A bicycle transmission assembly that is mountable to a bottom bracket shell of a bicycle frame. The bicycle transmission assembly includes an input crank assembly, an output chainring, a planetary gear mechanism, a control system and a mounting system. The planetary gear mechanism is mounted coaxially about an axis of the bottom bracket shell and provides a plurality of transmission paths. The control system is operatively connected to the planetary gear mechanism for selecting one of the transmission paths. The mounting system mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the control system to the bottom bracket shell. The mounting system includes at least one attachment point disposed on at least one frame boss extending radially outwardly from the bottom bracket shell. The control system is mounted nonrotatably to the at least one attachment point.

The present invention relates to internal bicycle transmissions and more particularly to a mounting system for mounting an internal bicycle transmission to a bottom bracket shell.
Internal bicycle transmissions may be located at the rear wheel hub and/or at the front crank assembly. Internal bicycle transmissions provide multiple transmission paths corresponding to multiple bicycle gear ratios. Typically, an internal bicycle transmission includes a planetary gear mechanism with a sun gear, a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears meshing with the ring gear, and sun gear and a carrier for supporting the planet gears. To shift between the multiple transmission paths, select elements of the planetary gear mechanism may be locked or unlocked. For example, when the sun gear is locked and the planet gears are driven, the ring gear is overdriven. This is referred to as overdrive, where the output at the ring gear rotates faster than the input at the crank assembly. Conversely, when the output is rotated slower than the input, it is referred to as underdrive. During overdrive, the planet gears drive the ring gear forward, but exert an equal but opposite reactive rotational force on the fixed sun gear. This reactive torque may be substantial. When the sun gear is unlocked, it is prevented from carrying a reactive load from the planet gears. In this condition overdrive is prevented, resulting in the planet gears driving the chainring at a 1:1 gear ratio. An advantage of an overdrive system is that a smaller output chainring can be used, saving weight, and providing more clearance between the chainring and the ground. However, a disadvantage of a smaller chainring is the increased likelihood of chain derailment because there are fewer teeth engaging the chain. A chain management system may be used to inhibit chain derailment.
When the internal bicycle transmission is located at the crank assembly, the planetary gear mechanism is operatively connected to the crank assembly. The crank assembly generally includes crank arms attached to a crank shaft extending through a bottom bracket shell of the bicycle frame. The planetary gear mechanism is operatively connected to an input crank arm and an output chainring that transfers the pedaling force to the rear wheel through a bicycle chain. Existing planetary gear mechanism may be mounted to a mounting plate that is axially pinched between the outboard face of the bottom bracket shell and a threaded cap while being rotationally fixed by the frame tubes, or mounted to a mounting plate that is locked to an interior of a modified bottom bracket shell. One disadvantage of these configurations is that additional elements are mounted to the bottom bracket shell, requiring a redesign of the bottom bracket. Another disadvantage of the configuration that uses of the face of the bottom bracket for axially pinching the ground plate, is that it takes up extra space axially, resulting in a longer axle and a wider stance between pedals. Therefore, there is a need for a mounting system that mounts a planetary gear mechanism to the bottom bracket shell without requiring redesign of the bottom bracket.

Mounting system for an internal bicycle transmission


The invention includes a GAS antigen, GAS 40, which is particularly suitable for use either alone or in combinations with additional GAS antigens, such as GAS 117, GAS 130, GAS 277, GAS 236, GAS 40, GAS 389, GAS 504, GAS 509, GAS 366, GAS 159, GAS 217, GAS 309, GAS 372, GAS 039, GAS 042, GAS 058, GAS 290, GAS 511, GAS 533, GAS 527, GAS 294, GAS 253, GAS 529, GAS 045, GAS 095, GAS 193, GAS 137, GAS 084, GAS 384, GAS 202, and GAS 057.

Group A streptococcus ("GAS", S. pyogenes) is a frequent human pathogen, estimated to be present in between 5-15% of normal individuals without signs of disease. When host defenses are compromised, or when the organism is able to exert its virulence, or when it is introduced to vulnerable tissues or hosts, however, an acute infection occurs. Related diseases include puerperal fever, scarlet fever, erysipelas, pharyngitis, impetigo, necrotising fasciitis, myositis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
GAS is a gram positive, non-sporeforming coccus shaped bacteria that typically occurs in chains or in pairs of cells. Although S. pyogenes may be treated using antibiotics, a prophylactic vaccine to prevent the onset of disease is desired. Efforts to develop such a vaccine have been ongoing for many decades. While various GAS vaccine approaches have been suggested and some approaches are currently in clinical trials, to date, there are no GAS vaccines available to the public.
It is an object of the invention to provide further and improved compositions for providing immunity against GAS disease and/or infection. The compositions preferably include GAS 40, a GAS virulence factor identified by Applicants, which is particularly suitable for use in vaccines. In addition, the compositions are based on a combination of two or more (e.g. three or more) GAS antigens.

Immunogenic compositions for streptococcus pyogenes


An end effector for use with a robot and capable of removing cases from a stack of cases and emptying the selected case of substantially flat, folded articles. The end effector includes a main body designed to be coupled to the robot. A case gripper is mounted on the bottom of the main body. A flattened articles gripper is also coupled to the main body and includes a vacuum chamber with two blades. A dunnage gripper is mounted on one of the sides of the main body. In use, the case gripper picks a full case from a pallet of cases and moves that case to an unloading station. There, the end effector is rotated so that the blades of the flattened articles gripper can be inserted into the case. With the blades inserted, vacuum is supplied to the flattened articles gripper to hold the articles against the gripper. Then, the end effector with the articles is moved to a regripping station where the articles are temporarily placed and regripped. So grasped, the articles are moved to a second station where the flattened articles are fed into an automated processing line. This process continues until an entire pallet of cases has been emptied. The dunnage gripper is used to remove sheets of material placed between each level of cases in the stack of cases and to remove empty cases from the unloading station.

In bottling, canning, and other industries large amounts of packaging material such as folded, flat, paperboard containers must be handled. Typically, packaging material arrives in shipping containers such as corrugated cardboard boxes. The boxes are shipped on pallets and it is necessary to remove the packaging material from the corrugated boxes on the pallets to automated processing lines where, for example, folded paperboard containers are opened, filled with beverage cans, and then sealed.
In most instances, the task of removing the packaging material is carried out manually. Manual labor is used to perform this task because humans (as opposed to most existing machines) are able to handle packaging material without damaging it. This is important because while packaging material serves a functional purpose as a product container, it must also be aesthetically attractive and visually appealing. Often containers made from packaging material have elaborate printing on their surfaces and filled containers are stacked to create aisle displays in supermarkets and other retail stores. Further, the paperboard containers may also be used as product dispensers, such as, for example, facial tissue boxes. Thus, it is of great importance that paperboard containers or similar items be handled without damaging them or the printing or other indicia on their surfaces.
While having certain advantages, manually handling shipping containers and unloading paperboard containers is relatively strenuous and tedious. It can literally be "back-breaking work," as the continued lifting and moving of packaging material can cause back injuries. Further, many workers must be employed to remove the folded paperboard containers from their boxes and feed the folded containers into processing lines.
In an effort to reduce salary and injury costs, there have been some attempts to automate this process by using robots. As in known in the art, industrial robots may be fitted with various claws and other grasping devices to pick up and move articles of interest. In some known systems, a first robot with a grasping device is used to remove a single shipping container containing folded paperboard containers from its pallet to an unloading station. At the unloading station, a second robot having a mechanical gripper is used to remove the folded paperboard containers from the shipping container. While functional, most known systems are not satisfactory because two robots are needed. This requirement increases the cost of an automated system. Further, mechanically grasping and contacting of paperboard containers causes them to be scratched, marked, or otherwise marred or damaged while they are handled.
In later systems, such as the one shown in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/571,215 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,832), only a single robot is used. The robot is fitted with an end-effector which has two grippers, one for handling boxes filled with folded paperboard containers and another for handling the paperboard containers themselves. However, this end-effector is relatively large and the gripper used to handle full boxes cannot easily remove boxes from a tightly-packed pallet. Further, the end-effector has no capability to remove dunnage sheets placed between layers of boxes in a pallet, necessitating manual removal of the sheets.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device which may be used to handle stacks of boxes or other containers containing relatively flat articles. More specifically, there is a need for a device which can remove boxes or other shipping containers from a tightly packed pallet to an unloading station or location, remove the flattened articles from the shipping container without damaging them, handle any dunnage which may be placed in the pallet, and be relatively small and lightweight so that is can operate in a limited amount of space and at relatively high speeds.


A line replacement unit includes a terminal controller, and a plastic optical fiber serial interface module (POFSIM) coupled between the terminal controller and the data bus. The POFSIM is configured to transmit digital optical signals to the data bus based on electrical signals received from the terminal controller, and transmit electrical signals to the terminal controller based on digital optical signals received from the data bus.

