A ceiling vent air diverter is taught, in the preferred embodiment, which incorporates a diverter body configured to cover beneath an existing air vent supplying air to a room of a building. The diverter body has a rectangular flat bottom and upstanding sides with each upstanding side having a discharge air slot permitting air to be distributed in opposed directions from the diverter at a ceiling level. A peripheral flange extends outwardly from each side of the body, in parallel relationship with the bottom and is used for attachment to the building ceiling. A second embodiment is configured and functions in the same manner as above but covers over the top of an existing air vent and includes a lip on the underside of the flange. The third embodiment is for a ceiling air duct diverter system consisting of a box like housing with side walls, an open top and open sides to divert air flow and having the capability of affixing the open top near a ceiling air vent.

Frequently it is often desirable to divert an air duct in a direction other than that provided by the duct or register. Often the existing duct work may divert the air conditioning/heating in a non-optimized way, such as in a downward direction. This flow direction may introduce cold or hot air toward people causing irritating discomfort particularly in bedrooms where the air may impinge onto sleeping persons.
There have been a number of patents directed to the field of vent covers. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20060025067 to Koessler discloses a vent comprising a cover member having a cover member surface which defines at least a portion of a vent passageway. The cover member has at least one first connector and at least one second connector spaced outwardly from the first connector. The first and second connectors are operable to provide pivotal coupling to a damper.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030220069 to Oerndorff discloses a wooden vent cover that has fixed vanes with major vane surfaces at right angles which enhance the throw and spread of air flow through the vent cover. It is a vent assembly with a wooden vent cover having optimized vane major surface angles including an air flow regulator in combination with the wooden vent cover. The air flow regulator may be a slideable member or another configuration and may be held in place by couplers.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020069599 to Dhallan discloses a vent cover plate system for the register of a ventilation system that securely fits over the register thereby blocking the flow of air from that register. The vent cover plate is attached with hook and loop fastening material or magnetic material.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020022450 to Berger discloses a modular air vent assembly kit use to cover duct openings and consists of a frame, base, damper mechanism and two different face plates.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20010046838 to Hertel discloses a counterweight biased duct vent closure and door for a conventional overhead or surface mounted air supply vent opening. The closure door includes a covering sized to fit over the register when not in use while automatically opening when operating using a counterweight.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20010023173 to Schiedegger et al. discloses a vent for cooperating with duct work associated with an exhaust fan. A base member and cover with a screen are released from the base member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,578 to Orendorff discloses disclose a wooden vent cover that has fixed vanes with major vane surfaces at right angles which enhance the throw and spread of air flow through the vent cover. It is a vent assembly with a wooden vent cover having optimized vane major surface angles including an air flow regulator in combination with the wooden vent cover. The air flow regulator may be a slideable member or another configuration and may be held in place by couplers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,935 to Yampolski discloses a provided air vent covering which is adapted to be mounted to a floor, in the peripheral region of an air vent opening therethrough. The air vent covering assembly comprises a cover plate, a base, at least one damper plate, and first and second brackets. The cover plate and base have a plurality of spaced-apart and substantially parallel louvers formed therein, and each of the plurality of louvers defines an edge of a space. Each of the at least one damper plate includes a plurality of spaced-apart and substantially parallel damper bars, and the number of damper bars is equal to the number of louvers provided. When the damper plate is in an open position, flow of air thorough the spaces defined by the plurality of louvers is allowed, and when the damper plate is in a closed position, flow of air though the spaces is precluded.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,951 to Orendorff discloses a vent assembly including a vent cover and sliding air flow regulator connected by unique couplers. A vent assembly for corner applications is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,817 to Orendorff discloses a vent assembly including a vent cover and sliding air flow regulator for controlling air through the vent cover. A set of couplers interconnect the regulator and cover in a sliding motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,990 issued to Berger discloses a register assembly for covering an air duct opening that is comprised of a faceplate, a base, a damper and a filter frame made of plastic snapped together without tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,115 to Graf discloses a fairing vent comprising a louver rotatably attached to a body, and a louver handle attached to the louver, and a method of installing the fairing vent on a vehicle fairing. The body contains a duct having a duct intake and a duct outlet. The louver is sized to block airflow through the duct when the fairing vent is in the closed position. The fairing vent is closed by rotating the louver using the louver handle until the louver blocks airflow through the duct. A lip is disposed around the duct intake. At least one resilient tab is disposed on the body, each resilient tab being biased away from the body at an angle of approximately 10 degrees. Each resilient tab is disposed a sufficient distance from the lip so as to sandwich the thickness of a vehicle fairing between the lip and the resilient tab(s). The fairing vent is installed on the fairing by cutting a fairing cutout into the fairing. The fairing cutout is sized to admit the body but not the lip. The body is then pushed into the fairing cutout, forcing the resilient tab(s) against, or flush with, the body against each resilient tab(s) installed bias away from the body, until the lip buts up against the fairing. At this point the resilient tab(s) spring back into their installed biased position away from the body, thus Tramping the fairing between the resilient tab(s) and the lip, thus immobilizing the fairing vent relative to the fairing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,784 to Berger discloses a modular air vent assembly kit used to cover a duct opening supplying air to a room, comprised of a base, a damper and two faceplates. One faceplate has a lattice and the other louvers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,880 issued to Northcutt teaches an apparatus for a discharge vent on an air circulation system which includes structures for controlling the direction and quantity of airflow. Filter elements may be provided to help reduce contaminants that might otherwise be discharged through the vent. Preferred methods for assembling and using the apparatus are disclosed.
While there have been systems for various air filters used in homes, there has heretofore been no retrofitable system for diverting a ceiling air duct. In particular, there has been no easy way to alter the flow of air in a downward air duct.


The present disclosure relates to the technical field of computers, and particularly relates to a data sharing method and an apparatus, and an electronic device. The method is applied to a mobile terminal. A display screen of the mobile terminal is a bendable display screen. The method includes determining a first application and a second application in the display screen; and in a case that it is detected that the display screen is bent, sharing the first data information of the first application to the second application.

Currently, when wanting to share a piece of text or a picture in an application, a mobile terminal user usually first selects the text or the picture to be shared, copies it, and then pastes the text or picture in another application to be shared by the user.
The inventor found in the process of implementing the present disclosure that the related technology has the following problem: when the user shares the content of one application to another application, it involves switching interfaces of applications, and the paste operation can be performed only after the interface of the application to be shared is switched. In this process, the user operation is complicated, and the data sharing efficiency is low.

Data sharing method and apparatus, and electronic device

GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES (WUHAN) CO., LTD

GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. OF ZHUHAI


Compositions are described for repelling and killing insect pests, such as fire ants and mosquitoes. Methods for controlling insect pests are found useful when applied to surfaces. A method for controlling ants, preferably fire ants, uses compositions containing the secretion from the large wax glands of ticks.

