A fixing clamp for connection of sheets with different expansion properties and is thus installed in a rectangular opening of a support plate. The fixing clamp includes a rectangular baseplate and a threaded sleeve in the center. Transverse webs are bent in the same direction as the threaded sleeve on a front transverse edge. Two clamping legs are bent away from the sleeve, parallel to the baseplate. A further clamping leg is bent upwards on the opposing rear transverse edge in the same direction as the front clamping leg. Spring webs are cut into the baseplate on both sides of the threaded sleeve and bent at an angle in the same direction as the clamping legs. The spring webs are bent with the end regions thereof reaching the baseplate, whereby a separation “A” between the end regions and the transverse webs on the front clamping leg is of such a size that the spring webs extend into the opening when the front clamping legs are situated on the longitudinal edge of the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a fixing clamp for connecting sheets with different expansion properties, and more particularly to a support plate having a rectangular opening recessed into the support plate in order to accommodate the fixing clamp such that it can be displaced parallel to the plate edge.
2. Description of Related Art
Fixing clamps of this type are used, for example, in the automobile industry for connecting a fender of plastic to a metallic support plate. Since the plastic fender has a greater coefficient of expansion than the metallic carrier, the mounting element can adapt itself to relative changes in position between the fender and the support plate that are caused by temperature fluctuations, namely because the mounting element is embedded in the oblong hole such that it can be transversely displaced.
Such a fixing clamp of plastic is known from EP 0 799 758 B1. In this case, a base plate that covers the mounting opening is connected to a sliding element that can be inserted into the mounting opening, wherein the sliding element is guided in the opening such that it can be transversely displaced and held in a position of equilibrium by elastic spring elements. The guidance is realized with limbs that are integrally formed onto the longitudinal sides at a spacing that corresponds to the thickness of the fender sheet and that engage behind the edge of the oblong hole. In order to insert the sliding element into the opening, only one limb is integrally formed onto one longitudinal side, wherein this limb can be inserted into a recess of corresponding size in the edge of the opening. When inserting the sliding element, this limb initially needs to be inserted into the recess and then laterally displaced into the mounting position. The fixing clamp that is provided has a through-hole and is subsequently held in this mounting position by elastic spring elements braced on the transverse edges of the rectangular opening.
This fixing clamp may be unsuitable in certain applications, since the limb of the sliding element to be inserted can be displaced in the recess on the edge of the rectangular opening, depending on the temperature-related compensation movement. As a result, the sliding element may fall out of the opening. The elasticity of the elastic spring elements that are integrally formed onto the lateral edges may also diminish over time such that the clamp is no longer automatically held in the intended position with the subassembly and the completion of the connection becomes more difficult.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a fixing clamp that can be easily inserted into the mounting opening and reliably held therein during all lateral displacements.

Fixing clamp for connecting sheets with different expansion properties


An optical pickup capable of effectively reducing chromatic aberration that includes a collimating lens, which includes a diverging lens with diverging power and a focusing lens with focusing power, arranged on the optical path between a light source and an objective lens, wherein assuming that the total focal length of the collimating lens is f and the focal length of the diverging lens is fn, the collimating lens satisfies the relationship −1.5>f/fn. The optical pickup is compatible with both existing digital versatile disks (DVDs), and high-definition (HD)-DVDs, which will not yet standardized, need a blue light source near 405 nm and an objective lens having an numerical aperture of 0.6 or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pickup for high-density information writing and reading systems, and more particularly, to an optical pickup capable of reducing chromatic aberration that occurs when a blue light source is employed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In optical writing and reading systems, the recording density is determined by the size of a focused spot. In general, the size of the focused spot (S) is proportional to a wavelength (λ), and inversely proportional to a numerical aperture (NA) as expressed by the formula (1):S∝λ/NA  (1)
For a higher recording density than is achieved with compact disks (CDs) or digital versatile disks (DVDs), the size of the spot being focused on an optical disk must be further reduced. To reduce the spot size, as can be inferred from the formula (1), the wavelength (λ) of the laser beam must be reduced, and the NA of the objective lens must be increased. Thus, for such high density information recording, a laser beam having a short wavelength such as a blue laser, must be employed as a light source, and the NA of the objective lens must be maintained to be 0.6 or more.
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the variation of emission wavelength of a laser diode with respect to output power at various temperatures of the laser diode case. FIG. 2 is a graph showing the variation of the index of refraction with respect to the wavelength for various optical materials. Referring to FIG. 1, as the output power increases at a particular case temperature, the wavelength of emission increases proportionally, which is a feature of laser diodes. As shown in FIG. 2, the index of refraction of various optical materials sharply varies in a short wavelength region, for example, near 400 nm, compared to at 780 nm for compact disks (CDs) and at 650 nm for digital versatile disks (DVDs).
When writing information to an optical disk, a desired position on the optical disk is located using reading power, and then a recording mark is made at the desired position by increasing the output to writing power. However, such a sudden variation in output power causes a chromatic aberration in the optical system, thereby defocusing the optical spot on the optical disk. In addition, it takes considerable time to correct the defocusing by the control of a servo circuit.
Further, when a high frequency (HF) module is used to reduce noise caused by light reflected from an optical disk toward a light source, the wavelength of light emitted from the light source increases, thereby increasing the chromatic aberration in the optical system and, in particular, in the objective lens. This causes a deterioration in the quality of a reproduction signal. Lastly, it should be further considered that, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the wavelength of emission increases with temperature inside of the optical pickup, and the wavelength variation from using different light sources changes the chromatic aberration.
Various optical pickups, which have a light source having a wavelength of 650 nm and an objective lens, have been suggested so as to be compatible with 0.6 mm-thick DVDs and 1.2 mm-thick CDs. Among the techniques used in the suggested optical pickups are an annular shielding technique for blocking light passing through an intermediate area between far axis and near axis areas, a method for controlling the NA of an objective lens by using liquid crystal (LC) shutters, and a hologram optical element (HOE) technique for splitting light using a HOE to form individual focuses onto two disks having different thicknesses. However, for a compact disk recordable (CD-R), the reflectivity with respect to the red light source sharply drops, and thus a light source having a wavelength of 780 nm is necessary. For this reason, the use of a DVD indefinite/CD definite optical system that is compatible with light beams of both 780 nm and 650 nm, or the use of an objective lens having an annular focus region between far axis and near axis regions has been suggested. In particular, for a CD definite optical system, the NA of the objective lens is reduced and the divergent light is incident on the objective lens, thereby correcting the aberration caused by the difference in the thickness of disks and the objective lens.
An optical pickup using a short wavelength light source is required for higher density information writing and reading than DVD systems are capable of. As an example, for an optical pickup for HD-DVDs, laser light having a wavelength shorter than 650 nm used for DVDs, is required as a light source. However, as previously explained with reference to FIG. 2, since the index of refraction of optical material of the disk varies sharply at wavelengths shorter than 650 nm, excessive aberration occurs. Thus, there is a need for an optical system compatible with existing DVDs, and capable of effectively reducing chromatic aberration.
For a DVD-R, the reflectivity with respect to light sources other than the red light source decreases. Thus, for compatibility with DVD-Rs, a light source having a wavelength of 650 nm must also be used. However, the problem of aberration can not be eliminated from a 400 nm-objective lens by only controlling the divergence of the light emitted from the 650 nm-light source and incident on the objective lens. Thus, the critical concern in developing HD-DVD compatible systems is finding an effective chromatic aberration correction technique.
An example of a conventional objective lens capable of correcting chromatic aberration, which was described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 10-123410, is shown in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, the conventional objective lens is constructed of two lenses: a first lens 3 and a second lens 4. In particular, the first lens 3 corrects chromatic aberration and is arranged between a disk 6 and the second lens 4. The second lens 4 focuses the light. This structure allows the NA to be increased to 0.7 or more, so that such an objective lens can be employed in an optical system for high-density recording. However, the objective lens has problems in that use of two lenses increases the optical length of the system, and reproduction of the beam spots is highly sensitive to a change in the relative positions of the two lenses.

Optical pickup with improved collimating lens for use with long and short wavelength laser beams


Herein provided is a method and apparatus that allows a pre-existing fuse housing to be easily modified and adapted to include a blown fuse indicator light thereon. Whereby when the fuse housing and light in combination are installed within an electrical circuit and if the fuse is no longer functional, the light will automatically illuminate so as to visually notify a user that the fuse needs to be replaced. Also, any suitable light source may be used, such as an LED, a cartridge type having end contacts, a long lasting reusable incandescent lamp, fiber optics, neon, etc.

