A die frame logic analyzer unit. For one aspect, a programmable logic analyzer unit is provided, wherein at least a first portion of the programmable logic analyzer unit is provided in a die frame. The programmable logic analyzer unit is to test a function of an integrated circuit on a wafer that includes the die frame.

1. Field
An embodiment of the present invention relates to the field of testing integrated circuits and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for testing an integrated circuit using a logic analyzer unit (LAU) provided in a die frame.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Once an integrated circuit, such as a microprocessor, has been designed and fabricated, the integrated circuit is tested to determine whether it functions as intended and to define the environmental parameters (e.g. die temperatures, power supply noise, voltage levels and/or core clock frequencies) within which it functions as intended.
For post-fabrication validation testing, for example, a logic analyzer may be used to perform a particular level of functional testing. In general terms, a logic analyzer is connected to a device to be tested using one or more probes. A processor in the logic analyzer executes instructions in response to commands received via a logic analyzer user interface. The executed instructions cause the logic analyzer to stimulate the device being tested via the one or more probes with one or more test signals, referred to herein as signal vectors.
In response to receiving a signal vector from the logic analyzer, the device under test generates one or more response signal vectors that are sent to the logic analyzer via the probes and may be displayed on a display or other output device connected to the logic analyzer. Pass/fail functionality of the device under test may be determined by comparing reference signal vectors stored by the logic analyzer with the response signal vectors received from the device under test.
In order to test an integrated circuit effectively, a logic analyzer should be capable of applying and receiving signal vectors at a rate at least equal to the desired operating speed of the integrated circuit being tested. Thus, as the operating clock frequency of each generation of integrated circuits continues to increase, logic analyzers used to test integrated circuits must also become faster.
As logic analyzers (and other similar testers) increase in speed, however, they also increase in cost and design complexity. Additionally, most integrated circuit manufacturers purchase logic analyzers from external vendors who may have difficulty producing products that meet the integrated circuit manufacturers technical requirements in a timely manner. Further, using logic analyzer probes, it may not be possible to access all of the signals that are desirable to test.
To improve testability, many integrated circuits include "design for testability" (DFT) features that provide for embedded testing of certain integrated circuit functions. Some of these features may be compatible with the IEEE standard 1149.1-1990, IEEE Standard Test Access Port and Boundary-Scan Architecture produced by the Joint Test Action Group (JTAG), often referred to simply as JTAG. An integrated circuit device designed in accordance with IEEE Std. 1149.1 provides for test instructions and data to be serially transferred into the device and response data to be serially transferred out of the device using four extra pins included specifically for this purpose.
Other examples of DFT features include scan chains for testing circuits including sequential logic, specialized state machines for generating test patterns for specific circuitry and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits to verify programmable circuitry.
DFT features may provide for testing of integrated circuits, including circuits internal to a chip, that are difficult to access using external test equipment. While DFT features can facilitate testing of particular integrated circuit functions, the testing capabilities of each feature may be limited in scope. Thus, DFT features often provide a piecemeal approach to integrated circuit testing.
Built-In Self-Test (BIST) capability (another DFT feature) is also included in many integrated circuit devices. BIST is typically implemented as a microcoded program in microcode Read Only Memory (ROM) to exercise the microarchitectural elements of the host integrated circuit to determine whether they logically operate as specified. Because BIST is a firmware tool, it is relatively inflexible. Further, BIST typically only produces a pass/fail indication such that further and more extensive testing (possibly using an external logic analyzer) must be performed to identify the source of a circuit failure, for example.

Method and apparatus for testing a circuit using a die frame logic analyzer


A speech processing unit assigns priority either to voice guidance processing or to speech recognition processing to be carried out previously, when a speech input requesting for the speech recognition processing is accepted while the voice guidance processing is being carried out. It can solve a problem of a conventional speech processing unit in that when a user operates a speech input button requesting for the speech recognition processing, the currently output voice guidance is interrupted, or the voice guidance scheduled to be output is not produced, thereby hindering the user from obtaining truly necessary information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech processing unit installed in a navigation system to carry out voice guidance and speech recognition.
2. Description of Related Art
Some conventional navigation systems can carry out destination setting or institution search not only by operating a remote control or mechanical switches like touch switches, but also by means of accepting a speech input and performing speech recognition.
For example, Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2000-322098 discloses a speech processing unit for a navigation system that devises the following method to increase the speech recognition reliability.
When a user operates a speech input button to request acceptance of a speech input, the speech processing unit silences output sounds from car audio equipment so that it does not detect its music or the like as noise.
With the foregoing configuration, the conventional speech processing unit can improve the recognition reliability of the input voice at the cost of the output sounds from a peripheral device such as the audio equipment, when the user operates the speech input button. Accordingly, it has a problem in that the currently output voice guidance is interrupted, or the voice guidance to be output is not actually output, thereby preventing the user from obtaining truly necessary information.

Speech processing unit with priority assigning function to output voices


Semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm, in particular in the form of a rifle or a pistol, containing a barrel whose rear barrel end is in the form of a cartridge chamber into which a projectile can in each case be inserted from the rear; a breech body which is arranged in a breech guide between the cartridge chamber and a rear wall such that it can move in the longitudinal direction between an open position, which releases the cartridge chamber in order to load a projectile, and a closed position which closes the cartridge chamber, wherein, in the closed position, the breech body closes the cartridge chamber at the rear and is used as an opposing bearing for the cartridge case; characterized in that at least one permanent magnet is provided such that, at least in the closed position and in the positions close to the closed position, its magnetic field forces the breech body to the closed position, such that the magnetic force of the at least one permanent magnet simulates a higher mass of the breech body, which acts as an opposing bearing during the firing of a projectile.

The invention relates to a semiautomatic or fully automatic firearm, in particular in the form of a rifle or a pistol, containing a barrel whose rear barrel end is in the form of a cartridge chamber into which a projectile can in each case be inserted from the rear; a breech body which is arranged in a breech guide between the cartridge chamber and a rear wall such that it can move in the longitudinal direction between an open position, which releases the cartridge chamber in order to load a projectile, and a closed position which closes the cartridge chamber, wherein, in the closed position, the breech body closes the cartridge chamber at the rear and is used as an opposing bearing for the cartridge case.
The invention relates to a firearm with a locked breech and to firearms with an unlocked breech.


Provided is a reel unit for a gaming machine which suppresses decrease in visibility of a reel belt due to the formation of image of light source on a reel even if light emission intensity for illuminating the reel is high. It is provided a first light diffusion sheet with translucency having a light refraction surface including a surface formed thereon for refracting light passing therethrough in various directions, the first light diffusion sheet stacked on a base sheet; and a second light diffusion sheet having the light refraction surface, the second light diffusion sheet stacked on the first light diffusion sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reel unit for a rotatable reel of a gaming machine, and more specifically to a reel belt for use in a reel unit of a reel illuminated by a backlight, and a gaming machine provided with the reel unit.
2. Background of the Related Art
Conventionally, a gaming machine has employed a video reel and a mechanical reel in order to display symbols. A video reel is achieved by scrolling a symbol image to display it on a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. The video reel is displayed on the display device, and the luminance of the display device determines visibility of the symbol. In the display device, brightness of a light source such as the luminance on a display screen is previously adjusted to become approximately constant.
A mechanical reel achieves a scroll display of a symbol by mechanically rotating a reel on which the symbol is printed by means of a motor and the like. In the case of the mechanical reel, it is necessary to provide a backlight inside the reel in order to enable a player to visually identify the symbol. Light emitted from the backlight is irradiated on the back of the reel to illuminate the symbol brightly (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-62152 and United State Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0276975).

Reel belt of gaming machine and gaming machine


A method of making a part made of a reinforced plastics material in a mold including at least two portions and from a reinforced sheet or from a lay-up of reinforced sheets including at least one reinforced sheet, in which method the reinforced sheet (4) is pre-heated. The reinforced sheet or the lay-up of reinforced sheets is presented to a first portion (1) of the open mold by a picking-up device including pressers (6a; 6b; 7), at least a region of the reinforced sheet or of the lay-up is applied against a corresponding region of the first mold portion by pressers on the picking-up device, the remainder of its surface is applied against the first mold portion while holding stationary the region of the reinforced sheet or of the lay-up, the mold is closed, and the resulting part is removed from the mold.

