A carrier assembly for a planetary gearset of a transmission includes a pinion carrier, a one-way brake having a rocker ring integral with the carrier and having multiple pockets mutually spaced about an axis and located on an outer radial surface of the carrier. A cam ring includes multiple notches angularly spaced about the axis and facing the rocker ring. A rocker, located in each pocket, pivots about a pivot center to engage the cam ring, and a spring urges each rocker to pivot toward engagement with the cam ring. A hydraulically actuated friction brake secured to the carrier alternately holds the carrier against rotation relative to a housing and permits the carrier to rotate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to automatic transmission planetary carrier assembly having a one-way brake that produces a drive connection in one rotary direction and overruns in the opposite direction. In particular, the invention pertains to such an assembly also having a friction brake in parallel with the one-way brake.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional one-way brakes for producing a one-way drive connection between inner and outer races of the brake assembly include sprags or rollers for releasably driveably connecting the races and the components of a mechanical assembly connected to the races. Such brakes are commonly used in the powertrain or driveline of an automotive vehicle. One-way brakes perform satisfactorily in many cases, but certain applications, such as those in which a large magnitude of torque is transmitted by the brake, or those that provide only a small space for the brake, require one-way brakes other than conventional sprag-type or roller-type brake to meet desire requirements.
Conventional one-way brakes and clutches have at least one sprag or roller, which driveably locks two notched or pocketed races together mutually in one rotary direction and allows the races to rotate freely in the other direction. Rocker and sprag type one-way brake assemblies can increase the torque capacity for a given package size compared to those of a roller-type brake, but they are generally limited in torque transmitting capacity by the magnitude of the contact or bearing stresses caused by contact of the rockers or sprags with the races.
To overcome these and other difficulties, a one-way overunning clutch described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,978 includes a drive member and a driven member, which are mounted for clockwise and counterclockwise rotation about a common axis. The drive member includes a planar drive face, normal to the common axis, which connects with a source of power for rotating the planar drive face either clockwise or counterclockwise. The driven member includes a planar driven face, positioned in close proximity to and in confronting relationship with the drive face. The drive and driven members are coupled to one another through a series of pockets in one of the drive faces, and a plurality of cooperating struts carried by the other face, such that when the drive member is driven counterclockwise, it drives the driven member with it. When the drive member is driven clockwise, it does not drive the driven member, but rotates freely relative to the driven member. Column stability of the strut, which transmits the torsion load between the races, is an important factor in the design.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,174 discloses a ratchet one-way clutch assembly having an inner race with notches, an outer race with pockets, and rockers located in the pockets to engage the notches. The rockers have a pivot ridge which mates with a peak or recess in the pockets in the outer race to position the rocker in the pocket. The center of mass of each rocker is located such that the rocker tends to engage or disengage a notch in the inner race. A spring is used to provide a tilting force on each rocker directed to produce engagement of the rocker with a notch.
Conventional one-way brakes and clutches develop relatively large magnitudes of hoop stress in the races when torque is transmitted through the brake; therefore, the races of conventional one-way brakes are formed of bearing grade steel in order to withstand the operating hoop stress. Because the clutches disclosed in the '978 and '245 patents develop relative low operating hoop stresses in service, those clutches can be formed of powered metal. Clutches formed of powered metal potentially can be produced at relatively low cost compared to the cost to form and produce a conventional clutch or brake of high grade steel, provided extensive machining is avoided.
The clutches described in the '978 or '245 patents, however, require a significant amount of machining of the components that are formed of powered metal. Excessive internal backlash, which can produce noise at unacceptable levels, is a potential problem under certain operating conditions with these clutches.
A need exists for a reliable, low cost automatic transmission one-way brake that produces low operating bearing stresses in service and can be formed readily from powered metal. Preferably, the brake would be integrated in an assembly that includes a planet pinion carrier such that the assembly occupies little space, minimizes in-service noise, and requires little or no machining. Preferably, the assembly would include features that facilitate its assembly in a vehicle transmission, and would further include a hydraulically actuated friction brake arranged in parallel with the one-way brake.

Automatic transmission carrier assembly including an overrunning brake


In one implementation, a wireless network device is automatically accessed and configured through a mobile device. The mobile device receives provisioning data encoded for installation and operation of a network device and decodes the provisioning data to identify at least one access parameter for the network device. The mobile device accesses a wireless network of the network device according to the access parameter. Once access has been established, the mobile device transmits a configuration signal including a network configuration setting through the wireless network to the network device for the installation of the network device. The network device is provisioned based on the network configuration setting.

An access point is a device that allows mobile devices to connect wirelessly to a wired network through a wireless protocol. Access points are used in homes, businesses, and public places. The installation of an access point is not straight forward. The installation may require that a technician directly connect a cable from a computer to the access point. Some access points may be configured by proprietary software installed on a computer on the wired network. The basic settings for the access point are entered through the software. Some access points may be provisioned remotely, but a skilled technician is necessary to complete the process, and some active data connection to the access point is necessary. Challenges remain in simplifying the process for provisioning new access points on a network.

Network device configuration by mobile device


There is disclosed a method for:. (1) inhibiting new blood vessel formation that is useful for treating or preventing progression of diabetic retinopathy, cavernous haemangiomas, Kaposi's sarcoma, tumors composed of endothelial-like cells, and growth of cancer cells by preventing their development of a new blood supply: PA1 (2) suppressing development of kidney diseases due to cytokine induced proliferation of mesangial cells and/or glomerular epithelial cells that is useful for treating or preventing progression of diabetic glomerulosclerosis and other glomerulonephritides of various types and etiologies; PA1 (3) preventing joint destruction accompanying rheumatoid arthritis due to proliferation of synovial cells; PA1 (4) suppressing manifestations of psoriasis due to proliferation of keratinocytes and accumulation of inflammatory cells; PA1 (5) suppressing accelerated atherogenesis involved in restenosis of coronary vessels or other arterial vessels following angioplasty; PA1 (6) suppressing atherogenesis, coronary artery disease and other vasculopathies due to atherogenesis; and PA1 (7) suppressing tumor growth via paracrine or autocrine mediated responses to PDGF, FGF EGF or VEGF that is useful for treating or preventing progression of tumors such as breast cancer stimulated through overexpression of her-2-neu receptor, wherein the inventive method comprises administering a compound that inhibits signal transduction through cellular accumulation of non-arachidonyl phosphatidic acid (PA) selected from the group consisting of 1-o-octadecanyl 2-oleoyl PA (687), 1-oleoyl 2-linoleoyl PA (697 or 698), 1-o-octadecanyl 2-linoleoyl PA (681), 1-o-octadecanyl-9,12-dienyl 2-linoleoyl PA (679), 1-myristoyl 2-oleoyl PA (645), 1-o-myristoyl 2-stearoyl PA (633), 1,2-sn-dilinoleoyl. (695), 1-oleoyl 2-linolcoyl PA (697), 1-stearoyl 2-oleoyl PA (701), 1-o-oleoyl 2-20:4 PA (707), 1-o-linoleoyl 2-20:4 PA (705), 1-o-linoleoyl 2-20:5 PA (703), and combinations thereof.