Many types of circuit protectors and/or fuses exist and various types of indicator lights have been taught in the past, yet such devices have not been successfully marketed or produced. It is therefore contended that it would be useful to teach a method for modifying an existing prior art plug-in type fuse that would allow a user to easily modify the fuse housing in a manner so as to be functional as a fuse having a blown fuse indicator light as well. Combinations of fuses having an indicator light have been taught within the known prior art. However, such devices or combinations are very limited and have not proven to be cost effective for manufacturing, nor are they easily marketable.
Some examples of the known prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,448,897, 5,701,118, 5,874,884 and 5,598,138 all of which address a proposed combination for a plug-in type fuse having a blown fuse indicator light therewith. However, both the '897 and '118 references are much too costly and complicated and are also very bulky and difficult to install. The '884 reference is also functional but is limited in use because of size and again manufacturing costs, etc. The '138 reference is also functional but includes use of two lights and is not easily installed. Most importantly, none of the cited references and/or known prior art provide or address use of a different type of light, such as a typical cartridge type light having metal contacts on its ends. Another type of light that would be most advantageous is a typical incandescent lamp type. The later is most desirable as it can be easily replaced and reused, and also has an extremely long life span, such as 100,000 hours. Thus, the present invention is most useful, very advantageous, cost effective, and addresses and resolves problems associated within the prior art in a manner heretofore not taught.

Method and apparatus used in combination for installing a blown fuse indicator light within a pre-existing fuse housing


The invention relates to an electronic device including electric connections extending along at least two different directions, said connections being essentially formed by means of bundles of carbon nanotubes (CNT) (8), Where at least two CNT bundles comprise a portion (8a) having its axis directed along a first direction and a portion (8b) having its axis redirected along a second direction, the connections between CNT bundles being achieved by overlapping of the portions (8b) of said at least two bundles to form a connection line (4).

The use of carbon nanotubes (CNT) or of CNT bundles to manufacture through vias or chip interconnects has already been provided, especially to provide a complement or even an alternative to the use of copper. Indeed, the latter is not adapted when minute sizes are involved. CNTs further have the necessary properties, such as a low electric resistance, enabling to provide the best electric conductivity between the different chip levels,
A via is a cavity enabling to create a connection between conductive plates. The electric lines formed on the plates create the connection between vias, Conductive plates are made of a metal, such as aluminum, and are separated by an insulating layer having the cavity forming the via dug therein.
The miniaturization of electronic devices makes the use of copper quite problematic since copper causes difficulties due to eleetromigration when current densities become too high. Architectures formed of copper lines and vias thus show their limits in integrated circuits having a resolution close to 22 nanometers.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the use of CNTs for ensuring the connection between conductive tracks has been provided, by replacing copper or tungsten vias with CNTs (Katagiri et al., Interconnect Technology Conference, 2009,IEEE International 1-3 Jun. 2009,pp. 44-46; Yokoyama et al. Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 47, No 4, 2008,pp. 1985-1990). However, this method does not enable to totally do away with copper, the connection between vias being always ensured by a copper line. Electromigration-related issues are thus not totally suppressed.
Document US 2008/0042287 describes an electronic device in which the connections are at least partially ensured by CNT bundles. The via is covered with a layer of conductive material on which another CNT bundle can be deposited and directed along the line direction. However, the vias and the lines are not formed from the same CNT bundle.
Document US 2006/0212974 discloses an electronic device comprising CNT bundles prepared inside of the via, and then redirected along another direction to connect two conductive layers of two different levels. There are no connections between vias.
Document CN 101562148 relates to a method for creating vertical CNT connections by deposition of a CNT solution on a conductive layer. In this device, two conductive layers of different levels are connected by means of CNT bundles.
Another technology is based on the same concept of CNT vias, but comprises using metal blocks to change the orientation of the CNTs and thus form the horizontal lines (FIG. 3). It is however difficult to control the deposition of a catalyst and the CNT growth along two perpendicular directions on two surfaces of a metal block (FIG. 4). Another disadvantage of this technique is the repeated crossing of many CNT—metal interfaces to ensure the conduction.
Document US 2009/0294966 describes vertical CNT vias ensuring the electric connection between two conductive layers, but also horizontal CNT lines providing an electric connection between vias. This involves two separate bundles directed along two different directions. The CNT bundles coming from the via do not enable to form the line.
These different approaches imply controlling the CNT growth within smaller and smaller cavities, thus raising the issue of the CNT bundle density. Indeed, just like the homogeneity of their properties and of their orientation, the control of the CNT density is of major importance to provide good electric connections in nanoelectronics. High CNT densities are thus indispensable.
Hata and co-workers (Hayamizu et al, Nature nanotechnology, Vol. 3, 2008, 289-294) have recently revealed an organizing and densifying effect capable of being obtained by dipping of a film of scattered CNTs in an alcohol solution. Indeed, when the CNT film is dipped into the alcohol bath, perpendicularly to the surface thereof, and then dried, the CNTs gather and align. Due to the surface tension of the liquid and to the strong Van der Wools interactions, the CNTs achieve a structure close to that of graphite. No disassembly of the CNTs has been observed after densification. However, Hata only obtains structures formed of CNTs directed along the same direction, which thus limits possible applications.
The present invention comes from the search for technical solutions especially enabling to do away with the use of metals and implementing simple manufacturing processes.

Interconnection structure made of redirected carbon nanotubes

Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives


A novel microfluidic device has been developed to measure stability of thin liquid films of water in oil emulsions using electrochemical perturbation of interfaces. This new device can be utilized in rapid classification of de-emulsifiers used in petroleum industries. Although water/crude oil emulsions have been the primary focus of this research, this measurement platform can be used in other industries such as food, cosmetics and bio-engineering (bilayer lipid membranes) as well as environmental remediation of oil spills. The compact design of the device and replacement of the mechanical measurements such as pressure with electrical signal measurements contributes in substantial size reduction of the experimental platform so that it can be employed for onsite measurements in remote areas.

The common practice in industry, particularly the petroleum industry, to measure the effect of de-emulsifiers on the stability of emulsions is the so called "Bottle test". A glass bottle filled with measured amounts of oil (such as crude oil, bitumen, heavy oil, etc.), water and de-emulsifiers will be provided. After creating the emulsion by shaking the bottle, the emulsion will be left for a certain period of time so that the separation of the water from the oil can occur. The amount of water liberated from the emulsion is a measure of efficiency of the de-emulsifier. This test has to be repeated many times due to the different available de-emulsifiers and their wide spectrum of concentration. Furthermore, the type of crude oil varies from one reservoir to another, so finding the best match for every specific oil is a very time consuming task. "Bottle test" is inherently a low-tech which does not provide any insight about the film properties and its lack of automation reveals the need for a better measurement platform.
The presence of water droplets in crude oil can result in a very stable emulsion system. Stabilizer molecules in oil adsorb on the surface of the water droplets and make a resistant shield that prevents them from coalescence. Most of the water in such water-oil emulsions can be removed using density difference methods such as gravitational or centrifugal separations. However, the remaining 1 or 2% of the water that exists in the form of micro droplets (less than 5 μm) is difficult to separate using conventional techniques. The density difference methods do not separate such droplets due to insignificant gravitational or centrifugal forces. De-emulsifiers are used to increase the chance of coalescence of micron size droplets by means of reducing interfacial tension of the water/oil system. De-emulsifiers are generally complex polyelectrolytes or mixtures of polyelectrolytes, which specifically interact with the oil-water interfaces to destabilize emulsions. Therefore, the procedure of identifying the best de-emulsifiers for a specific type of oil using the "bottle test" may take days, which makes it quite difficult to change the amount or type of the de-emulsifier during production. Time is also very crucial in oil spill remediation issues, which underscores the need for better and faster de-emulsifier identification methods. Alternatively, the stability of these emulsion systems and the effect of de-emulsifiers can be studied experimentally on a thin film of oil formed between two water droplets. Experimental techniques such as the Thin Liquid Film (TLF) apparatus or the Sheludko cell, and the Micropipette experiment may be used to create thin liquid films and measure their characteristics. The thin liquid film of oil is ruptured using an external force such as pressure or electric field. The pressure or the electric field at which the film breaks is the measure of stability of the interface.
The thin liquid film apparatus (TLF) is a well-known and widely used method to create and study the stability of thin liquid films. It employs a porous glass plate in which a millimeter size circular hole is drilled. The plate is connected to a capillary, which is filled with oil. The plate is then immersed in an electrolyte solution. Simultaneous adjustment of the pressure of the electrolyte solution and the oil in the capillary results in formation of an oil film inside the hole. The film developed can be considered as an analogue of two large (millimeter scale) water droplets separated by a thin oil film. By increasing the electrolyte's pressure, the two water phases can be pushed toward each other, thereby altering the film thickness. Using interferometry techniques, the thickness of the film can be measured accurately. The micropipette method can also be used to study thin liquid films. It consists of two micropipettes, at the tips of which water droplets are formed. The two pipettes are immersed in the oil phase while pressing the two water droplets onto each other. The oil film created between the droplets can be broken by moving the micropipettes closer. This can result in characterization of the film stability. This method is not capable of measuring the thickness of the film directly.

The Governors of the University of Alberta


A data display includes a grid including: a first column configured to display particular data values of a first data parameter; a plurality of rows, each row configured to display a particular data value of the first data parameter in the first column; and a second column including a vertically-extending graph, wherein the particular data value in one or more of the plurality of rows is plotted as a data point horizontally aligned with a corresponding row on the vertically-extending graph, wherein a plurality of data points display moving data values of the first data parameter. Other devices such as instrument analyzers and methods of displaying data are disclosed.