At least some known applications include an ARINC 629 data bus that uses metal twisted pair electrical bus cables, stub cables, bus terminators and current mode couplers (CMC) mounted on heavy metallic panels. However, because of such components, the data bus is bulky, heavy and expensive. Optical communications solutions, such as those that utilize optical fiber as a communications media, are desirable due to the reduced weight, which may be advantageous in an aircraft.
One existing solution for implementing an optical fiber data bus incorporates glass optical fibers (GOFs). This system utilizes 850 nm wavelength transmitters and receivers that are packaged individually in a pair, called a Fiber Optic Serial Interface Module (FOSIM). The FOSIM transmitter and receiver have interface electronics to the terminal controller which transmit and receive electrical signal to and from the FOSIM in Manchester bi-phase format. In the typical aircraft application, these FOSIMs are located inside the various avionics subsystems of the aircraft that utilize the data bus for communications. Often, such avionic subsystems are referred to as Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). Inside the LRU, the FOSIMs are mounted along with the terminal controller on a multilayer 6U (full size) VME circuit card.
However, GOFs may be relatively fragile and break relatively easily during installation on a vehicle, such as an airplane. Further, GOFs have a relatively small diameter, which may make optical alignment difficult. Therefore, components associated with GOFs, such as connectors and optoelectronic devices, may be relatively expensive. There is a strong desire in the aircraft production community to develop an optical data bus that uses more robust optical fiber, such as a plastic optical fiber data bus, to replace the current electrical ARINC 629 data bus for future upgrades of such aircraft, although implementations would not be limited to aircraft applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for data communication


A boring and turning mill, comprising a nonrotatable tool ram, a rotationally drivable tool spindle in the tool ram, an auxiliary head which can be attached to the tool ram in a nonrotatable manner, two work slides arranged in opposition to each other and displaceable and movable in a radially adjustable manner in the auxiliary head, each slide having a respective tool receptacle, and a drive connection to the slides for effecting a radial infeed movement of the work slides, between the tool spindle and the work slides. The drive connection is a threaded spindle which engages threads on the work slides, so that axial movement of the threaded spindle causes radial movement of the work slides.

The invention relates to a vertical boring and turning mill, comprising a tool ram, a rotationally drivable tool spindle arranged in the tool ram, and an auxiliary head which can be attached to the tool ram.
Known auxiliary heads of this type serve on vertical boring and turning mills to increase the rate of utilization. For example, plane surfaces are machined by means of a rotationally driven milling head, or they are used to produce bores, in particular threaded holes, in the workpiece arranged on the table, while the table is stationary. For these rotationally driven tools, a tool spindle which can be coupled to the tool in the auxiliary head is arranged in the tool ram.
For turning a workpiece rotating on the table, a corresponding turning tool is attached to the turning-tool ram. The feed of the turning tool in the horizontal and vertical directions is effected by corresponding movement of the tool ram. In this case, the workpiece is machined by a turning tool, as a result of which the machining time is determined. Also, deflecting forces arise in the direction of the axis of rotation during the machining of bores in the workpiece. These deflecting forces influence the machining accuracy, since the deformation of the tool ram that is caused by the deflecting forces becomes greater as the tool ram is moved further out of its slide. Although attempts are made to take these factors into account by appropriate dimensioning of the tool ram and its bearing arrangement, only a compromise is possible for this without a detrimental increase in the dimensions and the weight of a vertical boring and turning mill with predetermined dimensions of the table.


A optical switch and switching system is provided for effecting a switchover from a first optical fiber to a second optical fiber includes a first, large scale switching component and a second, small scale switching component. The first, large scale switching component is configured to establish a cross connect between the second optical fiber and the second, small scale switching component. The second, small scale switching component may then be configured to select the cross connect following establishment of the cross connect, thereby ensuring rapid switchover from the first fiber to the second fiber, regardless of the speed of the first large scale switching component.

Optical networks include various optical switches or nodes coupled through a network of optical fiber links. Optical network failures or faults may be caused by any number of events or reasons, including damaged or severed optical fibers, or equipment failure. Because optical fibers may be installed virtually anywhere, including underground, above ground or underwater, they are subject to damage through a variety of ways and phenomena. Optical fibers and optical equipment may be damaged or severed, for example, by lightning, fire, natural disasters, traffic accidents, digging, construction accidents, and the like.
Because optical fibers carry far greater amounts of information than copper wires used to transmit electrical telecommunications signals, the loss of an optical fiber can cause far more user disruptions when compared with the loss of a copper wire. For example, the loss of a single optical link, such as an optical link carrying a Wavelength Division Multiplexed ("WDM") signal, may result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of phone calls and computer data transmissions. Additionally, dozens of fibers may be routed within a single cable or conduit, substantially increasing the risk of loss associated with a damaged cable or conduit.
To reduce the negative effects of optical network failures, optical network topologies are provided in arrangements and configurations, such as mesh or ring topologies, so that telecommunications traffic may traverse the optical network using multiple optical links. This allows such optical networks to be reconfigured to route around network failure point. An optical network may include both working links or paths and spare links or paths that may be used to assist with optical network restoration. Due to the large amount of data or bandwidth an optical network carries, the amount of time it takes to identify the location of an optical network failure, and the time it takes then to reconfigure the optical network, may result in significant amounts of telecommunications traffic being lost. In particular, the reconfiguration of an optical network may result in the loss of other telecommunications traffic if not done efficiently or optimally.
Known restoration techniques and methodologies are generally designed to restore telecommunications networks operating in the electrical domain as opposed to the optical domain, which presents additional challenges. Unfortunately, switching and restoration in the electrical domain, while fast, results in a significant waste of fiber resources, in that entire optical links are removed from service, even when only a small portion of the fiber is in need of maintenance.
Another technique involves the use of a central control and database to model the network, monitor network operations, and communicate instructions to each node or optical switch in the network in response to a failure. Unfortunately, as fiber counts and network bandwidth requirements increase, the ability to efficiently switch signals in the optical domain is significantly reduced.


The scanning optical device (6) includes a light source, a deflector (30) configured to rotate on a horizontal surface around a rotating shaft extending in a vertical direction and an optical box (50) in which the light source, the deflector (30), and the optical components groups (40) are housed and supported by the frame (60). A heat sink (36) is disposed between the deflector (30) and the frame (60). A first protrusion (37) extending on an extension line of the rotating shaft of the deflector (30) is formed in the heat sink (36). A first engaging hole (61) with which the first protrusion (37) engages is formed in the frame (60).

An image forming apparatus is provided with a scanning optical device composed of a laser scanning unit (LSU) exposing laser light to a photosensitive drum to form an electrostatic latent image. The scanning optical device includes: a light source which emits laser light; a deflector which deflects the laser light; and optical components groups such as a lens or a mirror. The light source, the deflector, and the optical components groups are housed in an optical box which is mounted to a frame of the image forming apparatus.
The deflector has: a polygon mirror; a polygon motor which rotates and drives the polygon mirror; and the others. The optical box in which the deflector is housed is generally formed of a resin and is therefore easily thermally deformed by heating from the polygon mirror or the polygon motor rotating at a high speed. If the optical box may be thermally deformed, since positions of the optical components vary, a displacement in a main scanning direction and in a sub scanning direction occurs, causing degraded scanning precision.
Thus, in Patent Document 1, there is proposed a scanning optical device in which a sleeve provided on an extension line of a rotating shaft of a polygon mirror of a deflector is engaged with a hole formed in a frame of an image forming apparatus so as to thermally deform an optical box uniformly in a radiation direction around the sleeve. In this scanning optical device, even if the optical box is thermally deformed, since a relative positional relationship between the optical components is maintained, control to correct the amount of displacement is easily carried out, and intervals of color registration control against a color displacement can be extended.
Also, there is a problem that there may occur an image failure in which a fine striped pattern is printed, such as jitter or banding, due to rotary vibration exerted by a high speed rotation of the deflector (for example, 50,000 rpm).
As a countermeasure against such rotary vibration, in Patent Document 2, there is proposed a scanning optical device configured to add a counterweight to a rotating shaft of a polygon mirror and thus to displace a resonation point thereby to avoid resonation with an optical box. Also, in Patent Document 3, there is proposed a scanning optical device in which a stator yoke of a polygon motor is fixedly attached to a frame via a vibration suppression member. Further, in Patent Document 4, there is proposed a scanning optical device in which a deflector is disposed outside of a region surrounding a fixed point between an image forming apparatus and an optical box so as to easily attenuate the vibration.