Atherosclerosis is a principal cause of heart attack, stroke, hypertention and gangrene of the extremities and is (directly or indirectly) responsible for about 50% of all mortality in the United States, Western Europe and Japan (Ross, Nature 362:801-809, 1993). Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by focal thickening of the inner portion of the artery wall, predisposing an individual to myocardial infarction (heart attack), cerebral infarction (stroke), hypertension (high blood pressure) and gangrene of the extremities. A common underlying events responsible for the formation of lesions are the intimal thickening of proliferating smooth muscle cells, probably in response to endothelial cell injury. Accumulation of smooth muscle cells in coronary arteries physically treated by angioplasty or by bypass surgery is also a prominent feature of restenosis. In addition to consisting primarily of proliferated smooth muscle cells, lesions of atherosclerosis are surrounded by large amounts of lipid-laden macrophages, varying numbers of lymphocytes and large amounts of connective tissue. PDGF is considered to be a principal growth-regulatory molecule responsible for smooth muscle cell proliferation. For instance, PDGF, as measured by mRNA analysis as well as in situ staining using an antibody against PDGF, was found within macrophages of all stages of lesion development in both human and nonhuman primate atherosclerosis (Ross et al., Science, 248: 1009-1012, 1990). PDGF was found in both non-foam cells and lipid rich macrophage foam cells. These data are consistent with PDGF playing a critical role in the atherosclerosis disease process. In addition, analysis of advanced human lesions examined by atherectomy catheter indicate that atherosclerotic and restenotic lesions contain high levels of PDGF as measured by in situ hybridization.
One of the principal surgical approaches to the treatment of atherosclerosis is transluminal angioplasty, or PCTA. Restenosis is due principally to the accumulation of neointimal smooth muscle cells, which is also a prominent feature of lesions of atherosclerosis. The failure rate due to restenosis after PCTA is 30-50% (Ross, Nature362:801, 1993). Much of the restenosis is due to further inflammation, smooth muscle accumulation and thrombosis. Results from balloon angioplasty of a normal rat carotid artery, an animal model for PCTA, has demonstrated that PDGF and FGF may mediate intimal thickening that forms 7-21 days following injury (Ferns et al., Science 253:1129, 1991; Morisaki et al, Atherosclerosis 71:165, 1988; and Fingerle et al., Proc. Natl Acad Sci. USA 86:8412, 1989). Antibodies against bFGF prevented medial smooth muscle replication that occurred 24-48 hr. following injury of medial cells to the inflated balloon (inder and Reidy, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:3739, 1988). Antibodies against PDGF induced a statistically significant diminution in the neointimal accumulation of smooth muscle cells that resulted 3-6 days after ballooning (Ferns et al., Science253:1129, 1991). Thus, similar growth factors are probably involved in both restenosis and atherogenesis. Inhibition of proliferative responses of these growth factors to smooth muscle cells can abrogate the diseases in animal models.
Restenosis is primarily due to proliferation of the neointimal smooth muscle cells rather than simple chemotaxis of smooth muscle cells. Pickering et al. (J. Clin. Invest. 91:1469-1480 1993) have shown in situ evidence of underlying proliferating smooth muscle cells in 11 of 11 restenotic lesions isolated from humans that had underwent angioplasty. The percentage of proliferating cells in some of the lesions approximated those found in human tumors and were observed up to 1 year following angioplasty. Further evidence that PDGF can play a role in arterial lesions was provided by Nabel et al. (J. Clin. Invest. 91:1822-1829 1993) who showed that intimal thickening could be induced in porcine iliofemoral arteries by direct transfection and expression of a gene encoding PDGF. Thus, these data show that expression of PDGF within arteries in vivo can cause intimal hyperplasia and induce lesions relevant to pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis.
Occlusive lesions of atherosclerosis in humans can be reversed with aggressive treatment with lipid-lowering drugs (Brown et al., N. Engl. J. Med. 323:1289, 1990; and Kane et al., J. Am. Med Assoc., 264:3007, 1990). Current therapies for inhibition of restenotic lesions are more limited, involving anticoagulants, steroids, fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids, anti-platelet therapies, and cytotoxic drugs, all with questionable benefit (Pompa et al., Circulation 84:1426, 1991). Other therapies have been tried in predictive in vivo models, including, for example, antibodies to FGF and PDGF, and conjugates of saporin and FGF (Casscells et al., Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 89:7159-7163 1992).
Aberrant overexpression of FGF and PDGF has been found in synovial tissues from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Overexpression was also found in various animal models of arthritis. These data implicate FGF and PDGF in inflammatory joint disease. RA is characterized by diffuse and nodular mononuclear cell infiltration and massive hyperplasia of the stromal connective tissues, comprised of fibroblast-like cells and new blood vessels. The highly invasive lesions resembles a localized nonmetastatic invasive neoplasm (Harris, Arthritis Rheum. 19:68-72, 1976). FGF directly stimulates angiogenesis in vivo. Both PDGF and FGF are mitogenic agents for synovial fibroblasts. Furthermore, PDGF can, in part, be produced by infiltrating monocytes, seen early in the pathogenesis of RA (Shimokado et al., Cell 43:277-286, 1985). In addition, PDGF can directly activate both neutrophils and monocytes, including release of superoxide, release of granule enzymes, and increased cell adherence and aggregation. These data suggest that PDGF is an important mediator of inflammatory responses in general (Tzeng et al., Blood, 66:179-183 1985).
Synovial tissues of RA patients express high levels of FGF and PDGF compared with synovial tissues of osteoarthritis patients, a non invasive joint disease (Sano et al., J. Cell. Biol. 110:1417-1426, 1990). These data are consistent with the theory that PDGF and FOF play a role in generating an invasive tumor-like behavior in arthritic joints of RA synovial connective tissues (Sano et al., J. Clin. Invest. 91:553-565 1993). Thus, there is a need in the art to develop an agent that can inhibit PDGF and FGF signaling of cellular activation and proliferation of synovial fibroblasts, activation of migration of PMN and monocytes. Such agents are useful agents for the treatment or prevention of progression of RA and other inflammatory disease states involving monocytes, PMNs or platelets.
Neovascularization is critical for the growth for tumors and is important in a variety of angiogenic diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, arthritis, psoriasis and haemangiomas. More than 70% of cancer patients die from metastatic dissemination of the initial tumor. Tumor neovascularization is the crucial process for survival of a primary tumor and for metastatic dissemination. Angiostatic steroids and heparin with anti-angiogenic agents such as protamin have been used as therapies to suppress tumor growth. These therapeutic approaches have serious limitations, because when the dose of heparin exceeded an optimum level for inhibition of angiogenesis, both tumor growth and angiogenesis were stimulated. Also, high doses of cortisone that are required for antiangiogenesis led to immunosuppression. Acquisition of an angiogenic phenotype marked a transition from hyperplasia to neoplasia (Folkman et al., Nature, 339:58-60 1989).
Both FGF and VEGF are potent angiogenic factors which induce formation of new capillary blood vessels. Transfection of human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 with FGF resulted in cell lines that form progressively growing and metastatic tumors when injected (s.c.) into nude mice. FGF may play a critical role in progression of breast tumors to an estrogen-independent, anti-estrogen resistant metastatic phenotype (McLeskey et al., Cancer Res. 53:2168-2177 1993). Breast tumor cells exhibited increased neovascularization, increased spontaneous metastasis and more rapid growth in vivo than did the non-transfected tumors. FGF has been shown to be transforming in NIH-3T3 cells and implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis of mouse mammary tumors. FGF overexpression conferred a tumorigenic phenotype on a human adrenal carcinoma cell line suggesting that FGF's may also play a role in the transformation of epithelial cells. Polyclonal neutralizing antibodies to FGF inhibited tumor growth in Balb/c nude mice transplanted with K1000 cells (transfected with the leader sequence of bFGF) which form tumors in these mice (Hori et al., Cancer Res. 51:6180-9184 1991). Due to a role of FGF in neovascularization, tumorigenesis and metastasis there is a need in the art for FGF inhibitors as potent anti-cancer agents that exert their anti-FGF activity by preventing intracellular signaling of FGF.
VEGF is an endothelial cell-specific mitogen and an angiogenesis inducer that is released by a variety of tumor cells and expressed in human tumor cells in situ. Unlike FGF, transfection of cell lines with a cDNA sequence encoding VEGF, did not promote transformation, but did facilitate tumor growth in vivo (Ferrara et al., J. Clin. Invest. 91:160-170 1993). This was likely due to paracrine stimulation of neovasculagenesis Furthermore, administration of polyclonal antibody which neutralize VEGF inhibited growth of human rhabdomyosarcoma, glioblastoma multiforme and leiomyosarcoma cell lines in nude mice (Kim et al., Nature 362:841-843 1993.)
Therefore, there is a need in the art to develop small molecule antagonists of PDGF, FGF, EGF and VEGF individually or as a group. Moreover, if these cytokines signal through a common second messenger pathway within the cell, such antagonists will have broad therapeutic activity to treat or prevent the progression of a broad array of diseases, such as coronary restenosis, tumor-associated angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases, acute inflammation, certain kidney diseases associated with proliferation of glomerular or mesangial cells, and occular diseases associated with retinal vessel proliferation. The present invention was made by discovering a common signaling mechanism, a group of active therapeutic agents, shown to be active by a large number of and variety of predictive assays, and discovering a common intracellular signaling intermediate.

Method for treating diseases mediated by cellular proliferation in response to PDGF, EGF, FGF, and VEGF


A 1-chip microcomputer of the present invention has (a) a monitor flag for setting a flag indicating that a specified address space is accessed, (b) an access permission address range setting register, for setting an address range in which an access is permitted while the flag is set, (c) an access permission area detection circuit for judging whether the access is made within the address range thus set, (d) an access permission setting register, for setting whether or not an access with respect to an address other than the address range should be permitted, and (e) memory read-out control circuit and memory writing control circuit for controlling an access with respect to a nonvolatile memory based on a result thus judged and content set by the access permission setting register. With the arrangement, it is possible to provide a 1-chip microcomputer that maintains the security among application programs.

