719 is rotated by the lock spring 728, and the locked state of FIG. 31 is brought about.
The other members shown in FIG. 30 will hereinafter be described.
Projected ears 71a on the back of the ground plate 71 (three locations, one of which is hidden and unseen) fit to a lens barrel not shown, and a conventional lens barrel roller or the like is screwed to a hole 71b and is fixed to the lens barrel.
The second yoke 72 which is a magnetic material and is luster-plated is screwed to the hole 71c of the ground plate 71 by a screw extending through a hole 72a. Also, a permanent magnet (shift magnet) such as a neodymium magnet is magnetically attracted to the second yoke 72.
The direction of magnetization of each permanent magnet 73 is the direction of arrow 73a, as indicated in FIG. 30.
Coils 76p and 76y (shift coils) are patching-secured to the support frame 75 to which a lens 74 is fixed by a C-ring or the like, and light projection elements 77p and 77y such as IREDs are adhesively secured to the back of the support frame 75, and emergent light enters position detecting elements 78p and 78y such as PSD's through slits 75ap and 75ay.
Support balls 79a, 79b having spherical tip ends such as POM's and a charge spring 710 are inserted in the holes 75b (three locations) of the support frame 75, and the support ball 79a is heat-caulked and fixed to the support frame 75 (the support ball 79b is slidable in the direction of extension of the holes 75b against the spring force of the charge spring 710).
Referring to FIG. 32A of the accompanying drawings which is a transverse cross-sectional view of the correction optical apparatus after assembled, the support ball 79b, the charged charge spring 710 and the support ball 79a in the named order are fitted into the hole 75b of the support frame 75 in the direction of arrow 79c (the support balls 79a and 79b are parts of the same shape) and finally, the peripheral end portion 75c of the hole 75b is heat-caulked to thereby effect the anti-slippage of the support ball 79a.
A cross-sectional view of the hole 75b in a direction orthogonal to FIG. 32A is shown in FIG. 32C of the accompanying drawings. Also, a plan view in which the cross-sectional view of FIG. 32C is seen from the direction of arrow 79c is shown in FIG. 32B, and the depths of ranges indicated by characters A to D in FIG. 32B are shown at A to D in FIG. 32C.
The rear end portion of the vane portion 79aa of the support ball 79a is received and regulated within the range of a surface of depth A and therefore, by the peripheral end portion 75c being heat-caulked, the support ball 79a is fixed to the support frame 75.
Since the fore end portion of the vane portion 79ba of the support ball 79b is received within the range of a surface of depth B, the support ball 79b does not slip out of the hole 75b in the direction of arrow 79c due to the charge spring force of the charge spring.
Of course, when the assembly of the correction optical apparatus is complete, the support ball 70b is received by the second yoke 72 and therefore, the support ball 70b does not slip out of the support frame, but rather a surface of slippage preventing range B is provided with the assembly property taken into account.
The shape of the hole 75b of the support frame 75 of FIGS. 31 and 32A to 32C does not require a complicated inner diameter slide mold even when the support frame 75 is molded, but can be molded by a simple two-division mold pulled in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow 79c. Therefore, dimensional accuracy can be accurately set correspondingly thereto.
Also, the support balls 79a and 79b are interchangeable parts and, therefore, there is no error of assembly and this is advantageous in terms of the maintenance of parts.
Turning back to FIG. 30, for example, grease of the fluorine origin is applied to the bearing portion 75d of the support 75 and an L-shaped shaft 711 (of a non-magnetic stainless material) is inserted thereinto, and the other end of the L-shaped shaft 711 is inserted into a bearing portion 71d (to which grease is likewise applied) formed on the ground plate 71, and the three support balls 79b are all placed on the second yoke 72 and the support frame 75 is contained in the ground plate 71.
Next, the positioning holes 712a (three locations) of the first yoke 712 are fitted to the pins 71f (FIG. 32C, three locations) of the ground plate 71, and the first yoke 712 is received by receiving surface 71e (five locations) and is magnetically coupled to the ground plate 71 (the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 73).
Thereby, the back of the first yoke 712 bears against the support ball 79a, and the support frame 75 is sandwiched between the first yoke 712 and the second yoke 72 and is positioned in the direction of the optical axis.
