When a sheet is determined to arrive at a registration roller, a motor is temporarily stopped and then, is rotated so as to return a cam to an initial position. When the motor is rotated, in a case where a relation between a rotation angle θ of the cam at the time of stopping the motor and a rotation angle γ of the cam according to the rotation of the motor in a time required for the motor until acceleration up to constant-speed rotation from a stopped state of the motor and until deceleration from the constant-speed rotation and stop after the deceleration is “θ<360−γ”, the motor is rotated at a first speed by controlling acceleration/deceleration of the motor and, in a case where the relation is “θ>360−γ”, the motor is rotated at a constant second speed lower than the first speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a configuration that drives a sheet feeding portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile equipment includes a sheet feeding device that feeds a sheet set in a sheet stacking portion using a feed roller that is a sheet feeding portion and supplies the sheet to an image forming portion. In order to prevent duplicate feeding of feeding two or more sheets when a sheet is fed by the feed roller, this sheet feeding device includes a separation portion that separates sheets one by one.
As such a sheet feeding device, for example, there is a device that feeds sheets one by one by performing control of one rotation of a feed roller by using a toothed gear, a toothed gear abutting unit, a solenoid, and the like (see U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/225053 A1). Sheets fed according to one rotation of the feed roller are separated one by one by a separation portion and then are delivered by the separation portion to a sheet conveying unit located on the downstream in the sheet feeding direction so as to be conveyed.
However, in a conventional sheet feeding device, there are cases where a feed roller configuring the sheet feeding roller or the separation portion slips. In such cases, the control of one rotation of the feed roller ends with a sheet not being in contact with the sheet conveying portion, and accordingly, a no-feed jam occurs. In order to prevent the occurrence of such a no-feed jam, the conveyance amount of the sheet may be increased. However, in order to increase the conveyance amount of the sheet according to the control of one rotation of the feed roller, it is necessary to increase the size of the toothed gear and the like, and thus, it is difficult to save the space and reduce the cost.
The present invention is devised in consideration of such a phenomenon, and it is desirable to provide a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus capable of saving the space and reducing the cost and capable of reliably feeding a sheet.

Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus


Techniques described herein relate to requesting and receiving adaptive content resources from content management servers and other content repositories, executing the adaptive content resources on one or more user devices, and performing caching determinations and caching behaviors based on the execution of the adaptive content resources. In some embodiments, content resources may be executed on user devices in a content distribution network. User inputs may be received in connection with the execution of the adaptive content resources, and a user context may be determined based on user interactions and feedback during execution of the adaptive content resources. Additional content resources may be requested and received from content repositories for caching within user devices based on the determined user context.

Network performance is often critical when transmitting services, software, media, and other computing resources to user devices. In some cases, slow network performance may cause delays in the amount of time before computing resources can be received and executed on user devices. Furthermore, for content resources (e.g., software and services) that have a high degree of user interactivity, slow network speeds and other network performance issues can also negatively impact the user's experience during execution and consumption of the content resources. In many cases, these issues may be exacerbated on mobile devices where network connections may be slow, intermittent, unpredictable, and potentially subject to costly data charges.
Advanced caching of content resources is one possible solution to the challenges caused by network performance issues in delivering content to user devices. Media files, email inboxes, web sites, and other content resources may be downloaded locally onto a user device during a time of network connectivity, so that the cached content may be consumed at a later time after the device goes offline or otherwise loses connectivity. For instance, if an online user is viewing a streaming video via a website or software service, an advanced portion of the video may be streamed and cached so that user's viewing will not be interrupted if the user's device temporarily loses connectivity. However, the effectiveness of advanced caching of content resources may be limited by the available memory of the user device, and by the difficulties in predicting in advance what specific content the user will attempt to access when offline. Moreover, for certain types of content resources such as interactive and/or non-linear content resources, advanced resource caching may be difficult or even impossible due to the size and structure of the resources.


Systems and methods for automatic correction of drift between inspection and design for massive pattern searching are disclosed herein. Defects are identified in a scan of a wafer. The defects are associated with tool coordinates. An SEM review tool captures centered images of the defects. The SEM review tool is aligned with the wafer using design polygons in an imported design file. Design coordinates are exported and used to define patterns of interest and identifying locations of those patterns of interest.

Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices typically includes processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer using a large number of semiconductor fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that involves transferring a pattern from a reticle to a resist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP), etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a single semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Inspection processes are used at various steps during a semiconductor manufacturing process to detect defects on wafers to promote higher yield in the manufacturing process and thus higher profits. Inspection has always been an important part of fabricating semiconductor devices such as ICs. However, as the dimensions of semiconductor devices decrease, inspection becomes even more important to the successful manufacture of acceptable semiconductor devices because smaller defects can cause the devices to fail. For instance, as the dimensions of semiconductor devices decrease, detection of defects of decreasing size has become necessary since even relatively small defects may cause unwanted aberrations in the semiconductor devices.
As design rules shrink, however, semiconductor manufacturing processes may be operating closer to the limitation on the performance capability of the processes. In addition, smaller defects can have an impact on the electrical parameters of the device as the design rules shrink, which drives more sensitive inspections. Therefore, as design rules shrink, the population of potentially yield relevant defects detected by inspection grows dramatically, and the population of nuisance defects detected by inspection also increases dramatically. Therefore, more and more defects may be detected on the wafers, and correcting the processes to eliminate all of the defects may be difficult and expensive. As such, determining which of the defects actually have an effect on the electrical parameters of the devices and the yield may allow process control methods to be focused on those defects while largely ignoring others. Furthermore, at smaller design rules, process induced failures may, in some cases, tend to be systematic. That is, process induced failures tend to fail at predetermined design patterns often repeated many times within the design Elimination of spatially systematic, electrically relevant defects is important because eliminating such defects can have a significant overall impact on yield. Whether or not defects will affect device parameters and yield often cannot be determined from the inspection, review, and analysis processes described above since these processes may not be able to determine the position of the defect with respect to the electrical design.
Hardware and software tools exist to locate errors or areas of interest in a design file or in an image of a wafer. However, due to limitations in the imaging hardware, the resolution of an image may be insufficient to accurately identify the relocation of an error or area of interest. For example, because of how the images are composed, the perceived error or area of interest may not be in the actual location of the error or area of interest. Thus, a discrepancy may exist between the design file (which has exact actual locations) and the image of the wafer.


Video is processed to imperceptibly convey two or more auxiliary data (i.e., watermarks). In particular embodiments, the auxiliary data are independent and/or encoded at different strengths. The encoding may be performed by transforming the auxiliary data into a two-dimensional array, and combining this two-dimensional array with corresponding pixels of a video frame. Embodiments of the technology are particularly useful in implementing video copy control systems.

The present invention relates to video signal processing, and more particularly relates to the processing of such signals to embed auxiliary data (e.g. identification or control data therein), and the subsequent extraction and use of such data.
The copying and redistribution of commercial imagery and video productions has long been a cause of lost revenues to the creators/producers of such material. The advance of technology has not only expanded the means of legitimate distribution for visual/video works, but has also made it easier to copy these materials for unauthorized purposes.
Various methods have been developed to eliminate or limit both sophisticated and unsophisticated illegitimate distribution. Some of these methods rely on physical means. Others employ a xe2x80x9cdon""t copyxe2x80x9d signal to disable a machine""s recording function.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, a multi-bit control message (sometimes termed a xe2x80x9cdigital watermarkxe2x80x9d) is embedded directly into the brightness levels of the visible portion of a video signal, or the brightness levels of a still image. Hardware or software systems can then read this control message and, for example, disable recording functions if so instructed.
Key practical issues are addressed whereby the perceptual impact of this added message can be adjustedxe2x80x94both overall and as a function of the underlying visual content. For example, a blank video sequence ought in general to have minimal visible effects, whereas active motion scenes with various areas of high detail can generally tolerate more visual energy in a watermark.
Methods are further detailed whereby the embedded message can survive lossy compression processes. An example of a lossy compression process is the MPEG video compression standard. (MPEG is commonly employed when video is distributed in digital form, e.g. on optically encoded disks.)