The present invention relates to a method of making a part made of a reinforced plastics material by overmolding a sheet, to a device for implementing the method, and to an assembly and to a production line including said device.
It is already known that single-layer sheets can be used to make parts made of plastics materials and having a certain stiffness, in particular for making structural parts of motor vehicles.
For example, with the material known as stampable reinforced thermoplastic (SRT), which is polypropylene reinforced with glass fibers, the method consists in heating sheets of SRT, then in depositing them in an open mold, and then in closing the mold to cause the plastics material to flow and to fill the cavity of the mold.
It is also known that multi-layer materials can be used that are obtained by superposing sheets of SRT and sheets of Twintex (a trademark of Verotex), Twintex being a woven sheet of commingled glass fibers and polypropylene fibers.
The Twintex sheets become soft during the heating prior to placing the lay-up of superposed sheets in the mold, but the SRT sheets are stiff enough to enable the heated material to be handled.
In contrast, when one or more sheets of Twintex only are to be overmolded, it is difficult to place them in the mold because the heated Twintex sheets are too soft and therefore difficult to handle.
As a result, the only known methods of overmolding sheets of Twintex consist in conveying the sheets horizontally from a heating station to the mold, which mold is mounted on a vertical press so that the portion of it that is to receive the sheet(s) of Twintex is horizontal.
This difficulty of handling heated sheets of Twintex therefore imposes, as a first limit to their being overmolded, the obligation of using molds that are mounted on vertical presses.
In addition, conveying the sheet of Twintex does not enable it to be positioned accurately enough in the mold. As a result, it is preferred to leave a safety margin by cutting the sheet of Twintex larger than necessary so as to make sure that it extends over the entire desired area of the part to be made, even if the edges of the sheet of Twintex that project beyond the periphery of the part then need to be cut off after the part has been molded.
A second limit to overmolding sheets of Twintex lies in the fact that the resulting parts must be trimmed after they have been molded.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method that solves all or some of the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention provides, in particular, a method of making a part made of a reinforced plastics material in a mold comprising at least two portions and from a reinforced sheet or from a lay-up of reinforced sheets comprising at least one reinforced sheet, in which method the reinforced sheet is pre-heated, said method being characterized by the fact that it comprises the following steps:
the reinforced sheet or said lay-up of reinforced sheets is presented to a first portion of the open mold by means of a picking-up device including pressers;
at least a region of the reinforced sheet or of said lay-up is applied against a corresponding region of the first mold portion by means of pressers on the picking-up device;
the remainder of its surface is applied against said first mold portion while holding stationary said region of the reinforced sheet or of said lay-up;
the mold is closed; and
the resulting part is removed from the mold.
In the description below, the term xe2x80x9capplication portionxe2x80x9d is used to designate that portion of the mold against which the reinforced sheet is applied.
The picking-up device may optionally be used to apply the remainder of the surface of the sheet or of said lay-up against the first portion of the mold.
It is possible to superpose a plurality of sheets in the mold, optionally with local reinforcements sandwiched between the sheets.
The above-mentioned region may correspond to at least one edge, and preferably both edges of the reinforced sheet or of said lay-up, or, in a variant, to a central zone.
The method of the invention offers the essential advantage of making it possible to automate positioning of the sheet or of said lay-up.
It can also make it possible to omit the trimming step consisting in cutting off the edges of the sheet or of said lay-up that project beyond the part obtained after overmolding. This is achieved because the edges of the sheet or of said lay-up can be positioned accurately relative to the mold. Once this positioning has been performed, the remainder of the sheet or of said lay-up is applied against the remainder of the first portion of the mold.
Use is thus made of the absence of stiffness of the sheet or of said lay-up to press it against the first portion of the mold, without it projecting from the periphery of the mold.
In a particular implementation, pressers are used that comprise rigid chocks mounted on actuators.
In a variant, a rigid chock comprises a plurality of elements separated by inflatable inserts that space them apart so that the chock hugs the shape of the first mold portion as well as possible.
The pressers may also be constituted by inflatable cases which, in the inflated state, exactly match the shape of the first mold portion.
In order to position it accurately on the first mold portion, the sheet or said lay-up is advantageously retained by needles disposed on the picking-up device.
When sheets and/or local reinforcements are superposed, such needles advantageously serve to hold the various superposed layers in position relative to one another, by being inserted into the lay-up.
Preferably, the needles are mounted on the same support as the pressers.
In a particular implementation, the needles are substantially parallel to the direction in which the mold closes.
Preferably, certain needles may be suitable for moving sideways to accommodate the deformations of the sheet or of said lay-up, when said sheet or said lay-up adapts its surface to fit the real surface of the application portion of the mold.
This adaptation may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cdrapingxe2x80x9d, the initial surface of the sheet or of said lay-up being plane and corresponding to the developed surface area of the application portion of the mold, while the final surface of the sheet or of said lay-up has all of the relief of the application portion of the mold.
The needles mounted to move sideways are particularly useful when the sheet or said lay-up is not pre-shaped to the relief of the first portion of the mold.
In order to preform the sheet or said lay-up, it is possible, in a particular implementation, to deposit it on a rack of suitable shape and to heat it, e.g. by inserting it in an oven.
Pre-forming the sheet or said lay-up may further be supplemented prior to being put in place in the mold, by acting on the sheet or said lay-up at an intermediate station lying between the place at which the sheets are picked up and the mold.
In a particular implementation, the mold has a join plane that is substantially vertical.
The picking-up device may be carried by a manipulator arm which exerts the mechanical forces necessary to apply the sheet or said lay-up against the first portion of the mold.
In a variant, the picking-up device may be pulled towards the first mold portion to press the sheet or said lay-up thereagainst by means of a base mounted to move relative to the first mold portion.
This makes it possible to relieve the manipulator arm and to use a manipulator arm that is less powerful and therefore less costly.
Advantageously, abutments mounted to move relative to the base are used to entrain the picking-up device, these abutments being disposed to come into engagement over the picking-up device when the base is in the xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position, and then remaining in place when the base is displaced to pull on the picking-up device.
In a particular implementation, the sheet or said lay-up is overmolded as applied against the first mold portion, i.e. a complementary quantity of plastics material is inserted into the mold in order to fill the entire cavity of the mold, it being possible for the filling to take place by depositing material in the open mold or by injecting material into the closed mold.
The present invention also provides a picking-up device for taking hold of one or more sheets.
This device comprises at least one presser that has a front face shaped like a region of a first mold portion, e.g. a portion of its periphery or a central zone, and first needles passing through said presser, which needles are mounted to move relative to the presser so that, in a first relative configuration of the presser and of the needles, the needles include end portions projecting beyond the front face of the presser, and, in a second relative configuration of the presser and of the needles, the same end portions of the needles are situated set back from the front face of the presser.
This device is used as follows.
With the presser(s) lying in the first configuration relative to the needles, the sheet is speared, e.g. at its periphery, with the end portions of the needles that project from the presser(s).
The sheet as held by the needles is then brought facing the first portion of the mold, and the device is move towards the mold so that the ends of the needles come flush with a predetermined region of the first portion of the mold, e.g. its periphery.
The presser(s) is/are then moved towards the first portion of the mold, while holding the needles in position relative thereto.
As a result, the needles are bared, and once the pressers have reached the second configuration relative to the needles, the sheet is then held only by compression between said pressers and the first portion of the mold.
A retaining system which may, for example, be constituted by needles or by any other mechanism integrated in the mold, then takes over from the pressers by holding the sheet in position in the mold, thereby making it possible to withdraw the picking-up device and to close the mold.
It can be understood that the device of the invention is particularly well suited to handling a sheet or a lay-up of sheets that is to be positioned vertically in a mold mounted on a horizontal press.
In a particular embodiment of the device, other needles that slope relative to the first needles serve to retain the sheet when the pressers lie in the first configuration relative to the needles.
The crossing over of the two sets of needles holds the sheet stationary on the device, thereby making it possible, in particular, to pick up a sheet from a horizontal plane.
The present invention also provides an assembly for applying a sheet against a first mold portion, said assembly being characterized by the fact that it includes the above-described picking-up device and a base mounted to move relative to the first mold portion so as to pull the picking-up device towards the first mold portion and to press the sheet or said lay-up thereagainst.
By means of this assembly, it is possible to avoid the need to use heavy-duty mechanical means to manipulate the picking-up device.
The base can deliver most of the forces necessary to applying the sheet against the first mold portion.
The assembly may include abutments mounted to move relative to the base, and suitable for engaging over the picking-up device when the base is in an xe2x80x9coutxe2x80x9d position, then for entraining the picking-up device when the base is displaced to pull on the picking-up device.
Preferably, the abutments are disposed at the ends of arms secured to the base.
In a particular embodiment, when the abutments are engaged over the picking-up device, they abut against at least one beam that is secured to the picking-up device and on which pressers are disposed.
Pressers may be fixed to the beam(s) in question with springs being interposed.
Advantageously, the mold has an outer side wall, and the base includes a frame that can slide in contact with said side wall.
The base being disposed on the first mold portion is particularly simple to implement, and also guarantees that the base is moved accurately relative to the first mold portion.
Preferably, the picking-up device is secured to a manipulator arm.
The manipulator arm may be released when the picking-up device is pulled by the base towards the first mold portion.
The present invention also provides a production line for manufacturing parts made of a plastics material reinforced by overmolding sheets, said production line being characterized by the fact that it includes a first picking-up device as described above, and a second picking up device serving to handle cold sheets so as to bring them firstly from a place of storage to an oven in which they are heated, then from the heating oven to a pre-forming station where they are shaped substantially to match the relief of the mold, the first picking-up device transferring the heated and pre-formed sheets to a mold.
In an advantageous variant, the second picking-up device is equipped both with a suction system which is suitable for picking-up cold sheets so as to transfer them to the heating oven, and also with a needle system which is suitable for picking up the heated sheets so as to transfer them to the pre-forming station, and then from the pre-forming station to the mold.

