A sensor assembly senses hydrogen and moisture content of insulation liquid of a liquid-filled electrical equipment. The sensor assembly includes a radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a water detection section for receiving a water-containing component of the liquid when the assembly is in operational connection with the electrical equipment and for being illuminated by electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source, a first detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation from the water detection section at a wavelength indicative of an amount of water present at the water detection section, a hydrogen detection section for receiving a hydrogen-containing component of the liquid when the assembly is in operational connection with the electrical equipment and for being illuminated by electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source, and a second detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation from the hydrogen detection section at a wavelength indicative of an amount of hydrogen present at the hydrogen detection section.

Insulation-liquid-filled electrical equipment, such as oil-filled shunt reactors, bushings, and especially transformers such as power and distribution transformers, can be filled with insulation liquid, for example oil, for cooling and electrical insulation purposes. Faults inside the electrical equipment as well as degradation of the insulation liquid and of other insulation components such as insulation paper provided within the electrical equipment can form gasses which dissolve into the liquid.
It is important to detect such faults, errors and degradations, since transformers can be important for electrical power supply, and their failure can be very costly. Hence, a transformer is supposed to operate continuously and as error-free as possible over many years or even decades. For this reason, it is desirable that errors that can eventually cause failure of the transformer can be detected in time to take appropriate counter-measures.
Faults in insulation liquid-filled transformers can be generally accompanied by the development of gases dissolved in the insulation liquid and/or by an increase of moisture (e.g., water) in the insulation liquid. The quantity and composition of the decomposition gases and moisture is dependent on both the insulation liquid and the type and the amount of energy of the underlying defect. A large fault with high energy content, such as rapid overheating or arcing, would cause large amounts of gas to be produced in a short period of time, whereas the amount of gas produced by a small fault can be relatively smaller.
One reason for the formation of the gases is the decomposition of the insulation liquid or other parts, for example of cellulose or other solid insulators, caused by partial discharges and circulating currents, local overheating, high contact resistance or strong eddy currents and by arc discharges, or simply by aging. As a result, in a particular example, long-chain oil molecules of an insulation oil can be partially decomposed into gases. The hydrocarbon-based dielectric oil can produce, for example, free hydrogen, hydrocarbons (methane, acetylene, ethylene, ethane or the like), carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide as it thermally degrades or breaks down. Dielectric paper substrates can also decompose and produce, for example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and/or water. Also, other gases such as oxygen can be produced. Additionally, moisture can also be produced by aging processes of the cellulose or exposure to ambient air. The moisture then diffuses into the insulation liquid. At higher concentrations, the moisture is deleterious for the insulation properties of the electrical equipment.
Therefore, an analysis of the insulation liquid gives an indication of the equipment's health status. For example, if the nature and amount of individual gases dissolved in the insulation liquid can be known, this information can be used to identify the type and severity of the corresponding electrical fault in the equipment. Even minute detected changes in the chemical composition of the gas produced and the rate of gas production over time can be important factors in determining the type of fault(s) involved, the evolution of the fault(s) and the potential consequences.
To verify the health status of the insulation liquid of such electrical equipment, two main methods are known: According to a first known method, also referred to as offline-method, samples of the insulation liquid can be regularly (for example, yearly) taken on-site and analyzed in a specialized laboratory by dissolved gas analysis. However, this offline-method is burdensome and does not allow obtaining real-time data, and is of no further interest here even though it is the most widely used method.
According to a second known method, also referred to as online-method, measurements monitor the gas concentration in the insulation liquid directly and (quasi-)continuously. These on-line sensors range from high-end devices which specifically detect several gasses individually to more simple detectors. For example, commercial low-end devices can be configured to detect one gas or an unspecific combination of gases. However, if only one gas is detected, some faults in which this gas is not produced can be overlooked. On the other hand, if an unspecific combination of gases is detected, only little information about the nature of the fault is obtained, and also the risk of false alarms is increased.
Some known systems for detecting gases can be described in the following. RU 2,137,119 describes an ultrasonic detection of gases in electrically insulating oils.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,805 describes an apparatus that consists of a gas extraction cell, an infrcan bed gas analysis instrument, and a gas diaphragm pump, so that gas and water vapor components can be extracted from the insulating oil by permeating through a membrane in the gas extraction cell and can be then brought into the infrcan bed analysis instrument by the gas diaphragm pump. The infrcan bed analysis instrument performs a complex analysis of the extracted gas which reveals various information about the gas. However, such an instrument is fragile and must be calibrated periodically.
EP 1637879 describes an apparatus in which gases in transformer oil can be separated and passed to a measurement chamber in an analysis unit. Herein, two sensors can be used for a gas component (for example, hydrogen) in order to increase the accuracy and redundancy of the system. The sensors can be commercially available solid state sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,460 describes an apparatus for detecting the presence of one or more specific gases in a fluid coolant. Therein, diffusion membranes separate the gases from the liquid coolant, and then separate hydrogen from the gas mixture. The hydrogen amount is then obtained from a pressure measurement of the hydrogen gas.
However, even though the known online systems allow much more detailed data to be obtained than the offline systems, some drawbacks and obstacles remain, such as complex sensor design, cross sensitivity among various gas components, problems due to sensor aging and drift, high cost, high maintenance requirements and/or limited life-time reliability of the sensors.

Sensor assembly and method for determining the hydrogen and moisture content of transformer oil


An apparatus for testing setup/hold time includes a plurality of data input units, each configured to calibrate setup/hold time of input data in response to selection signals and setup/hold calibration signals, and an off-chip driver calibration unit configured to generate the selection signals and the setup/hold calibration signals by using the input data input of one of the plurality of data input units.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein relate to a test apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for testing setup/hold time.
2. Related Art
One important parameters during writing operations of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly of a semiconductor memory device, is setup/hold time. Here, only when the setup/hold time have proper margins can data to be written become centered according to a data strobe signal 'DQSB'. As a result, the data can be accurately written in a memory region of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional data input apparatus of a semiconductor integrated circuit. In FIG. 1, a data input apparatus 1 includes a plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7 and an off-chip driver calibration unit 10. All of the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7 are structured to be the same.
Each of the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7 are structured to receive an enable signal 'ENDINB', data signals 'DATA<0:7>', and a data strobe signal 'DQSB' as inputs. Here, the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7 are connected in a one-to-one correspondence with data pins DQ0 to DQ7 (not shown).
The off chip driver calibration unit 10 is structured to calibrate a level of output data of an off-chip driver (not shown). Here, the off-chip driver calibration unit 10 receives data previously obtained, i.e., pre-fetched, in one of the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7, and receives a data clock signal 'DCLK' as inputs to output the off chip driver calibration signals 'PU_INCD', 'PU_DECD', 'PD_INCD', and 'PD_DECD'. The off chip driver calibration signals 'PU_INCD', 'PU_DECD', 'PD_INCD', and 'PD_DECD' are used to calibrate the level of output data of the off-chip driver (not shown).
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional data input unit DIP_DQ6 used in the apparatus of FIG. In FIG. 2, the data input unit DIP_DQ6 includes an input buffer 21, a pre-fetch circuit unit 22, and a write driver 23. The off-chip driver calibration unit 10 receives output data of the pre-fetch circuit unit 22 as input.
The input buffer 21 buffers and outputs data signal 'DATA<6>' when an enable signal 'ENDINB' is enabled. The pre-fetch circuit unit 22 will pre-fetch output data, i.e., pre-fetch 4 bits, of the input buffer 21 to center the output data according to the data strobe signal 'DQSB', and then output the output data. The write driver 23 drives output data of the pre-fetch circuit unit 22 to write the output data in a memory region of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional off-chip driver calibration unit used in the apparatus of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, the off-chip driver calibration unit 10 includes a latch circuit unit 11 and a decoder 12.
The latch circuit unit 11 latches data signals 'ALGNR0B', 'ALGNF0B', 'ALGNR1B', and 'ALGNF1B' output from the pre-fetch circuit unit 22 according to the data clock signal 'DCLK' to output latched data signals 'DIN0B', 'DIN1B', 'DIN2B', and 'DIN3B'. The decoder 12 decodes the latched data signals 'DIN0B', 'DIN1B', 'DIN2B', and 'DIN3B' to output the off-chip driver calibration signals 'PU_INCD', 'PU_DECD', 'PD_INCD', and 'PD_DECD'.
Considering circuit arrangements inside a chip of a semiconductor integrated circuit, simulation operations, i.e., setup/hold simulations, for setting a setup/hold margin in a data writing operation to a proper level is performed by a modeling operation in consideration of signal loads.
However, the data input apparatus 1 (in FIG. 1) is problematic. For example, the circuit configurations of the data input apparatus 1 (in FIG. 1) are not capable of performing a test for judging appropriateness of setup/hold time selectively with respect to a plurality of data pins. Although data pins of a semiconductor integrated circuit are in the one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7, the plurality of data input units DIP_DQ0 to DIP_DQ7 have different data output characteristics from each other due to differences during fabrication processes and operation circumstances.
In addition, since the data input apparatus 1 (in FIG. 1) is not capable of testing respective data pins separately, one of the margins of setup/hold time in the designed circuit according to the setup/hold simulation will not be sufficient. Accordingly, since data to be written in the memory region are not centered when margins of setup/hold time are insufficient, a revision operation is required, thereby causing a loss production time and increasing production costs. Moreover, when performing the revision operation, since another simulation for data alignment should be performed, as well as the setup/hold simulation, additional time and cost are needed due to additional simulations.

