A torch pole assembly including a torch pole having a top, a bottom, and a length between the top and bottom. An opening passes through the torch pole transverse to its length. A step comprises a pair of spaced apart sidewalls, each defining a sidewall opening situated on the common axis, and a floor spanning between the sidewalls and spaced apart from the sidewall openings. An axle occupies the common axis and passes through the pair of sidewall openings and the torch pole opening. The step is rotatable from a parallel position to a perpendicular position in which the floor is perpendicular to the length of the torch pole, the step floor defining a cutout proximate the collar that receives and contacts the collar when the step is in the perpendicular position thereby preventing the step from rotation beyond the perpendicular position.

Outdoor torches are used for a variety of decorative and utilitarian purposes. In addition to providing useful or decorative lighting they may also be used to disperse scents or insect repellants. This is true whether the outdoor torch is a liquid fuel burning torch, electrically powered, or otherwise. While some torches are intended for tabletop use, or to be placed directly on the ground or another stable surface, in some instances the light, appearance, and utility of an outdoor torch may be enhanced by mounting or displaying the torch on a pole providing some degree of elevation. Securely anchoring a torch pole into the ground can be difficult due to the hardness of the ground, difficulty in obtaining sufficient purchase on the pole, or for a variety of other reasons.
What is needed is a system and method for addressing the above and related issues.

Torch pole with ease of installation features


A microphone assembly comprising a housing in which a transducer element is positioned. In the housing, an upper and a lower chamber are defined, the lower chamber extending at least at one edge of the transducer element and potentially to an upper side thereof. An element, such as a horse-shoe shaped element or a circular element, is provided for separating the upper side of the transducer element into the upper and lower chambers. The transducer element is fixed using flexible fixing means, and space is provided at one or more sides of the transducer element to take up thermal expansion and retraction of the housing and the transducer element.

In microphone assemblies, as those illustrated and described in PCT Publication No. WO 00/62580 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,261, a silicon transducer element has dimensions closely fitting the internal dimensions of the housing and is cemented at its edges to the housing. By this arrangement of the silicon transducer element, the inner space of the housing is divided into two chambers, a front chamber and a back chamber, by the transducer element. The cement used for this application is stiff and substantially non-compliant.


A laminated chip varistor has a varistor element including at least one varistor layer and at least two inner electrodes which are laminated alternatively, and outer most layers comprising the same material as the varistor layer; and terminal electrodes electrically connected to the inner electrodes each formed at each of the both edge portions of the varistor element; wherein a surface roughness (R) of the varistor element is in the range of 0.60 to 0.90 .mu.m.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a varistor and, in particular, to a laminated chip varistor capable of applying uniform soldering onto terminal electrodes only of the laminated chip varistor and to a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, electronic equipments has been miniaturized. For example, in electric parts driven by a small voltage such as IC, it is necessary to protect them from abnormal voltage, and a chip-type varistor has been generally used.
For chip parts, silver is used as the terminal electrodes. However, because the silver electrode is eroded by solder, nickel plating, etc., is applied onto the silver outer electrode to solder it. Also, in order to improve the soldering property, tin or tin-lead plating is further applied onto the nickel plating, etc.
A varistor layer constituting the laminated chip varistor is mainly composed of ZnO. Because ZnO is a semiconductor, when above-described nickel plating and tin or tin-lead plating is carried out by electrolytic plating, the ceramic portions of the varistor layer is also plated.
In order to prevent this, a high-resisting layer is formed on the surface of a ceramic element, which becomes a chip-type varistor, by dipping a glass composed of an oxide of Si, B, Bi, Pb, Ca, etc., or a high-resisting layer is formed by placing a mixture mainly composed of oxides of Si, Fe, Al, Ti, Sb on the surface of the ceramic element followed by burning (see, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications (kokai) Hei-8-31616, Hei-8-124720, and Hei-8-153607).
However, in the glass coating and the surface treatment process with the oxide as described above, the work is complicated and further there is a problem that lowering of the yield occurs by attaching the glass or the surface oxide to portions other than the necessary portions, which results in increasing the cost.
Also, it has been found that when an unevenness exists on the surface of the above-described ceramic element, an electric field is liable to be concentrated to the projected portions and these portions are plated to spread undesirable plating to the surrounding surface of the element. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to remove the unevenness of the surface of the element to form the flat surface, thereby the occurrence of the undesirable flow of plating is prevented.

Laminated chip varistor and production method thereof


A method of manufacturing a polylactic acid resin injection molded article, having the step (1): a step of melt-kneading a polylactic acid resin composition containing a polylactic acid resin and a specified organic crystal nucleus agent, while contacting the composition with a supercritical fluid; and step (2): a step of filling the melted product obtained in step (1) in a die to mold with injection-molding. The manufacturing method of the present invention is used as an advantageous technique as compared with the technique of achieving satisfactory moldability by the addition of plasticizer in the field, for example, which requires a polylactic acid resin molded article having high rigidity.

Among the biodegradable resins, the polylactic acid resin is characterized in that it is produced inexpensively due to mass production of L-lactic acid by fermentation method from sugars obtained from corn, potato and the like, that its raw material is a natural crop from which the amount of total carbon oxides discharged is very small, and that the performance of the resulting resin is highly rigid and excellent in transparency, and thus the utilization of the polylactic acid resin is expected at present. However, there is a problem that the polylactic acid resin has such a low crystallization rate that the resin is in an amorphous state after molding so long as a mechanical step such as stretching is not carried out, and that the polylactic acid resin is poor in heat resistance due to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of as low as about 60° C., thus cannot be used under environment in which the temperature is 55° C. or more.
In order to improve heat resistance of a polylactic acid resin, it is important to carry out crystallization upon molding processing, and, for example, a manufacturing method in which a supercritical fluid is used in injection molding to crystallize polylactic acid is proposed (for example, Patent Publication 1). However, even in this method, since crystallization is difficult to proceed because of low crystallization rate, there is a problem that foam formation and deformation occur when the resin is early demolded. In order to prevent it, there has been a problem that the molding time becomes longer, since it is necessary both to set the die retention time longer and to cool the die to the temperature of the glass transition temperature of the resin or lower. In addition, to prevent foam forming in a die due to low crystallization rate, a step in which inside of the die is pressurized with nitrogen gas or the like at a pressure of supercritical pressure or more is indispensably required, so that there has been limitation on equipment and devices. On the other hand, a method of manufacturing a biodegradable resin composition excellent in crystallization rate using a biodegradable resin, a plasticizer, and a crystal nucleus agent which is an aliphatic compound having two or more of at least one group selected from a hydroxyl group and an amide group is proposed (for example, Patent Publication 2). In this method, however, it is a critical requirement to use a plasticizer.    Patent Publication 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-236944    Patent Publication 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-176747