Video copy-control with plural embedded signals


A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a positive refractive, fixed first lens unit; a negative refractive second lens unit movable mainly for zooming; a positive refractive, fixed third lens unit; a positive refractive fourth lens unit movable for focal-position correction and focusing performed in response to zooming; and a positive refractive fifth lens unit. The fifth lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative refractive, fixed sub-unit; and a positive refractive sub-unit movable substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis. An image formed on an image surface is movable substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis by moving the movable sub-unit substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis. An aperture stop is provided on the object side of the third lens unit. The third lens unit includes a positive refractive sub-unit and a negative refractive sub-unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zoom lenses and image pickup apparatuses, and more specifically to a technical field of a zoom lens and an image pickup apparatus having an optical image stabilization function and a small-sized lens configuration with high image quality and high-magnification.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, small-sized image pickup apparatuses such as video cameras and digital video cameras have been common for home use. Such small-sized image pickup apparatuses are particularly desired to be small, taking portability into consideration, and to have high image quality and high magnifications.
To realize size reduction and increase in image quality and magnification of such image pickup apparatuses, it is important to reduce the overall lengths or depths of image-taking lenses, particularly, zoom lenses, to be included in the image pickup apparatuses and to improve the performance of such lenses.
Besides, there has recently been an increasing demand for the optical image stabilization function. To satisfy the demand for the optical image stabilization function as well as the demands for reduced size and increased image quality and magnification, the degree of designing difficulty has become very high.
Under such circumstances, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-228001 discloses an exemplary zoom lens including, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power.
In the zoom lens disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-228001, the third lens unit includes a lens element having a positive refractive power and a lens element having a negative refractive power. To correct image blurring due to camera shake, the third lens unit is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis.
Thus, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-228001, a zoom lens intended for video cameras capable of optical image stabilization is realized.
Another exemplary zoom lens is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-23593. The zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power.
In the zoom lens disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-23593, the fifth lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a positive sub-unit having a positive refractive power and a negative sub-unit having a negative refractive power. To correct image blurring due to camera shake, the positive sub-unit is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis.
Thus, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-23593, a zoom lens intended for video cameras capable of optical image stabilization is realized.
In each of the foregoing related-art zoom lenses, a specific lens unit is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis so as to mainly correct image blurring at and near a telephoto end due to camera shake, whereby good imaging and optical performance is realized. The configuration of such a zoom lens is determined such that the above-mentioned image stabilization function and desired optical performance are realized with a reduced size, increased magnification, and so forth.
The zoom lenses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2003-228001 and No. 2006-23593 each include five lens units, thereby realizing high magnification, high image quality, the optical image stabilization function, and good optical performance.
With the introduction of the optical image stabilization function, however, some problems described below have arisen in the related-art zoom lenses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2003-228001 and No. 2006-23593.
Specifically, with the introduction of the optical image stabilization function, the overall sizes of apparatuses including the zoom lenses are increased with image stabilization mechanisms, which is contrary to the idea of reducing the overall sizes of lens barrels, including relevant mechanical components.
Examples of the problems are as follows. In the zoom lens disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-228001, the third lens unit is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis so as to correct image blurring due to camera shake. In general, a light beam entering the third lens unit tends to have a large diameter, compared with when entering the other lens units excluding the first lens unit. Taking into consideration the movement for image stabilization, the effective diameter of the third lens unit on the surface thereof becomes very large. Consequently, the size of an apparatus including the zoom lens is increased.
In addition, the third lens unit is provided at substantially a central position of the entire lens system in the optical-axis direction and has a strong refractive power. Therefore, when the third lens unit is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis, the position of the light beam on other lens units significantly changes, and the effective diameters of those lens units on the respective surfaces thereof increases. Consequently, the overall size of an apparatus including the zoom lens is increased.
In the zoom lens disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-23593, the fifth lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, the positive sub-unit and the negative sub-unit so as to correct image blurring due to camera shake, and the positive sub-unit, which is positioned on the object side, is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis. Therefore, spaces for providing image stabilization mechanisms are to be provided on both sides of the positive sub-unit with respect to the optical axis. Consequently, the overall size of an apparatus including the zoom lens is increased.
Moreover, providing the spaces for image stabilization mechanisms on both sides of the positive sub-unit with respect to the optical axis imposes severer restrictions on the optical design. This may deteriorate image quality.
As described above, the zoom lenses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2003-228001 and No. 2006-23593 are disadvantageous in that the overall sizes of apparatuses including the zoom lenses are increased because of the positions of the lens units responsible for optical image stabilization.
The increase in the overall sizes of apparatuses is remarkable in cases where magnification and image quality desired to be realized are high. This severely prevents the realization of a small-sized, high-magnification zoom lens having the optical image stabilization function.


An extraction or absorbent pad that can be used to pick up spills and/or to remove spots from a surface. The absorbent pad has a core made of a super absorbent polymer laminate, a fluid impervious sheet positioned on one side of the core and a non-woven sheet positioned on the opposite side of the core from the fluid impervious sheet. A handle is provided on the pad to assist with transporting the pad without touching the portion of the pad that absorbs fluids.

There is a need for an extraction or absorbent pad that can effectively absorb and remove spills and stains. Most spills and stains are managed by placing a cotton towel or paper towels on the spill or stain. The cotton and paper towels are only somewhat effective in absorbing the spills and stains. These products do not have any significant ability to retain the spill and frequently the spill leaks from the towel and creates additional removal issues. The paper or cotton towels are not the proper tool for the job. These towels only remove the fluid on the surface and do not extract the portion of the fluid that has moved below the surface. Accordingly, there is a need for a product that can absorb and retain spills and stains. It is also desirable for the product to be able to wick spills and stains from the surface and the interior of a material such as carpet.


This invention aims to facilitate setting and modifications of characteristic data for microcomputers used for control of various types of air conditioner. A control device for the air conditioner comprises a microcomputer having a first ROM for storing a program for controlling operations of a compressor and a blower, a RAM for storing present data and various data associated with the operations and a CPU for executing the program. A second ROM is provided in the control device for storing specific data representing capacity of the components such as compressors and a blower, functions of the air conditioner, exclusive cooling or cooling/heating and so on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for an air conditioner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, air conditioners for conditioning the temperature, humidity, or ventilation of the interior of offices, houses, and vehicles are widely used. For example, a home air conditioner has a variety of functions for detecting an outdoor or room temperature, controlling the blowing air temperature or air quantity so that the room temperature reaches a desired value as soon as possible, controlling the operating speed to obtain a cooling/heating capability in accordance with the request of a user, adjusting the flowing direction of the cool or warm air, blowing the cool or warm air with a minimum wait time when necessary, and the like. Hence, various types of air conditioners having different functions in accordance with the requests of the user have been developed.
Control of an air conditioner is usually performed by a microcomputer. To provide various types of air conditioners, microcomputers for exclusive use in which data (hereinafter referred to as "specific data") concerning functions, capacities, and characteristics of respective types are built-in have been put into practical use (e.g., see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-91644). The number of different types of air conditioners has increased as there has been a variety of desires of users, and currently several tens of types of air conditioners are now on the market when home air conditioners are taken as an example. However, it is not advisable from a design viewpoint, to manufacture microcomputers for meeting separately the different functions and capacities for each of these different types, as it results in increased cost for each microcomputer.