Grease of the fluorine origin is also applied to the surfaces of contact between the support balls 79a, 79b and the first yoke 712 and the second yoke 72, and the support frame 75 is freely slidable relative to the ground plate 71 in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis.
The L-shaped shaft 711 supports the support frame 75 for sliding movement only in the directions of arrows 713p and 713y relative to the ground plate 71, whereby the rotation (rolling) of the support frame 75 relative to the ground plate 71 about the optical axis is regulated.
The backlash of the fitting (play or tolerance) between the L-shaped shaft 711 and the bearing portions 71d, 75d is set large in the direction of the optical axis to thereby prevent them from fitting overlappingly with the regulation in the direction of the optical axis by the sandwiching between the support balls 79a, 79b and the first yoke 712 and the second yoke 72.
An insulating sheet 714 is put on the surface of the first yoke 712, and a hard substrate 715 having thereon a plurality of IC's (position detecting elements 78p, 78y, output amplifying IC, coils 76p, 76y, driving IC, etc.) is threadably coupled to the hole 71g of the ground plate 71 with a hole 715b and the hole 712b of the first yoke 712 with the positioning holes 715a (two locations) fitted over the pins 71h (two locations, FIG. 32C) of the ground plate 71.
The position detecting elements 78p and 78y are positioned by a tool and are soldered to the hard substrate 715, and a signal transmitting flexible substrate 716 has its surface 716a heat-pressed against the back of the hard substrate 715 within a range 715c encircled by a broken line.
A pair of arms 716bp and 716by extend from the flexible substrate 716 in the direction of a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, and are hooked on the hook portions 75ep and 75ey, respectively, of the support frame 75, and the terminals of IREDs 77p, 77y and the terminals of coils 76p and 76y are soldered thereto.
In this manner, driving of the IREDs 77p, 77y and the coils 76p, 76y is effected from the hard substrate 715 through the flexible substrate 716.
The arm portions 716bp and 716by of the flexible substrate 716 have bent portions 716cp and 716cy, respectively, and by the resiliency of these bent portions, the loads of the arm portions 716bp and 716by relative to the movement of the support frame 75 in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis are reduced.
The first yoke 712 has a protruded surface 712c, formed by embossing, and the protruded surface 712c passes through a hole 714a in the insulating sheet 714 and is arranged in direct contact with the hard substrate 715.
An earth (GND: ground) pattern is formed on that side of this contact surface which is adjacent to the hard substrate 715, and the hard substrate 715 is threadably coupled to the ground plate, whereby the first yoke 712 is grounded, thereby preventing the first yoke for becoming an antenna and transmitting noise to the hard substrate 715.
A mask 717 is positioned by the pin 71h of the ground plate 71 and is fixed onto the hard substrate 715 by a both-surface tape (two-sided adhesive tape.
In the above-described example of the prior art, the lock ring 719 is normally pulled in a direction toward the locking state by the lock spring 728 and therefore, when a hand vibration correcting operation is performed, it is necessary to hold the lock ring 719 in its unlocking state by the adsorption coil 30, and an electric current must continue to be supplied to the adsorption coil 30 during the hand vibration correcting operation and thus, power consumption has been great. Also, the locking means itself requires a lock spring, a lock coil, a plurality of lock magnets, an adsorption coil, an armature, etc., and this has led to the problem that the apparatus itself becomes: bulky.
Also, in many examples of the prior art (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-18875, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-98469, etc.), the correction optical apparatus has therein a locking member capable of mechanically fixing and locking the displacement of the correction lens, and when an image blur correcting operation is unnecessary (a state in which an interchangeable lens carrying an image blur correcting device therein has been removed from a camera body or a state in which an image blur operation switch has been opened), driving means controlled by control means such as a CPU moves the locking member and fixes and locks it so as to make the optical axis of the correction lens coincident with the optical axis of the other lens, thereby preventing any damage due to disturbance vibration (such as vibration applied during carrying) caused by a backlash of the correction lens and the wasteful power consumption by the correction optical apparatus.


