A small-footprint hands-free speakerphone apparatus includes a loudspeaker, at least one main microphone, at least one reference microphone, and openings for receiving sound. The loudspeaker is disposed within a speaker chamber. Each microphone is mounted in a microphone boot formed by an acoustic opaque resilient material. Each main microphone may be omni-directional or directional. Each reference microphone is omni-directional. An opening is formed in front of each microphone for receiving sound for the microphone. An opening is formed in back of each directional main microphone for receiving sound and forming directivity for the microphone. An opening is formed in the microphone boot for each reference microphone to receive sound from the loudspeaker. An opening may also be formed in the loudspeaker chamber for passing sound to the reference microphone. The apparatus may include one or more interface units to provide interface to external devices.

The present invention relates generally to communication, and more specifically to a hands-free speakerphone apparatus.
Hands-free speakerphone devices are commonly used for many applications such as speakerphone, hands-free car kit, teleconferencing system, cellular phone, hands-free voice recognition devices, and so on, and in various environments such as car, home, office, hotel, and so on. Hands-free speakerphone devices allow users to speak into microphones placed at some distance away from the users and to listen to sound via speakerphones also placed away from the users. Hands-free speakerphone devices are thus convenient and comfortable to use, and are also safer to use than hands-on or hand-held devices in certain situations, e.g., when driving a car. Hands-free speakerphone devices may also be designed for use with different communication channels such as, e.g., digital wireline channels (e.g., data/computer networks), analog channels (e.g., conventional telephone lines), wireless channels (e.g., cellular phones), and so on. As used herein, a communication channel is a means via which a hands-free speakerphone device exchanges signals with a remote or far-end device.
A hands-free speakerphone device typically includes a loudspeaker and one or more microphones. When the hands-free speakerphone device is small in size, the close proximity of the loudspeaker to the microphones can cause some major problems. For example, when a speech signal from a remote user is outputted from the loudspeaker, a portion of this speech signal may be reflected to the microphones and transmitted back to the remote user. This acoustic disturbance is referred to as echo. In general, users are annoyed by hearing their own voice delayed, for example, by the path of the system. In certain instances, acoustic shock or howling may be caused by the speakerphone device becoming unstable due to the microphones picking up reflections of the acoustic signal emitted by the loudspeaker.
Hands-free speakerphone devices are described in various literatures including U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. US 2003/0086562 and US 2002/0183101. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. US 2003/0086562 describes using an anti-sealing feature for hands-free speakerphone to alleviate acoustic leakage. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. US 2002/0183101 describes using an attenuator to cancel acoustic feedback with cellular phone. However, the techniques described in these U.S. patent applications do not provide good performance for true hands-free full-duplex communications.
As can be seen, a hands-free speakerphone device that can effectively provide hands-free communication is highly desirable.

Small size hands-free speakerphone apparatus


In order to achieve a photoelectric conversion cell and an array of high sensitivity and high dynamic range, there is a need for a photoelectric conversion cell and an array in which combination of an amplified photoelectric conversion element and a selection element are resistant to external noise, and the combination is resistant to effects from address selection pulse noise at array readout time. In the present invention, in order to solve the problem, a photoelectric conversion cell has been configured with a combination of an amplified photoelectric conversion element (100) and a selection element (10 and the like) which are resistant to external noise, and various means of solution of the combination are provided which are resistant to the effects of address selection pulse noise at array readout time. As a result, a dynamic range of 6 to 7 orders of magnitude for light detection has become possible.

In order to read image information from a two-dimensional array of conventional phototransistors, each phototransistor serving as a pixel has an emitter connected to a word line, and a collector connected to a bit line and to a load resistor as illustrated in FIG. 1, and the image information is read from a change of a potential of the collector connected to a load resistor (FIG. 1 is quoted from FIG. 5 in Patent Document 1). A time delay in reading calculated from collector-base capacitance and a load resistance is increased due to the Miller effect, in which a collector potential changes in response to an output signal. A time delay in reading is further caused by stray capacitances between the collector and each of a substrate and an isolation region. A dark current of the phototransistor equivalently increases with a leak current flowing between the collector and each of the substrate and a leak current between the collector and the isolation region being added. A voltage change in the reading operation of a selected phototransistor connected to a bit line is directly applied to a collector of a deselected phototransistor connected to the same bit line, and the deselected phototransistor is disturbed each time another transistor connected to the same bit line is read. For this reason, there has been a limitation to precision detection free from mutual pixel interference and information detection at low illuminance level.
The structure that needs the collector to be isolated from the substrate in this way is hard to make the collector to be sufficiently thick in a direction of the depth of the collector.
Then, it is very difficult to realize high sensitivity down to a wavelength corresponding to near the band gap energy of the semiconductor forming collector by using the semiconductor, such as silicon, having a small light-absorption coefficient in the infrared region.
On the other hand, a one-dimensional linear array technique has been disclosed where each of collectors of an one-dimensional bipolar transistor switch array 48 is connected to turns on and off each of collectors of the phototransistors comprising pixels of an one-dimensional phototransistor array 49 as illustrated in FIG. 2, and a series of photocurrents are read from the emitters of the phototransistors commonly connected within the one-dimensional array (FIG. 5 of Patent Document 1 is quoted, and the reference numerals thereof not necessary in the discussion here are deleted). In this related art example, the collector of the phototransistor is in a floating potential state while being connected to the switch in an off state. If the collector of another phototransistor is connected to the collector, a floating potential interacts with a storage state of optical information of the other phototransistor, causing a disturbance. If the array originally not intended for a two-dimensional array is attempted to be two-dimensional arrayed by merely connecting a plurality of collectors in a two-dimensional arrangement, a two-dimensional array with small mutual interference in pixel information is difficult to realize.
Patent Document 1 also discloses a one-dimensional sensor array technique as illustrated in FIG. 3 (FIG. 6 in Patent Document 1 is quoted, and reference numerals that are not necessary in the discussion herein are omitted), where each collector of a bipolar transistor switch one-dimensional array that turn on and off individual emitter of the phototransistors serving as pixels of a phototransistor one-dimensional array 53 is respectively connected to each emitter of the phototransistors and a photocurrent is read from the collectors of the phototransistors commonly connected within the one-dimensional array. In this related art example, a two-dimensional array version is not originally intended. When the emitter of a phototransistor is connected to the switch that is in an off state, the emitter remains in a floating potential state. If an emitter of another phototransistor is connected to the emitter in an attempt to design a two-dimensional array, the floating potential interacts with a storage state of optical information of the other phototransistor, causing a disturbance. If a plurality of the emitters in the one-dimensional array merely connected, a two-dimensional array with small mutual interference in pixel information is difficult to realize.
Even if a two-dimensional array is designed in accordance with the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a limitation to precision detection free from mutual pixel interference and to pixel information detection at low illuminance level.
Furthermore, the collectors need to be isolated from a substrate at least on a per row basis or on a per column basis to connect loads to the collectors, or to drive the collectors individually, by row or by column. To this end, this technique needs many different-natured processes including a buried layer diffusion process, an epitaxial growth process, an isolation process, which are different from MOSLSI processes. If a peripheral circuit such as a address selection circuit is implemented using MOSLSI, the technique is not advantageous in terms of quality and number of the manufacturing processes.
An array structure as illustrated in FIG. 4 is disclosed. In the disclosed structure, a pixel is formed by coupling an electric capacitance with a base of an individual transistor, the address selection is performed by a pulse applied to the base via the electric capacitance and an emitter potential change, and the collector of a phototransistor is at a common potential (FIG. 4 is cited from FIG. 1(a) of Non-patent Document 2). However, this technique also causes a disturbance to all deselected pixels having the electric capacitance connected to the one address selection line. There is still a limitation on the detection of an image signal at low illuminance level.
The address selection method by the electric capacitance coupled with the base is also disclosed in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 12, FIG. 17, FIG. 20, FIG. 21, and FIG. 33 of Patent Document 2.
FIG. 5 illustrates a phototransistor one-dimensional array disclosed in FIG. 1 (reference numerals and the like not necessary in the discussion are deleted) of Patent Document 3. Emitters of phototransistors 1a, 1b, . . . , 1f of the one-dimensional array are connected to drains of reading switch FET 2a, 2b, . . . , 2f, and charging switch FET 3a, 3b, . . . , 3f. Sources of the charging switch FETs are connected together to a re-charging voltage VBB. As lines 3 through 5 on the lower portion of the left column on page 2 of the specification reads "the recharging switch is kept to elapse one clock time or longer after a reading operation", even the linear sensor needs two selection wiring lines for one pixel.
In the related art technique, noise by an address selection pulse to be applied to the gates of FET 2 and FET 3 is superposed to an image signal output terminal 4 via gate-source capacitance of the FETs in the same sign as that of the image signal, and a low-illuminance image signal is hidden in the noise. Patent Document 3 fails to disclose connection for a two-dimensional array, a combination of FETs, the number of wiring lines per pixel, a recharge switch operation phase, etc. If a two-dimensional array is assembled in accordance with the related art technique, the address selection noise gives a limitation on the detection of a low-illuminance level image signal.
FIG. 6 illustrates a phototransistor one-dimensional array having an analog switch for selection of each pixel disclosed in FIG. 1 (reference numerals not necessary in the discussion here are deleted) of Patent Document 4. The analog switch needs to apply to the gate thereof both a pulse transitioning in a positive direction and a pulse transitioning in a negative direction, a pulse noise having the same sign as a read signal is definitely applied via gate-source capacitance in the same sign as an image signal, and a low-illuminance level signal is hidden in the noise. Furthermore, if a potential of a signal output line changes, a potential in the pixel also changes. This not only restricts the operation of a circuit connected to the signal output line, but also causes the noise on the signal output line to enter into the pixel. Also, besides a signal reading line, two wiring lines become necessary on each pixel for cell selection. Since the disclosed phototransistor one-dimensional array does not have a pixel architecture that is intended to be applied into a two-dimensional array, the phototransistor one-dimensional array is not appropriate as a candidate for a pixel architecture for the two-dimensional array.

