For conversion of stitch mode from one stitch shape to the other stitch shape without interference with one another, a safety device for a sewing machine, as a safeguard against malfunction of the machine when conversion is made, is equipped with a stitch forming signal generator means for associating a signal with a stitch mode, a mounting-demounting signal generator means for associating a signal with table displacement, and a circuit for rendering a motor inactive irrespective of operation of a controller for the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety device for a sewing machine, and more particularly to a safety interlock mechanism which prevents the sewing machine from malfunctioning.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 shows a currently available and well-known sewing machine M which is capable of converting the stitch mode from "one needle two thread stitches A" (chain stitches) as shown in FIG. 7 to "one needle three thread stitches B" (overlock stitches) as shown in FIG. 8, and vice versa. The sewing machine M as shown includes needle N, upper and lower loopers (not shown) incorporated in a looper cover 6, a control unit for controlling the drives of these members, and a motor as a drive source.
A controller 13 in the form of a foot pedal is manipulated to drive the sewing machine M through the motor and to adjust the drive speed thereof. As is well known, the lower looper for the sewing machine is adapted to perform its sewing operation below a work table 5, whereas the upper looper is adapted to perform a predetermined sewing operation above the work table 5. A change-over dial or knob 1 selects the stitch mode as either "one needle two thread stitches A" or "one needle thread stitches B."
For formation of the "one needle two thread stitches A", the change-over dial or knob 1 is set to select a mark A on the machine cover, indicative of the "one needle two thread stitches A" and at the same time a second work table 3 as seen from FIG. 9 is installed in the sewing machine M. This will allow the sewing machine M to drive the needle N and the lower looper, rendering them ready for formation of the "one needle two thread stitches A" whereas the upper looper is lowered and inactivated in a position where the upper looper does not abut against the second work table 3.
When the "one needle three thread stitches B" mode is desired, the change-over dial or knob 1 is set to select the other mark B on the machine cover, indicative of the "one needle three thread stitches B," and at the same time a chip guard cover 4 (FIG. 1) is attached to the sewing machine M. This will allow the sewing machine M to drive the needle N and the upper and lower loopers, rendering them ready for formation of the "one needle three thread stitches B".
The aforementioned conventional sewing machine has disadvantages in that the upper looper is liable to collide with the second work table 3 if the change-over knob 1 is set to select the mark B indicative of the "one needle three thread stitches" with the second work table 3 attached to the sewing machine M as illustrated in FIG. 9. This may be dangerous to the operator since the second work table 3, the upper looper as well as the sewing machine M can break down and scatter fragments, thereby injuring the operator.

Sewing machine safety device including interchangeable work tables and stitching


The present invention provides an olefin polymerization catalyst composed of a late transition metal complex exhibiting high olefin polymerization activity and also provides a method for producing the same. Furthermore, the present invention provides an olefin polymer prepared using the catalyst and a method for producing the olefin polymer. The olefin polymerization catalyst is composed of a fluorine-containing late transition metal complex having a structure represented by a specified general formula. The polymerization catalyst can be prepared in the reaction system.

At present, highly activation of olefin polymerization catalysts is the most important problem. Since copolymerization with polar monomers and aqueous-system polymerization have recently been made possible, olefin polymerization catalysts composed of late transition metal complexes have attracted attention.
In particular, it has been reported that nickel catalysts (Shell Higher Olefin Process catalyst: SHOP catalyst) having a fluorohydrocarbon group near an oxygen atom and an ester group near a phosphorus atom exhibit high ethylene polymerization activity even in an aqueous system (Patent Document 1 and Non-patent Documents 1 and 2).
It has also been reported that chlorine-containing nickel catalysts (Shell Higher Olefin Process catalyst: SHOP catalyst) represented by general formula (5) or (6) exhibit high ethylene polymerization activity even in an aqueous system (Patent Document 2 and Non-patent Document 3).
(wherein Ph represents a phenyl group).
However, the activity and molecular weights of the resulting polymers are unsatisfactory for practical use, and development of new catalysts has been demanded.
[Patent Document 1] WO02/24763
[Patent Document 2] DE2923206A1
[Non-patent Document 1] Macromolecules, 2001, vol. 34, p. 2438
[Non-patent Document 2] Macromolecules, 2001, vol. 34, p. 2022
[Non-patent Document 3] Macromolecules, 2003, vol. 36, p. 6711


A motor control apparatus includes a calculator, a determinator, and a selector. The calculator calculates a zero vector current predicted to flow through a three-phase AC motor when an inverter operates in a first mode for applying no voltage to the motor. The determinator determines whether a difference between the zero vector current and a command current on a αβ stationary coordinate system falls within an allowable range. The selector selects the first mode as a switching mode of the inverter when the difference falls within the allowable range, and selects a second mode as the switching mode of the inverter upon determination that the difference falls outside the allowable range. The second mode corresponds to a non-zero current vector closest to the command current among six non-zero current vectors defined in fixed directions with respect to the zero vector current on the αβ stationary coordinate system.

A triangle wave comparison PWM control method has been generally known as the motor control apparatus and motor control method described above. In this control method, a command voltage for each phase is calculated based on a difference between a current command value and a current flowing through each phase, and a switching mode of an inverter is determined based on whether the calculated command value is larger or smaller than a carrier having a triangle wave shape.
As disclosed in, for example, a patent document 1 and a patent document 2, a technique for improving current responsivity in this triangle wave comparison PWM control method has been known.
In a control method disclosed in the patent document 1, a future current (torque) in each switching mode of an inverter is predicted by using a motor model based on a current flowing through a motor, a position of a magnetic pole of a rotor, and a rotation speed of the rotor. Then, a switching mode is selected so that a difference between the future current (torque) and a current (torque) command value for controlling the motor can be minimized, and the inverter is driven in the switching mode.
In the patent document 2, to perform the model prediction control disclosed in the patent document 1 more accurately, a predicted current ide (n+1), iqe(n+1) one control cycle ahead is calculated based on a present voltage vector (switching mode) V(n) of an inverter. Then, a predicted current ide (n+2), iqe(n+2) further one control cycle ahead is calculated for each voltage vector V(n+1) by using the predicted current ide (n+1), iqe(n+1) as an initial value. Then, by using an evaluation function J to which the predicted current ide (n+2), iqe(n+2) is inputted, a voltage vector V(n+1) one control cycle ahead is determined so that a difference from a command current can be minimized.
In the techniques disclosed in the patent document 1 and the patent document 2, a future current which will flow through a motor is predicted for each switching mode (each voltage vector) of an inverter, and a switching mode is selected so that a difference between the future current and a command current can be minimized.
Therefore, there is a problem in that a calculation processing load for determining the switching mode for driving the motor is increased. In particular, this problem will be more serious if the motor model is constructed as a complicated mode in consideration of an inductance L, a non-linearity of the number of flux linkages φ, and a disturbance.
Further, there is a need that the calculation processing is completed within a control cycle of the motor. It is preferable that the control cycle of the motor be set to a few microseconds to be equivalent to phase resolution of the triangle wave comparison PWM control method. When the calculation processing is implemented by hardware, serial processing cannot complete the calculation processing in time. Therefore, there is a need to perform parallel processing using a lot of processors or prepare a multidimensional state-space map (switching mode table) for determining a switching mode based on inputted state quantities such as a rotation speed and current. As a result, there arises a problem in that a circuit size is increased. In contrast, when the calculation processing is implemented by software, a high-performance microcomputer with high processing speed is needed. As a result, there arises a problem in that a cost is increased.

Motor control apparatus and motor control method


A system for diagnosing a heart condition comprises an imaging system (102) arranged to acquire two images of the heart at respective points in the cardiac cycle, and locating means, which may be manually operated or automatic, for locating a series of pairs of points on the images. Each pair of points indicates the respective positions of a single part of the heart in the two images. The system further comprises a processor (108) arranged to calculate from the positions of said pairs of points a value of at least one parameter of the deformation of the heart. It may further be arranged to compare the value of the at least one parameter with reference data to generate a diagnostic output.

Echocardiography is widely used as a method of imaging the heart. It uses a series of rapidly acquired pulse-echo ultrasound images to build up, for example, a real time video image of the heart. The images are typically two dimensional (2D) and the images are typically analysed visually by a skilled clinician, although computer analysis of the images is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 8,077,944. In stress echocardiography, the heart is imaged in a rest condition, i.e. when the subject is at rest, and under a stress condition, for example after exercise. The function of the heart in the two conditions can be compared to provide information on how it responds to stress. If it is not appropriate for the subject to be exercised, then stress can be induced or simulated, for example by injecting a stimulant such as dobutamine into the subject. Dobutamine stress echo (DSE) is widely used in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD).


A system and method for extracting a pVAD device that is implanted with a distal portion in an aorta of the heart and a drive line extending across an inter-atrial septum and out of the body via a superior vessel of the venous vasculature, include a first device that is introduced into a femoral artery and through the descending aorta used to engage a distal part of the pVAD device in the aorta of a patient using an instrument. A second, cutter, device is introduced into the venous vasculature superior to heart, advanced to a position adjacent the inter-atrial septum, and used to cut the pVAD drive line adjacent to the inter-atrial septum. After cutting, a first portion of the pVAD is withdrawn from the body via the venous vasculature, and a second portion is withdrawn from the body via the femoral artery.

Percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVADs) are pump devices positioned within the heart and used for circulatory support. In order for these pVADs to be considered minimally invasive, interventional cardiology-based procedures, they must enter the heart from a percutaneous puncture of a peripheral vessel. If the devices are thin and flexible, they may be introduced in an artery and advanced retrograde across the aortic valve to the left ventricle. If they are too large to enter an artery, they may be introduced into larger peripheral veins but then they must cross from the right side of the heart to the left side across the inter-atrial septum in a well-established but tortuous route via a technique known as transseptal catheterization. However, because of the combined large size and/or rigidity of these high cardiac output pVADS, generally the transseptal route has proven to be extremely difficult. The traditional transseptal approach involves driving a therapeutic device over a 0.035 in. guidewire that has been previously introduced across the interatrial septum, through the left atrium then across the mitral valve and into the left ventricle. This guidewire provides a flexible track over which these large devices can potentially be forced into position. However, high cardiac output pVADs are too big and too rigid to easily negotiate the tight bends that are required when crossing into and navigating through the left atrium. As a result, they can fail to follow the course of the guidewire and continue in a relatively straight course when attempting to negotiate the multiple turns required, causing both the deformed guidewire and tip of the therapeutic device to protrude into the delicate cardiac tissues.
U.S. application Ser. No. 16/578,375, filed 22 Sep. 2019, entitled Systems and Methods for Transseptal Delivery of Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices and Other Non-Guidewire Based Transvascular Therapeutic Devices, and incorporated herein by reference discloses a system and method for delivering cardiac therapeutic devices positionable at the aortic valve, including pVADs, to the heart, together with exemplary methods for using those systems using superior access.
Under certain circumstances it might become necessary to remove a pVAD after it has been positioned. This application describes instruments that may be used for pVAD extraction should it become necessary.

Devices for use in extracting percutaneous ventricular assist devices


The invention describes the production of a catalyst for use in the oxidation and selective reduction with properties resembling the catalytic property of the noble metal catalysts, by formation of a crystal surface on catalyst supports from a synthesis crystal of the elements of the rare earths and the metal components cobalt and/or lanthanum produced in multiple stages.

Some catalysts may be known as honeycomb or pouring layer catalysts. Aqueous solutions from a first component of a compound with lanthanum, cerium and cobalt, a second component platinum, a third component rhodium, and a fourth component from a wash coat of alumina, titanium dioxide and oxalic acid may be applied to the catalyst. One disadvantage of these honeycomb or pouring layer catalysts may be the small surface of the active substance, which is supplemented to a sufficient catalytic effect by the additional use of platinum and rhodium. Thus, the compounds of lanthanum, cerium and cobalt only act as an improved surface for the platinum, and allow an increased lifetime.
Surprisingly, it has now been found that when the level of platinum is almost completely substituted, the lifetime is increased, and the catalytic effect is substantially improved if the active substance is crystallized from rare earths and cobalt in multiple stages. Furthermore, the substances cobalt and manganese, and the rare earths lanthanum, cerium and yttrium may be used to transform the crystals, with a diameter from 1 to 0.1 μm and a length from 100 to 100,000 μm in a special multi-stage process.

Method and device for catalytic oxidation and reduction of gases and vapours by crystalline compounds of heavy metals and rare earths


A method for treating or preventing idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy is provided comprising intravitreal injections of Zimura™ (or another anti-C5 agent) and Eylea® (or another VEGF antagonist).

Idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV) is a disease of the choroid that can cause severe loss of central vision. It is characterized by the presence of polypoidal vascular lesions with or without an associated vascular network (Yannuzzi, et al., 1990). Clinical features of IPCV include leakage under the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) which causes a pigment epithelial detachment (PED), leakage into the subretinal space, recurrent subretinal hemorrhage and serous retinal detachment (Yannuzzi et al., 1990). When leakage or hemorrhage occurs in the macular region, central vision loss ensues.
The disease is typically diagnosed with indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), where the presence of vascular dilations is identified (Spaide et al., 1995). These may not be seen on fluorescein angiography (FA), which may reveal only leakage from ill-defined choroidal neovascularization (CNV). From an epidemiologic standpoint, IPCV is more prevalent in pigmented individuals, representing 23% of presumed neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) in patients of Asian descent (Sho et al., 2003).
The fluorescein angiography (FA) findings in IPCV usually mimics ill-defined CNV in NVAMD, and consequently, visualization of the abnormal polypoidal lesions with ICGA is required to differentiate IPCV from CNV in NVAMD (Spaide et al., 1995).
IPCV will be defined by the presence of single or multiple focal areas of hyperfluorescence arising from the choroidal circulation within the first six minutes after injection of ICG, with or without an associated branching vascular network (Spaide et al., 1995). The presence of orange-red subretinal nodules with corresponding hyperfluorescence in ICGA is pathognomonic of IPCV and should be present. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging may help visualizing the polypoidal lesions as dome-shaped anterior elevation of highly reflective RPE layers with regions of low to moderate reflectivity beneath the RPE line. SD-OCT may also help in the detection of subretinal fluid and PED that can reflect the activity of IPCV and will be useful in monitoring the response to treatment.
Currently, intravitreal administrations of anti-VEGF agents (Lucentis®, Avastin® or Eylea®) alone or in combination with photodynamic therapy (PDT) are the standard of care for IPCV. VEGF is the most potent inducer of permeability in biologic systems (50,000 times greater than Histamine) (Dvorak et al., 1995). The visual benefit from anti-VEGF administration results primarily from its effect on anti-permeability or leakage (Kang et al., 2014).
Unlike typical NVAMD eyes, where anti-VEGF monotherapy allows for potent anti-permeability effects, visual stabilization, and temporary neovascular quiescence in many cases, multiple studies demonstrate that anti-VEGF therapy may not be as effective in IPCV. While subretinal exudation may respond to anti-VEGF therapy with visual stabilization, the choroidal vascular changes on ICGA may persist despite VEGF inhibition (Gomi et al., 2008; Hikichi et al., 2013; Kokame et al., 2010; Lai et al., 2008; Marcus et al., 2013). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in combination with anti-VEGF therapy has been shown to be effective in improving vision and inducing polyp regression, but the high recurrence rate and known complications of recurrent PDT administration render both PDT monotherapy and the combination of PDT with anti-VEGF agents unattractive. (Gomi et al., 2010; Lai et al., 2008; Ruamviboonsuk et al., 2010; Saito et al., 2013). This combination of stubborn vascular lesions with a potentially suboptimal treatment response leaves tremendous unmet need in IPCV.
The mechanism behind anti-VEGF resistance in eyes with IPCV remains unclear, but there is evolving literature that suggests genetic abnormalities in the complement system may be associated with the development of IPCV. A comprehensive meta-analysis found variants at ARMS2/HTRA1 (rs10490924, OR=2.27, p<0.00001; rs11200638, OR=2.72, p<0.00001), CFH (r51061170, OR=1.72, p<0.00001; rs800292, OR=2.10, p<0.00001) or the complement pathway (C2; rs547154, OR=0.56, p=0.01) were significantly associated with IPCV, with higher odds ratio observed at variants in ARMS2/HTRA1 (Chen et al., 2012). In addition, a recent meta-analysis of the association between I62V and IPCV and/or NVAMD was performed from eight studies involving 5,062 subjects. The I62V polymorphism showed a significant association with IPCV.
A meta-analysis of 13 published studies proposed that patients who are homozygous for complement factor H (CFH) polymorphism Y402H experience a reduced response to anti-VEGF treatment (Chen et al., 2015). A direct relationship between VEGF and CFH was recently demonstrated where VEGF upregulated CFH expression and VEGF inhibition lead to a decrease in CFH expression in RPE cells (Keir et al., 2017). Mice who received anti-mouse VEGF treatment, showed a significant decrease in VEGF and CFH. This led to a 200-fold increase in retinal C3 RNA and increased C5b-9 expression suggesting that VEGF inhibition may contribute to complement activation (Keir et al., 2017). Furthermore, aqueous humor samples collected 48 hours after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab demonstrated a decrease in VEGF levels but an increase in C3a, C4a, and C5a levels (Keir et al., 2017).
Taken together, these findings may potentially indicate that although VEGF inhibition has potent anti-permeability characteristics, it may also contribute to complement activation by reducing CFH expression and therefore limiting its full therapeutic potential in improvement of vision in IPCV patients. By inhibiting the complement system with Zimura™ (or another anti-C5 agent) in concert with anti-VEGF therapy, novel biomarkers of combination drug activity and superior functional outcomes may be achieved.
Zimura™, a PEGylated RNA aptamer, is an inhibitor of complement activation. It inhibits C5, a central component of the complement cascade, which plays multiple roles in innate immunity and inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of this key step in the complement cascade at the level of C5 prevents the formation of key terminal fragments (C5a and C5b-9) regardless of which pathway (alternate, classical or lectin) induced their generation. The C5a fragment is an important inflammatory activator inducing vascular permeability, recruitment and activation of phagocytes. C5b is involved in the formation of MAC: C5b-9, which initiates cell lysis. By inhibiting these C5-mediated inflammatory and MAC activities, therapeutic benefit may be achieved in IPCV.
In a phase 1 ascending dose and parallel group clinical trial the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profile of multiple intravitreal injections of Zimura™ in combination with Lucentis® 0.5 mg was evaluated in subjects with Neovascular AMD.
Zimura™ was well-tolerated and no particular safety concerns were identified. No significant evidence of intraocular inflammation, retinal vasculitis, or choroidal vasculopathy was evident. One patient was noted to develop a mild cataract, which was considered to be related to study drug by the investigator; despite this event, the visual acuity improved in this patient during the study.
Visual acuity (VA) assessments were primarily safety assessments to detect any decrease in vision associated with the intravitreal injections. There were no safety issues identified through measurement of VA. Assessment of VA was focused on the treatment-naïve (TN) patient subgroup of 43 patients who had received 6 injections at doses of 0.3 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg. There was a mean increase in VA (number of ETDRS letters) from Baseline at all time points for patients in the 0.3, 1 and 2 mg dose groups in the TN subgroup who received 6 injections. At Week 24, there was an improvement in mean VA from Baseline of 13.6 ETDRS letters for the 0.3 mg dose group, 11.7 ETDRS letters for the 1 mg dose group and 15.3 ETDRS letters for the 2 mg dose group.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of patients in the TN subgroup (n=43 patients) gained ≥15 ETDRS letters at Week 24. This included 6 patients (46%) in the 0.3 mg dose group, 7 patients (47%) in the 1 mg dose group, and 9 patients (60%) in the 2 mg dose group gaining ≥15 ETDRS letters of VA.
A separate phase 1 study was also performed in subjects diagnosed with geographic atrophy (GA). In this study, a total of 47 subjects were enrolled, in the 0.3 mg dose arm (n=24) and 1 mg dose arm (n=23). Subjects received treatment with 3 initial intravitreal injections of Zimura™ 0.3 mg/eye or 1 mg/eye, administered at Day 0, Week 4 and Week 8 with a follow up visit at Week 16. Subjects received 2 subsequent injections at Week 24 and Week 36 followed by a final follow up visit at Week 48. Standard safety assessments were performed for ophthalmic variables that included VA, TOP, ophthalmic examination, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), Fluorescein Angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) together with adverse events (AEs), vital signs and laboratory variables.
Zimura™ was well tolerated and there were no AEs considered to be related to Zimura™. Fifteen subjects (32%) had AEs, predominantly Eye Disorder AEs in the study eye, assessed to be related to the injection procedure. The most frequently reported AEs were conjunctival hemorrhage (4 subjects, 9%), corneal edema (4 subjects, 9%), and dry eye (3 subjects, 6%). No other study eye AEs were reported by more than 2 subjects. The majority of AEs were mild or moderate in severity. There were 2 subjects with AEs of severe intensity: gastrointestinal inflammation and nasopharyngitis.
Vital signs and laboratory assessments did not show any particular clinically significant patterns or changes. Study eye ophthalmic examinations did not indicate any unexpected clinical findings. There were some transient findings post-injection (conjunctiva/sclera and cornea) that resolved prior to the next injection. Vitreous haze was also reported for a few subjects. Intraocular pressure (IOP) showed a small mean increase following injections but no indication of any cumulative increases.
VA assessments did not show any safety signals. There was suggestion of a drug exposure and dose related slowing of the rate of GA growth during the period of increased frequency of drug exposure (i.e. monthly dosing for 3 months) from Baseline to Week 24, as well as a suggestion of stabilized VA, including VA under low light conditions. The data supported further investigation of Zimura™ in larger clinical trials.
In another study, the safety and tolerability of Zimura™ intravitreal injection in combination with VEGF therapy was evaluated in subjects with idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV). Subjects included in the study were treatment experienced (prior treatment with anti-VEGF monotherapy of ≥8 injections in the previous 12 months) of either gender aged 50 years or above with diagnosis of IPCV. Subjects received 3 monthly intravitreal injections of Zimura™ (1 mg/eye) in combination with intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agent (Avastin® 1.25 mg/eye or Lucentis® 0.5 mg/eye or Eylea® 2 mg/eye).
A total of 4 subjects were enrolled in this clinical trial and all the subjects completed the study. None of the subjects had a VA loss of more than 15 ETDRS letters at Month 3. There were no deaths during the study. There was one SAE of endophthalmitis reported in 1 subject. The SAE resolved and was assessed to be related to the injection procedure. None of the ocular AEs were assessed to be related to Zimura™ or anti-VEGF treatment. The intravitreal administration of Zimura™ in combination with an anti-VEGF agent (Avastin®, Eylea®, or Lucentis®) in patients with IPCV was generally well tolerated.