A delay line compensated for process, voltage, and temperature variations, includes a delay locked loop (DLL) configured to delay a digital signal by the clock period of the digital signal, the DLL including a DLL delay line arranged as a plurality of cascaded sub-delay lines each sub-delay line providing one of a plurality of delay quanta in response to a digital control signal. A fractionating circuit is configured to generate a digital delay line control signal that is a fraction of the digital control signal. A digital delay line is arranged as a plurality of cascaded sub-delay lines each sub-delay line providing one of a plurality of delay quanta in response to the digital delay line control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuit technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to programmable delay lines compensated for process, voltage, and temperature (PVT).
2. The Prior Art
Non-PVT compensated programmable delays are known in the art. Their use frequently results in delays that are not predictable and are thus often quite different from the ideally desired value.
PVT compensated programmable delay lines are also known in the art like, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,958,634 (the '634 patent) issued to Rashid. The '634 patent teaches a master analog delay-locked loop (DLL) establishing a coarse time delay unit governed by analog signals generated from a phase discriminator/charge pump/bias generator arrangement. The analog signals are then used to control a slave delay line comprised of the coarse time delay units. Multiplexers select outputs from adjacent coarse time delay units and present them to a phase interpolator to generate a fine time delay which will be equal to or in between the selected adjacent coarse time delays.
The master/slave DLL taught in the '634 patent has a number of drawbacks. First, like many analog circuits it can be harder to design and be more susceptible to noise than the equivalent digital function. Phase interpolators with good linearity characteristics can be particularly difficult to design. Second, the size of the coarse time delay unit is fixed. The '634 patent teaches using different numbers of coarse time delay units in different embodiments in applications requiring different degrees of time resolution, but a considerable degree of flexibility is lost by limiting the programmable control functionality exclusively to the slave delay line. Thirdly, by doing the critical operations in analog format, conversion back to digital signal levels can be required as shown by the box labeled CM in the various '634 figures. This introduces a non-PVT compensated delay term into the output delay that may be significant in some applications.
Another example of a PVT compensated programmable delay line of the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,402 (the '402 patent) issued to Sompur et al. The '402 patent teaches a fairly standard double data rate memory (DDR) 90° data strobe phase shift circuit comprising a master/slave DLL with a one quarter (of the master delay) length slave delay line with the point of novelty being an optionally inserted "half-bit delay" in the slave delay line used to increase the resolution of the data strobe timing. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 of the '402 patent, a digital block 610 is inserted between the master DLL and the slave delay line to provide a programmable percentage adjustment to the slave delay line.
The master/slave DLL of the '402 patent is very application specific and the programmable aspect is limited to a tweak of the basic 90° phase shift that such DDR data strobe delay circuits typically provide. Like the master/slave DLL of the '634 patent, no programmable control of the master DLL is present.
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are a part of a larger class of integrated circuits known as programmable logic devices (PLDs) known in the art. FPGAs are known for their ability to implement end user specified logic functions by means of programming originally uncommitted logic and routing resources. FPGAs also have a variety of programmable clock resources available. While multiple output phase (multi-phase) phase-locked loops (PLLs) and multi-phase DLLs are present on many FPGAs for clock applications, no general purpose PVT compensated programmable delay line suitable for use with both clocks and other signals has been previously disclosed.
An end user's FPGA design is typically implemented by use of a computer program product (also known as software or, more specifically, design software) produced by the FPGA manufacturer and distributed by means of a computer-readable medium such as providing a CD-ROM to the end user or making the design software downloadable over the internet. Typically the manufacturer supplies a library of design elements as part of the computer program product. The library design elements provide a layer of insulation between the end user and the circuit details of the FPGA features (like, for example, logic modules, memory blocks and programmable delay lines) available to the end user. This makes the design software easier to use for the end user and simplifies the manufacturer's task of processing the end user's complete design by the various tools in the design software.
When persons skilled in the art speak of process, voltage and temperature compensation, it is generally understood that process is compensated for in a different manner than voltage and temperature. Typically, processing refers to the characteristics of the physical integrated circuit when fully fabricated which are typically constant or nearly so (or vary within a specified lifetime drift for certain components) for the life of the part, while voltage and temperature are operating conditions that occur at any given moment when the integrated circuit is functioning. Thus process compensation typically occurs in the design phase prior to fabrication, while the circuitry doing the voltage and temperature compensation typically responds actively to changes in voltage and temperature in an ongoing manner as the part functions.

Programmable delay line compensated for process, voltage, and temperature


The subject invention detects the presence of an ozone reducing coating on an automotive radiator of the type having spaced fins presenting electromagnetic surface properties different than the electromagnetic surface properties of the coating. In accordance with the subject invention light rays are emitted or reflected off the coating on the fins to a detector and a comparator compares these light rays to a predetermined benchmark to provide a signal in response to the detected light rays crossing the benchmark. In a species, a second detector is employed to detect rays from an un-coated section to establish the benchmark.

The heat exchangers used in automobiles for radiators are coated to reduce the production of ozone from air passing through the passages between the fins of the heat exchanger. It is important to detect the presence and effectiveness of the coating on the vehicle during the useful life of the heat exchanger.

Method for the detection of coatings using emissivity and reflectivity


A spray booth ventilation system is adapted for receiving long, slender workpieces suspended from an overhead monorail conveyor. The pieces are carried into and out of this booth, where the paint is applied by conventional equipment. The gases within the booth, which are a mixture of fresh air and evaporated paint solvents, is partially recirculated and re-injected into the booth at discharge orifices defining the edges of the entrance of the booth. Arrangements are provided for equalizing the flow throughout the booth in a vertical direction to avoid points of stagnation which might cause fumes from the booth to emerge from the opening, so that the velocities of the inflow can be minimized to eliminate the danger of collision of the parts as they swing in response to the gas flow, and thus cause damage to the painted surfaces.

Automated painting systems normally involve spray booths traversed by a conveyor. Ventilation of the booths is always a prime consideration from two different points of view. The first is the prevention of the development of an explosive gaseous mixture in the booth area resulting from evaporation of paint solvents. The second concern is the confinement of toxic fumes and paint particulate so that the areas surrounding the booth are not seriously polluted. The latter problem has been handled by inducing an inflow of air into the spray booth through the openings traversed by the conveyor as it brings the workpieces into and out of the work area. Environmental concerns require that the gases exhausted from the booth be processed to remove toxicity before being dumped into the atmosphere. This can be done with a specially constructed incinerator, which may be considered as standard available equipment.
The practical side of all this is that it costs a considerable amount to provide and operate a blower system capable of handling enough air to meet the requirements for both prevention of explosion and area pollution, and to process the exhaust gases. The lower limit for an explosive mixture is about 2,000 cubic feet of air per gallon of evaporated solvent. Fresh air must be added to the booth in sufficient quantity to exceed this amount of air by a safe margin. This can be done by removing much less exhaust than the gaseous volume required to control area pollution. The latter problem requires that air be sucked into the booth in sufficient quantity to prevent any emergence of significant quantities of the evaporated solvent. The interplay of these two concerns has given rise to the principle of recirculation of some of the gases in the booth, and to reinject them into the booth at the openings to form part of the inflow stream required to confine the gases to the interior of the booth. The corresponding reduction in exhaust volume reduces the requirements on the exhaust fan, and on the exhaust processing system--both of these being expensive items that have costs increasing with increased capacity requirements. In summary, the practical side of the design of the ventilation system is to handle as little gas volume as you can without risk.
Special problems arise when the paint systems are adapted to handle relatively long, thin workpieces suspended from an overhead monorail conveyor in closely spaced relationship. Any rapid flow of gases tends to swing these pieces enough to cause them to collide as they move into, through, and out of the booth. These small collisions are enough to mar the painted surfaces (which have not yet set and dried), and cause rejection on later inspection. These conditions are often encountered in aluminum extrusion plants, where thin strips on the order of 20 feet long may be suspended about four inches apart along a conveyor moving at the rate of 15-20 feet per minute. Sometimes the pieces are slowly rotated by the conveyor to expose both sides to the spray system; and in other installations, the pieces are sprayed in successive booths, each operating on one side of the pieces. The pieces themselves can be in a cross-section that provides an airfoil effect, accentuating the tendency to swing in the presence of a cross or parallel draft. Minimizing the velocity of this draft is obviously critical. At these lower velocities, uniformity of velocity over the full vertical height of the opening is important to avoid areas where there may be inadequate inflow, or points of concentration of explosive mixture.