Patient specimen testing laboratories (referred to herein as "laboratories") may include a plurality of instruments configured to test and/or analyze specimens from patients. Test results generated by the instruments may drift over time and may yield inaccurate test results if not corrected. Some instruments may include processors or the like that perform quality control tests and measure quality control parameters of the instruments. These measured quality control parameters provide an indication of certain parameters of the instruments, which may indicate a relative accuracy of tests that are to be performed by the instruments.
Some laboratory products and/or instruments include displays that enable users to view such quality control parameters.

Instrument analyzers, data displays, and display methods


A system for x-ray imaging of a small sample comprising positioning a tamper so that it is operatively connected to the sample, directing short intense x-ray pulses onto the tamper and the sample, and detecting an image from the sample. The tamper delays the explosive motion of the sample during irradiation by the short intense x-ray pulses, thereby extending the time to obtain an x-ray image of the original structure of the sample.

1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to sample irradiation and more particularly to sample irradiation by short, intense X-ray pulses in the process of imaging the sample.
2. State of Technology
The article "Potential for Biomolecular Imaging with Femtosecond X-ray Pulses;" by Richard Neutze, Remco Wouts, David Van Der Spoel, Edgar Weckert and Janos Hajdu; in the Aug. 17, 2000 issue of NATURE (Vol. 406, pages 752–757) provides the following state of technology information: Sample damage by X-rays and other radiation limits the resolution of structural studies on non-repetitive and non-reproducible structures such as individual biomolecules or cells . . . . Radiation damage is caused by X-ray photons depositing energy directly into the sample.

Tamper to delay motion and decrease ionization of a sample during short pulse x-ray imaging

The Regents of the University of California


An electrical connector assembly is provided for mounting on a surface of a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a generally rectangular dielectric housing. A front of the housing defines a mating end for receiving a projecting portion of a mating connector. A generally rectangular conductive shield is disposed about portions of the housing and combines therewith to define a peripheral envelope of the connector assembly. The shield includes outside walls for covering at least some of the outside surfaces of the housing. At least one surface mounting foot is integral with at least one of the outside walls of the shield for securing the connector assembly to the surface of the printed circuit board. The surface mounting foot is located within the peripheral envelope of the connector assembly. The foot is formed at an opening in the shield which provides access through which visual observation can be made of the integrity of the surface mounting interface between the foot and the printed circuit board. The shield is disclosed as a two-piece shield, and improved dimpled overlapping interfaces are provided at open seams between the two pieces of the shield, and improved grounding feet are provided for commoning the two pieces of the shield.

Shielded electrical connector systems are used in many applications, including telecommunications equipment, computers, other digital information systems, and the like. The electrical circuitry in such applications include electrical cables having a plurality of electrically conductive leads surrounded and protected by an electrically conductive shield, such as a braid, foil or the like. In most such applications, it is necessary to shield the signal-carrying circuits to avoid electromagnetic interference caused by energy generated outside of as well as inside the system, thus "hardening" the system to the ingress and egress of radiated emissions.
Many such electrical connectors are used in conjunction with systems which incorporate printed circuit boards to which the connectors are surface-mounted. The board is provided with ground planes or ground circuits to which the connectors are conductively coupled. The coupling usually is through the shields of the connectors.
One type of miniature electrical connector of the character described is commonly called a circular DIN connector (or a "mini-DIN" connector) and is known to include a dielectric housing in which electrical terminals are mounted. The mini-DIN connector usually is rectangularly shaped in cross-section and a rectangular body or housing has a top, bottom, front, rear and opposite sides. The front of the housing defines a mating end for receiving a projecting portion of a mating connector or cable plug. This mating end includes a circular recess within which a circular cross-sectional plug portion projects forwardly for receiving a circular cross-sectional, externally shielded electrical socket of the mating connector. A rectangularly configured shield is disposed about portions of the housing and has means for making electrical contact with the shield of the mating connector. The shield usually is fabricated from stamped and formed sheet metal material. The metal shield may include a front wall over the front of the housing, the front wall including a series of spring fingers for making electrical contact with the shielding of the mating connector. In addition to the front wall, the shield may include one or more of a top wall over the top of the housing; a rear wall over the rear of the housing and opposite side walls over the opposite sides of the housing.
Another type of rectangular shielded electrical connector assembly of the character described is a telecommunications connector or jack which also is rectangular of "box"-shaped and includes a rectangularly-shaped dielectric housing having portions of the outside thereof covered by a stamped and formed metal shield having planar walls covering some of the outside walls of the housing, similar to the circular mini-DIN connector. An example of a shield for such a telecommunications connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,945, dated Jan. 28, 1992, and which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
One of the problems with shielded electrical connector assemblies as described above involves mounting the connector including the shield to the printed circuit board. The most common mounting system includes a plurality of mounting members such as tabs or tails formed integrally with the shield, usually the side walls of the shield, and projecting through and soldered within holes in the printed circuit board. This configuration provides strain relief for the fragile terminals particularly when they are surface mounted to contact pads of the circuitry on the printed circuit board. It may further provide an electrical connection such as a ground connection to the circuitry. However, with the increasing miniaturization and complexity of circuit design, such hole-mounted tails often cannot be used, particularly where circuit components are mounted on both sides of a printed circuit board. In such applications, mounting members cannot project through the board where they might interfere with circuit components on the opposite side of the board. Therefore, separate metal retaining plates have been proposed to secure a surface mounted connector to a contact pad of a printed circuit board, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,440, dated May 17, 1992. Such separate metal retaining plates have first portions anchored to the connector housing and second portions reflow soldered to the pads on the printed circuit board. Unfortunately however, the use of such separate retaining plates may add considerably to the overall cost of manufacturing the connectors and assembling the connectors to the printed circuit board. Furthermore, the plates may use up valuable printed circuit board "real estate" when the plate is not located substantially with the peripheral envelope of the connector assembly.
Another continuing problem with shielded electrical connector assemblies of the character described above involves providing adequate grounding of the connector shield to the printed circuit board. As stated above, the shields are electrically coupled to shielded mating connectors and associated shielded cables, and the shields therefore must be connected to ground traces on the printed circuit board. This must be done in order to establish and maintain effective shielding of the attached shielded cables and their associated peripherals. This invention is directed to various schemes which improve the grounding network of such shielded connectors.
Still further, some shields are fabricated of a plurality of parts, such as a two-piece shield, for various reasons, including cost effectiveness. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to common the parts of the shield to provide adequate shielding and grounding throughout the entire connector assembly. This invention is directed to providing improvements in plural component shields to enhance the shielding and grounding characteristics thereof.

Shielded electrical connector assemblies


A fly height controller circuit for a disk drive head having a resistive heater is disclosed. The fly height controller includes an error amplifier that controls a variable current source driving the resistive heater. The error amplifier compares a desired heater power signal with a feedback power signal that is generated by a multiplier. The multiplier receives a signal corresponding to the resistive heater current, for example as generated by a second variable current source also controlled by the error amplifier, and a signal corresponding to a voltage across the resistive heater. A first differential amplifier develops a differential voltage corresponding to the heater voltage. A second differential amplifier is biased by the resistive heater current signal, and receives the differential voltage form the first differential amplifier. A differential current generated by the second differential amplifier produces the feedback power signal as an output voltage.