Efforts to control insect pests have focused on methods of repelling and killing insects. Concerns are that any repellent compound be non-toxic to users, and preferably that it not be foul smelling, discoloring or staining. Additionally, concerns are that the method not be harmful to the environment or to non-target animals.
People respond to the bites and stings of arthropod pests in highly individual ways. For example, mosquitoes, fleas, and bedbugs trigger variable reactions. E. K. Markell and M. Voge, In: Medical Parasitology, 1981. Some people have only minor irritation, while others suffer painful allergic reactions that may be localized or systemic. Furthermore, previous contacts with a particular insect species may cause hypersensitive reactions in subsequent episodes.
The bites and stings of various arthropods are cause for concern not only because they are painful in and of themselves, but also because they are a means of transmission of diseases. For example, mosquitoes transmit malaria and ticks transmit lyme disease. There remains a need to protect against the bites and stings of aggressive insect pests.
In the southern United States, fire ants are an aggressive pest that annually cost some states hundreds of thousands of dollars for control efforts. The bite and sting of the fire ant is extremely painful. The burning sensation can last for up to 24 hours and following that, pustules can form, taking up to ten days to heal. Additional problems may occur if the sting becomes infected. For individuals who are particularly sensitive to the venom, a single sting can cause shock and respiratory failure.
Fire ants also attack livestock. Small animals, such as birds and mammals, have been killed by fire ant stings. Further, the ants can cause crop damage by feeding on young plants. In Florida, fire ants attack young citrus trees, causing serious economic damage.
Fire ants cause further problems because of the huge mounds they build in the soil. The mounds may reach a height of two feet and a diameter of two to three feet. These large mounds contain up to 200,000 ants. Mounds in the field may be of such large size as to become obstacles for and cause damage to mowers and farm machinery. The ants infest fields, pastures and lawns.
Attempts to control fire ants may involve drenching the mounds with pesticides. However, this method introduces toxic chemicals into the environment and often results in overapplication of the pesticide. Furthermore, eradication of individual mounds is not completely effective since smaller colonies of ants may be hidden by foliage and serve as a source for reinfestation.
Various chemical formulations have been devised to control these pests. U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,921 issued Nov. 30, 1965 to Greenbaum and Weil discloses the dimer of hexachlorocyclopentadiene, also known as Mirex. Mirex shows pronounced toxicity to fire ants when ingested, although it has low insecticidal activity with mere contact. However, Mirex has been banned in the U.S. because evidence points to its being a potent carcinogen. See The Merck Index, 11th Edition, 1989, p. 977.
Use of baits is an alternative method of controlling fire ants. When toxic pesticides are mixed with bait, the worker ants carry the bait back to the colony as food. Amdro is one such bait product that contains a slow acting poison. Although the colony will eventually be destroyed, baits are slow working; they may take up to a month to be effective. Amdro is not for use on food crops.
Chemical repellents that have low toxicity for humans may be applied to the body. Mosquito repellents that are topically applied are common. Many of the useful insect repellents are tertiary amides. Among these, an all purpose insect repellent is N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, also known as "DEET." Notwithstanding its low toxicity, it is an irritant to eyes and mucous membranes, and ingestion can cause CNS disturbances. See The Merck Index, 11th Edition, 1989, p. 449.
What is needed are compositions that repel or kill insect pests and can be applied to the locus where insect pests are found. Such compositions need to be safe for plants and animals that come into contact with the compositions. There is a further need for compositions that prevent insects from biting and stinging. The compositions need to be non-carcinogenic, non-irritating, and non-toxic to users.

The President and Fellows of Harvard College


An active vibration control (AVC) system includes a shaft-driven gearbox mounted force generator (GMFG) mounted to a main rotor transmission. The GMFGs receive shaft power from an output shaft driven by the main rotor transmission and/or engine-to-transmission gearbox to avoid separate drive motors.

The present invention relates to producing large, controllable, vibratory forces to compensate for sensed noise or vibrations, and more particularly to an active vibration control (AVC) system which is driven by an aircraft gearbox.
The dominant source of vibration in a helicopter is that generated by the main rotor system rotating at the blade passing frequency. Forces and moments are transmitted usually through the transmission via airframe attachments, to produce vibration in the airframe.
One conventional approach to reducing such vibration involves replacing a rigid gearbox mounting strut with a compliant strut and parallel hydraulic actuator. These actuator strut concepts "intercept" the main gearbox vibration before entry into the airframe or generate counteracting loads that partially suppress the vibration or loads. Interrupting a load path may disadvantageously permit relatively large motions between the main gearbox and the airframe. Interruption of the load path between the gearbox and the airframe may cause fatigue failures in high speed drive shafts that transmit shaft power from the vehicle engines to the main gearbox. Compliant mounts may permit the gearbox to vibrate at higher levels than desirable which may then be transmitted to the driving engines reducing their service life. Furthermore, unwanted motions may also induce unexpected control inputs by effectively deflecting the mechanical flight control system links.
Another conventional approach utilizes counter-rotating eccentric masses located within the airframe to rotate at the frequency of the primary aircraft vibration and generate a fixed magnitude vibration force. A second pair of eccentric masses phased relative to the first pair to yield a force magnitude from zero to maximum force. A control computer commands the masses such that the inertial forces are produced to minimize airframe vibrations. Although effective, this approach may be inadequate in a vehicle having a gearbox which is directly attached to the airframe.
Conventional actively controlled force generators are electrically driven by an electric motor. The electric motor and ancillary equipment are relatively heavy and require considerable electrical power. Due to their size and drive requirements, conventional actively controlled force generators are positioned within the relatively flexible airframe remote from the vibration source of the rotor assembly. This arrangement permits vibration to enter the flexible airframe and may limit effectiveness by requiring a large number of actuators to achieve significant vibration suppression. Reduction to vibration levels of 0.05 g are essentially unattainable with such conventional force generators.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an active vibration control system which generates relatively large controllable vibratory forces with a lower weight and smaller size than conventional systems.


A switchable finger follower having at least two lift modes includes a primary lever and a secondary lever mounted for pivoting movement to the primary lever, the secondary lever includes a cam contact surface, and a lost motion contact projection. A coupling device on the primary lever includes a coupling pin that moves between a locking position, in which the secondary lever is locked to the primary lever in a lift position, and an unlocked position, in which the secondary lever is pivotable relative to the primary lever. A first lost motion idler arm is pivotally connected to the primary lever and has a distal end that contacts the lost motion contact projection. A first lost motion spring is located between the primary lever and the first lost motion idler arm that maintains a preload on the secondary lever via the first lost motion idler arm in the unlocked position.

Switchable roller finger followers are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,869. Such finger followers have a secondary lever in the form of an outer lever pivotably mounted outside a primary lever in the form of an inner lever and a roller rotatably mounted on a transverse axle in a slot in the inner lever. The top surface of the outer lever can act as a contact surface for a high lift cam and the top surface of the roller acts as a contact surface for a low lift cam. A coupling element is mounted at one end of the finger follower and oil from an oil source is used to activate the coupling element. When the coupling element is activated, it locks the outer lever to the primary or in this case inner lever and requires the follower to follow the high lift cam and transfer the lift to the valve stem of an associated intake or exhaust valve. When the coupling element is deactivated, the secondary or in this case outer lever is free to pivot relative to the inner lever and, under the aid of a lost motion spring, the outer lever pivots freely in conjunction with the high lift cam while the motion of the low lift cam is transferred by the inner lever to the valve stem. This movement by the outer lever is conventionally referred to as the lost motion stroke.
Alternatively, the switchable finger follower can have a lift mode and a no lift mode. In this case, the secondary lever in the form of an inner lever is pivotably mounted within a primary or in this case outer lever, and a roller is rotatably mounted on a transverse axle in a slot in the inner lever. In the lift mode, a coupling device locks the secondary or in this case inner lever to the primary, outer lever so that the cam movement is transferred from the roller to the inner lever/outer lever which act as one piece and transfer the lift to a valve stem. In the no lift mode, the secondary or in this case inner lever is unlocked from the primary, outer lever and, under the aid of the lost motion spring, the secondary, inner lever is free to pivot relative to the primary, outer lever so that no lift is transferred.
In either case, the lost motion spring is used to absorb motion of the secondary lever relative to the primary lever to maintain contact between the cam follower of the secondary lever and the cam during the lost motion stroke. The size of the lost motion stroke available is often limited by the space available about the roller axle, as well as the angular displacement of the lost motion spring acting between the primary lever and the secondary lever. Additionally, the ends of the lost motion springs that contact the lost motion part require a high pre-load in order to prevent pumping up of the hydraulic lash adjuster support assembly out of its support opening in the block or head due to the oil pressure exceeding the downward spring pressure.
It would be desirable to provide a finger follower of the type noted above that would allow for lower preloads of the lost motion spring as well as smaller angular displacements, while still allowing the same or even greater lost motion travel between the inner and outer levers.