Method of making a part of a reinforced plastics material


Stabilization apparatus for aiming an instrument such as a camera at a target object. Rotational rate sensors mounted on the camera platform detect rotation of the platform from an initial position about roll, tilt and pan axes. The sensor output signals are applied to torque motors for rotating the platform back to its initial position. A hub assembly supports the camera platform for rotation about roll and tilt axes, and a yoke supports the hub assembly for rotation about a pan axis. The yoke is adapted for suspension from a support vehicle such as a helicopter, and it supports the platform for unimpaired rotation within windowed outer and inner domes. The outer dome is rotatable about a pan axis and the inner dome is rotatable about an inclined tilt axis. The arrangement reduces the size of the window opening from the camera to the exterior, which correspondingly reduces wind loads acting against the interior of the domes.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stabilization apparatus for aiming an instrument such as a camera at a target object, and particularly to stabilization apparatus which employs rotational rate sensors mounted on the camera platform to detect rotation of the platform from its initial position, and to generate output signals for operating torque motors to rotate the platform back to its initial position.


Soft and strong cellulose-based fibrous web, comprises                a) cellulosic fibres having a freeness value of more than 26° SR measured according to DIN-ISO 5267/1 (March 1999),        b) a water-soluble cationic polymer,        c) a water-soluble anionic polymer, and        d) a cationic surfactant-based softener.The webs are prepared by        refining cellulosic fibres to a degree of freeness of more than 26° SR measured according to DIN-ISO 5267/1,        adding at least one water-soluble anionic polymer and water-soluble cationic polymer to the refined cellulosic fibres,        adding a cationic surfactant-based softener to the cellulosic fibres obtained thereby, and        wet-laying and dewatering the celulosic fibres obtained thereby.

Cellulosic webs, such as non-woven or paper tissue webs, find extensive use in modern society. Facial tissues, toilet tissues, kitchen paper or tissue handkerchiefs are staple items of commerce.
Among the most important physical properties of these products are their strength, their softness, their absorbency, primarily for aqueous systems, and their lint resistance.
Tissue paper products are often exposed to extremely varied strength requirements in the wet and dry states. For instance, it must be ensured, in the case of household paper (kitchen towels) that they retain their strength at least for a specific period of time when exposed to aqueous liquids or moisture-containing food. On the other hand, toilet paper should dissolve in water, some time after use, in order to prevent the sewage systems from clogging up. At the same time, toilet paper must not immediately use its strength properties during use for apparent reasons. Correspondingly, the prior art makes a distinction between dry strength and wet strength properties, the latter being divided in further categories such as initial wet strength, temporary wet strength and permanent wet strength depending on the point of time of measuring the wet strength after re-wetting a dry tissue paper.
A paper of an untreated cellulose-containing fibrous material usually looses 95% to 97% of its dry strength when saturated with water so that it normally cannot be used in the moistened or wet state. This is due to the fact that the paper develops dry strength as a result of inter-fibre hydrogen bonds which are broken up by water.
The use of wet strength resins, such as polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrine resin is a widely known counter measure, However, if these resins are used alone, they typically lead to tissue paper which is fairly stiff and has almost the haptic properties of normal paper.
The isolated use of softeners such as the typically employed quaternary ammonium compounds, on the other hand, reduces the strength since softeners also interact with inter-fibre hydrogen bonds, Further, they can decrease the absorbency due to hydrophobic effects.
These are typical examples for the generally occurring problem in the art of tissue paper making that the above-mentioned four properties conflict each other in so far as attempts to improve one property can be detrimental for another.
Therefore, the prior art describes many processes for achieving a suitable balance of softness, strength (dry and wet strength), lint properties and absorbency which shall be exemplified in the following.
WO 00/39398 relates to chemically modified cellulosic materials that can have improved properties such as wet strength, softness or absorbency. This document discloses a process comprising:                a) chemically attaching anionic groups, preferably carboxymethyl groups, via etherification to the surface of a cellulosic web fibre, for instance by, an alkaline treatment with sodium chloroacetate, and        b) adding one or more cationic additives prior to web forming to form an ionic association between the cationic additive and the anionic fibre and        c) forming a wet-laid sheet.
The cationic additive is selected from the group consisting of a wet strength resin, a debonder, a softening agent, a dewatering aid and a sizing agent.
However this technique is cumbersome, since it requires pre-reacting the pulp with an anionic groups-forming reagent (preferably a carboxymethyl-forming reagent) prior to sheet forming processes.
The process according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,623 is intended to provide a better absorbency as well as better wet and dry strength in paper towels or other tissue products. According to the teaching of this document, the following three ingredients are to be combined:
(A) a neutral or alkaline-curing thermosetting wet strength resin obtainable by reacting epichlorohydrine with polyaminoamide, polyamine or an aminopolymer.
(B) a water-soluble anionic polymer containing carboxyl groups or carboxylate ions such as carboxymethyl cellulose, and
(C) a non-thermosetting tertiary amino polyamide-epichlorohydrine resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,220 discloses soft cellulosic sheet materials having an improved ratio of wet tensile strength to dry tensile strength. This is achieved by including in the papermaking furnish at least one water-soluble, thermosetting cationic resin, such as polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin and at least one debonder including anionic and cationic surface-active agents, in particular cationic, quaternary ammonium compounds.
EP 0 672 781 A2 discloses pre-wettable high softness paper having temporary wet strength. According to the teaching of this document, temporary wet strength agents and cationic nitrogenous softeners are preferably combined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,637 discloses a multi-layered tissue paper product comprising a softener composition (quaternary ammonium compound and polysiloxane) and binders materials, either wet strength binders, such as polyamido-epichlorohydrine resins and/or dry strength binders such as carboxyethyl cellulose (CMC) where the majority of the softener composition is contained in the outer layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,690 relates to a process for the preparation of fibrous assemblies such as paper having advantageous properties such as wet strength, absorbency, softness, good drape and enhanced bulk which exhibit compaction resistance.
The process for the preparation of these fibrous assemblies comprises the steps of                a. forming separate anionically charged and cationically charged fibre slurry aliquots,        b. mixing the anionically and cationically charged aliquots,        c. collecting the resulting discrete fibre aggregates and        d. draining and drying said aggregates.
The cationic materials for the practice of this invention include quaternary ammonium compounds and common wet strength additives, such as aminopolyamide reaction products with epichlorohydrine. Carboxyethyl cellulose is mentioned as one among many additives for anionically charging the fibres.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,766 aims at providing soft, absorbent, lint resistant multiply-tissue paper products. For this purpose                a. paper making fibres are treated with        b. a biodegradable quaternary ammonium compound        c. a water soluble polyhydroxy compound        d. a wet strength binder, for instance, polyamide epichlorohydrine resins, and        e. a. dry strength binder, for instance, carboxymethyl cellulose.
The majority of the softener composition (biodegradable quaternary ammonium compound and polyhydroxy compound) is contained in the outer layers of the plies
According to the examples of this US Patent, two individually treated furnish streams are kept separate through the headbox and deposited onto a fourdrinier wire to form a two layer embryonic web.
The inner layer is prepared from a gently refined NSK (northern softwood Kraft) fibre slurry to which 2% Kymene wet strength resin and 1% CMC were given.
The second slurry being intended for the outer layer is prepared from eucalyptus fibres which were treated with Kymene, CMC and a 1% solution of the above-explained chemical softener mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,327 discloses in its examples the use of similar treatment chemicals with the difference that Kymene, CMC and chemical softening mixture can be added to the NSK slurry.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple process for the preparation of fibrous webs, such as tissue paper having a high wet strength and simultaneously a suitable balance of other properties relevant for the web, such as dry strength, softness, bulk and absorbency.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such fibrous web, in particular tissue paper.

Soft and strong webs from highly refined cellulosic fibres


Disclosed is a side airbag, which controls the pressure of the airbag by controlling the outflow of gas in such a manner as to block or open a vent hole depending on the physical size of the occupant. The side airbag includes a side airbag cushion disposed to at least one side of a seat and having at least a vent hole formed at an upper part and at least a gas control member disposed to block or open the vent hole of the side airbag, for allowing or preventing gas to flow out through the vent hole by the inner pressure of the gas upon deployment of the side airbag cushion. Thus, injury to the occupant can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side air bag having a pipe type adaptive gas control member, which is configured to protect an occupant having a large physical size by providing a high pressure of airbag cushion and to protect an occupant having a small physical size by providing a low pressure of airbag cushion with controlling the outflow of gas in such a manner as to block or open at least a vent hole corresponding to the physical size and position of occupant's shoulder portion.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a vehicle is provided with various types of airbag apparatuses for protecting passengers from external impacts in a collision of the vehicle. Among them, a side airbag apparatus is mounted within the seat of the vehicle, and serves to protect the head, shoulder, chest, and hip regions that correspond to the side portions of the occupant's body from external impacts in a collision of the vehicle.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing one example of a side airbag apparatus according to the conventional art.
The conventional side airbag apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, includes an airbag body 6, an inflator 4 and a diffuser 5. The airbag body 6 is divided into a head chamber 3 and a body 1 by a dividing wall 2. When the vehicle collides and gas is supplied, the body 1 is filled with the gas from the inflator 4 at first. After then if the body 1 is hit by occupant, the head chamber 3 starts to inflate through holes 2′ formed at the dividing wall 2, thereby protecting the head region of the occupant.
However, the head chamber 3 of the aforementioned airbag is constantly inflated to a predetermined size regardless of the occupant's physical size. This leads to a problem that the head chamber 3 inflated with a high pressure gives a blow back to the head portion of even an occupant having a small physical size, like a child, to thus cause injury to the occupant.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.