Process for production of injection-molded article of polylactic acid resin


The present disclosure provides a treatment method for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy applied to an ablation system comprising an ablation needle assembly and an energy generating device coupled to the ablation needle assembly. The treatment method comprises: advancing a distal end of the ablation needle assembly from an outside of a body through an intercostal and a cardiac apex into a ventricular septum; turning on the energy generating device, and using the distal end of the ablation needle assembly to perform radio-frequency ablation or microwave ablation to hypertrophied myocardium within the ventricular septum to make it necrotic and/or atrophic. The present disclosure avoids risk and pain of surgical septal myectomy and extracorporeal circulation in surgical resection, and does not have risk of large-area myocardial infarction caused by alcohol ablation. It is easy to operate and slight trauma to patients.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (Hereinafter "HCM") is a common autosomal dominant cardiovascular disease with an incidence of about 1:500 in the general population and a mortality rate of 1.4%-2.2%. HCM has a large difference in natural medical history. Some patients have no obvious clinical symptoms, but HCM can also cause chest tightness, chest pain, difficulty breathing, repeated syncope, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, heart failure, etc., which are the most common causes of sudden death in youngsters and athletes.
The main manifestation of HCM is left ventricular (hereinafter "LV") having one or more segmental hypertrophy, and the general diagnostic criteria is thickness greater than or equal to 15 mm. When the systolic anterior motion (hereinafter "SAM") appears against the ventricular septum, causing stenosis or even obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract (hereinafter "LVOT"), that is, when the pressure difference of the LVOT is too large, which is called as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (Hereinafter "HOCM"). HOCM accounts for about 70% of HCM patients. At present, the treatment strategy for HCM is to expand LVOT to reduce the pressure difference and reduce its obstruction. The treatment methods mainly include drug treatment, surgical septal myectomy and alcohol septal ablation.
The drug treatment is relatively simple and easy, and patients have no pain in surgery, but some patients have poor drug efficacy or intolerance. The surgical septal myectomy, that is, modified morrow surgery is to remove the hypertrophic myocardium by surgical thoracotomy. The main resection position is an anterior of the ventricular septum and concentrated in a surface of the left ventricular. The thickness of the ventricular septum after resection can be reduced by 50%, the postoperative LVOT is significantly reduced, but there is a certain risk of modified morrow surgery, and the patient's postoperative recovery is more painful. The alcohol septal ablation is an interventional treatment method, which mainly uses percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to deliver a balloon into a septal branch to be eliminated, and slowly inject alcohol into the septal branch to cause chemical occlusion, which can reduce myocardial ischemia, necrosis, thinning, and reduce LVOT in hypertrophic ventricular septum. Although this method avoids the pain of surgery, in clinical application, alcohol may cause myocardial infarction through the branch vessel, and there is still a certain risk.

Treatment method for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

HANGZHOU NUO CHENG MEDICAL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD.


Accordingly the embodiments herein provide a method for adaptive data transfer in a memory system (140), the method comprising: receiving at least one of a data copy request and a data transfer request to perform at least one of a data copy and a data transfer form a first memory subsystem (142) to a second memory subsystem (144). Configuring the memory system (140) in one of a first memory mode and a second memory mode based on a time required to perform at least on of data transfer and data transfer from the first memory subsystem (142) to the second memory subsystem (144) using an enhanced system model and performing at least one of data transferring and data copying from the first memory subsystem (142) to the second memory subsystem (144) in one of the first configured memory mode and the second configured memory mode.

The generic data copy/transfer operation in a memory system requires two steps: In step 1 the metadata for each fragment is process and the data is prepared for copying. In step 2 the actual data copying is done. The data to be transferred/copied is comprised of number of fragments. The fragment is the smallest unit of contiguous byte to be copied/transferred. A length of the data is the summation of the total no. of fragments in the data. A Meta data is associated with each fragment. Hence, the total time taken to copy the data is a function of number of fragments (N) and total length of data copied (L). However the throughput achieved with the existing methods is less than the desired throughput.
Thus, it is desired to address the above mentioned disadvantages or other shortcomings or at least provide a useful alternative.

Method and apparatus for adaptive data transfer in a memory system


A rotor gear includes a rotor gear body having involute teeth that each have an involute surface that extends between a tooth tip and a tooth base. The involute surface includes at least reference points A-D, with reference point A near the base, reference point D near the tip, reference point B between reference points A and D, and reference point C between reference points B and D. The reference points A-D have associated respective roll angles, εA-D, between a corresponding first line that is perpendicular to the involute surface at the given reference point A-D and a second line that is tangent at a reference point that lies on a terminal end of the involute surface at the tooth base to a reference base circle having a center origin at the center axis.

This disclosure relates to a modified rotor gear for handling the expected stresses within a generator assembly.
Electrical generators typically include a shaft that is driven for rotation and which carries a plurality of field coils or permanent magnets. The generator may be used to also drive a hydraulic pump, such as for cooling the generator or other components of a system. A gear train may be used between the generator and the hydraulic pump. Misalignment of the gears within the gear train relative to the shafts, bearings, or other components, may increase wear on the gears and contribute to a reduction in gear durability. For instance, axial misalignment of the gears may cause uneven wear on the gear teeth and eventually necessitate replacement.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An ISDN interface circuit is provided which is coupled to a terminal device via a transmission line and a reception line, the transmission line being formed of a pair of first and second wires, and the reception line being formed of a pair of third and fourth wires. The ISDN interface circuit includes a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series at a first node and between the first and second wires of the transmission line, and a third resistor and a fourth resistor connected in series at a second node and between the third and fourth wires of the reception line. The ISDN interface circuit also includes a D.C. power source connected to one of the first node, at which the first resistor and the second resistor are mutually connected in series and the second node, at which the third resistor and the fourth resistor are mutually connected in series. One of the first node and the second node, other than the above-mentioned one of the first node and the second node connected to the D.C. power source, is grounded.

The present invention generally relates to an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) interface circuit having a function of feeding electrical power to terminal devices.
An interface circuit on the side of a network terminator in layer 1 (physical layer) in an ISDN is defined as being equipped with a phantom feed function of feeding power to terminal devices connected to the interface circuit.

ISDN interface circuit and system using the same


A computer-readable medium storing contents configured to cause a computing device to obtain image data describing a subject, measure the subject based on the obtained image data to obtain one or more spatial dimensions, and access data describing a wearable item based on the spatial dimensions of the subject.

The system to select wearable items generally relates to a system and method to select wearable items. More particularly, the system to select wearable items relates to a system and method that obtains image data of a subject, and analyzes the subject to select wearable items that will fit on the subject.
In order to select wearable items, a tailor obtains measurements of various parts of the subject's body. After receiving measurements from a tailor, the subject can identify and select wearable items that fit according to the measurements they have received.