Switchable finger follower with lost motion spring lost stroke minimizer


A patch antenna includes a dielectric body, radiation element, earth conductor and feed member. The dielectric body increases in cross-sectional area from a first end toward a second end thereof. The radiation element is disposed on a surface of the dielectric body, and each side of the radiation element has a length adjusted based on the frequency of a radio wave to be received and the effective permittivity of the dielectric body. The earth conductor is disposed on the bottom surface of the dielectric body. The feed member is electrically connected to the radiation element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a patch antenna and a wireless communications device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wristwatch-type wireless terminals have a problem of degradation in antenna characteristics due to influence from a wrist where the wireless terminal is attached, for example.
For this reason, such a wireless terminal uses a patch antenna which has directivity in the zenith direction with respect to the GND surface thereof and is less influenced by a wrist where the wireless terminal is attached.
The patch antenna includes a dielectric body, a radiation element disposed on the top surface of the dielectric body, and an earth conductor disposed on the bottom surface of the dielectric body.
The technique of such a patch antenna is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-198725.
In general, a patch antenna occupies a larger space than other electronic components built in a wristwatch-type wireless terminal.
For this reason, in a wristwatch-type wireless terminal, a patch antenna is often mounted not in a main body case, where many electronic components are disposed and where there is not a sufficient space for the patch antenna, but in a band attaching portion, which affords more space for the patch antenna.
FIG. 12A is a plan view of a conventional wristwatch 600, and FIG. 12B is a side view thereof, a part of the wristwatch 600 cut out.
The wristwatch 600 includes a main body case 601, to which band attaching portions 601a and 601b are attached, and bands 602a and 602b attached to the band attaching portions 601a and 601b.
The main body case 601 and the band attaching portions 601a and 601b are formed in one united body with resin.
In the main body case 601, a GPS (global positioning system) module as a communication module is mounted, for example.
The band attaching portions 601a and 601b each have the shape of an isosceles trapezoid when viewed from above. More specifically, the widths of the band attaching portions 601a and 601b decrease in the direction from the main body case 601 toward the bands 602a and 602b, respectively.
Further, the bottom surfaces of the band attaching portions 601a and 601b are flush with the bottom surface of the main body case 601. The thicknesses (i.e., the heights of the top surfaces) of the band attaching portions 601a and 601b increase in the direction from the bands 602a and 602b, respectively, toward the main body case 601.
The band attaching portion 601a which is at the 6 o'clock position (i.e., 6 o'clock position of the analog watch) serves as an antenna case. A patch antenna 610 is encased within the band attaching portion 601a.
The expression "a patch antenna 610 is encased within the band attaching portion 601a" means a state where the patch antenna 610 is fitted (contained) in the band attaching portion 601a without protruding therefrom.
The patch antenna 610 has the shape of a square prism, and appears to be a square when viewed from above.
Further, the patch antenna 610 has a uniform thickness (i.e., constant height of the top surface).
The lengths of sides and thickness of the patch antenna 610 are constrained and determined on the basis of the smallest dimension within the space of the band attaching portion 601a.
Specifically, the lengths of sides of the patch antenna 610 are determined in accordance with the depth (i.e., the distance between the main body case 601 and the band 602a) of the band attaching portion 601a, the depth being smaller than its width; and the thickness of the patch antenna 610 is determined in accordance with the smallest height of the band attaching portion 601a.
Therefore, when the depth and the smallest height of the band attaching portion 601a are small, the size of the patch antenna 610 is restricted in accordance with the depth and the height. This reduces the volume of antenna, resulting in insufficient sensitivity characteristics (antenna gain).

Patch antenna and wireless communications device


A holder for planar material includes a first panel and a second panel hingedly connected to the first panel. A prong is secured to the first panel and extends in a direction approximately normal thereto. The prong has a pointed tip. An aperture is defined in the second panel. The pointed tip pierces an associated planar material located between the panels such that the prong of the first panel can pass through the associated planar material and enter the aperture of the second panel when the first panel overlies a portion of the second panel, thereby holding the associated planar material between the first and second panels. A clip is connected to at least one of the first and second panels. The clip allows the holder to be mounted to an associated support. In another embodiment, each of the first and second panels includes an extension and a hinge connects the first and second extensions thereby allowing the first panel, and the first extension, to be pivoted in relation to the second panel and the second extension. This enables the holder to be selectively mounted on a wire component of an associated support.

This invention relates generally to sign holders. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holder for planar or sheet material wherein the holder has a pair of hingedly connected panels and a prong on one panel which is adapted to pass through a hole in the other panel.
The invention is particularly applicable to holders or display devices useful in a retail environment where price sheets or other signs need to be displayed to purchasers. However, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may also be adapted for use in many other environments, such as holding a plurality of sheets together or holding a display fixture to a support.
It is conventional practice in retail establishments to indicate the price of merchandise held on shelves with price sheets being mounted to the shelf adhesively or with some type of support or clip. The price sheet may be positioned in a plane parallel to the front edge of a shelf or a peg board type display or in a plane perpendicular to the front edge to call the buyer's attention to the goods.
It is desirable that sheets be mounted securely to prevent accidental or mischievous dislodgement. Previously known clips accomplish this through mechanical locking means. For example, a pin and slot arrangement or gripping teeth would prevent the removal of the sheet except by manually disengaging the locking means. Some such clips are made from several parts to facilitate the removal of sheets. However, such devices are more costly to produce than is a one piece device.
A known one-piece clip includes first and second panels that are hingedly connected to each other. One of the panel members includes a prong which extends through an aperture in the other panel member thereby impaling a sheet of planar material therebetween. Such a design is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,803, which issued on Dec. 27, 1994. However, this known design is only useful for a limited range of retail displays, namely C channels. It would be desirable to adapt a similar type of one piece sign holder for use in connection with metal and plastic scan plates, such as are used in peg board displays and in connection with wire baskets and similar wire-type merchandising and displays.
Also known to the art is a ticket holder which employs first and second panels that are hingedly connected to each other and can be secured together via a toothed prong. Each of the first and second panels has a respective extension rigidly mounted thereto. The prong is mounted on the first extension. The first extension is hingedly connected to the second extension and pivots in relation thereto. When the panels and extensions are folded, the prong protrudes through aligned apertures formed in the first and second panels. Such a design of a ticket holder can be found in Design Pat. No. D440,606 which issued on Apr. 17, 2001. In this design, the planar material or ticket is held between the two panels but is not pierced by the prong. Rather, the prong is spaced away from the area of the two panels between which the ticket is held. Thus, the ticket is liable to fall out of the holder, since it is not positively locked to the holder.
Accordingly, it has been considered desirable to develop a new and improved holder for planar sheet material which would overcome the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.


To provide an image display device and a projector having a brightness or an excellent utilization efficiency of the light by improving the display performance of a moving picture. A projector includes a light source for emitting illumination light, a liquid crystal light valve serving as a spatial light modulator having an image-forming area for forming image light by modulating the illumination light based on an electrical signal, a pair of fly-eye lenses and serving as an irradiation optical system for converting at least one of the shape and the size of the light beam of the illumination light emitted from the light source and for irradiating the converted illumination light on a region which is smaller than the image-forming area, a superposing lens, a rotating prism serving as an illumination-light scanning optical system for scanning the illumination light irradiated by the irradiation optical system on the image-forming area, and a projection lens as a projection device for projecting the image light modulated by the liquid crystal light valve.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device and a projector. More particularly, it relates to a projector to illuminate a spatial light modulator, such as a liquid crystal light valve or a tilting mirror device with illumination light emitted from a light source, and to display an image by projecting the illumination light from a projection lens onto a screen or the like by causing the illumination light modulated by the spatial light modulator to impinge on a projection lens. Specifically, this technology is useful in displaying moving pictures.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 18 shows a conceptual schematic illustrating a related art projector. This projector 1000 is provided with a light source 110, a pair of fly-eye lenses 1021 and 1022, a superposing lens 1023, a collimating lens 140, a light valve 151, and a projection lens 160.
The fly-eye lenses 1021 and 1022 are lens arrays in which micro lenses having a rectangular form are arranged in the form of matrix. The external shape of each of the micro lenses is substantially similar to the external shape of the image-forming area of the light valve 151, serving as a spatial light modulator, when each of the micro lenses is viewed along the optical axis direction. For example, if the external shape of the image-forming area of the light valve 151 is a rectangular shape having an aspect ratio of 4:3, the external shape of each of the micro lenses also has a rectangular shape having an aspect ratio of 4:3.
The fly eye lens 1021 divides the illumination light emitted from the light source 110 into a plurality of partial light beams and condenses each of the divided partial light beams on the micro lenses of the fly eye lens 1022, respectively. The fly eye lens 1022 emits each of the plurality of divided partial light beams, and causes each of the emitted plurality of divided partial light beams to impinge on the superposing lens 1023. Further, the superposing lens 1023 superposes the plurality of split partial light beams after passing through a collimating lens 140, and then illuminates the superposed light beams on the image-forming region of the light valve 151. At this time, since the aspect ratio of each of the external shapes of the micro lenses and the aspect ratio of the image-forming area of the light valve 151 are equal to each other, illumination light having a uniform luminance distribution over the whole image-forming area of the light valve 151 can be generated.
Therefore, the projector 1000 illuminates the image-forming area of the light valve 151 with the illumination light emitted from the light source 110 by making the distribution of the luminance uniform, and after the illumination light is modulated by the light valve 151, the illumination light is incident on the projection lens 160 serving as the projection device, and then is projected from the projection lens 160 onto a screen (not shown) as image light, thereby displaying an image having smaller brightness irregularity.
Further, there is a liquid crystal light valve in which a liquid crystal panel is used in a single light valve. The projector illuminates the liquid crystal light valve with the illumination light emitted from the light source, the illumination light is modulated by the liquid crystal light valve based on the image signal, and the display performance of the moving picture to be projected onto the screen by the projector is equal to the display performance of the moving picture based on the response performance of the liquid crystal light valve, since the illumination light is projected onto the screen after expanding the illumination light by the projection lens.
Further, in the related art image display device, a technique to improve the quality of the moving picture has been proposed by scanning the illumination area to be illuminated by the display element. In a certain image display device, a construction for scanning the illumination area to be illuminated by the display element by disposing a plurality of light sources on the rear surface of the display element and sequentially turning the light on and off at predetermined time intervals is well known (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-275604). Further, in another related art image display device, a construction for scanning the illumination area to be illuminated by the display element by rotating a light condensing tube provided with a slit for defining the direction in which the light source emits light is well known (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-6766).