In a 1-chip microcomputer in which a nonvolatile memory with large memory capacity is provided as a program memory, a plurality of application programs, suitable for a variety of usages, are stored in advance in the program memory, the respective application programs are selected for execution. A built-in memory in the 1-chip microcomputer is accessed by a CPU. Accordingly, any one of the programs operated under the same CPU can access to the data which fall within an accessible range of the CPU. In this case, when a plurality of application programs are loaded, one application program can access instruction codes and data of the other application program. As a result, it is most likely that the other application program or the data are altered and/or read out, thereby arising the problem that the security therefor is damaged.
In order to solve the foregoing problem, the Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 8-55204 (published on Feb. 27, 1996) discloses as follows. More specifically, the patent publication discloses the method in which a CPU is provided with members such as a program segment register, a program counter, and a register for accessing to the data on the memory, and in which the address to be executed and read/written is found based on the operations made by the members so as to limit the memory access.
An IC card in which the foregoing method for limiting the memory access is used, as shown in FIG. 8, is provided with a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, and an EEPROM 104. The structure and the functions of the CPU 101 allow to solve the foregoing problem.
As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 101 is provided with (a) a program segment register (PSR) 201 for resetting only once a registered value after resetting the CPU 101, (b) an offset register (DR) 202 of data access use for accessing to the data on the memory, (c) an address addition means 205 for generating an execution address in response to a program counter (PC) 203 and the program segment register 201, (d) an address addition means 204 for generating a writing address in response to the data read out from the offset register 202 and the program segment register 201, and (f) an address multiplication means 206 for generating an offset address that is commonly used for generating of the execution address, generating of the data reading address, and the data writing address.
Note that the program segment register 201 is used for storing ID (Identification) number of a target application program that has been received from outside. The offset register 202 of data access use is used for storing the offset value for giving the offset to the reading and writing address.
The program counter 203 points to the address of the execution instruction of the program. For example, when it is assumed that the ID number of the target application program that has been received from outside is "2", the numeral value "2" is stored in the program segment register 201. When the address to be executed is set to 1000 times as many as the program segment register 201 as the absolute offset value, the program execution address is jumped to address of (2×1000). Thereafter, the address to be executed is specified based on the value of the program segment register 201 and the pointing value of the program counter 203 so that the execution address becomes equal to an address of (2×1000+the pointing value of the program counter 203).
The respective reading and writing addresses of the data are found based on the registered values of the program segment register 201 and the offset register 202 of data access use so that an address of (2×1000+the registered value of the offset register 202 of data access use) is specified to be executed.
Thus, while the application program specified by the ID number of a target application program that has been stored in the program segment register 201, it becomes only possible to access to (a) the address range in which such a target application program has been stored and to (b) RAMS.
Accordingly, in the case where a plurality of application programs are loaded in the program memory, it is not be allowed that one of the application programs accesses to the instruction codes and data of the other application programs, thereby maintaining the security.
However, according to the foregoing conventional method for limiting the address, since it is limited once to set the program segment register, it is allowed to execute only one of the application programs after the CPU is reset. Thus, it is necessary to reset the CPU again in order to consecutively execute the other application programs. In addition, there arises the problem that it is not possible to communicate among the application programs. Thus, the foregoing conventional method has the above problems concerning the convenience.
For example, in the case of an IC card in accordance with the foregoing conventional method in which a plurality of application programs are loaded, the execution of the other application program can not be made until the IC card is separated from reader and writer in an IC card system, i.e., until the power source is cut off.
Thus, in the case of intending to execute a series of plural application programs, every time one of the application programs finishes executing, it is necessary to load again the IC card after separating the IC card from the reader and writer. Therefore, the IC card should repeat the initialization proceeding for every loading of the IC card. This arises the problem that it takes a longer time to carry out such a series of proceedings and the problem that it is necessary to load and unload the IC card so often.
When returning to an original address (a return address) after executing a subroutine call in the currently executing application program, such a return address is temporarily stored in RAM in general. In the circumstances, when the return address is rewritten to another address by accident or by intention, it is most likely that the application program goes out of order or it is most likely to cause erroneous access with respect to the other application program. In any way, it is most likely that the CPU goes out of order. The foregoing conventional method for limiting the address, however, takes no appropriate steps against such a case.

1-chip microcomputer having controlled access to a memory and IC card using the 1-chip microcomputer

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A plurality of magnetic memories with respective ring-shaped magnetic layers therein are prepared. The magnetic layers have respective notches formed by partially cutting out the peripheries thereof in circular arc shape. The magnetic memories are arranged in plane so that the surfaces of the notches are parallel to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nonvolatile magnetic memory array which is preferably usable as a magnetic random access memory (MRAM). Also, this invention relates to a method for recording in the nonvolatile magnetic memory array and a method for reading out from the nonvolatile magnetic memory array.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various electronic devices have been employed under a specific condition such as an aero-space, and thus, it is desired to establish a recording device where once stored information can not be deleted by the irradiation of a radioactive ray. In this point of view, large radioactive-resistance and nonvolatile MRAMs having their respective simply structured magnetic memory cells are researched and developed.
Conventionally, such a magnetic memory cell is shaped rectangular, and information "0" or "1" is stored on the magnetic direction of the magnetic memory cell. With the conventional magnetic memory cell, however, the magnetic flux originated from the magnetization is leaked outside from the magnetic memory cell due to the configuration thereof. In order to increase the recording capacity of the MRAM, in contrast, such an attempt is made as to arrange a plurality of magnetic memory cells in high density. In this case, however, the leaked magnetic flux affects significantly on the adjacent magnetic memory cells, and thus, the intended high density MRAM can not be realized.
In this point of view, the inventors have developed a ring-shaped magnetic memory where a right handed (clockwise) magnetization or a left-handed (anticlockwise) magnetization is created in vortex, and information "0" or "1" is stored on the rotative direction of the magnetization thereof (Japanese Patent application 2002-73681).
In this case, since a magnetic flux is not leaked from the magnetic memory, if a plurality of magnetic memories are arranged in high density as mentioned above, the leaked magnetic flux can not almost affect on the adjacent magnetic memories, so that a high density MRAM can be realized.
As the thickness of the magnetic layer of the magnetic memory to store information is decreased, however, the vortex magnetization can not be created and thus, it may be that information recording utilizing the vortex magnetization can not be realized ([Physical Review Letters, 83, No. 5, pp1042–1045 (1999)].

Magnetic memory array, method for recording in a magnetic memory array and method for reading out from a magnetic memory array


A resist film removing composition used in the manufacture of a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film which comprises 50 to 70% by weight of an alkanolamine having 3 or more carbon atoms, 20 to 30% by weight of a water-miscible solvent and 10 to 20% by weight of water. The resist film removing composition can easily remove a resist film remaining after etching, without swelling the organic insulation film.

The present invention relates to a resist film removing composition and a method for manufacturing a thin film circuit element using the composition. More particularly the present invention relates to a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, the resist film removing composition being capable of easily removing the resist film remaining after etching in a short time without swelling the organic insulation film, and a method for manufacturing a high quality thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film using the composition.
Electronic circuit devices such as a liquid crystal display device and a semiconductor device are generally manufactured by forming a thin film on a substrate by utilizing a sputtering technique, applying a resist thereon to form a resist film, forming a predetermined resist pattern by, for example, a photolithography, etching a non-masked area using the resist pattern as a mask to form a circuit and removing the resist film remaining thereon. In particular, in the case that pixel electrodes are formed with Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), the substrate on which the resist film is formed is generally wet etched using an aqueous solution containing aqua regia, or hydrochloric acid and ferric chloride and then the resist film is removed using a resist film removing liquid. However, if an organic insulation film comprising an acrylic resin, a polyimide resin or the like exists upon a removal of the resist film, a conventional resist film removing liquid (disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8(1996)-123043) swells the organic insulation film, resulting in a problem that the organic insulation layer is not closely contacted with an orientation layer in a subsequent step.
Accordingly, upon forming a thin film pattern such as a liquid crystal display device and a semiconductor device, it has been desired to develop a resist film removing composition that can remove easily the resist film remaining after etching without swelling the organic insulation film comprising an acrylic resin or a polyimide resin, if it exists.
An object of the present invention is to provide a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, the composition being capable of removing a resist layer film remaining after etching easily in a short time without swelling the organic insulation film and to provide a method for manufacturing a high quality thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film using the composition.
Through intense studies to attain the object mentioned above, the present inventors found that a resist film removing composition comprising an alkanolamine having 3 or more carbon atoms, a water-miscible solvent and water in a specific ratio can meet the object. The present invention has been accomplished based on such discoveries.
Accordingly, the present invention provides (1) a resist film removing composition used for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, comprising 50 to 90% by weight of an alkanolamine having 3 or more carbon atoms, 8 to 40% by weight of a water-miscible solvent and 2 to 30% by weight of water and (2) a method for manufacturing a thin film circuit element having an organic insulation film, comprising the step of removing a resist film remaining after etching by using the resist film removing composition.

Resist film removing composition and method for manufacturing thin film circuit element using the composition


A sealing system with at least one sealing device for a pressurizing-agent-operable actuating device, for sealing off a pressure chamber assigned to the latter from the surroundings. The individual sealing element being placed in a groove formed by the actuating device and a thin sheet metal element connected to the actuating device, where at least two contact surfaces that describe the groove are formed on the actuating device for the sealing element.