Image forming apparatus having scanning optical device


A portable camera-phone has a strobe consisting of LEDs emitting light with a determined quantity of light emission, as an auxiliary light source for image pick-up of an object by a camera. In an image pick-up mode, the light emission quantity is adjusted repeatedly until a total exposure value matches an optimal exposure value, based on a difference between a total exposure value of an image signal output from the camera with the light emission quantity determined last time and a total exposure value when emission is OFF. Therefore, in the image pick-up mode, two reference values are used for determining the light emission quantity to have the total exposure value match the optimal exposure value, and hence the light emission quantity can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, an optimal exposure level can be obtained with high accuracy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable device having an image pick-up unit and to an exposure adjusting device and, more specifically, it relates to a portable device having an image pick-up unit that adjusts brightness of an object (hereinafter referred to as exposure) utilizing an auxiliary light source, as well as to an exposure adjusting device.
2. Description of the Background Art
When an object is picked-up by a camera, exposure level is adjusted as described in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 58-83864. This laid-open application discloses a light adjusting device adjusting quantity of light emitted by an auxiliary light source for image pick-up. The light adjusting device receives light reflected from the object and adjusts the quantity of light emitted by the light source such that the exposure level detected from an image signal based on a photo reception signal attains to an appropriate level.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-222429 discloses a strobe that automatically adjusts light emission of a flashing discharge tube. Specifically, in accordance with the diaphragm stop at the time of image pick-up, data representing quantity of strobe light emission corresponding to appropriate exposure is set, and the set data is input to one side of a comparator. To the other side of the comparator, data representing a result of integration of a current in accordance with the level of the reflected light from the object is input. When the data at the two inputs of the comparator match, emission of light from the flashing discharge tube is stopped.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-267151 discloses a camera that controls the quantity of stroboscopic light emission. According to this laid-open application, before a normal light emission by a strobe for image pick-up, a preliminary light emission of the strobe is performed to adjust exposure, and in accordance with the result of evaluation of the light reflected from the object at the time of the preliminary light emission, the level of the normal light emission of the strobe is determined.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-230970 discloses an apparatus that picks-up an image of an object in accordance with image pick-up conditions defined by the position of the object. Specifically, at the time of image pick-up, distance to the object is measured, for example, by a distance measuring sensor, and based on the measured distance, various conditions including the quantity of light emission by a strobe are determined.
The light adjusting device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 58-83864 is fixedly provided in connection with a television camera fixedly installed at an entrance for picking-up an image of a visitor. Therefore, the quantity of light emission is adjusted simply to compensate for underexposure, while the distance between the light adjusting device and the object and the distance between the camera and the object do not vary. Therefore, it is impossible by the technique described in this reference to adjust the quantity of light emission while linearly following variation in the distance between the camera and the object.
According to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-122128, quantity of light entering an imaging device is controlled by arranging an ND filter in front of the imaging device. By this arrangement, it becomes possible to effectively change the distance between the object and the imaging device, though the distance is actually kept constant, and in this manner, the quantity of strobe light emission is adjusted.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 60-6930 discloses a method of controlling exposure of a camera. Specifically, exposure of a camera is adjusted by using data of a range that can be regarded as appropriate exposure of a film, data of film sensitivity and data of light intensity from an object.
As described above, none of the techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2000-122128, 60-6930 and Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 58-83864 is capable of adjusting quantity of light emission while linearly following the change in distance between the camera and the object. Therefore, it is not possible to pick-up an image with optimal exposure level while linearly following the change in distance between the camera and the object.
According to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-222429, the quantity of strobe light emission is determined such that the optimal exposure is attained in accordance with the diaphragm stop at the time of image pick-up. Therefore, when the distance between the camera and the object happens to change as the camera moves, for example, the optimal exposure set in accordance with the diaphragm stop would result in under-exposure or over-exposure.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-267151 has a problem that, when the camera moves and the distance between the object and the camera changes between the preliminary light emission and the normal light emission, optimal exposure level would not be attained by the level of normal strobe light emission determined immediately before the movement.
According to Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-230970, image pick-up conditions including the quantity of light emission are determined based on the distance to the object detected by a distance measuring sensor. Therefore, the structure of the device becomes complicated by the incorporation of the sensor, and the cost of the device also increases.

Portable device having exposure-adjustable image pick-up unit and exposure adjusting device


An apparatus and method for lifting a dispensed product in a vending machine includes a lift member positioned in the path of a vended item. A control member, manually movable between first and second positions, raises the lift member to in turn raise a vended item.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to vending machines, and in particular, to presentation of a vended item to a customer, and further in particular, to an apparatus and method for lifting a vended item after dispension.
2. Problems in the Art
Many vending machines utilize legs to support the cabinet of the machine above the floor. Such legs can elevate the cabinet several inches, for example, six inches. Many vending machines are made the conform to a uniform overall height (e.g. 72 inches). One reason is bankability--having a bank or multiple machines side-by-side and of the same size. In those cases, the volume of space in the cabinet for holding an inventory of vendible items and dispensing structure and hardware is limited accordingly.
Many vending machines utilize gravity as a part of the dispensing process. Access to the vended product is usually supplied by an opening at or near the bottom of the cabinet. Most times this requires customers to reach or bend down to retrieve a vended item. If the cabinet is elevated by legs, the access opening can usually be positioned so that it is generally not too difficult for the customer to retrieve the vended item.
Some vending machines have the access opening at a much higher position. This would reduce or even eliminate any requirement of bending or reaching down to retrieve a vended item, but would either require more complex or expensive dispensing systems, or require automated lifts (e.g. robotic) to carry a dropped/dispensed item up to a higher position for access by the customer. However, such structures add mechanical complexity and expense to the machine, as well as increased maintenance requirements.
It is therefore a principle object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which lifts a vended item for presentation to and access by a customer that overcomes the problems and deficiencies in the art.
A further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method as above described which quickly and easily raises the product for better presentation to a customer.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method as above described which can improve the presentation of a product to a customer.
A still further feature, object or advantage of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method which can, in certain instances, help a customer find a vended item.
A still further feature, object, or advantage of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus and method which can allow an increase in the internal volume of the cabinet of a vending machine.
A still further object, feature, and advantage of the present invention includes an apparatus and method which can allow increase of the internal volume of the cabinet of a bending machine and yet reduce or eliminate additional vending or downward reaching to retrieve a vended item.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is an apparatus and method which meets certain government regulations regarding access to vended products.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is an apparatus and method which is economical, noncomplex, efficient and durable.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying specification and claims.
The present invention relates to a dispensed product lift for vending machines including a delivery chamber to receive a dispensed product, an access opening to the chamber for a customer, a lift member positioned to catch a vended product, and a manually movable actuator member operably connected to the lift member which can move the lift member, between a normal position and a second position raised position to lift a vended product relative to the access opening.
The method according to the present invention includes catching a vended product, and lifting the vended product in response to manual action of a customer.
A further feature of the invention includes a method of increasing the capacity of a vending machine by increasing the volume of the vending machine cabinet by lowering the bottom of the cabinet relative to the floor and lowering an access opening for customer access to vended products. Vended products are caught and lifted by manual actuation.
A further alternative feature of the present invention includes a method for improving access to a vended item of a vending machine by catching the vended item and lifting it by manual actuation for better presentation to a customer.