Recirculation ventilation system for a spray booth


The present invention is directed to recombinant fibronectin peptide mimetics and wound healing compositions the same. Other aspects of the present invention include wound healing dressings that comprise the healing composition of the present invention and a wound dressings material and methods of treating wounds using these compositions.

Fibronectin is an abundant glycoprotein that is evolutionarily conserved and broadly distributed among vertebrates (Hynes et al., "Fibronectins: Multifunctional Modular Glycoproteins," J. Cell Biol. 95:369-377 (1982)). Soluble fibronectin is composed of two nearly identical subunits that are joined by disulfide bonds (Petersen et al., "Partial Primary Structure of Bovine Plasma Fibronectin: Three Types of Internal Homology," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80:137-141 (1983)). The primary structure of each subunit is organized into three types of repeating homologous units, termed types I, II, and III. Fibronectin type III repeats are found in a number of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and consist of two overlapping β sheets (Bork et al., "Proposed Acquisition of an Animal Protein Domain by Bacteria," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89(19):8990-8994 (1992) and Leahy et al., "Structure of a Fibronectin Type III Domain From Tenascin Phased by MAD Analysis of the Selenomethionyl Protein," Science 258:987-991 (1992)). Molecular modeling and atomic force microscopy studies predict that reversible unfolding of the type III repeats contributes to the remarkable elasticity of fibronectin, which may be extended up to six times its initial length without denaturation (Erickson, "Reversible Unfolding of Fibronectin Type III and Immunoglobulin Domains Provides the Structural Basis for Stretch and Elasticity of Titin and Fibronectin," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 91:10114-10118 (1994) and Oberhauser et al., "The Mechanical Hierarchies of Fibronectin Observed with Single-Molecule AFM," J. Mol. Biol. 319(2):433-447 (2002)). In the ECM, fibronectin is organized as an extensive network of elongated, branching fibrils. The three-dimensional organization of ECM fibronectin likely arises from the ability of cells to repeatedly exert a mechanical force (Balaban et al., "Force and Focal Adhesion Assembly: A Close Relationship Studied Using Elastic Micropatterned Substrates," Nat. Cell Biol. 3(5):466-472 (2001)) on discrete regions of the protein (Erickson, "Reversible Unfolding of Fibronectin Type III and Immunoglobulin Domains Provides the Structural Basis for Stretch and Elasticity of Titin and Fibronectin," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 91:10114-10118 (1994)) to facilitate the formation of fibronectin-fibronectin interactions (Mao et al., "Fibronectin FibrilloGenesis, a Cell-Mediated Matrix Assembly Process," Matrix Biol. 24(6):389-399 (2005)). As cells contact fibronectin fibrils, tractional forces induce additional conformational changes (Baneyx et al., "Coexisting Conformations of Fibronectin in Cell Culture Imaged Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98(25):14464-14468 (2001)) that are necessary for both lateral growth and branching of the fibrils (Bultmann et al., "Fibronectin Fibrillogenesis Involves the Heparin II Binding Domain of Fibronectin," J. Biol. Chem. 273:2601-2609 (1998)).
The polymerization of fibronectin into the ECM is a cell-dependent process that is mediated by coordinated events involving the actin cytoskeleton and integrin receptors (Mao et al., "Fibronectin FibrilloGenesis, a Cell-Mediated Matrix Assembly Process," Matrix Biol. 24(6):389-399 (2005) and Magnusson et al., "Fibronectin: Structure, Assembly, and Cardiovascular Implications," Arterio. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 18:1363-1370 (1998)). Most adherent cells, including epithelial cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells, polymerize a fibrillar fibronectin matrix (Hynes et al., "Fibronectins: Multifunctional Modular Glycoproteins," J. Cell Biol. 95:369-377 (1982)). Recent studies have provided evidence that the interaction of cells with either the soluble or ECM form of fibronectin gives rise to distinct cellular phenotypes (Morla et al., "Superfibronectin is a Functionally Distinct Form of Fibronectin," Nature 367:193-196 (1994) and Hocking et al., "Stimulation of Integrin-Mediated Cell Contractility by Fibronectin Polymerization," J. Biol. Chem. 275:10673-10682 (2000)). ECM fibronectin stimulates cell spreading (Gui et al., "Identification of the Heparin-Binding Determinants Within Fibronectin Repeat III1: Role in Cell Spreading and Growth," J. Biol. Chem. 281(46):34816-34825 (2006)), growth (Sottile et al., "Fibronectin Matrix Assembly Enhances Adhesion-Dependent Cell Growth," J. Cell Sci. 111:2933-2943 (1998) and Sottile et al., "Fibronectin Matrix Assembly Stimulates Cell Growth by RGD-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms," J. Cell Sci. 113:4287-4299 (2000)) and migration (Hocking et al., "Fibronectin Polymerization Regulates Small Airway Epithelial Cell Migration," Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 285:L169-L179 (2003)), as well as collagen deposition (Sottile et al., "Fibronectin Polymerization Regulates the Composition and Stability of Extracellular Matrix Fibrils and Cell-Matrix Adhesions," Mol. Biol. Cell 13:3546-3559 (2002) and Yelling et al., "Polymerization of Type I and III Collagens is Dependent on Fibronectin and Enhanced by Integrins Alpha 11beta 1 and Alpha 2beta 1," J. Biol. Chem. 277(40):37377-37381 (2002)) and organization (Hocking et al., "Stimulation of Integrin-Mediated Cell Contractility by Fibronectin Polymerization," J. Biol. Chem. 275:10673-10682 (2000)). Others have shown a role for fibronectin matrix assembly in the deposition of fibrinogen (Pereira et al., "The Incorporation of Fibrinogen Into Extracellular Matrix is Dependent on Active Assembly of a Fibronectin Matrix," J. Cell Sci. 115(Pt 3):609-617 (2002)), fibrillin (Sabatier et al., "Fibrillin Assembly Requires Fibronectin," Mol. Biol. Cell 20(3):846-858 (2009)), and tenascin C (Chung et al., "Binding of Tenascin-C to Soluble Fibronectin and Matrix Fibrils," J. Biol. Chem. 270:29012-29017 (1995)) into the ECM. Fibronectin matrix polymerization stimulates the formation of endothelial 'neovessels' in collagen lattices (Zhou et al., "Fibronectin Fibrillogenesis Regulates Three-Dimensional Neovessel Formation," Genes. Dev. 22(9):1231-1243 (2008)). Moreover, blocking fibronectin matrix polymerization inhibits cell growth (Sottile et al., "Fibronectin Matrix Assembly Enhances Adhesion-Dependent Cell Growth," J. Cell Sci. 111:2933-2943 (1998) and Mercurius et al., "Inhibition of Vascular Smooth Muscle Growth by Inhibition of Fibronectin Matrix Assembly," Circ. Res. 82:548-556 (1998)) and contractility (Hocking et al., "Stimulation of Integrin-Mediated Cell Contractility by Fibronectin Polymerization," J. Biol. Chem. 275:10673-10682 (2000)), alters actin organization (Hocking et al., "Inhibition of Fibronectin Matrix Assembly by the Heparin-Binding Domain of Vitronectin," J. Biol. Chem. 274:27257-27264 (1999)) and cell signaling (Bourdoulous et al., "Fibronectin Matrix Regulates Activation of RHO and CDC42 GTPases and Cell Cycle Progression," J. Cell Biol. 143:267-276 (1998)), and inhibits cell migration (Hocking et al., "Fibronectin Polymerization Regulates Small Airway Epithelial Cell Migration," Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 285:L169-L179 (2003)). Together, these studies indicate that fibronectin matrix polymerization plays a key role in establishing the biologically-active extracellular environment required for proper tissue function.
Fibronectin matrix assembly is rapidly up-regulated following tissue injury, while reduced fibronectin matrix deposition is associated with abnormal wound repair (Hynes R O, FIBRONECTINS, (Springer-Verlag 1990)). Altered fibronectin matrix deposition is also associated with a large number of chronic diseases including asthma, liver cirrhosis, and atheroscelerosis (Hynes R O, FIBRONECTINS, (Springer-Verlag 1990); Roberts C R, "Is Asthma a Fibrotic Disease?" Chest 107:111S-117S (1995); and Stenman et al., "Fibronectin and Atherosclerosis," Acta. Medica. Scandinavia (Supplement) 642:165-170 (1980)). Given the role of the fibronectin matrix in orchestrating ECM organization and in regulating cell and tissue responses critical for tissue repair, defective or diminished fibronectin matrix deposition by cells is likely to have profound effects on the ability of tissues to heal.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Chimeric fibronectin matrix mimetics and uses thereof


The refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, a controller to control the refrigerant circuit, a bypass flow path, and a flow control valve. The bypass flow path communicates between the discharge side of the compressor and the first outdoor heat exchanger or between the discharge side of the compressor and the second outdoor heat exchanger. The flow control valve is provided to the bypass flow path. The refrigerant circuit is configured to be able to perform a heating defrosting simultaneous operation. The heating defrosting simultaneous operation is an operation of supplying part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to one of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger via the bypass flow path, causing the other of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger to serve as an evaporator, and causing the indoor heat exchanger to serve as a condenser.