Apparatus and method for testing setup/hold time


A Bifidobacterium comprising a genome that is customized so as to lack an operable functional gene is disclosed. A method of making such cells is also disclosed. The method is used to make Bifidobacterium cells that lack certain functional antibiotic resistance genes, such as tetW, and are sensitive to antibiotics such as tetracycline.

Concern for increased bacterial resistance to available antibiotics has grown extensively in recent years. While much of the concern relates to acquired resistance attributed at least in part to the widespread use of broad spectrum antibiotics by medical practitioners, there are also some concerns about antibiotic resistance stemming from the use of bacteria for food and agricultural purposes which have acquired antibiotic resistance genes. For example, the presence and distribution of tetracycline resistance genes are common in microorganisms isolated from the environment, animals and humans including children. In some cases, antibiotic resistance may be intrinsic to a particular species—for example, due to specific cell membrane properties. Antibiotic resistance may also be acquired through mutation of bacterial genes, and it may be acquired from resistant bacteria in the environment by gene transfer.
Use of any bacterium that possesses or has acquired antibiotic resistance in food processing or agricultural production poses a potential, theoretical risk of transfer of the resistance fostering genes to other bacteria in the food, the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of a person or animal after consumption of the food, or the environment, at some point before or after consumption. Examples of such a bacterium can be found among the Bifidobacterium spp., for example, Bifidobacterium animalis such as Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (also referred to as Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis subsp. nov., previously regarded as Bifidobacterium lactis and sometimes referred to herein as such). One such strain, B. animalis subsp. lactis strain NCC 2818, CNCM I-3446, is commercially available, has been used for over 20 years as an additive to food products and is generally regarded as safeIt has recently been discovered that this bacterium, in common with certain other gram(−) and gram(+) bacteria of human and animal origin has a tetracycline-resistance gene, tetW, present. Although tetracycline resistance transference is theoretically possible, it has so far not been possible to demonstrate this even under laboratory conditions. It is, however, known from cloning experiments that tetW from this strain is active in gram(+) bacteria although not in gram(−) bacteria.
However, to eliminate any risk of unintended transfer of this gene, there is a need for methods for its removal from this strain. There is also a need for a variant of the strain with reduced resistance to tetracycline.


A reluctance motor in which at least one snap ring engages the ends of the exciter coils remote from the stator yoke with radially outward acting spring force.

This application claims the priority of German Application 19914943.7, filed Apr. 1, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a reluctance motor with at least two salient stator poles each provided with an exciter winding, and to a method for the manufacture of the stator of such a reluctance motor.
Switching reluctance motors usually have numerous salient poles both in the stator and in the rotor. Each motor phase has at least one pair of stator poles lying diametrically opposite one another. An exciter winding is disposed on each stator pole. The two exciter windings on the stator poles are connected in series or in parallel. The stator and rotor poles consist of laminated sheet iron. When an exciter current is fed into the exciter windings, the stator poles are magnetized, so that magnetic attraction forces are exercised on the rotor, to thereby cause rotation.
The stator poles or stator teeth are integral components of the stator, i.e., the stator yoke and stator teeth consist of a single piece. The exciter coils are made self-supporting or they are held in coil boxes or coil frames. The self-supporting coils are wound on a form that can be taken apart, and after the removal of the form they remain held together, e.g., by tapes.
A reluctance motor is disclosed in European Patent EP 0 605 247 A2 wherein catch means are disposed at the axial ends of the spool bodies of the exciter windings, into which a stiff ring can be inserted. The coil bodies are fastened with the ring in the stator. A winding body serving as a coil box or coil frame supports the coil body.
A reluctance motor is disclosed in German Patent DE 42 20 209 A1, in which hollow cylindrical coil mountings are pressed on the inside of the heads of the coil windings in order to fasten the windings in the stator.
The exciter windings, constructed as independent units, are pushed over the stator poles or teeth and then fastened thereon. When current flows, radial forces are exerted against the coils. These forces must be absorbed by the fastening means. To fasten the coils wedges are driven manually into the gaps between adjacent coils so that the coils are clamped between the stator teeth. Such fastening by means of wedges is disclosed in German Patent DE PS 880 614. Then the gaps in the windings and the gaps between the stator teeth and the coils are filled with resin. The coils are securely and tightly bound to the stator in the manner described above.
Driving wedges between the coils is difficult and, especially in the case of a reluctance motor with numerous stator poles, it is very time-consuming. The coils are fixed in their position by pressing them onto the stator teeth. A resultant force acts on the coils which has an inwardly directed component. The friction between the coil and the stator teeth must be fairly great, since otherwise the coil is not firmly seated. Also, the coils take up part of the space between the adjacent stator teeth. This space is not available for the coil windings.
The invention therefore is addressed to the problem of preparing and manufacturing a reluctance motor with at least two stator poles each provided with an exciter coil, in which radial forces acting toward the stator yoke are exerted simultaneously on all exciter coils and hold the exciter coils in their positions on the stator poles.
The problem is solved according the invention, in a reluctance motor by using at least one snap ring springing radially outward with its outer side under spring bias against the sides facing the rotor of the exciter coils surrounding the stator poles or of their winding bodies. The snap ring exerts a force directed radially outwardly against the exciter coils. The force holds the exciter coils against the rotor yoke with their ends facing away from the rotor or facing towards the corresponding ends of the coil frame or coil box. The exciter coils are held fast between the snap ring and the yoke of the stator by the force from the snap ring, i.e., they are gripped between them. It is also possible to provide abutments between the ends of the coils or their frames or coil boxes facing away from the stator yoke and the rotor, against which the corresponding ends of the exciter coils or frames or coil boxes are then urged under the influence of the spring force. The installation of snap rings is a simple measure requiring but a few manipulations. The mounting of the exciter coils is thereby substantially simplified. After the exciter coils are fixed in their position with the snap ring, they can be filled with casting resin. Another advantage of the present invention is that the entire space between the stator teeth is available for the windings.
Preferably, a groove for the insertion of the snap ring is provided in the stator poles in or approximately in the center of the end facing the rotor. With this structure, the snap ring is also held in a simple manner in the axial direction of the reluctance motor.
In one preferred embodiment a snap ring is provided, axially of the stator, on each side of the stator teeth, and is urged against the end of the coil, coil frame or coil box facing the rotor. This embodiment is advantageous whenever the reluctance motor has a great axial length, because the force pressing against the coils is then more uniformly distributed.
The snap ring consists especially of a magnetic or nonmagnetic steel. Therefore no iron losses develop in the snap ring. Since the snap ring is not a full ring, the eddy current losses occurring in operation are of no importance.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Reluctance motor with at least two salient poles each provided with an exciter winding, and method for manufacturing the stator of such reluctance motor


A system for measuring the amount of cyanide species in a sample, namely total cyanide, dissociable cyanide, complex cyanide and thiocyanate, by using a single apparatus for simultaneous ultraviolet irradiation and distillation. The system which can be used with either segmented flow or flow injection sampling utilizes filter components which pass only lower frequency ultraviolet radiation interposed between a photoillumination source and the alkaline or acidified sample to first breakdown the strong complex cyanide from the sample without dissociation of thiocyanates. The system then distills the irradiated sample in the same apparatus by utilizing heat emitted from the photoillumination source to recover the total cyanides for measurement. Dissociable cyanides, as well as thiocyanate, are measured using the same apparatus by altering the filter components.