This invention is in the field of control circuitry for magnetic storage media drives, and is more specifically directed to fly height control circuitry involving read/write head heaters in such drives.
Continuing progress toward higher performance yet less expensive electronic systems has resulted in large part from advances in nonvolatile data storage technology. The "workhorse" technology for nonvolatile data storage has, of course, been the magnetic disk drive. Magnetic disk drives are used over a wide range of electronic systems, including large-scale network servers, desktop workstations, portable computers, and even now in modern handheld devices such as portable digital audio players.
As is well known in the art, the capacity of conventional disk drives has greatly increased over recent years, at ever decreasing cost per megabit. This capacity increase is directly related to improvements in the density with which data can be stored on the disk medium. Advances in disk drive technology have decreased the surface area required to reliably and retrievably store a bit along a "track" on the disk surface, and have also decreased the spacing between adjacent tracks. This reduction in the active disk surface area per unit of storage has been enabled, in large part, by corresponding reductions in the size and precision of the magnetic transducers that effect the writing and reading operations in magnetic disk drives.
In conventional magnetic disk drives, the writing and reading of stored data is carried out by way of near-field magnetic processes. To write data, ferromagnetic domains at the disk surface are selectively oriented by applying a magnetic field in close proximity to the disk surface. One type of conventional write transducer, or "head", is the well-known inductive writer, which includes an electromagnet having a gap that can be positioned near the magnetic disk surface. The electromagnet is selectively energized to establish a magnetic field, at the gap, that is strong enough to define a magnetic transition pattern of the desired polarity at the addressed location of the disk surface. Data is read from the disk by sensing the polarity of the magnetic field established by these magnetic transition patterns. Conventional read transducers include inductive heads consisting of an electromagnet (which may be the same electromagnet used to write data) in which a current is induced by the magnetic fields at the disk surface. More recently, magnetoresistive (MR) read heads, having a resistance that varies with the polarity of the magnetic field, have become popular.
In modern disk drives, the read/write heads are disposed within a slider at the distal end of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) suspension. The flexible HGA suspension is attached to an actuator, which includes a so-called "voice coil" motor that positions the heads at the desired radial locations of the disk surface. The relative motion between the spinning disk surface and the slider creates a lifting force on the slider, establishing an air bearing surface (ABS) on which the slider rides over the disk surface. Typically, the heads are located at the trailing edge of the slider, which is typically closer to the disk surface than is the slider leading edge.
In connection with these near-field mechanisms, the magnetic field strength increases exponentially as the distance between the magnetic transducers (read/write heads) and the magnetized disk surface decreases. Because the signal strength of the stored data depends on the magnetic field strength, the density of data storage per unit area of disk surface, for a given bit error rate (BER), depends strongly on the distance between the heads and the disk surface. Accordingly, the spacing maintained by the air bearing surface (ABS) between the read/write heads and the disk surface, referred to in the art as the "fly height" of the heads, is an important parameter in the data capacity of a magnetic disk. In modern conventional disk drives, the mean fly height is on the order of a few nanometers, which has enabled the very high data densities attained by modern disk drives.
However, low fly heights tend to increase the wear of both the disk surface and the read-write heads. At extremely low fly heights, relatively small asperities in the disk surface can cause contact between the slider and the disk surface, depleting and degrading lubricants, causing wear on both the slider and the disk surface and causing contamination from wear particles, and in some cases causing the heads to stick at locations of the disk surface where contact is made.
Disk drive manufacturers are thus faced with a tradeoff between disk drive reliability, on one hand, and data density and BER, on the other hand, in determining the desired fly height of the read/write heads. The precision with which the fly height can be controlled is therefore an important factor in maximizing the data density and minimizing the BER, within the reliability constraints for the disk drive.
Especially in recent years, the fly height has depended largely on the temperature of the poles of the inductive write head. It is known that the writing current conducted by the inductive write head causes resistive heating and thus thermal expansion of the poles in the read/write head, typically manifest in the electromagnet poles protruding from the slider toward the disk surface. Modern disk drives take advantage of the thermal expansion of the write head poles in achieving low fly heights, and in controlling the fly height. In this regard, it is known to include a resistor within the slider of a disk drive read/write head, to serve as a resistive heater, so that thermal expansion of the electromagnet poles cause them to protrude toward the disk surface, reducing the fly height. U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,113 describes an example of such a resistive heater.
By way of further background, copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/715,217, filed Nov. 17, 2003, and published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0105204 on May 19, 2005, describes a fly height controller that applies different drive levels to a resistive heater in read and write operations. These different heater drive levels account for the increased current drive to the inductive write heads, and thus increased heating of the slider, during write operations relative to the current conducted through the head during read operations.
Conventional fly height controllers using a resistive heater in the read/write head assembly operate by feedback control of either the voltage across the resistive heater, or of the current through the resistive heater. For previous generations of disk drives, control of the resistive heater drive in this manner has been sufficient. As the desired data density continues to increase, however, and with the need for continuing miniaturization of disk drives, more precise fly height control has become necessary.

Disk drive fly height control based on constant power dissipation in read/write head heaters


A Virtual-Memory Device (VMD) driver and application execute on a host to increase endurance of flash memory attached to a Super Enhanced Endurance Device (SEED) or Solid-State Drive (SSD). Host accesses to flash are intercepted by the VMD driver using upper and lower-level filter drivers and categorized as data types of paging files, temporary files, meta-data, and user data files, using address ranges and file extensions read from meta-data tables. Paging files and temporary files are optionally written to flash. Full-page and partial-page data are grouped into multi-page meta-pages by data type before storage by the SSD. Ramdisks and caches for storing each data type in the host DRAM are managed and flushed to the SSD by the VMD driver. Write dates are stored for pages or blocks for management functions. A spare/swap area in DRAM reduces flash wear. Reference voltages are adjusted when error correction fails.

Flash memory is widely used for peripheral storage in computer systems, and for primary storage in portable devices. NAND flash memory, invented by Dr. Fujio Masuoka of Toshiba in 1987, uses electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) cells that store charge on a floating gate. Cells are typically programmed by an avalanche current, and then erased using quantum-mechanical tunneling through a thin oxide. Unfortunately, some electrons may be trapped in the thin oxide during program or erase. These trapped electrons reduce the charge stored in the cell on subsequent program cycles, assuming a constant programming voltage. Often the programming voltage is raised to compensate for trapped electrons.
As the density and size of flash memory has increased, the cell size has been shrunk. The thickness of oxides including the tunneling oxide has also been reduced. The thinner oxides are more susceptible to trapped charges and sometimes fail more easily. The floating gate of NAND flash is used to trap electrons. The number of electrons in the floating gate can affect the voltage level of the output. The different level of voltage is achieved by controlling the number of electrons trapped in the depletion layer during the write process. The ever smaller floating gate area often limits the maximum number of electrons that can be trapped (now just several hundred electrons). Due to program/read interference the electrons can leak or trap into the floating gate. This electron number change will affect the voltage output level change and change the read result.
The number of program-erase cycles that a flash memory is guaranteed to be able to withstand was around 100,000 cycles, which allowed for a lengthy lifetime under normal read-write conditions. However, the smaller flash cells have experienced a disturbingly higher wear and newer flash memories may be spec'ed at less than 10,000 program-erase cycles for two-level cells and about 600 for Triple-Level Cells (TLC). If current trends continue, future flash memories may only allow for 300 program-erase cycles. Such a low endurance could severely limit the applications that flash memory could be used for, and have severe impacts for Solid-State-Disk (SSD) applications.
One method to increase the density of flash memory is to store more than one bit per memory cell. Different voltage levels of the cell are assigned to different multi-bit values, such as four voltage ranges for a two-bit cell. However, the noise margins are reduced for the multi-level-cell (MLC) and TLC flash technologies and endurance problems are exacerbated.
It is likely that the underlying flash technology will have lower endurance in the future. Flash drives may compensate for the lower wear tolerance of the underlying flash memories by a variety of techniques. For example, a DRAM buffer on the flash drive may act as a write back cache, reducing the number of writes to the underlying flash memories when the host performs writes to the same data location.
What is desired is a host software drivers and controllers for a flash drive that compensate for lower wear tolerances of the underlying flash memory devices. A Virtual-Memory Device (VMD) application and driver for a host connected to a standard Solid-State Drive (SSD) or a Super-Endurance flash drive is desired that uses a barrage of advanced management techniques that together reduce the number of writes to flash, hence reducing program-erase cycles on the underlying flash memory. A VMD application and driver on the host that operates a super-endurance flash drive constructed from low-endurance flash memory is desired.

Virtual memory device (VMD) application/driver for enhanced flash endurance


A device, such as a PALC device, has a gas-tight envelope accommodating a number of channels comprising an ionizable gas. Each channel has two electrodes. Adjacent electrodes in different channels are interconnected. Each pair of interconnected electrodes has a lead, which leaves the gas-tight envelope. The pitch between the exits of the leads is larger than the pitch of the channels. In embodiments, the electrodes are grouped together, so that a reduction of the number of leads exiting the gas-tight envelope can be achieved, which enables an (additional) increase in the pitch between the exits of the leads to be attained.

The invention relates to a device having a structure comprising a plurality of adjacent channels in a gas-tight envelope, the channels being filled with an ionizable gaseous medium and each channel comprising at least two electrodes to control ignition of a plasma discharge in the channels, the channels being separated by walls, pairs of said electrodes situated at opposite sides of side walls and electrodes of each of said pairs of electrodes being electrically interconnected and having leads to send electrical signals to the pairs of electrodes.
A device of the above-mentioned type is known from European patent application No. 588 486, in which application an LCD device having an addressing structure of the so-called plasma type is described. Each channel has two electrodes. A number of the electrodes, in the above-mentioned application each of the electrodes, extend through the walls and thus have an exposed surface in the channels on either side of the relevant wall. Thus, in effect, electrodes on opposite sides of a wall are electrically interconnected. Each electrode serves alternately as a cathode and an anode in a channel, depending on the signals supplied to the electrodes via the leads.
Devices of the type described in the opening paragraph are for instance PDPs (Plasma displays) and PALCDs (Plasma Addressed Liquid Crystal Displays). In PDPs the plasma in the channel creates UV-radiation which excites electroluminescent phosphors. In a PALCD the plasma is used to address a liquid crystal.
There is a tendency to decrease the channel-pitch in order to increase the ability to depict small details by means of the device. Within the framework of the invention it has, however, been found that this leads to problems relating in particular to the supply of signals to the leads. Discharges between the leads and cross-talk between the leads can easily occur. Discharges can lead to damage to the leads and cross-talk can lead to unwanted ignition of a channel.

Device having a plurality of ionizable gas filled channel in a gas-tight envelope, each channel provided with a pair of electrodes


The present invention concerns novel materials and methods to detect low frequency surface changes utilizing modified microspheres. Upon exposing the surface to the modified microspheres of the subject invention, the microspheres selectively adhere to any targeted surface marker.