System and method to select wearable items


An image forming apparatus reads the amount of use of each unit from a first storage section which stores the amount of use of each unit. The image forming apparatus reads a condition, set to enable each unit to execute an optimal operation, from a second storage section which stores the condition, on the basis of the read amount of use of each unit, thereby operating each unit under the read condition and executing an image forming operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a process unit formed of, for example, a unit for forming an image can be exchanged for another.
2. Description of the Related Art
A process unit known from, for example, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. P2001-222204A is exchangeable and can be divided into a photosensitive unit and a developing unit. Further, a used process unit can be discriminated from an unused one. While the process unit can be divided into a photosensitive unit and a developing unit, only one counter is employed for counting the number of printed sheets. In this image forming apparatus, if the exchange of one of the units or one component incorporated therein is detected, the counter is reset.
To enable a component such as a photosensitive unit or developing unit to exhibit its best performance, the conditions set for the component are varied in accordance with the amount of use of the component. More specifically, if one of the two units is exchanged as in the case of the aforementioned process units, and the counter is reset, the conditions for both a newly installed unit and the remaining unit are determined on the basis of the reset counter. For example, when the counter has been reset upon the exchange of the photosensitive unit, new conditions based on the reset counter are not optimal for the remaining developing unit, which makes it impossible to execute printing in a best state.

Imaging forming apparatus having a plurality of dismountable units necessary for image forming


An image forming apparatus includes a display having a function of editing input image data and a function of displaying page images immediately after reading in order. When a first type of instruction to change shape of an image formed on a recording medium is given, the edition is not reflected on a document display mode screen image, and when a second type of instruction to edit page by page the recording medium having images formed thereon is given, the edition is reflected on the document display mode screen image. By switching between a finish preview screen image and the document display mode screen image, the image after edition and the image immediately after reading can be compared easily.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and, more specifically, to an image forming apparatus allowing the user to understand how page images change by an editing work.
2. Description of the Background Art
As one type of image processing apparatuses as electronic equipment, image forming apparatuses (typically, copy machines) are introduced to many places of business (companies and offices). A main function of an image forming apparatus is to form an image on a sheet of recording paper. Therefore, it is often the case that the image forming apparatus has a printer function, a copy function and the like. The image forming apparatuses are often connected to a network, to allow use by a plurality of users. A multifunction peripheral (MFP) has been known as one type of such image forming apparatuses. An MFP has a scanner function, and has a plurality of basic operational modes such as a copy mode, a facsimile mode (hereinafter "facsimile" may also be denoted as FAX or fax), and a network-supported printer mode. It is expected that the scanner function will be used more frequently in the future in such image forming apparatuses. In the copy mode and facsimile mode also, it is possible to read an image using the scanner function and to set functions such as duplex (two-sided) printing, collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), and enlargement or reduction of size.
When using such an image forming apparatus, by way of example, the user makes the following operations. First, the user has image data read by the image forming apparatus in the scanner mode. Thereafter, the user inputs various instructions through an operation panel, and performs image processing (such as collection). Then, the user gives an instruction to start a final processing of the image (printing to a sheet of paper, transmission by facsimile, and saving as a file). A screen image allowing setting of functions in various operational modes, for example, is displayed on the operation panel. Therefore, it is possible for the user to easily set various functions.
It is possible for the user to use various functions to edit image data in various manners. When many functions are combined, however, resulting output document may possibly have a configuration much different from the original image data. In such a case, it has been impossible for the user to know how the edited image data would be output, until the document is actually printed. If the configuration of the output document is found to be different from the document configuration intended by the user, it is often the case that toner and paper used for image formation are wasted.
Therefor, some image forming apparatuses have a preview display function of showing how the edited image will be output. By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-203439 (hereinafter referred to as '439 Reference) discloses a technique allowing confirmation of a finish of an image of a plurality of pages by a preview display. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-110677 (hereinafter referred to as '677 Reference) discloses a technique enabling quick display of a target page from images of a plurality of pages. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-253777 (hereinafter referred to as '777 Reference) discloses a technique of giving animation display of a transition process from a displayed preview image to a target preview image.
The techniques disclosed in '439, '677 and '777 References are all related to the preview display of page image after the image has been subjected to editing operations. Therefore, it has been impossible for the user to grasp what page images constitute the original document image, or how the configuration changes by the editing operations.

Image forming apparatus and method of information display


The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a measuring transducer of process automation technology, comprising at least the following steps: starting the measuring transducer by starting its operating system, wherein the operating system provides at least one interface; starting at least one interpreter, wherein the interpreter accesses the interface; and executing an extension in the interpreter. The present disclosure further relates to a measuring transducer for implementing the method.

Generally speaking, a measuring transducer also called a transmitter is a device that converts an input variable into an output variable according to a fixed relationship. In process automation technology, a sensor is, for example, connected to a measuring transducer. The raw measured values of the sensor are processed in the measuring transducer, e.g., averaged or converted by means of a calibration model to another variable for example, the process variable to be determined and possibly transmitted to a control system, for example.
Generally, a cable for connection to the sensor is connected to the measuring transducer. The measuring transducer is in this case a separate device with a separate housing and various interfaces. Alternatively, the measuring transducer can be integrated, e.g., in the form of a circuit possibly as a microcontroller or something similar into a cable or directly into a plug connection (see below).
The connection of the cable to the sensor is frequently accomplished via a plug connection, e.g., by galvanically decoupled especially, inductive interfaces. Thus, electrical signals can be transmitted contactlessly. Advantages with regard to corrosion protection, electrical isolation, prevention of mechanical wear of the plug, etc., are shown by this galvanic isolation. The applicant markets such systems under the name "Memosens."
The most varied sensors can be connected to the measuring transducer. Under the aforementioned name, "Memosens," the applicant markets sensors for measuring pH value, conductivity, oxygen, turbidity, and other things.
Each of these sensors requires specific software from the measuring transducer. A corresponding device driver in short, driver must, in particular, be kept available in the measuring transducer. As mentioned above, the measuring transducer calculates a process value from the incoming raw data. The measuring transducer thus must know which type of sensor is connected in order to calculate either the pH value or the conductivity of a medium from the raw data. To this end, each sensor has an identification that is unique for its type and that is sent to a measuring transducer when the sensor is connected. For a sensor known to the measuring transducer, signal processing routines, parameters, menu navigation, field bus connection, etc., are provided in the measuring transducer. The sensor is parameterized, adjusted, and adapted by the measuring transducer to the process to be measured.
Since a wide variety of sensors can be connected to the measuring transducer, and since the software in the measuring transducer for a sensor is comprehensive, the production, maintenance, and testing of the operating software of the measuring transducer is very complex and expensive.
If a new sensor is to be supported by the measuring transducer, e.g., a new generation of a known sensor or a completely new sensor, the operating software of the measuring transducer must be adapted if necessary, completely. This new software must be distributed to all previous measuring transducers. Only after this distribution is the measuring transducer able to support the new sensor.

Method for operating a measuring transducer, and corresponding measuring transducer


A polyphenylene sulfide/polyphenylene ether composition is provided, which has excellent dimensional stability and impact resistance, as well as good heat resistance, rigidity and surface appearance. The composition also includes certain polyamide resins, hydrogenated conjugated diene/aromatic monovinyl block copolymers, modified polyolefins, compatibilizer agents, and inorganic fillers.