Wet-running dual-clutch systems are already known in a plurality of versions from the existing art. These have one input and two outputs, the input being formed of a driver unit, which is connected to a first clutch part of each of the individual clutch systems of the wet-running double clutch. Each clutch system has a second clutch part, which may be brought into operative connection with the first clutch part and is coupled with the respective output in a rotationally fixed connection. Such clutch designs are frequently of multi-disk or lamellar construction, so that the first clutch part is formed of a first lamellar array and the second clutch part is formed of a second lamellar array, where the two lamellar arrays may be brought into a frictionally engaged operative connection with each other by means of an actuating device, usually in the form of a piston element actuated by a pressurizing agent. For this purpose, each of the clutch systems has its own actuating device, preferably in the form of a piston element. Assigned to the piston element for actuation is at least one chamber pressurizable with a pressurizing agent, but preferably two chambers pressurizable with a pressurizing agent, which act on the two faces of the piston element directed away from each other, and where a first of the chambers pressurizable with a pressurizing agent serves directly as a pressure chamber for operating the piston, and the second chamber assigned to a piston element serves as a compensating chamber. The chambers are connected to a pressurizing agent supply and conducting system, with the individual chambers assigned to a piston element being separately addressable. The contact force of the piston can be set by means of the pressure difference in the two chambers. Due to the wet operation of the lamella, which are always running in oil, the chambers which are pressurizable with a pressurizing agent must be separated from the interior space of the wet-running dual clutch. The individual clutch systems are situated coaxially to each other and one inside the other in the radial direction, and preferably with little or no offset in relation to each other in the axial direction. The sealing of the individual chambers in relation to the interior space or to each other is accomplished by means of sealing systems comprising elastic sealing devices, these being moving sealing devices in this case, since they usually seal the piston in relation to a stationary component, and the sealing surface is moved along with the motion of the piston. The sealing systems are therefore normally vulcanized directly onto the piston element. This means that to apply the sealing device, the entire piston element—and thus a relatively large component which in some versions has a cross section with complex geometry—must be handled and subjected to the vulcanizing process. The geometry of the piston determines both the arrangement of the sealing device and the arrangement and form of the other surface areas of the chamber pressurizable with a pressurizing agent which are to be brought into operative connection with the sealing device. Highly precise fabrication is therefore necessary to realize a reliable sealing function. Furthermore, if the sealing surfaces are damaged there is no simple means of replacing the individual sealing devices.
A different version consists in the incorporation of grooves in the piston element, or an element that bounds the chamber which is pressurizable with pressurizing agent. The form of the groove cross sections must be included in the considerations when designing the cross sectional areas of the elements containing the groove, so that these must be executed with relatively great thickness.
A sealing device for sealing between coaxial components, in particular a drilled hole and a rotationally symmetrical element that is movable in the latter, is already known from published patent application U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,744. The sealing device is placed in a groove in this case, and is prestressed in the groove in the axial direction by a ring-shaped tensioning element.

Sealing system and wet-running dual-clutch system with a sealing system

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


Provided is a simple filtering operation method capable of conducting a filtering operation without clogging in a ceramic filter for a long period of time, in the operation of filtering fine crystals of an aromatic carboxylic acid in an oxidation reaction mother liquor obtained in a process of an aromatic carboxylic acid production by a cross-flow filtration using the ceramic filter. The present invention can be accomplished by conducting an operation for filtering the fine crystals and a back washing operation with a filtrate while maintaining a flowing circulation operation of the oxidation reaction mother liquor under predetermined conditions.

Aromatic carboxylic acids are produced by liquid-phase oxidation reaction of alkyl group-containing aromatic hydrocarbons. In this reaction, a heavy metal catalyst such as cobalt and manganese, or the catalyst to which a promoter such as a bromine compound and an aldehyde is further added is usually used in the presence of an acetic acid solvent.
An aromatic carboxylic acid-containing slurry obtained from such a liquid-phase oxidation reaction is usually subjected to crystallization to reduce its temperature and then subjected to solid-liquid separation under a pressure close to normal pressures to thereby obtain a cake of an aromatic carboxylic acid.
On the other hand, an oxidation reaction mother liquor obtained in the solid-liquid separation contains useful catalyst components derived from the catalyst such as heavy metal ions and bromide ions. When industrially practicing the above reaction, it is necessary to recycle and reuse these catalyst components and thereby reduce production costs.
The simplest recycling method is a method in which the oxidation reaction mother liquor is fed as itself back to a reaction system and reused therein (mother liquor recycling), and this method has been extensively used in commercial production processes. However, the oxidation reaction mother liquor contains various organic impurities by-produced in the liquid-phase oxidation reaction or inorganic impurities produced owing to corrosion of an apparatus used. If the oxidation reaction mother liquor is reused as itself in the reaction system, the concentration of these impurities in the reaction system tends to be gradually increased. As a result, it has been confirmed that when the concentration of the impurities exceeds a predetermined level, the liquid-phase oxidation reaction tends to be adversely affected.
For example, it has been reported that if the aromatic carboxylic acid is isophthalic acid, the proportion of the oxidation reaction mother liquor fed back to the reaction system (mother liquor recycling rate) is usually from 60 to 90%. The remaining oxidation reaction mother liquor which does not serve for reuse in the reaction system and is present in an amount of from 10 to 40% is fed to a step of recovering acetic acid as a solvent (the mother liquor not fed back to the reaction system is called a "purge mother liquor"). Also, it has been reported if the aromatic carboxylic acid is 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, the proportion of the oxidation reaction mother liquor fed back to the reaction system is usually from 30 to 90%. The remaining oxidation reaction mother liquor which does not serve for reuse in the reaction system and is present in an amount of from 10 to 70% is fed to a step of recovering acetic acid as a solvent.
As a method of recovering the catalyst components from the oxidation reaction mother liquor fed to the acetic acid recovering step and reusing it, there have been proposed the method using an anion-exchange resin (Patent Documents 1 to 4) and the method using a pyridine ring-containing chelate resin (refer to Patent Documents 5 and 6).
In Patent Document 2, it is described that an oxidation reaction mother liquor contains fine aromatic carboxylic acid crystals leaked from an aromatic carboxylic acid slurry upon solid-liquid separation thereof or precipitated by temperature drop of the oxidation reaction mother liquor, and therefore when continuously feeding the oxidation reaction mother liquor to a resin column to contact with a resin, it is necessary to remove the fine crystals using a filter, etc., in order to prevent deposition of the fine crystals on an upper portion or an inside portion of a resin layer. However, Patent Document 2 fails to describe a specific method for removing the fine crystals. In Patent Document 3, it is described that solids need to be removed by filtering the oxidation reaction mother liquor in advance, at a temperature not higher than a temperature of the operation. Although an installation place of a high-grade filter for removing the fine crystals is specified in a schematic flow-diagram of the process, details of the filter itself is not described. In Patent Documents 5 and 6, it is described that an oxidation reaction slurry is preferably subjected to solid-liquid separation such that a content of crystals in the oxidation reaction mother liquor is 0.1% or less, but a filter for removing the fine crystals is not described.
In Patent Document 4, it is described that a mother liquor purge flow is filtered through a filter medium to recover and recycle an insoluble aromatic carboxylic acid and the other insoluble components. As examples of the filter medium, there are mentioned a microfiltration filter medium, an ultrafiltration filter medium, a membrane filter medium, a cross-flow filter medium, a hydro-cyclone filter medium, a cross-flow ceramic microfiltration filter medium, a bag filter medium, a sintered metal cross-flow ceramic microfiltration filter medium, a cross-flow microfiltration filter medium or the like. It is also described that among these filter media the cross-flow filtration using an anticorrosive and high temperature-resistant ceramic filter is preferred because the aromatic carboxylic acid as a product material trapped on the filter medium can be continuously removed and recovered. However, details of the filtering operation are not disclosed, and it is merely described that a suitable turbulence is obtained when a Reynolds number of a fluid entering into a flow path of the ceramic filter is larger than about 13,000.
When the an oxidation reaction mother liquor containing fine crystals is processed by a cross-flow filtration method using a ceramic filter, the fine crystals deposited on a filtering membrane of the ceramic filter are filtered while always washing out with a circulating fluid flowing through a flow path to obtain a clear filtrate. However, since a filtering performance is gradually deteriorated owing to deposition of the fine crystals, it is required to interrupt the filtering operation to clean the ceramic filter.
As the method of the cleaning, there may be used a method in which the cleaning is conducted by interrupting circulation of the oxidation reaction mother liquor flowing through the flow path of the ceramic filter, or a method in which it is conducted while continuing the circulation thereof.
In the method in which the circulation is interrupted, in order to remove the deposited fine crystals, a wash solvent capable of dissolving the fine crystals (specifically, for example, an acetic acid solvent) flows through the flow path of the ceramic filter to clean a surface of the filtering membrane, and the wash solvent flows from the flow path side to the filtration side to penetrate through the filtering membrane (normal washing with the wash solvent). In addition, the wash solvent is effectively made to penetrate from the filtration side to the flow path side of the ceramic filter (back washing with the wash solvent). Thus, by using the method in which the circulation is interrupted, it is possible to fully clean the ceramic filter and completely restore a filtering performance thereof (refer to Patent Documents 7 and 8). However, the method in which the circulation is interrupted has various problems such as need of using a large amount of the wash solvent, time-consuming procedure, complicated valve operations upon feed and interruption of the oxidation reaction mother liquor as well as upon feed and interruption of the wash solvent, occurrence of treatment of a large amount of the used wash solvent, and so on.
In the method of cleaning the ceramic filter in which the circulation of the oxidation reaction mother liquor is not interrupted, a filtrate is allowed to penetrate from the filtration side to the flow path side of the ceramic filter (back washing with the filtrate). This method requires no fresh wash solvent (producing no used wash solvent) and can be easily conducted only by interrupting the filtering operation, so that a filtering performance of the ceramic filter can be substantially restored. Therefore, the above method has been frequently employed in filtering operations by a ceramic filter in a general cross-flow type (refer to Patent Documents 9 and 10).
In Patent Document 9, it is described that while circulating a stock solution, a pressure higher than that on the stock solution side is instantaneously applied onto a filtrate in a filter container by a piston, and the filtrate is forced into the filter at a linear velocity larger than the filtering linear velocity to conduct the back washing operation of the filter. This method is characterized in that the back washing time is very short.
From the contents of Examples in this document, it is construed that the feature of the method resides in that when the filtering linear velocity is lowered owing to clogging of the filter, the back washing operation with the filtrate is conducted at a linear velocity larger than such a lowered filtering linear velocity.
However, the above method has posed problems such as use of the piston facility when industrially practiced. Further the differential pressure applied upon the back washing operation is not described.
In claim 7 of Patent Document 10, it is described that a filtrate is reversely flowed from an outer periphery side to a flow path side of a filter to remove particles fixed on a surface of a filtering membrane. In addition, in the specification, it is described that upon conducting the cross-flow filtration, a periodic back washing is preferably performed in order to prevent fixing of a cake layer on the surface of the filtering membrane. There is mentioned such a back washing mechanism that a sump for back washing (back washing pot) is provided on a recovery side of the filtrate, and the filtrate is reversely flowed toward the flow path side by an air compressor or a pump. Further, in Example, as shown in FIG. 1, there is illustrated a structure including the air compressor and the back washing pot, which is capable of reversely flowing the filtrate from the outer periphery side of the filter to the flow path side thereof.
However, any of these Patent Documents merely describe a general back washing, but fail to describe requirements for efficiently conducting the back washing operation. Also, as the back washing with the filtrate is repeated, a recovery rate of a filtering performance is gradually lowered so that the filter finally fails to exhibit a desired filtering performance. In such a case, after the circulation of the oxidation reaction mother liquor is interrupted, the ceramic filter should be cleaned by normal washing with the wash solvent and/or back washing with the wash solvent.