Photoelectric conversion cell and array, reset circuit and electrical signal sense control circuit therefor

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


To facilitate programming a TV channel list, only digital channels are presented on an edit list so that the user need not parse through analog channels but only the digital channels to edit the channels (e.g., by putting the channels on a favorite list, or a skip list, or by labelling the channels, etc.).

When a television is initially installed in a user's home after purchase, the tuners of the TV search for what channels are available in the area. Such automatic search and tuning is referred to as "autoprogramming". Upon completion of the search, the television possesses a channel map that indicates which frequencies/channels are available for subsequent tuning when a user selects a channel.
After autoprogramming, a user can edit channels on the channel map to, e.g., put the channels on a favorite list, or a skip list, or to label the channels, etc. However, with the advent of digital televisions and hundreds of channels (2-69 for terrestrial broadcast in the U.S. and 1-125 for cable), digital ones of which might in fact carry several sub-channels, sorting through the edit list can consume an inordinate amount of time. The present invention recognizes that while analog channels might require initial editing once only, digital channels, which might carry sub-channels, can be reconfigured with, e.g., more sub-channels than were originally edited, thus requiring additional editing. Further, digital terrestrial reception quality can vary over time and can also depend on the orientation of the antenna, potentially requiring further editing. A user, however, must still sort through the complete list of all digital and analog channels. The present invention provides the solution herein to ease this burden on the user.

System and method for facilitating TV channel programming


The invention provides a human retinol dehydrogenase type II homolog (HRoDH) and polynucleotides which identify and encode HRoDH. The invention also provides expression vectors, host cells, agonists, antibodies and antagonists. The invention also provides methods for treating disorders associated with expression of HRoDH.

Vitamin A is a pigment essential to vision. Vitamin A comes from the enzymatic conversion of carotenoids, yellow pigments common to carrots and other vegetables, to retinol. Deficiency of vitamin A and insufficient retinol production leads to a variety of maladies in humans and experimental animals. Symptoms of deficiency include vision related disorders such as xerophthalmia and night blindness; dry skin and dry mucous membranes; retarded development and growth; and sterility in male animals.
Cleavage of .beta.-carotene yields two molecules of retinol; oxidation of retinol forms retinal. Retinal and opsin combine to produce rhodopsin, a visual pigment found in nature. The excitation of rhodopsin with visible light triggers a series of photochemical reactions and conformational changes in the molecule which result in the electrical signal to the brain that are the basis of visual transduction (Lehninger et al. (1993)Principles of Biochemistry, Worth Publishers, New York, N.Y.).
Retinol dehydrogenase (RoDH) catalyzes the conversion of retinol to retinal; retinal dehydrogenase converts retinal to retinoate. Retinoate is a retinoid and a hormone which controls numerous biological processes by regulating eukaryotic gene expression. Retinoids, like steroid and thyroid hormones, diffuse directly across the plasma membrane and bind to intracellular receptor proteins. Binding activates the receptors which interact with signaling pathways (Vettermann et al. (1997) Mol. Carcinog. 20: 58-67), and regulate the transcription of specific genes, particularly those mediating vertebrate development (Alberts et al. (1994) Molecular Biology of the Cell, Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, N.Y.). Retinol is known to be important in epithelial development (Haselbeck et al. (1997) Dev. Dyn. 208: 447-453; and Attar et al. (1997) Mol. Endocrinol. 11: 792-800) and in the development of the central nervous system (Maden et al. (1997) Development 124: 2799-2805). In Maden's studies on quail embryos, absence of vitamin A, lead to severe deficits including lack of a posterior hindbrain. Conversely, injection of retinol before gastrulation of the embryo prevented positional apoptosis and corrected the CNS defects.
The universal chromophore of visual pigments is 11-cis retinaldehyde which is generated by 11-cis retinol dehydrogenase, a membrane-bound enzyme abundantly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium of the eye. The gene which encodes 11-cis retinol dehydrogenase may be involved in hereditary eye diseases (Simon et al. (1996) Genomics 36: 424-430).
Chai et al. have identified, cloned, and expressed two isoforms of retinol dehydrogenase, RoDH(I) and (RoDH(II) (1995, J. Biol. Chem. 270: 28408-28412). The deduced amino acid sequence shows that RoDH(I) and RoDH(II) are short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases that share 82% identity. Retinol is the substrate for RODH(II) which has a higher affinity for NADP than NAD and is stimulated by ethanol and phosphatidyl choline. Although RoDH(II) is not inhibited by the medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4-methylpyrazole, it is inhibited by phenylarsine oxide and carbenoxolone. Chai et al. reported detection of RoDH(I) and RoDH(II) mRNA in rat liver, but RNase protection assays revealed RoDH(I) and RoHD(II) mRNA in kidney, lung, testis, and brain. Based on these data, Chai et al. concluded that RoDH has tissue specific expression.
The retinol signaling pathway plays an important role in human disorders and diseases. Retinoic acid receptors (RARs; -alpha, -beta, and -gamma) are retinoid-activated transcription factors, which mediate effects of retinoids on gene expression. Alterations in receptor expression or function could interfere with the retinoid signaling pathway. Interference with the pathway may enhance cancer development. Vitamin A analogs (retinoids) which interact with RARs, suppress oral and lung carcinogenesis in animal models and prevent the development of tumors in head, neck, and lung cancer patients (Lotan R. 1997 Environ. Heath Perspect. 105 Suppl. 4: 985-988). Lotan reported that RAR beta expression is lost at early stages of carcinogenesis in the aerodigestive tract.
Retinol dehydrogenase may be implicated in embryonic development. The studies of Maden et al. (supra) suggest that retinol may play a significant role in controlling apoptosis during development of the central nervous system. Retinoids are also implicated in epidermal development. Attar et al. (1997, Mol. Endocrinol. 11: 792-800) showed that disruption of epidermal barrier function results in extremely high incidences of neonatal mortality in pups.
In addition, retinol dehydrogenase activity is linked to hereditary eye diseases (Simon et al. (1996) Genomics 36: 424-430). Autosomal recessive childhood-onset severe retinal dystrophy (arCSRD) is a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect rod and cone photoreceptors simultaneously. Disease genes implicated in arCSRD are expected to encode proteins present in the neuroretina or in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). RPE65, a tissue-specific and evolutionarily highly conserved 61 kD protein, is the first disease gene in this group of inherited disorders that is expressed exclusively in RPE, and may play a role in vitamin A metabolism of the retina (Gu et al. (1997) Nat. Genet. 17: 194-197).
Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is an idiopathic erythematous scaling eruption which can be difficult to distinguish from psoriasis. The expression of RoDH(II) in the retinol signaling pathway may be of pathogenetic importance in the diagnosis of PRP (Magro, C. M. and Crowson, A. N. (1997) J. Cutan. Pathol. 24: 416-424).
The discovery of a new human retinol dehydrogenase type II homolog and the polynucleotides encoding it satisfies a need in the art by providing new compositions which are useful in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disorders associated with immune response, cell proliferation, and development.