A wireless telephone for telephonic communications during subscribed periods of airtime and for the purchase of selected goods and services in purchase amounts is responsive to the purchase amounts so as to enable the purchase amounts to be converted to additional periods of airtime during which telephonic communications are enabled independent of the subscribed periods of airtime. A method of using a wireless telephone for telephonic communications during subscribed periods of airtime and for the purchase of selected goods and services in purchase amounts enables the purchase amounts to be converted to additional periods of airtime during which telephonic communications are enabled independent of the subscribed periods of airtime. Preferably the purchase amounts are placed through a purchase account and are converted to additional periods of airtime in proportion to the purchase amounts.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless telephonic communication and pertains, more specifically, to wireless telephones and method through which the amount of paid airtime available through a wireless telephone is increased selectively and, in particular, is increased in proportion to the purchase amounts of selected purchases of goods and services through a purchase account, such as a credit card account.
The advent of cellular telephones has made wireless telephonic communication available to a rapidly growing number of purchasers of telephone equipment and services. Various proposals for related services and equipment have been suggested in efforts to widen the audience for wireless telephones and services.

Wireless telephone with credited airtime and method


One aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a semiconductor device (100). One aspect includes forming transistors (120, 125) on a semiconductor substrate (105), forming a first interlevel dielectric layer (165) over the transistors (120, 125), and forming metal interconnects (170, 175) within the first interlevel dielectric layer (165). A carbon-containing gas is used to form a silicon carbon nitride (SiCN) layer (180) over the metal interconnects (170, 175) and the first interlevel dielectric layer (165) within a deposition tool. An adhesion layer (185) is formed on the SiCN layer (180), within the deposition tool, by discontinuing a flow of the carbon-containing gas within the deposition chamber. A second interlevel dielectric layer (190) is formed over the adhesion layer (185).

To provide semiconductor devices that meet increased device performance in the face of steadily decreasing device sizes has posed significant challenges to the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Semiconductor manufacturers have sought various ways to overcome these challenges.
One such effort has centered on decreasing parasitic capacitance that arises within the semiconductor devices themselves. Manufacturers have sought to decrease parasitic capacitance by replacing silicon nitride (SiN) layers that are used as etch stop layers for damascene and dual damascene interconnect structures with materials having lower dielectric constants, such as silicon carbide (SiCN). The use of SiCN in place of SiN beneficially reduces the amount of parasitic capacitance within the semiconductor devices.
However, with the use of SiCN, other problems have arisen. One such problem is that SiCN does not adhere well to the overlying dielectric material, which typically comprises materials, such as organosilicate glass (OSG) or fluorosilicate glass (FSG). As a result, blistering can occur, which reduces device reliability and yield.

Semiconductor device having improved adhesion and reduced blistering between etch stop layer and dielectric layer