Side airbag having pipe type adaptive vent hole


A vehicle roof having at least one transparent roof portion, a roof-attached support portion and a roller blind assembly for selectively shading or at least partially exposing the transparent roof portion, the roller blind assembly having at least one roller blind unit comprising a roller blind web, which can be wound up into a roller blind coil, and a lateral bearing element on either side of the vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof. The roller blind coil can be disposed between the two lateral bearing elements. The roller blind assembly may have a bearing shell on top of which the at least one roller blind unit is attached via the lateral bearing elements and which is fixed to the at least one support portion from below.

A vehicle roof of this kind is known from practice and comprises at least one, preferably two transparent roof portions, one of which is formed by a glass lid element of a sunroof assembly, for example. The transparent roof portions can be selectively shaded or at least partially exposed by means of a roller blind assembly. To this end, the roller blind assembly comprises a roller blind unit for each transparent roof portion, said roller blind unit having a roller blind web which can be wound up into a roller blind coil on a winding shaft disposed at an edge of the respective transparent roof portion or unwound from the winding shaft in order to shade the respective transparent roof portion. Said roller blind web is provided with a guide tape on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, the guide tape being guided in a roof-attached guide rail disposed at the respective edge of the transparent roof portion in question. In this way, the parts of the roller blind web that are unwound from the winding shaft can be kept under tension in the transverse direction of the vehicle.
In currently known vehicle roofs of the kind mentioned above, the roller blind assembly is completely pre-installed on a roof before the latter is connected to a body shell of a vehicle. Since the needed installation space is no longer accessible, the roller blind assembly cannot be mounted after installation of the roof on the body shell. Additionally, installation of current roller blind assemblies of the kind described above requires high work precision when connecting web centering means to the guide rails. The process cannot be automated.
The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle roof of the kind mentioned above in which the roller blind assembly can also be mounted later, i.e. after the vehicle roof has been connected to a body shell, from below.
According to the invention, this object is attained by the vehicle roof having the features of claim 1.

Vehicle roof with support portion and roller blind assembly


The pneumatic radial tire for passenger cars according to the present invention specifies the ratio W/L between the section width W and outside diameter L and includes a width direction groove located at an appropriate position on the tread surface.

Until the 1960s, vehicles were lightweight and were not expected to be high-speed. The burden on tires was therefore low, and bias tires with a narrow section width were used. These days, however, as vehicles have increased in weight and speed, radial tires with a larger width have been adopted (for example, Patent Literature 1).
As compared to a bias tire, a tire with a radial carcass has a more rigid tire crown and thus has excellent resistance to uneven wear. Since the crown is rigid and propagation of movement between structural members of the tire is suppressed, rolling resistance is reduced. Therefore, tires with a radial carcass have good fuel efficiency and high cornering power.
The increased tire width also increases the contact patch area of the tire, thereby increasing the cornering power.
The increased tire width, however, reduces passenger comfort by compressing the vehicle space. Air resistance also increases, causing the problem of poor fuel efficiency.
In recent years, increased concerns for environmental issues have led to more stringent demands for fuel efficiency. In particular, in electric vehicles, which are becoming a practical vehicle for the future, it is necessary to guarantee space around the tire axle for storing drive components, such as a motor that controls torque for rotating the tire. The importance of guaranteeing space around tires is thus increasing.

Pneumatic radial tire for passenger cars


A control line can be positioned in a downhole completion. For example, the control line can be deployed in a protected position along a stinger to reduce the potential for damaging the control line during installation, removal or operation.

Control lines, such as individual or combined hydraulic, electric, or fiber control lines, are used in oil and gas wellbores to control downhole tools or to carry data related to measuring wellbore or environmental parameters. However, many obstacles to the deployment of a control line along the length of the wellbore exist. For example, packers are commonly deployed in wellbores and block the path down a wellbore. Moreover, if the control line is exposed on its exterior, the control line can be damaged as it is inserted and removed from the wellbore.
Thus, there is a continuing need to address one or more of the problems stated above.

Method and system to deploy control lines


The present invention discloses disease-associated molecules and assays, which are useful for diagnosing and assessing those animals with herpes virus infection, and determining those animals at risk of developing an herpes virus infection or its sequelae. The invention has practical use in the early diagnosis of disease, in monitoring an animal's immune response to the disease, and in enabling better treatment and management decisions to be made in clinically and sub-clinically affected animals.