Method for treating or preventing idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV)


A strapping machine feeds strapping material around a load, positions, tensions and seals the material around the load. The machine includes a work surface, a portion of which is upwardly pivotal. A conveyor mounted within the work surface has a friction belt drive. The conveyor roller closest to the strap chute has a middle portion that has a smaller diameter than the end portions. The portions are fitted together to rotate as a unitary element. A load compression assembly is mounted at the strap chute. A side squaring assembly aligns the load in the direction transverse to the load direction. A strap guide extends between a pre-feed assembly and the feed assembly and includes a fixed portion and a movable portion forming a guide path that is opened to access the guide path. An interlocked enclosure is mounted to the machine frame below the work surface to access the sealing head and the feed assembly.

The present invention is directed to an improved strapping machine. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a strapping machine having an improvements in conveyance and handling of loads in the machine and access to internal systems for maintenance.
Strapping machines are in widespread use for securing straps around loads. One type of known strapper includes a strapping head and drive mechanism mounted within a frame. A chute is mounted to the frame, through which the strapping material is fed.
In a typical stationary strapper, the chute is mounted at about a work surface, and the strapping head is mounted to a horizontal portion of the chute, below the work surface. The drive mechanism is also mounted below the work surface, near to the strapping head. The drive mechanism "pulls" or feeds strap material from a source, such as dispenser into the machine. The drive mechanism urges or feeds the strap through the strapping head, into and around the chute, until the strap material returns to the strapping head. The drive mechanism also retracts the strap material to tension the strap around the load.
It has also been found that it is often necessary to access the strapping head (and more specifically the weld head) by removing portions of the work surface. This may be necessary to dislodge misfed strap, to clear the strapping head or weld head, or for general maintenance or repair of the machine. Quite often, it is necessary to access the strap path (by moving the strap chute) at the weld head.
Often strapping machines are positioned or located in a product line such that the working surface of the strapper is at a higher elevation than a conventional work surface. In such instances, it can be difficult to open the various panels and the like to permit access to the internal portions of the machine. This is particularly the case with moving or removing the working surfaces of the strapper to access the strapping head and the feed/retraction mechanism.
Many such machines are employed in processes that maximize the use of fully automated operation. To this end, machines are configured for automated in-feed and out-feed, such that a load (to be strapped) is automatically fed into the machine by an in-feed conveyor, the strapping process is carried out, and the strapped load is automatically fed out of the machine by an out-feed conveyor. However, there may be times that loads are physically too small to be moved into the strapping area by known conveyors, or other times that loads come into the strapping area that are askew and require squaring or straightening, or may need to be compressed before being strapped.
Accordingly there is a need for an improved strapping machine that facilitates package or load handling and strapping. Desirably, such a machine facilitates the handling and strapping of loads that may otherwise be difficult to handle. More desirably, such a machine eases movement or removal of the work surfaces to access the internal portions of the machine.


The purpose of the present invention is to provide a biliary stent making it possible to sufficiently exhibit a valve function while reducing the entire length of the biliary stent as compared to conventional ones. The present invention is a biliary stent (1) including a stent body (10), a tubular membrane (30) on one end of the stent body (10) and having a bile outflow port (34), and two support members (40, 50) which at one end (42, 52) are connected to the one end of the stent body (10) and at the other end (44, 54) are connected to the vicinity of the bile outflow port (34).

As a surgical treatment for treating stricture or occlusion of a biliary tract, a 'biliary stent placement' is known, in which a radially expandable biliary stent is indwelled in a lesioned part. By performing the biliary stent placement, patency of the lesioned part in the biliary tract can be ensured and as a result, for example, remediation of obstructive jaundice symptoms can be achieved.
As biliary stents used for such a biliary stent placement, conventionally discussed biliary stents have a tubular stent body configured to be expandable and a membrane extending to protrude from one end of the stent body in a cylindrical manner (see, e.g., Patent Document 1). Conventional biliary stents are configured such that the membrane extends out toward a duodenum when being indwelled in a lesioned part of a biliary tract. The membrane is configured to allow bile flowed out from a gallbladder to be flowed toward the duodenum and also to prevent a backflow from the duodenum to the gallbladder. In this specification, a function of allowing bile flowed out from a gallbladder to flow toward the duodenum and also preventing a backflow from the duodenum to the gallbladder is referred as to 'valve function'.