Crossflow type filtering operation method using ceramic filter


A system for magnetically suspending tissue includes a grasper placement tool, a tissue grasper, a magnetic coupling element, and a tether which secures the magnetic coupling element to the tissue grasper. The grasper placement tool is used to simultaneously introduce both the tissue grasper and the magnetic coupling element to a body cavity. The grasper then releases the magnetic coupling element and engages a target tissue structure. The tissue grasper is then detached from the placement tool and a conventional laparoscopic or other grasper is used to engage the magnetic coupling element to an external magnet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for magnetically suspending tissue structures during minimally invasive surgical procedures.
A number of surgical procedures which previously required open surgery are now performed by laparoscopy and other minimally invasive procedures. In laparoscopic procedures, a camera and a number of tools are introduced into a body cavity through ports or other passages formed through the patient's skin. In many procedures, the abdomen is insufflated and several ports are placed through the patient's abdominal wall. The camera is introduced through one of the ports, and the remaining ports are used for introducing tools needed to manipulate internal tissue structures and to remove, oblate, cauterize, cut, or otherwise modify these tissue structures.
One limitation of such laparoscopic and other minimally invasive procedures is the limited number of ports available at any one time to accommodate the tools required to perform the procedures. In order to reduce the number of needed ports, it has been proposed to use external magnets to suspend and position organs. The magnets could thus perform the role of a tissue grasper without the need to utilize one of the available access ports. For example, a magnetic element may be introduced into the body cavity through a port or otherwise. The magnetic element will be coupled to a target organ and an external magnet used to attract and position the magnetic element in order to in turn position the organ as needed for the procedure. Several specific systems for magnetically suspending organs and tissue structures are described in the references identified below in the Description of the Background Art.
Although quite promising, such magnetic tissue suspending systems have typically been cumbersome to deploy, difficult to reposition during a procedure, and difficult to release and remove after the procedure is over. It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of these deficiencies.
2. Description of the Background Art
U.S. Patent Publ. Nos. 2010/0204727; 2009/0043246; 20120088965; and 20120238796 and PCT Publication WO2009/019288 describe magnetic tissue suspension systems useful in laparoscopic procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,104 describes a magnetic tissue suspension system useful in endoscopic procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,810; U.S. Patent Publ. 2008/0171907; and WO2008/089049 describe systems for filling an organ with a magnetic material and thereafter magnetically manipulating the organ.

Methods and systems for magnetically suspending tissue structures


An object of the present invention is to provide a low cost and highly ionic conductive solid electrolyte which is an organic-inorganic composite compound and is water-absorbing as well as water-resistive. Another object of the present invention is to provide electrochemical systems utilizing the above-mentioned electrolyte. The solid electrolyte of the present invention is a composite compound comprising tungstic and/or molybdic acid compound and polyvinylalcohol (PVA), and containing water. Tungstate and/or molybdate and other salt are neutralized by an acid in the aqueous solution dissolving PVA. Then, the water as the solvent of the aqueous solution is removed, and then the unnecessary salts are removed, thereby obtaining the composite compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a proton (hydrogen ion) or hydroxide ionic conductive solid electrolyte which is applicable to a fuel cell and the like. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the above-mentioned solid electrolyte and electrochemical systems such as the fuel cell using the above-mentioned solid electrolyte.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electrochemical systems using the proton conduction solid electrolyte have been already put to practical uses for a fuel cell, dehumidifier, or electrolysis apparatus for generating hydrogen. In a solid polymer fuel cell, electric energy are generated by electric current due to an electrochemical oxidization as shown in the reaction formula (1) of hydrogen (H2) supplied to a negative electrode and an electrochemical reduction as shown in the reaction formula (2) of oxygen (O2) supplied to a positive electrode.H2→2H++2e−  (1)1/2O2+2H++2e−→H2O  (2)
Also in a fuel cell using a fuel other than hydrogen (H2) supplied to the negative electrode such as methanol, the fuel is oxidized electrochemically, thereby emitting protons.
As for the electrolysis apparatus, a hydrogen generating apparatus has been put to practical use. The hydrogen generating apparatus generates hydrogen due to the reactions reverse to the reactions as shown in the reaction formulae (1) and (2). The electrolysis hydrogen generating apparatus has an advantage that any hydrogen gas cylinder is not required, because high purity hydrogen is generated merely by supplying water and electric power. Further, the electrolysis hydrogen generating apparatus has another advantage that the solid electrolyte allows pure water (without electrolyte) to be electrolyzed. Further, the electrolysis method is being applied to generating hydrogen peroxide in accordance with the reaction formula (3) for bleaching in the paper manufacturing industry (Electrochemistry, 69, No. 3, 154–159 (2001)).O2+H2O+2e−→HO2−+OH−  (3)
In the dehumidifier, the proton conduction solid electrolyte film is put between the positive electrode and negative electrode, similarly in the fuel cell and hydrogen generating apparatus. When a voltage is applied between the positive and negative electrodes, water is electrolyzed to oxygen and proton in accordance with the reaction formula (4) at the positive electrode. The proton which moved through the solid electrolyte to the negative electrode combines with oxygen in the air, thereby generating water, in accordance with the reaction formula (5). Therefore, the humidity at the positive electrode is removed, as a result of movement of the water from the positive electrode to the negative electrode.H2O→1/2O2+2H++2e−  (4)1/2O2+2H++2e−→H2O  (5)
The dehumidification is also possible by electrolyzing water in accordance with the principle similar to that of the electrolysis hydrogen generating apparatus. Further, an air conditioning apparatus in combination with a water evaporation cold air supplier was proposed (Proceeding of the Heisei 12 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan National Convention, p 3373 (2000)).
The above-mentioned systems which have been put to practical uses utilize perfluorosulfonic acid ion exchange film represented by the Nafion film. Further, various sensors and electrochromic devices are based on the principles similar to those of the above-mentioned systems, wherein protons moves through the electrolyte between the positive and negative electrodes or oxidization and reduction electrodes. Therefore, the proton conduction solid electrolyte can be utilized. Feasibility of those systems utilizing the proton conduction solid electrolyte are now being studied.
The hydrogen sensor utilizes the change of the electric potential on the electrode due to the hydrogen concentration change. The solid electrolyte of which chief ingredient is, for example, polyvinylalcohol (PVA) was proposed (Sensors and Actuators, 11, 377–386 (1987)). Further, humidity sensor may be fabricated, by utilizing the electric potential change on the electrode or change in the ionic conduction.
The electrochromic device utilizes the coloring of WO3 negative electrode in accordance with the reaction formula (6), when an electric field is applied to the negative electrode. The electrochromic device may be applied to a display device or light shielding glass. Inorganic compound solid electrolyte such as Sn(HPO4).H2O was proposed for the electrochromic device (Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 60, 747–752 (1987)).WO3+xH++xe−→HxWO3 (colored)  (6)
Other electrochemical systems utilizing proton conduction solid electrolyte are, for example, a primary battery, a secondary battery, a light switch and an electrolyzed water manufacturing apparatus. The nickel hydrogen battery as the secondary battery comprises a hydrogen storage metal alloy for the negative electrode, nickel hydroxide for the positive electrode, and an alkaline solution electrolyte. During the charge and discharge at the negative electrode, the protons are electrochemically reduced and oxidized and hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen storage metal alloy, in accordance with the reaction formulae (7) and (8).(charge) H2O+e−→H (stored)+OH−  (7)(discharge) H (stored)+OH−→H2O+e−  (8)
On the other hand, during the charge and discharge at the positive electrode, the nickel hydroxide is electrochemically oxidized and reduced, in accordance with the reaction formulae (9) and (10).(charge) Ni(OH)+OH−→NiOOH+H2O+e−  (9)(discharge) NiOOH+H2O+e−→Ni(OH)+OH−  (10)
Since the charge and discharge reaction of the secondary battery is based on the movement of proton or hydroxide ion, the proton conduction solid electrolyte can be utilized in principle. However, the alkaline solution electrolyte has been conventionally used for the secondary battery.
As for the light switch, yttrium (Y) was proposed for the negative electrode (J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 143, No. 10, 3348–3353 (1996)). Light is switched on and off (transmitted or not transmitted) by an electric field, because the Y electrode transmits the light, when the Y electrode is hydrogenated under the application of the electric field in accordance with the reaction formula (11).Y+3/2H2O+3e−→YH3+3OH  (11)
Although the proton conduction solid electrolyte can be utilized in principle in this system, the alkaline solution electrolyte has been conventionally used.
The electrolyzed water is the water which was electrolyzed and has different effects depending upon whether the water was oxidized or reduced. The electrolyzed water is used for drinking water, food water, cleaning water, or agricultural water, depending upon its good effect to health, sterilization power, cleaning power, or action to promote growth of the crops. Although the electrolysis is accelerated by the electrolyte dissolved in the water, the electrolyte should often be removed from the electrolyzed water, when used. On the contrary, it is not required to remove the electrolyte, when the solid electrolyte is used.
However, the perfluorosulfonic acid electrolyte used conventionally for the fuel cell, the electrolysis hydrogen generating apparatus, or the dehumidifier as the electrochemical system using the proton conduction solid electrolyte has a disadvantage that the manufacturing processes of the perfluorosulfonic acid electrolyte are complicated and the products are expensive. The mass production may lower the product cost, but the cost merit is limited. Therefore, a low cost alternative is being expected.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the alternative solid electrolyte should have a sufficient water-absorbing power, because protons are transported at a high velocity under the action of the water contained in a solid in the proton conduction solid electrolyte operating at the room temperature. Further, it should also be noted that the alternative electrolyte should be water-resistive, because it is used in humid atmosphere. In the conventional perfluorosulfonic acid electrolyte, the water absorbed around the highly hydrophilic sulfonic acid group transports the ion, while the polyfluoroethylene skeletal part maintains the water-resistance, chemical stability and high temperature durability.
One of the low cost and highly hydrophilic hydrocarbon polymer is PVA which is applicable to the hydrogen sensor and the like, if it is made proton-conductive by mixing phosphoric acid. Proton can move at a high velocity, due to a high water absorption of PVA. However, PVA has a disadvantage that it is not stable in the humid atmosphere, due to its dissolution in water.
Other water-resistive and highly hydrophilic materials are inorganic hydrous compounds. For example, a hydrous glass such as P2O5—ZrO2—SiO2 manufactured by the sol-gel method is highly proton-conductive, due to absorbing a large quantity of water. Further, it does not dissolve in water and is durable at a high temperature which is characteristic of inorganic compound (J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 144, No. 6, 2175–2178 (1997)).
However, the inorganic hydrous compounds have a common disadvantage that they are brittle and is difficult to make thin films suitable for the solid electrolyte purpose. Further, they have a disadvantage that the raw material of the sol-gel method is an expensive metal alcoxide, an organic solvent such as alcohol is used in the manufacturing processes. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture them cheaply even from a point of view of the manufacturing facilities. Although Sn(HPO4).H2O as employed in the electrochromic device is easy to be coated in the form of powder, it is difficult to make a film of Sn(HPO4).H2O which has a gas diffusion suppressing function and high strength which are required for the fuel cell and the like. Further, although molybdophosphoric acid (H3MoPO40.29H2O) and tungstophosphoric acid (H3WPO40.29H2O) are reportedly highly conductive (Chem. Lett., 17 (1979)), they are also poorly processed.
The hydrophilic organic polymer may be combined with the inorganic compound in order to overcome their respective disadvantages. For example, a proton-conductive material wherein silicon compound is chemically bonded in nanometer range with polyethylene oxide was disclosed in JP 2000-90946 A. Polyethylene oxide is as cheap and hydrophilic as PVA, but itself is dissolved in water. However, it reportedly becomes water-resistive and strong at a high temperature by mixing silicon compound by the sol-gel method. However, the composite material is difficult to be manufactured by any method other than the sol-gel method. Actually, any method other than the sol-gel method is not disclosed. Therefore, the composite material has a disadvantage that the cost of the raw material or the manufacturing cost is not reduced easily. Further, other composite material comprising a silicon compound, an inorganic proton-conductive agent such as tungstophosphoric acid, or molybdophosphoric acid and an organic compound such as polyethyleneoxide manufactured only by the sol-gel method is disclosed in JP 2001-35509 A.
Further, the conventional solid electrolytes are acidic and the electrode and other parts are limited to acid resistant material such as noble metals. Therefore, the electrochemical system as a whole does not become cheap. Further, acidic solid electrolytes make it difficult to develop some of the applications such as a primary battery, secondary battery and light switch, while the alkaline liquid electrolyte conventionally used in the primary and secondary batteries and the like is in danger of leaking outside.