The herpes viruses represent a large virus family causing widespread disease in man and in domestic and wild animals. There are more than 80 known types of herpes virus, but only eight are known to cause disease in humans. These are divided into three sub-families as shown below.
1. Alpha herpes virinaehuman herpes virus 1 (HHV-1)human simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)human herpes virus 2 (HHV-2)human simplex virus 2 (HSV-2)human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3)Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV)2. Beta herpes virinaehuman herpes virus 5 (HHV-5)cytomegalovirus (CMV)human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6)roseolovirushuman herpes virus 7 (HHV-7)3. Gamma herpes virinaehuman herpes virus 4 (HHV-4)lymphocryptovirushuman herpes virus 8 (HHV-8)rhadinovirus
Herpes virus infections are widespread and cause diseases of serious economic importance. In fact, most species of mammals become infected with at least one strain of herpes virus early in life. Infection is permanent, and there are no known cures. Anti-viral agents are available as a treatment but are usually applied and/or taken after symptoms develop (when they are least useful) and do not lend themselves for use as a prophylactic due to side effects and cost. Their use is therefore usually restricted to humans.
Current antibody detection-based diagnostic methods only detect antibody well after clinical signs appear and after the patient is infective to other animals. Other methods of detection involve polymerase chain reaction amplification of viral transcripts or viral DNA, virus isolation in tissue culture and/or virus neutralization assays.
All herpes virus infections are permanent. After a primary infection the virus enters a period of latency. Disease can be reactivated when the patient is immunocompromised or stressed or in advanced athletic training programs. Reactivation of the virus can result in recurrence of symptoms, or general malaise, or decreased exercise tolerance or performance, or it may be asymptomatic.
Determination of the presence of viral antibodies, antigens, or transcripts does not necessarily correlate with the presence of disease or clinical signs.
There are few effective vaccines available.
Drugs are available for treatment but they are costly and for maximum efficacy they need to be given prior to the appearance of major clinical signs.
Epidemiology and Clinical Manifestations
Herpes viruses cause several clinical manifestations in both normal and immunocompromised hosts. Most episodes of herpes virus infections are asymptomatic and most instances in which herpes is transmitted are from people who are unaware, or remain undiagnosed at the time of an outbreak.
Fifty to ninety percent of adult humans possess antibodies to HHV-1 or human simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1); 20%-30% of adults possess antibodies to HHV-2 or human simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Prevalence is greater in lower socio-economic groups and in sexually promiscuous individuals. HSV-1 is usually associated with primary infections of the orofacial area and latent infection of the trigeminal ganglion, while HSV-2 is usually associated with genital infections and latent infection in sacral ganglia. Although both primary and recurrent infections are usually self-limited, HSV can cause serious diseases such as neonatal disseminated herpes, viral encephalitis, and blinding keratitis.
During acute primary infection, HSV becomes permanently latent in the nerve root ganglia that correspond to the cutaneous or mucous membrane site of inoculation. In orolabial infection, HSV develops latency in the trigeminal ganglia, whereas latency develops in sacral ganglia after genital or anorectal infection. A variety of stimuli, such as ultraviolet light and trauma to the sensory nerve, may reactivate latent HSV. Recurrent lesions occur at or close to the primary site of infection. Recurrence seems to be related to factors which in some way decrease an individual's disease resistance, such as colds or upper respiratory infections, high levels of physical exercise, sun exposure, stress, menses in women, and in some individuals, trigger foods, particularly large quantities of chocolate or peanuts.
During reactivation, HSV replication occurs within the ganglia, and progeny virions travel peripherally along sensory nerves to the mucosal or epithelial surface innervated by the reactivated ganglion. Active virus replication at the cutaneous surface then produces the clinical signs and lesions typical of recurrent HSV infection (just as is the case with recurrent cold sores in humans infected with HSV).
"Epstein-Barr virus" (EBV) or HHV-4 is associated with infectious mononucleosis, also known as "glandular fever," as well with oncogenesis (e.g., in Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeocarcinoma). Additionally, EBV is found in immune-suppressed patients and in patients suffering from Hodgkin's disease. EBV occurs worldwide, and most people become infected with EBV sometime during their lives. In the United States, as many as 95% of adults have been infected by the time they are 35-40 years of age. Infants become susceptible to EBV as soon as maternal antibody protection (present at birth) disappears.
EBV symptoms for infectious mononucleosis include fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands. Sometimes, a swollen spleen or liver involvement may develop. Heart problems or involvement of the central nervous system occurs only rarely, and infectious mononucleosis is almost never fatal. Most individuals exposed to people with infectious mononucleosis have previously been infected with EBV and are not at risk for infectious mononucleosis. In addition, transmission of EBV requires intimate contact with the saliva (found in the mouth) of an infected person. Transmission of this virus through the air or blood does not normally occur. The incubation period, or the time from infection to appearance of symptoms, ranges from 4 to 6 weeks. Persons with infectious mononucleosis may be able to spread the infection to others for a period of weeks. However, no special precautions or isolation procedures are recommended, since the virus is also found frequently in the saliva of healthy people. In fact, many healthy people can carry and spread the virus intermittently for life. These people are usually the primary reservoir for person-to-person transmission. For this reason, transmission of the virus is almost impossible to prevent.
Although the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually resolve in 1 or 2 months, Epstein-Barr virus remains dormant or latent in a few cells in the throat and blood for the rest of the person's life. Periodically, the virus can reactivate and is commonly found in the saliva of infected persons. This reactivation usually occurs without overt symptoms of illness but there may be non-specific symptoms such as malaise or poor athletic performance. EBV also establishes a lifelong dormant infection in some cells of the body's immune system. A late event in a very few carriers of this virus is the emergence of Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, two rare cancers that are not normally found in the United States. EBV appears to play an important role in these malignancies, but is probably not the sole cause of disease.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) or HHV-5 is found universally throughout all geographic locations and socio-economic groups, and infects between 50% and 85% of adults in the United States by 40 years of age. CMV causes infections in the lungs of immune-suppressed persons. In addition, both CMV and EBV are believed to be associated with chronic-fatigue syndrome, a malady that may afflict as many as in six out of every 100,000 people. Infectious CMV may be shed in the bodily fluids of any previously infected person, and thus may be found in urine, saliva, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk. The shedding of virus may take place intermittently, without any detectable signs, and without causing symptoms. Transmission of CMV occurs from person to person. CMV can be sexually transmitted and can also be transmitted via breast milk, transplanted organs, and rarely from blood transfusions. Although the virus is not highly contagious, it has been shown to spread in households and among young children. Transmission of the virus is often preventable because it is most often transmitted through infected bodily fluids that come in contact with hands and then are absorbed through the nose or mouth of a susceptible person. Hence, care should be taken when handling children and items like diapers. Simple hand washing with soap and water is effective in removing the virus from the hands.
CMV, which may have fewer symptoms than EBV, is always followed by a prolonged, unapparent infection during which the virus resides in cells without causing detectable damage or clinical illness. Severe impairment of the body's immune system by medication or disease consistently reactivates the virus from the latent or dormant state. CMV infection without symptoms is common in infants and young children; therefore, it is unjustified and unnecessary to exclude from school or an institution a child known to be infected. Similarly, hospitalized patients do not need separate or elaborate isolation precautions. Screening children and patients for CMV is of questionable value. The cost and management of such procedures are impractical. Children known to have CMV infection should not be singled out for exclusion, isolation, or special handling. Instead, staff education and effective hygiene practices are advised in caring for all children. Circumstances where CMV may be a problem is pregnancy, people who work with infants and children and those who are immunocompromised.
Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) or HHV-3 causes chickenpox, typically in children, and is acquired by inhaling virus-containing particles, trapped in tiny droplets released into the air from the nose or throat of an infected person. The virus enters the body by infecting cells in the respiratory tract. From here, it spreads to many other parts of the body, including the skin, where it causes the characteristic rash. Each lesion (spot) progresses through a series of characteristic stages over about a week. Papules and vesicles develop into pustules, which then crust over prior to healing. A prominent feature of chickenpox is the development of several crops of spots, such that at the peak of the illness, 3-4 days after first appearance of the rash, there are lesions at all stages of development, from new vesicles through to crusts.
The ability of VZV to spread in this way means that chickenpox is very contagious. Virus excretion from the airways begins in the latter part of the incubation period and continues until all the spots have crusted over. Although the skin vesicles contain virus particles, they are not a major source of contagion. Scabs are not infectious. Time-honored interventions designed to minimize fever and discomfort (i.e., antipyretic medicines, cool baths and soothing lotions) are the mainstay of management.
Chickenpox is a clinical manifestation of primary infection with VZV. After recovery from primary infection, VZV is not eliminated from the body but rather, the virus lies dormant (latent), often for decades, in the roots of sensory nerves, in the spinal cord. When the infection is reactivated, it causes pain and a rash in the area supplied by the affected sensory nerves. Latent infection may result is an episode of shingles. This usually happens in older people, perhaps because, with advancing age, the immune system fails to keep the virus in check. The rash of shingles contains VZV particles, just like the rash of chickenpox. Shingles, therefore, carries a small risk of transmitting chickenpox to someone who has not had chickenpox before. Typically, an infant might acquire chickenpox by very close contact with a grandparent with shingles, but the risk of transmission is low, because VZV is not excreted from the throat during shingles.
Roseolovirus or HHV-6 is associated with "roseola" and "infantum" infections in children and with immunocompromised patients. For example, AIDS patients exhibit HHV-6 infection, although the significance of the HHV-6 infection is unclear. HHV-6 is susceptible to antiviral drugs. It is unclear, however, how antiviral drugs work against HHV-6 or how resistance to such drugs develops. A significant aspect of HHV-6 infection is its putative tie-in with multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome, respectively.
Less is known about HHV-7 and HHV-8 (rhadinovirus). No clear evidence for the direct involvement of HHV-7 in any human disease has been reported. Studies indicate, however, that HHV-7 may be associated with HHV-6-related infections. In a related vein, HHV-8 infection is believed to be associated with Karposi's sarcoma.
In addition, herpes viruses are regarded as an important cause of wastage in the horse industry and a cause of serious compromise to athletic ability. Veterinarians, trainers and owners tend to manage horses with respiratory disease on experience alone because of the lack of clinical guides and laboratory procedures, and because there is little understanding of the relationship between viral and secondary bacterial infection and duration of disease. Alternative diagnosis or assessment procedures are often complex, invasive, inconvenient, expensive, time consuming, may expose an animal to risk of injury from the procedure, and often require transport of the animal to a diagnostic center.
In a study performed in Western Australia, herpes viruses could be isolated from the blood of 48% of horses with respiratory problems or poor performance. However, herpes viruses could also be isolated from blood of 54% of horses without clinical signs, leading to the conclusion that the presence of the virus in blood cells is not a determinant of disease. Virus isolation from nasal swabs is more indicative of respiratory infection but can only be isolated in 50% of clinical cases. It has been reported that up to 75% of horses in Britain carry the virus.
Equine rhinopneumonitis and equine abortion are commonly recognized diseases of horses caused by two distinct but antigenically-related viruses that are designated equine herpes virus type 4 (EHV-4) and equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1). EHV-1 is a cause of epidemic abortion, perinatal mortality, respiratory disease and, occasionally, neurological signs in horses. Abortion is the most dramatic and frightening outcome of EHV-1 infection and can be financially disastrous for breeders, with loss of clients and large insurance pay-outs. Respiratory illness caused by EHV-1, or the closely related EHV-4, can adversely affect racing performance.
The epidemiology of EHV-1 infection within the horse industry has been demonstrated by studies performed on studs in the Hunter Valley, Australia where it was demonstrated that foals are often infected with EHV-1 before 60 days of age. A separate study performed in the USA showed that 85% of foals had seroconverted by 6-8 months post-weaning. It is believed that foals become infected through exposure to respiratory droplets from mares or cohort foals.
EHV-1 is a DNA alphaherpes virus with a predilection for epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. The virus can be spread around the body to other organs by cells of the immune system. Because the viruses are related antigenically it has not been possible to date by serological examination (blood test), to determine whether a horse has been infected with either or both EHV-4 or EHV-1. For example, if a horse had been infected with EHV-4 as a foal it would develop antibodies in its serum that would react not only to EHV-4 but EHV-1 as well, so one would not know that such a foal had been infected with only EHV-4. EHV-4 has only been demonstrated to cause respiratory illness, whereas EHV-1 also causes neurological and reproductive disorders (Wilcox and Raidal, 2000, "Role of viruses in respiratory disease" RIRDC Publication No 00/146, RIRDC Project No UMU-22A; Dunowska et al., 2002, New Zealand Veterinary Journal 50 (4):132-139; Dunowska et al., 2002, New Zealand Veterinary Journal 50 (4):140-147).
EHV-1 has been shown to have a persistent, lifelong latent, infection where reactivation causes further spells of respiratory disease in the horse. However, a far more serious consequence for other horses infected by contact with the first horse (index case) occurs on breeding farms when a pregnant mare in a paddock reactivates the virus and transmits it to other in-contact pregnant mares. The index case mare may herself abort or cause abortion in one or more in contact mares. An aborted fetus and the fetal membranes and fluids are heavily infected with EHV-1 and contaminate the site where abortion occurs. Other mares in the paddock, being naturally curious, come to the site of abortion and sniff the fetus and membranes. In this way, often close to 100% of the mares in the paddock become infected and abort within 10 or 20 days causing what is commonly known as an "abortion storm". Such outbreaks of EHV-1 abortion are of considerable economic importance to the equine, particularly Thoroughbred and Standardbred, industries worldwide.