A fried crisp which includes a fried mixture of an edible product, such as, soy product, corn, potato or a mixture thereof, and an oil consisting essentially of grapeseed oil.

This invention relates to the manufacture of crisps fried in grapeseed oil.
The consumption of various snacks such as potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, nuts, extruded crisps and similar products is very high and growing annually at a rate of 2-5% per year in developed countries and at more than 20% per year in developing countries.
Exclusive of nuts, pretzels and some other foods, such snacks are generally known as crisps, namely those sliced from potatoes (with or without flavor additives) and those made from reconstituted vegetable matter, with starch and flavor additives, such as corn chips, reconstituted potato chips and soy base chips. These crisps are generally fried but chips are also available baked. The purpose of baking is to reduce or eliminate the fat that is added during frying. Certain fried crisps are now also available fried in a synthetic non-digestible fat. Fried chips contain from about 25% fat to more than 35%.
A baked low fat (under 10%) soy based crisp is described in our recently filed patent application.
Since the texture and flavor of baked crisps is different from fried crisps and the consumption of fried crisps by far exceeds that of baked crisps, this invention deals with fried crisps.
The use of synthetic fats and vegetable fats or vegetable/animal fats as opposed to butter and lard type fats and hydrogenated or partly hydrogenated fats is a dietary improvement, but none of these fats contain as much polyunsaturated fats as does grapeseed oil, and they do not contain bioflavinoids in appreciable quantities.
The following table shows the fatty acid content of various food oils and fats.
______________________________________ Essential Fatty Acid % (Poly- Type of Oil unsaturated) Mono-unsaturated % Saturated % ______________________________________ Grapeseed 72 16 8 Sunflower 65 11 Soybean 60 14 Peanut 22 17 Olive 9 16 Coconut 2 87 Cottonseed 52 25 ______________________________________
Grapeseed oil also contains proanthocyanidin (PCO), a natural bioflavonoid. PCO has an intense, free radical scavenging effect. Free radicals damage cells by causing mutations in DNA, premature aging, inflammation, weaken of the immune system and are implicated in more than 60 diseases. PCO is the most potent antioxidant ever discovered.
Two studies on grapeseed oil were conducted at SUNY Science Center in New York by Dr. David Nash. (D. T. Nash; Arteriosclerosis, An Official Journal of the American Heart Association, Inc., Vol. 10, No. 6, November-December 1990.) (D. T. Nash, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 92T-116, 1993.) Both studies show that one ounce daily of grapeseed oil consumed for only several weeks showed that while total weight and cholesterol did not vary significantly, there was a significant drop in LDL (low density lipis--bad cholesterol) amounting to 7% and a rise in HDL (high density lipids--good cholesterol) of 13%, and the total cholesterol/HDL level was reduced by 15.6%.
The well known Helsinki heart study and the Framingham heart study (Drugs, 1990, 40 Suppl 1:138) showed that for every 1% increase in HDL, there was a 3% reduction in cardiac events like acute heart attack.
Soy protein's ability to lower cholesterol has been known for more than 30 years. In the 1970s, Cesare R. Sirtory and his colleagues narrowed the 30-year ongoing search to the legume's proteins and were able to lower the cholesterol of high cholesterol individuals by as much as 22%. Since then researchers have discovered a family of pigments, called isoflavones, as soy protein's most likely beneficial components. Chief among soy proteins are genistein and diadzein. Around 1990, genistein and its relatives were identified as potential anti-cancer agents; and the isoflavones are now identified as plant estrogens.
Recent work has also shown that these soy constituents are also antioxidants.
It is now evident that various components of soy act (a) to reduce cholesterol, (b) as antioxidants and cancer inhibitors, (c) as estrogen replacement in post menopausal women and (d) to help prevent stroke by limiting the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery and (e) to improve the elasticity of arterial vessels in women, thus helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.
For significant benefits to be obtained from soy, about 20-40 gms. of soy protein per day needs to be consumed. But the consumption of soy from foods like tofu, soy candy bars, soy margarine and other soy containing foods, if such foods are eaten in normally consumed quantities, is not sufficient. And many of these foods contain certain fats, sugars and other ingredients which should be kept to a minimum.
An analysis of crisp consumption made by the Financial Mail on May 19, 1996, page 12, shows that in the USA, UK, Israel and Canada, the consumption of crisps is very high. In the USA, such consumption is 83.times.40 gm. bags per person per year. If extruded crisps are added, this total comes to over 100 such bags. This quantity is consumed in spite of crisps being considered a "junk food" and its consumption is minimized contrary to a desire to eat more of it.
If some other snacks are partly replaced by crisps, then as much as half to three quarters of the recommended daily soy intake could come from crisps.
Fried crisps unfortunately contain about 25% to more than 35% fat. Using 30% fat as an average, this results in some 12 gms. of fat per 40 gms. of crisps. This is too much fat intake unless benefits as opposed to detriments are derived from the fat.


A microwave circuit has an electrical prong for external circuit connection, a ground and a dipole antenna. A circuit board supports the microwave circuit. A heat sink is mounted on the circuit board and has high thermal and electrical conductivity for conducting heat from the electrical circuit and conducting electricity relative to the circuit ground. The heat sink includes a cylindrical boss extending away from the circuit board and having a reduced diameter upper rim and a threaded internal bore having a partially closed bottom. The circuit prong extends into the bore through the bore bottom and is electrically isolated from the heat sink. A cover encloses the circuit, circuit board and heat sink. It has low electrical and thermal conductivity and has an opening into which the reduced diameter upper rim of the heat sink boss extends. An outer sleeve is sized to receive the cover and has high thermal and electrical conductivity and an opening. A coaxial connector has a cylindrical sleeve with a threaded outer surface and an internal conductor extending axially through the connector sleeve. The connector sleeve is received in the outer sleeve opening and threadedly received in the heat sink boss bore for securing by use of a locknut on the connector sleeve, the heat sink relative to the cover and thermally and electrically coupling the heat sink to the outer sleeve. The internal conductor is in electrical contact with the circuit prong. A first seal is positioned between the bottom of the heat sink bore and the connector received in the bore. A second seal is positioned between the heat sink boss and the cover adjacent to the cover opening.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly providing external electrical and thermal terminals for a circuit, and in particular to such an assembly that seals the circuit in a circuit cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that covers for housing electrical circuits exist. The electrical terminals for connecting an enclosed circuit is usually through a hole in the housing wall. If the circuit needs to be weatherproof, a seal is applied at the hole to prevent moisture and dust from getting inside.
It is also known to use heat sinks to draw heat from a circuit component. The use of a heat sink to conduct heat to a shield case is also known, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,304 issued to Oogaki et al. It is also known to secure a combination circuit ground/heat sink to a circuit board by an electrical connector assembly as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,883 issued to Bakker. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,282 issued to Polonio discloses a mechanical fastener, in the form of a screw, that secures an electronic circuit component housing to a circuit board. The screw functions as both a heat sink and an electrical connection between the component and the circuit on the circuit board. Individual signals are connected to the circuit board through separate conductors. Inubushi et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,509 a wireless telephone cover that serves as a heat sink. Owerko discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,409 a carrying case containing an electronic circuit in which a closure also functions as a mechanical push button.
In environments that are subject to adverse ambient moisture or other atmospheric conditions, it is desirable to provide an enclosure, for a circuit with external electrical terminals, with as few openings as possible. There thus remains a need for an assembly that provides a plurality of functions relating to securing the enclosure, securing the circuit relative to the enclosure, and transmitting thermal and electrical energy through the enclosure wall.