PPS resin has good resistance to heat, flame and chemicals, and has high rigidity. It is a very useful engineering plastic. However, it has a drawback: low impact resistance. Accordingly, resin compositions which exhibit the excellent properties of PPS while minimizing its drawbacks have been proposed in the past.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 156561/75 discloses a resin composition comprising polyphenylene ether (hereinafter referred to as PPE) and PPS in which PPS is added to improve moldability and fire-resistance of PPE.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 69255/78 discloses a polyphenylene ether resin composition containing PPS and polyamide. This intends to improve brittleness of PPS.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 213758/84 proposes a resin composition in which a polyamide resin and an epoxy resin are admixed to a blend of PPS and PPE in order to improve compatibility between PPS and PPE.
In the case where PPE and polyamide are blended with PPS to improve the brittleness of PPS as mentioned above, the simply-mixed resins are brittle and the surface appearance is not excellent because PPS and PPE are intrinsically incompatible with each other. In the case where the compatibility between PPS and PPE is improved by adding polyamide and an epoxy resin, the epoxy reacts with polyamide and PPS, which results in a problem of unstable melt flow properties. Also, when polyamide is admixed with PPS, compatibility between PPS and polyamide is insufficient, so that improvement of the brittleness of PPS is insufficient and, moreover, a new problem, delamination, takes place.
In the above circumstances, the present inventors disclosed, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 20355/91, that a certain type of compound such as citric acid is added to a PPS/PPE/polyamide system to thereby specify the dispersion state of each resin and, accordingly, it is possible to improve the surface appearance, brittleness and heat resistance of a PPS resin composition.
Meanwhile, the present inventors also disclosed, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open 20356/91, that the brittleness to impact is improved by adding an unsaturated monomer and/or a polymer, each having an epoxy and/or oxazolinyl group to a PPS/PPE resin composition.


Systems and methods are provided for fabricating products on demand. In some embodiments, a manufacturable model, which may include information about a three-dimensional representation of a product to be fabricated, is received by a user of an electronic system and may be validated by the electronic system. A prototype of the product can be generated based at least in part on the manufacturable model, and the manufacturable model and/or the product can be made available for selection by other users of the system. The product may be fabricated based at least in part on the manufacturable model using, for example, a three-dimensional printer, and may be delivered to users of the electronic system.

Digital manufacturing, rapid prototyping, desktop manufacturing, and/or personal fabrication systems (generally, "three dimensional (3D) printers") include forms of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is fabricated by successive layers of material. Analogously to the way that conventional (two dimensional) desktop printers provide computer users with a paper output of their documents, 3D printers can provide 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) users a physical prototype of real world objects. 3D printers can include technologies using inkjet printing to deposit layers of plaster or resins, light projection systems (e.g., stereolithography) to expose and harden liquid polymers, fused deposition modeling to deposit layers of polymer, laser sintering to fuse small particles, and so forth.
3D printers may be faster, more affordable and easier to use than other commercial additive manufacturing technologies. Some types of 3D printers offer product developers the ability to print parts or assemblies made of several materials with different mechanical and physical properties in a single build process. 3D printing technologies can yield models that closely emulate the look, feel and functionality of product prototypes. Recently, some 3D printers have become economically accessible to smaller businesses and personal users, thereby allowing prototyping and product fabrication to be performed by such businesses and users. 3D printing technology can be used in, for example, consumer products, industrial design, engineering, automotive, and medical industries.
The above-described drawings and the following detailed description are provided to illustrate example embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

Systems and methods for fabricating products on demand


Method and arrangement in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station. The base station is adapted to serve the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to transmit scheduling requests to the base station only at certain predetermined scheduling request opportunities. The method comprises triggering a scheduling request transmission, transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity, starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running.

Standardization for the fourth Generation (4G) of cellular networks is on going under the name International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT Advanced). IMT Advanced promises the next generation mobile network with high data rates, seamless connectivity and mobile communication within heterogeneous networks.
For many applications, a short access delay plays a crucial role in providing a good end user performance. IMT Advanced latency requirements state that the one way radio access delay between the mobile terminal and the base station should be under 10 ms.
The Long Term Evolution (LTE) network defined by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) provides improved bit rates with lower access delays as compared to the older technologies. For Release-8 user equipment units (UEs), the IMT Advanced delay target is reached if the user equipment unit is scheduled. If the user equipment needs to request resources, the delay target is not reached.
The access technology of LTE is based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) in the downlink and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) in the uplink.
In the present context, the expression uplink is used for the transmission of signals from the user equipment to the base station while the expression downlink is used for transmission of signals in the opposite direction, i.e. from the base station to the user equipment. The base station may further in an LTE environment be referred to as an eNodeB, or eNB.
The resources are allocated either dynamically in 1 ms basis for the user equipments on both the downlink and the uplink or semi-persistently over a longer period than 1 ms. The scheduling of resources is done by the eNB and it takes into account the user equipment data buffer as well as radio propagation characteristics of each user equipment.
The standard uplink scheduling procedure in LTE is shown in FIG. 1. When new data arrives to the empty user equipment buffer or the data that belongs to a higher priority logical channel group than existing data, the user equipment triggers a Buffer Status Report (BSR) to report its buffer size. If the user equipment does not have uplink resources to transmit the buffer status report, it triggers a Scheduling Request (SR).
The scheduling request can be sent on a dedicated scheduling request channel (D-SR) or on the contention based Random Access Channel (RA-SR). Use of the dedicated scheduling request channel requires that the user equipment is uplink synchronized and that the user equipment has been assigned a scheduling request channel on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH). The dedicated scheduling request resource is assigned with Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol having a periodicity with current values of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 milliseconds in LTE Release-8. In LTE Release-9, even shorter values than 5 milliseconds, are possible. When the eNB has received the scheduling request, it can schedule the user equipment and transmit an initial grant. Using the initial grant, the user equipment can finally transmit the buffer status report with it.
In summary, before the user equipment is scheduled, multiple steps have to be taken. This increases the access delay in the uplink. When being in uplink synchronized, the scheduling request periodicity in PUCCH is one of the biggest contributors in delay increase. To obtain best performance of certain applications, the scheduling request periodicity should be selected to very short value.
In the 3GPP TS 36.321 MAC specification, V8.6.0, the scheduling request is pending from the time when it is trigged until the time when it is cancelled. The scheduling request is cancelled when uplink scheduling resources are available for a new transmission.
When the scheduling request is pending, during every subframe when the user equipment unit has valid scheduling request resources on PUCCH, the user equipment unit instructs the physical layer to signal scheduling request. This leads to the physical transmission of the scheduling request. In the example depicted in FIG. 1, the scheduling request periodicity is fixed to 5 ms and the first opportunity to transmit the scheduling request on PUCCH is in subframe t0. After the eNB has received the scheduling request, a typical processing time of 3 ms is assumed before the user equipment unit is scheduled and the grant is transmitted. The user equipment unit has a next scheduling request opportunity in 5 ms later, at t1. Because the user equipment unit has not cancelled the scheduling request yet, it will retransmit it. As a result, configuring the scheduling request periodicity to 5 ms leads to physical transmission of the scheduling request at least twice. This generates a significant unnecessary load on PUCCH.
The mechanism that the transmission of scheduling requests is prohibited is known as well as configuration of such mechanism by the network, see WO 2009038381 A2 METHOD OF RESTRICTING SCHEDULING REQUEST FOR EFFECTIVE DATA TRANSMISSION. However, in WO 2009038381 A2, the only mentioned condition when the transmission of scheduling request is prohibited is when the uplink synch, i.e., Time Alignment timer is expected to expire soon or when the overall number of scheduling request transmissions has exceeded a certain number. The idea of WO 2009038381 A2 is instead to start random access if scheduling request is prohibited.