Ionic conductive solid electrolyte, method of manufacturing the same and electrochemical system using the same


An electronic starter device for an electric motor including a first terminal connected in use to a mains voltage source selectively activatable by means of control means to feed respective starter and run windings of the electric motor; switch means arranged in series between the voltage source and the starter winding to selectively feed the starter winding; generating means of a first low voltage potential (V1) directly connected to the feeding terminal; timer means including at least one capacitor and means for selectively charging the capacitor by means of at least one first resistor; first driving means for activating the switch means; and second driving means for activating the first driving means, the latter being arranged logically in a cascade with respect to the second driving means, which are activated by means of the timer means.

It is known from EP-A-1327776 an electronic starter device for an electric motor of a compressor of a household appliance, in the case in point a refrigerator or a freezer, in which a switch for supplying the starter winding is electronically controlled by a heat-sensitive element operatively connected to the switch; the heat-sensitive element is a thermistor or a PTC tablet and the switch comprises a TRIAC.
Such a starter device, in addition to being relatively complex and expensive, determines a relatively high energy consumption even after the motor has started, equal to approximately 1-1.5 watts, a consumption which is lower than the energy consumption of traditional starter devices based on heat-sensitive elements only, but still is not satisfactory.
EP 1045510B1 relates to an electronic starter device for an electric motor of a refrigerator compressor, in which a first and a second circuit branch, each of which is equipped with a resistor, a capacitor and a diode, are fed at AC to generate pulses having decreasing amplitude in time, which are used by means of amplifiers comprising two MOS transistors for driving the transistors themselves, such transistors both being operatively connected to switch means for supplying the electric motor starter winding, such a switch means being constituted by a TRIAC.
During the positive mains half-wave, the capacitor of the first branch is charged by means of the corresponding resistance and, by means of the diode, supplies to a first transistor the signal needed to bring the same to a conducting state, needed in turn by the latter to supply the TRIAC with the current needed to drive the motor starter winding. In the subsequent negative half-wave, the same process is activated in the second branch, supplying to a second transistor the signal needed to bring it to a conducting state and to continue to supply the necessary current to the TRIAC. When the two capacitors have reached the maximum charge voltage, the flow of current terminates and the TRIAC, by switching off, shuts down the feeding of the compressor motor starter winding. Resistors arranged in parallel on the capacitors of the two branches ensure that at the next start-up, the two capacitors are discharged and ready to be charged again.
Neither is the above-described solution of EP 1045510B1 entirely satisfactory. Indeed, although on one hand such solution allows to obtain nearly zero energy consumption when the motor starter winding is not fed, on the other hand, the resulting electronic circuit is relatively complex and expensive to make, requires components not commonly used in consumable electronic circuits, needs a relatively cumbersome electronic board for its implementation and may be difficult to calibrate.

Electronic starter device for an electric motor, in particular for a compressor of a refrigerating circuit of an electric household appliance

ITW Industrial Components S.R.L. Con Unico Socio


A safety device for avoiding entrapment at a water reservoir drain by using a vacuum operated switch to interrupt power to the reservoir pump and by using a pressure pump to generate a positive pressure to dislodge the obstruction from the drain should a blockage occur. In addition, a manual reset switch requires human intervention to re-activate the reservoir pump once the blockage condition is removed.

This invention relates generally to a safety device used in pools, spas, jacuzzis and other such water reservoirs, and more particularly to water circulating pumps which avoid entrapment of a person or an object that may inadvertently block the pump intake or drain.
In water reservoirs such as pools, whirlpools and spas, a water pump is provided to extract the water from the pool or spa (e.g., through a pump inlet located at the drain of the pool or spa) and to re-circulate the water back into the pool or spa through the nozzles/jets located on the side of the pool or spa, thereby creating turbulence.
Personal contact with the drain can be dangerous, painful or even fatal. A typical drain is 5 to 8 inches in diameter. When the body or hair of a person is positioned in close proximity to the drain, the body or hair may completely block the drain opening thereby creating a vacuum. If the drain is blocked, the person may be entrapped and drowned.
Commonly used recirculating water pumps if obstructed (e.g., completely blocked by the body or hair of a person) can draw a partial vacuum at the drain opening that may exert sufficient suction forces to prevent a person from pulling free of the drain. Even if the person is able to pull free of the sucking drain, bruises or welts may result. In at least one case, a young girl drowned in a hot tub when her hair was caught and sucked into the drain.
One solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,476 (Miller), whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein. The '476 patent discloses an apparatus for automatically shutting off the pump in a water reservoir should anyone or anything obstruct the water reservoir drain. The present invention is an improvement over this apparatus by including an automatic activation of a positive pressure to assist dislodging the person or thing obstructing the water reservoir drain, as will be discussed below.
Other types of safety devices for avoiding entrapment at the pump intake are commercially available and the patent literature includes various disclosures of such safety devices.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,878 (Johnson, et al.) discloses a spa safety drain, which does not employ any springs, valves, electrical components or moving parts of any type, for preventing entrapment at the drain.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,167,041 (Burkitt, III) and 5,347,664 (Hamza, et al.) disclose suction fittings for use in a water circulation system that detect blockage to disable the pump in order to prevent damage or physical injury.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,835 (Bell) discloses a system to protect the water pump against running dry and against blockage at the drain. This system employs a pressure sensor and pressure switches for interrupting power to the water pump.
Another system that guards against complete occlusion of the intake to a pump has been employed in heart-lung machines, as disclosed in the article by Applicant The Development of Heart-Lung Machines, Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, March 1982 at 403.
While some prior art safety devices for avoiding entrapment at the pump intake may be generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless leave something to be desired for one or more of the following standpoints: safety, reliability, simplicity of construction and cost.