Low frequency changes on the surfaces of substrates are possible indications of contamination and/or abnormalities. Examples include lead in painted surfaces; scaling inside pipes; mold on carpeting, walls, or heating and cooling ducts; bacteria on skin; and cancer cell receptors. Without early detection and subsequent remediation, these surface modifications can lead to deleterious health, economic, environmental, and structural damage. An area wherein surface modification detection is particularly needed involves the early diagnosis of certain cancers.
A serious global health issue concerns oral cancer and its lack of early detection. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) makes up about 4% of all newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. (30,000 new cases per year), with secondary primary tumors developing at a rate of 2-3% new cases per year (Tabor et al., "Multiple Head and Neck Tumors Frequently Originate from a Single Preneoplastic Lesion" Amer. J. Path., 161 (3) 1051-1060 (2002). In fact, long term survival rates have not improved significantly in the last 20 years. A major preventable cause is thought to be tobacco use; especially the use of chewing tobacco. In some Asian countries, this tobacco use is combined with chewing of betal leaves, and oral cancer rises to 40% of new cancers (Pande et al., "Prognostic Factors in Betel and Tobacco Related Oral Cancer", Oral Onocology, 38, 491-499 (2002).
Early detection is hampered because pain and other symptoms are normally not present during early stages. Accordingly, diagnosis usually occurs at a late stage, such as after the primary tumor has metastasized and presented with a lump in the neck. Such advanced cases have a very bad prognosis that is worse than that of breast or prostate cancer (Canto, M. et al., "Views of Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection: Maryland Physicians," Oral Onc. 38, 373-377 (2002)).
In addition, successful treatment of HNSCC frequently involves radiation therapy and leaves the patient with significant deficits in quality of life factors including decreased saliva production. Surgical removal of deeper lesions, which result from invasion initiated at the surface, also can be very traumatic (e.g., removal of large parts of the tongue or jaw). Early detection allows less invasive treatment, a more positive effect on survival, and a decreased risk of physical dysfunction. Unfortunately, no effective and easily administered screening test is currently available.
Currently, early detection is difficult since early lesions are small, requiring a careful physical examination to detect. For instance, careful examination requires grasping the tongue with gauze, distracting it to a contralateral position, and withdrawing it as far as possible from the oral cavity. Lighting is difficult, since head mirrors, lamps and penlights lack sufficient intensity and color balance to detect the most common pre-cancerous lesions (Mashberg, S. et al., "Early Diagnosis of Asymptomatic Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cancers," CA Cancer J. Clin. 45, 328-51 (1995)). A recent survey of Maryland physicians found that 82% did not routinely do an oral examination, and many felt (incorrectly) that the disease was rare. Some expressed surprise that it was more common than cervical cancer, where screening was routinely done, but expressed the view that a continuing education class in detecting oral cancer would draw little interest (Canto, M. et al., "Views of Oral Cancer Prevention and Early Detection: Maryland Physicians," Oral Onc. 38, 373-377 (2002). An easy to use, accurate screening test to detect oral cancers in the early onset of the disease would be highly beneficial.
Toluidine blue dye has been used to aid in the detection of oral cancer because it is a vital stain that colors various lesions for easier visibility during oral examinations (Mashberg, S. et al. "Early Diagnosis of Asymptomatic Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cancers," CA Cancer J. Clin. 45, 328-51 (1995)). However, toluidine also stains non-malignant lesions, such as ulcers, requiring additional examination after a period of time sufficient for healing to take place. In addition, the use of toluidine to stain lesions requires direct observation by a health care professional.
Certain molecules are known as indicators for cancerous growths. For example, cell surface receptors for the vitamin folic acid are overexpressed on most human cancer cells, including those of the mucosa (Wang S, Low P S., "Folate-Mediated Targeting of Antineoplastic Drugs, Imaging Agents, and Nucleic Acids to Cancer Cells" J. Control Release 1998 Apr. 30, 53 (1-3): 39-48) and other epithelial malignancies of the head and neck (Lu, Y and Low, P., "Folate-Mediated Delivery of Macromolecular Anticancer Therapeutic Agents," Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 54, 675-693 (2002). Additional surface receptors with known overexpression in HNSCC are those for transferrin (TF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
The folic acid molecule has three fragments chemically linked: 6-methylpteridin, p-amino benzoic acid (PABA), and glutamic acid. Naturally occurring folic acid can have up to eight glutamic acid residues linked together through the carboxylate group on the amino acid's side chain.
Folate is needed in the synthesis of DNA nucleotides and the methyl group of thymine. Hence, folate is required in rapidly growing cell populations, and more rapid uptake is required since it cannot be synthesized by the cell. Syntheses of cell-surface receptors for the molecule are upregulated, and the receptors mediate both membrane transport and endocytosis of the free folate and folate conjugates.
Because of this enhanced level of folate receptor on the cell surface, attachment of folate to genes, contrast agents, liposomes, drugs, dyes and other markers has been frequently used to specifically target cancer cells in the presence of large amounts of normal tissue (Wang S, Low P S., "Folate-Mediated Targeting of Antineoplastic Drugs, Imaging Agents, and Nucleic Acids to Cancer Cells" J. Control Release 1998 Apr. 30, 53 (1-3): 39-48); Lu, Y and Low, P., "Folate-Mediated Delivery of Macromolecular Anticancer Therapeutic Agents," Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 54, 675-693 (2002); Reddy J A, Dean D, Kennedy M D, Low P S "Optimization of Folate-Conjugated Liposomal Vectors for Folate Receptor-Mediated Gene Therapy" J. Pharm Sci., 1999 November; 88 (11): 1112-8; Lu, Y and Low, P., "Folate-Mediated Delivery of Macromolecular Anticancer Therapeutic Agents," Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 54, 675-693 (2002; Das C R, Su T. "Particle-Mediated Intravascular Delivery of Oligonucleotides to Tumors: Associated Biology and Lessons from Genotherapy" Drug Deliv. 8 (4): 191-213, 2001). When using folate as a conjugated targeting agent, it was found that the site of folate attachment had to be at the γ-carboxylate group to allow bonding of the other end to the receptors (Leamon, C and Low, P., "Delivery of Macromolecules into Living Cells: A Method that Exploits Folate Receptor Endocytosis" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 88, 5572-5576 (1991). There are at least two types of cell surface receptors for folate (α and β), which both have very high binding affinities (nano molar) and vary in levels with cell type (Kranz D M, Patrick T A, Brigle K E, Spinella M J, Roy E J "Conjugates of Folate and Anti-T-Cell-Receptor Antibodies Specifically Target Folate-Receptor-Positive Tumor Cells for Lysis" Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1995 Sep. 26; 92 (20): 9057-61).
One carrier mechanism for delivering substances to various locations is the microsphere. Microspheres containing surface modifications can be manufactured that are both pH-sensitive and magnetic. Many good methods exist to make microspheres in different size ranges from a wide range of polymers that incorporate useful components such as dyes, drugs or magnetic powders (Karsa, D. and Stephenson, R., "Encapsulation and Controlled Release" The Royal Society of Chemistry, Pulisher, Cambridge, UK. 1993; Hafeli, U. et al., ed., "Scientific and Clinical Applications of Magnetic Carriers" Plenum Press, NY (1997); Batich, C., Jun, Y., Bucaria, C and Elsabee, M. "Swelling Behavior of pH-Sensitive Copolymers Based on Styrene and 4- (or 2-) Vinylpyridine" Macromolecules, 126, pp. 4675-4681 (1993). Surface modification of microspheres for targeting purposes is also a well-established technology, and many types of these particles are available commercially from suppliers such as Bangs Laboratories. Methods of immobilizing folate, in particular, have been developed using di-functional coupling agents (Dauty et al. 2002 July-August; 13 (4): 831-9 Intracellular delivery of nanometric DNA particles via the folate receptor).
Diagnostic applications utilizing microspheres are known (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,268,222; 6,327,410; 6,417,340 and 6,495,325). Some use color changes as indications for diagnosis; others do not.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,579 to Everhart et al., describes a diagnostic system using functionalized microspheres that bind with analytes. The technology of the '579 patent is specifically engineered for in vitro use. A polymer film is purposely adapted to allow light diffraction when the microspheres are bound to the desired analyte.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,633 to Tausk et al., describes a diagnostic method utilizing liposomes that change color in the presence of a target antigen. The surface of the liposomes are coated with an antigenic structures that break down the liposome in the presence of the target antigen releasing the color changing marker. The '633 patent pertains to testing taking place outside the body. The diagnostic marker is in the change of color, not in the degree of change.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method to detect a wide variety of changes on surfaces.
To fill the current void in early diagnostic methods in detecting cancer cells, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting cancer cells in vivo. It is a further object to provide a method for diagnosing HNSCC in oral mucosa. It is also an object to provide a kit for home or clinical use for diagnosing HNSCC.