Cyanides are known to be harmful to our environment and toxic to man and more so to aquatic life. The cyanide compounds are produced and introduced to our environment in many damaging ways. Free cyanide is a highly toxic chemical that is found in the environment at low concentrations coming from natural sources. It reaches toxic levels mostly through industrial processes such as mineral processing, electroplating, and papermaking. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ban on land disposal of solid waste containing cyanides poses a major waste management problem for industries using cyanide in their processes.
Cyanide is also a regulatory target because of it toxicity, incompatibility with most publicly owned treatment plants, and danger to sewer workers and marine life. The EPA has imposed limits on the quantity of cyanide in both the treated wastewater that is discharged to sewers and rivers and on any residuals from metal finishing operations (sludges, filters, filter cakes, spent solutions, etc.). A variety of electroplating and metal finishing waste streams contain metal-cyanide complexes. Metal cyanide complexes formed in these industries include metals such as iron, nickel, zinc, cobalt, cadmium, copper, mercury, and precious metals (silver, gold, and platinum).
There is some free cyanide found in electroplating wastewater from cyanide-based plating chemistries; it is one of the most toxic contaminants in the wastewater. Evaporation, while effective, has high energy costs. The commonly used cyanide destruction techniques, such as treatment with oxidizers, do not easily destroy all the cyanide. For example, iron, cobalt, and nickel cyanides are not affected by basic hypochlorite treatment and are often precipitated out into sludge that is formed under the process. Thus, elevated levels of complexed cyanide typically appear in hydroxide-precipitated, heavy metal sludges produced during the treatment of many electroplating wastewater solutions. Waste and wastewater having highly toxic forms of cyanide should be detoxified to a level acceptable to the environment.
Speciation and measurement of the different forms of cyanides are very important to understand the levels to toxicity of each species and offer important steps to protect and improve our environment. Of the various analytical methodology and equipment employed to measure cyanides, automated equipment have achieved more notable results. For example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,857 "In-Line Distillation System" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,631 "Method and Apparatus for Measuring Cyanide", and to a publication entitled "Chemistry of Wastewater Technology" published by Ann Arbor Science Publishers Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich., Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 76-50991, ISBN0250, 40185-1, and to a paper by N. P. Kelada entitled "Automated Direct Measurements of Total Cyanide Species and Thiocyanate, and Their Distribution in Wastewater and Sludge", published in the Journal of the Water Pollution Control Federation, Volume 61, No. 3, March 1989, which are incorporated herein by reference.
As described in Chapter 2 of "Chemistry of Wastewater Technology" and in the paper of WPCF Journal such an automated system involves the steps of separation, absorption, and measurement, with ultraviolet irradiation being employed to dissociate complex cyanides in the process of separation, along with thin film distillation and chemical absorption techniques.
A conventional UV irradiation unit includes a UV mercury lamp surrounded by a quartz coil, through which the sample to be tested is passed. The quartz coil is permeable to substantially all of the UV spectrum (approximately 150 to 400 nanometers) enabling the UV radiation to break down the cyanide strong complexes including iron and cobalt cyano complexes. The cobalt very strong complex absorption bands are around 255 and 310 nanometers. However, unwanted thiocyanate (SCN) is also dissociated and detected along with the cyanides.
In advanced UV irradiation units a filtering device is interposed between the UV lamp and the sample to be tested, for passing only the lower frequency UV radiation (longer than 290 nm) for breaking cyanide complexes, while blocking high frequency to inhibit the dissociation of thiocyanate. The "in-line distillation system", or rather thin film distillation, separates the resulting hydrogen cyanide from the acidified sample, and the HCN gas is then absorbed in a sodium hydroxide and recovered for subsequent calorimetric measurement. Thus all of the cyanides can be detected and measured in a large number of samples using an automated segmented flow system.
The above cyanide measuring system, though acceptable for several applications, is cumbersome and has some complicated modules for irradiation separate from the fragile thin film distillation. Additionally, excessive heating and samples containing high gas content could interrupt the complicated waste system, which disrupt the continuous operation causing the loss of many samples and results. In addition, this thin film distillation use is limited to segmented flow systems. More importantly, the previous system does not distinguish all the cyanide species, in particular the dissociable cyanide and the complex cyanide, and is liable to many interferences.
It would be highly desirable to have an improved analytical system that can distinguish between the different cyanide species and can directly measure the dissociable cyanide separately from the total cyanides. It would be beneficial to have a simpler, more rigid apparatus combining both irradiation and distillation in one unit that would not be liable to interruption by high gaseous content of samples. It would also be advantageous if the new technique could operate with either segmented flow or flow injection systems.

Irradiation-distillation apparatus and method for measuring cyanide species


Welding apparatus having selectively operable local and remote current setting devices for selecting and controlling the welding current to be applied across an electrode and workpiece at a welding arc includes a control circuit for sensing the connection and disconnection of the remote current setting device thereto and respectively setting a remote and local mode of welding current control.

The present invention relates to the art of arc welding and, more particularly, to welding apparatus having both local and remote control capabilities with respect to adjusting the welding current.
The present invention finds particular utility in connection with TIG welding apparatus and, accordingly, will be illustrated and described in connection with such apparatus. At the same time, as will become apparent hereinafter, the invention is applicable to welding apparatus other than that for TIG welding and wherein it is desired to provide welding current adjustment capability both at the apparatus and at a welding station or site which is remote therefrom.
TIG welding apparatus has been provided heretofore with selectively operable local and remote welding current selecting arrangements each in the form of a potentiometer for outputting a corresponding control signal by which the welding apparatus power supply is adjusted to output a selected welding current. The local potentiometer is adjustable through a control knob on the power supply, and the remote potentiometer is adjustable through a hand or foot operated device at the remote location and is connected to the power supply through a control cable therebetween.
Such prior welding apparatus includes a switch on the power supply having local and remote modes which provide for selecting between local and remote control of the welding current. When the switch is in the local mode, the welding current is determined by the setting of the knob on the power supply. When the switch is in the remote mode, the welding current is determined by the setting of the remote potentiometer. When the switch is in the remote mode, the remote potentiometer is operable to output a control signal by which the welding current is adjustable from minimum current up to a maximum current as determined by the setting of the local potentiometer.
When TIG welding thin workpieces, current control is critical. While apparatus of the foregoing character operates satisfactorily with respect to welding thin workpieces when the operator positions the switch in the remote position, and properly modulates the remote control, operators may forget to change the switch from the local to the remote mode and then proceed to initiate a welding operation through use of the remote potentiometer with the switch in the local mode. With the foregoing apparatus, as soon as the remote control switch is displaced from the off position, the welding current immediately rises to the current level set by the local potentiometer. Accordingly, if the latter setting provides a higher current level than that needed for welding thin workpieces, the workpieces are burned through and, most often, rendered useless thereby. Moreover, the high current can damage the electrode. Such burn through and/or electrode damage is not only undesirable but also expensive both from the standpoint of lost operator time and from the standpoint of damage workpieces and/or electrode replacement cost.

ARC welder with automatic sensing of remote current control device


An interconnect circuit, and method of operation of such an interconnect circuit, are provided. The interconnect circuitry has a first interface for coupling to a master device and a second interface for coupling to a slave device. Transactions are performed between the master device and the slave device, where each transaction comprises or more transfers, and each transfer comprises a request and a response. A first connection path between the first interface and the second interface is provided that comprises a first plurality of pipeline stages. The first connection path forms a default path for propagation of the requests and responses of the transfers. A second connection path is also provided between the first interface and the second interface that comprises a second plurality of pipeline stages, where the second plurality is less than the first plurality. Path selection circuitry is then used to determine presence of a fast path condition. In the presence of the fast path condition, the path selection circuitry causes at least one of the request and the response for one or more transfers to be propagated via the second connection path. This can significantly reduce the latency associated with the handling of transfers within the interconnect circuitry, and hence improves the overall performance of the interconnect circuitry.

The present technique relates to interconnect circuitry and a method of operating such interconnect circuitry.
It is known to provide interconnect circuitry for interconnecting a number of master devices with a number of slave devices, to enable transactions to be performed between the master devices and the slave devices in order to transfer data between the master and slave devices. Each transaction between a master device and a slave device may comprise one or more transfers, where each transfer comprises a request from the master device to the slave device and a response from the slave device to the master device. Typically a predetermined bus protocol is used defining requirements for the various signals routed through the interconnect circuitry to represent the transfers, and allowed transitions in those signals.
Whilst the exact form of the signals representing the requests and the responses of each transfer will vary dependent on the bus protocol used, the underlying physical connections within the interconnect circuitry can limit the performance of the interconnect circuitry irrespective of the bus protocol used. For example, within a traditional interconnect circuit a request and its associated response are typically routed through the same basic path within the interconnect circuitry. For example, the path through the interconnect circuitry may be determined using the request, with that same path subsequently being used for the response. As a result, there tend to be similar latencies experienced in both requests and responses of transfers, and these latencies can reduce the overall performance of the interconnect circuitry.
It would be desirable to provide an improved interconnect circuit that can enable latency to be reduced.

Interconnect circuitry and a method of operating such interconnect circuitry


An apparatus for electrochemical treatment of wastewater has at least one electrolysis cell through which the wastewater to be treated is guided. The electrolysis cell has a multitude of electrode assemblies that have electrodes arranged such that the wastewater to be treated is guided through holes in the electrodes. At least one of the electrode assemblies has three electrodes arranged such that the wastewater to be treated is guided through all the electrodes.