A security device in the form of optically variable waveguides that produce color shifts at particular exit viewing angles. Wavelength filtering in the cladding layers using interference coatings and colorants produces waveguide modes of different colors. These optical devices can be incorporated within currency paper, gaming chips or credit cards to help determine their genuineness.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a verification device for use in gaming chips typically used in casinos, for ID or credit cards and for security paper such as banknotes, for anticounterfeit security protection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While the invention can be employed to facilitate the identification of any article not incorporating the waveguide device, the best use is the rapid identification of plastic gaming chips or casino chips that have molded into them the optical variable waveguide.
Casinos converts legal tender into gaming chips of various denominations. These chips typically contain identifying techniques such as base color, color coded edge spots, colored embossing and printed graphics in the center of the chip. Counterfeiting these chips is a problem because the chip can be painted different colors to match higher denominations and the graphics reproduced by color copy machines or personal computers and laminated to the chip.
Graves in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,932 attempts to deter the unauthorized duplication of gaming chips by molding a transparent layer over the more opaque color insert, whereas Howard in U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,309 provides fluorescent strips along the periphery of the gaming chip to allow machine scanning of the chips denomination. Modlar in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,885 provides an anticounterfeiting feature using a sandwiched light-conducting or translucent layer terminating around the peripheral edge of chip.
It is known in the art of banknote and currency papers to incorporate a security thread embedded within the paper making it difficult to illicitly reproduce. The present waveguide either in a round or planar strip configuration can be used as an embedded security thread in paper. Plastic security strip or thread is shown by Harbaugh in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,424 for use in security or currency paper. Such threads contain reflective or transmitted micro-printing, electrically conductivity, and/or fluorescence. A diffraction grating authenticating device that operates as a diffractive subtractive color filter responsive to the angle of incidence of the polychromatic illuminating light is shown by Sandercock in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,466 and by Knop et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,797. Other state-of-the-art authentication devices for currency paper is that developed by Berning et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,866 involves a thin film color shifter that are applied as a stamp or printed as an ink.
It is typical for credit, identification and data cards to contain optical anticounterfeit features such as holograms, colored micro-graphics, thin film color shifters and pictures to permit their authentication. A security means such as in Margolin in U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,794 comprising a plurality of optical fibers embedding into a credit card to form an unique code pattern. An security document comprising at least one embedded fiber optic using a core doped fluorescent fiber optic is disclosed by Camus in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,614.


A system and method for cleaning a dish, comprising: illuminating said dish with a light source; capturing an image of said dish with a camera; inspecting said image to determine if said dish is clean; and estimating locations of dirty regions on said dish; spraying a fluid with a first nozzle on said dish with a predetermined spray distribution, wherein said first nozzle can reorient or relocate to spray said fluid on any region of said dish visible in said image; and spraying a fluid with a second nozzle on said dish with a spray distribution having a smaller coverage than that of said first nozzle, wherein said second nozzle is relocated or reoriented such that the fluid reaches said dirty regions at said locations on said dish; whereby dirty regions of said dish are targeted for a fast and efficient cleaning of said dish.

Conventional dishwashers are designed for washing a large number of dishes at once. Such batch washing comes with two major problems. Firstly, when washing a large number of dishes together, conventional dishwashers prioritize the average cleanliness of a group of dishes over the thorough cleanliness of every individual dish. Conventional dishwashers typically employ a turbidity detector to measure the quantity of dirt present in water during the cleaning process. When the turbidity detector senses the dirt level to be under a threshold, conventional dishwashers assume that dishes are clean. Such an assumption arrived based on the average state of a batch of dishes often overlooks the state of each individual dish in the batch. Conventional dishwashers do not have the means to ensure every dish is thoroughly cleaned during the cleaning process. This is the reason why dishes often do not come out clean even after hours of washing in a conventional dishwasher. A slew of preparatory work such as scraping, rinsing, soaking, optimal loading and positioning of dishes according to their shape, size, and material becomes necessary to maximize the chances of dirty dishes coming out clean in a conventional dishwasher, albeit without any guarantee of success.
Secondly, typical dishwashers found in homes are substantially slower than washing dishes by hand in a kitchen sink; and consume much more water and energy. This is because batch dishwashing lacks the perception and ability to focus on dirty regions of an individual dish. As a result, it spends much more resources on clean regions of dishes than what is necessary, in an attempt to maximize the chances of all dirty regions of dishes to come out clean. Batch dishwashing fundamentally suffers from a tradeoff between the duration of the dishwashing cycle and cleanliness of each dish. Without the perception to evaluate the cleanliness of each dish, batch dishwashing resorts to longer dishwashing cycles, spanning hours, to increase the chances of removing dirt from all dishes, thereby causing a significant wastage of time, energy, and water.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system and method to clean a dirty dish thoroughly, efficiently, and painlessly. One that could clean each dish with individual attention to ensure every dish comes out clean after cleaning; one that could conserve energy and water; and one that could be as fast as hand washing of dishes.