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


The invention concerns a detachable fastening of a cable (2) on a cable drum (1), especially a wire cable, with an opening (1a) arranged in the cable drum (1), with an enlarged cable end (2a) on the cable (2) and a connection piece (4), by which the cable (2) with its end thickening (2a) is detachably secured to the cable drum (1) in the region of the continuous opening (1a). The connection piece (4) may be detachably secured in the continuous opening (1a) and the enlarged cable end (2a) be detachably secured to the connection piece (4).

The invention concerns a cable pulley block and, in particular, a technique for detachable fastening of a cable to a cable drum, especially a wire cable.
Cable fastenings to winding drums or cable drums of a hoisting mechanism are machine elements with very high quality demands for safety considerations; their design is regulated in various standards, such as DIN 15020 and EN 14492-2. At the lowest position of a carrying device, there must still be at least two cable turns on the winding drum, and the cable end fastening on the winding drum must be constructed so that, allowing for the friction of the turns remaining on the winding drum, 2.5 times the cable traction force can be sustained, given a coefficient of friction of μ=0.1 between wire cable and base. Guidelines and dimensions for the fastening are set forth, for example, in the Stahl-Eisen-Betriebsblatt (SEB) 666211. The cable ends here are usually incandescently cut or wound with wire.
It is known to provide the cable end with a press-on thickening, usually cylindrical end sleeves of various materials, which, at the same time, make it easy to introduce the end into a continuous opening essentially passing transverse through the wall of the drum into the inside of the winding drum, where the cable end with its thickening is accommodated in a recess cast into the cable drum, made from a casting material, and removably secured as needed. Such a solution is specified, for example, in German Patent DE 101 07 390 C1.
The press-on thickenings of cable ends, also known as press sleeves, can withstand greater cable tractive forces on the drum than the most often used cable clamps with screw fastening per SEB 666211 for the same space required. Because fewer fastening turns are required than with screw clamps, the press sleeves allow for generally shorter drum lengths for the same usable cable length, which besides saving costs also allows a more favorable utilization of space. Moreover, the installation cost when using press sleeves to mount the end of the cable on the cable drum is considerably reduced compared to the solution with a screw clamp. Another benefit of the press sleeve is the fact that one can recognize a proper form-fitted installation from afar and the risk of improperly tightened screws, not permanently secured because wrongly set, is ruled out.
The cable end fastening familiar from German Patent DE 101 07 390 C1 proposes casting specially shaped pockets in the periphery of the drum tube, which accommodate the press sleeves. However, this assumes that the drum tube is made as a cast piece, which is not always the case today. Quite often, not least for cost reasons, cable drums are made from seamless rolled tubes or round rolled plates with a longitudinal welded seam. On such cable drums, a fastening of press sleeves in the manner described above is not possible.
The same holds for a solution as described by U.S. Pat. No. 2,329,943 and which, likewise, uses a cast cable drum. In the case of the cable end fastening specified therein, the press sleeve placed on the cable end after being inserted through the continuous opening is held by a connection piece, which is screwed into a cast-on recess of the cable drum in the region of the intended continuous opening for the end of the cable. The connection piece closes the continuous opening enough to block and retain the thickening of the cable end on the inside of the winding drum. The connection piece and winding drum are intricately manufactured shaped parts adapted to each other, and while it is possible to loosen the fastening of the cable end from the drum with them, their manufacture and use is costly and time-consuming.
DE 625 612 discloses a device for fastening a cable end to a cable drum, in which a roughly C-shaped cable hook is inserted into a keyhole-shaped slot in the cable drum and secured in the slot by a 180° twist. The cable is inserted into the cable hook by means of a grommet thimble.
DE 687 945 discloses the fastening of a cable in a holder screwed to the cable drum by means of an enlarged cable end.

Cable pulley block having detachable fastening of a cable to a cable drum


A small combustion apparatus for domestic or commercial use, wherein the quantity of combustion is increased by enhancing the mounting density of the burner units and to stabilize combustion using a lean fuel mixture resulting in a decreased generation of nitrogen oxides and noise. The burner has first and second burner units, arranged alternatively adjacently to one another. Each of the burner units has a flame port portion at the top of the burner body vertical and flat, has an inlet for fuel gas and air at the bottom of the burner body, has a mixing channel extending from the inlet to the flame port portion; and has inlets of the first burner units located below the inlets of the second burner units fuel gas spouts, are provided to correspond to the respective inlets of the first and second burner units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a burner which is low in the generation of nitrogen oxides, used in a small combustion apparatus for domestic or commercial use.
2. Description of the Background
The nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) in the exhaust gases from burners of various combustion apparatuses, are themselves toxic and are believed to cause acid rain and photochemical smog. So, for burners used in combustion apparatuses, various measures for decreasing the generation of NO.sub.x have been developed and utilized.
However, these measures are mainly taken for legally regulated, large combustion apparatuses for industrial use and other services, and it cannot be said that satisfactory measures are being taken for small combustion apparatuses for domestic or commercial use, especially with respect to the noise issue.
In the case of a large combustion apparatus, the large static pressure given by the combustion fan provides advantages such that the combustion gas and air can be easily controlled in flow. The burner is high in the degree of freedom of layout, and noise can be controlled easily. So, noise control is not difficult, and since the combustion chamber can be large, slow combustion as a means for decreasing NO.sub.x allows one to easily achieve perfect combustion. On the contrary, in the case of a small combustion apparatus, especially a small combustion apparatus for burning a large quantity, these advantages are not available and it is difficult to take measures for decreasing NO.sub.x, as compared to large combustion apparatuses.

Burner low in the generation of nitrogen oxides and a small combustion apparatus


A safe door lock with a servo motor operated cam is described. A retracting lever is pivotally secured to the locking bolt and is displaced on a pivot connection with the bolt by the cam. The position of the cam and the bolt are detected by microswitches. When the retracting lever is in a locking position, the bolt cannot be retracted within the lock housing. The cam is operated by a servo motor and locked in position by the gear train which includes a worm gear. The locking bolt may be a slam bolt having a spring biased latch which slides therewith or the locking bolt may be a deadbolt when the lock is used with a boltwork system of a vault door.

Various automatic door locks are known for locking doors of safes and incorporate therein timing mechanisms. The majority of these locks are combination locks wherein it is necessary to punch in a code via a keypad or use special keys or tumbwheels in order to actuate a timer and/or to disengage the internal locking mechanism whereby to permit a user to retract the lockbolt by means of a lever or otherwise in order to have access to the safe. Some of these locks, however, have disadvantages in that they are bulky, are unreliable and require frequent maintenance, are not suitable for slam bolt or deadbolt use and their locking mechanism can be easily disabled by burglars.