The electrochemical treatment of liquid, especially of wastewater, has long been known from the prior art. For example, DE 299 16 126 U1 describes an arrangement for anodic oxidation which can especially be used for water treatment and wastewater treatment in swimming baths. The apparatuses have electrode arrangements in the form of electrolysis cells through which the liquid is guided. An arrangement of this kind is also known, for example, from EP 0 659 691 A1 and DE 10 2014 002 450 A1.
DE 10 2007 028 074 A1 describes a process and an apparatus which can be used for treatment of radioactive wastewaters. Here too, the corresponding wastewater is guided through an electrolysis cell. DE 10 2009 005 011 A1 discloses a process and an apparatus for electrochemical disinfection of drinking water and service water having high hardness levels. In all these processes and apparatuses, the water or wastewater to be cleaned is guided through the electrolysis cell. The electrolysis cell has electrodes to which an electrical voltage is applied, such that an electrical current flows through the liquid which is to be cleaned. There may be formation here, for example, of disinfectants, for example ozone, which is used for the disinfection and cleaning of the wastewater. The advantage is that the ozone is generated directly in the wastewater and has only a short lifetime within the water. The cleaned water is thus ozone-free again and can be used without any concern.
Alternatively, a corresponding apparatus and especially a corresponding electrolysis cell can also be used in order to produce substances which otherwise can be prepared only with difficulty or not at all or hazardous substances in exactly the desired concentration. For example, DE 199 48 184 A1 discloses a process for electrochemical preparation of peroxodisulfuric acid, in which corresponding electrodes having a doped diamond layer are likewise used. By contrast, it is known from DE 10 2015 004 101, which was yet to be published at the priority date of the present application, to prepare dilute hydrofluoric acid by using an electrolysis cell having two diamond electrodes.
The preparation of ozone and other disinfectants by an electrochemical treatment of liquids, for example wastewater or water, can of course also be used to clean other things. Rather than the wastewater, in this case, for example, distilled water or deionized water is used, which is guided through the electrolysis cell preferably having diamond electrodes. This gives rise, for example, to ozone within the clean water, which can be used in this way for cleaning and oxidative treatment of surfaces. Corresponding processes and apparatuses are known, for example, from DE 102 19 688 A1 and DE 101 11 727 B4.
The cleaning of a gas stream is also possible in this way by guiding the gas stream, for example, through a reaction vessel filled with an aqueous electrolyte, with continuous introduction of hydroxyl radicals that are produced by means of a diamond electrode arrangement into the electrolyte. This is known, for example, from DE 103 16 759 B4. The electrochemical treatment of liquids is the subject of DE 10 2014 203 372 A1 and EP 2 072 472 A1, while DE 10 2014 203 376 is concerned explicitly with the production of ozonized water. In all the apparatuses, electrolysis cells having diamond electrodes are used. DE 10 2008 047 148 A1 discloses the cleaning and disinfection of a vessel, in which correspondingly ozonized water is used.
The diamond electrode itself can be produced in a wide variety of different ways. For example, DE 198 42 396 A1 and DE 10 2009 048 108 B3 each disclose a process for producing a corresponding diamond electrode. In the latter publication in particular, a base structure to which the diamond layer is applied is pretreated and provided with a rough, fissured surface in order to increase the diamond surface area. Such roughening of the surface to be coated is also known from EP 2 072 641 A1, wherein the surface is subsequently also treated with an etchant. DE 10 2014 203 374 A1 describes an electrode arrangement and a corresponding electrode having a specific form matched to the field of application.
Electrolysis cells having electrodes, especially having diamond electrodes, are consequently usable within a broad field of use. Conventionally, an electrolysis cell has two electrodes, one of which is used as the anode and the other cathode. Between the two, there is a membrane, for example, which can take the form of an ion exchange membrane as described in DE 10 2014 203 374 A1 and DE 10 2014 203 376 A1. Also known from the prior art is the use of a solid electrolyte between the two electrodes.
In this type of electrolysis cell, the liquid to be subjected to electrochemical treatment is guided between one of the two electrodes and the appropriate membrane. A disadvantage, however, because of the high field strengths required in the electrical field which is caused by the electrical voltage which is applied between the electrodes, is that the distance chosen between the two electrodes has to be very small in order to achieve the required field strengths. At the same time, it is necessary that the liquid to be treated is put in a flow of maximum turbulence in order to achieve good mixing of the substances produced by the electrolysis in the liquid. This additionally distinctly improves an efficiency of the electrode, since saturation effects that can occur in the immediate proximity of the electrode if the electrolysis products cannot be removed from the electrode are avoided. This removal of the electrolysis products is advantageously achieved via the turbulent flow, which ensures good mixing of the products in the liquid to be treated and hence overcomes the mass transfer limitation.
Especially in the case of electrochemical treatment of wastewaters, this mixing is highly advantageous. In the electrolysis cell, hydroxyl radicals are formed from the water present in the wastewater, and these degrade the trace materials present in the wastewater that are to be removed. The hydroxyl radicals preferably form here directly from an anodic electrolysis of water at the corresponding electrode. There is no need to use additional chemicals.
The hydroxyl radicals thus formed, because of their high oxidation potential, have a very short half-life within the wastewater since they find an oxidation partner almost immediately after they are formed. Consequently, the hydroxyl radicals are only present in the immediate proximity of the actual electrode surface, and for that reason the trace materials and impurities in the wastewater that are to be degraded have to be transported within this diffusion region. This too is achieved via the good mixing of the wastewater by the turbulent flow which is caused in the electrolysis cell.
However, a disadvantage is that, because of the high oxidation potential of the hydroxyl radicals, there can also be oxidation of other substances, for example halides present in a wastewater. This gives rise to electrolysis by-products that are undesirable and preferably have to be removed again before the cleaned wastewater can be used further.

Apparatus for electrochemical treatment of wastewater


A blended powder including a first powder containing an R2T14B phase as a main phase, and a second powder containing an R2T17 phase at 25 wt % or more of the whole is prepared. Herein, R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of all rare-earth elements and Y (yttrium), T is at least one element selected from the group consisting of all transition elements, and Q is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B (boron) and C (carbon). The blended powder is sintered, so as to manufacture a permanent magnet having a structure in which a rare-earth element included in the second powder is concentrated in a grain surgace region of a main phase.

Dysprosium (Dy) is conventionally added to a material alloy for the purposes of improving heat resistance of a rare-earth-iron-boron based (R-T-B) sintered magnet, and of maintaining the coercive force high even in a high temperature condition. The Dy is a kind of rare earth element exhibiting an effect of enhancing an anisotropic magnetic field of R2T14B phase as a main phase of the R-T-B sintered magnet. The Dy is a rare element. For this reason, if the practical use of electric vehicles is advanced, and the demand for magnets with high heat resistance used in motors for the electric vehicles is increased, an increase in material cost is a matter of concern as a result of tightening of the Dy source. Therefore, the development of technology for reducing the use of Dy in magnets with high coercive force is strongly required.
Conventionally, Dy is added in such a manner that the Dy is blended and melted together with the other elements in material casting. According to such a conventional method, Dy is uniformly distributed in a main phase of a magnet. However, the mechanism for generating the coercive force of the R-T-B sintered magnet is nucleation type, so that, in order to increase the coercive force, it is important to suppress the generation of opposing magnetic domain in the vicinity of the surface of R2Fe14B crystal grains as a main phase. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, if the Dy concentration can be increased in the vicinity of the surface of the main phase (Nd2Fe14B) crystal grains, that is, only in a grain surface region of the main phase, a high coercive force can be realized with a reduced amount of Dy. In FIG. 1, the grain surface region of the main phase in which the Dy concentration is relatively increased is represented as "(Nd, Dy)2Fe14B". In a grain boundary phase, a rare earth rich (R-rich) phase exists.
As methods of reducing the use amount of Dy, thereby obtaining a structure shown in FIG. 1, a method of adding an oxide of Dy (see J. Magn. Soc. Jpn. 11(1987)235), a method of adding a hydride of Dy (see J. Alloys Compd. 287(1999)206), and the like have been proposed, for example.
However, the above-mentioned method of adding the oxide involves a problem that the magnetization is disadvantageously deteriorated as a result of the increase in the amount of oxygen as an impurity. The method of adding the hydride involves a problem that the degree of sintering is deteriorated.
In order to avoid such problems, many suggestions such as the followings are made for structure control by means of multi-alloy method in which a main phase alloy having a composition closer to the stoichiometric composition of Nd2Fe14B and a liquid-phase alloy of Dy-rich are blended.    (1) Method in which a Dy—Cu alloy is used (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.6-96928)    (2) Method in which a Dy—Co alloy having a low melting point is used (IEEE Trans. Mag. 31(1995)3623)    (3) Method in which a Dy—Al alloy is used (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-206802)    (4) Method in which an R-rich R-T-B alloy including B (boron) is used (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.5-21218)
However, all of the compositions of the Dy alloys used in the above-identified prior arts are rare-earth rich, so that they are easily oxidized during the pulverization or the like. As a result, the amount of oxygen included in the final magnet is increased, so that there exists a problem that the magnetic properties are deteriorated. In addition, since the embrittlement by means of hydrogen occlusion process cannot be efficiently performed for any of the alloys, the degree arid the efficiency of pulverization are bad, and it is difficult to finally obtain fine particles. In addition, in the case where the Dy—Cu alloy or the Dy—Co alloy is used, there exists a problem that the degree of sintering is significantly deteriorated.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a method of suppressing the oxidation of non main-phase alloy, and of improving the ease of pulverization, in a method of producing a permanent magnet obtained by blending a powder of main phase alloy with a powder of non main-phase alloy including a rare-earth element such as Dy which contributes to the improvement of coercive force.

Method for preparation of permanent magnet


The present invention consists of a stiffening plate for a spare tire storage system that is supported by a plurality of protrusions in the form of raised beads in the tub floor. The plate is raised from the tub floor via the beads, the structure thus forming a "double thick" cross section that reduces low frequency vibration, while at the same time allowing drainage during the coating process from between the layers and which does not increase weight or cost.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a storage system for a vehicle spare tire. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stiffening plate for use in a storage system for a spare tire of a vehicle having a rearwardly located storage area, the storage system including a storage tub located below the floor of the vehicle and a cover for this tub.
2. Discussion
Automotive vehicles, such as minivans, vans, station wagons, sport utilities and the like, are often purchased for their carrying capacity. These types of vehicles typically include a rear storage area accessible via a lift gate or tail gate. The aforementioned vehicles typically are not provided with a trunk, and packaging issues frequently arise concerning storage of the spare tire. Frequently, the spare tire is mounted in an upright position within the rearward storage area and adjacent one of the vehicle side walls. However, this type of storage significantly impacts the carrying capacity of the vehicle and reduces visibility.
It is also known to mount the spare tire to the underside of the vehicle body. Here, access to the spare tire is difficult. In other arrangements, the spare tire is mounted to the lift gate or on a swing gate positioned adjacent the lift gate. Such arrangements are disadvantageous in that additional weight is carried by the lift gate or the swing gate must be moved out of the way before access to the lift gate may be obtained.
It is also known to store the spare tire within a storage compartment or tub provided below the vehicle's floor. A cover is typically provided for concealing the tub. A vehicle spare tire system having a reinforced cover is disclosed in United States application Ser. No. 08/939,924, titled "Vehicle Spare Tire Storage System Having a Reinforced Cover," owned by common assignee Chrysler Corporation, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Such storage systems by their nature typically are a source of low frequency NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) in the vehicle, such as "boom," a low frequency noise phenomenon associated with such systems.