Patent Literature 1 describes an air-conditioning apparatus including a refrigeration cycle. An outdoor heat exchanger of the refrigeration cycle is divided into a lower heat exchanger, and an upper heat exchanger larger than the lower heat exchanger. The discharge side of the compressor is coupled to each of the lower heat exchanger and the upper heat exchanger by a hot-gas bypass. The hot-gas bypass is provided with two bypass opening and closing valves, one corresponding to the lower heat exchanger and the other corresponding to the upper heat exchanger. A controller of the air-conditioning apparatus is configured to, when initiating defrosting during heating operation, perform an operation of defrosting the upper heat exchanger while carrying out heating with the lower heat exchanger, then perform an operation of defrosting the lower heat exchanger while carrying out heating with the upper heat exchanger, and after the latter operation is finished, return to the heating operation. Patent Literature 1 describes that the air-conditioning apparatus mentioned above simultaneously performs defrosting and heating to ensure indoor comfort while also allowing for reduced defrost time.


A color printing device can include a print engine, a circuit, and a processor. The print engine prints onto physical media using different color colorants. The circuit has data-processing color channels corresponding to the different color colorants. The processor receives monochromatic print jobs and transmits the received monochromatic print jobs to unused color channels of the color channels for processing in parallel. The processor can transmit the processed monochromatic print jobs to the print engine for printing.

Printing devices include standalone printers as well as multifunction devices (MFDs), multifunction printers (MFPs), and all-in-one (AIO) devices that include printing functionality as well as other functionality, such as scanning, copying, and/or faxing, and so on. A printing device uses colorant to form images on physical media such as paper. For example, a laser printing device uses toner, whereas an inkjet printing device uses ink.
A monochromatic printing device uses one color of colorant to print on physical media. For example, a black-and-white printing device uses black colorant. A color printing device uses a number of colorants corresponding to the color space or color model that the printing device employs to print full-color images on physical media. For example, a color printing device can use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colorant, corresponding to a cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK) color space.

Parallel processing of monochromatic print jobs using data-processing color channels of color printing device that correspond to different color colorants

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The universal package for a flapper and accessories comprises a box foldable from a prescored blank and the blank from which the box is formed. Within this box isolating structures are provided to cushion and position the content, the isolating structures being variable in configuration to accommodate virtually any embodiment of flapper and any accessory therefor. The box is provided with a cover section which engages in an elevated manner over the contents to hold same in place and the package also includes viewing ports to ascertain the package content.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal package for a flapper and accessories in the form of a box which includes structure to protect the contents from damage, as well as including ported areas for viewing of the content thereof, the blank from which the package is formed and the method of making same.
2. Prior Art
Heretofore flappers have been packaged in plastic, which is a very expensive project. The packaging has also been time consuming because of the great number of embodiments for flappers available.
The package, the blank for same, and method of the present invention decrease cost, labor, and cost for packaging, the package being configured to accommodate substantially all available flapper embodiments.

Universal package for flapper and accessories and method of making same


A phased array lidar includes: a laser generator (100) configured to generate original laser; an optical transmitting medium (400); an optical splitting apparatus (200) coupled to the laser generator (100) through the optical transmitting medium (400); the optical splitting apparatus (200) including a device configured to receive the original laser; and Z radiation units (300), each being respectively coupled to the optical splitting apparatus (200), where Z is a natural number greater than 1. The optical splitting apparatus (200) is configured to split the original laser into Z first optical signals, and send each of the Z first optical signals respectively to the radiation units (300), so that electromagnetic waves radiated by all of the radiation units (300) are combined into a beam of radar waves. The laser generator (100), the device, and the optical transmitting medium (400) are made of a material capable of transmitting laser having power greater than a set power value.

A lidar is a sensor that uses laser to perform detection and ranging. Its principle is similar to that of radar and sonar, that is, to emit, with an emitting device, a laser pulse to a target, and to measure, with a receiving device, delay and intensity of a return pulse; so as to measure distance and reflectivity of the target. A conventional lidar uses a mechanical rotating device to achieve a 360-degree spatial scanning, and such a lidar suffers from excessive bulkiness of the mechanical device and a slow scanning rate, and therefore it is difficult to continue normal use once the mechanical rotating device fails.
To solve these problems, OPA lidars have emerged. An OPA lidar has a matrix of many identical antennas, and radiation waves from all antennas form a beam of radar wave in the far field through interference. An electronic system controls phase of each antenna in real time to control a direction of the radar wave in the far field. By changing phase of some of the antennas, the electronic system can change the direction of the radar waves for dynamic scanning. Such electronic scanning does not require a mechanical rotating device, has a high scanning rate, and does not affect the actual use of the OPA lidar even if a small number of the antennas fail. However, it is difficult for the traditional OPA lidar to achieve a high transmitting power, and how to improve the transmitting power of the OPA lidar remains an urgent problem to be solved.


A communication system in which a multipart analog message (480) is generated by a controller (112) by including an analog part delimiter (440) between successive independent analog parts (420, 431, 432, 433). The multipart analog message (480) is positioned within a synchronous protocol, in which a digital code is included to identify the position of the multipart analog message (480). The synchronous protocol is transmitted by a radio transmitter (202) and received by a selective call receiver (122). The selective call receiver (122) digitally decodes the position of the multipart analog message (480) and begins recovery of the multipart analog message (480) at the position. The selective call receiver (122) recovers the part delimiters (440) and uses them to identify the independent analog parts (420, 431, 432, 433). One of the independent parts, which is a audible response, is selected by the user and used to generate a response.

In two way communication systems such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,038 filed Jan. 7, 1988 by Siwiak et al., entitled "Frequency Division Multiplexed Acknowledge Back Paging System," hereinafter referred to as Siwiak '038, it is desirable to provide a pager radio user with several possible responses from which one response is selected to be transmitted back to the paging fixed network, where it is sent to the caller who initiated the call. One method of providing such responses in a pager is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,582 filed Aug. 7, 1989 by Davis, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Acknowledging and Answering a Paging Signal," hereinafter referred to as Davis '582.
In an analog communication system such as that described in application Ser. No. 08/395,747 filed Feb. 28, 1995 by Leitch et al., entitled "Voice Compression Method and Apparatus in a Communication System", which is hereby incorporated by reference, and referred to hereinafter as Leitch '747, voice messages are compressed by techniques described therein, and then transmitted on a radio channel or a subchannel of radio channel, using a synchronous protocol, such as the well known InFLEXion.TM. protocol, licensed by Motorola, Inc. of Shaumburg, Ill.
In a system using such an analog protocol for signals sent from the paging fixed network to the pager, as described in Leitch '747, and having acknowledge capability, as described in Siwiak '038 and Davis '582, it is also desirable to be able to include, in a message that has an information part, a plurality of probable analog responses pertaining thereto, thus avoiding the problem of having either no responses available, or only a rigidly defined set of responses which have been predetermined for use by each pager user, and which may not turn out to pertain to an information part of a particular message. When such probable responses are included within the message received by the pager, they can then be stored in the pager. The user can review the responses, select one, and transmit the response, or an identifier corresponding to that response back to the paging fixed network for delivery to the caller.
A first issue in such a system is how to separate the plurality of probable analog responses carried within the message. One method which can be used is to utilize the predetermined synchronous protocol divisions for identifying the locations of the analog parts. This method would work but has a significant deficiency. The deficiency is determining where the analog responses are located within the synchronous protocol and what their duration is. While this problem can be solved digitally by using pointers and digital duration information, it is fairly complex to have the controller handle the digital position determination while also decompressing and decoding the analog information.
Another issue which arises in a pager having voice response capabilities is how to provide for user selection of one of the voice responses. In an alphanumeric pager such as described in Davis '582, the problem is solved by dedicating several keys for response selection. When there are at least a moderate (say, 8 to 12) number of keys, dedicating several for response selection works well. However, in simple analog pagers, in which there may be only a very few keys (i.e., less than 8, and perhaps as few as 2), a problem arises as to how a selection of a voice response is conveniently made.
What is needed is a technique for identifying a plurality of analog responses included in an analog message, which is efficient in terms of the required complexity of decoding and channel time used.