Dispensed product lift for vending machine


An apparatus for making an inflation film formed by extruding a raw resin in a molten state through a circular die to form a tubular film, and expanding the tubular film by the pressure of a gaseous medium introduced into an inner space thereof, while the tubular film is being cooled. The apparatus includes a cooling ring, at least one air ring coaxial with the circular die, and an adjusting device for adjusting the temperature of a gaseous medium, blown from the air ring, to a range effective to retain the tubular film, then still in a molten phase, in a condition in which the tubular film is inflated. A method for making an inflation film is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of making an inflation film.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inflation molding technique has been widely employed in the manufacture of films made of a thermoplastic resin such as a polyolefin including a low density polyethylene, a high density polyethylene and so on, because an apparatus for conducting the inflation molding is simple and inexpensive. According to the general inflation molding, a molten thermoplastic resin is extruded through a circular die of an extruder and the extruded tubular film is drawn with an outer surface thereof cooled by a stream of air blown off from a cooling ring, while, at the same time, a gaseous medium such as air is introduced into an inner space of the tubular film so that the tubular film can be expanded to a predetermined size by the effect of the pressure of the gaseous medium, and the expanded tubular film is then passed through a pair of nipping rolls to flatten the tubular film to give a folded sheet. Thereafter, the folded sheet, that is the flattened tubular film, may be converted into two separate flat films with the lug of the folded sheet cut off by a slitter. The flattened tubular film or the resulting flat films are then wound up around a take-up roll or reel.
With the inflation molding technique discussed above, the tubular film extruded from the extruder through the circular die is stretched in a longitudinal direction thereof and also in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction by the effect of a take-up and an expansion. Also, at the same time, the film transits from a molten state to a solid state by cooling and, during the course of the cooling, the physical properties thereof are fixed. Thus, in the inflation molding, the cooling process plays an important role in defining the physical properties of the resulting film.
Various attempts have been made to suppress the variation of the quality of the film obtained by the inflation molding. For example, the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 6-182868 (JPA 6-182868) discloses an inflation film making apparatus provided with a control means for controlling the quantity of a stream of air blown from the cooling ring so that the position of the frost line for the tubular film, extruded from a circular die, can be kept at a predetermined height above the circular die. The frost line referred to above is a process line at which the tubular film is solidified, by cooling, to have a designed diameter.
The Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 6-39916 (JPA 6-39916) discloses an inflation film making method and an apparatus for use in this method in which, in addition to a first air ring disposed in the vicinity of a circular die, a second air ring having a plurality of annular slits is provided at a position where a bubble of a thermoplastic resin extruded from the circular die undergoes a rapid expansion. According to this apparatus, cooling of the bubble is effected by the air blown from the first air ring and the cooling condition is adjusted so that the temperature of the bubble, when reaching the position of the second air ring, can fall within the predetermined temperature range.
It has, however, been found that, according to the inflation film making apparatus disclosed in JPA 6-182868, although the control for the frost line position can effectively work to a certain extent, the formed film tends to exhibit a variation in film thickness and occurrence of slack and wrinkles, all of which are caused by a fluttering motion of the bubble, that is the tubular film in a molten state.
On the other hand, JPA 6-39916 describes that the second air ring is preferably so constructed as to blow off the cooling air in a direction generally parallel to the direction in which the bubble is drawn or towards the outside of the bubble and that "the atmosphere of reduced pressure created by the blow of the cooling air directly affects the bubble enough to cause a rapid expansion of the bubble at this position". This method is intended to control the position at which the expansion of the bubble starts, in order to suppress the instability of the bubble formed by inflation molding with a long neck type even where a thermoplastic resin of a low melt tension is employed.
However, although JPA 6-39916 discloses that the temperature of the bubble at the position of the second air ring is adjusted to fall within the predetermined temperature range, it does not address the variation of the temperature of the bubble. Also, the air blown from the second air ring is described to create the atmosphere of reduced pressure, but this is likely to cause an abrupt change in the manner of the bubble being cooled. Therefore, the method disclosed in JPA 6-39916 requires a precise adjustment of the operating condition in order to suppress the change in the quality of the formed film.

Apparatus for and method of making inflation films


A method for visualizing objects under light obstructing barriers of a target, the method including emitting an ultrasound wave and a laser wave towards a target, detecting a reflected laser wave is detected by optical means, analyzing the optical signal at the ultrasound frequency with demodulation means, generating ultrasonic image characteristics of the interaction of the ultrasound with the different layers of the target, and generating an optical image of the target obtained using optical imaging, wherein the ultrasonic image is fused with the optical image and the fused image is displayed on a display device.

There is an increased interest in non-contact systems that are able to visualize in real-time objects under a light obstructing barrier. The techniques are either relatively inexpensive, but are based on metal detection or can detect a broad range of materials, in particular soft materials, but are expensive and with limited range.
Ultrasound has been used in order to detect objects under clothes. In this technique, ultrasound is emitted towards a target, and the ultrasound echo is recorded. In a way similar to medical echography, all the different layers below the cloth are providing a weak echo, allowing reconstructing an image of the underlying object. This method has a quite limited range because of the strong attenuation of the ultrasound in the air. Moreover, and this is more critical, it has a very low resolution. In fact, there is a link between the attenuation and the resolution. Typically ultrasound in air is very strongly attenuated after a few meters for ultrasound frequencies above 30 kHz. This value corresponds to a resolution of approximately 1 cm. Therefore this technique has a limited range-resolution trade-off.
A problem often associated with the detection of said objects is the fact that the detection techniques often have a limited range, and can only detect said objects situated at proximity of the detection system (for example X-ray or computerized tomographic systems).
In the prior art, buried mines have been detected using a combination of sound and laser light. Most use a vibrometer, which is expensive and require the optical head to be in close contact with the object that is measured. Another technique uses two fibers in order to reduce the problem. However, this technique needs close contact to the target. The technique does not provide parallel detection and real-time image (scan of the laser). In addition, due to the use of ultrasonic reflection, the prior art technique has a limited range-resolution trade-off. For example, a choice must be made between ˜1 cm resolution with limited range (apparently less than 1 meter) or 5 meters range with 10 cm resolution. Moreover, the use of ultrasonic pulses has another disadvantage: one may hear sound at the pulse frequency.

Method and apparatus for the detection of objects under a light obstructing barrier


A peripherally encapsulated product, such as an oven door outer shell, is molded in accordance with this invention by placing a piece of glass between mold clamping portions of relatively movable closed bodies when the latter are in an open position. Preferably both bodies are heated and thermosetting polymeric material (SMC or BMC) is placed upon selected areas of one of the mold bodies within and about an area corresponding to an annular mold cavity and outboard of a peripheral edge of a piece of glass. The glass is clamped between mold clamping portions of the mold bodies which are then progressively closed creating compression forces which extrude the thermosetting polymeric material into the annular cavity and into complete encapsulation of the continuous peripheral edge of the piece of glass. The handle can be integrally molded during the molding process.

It is conventional to insert a small panel or piece of glass into a cavity of a multi-part mold and inject therein under elevated temperature and pressure polymeric/copolymeric material which peripherally encapsulates a peripheral edge of the glass. An early injection molding system of this type was used, for example, to manufacture lens mounts, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,266,169 in the name of Chester W. Crumrine which granted on Dec. 16, 1941. A lens element is clamped between two centering plungers which hold the lens with a peripheral edge thereof projecting into an annular cavity into which hot plastic is injected under pressure, cools and is subsequently removed from the mold cavity in the form of a lens mount. Similar injection molding to form peripherally encapsulated pieces of glass are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,559,860 and 3,971,841 issued to Howard G. Fay and Leon Rubinstein, respectively, on Jul. 10, 1951 and Jul. 27, 1976, respectively. Each of these two patents relate to lens systems for photographic apparatus.
Larger pieces of glass have also been similarly provided with an injection molded rim, encapsulation, or frame, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,626,185; 4,695,420 and 5,676,894 in the respective names of Bernard Monnet, Charles E. Grawey et al. and Paul Specht, which issued respectively on Dec. 2, 1986; Sep. 2, 1987 and Oct. 14, 1997. Such larger encapsulated glass structures are typically used as curved automobile glass panels, printed circuit boards, window panes, structural paneling, and the like.
Another approach toward the manufacture of a frame member which encapsulates a peripheral edge of a panel is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,686 in the name of Maurice A. Kildal et al. issued on Jul. 19, 1994. In this patent a panel is placed between a frame member with an edge thereof being located in a recess while an integral lip of the frame member can be bent a distance sufficient to allow the panel to be peripherally clamped to the frame. Heretofore eye glass rims were so constructed, as is evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,018 in the name of Conrad L. Leblanc issued on Aug. 27, 1968.
Well prior to the latter disclosures, powdered material was placed in an annular cavity of a mold into which was inserted a piece of tempered glass, and upon the closing of the mold with the glass clamped and centered therein, the powdered material melted and fused to a periphery of the glass. Typical of this process was the utilization of "Bakelite" powder in the manner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,137,472 granted to Lewis Jex-Blake Forbes on Nov. 22, 1938.
In lieu of powder which can be molded under heat and pressure, as defined in the aforementioned patent, it had been common for years to utilize a ring or ring-like member of elastomeric material to form a seal for bearings or the like by placing the elastomeric member and a metal reinforcing member in a mold and closing the same under heat and pressure, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,647 granted on Sep. 12, 1967 to Douglas J. Aberle. The seal is extruded about an inner periphery of the reinforcing member and is appropriately contoured to provide dual-lip seals with excess material being squeezed radially outwardly into a cavity for collecting excess unwanted elastomer.
Somewhat similar to the latter process is that of manufacturing such items as loudspeaker diaphragms between a pair of mating molds by inserting therein the diaphragm and, adjacent an edge thereof, a strip-shaped base material consisting of rubber as a main composition with an associated foaming agent. During heat and pressure molding in the cavity of the close mold the rubber is vulcanized and defines a foamed edge self-adhered to the outer periphery of the diaphragm, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,108 issued Jan. 6, 1998 to A. Nonogaki.
The assignee of the present invention has expertise in the injection molded encapsulation of tempered glass which is used primarily for shelving, particularly for refrigerators, as is evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,273,354; 5,362,145; 5,403,084; 5,429,433; 5,441,338 and 5,454,638 issued respectively on Dec. 28, 1993; Nov. 8, 1994; Apr. 4, 1995; Jul. 4, 1995; Aug. 15, 1995 and Oct. 3, 1995, all assigned to the assignee of the present application.
Typically, such encapsulated shelves are manufactured in an injection mold of the type disclosed in pending application Ser. No. 08/303,200 filed on Sep. 8, 1994 in the names of Max Meier et al. In the latter disclosure a tempered glass plate or panel has its peripheral edge located in a peripheral or annular cavity into which highly pressurized, hot, synthetic plastic polymeric/copolymeric material is injected and, upon subsequent cooling, the peripheral edge of the panel is bounded by a polymeric frame, rim or encapsulation which, since intended for use as a refrigerator shelf, has also integrally unitized thereto during molding opposite metallic shelf brackets.
A cooktop can be manufactured in much the same manner as that described immediately above, and a full disclosure thereof is found in commonly assigned pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/890,651 filed on Jul. 9, 1997.