Immunity and Diagnosis
Herpes viruses induce a strong humoral antibody response, although the effectiveness of this response in protecting the host is questionable. Protection ultimately is afforded through cell-mediated mechanisms, such as cytotoxic lymphocytes and natural killer cells. One of the key features of herpes virus infection is life-long persistent infection and latency. The virus remains in the cell nucleus and can be isolated from many organs long after clinical signs have abated. Thus, where a patient presents with non-descript clinical signs, such as poor performance or malaise, virus can be isolated from tissues but it is not clear that activation of the virus is the cause of the symptoms. Stress or other factors can lead to activation of the dormant virus and concomitant clinical signs (Walker et al., 1999, Veterinary Microbiology 68:3-13).
Infection with HSV-1 or HSV-2 induces cell-mediated immunity and the production of type-common and type-specific antibodies. Although these immune mechanisms apparently do not affect the development of HSV latency or the frequency of recurrences, they may modulate the severity of clinical recurrences and reduce HSV replication once reactivation occurs.
The host immune response elicited by HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection appears to provide partial protection against subsequent infection with HSV, as resistance to autologous infection is usually observed in HSV-infected individuals. Additionally, persons with HSV infection usually have a more mild clinical illness when infected with the alternate HSV type as compared with persons with no prior HSV infection.
HSV is the most frequently detected virus in diagnostic laboratories. Diagnosis can be made by virus isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Espy et al., 2000, J Clin Microbiol. 38 (2):795-799) and histopathology. None of these methods are useful in the control and monitoring of the disease. Other laboratory tests available for diagnosis include specially treated scrapings that are examined under the microscope, and blood tests for antibodies. Some tests are only valid in the early stages, and more than one of these tests may be required to confirm the presence of herpes. Genital herpes can be mistaken for other diseases, including syphilis. High serum antibody levels are also an indication of a recent infection. If a person does experience visible symptoms, a culture test within the first 48 hours after symptoms appear is recommended. Beyond 48 hours, there is a risk of receiving a false negative test result because symptoms may have begun to heal and there is not enough virus left on the skin to culture.
Blood tests can be used when a person has no visible symptoms but has concerns about having herpes. Blood tests do not actually detect the virus; instead, they look for antibodies (the body's immune response) but 50 to 90% of humans have positive antibodies in the blood. There are currently two blood tests available that can give accurate results for herpes. Like any blood test, these tests cannot determine whether the site of infection is oral or genital. However, since most cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-2, a positive result for type-2 antibodies most likely indicates genital herpes. For the most accurate result; it is recommended to wait at least 12-16 weeks from the last possible exposure to herpes to allow enough time for antibodies to develop.
The clinical diagnosis of EBV and infectious mononucleosis is suggested on the basis of the symptoms of fever, sore throat, swollen lymph glands, and the age of the patient. Usually, laboratory tests are needed for confirmation. Serologic results for persons with infectious mononucleosis include an elevated white blood cell count, an increased percentage of certain atypical white blood cells, and a positive reaction to a "mono spot" test.
Clinical diagnosis of CMV is by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (or ELISA), a serologic test for measuring antibodies. The result can be used to determine if acute infection, prior infection, or passively acquired maternal antibody in an infant is present. Other tests include various fluorescence assays, indirect hemagglutination, and latex agglutination.
Diagnosis of EHV is based on respiratory symptoms i.e. cough or nasal discharge. However, it is important to distinguish between respiratory bacterial or viral infections; exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage and allergy. Cost of misdiagnosis is large. Costs to owners to diagnose the condition include transport, veterinary advice and pathology tests. Respiratory disease can kill quickly, create life-long disability, impede performance or require long periods of rest. Horses in an active carrier state can re-infect other animals.
Using the horse industry as an example, there is a need for accurate, type-specific serological surveillance of horses for the presence of EHV-4 and/or EHV-1 antibodies to assist in our understanding of the epidemiology of these viruses, particularly EHV-1. EHV-1 infections are difficult to diagnose and treat, and any useful information on how to manage horses with the disease would be welcomed by the industry. Presently, however, EHV-1 or EHV-4 antibodies in polyclonal serum cannot be differentiated because of the extensive antigenic cross-reactivity between the two viruses. The availability of such a specific serological test would also have profound implications in the control, perhaps eradication, of EHV-1 and in the selection of candidate horses for vaccination. Although there is a short lived period following infection when horses are protected against EHV-1 there is generally not a sufficiently high level of long-term immunity to consistently protect against EHV-1 disease. Horses can therefore be re-infected several times during their lifetime, and vaccination strategies are complicated by the ability of herpes viruses to establish a lifelong latent infection in the host animal.
There is no vaccine that prevents HSV disease from occurring. Although several protein subunit vaccines based on HSV-2 envelope glycoproteins have reached advanced-phase clinical trials. These antigens were chosen because they are the targets of neutralizing-antibody responses and because they elicit cellular immunity.
Oral anti-viral medications such as acyclovir, famcyclovir, or valacyclovir have been developed to effectively treat herpes infections. These medications can be used to treat an outbreak or can be used for suppressing herpes recurrences. Lower doses may be helpful in reducing the number of herpes attacks in people with frequent outbreaks. Gancyclovir, penciclovir and acyclovir are effective inhibitors of herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2). This antiviral therapy is expensive and needs to be given upon onset of the earliest clinical signs. These antiviral therapies are based on the use of suicide genes, such as the thymidine kinase gene. The efficacies of gancyclovir, pencyclovir and acyclovir in inducing cell death in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVTK) system have been compared (Shaw et al. 2001, Antivir Chem. Chemother. 12 (3):175-86). All compounds delay growth or reduced viability of HSVTK-transformed cells.
There is no specific treatment for EBV and infectious mononucleosis, other than treating the symptoms. No antiviral drugs or vaccines are available. Some physicians have prescribed a 5-day course of steroids to control the swelling of the throat and tonsils. The use of steroids has also been reported to decrease the overall length and severity of illness, but these reports have not been published. Finally, even when EBV antibody tests, such as the early antigen test, suggest that reactivated infection is present, this result does not necessarily indicate that a patient's current medical condition is caused by EBV infection. A number of healthy people with no symptoms have antibodies to the EBV early antigen for years after their initial EBV infection.
Currently, no treatment exists for CMV infection in the healthy individual. Antiviral drug therapy is now being evaluated in infants. Gancyclovir treatment is used for patients with depressed immunity and who have either sight-related or life-threatening illnesses. Vaccines are still in the research and development stage.
Chickenpox is not usually treated with a specific antiviral compound owing to its short duration and generally mild, uncomplicated nature. Some doctors believe that antiviral medication may be appropriate for older patients, in whom the disease tends to be more severe. A vaccine for chicken pox (varicella vaccine) has been available since 1995. Studies show that the varicella vaccine is 85% effective in preventing disease. The vaccine may be beneficial to non-immune adults, in particular those at high risk, for example child care and health workers. Because most adults are immune, checking serological status before vaccination is recommended.
The principal challenge in the management of shingles is rapid resolution of pain. Four factors independently increase the risk of persistent pain: advancing age, severe or moderately severe pain at the time the rash appears (called acute pain), pain before the rash appears (called prodromal pain) and failure to obtain adequate antiviral treatment within three days of appearance of the rash. Pain, particularly persistent pain, is thought to be largely the result of virus-induced damage to the affected nerve. The rationale behind the use of antiviral agents is simple: by stopping virus replication as quickly as possible, nerve damage is minimized. Shingles does respond to oral anti-viral medications, namely acyclovir, famciclovir and valacyclovir.
Early identification of EHV-1 infection, especially viral abortion, is important in managing horses so that cyclic re-infection of susceptible horses and relapse do not occur. The cost of EHV infection to the horse industry is large through lost training days, re-infection and recurrent illness, abortions and poor performance. Treatment largely depends on accurate diagnosis. Vaccines are available that elicit strong humoral immune responses, but these are not fully protective. Breakthrough infections commonly occur in vaccinated animals. Despite the availability of vaccines it is generally known that they afford little protection, and breakthrough infections commonly occur in vaccinated animals. Antibiotic treatment only prevents secondary bacterial infection.
Currently, methods for diagnosing herpes virus and associated diseases in the blood are based on antibody-antigen quantitation or detection of viral genetic information (e.g., by polymerase chain reaction). For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,553 describes an assay for diagnosis of EBV and associated diseases by detecting antigen antibodies in a blood sample. The assay detects IgG and IgM antibodies to the diffuse (EA-D) and restricted (EA-R) components of the early antigen of EBV in blood, and more specifically in serum. This assay can be used for diagnosis of EBV-associated disease; such as infectious mononucleosis (IM) for example, and can also be utilized to distinguish between individuals in the acute versus the convalescent phase of disease. However this patent describes a method for the detection of early antigen antibodies, not virus or immune reaction to the virus.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,555 describes a composition and method for the diagnosis and treatment of HSV infection based on the detection of HSV antigens. This patent, however, does not describe a method for the detection of virus or immune reaction to the virus.
International Publication WO 99/45155 describes a method for gene expression and molecular diagnostic approaches for the amplification and detection of EBV nucleic acid, in particular RNA-specific sequences. This method is specifically suited for the detection of late stage infection of EBV gene expression in circulating peripheral blood cells, in human (tumour) tissue samples and thin sections thereof using "in solution" amplification or "in situ" amplification techniques and in other biological samples potentially containing EBV-infected cells. However, this method only detects viral transcripts and is most suitable for late stage disease diagnosis. It also does not detect the immune reaction to viral infection, which causes the earliest symptoms of malaise, fever and swollen lymph nodes.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 20040072147 discloses the use of a probe oligonucleotide and at least two primer oligonucleotides for selectively directing the amplification of the target segment of a particular herpes virus type or strain including: HSV-1, drug resistant HSV-1, HSV-2, drug resistant HSV-2, VZV, EBV (HHV-4a and HHV-4b), CMV, lymphocryptovirus (HHV-6a, HHV-6b), HHV-7, and rhadinovirus (HHV-8). However, this method does not provide any insight into the stage of disease or when the animal was infected, or whether the disease is active.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,983 describes a method for detecting EHV-4 and EHV-1 type-specific glycoproteins for clinical applications associated with the characterization of such glycoproteins. This method detects specific antibodies to EHV-1 and EHV-4 but it is well known that most horses are exposed to these viruses at an early age and antibody titres persist for some time. Thus, this method provides no insight into the stage of disease or when the animal was infected, or whether the disease is active.
In summary, infection with various strains of herpes virus is a widespread phenomenon in the community and causes disease of serious economic importance. Most humans and domestic animals become infected with at least one strain of herpes virus at an early age and the infection is life-long. Herpes viruses enter a stage of latency and can be reactivated causing a recurrence of symptoms. Often reactivation of the virus can be asymptomatic, but can manifest as malaise or as non-specific symptoms such as low grade fever, lethargy, chronic fatigue, poor exercise tolerance, or poor athletic performance. Physiological stress (such as heavy exercise, concurrent disease, mental stress), or where the immune system is compromised (for example HIV infection, immunosuppressive therapy) can lead to reactivation of herpes viruses leading to chronic symptoms of infection. For these reasons, it is often important to monitor herpes virus infections, especially in immunocompromised patients or elite athletes. Current antibody-based diagnostic methods do not lend themselves to monitoring herpes virus infections because they measure serum antibodies that become elevated 7-14 days following infection and remain elevated due to viral latency. Other current diagnostic methods, such as virus isolation and PCR, do not lend themselves to monitoring as they are laborious or the viral genome is not consistently present in blood cells. Results derived from current diagnostic methods do not correlate with the timing of onset of clinical signs. For example, antibodies can first be detected 10-14 days following initial infection and persist for long periods. A single antibody measurement does not indicate when infection occurred or the level of disease activity and measuring viral transcripts or viral proteins also does not indicate the level of disease activity. The immune system of the host is ultimately responsible for protection from viral invasion. It is the immune response, rather than the virus itself, that is responsible for clinical signs of disease. A more appropriate monitoring tool for herpes virus infection would be one that measured specific host immune reactions to infection.
As such, there currently exists a need for more effective modalities for diagnosing herpes virus infections, for determining active herpes virus infection through host immune response, and for identifying animals amenable to treatment or prophylactic therapy with antiviral agents. Primary infection leads to latent infection in all cases and, as such, there is often the risk of relapse in immunocompromised patients. In such cases, symptoms may or may not be evident, detectable or communicable. Accordingly, there is currently a need for better processes and reagents for assessing and monitoring mammals at risk of herpes virus infection and/or relapse.