A vehicle transmission transmits torque from an engine to a drive axle and includes a power shift transmission and a reverser module. A control system and method automatically partially disengages the reverser module during a shift of the power shift transmission with nearly no effect upon the operating condition of the engine, so that a portion of the torque generated by the engine continues to be transmitted at all times to the drive axle.

The present invention relates to a control system for a transmission which transmits torque from an engine to a drive axle of a vehicle, and which includes a power shift transmission and a reverser module.
Such transmissions are known to be used in agricultural utility vehicles, such as tractors. Shifting the power shift transmission causes a jerk which can be felt, since the multi-disk clutches of the power shift transmission are engaged or disengaged hydraulically without any modulation. This causes variations in the torque in the driveline of the vehicle and causes jerk-like vehicle movements which are unpleasant and which reduce the operating comfort.
Such jerking movements could be suppressed, for example, by controlling the engine to synchronize the output rotational speed of the engine with the new gear ratio of the power shift transmission. However, such a control of the engine could be costly to develop, since the generally complex control arrangement of the engine would then have to be further complicated by further functionality. Such a control may also result in higher fuel consumption of an internal combustion engine.
Published German patent DE 196 00 835 A1 shows a vehicle transmission which includes a power shift transmission, at least one multi-disk clutch and a further power shift transmission for shifting wider speed ranges. In order to suppress jerking motions during shift of the power shift transmission, a button is actuated manually by the operator, whereby the multi-disk clutch is disengaged for a predetermined time interval. In so far as this goes, this reduces or avoids the jerk resulting from shifting of the power shift transmission.
However, in the system of DE 196 00 835 A1, because the multi-disk clutch is completely disengaged, the connection between the engine and the drive axle is interrupted for the predetermined time interval, and this causes the vehicle stop or at least reduce its speed during operation under load or in uphill operation. This also results in a jerk which reduces operator comfort. Moreover, disengagement of the multi-disk clutch is possible only in the two upper gear ratios of the power shift gear box, since the vehicle has sufficient kinetic energy in these speed ranges so that the vehicle, as a rule, should not come to a complete stop.
It is desired to provide a control for transmission of this type which overcomes the aforementioned problems.


In order to provide a high electric power for an aircraft via a generator driven by the engine, an additional free turbine is included in the hot-gas flow of the engine, which—equipped with generator-starter magnets (9) and surrounded by annularly arranged generator-starter coils (12)—forms a generator-starter turbine (5) and is connected to the high-pressure shaft (1) via an overrunning clutch (15), and hence, is also used for starting the engine.

The present invention relates to a generator-starter system for a multi-shaft engine with a generator coupled to the high-pressure shaft of the high-pressure turbine for taking off a high electric power and for starting the engine.
Secondary electric power, as is generally known, is today pneumatically taken off the engine. If the electrical power demand of the aircraft is high, such a generator-starter arrangement is, however, disadvantageous in that the compressor encounters stability problems when power take-off is very high and the higher weight resulting from the increased performance of the generator, which also acts as motor during engine start, affects the distribution of weight on the engine. Therefore, the electric power supply is limited.
Further known is the off-take of the required electric power by way of a generator connected to the low-pressure shaft, an arrangement which, however, necessitates a complex gearbox since the speed of the low-pressure shaft is variable. Furthermore, the generator, which is connected to the low-pressure shaft, cannot be used as starter for the engine, and a clutch, which would in this arrangement be required between the high-pressure and the low-pressure shaft, is complex and increases weight.
Finally, the use of so-called "embedded" generators was proposed which, however, are badly accessible and, therefore, entail considerable maintenance and repair effort.

Generator-starter system for a multi-shaft engine


A DNA encoding an enzyme, which forms non-reducing saccharides having trehalose structure as an end unit from amylaceous saccharides having a degree of glucose polymerization of 3 or higher, enables an industrial-scale production of a recombinant enzyme with such enzyme activity. Non-reducing saccharides obtainable by the recombinant enzyme can be used in a variety of food products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and feeds because of their substantial non-reducibility, mild and high-quality sweetness, adequate viscosity, and moisture-retaining ability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel DNA encoding an enzyme which forms non-reducing saccharides having trehalose structure as an end unit from reducing amylaceous saccharides having a degree of glucose polymerization of 3 or higher, and a recombinant DNA and enzyme containing the DNA as well as to a transformant. The present invention further relates to preparations and uses thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trehalose is a disaccharide which consists of 2 glucose molecules that are linked together with their reducing groups, and, naturally, it is present in fungi, algae, insects, etc., in an extremely small quantity. Having no reducing residue within the molecule, trehalose does not cause an unsatisfactory browning reaction even when heated in the presence of amino acids or the like, and because of this it can sweeten food products without fear of causing unsatisfiable coloration and deterioration. Trehalose, however, is far from being readily prepared in a desired amount by conventional production methods, and, actually, it has rarely been used for sweetening food products.
Conventional production methods are roughly classified into 2 groups, i.e. the one using cells of microorganisms and the other employing a multi-enzymatic system wherein enzymes are allowed to act on saccharides. The former, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 154,485/75, is a method comprising growing microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts in nutrient culture media, and collecting trehalose from the proliferated cells in the resultant cultures. The latter, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 216,695/83, is a method comprising providing maltose as a substrate, allowing a multi-enzymatic system using maltose- and trehalose-phosphorylases to act on maltose, and recovering the formed trehalose from the reaction system. Although the former facilitates growth of microorganisms with relative ease, it requires complex sequential complicated steps for collecting trehalose from the microorganisms containing only 15 w/w % trehalose, on a dry solid basis (d.s.b.). While the latter enables separating of trehalose with relative ease, but it is theoretically difficult to increase the trehalose yield by allowing enzymes to act on substrates at a considerably-high concentration because the enzymatic reaction in itself is an equilibrium reaction of 2 different types of enzymes and the equilibrium point constantly inclines to the side of forming glucose phosphate.
In view of the foregoing, the present inventors energetically screened enzymes which form saccharides having trehalose structure from amylaceous saccharides, and found that microorganisms such as those of the species Rhizobium sp. M-11 and Arthrobacter sp. Q36 produce a novel enzyme which forms non-reducing saccharides having trehalose structure as an end unit from reducing amylaceous saccharides having a degree of glucose polymerization of 3 or higher. Before or after this finding, it was revealed that such a non-reducing saccharide is almost quantitatively hydrolyzed into trehalose and glucose and/or maltooligosaccharides by another enzyme produced by the same microorganisms as mentioned above. Since using a combination use of these enzymes enables the formation of a desired amount of trehalose with relative ease, the aforementioned objects relating to trehalose would be completely overcome. The low level production of the novel enzyme by such a microorganism, i.e. in a relatively-large scale culture present a drawback in industrially producing trehalose and/or non-reducing saccharides having trehalose structure as an end unit.
Recombinant DNA technology has made a remarkable progress in recent years. At present, even an enzyme whose total amino acid sequence has not been revealed can be readily prepared in a desired amount, if a gene encoding the enzyme was once isolated and the base sequence was decoded, by preparing a recombinant DNA which contains a DNA encoding the enzyme, introducing the recombinant DNA into microorganisms or cells of plants and animals, and culturing the resultant transformants. With this background, a gene encoding the enzyme and its base sequence we urgently sought.

DNA encoding enzyme, recombinant DNA and enzyme, transformant, and their preparation and uses

Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo


An epoxy resin composition comprising (a) a low-viscosity epoxy resin having a viscosity of not more than 100 poise at 25.degree. C. which contains a tri- or tetrafunctional liquid aromatic epoxy resin, (b) a liquid curing agent selected from the group consisting of an imidazole compound, the combination of a liquid alicyclic acid anhydride and an imidazole compound, the combination of a liquid alicyclic amine and an imidazole compound, (c) a metal powder having an average particle size of not more than 125 .mu.m or an inorganic powder consisted of 50 parts or more by weight of a metal powder having an average particle size of not more than 125 3/4m and less than 50 parts by weight of an inorganic filler other than a metal powder, whose average particle size is smaller than that of the metal powder, based on the total amount of the metal powder and the inorganic filler. The composition has satisfactory fluidity and provides a cured product having high strength, a small thermal expansion coefficient, excellent heat-resistance and satisfactory surface characteristics. The composition is useful for the production of a resin mold, etc.