An ultrasonic generator includes an ultrasonic wave source and a converging portion. The converging portion includes a first reflecting portion which reflects the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic wave source on its first reflecting surface, a second reflecting portion which reflects the ultrasonic wave reflected by the first reflecting surface on its second reflecting surface, and a waveguide serving as a transmission path for the ultrasonic wave. The waveguide is disposed such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by the second reflecting surface is introduced through an introduction portion thereof. The focal point of the second reflecting surface and the focal point of the first reflecting surface are disposed such that the ultrasonic wave reflected by the second reflecting surface becomes a plane wave.

Ultrasonic waves are presently used in various fields of application such as diagnosis and medical treatment. WO2006/028249 discloses an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonograph, which are examples of techniques that utilize ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic probe disclosed in WO2006/028249 includes an ultrasonic wave source for generating an ultrasonic wave, an ultrasonic wave transmission member for transmitting the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic wave source, and a direction changing means for changing the direction of the ultrasonic wave beam transmitted by the ultrasonic wave transmission member.


A surgical device that includes an outer hollow body and an inner hollow body. The inner hollow body is slidably disposed within said outer hollow body and the inner hollow body includes at least two hollow arms located at the distal end of the inner hollow body. An inflatable member is rotatably attached to each hollow arm of the inner hollow body. At least a pair of suture rings are rotatably coupled to the outer hollow body wherein the suture rings are in parallel to each other and are coupled to each other by a plurality of suture clips.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of surgical devices. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method of suturing or anastomizing of body lumens.
2. Background of the Invention
During minimally invasive surgical procedures, suturing of body tissue can be time consuming for the surgeon. In such endoscopic procedures, where surgery is performed in a body cavity and access to the site is through trocar cannulas, suturing is especially difficult. The surgeon cannot grasp the needle as in open surgery, but must rely on grasping instruments to grasp and maneuver the needle in the remote surgical site. These instruments entail grasping the surgical needle between the instrument jaws and manipulating the needle through the body tissue. Oftentimes, a second grasping instrument is required to enable passing the needle between the two instruments in the same manner the surgeon passes the needle during open procedures. Not only is maneuverability difficult, but the needle could slip from the jaws into the body cavity.
In addition, tying of suture knots is done with two legs of the suture thread protruding from a proximal end of a cannula or tube. Each throw of the suture knot (usually the knot requires four or five throws) is placed on the thread outside the cannula (outside the body of the patient) and the knot is pushed to its destination through the cannula with a tool commonly called a "knot pusher." Ultimately, the suture knot is tightened on or near the sutured organ, vessel or tissue at the surgical site. Plainly, conventional suturing is one of the more difficult, tedious and repetitive procedures in surgery.
Consequently, there is a need for a device and methods of quick anastomosis of tissues without use of traditional needles and thread.

Suturing device for anastomisis of lumens


A variable valve lift (VVL) system in an engine includes an oil control valve and a lock pin configured to be hydraulically actuated against an elastic force of a return spring under a control of the OCV. An orifice through which oil passes is formed to supply hydraulic pressure to the OCV and the lock pin. An oil pressure sensor measures the hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the OCV and the lock pin. A controller is configured to receive a signal from the oil pressure sensor and to control the OCV according to the received signal.

A conventional variable valve lift (VVL) mechanism to which the present disclosure is adapted is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The conventional VVL mechanism includes an inner arm 504 which has a rotatable roller 502 to come into contact with a low cam 500, causing a low lift action. A lost lever 510 covers the inner arm 504 and has a hinge shaft 506 as in the inner arm 504. The lost lever 510 is designed to come into contact with a high cam 508, causing a high lift action. A lock pin 512 moves back and forth in the inner arm 504 so as to switch an interlocked state between the lost lever 510 and the inner arm 504. A hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA) 515 is installed to support one side of the inner arm 504 and provides hydraulic pressure to the lock pin 512.
When an oil control valve (OCV) is turned on, the lock pin 512 is hydraulically actuated and extends outwards against an elastic force of a return spring 520 mounted in the inner arm 504. Thus, the lock pin 512 allows the lost lever 510 to move together with the inner arm 504 and increases a valve lift motion. When the OCV is turned off, the lock pin 512 is retracted into the inner arm 504 by the elastic force of the return spring 520 so as to nullify a movement of the lost lever 510, which affects the inner arm 504 The valve lift motion is relatively reduced by the inner arm 504 when the low cam 500 acts on the rotatable roller 502.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show on and off states, respectively, of a hydraulic circuit which includes an OCV 514 to actuate the lock pin 512. In the figures, when a solenoid of the OCV 514 is turned on, hydraulic pressure supplied from an oil gallery of a cylinder block is applied to the lock pin 512 so as to realize a high-lift state. In addition, when the OCV 514 is turned off, hydraulic pressure is not applied to the lock pin 512 so as to realize a low-lift state.
An orifice 516 in the hydraulic circuit secures a minimum hydraulic pressure in a deactivated state of the OCV 514 in order to maintain a function of the HLA 515 and to lubricate parts that are in contact with each other. The size of the orifice 516 is adjusted to secure the minimum hydraulic pressure.
However, the size of the orifice 516 cannot be actively regulated. Thus, if the size is relatively larger in order to secure a necessary minimum hydraulic pressure at a high-temperature idling state which is the least desirable hydraulic pressure-supplying state, a low-temperature middle-speed area which is the most desirable hydraulic pressure-supplying state essentially has a high hydraulic pressure even when the OCV 514 is in the off state.
In order to improve a problem of the high hydraulic pressure in the off state of the OCV 514, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a relief valve 518 is additionally mounted to be connected to the hydraulic circuit only when the OCV 514 is in the off state so as to maintain a relatively low hydraulic pressure.
However, in very high-viscous oil conditions such as low temperatures including room temperature or when oil-degradation factors such as excessive soot in oil exist, oil discharge through the relief valve 518 is restricted. In these conditions, the lock pin 512 is inadvertently extended in the off state of the OCV 514, causing the high-lift state.
As conventional countermeasures for preventing such an inadvertent high-lift state, there is a method of increasing the elastic force of the return spring 520. However, it is difficult to switch to the high-lift state in the low-lift area, and the practical high-lift operation area is reduced, thus nullifying the application of the VVL.
The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and is not intended to mean that the present disclosure falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art.

Variable valve lift system in engine and control method thereof


A telecommunications network incorporating an Advanced Intelligent Network having a service control point including a centralized database and having a peripheral platform comprising an Intelligent Peripheral providing at least one auxiliary call processing capability. The service control point is in communication with a network switching system via a common channel signaling communication network. The peripheral platform is in communication with the service control point over a second data connection and is in communication with switching systems in the network switching system over F links and voice channels. The individual switching systems are in connection with one another through F links. The peripheral platform is capable of call management which obviates the necessity of using the common channel signaling system to accomplish the same call management. The service control point is arranged to act proactively to issue instructions to the peripheral platform to expedite call management.