Human retinol dehydrogenase type II homolog


A communications system may include an application server and at least one communications device for processing requests from one another. The communications device may process requests using an HTTP client application, for example. Furthermore, the system may also include an HTTP server for interfacing the HTTP client application with the application server. The HTTP server and the HTTP client application may format requests to be communicated therebetween via the Internet in an HTTP format, and each may provide additional state information with the HTTP formatted requests recognizable by the other for authenticating the application server and the HTTP client application to one another. Furthermore, the HTTP client application may request a first universal resource locator (URL) from the HTTP server for accepting work requests from the application server, and a second URL different from the first URL for responding to work requests from the application server.

One way in which applications communicate with one another is to use a client-server relationship. In such a relationship, one application functions as a client and provides an interface to the user. The other application is the server application, which resides on an application server and is responsible for the majority of computation and/or data processing.
This client-server relationship can be extended to World Wide Web applications where the client application (typically a Web browser) and the server component (a Web or application server on the Internet) will interact. One approach for Web-based client-server applications to communicate with one another is to use hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) as a request-response protocol. Traditionally, HTTP is used on the World Wide Web for browser clients to access and download content from Internet Web sites to users' computing environments (e.g., home, corporate network, etc.).
Many computing environments provide rich or sophisticated functionality to their users when the user is acting within the confines of his protected computing environment. For example, a corporate user may have access to proprietary corporate databases while using his desktop computer in his office. However, when a user is outside this environment (e.g., the user is on the road), he may still require access to such functionality.
Most computing environments allow connections originating within the environment to outside locations, but connections originating outside the environment are restricted from accessing the environment. This is typically accomplished through the use of a firewall, for example. Furthermore, some computing environments further restrict outbound network connections to access only HTTP services. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a roaming user to access important functionality or services from his protected computing environment.
The problem is perhaps most prevalent for home-based users. For example, it is difficult for users to connect from their personal computer at their home to their corporate servers at work. A dial-up or high-speed Web-based connection often requires client software on the home machine and/or a secure token for authentication. Furthermore, most corporations may not support corporate access using personal computers.
Various prior art approaches have been developed for allowing users to access information from outside a protected computing environment. By way of example, Symmetry Pro from Infowave Software, Inc., is a software service that provides corporate users with wireless access to their corporate e-mail using a wireless handheld device. In particular, e-mail messages that arrive in a user's corporate inbox are encrypted and then delivered via the Symmetry Pro software service to the user's wireless handheld device.
Two other prior art approaches include Fire Extinguisher and Gnu HTTP Tunnel. Both of these products attempt to encapsulate TCP traffic over an HTTP connection, acting as a generic bi-directional proxy. Yet, one significant drawback of such approaches is that they may not provide a desired level of authentication to protect secure communications in certain applications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Communications system providing enhanced client-server communications and related methods


A disc device (100) implements information processing with respect to, for example, a zeroth recording layer of an optical disk by an information processing section (510), and outputs a double-layer main voltage value and a double-layer sub voltage value corresponding to the intensities of a zeroth-order light beam and ±first-order light beams which are received by a photodetecting element (350) to an offset calculating section (522) by a voltage value acquiring section (521). The voltage value acquiring section (521) stores voltage values corresponding to the intensities of the zeroth-order light beam and ±first-order light beams which are received by the photodetecting element (350) as a single-layer main voltage value and a single-layer sub voltage value in a memory (400) in a state where a single-layer disc is loaded. The offset calculating section (522) calculates a voltage value corresponding to the intensity of a stray light beam that is reflected by a first recording layer not intended for information processing as an offset voltage value on the basis of the respective voltage values.

Up to now, there has been known a disc device that processes a disc-shaped recording medium such as an optical disc by the aid of an optical pickup as an information processor that reads information that has been recorded on a recording surface or records various types of information on the recording surface. The known optical pickup of the disc device is configured to control a position to which an optical beam is irradiated on the basis of the optical beam that has been outputted from a light source and reflected by the optical disc, for example, to implement the tracking servo control of an objective lens. As the tracking servo control, there has been known a configuration that diffracts the light beam that is outputted from the light source to detect a focal position (refer to, for example, Patent Document 1).
In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a laser beam is split into a zeroth-order light beam and ±first-order diffracted light beams by means of a diffraction grating. Further, the respective light beams are converged so that the intervals of three convergent spots (hereinafter, of those three convergent spots, the central convergent spot will be referred to as "a main spot", and convergent spots at both sides of the main spot will be referred to as "side spots") that are formed on the recording surface of the optical disc substantially coincide with ½ of a cycle of guide grooves that are defined in the optical disc. After that, the optical disc reflected light beams of the respective spots are received by 3/2 divided or ¾ divided light receiving surfaces, and subjected to subtraction processing by means of a subtracter, thereby detecting a push-pull signal Sa of the main spot, and push-pull signals Sb and Sc of the respective sub-spots. Then, when the push-pull signals Sb and Sc of the respective side spots are subjected to addition processing, tracking error components within the respective signals are canceled, and only offset components are added and outputted as a signal Sd as in the conventional DPP (differential push pull) system. After that, the signal Sd is amplified by a given gain, and then subtracted from the push-pull signal Sa, thereby obtaining a configuration that detects an excellent tracking error signal in which only the offset components are removed from the signal Sa.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A 2003-272190 (right column of p. 4 to left column of p. 7)

Optical state recognizer, information processor, and optical state recognizing method


A method and apparatus for defining the processing of an ingredient of a manufactured product, particularly one that is manufactured “one-the-spot” to a consumer's specification, such as ice cream, among other products. A tag encoded on a container for the product carries indicia that, directly or indirectly, define one or more formulations for the product. Apparatus into which the ingredient is loaded sets the processing of ingredients in accordance with the formulations so specified. By connecting the apparatus which is to process the ingredients to a control station, the formulations may be changed at will.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to dynamic process control, especially as applied to on-the-spot manufacture of food products, particularly frozen food products.
2. Background Information
The history of manufacture has been that of a progression from individual, local, hand-crafted preparation and construction to mass manufacture and distribution. For most manufactures, the latter mode is generally characterized by substantial economic efficiency and thus has largely replaced the former. In some areas, such as food preparation, individual preparation of an item to be served is still common although, even here, mass manufacture has made headway, and prepackaged foods such as frozen dinners have eliminated much or most of the individual preparation. While some food products such as meats, pastas, etc. still accommodate individual preparation and flavoring such as by the addition of spices, sauces, and the like, others such as ice cream, yogurt, etc. are supplied in essentially the final flavored form, with little opportunity to adjust the underlying product itself to a particular taste.
Many branded food products are distributed to the end user through chains of restaurants, as well as through individual stands or kiosks, with final preparation done on site. Control of the uniformity of the end products is important, as is the ability to quickly introduce and control changes in the formulation of the product from time to time and even from place to place. This has been difficult to do on a broad basis.
In the field of frozen food products such as ice cream, yogurt, and the like, a significant change in the manufacture and distribution of such products is described in a series of patents issued to the present applicant: see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,030 issued Mar. 8, 1994 to Paul Kateman et al. for "Method and Apparatus For Producing and Dispensing Aerated Products". This series of patents describes the on-the-spot production of frozen food products such as ice cream, yogurt, and the like in individual-sized servings of various flavors and with the option of additional mix-ins such as nuts, candies, etc. The present invention extends the capabilities of such methods and apparatus by enabling the controlled variation of the production process.