PUBLIC UNIVERSITY CORPORATION NARA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY


An envelope (23) to be opened is moved along a tangent line to a rotating circular cutting edge (2), with the cutting edge (2) making an incision in a wall of the envelope (23). The envelope (23) is moved at a predetermined speed of transport which is different from the speed of revolution of the cutting edge (2). The cutting edge (2) moves in longitudinal direction along the material to be incised, so that a better cutting action is obtained. Each part of the material to be incised comes into contact with a large part of the cutting edge (2). As a result, the cutting action and the depth of incision are little affected by unroundness and eccentricity of the cutting edge (2). The cutting edge (2) wears uniformly because parts of the cutting edge (2) wear faster according as they project further from the axis of rotation (3). Also disclosed is an apparatus for practising this method.

This invention relates to a method for opening an envelope, in which the envelope is displaced in a direction of transport along a circular cutting edge rotatable in a plane parallel to the direction of transport and the cutting edge makes at least one incision in at least one wall of the envelope.
Such a method is known from Swiss patent specification 648 794. In this known method, the envelopes are heated by means of a spiral filament in the area where the incision is to be made, in order to remove or weaken a coating, if any, on the paper to be cut, so that the incision can be made with greater reliability. This solutions however, complicates the construction of the envelope opener considerably because special materials are necessary to obtain the required heat resistance in the area of the spiral filament and to avoid the envelope opener reaching so high a temperature in a large area around the spiral filament as to give rise to the risk of burns. A further disadvantage of this solution is that in the case where an envelope gets stuck at the location of the spiral filament, there is a danger of the contents getting singed or burnt. Due to the possibility of the envelope catching fire, the apparatus moreover constitutes a substantial fire hazard.

Method and apparatus for opening an envelope


An assembly for producing a threaded connection includes first and second tubular components with an axis of revolution and each provided at one end with at least first, second, and third continuous threaded zones provided in succession on the same helix on the outer or inner peripheral surface of the component depending on whether the threaded end is male or female. The components are capable of cooperating together upon makeup. At least one of the first, second, or third threaded zones has a variable width thread profile and is self-locking. The ends respectively finish in a free terminal surface. Each of the ends is free of a specific abutment surface. At least one sealing surface is provided between each of the adjacent threaded zones in order to cooperate in a sealed interference fit with a sealing surface provided on the corresponding end when the connection is made up.

The present invention relates to threaded connections for drilling and/or operating hydrocarbon wells, and more precisely optimizing the overall performance of a connection in terms of efficiency and seal when the connection works under compression/tension.
The term "threaded connections" means any assembly constituted by elements which are substantially tubular in shape, metallic and capable of being connected together by makeup with a particular view to constituting either a stem for drilling a hydrocarbon well, or a riser for maintenance (also known as a work-over riser), or for operating such a well, such as a riser, or a casing or tubing string used in operating a well.
Each tubular element comprises an end portion provided with a male threaded zone or a female threaded zone for making up with a corresponding end portion of an analogous element. When assembled, the elements make up what is known as a connection.
Such tubular threaded components of a connection are assembled under pre-set loads in order to respond to the interference fit and sealing requirements imposed by the service conditions. Furthermore, it should be noted that the threaded tubular components may have to undergo several makeup-breakout cycles, in particular when in service.
The conditions under which such threaded tubular components are used gives rise to an extensive range of mechanical loads which act on sensitive portions of those components such as the threaded zones, abutment zones or the sealing surfaces.
For this reason, connection design specifications are complex, requiring taking a number of parameters into account simultaneously. Thus, it is recommended that the efficiency of the connection be preserved, as well as the thickness of the zone of the tubular components which bears the sealing surfaces, and that the risks of displacing the sealing contact points when the connection operates under compression/tension should be minimized.
One type of solution has been developed through connections of the VAM HTF© type, which use two threaded zones between which are a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface provided at the lip of the male end. That design means that good stability of the first seal located between the threaded zones can be obtained, however the second seal is located on a very thin lip which renders the function of that seal vulnerable. In addition, when the connection operates in compression/tension, the second seal is not stable because of the alternating loads. Finally, the presence of a seal in the lip of the male end reduces the efficiency of the female end.
Another type of solution was also developed in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,982 A1. That type of connection has three staggered threaded portions, which means that the tapers of the three threaded zones are not coincident but are parallel. Between each of the threaded zones is a sealing surface and an abutment. However, positioning abutments adjacent to sealing surfaces weakens said surfaces because the abutments are zones which are under particular load when the amplitude of the loads is high. The threaded zones are not self-locking and exhibit gaps at the load flanks and/or the stabbing flanks. However, because of those gaps, the stability of the sealing surfaces is compromised when the connection operates in compression/tension.
One kind of solution was also developed with connections of the VAM Edge© type, which employ two self-locking threaded zones between which is a sealing surface. As was the case for the VAM HTF©, that design leads to good stability of the intermediate seal at the threaded zones, however the single sealing surface is insufficient in the case of a flush or semi-flush connection in order to resist both internal pressure and external pressure.

Assembly for producing a threaded connection for drilling and operating hydrocarbon wells, and resulting threaded connection


An exercise device includes a base member configured for engaging a surface of a mounting structure, a coupling system for coupling the base member to the structure, and at least one resistance member coupled to the base member. Each of the at least one resistance members includes a control member configured to be manipulated by a portion of a user. The mounting structure includes a first surface and an oppositely arranged second surface with the first surface facing towards the user and the second surface configured to engage the base member. The configuration of the base member relative to the mounting structure allows for at least a portion of a force applied to one of the resistance members to be transferred to the mounting structure.

Many exercise devices for use by the average consumer utilize resistive forces to work muscle. In particular, many exercise devices incorporate the use of resistance members such as elastic ropes or bands for application of these resistive forces. The resistance member may include one end securely coupled to a stationary structure and another end having a grip, handle, loop, or the like for a hand or foot of the user to engage. The user then moves the hand or foot to extend the resistance member against the resistive forces thereof. The resistance member may alternatively include a handle or grip at each end thereof wherein the user stretches the resistance member against the resistive forces thereof while the user grasps each of the opposing ends of the resistance member.
There are several drawbacks to the use of resistance members that are anchored at one end to a stationary structure. The position and orientation of the stationary structure may render it difficult for certain individuals to access such exercise devices. For example, a person restricted to a wheelchair or a hospital bed may be incapable of accessing such an exercise device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,162,809, a portable exercise device is disclosed that requires a user of the exercise device to sit on the exercise device in a manner wherein a weight of the user opposes the resistive forces of an extendable resistance member. However, such an exercise device disadvantageously requires a portion of the body of the user to apply a force to the exercise device during use thereof. Such an exercise device may not be suitable for use with a user having an injury or disability in a manner wherein the application of the opposing force is uncomfortable or likely to cause additional harm to the portion of the body of the user. Additionally, the requirement that the user sits on the exercise device greatly limits the possible applications for the exercise device.
Therefore, a need exists for an exercise device that allows a user to comfortably and conveniently perform one or more conditioning, strengthening, stretching, or rehabilitation exercises while overcoming the limitations of the prior art.


The present invention relates principally to the statistical analysis of protein separation patterns. Specifically, the invention provides a method of performing operations on protein samples for the analysis of separation patterns, the method including separating a plurality of protein samples to produce a plurality of respective separation patterns; forming a representation of each separation pattern; building an importance map by iteratively recording performance values of classification models against locations in the importance map which correspond to locations in representations of separation patterns of data points used to build the classification models; and processing the importance map to identify important areas. Parts of the map which include high performance values indicate regions of the separation pattern which are statistically important in predicting a classification of the pattern.

A proteome is a collection of proteins expressed by a genome at a particular moment. Proteomics is the study of proteomes in order to ascertain the differences between two different states of an organism, for example that of a healthy person and that of a person with cancer.
A preferred technique for separating proteins within a sample is two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In this technique, proteins held within a porous gel are separated in a first direction using isoelectric focusing, before being separated in a second direction using a technique known as SDS-PAGE.
Isoelectric focusing is a technique in which proteins are electrophoresed in a polyacrylamide gel in which a pH gradient is established. Each protein migrates to a point in the gradient that corresponds to its isoelectric point (pl), the pH at which the protein has no net charge.
SDS-PAGE is a technique in which proteins are solubilised using the detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), before being electrophoresed through a slab of polyacrylamide gel. Proteins migrate through the gel at a rate which is proportional to their molecular weight (MW).
The result of performing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis on a sample is a two-dimensional separation pattern.
A conventional method for analysing separation patterns as represented in FIG. 1 includes the following steps:—                Feature Detection 10
Detection of spots in a separation pattern. This step may involve correction for noise and background offsets. Often, different numbers of spots are detected in different patterns, resulting in missing spots.                Feature Mapping 12
Correspondences between spots in different patterns are identified, and indicated using a match vector joining the centres of detected spots in overlaid patterns. A warp is performed on the overlaid patterns to counteract geometric distortions of the gel.                Normalisation 14
The sum of all of the pixel intensities within a spot outline is the spot volume. This value is processed to produce a normalised volume which can be used to compare spot volumes between patterns.                Analysis 16
Certain criteria, for example the difference in size between corresponding spots in different patterns, are used to produce a list of interesting spots.
This conventional method has numerous disadvantages:—    1. Missing spots cause problems for statistical analysis of data.    2. Feature-based analysis introduces noise. Small differences in spot outline, background estimates, mapping etc can influence measured values.    3. The analysis step focuses on variance to differentiate groups. Subtle differences which may be used to differentiate classes may be overlooked because of high variance in other areas, which areas may not be useful in differentiating classes, and may be the result of noise.    4. Proteomics research usually involves supervised studies while many analysis techniques are unsupervised.    5. Basing the analysis on an increased number of samples exacerbates the problems of missing spots.    6. A large amount of information within the gels is discarded. The surrounding areas where no spots have been detected contain valuable information on background, noise and scaling that could be affecting the value of a measured spot.
A large proportion of supervised learning techniques suffer from having large numbers of variables in comparison to the number of class examples. With such a high ratio, it is often possible to build a classification model that has perfect discrimination performance, but the properties of the model may be undesirable in that it lacks generality, and that it is far too complex (given the task) and very difficult to examine for important factors.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a statistically sound framework for the analysis of bioparticle and biomolecular separation data.
It is further desirable to overcome some or all of the above-described problems.