In recent years, a number of new service features have been provided by an enhanced telephone network, sometimes referred to as an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN). The increasing realization of the potential for offering a large variety of calling services to a wider population has led local telephone companies (Telcos) to offer an increasing number of such services. Many local carriers currently offer call waiting, call forwarding, and voice mail. Most long distance companies also offer calling services, often through their 800 number services. In addition, the rapid advancements in telephony and heightened consumer demand for calling services have spurred the companies who own telephone switches and networks to design and implement new and more sophisticated services.
Historically telephone service providers have relied on switch vendors (such as AT&T and Northern Telecom) to introduce new services through modifications at the switch level or have requested the addition of such capacities to the switches. However, this approach presents several problems. For example, switch modifications lengthen turnaround time for introducing new services because the local carrier must rely on the switch vendors to update the switch and roll out new services. When the switch vendors finally decide to introduce a new service, the introduction is normally on a national scale, decreasing any chance for differentiation and competition for new services at the local level. In addition, switch manufacturers must rewrite the software that controls the switches to introduce new calling services, further exacerbating the problems of difficult modification and slow introduction of new services.
In response, the industry developed a next generation network design called Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) architecture. Instead of lumping all calling services into the switch, AIN architecture groups intelligence into one or more peripheral computer systems that can more effectively and efficiently deliver calling services. The concept is to maintain the existing network of generic switches that perform call connection, but to transfer "intelligent" operations to a network control computer. In such a manner, service modification becomes more flexible and efficient and may be applied on an area-wide basis.
In recent years, a number of new service features have been provided by such a control in the form of a so-called "Advanced Intelligent Network" (AIN). In an AIN type system, local and/or toll offices of the public telephone network detect one of a number of call processing events identified as AIN "triggers". For ordinary telephone service calls, there would be no event to trigger AIN processing; and the local and toll office switches would function normally and process such calls without referring to the central database for instructions. An office which detects a trigger will suspend call processing, compile a call data message and forward that message via a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) link to an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) which includes a Multi-Services Application Platform (MSAP) database. If needed, the ISCP can instruct the central office to obtain and forward additional information.
Once sufficient information about the call has reached the ISCP, the ISCP accesses its stored data tables in the MSAP database to translate the received message data into a call control message and returns the call control message to the office of the network via CCIS link. The network offices then use the call control message to complete the particular call. An AIN type network for providing an Area Wide Centrex service was disclosed and described in detail in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kay et al., the disclosure of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference. In AIN type systems such as disclosed in the Kay et al. Patent, announcement and digit functions may be required for certain specific services. For example, a caller may be prompted by a tone or speech announcement to enter a personal identification number (PIN) before obtaining a selected service or modifying certain stored parameters relating to the subscriber's AIN service. In prior art AIN systems, a switching office of the public telephone network would generate the announcements from some internal platform.
Switch based announcements have a number of serious drawbacks. First the capacity of the internal announcement platforms has been limited, thereby limiting the number and variety of announcements which an AIN service can utilize. As AIN services become more sophisticated, a need arises to provide more announcements than such platforms offer, for example to allow subscribers to customize the announcements for their own personalized services. Adding extra announcement capacity to a number of different telephone switching offices is expensive. Often the needed extra announcement equipment can be obtained only from the original switch vendor, in view of the need for compatibility of such equipment with the switch itself.
Also, any service specific announcements must be loaded onto each switch providing the particular AIN service. Loading new announcements on large numbers of switching systems is time consuming and may require the services of expert personnel provided only by the switch equipment vendor.
Accordingly, a need exists for some platform to provide readily adaptable means to add and change announcements to an AIN, without direct addition of equipment in each central office switching system. The platform should also serve to centralize announcement capabilities to some extent, so that announcement reprogramming does not always require reprogramming some equipment for every single switch through which an enhanced service is offered.
A need also exists to provide a convenient platform to add further equipment to facilitate still further enhanced features, such as services based on speech recognition, mail services, etc., without requiring addition to or modification of equipment within the central office switching systems for each such further enhanced service feature.
Proposals have been made to add nodes to the telephone network, separate from the switching offices, to provide announcements and related enhanced service features. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,500 to Binkerd et al. discloses an announcement point which provides messages to callers, receives dialed digits and/or speech signals for input information from callers and exchanges appropriate data with a remote central 800 number database. The communication between the announcement point and the 800 database apparently goes through the same interoffice signaling network used in routing of calls between switching offices. Any new or additional messages exchanged between the 800 database and the announcement platform will inherently increase the traffic load on the interoffice signaling network. A substantially similar network is disclosed in Weisser et al., "The Intelligent Network and Forward-Looking Technology," IEEE Communications Magazine, December 1988, pp. 64-69.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,848 to Pula teaches connection of one or more Intelligent Peripherals (IPs) to a single switch. Reprogramming announcements for a new service presumably would require reprogramming each IP connected to each switch in the network. Also, although Pula discloses a common channel signaling link to the switch, there is no specific suggestion of any interaction of the IP with a higher level data base. As in the Binkerd et al. Patent, if any interaction with a higher level database were added, the added communication traffic to that database would have to go through the common channel signaling link and would increase traffic loading on that critical link.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,901 to Harlow et al. discloses a service circuit node which plays announcements, collects digits and communicates with a Service Control Point (SCP) database to update intelligent network service files. The service circuit node serves a plurality of switching offices, apparently by routing calls through the public switched telephone network to the one service circuit node. As in the Binkerd et al. and Pula systems, the communications between the service circuit node and the SCP apparently go through the switching office directly connected to the service circuit node and the signaling channel which carries queries and responses between that switching office and the SCP, and creates increased traffic on the signaling network. Attention is also directed to Shah et al., "Application of a New Network Concept for Faster et al.," "Application of a New Network Concept for Faster Service Deployment," International Conference on Communications '88, Jun. 12-15, 1988, IEEE Communications Society, Conference Record, Volume 3, pp. 1327-29.
Accordingly, any new node added to the AIN network to offer the enhanced announcement capabilities and other service features, through interactions with the central database, should not increase traffic on the interoffice signaling network and/or the network which carries signaling traffic between the database and the network switching systems, as in the prior art networks.
In addition to the foregoing it is desirable that any new node not impose signaling time burdens on the operation of the network but, on the contrary, provide an architecture and methodology which will alleviate the time delays now encountered in control network functioning. The capacity of the common channel signaling network is presently being subjected to an ever increasing volume of signaling traffic in addition to encountering demands to carry non-network control type signaling of varying types. An example of one such new type of load is a proposal to use the signaling network to carry voice signals, as proposed in a co-pending application of the assignee of the instant application. Accordingly there is a need for the provision of enhanced services, such as through the use of new network nodes, concomitantly with an architecture and methodology which will reduce the load on the conventional common channel signaling system.

Intelligent peripheral and network control


A novel, in-situ plasma treatment method for eliminating or reducing striations caused by standing waves in a photoresist mask, is disclosed. The method includes providing a photoresist mask on a BARC (bottom anti-reflective coating) layer that is deposited on a feature layer to be etched, etching the BARC layer and the underlying feature layer according to the pattern defined by the photoresist mask, and subjecting the photoresist mask to a typically argon or hydrogen bromide plasma before, after, or both before and after etching of the BARC layer prior to etching of the feature layer. Preferably, the photoresist mask is subjected to the plasma both before and after etching of the BARC layer.