Method and arrangement in a wireless communication system

Abstract: Also, a corresponding method and arrangement in a base station is described.


A dosage control syringe includes a barrel, a plunger, an adjustable lock member supported along a guide (such as a track) that is disposed along or outside an outer wall of the syringe barrel, and a stop member coupled to the plunger or the lock member. The stop member is generally aligned between the adjustable lock member and a portion of the plunger so as to limit or preclude further movement of the plunger upon engagement of the stop member with both the lock member and the plunger. The plunger is stopped by the lock member, via the stop member, when the plunger has traveled a predetermined distance set by the lock member, the distance corresponding to a desired dosage of fluid from the syringe.

Syringes are frequently used for administering drugs or other fluids to persons of widely-varying sizes, from small children to large adults, with correspondingly varied dosage requirements. Some syringes include indicia that are indicative of the fluid volume of the syringe, but measuring and administering proper dosage of a drug or fluid with such syringes typically requires calculations and accurate manipulation of the syringe to avoid overdosing or underdosing a patient. Administering the proper dosage for a given patient can be difficult since it can require carrying out a complex series of mathematical calculations. This process can be made more difficult by high stress and/or high workload environments, such as in emergency rooms, at accident scenes, or when dealing with critically ill patients, for example.


A method of manufacturing a flexible display device, the method including depositing a separation layer on a supporting substrate; depositing a display panel on the separation layer; cutting the display panel to have a predetermined shape; cutting the supporting substrate and the separation layer to have a wider area than an area where the display panel, that is cut with the predetermined shape, contacts the supporting substrate and the separate layer; and separating the separate layer and the display panel from each other.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a manufacturing method for a flexible display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, flexible displays having a lightweight and shock-resistant flexible substrate made of a material such as plastic have been considered. Such a flexible display may be maximized in portability since it can be folded or rolled up, and may be applied in various fields.
A flexible display may include a display element on a flexible substrate. Display elements that can be used for a flexible display may include, e.g., an organic light emitting diode display device, a liquid crystal display device, and an electrophoretic display (EPD) device.
These display elements may include thin film transistors. Thus, in order to form a flexible display, the flexible substrate may undergo a number of thin film processes.
Also, the flexible substrate may be encapsulated through a thin film process by an encapsulation substrate. The flexible substrate, the thin film transistor on the flexible substrate, and the encapsulation substrate may form a display panel of the flexible display device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Manufacturing method for flexible display device


A probe for an array of interconnecting leads between a PCA and an IC has one or more contacts extending laterally from or plated upon one or more arms formed of a flexible printed circuit, and connected by traces along the arm(s) to a header that itself affords connection to measurement equipment. The flexible printed circuit is thin enough to loosely slide between the top of the PCA or PCB and the bottom of the IC. The arm or arms is/are narrow enough to slide between the adjacent leads forming the array, while the normally flat contacts will successively interfere with, to engage and electrically contact, consecutive layers of leads as the probe is progressively inserted. An arm is not so stiff that it cannot yield by a slight compressive warping as the contacts encounter leads. Indexing may be ‘by feel’ or by visible indicia along a top surface of the probe or by a reticle device that moves over the top of the IC, which then has a pattern of indicia corresponding to lead location. Forming the shape of a Kapton substrate may also include use of a CVL operating in the range of 250 nm to 290 nm for the creation of extended copper contacts by the removal of underlying Kapton. Plating processes may also be used in the fabrication of (non-extended) wrap-around contacts at the edges of the Kapton.

VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) has, on the one hand, produced packaged ICs (Integrated Circuits) containing amounts of circuitry capable of unparalleled functionality. One the other hand, such complex parts typically have a great many signal having corresponding terminals ('pins') that require connection to an external environment; often many more than can readily be provided by just pins that could be disposed along the periphery of the part. One of the most common solutions to this problem is to use a BGA (Ball Grid Array) package.
The BGA style of IC packaging utilizes an array (whose outline is typically square, or perhaps rectangular, but any suitable shape is possible) of pads on the underside of the IC part that is to be attached to a PCA (Printed Circuit Assembly). A corresponding (mirror image) array of pads is formed on the PCA at the location that is to receive the IC to be mounted. Some BGAs are solid arrays, with a pad at each possible location, while others are only two or three peripheral layers deep, with an empty center devoid of pads. These pads are, of course, connected by traces within the PCA to the various power supplies, grounds and the myriad of input and output signals that cooperate with the BGA part. A patterned paste of powered solder is deposited on the pads of the BGA part and heated. Surface tension causes the formation of domes of solder commonly referred to as 'balls.' At a later time the part is placed onto the PCA, held in alignment and heat is applied during a conventional SMT (Surface Mount Technology) process. That re-heating causes a re-flow of the solder to create individual solder joints between each pad in the array on the part with its corresponding pad on the PCA. The result is a robust and inexpensive assembly process which is very widely used, and is almost universally used for larger ASIC (Application Specific IC) parts, as well as for various other larger ICs.
Alas, this venerable cost effective and efficient style of mechanical mounting and electrical interconnection between an IC and its host PCA presents a difficulty for electrical testing and troubleshooting. The trouble arises because the tasks of testing and troubleshooting generally require the probing of the signals at the pins of the IC, and those pins are frequently not accessible. It may happen that a pin of interest is accessible from the back side of the PCA, but this state of affairs is by no means assured. Owing to layout considerations, intervening ground planes, etc., some pads of the array on the PCA may have 'buried' or 'blind' vias that do not go all the way through to pads the back side. There are even instances of cooperating parts that have been designed to be placed directly in line in with one another (in each other's shadow, as it were, when viewed with 'x-ray vision') on opposite sides of the same substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board). When this occurs, both the 'front side' and 'back side' pads of even a Ball Grid Array having all or mostly through vias are covered by those parts, and no conventional actual electrical access to their pads is possible.
Unfortunately, the very increase in complexity and functionality possessed by those parts needing BGA style mounting is also accompanied by an increased need for testing during system turn-on and troubleshooting. Certain critical signals can often be deliberately made available as accessible test points during the layout process, but a wholesale leading of all pads of a BGA to such test points is undesirable, both from an efficient use of board space, and also from an electrical perspective: high speed signal are often conveyed over transmission lines, and the needed 'tee' connection is an unwanted stub that can distort fast signals and have a severe impact on performance.
The task or troubleshooting a malfunctioning assembly with several large ICs is made more complicated if the technician is deprived of the ability to make signal measurement. Often, the only resort is to component substitution. Vacuum tubes (long gone) and other socketed parts can often be readily exchanged on a trial basis, but it can be downright expensive and time consuming (not to mention the risk of unintentional damage) to experimentally swap out a large SMT BGA part just to see if it is the culprit. Furthermore, in many applications, sockets, unless absolutely necessary for some good reason, are deprecated as unreliable and expensive. It is therefore understandable that one would like to have a more definitive indication of guilt than "Well, this one is the biggest of the five (BGAs), so I think I'll change it first . . . ". But probing the signals of a BGA part to obtain useful information, whether to verify proper performance or collect clues concerning the cause of a failure, is a problematic task.
Aside from probing the back side pads as they might be available (which even if they exist, may itself be a considerable aggravation from a mechanical access aspect), there is another prior art solution that involves mounting the BGA part to its environment through an intervening assembly that makes electrical connection to the necessary signals and makes them available, say in a cable or at an auxiliary array of pins or sockets. This is generally a customized assembly that is specific to the BGA it is intended to service, and as a result is expensive and not universal (usable with many different BGAs). Its use is generally restricted to use in development laboratories and depot level repair facilities for high volume activities (or repair of very high value assemblies) undertaken by major manufacturers. Such radical interposed mounting/probing assemblies are of little or no use to personnel wishing to service a PCA carrying an ASIC for which a custom intervening device is not available.
We would be pleased if there were an inexpensive, fairly reliable and nearly universal method and apparatus for probing, on the front side (i.e., the side carrying the BGA part) any of the signals of an arbitrary BGA-mounted IC, say for measurement by an oscilloscope or logic analyzer. It would especially desirable if such a probing apparatus and method did not depend upon the particulars of the IC (i.e., which pin is what signal), and were relatively independent of the number of the pads (i.e., to the 'size' or the array), but depended mainly on such standard things as pad size and center-to-center spacing of those pads. Such a technique for probing should be convenient, in that no special parts are required, save for a probe suited for a BGA of that pad style. The probe's deployment (and subsequent re-deployments) should require (with perhaps some practice) only a matter of about a minute or less, neglecting any time needed to access the PCA itself. Furthermore, such a technique ought to lend itself to probing more than one signal at a time, whether by multiple instances of a such an apparatus and its method, or by individual apparatuses that simultaneously contact a significant plurality of signals at one time. Finally, such a probing apparatus and method should be easy to use without undue error or confusion, and ought to assist its operator in correctly placing it into contact with an arbitrarily desired pin or pins within the interior of a BGA. In the extreme, this assistance might allow an operator to determine by an inspection (performed subsequent to probe placement) if such a probing apparatus is correctly placed, or if its placement is questioned, determine by passive observation where it is placed.
And upon reflection, we appreciate that much of what has been noted for BGA situations also applies to certain other situations where large ICs with arrays of parallel pins depending from an underside are mounted in zero insertion force sockets. There are times when it is desirable to probe inaccessible pins in that type of an environment. Perhaps a solution for the BGA case would also serve for the other.
Such desirable properties amount to quite a wish list for a probe. What to do?

Method and apparatus for probing at arbitrary locations within an inaccessible array of leads the solder balls or pins actually connecting a VLSI IC package to a substrate or socket


At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for detecting voltage disturbance. In at least one embodiment the method includes storing the digitized point values of a voltage reference waveform; detecting actual voltage values, and converting the actual voltage values by digitization into point values of the actual voltage which are in one-to-one correspondence with the point values of the reference waveform; comparing the point values of the actual voltage with the corresponding point values of the reference waveform; judging that a voltage disturbance occurs if, for N successive points, the differences between the point values of the actual voltage and the corresponding point values of the reference waveform are all greater than a predetermined disturbance threshold, wherein N is an integer greater than 0. A technical solution of the present invention improves the response speed of the detection, and shortens the response time.

In recent years, since the quality of electric energy is capable of causing substantial economical impacts on industrial users, the issues concerning the quality of electric energy have attracted more and more attention, and the voltage disturbances at the power supply side, such as temporary-drop, surge, imbalance, etc. are considered as the most destructive ones among various problems of the quality of electric energy. Along with the increased use of power sensitive electric equipment in control processes and in automation processes, the voltage disturbances have caused destruction to industrial processes and have brought about substantial economic losses to users. Because it is necessary to further reduce voltage disturbances, great attention has been paid to finding a method for detecting and recording voltage disturbance waveform.
Currently, various types of electric energy detection equipment such as power monitoring devices (PMD) and advanced electric meters, etc. are broadly used in industry. In recent years, as the attention to the voltage disturbance has increased, users have made a demand on electric energy detection equipment: that is, it is desirable for it to have the capability of effectively detecting the voltage disturbance, furthermore, it is desirable to have the function of waveform capture so as to aid the users to analyze easily the root causes of the voltage disturbance and to make a corresponding strategy for controlling them. In view of the limited internal resources of electric energy detection equipment, especially of a PMD, the detection response time needs to be comparatively fast, while the response time of an existing detection methods based on voltage virtual value is slow, therefore, it is desirable to propose a new method which is capable of meeting the aforementioned requirements and to be realized easily in electric energy detection equipment.

Device for detecting voltage disturbance


An object located within an image foreground relative to image content within a field of view of at least one camera lens is identified, using image processing module, as an image obstruction. Responsive to identifying the image obstruction, points of view of at least one camera lens are determined that provide image content portions of the image content that, in combination, yield a complete image of the image content without the image obstruction located within the image foreground. The image content portions are combined to yield the complete image of the image content without the image obstruction located within the foreground. The combined complete image is stored to a memory.

The present invention relates to photographic image capture. More particularly, the present invention relates to visual obstruction removal with image capture.
Camera devices operate to capture images of visual content. The camera devices may be still action camera devices that capture a single frame of visual content or may be video camera devices that capture a sequence of frames of visual content.