A ventilator device and system comprising a rotating compressor, preferably a drag compressor, which, at the beginning of each inspiratory ventilation phase, is accelerated to a sufficient speed to deliver the desired inspiratory gas flow, and is subsequently stopped or decelerated to a basal flow level to permit the expiratory ventilation phase to occur. The ventilator device is small and light weight enough to be utilized in portable applications. The ventilator device is power efficient enough to operate for extended periods of time on internal or external batteries. Also provided is an oxygen blending apparatus which utilizes solenoid valves having specific orifice sizes for blending desired amounts of oxygen into the inspiratory gas flow. Also provided is an exhalation valve having an exhalation flow transducer which incorporates a radio frequency data base to provide an attendant controller with specific calibration information for the exhalation flow transducer. Stored, individualized compressor characterization information is used to control the acceleration and deacceleration of the rotating compressor.

A. Principles of Mechanical Ventilation
In many clinical settings mechanical ventilators are used to facilitate the respiratory flow of gas into and out of the lungs of patients who are sick, injured or anesthetized.
In general, mechanical ventilators provide a repetitive cycling of ventilatory flow, each such repetitive cycle being separated into two phases--an inspiratory phase followed by an expiratory phase.
The inspiratory phase of the ventilator cycle is characterized by the movement of positive-pressure inspiratory flow of gas through the ventilator circuit and into the lungs of the patient. The expiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle is characterized by cessation of the positive pressure inspiratory flow long enough to allow lung deflation to occur. The exhaled gas is vented from the ventilator circuit, typically through an exhalation valve. In patient whose lungs and thoracic musculature exhibit normal compliance, the act of exhalation is usually permitted to occur spontaneously without mechanical assistance from the ventilator.
It is sometimes desirable to control the airway pressure during exhalation to maintain a predetermined amount of positive back pressure during all, or a portion of, the respiratory cycle. Such techniques are often utilized to treat impairments of lung capacity due to pulmonary atelectasis or other factors.
The mechanical ventilators of the prior art have been grouped under various classification schemes, based on various criteria. In general, mechanical ventilators may be grouped or classified according to the parameter(s) which are utilized for a) triggering, b) limiting and c) terminating (e.g., cycling) the inspiratory phase of the ventilator cycle.
"Triggering" is the action that initiates the inspiratory phase of the ventilator cycle. The initiation of the inspiratory phase may be triggered by the ventilator or the patient. The variables and/or parameters which are utilized to trigger the beginning of the inspiratory phase include: time (i.e., respiratory rate), the commencement of spontaneous inhalation by the patient and/or combinations thereof.
"Limiting" of the inspiratory phase refers to the manner in which the inspiratory gas flow is maintained within prescribed ranges to optimize the ventilation of the patient's lungs. The limiting variables and/or parameters are typically controlled by the ventilator, but may change as a result of patient effort and/or physiologic variables such as lung compliance and airway resistance. The variables and/or parameters which are utilized for limiting the inspiratory phase include flow rate, airway pressure and delivered volume.
"Terminating" or "cycling" of the inspiratory phase of the ventilator cycle refers to the point at which the inspiratory flow is stopped and the ventilator and/or patient are permitted to "cycle" into the expiratory phase. Depending on the ventilator control settings, the termination of the inspiratory phase may be brought about by the ventilator or the patient. The variables and/or parameters which are utilized to terminate the inspiratory phase include: time; peak airway pressure; and/or tidal volume (V.sub.t).

Portable drag compressor powered mechanical ventilator


Embodiments of a method are disclosed for transmitting one or more videos provided by one or more video cameras disposed at a mobile object traveling along a pre-defined route. The method includes receiving the videos, bandwidth map data for multiple communication channels, travel time data for the mobile object, and service level agreement (SLA) parameters. The received video is transformed into multiple video layers. For each video layer, a transmission cost over the multiple communication channels is computed based on the bandwidth map data, the travel time data and the SLA parameters. Out of the multiple communication channels, a particular communication channel is selected for each video layer, which has the minimum transmission cost over the selected communication channel. The video layers are scheduled for transmission over the respective selected communication channels. The scheduled video layers are transmitted with respect to at least one of the SLA parameters.

On-board surveillance can be important to ensure security and safety of passengers in a vehicle. Such surveillance is particularly important for public transport vehicles, such as buses, trains, aircraft, ships, etc., since the co-passengers may not know each other. Typically, the surveillance video feeds from the vehicles are transmitted to a central monitoring station (CMS), where the video feeds are monitored and archived.
The related art includes wireless transmission of surveillance video for different kinds of vehicles. For example, wireless transmission of video surveillance has been proposed for aircrafts in [U.S. Pat. No. 8,325,232], for cars and trucks in [US Patent Publication No. 2004/0123328 A1], and passenger surveillance for cars in [US Patent Publication No. 2009/0290021] and [US Patent Publication No. 2012/0007981].

Layered video transmission over communication channels


Various embodiments of containers are described having child-resistant closures. The containers can include a body having at least one wall that at least partially defines a hollow interior portion into which goods or other products can be stored. A wall of at least one of the body and cap can include a set of apertures that collectively define a compression region, which acts a living spring to allow compression of the wall to permit seating of lugs or other projection within notches.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Child-resistant containers must meet certain regulatory guidelines. Traditional child resistance containers such as a medication bottle have a push down and turn style cap, where the container and cap are all made of plastic and a foam layer is utilized to create the child-resistant closure. U.S. Patent Publication number 2008/0223811 to Miceli et al. describes an exemplary embodiment of prior art child-resistant containers. However, such containers are often utilitarian in design, and have a number of components that must be manufactured and assembled to create the child-resistant container. In addition, some of the containers may not meet laws and regulations that have changed since they were first developed.
All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for improved child-resistance containers that eliminate the need for foam or other material to create the child-resistant closure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Child-resistant containers having embedded compression region


An image pick-up device for producing a synthesized image signal having a wide dynamic range by partially exchanging a plurality of image signals from a solid state image sensing element in an image synthesizing unit (41), said image signals being obtained by picking-up a subject moving on a bright background with different exposure amounts, including a synthetic unsuitable portion detecting unit (42, 44) for detecting a synthetic unsuitable portion by comparing said plurality of image signals picked-up with different exposure amounts, a synthetic unsuitable portion correcting unit (46, 48) for correcting a pixel signal of said synthesizing unsuitable portion to derived a corrected synthesized image signal, and a low pass filter (47) for combining said corrected synthesized image signal from said synthetic unsuitable portion correcting unit with said synthesized image signal from said image synthesizing unit to derive a corrected synthesized image signal. An image obtained from the corrected synthesized image signal is not influenced by the movement of the subject and does not cause any feeling of strangeness as compared with a conventional photographic image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pick-up device such as electronic still camera and digital camera including a solid state image sensing element, and more particularly to an image pick-up device which can produce an image signal having a wider dynamic range than that of a solid state image sensing element. The present invention also relates to a record medium having recorded thereon a computer readable program for controlling an imaging operation of the above mentioned image pick-up device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the image pick-up device of the kind mentioned above, since the solid state image sensing element has a relatively narrow dynamic range compared with a conventional photographic film, when a subject situating on a relatively bright background is to be picked-up under such an exposure time that the subject is picked-up with a proper exposure amount, the background might be picked-up with an overexposure amount and an image signal corresponding to the background might be saturated. On the other hand, when the subject is picked-up under such an exposure time that the bright background is picked-up with a proper exposure amount, the subject might be picked-up with an underexposure amount and might become too dark. In order to increase a dynamic range of the solid state image sensing element, it has been proposed a known image pick-up device, in which an object is picked-up twice with different exposure amounts, and the thus obtained two image signals are synthesized by simply adding these image signals each other or by partially exchanging or combining these image signals in a mosaic fashion.
In the former solution in which the two image signals obtained with different exposure amounts are synthesized by simply adding them, when a subject moves or a camera moves to produce a relative positional shift between successively picked-up two image signals, S/N is decreased at a portion which is subjected to the movement and pseudo-color or pseudo-edge might be produced in a synthesized image signal.
In order to remove such a problem, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication Kokai Hei 2-280585, it has been proposed to derive a synthesized image signal in such a manner that a difference between the two image signals is derived and an absolute value of said difference is subtracted from the synthesized image signal obtained by merely adding the two image signals. However, in this case, since the image shift portion in the synthesized image signal is removed by the subtractive correction, when a subject moves, a configuration of the subject within a synthesized image might be deformed, and therefore the synthesized image has a feeling of strangeness as compared with an image formed on a conventional photographic film.
The above problem also occurs in the later solution, in which the two image signals are synthesized by combining or exchanging them in a mosaic fashion. That is to say, as shown in FIG. 13, when a too bright portion B (e.g. background) in a first image A picked-up with a large exposure amount is replaced by a corresponding portion D in a second image C picked-up with a small exposure amount after adjusting a gain of said portion D to derive a synthesized image E, if a subject F moves from right to left in FIG. 13 during a time interval between successive image picking-up operations, a part of the subject F in the second image C picked-up with small exposure amount corresponding to the movement is also synthesized as a part G in the synthesized image E. Then, the subject is partially seen double, and therefore a feeling of strangeness remains.