A removable anterior sweatband assembly suited for use in a baseball-style cap or hat that has a circular headband includes a perspiration-absorbent pad suspended from a support member between the cap headband and the forehead so as to prevent the forehead from contacting the headband of the cap. The pad includes an absorbent material for holding perspiration to help prevent the perspiration from the forehead of the person wearing the cap from contacting the cap. In one form, a four-layer structure or assembly is provided including a stiff supporting sheet and depending therefrom a laminate of three layers including the perspiration-absorbing layer, e.g., a super-absorbent cloth layer, a backing layer and a porous perspiration transferring layer between the absorbent layer and the forehead and in contact with the absorbent layer. The backing layer can be a porous absorbent material such as cloth or can be plastic film and can serve as a barrier for preventing the perspiration from staining the headband of the cap.

Most caps are designed and manufactured with a sweatband sewn into them as an integral part of the cap. The sweatband is normally composed of absorbent cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester material designed to absorb or wick away sweat from the wearer's head. However, with continued use, the sweatband becomes soiled and is difficult to launder or clean. Indeed, during profuse sweating, the normal sweatband becomes soaked with sweat and, because of the excess wetting, the main body of the cap itself becomes stained. Since caps are difficult to launder or clean, a sweat-stained cap is normally ruined and must be discarded.
It has also been long recognized that evaporation is not entirely effective as a method of cooling. While a wetted material such as a wet towel or cloth placed over the head provides immediate cooling due to the evaporation of the moisture within the towel or cloth, when the towel or cloth dries out, the cooling stops. Such cooling is therefore uncontrolled and is limited in time by the amount of water that can be provided. Moreover, a moisture-soaked towel or cloth makes a person feel wet which is, of course, uncomfortable and hence undesirable.
In view of these and other deficiencies of the prior art, it is one object of the present invention to find a way of enabling the sweatband of a cap or hat to be easily laundered, washed or cleaned.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sweatband that can be removed and will provide a larger sweat-holding capacity than the sweatband of an ordinary hat or cap.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sweatband that will fit a wide variety of caps, can be easily removed and, if desired, can be transferred from one cap to another.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a removable sweatband that can be manufactured and assembled at a lower cost.
Still another object of the invention is to allow the user to pre-wet the removable sweatband with cold water to provide a cooling effect without being uncomfortable for the user and without producing a wet feeling, causing discomfort.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description which illustrate by way of example but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Removable anterior sweatband assembly for a cap or hat


Provided herein are methods and compositions for the production of cheese replicas. Generally the cheese replicas are produced by inducing the enzymatic curdling of non-dairy milks.

Cheese making has relied on dairy milks as the major ingredient for more than 4000 years. Dairy cheese is usually made from curds formed from dairy milk. Dairy milks can readily be made to form curds suitable for making cheese by contacting the dairy milk with rennet (an aspartic protease which cleaves kappa-casein) at mildly acidic pH. Some cheeses, e.g., cream cheese, cottage cheese and paneer, are made without rennet. In the absence of rennet, dairy cheese may be induced to curdle with acid (e.g., lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) or a combination of heat and acid. Acid coagulation can also occur naturally from starter culture fermentation. The strength of the curds depends on the type of coagulation. Most commercially produced cheeses use some type of rennet (animal, vegetable or microbial-derived) in their production. Commodity cheeses or "processed cheeses" such as bulk cheddar, food-service mozzarella pizza and "cheese products," or "cheese foods" such as American cheese, American singles, Velveeta, and Cheese Whiz are typically produced from dairy-derived ingredients and other additives using industrial processes which sometimes little resemble traditional cheese making.
The global dairy sector contributes an estimated 4 percent to the total global anthropogenic green house gas emissions. Producing 1 kg of cheddar cheese requires an average of 10,000 L of fresh water. Additionally, many individuals cannot digest and metabolize lactose. In these individuals enteric bacteria ferment the lactose, resulting in various abdominal symptoms, which can include abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, and acid reflux. Additionally, the presence of lactose and its fermentation products raises the osmotic pressure of the colon contents. Approximately 3.4% of children in the U.S.A. are reported to have allergies to dairy milks. Many individuals choose to avoid milk for ethical or religious reasons.
Non-dairy milks, including plant-derived milks avoid many of the environmental, food sensitivity, ethical and religious problems associated with dairy milk and they can be made free of lactose, making the generation of dairy substitutes using the plant derived milks attractive. However, rennet is not an effective agent for inducing non-dairy proteins or emulsions, including plant-derived milks (e.g., almond milk, chestnut milk, pecan milk, hazelnut milk, cashew milk, pine nut milk, or walnut milk), to curdle. Consequently, traditional cheese making techniques have not been successfully used to produce non-dairy cheese replicas.
Flavor and aroma in dairy cheese results in part from the degradation of lactose, proteins and fats, carried out by ripening agents, which include bacteria and enzymes in the milk, bacterial cultures added during the cheese-making process, rennet, other proteases, lipases, added molds and/or yeasts and bacteria and fungi that opportunistically colonize the cheese during ripening and aging. In addition, the bacterial cultures and fungi used in traditional dairy cheesemaking use microorganisms adapted to growing and producing flavors in dairy milks. Hence, traditional cheese culturing techniques have not been successfully used to produce non-dairy cheese replicas.
Cheese replicas made principally of non-dairy ingredients are commercially available. Many of these cheese replicas include some dairy ingredients, for example, casein. Some commercially available cheese replicas contain no animal products. These include fermented cheese replicas made from nut milks from which insoluble carbohydrates have not been effectively removed, and made without using a protein crosslinking agent and several products in which a starch is a principal ingredient or containing agar, carrageenan or tofu to provide the desired texture. The few fermented products contain Lactobacillus acidophilus, a microbe often used in dairy yogurts. Most tasters consider none of the currently available cheese replicas to adequately replicate the taste, aroma and mouthfeel of dairy cheeses.
Complex carbohydrates in currently available cheese replicas made from nut milks have unfavorable effects on the texture, resulting in a product with a grainy mouthfeel and lacking the creaminess of dairy cheeses.
Starches that comprise the major gelling agent in many currently available cheese replicas lead to a relatively high carbohydrate content, which may be undesirable to consumers, for example those wishing to limit carbohydrate intake.
Because of these deficiencies, there is currently no cheese replica that is acceptable to most consumers as an alternative to traditional dairy cheeses.
Thus, it is clear that there is a great need in the art for an improved method and system for producing non-dairy cheese replicas while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the cheese replicas that have previously been available to consumers.