Various processing steps are used to fabricate integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer. These steps include deposition of a conducting layer on the silicon wafer substrate; formation of a photoresist or other mask such as titanium oxide or silicon oxide, in the form of the desired metal interconnection pattern, using standard lithographic or photolithographic techniques; subjecting the wafer substrate to a dry etching process to remove the conducting layer from the areas not covered by the mask, thereby etching the conducting layer in the form of the masked pattern on the substrate; removing or stripping the mask layer from the substrate typically using reactive plasma and chlorine gas, thereby exposing the top surface of the conductive interconnect layer; and cooling and drying the wafer substrate by applying water and nitrogen gas to the wafer substrate.
In a common IC fabrication technique known as a dual damascene technique, lower and upper dielectric layers are sequentially deposited on a substrate. A via opening is patterned and etched in the lower dielectric layer, and a trench opening is patterned and etched in the upper dielectric layer. At each step, a patterned photoresist layer is used to etch the trench and via openings in the corresponding dielectric layer. A conductive copper line is then formed in the trench and via openings, typically using electrochemical plating (ECP) techniques, to form the horizontal and vertical IC circuit interconnects on the substrate.
Photoresist materials are coated onto the surface of a wafer, or onto a dielectric or conductive layer on a wafer, by dispensing a photoresist fluid typically on the center of the wafer as the wafer rotates at high speeds within a stationary bowl or coater cup. The coater cup catches excess fluids and particles ejected from the rotating wafer during application of the photoresist. The photoresist fluid dispensed onto the center of the wafer is spread outwardly toward the edges of the wafer by surface tension generated by the centrifugal force of the rotating wafer. This facilitates uniform application of the liquid photoresist on the entire surface of the wafer.
During the photolithography step of semiconductor production, light energy is applied through a reticle or mask onto the photoresist material previously deposited on the wafer to define circuit patterns which will be etched in a subsequent processing step to define the circuits on the wafer. A reticle is a transparent plate patterned with a circuit image to be formed in the photoresist coating on the wafer. A reticle contains the circuit pattern image for only a few of the die on a wafer, such as four die, for example, and thus, must be stepped and repeated across the entire surface of the wafer. In contrast, a photomask, or mask, includes the circuit pattern image for all of the die on a wafer and requires only one exposure to transfer the circuit pattern image for all of the dies to the wafer.
Spin coating of photoresist on wafers, as well as the other steps in the photolithography process, is carried out in an automated coater/developer track system using wafer handling equipment which transport the wafers between the various photolithography operation stations, such as vapor prime resist spin coat, develop, baking and chilling stations. Robotic handling of the wafers minimizes particle generation and wafer damage. Automated wafer tracks enable various processing operations to be carried out simultaneously. Two types of automated track systems widely used in the industry are the TEL (Tokyo Electron Limited) track and the SVG (Silicon Valley Group) track.
A typical method of forming a circuit pattern on a wafer includes introducing the wafer into the automated track system and then spin-coating a photoresist layer onto the wafer. The photoresist is next cured by conducting a soft bake process. After it is cooled, the wafer is placed in an exposure apparatus, such as a stepper, which aligns the wafer with an array of die patterns etched on the typically chrome-coated quartz reticle. When properly aligned and focused, the stepper exposes a small area of the wafer, then shifts or "steps" to the next field and repeats the process until the entire wafer surface has been exposed to the die patterns on the reticle. The photoresist is exposed to light through the reticle in the circuit image pattern. Exposure of the photoresist to this image pattern cross-links and hardens the resist in the circuit pattern. After the aligning and exposing step, the wafer is exposed to post-exposure baking and then is developed and hard-baked to develop the photoresist pattern.
The circuit pattern defined by the developed and hardened photoresist is next transferred to an underlying metal layer using an etching process, in which metal in the metal layer not covered by the cross-linked photoresist is etched away from the wafer with the metal under the cross-linked photoresist that defines the device feature protected from the etchant. Alternatively, the etched material may be a dielectric layer in which via openings and trench openings are etched according to the circuit pattern, such as in a dual damascene technique. The via and trench openings are then filled with a conductive metal such as copper to define the metal circuit lines. As a result, a well-defined pattern of metallic microelectronic circuits, which closely approximates the cross-linked photoresist circuit pattern, is formed on the wafer.
FIG. 1A illustrates a semiconductor wafer portion 10 on which a semiconductor IC device feature is being fabricated. The portion 10 includes a substrate 12, a feature layer 14 deposited on the substrate 12, a BARC (bottom anti-reflective coating) layer 18 deposited on the feature layer 14, and a photoresist mask 16 patterned and developed on the BARC layer 18. The photoresist mask 16 may include an organic spin-on photoresist compound that is selectively exposed to deep-UV (DUV) radiation at the patterning and developing photolithography steps. Multiple mask openings 17 extend through the photoresist mask 16 for exposure of the underlying feature layer 14 to an etching process. During the alignment and exposure step, the BARC layer 18 minimizes reflection of monochromatic light from the underlying feature layer 14 to areas of the photoresist mask 16 which are shielded by a mask or reticle, and thus, are not to be exposed to light. The feature layer 14 may be a polysilicon layer which is patterned to form a gate using conventional fabrication techniques, for example. Alternatively, the feature layer 14 may be a metal conductive layer or a dielectric layer which will be etched and subsequently filled with metal to form a metal conducting line.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the BARC layer 18 is initally etched according to the pattern of the photoresist mask 16. Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, the underlying feature layer 14 is etched, according to the pattern of the photoresist mask 16, to form feature openings 15 that correspond in size and position to the mask openings 17. Accordingly, areas of the feature layer 14 exposed to the etchant through the mask openings 17 are etched, whereas areas of the feature layer 14 which are covered by the photoresist mask 16 are protected from the etchant and remain intact. During the etch process, the photoresist mask 16 is progressively etched and gradually decreases in thickness. Finally, as shown in FIG. 1D, the photoresist mask 16 is stripped from the underlying BARC layer 18. The BARC layer 18 may also be removed from the feature layer 14.
At the photolithography alignment and exposure step, in which the photoresist mask 16 is exposed to monochromatic light through a mask or reticle (not shown) to transfer the desired feature pattern to the photoresist mask 16, some of the light is reflected from the feature layer 14 to areas of the photoresist mask 16 which are covered by the mask or reticle. This causes light wave reflection and interference in the photoresist mask 16, resulting a phenomenon known as standing waves in the cross-sectional profile of the photoresist mask 16.
While the BARC layer 18 minimizes the effect of standing waves in the photoresist mask 16, the occurrence of standing waves remains particularly problematic in deep-UV (DUV) resists because many materials are more reflective at the shorter DUV wavelengths. As a result of the weak etching resistance of 193 nm and 157 nm photoresists, after the exposure and development step the sidewalls of the mask openings 17 exhibit striations of overexposed and underexposed areas. During the etch process, the presence of striations in the photoresist mask 16 frequently causes the profile of the remaining photoresist mask 16 to become tilted or otherwise distorted. This compromises resist selectivity, substantially degrades the resolution of the image in the photoresist mask 16 and, in turn, distorts the feature pattern image etched in the underlying feature layer 14, as shown in FIG. 1D. Accordingly, a novel method is needed to reduce the striation or tilting effect in the sidewalls of mask openings in a resist mask in order to improve resist selectivity, prevent or minimize tilting or bending of the resist profile and enhance the resolution of an image etched in a feature layer.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for reducing the effects of standing waves in a resist mask.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method which reduces striations in sidewalls of mask openings in a resist mask to enhance resist selectivity.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method which enhances the integrity and structural strength of a resist mask.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method which maintains or improves CD uniformity in a resist mask.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel in-situ plasma treatment method which enhances the resolution of a circuit pattern image transferred from a resist mask to a feature layer on a substrate.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel in-situ plasma treatment method which includes subjecting a photoresist mask to a photoresist-strengthening plasma before or during an etching process.

In-situ plasma treatment of advanced resists in fine pattern definition


An irrigation system for irrigating and pressurizing a body cavity during an endoscopic procedure, such as during arthroscopy, includes a source of irrigation liquid, a pneumatically driven pump for pumping irrigation liquid from the source into the body cavity. The pump develops pulsatile flow and its operation is controlled by a pressure regulator that regulates the pressure of air applied to the pump. The system enables disablement of the pumping function of the pump while permitting gravity flow of irrigation liquid to the body cavity. The pump and associated tubing is inexpensive and adapted for one-time, disposable use. The system includes a pump bypass mode that enables liquid to flow at a high rate as may be needed to maintain pressurization of the body cavity as that which occurs during arthroscopic shaving.