A tool for implantation of a rod into a bone screw implanted in a human spine includes a guide member having a laterally opening channel disposed along an entire length thereof for side loading and receiving an implant fastener. A rod pushing member and a handle with a laterally opening channel are coaxial with the guide member, with the rod pushing member being rotatingly mateable to the guide member and the handle having a spring attachment mechanism for attaching the handle to the guide member. The guide member includes spring tabs for attachment to a bone screw, the tabs biased away from the bone screw. The rod pushing member includes a sleeve that extends substantially about the guide member, pressing the spring tabs toward the bone screw and into apertures on the bone screw arms. The rod pushing member sleeve also operatively functions as a rod pusher that abuts a rod as the sleeve is translated along the guide member and toward the bone screw. The handle lateral opening receives and supports a manipulation tool for inserting and installing an implant fastener for attaching the rod to the bone screw.

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for use in performing spinal surgery and, in particular, to tools and methods of using such tools, especially for implanting a rod for spinal support and alignment.
For many years, spinal osteosynthesis apparatuses have been utilized to correct spinal deformities, injuries or disease. In such procedures, elongate rods are surgically attached to vertebrae of the spine to provide support and/or to realign or reposition certain vertebrae. Such rods are secured to vertebrae utilizing bone screws and other spinal implants. In particular, bone screws with open ended heads are often utilized for such surgery, with the rod being placed into an open end of one or more implants and then the open end or ends being closed or capped to secure the rod to the implant.
Rods utilized in spinal surgery are often bent or formed to support the spine in a desired manner, or to exert a desired corrective or stabilizing force on the spine. Thus, to obtain such a desired alignment, rods must often be forced into open ended spinal implants.
In order to reduce the impact of such surgery on the patient, a desirable approach is to utilize implanting tools and procedures that have a low profile, resulting in less trauma to the body of the patient. Problems arise when implantation tools designed for traditional surgery that is highly invasive are utilized. The tools may be bulky, oversized or have irregular surfaces or protrusions. A projecting actuator arm or fastening member may provide adequate mechanical advantage to force a rod into a head of an implant, but there may be insufficient clearance to use such structure and/or such structure may produce additional trauma or damage to the patient.
Consequently, it is desirable to develop apparatuses and techniques that allow for the securing of a rod to a bone screw or other implant already attached to a vertebra with significantly less invasion into the body of the patient. At the same time, it is desirable to develop such apparatuses and techniques that provide adequate mechanical advantage to force the rod into position within the bone screw and thereafter hold the rod in place during closing or capping of the bone screw head.

Spinal fixation tool set and method for rod reduction and fastener insertion


A circumcision device is provided by the present invention and includes a body and a glans penis locating and protecting member permanently or releasably associated with the body. The body and glans penis locating member between them support a foreskin crushing assembly that includes a crushing surface that includes an axis extending in the general direction of a penis being circumcised in use, a cooperating crushing member, and a mechanism for operating the foreskin crushing assembly. A cutting assembly is also provided that is rotatable about said axis relative to the crushing surface so as to be capable of severing a foreskin adjacent the foreskin crushing assembly. The cutting assembly includes a cutting blade movable between a withdrawn position and an operative extended condition in which the blade may be rotated about said axis to cooperate with the crushing surface or a foreskin located thereon.