Safe door lock with servo motor operated cam


A method and apparatus for defining leading edge taper of a write pole tip is disclosed. The fabrication process uses reactive ion etching to fabricate LET with tight control of the placement of LET's edge and to achieve higher angle for providing a higher effective write field at the pole tip while minimizing ATI for high-density perpendicular recording. The placement of a resist's edge is used to define the LET's edge and a CMP process is used to provide a planar surface for the fabrication of the write pole.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates in general to magnetic storage systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for defining leading edge taper of a write pole tip.
2. Description of Related Art
There has been huge progress in the field of magnetic storage system technology in almost 50 years. Moreover, the rate of this progress is increasing year after year. Such success has made storage systems an important component of modern computers.
Some of the most important customer attributes of any storage system are the cost per megabyte, data rate, and access time. In order to obtain the relatively low cost of today's storage system compared to solid state memory, the customer must accept the less desirable features of this technology, which include a relatively slow response, high power consumption, noise, and the poorer reliability attributes associated with any mechanical system. On the other hand, magnetic storage systems have always been nonvolatile; i.e., no power is required to preserve the data, an attribute which in semiconductor devices often requires compromises in processing complexity, power-supply requirements, writing data rate, or cost.
Improvements in areal density have been the chief driving force behind the historic improvement in storage cost. In fact, the areal density of magnetic storage systems continues to increase. While nature allows us to scale down the size of each bit of information, it does not allow scaling to happen forever.
Today, as the magnetic particles that make up recorded data on a storage system become ever smaller, technical difficulties in writing and reading such small bits occur. Further, as areal density increases, the requirements put on head designs will change.
In a magnetic head, a read element and a write element are formed having an air bearing surface ABS, in a plane, which can be aligned to face the surface of the magnetic disk. The read element includes a first shield, a second shield, and a read sensor that is located within a dielectric medium between the first shield and the second shield. The most common type of read sensor 48 used in the read/write head 28 is the magnetoresistive (AMR or GMR) sensor, which is used to detect magnetic field signal changes in a magnetic medium by means of changes in the resistance of the read sensor imparted from the changing magnitude and direction of the magnetic field being sensed.
The write element is typically an inductive write element that includes the second shield that functions as a first pole for the write element and a second pole disposed above the first pole. The first pole and the second pole contact one another at a backgap portion, with these three elements collectively forming the yoke. The combination of a first pole tip portion and a second pole tip portion near the ABS are sometimes referred to as the ABS end 56 of the write element. Some write elements have included a pedestal that can be used to help define track width and throat height. A write gap is formed between the first and second poles in the area opposite the back gap portion. The write gap is typically filled with a non-magnetic, electrically insulating material that forms a write gap material layer. A conductive coil passes through the yoke. The write head operates by passing a write current through the conductive coil. Because of the magnetic properties of the yoke, a magnetic flux is induced in the first and second poles by write currents passed through the coil. The write gap allows the magnetic flux to fringe out from the yoke thus forming a fringing gap field and to cross the magnetic recording medium that is placed near the ABS.
As the demand for storage has increased dramatically over time, technologists have worked toward increasing the amount of information that can be stored onto disc drives. By increasing the areal density—or the amount of information that can be placed within a given area on a disc drive—technologists in fact have been able to deliver densities in excess of 100 percent annually over the course of the last several years. A key end-result or benefit of this dramatic areal density curve is that disc drive manufacturers have also been able to drive down the cost of the disc drives themselves because they can offer higher capacity disc drives using fewer platters, heads, and mechanical parts.
For the past 40 years, longitudinal recording has been used to record information on a disc drive. In longitudinal recording, the magnetization in the bits on a disc is flipped between lying parallel and anti-parallel to the direction in which the head is moving relative to the disc.
However, increasing areal densities to allow greater capacities is no small task. Today it is becoming more challenging to increase areal densities in longitudinal recording. To go to even higher areal densities, researchers are looking at several alternatives, including perpendicular recording.
In recent years, the increased demand for higher data rate and areal density has correspondingly fueled the perpendicular head design to scale toward smaller dimensions and the need for constant exploration of new head designs, materials, and practical fabrication methods. A robust head design must consider the challenges in forming a beveled write pole, placement of the flare point and edge of the leading edge tapering (LET), and aggressive alignments and throat heights of the critical layers in the head design to achieve optimal effective write field and field gradient while minimizing adjacent track issues (ATI).
The write pole (P3) is the critical structure in the head design that needs to be optimized to bring maximal effective write field to the pole tip. One approach is to "bring" the flare point of P3 and the flux guide layer (P2) closer to the air bearing surface (ABS) to achieve higher write field. However, this has proven to be challenging because the ability to simultaneously control both flare point and track-width using ion milling approach is difficult due to the physical nature of this destructive method.
Equally challenging in "bringing" the flux guide layer closer to the ABS is ATI issues. The P2 structure is much bigger in area at the ABS view as compared to the write pole. A write field that is generated by an applied current would prefer to leak from P2 instead of being funneled toward the pole tip. When P2 is brought closer to the ABS, it will contribute significantly to ATI such as side writing and side erasure. One promising approach is to introduce leading edge tapering (LET) to the pole tip. This method would essential bring a more effective write field to the P3 pole tip and relax the stringent requirement to bring the flare point and P2 shaping layer closer to the ABS to achieve higher write field.
The effectiveness of tapering is achieved when it is self-aligned to P3 and the tapering angle is optimized at forty-five degree or more. Controlled methods using ion mill approach to fabricate LET in the past have proven to be of great difficulty to simultaneously achieve both optimal LET angle, tight placement of the LET's edge and couple this process into P3 fabrication to define LET's width at the ABS to minimize ATI issues.
It can be seen then that there is a need for a method and apparatus for defining leading edge taper of a write pole tip.

Method and apparatus for defining leading edge taper of a write pole tip

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A foldable wheeled vehicle for individuals includes a main body, front and rear wheels joined on the body, and an anti-tip wheel joined on a rear end of the main vehicle body; the rear wheels will be in an immobilized state when the vehicle isn't in-use; the anti-tilting wheel will move to be below the rear wheels automatically when the vehicle is folded; thus, the vehicle in the folded position can be dragged with the front wheels and the anti-tip wheel contacting the ground; secondly, the anti-tip wheel will be in a higher position than the rear wheels when the vehicle is in an expanded in-use position; thus, when the vehicle is moving along a slope and tilting rearwards, the anti-tip wheel will contact the ground to prevent the vehicle from tilting rearwards excessively to overturn.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a foldable wheeled vehicle for individuals, more particularly one, which includes an anti-tip wheel; when the vehicle isn't in-use and folded, the rear wheels will be in an immobilized state and the anti-tip wheel will be below the rear wheels, thus allowing the folded vehicle to be easily dragged; when the vehicle is in an expanded in-use position, the anti-tip wheel will be higher than the rear wheels; therefore, when the vehicle is moving along a slope and tilting rearwards, the anti-tip wheel will contact the ground to prevent the vehicle from overturning.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various wheeled vehicles are available for use by the elderly and physically disabled persons, e.g. electric walk-substituting carts and electric wheelchairs.
A currently existing wheeled vehicle consists of a body, front and rear wheels, and an anti-tip wheel, which is joined on a rear end of the main vehicle body to prevent the vehicle from overturning when the vehicle is moving on a slope.
Most of the currently-existing wheeled vehicles can't be reduced or folded for easy transportation and storage. Therefore, such vehicles aren't convenient to use.
To overcome the above-mentioned problem, the industry developed a separable wheeled vehicle, which can be easily separated into several different mechanisms by the users. However, it still will take a considerable amount of time and labor to separate the vehicle. Therefore, such a wheeled vehicle isn't convenient to use, either.

Device for allowing a wheeled vehicle for individuals to be dragged in a folded configuration


Disclosed is a field device electronics for a field device of automation engineering, comprising: first and second terminals for connecting the field device electronics to a cable for an electrical input current to the field device electronics; a series regulator to set the input current; a shunt regulator following the series regulator; a first capacitance connected in parallel with the shunt regulator for energy storage; a supply circuit connected in parallel with the shunt regulator and the first capacitance for providing an operating voltage; and connected after the supply circuit and supplied by the operating voltage, a control unit adapted to register a buffer voltage lying across the first capacitance, based on the registered buffer voltage, to make a decision concerning at least one part of the field device electronics.

Field devices of automation engineering serve quite generally for measuring process variables, for example, a variable representing a pressure- or a fill level. Field devices are connected via a cable, especially a two-wire cable, to a superordinate unit. Field devices of this type are applied especially in industrial measuring- and control technology, as well as in automation and process control technology, for measuring process variables.
As a function of the process variables to be measured, in the present state of the art, a large number of different field devices, such as e.g. pressure-, temperature-, flow- and/or fill level field devices, are applied for this.
Via the cable, there occurs between the field device and the superordinate unit during operation both an energy supply of a field device electronics located in the field device and a signal transmission, especially an output signal representing the process variable. For this, field devices deliver output signals, which correspond to the measured values of the registered process variables. The output signals are transmitted to a superordinate unit connected to the field devices, e.g. a central control unit, e.g. a control station or a process control system, of an industrial plant. As a rule, the entire process control of the production- and/or treatment process running in the industrial plant is performed by the superordinate unit, where the output signals of various field devices are evaluated and, due to the evaluation, control signals are produced for actuators, which control the process flow.
The signal transmission of these devices, frequently also referred to as 2-wire field devices, occurs preferably according to standards usual in the industry, for example, the 4-20 mA standard.
In that standard, the signal transmission occurs in such a way that the electrical current flowing through the cable is set by the field device to an electrical current value representing the measured process variable. This electrical current value is then measured by the superordinate unit and correspondingly interpreted. For this, the electrical current is, in the present state of the art, regularly set corresponding to the measured process variable to values between 4 mA and 20 mA. Additionally, a communication signal can be superimposed on this electrical current representing the measured process variable. Thus, the electrical current is modulated around the value predetermined by the process variable. This is done corresponding to a predetermined communication protocol. Widely used for this in the present state of the art is the communication protocol defined by the HART standard, in the case of which there is superimposed on the electrical current lying between 4 mA and 20 mA a high frequency oscillation of +/−0.5 mA providing the communication signal.
Another group is formed by measuring devices connectable to a digital data bus. In the case of these measuring devices, the electrical current flowing through the line-pair is set to an electrical current value predetermined independently of the measured process variable, and the communication signal in the form of a high frequency oscillation is superimposed on this electrical current. Known standards for this are PROFIBUS, FOUNDATION FIELDBUS and CAN-BUS.
Field devices of this type usually have a field device electronics with two connection terminals, via which the field device electronics can be connected with the cable. The field device electronics includes, in general, furthermore, a series regulator installed in a supply conductor to set an electrical current flowing via the cable. The field device electronics also generally includes a shunt regulator following the series regulator and installed in a transverse branch connecting the supply conductor with a return conductor.
Connected to the field device electronics can be, for example, a measuring device supplied with energy via a supply circuit and serving for determining the process variable and for producing a measurement signal representing the process variable.
Available to the field device, and to the field device electronics, via the cable is, as a rule, only a very limited energy amount predetermined via the input voltage supplied thereto and the electrical current set by the series regulator.
Accordingly, in the present state of the art, especially in the case of field devices having measuring devices with high energy requirement, such as e.g. measuring devices of fill level measuring devices working with microwaves or with ultrasound, methods for efficient use of the available energy are applied. One variant, in such case, is to determine the power registration indirectly from the known terminal voltage and the set electrical current minus an estimated value for consumption by individual components.
Disadvantageous in such variant is that, because of unknown power states of the individual components, the estimated power consumptions no longer match with reality.
An object of the invention, thus, is to remedy this situation.