Safety device for avoiding entrapment at a water reservoir drain having a secondary blowing pump


The disclosed system and method relates to the prediction of processing tool control parameters, i.e. controller state, for a particular processing tool, which has little or no utilization history, i.e. is data starved or has not gone through the learning curve, for a given process, or has undergone an event for which the current controller state has been reset or is otherwise now sub-optimal. The prediction is based on the processing tool control parameters of a substantially similar processing tool, being used in a substantially similar fashion to the given situation, which has significant utilization history. The processing tool having significant utilization history may be the same processing tool as the processing tool with little or no processing history where a manufacturing event disrupts the operations thereof. In this case, the pre-event control parameters and utilization history may be used, according to the disclosed embodiments, to predict the post-event controller state. Effectively, the disclosed embodiments provide for the processing tool with little or no utilization history to inherit the controller state, i.e. the evolved control parameters, of the processing tool with significant utilization history. Thereby, the processing tool with little or no utilization history is spared having to go through the learning curve, and the associated costs in delay and resources, to arrive at a particular controller state, i.e. the processing tool does not have to go through the iterative process-evaluate-adapt procedure to refine its control parameters to achieve results within the desired specifications.

The fabrication of integrated circuits is a complex and expensive process which requires extremely tight tolerances and has little margin for error. A particular integrated circuit, such as a microprocessor, is fabricated according to a set of recipes which specifies the materials and processing steps which are necessary to result in a finished working product in accordance with the design specification. Typically, integrated circuits are fabricated in batch on wafers, wherein multiple copies of the particular integrated circuit are fabricated on a single wafer and later separated. Multiple wafers may be processed in parallel to achieve a desired manufacturing volume.
Each of the recipes further details the parameters of a particular process step, e.g. what processing machine as well as what control parameters for the particular processing machine should be used. Processing machines include chemical vapor deposition ("CVP") devices, chemical-mechanical-planarization ("CMP") devices, etching devices, such as wet etching or plasma etching devices, optical or electron beam, a.k.a., e-beam, imaging devices, such as scanning electron microscopes, etc. These processing machines perform their particular process on one or more wafers subject to a myriad to control parameters. Often, the same process/processing machine is repeatedly used using different recipes so as to fabricate the different parts/layers of the integrated circuits, all according to the overall design specification. For example, a typical integrated circuit will be processed through several different CVP, CMP, lithography and etch processes, each according to a particular recipe, to build up the many layers of transistors and interconnections which make up the integrated circuit. Control parameters, as provided in the recipe, for these processing machines, which may vary among different products, different processing machines and/or different processing stages, include, but are not limited to, duration of processing, processing rate, temperature, pressure, composition of processing materials/chemicals, and other variables.
In a manufacturing environment, a particular recipe will be performed over and over on batches of wafers, referred to as lots, with each processing machine being used to repeatedly perform the same process with the same or different control parameters, depending on the particular stage of production or, as will be described below, on the results of quality control inspections/measurements. In addition, the manufacturing facility may provide multiples of particular processing machines so as to allow the parallel processing of batches of wafers and boost production capacity. Further, the particular manufacturing facility may be used to produce many different types of integrated circuits, according to different recipes, i.e. using the same processing machines with the same or different control parameters. In actual production, some production runs of a given integrated circuit may require using more of the available manufacturing capacity than other runs, i.e. using more of the available processing machines to run processes in parallel if necessary. The amount of the available capacity which may be used may be dependent upon the production goals for the particular product during a particular time period and may vary from day to day. Further, production may be affected by the unavailability of processing machines, such as unavailability due to required maintenance or repair, expected or unexpected, the return of processing machines back into service, or other manufacturing events.
The control of workflow through the manufacturing process is referred to as process control. Process control refers to the overall concept of controlling the manufacturing processes, i.e. the implementation of a given set of recipes, to end up with functional products within the specified tolerances, i.e. functioning integrated circuits. The wafer fabrication process requires a high degree of precision, where one error can compromise an entire production, necessitating a high degree of process control.
Essentially, the object of process control is to repeatedly produce a product that falls within its design and operational specifications at a profitable rate. Factors which may affect the results of a given process include: environmental factors, such as the ambient temperature or humidity; process machine factors, such as calibration, operating temperature and wear; and materials factors, such as the composition of the product undergoing processing or the composition of process consumables. These factors may vary over time as well as between similar processing machines and similar recipes, necessitating continued evaluation and refinement of the control parameters of the process, i.e. refinement of the recipe, to compensate.
Process control is accomplished by enacting quality control methodologies in the production process to monitor the quality of production and detect problems quickly so that they may be resolved quickly. In cases where in situ measurements are not possible, it is necessary to evaluate the finished product to determine if the specified tolerances are met. For example, after each processing step, measurements or testing may be performed on a sample wafer, either an actual production wafer or a test wafer included in the production run, to determine if the processed product is within the specified tolerances. Alternatively, the particular process may be tested on a test wafer/batch before being used in actual production. Where the resultant product is not within the specified tolerances or the product is within the specified tolerances but testing indicates that the process is drifting toward being out of tolerance, measures can be taken to correct the situation, such as by adjusting the control parameters of the particular processing machine, i.e. modifying the recipe. This is also referred to as Run-to-Run control, wherein the production results of a particular processing machine are continuously measured/evaluated. These measurements/evaluations are then utilized to adjust the recipe, i.e. the processing parameters of the processing machine, prior to the next run through that processing machine to compensate for any detected errors. This process is iteratively repeated such that the processing parameters of a given recipe on a given processing machine are continuously evaluated, adjusted and refined, effectively evolving with each successive generation of product, ultimately to a relatively stable state. Given the variability in the factors that can affect the results of a given process, it is likely to have two similar processing machines performing the same process but with different recipes to achieve results according to the design specification.
Statistical process control refers to the use of sampling and statistical computations to analyze the measured quality control data. This analysis can then be used to more accurately modify the recipe. Further this analysis may be used to predict and correct trends in the process results, such as a trend that the process is tending to deviate outside of the specified tolerances, though it has not yet done so.
General process control techniques, including statistical process control techniques, work well for high volume production runs, or production runs having a relatively stable throughput, because the large number of production runs provide many opportunities to test and refine the various process control stages and the consistent use of the various processing machines acts to keep those processing machines properly calibrated and their control parameters in a consistent/relatively stable state of refinement. Further, the time/resource cost of running test production runs to ensure accurate processing is minimal compared to the time/resource costs devoted to actual production. However, such techniques do not work well for low volume production runs or production runs where the production volume may vary from day to day. In such situations, there may not be enough actual production runs to generate statistically significant quality control data so as to be able to refine the various process control stages and further, the use of test production runs, which likely result in unusable products, may not be justifiable based on the cost/resources consumed as compared to the volume of actual production. In addition, for varying production volumes, excess production capacity on any one day may result in idle process machines for that day, while on a day with more significant demand, those idle process machines will be put into operation, necessitating re-calibration and testing of recipes to ensure production tolerances are met on the formerly idle processing machines being pressed into service. Similarly, processing machines may be idled by the need for maintenance, repair or due to some other event, again necessitating re-calibration and testing of recipes to ensure production tolerances are met before they are put into production.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system of process control which can be used efficiently in low volume production, variable volume production, as well as in situations where an unanticipated manufacturing event occurs.

System and method to predict the state of a process controller in a semiconductor manufacturing facility


A post-pregnancy compression garment that provides abdominal support to facilitate a faster return to the individual's pre-pregnancy figure. The garment consists of a tubular body encompassing an anatomical region from the thighs to beneath the chest. Compression material or strips are constructed from an elastic memory fabric positioned so as to cause compression to the abdomen area. Maximum compression may be provided to the waist section with the remaining portion of the garment providing support with minimum compression.