Visual obstruction removal with image capture

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


There is provided a coated steel product having a steel product and a coating layer including a Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer disposed on a surface of the steel product, in which the Zn—Al—Mg alloy layer has a Zn phase, the Zn phase contains a Mg—Sn intermetallic compound phase, and the coating layer consists of Zn: more than 65.0%, Al: from more than 5.0% to less than 25.0%, Mg: from more than 3.0% to less than 12.5%, Sn: 0.1% to 20.0% in terms of percent (%) by mass, given amounts of optional elements, and impurities, and has a chemical composition that satisfies the following Formulas 1 to 5:Bi+In<Sn  Formula 1:Y+La+Ce≤Ca  Formula 2:Si<Sn  Formula 3:0≤Cr+Ti+Ni+Co+V+Nb+Cu+Mn<0.25  Formula 4:0≤Sr+Sb+Pb+B<0.5.  Formula 5:

A wide variety of coated steel products are used in the field of construction materials.
Many of them are Zn-coated steel products. From the long life needs of construction materials, research on high corrosion resistance of Zn-coated steel products has been conducted for a long time, and various coated steel products have been developed. The first high corrosion resistance coated steel product for construction materials is a Zn-5% Al-coated steel product (Galfan-coated (galvanized) steel product) in which Al is added to a Zn-based coating layer to improve the corrosion resistance. It is a well-known fact that Al is added to a coating layer to improve the corrosion resistance. An Al phase is formed in the coating layer (specifically an Zn phase) with the addition of 5% Al, and the corrosion resistance is improved. Basically, a Zn-55% Al-1.6% Si coated steel product (galvalume steel product) is also a coated steel product with improved corrosion resistance for the same reason.
Therefore, when the Al concentration is improved, basically, the plain surface corrosion resistance is improved. However, when the Al concentration is improved, it causes reduction of sacrificial corrosion protection ability.
Here, the attractive feature of a Zn-based coated steel product is the sacrificial corrosion protection effect on a base metal (steel product) In other words, in a cut end surface of a coated steel product, a cracked portion of a coating layer generated during processing, and an exposed portion of a base metal (steel product) which appears due to exfoliation of the coating layer, the coating layer is eluted in the vicinity of such portion before corrosion of the base metal (steel product), and the eluted coating component forms a protective film. This makes it possible to prevent red rust from the base metal (steel product) to some extent.
In general, a lower Al concentration and a higher Zn concentration are preferable for such effects. Therefore, a coated steel product having high corrosion resistance in which the Al concentration is suppressed at, for example, a relatively low concentration of from 5% to 25% has been available for practical use in recent years. In particular, a coated steel product, in which the Al concentration is suppressed at a low level and Mg is contained at about from 1% to 3%, has plain surface corrosion resistance and sacrificial corrosion protection ability superior to those of a Galfan-coated steel product. Therefore, such a coated steel product has become a market trend and is widely known in the market at present. For example, coated steel sheets disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have also been developed as coated steel products containing certain amounts of Al and Mg and achieving high corrosion resistance.
In the field of construction materials where long life is always desired, there is a demand to further improve plain surface corrosion resistance and sacrificial corrosion protection ability. A coated steel product having both properties is most preferable. In recent years, a favorable compatibility between both properties has been achieved by alloying a coating layer mainly containing Al and Mg. However, usually, alloying a coating layer causes an increase in the hardness of the coating layer, and processability is also significantly impaired as compared to the coating layer of a pure metal. Therefore, a coated steel product must have processability. Moreover, since the coating layer hardness is associated with wear resistance, it is preferable to make effective use of the properties obtained by alloying a coating layer.
However, these properties such as plain surface corrosion resistance, sacrificial corrosion protection ability, processability, and wear resistance are all difficult to be compatible with each other because, for example, once any of such properties is improved, the other properties deteriorate.
For example, as described above, it is particularly important to select the Al concentration from the viewpoint of plain surface corrosion resistance. An Al-coated steel sheet as described in Patent Document 3 and an Al—Zn-based coated steel sheet as described in Patent Document 4 are available as a coated steel product which is mainly composed of Al and treated by means of imparting sacrificial corrosion protection ability. Meanwhile, as a coated steel product in which the Al concentration is suppressed at a relatively low level of about 5% and plain surface corrosion resistance is imparted to the coating layer, coated steel sheets are disclosed in Patent Documents 5, 6, 7, and 8.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-193791    Patent Document 2: WO2011/001662    Patent Document 3: JP-A No. 2002-012959    Patent Document 4: JP-A No. 2015-214747    Patent Document 5: JP-A No. 2001-115273    Patent Document 6: JP-A No. 2001-316791    Patent Document 7: JP-A No. 2010-275634    Patent Document 8: JP-A No. 2001-64759


A fiber-reinforced composite material has an excellent design surface. The prepreg laminate includes at least prepregs [a] having reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin, and a base material [b] not impregnated with a resin, wherein at least two of the prepregs [a] are stacked in succession, and both sides of the base material [b] are sandwiched by the prepregs [a].

A fiber-reinforced composite material is useful because it is excellent in strength, rigidity, conductivity and the like. It is widely deployed in structural members for aircraft, blades of windmills, exterior materials for automobiles, interior materials for automobiles, computer applications, for example, IC trays and housings for laptop computers and the like, and the demand is increasing year by year.
The fiber-reinforced composite material is a material obtained by molding a prepreg containing, for example, reinforcing fibers and a resin as essential components. In using this material, it is known that a fiber-reinforced composite material obtained when air or volatile components remain in the resin portion of the prepreg before or during molding generates pinholes on the surface or voids in the interior. For that reason, various techniques have been proposed for the purpose of reducing pinholes on the surface or voids in the interior of the fiber-reinforced composite material obtained from the prepreg.
In one of the techniques, it has been proposed to mold a prepreg laminate by placing a base material not impregnated with a resin between prepreg layers having reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin. For example, a technique has been proposed in which a molding material, sheet molding compound (SMC), and a nonwoven fabric not impregnated with a resin are press molded to yield a fiber-reinforced composite material (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2008-246981). Alternatively, a technique of a fiber-reinforced resin molded article formed by stacking a fiber mat not impregnated with a resin between materials for a prepreg having reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin such as polypropylene has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H05-269909).
In those techniques, undulation of fibers due to fluidity is suppressed so that occurrence of irregularities on the surface of SMC molded article can be suppressed. As a result, surface smoothing of the fiber-reinforced composite material and prevention of generation of a layer made of only a resin during lamination molding are achieved so that the strength of laminate increases. Accordingly, the peel strength of fiber-reinforced composite material can be improved. However, even when a design is applied to the surface of the fiber-reinforced composite material, the desired design cannot be obtained. Hereinafter, the surface of the fiber-reinforced composite material to which design will be applied is referred to as a design surface.
It could therefore be helpful to provide a carbon fiber-reinforced composite material having an excellent design surface.

Prepreg laminate and fiber-reinforced composite material, and method of producing fiber-reinforced composite material


A premix gas burner has a flat, composite burner plate formed by a rear flat plate having a first set of apertures and a forward flat and thinner plate having a second set of apertures of less diameter than the first set of apertures. The plates are connected to form a composite burner plate at the front end of a burner tube. A pilot tube extends through the burner tube and a pilot flame ignitor includes an insulated center electrode and a spirally wrapped grounding electrode electrically engaging the I.P. of the pilot tube to form an electrical ground. The electrodes spark to ignite a pilot flame which in turn ignites the larger burner flame.