Circumcision of male persons is carried out for any one of a number of different reasons including religious and health reasons.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a blood-borne virus that affects millions of people each year. The majority of worldwide infections have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, where 19.2 million individuals were reported HIV-positive in 2014.
Male circumcision has been shown to decrease a man's chances of contracting HIV from an HIV positive female partner by of the order of 60%. Based on this, circumcision as a method of combating the contracting of HIV has the potential to avert many new infections each year. This drastic reduction has prompted a push to circumcise approximately 30 million adult males by 2021 in an environment in which less than 30% of males in Africa are circumcised.
One of the 2020 strategic targets of UNAIDS is that 27 million men in high prevalence settings are voluntarily medically circumcised, as part of an integrated services for men.
The circumcision process has remained largely unaltered for the past few decades. Commonly, a Gomco clamp that has been in use since 1935 is used as a surgical assist instrument. Alternatively, a freehand incision (classical) may be used usually by a surgeon to perform a circumcision that is followed by the introduction of sutures. Both of these require the use of a scalpel with a handle to complete the circumcision.
The Gomco clamp works by exerting a crushing force on the foreskin in a crush zone created in a gap between the divergent outer crushing surface of a glans penis location member (termed a bell in the instance of the Gomco clamp) and a periphery of a crush aperture in a crush plate so that the skin can be cut away after a period of time. This clamping creates a "hemostatic seal" along the cut edge, which obviates the need for sutures. Whilst the Gomco device provides a simple, safe method for circumcision it is not necessarily ideal for the large numbers of circumcision procedures targeted in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In the first place, the Gomco Clamp and other surgical assist circumcision devices such as the Unicirc, Simplecirc and Mogenclamp require the use of a scalpel to cut the foreskin adjacent the crush zone. Due to the massive number of circumcisions clinicians or doctors need to be able to perform and many of whom could be HIV positive patients, there is a concern about the exposure of personnel and patients to any sharp devices.
Secondly, many circumcision devices including the Gomco clamp are re-usable devices and the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that the ideal circumcision device should have as few parts as possible once assembled for use and requires that a circumcision device has to be restricted to a single use only in that it has to actively resist attempts to be reused.
Non-surgical assist circumcision devices that typically include rings and clamps (like the Prepex, Shangring, Tara KLamp, Ismail clamp, Plastibell, Alisclamp) also need to be single use devices. Plastic devices generally need to be left on the body for 5 to 7 days after which time they have to be removed. A device that is left in place for an extended period of time is preferably not used due to excessive complications with scheduling follow up visits for the removal of the device. Additionally, there is a concern that the popularity of the entire circumcision program could be affected by a foul smell that may accompany wearing the device as the skin begins to die and decompose which also increases the risk of infection with bacteria such as tetanus.
There are currently no commercially available devices of which applicant is aware that both eliminate exposure to separate sharp objects and are single-use devices.
As regards published material describing attempts to fulfill the requirements of a single use circumcision device, international publication number WO2014094005 describes a circumcision device having a central glans penis locating member having a divergent outer crushing surface cooperating with the periphery of a crush aperture in a crush plate. The locating member and crush plate are axially movable relative to each other so that a gap between the crushing surface and crush aperture can be varied to effect crushing of foreskin that is positioned between them in well-known manner. The means for effecting axial movement in this case is a pair of diametrically opposite screw threaded members located on opposite sides of the central glans penis locating member. In this instance single use is achieved by making the diametrically opposite screw threaded members that control the gap in the crush zone between the crushing surface and crush aperture such that they cannot be released sufficiently to introduce a subsequent foreskin after a first foreskin has been removed from the crush area.
A similar arrangement is described in international publication number WO2015155724 in which relative axial movement is achieved using a single screw threaded wing nut cooperating with a central tubular body having a glans penis locating end and an opposite operating end at which the wing nut is located. In this instance single use is achieved by making the central tubular body such that it cannot be released sufficiently to introduce a subsequent foreskin after a first one has been removed from the crush area. In each case it is possible to dislocate or release the glans penis locating member. This may be considered to be a disadvantage in resulting in too many loose or separate components for disposal after completion of a procedure which encourages manipulation and possible attempts at re-use of components. Also multiple components may be a challenge as compared to disposal of one assembled unit instrument.
Nevertheless, neither of these addresses the possible dangers of using separate scalpels or the like whilst their construction actually necessitates that a scalpel or the like is used to sever the crushed foreskin.
In order to provide for the number of circumcisions necessary to impede the spread of HIV, a safe, reliable, and quick circumcision device and method are required that do not require the use of a separate scalpel or the like.
The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application.