Vehicle spare tire storage system having stiffening plate


The nozzle for a pressurized container is mounted to the container for shipment and sale by a hook member. The hook member has a hook portion that mounts to the valve cup rim or container rim. An attachment leg connects the hook portion to the nozzle. The hook portion has a slip-fit relationship to the rim on which it is placed. The wall of the hook portion that rests along the outside of the rim is thinner than is the wall that rests along the inside of the rim. This arrangement accommodates the over-cap without displacement or flaring of the nozzle.

This invention relates to a technique for assembling or packaging of the nozzle that accompanies a pressurized dispensing container; often called aerosol containers. Many of these dispensing containers, such as those used to dispense caulk, require a separate nozzle to extend the normal valve nozzle. Although the device is a nozzle extension, it is generally referred to in the art as a nozzle.
These nozzles are typically taped to the outside of the dispensing container so that when shipped, the dispensing container will have an appropriate nozzle. The purchaser purchases the container and nozzle as a unit.
The taping is somewhat unsightly and looks ad hoc. In addition, the tape can sometimes be damaged or come loose. Even if the tape does not come off entirely, the nozzle will appear to be hanging on to the container giving the product a crude or low-tech appearance.
Associating the nozzle with the container has been approached over the years in a number of ways. One approach was to pre-mount the nozzle on the valve and build an over-cap large enough to contain the nozzle. This provided a much larger and somewhat more expensive product and was also more expensive to ship and store.
Another technique used and dropped employed a ring around the cup to which the nozzle was detachably attached.
One other approach that was tried was to build a compartment into the over-cap to hold the nozzle. Like the technique of mounting the nozzle on the valve which required a larger over-cap, this also meant a larger and more expensive package.
Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide a technique and structure for associating and mounting the nozzle to each dispensing container in a fashion that provides security for the nozzle and at a cost which is sufficiently lower so that it will be a cost effective replacement for current techniques.
A related and important purpose of this invention is to provide an appearance for the packaged nozzle and container that is commensurate with the quality of the product being employed.
In brief, this invention employs a hook member which is molded to the base of the nozzle and extends radially outward from that base. The hook member has an outboard hook portion and a leg that connects the hook portion to the base of the nozzle. The hook portion is designed to hook over either the rim of the valve cup or at the rim of the can with a slip-fit relationship. The side of the hook which is on the outside of the valve cup rim or can rim is thinner than the side of the hook on the inside of the rim so that the over-cap will fit over the thinner side of the hook without applying pressure to the hook member which would tend to cause the nozzle to flare and thus not hang straight down the side of the can.
The leg of the hook that connects to the base of the nozzle has a small opening adjacent to the base so that the hook member can be readily detached from the nozzle by the user when the nozzle is to be used to dispense material from the pressurized container.

Packaging of nozzle for pressurized dispensing containers


Tablets of a poorly compressible drug are made by direct compression using a binder composition which is a polymer, preferably a copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and vinyl acetate (VA), having a defined glass transition temperature (Tg), admixed with a plasticizer, e.g. an organic ester or polyol, which reduces the Tg of the copolymer by at least 10° C. The binder composition and the drug are directly compressed into a tablet of predetermined hardness and friability, and at an acceptable compression force.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to direct compression of poorly compressible drugs, and, more particularly, to a new and improved binder composition for such drugs, which enables mixtures thereof to be processed into drug tablets of desired hardness and friability by direct compression, and at an acceptable compression force.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Poorly compressible drugs such as naproxen and acetaminophen are currently made into tablets by wet granulation. However, it would be advantageous to provide a method of forming tablets of such drugs by direct compression, which is a more commercially advantageous process.

Binder composition and method for processing poorly compressible drugs into tablets of predetermined hardness and friability


A self-powered foam (e.g. compressed-air foam (CAF)) distributor has a rotor mechanism with impingement surfaces against which foam impinges to rotate the rotor. The rotor is mounted on an inlet shaft geared to an output shaft. A rotary outlet is mounted to the output shaft so that foam entering the distributor rotates the rotary outlet, which in turn projects foam around in a circular sweep. The rotary outlet can rotate over a full 360 degrees, providing superior coverage for a large floor space, such as in hangars or warehouses, with less water and concentrate than in unfoamed conventional systems. Having a compact vertical profile this versatile distributor can be installed in a floor trench of a hangar or on a wall or ceiling. Since all rotational energy is harnessed from the pressure of the foam itself, no external energy source is required to power the distributor.

A foam distributor is part of a fixed piping fire suppression system capable of projecting a stream of fire-extinguishing compressed-air foam or other compressed-gas foam. In the art of firefighting, it is known to use foam produced from a solution of a foam concentrate in water. The volume of the solution is expanded by the addition of air and mechanical energy to form a bubble structure resembling shaving cream. The bubble suffocates and cools the fire and protects adjacent structures from exposure to radiant heat. Foam is known to be very effective on liquid fires, e.g. fuel, oil or other flammable chemicals.
One current approach to covering large floor areas is to use an oscillating nozzle to deliver the unfoamed solution. As the solution is substantially unfoamed when delivered, a more expensive agent is required and a higher concentration of the agent (e.g. in the neighbourhood of 3 percent) is required. A greater volume of the solvent and water are required to effectively cover the same area, in comparison with systems that agitate the solution to produce a thicker foam. This greater volume increases a cost per use, requires a greater supply of water and solvent (which can constitute considerable infrastructure and costs), and greatly increases the cost of disposing of the waste after a fire. Given that the delivery is across a semicircular arc, and that an array of these oscillating nozzles are required to cover the large surface area, the oscillating nozzle must be positioned only on the sides of the building. Moreover, these devices typically require a separate flow to provide the mechanical power to run the device. These oscillating devices are therefore inconveniently large, use 4-10 times more solution per unit coverage area, cannot cover 360 degrees and are unsuitable for other mounting configurations.
Foam can be generated using an air-aspirating nozzle, which entrains air into the solution and agitates the mixture producing bubbles of non-uniform size. With an aspirating system, the foam is formed at the nozzle using the energy of the solution stream. Unfortunately this foaming typically removes substantially all of the mechanical energy of the solution stream and consequently a second flow is typically required to supply mechanical energy needed to distribute the foam. The duplication of supply, and the coordination of the two systems increases an expense of the system and makes the system inherently less reliable.
Foam can also be generated by injecting air under pressure into the solution stream. The solution and air mixture are scrubbed by the hose (or pipe) to form a foam of uniform bubble size. The energy used in this system comes from the solution stream and the air injection system. This system produces a "compressed-air foam" (CAF) which is capable of delivering the foam with a greater force than a comparable aspirated system described above.
As is known in the art, compressed-air foam distributors are installed on ceilings and walls for fire-protection in a variety of applications, such as in warehouses and aircraft hangars. For example, in aircraft hangars, ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted foam distributors are poised to extinguish fires that might erupt if highly flammable jet fuel is accidentally ignited. The effectiveness of a distributor or a group of distributors to fight a fire depends on a number of factors, such as range or "reach", i.e. the distributor's ability to project the foam an adequate distance, area coverage, i.e. the floor space it can cover, reliability, compactness, power efficiency, etc. Improving the effectiveness of a distributor provides superior fire-suppression, thus requiring fewer distributors to cover a given facility, which accordingly reduces building costs and saves space.
As is known in the art, coverage can be improved by rotating the nozzle of the distributor. A rotating nozzle is described by Applicant in Canadian Patent 2,131,109 (Crampton) entitled "Foam Nozzle". This patent describes a foam nozzle having a stationary barrel and a rotary distributor with three tubular angled outlets. Other rotating nozzles are described in Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,328,225 and 6,764,024 (Crampton) both of which are entitled "Rotary Foam Nozzle". These patents describe an inverted-T-shaped rotary nozzle having a pair of differently sized orifices in the rotating barrel for distributing CAF in a circular pattern. Although these distributors provide good fire-suppression coverage, it would still be desirable to improve the effectiveness of the rotary foam distributor to further improve its ability to rapid suppress and control fires.
Furthermore, the distribution of compressed-air foam from small (prior-art) rotary nozzles cannot be practically scaled up in size to cover large areas, as scaling up in flow and size causes the rotational speed to increase to unacceptable levels and does not significantly increase the size of the coverage area. These prior-art nozzles are thus restricted to applications that do not require large areas of coverage. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, the problem in extinguishing flammable liquid pool fires in crowded aircraft hangars is delivering the CAF to the floor, past obstructions such as the wings or other vehicle bodies. Therefore, what is needed to cover large floor areas with CAF is a distributor that can deliver CAF to great radial distances with close to flat horizontal projection. It is further desirable to provide a distributor that has a low profile that permits installation in recessed horizontal settings, such as in a protected trough in a floor of the hangar.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,024 discloses an impeller-driven delivery system that uses pressure of a CAF flow to drive an impeller, which is coupled by an internally mounted gear box reducer within a closed housing to revolve an output shaft that, in turn, drives a diffuser. The diffuser is made to revolve to distribute the CAF in a radial pattern.
Applicant has found that greatly improved transfer of energy to a rotor, and a significantly more compact assembly, can be achieved with a different configuration. This configuration further provides a more robust, simpler, impeller and transmission system that is better suited to surviving extreme thermal and shock testing required of such devices.
Therefore, it would also be highly desirable to provide a rotary foam nozzle that is compact, capable of covering a full 360 degrees, supplies CAF that does not require large water flow rates, does not require a secondary power supply, can be mounted in multiple configurations, and is robust.