Multipart analog message and a response in a communication system


A method of computing neighborhoods of pixels which neighborhoods are bounded to include particular image characteristics including using the digital image to compute neighborhoods of pixels which are to be processed and wherein such neighborhoods of pixels are substantially bounded by pixels defining the particular image characteristic; computing an activity number for each pixel based upon the values of adjacent pixels; using the activity numbers for each pixel and activity numbers for adjacent pixels in a predetermined neighborhood to produce a plurality of trend numbers for each pixel related to the particular image characteristic; and using the trend numbers for each pixel to determine the neighborhoods of pixels which bound the particular image characteristic.

One type of noise found in color digital camera images appears as low frequency, highly colored patterns in regions of high spatial frequency, e.g., tweed patterns in clothing. These patterns, called color moire patterns or, simply, color moire, produce large, slowly varying colored wavy patterns in an otherwise spatially busy region. Color moire patterns are also referred to as chrominance aliasing patterns, or, simply, chrominance aliasing.
There are numerous ways in the prior art for reducing color moire patterns in digital images. Among these are numerous patents that describe color moire pattern reduction methods using optical blur filters in digital cameras to avoid aliasing induced color moire in the first place. However, these blur filters also blur genuine spatial detail in the image that may not be recoverable by subsequent image processing methods.
Some approaches deal specifically with digital image processing methods for reducing or removing chrominance noise artifacts. One class of digital camera patents discloses improvements to the color filter array (CFA) interpolation operation to reduce or eliminate high frequency chrominance noise artifacts. Another class of patents teach using different pixel shapes (i.e., rectangles instead of squares) and arrangements (e.g., each row is offset by half a pixel width from the preceding row) with accompanying CFA interpolation operations to reduce or eliminate chrominance noise artifacts. However, these techniques address only high frequency chrominance noise, and are generally ineffective against low frequency color moire.
There is the well known technique in the open literature of taking a digital image with chrominance noise artifacts, converting the image to a luminance—chrominance space, such as CIELAB (CIE International Standard), blurring the chrominance channels and then converting the image back to the original color space. This operation is a standard technique used to combat chrominance noise. One liability with this approach is that there is no discrimination during the blurring step between chrominance noise artifacts and genuine chrominance scene detail. Consequently, sharp colored edges in the image begin to bleed color as the blurring become more aggressive. Usually, the color bleed has become unacceptable before most of the low frequency color moire is removed from the image. Also, if any subsequent image processing is performed on the image, there is the possibility of amplifying the visibility of the color bleeding. A second liability of this approach is that a small, fixed blur kernel is almost required to try to contain the problem of color bleeding. However, to address low frequency color moire, large blur kernels would be needed to achieve the desired noise cleaning.

Removing color aliasing artifacts from color digital images


A half toroidal CVT disk having an inner surface portion, an outer surface portion and a toroidal surface having a given machining allowance is centered with said inner surface portion worked prior to the heat treatment of said half toroidal CVT disk as the standard thereof, and then is chucked by a chuck mechanism. The toroidal surface of the chucked half toroidal CVT disk is ground by a grinding mechanism with the grinding wheel for grinding the half toroidal CVT disk in a state that one of said half toroidal CVT disk and said tool is inclined at a given angle with respect to the other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of grinding a half toroidal CVT disk used as a continuously variable transmission in an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
A half toroidal CVT disk includes a disk-shaped disk main body 1; and, as shown in FIG. 5, the disk main body 1 has an inner surface portion 2 consisting of a through hole formed in the central portion thereof, an outer surface portion 3, and a toroidal surface 4 formed on one surface of the disk main body 1. On one end side of the inner surface portion 2, there is formed an inner surface involute spline portion 5; and, on the other end side thereof, there is formed an inside diameter surface 6. And, the toroidal surface 4, inner surface involute spline portion 5 and inside diameter surface 6, except for the outer surface portion 3, must be respectively ground so as to have concentricity accuracy of a given value or higher.
For this reason, conventionally, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2000-271844, in a state where the outer surface portion 3 is centered with the inner surface involute spline portion 5 as the standard thereof and is chucked in the thus centered state, the outer surface portion 3 is ground; and, with the thus ground outer surface portion 3 as the standard thereof, the toroidal surface 4 and inner surface portion 2 are respectively ground in separate steps.
Also, as a compound grinding machine, conventionally, there is known a compound grinding machine which, as disclosed in JP-A-10-235545, comprises a plurality of spindle devices each including a work chuck for chucking a work, while these spindle devices are carried on a swing table which is capable of indexingly swinging in such a manner to be able to correspond to a plurality of operation positions. At these operation positions, there are disposed two or more kinds of grinding devices and, using the grinding devices, the works chucked by the work chucks are respectively ground to thereby shorten the grinding time.
In case where the toroidal surface and inner surface portion of the half toroidal CVT disk are ground in separate steps, it is necessary to grind the outer surface portion as the common standard surface for securing the concentricity of these grinding surfaces. However, to grind the outer surface portion is not necessary for the function of the half toroidal CVT disk and thus the step of grinding the outer surface portion provides a great factor in the increased cost of the half toroidal CVT disk.
Also, there must be secured concentricity between the inner surface involute spline portion to be worked prior to the heat treatment of the half toroidal CVT disk and the toroidal surface and inner surface portion to be ground.
Further, in case where the outer surface, inner surface portion and toroidal surface are ground sequentially in separate steps, the half toroidal CVT disk not only must be mounted onto and removed from the grinding machines but also must be delivered between the grinding machines in these respective grinding steps, which makes it troublesome to grind the half toroidal CVT disk and thus provides an important factor in the increased cost thereof.
Still further, in the case of the toroidal surface grinding operation, there is a limit on the diameter of a grinding wheel and the direction of the rotary shaft of the grinding wheel must be set at an angle of 58°-65° (±15°) with respect to the direction of the rotary shaft of the work.