Methods and compositions for consumables


A semiconductor device includes memory cells each having an MISFET for memory selection formed on one major surface of a semiconductor substrate and a capacitive element comprised of a lower electrode electrically connected at a bottom portion to one of a source and drain of the MISFET for memory selection via a first metal layer and an upper electrode formed on the lower electrode via a capacitive insulating film. The lower electrode has a thickness of 30 nm or greater at the bottom portion thereof. Sputtering with a high ionization ratio and high directivity, such as PCM, is adapted to the formation of the lower electrode to make only the bottom portion of a capacitor thicker.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a fabrication method therefor, and, more particularly, to an MIM (Metal Insulator Metal) type capacitor and a fabrication method therefor.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Each of memory cells of a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) comprises a selection transistor and a capacitor. As the micropatterning of memory cells becomes finer with the advancement of the microfabrication technology, the amount of electric charges stored in a capacitor undesirably becomes smaller. To solve this problem, active studies have been made on three-dimensional fabrication of a capacitor to increase the electrode area and transition of the capacitor structure from the MIS (Metal Insulator Silicon) structure to the MIM structure.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a typical conventional MIM type capacitor. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing one example of a memory cell having an MIM type capacitor.
In the memory cell shown in FIG. 2, two selection transistors are formed in active regions defined on the major surface of a silicon substrate 10 by an isolation insulating film 2 and each selection transistor comprises a gate electrode 4 formed on the major surface of the silicon substrate 10 via a gate insulating film 3, and a pair of diffusion layer regions 5 and 6 to be a source region and a drain region. The diffusion layer regions 5 of the individual selection transistors are shared as a single region.
In the selection transistor, a bit line 8 formed on interlayer insulating films 25 and 26 is connected to the mentioned one diffusion layer region 5 via a polysilicon plug 12 penetrating the interlayer insulating film 25 and a metal plug 7. The bit line 8 is covered with an interlayer insulating film 21. A capacitor is constructed by laminating a ruthenium film 41 as a lower electrode, a ruthenium film 61 as an upper electrode and a tantalum oxide film 51 as a capacitive insulating film in a hole provided in an interlayer insulating film 22 formed on the interlayer insulating film 21.
The lower electrode 41 is connected at its bottom to a barrier metal film 32 which is connected to a polysilicon plug 11 via a contact metal film 31. The polysilicon plug 11 is further connected to the diffusion layer region 6 of the transistor via the underlying polysilicon plug 12.
To improve the charge storage capacitance per unit electrode area by reducing the leak current of the tantalum oxide film 51 in the process of fabricating the capacitor, it is necessary to take a step of oxidizing the tantalum oxide film 51. As a side effect of the step, oxygen is diffused in the lower electrode (ruthenium film), thereby oxidizing the interface portion between the lower electrode 41 and the barrier metal film 32. In case where a titanium nitride film is used for the barrier metal film 32, a titanium oxide film is formed at the interface with the lower electrode 41 and leads to increasing the conductive resistance. Further, the volume expansion that also occurs due to the formation of the titanium oxide film brings about a problem of applying stress to the capacitor, thereby increasing the leak current of the capacitor.
One way of suppressing the diffusion of oxygen in the lower electrode is to make the lower electrode thicker. However, increasing the thickness of the lower electrode by CVD normally causes a film of the same thickness to grow on the side wall portion and the bottom portion. The increase in the thickness of the side wall portion causes a side effect of decreasing the inner circumferential length of the electrode to thereby reduce the amount of electric charges stored in the capacitor (FIG. 3).
As one way of reducing the amount of oxygen diffusion in the lower electrode while preventing the side effect, forming only the bottom portion of the lower electrode of a capacitor in a step separate from the step of forming the other portions of the lower electrode is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-83940. This method has demonstrated an effect to some extent in suppressing the deterioration of the capacitor characteristic originated from the expansion of the volume of the barrier metal film at the bottom portion of the capacitor (FIG. 4).
However, the prior art illustrated in FIG. 4 has a problem that forming only the bottom portion of the hole in a step separate from the formation of the capacitor portion increases the number of required steps. In addition, since the prior art requires one additional step involving the photolithography technique as compared with the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the process margin for layer alignment becomes narrower.

Memory with memory cells that include a MIM type capacitor with a lower electrode made for reduced resistance at an interface with a metal film


Methods and systems for designing and producing a three-dimensional object selection of a base three-dimensional object from a customer device. A base three-dimensional model corresponding to the object is displayed on the customer device, and one or more custom modifications are received. A modified three-dimensional model corresponding to the modified object is prepared and displayed. Once confirmation to produce the modified object is received, data corresponding to the modified three-dimensional model is transmitted to a manufacturing device for production of the object, using the data to do so, such that the object corresponds directly to the modified three-dimensional model.

The customization of durable goods products is a desirable characteristic that many retail markets would enjoy being able to broadly utilize and many consumers would enjoy broadening their product selection and bringing what they buy closer to what they want. Unfortunately sales, distribution and manufacturing systems designed to deliver mass-manufactured goods to consumers and or job-shops that do custom manufacturing are not positioned to effectively deliver mass-customization, generally placing custom-designed products out of the reach of consumers. Additionally, the machines, methods and labor are ineffective at delivering customization cost-effectively. An example is the manufacture of class rings or other jewelry. The diversity of these products is defined by the selection of molds and tooling used to inject wax which is used to cast the final product. A manufacturer cannot provide an infinite product selection or face the challenge of also producing and storing an infinite number of molds and tooling parts.
The customization characteristics desired by individuals are diverse and therefore, the method is applicable to a wide array of products. For example; a customer may desire a custom-designed broach or ring that contains a 3D representation of a family crest or insignia. To obtain this custom product requires specialized training including 3D CAD modeling and design experience or at the very least CNC programming experience. Other customizable products might include custom valve covers for a hotrod. Designing these products and having them manufactured by CNC machining would be expensive and, the equipment necessary is not normally available to the general public nor are the operating procedures of the equipment. Therefore; customization options for consumers are often limited and access to customization of products is difficult. The result is that individual needs and or desires are not always met and customers therefore settle for less than what they wanted or desired.
Computer-based networks, access systems, websites, databases, processing speeds and 3D geometry manipulation have reached a sufficient level of performance to provide consumers with the ability to drive changes to products themselves in many aspects. Consumer capabilities to understand such systems have also reached a level sufficient for consumers to realistically be involved in at least some aspects of a design process, for example those that do not cause risk to a customer or liability to a manufacturer as defined by constraints preventing a customer from violating the constraints during design for personalization or customization.
Computer-based geospatial/3D design & design implementation systems are based on point-of-use deployment models. Such systems are also intended for use by someone skilled in the art of CAD/CAM and design methodologies. This effectively means that manipulation of the geospatial/3D geometries commonly called CAD models requires advanced knowledge and significant time to develop. When properties such as structural integrity or thermal properties are involved, even basic design skills for 3D move out of the realm of consumers with basic skills in this area, often to an advanced engineer-level which is beyond the comprehension of the general public. CAD systems are also precise and unforgiving in many aspects of their use. Some examples of 3D design tools include Autodesk Inventor, Solidworks, Unigraphics, CA TIA, Mechanical Desktop, MAY A, Rhino 3D, 3D Studio Max and more.
Computer-based 3D design and design implementation systems are required to produce a product by additive fabrication methods. Such systems are costly and must be purchased by a user and added to the user's computer. The user must also learn how to use the system, the engineering behind designing a product and finally, locate a facility to produce the product. Also, designing a product from scratch is time consuming, even for someone skilled in the art of CAD/CAM design, engineering and manufacturing.
Rapid Prototyping and Additive Freeform Fabrication are used interchangeably to describe technologies that have been developed to create or "manifest" 3D objects representative of computer-based geospatial/3D geometry through the process of depositing materials in an additive or layered process, resulting in a net or near-net shaped product conforming to the dimensions of the 3D computer-based geometry upon which such an object is based without tooling or molds or much of the labor required in traditional subtractive methods of manufacture. At present there are approximately 25 additive fabrication processes covered by various patents. Each technology has inherent limitations and benefits including the feature resolution, materials that the technology can use, speed, surface finish and a plethora of other parameters by which a part can be measured however; the deployment model of such technology is, for the most part, considered for prototyping and not for direct digital manufacturing. For example; a wax polymer is ideal for the manufacture, by lost wax investment casting, of custom jewelry. Solid-Scape additive fabrication technology is ideally suited for the manufacture of jewelry. Solid-Scape hardware is capable of printing or manifesting, at high resolution in a relatively small build envelope. Other technologies, such as Selective Laser Sintering from EQS are suited for the manufacture of larger components made from nylon materials or a limited selection of metals however the surface finish of the SLS process is considered rough when compared to other processes.
Current deployment methodologies in use for both CAD/CAM systems and additive fabrication technologies limit the widespread use of the aforementioned technologies. For example, manufacturing more than a small lot of products on any given machine in a reasonable timeframe is thwarted by throughput. However, if machines in one location were linked to machines in multiple distributed locations, the effective capacity would be greatly increased. The net result of these differences is that all of the various additive fabrication processes may be required to provide the net result of a finished product consistent with expectations for a particular product.
Since it is prohibitive for any one facility to own every machine of every type from every manufacturer, it is advantageous to link many facilities together, further realizing the full potential of additive fabrications.
Computer-based implementations of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Product Data Management (PDM), Master Production Scheduling, part routing and part nesting systems are capable of intelligent and automated actions to manage decisions for operations in a production capacity and planning system and can include other intelligent decision-making abilities such as procurement and inventory management but they are designed to move "real" products, not virtual products through the system.
It is therefore beneficial to effectively combine additive fabrication, Computer Aided Design methods, capacity planning and the Internet with automated PDM!PLM production scheduling and routing systems in a manner that enable deployment of additive fabrication methods and technologies as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) production system. As such, embodiments of the present invention advantageously create a disruptively competitive and efficient system for the design, sale and manufacture of individualized or customized products by synergistically combining facets of many technologies into a more productive method and tool.