A data processor includes a stream assembling section which divides video and audio data into a plurality of packets, and makes a plurality of data units, in each of which a video packet representing a fraction of the video data and an audio packet representing a fraction of the audio data are multiplexed together to generate a data stream composed of a plurality of data units; and a writing section for writing the data stream on a storage medium. The stream assembling section determines what video packets and audio packets are included in each data unit, and if a portion of audio data, which is associated with the video data stored in a predetermined data unit, is missing from the predetermined data unit, then copied data, obtained by copying partial audio data including at least that missing portion of the audio data, is put into the data stream.

Various types of data streams have been standardized to encode and compress video data at low bit rates. A system stream compliant with MPEG2 system standard ISO/IEC 13818-1 is known as one such data stream. A "system stream" is a generic term for the three types of streams, namely, program stream (PS), transport stream (TS) and PES stream.
In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to phase change optical discs, MOs and other optical discs as data stream storage media to replace magnetic tapes. A DVD video recording standard (i.e., DVD Specifications for Rewritable/Re-recordable Discs Part 3 VIDEO RECORDING, version 1.0, Sep. 1999, which will be referred to herein as "VR standard") is currently known as a standard for recording the data stream of some content on a phase change optical disc (such as a DVD) in real time and for making it editable. Also, a DVD Video standard (which will be referred to herein as "Video standard") is also defined as a standard for a package medium to store the data stream of a read-only content such as a movie thereon.
FIG. 1 shows a data structure for an MPEG2 program stream 10 compliant with the VR standard (which will be referred to herein as a "VR-compliant stream 10").
The VR-compliant stream 10 includes a plurality of video objects (VOBs) #1, #2, . . . , and #k. Supposing the VR-compliant stream 10 is a content that was taken with a camcorder, for example, each VOB stores moving picture data that was generated during a single video recording session (i.e., since the user started recording the video and until he or she stopped doing it).
Each VOB includes a plurality of VOB units (VOBUs) #1, #2, . . . , and #n. Each VOBU is a data unit containing video data with a video playback time falling within the range of 0.4 second to 1 second in most cases.
Hereinafter, the data structure of VOBUs will be described with the first and second video object units VOBU #1 and VOBU #2 shown in FIG. 1 taken as an example.
VOBU #1 is composed of a number of packs, which belong to a low-order layer of an MPEG program stream. In the VR-compliant stream 10, each pack has a fixed data length (also called a "pack length") of 2 kilobytes (i.e., 2,048 bytes). At the top of the VOBU, a real time information pack (RDI pack) 11 is positioned as indicated by "R" in FIG. 1. The RDI pack 11 is followed by multiple video packs "V" (including video pack 12) and multiple audio packs "A" (including audio pack 13). It should be noted that even if the playback time is the same but if the video data has a variable bit rate, the data size of each VOBU is changeable within a range defined by a maximum read/write rate. However, if the video data has a fixed bit rate, the data size of each VOBU is substantially constant.
Each pack stores the following information. As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-197417, for example, the RDI pack 11 stores various information for controlling the playback of the VR-compliant stream 10, e.g., information representing the playback timing of the VOBU and information for controlling copying of the VR-compliant stream 10. The video packs 12 store MPEG2-compressed video data thereon. The audio packs 13 store audio data that was compressed so as to comply with the MPEG2 Audio standard, for example. In adjacent video and audio packs 12 and 13, video and audio data to be played back synchronously with each other may be stored.
VOBU #2 is also made up of a plurality of packs. An RDI pack 14 is placed at the top of VOBU #2, and then followed by a plurality of video packs 15 and a plurality of audio packs 16. The contents of the information to be stored in each of these packs are similar to those of VOBU #1.
It should be noted that the RDI pack is not always positioned at the top of each VOBU within a VOB. Whenever the RDI pack is not located at the top of a VOBU, a video pack is always positioned there.
FIG. 2 shows a relationship between a video stream composed of the video data stored in video packs and an audio stream composed of the audio data stored in audio packs.
Specifically, in VOBU #i, a picture 21b of the video stream is composed of the video data that has been stored in at least one pack including the video pack 21a, the next picture is composed of the video data that has been stored in at least one pack including the video pack 22, and each of the following pictures is also composed of the video data that has been stored in following video packs. Meanwhile, an audio frame 23b is composed of the audio data that has been stored in the audio pack 23a. The same statement applies to the other audio packs. It should be noted that the data in one audio frame may be stored in two or more audio packs separately. Alternatively, multiple audio frames may be included in one audio pack.
Also, any audio frame data included in a VOBU is supposed herein to be complete within that VOBU. That is to say, the audio frame data contained in a VOBU is all included within that VOBU and never included in the next VOBU.
The video and audio frames are played back in accordance with the information specifying the presentation times (i.e., presentation time stamps (PTS)), which is stored in the packet headers of the respective video and audio packs. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the video picture 21b and the audio frame 23b are played back at substantially the time times, i.e., synchronously with each other.
Look at the video packs 24a and 24b of VOBU #i. The last picture 24c of VOBU #i is made up of the video data stored in the video packs 24a through 24b. As described above, each VOBU is constructed with reference to the video playback times, for example, with no special attention paid to the sound. Accordingly, the data in the audio frame 25c additionally includes presentation time information (PTS) so as to be played back synchronously with the video picture 24c, but can still be stored in the audio packs 25a and 25b of the next VOBU #(i+1).
In this manner, the audio frame to be played back synchronously with the video frame has its storage location shifted from that of the video frame. This is because in a system target decoder (P-STD) defining rules in multiplexing the video and audio packs, the data size (e.g., 224 kilobytes) of a video data buffer is much greater than the data size (e.g., 4 kilobytes) of an audio data buffer. The audio data allows just a small amount of data to be accumulated, and is multiplexed so as to be retrieved just before the playback timing.
With respect to such a program stream, the user can register his or her desired VOBU playback order as a "play list". In accordance with the play list, the player plays back video and so on by acquiring the data of a specified VOBU and then continues the playback by reading data out from the beginning of the specified VOBU.
However, if the video data and audio data to be played back synchronously with each other were stored in different VOBUs, then the sound could be discontinued while the video and audio data are being played back in accordance with the play list. This is because the data is read out continuously from the target VOBU but the audio data, stored in the next non-target VOBU, is not. In that case, only the video is played back but the audio to be played back synchronously with the video is not played back.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the play list may specify that VOBU #k (where k≠(i+1)) should be played back after VOBU #i has been played back. In that case, after the data has been read out from the video picture 24c of VOBU #i, data is read out from the next specified VOBU #k. Accordingly, the data of the audio frame 25c, which is stored in VOBU #(i+1) and which should be played back synchronously with the video picture 24c, is not read out and the sound is not reproduced. As a result, the user hears the sound discontinued during the playback.
Also, even in VOBU #k, the storage location of the audio frame associated with its top video picture changes from one VOBU to another, and is determined by the correlation between VOBU #k and its previous VOBU (i.e., VOBU #(k−1)). More specifically, the storage location is determined by the bit rate of the program stream and the buffer size of the system target decoder (P-STD). Accordingly, even if VOBU #i includes every audio frame to be played back synchronously, VOBU #k does not always store every audio frame to be played back synchronously from its very beginning. This is also why the user hears the sound discontinued during the playback.
An object of the present invention is to reduce significantly, or eliminate if possible, the period in which the sound is discontinued even if the video and audio data are played back in accordance with a play list, for example.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A shooting support bench is disclosed for supporting a firearm, and which comprises a riser assembly for positioning on a support surface. The riser assembly comprises a standard having an upper end and a lower end; and a plurality of leg assemblies pivotally mounted on the standard toward the lower end. The bench further comprises a support assembly rotatably mounted on the upper end of the standard, and a seat assembly removably mounted on the seat support assembly for rotation with the support assembly with respect to the riser assembly. The bench also comprises a platform assembly mounted on the support assembly and the riser assembly, the platform assembly being positioned above the upper end of the standard and being rotatable with respect to the riser assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shooting benches and more particularly pertains to a new shooting support bench with enhanced strength and stability while providing collapsibility and a high degree of adjustability.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recreational shooting of firearms, such as target shooting, benefits can be more enjoyable when the shooter is able to shoot the firearm from a steady platform that resists the movement of the firearm that can cause poor shots. Firearm shooting rests, such as is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,266, are useful and convenient for steadying the firearm during shooting, but such rests are typically short in the vertical direction and need to be rested on a raised surface if the shooter desires to sit or stand rather than lie prone. However, the performance of even the most solid and sturdy shooting rest can be compromised by a placing it on a support that is not as solid and stable as the shooting rest.
Shooting tables or benches have been developed for the purpose of stably supporting the shooting rests, but the known shooting benches have suffered from some significant problems that has made their performance less than desirable. Putting aside for the moment the lack of quality that has compromised the stability of many of the known shooting benches, these benches have suffered from the inability to provide the shooter with sufficient adjustments to provide a level support for the shooting rest. The ease of adjustability of the known shooting benches has also been less than optimal, particularly in quickly adjusting the height of the bench for sitting and standing heights. Further, the fine adjustment after the course adjustment needs to be accurate to set.
It is therefore believed that there is a need in the art for a shooting support bench with greater stability and adjustability than known benches.