Method of grinding half toroidal CVT disk


A MOS transistor includes a void space as part of the gate oxide layer on the drain end of the transistor. The void space replaces a region of the gate oxide layer so that no oxide is present for injection of hot carriers. The presence of the void space, preferably containing a vacuum, also reduces the total gate capacitance of the device. The void space is formed by chemical etching of the gate oxide layer and void space sealing during device manufacture.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional MOS transistor is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and is seen to include a source region, drain region and a gate region. The gate region includes a polysilicon layer 1, a gate oxide layer 3 and an oxide spacer 5. The transistor 10 also includes a substrate 7 having source/drain diffusion regions 9 and lightly doped drain structures 11. A silicide layer 13 is formed on top of the polysilicon layer 1 and source/drain diffusion regions 9. A field oxide region 15 is located adjacent the source and drain regions.
The substrate 7 also includes a depletion region 17 and a region 19 where hot carrier injection induced damage can occur. This hot carrier injection problem can arise when the device dimensions are reduced but the supply voltage is maintained constant. This results in an increase in the electric field generated in the silicon. The intensified electric field can the make it possible for electrons in the channel of the transistor to gain sufficient energy to be injected into the gate oxide. The charging of the gate oxide causes a long term device degradation, which raises the threshold voltage of the device and reduces its transconductance.
One prior art approach to lower degradation from hot carrier injection induced damage is the use of the lightly doped drain regions 11. The disadvantage of lightly doped drain regions is that they raise the parasitic resistance from the source to the channel and, consequently, lower the current available and reduce the device speed.
The hot carrier injection typically occurs at the drain end of the transistor as shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral 19. Current and threshold voltage are determined mainly at the source/channel interface, i.e. the tip of the source/side LDD and in the inversion channel. Neither of these extends into the area depleted by the drain-body voltage.
The use of lightly doped drain regions to minimize hot carrier injection induced damage is becoming less effective at dimensions below 0.25 microns. Consequently, a need has developed to design an MOS transistor which overcomes the deficiencies noted above in prior art devices.
Ways to increase device speed can be addressed by considering the relationship between the capacitive load being switched, the voltage swing of the switch and device current. Device switching speed can be boosted by either raising current or lowering capacitance.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art MOS transistors through the utilization of a void space which eliminates a portion of the gate oxide layer where carriers injected by hot carrier effects lodge. Thus, gate capacitance is lowered and device speed is increased.

Transistor device with reduced hot carrier injection effects


A lighting device comprises a valve mechanism for opening and closing a path, through which a gas is supplied from a gas tank to a jetting nozzle, a piezo-electric unit for generating a discharge voltage for lighting the gas, and an operation member, which can slide and drives the valve mechanism and the piezo-electric unit in order to carry out a lighting operation. A locking member capable of moving between a position for locking and a position for lock release works such that, when the locking member is set at the position for the locking, the locking member may lock the lighting operation of the operation member, and such that, when the locking member is set at the position for the lock release, the locking member may allow a single lighting operation of the operation member. A restraining member allows successive lighting operations of the operation member when the locking member is moved to the position for the lock release.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lighting device, in which a flame is produced and jetted from a jetting nozzle with an operation of an operation member, wherein the lighting operation of the operation member is locked when the lighting device is not used, and wherein the lock is released and a single lighting operation or successive lighting operations are enabled when the lighting device is used.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Structures for lighting devices, such as lighters and lighting rods, which are provided with lighting control functions, have heretofore been proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,482. In the proposed structures, a locking member is provided for locking the operation of an operation member, which carries out a lighting operation. When the locking member is not operated, it is kept in the state of the locking of the lighting operation of the operation member. When a lock releasing operation of the locking member is carried out, the lighting operation becomes possible. Also, in association with the lighting operation, the locking member is automatically returned to the state of the locking.
However, with the lighting devices described above, the lock releasing operation of the locking member must be carried out each time a single lighting operation has been carried out. Therefore, in cases where a fire could not be lighted with a single lighting operation, the lock releasing operation of the locking member must firstly be carried out, and a lighting operation must then be carried out. Thus the re-lighting operation cannot be kept simple.
Accordingly, it is desired to obtain both of a function with which, in cases where a lighting device is stored after the lighting operation has been finished, the state of the locking of the lighting operation is set automatically and the lighting is restrained reliably unless the lock releasing operation of a locking member is carried out, and a function with which, at the time of the lighting operation, in cases where a fire could not be lighted occasionally with the lighting operation, successive lighting operations can be carried out without the lock releasing operation of the locking member being carried out after each lighting operation is carried out.


A method of manufacturing a vertical memory device includes: providing a substrate including a cell array region and a peripheral circuit region; forming a mold structure in the cell array region; forming a mold protection film in a portion of the cell array region and the peripheral circuit region, the mold protection film contacting the mold structure; forming an opening for a common source line that passes through the mold structure and extends in a first direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate; forming a peripheral circuit contact hole that passes through the mold protection film and extends in the first direction in the peripheral circuit region; and simultaneously forming a first contact plug and a second contact plug, respectively, in the opening for the common source line and in the peripheral circuit contact hole.

Example embodiments of the inventive concept relate to vertical memory devices and methods of manufacturing the same, and/or more particularly, to vertical memory devices having a channel vertical to a top surface of a substrate, and methods of manufacturing the same.
In order for high integration of memory devices, extensive research has been conducted to develop vertical memory devices in which memory cells are stacked vertically to a top surface of a substrate. A cell array region of a vertical memory device includes a pillar or a cylindrical channel protruding vertically to a top surface of a substrate, a plurality of gate lines contacting the channel, and a common source line contact plug that separates the plurality of gate lines. In addition, a peripheral circuit region of the vertical memory device includes a plurality of contact plugs. In manufacturing the vertical memory device, if a process of forming the common source line contact plug in the cell array region and a process of forming the plurality of contact plugs in the peripheral region are separately performed in sequence, a manufacturing process may become complicated and the common source line contact plug may swell in a process of forming an insulating film covering the common source line contact line.