Image pick-up device and record medium having recorded thereon computer readable program for controlling the image pick-up device


A syringe disposal system includes a frame body and a separation device which includes an upper cover that is mounted on the frame body and that is formed with a needle guiding port. A driving gear is rotatably mounted on the frame body below the cover. A driven gear is rotatably mounted on the frame body below the cover and is positioned parallel to the driving gear. The teeth on the driven gear mesh with the teeth on the driving gear. A container is disposed below the driving and driven gears. The syringe disposal system also includes a fragmentation device which includes an inclined cutting plate, which has an outer side that is fixed on the frame body and an inner side that extends downwardly and inwardly and that is formed with spaced cutting teeth. A cutting wheel is rotatably mounted on the frame body below the inclined cutting plate and has spaced rows of axially-aligned cutting teeth extending radially. The cutting teeth on each row are able to mesh with the cutting teeth on the inclined cutting plate. A receptacle is disposed in the frame body below the cutting wheel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medical waste disposal system, more particularly to a syringe disposal system.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally speaking, a conventional medical waste disposal system disposes a syringe without the separation of a needle from a barrel portion of the syringe. Thus, the needle and the barrel portion cannot be collected respectively for reuse. Such a method is not economical.


A solid-state image pickup apparatus having over solid-state image pickup device chip a hermetic seal portion comprising a flat-plate portion of a transparent member and a frame portion formed on a side portion of a lower surface of the flat-plate portion, said frame portion including a metal wiring, a bump formed on said solid-state image pickup device chip and electrically connected to the metal wiring, and a sealing region for sealing the periphery of the bump by a sealing material, thereby achieving the solid-state image pickup apparatus capable of being packaged in a relatively small size and capable of improving throughput and at the same time having a hermetic seal portion which can be readily electrically connected to an external terminal.

The present invention relates to solid-state image pickup apparatus and fabricating method thereof having a solid-state image pickup device chip packaged in CSP (chip size package), and more particularly relates to the construction and fabricating method of hermetic seal thereof.
In recent years, there has been an advancement in size reduction for example mainly of portable equipment and, as a result, a further downsizing is demanded also of the casing and inner circuit board therefor. Of those parts to be mounted on a circuit board, semiconductor devices are not excepted from such demands for downsized equipment, and their reduction in size is also required. The same can be said about solid-state image pickup devices which are among the semiconductor devices.
A packaging system as shown in FIG. 1 has generally been used for solid-state image pickup apparatus. In particular, a solid-state image pickup device chip 101 is die-bonded to a package 102 for example of ceramics and a bonding wire 103 is used to achieve predetermined electrical connections between the solid-state image pickup device chip 101 and package 102. The solid-state image pickup apparatus is then constructed by using a step portion 104 formed at an edge of package 102 to adhere a glass lid 105 thereto to achieve a hermetic seal with providing a space over the surface of the solid-state image pickup device chip 101. It should be noted that numeral 106 in FIG. 1 denotes an external lead.
In solid-state image pickup apparatus having such construction, use of package 102 and glass lid 105 for hermetically sealing the entire solid-state image pickup device chip resulted in an increased packaging size and thus had been difficult to be applied to the fields where smaller package size was required.
To eliminate such disadvantage, the present applicant had proposed solid-state image pickup apparatus constructed as disclosed in Japanese patent laid-open application Hei-7-202152. A sectional view of such solid-state image pickup apparatus is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2, only the light-receiving area on the solid-state image pickup device chip 101 is hermetically sealed by means of a sealing member which includes a flat-plate portion 107 made of a transparent member and a frame portion 108 integrally formed therewith at a side portion of a lower surface thereof. Glass, quartz, sapphire, transparent resin or the like is used as the transparent member for constituting the flat-plate portion 107. In the solid-state image pickup apparatus shown in FIG. 3, on the other hand, instead of integrally forming a hermetic seal portion, a flat-plate portion 109 and a frame portion 110 are adhered to each other to constitute the hermetic seal portion. Here frame portion 110 may be constituted by such inorganic materials as ceramics, glass, silicon or such metal as Kovar or 42-alloy. Further, it is also possible that an epoxy, phenol, or silicone resin may be printed or pattern-formed by photolithography on the surface of the solid-state image pickup device chip 101 to form the frame portion 110.
By constructing solid-state image pickup apparatus in this manner, a smaller size packaging thereof is possible and, especially in a solid-state image pickup apparatus having a micro-lens, the solid-state image pickup apparatus can be achieved without degrading the light converging capability of the micro-lens even when such optical components as a filter, lens, prism, etc., is adhered to the surface of the hermetic seal portion. Further, fabrication method has also become simpler, since hermetic seal portions can be formed at once for all of a large number of solid-state image pickup device chips in a wafer.
The previously proposed solid-state image pickup apparatus as described above, however, has the following problems to be solved. First, the structure of the integrally formed, hermetic seal portion as shown in FIG. 2 requires an integral forming of the hermetic seal portion having a flat-plate portion and a frame portion by using such transparent material as glass. Precision in processing is thus required and difficulties such as an increased amount of work in fabrication are foreseen.
Further, the method of constructing the hermetic seal portion by adhering flat-plate portion and frame portion to each other as shown in FIG. 3, especially the method of constructing the frame portion by means of a pattern forming of resin, requires the processing steps of forming a resinous pattern, i.e., application of the resin onto a wafer, printing or photolithography, developing and etching. There is thus a problem that the number of processing steps is increased.
Furthermore, a more serious problem presumably occurs with this technique when the solid-state image pickup apparatus has a micro-lens. This is because a micro-lens, usually, is formed also from a resin. For example, after applying a resin over the entire surface of a wafer, the processing steps of patterning and etching of the frame portion must be performed before the resin cures. If etching is performed before the curing of the resin, however, the resin capable of becoming the frame portion is also etched away similarly as the portion of resin to be removed and there is a possibility that a sufficient frame is not formed. If etched after the curing of the resin, on the other hand, though a desired shape for the frame is formed, there is a possibility that the micro-lens is etched away at the same time of the etching of the unnecessary portion of resin to be removed due to the fact that the micro-lens is also made of a resin.
Moreover, in those previously proposed including the packaging system as shown in FIG. 1, wire bonding must be performed to connect the I/O pad of a solid-state image pickup device chip and the electrodes of the package. An increased number of I/O terminals in the solid-state image pickup device chip results in an increase in the processing time of wire bonding for the I/O pad (terminals) and affects the throughput.
As the above, those previously proposed are with various problems in the construction of hermetic seal portion, even though smaller size packaging is possible and hermetic seal portions can be formed at once for all chips in the form of a wafer.

Solid-state image pickup apparatus having a hermetic seal portion and fabricating method thereof


The present invention is directed to a trailer receiver lock for locking a trailer hitch to prevent unauthorized use. An embodiment of the trailer receiver lock for locking a trailer hitch, wherein the trailer hitch includes a receiver and a hitch bar, may include a body including a locking mechanism and a pin member including a base. A first leg may extend from the base, wherein the first leg may include an end capable of insertion into an aperture in the receiver and an aperture in the hitch bar. A second leg may extending from the base, wherein the second leg may include an end capable of insertion into the body. The second leg may also include at least one engagement portion capable of engagement with the locking mechanism.

Historically, hitches mounted to a towing vehicle included fixed components permanently secured to the vehicle. The hitch body was bolted or welded to the vehicle and included a hitch ball fixed to the hitch structure. As hitch manufacturers developed more uses for their hitches, the fixed ball was replaced by a removable ball connected to a hitch bar that is inserted within a hitch receiver.
To prevent inadvertent removal of the hitch bar, a pin is inserted transversely through the hitch bar and receiver. Therefore, the hitch bar can be conveniently removed for interchange to a different insert associated with an accessory such as a cargo platform, bike carrier, ski rack, and the like. However, this freedom to interchange accessories also allows for unauthorized removal of the hitch bar from the receiver.
To prevent such unauthorized removal, various locks have been provided, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,260 and illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, hitch assemblies 10 may include a crossbar 12 extending parallel to the rear of the vehicle (not shown) and a receiver 14 secured to and extending perpendicular to the crossbar 12. The receiver 14 typically has a square cross-sectional configuration. The receiver 14 is adapted to receive an insert such as a hitch bar 16. To prevent withdrawal of the hitch bar 16 from the receiver 14 during transport, the receiver 14 and the male portion 18 of the hitch bar 16 include aligned apertures 20, 22 through which a pin may be inserted.
As shown in FIG. 1, conventional receiver locks 34 typically utilize a pin 30 having an enlarged end portion 32, and an intermediate pin section 36 configured to fit through the apertures 20, 22. The end portion 32 prevents the pin 30 from passing through the apertures 20, 22. The free end of the pin 36 includes a groove 38 that is capable of being engaged by a lock assembly 34 to prevent unauthorized removal of the hitch bar 16 from the receiver 14.
As shown in FIG. 1, the groove 38 has a smaller diameter than the intermediate section 36 and the end portion 32. Accordingly, application of a sharp force to the lock assembly can shear the weaker groove 38 of the pin 30. Therefore, the pin 30 can be removed and the hitch insert 18, along with anything connected to it, may be disconnected from the receiver 14.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved trailer receiver lock. Further, a need exists for a trailer receiver lock that provides increased strength.