A wheel assembly for a floor treatment machine is provided that aids the operator in maintaining positive control of the machine. The wheel assembly includes a body that can be removably attached to the floor treatment machine, and wheels that are configured to contact the floor, while the floor treatment machine is in use. The body of the wheel assembly can include a first end disposed below the base of the floor treatment machine, an intermediate region, and a second end extending beyond the base.

The invention relates generally to floor treatment machines and, more particularly, to attachments for floor treatment machines.
Floor treatment machines are commonly used for polishing, grinding, sanding or otherwise treating surfaces such as concrete or wood floors. Typically, such floor treatment machines have a handle and a housing that contains a motor for rotating a floor treatment head. Such machines also typically include transport wheels disposed between housing and the handle. The wheels serve as a fulcrum, allowing the user to raise the housing for transport by pressing down on the handle. The wheels are offset and elevated relative to the treatment head so that they do not contact the floor. This enables the user to move the machine in any desired direction while in use, which can be particularly beneficial in various applications, such as sanding, grinding and polishing floors.
In use, the head of the machine rotates on the floor surface that is being treated, and the user guides machine about floor with the handle. The head of the machine rotates at a high rate, imparting substantial torque. Accordingly, the user must maintain active control of the machine throughout its operation. This can be particularly challenging for novice users and, if not careful, even experienced users can lose control of the machine. Any loss of control creates a serious risk of injury.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there remains a need for a system that addresses these risks. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.

Floor treatment machine with wheel assembly


A method and system for organizing content data by adding one or more identifiers that place the content data in context or provide additional details about the content. The method includes attaching a label to image data and classifying the image data based on the label.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to content data manipulation by placing the content in context. More particularly, the present invention relates to partitioning content based on identifying information related to the content as well as editing the content.
2. Background Discussion
Sharing electronic content has become a popular way for users of electronic devices to interact. Many social networking websites and services permit users to share content of interest. While social networking provides a forum to share electronic content, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an efficient and user-friendly system for a user to classify, organize, edit and share electronic content.

Method and apparatus for content manipulation

SONY NETWORK ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL LLC


It is important to recognize the severity of an accident more accurately and reliably. To do so, the present invention consists of installing a compression element (25) that can be compressed reversibly into an impact absorption device (2) in order to dampen the impact on a vehicle component. A pressure sensor is integrated in this compression element (25) which detects the pressure during compression of the compression element (25). From the pressure signal, data such as the collision speed can be determined and a safety device such as an airbag can be triggered. By doing so, expensive early crash sensors and similar devices become unnecessary, while the severity of an accident can be reliably determined.

The use of energy-absorbing components for the protection of the vehicle frame in a frontal collision is commonly known. In most cases, the protection is provided by a side rail protection component between the front ends of the two side rails of a vehicle's frame and the front cross member.
Such vehicle frame protection components are not to be confused with the component widely known as the bumper of a vehicle. A vehicle's bumper is generally placed in front of the front cross member of the frame. With newer vehicle models, the bumper consists mainly of easily deformable plastic parts which enhance the vehicle's exterior design. However, bumpers are often strengthened mechanically by placing additional plastic parts or energy-absorbing PU foam parts in the cavity between the bumper and the front cross member of the frame. Older models in particular often use bumpers made of steel sheet, aluminum-strengthened steel sheet or similar materials, which are connected to the vehicle frame via flexible hydraulic components, so that the hydraulic components deflect impact collisions which occur at lowest speeds from the frame. Commonly used bumper designs can be found in the automobile engineering handbook by Robert Bosch GmbH, 22nd edition, Stuttgart, 1995 on page 686. While the commonly marketed vehicle frame protection components have the purpose of preventing permanent damage to the vehicle frame at higher speeds, such as speeds from 5 to 25 km/h (approx. 3 to 15 miles/h), bumpers only serve to protect the rigid vehicle frame from deformations caused by impact collisions at speeds up to 5 km/h (approx. 3 miles/h). The bumper absorbs most of the impact energy, so that the vehicle's frame is only damaged by much stronger impact forces caused by a collision.
Deformed vehicle frame protection components can easily be exchanged with new components. This makes expensive repairs of frame damages after a collision at moderate speed unnecessary by simply replacing one or several vehicle frame protection devices, considerably reducing repair costs. This is one of the reasons insurers insist on repeated or regular functionality checks of such vehicle frame protection components especially with newly registered cars, before all vehicles of identical design are classified within the same damage class.
The automobile industry has long added pressure and acceleration sensors to different points of a vehicle. These sensors plus their electronic parts (which evaluate the signals) are mostly used as crash sensors, often also as so-called early crash sensors. Early crash sensors emit their signals to a passenger protection system's central controller which uses the data to determine the severity of the accident. Based on the severity determined, a passenger protection device is triggered (sometimes modified) when an additional crash sensor or central controller sensor signal provides sufficient cause to trigger the passenger protection device. For example, an airbag is inflated to the first or second inflation level according to the severity of the accident.
From the German patent disclosure DE 196 02 990 A1 it is also known to determine a vehicle's impact collision from the increase in pressure in a cavity behind a bumper using a pressure sensor. Depending on the pressure sensor data, a passenger protection device is then triggered, such as an airbag, a belt tightening device or similar devices.
German patent registration DE 103 31 862.3 furthermore presents a vehicle protection frame element which is deformed permanently and the cavity of which is equipped with a pressure sensor to measure an increase in pressure during a collision. From the pressure signal, a central controller determines the severity of the collision and triggers the suitable passenger protection device according to need.
Furthermore, the German patent registration DE 103 32 377.5 involves a hydraulic bridging element for bridging the gap between the engine/drive block and a cross member. The forces impacting the vehicle during a collision are used to push the fluid from the fluid reservoir into the hydraulic bridging element. The inserted fluid extends or elongates the hydraulic bridging element in order to bridge the gap between the two components. In this way, additional force paths are created which slow down collision-driven movements of heavy components like the engine/drive block and provide for geometric compatibility in order to protect and relieve the passenger cabin. On the other hand, part of the impact energy can be redirected in order to support the components against the introduced collision forces and against other parts of the vehicle.


An encapsulated calorimetric flow meter according to the present invention comprises an integrated circuit (104) mounted on a lead frame (102). The integrated circuit has a channel (105) provided in its lower face, the channel being aligned with two holes (103) provided in the lead frame, the holes coinciding with the ends of the channel (105). There are further slots (111) in the lead frame (102) alongside the integrated circuit to thermally isolate it from the rest of the lead frame (102), which acts as a heat sink to keep the entry and exit fluid at ambient temperature. The flow meter is manufactured by mounting the integrated circuit (104) on to a suitable lead frame (102). The assembly of integrated circuit (104) and lead frame (102) is then inverted and blobs of gel (112, 114) are then deposited onto the lead frame (102) covering the holes (103). The assembly is then inserted into a mould (100) and encapsulated within a suitable mould compound. When the assembly is ejected from the mould cavity the gel can be removed and the holes (103) and the channel (105) exposed to facilitate fluid flow into, out of and along the channel (105).

The present invention relates to calorimetric flow meters, in particular calorimetric flow meters implemented as integrated circuits and to a method of manufacturing such a calorimetric flow meter.
Calorimetric flow meters measure mass flow and are used in industry and in the medical profession to measure the flow of a fluid. A typical calorimetric flow meter comprises a tube heated by a heater located halfway along the tube, the unheated ends of the tube remaining at ambient temperature. When the heater is on and no fluid flows in the tube the heating causes a temperature distribution in the tube whereby the temperature drops linearly with distance from the heater. When a fluid flow is present in the tube, heat exchange takes place between the tube and the fluid. Upstream from the heater fluid flow will cool the tube slightly and downstream the fluid flow will heat the tube slightly. The resultant temperature distribution along the tube is now uneven. Temperature sensors positioned halfway between the heater and the ends of the tube are operative to detect the difference ΔT between the measured upstream and downstream temperatures.
The temperature difference ΔT between upstream and downstream is proportional to the mass flow rate φm. The relation between the temperature difference ΔT and mass flow rate φm is also dependant on the heat conductivity of the tube and the heat capacity of the fluid.
The mass flow rate φm to temperature difference ΔT relation is not dependant upon the fluids viscosity or heat conductivity unlike for hot-wire or Venturi sensors advantageously making the calibration of a Calorimetric Flow Meter independent of the fluid. In order to make it convenient to use a Calorimetric Flow Meter in a wide range of industrial applications it is necessary to be able to produce a low cost robust Calorimetric Flow Meter. The best presently available Calorimetric Flow Meters are manufactured substantially from silicon and are potentially easy to damage.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved Calorimetric Flow Meter.