Vertical memory devices and methods of manufacturing the same


An apparatus including a drawing element, a plurality of test tubes with airtight pierceable caps and a sucking system, suitably connected through ducts which are at least partially embodied in a disposable linking element, so that while preprogrammed volumes of air are orderly sucked out of said test tubes, programmed quantities of sample are collected into each of them. Some different construction patterns at different technological levels and an embodiment of said apparatus are outlined. A method for using it is described.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for drawing liquid samples and dispensing them into a plurality of test tubes, in particular for drawing biological samples, and dispensing them in a single operation into a plurality of test tubes, filled with air or other gas at atmospheric pressure and containing, if necessary, the additives to preserve or prepare the sample for the requested analyses.
It is known that, usually, the analyses requested for each sample are different both in number and type. It is therefore necessary to use a drawing technique which involves the dispensing of the sample into several test tubes, so that in each of them is ensured the quantity of sample of the purity necessary for a particular analysis.
It is also known that the sample must undergo as little handling as possible to prevent the alteration of its components and, if necessary, it must be mixed as soon as possible to the additives necessary to conserve or prepare it for the requested analyses. This is particularly, but not exclusively, important in the case of a sample of blood drawn out of a patient.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,581 (Cinqualbre and Cinqualbre) describes three different embodiments of an apparatus consisting of a body providing a longitudinal internal duct connected at one end to a drawing needle and at the other end, through secondary crossducts, to many test tubes, embedded into suitlable cavities and left hanging up under said body. In the first and third of said embodiments said test tubes can be filled by shifting them one by one and so opening an outlet to the air contained in them, so that the blood could fill them up in succession to the desired level. In the second embodiment the test tubes are not shifted, the outlet for the air is always open and the test tube to be filled is chosen by shifting a valve member. All the three embodiments are affected by several drawbacks. Lacking any kind of suction means, this apparatus can draw only if a difference of pressure from the drawing element to the atmosphere is present and, in the case of the draws of venous blood, which are normally used, this pressure is very low; this means that the blood flows very slowly and tends to clot, so blocking the flow; to prevent this effect large ducts are required and in particular a large needle, which may be impossible for some patients. The need to manipulate the test tubes or the valve members to open an outlet to the air focuses the operator's attention away from the patient, upon whom it should on the contrary be concentrated, and keeps both of his or her hands employed, while these should be free and used only to look after the patient. It is impossible to programme the precise quantity of sample to be collected into each test tube, being this left to the skill of the operator. The whole operation is unsafe, because the test tubes are not locked to their recesses and, if their fitting is tight, they are difficult to shift and make it difficult to use the apparatus and, if said fitting is loose, the test tubes are likely to come out and spill their contents, both during the draw, because of some error of the operator or some movement of the patient, and especially during their recovery; even worse, during this last operation, the operator must handle the body of the apparatus which is certainly polluted by the sample while one or more of the filled test tubes have already been taken out, so exposing him or her to a high risk of contamination. The apparatus is completely contaminated by the sample and, being too expensive to be disposable, it must be disassembled and sterilized after each single draw.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,967 (Gruenstein Eric I. et Al) describes an apparatus designed to transfer simultaneously samples from one or more containers into a plurality of uptake containers singularly airtightly connected to a common vacuum source through a three positions valve; this configuration makes it possible to disconnect the vacuum source and operate on the containers and the ducts connecting them when the valve is kept in a first position, to suck the samples when the valve is kept in a second position and to stop the flow while mantaining the vacuum when the valve is kept in the third position. This apparatus cannot be conceptually used to collect different preprogrammed amounts of sample into the different uptake containers and therefore it is unsuitable for drawing biological samples, expecially blood. Moreover it has some drawbacks: the suction speed cannot be controlled and the force of said suction may produce some foam, with consequent breaking of the cellular membranes, so damaging the sample during the draw; the depression left inside the test tubes after their filling can be a cause of an unwanted ejection of material at the opening of the valve, so making it probable the contamination of the common bore and in consequence the need to clean of the whole apparatus after each draw.
FR-A-1.247.657 (United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority) relates to an apparatus designed for collecting a sample of a liquid flow representative of its content during a long period, normally many hours; this is obtained by sucking very slowly a small portion of said fluid out of the flow and into a long pipe connected at the other end to a very slowly varying vacuum source through a bottle, into whose cap an input and an output tubes are airtightly inserted, and then taking said pipe out of the fluid stream and emptying it into said bottle slightly increasing the vacuum. After the change of the bottle the whole process can be started again. Many bottles can be filled with samples collected from many liquid flows using the same vacuum source. This apparatus is designed for collecting samples over a long period in a fixed plant: it needs a plurality of drawing elements and a plurality of valves, one of each for each bottle or test tube, a big vacuum apparatus and a big container connected to a slow flowing source of water or other auxiliary liquid and therefore it is very slow at drawing, cumbersome and unsuitable for mobile applications, such as collecting samples for the normal biological analyses.
EP-A-0107579 (Le Material Biomedical) describes a cylindrical container providing a cap which can slide fluid-tightly into it and is connected to a stem; driving manually said stem, such a container can be filled as a syringe, then said stem is broken, transforming it into something similar to a test tube. By connecting to the drawing needle a hose which is split at the other end into many branches, many test tubes, also of different dimensions, can be filled one after the other during the same draw. This system solves the problem of filling many test tubes in a single draw, but it is awkward to handle; it takes a lot of time to complete a draw and needs the whole attention and the use of both hands of the operator to be carried out; furthermore, it is potentially dangerous for the operator who disconnects the test tubes, which are open, from the branches of said hose, both of them being polluted by the sample which can easily spill over.
EP-A-0154002 (Ferring Biotechnik GmbH) describes a programmable apparatus designed for carrying out researches into the biological rhytm, apt to be carried around by a person and to draw samples of blood at stated time intervals, leaving said person free to go around in a normal way. It is a complex, and therefore expensive, apparatus, designed for a very peculiar use, in which the suction means (a pump) act directly on the means connecting the drawing means (needle) and the containers of the samples and which uses, to store them serially in a hose and dispense them to different containers, a multiple-way valve which is subject to contamination and therefore must be disassembled and sterilized every time the set of drawing operations performed on a person is over. Said apparatus is therefore unsuitable for the normal drawing operations, which need high operating speed, low running costs and well defined procedures of use, because it has a low utilization factor, a uselessly high cost, and it compels the operator to handle frequently potentially contaminated components and therefore to undergo a high risk.
Actually, the necessity to carry out draws, especially of blood, in a swift way and without polluting the sucking element, is increasingly becoming such a pressing necessity that it has urged the development of many devices based on the principle of the indirect suction.
It is known that for achieving this goal are widely used test tubes providing an inside programmed depression, which, when inserted on a secondary needle connected through a duct to the drawing needle, can collect into them by suction a desired quantity of blood. All these devices make it necessary either to pierce the vein as many times as there are test tubes to be filled or to leave the needle inserted into the vein for the time being, while the operator inserts successively the secondary needle into the required test tubes, so compelling him or her to use both hands, which should on the contrary be free for taking care of the patient. Moreover said test tubes have several drawbacks: the depression, generated in them when manufactured, decays with time; the suction speed cannot be controlled and the force of said suction may produce some foam, with consequent breaking of the cellular membranes, so damaging the sample during the draw; their cost is high, much higher than the normal test tubes; a residual depression, which can be the cause of an unwanted ejection of material at their opening with potential contamination risk for the operator, is left inside the test tubes after their filling.
Moreover, devices were developed that make it possible to transform the container used to draw the blood into a test tube.
For instance, EP-A-0107578 (Le Material Biomedical) discloses a particular cylindrical container providing a cap which can slide fluid-tightly into it and is inserted in between a drawing needle and a syringe through two couplings also fluidtight; by moving manually the piston of the syringe, a depression is generated upstream of said cap which therefore will slide from the needle end side to the syringe end side, while sucking, in consequence, the blood into said cylindrical container on the other side of the cap, so transforming it into something similar to a test tube. But such a device can only be used to draw a fixed quantity of sample, because the movable element must run through the whole stroke to reach the position in which it surely seals the outlet from which the air was sucked out. Therefore, even if it were modified so as to fill in one stroke several test tubes, this solution would be complex to assemble and disassemble and therefore dangerous to use, and it couldn't anyway provide, as necessary, a collection of predetermined different quantities of sample into each of a plurality of test tubes according to the needs. Also, an immediate mixing with any additives requested could not be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,782 (Sarstedt) discloses a similar cylinder providing an inside cap, which slides fluid-tightly, where the sample is collected and can afterwards be used as a test tube, but into which, before the draw, a depression is generated, so performing the draw in a way similar to that previously seen for test tubes with a programmed depression inside. This device has the same drawbacks already seen and one more, that is the need to pierce the vein as many times as there are test tubes to be filled.
EP-A-0150127 (Bilbate Limited) discloses a special syringe which makes it possible to carry out a draw by pushing a piston instead of pulling it out, and therefore using only one hand. According to said patent the blood is collected directly into a test tube sealed by a membrane, into which two needles are inserted, a sucking one connected to said syringe and the other connected to the drawing needle, inserted into a removable component which houses the drawing needle too. Such a device makes it necessary either to carry out as many draws, and therefore to pierce the vein as many times, as there are test tubes to be filled or to dispense later the sample into the requested test tubes, and it is extremely critical to use, because no support is provided for the test tube which can easily slide off the needles during the draw, and in addition is placed necessarily in contact with the patient's arm with no support, in a clearly precarious position. Moreover, after the draw, it is necessary first of all to extract the test tube, leaving to the operator the task of screwing out of the syringe the removable component which has two bare needles exposed, polluted by the sample. This operation is extremely dangerous.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,557 (Brown Bradley V. et Al) describes a hand held blood sample collection apparatus providing a special test tube with a special cap, into which the blood is sucked by means of a battery powered vacuum pump; being the core of the invention the actual configuration of said cap and of its connections, it can structurally be used for one test tube only, since said cap is designed for one single test tube. Such an apparatus may be seen as a improved version of a normal syringe, but it sums up some of the drawbacks of the use of a single syringe--the quantity of sample collected is not exactly programmable, the blood must be later manually dispensed to all the necessary test tubes--to some of the drawbacks of the test tubes with an inside programmed depression--the velocity of the inflow cannot be controlled, with all the inherent consequences.
Among all these devices the only ones of widespread use are, in spite of their mentioned drawbacks, those sucking the sample into a test tube within which a depression is produced either at their manufacturing or immediately before the draw, while is still widespread the operation in two phases, consisting of the collection of the sample into a single syringe and its successive distribution into many test tubes, a dangerous operation because it exposes the operator to the risk of infection and the sample to a waiting time and some handlings which might spoil it.

Apparatus and method for drawing liquid samples and dispensing them into a plurality of test tubes