Microarray-mediated diagnosis of herpes virus infection by monitoring host's differential gene expression upon infection


Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication method. The method includes receiving a mask, the mask having a plurality of dies and receiving a wafer, the wafer having a resist layer. The method further includes exposing the resist layer using the mask with a fraction radiation dose thereby forming a first plurality of images; re-positioning the mask relative to the wafer; and exposing the resist layer using the mask with another fraction radiation dose. A second plurality of images is formed, wherein a portion of the second plurality of images is superimposed over another portion of the first plurality of images.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of the IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC manufacturing are needed.
For example, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography has been utilized to support critical dimension (CD) requirements of smaller devices. EUV lithography employs scanners using radiation in the EUV region, having a wavelength of about 1-100 nm. Some EUV scanners provide 4× reduction projection printing, similar to some optical scanners, except that the EUV scanners use reflective rather than refractive optics, e.g., mirrors instead of lenses. Masks used in EUV lithography present new challenges. For example, an EUV mask generally uses a multi-layer (ML) structure over a substrate and a microscopic non-flatness of the substrate may deform the ML structure deposited subsequently thereon. When an incident EUV radiation is reflected from a deformed region, it may experience a phase difference with respect to a radiation reflected from a normally formed region. Such mask defects are commonly referred to as phase defects. A phase defect may affect print fidelity and result in reduced image intensity or even pattern distortion on a wafer. Certain compensation methods, such as requiring tighter process controls for mask production or repairing mask defects, may be utilized. These compensation methods, however, may significantly increase mask fabrication time and cost. Accordingly, although existing lithography methods have been generally adequate, they have not been satisfactory in all respects.

Method for integrated circuit fabrication

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet defining an external appearance of the apparatus, the cabinet having a laundry opening, a laundry accommodation module provided within the cabinet to receive laundry introduced through the laundry opening, a suction duct into which interior air from the laundry accommodation module may be introduced, a discharge duct from which the air is discharged into the laundry accommodation module, a connection duct connecting the suction duct and the discharge duct to each other, a heat exchanger provided in the connection duct, and a blower provided between the heat exchanger and the discharge duct to circulate the interior air of the laundry accommodation module.

1. Field
This relates to a laundry treatment apparatus.
2. Background
Laundry treatment apparatuses may wash and/or dry laundry, and may include, for example, washing machines, drying machines, and combination washing and drying machines. A laundry treatment apparatus capable of drying laundry may supply high temperature air (hot air), and may include exhaust type laundry treatment apparatuses and a circulation type (condensation type) laundry treatment apparatuses, based on an air flow method employed.
A circulation type laundry treatment apparatus, which re-circulates air from a laundry accommodation space in which laundry is received, may remove moisture (dehumidify) air discharged from the laundry accommodation space, and heat and resupply the air back into the laundry accommodation space. An exhaust type laundry treatment apparatus may supply heated air into a laundry accommodation space and exhaust air discharged from the laundry accommodation space to the outside of the laundry treatment apparatus, rather than resupplying the air back into the laundry accommodation space.
A hot air supply device employed in a laundry treatment apparatus as described above may include a blower that discharges air from the laundry accommodation space and a heat exchanger that heats air moved by the blower. The blower may be located in front of the heat exchanger, such that air discharged from the laundry accommodation space sequentially passes through the blower and the heat exchanger and is resupplied into the laundry accommodation space. If the air discharged from the laundry accommodation space passes through only a portion of the heat exchanger, heat exchange efficiency of the laundry treatment apparatus may be impacted.


In one embodiment, the present invention provides a portable speaker including a speaker driver, a first cylindrical ring coupled to the speaker driver, a base plate configured in parallel with the speaker driver, a second cylindrical ring affixed to the base plate, and one or more interposed unaffixed cylindrical rings, wherein in a first expanded state the sidewalls of adjacent rings form frictional seals and a substantially airtight rigid chamber having a height substantially equal to the sum of the sidewall heights of the cylindrical rings, and in an unexpanded state the sidewalls of the cylindrical rings are substantially parallel to one another. Embodiments of the present invention may be used in an audio system including a class-D amplifier.

This invention relates to speakers, and more particularly, to high fidelity portable speakers.
Speakers are devices that translate electronic signals into sound. While a variety of speakers have been around for a long time, recent developments in the portability of music in digital form have caused an increase in the demand for systems that can reproduce the music with high-fidelity (i.e., without distortion or noise). In particular, there is an increasing demand for speakers and systems that can be used with portable music players such as MP3 players or iPods.
However, there are a number of key limitations to contemporary portable speakers and systems. In the speaker industry, there is a well-known tradeoff between speaker size and frequency response. In practice the reduction of the enclosure volume of a speaker results in a corresponding reduction in its low frequency response and efficiency, regardless of the bass reinforcement methodology employed (ports, passive radiators, band-pass). The smallest of portable speakers have very poor low frequency content in their sound and often have audibly high harmonic distortion and cabinet buzzing. Larger portable speakers in a carrying bag may be portable but they are large. The best solution for high quality sound is to use a larger cabinet. However, as the cabinet size is increased, the speakers become less portable.
What is needed is a speaker system that has the acoustic advantages of a large cabinet based system, yet is very small in size so that it is highly portable. The present invention optimizes both of these features. The following detailed description and accompanying drawings provide a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention.