Disclosed are compositions comprising C26H30 hexamantane, referred to herein as peri-condensed hexamantane, fully condensed hexamantane, and cyclohexamantane. These enriched cyclohexamantane compositions comprise at least 5 percent by weight cyclohexamantane based upon the total weight of the composition.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward novel compositions comprising the C26H30 hexamantane herein referred to as "cylcohexamantane."
2. References
The following publications and patents are cited in this application as superscript numbers:
1 Lin, et al., Natural Occurrence of Tetramantane (C22H28),Pentamantane (C26H32) and Hexamantane (C30H36) in a Deep Petroleum Reservoir, Fuel, 74(10):1512-1521 (1995)
2 Alexander, et al., Purification of Hydrocarbonaceous Fractions, U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,748, issued Aug. 28, 1990
3 McKervey, Synthetic Approaches to Large Diamondoid Hydrocarbons, Tetrahedron, 36:971-992 (1980).
4 Wu, et al., High Viscosity Index Lubricant Fluid, U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,851, issued Apr. 26, 1994.
5 Chung et al., Recent Development in High-Energy Density Liquid Fuels, Energy and Fuels, 13, 641-649 (1999).
6 Sandia National Laboratories (2000), World's First Diamond Micromachines Created at Sandia, Press Release, (2/22/2000) www.Sandia.gov.
7 Balaban et al., Systematic Classification and Nomenclature of Diamondoid Hydrocarbons—I, Tetrahedron. 34, 3599-3606 (1978).
8 Chen, et al., Isolation of High Purity Diamondoid Fractions and Components, U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,189, issued May 9, 1995
All of the above publications and patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety.
3. State of the Art
Hexamantanes are bridged-ring cycloalkanes. They are the hexamers of adamantane (tricyclo[22.214.171.124,7]decane) or C10H16, in which various adamantane units are face-fused. The compounds have a "diamondoid" topology, which means their carbon atom arrangement is superimposable on a fragment of the diamond lattice (FIG. 1). Hexamantanes possess six of the "diamond crystal units" and therefore, it is postulated that there are thirty-nine possible hexamantane structures. Among them, twenty-eight of the thirty-nine have the stoichiometric formula C30H36 (molecular weight 396 Daltons) and of these, six are symmetrical, having no enantiomers. Ten of the thirty-nine hexamantanes have the stoichiometric formula C29H34 (molecular weight 382 Daltons).
The remaining hexamantane (FIGS. 2 and 3) is fully condensed, has the stoichiometric formula C26H30 (molecular weight 342 Daltons), and compositions comprising this hexamantane are the subject matter of the embodiments of this invention.
Very little has been published pertaining to the hexamantanes in general, and cyclohexamantane in particular. Hexamantane compounds have not been artificially synthesized, and these compounds have been recently thought to have only a theoretical existence.1,7 Academic chemists have primarily focused research on the interplay between physical and chemical properties in the lower diamondoids such as adamantane, diamantane and triamantane. Adamantane and diamantane, for instance, have been studied to elucidate structure-activity relationships in carbocations and radicals.3 Process engineers have directed efforts toward removing lower diamondoids from hydrocarbon gas streams.2 Lower diamondoids can cause problems during the production of natural gas by solidifying in pipes and other pieces of related processing equipment.
The literature contains little information regarding the practical applications of hexamantanes. This fact is probably due to extreme difficulties encountered in their isolation and due to failed synthesis attempts. Lin and Wilk, for example, discuss the possible presence of pentamantanes in a gas condensate and further postulate that hexamantanes may also be present.1 The researchers postulate the existence of the compounds based on a mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern. They did not, however, report the isolation of a single pentamantane or hexamantane. Nor were they able to separate non-ionized components during their spectral analysis. McKervey et al. discuss an extremely low-yielding synthesis of anti-tetramantane.3 The procedure involves complex starting materials and employs drastic reaction conditions (e.g., gas phase on platinum at 360° C.). Although one isomer of tetramantane, i.e., anti-, has been synthesized through a double homologation route, these syntheses are quite complex reactions with large organic molecules in the gas phase and have not led to the successful synthesis of other tetramantanes. Similar attempts using preferred ring starting materials in accordance with the homologation route, have likewise failed in the synthesis of pentamantanes. Likewise, attempts using carbocation rearrangement routes employing Lewis acid catalysts, useful in synthesizing triamantane and lower diamondoids, have been unsuccessful in synthesizing tetramantanes or pentamantanes. Attempts to synthesize hexamantanes have also failed.
Among other properties, diamondoids have by far the most thermodynamically stable structures of all possible hydrocarbons that possess their molecular formulas due to the fact that diamondoids have the same internal "crystalline lattice" structure as diamonds. It is well established that diamonds exhibit extremely high tensile strength, extremely low chemical reactivity, electrical resistivity greater than aluminum oxide (alumina, or Al2O3), excellent thermal conductivity, a low coefficient of friction, and high x-ray transmissivity.
In addition, based on theoretical considerations, cyclohexamantane has a size in the nanometer range and, in view of the properties noted above, the inventors contemplate that such a compound would have utility in micro- and molecular-electronics and nanotechnology applications. In particular, the rigidity, strength, stability, variety of structural forms and multiple attachment sites shown by this molecule makes possible accurate construction of robust, durable, precision devices with nanometer dimensions. The various hexamantanes are three-dimensional nanometer sized units showing different diamond lattice arrangements. This translates into a variety of rigid shapes and sizes for the thirty-nine hexamantanes. For example, [12121] hexamantane is rod shaped, [121(3)4] hexamantane has a "T" shaped structure while [12134] is "L" shaped and [1(2)3(1)2] is flat with four lobes. The two enantiomers of [12131] have left and right handed screw like structures. Cyclohexamantane ([12312] hexamantane) is disc- or wheel-shaped.
It has been estimated that MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) constructed out of diamond should last 10,000 times longer then current polysilicon MEMS, and diamond is chemically benign and would not promote allergic reactions in biomedical applications.6 Again, the inventors contemplate that cyclohexamantane would have similar attractive properties. Applications of cyclohexamantane include molecular electronics, photonics, nanomechanical devices, and nanostructured polymers and other materials.
Notwithstanding these advantages of hexamantanes in general and cyclohexamantane in particular, the art, as noted above, fails to provide compositions comprising cyclohexamantane, or processes that would lead to these compositions. In view of the above, there is an ongoing need in the art to provide compositions comprising the C26H30 hexamantane herein referred to as cyclohexamantane.


A wiring board 10 includes a lower wiring conductor 1, an upper insulating layer 2 laminated on the lower wiring conductor 1 and having a via hole 5 where a bottom surface is the lower wiring conductor 1, and a via conductor 3 connected to the lower wiring conductor 1 and filling the via hole 5; and the upper insulating layer 2 includes a first resin layer 2a and a second resin layer 2b sequentially laminated on the lower wiring conductor 1, the via hole 5 has an annular groove 5a over a whole circumference of the inner wall in a boundary between both resin layers 2a and 2b, and the via conductor 3 fills the groove 5.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiring board having a via hole and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 3, a wiring board 20 formed by electrically connecting a lower wiring conductor 11 and an upper wiring conductor 14 formed on an upper surface of an upper insulating layer 12 with a via conductor 13 that penetrates the upper insulating layer 12 is known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-252436). The via conductor 13 is formed by filling a via hole 15 formed in the upper insulating layer 12 with a plating conductor.
In recent years, in such a wiring board, a micro-wiring pattern is popularly used. For this reason, the via conductor 13 requires a diameter of 40 μm or less. However, when the via conductor 13 has a diameter of 40 μm or less, a contact area between the via conductor 13 and the lower wiring conductor 11 also decreases, and a contact strength therebetween is degraded. For this reason, for example, when heat generated in mounting parts on the wiring board 20 and heat generated in activation of the parts are repeatedly applied, thermal stress caused by a difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the via conductor 13 and the lower wiring conductor 11 makes cracks between the via conductor 13 and the lower wiring conductor 11 to damage the electric connection between the via conductor 13 and the lower wiring conductor 11, then the wiring board 20 could not function as a wiring board.

Wiring board and method of manufacturing the same


An electrical connector assembly includes an inner housing, where the inner housing includes a rib which is alignable with the slot in an outer housing to polarize the inner and outer housings together. The rib includes an interruption providing a gap in the rib defining a forward rib portion and an aft rib portion. Alternatively, the inner housing can be received directly in a mating low profile housing where a flexible arm containing an aperture is received over the forward rib portion to latch the two housings together.

The subject invention relates to electrical connector assemblies having multiple profiles.
In many connector applications, a connector assembly includes multiple housing parts which includes an inner housing containing electrical contacts, and an outer housing receivable over the inner housing which may define the mating profile for the connector assembly, or may contain sealing functions or latching structures for the connector application.
In some such situations the outer housing is a large profile portion of the connector assembly and in other applications the outer housing is not used, in order to create a smaller or low profile connector housing. Thus, it would be advantageous if one inner housing, which contains the electrical contacts, could be used with both the outer, larger profile housing, and with the outer and low profile housing.
The objects of the invention are to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

Connector system with polarization and latching features