Circuits, methods, apparatus, and systems for recovering a clock from a spread spectrum signal having a periodic modulation profile. The circuits generally include an error detector circuit configured to compare the spread spectrum signal and a recovered clock signal, and to produce a first error signal corresponding to the periodic modulation profile and a second error signal corresponding to phase differences other than the spread spectrum modulation, a record and playback unit configured to record a value to a frequency memory, said value based on the first error signal and produce a third error signal corresponding to a predicted periodic modulation based at least in part on the recorded value, and a signal generator configured to produce the recovered clock signal in response to the second and third error signals.

A clock and data recovery (CDR) loop is used to recover an embedded clock from an incoming data stream. In many communication systems, only a data signal is transmitted. The receivers in such systems must generally recover a clock signal from the data signal. Conventional CDR circuits are generally designed to recover a clock signal within a narrow, and generally constant, range of frequencies. However, spread spectrum clock (SSC) generation is being increasingly used in data communication. SSC is generally a form of frequency modulation. The instantaneous frequency may be represented as a function of time, and is usually a periodic function that may be characterized as a modulation profile.
Spectrum spreading is commonly used in radio frequency communication to facilitate high-resolution ranging, multiple access, jamming resistant waveforms, and energy density reduction. Spread spectrum clock generation has also been adopted in many high speed data communications standards, including the PCIe and SATA standards.
Spread spectrum clocking is particularly useful for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI). Electronic devices typically generate electromagnetic interference (EMI) when operating. The EMI generated by one electronic device may adversely affect the operation of another electronic device. In order to minimize adverse effects of EMI on other electronic devices, regulatory agencies in many countries have adopted standards which limit the amount of energy an electronic device may radiate at any given frequency.
Electronic devices frequently use a clock signal of some frequency for operation. In many such devices, relatively long traces or wires are used to route the clock signal to various integrated circuit (IC) components. These long wires or traces can act as antennas which, in turn, radiate energy at the clock signal frequency and (in many cases) its harmonics. Since antennas radiate more efficiently as wavelength becomes smaller with respect to antenna length, the amount of energy so radiated increases as the clock frequency increases. Consequently, in sophisticated electronic devices such as, for instance, personal computers, printers, cellular phones and peripheral devices, where clock frequencies are approaching gigahertz speeds, EMI is increasingly problematic.
When substantially all of a clock's energy is at one frequency, EMI energy may exceed regulatory limits at that clock frequency. Referring now to FIG. 1A, EMI profile 101 shows the emissions of a device at a substantially constant clock speed. A well known technique to reduce the peak EMI energy at the clock frequency (and its harmonics) is to use spread spectrum clock generation techniques to spread the energy across a part of the frequency spectrum. EMI profile 102 shows the reduced maximum emissions for a device with a spread spectrum clock.
Different modulation profiles can be used to achieve spread spectrum clocking, with varying results in terms of emission profiles. Referring now to FIG. 1B, emission profile 111 shows the emissions resulting from a non-linear optimized modulation profile (e.g., the modulation profile shown in FIG. 2B). Emission profile 112 shows the emissions resulting from a triangular modulation profile (e.g., the modulation profile shown in FIG. 2A). Emission profile 113 shows the emissions resulting from a sinusoidal modulation profile. Other periodic waveforms may be chosen by different implementers. Furthermore, different modulation waveforms may result from imperfect implementations of SSC generators. Therefore it is desirable to recover clocks from signals where the modulation profile is unknown or imperfect.
Spread spectrum clocking introduces some difficulties for CDR loop design. As data rates increase, communications performance is increasingly impacted by jitter in the locally recovered clock signal. At the same time, inter-symbol interference (ISI) and cross talk may also increase as the data rate increases. The local CDR circuit generally receives a noisier signal, and significant instants (for example, the zero crossing points of the waveform) may be blurred or otherwise adversely impacted by this interference and cross talk.
Referring now to FIG. 3A, a conventional CDR loop is shown. Phase detector 211 compares spread spectrum input signal 250 to recovered clock signal 255 to produce an unfiltered error signal 212. Loop filter 213 filters the error signal to reduce jitter, and provides a filtered error signal to signal generator 230. Signal generator 230 then generates the recovered clock from to the filtered error signal and (typically) a reference clock signal (not shown).
The error signal generated by phase detector 211 is generally a noisy estimate of the phase error (e.g., the error signal may comprise a desired error term and a noise term). The loop filter processes the phase error signal in order to generate a useful error while suppressing the effect of the noise as much as possible.
The bandwidth of the loop filter generally determines the range of error signal frequencies that the loop filter will pass. The value of this bandwidth typically has a direct impact on the performance of the CDR. For example, if the value of the loop bandwidth is large, the loop filter can pass a wide range of frequencies for the error signal. A wide loop bandwidth may therefore allow the CDR to track out large frequency errors (e.g., errors due to spread spectrum modulation of the input signal and frequency difference between the transmitter and receiver clocks). However, a loop with a wide bandwidth will also pass a wider portion of the noise spectrum, resulting in a noisy control signal for the signal generator and causing large phase jitter on the recovered clock.
In contrast, a small value for the loop bandwidth may limit the amount of noise that passes through the filter. The narrow loop bandwidth will generally result in a cleaner control signal for the signal generator. However, the drawback of using a narrow loop bandwidth is that the range of frequencies that the CDR loop can track is limited, thereby reducing its applicability to spread spectrum signals.
Another important design criterion for the loop filter is the order of the filter. FIGS. 3B and 3C, show conventional first-order and second order loop filters. Trade-offs between the frequency tracking capability and the noise filtering performance of the first order loop are typically made by adjusting Kp (e.g., at multiplier 261). SSC can make the first order loop unusable because of an unacceptably large frequency variation. When the frequency difference between transmitter clock and receiver clock is substantially constant, the second order loop generally separates frequency tracking and noise filtering by including a frequency loop (e.g., multiplier 265, adder 266 and delay 267). However, for SSC recovery where frequency varies in a periodic manner, the second order loop still suffers from tracking this frequency variation.
A need therefore exists for stable, reliable recovery of spread spectrum clock signals from spread spectrum data signals with good noise resistance at high data rates.

Circuits, methods, apparatus, and systems for recovery of spread spectrum clock


A treating solution for forming on a surface of either zinc or a zinc alloy a hexavalent-chromium-free trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating which has an even black appearance and satisfactory corrosion resistance. The treating solution has a long treating-bath life. Also provided is a method of forming a black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating. The aqueous treating solution, which is for forming a black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating on zinc or a zinc alloy, contains trivalent chromium ions, a phosphoric ester and/or phosphorous ester, and a sulfur compound. The method is a method of chemically treating zinc or a zinc alloy which comprises using the aqueous treating solution to chemically treat the zinc or zinc alloy at a solution temperature of 10-60° C., whereby a black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating is formed on the zinc or zinc alloy. Furthermore provided is a coated zinc or zinc alloy metal which comprises zinc or a zinc alloy and, formed thereon, a black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating formed by a chemical treatment with the aqueous treating solution.