Made-to-order direct digital manufacturing enterprise


The invention provides a composite working lathe capable of improving the efficiency of workpiece machining area by arranging a workpiece handling device below a spindle of the composite working lathe. The composite working lathe 1 comprises a spindle 20 and a tool spindle 30 on a bed 10. A workpiece handling device 40 arranged below the spindle 20 can be moved along a W axis parallel to the axis line C1 of the spindle. The workpiece handling device 40 has a workpiece handling head 50 that pivots in the direction of arrow F around an axis line C2, and grips the workpiece K1 via a gripper 60. The axis line C2 is an axis perpendicular to the vertical plane including the axis line C1 of the spindle 20, and the workpiece handling head 50 is raised for 90 degrees when the gripper 60 receives the workpiece K1 from the spindle 20. The angular position of the workpiece handling head 50 is allocated and the workpiece K1 is machined via a tool T1 on the tool spindle 30.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a compact-sized composite working lathe having a workpiece handling device in addition to a spindle for subjecting workpieces to various machining processes.
2. Description of the related art
Japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2003-25169 (patent document 1) discloses a composite working lathe having, in addition to a spindle for gripping workpieces, a device for receiving the workpiece from the spindle and subjecting the same to further machining.
The lathe disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document is a device for machining a barlike workpiece, comprising a spindle as first holder for holding the workpiece, and a second holder in addition to a tool rest.
The second holder is arranged on a support that pivots around a vertical axis.


An improved double action bottom former for forming and shaping a metal can blank includes an integral cylinder housing having sidewalls forming first and second axial chambers, wherein the second axial chamber houses a piston suspension assembly for resilient positioning of a clamp ring and the first axial chamber houses a dome plug, which is resiliently positioned through use of a donut spring. In addition to serving means to bias the dome plug, the donut spring includes an interior cylindrical space defining a third axial chamber to increase the volumetric capacity of the second axial chamber for added capability in controlling the resilient positioning of the clamp ring to permit high cyclic operation of the bottom former for a sustained period of time without deleterious impact on other operating components comprising bodymaking equipment.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of forming and shaping a metal can blank to a geometric configuration most suitable to contain pressurized liquids, such as carbonated beverages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel and improved double action bottom former capable of operating at a high cyclic rate for a sustained period of time with appreciable capability to repeatedly form and shape can bottoms of a specified thickness.
It has been conventional in the prior art to form and shape the bottom wall of cans using a bottom former assembly generally comprising an inner die and an outer die circumferentially positioned thereabout. Often the prior art describes the inner die as the dome plug and the outer die as the clamp ring, both of which cooperate with the functioning of the ram generally made part of the bodymaker. As the ram carries a metal can blank for contact with the domer assembly, the clamp ring engages the bottom portion of the metal can blank radially outward from the area to be formed with an inwardly-protruding dome. Subsequently, as the ram fitted with the metal can blank resiliently travels with the clamp ring, the dome plug is engaged to form the desired dome profile of the bottom wall of the can blank. It is generally desirable to set the ram forward of the end of the stroke of the ram to generate overtravel thereof to ensure bottoming out of the ram for complete formation of the inwardly-protruding dome and desired thickness of the bottom wall of a can.
Preferably, the clamp ring and dome plug are resiliently held in a longitudinal working position as the ram travels to and within the bottom former assembly. A number of prior art references teach the resilient positioning of the clamp ring and dome plug through configuration of the bottom former assembly with mechanical springs acting alone or in conjunction with a reservoir having pressurized fluids contained therein. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,169 issued to Johansson et al. describes therein the use of springs for both the clamp ring and the dome plug and U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,330 issued to Weishalla, which is presently owned by the Assignee of the present invention, describes therein the use of a fluid actuator for resilient positioning of the clamp ring and a plurality of urethane springs for resilient positioning of the dome plug.
Although Weishalla adequately provides for adjustability of the forces acting on the clamp ring, which provides for greater output capabilities in some instances, there continues to be problems associated with the control of such forces acting thereon to shape and form metal can blanks without substantial failure during high cyclic operation.
The Assignee of the present invention has discovered that in some instances the bottom of the metal can blank has a tendency to split at the periphery thereof as the production rate substantially increases from approximately 300 to 500 containers per minute. This occurrence is mainly attributed to the ability to adequately control the forces acting on the clamp ring as the bottom of the can engages thereto. Generally, the ability to control the forces acting on the clamp ring is limited in part or related to the operating components responsible for resilient positioning of the clamp ring, such as a pressurized medium acting on a movable piston, as seen in Weishalla, or a spring of known physical properties or characteristics, as seen in Johansson et al.
In the attempt to provide a satisfactory solution to the problem, the pressure reservoir or chamber is generally optimized or increased in size to the extent of alleviating the pressure buildup on components generally responsible for resilient positioning of the clamp ring. By allowing for gas expansion, and thus reducing the pressure buildup on the resilient-positioning components, the clamp ring is permitted to adequately engage the bottom of the metal can blank for noticeable reduction in failure rates even during high cyclic operation, while improving the bottom former""s ability to form can bottoms having thinner walls. However, the ability to increase the effective volume of the pressure chamber may be limited or not possible due to the design or configuration of those components comprising the typical bodymaker. In attempt to circumvent these design limitations, the art teaches modification of the bottom former assembly to include a surge tank or canister that is in hydraulic communication with the pressurized reservoir. However, in most instances, pressure buildup will continue to occur given the means in which the surge tank is joined with the pressure reservoir, which often only includes a pipe or a hose having limited capacity to effectively transfer fluid to and from the surge tank and back into the pressurized reservoir within the short cycle time generally allowed in such operations.
The Assignee of the present invention also observed in the art substantial mechanical failure of components generally comprising the bottom former assembly. Mechanical failure of mechanisms responsible for resilient positioning of the clamp ring and dome plug generally arise as the ram is inadvertently overextended during high cyclic rates or is configured to overextend to ensure bottoming out of the ram for complete formation of the inwardly-protruding dome. Generally, the art teaches configuration of the ram to overextend in order to exert an adequate amount of force to form the can bottom of specified wall thickness. As a consequence of an excessive overextension of the ram, the components generally responsible for resilient positioning of the dome plug, as well as other components comprising bodymaking equipment, prematurely wear necessitating immediate replacement as they can no longer meet the close tolerances required for adequate formation of the can bottom. Under other operating environments where the ram is not overextended, the spring responsible for the resilient positioning of the dome plug may not be adequately compressed, resulting in a decreased spring force as the preset compression of the spring is generally fixed by the manufacturer. As this occurs, again the dome plug will fail to adequately form can bottoms of specified thickness during high cyclic operation.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a bottom forming apparatus which can adequately operate at a high cyclic rate for a sustained period of time without substantial deleterious impact on components responsible for resilient positioning of the clamp ring and the dome plug, minimize the time required to access and repair components comprising the bottom former assembly, provide an affordable and inexpensive alternative to replacing components responsible for resilient positioning of the dome plug while retaining the preset compression of the spring, and attain greater capability of allowing the ram to overextend without substantial impact or damage to the components comprising the bottom former and, in general, to other bodymaker components.
In order to overcome the numerous drawbacks apparent in the prior art, an improved device for forming can bottoms of specified thickness has been devised.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a bottom former capable of greater control of forces acting on the clamp ring through incorporation of an expanded gas chamber to allow for gas expansion and less pressure buildup on operating components generally responsible for resilient positioning of the clamp ring.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former that is readily adaptable to fit existing bodymaking equipment without undue difficulty or substantial modification of components generally comprising the bottom former.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former that is capable of utilizing biasing means comprising a donut spring made from a low durometer material to greatly enhance the control of components generally responsible for resilient positioning of the dome plug during high cyclic operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former having means to restore the pre-load force of the biasing means and increase the life thereof by as much as 15% without resorting to replacement of components generally responsible for resilient positioning of the dome plug.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former having the capability of operating under less pressure buildup to reduce the force on the clamp ring to permit adequate material flow for elimination of split can bottoms during forming operations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former that is capable of accurate production of can bottoms having a thinner wall and an accurate dome-shaped profile.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former that is less prone to mechanical failure as a result of operating at a high cyclic rate for a sustained period of time.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a bottom former that is economical, durable, and fully effective in performing its intended functions.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved double action bottom former substantially capable of forming and shaping a metal can blank at a high cyclic rate, the bottom former comprising an integral cylinder housing member having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion generally comprises an elongate cylinder with sidewalls defining a first axial chamber of a first known diameter. The second end portion generally comprises a cylinder with sidewalls defining a second axial chamber with a second known diameter, which is larger than the first known diameter. The first and second axial chambers are separated by an integral chamber separator. The second axial chamber comprises a cover plate having a large aperture extending therethrough to permit hydraulic communication with a third axial chamber. The first end portion sidewalls of the integral cylinder housing member further comprises a plurality of axially oriented bores extending from the first end portion of the integral cylinder housing member through the integral chamber separator and into the second axial chamber. Push rod means comprises a plurality of pushrods slidably positioned within an equal number of pushrod bushings fitted within an equal number of axially oriented bores present within the first end portion sidewalls of the integral cylinder housing member and integral chamber separator. Each of the pushrods generally comprises a first end and a second end. Biasing means are provided for operatively biasing the cover plate and preferably comprises a donut spring having a cylindrical-shaped aperture extending therethrough to define a third axial chamber. The donut spring, generally made from low durometer materials, comprises exterior and interior recesses for fitting engagement of a plurality of washers and an equal number of standoff tubes having a longitudinal bore extending therethrough for passage of an equal number of tension bolts to fixedly hold the spring end plate and donut spring to the bottom former and set the pre-load force of the donut spring. Tool set means, located at the first end portion of the integral cylinder housing member, comprises a clamp ring and a dome plug for contacting and shaping a metal can blank fitted to a conventional press arm. Preferably, the clamp ring is circumferentially fitted around the dome plug in abutting engagement with the first end of each of the pushrods. Piston means, which resiliently positions the clamp ring and pushrod means, comprises a piston member movably positioned within the second axial chamber. Preferably, the piston member comprises an annular piston wall fixedly attached to the periphery of a concave-shaped bottom having a concave receiving surface. The annular piston wall generally comprises a contact surface facing the integral chamber separator and principally serves as a contact surface for the second end of each of the pushrods. The concave receiving surface provides means to uniformly distribute the acting force on the piston member as a pressured medium enters into and fills the second and third axial chambers via an axially aligned port established at the spring end plate. In terms of operation, as a press arm bearing a metal can blank approaches and contacts the clamp ring, the resultant force is transferred by the pushrod to the contact surface of the piston member, which is generally resiliently positioned by the pressurized medium acting on and against the concave receiving surface of the piston member. Similarly, the resultant force acting on and against the dome plug is axially transferred by the integral cylinder housing member to the biased cover plate and donut spring.