Epoxy resin compositions containing a metal powder, such as aluminum powder, is known. For example, JP-B-50-38606 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined published Japanese patent application") discloses a resin molding material comprising 100 parts by weight of an epoxy resin, 40 to 60 parts by weight of aluminum powder of 200 to 500 mesh, and 10 to 20 parts by weight of a curing agent, which is molded to provide a resin mold for casting. However, the allowable highest compounding ratio of aluminum powder being 60 parts per 100 parts by weight of an epoxy resin, the resin material considerably shrinks on curing, failing to reproduce a mold faithful to the original. Besides, having a low thermal conductivity, the resin material is liable to undergo distortion on heating. To avoid this, curing must be effected with a slow rise in temperature, achieving poor workability.
JP-A-60-137623 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") discloses a method for producing a resin mold for injection molding from an epoxy resin compounded with a relatively large quantity of a metal powder, e.g., aluminum powder or iron powder, as a filler so as to minimize shrinkage on curing and to improve thermal conduction. However, the epoxy resin composition used here comprises a bisphenol A type epoxy resin, as a result, has a high viscosity, and the metal powder to be used as a filler has a relatively large size. Use of large filler particles not only results in production of a resin mold with a poor appearance but also causes separation of the filler due to non-uniform dispersion of the filler in the resin matrix.
Further, JP-A-2-53850 describes a resin material comprising a low-viscosity epoxy resin having a viscosity of not more than 50 poise which contains an alicyclic epoxy resin and not less than 100 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the epoxy resin and a curing agent, of a metal powder containing at least 50% by weight of a fine powder having a particle size of not more than 44 .mu.m, the resin material providing a cured product with low shrinkage on curing and high thermal conductivity. The cured product, however, does not satisfy impact resistance.
A resin mold has an advantage of production ease and low cost over a metal mold but, on the other hand, is apt to suffer from cracks during cutting or on repeated use. Accordingly, it has been demanded to develop a resin mold with high strength and small expansion coefficient which is not broken on repeated use. Under the present situation, a resin material providing a resin mold which meets these requirements has not yet been found.

Epoxy resin composition and cured product thereof


A high pressure unit fuel injector includes a member with a fuel delivery opening to be intermittently supplied with high pressure fuel and a valve seat encircling the fuel delivery opening. A valve cage includes a check-valve chamber adjacent the valve seat. The chamber includes an annular ledge facing the valve seat and an inwardly facing wall surrounding the ledge. A disk is located within the chamber and has opposite first and second faces alternately seatable against the valve seat and the ledge respectively. The disk has a plurality of openings between the first and second faces and a circular-shaped groove formed in the first face about a center of the disk. The groove intersects the plurality of openings.

Fuel injectors typically use a check valve in the fuel path between an injector pumping element and an injector nozzle element. The check valve is designed to prevent a back flow of fuel into the pumping element once the delivery of fuel is complete. The check valve also prevents combustion gases from entering the pumping element in the event such gasses pass through valve associated with the nozzle element.
In engines with high ratings, flow irregularities often referred to as knocking has occurred in some injectors during high output operation. This knocking is believed to be due to unstable motion of the check valve disk during the pumping stroke when the disk should be seated on a ledge spaced from the valve seat. It is believed that rapid radial outflow of fuel over the upper side of the disc to passages through the disk, typically in the form of scallops at edges of the disk, causes momentary reductions in pressure above the disk sufficient to allow system pressure below the disk to lift it erratically from the ledge. In an effort to reduce knocking, attempts have been made to reduce the radial flow path of fuel over the top surface of the check valve disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,094, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, discloses a fuel injector check valve having a plurality of equally spaced holes. The plurality of holes are equally spaced in a ring near the fuel delivery opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,427, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, discloses a fuel injector check valve having a plurality of notches or slots. The notches or slots have inner edges that are concave in shape and are located near the fuel delivery opening to reduce the radial distance between the fuel delivery opening and the notches.
While these prior attempts may have somewhat reduced flow irregularities, they have reduced the seal area and require relatively large loads to open. Accordingly, three is a need in the art for an improved fuel injector check valve.


A recombinantly derived insect chitinase gene is inserted into a vector for host expression of the chitinase protein, and may be utilized according to methods for controlling a population of insect pests. A recombinant virus is provided for this purpose, as well as a recombinant plant. Recombinantly derived insect chitinase may also be expressed in host cells or larvae for subsequent purification.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") (or ribonucleic acid "RNA" in the case of a viral genome) host organisms for expressing recombinantly derived proteins. More particularly, the preferred recombinant nucleotides of the invention include a genetic insert coding for insect chitinase, which may be expressed in a variety of organisms. Particularly preferred forms of the invention include a recombinantly derived virus for accelerating the demise of insects, fungi, nematodes and other pests by causing them to express insect chitinase, and a highly insect-resistant recombinant plant that expresses insect chitinase.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plants utilize chitinase in a variety of defensive mechanisms. By way of example, plant chitinase can degrade fungal cell walls as a defense against fungal pathogens. Additionally, plants secrete increased levels of chitinase in response to insect attack. Grains, in particular, often contain large amounts of chitinases. Unfortunately, while insects contain chitin in the midgut and exoskeleton, the plant chitinases seem to have very little influence upon the feeding activities of plant-eating insects, which have substantially overcome this avenue of plant defense.
Several plant, fungal, and yeast chitinase proteins and/or genes have been reported in the art, e.g., Cucumis sativa (Metraux et al., 1989), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Kuranda and Robbins, 1989), Serratia marcescens A (Jones et al, 1986), Serratia marcescens B (Harpster and Dunsmuir, 1989), Streptomyces plicatus (Kuranda and Robbins, 1989), Streptomyces plicatus endo H (Robbins et al., 1984), Vibrio parahemolyticus (Kuranda and Robbins, 1989), Streptomyces erythraeus (Kamei et al., 1989), Bacillus circulans A1 (Watanabe et al., 1990), B. circulans D (Watanabe et al., 1992) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Samac et al., 1990).
The bean chitinase gene was recently inserted into transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) seedlings, with the effect of producing tobacco plants that are resistant to the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, as reported by Broglie et al., 1991.

Recombinant chitinase and use thereof as a biocide

Kansas State University Research Foundation


A ferroelectric memory device with plate line segments free from the capacitive plate line segment coupling in a read/write operation, and a method of accessing the memory device. The memory device includes a floating protection circuit for protecting unselected plate line segments from being floated during a read/write operations. The floating protection circuit prevents data disturbance due to the capacitive plate line segment coupling. In a data write method of the memory device, a sense amplifier corresponding to a bit line is activated after a voltage corresponding to a data bit to the bit line is applied. In a data read method of the memory device, the sense amplifier is activated and then a column gate corresponding to the bit line is selected.