Self-aligning self-sealing high-fidelity portable speaker and system


An edge connector socket is configured to receive an edge connector on a memory module. A wedge member is slidably secured within the edge connector socket in alignment between contacts on the edge connector and pins within the edge connector socket. A cam is rotatably secured adjacent the wedge member, and an actuator is coupled to the cam. Rotation of the cam moves the wedge member between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the wedge member is disposed between the contacts and the pins and prevents engagement between the contacts and the pins. In the second position, the wedge member is withdrawn from between the contacts and the pins and allows reengagement between the contacts and the pins. Optionally, such a “reseat” action is performed in response to detecting an error associated with the memory module.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design and use of connectors that connect one printed circuit board to another printed circuit board.
Background of the Related Art
Many servers and other computers include a large number of pluggable modules, such as memory modules, PCIe cards or other expansion cards. For example, the LENOVO x3950 X6 server consumes 8U of rack space and may include up to 192 pluggable memory DIMMs (dual in-line memory modules). Each DIMM or other type of module in a server or other computer must be precisely positioned and there are many contacts that must be made.
The first troubleshooting action when a server reports a DIMM failure is to reseat the DIMM. In many cases, a DIMM failure may be due to dust on the contacts, an improperly positioned contact, or a spring contact that is applying less than the required pressure. Reseating the module will often resolve the failure. Although the solution is simple, reseating the module may require that a service technician physically visit the customer site in order to locate and dis-assemble the server. This process results in significant service cost and server down time for repair.

Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singappore) Pte. Ltd.


A nose cone for attachment to an underwater vehicle for shielding a sonar ray in a nose portion of the vehicle from acoustic pressures in a water environment, the nose cone comprising a tubular body for surrounding side wall portions of the vehicle nose portion, a cap fixed to one end of the nose cone body for overlying a forward-most portion of the vehicle nose portion, and bleed tubes extending through the body and/or cap for permitting air to escape from between the vehicle nose portion and the nose cone when the nose cone is placed on the vehicle nose portion. There is further contemplated a method for acoustically shielding sonar arrays in nose portions of underwater vehicles, which includes utilization of the aforementioned nose cone.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to underwater vehicles having sonar arrays therein, and is directed more particularly to a nose cone for attachment to a test vehicle to shield the sonar array from acoustic pressure so that noise resulting solely from structural vibration of the vehicle can be determined.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide underwater vehicles, such as torpedoes, with sonar arrays adapted to receive noise from a water environment and to lock in on a portion of such noise for possible target acquisition. However, the noise received by the array is a combination of acoustic pressures in the water and noise generated by vehicle structural vibration reaching the array through the array support structure. There is a need for means by which the structural noise can be isolated and measured.

Nose cone and method for acoustically shielding an underwater vehicle sonar array

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


A logical router includes disaggregated network elements that function as a single router and that are not coupled to a common backplane. The logical router includes spine elements and leaf elements implementing a network fabric with front panel ports being defined by leaf elements. Control plane elements program the spine units and leaf to function a logical router. The control plane may define operating system interfaces mapped to front panel ports of the leaf elements and referenced by tags associated with packets traversing the logical router. Redundancy and checkpoints may be implemented for a route database implemented by the control plane elements. The logical router may include a standalone fabric and may implement label tables that are used to label packets according to egress port and path through the fabric.

Data centers have become ever more common and complex. With this complexity comes an increase in the complexity of the networks that enable communication among the computers of a data center. In particular, there is a need to reduce simplify and enable the configuration of network routing capacity for a large number of computers.

Logical router comprising disaggregated network elements


The present invention provides a thermal cycling device including: a heat exchanger body (3) having a longitudinal axis and longitudinally divided to provide at least two segments which are able to be heated to different temperatures so that said body has peripheral surfaces of different temperatures; a conduit (2) extending about said body so as to be in thermal contact with said peripheral surfaces; a first delivery device to deliver a first fluid to said conduit to cause said fluid to pass therealong and therefore change in temperature as the fluid passes said segments; and a second delivery device to deliver a second fluid to said conduit so as to flow with said first liquid and therefore also change in temperature. The fluid then leaves the device by conduit (4). The invention also is directed to an injector means for use in the thermal cycling device of this invention, comprising: a septum (26); a needle (20) which is able to pierce the septum; a reservoir (27) in fluid contact with septum (26) having an inlet (28) and an outlet (30); wherein when in use, the needle is urged through the fluid in said reservoir and then through the septum while continually purging the reservoir with said purge fluid. The present invention also includes a scanning detector (5) fitted to the outside of the heat exchange body (3) which monitors the course of reaction inside the conduit (2).

When devices for amplification of nucleic acids using the polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") were first developed, it was necessary to allow the amplification reaction to occur for one cycle at a temperature of approximately 37° C.; to then separate the resulting double stranded DNA by heating to approximately 100° C.; and finally to cool the mixture of separated DNA strands and add more polymerase to cause another cycle of amplification to take place. It soon became clear that these devices were cumbersome to use due to the constant need to cool the individual reaction mixtures to about 37° C. and add fresh polymerase enzyme, due to its destruction when the temperature had been raised to about 100° C.
The advent of thermostable nucleic acid polymerases changed the situation dramatically. These enzymes are stable at about 95° C. and therefore it was not necessary to replace these enzymes after heating to separate the two strands of DNA. Thus, devices which took advantage of a thermostable nucleic acid polymerase were developed.
Current technology uses 96 and 384 well plates real-time instruments to attain high throughput, coupled with automated robotic systems to load, seal and transfer plates to and from real-time thermal cyclers. Using this technology the throughput is limited by the run time of a 384 well cycler which is approx 90 minutes and so equates to 16 runs in 24 hours at 384 well samples and equals approx 6,000 samples.
These robotic systems are physically large, prone to break down, expensive (about $A240,000 as at 2001) and require constant routine maintenance.
Difficulties encountered with these current devices were in part addressed by the invention described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,183 (U.S. '183) which was developed by one of the present inventors (Corbett, Snr) and two others, Reid and Riggs, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. In essence, that invention was directed to the reactants travelling through a continuous tube which was subjected to varying temperatures by coiling the tube around substantially drum shaped bodies held at varying temperatures. In order to prevent cross contamination between samples, the reaction mixture was injected into a stream of carrier fluid which separated separate reaction mixtures and passed through two or three separate heating zones. This arrangement allows sequential processing of a number of samples. The carrier fluid and reaction mixture are immiscible. The result of this is that each sample is cleanly separated from the preceding and following sample by segments of carrier fluid.


An animal brushing arrangement includes a movable brush driven by an electric motor, a fixing part for attaching the arrangement to a stationary structure, and a first movable part which at a first end is pivotably attached to the fixing part by a first pivot arrangement to pivot about a first axis which is substantially horizontal when the fixing part is attached to the stationary structure and which allows the movable brush, suspended at a second end of the first movable part, to swing back and forth in at least one plane. An electric cable is provided to feed electric power to the electric motor. The first pivot arrangement is provided with a through hole and at least part of the through hole is arranged substantially concentrically with the first axis. The electric cable extends through the through hole.

Some animal brushing arrangements for brushing larger animals such as livestock, horses, pigs, etc., are mounted to a stationary structure and provided with a rotating brush which is driven by an electric motor, either directly or via a gear box. The brush is provided with bristles which, when the brush is rotated, interact with the fur and skin of an animal. The animal is thus brushed, scratched and/or groomed by the rotating brush.
Objects may entangle with such a rotating brush.
In a particular kind of such animal brushing arrangements the rotating brush is suspended at one end from a brush carrying arrangement. The brush carrying arrangement comprises one or more parts, which allow the brush to swing back and forth in at least one plane. The brush may thus be moved by an animal when leaning against the brush to reach different parts of the body of the animal.
Such animal brushing arrangements may be provided with the electric motor in close vicinity to the rotating brush as disclosed in e.g. EP1665927 and SE0802097. The electric motor has to be provided with electric power and an electric cable has to be provided for this purpose. Since the electric cable has to be drawn from the stationary structure to the electric motor arranged on the brush carrying arrangement, the cable is subjected to reciprocating, twisting and possibly pinching movements which may harm the electric cable and cause the electric motor to stop.


A plug assist drive assembly for driving plug assists in a thermoforming apparatus includes a single centrally located roller screw assembly enclosed in a housing and driving a third platen mounting the plug assist with a group of guide-drive bars connected to a drive platen which is driven by the roller screw nut. The roller screw assembly is removable by removing screws holding the nut to one hub adapter, the screws accessed through an opening in the housing normally covered with a plate.

This invention concerns thermoforming apparatus and more particularly drive mechanisms for advancing plug assists into mold cavities as an aid in stretching the material into conformity with the mold cavity walls.
In this technique, an array of plugs are moved on a "third" platen very quickly into the mold cavities during the forming cycle, i.e., completing the movement within one quarter of a second is typical.
In order to accomplish this, in the past, a set of four ball screws was arranged well outside the center of the machine which collectively drove a large plate to which were affixed a series of pusher shafts which in turn were coupled to a tooling third platen on which an array of plugs were mounted.
The use of a plurality of ball screws necessitated an arrangement of drive belts or other means interconnecting the ball screws to synchronize their rotation to maintain the proper orientation of the tooling platen. An overly complex assembly resulted and notwithstanding the interconnection, the ball screws were difficult to keep in perfect synchronization. The platen was of necessity quite large to accommodate the four ball screws, and needed to be guided in linear bearings engaging the outer sides of the platen.
Also, the large size of this assembly precluded any protective enclosure of the components, allowing dirt to enter and lubricant to escape from these components.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a plug assist drive of the type described which is much simpler and more compact to allow an enclosure of the components.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a plug assist drive which has fewer components which are more compactly arranged and which is easy to disassemble.