Double action bottom former for high cyclic operation


An apparatus for coating a hydrophilic film which includes a light reaction chamber having UV lamps on either side of the film, two cooling fans and a solvent deflation fan. There are also an air drying plates and coating nozzles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing a hydrophilic polymer film and particularly, to a process for the preparation of hydrophilic polymer film, which comprises modifying polymer film by coating a photopolymerization solution containing a hydrophilic monomer of low water swelling ability and an UV stabilizer on the film surface pre-treated with a high frequency, and photopolymerizing the solution so as to improve a hydrophilic property, a climate-resistibility, and a blocking property.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, polyolefin films have been widely used in agricultural fields and packing materials fields because of their good mechanical properties, optical property, nontoxic property, and durable flexibility. However, since such conventional films have hydrophobic properties on the surface thereof, the transparency of such conventional films is significantly reduced by condensation of moisture on the inner surface thereof when used in a simple green house built from such polymer films, due to the reduction of the sunlight transmittance through such films.
As a result, the crop of vegetables in the simple green house is reduced and the period of harvest takes a long time. Also, the temperature effect in the green house is reduced. If drops of water condensed on the surface of such films come down on the flower of a crop cultivated in the green house, the crop withers or does not bear fruit.
Due to the hydrophobic property of the film surface, coating materials such as water soluble ink, gelatin, and so on are difficult to coat on the surface thereof. When such films are used for packaging material of foods, the food may become spoiled or decayed due to the drops of water formed in the packaged film surface.
In order to avoid the above problems, and to make the use of polyolefin films more practical, the film surface has been modified as follows.
For example, there is a method for preparing a hydrophilic film by compounding polyethylene resin and a special surfactant, and a method for modifying the polyethylene film by coating a special surfactant on the surface thereof.
However, since the surfactant used on the film is washed away easily by drops of water, the hydrophilic property of the such films can be reduced.
Recently, there has been developed a method of modifying such films by grafting a hydrophilic material on polyethylene film. The film modified by this method continuously maintains the hydrophilic property. But discoloration of the film may occur since the climate-resistibility is not good, and a blocking phenomena sticking between the films occurs on the film surface because of the use of hydrophilic substances having a high water swelling ability such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, methacrylamide, 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and N-vinylpyrrolidone.

Process for preparing hydrophilic polymer film and apparatus thereof


A gas sensor contains such a dielectric substance having a domain boundary formed between domains with different polarization directions. When a gaseous molecule is adsorbed to the dielectric substance, a transient current is generated due to displacement of the domain boundary under an applied voltage. The adsorbed gaseous molecule is detected by measuring the transient current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas sensor and a gas detection method for determining a gas concentration, useful in various fields of semiconductor manufacturing, food production/manufacturing/distribution, medical care, etc., and more specifically to improved gas sensor and gas detection method suitable for detecting an extremely small amount of a gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a field of manufacturing of semiconductor devices such as LSIs (large scale integrated circuits), several hundred ppb (parts per billion) of an impurity is purposefully added to control a semiconductor characteristic. Therefore, the residual oxygen content of a high-purity gas used in this field has to be at a several ppb level (i.e. 1 to 10 ppb level), 2 digits smaller than the several hundred ppb. However, there are still no gas sensors sensitive to the several ppb level. For this reason, an expensive analysis equipment is used in this field.
In a food-related field, it is expected that if a food putrid odor can be detected at a 10 to 50 ppb level, equal to the human olfaction level, food freshness management can be automatized.
Furthermore, in a medical-related field, it is expected that detection of a metabolite from a sickness person (such as acetone from a diabetic patient, methylmercaptan from a periodontitis patient, a volatile sulfur compound, triethylamine, or ammonia from a liver disease patient, carbon monoxide from an asthma patient, or isoprene from an overcholesterol patient) can contribute to early medical diagnosis. In addition, in a deodorant (antiperspirant) field, application of the high sensitivity detection to self check of body odor is under consideration. These fields require a high detectivity at a 1 to 50 ppb level.
As described above, a gas sensor having a concentration sensitivity at the several ppb level can be used in various fields. Conventional gas sensors include semiconductor type gas sensors and surface acoustic wave type gas sensors. For example, JP-A-2000-121588 discloses a gas sensor having a WO3 thin film doped with In2O3, SnO2, or Sb2O5 on a gold electrode. An electrical characteristic of the electrode is measured when trimethylamine comes into contact with the thin film. The tungsten oxide has a high sensitivity to the living thing putrid odor causing substance (trimethylamine), has a perovskite-like crystal structure partly, and further has a dielectric characteristic. JP-A-2001-305089 discloses a gas sensor having a metal oxide semiconductor of tin oxide. The semiconductor is doped with both a pentavalent transition metal and a trivalent transition metal, so that oxygen in the air is stably adsorbed to a surface of the semiconductor.
However, the semiconductor type gas sensor has a low detectivity at 1 ppm level. The surface acoustic wave type gas sensor is not suitable for repetitive operation requiring a concentrated gas. In any case, the gas sensors described in JP-A-2000-121588 and JP-A-2001-305089 cannot achieve the high detectivity at the ppb level.


A method of controlling surface non-uniformity of a wafer in a polishing operation includes (a) providing a model for a wafer polishing that defines a plurality of regions on a wafer and identifies a wafer material removal rate in a polishing step of a polishing process for each of the regions, wherein the polishing process comprises a plurality of polishing steps, (b) polishing a wafer using a first polishing recipe based upon an incoming wafer thickness profile, (c) determining a wafer thickness profile for the post-polished wafer of step (b), and (d) calculating an updated polishing recipe based upon the wafer thickness profile of step (c) and the model of step (a) to maintain a target wafer thickness profile. The model can information about the tool state to improve the model quality. The method can be used to provide feedback to a plurality of platen stations.

Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) is used in semiconductor fabrication processes for obtaining full planarization of a semiconductor wafer. The method involves removing material, e.g., a sacrificial layer of surface material, from the wafer (typically, silicon dioxide (SiO2)) using mechanical contact and chemical erosion. Polishing flattens out height differences, since areas of high topography (hills) are removed faster than areas of low topography (valleys).
CMP typically utilizes an abrasive slurry dispersed in an alkaline or acidic solution to planarize the surface of the wafer through a combination of mechanical and chemical action. Generally, a CMP tool includes a polishing device (having an attached wafer to be polished) positioned above a rotatable circular platen on which a polishing pad is mounted. In use, the platen may be rotated and an abrasive slurry is introduced onto the polishing pad. Once the slurry has been applied to the polishing pad, a downward force may be applied to a rotating head to press the attached wafer against the pad. As the wafer is pressed against the polishing pad, the wafer is mechanically and chemically polished.
The effectiveness of a CMP process may be measured by its polishing rate, and by the resulting finish (absence of small-scale roughness) and flatness (absence of large-scale topography) of the substrate surface. The polishing rate, finish and flatness are determined by a variety of factors, including the pad and slurry combination, the relative speed between the substrate and pad and the force pressing the substrate against the polishing pad.
As semiconductor processes are scaled down, the importance of CMP to the fabrication process increases. In particular, it is increasingly important to control and minimize within wafer (WIW) thickness non-uniformity. A variety of factors may contribute to producing variation across the surface of a wafer during polishing. For example, variations in the surface topography may be attributed to drift of the processing conditions in the CMP device. Typically, the CMP device is optimized for a particular process, but because of chemical and mechanical changes to the process, e.g., changes in the polishing pad during polishing, degradation of process consumables, and other factors, the CMP process may drift from its optimized state. In addition to processing drift, the wafer surface coming into the CMP process may be non-uniform, which exacerbates the process-induced variations across the post-polished surface.
Recent attempts to correct processing drift include feedback control, in which information generated during current processing is used to adjust future processing runs. One control variable used in such feedback control of the polishing step includes the arm oscillation length of the polishing tool. Feedback loops have also been developed for optimization of polishing pad conditioning. However, these schemes are still not adequate in today's manufacturing environment to satisfactorily compensate for the aforementioned effects.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

Feedback control of chemical mechanical polishing device providing manipulation of removal rate profiles


A virtual, real-time proofing system and method are shown. The system and method are characterized in that a reconstructed image of a plurality of engraved cells is created using a pixel data signal that is created using a tool path position signal generated by a sensor that senses the movement of a cutter or stylus as it is engraving the cells.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gravure engraver and, more particularly, to an engraver having a real-time tool path virtual proofing system and method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The gravure printing process is an additive process which typically involves at least four colors and henceforth cylinders, one for each color (yellow, magenta, cyan and black or key). It is not uncommon that spot colors are used, in addition, to obtain a very consistent color, such as the orange color used on a Tide® detergent box. To create a composite test proof, each cylinder is inked and used to print on a substrate. Registering the cylinders and performing the test proof substrate is, again, very time consuming and labor intensive. Thus, traditional workflow of gravure printing involves creating a full color proof on a proof press prior to the engraved cylinders being released to high volume production press. Creating a full color test proof is an expensive and time consuming process. This also puts gravure printing at a disadvantage compared to other types of printing processes, such as flexographic printing.
Proof presses are used as a quality check prior to committing the cylinders to production. The process involves the following steps for each of the YMCK cylinders: using a crane to install the cylinder in the proof press, aligning the cylinder to the substrate, aligning the doctor blade for wiping the ink, mixing the ink to ensure proper viscosity, inking the cylinder, running this one color print, cleaning the cylinder and doctor blade of excess ink, and removing the cylinder. These steps are repeated for each color where each color is registered to previous colors to obtain the desired composite image. Performing these steps for four colors takes an experienced operator one or more hours. Most, if not all, gravure cylinder facilities have multiple proofing presses and employ dedicated people for this quality step. As is apparent, the process is time consuming and expensive.
Different approaches for eliminating the expensive proofing step have been sought after for many years. For example, capturing images of the engraved pattern using cameras and other techniques to provide an optical or visual inspection of the cylinders has been attempted in the past. An Israeli company, PSik Solutions, Ltd., offered the idea of an optical visual inspection system in 2011, but the implementation has not been economically practical. Unfortunately, these approaches are impractical due to the image capture and computer processing speed limitations. Although theoretically possible, the development costs for such a system is prohibitive for this market. These approaches are also expensive and oftentimes require large amounts of processing capability.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved proofing system and method that reduces or eliminates traditional proofing processes of the past.

Real-time virtual proofing system and method for gravure engraver


A dynamoelectric machine having a rotor constructed to facilitate position sensing and a stator constructed to retain slot liners in the stator while reducing flux leakage between adjacent teeth of the stator. The rotor includes permanent magnets which project beyond one axial end of the rotor and the stator. Thus, a position sensor may be positioned in registration with the overhanging portion of the magnet. Slots in the stator are shaped to hold an insulating slot liner in the slot, and prevent the liner from slipping into the stator bore. The slots are also angularly formed near their inner ends to increase the space between adjacent stator teeth for reducing the flux leakage between the teeth.

This invention relates generally to dynamoelectric machines and more particularly to a stator and rotor construction therefor.
Dynamoelectric machines of the type to which the present invention generally relates have a stator including a stator core and windings on the stator core, and a rotor including a rotor core and permanent magnets mounted on the periphery of the rotor core. The rotor core and stator core are typically manufactured by stamping a number of rotor and stator laminations from a ferromagnetic sheet material and stacking the laminations together in respective stacks. Generally, electronically commutated motors require detection of the rotor position in order to commutate the windings on the stator. A Hall device is one common type of sensor used to detect the rotor position. In order for a Hall device to operate, it is necessary for it to be at least partially in radial registration with the permanent magnets inside the motor. The Hall device detects the passing magnetic fields of the permanent magnets indicative of the rotor position and transmits this information to a control in the motor for use in commutating the windings.
However, conventionally the rotor core and permanent magnets mounted on the rotor core have been located entirely within the stator core. A Hall device will not operate properly when located at an axial end of the permanent magnets. The requirement for a minimal air gap between the rotor and the stator in the stator bore rules out placing the sensor between the rotor and stator. Frequently, the rotor core and the permanent magnets mounted thereon are made longer than the stator core so that the permanent magnets are exposed outside the stator core. In this configuration it is possible for a Hall device to extend from a control board to a position in partial radial alignment with the permanent magnets. Unfortunately, making the rotor core longer than the stator core requires that more rotor laminations be punched than stator laminations. There must be a back up die in the manufacturing facility to produce the additional rotor laminations required to form the longer rotor cores. Thus, there is additional manufacturing expense caused by the need for additional machinery as well as the additional material used for the rotor core.
The stator laminations making up the stator core each have slots on an inner diameter of the stator lamination which open into a central opening of the stator lamination. When the stator laminations are stacked together, the slots are aligned with slots of other stator laminations to form elongate stator core slots. Adjacent stator core slots define teeth of the stator core on which the magnet wire forming the stator windings are wound. The magnet wire is received in the slots. To provide additional electrical insulation between the magnet wire and the stator core slot liners are placed into the stator core slots prior to the winding of the magnet wire so that the liners prevent contact of the magnet wire with the stator core.
An example of the slot liner of this type is shown in co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,976. The liner has a transverse wall, opposing side walls and flaps extending from edges of the side walls. The flaps overlap so that the slot liner completely encircles the magnet wire in the slots. However, the flaps can be deflected apart by wire being wound on the stator core to permit the wire to enter the slot. The slots are formed with radially opposing inner and outer surfaces to engage the slot liner and hold it in the slot. It is desirable to further increase the spacing between the stator teeth at the end of the slot in order to decrease flux leakage between adjacent teeth.