The characteristic that defines ferroelectricity is its spontaneous polarization which can be reversed by an electric field. Various ferroelectric materials are known, such as the PZT family of lead zirconate and titanate compounds, Phase III potassium nitride, bismuth titanate, or the like, each of which has a Perovskite structure. When the proper electrical field is applied to a ferroelectric material, its polarization is arranged in the same direction. The ferroelectric material remains in essentially the same polarization when the electric field is removed. This phenomena is known the spontaneous polarization. Because the direction of an applied electric field can change polarizations and the ferroelectric material has two threshold voltages for the reverse of its polarization, it can be thought of as a bi-stable capacitor.
Generally, in areas that require high speed and symmetrical read/write characteristics and extremely high endurance, a volatile SRAM or DRAM is used. In areas where a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is desired, an EPROM, EEPROM or flash memory is used although their characteristics are inferior in write speed and endurance to DRAMS and SRAMS. When large capacity and low cost are both desired, magnetic memories are used. Ferroelectric memory has the potential to replace such all existing electronic memories (i.e., semiconductor memories and magnetic memories).
Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown a ferroelectric memory cell MC having a cell capacitor C.sub.F and an access transistor Tr acting as a switching device. Capacitor C.sub.F comprises a plate made of ferroelectric material used as a capacitor dielectric and two plate electrodes formed on the opposite two surfaces of the plate. One plate electrode of the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F is coupled via the source-drain conduction path of the access transistor Tr to a bit line BL, and the other plate electrode of the capacitor C.sub.F is coupled to a plate line PL. The gate electrode of the transistor Tr is coupled to a word line WL.
When a voltage is applied to the ferroelectric plate of the capacitor C.sub.F, the plate is polarized in the direction of the electric field. The switching threshold for changing the polarization state of the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F is defined as the coercive voltage. A ferroelectric material has a polarization-voltage characteristic which exhibits hysteresis, and the flow of current to the capacitor C.sub.F depends on its polarization state. If the voltage applied to the capacitor C.sub.F is greater than the coercive voltage, then the capacitor C.sub.F may change polarization states depending on the polarity of the applied voltage. Once polarized by applying a voltage to it in one direction or the opposite direction, the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F remains polarized even after the application of the voltage is stopped. Thus, the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F can store either logic "one" or logic "zero" according to the state of polarization of the ferroelectric material between two plate electrodes.
FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate hysteresis curves of polarization of the ferroelectric material in capacitor C.sub.F in accordance with logic states thereof. In each FIG. 1B or 1C, the abscissa (or X axis) represents an external voltage V applied across the two plate electrodes of the capacitor C.sub.F, and the ordinate (or Y axis) represents polarization charge Q on the ferroelectric material between two plate electrodes. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 1C, it will be seen that two stable states at points "a" and "e" on the hysteresis curve exist even when no voltage is applied across the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F. This is because the prior history of the voltage applied across the capacitor C.sub.F determines the stable state `a` or `e` which results when voltage is removed. So, point `a` can represent logic "1", and point `e` can represent logic "0".
When a voltage Ve is applied to one plate electrode of the ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F, namely, when a voltage Ve is applied to the plate line PL in a negative direction while transistor Tr is conducting, the charge stored in the capacitor C.sub.F is fed out onto bit line BL. The amount of the charge is Q1 if the ferroelectric is in the state at point `a` (i.e., if logic "1" is stored in the capacitor C.sub.F) as shown in FIG. 1B, but the amount of the charge is Q0 if the ferroelectric is in the state at point `e` (i.e., if a logic "0" is stored in the capacitor C.sub.F) as shown FIG. 1C. A resulting change in voltage on the bit line BL is detected by a differential sense amplifier (not shown) by comparison with a reference voltage. The reference voltage is an intermediate between a voltage developed on bit line BL by the charge Q1 and another voltage developed on bit line BL by the charge Q0.
When the voltage--Ve is applied across a ferroelectric capacitor C.sub.F in order to read the data from the capacitor, the ferroelectric capacitor is not reversely polarized if the capacitor has been polarized in a first direction and stores a "0" bit (point `e`). However, when the voltage--Ve is applied across the ferroelectric capacitor in order to read data from the capacitor, the ferroelectric capacitor is reversely polarized and its data state moves to point `e` if the capacitor has been polarized in a second direction and stores a "1" bit (point `a`). In this case, the plate may be polarized in the first direction (point `a` corresponding to a logic "0") after the "1" bit has been read from the ferroelectric capacitor. To retain correct data, therefore, the capacitor should be polarized in the second direction again after the "1" bit has been read from the capacitor.
FIG. 2A illustrates a core portion of a ferroelectric memory device in accordance with prior art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,410 by Verhaeghe et al. The prior art memory device includes a ferroelectric memory cell array 10, a row decoder 20, sense amplifiers SA.sub.-- 0, SA.sub.-- 1, etc., bit lines BL.sub.-- 0, BL.sub.-- 1, etc., word lines WL.sub.-- 0, WL.sub.-- 1, etc., and plate lines PL.sub.-- 0, PL.sub.-- 1, etc., substantially running in parallel to the word lines WL.sub.-- 0, WL.sub.-- 1, etc. The memory cells MC00, MC01, MC10, MC11, etc., are arranged in intersecting rows and columns. A memory cell MCij has a ferroelectric cell capacitor C.sub.F and an access transistor Tr. One plate electrode of the capacitor C.sub.F is coupled via the source-drain conduction path of the access transistor to a corresponding bit line, and the other plate electrode of the capacitor C.sub.F is coupled to a corresponding plate line. The gate electrode of the transistor Tr is coupled to a corresponding word line.
In the above-mentioned prior art memory device, however, since a row decoder is adopted for driving the word lines and plate lines simultaneously, the chip area may be increased which may reduce the integration. Also, the number of cells that a word line can drive may usually be limited to 32 cells/PL or 64 cells/PL due to RC delay of PL driving signal.
FIG. 2B illustrates a portion of another prior art ferroelectric memory device. Such a prior art arrangement may be suitable for higher integration and operating speed, which is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,598,366 by Kraus et al. and 5,373,463 by Jones Jr. Referring to FIG. 2B, this memory device has the same structure as the device of FIG. 2A with the exception that it includes a plate line PL, a control circuit 30 for driving the plate line PL, plate line segments SPL.sub.-- 0, SPL.sub.-- 1, etc., each running in parallel with a corresponding word line and coupled to a predetermined number of cells, and plate select transistors ST0, ST1, etc., for selectively coupling the plate line segments SPL.sub.-- 0, SPL.sub.-- 1, etc., to the plate line PL. The gate electrodes of plate select transistors ST0, ST1, are coupled to corresponding word lines WL.sub.-- 0, WL.sub.-- 1, etc.
When a word line is selected during a read/write operation, a corresponding plate select transistor becomes conducting, so that the plate line and a corresponding plate line segment are coupled to each other via the source-drain conduction path of the plate select transistor. At this time, the remaining plate line segments corresponding to unselected word lines are floated by corresponding coupling transistors which remain non-conducting.
According to this prior art plate line driving technique, there may arise a problem in that the voltages on the floated plate line segments adjacent to the selected plate line are changed on account of their capacitive coupling, causing the sensing margin to be reduced and the data stored in memory cells to be disturbed or destroyed in a worse case.
Also, in prior art data write operation, the data line-to-bit line transmission of write data may be carried out after cell data sensing has been completed. Thus, in case the latch type sense amplifier is used, it may often be needed to invert the data state of the latch amplifier because of disagreement between the sensed cell data and the externally applied write data. To invert the state of the latch amplifier coupled to polysilicon bit lines with relatively large resistance, a large amount of current will be necessary, thereby increasing power consumption of the device.

Non-volatile ferroelectric memory with section plate line drivers and method for accessing the same


A method of forming a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) includes forming a plurality of fins on a substrate. The method further includes forming an oxide layer on the substrate, wherein a bottom portion of each fin of the plurality of fins is embedded in the oxide layer, and the bottom portion of each fin of the plurality of fins has substantially a same shape. The method further includes shaping at least one fin of the plurality of fins, wherein a top portion of the at least one fin has a different shape from a top portion of another fin of the plurality of fins.

In the rapidly advancing semiconductor manufacturing industry, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) FinFET devices may be used in many logic and other applications and are integrated into various different types of semiconductor devices. FinFET devices typically include semiconductor fins with high aspect ratios in which the channel and source/drain regions for the transistor are formed. A gate is formed over and along the sides of a portion of the semiconductor fins. The increased surface area of the channel and source/drain regions in a FinFET results in faster, more reliable and better-controlled semiconductor transistor devices.
New advanced designs are created with FinFET structures at the outset with computed-aided design (CAD) layers that define the boundary of each FinFET. As manufacturing process progresses into smaller and smaller technology nodes, devices originally designed in a larger technology node may benefit from manufacturing in a smaller technology node in ways such as increased performance and efficiencies and decreased die size. Similarly, devices designed using planar transistors can also reap benefits by manufacturing using FinFETs. However, because different design rules apply to planar structure layouts and FinFET structure layouts, converting portions of the device from a planar layout to a FinFET layout by hand may be akin to creating a new design and is highly resource intensive process. For product already being manufactured using planar transistors, a conversion that forms FinFETs that are at least electrical equivalents of the planar transistor is sought. As such, improved methods for automatically converting older planar structure layouts to FinFET structure layouts continue to be sought.

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


Systems, methods, and computer program products for easily altering redundancy management data values associated with redundancy management logic that is executed by redundant data processing systems. The redundancy management data values are altered on a computer device remote from the system that includes the redundant data processing systems.