Field device electronics for a field device used in automation engineering


A hollow-shell road wheel for tracked vehicles includes a generally triangular, outer circumferential cavity formed by an outer rim and two wall members that extend radially inward at angles to a generally planar flange at approximately the mid-radius point of the hollow-shell road wheel. A series of hollow-shell road wheels assembled in a back-to-back configuration support the tracked-vehicle and act as guides for the track of the tracked-vehicle.

The present invention is directed to wheels for supporting tracked-vehicles and, in particular, to the road wheels for tracked-vehicles that provide a rolling interface and support structure between the track and body of the vehicle.
Tracked-vehicles are a superior means of traversing varied off-road surfaces compared to vehicles equipped with conventional pneumatic tires. The tracks provide an increased driving surface and area of contact with the ground thereby enabling superior support of heavier vehicles on such varied terrain. In addition, tracks are more durable than conventional tires such that they are less susceptible to puncture by sharp or metallic objects.
Tracked-vehicles are utilized in military, forestry, and construction fields. Military vehicles employing track drive systems include, for example, the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV), the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and Abrams tanks. Generally, the drive systems of such vehicles include a track, a drive sprocket, a track tensioner, and a series of road wheels that support the body of the vehicle and serve as a rolling guide interface to the track.
Existing road wheels for track drive systems on military vehicles are designed with a single-wall "dish" shape or an "I-beam" shape. Due to the weight of the tracked vehicles and the environments in which they are operated, these road wheels are subjected to high radial and lateral forces. When the vehicle is turning or traversing a slope at an angle, the lateral forces create particularly high stresses and strains on the road wheels. Significantly, as the wall thickness of an existing road wheel is reduced, the lateral strength decreases exponentially. Therefore, the high stresses and strains inflicted upon the road wheels dictate the use of a thicker wall and/or higher strength material for the existing single-wall shaped road wheels in order to prevent them from yielding and bending. This, in turn, results in road wheels of higher weight and/or cost.
The weight of a tracked-vehicle is always a concern, and particularly so for military vehicles, as weight affects power needs, fuel consumption, transportability, speed, and mobility of the vehicle. Further, present military combat situations involve fewer instances of heavy-duty tank conflicts. Therefore, there is an increasing need for more lightweight vehicles that are able to safely transport troops over a wide variety of urban, suburban, and rural terrains with a moderate level of armament and weaponry. It is essential that these tracked-vehicles, such as the AAAV and Bradley, be as light as possible in order to maximize performance and mobility.
Additionally, as financial resources are always limited regardless of the application in which the tracked-vehicle is operating, there is a strong motivation and emphasis to reduce costs without compromising the safety and ability of such vehicles. As such, road wheels of relatively high cost are not desired.
Therefore, a road wheel design is needed for track drive systems for vehicles that provides sufficient lateral and radial strength without necessitating heavier, thicker walls or costly higher strength materials.


An air conditioner is provided with a plurality of outdoor heat source units, an indoor unit, a liquid refrigerant communication pipe and gas refrigerant communication pipe, and a controller. Each heat source unit has a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an accumulator. The indoor unit has an indoor expansion valve and an indoor heat exchanger. The controller starts an other of the heat source units in a stopped state when it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is excessive in a first heat source unit in an operating state.

Conventionally, there are multi-air conditioners having a plurality of outdoor units (heat source units) and numerous indoor units (utilization units) in a single refrigerant circuit. For example, a multi-air conditioner is described in JP-A Publication No. 2001-41528 in which a plurality of compressors is designed to have a more uniform operating time while a plurality of outdoor units is designed to have a more uniform operating time. Also, a multi-air conditioner is described in JP-A Publication No. 11-63711 that is provided with a compressor, a plurality of outdoor units having an outdoor heat exchanger and an accumulator, a plurality of indoor units, a gas refrigerant communication pipe and a liquid refrigerant communication pipe that are shared in the two units, and a bypass circuit for feeding liquid refrigerant inside the accumulator of an outdoor unit to the outdoor heat exchanger of another outdoor unit.

Air conditioner and heat source unit with other unit start up control


A portable multipurpose lock having a shackle base with two parallel rods having opposing interior sides with spaced-apart detents, an adjustable lock body with through holes for slidable insertion of the rods, a lock for engaging the rods to secure and lock the lock body on the rods, and one or more recesses formed in the shackle base, lock body, or both, which facilitates placement of the lock around an object or objects to be secured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable locks, more particularly to portable locks for doors and certain movable objects, and still more particularly to a multipurpose portable lock utilizing notched parallel bars slidably inserted into openings in a receiving mechanism which houses a release and locking mechanism.
2. Discussion of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR §§1.97, 1.98:
Portable locking devices are well known in the art. These devices are routinely used for securing doors to prevent unauthorized entry, and movable personal property against theft or unauthorized use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,706, to Testa, teaches a marine anti-theft lock which impedes access to a nut securing a propeller on a drive shaft of an outboard engine. The lock has a two-part yoke which enable adjustment of the longitudinal dimension of the device, one part including a single notched rod for sliding into a locking receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,532, to Williams, teaches a sliding U-shaped shackle with a receptacle for receiving the arms of the shackle. The length is adjustable and it includes a keylock.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,395,970, to Nidermaier, teaches an automobile locking device having two shanks with hooked ends forming opposing shackles. The lengths of the shanks are adjustably insertable into a conventional combination lock body and are adapted for use with automobiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 596,237, to Damon, teaches U-shaped opposing shackles with integrated lock bodies. The lengths are adjustable, making the lock suitable for use in locking bicycles.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,343,870, to James, teaches a lock having a U-shaped yoke, a fixed arm, and an outwardly swinging arm, the inner portions of each arm having teeth. A lock block is provided to slidably move up the arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,861, to Chillis, discloses a security bracket for bicycles and motorcycles with brake handles. The locking device includes a small U-shaped shackle and a receptacle with a locking mechanism. The lock is used to lock the shackle so that the brake handle is pulled into the handlebar, thereby applying braking pressure and locking the front wheel without any device passing through the spokes.
The foregoing patents reflect the current state of the art of which the present inventor is aware. Reference to, and discussion of, these patents is intended to aid in discharging Applicant's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described and claimed herein.


A software system that includes text messages intended for viewing by a user, where the user can select at any time from various supported spoken languages, the language in which the text messages are to be provided, i.e. a multi-language software system. It includes: a software build, responsive to a specified language indicating the spoken language in which text messages are to be provided, and further responsive to a request for text messages on a particular topic, for providing a language-independent identifier corresponding to the requested text message along with the specified language, further responsive to a text message string in the specified language, the text message string corresponding to the identifier and to the specified language, for providing the text message string in the specified language to the user; and a text message system database, responsive to the identifier corresponding to the requested text message and to the specified language, for providing to the software build the text message string in the specified language. In another aspect of the invention, what is provided is a system and corresponding method for providing the multi-language software system.

1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to the field of software implementation. More particularly, the present invention pertains to implementing software so as to provide text messages in a spoken language (as opposed to a computer programming language) that can be selected at run-time.
2. Description of Related Art
In today""s global market, help systems for software must provide help in several different spoken languages. According to the prior art, the spoken language in which help for a software system is provided must often be selected when the software is installed. The prior art also teaches creating one build of software (compiling and linking the elements of the software) providing help in one spoken language, and another build providing help in another spoken language.
What is needed is a way to provide help in using software that allows a user to change the spoken language in which help is provided without reinstalling the software.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a software system that includes text messages intended for viewing by a user. It includes: a software build, responsive to a specified language indicating the spoken language in which text messages are to be provided, and further responsive to a request for text messages on a particular topic, for providing a language-independent identifier corresponding to the requested text message along with the specified language, further responsive to a text message string in the specified language, the text message string corresponding to the identifier and to the specified language, for providing the text message string in the specified language to the user; and a text message system database, responsive to the identifier corresponding to the requested text message and to the specified language, for providing to the software build the text message string in the specified language.
In another aspect of the invention, what is provided is a system and corresponding method for providing a software system that includes text messages intended for viewing by a user. The system includes: a filter, responsive to an unfiltered software source code, for parsing the unfiltered software source code and replacing with corresponding identifiers the text-replacement macros, each having as arguments a text string and an indicator of a corresponding first language, for providing a filtered software source code including the identifiers in place of the text-replacement macros, and further for providing the text message string and the indicator of the corresponding first language; a compiler, responsive to the filtered software source code, for providing a corresponding software build; and a text message system database, responsive to the text message string and to the indicator of the corresponding first language, and further responsive to text message strings, for each identifier, in languages other than the specified language and to indicators of the languages other than the specified language, and still further responsive to a specified language and to a text message string identifier, for providing a text message string in the specified language. In this aspect of the invention, the software build provides the specified language and a text message string identifier to the text message system database in response to a user action.

Reusable multi-language support facility for software