This invention relates to burners and particularly to premix gas burners used, for example, in boiler or other heat exchangers for heating and other systems.
Burners used in boiler or heat exchange systems, for example, have in the past included a main gas tube wherein gas is ignited by a direct spark. Such direct spark "ignition" is sensitive to ignition timing and to the flow and mix characteristics of the gas and air mixture. If the flow starts too far ahead of the spark, or if the flow is not homogeneous or not in the proper ratio, the light off of the burner flame can be exciting. The process can result in a delayed light off, causing damage or at least an annoying "boom" in the system. Moreover, when the ignitor is disposed within the main gas flame, it is constantly heated and is prone to increased deterioration.
In another aspect of gas burners, it is common to direct mixed gas and air through a burner plate which serves to define a flame front. It is desirable to fashion such plates from metal and to provide apertures therethrough for the gas and air mixture. In order to provide for efficient burning, it has been suggested to use a shaped metal sheet providing a plurality of gas passages therethrough. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,631 illustrates one example of such a burner. In that patent, holes are provided in a thin metal member which is contoured. Such contour lends strength and rigidity to the burner plate when thin metal is used. Without strengthening contours, thin burner plates tend to warp and distort in the presence of the burner heat.
When providing a burner plate, it is desirable to use a plurality of gas and air apertures therein. Problems are presented, however, as a function of hole size to metal thickness when combined with use in a very hot environment. For example, where thin metal is used, the heat generated by the burner flame can cause the metal burner plate to warp and distort, adversely affecting the flame front. On the other hand, where thicker metals are used, the ability to provide holes of smaller diameter than the metal thickness is compromised. Specifically, as metal thickness increases, it becomes more difficult to punch a hole of a given diameter smaller than that thickness. As a rule of thumb, where the hole diameter is smaller than the metal thickness, punches break more often and tooling expense in manufacturing increases. Nevertheless, a number of holes of or below a certain diameter are required on the plate area to pass the gas and air mixture properly and produce the desired flame front. A designer is thus caught between the need to use a thick burner plate for rigidity and the need to use small diameter holes to produce a stable flame front. Accordingly, it is difficult to provide the necessary cross-sectional gas and air flow areas through a burner plate in a material thick enough to prevent warpage and distortion in the presence of a burner flame and at the same time produce a desired flame front without flashback.
It is thus one objective of this invention to provide an improved ignition apparatus for a gas-fired burner and to avoid the direct spark light off of the main burner flame.
Another objective of this invention has been to provide an improved burner plate with sufficient gas and air flow, yet sufficiently strong enough to withstand warpage distortion and to prevent flashback when used proximate a burner flame.
In another but related aspect of gas burners, it is important to produce a stable flame front which does not jump or migrate across the burner face at an audible resonance sounding like a high squeal. This can occur when the gas and air flow holes are too big.
Another objective of the invention has thus been to quiet gas burners during operation.
To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a premix gas burner having a blower for forcing air through the burner, a burner tube for receiving gas and air, a pilot tube extending through the burner tube for conveying pilot gas to a burner end of the burner tube and supporting two members of a composite burner plate. An ignitor extends through the composite burner plate for igniting gas flowing through the pilot tube to produce a pilot flame just outside the burner plate. When the main gas is started, the pilot flame ignites it easily, without damage or the `boom` associated with a direct spark ignitor.
The ignitor itself includes a center electrode encased in an insulating sleeve, and another electrode wrapped spirally around the sleeve and extending forwardly with, but spaced from, the center electrode. When the ignitor is assembled in the pilot tube, the outer surfaces of the wrapped electrode engage the inner surface of the pilot tube, forming an electrical ground. On application of current to the center electrode, a pilot spark is created across the tips of the two electrodes to ignite a pilot flame. After the pilot is lit, the main gas and air flow is started and is ignited softly by the pilot flame. Since the electrodes remain in the rich gas and air flow of the pilot tube, such flow tends to cool them even when the main flame is lit.
In another aspect of the invention, the burner plate is a composite of two flat component plates. The outer or forward component plate has a plurality of small holes while the inner or rearward component plate has a plurality of larger holes. The two plates are welded together so each larger aperture in the inner plate overlies a plurality of smaller apertures in the outer plate. The matrix between the larger apertures in the inner plate blocks underlying smaller apertures and provides a surface for spot welding the plates together. Gas and air mixture flows from inside the burner tube through the larger holes and then through the smaller apertures to outside the composite plate where the mixture is ignited by the pilot flame and then the main gas flame in a flame front.
The inner and out component plates are each individually relatively thin, thus accommodating holes in each of a diameter in excess of each respective plate thickness. The thinness of the plates accommodates the desirable hole sizes. Yet when the plates are welded together, they form a composite, flat burner plate sufficiently strong enough to withstand heat of the burner without warpage or distortion, even though the composite plate is flat, and without strengthening contours. The composite plate also provides appropriate flow apertures preventing flashback and flame front migration, quieting the burner operation.
Moreover, since the plates are captured on the pilot tube, the entire pilot tube and burner plate can be easily removed and serviced from the rear of the burner, it being unnecessary to disassemble the entire burner from its environment for service.


A high strength window for a radiation detection system includes a plurality of intersecting ribs defining a grid having openings therein with tops of the ribs terminate substantially in a common plane. The intersecting ribs are oriented non-perpendicularly with respect to each other and define non-rectangular openings. The window also includes a support frame around a perimeter of the plurality of intersecting ribs, and a film disposed over and spanning the plurality of intersecting ribs and openings. The film is configured to pass radiation therethrough. An associated radiation detection system includes a sensor disposed behind the window. The sensor is configured to detect radiation passing through the high strength window.

Radiation detection systems are used in connection with detecting and sensing emitted radiation. Such systems can be used in connection with electron microscopy, X-ray telescopy, and X-ray spectroscopy. Radiation detection systems typically include in their structure a radiation detection window, which can pass radiation emitted from the radiation source to a radiation detector or sensor, and can also filter or block undesired radiation.
Standard radiation detection windows typically comprise a sheet of material, which is placed over an opening or entrance to the detector. As a general rule, the thickness of the sheet of material corresponds directly to the ability of the material to pass radiation. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a sheet of material that is as thin as possible, yet capable of withstanding pressure resulting from gravity, normal wear and tear, and differential pressure.
Since it is desirable to minimize thickness in the sheets of material used to pass radiation, it is often necessary to support the thin sheet of material with a support structure. Known support structures include frames, screens, meshes, ribs, and grids. While useful for providing support to an often thin and fragile sheet of material, many support structures can interfere with the passage of radiation through the sheet of material due to the structure's geometry, thickness and/or composition. The interference can be the result of the composition of the material itself and/or the geometry of the support structure. In addition, many known support structures have drawbacks. For example, screens and meshes can be rough and coarse, and thus the overlaid thin film can stretch, weaken and burst at locations where it contacts the screen or mesh. A drawback associated with unidirectional ribs is that the ribs can twist when pressure is applied. This twisting can also cause the overlaid film to stretch weaken and burst. Unidirectional ribs are set forth U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,557, which is incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, there can be substantial difficulty in manufacturing many known support structures, thus resulting in increased expense of the support structures and associated windows.