The period following a pregnancy can be traumatic for a woman who is unaccustomed to the demands placed upon her body. In particular, the carrying of a child through term requires the woman's abdomen to be enlarged for proper development of the child. Upon birth and removal of the placenta, the body temporarily remains in an enlarged state wherein shrinkage of the abdomen takes a period of time before returning to the prepregnancy state. The problem, to which this invention is directed, is the amount of time it takes in order for the abdomen to return to the pre-pregnancy state. After childbirth, the woman's lower abdomen tends to sag in unsightly folds. The instant invention allows for a specially designed compression garment that within weeks to months of wearing will result in the reduction of the mass of loose skin/tissue/muscle and facilitate a faster return to the individual's pre-pregnancy figure.
There are a number of products used to support a woman's abdominal area during pregnancy. These devices are for the benefit of improved appearance or support of the unborn. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,318 discloses a maternity exercise garment that provides support during exercise. The garment is close fitting without placing excess pressure on the abdomen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,653 discloses a maternity garment having a two position band that provides a range of support to the woman. This support is directed between two positions for lessening the stress on the woman's abdominal muscles. However, such a garment cannot be worn continuously due to the uncomfortable state in which it places the woman's body.
Compression garments have been used post-operative following various surgeries with results shown to dramatically reduce edema, shorten recovery, skin shrinkage and achieve the positive reduction results much earlier than had no compression device been employed. Sequential compression devices are marketed for the prevention of deep venous thrombosis and embolism in trauma patients or major surgical patients. However, many thrombosis devices that provide compression are only adequate to help prevent deep venous thrombosis and are used solely for compression of the lower leg.
Compression garments are also commonly used after liposuction. The compression garment facilitates drainage of anesthetic solution and prevent accumulation of fluid within the tunnels in the subcutaneous fat created by the suction cannula. With some liposuction techniques there is also a considerable amount of bleeding and residual blood remaining in the tunnels after surgery. In this manner, the compression garments worn for a number of weeks helps restore the body to the original condition. In addition, the compression garments hold the bulky absorbent dressings in place, all of which help minimize the discomfort associated with the copious drainage after surgery.
Known compression garments consist of a fiber count fabric composition that provides support and elasticity. For instance, a number of compression garments are constructed from 80% nylon and 20% elastic memory fabric, such as that available under the trademark SPANDEX. The weave of the garment fabric facilitates dissipation of body heat and transfer of moisture away from the body. However, the garments typically only work as compression garments without providing directional stability.
Known compression garments that provide directional stability are typically designed to shape the body. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,164 issued to the Playtex Corporation discloses a compression garment providing multiple region abdominal control. This garment forms a girdle with vertically distensible spaced apart lines of "zig-zag stitching" which helps resist horizontal stresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,849 discloses a therapeutic garment for maternity use which is intended to be adapted to be worn by pregnant women for providing shapely abdominal support. This garment is directed to the pregnancy stage and does not provide for post-pregnancy support.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a compression garment for use in post-pregnancy, having a shape that facilitates the shrinkage of the body area most affected by the pregnancy process.


A freeform surface imaging spectrometer system including a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror, and a detector is provided. The secondary mirror is a grating having a freeform surface shape, and the grating having the freeform surface shape is obtained by intersecting a set of equally spaced parallel planes with a freeform surface. A plurality of feature rays exiting from a light source is successively reflected by the primary mirror, the secondary mirror and the tertiary mirror to form an image on an image sensor. A reflective surface of each of the primary mirror, the tertiary mirror surface and the tertiary mirror is an xy polynomial freeform surface.

Imaging spectrometers with dispersion elements are applied in a wide variety of fields, including biomedical measurements, earth remote sensing and space exploration. An optical system with dispersive elements is a key instrument of the imaging spectrometers with dispersion elements. The optical system with dispersive elements has wider fields of view, higher spectral bandwidths and higher spatial/spectral resolutions than the optical system without dispersive elements. Promoting a development of the optical system with dispersive elements has long been pursued by optical designers.
A freeform surface is a surface that cannot be represented by a spherical or aspherical surface. The freeform surface is a complex surface without symmetry. Freeform surface optics is regarded as a revolution in optical design. Freeform surface optics involves optical system designs that contain at least one freeform surface with no translational or rotational symmetry. As a benefit of the high numbers of degrees of freedom surfaces, novel and high-performance optical systems can be obtained.
However, the freeform surfaces are rarely used in conventional imaging spectrometer system, because of their multi variables and high degrees. And, when the freeform surfaces are used in the imaging spectrometer system, a volume, a weight and amount of lenses should be considered. As such, it is difficult to design an imaging spectrometer system with simple structure and superior imaging effect.
Thus there is a room for improvement.

Freeform surface imaging spectrometer system


A system for controlling the mixture of an air flow and an exhaust gas flow utilizing two valves, the first valve at least partially positioned in an air intake conduit and regulating the flow of fluid through the air conduit, and the second valve positioned in an exhaust gas recirculation conduit for regulating the flow of exhaust gas. The control scheme presenting a sequential or stepwise control sequence, where the first valve is actuated over a first pressure range and the second valve is actuated over a second pressure range such that valves operate in a sequential manner.

The expulsion of NOx by an internal combustion engine is typically controlled by limits established by local, state and federal governmental regulations. The formation of NOx constituents must therefore be maintained at least below some threshold limit or level. It is generally understood that the presence of NOx in the exhaust of internal combustion engines is determined by combustion temperature and pressure as well as by the air/fuel ratio (lambda). An increase in combustion temperature causes an increase in the amount of NOx present in the engine exhaust. Therefore, it is desirable to control the combustion temperature in order to limit the amount of NOx present in the exhaust.
One method for limiting or controlling the combustion temperature has been to recirculate a portion of the exhaust gas back to the engine air intake. It is understood that because the exhaust gas has relatively low oxygen content, this results in a combustion mixture that will burn at a lower temperature. The lower combustion temperature, in turn, reduces the amounts of NOx produced during combustion.
It is also desirable to maximize combustion efficiency, which has traditionally been accomplished by running the combustion engine at or near a selected ignition timing. However, it has been noted that unacceptably high levels of NOx typically are produced when the engine operates at or near such conditions. In order to inhibit the formation and emission of NOx, it is necessary to limit the peak combustion pressure to a threshold value.
One known technique for limiting combustion pressure involves the recirculation of exhaust gases through the induction passage of the combustion chamber as an increase in recirculation of exhaust gases will reduce peak combustion pressure, and therefore, the levels of NOx. Accordingly, the formation of undesirable oxides of nitrogen may be reduced by recirculating a portion of the exhaust gas back to the engine air/fuel intake passage so as to dilute the incoming air/fuel mixture with inert H2O, and CO2. The molar specific heat of these gases, and especially of CO2, absorbs substantial thermal energy so as to lower peak cycle temperatures and/or pressures to levels conducive to reducing NOx formation.
While NOx formation decreases as the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) flow increases such that it represents a threshold percentage of the exhaust gas constituents, this is accompanied by deterioration in engine performance, such as, an increase in engine roughness with increasing EGR. Therefore, one factor limiting the use of EGR is the amount of EGR-induced performance deterioration that can be tolerated before vehicle performance becomes unacceptable.
It has also been known to provide a recirculating control system that utilizes a sleeve having an outlet disposed in an air conduit, where the outlet of the sleeve is positionable along the air conduit to at least partly occlude the exhaust gas inlet and is movable along a portion of the air conduit to vary the extent of occlusion of the exhaust gas inlet in order to regulate flow of exhaust gas into the air conduit. It has further been contemplated that a cross-sectional area of the outlet end of the sleeve may advantageously be reduced and may or may not be positionable to fully occlude the exhaust gas inlet in order to prevent flow of exhaust gas into the air conduit. In addition, a streamlined body may advantageously be disposed in the air conduit. In this manner, throttling of the inlet air flowing through the sleeve occurs in the reduced portion resulting in a venturi.
Use of EGR however, presents additional challenges. For example, on a diesel engine, during some specific circumstances, the exhaust gas pressure ahead of the turbocharger's turbine at times may be greater than the fresh air pressure in the inlet pipe. This can occur during certain engine operating modes such as: 1) high engine speed/high exhaust mass flow. The turbine becomes choked resulting in low turbocharger efficiency and high exhaust pressures upstream of the turbine (higher than boost pressure); and 2) during engine transients/acceleration when exhaust pulses have high amplitude but the turbocharger's inertia has caused the turbocharger not to speed/spool up yet (turbo lag).
During such operating modes, EGR flow would be substantial (exceeding the desired) even without venturi suction effect in the inlet pipe. Accordingly, EGR flow must be limited. An additional EGR-throttling is necessary. During transients, there is also a need to completely shut-off the EGR supply (i.e. to limit smoke).
What is desired therefore, is a control scheme for use with an EGR that allows for increased control of the EGR system under various operating conditions.


A method comprises receiving a cash level indicator from a third-party server. The cash level indicator indicates an amount of cash in each of a plurality of cash storage devices, where the plurality of cash storage devices receive cash from a plurality of delivery agents. Each of the cash storage devices is arranged within or on a vehicle operated by one of the plurality of delivery agents. The method further comprises receiving a cash request from a user device. The method also includes selecting one of the plurality of cash storage devices based on the cash level indicator and location data of delivery agent devices of the delivery agents. The method also comprises sending a message comprising location data of the user device, the selected delivery agent device being one of the delivery agent devices, wherein the selected cash storage device is associated with the selected delivery agent device.

Typically, to withdraw cash associated with a user's account, the user must go to a location where cash can be withdrawn from a cash withdrawal system (e.g., an automated teller machine, a grocery store, etc.). The user provides authenticating information (e.g., a passcode, etc.) to verify the user with the cash withdrawal system, and the cash withdrawal system provides cash to the user.