Many applications computer-controlled systems include redundant components for improved integrity and reliability. For example, in some commercial aircraft, dual Communication Management Units (CMUs) are used. One of the CMUs acts as a master CMU and the other CMU acts as a stand-by CMU. As long as all operations are working properly, the master CMU controls system operation and if the master CMU is determined outside of a threshold limit of operation, the system switches to the stand-by CMU. Likewise with other types of redundant systems, a base logic has been developed for controlling and determining which of the redundant systems are to perform the controlling operations.
In present systems, redundancy management logic is hard-coded into the system in which the redundancy management logic is used. Thus, it is difficult and time-consuming to alter the redundancy management logic or any of the logic, parameters, thresholds, time limits, or other values or code that are used by the redundancy management logic. One must directly access the redundancy management logic and the associated data and alter it line by line.
Therefore, there exists a need to allow alteration of redundancy management logic in order to make it easier for altering of redundancy management switching logic requirements on a multiple system environment.

Ground-based software tool for controlling redundancy management switching operations


The present invention discloses a composition for inhibiting vascular aging comprising a compound of Chemical formula 1, a derivative thereof or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient.

Vascular endothelial cells can constrict and/or dilate blood vessels by releasing endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) and prostanoids and activating or degrading hormones related with vascular activity and thereby regulating the function of vascular smooth muscle.
As vascular endothelial cells age, their telomerase activity decreases. Also, aged vascular endothelial cells exhibit significantly decreased vasoconstiriction ability due to decreased NO production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and prostacyclin production, facilitated thrombosis due to increased plasminogen activator type 1 (PAI-1) expression, and narrowing of blood vessels due to increased expression of cell adhesion molecules and chemokines such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-1 and interleukin-8 and increased inflammatory responses. Indeed, it is known that the vascular endothelial cells of arteriosclerotic tissues exhibit increased activity of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-gal), which is well known as a cellular aging marker, as compared to the cells of normal tissues. In addition, the cells of the arteriosclerotic tissues show shorter telomere length as compared to the cells of normal tissues.
Accordingly, it will be possible to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases by preventing or postponing the aging of vascular endothelial cells. The best known method for delaying vascular aging is to restrict calorie intake. However, since this method is practically difficult to adopt and causes inconvenience in daily lives, an alternative method is necessary.

Composition for inhibiting vascular aging comprising syringaresinol


Novel thickening agents, useful for thickening non-aqueous solvent-containing compositions, are provided. The thickening agents are the reaction product of a polyol containing at least two hydroxyl groups; a polyisocyanate containing at least two isocyanato groups; and an active hydrogen compound. A method of thickening non-aqueous systems by admixing with the novel thickening agents is also provided.

Non-aqueous solvents, non-aqueous polymer solutions such as, for example, a solution of an alkyd in mineral spirits, dispersions of polymers in non-aqueous media (called non-aqueous dispersions or NADs), and non-aqueous paints, paint strippers, adhesives, inks, sealants, mastics, caulks, pigment dispersions, and pigment printing pastes frequently are advantageously bodied, viscosified, or thickened. Not only is the efficiency of a thickening agent of direct concern but also other properties of the system which are affected by the thickening agent such as, for example, storage stability, anti-settling properties of pigmented systems, rheology, brush or roller transfer and application of coatings systems or adhesives, and levelling and sagging of applied films. Bentone clay, silica, metallic soaps, polyolefin-based organics, and hydrogenated castor oil are used in solvent-borne systems but their efficiency, ease of handling and formulation, and balance of properties are not adequate for all non-aqueous solvent-borne systems. The novel thickening agents of this invention fill the need for an efficient thickener with a desirable property balance for non-aqueous solvent-borne systems.


A waterproof cover includes: a lid unit having a vent hole which allows an inner surface and an outer surface to communicate with each other, and configured to cover an electronic component; and a filter fixed to the inner surface of the lid unit in a state of facing an inner open end portion of the vent hole, and configured to block flow of a liquid while allowing air to flow therethrough, in which the outer surface of the lid unit has a surface area including a surface in which an outer open end portion of the vent hole is exposed, and the surface area has a region formed at a position adjacent to the vent hole and having a height different from a height of the surface.

A waterproof cover, which closes a space in which a board for driving an electric pump is accommodated, has a risk of being damaged when the expansion and shrinkage stress of air acts on a lid unit due to a sudden change in temperature within the space, and there is concern about the introduction of water (liquid) from a damaged region.
Thus, there has been known a technology known in which a straight-shaped vent hole (a breathing hole in the document) is provided from the outer surface to the inner surface of a lid unit (a cover in the document) as a conventional waterproof cover, which covers a board, and a filter is attached to the inner surface of the lid unit in a state of facing the inner open end portion of the vent hole (see, e.g., JP 2017-034880 A (Reference 1)). The filter has a characteristic of blocking the flow of a liquid while allowing air to flow therethrough. By this, damage to the lid unit is prevented and the introduction of a liquid to the inside of the lid unit is blocked by maintaining the inside and the outside of the lid unit at the same pressure.
However, the waterproof cover for the electric pump, which is mounted on a vehicle, is often disposed in a state of being exposed to the outside, and the liquid splashed from the road surface may directly hit the lid unit. At this time, in a structure provided with a straight-shaped vent hole as in the waterproof cover of Reference 1, the splashed liquid may be directly introduced into the vent hole, causing a high water pressure to act on the filter, and there is a risk of the filter being damaged by the water pressure. As a result, the liquid is brought into contact with electronic components on the board located inside the lid unit, which causes a breakdown of the electric pump.
Meanwhile, although it is conceivable to assemble a separate component, which covers the vent hole, to the outer surface side of the lid unit in order to prevent a liquid from being introduced into the separate component, this increases manufacturing costs and also increases the size of the electric pump.
Thus, a need exists for a waterproof cover which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


A substrate transport apparatus having a drive section, two independently movable arm assemblies connected to the drive section on a common axis of rotation, and substrate holders connected to the arm assemblies. The drive section includes three coaxial drive shafts with a pulley connected to one of the shafts. The arm assemblies are connected to respective ones of the two other shafts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus with multiple arm assemblies on a common axis of rotation.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,590 discloses an articulated arm transfer device having a drive section with coaxial drive shafts, magnetic driving stators stationarily connected to a frame, and magnetic driven rotors on the shafts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,577,879 and 5,765,983 disclose scara arms. Non-coaxial side-by-side dual scara arms are offered for sale by three Japanese companies; the UTW and UTV series of robots by MECS, the RR series of robots by RORZE; and the LTHR, STHR, SPR series of robots by JEL.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising a drive section, two independently movable arm assemblies, and substrate holders. The arm assemblies are connected to the drive section on a common axis of rotation. The substrate holders are connected to the arm assemblies.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising two independently movable arm assemblies, substrate holders, and a drive section. The substrate holders are connected to the arm assemblies. The drive section has a frame, a pulley rotatably connected to the frame by a first drive, and second and third drives connected to the arm assemblies. The pulley is operably connected to both the two arm assembly by transmission members.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate transport apparatus drive system is provided comprising a frame, magnetic driving stators, a drive shaft assembly, and a pulley. The stators are stationarily connected to the frame. The drive shaft assembly has at least three coaxial shafts. Each shaft has a magnetic driven section aligned with a separate one of the magnetic drive stators. The pulley is rotatably connected to the frame by one of the shafts.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising N independently movable arm assemblies, substrate holders, and means for independently rotating each of the arm assemblies. Each arm assembly has A axis of rotation about which at least a portion of the arm assembly can rotate. N and A are integers greater than one. The substrate holders are connected to the arm assemblies. The rotating means can rotate the arm assemblies about their respective A axis. The rotating means comprises M motors. M is an integer less than N times the smallest value of A.
In accordance with one method of the present invention a method of moving a substrate transport apparatus is provided comprising steps of providing the apparatus with a frame, a pulley rotatably mounted to the frame, and two arm assemblies rotatably mounted to the frame; rotating the pulley relative to the frame as the two arm assemblies are rotated with the pulley to rotate both arm assemblies in a same direction relative to the frame; and maintaining the pulley in a stationary position on the frame as the two arm assemblies are independently rotated relative to the frame to independently extend and retract the arm assemblies.

Substrate transport apparatus with multiple arms on a common axis of rotation