There are a variety of endoscopic procedures in which it may be desirable to irrigate a body cavity into which the endoscope has been placed. For example, among the more common endoscopic procedures requiring irrigation is in the surgical treatment of the joints (knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists and ankles) by arthroscopic surgery. Arthroscopic surgery is far less invasive than open surgical procedures and has become widely accepted. A typical arthroscopic procedure lasts about 45 minutes to one hour as compared to three hours for an open surgical procedure. Arthroscopic surgery enables the surgeon to directly visualize the anatomy of the joint in a less invasive and reduced trauma procedure. Significantly less anesthesia is required in an arthroscopic procedure as compared to open surgery. The recovery from an arthroscopic procedure typically is much quicker than from open surgery.
Arthroscopy provides for the direct visualization of the interior of a joint through a fiber optic endoscope referred to as an arthroscope. The procedure enables the surgeon to diagnose and treat damage to the joint. For example, torn cartilage and debris can be located and removed using instruments specifically designed for arthroscopic surgery. The procedure involves the insertion of instruments into the joint through small incisions made in the region of the joint. When the arthroscopic procedure is diagnostic, typically two instruments are inserted into the joint. When the arthroscopic procedure is therapeutic, typically three or more instruments are inserted into the joint.
One instrument common to all arthroscopic procedures is an arthroscope which has light transmitting optical fibers by which the interior of the joint may be illuminated and observed through an eyepiece or by coupling the output optical fibers to a video camera and displaying the image on a video monitor. The endoscope typically has one or more conduits through which irrigation liquid may flow into or out of the joint. In a diagnostic procedure, the second instrument typically will be a probe with which the surgeon may probe the interior of the joint while observing the interior of the joint through the endoscope.
In either a diagnostic or a therapeutic arthroscopic procedure, it is necessary to cause irrigation liquid to enter the joint under pressure. The irrigation liquid, usually saline solution, serves a number of purposes. The joint compartment normally is compressed and provides little room for the endoscope or the arthroscopic instruments. In order to provide room for the endoscope and the instruments and to enable the surgeon better to see all regions of the joint, the irrigation fluid is admitted to the interior of the joint under pressure to cause the joint to become distended. Once the irrigation solution has distended the joint, the surgeon has more room to manipulate the endoscope and the instruments as is necessary to perform the procedure. A further important effect of pressurizing the joint is to provide a tamponading effect, such as to minimize bleeding within the joint. The pressure, which is above the patient's blood pressure, tends to close off bleeding capillaries in tissue that may have been cut during the procedure. This is particularly important in situations where tourniquets are neither convenient nor effective, such as in the shoulders.
Distension of the joint is controlled by maintaining a desired level of pressure in the joint and by balancing the inflow and the outflow of irrigation solution. If the outflow exceeds the inflow, the joint will collapse and the surgeon must delay the procedure until distension is achieved. Distension may be maintained either by maintaining a continuous inflow and outflow at the joint or by intermittently closing both the inflow and the outflow while the surgeon works within the joint space and then, after the solution becomes murky, reestablishing inflow and outflow to flush the area with fresh solution. In either instance, controlling the flow rate is necessary to achieve sufficient distension without creating excessive intra-articular pressure. It is important to monitor the intra-articular pressure throughout the arthroscopic procedure and, to do so, surgeons frequently feel the outside of the joint to evaluate the bulges caused by the distension.
In a therapeutic arthroscopy, the amount of irrigation fluid flowing through the joint typically is greater than that when the procedure is merely diagnostic. The additional flow requirements result from the fact that the procedure will generate a considerable amount of debris which must be flushed from the joint not only to avoid post-operative complications from the procedure but also to facilitate the surgeons continued visualization of the interior of the joint.
A commonly used technique for irrigating the joint is by gravity flow of irrigation solution from an overhead supply. To that end, irrigation bags containing irrigation liquid are hung at a height of about 6 to 8 feet above the patient. A tube leading from the bags is connected to one of the ports of the arthroscope or to a separate irrigation cannula which will have been inserted previously into the joint. The tube typically is provided with a clamp which, when opened, enables the irrigation liquid to flow by gravity into the joint. A pulley system often is utilized so that the attending nurse can lower the bags and change them as they empty. By way of example, between about 3 to 15 liters of irrigation liquid typically are used on a knee arthroscopy although in some cases as many as 30 liters might be used. With the gravity system, the pressure of the irrigation liquid applied to the joint is dependent on the height of the bag containing the irrigation liquid.
The gravity system is awkward and presents a number of difficulties. For example, with some patients, particularly muscular patients, the gravity flow system does not distend the joint very effectively. Additional pressure is required. Many surgical facilities do not have sufficient height to raise the bag distend the joint under such circumstances. Typically, this results in the necessity for an attending nurse to squeeze the irrigation bag continuously throughout the entire arthroscopy procedure. Also among the difficulties with the gravity system is that when a bag approaches being empty and must be changed, it must be pulled down from its elevated position. That reduces the fluid pressure in the joint and risks loss of distension.
As an alternate to the gravity system, a number of pumping systems have come to be used for irrigation. Many of such pumping systems have been cumbersome, complex and expensive. Among the types of pumps that have been used are a roller pump or a piston pump. Neither type of pump is adapted to convert from pumped flow to gravity flow. Thus, should such a pump fail during a procedure, it would be necessary to terminate the procedure and reconfigure the irrigation system to permit continued flow. Additionally, such devices typically are electrically powered which adds some measure of risk in view of the wet, conductive environment in which the device is used. Moreover, such pumps do not allow for continuous low pressure (gravity) flow. Continuous gravity flow often is considered important when it is desired to infuse cold irrigation solution without application of additional pressure such as to provide a tamponade effect by the cold temperature alone. Typically, such a procedure may be performed after the completion of the surgery.
An improved arthroscopic irrigation pumping system that avoids the foregoing difficulties is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 387,712 filed Jul. 31, 1989. That system incorporates a pneumatically driven pulsatile pump in the flow conduit from the irrigation liquid reservoir to the inlet cannula inserted in the joint. As described in that application, the pump is effective to develop and maintain effective distension in the joint while also permitting continuous gravity flow when desired.
Recent improvements in arthroscopic surgical instruments have resulted in devices, such as shavers, cutters and the like that are intended to operate at high speeds. These devices tend to generate debris at a relatively high rate and, therefore, require relatively high flow rates of irrigation liquid through the joint to flush debris as well as to maintain an ability to observe the interior of the joint. Many of such devices incorporate an aspiration channel through which debris and liquid may be suctioned out of the joint. When such devices are operated, it is necessary to increase the flow of irrigation liquid into the joint in order to compensate for the lost liquid so as to maintain the distension of the joint. With irrigation systems that use motor driven piston or roller pumps, the increased flow into the joint is developed by increasing the speed and output of the pump. Typical of such devices are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,820,265; 4,902,277 and 4,940,457. Such systems usually require sensors for sensing the pressure within the joint and a feedback and control system for controlling operation of the pumps in response to that feedback. Such systems are cumbersome and expensive.
The type of system described in U.S. application Ser. No. 387,712 filed Jul. 31, 1989, although arranged to permit gravity flow, may not permit fluid flow at a sufficiently high rate to maintain joint distension when used in conjunction with some high speed, high flow rate shavers and similar instruments. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an improved arthroscopic irrigation system that is inexpensive and easy to use yet which enables high flow rates in order to meet the demands of high suction arthroscopic instruments. Additionally, it would be desirable further to improve the device described in U.S. application Serial No. 387,712 filed Jul. 31, 1989 to include such an arrangement. It is among the general objects of the invention to do so.

Irrigation system with high flow bypass for use with endoscopic procedure


A power apparatus includes a first power bus bar provided at a first power part, a second power bus bar provided at a second power part coupled to the first power part while communicating internally with the first power part, the second power bus bar being fastened to the first power bus bar, a first interlock bus bar provided at the first power part while being connected to an interlock terminal of a controller disposed within the first power part, a second interlock bus bar provided at the second power part while being fastened to the first interlock bus bar, and a safety cover fastened to a fastening portion between the first interlock bus bar and the second interlock bus bar while covering a fastening portion between the first power bus bar and the second power bus bar.

A power converter and a high-voltage branch box, which are included in an eco-friendly vehicle such as an electric vehicle, are manufactured to have an integrated structure through inter-coupling thereof. In this case, the housing of the power converter and the housing of the high-voltage branch box are coupled such that inner spaces thereof communicate with each other. Interlock terminals provided at a controller included in the power converter are electrically connected to respective connectors of the high-voltage branch box.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional power apparatus including an interlock.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional power apparatus, which is provided with an interlock, includes a power converter 10 and a high-voltage branch box 20, which are inter-connected. The power converter 10 and the high-voltage branch box 20 may have structures in which housings 15 and 26 thereof are coupled such that inner spaces of the housings 15 and 26 communicate with each other.
An inverter 11 included in the power converter 10 receives high-voltage DC power from the high-voltage branch box 20, and converts the received power into 3-phase AC power. High-voltage bus bars 121 and 122 extending from the inverter 11 are coupled with high-voltage bus bars 221 and 222 disposed in the high-voltage branch box 20 through bolt-couplings B1 and B2, respectively, and, as such, electrical connection thereof may be obtained.
In addition, the inverter 11 includes a controller 110 configured to control a plurality of power semiconductor switches (not shown) used for power conversion. The controller 110 has interlock terminals adapted to determine whether or not a particular element or a portion of the element is in an electrical connection state.
In detail, the controller 110 has interlock terminals adapted to determine whether or not a maintenance hole cover 13 provided at the power converter 1l is separated. As shown in FIG. 1, connection is established between two respective interlock terminals of the controller 110 and a connector C1 provided at the maintenance hole cover 13 by respective interlock wires 14. When the maintenance hole cover 13 is opened, the interlock wires 14 are opened as the connector C1 is disconnected therefrom. As a result, the controller 110 releases high-voltage connection of a vehicle in which the power apparatus is installed. That is, when the maintenance hole cover 13 is opened, high voltage is interrupted to cope with access of the operator to a maintenance hole in an opened state of the maintenance hole cover 13, for safety.
In addition, another interlock terminal of the controller 110 is electrically connected to an interlock wire 24 provided at the high-voltage branch box 20 through a connector C2. The interlock wire 24 of the high-voltage branch box 20 is also connected to the ground via several high-voltage connectors 25 provided at the high-voltage branch box 20. When the connector C2 is separated, or another connector connected to any one of the connectors 25 is separated, the interlock terminal of the controller 110 transitions from a ground state to a floating state and, as such, may interrupt a high voltage.
Such a conventional interlock structure has a drawback in that there is a great limitation of space. Furthermore, since the number of pins in each connector is small, there may be a problem in that the conventional interlock structure may be weaker than high-voltage bus bars in terms of coupling force. For this reason, there may be a problem in that contacts may fail due to vehicle vibration, thereby causing malfunction.
The above matters disclosed in this section are merely for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the matters form the related art already known to a person skilled in the art.


A method for booting to an operating system stored on a solid state drive. The method comprises the steps of (A) determining if a boot list has one or more entries, (B) pre-reading one or more logical block addresses of each of the entries from the boot list, (C) receiving a command from a host, (D) reading the command from a memory internal to the solid state drive if the command is in a cache area of the pre-read logical block addresses and (E) reading the command from a main portion of the solid state drive if the command is not in the cache.

When a conventional computer boots from a drive, a host will first read operating system (OS) files from the drive. Once the OS files have been initially installed to a drive, (such as windows, Linux, etc.), the OS files are seldom modified and remain in some fixed logical block address (LBA) area. Reading the OS files from a boot drive to a host takes time, even when using a solid state drive (SSD). Traditionally, when a boot drive is booted, the boot drive will wait for the host to send read commands. Once the boot drive receives read commands from the host, the boot drive will read data, and then send the data to host. Such a boot sequence is derived from legacy hard disks, so the access address is still to a logic block address (LBA). A boot procedure for an OS can be treated as reading a number of LBAs.

Fast-boot list to speed booting an operating system

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