Recently, a method using zinc or zinc alloy plating has been widely employed as a method for inhibiting corrosion of the surface of a metal. However, plating by itself will not provide a sufficient corrosion resistance, and thus a chromic acid treatment after plating, that is, a so-called chromate treatment, has been widely employed in industry. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that hexavalent chromium harms human bodies and the environment, and, as a result, moves to regulate the use of hexavalent chromium have gained momentum. An alternative to a coating film formed with hexavalent chromium is a rust preventive coating film in which trivalent chromium is used. For example, Patent Article 1 discloses a treatment method using a mixture of trivalent chromium, a fluoride, an organic acid, an inorganic acid and a metal salt such as cobalt sulfate. However, this bath has environmental problems since a fluoride is used in the bath. Meanwhile, Patent Article 2 proposes hexavalent chromium-free rustproofing in which a phosphoric acid, a salt of a metal such as Mo, Cr3+ or Ti, and an oxidant are used. However, in this method there is still a possibility that trivalent chromium will be oxidized into hexavalent chromium, because of using a large amount of an oxidant.
Patent Article 3 proposes a chemical conversion treatment in which phosphorus, a metal such as Mo, and trivalent chromium are used but no fluoride is used. However, as a result of our confirmation test, it was found that a satisfactory corrosion resistance could not be reproduced. In addition, Patent Article 4 discloses a treatment method in which 5 to 100 g/L of trivalent chromium, nitrate, an organic acid, and a salt of a metal such as cobalt are used. Since in this method concentrations of chromium and the like are high and the treatment is carried out at an elevated temperature, this method has the advantage that a thick film, and accordingly a good corrosion resistance can be obtained, but the disadvantage that a stable corrosion resistance cannot be obtained because of difficulty in forming a stable and dense film. In addition, the method is also disadvantageous in wastewater treatment since the treatment bath contains chromium in high concentration and a large amount of an organic acid is also used therein. In addition, as to the appearance of the film, only colorless and interference-color appearance can be obtained. In this connection, as to formation of a black trivalent chromium chemical conversion coating film on zinc-nickel (Ni % in the film is 8% or more) or zinc-iron, Patent Article 5 discloses a treatment method with an aqueous acidic solution containing a phosphorus acid compound and trivalent chromium. Meanwhile, as to formation of an interference-color trivalent chromium chemical conversion coating film on zinc-nickel (Ni % in the film is 8% or more), Patent Article 6 discloses a treatment method with an aqueous acidic solution likewise containing a phosphorus compound, trivalent chromium, and additionally halate ions. However, the Ni codeposition rate of much of actually produced zinc-nickel alloy plating falls below 8%, and thus these method have practical problems in obtaining a black appearance. Meanwhile, regarding zinc-iron alloy plating, a sufficient corrosion resistance has not been provided.
The treatment solution disclosed in Patent Article 7 developed by the present inventors provide a good black appearance and a good corrosion resistance more than comparable to chromate using hexavalent chromium. In addition, the present inventors evaluate that the treatment solution in Patent Article 8 or Patent Article 9 provides a poorer corrosion resistance but a better black appearance than conventional black chromate. However, these chemical conversion treatment solutions each have a problem of having a short treatment bath life since the treatment solution provides a reduced black appearance as zinc ions become accumulated in the treatment solution by being dissolved from zinc or zinc alloy on the surface of the treated substrate through chemical conversion treatment of the zinc or zinc alloy.
Patent Article 1: Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. Sho 63-015991;
Patent Article 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 10-183364;
Patent Article 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-54157;
Patent Article 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-509434;
Patent Article 5: U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,702;
Patent Article 6: U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,749;
Patent Article 7: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-268562;
Patent Article 8: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-187925; and
Patent Article 9: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-206872.

Aqueous treating solution for forming black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating on zinc or zinc alloy and method of forming black trivalent-chromium chemical conversion coating


A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a logic circuit to be tested; a memory connected the logic circuit to be tested; a BIST circuit for testing the memory; and a bypass circuit connected between the memory and the logic circuit and between the memory and the BIST circuit, the bypass circuit has a parallel test path for testing the logic circuit and the memory in parallel, and a signal line test path for testing non-tested signal lines in the parallel test path, and the bypass circuit selectively switches the parallel test path and the signal line test path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, and, more particularly, relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit including a Buit-In Self Test (BIST) circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a semiconductor integrated circuit with a built-in writable/readable memory, a method is known in which a fault is detected by testing the memory using a BIST circuit (memory BIST circuit). As shown in FIG. 14, a BIST circuit (memory BIST circuit) 30 generates memory write test data TD1, an address signal TA and a memory control signal TWEN, and sends this information to a memory 50. Memory read test data TQ1 is read out of the memory 50 in accordance with the memory write test data TD1, address signal TA and memory control signal TWEN. If the BIST circuit 30 is "comparator-based", the BIST circuit 30 compares the memory read test data TQ1 with an expected value generated in the BIST circuit 30 and determines whether or not the memory 50 is defective. Alternatively, if the BIST circuit 30 is "compactor-based", the BIST circuit 30 sequentially compacts the memory read test data TQ1, compares a final compacted result with an expected value which has been calculated beforehand, and determines whether or not the memory 50 is defective. Since the BIST circuit 30 is operated with only external clocks, it is possible to test the memory 50, without performing complicated controls.
Accordingly, it is easy to test the memory 50 by using the BIST circuit 30 in parallel with another test such as a test on a logic circuit 3.
For a test on the logic circuit 3, a scan test and a test using a logic BIST circuit are known. In the scan test, by using a scan design technique, a plurality of registers (flip-flops) in the logic circuit 3 are replaced by scan registers, and the scan registers are connected in series with each other, directly externally controlled, and observed. A test pattern can be made by regarding logic parts other than the registers in the logic circuit 3 as a combinational circuit, an output of which is uniquely determined by an input condition. On the other hand, the memory 50 connected with the logic circuit 3 sequentially operates and therefore cannot be regarded as a combinational circuit. Accordingly, the memory 50 is difficult to handle when making a test pattern.
Therefore, in general, as schematically shown in FIG. 14, a bypass circuit 40x is placed between the logic circuit 3 and the memory 50. The bypass circuit 40x propagates logic circuit test data D1 to D3 to bypass the memory 50, from an input of the memory 50 to an output thereof. In FIG. 14, an exclusive OR (logic circuit test data) D0 of the logic circuit test data D1 to D3 is transferred to the logic circuit 3 by using an exclusive-OR gate 52a. It is necessary to include switching circuits (multiplexers) 41x to 41z in the bypass circuit 40x which, when the memory 50 is tested, switch inputs to the memory 50 from the logic circuit test data D1 to D3 to the memory write test data TD1, address signal TA and memory control signal TWEN from the BIST circuit 30. Further, it is necessary to include a multiplexer 43x in the bypass circuit 40x, which switches inputs to the logic circuit 3 from system data to the logic circuit test data DO when the logic circuit 3 is tested and vice versa when normal operation is performed.
As shown in FIG. 14, in testing of the logic circuit 3, the logic circuit test data D1 to D3 from the logic circuit 3 are branched at the inputs of the multiplexers 41x to 41z, respectively, and, after passing through the exclusive-OR gate 52a and the multiplexer 43x, propagated to the logic circuit 3. On the other hand, in testing of the memory 50, the multiplexers 41x to 41z select the memory write test data TD1, address signal TA and memory control signal TWEN from the BIST circuit 30, respectively, and transfer this information to the memory 50. The memory read test data TQ1 is branched at the input of the multiplexer 43x and transferred to the BIST circuit 30. That is, the logic circuit test data D0 to D3 for the test on the logic circuit 3 pass along different signal lines from those for the memory write test data TD1, address signal TA, memory control signal TWEN, and memory read test data TQ1 for the test on the memory 50. Accordingly, it is possible to test the logic circuit 3 and the memory 50 in parallel and therefore to reduce time for the tests.
However, in the bypass circuit 40x, neither the logic circuit test data D0 to D4 for the test on the logic circuit 3 nor the memory write test data TD1, address signal TA, memory control signal TWEN, and memory read test data TQ1 for the test on the memory 50 pass along signal lines L11 to L13 and L17 between the multiplexers 41x to 41z and 43x, and the branching points on the inputs thereof, respectively. Accordingly, the signal lines L11 to L13 and L17 are left non-tested, and therefore the fault coverage is decreased.
In comparison with the bypass circuit 40x, in a bypass circuit 40y shown in FIG. 15, branching points to the exclusive-OR gate 52a and the memory 50 are provided at the outputs of the multiplexers 41x to 41z so that no signal line is left non-tested. Moreover, a branching point to the logic circuit 3 and the BIST circuit 30 is provided at the output of the multiplexer 43x. According to the bypass circuit 40y, if the logic circuit 3 and the memory 50 are sequentially tested, all the signal lines can be tested. In the bypass circuit 40, however, the logic circuit test data D1 to D3, and the memory write test data TD, address signal TA and memory control signal TWEN pass along the same signal lines L14 to 16, respectively. Further, the memory read test data TQ1 and the logic circuit test data D0 pass along the same signal line L18. That is to say, the signal lines are overlapped. Therefore, the logic circuit 3 and the memory 50 cannot be tested in parallel, and accordingly, test time cannot be reduced.


An electric lamp comprises a lighting module, a pin comprising an electric contact for powering the lighting module, and an insulating sleeve surrounding the pin and movable along the pin between a covering position and an uncovering position. Further, the sleeve covers the electric contact of the pin when in the covering position, and is retractable against the action of a biasing means to the uncovering position, in which the sleeve uncovers at least a portion of said electric contact of the pin.

Conventional tube lamps (fluorescent lamps) of the type having a two-pin connector at each end of the tube are, in steady-state operation, powered by a DC or AC electric current flowing between the connectors. The connectors are electrically disconnected until an arc has established in the tube. For this purpose, a starting procedure including preheating of the electrodes may be carried out by dedicated starting circuitry, which can be made inherently safe by being enabled only when the lamp is properly inserted into the fixture, so that live electric parts are always protected from touch. The starting circuitry may be of the switch-start/preheat, rapid-start or other type, and is commonly integrated in the fixture.
It is desirable to power a tube lamp retrofit in the same manner as the tube lamp it replaces, that is, by a current flowing between its end connectors. Depending on the internal circuitry of the lamp, potentially hazardous conditions may arise when the lamp is partially inserted or partially removed from the lamp fitting. Among the attempts to solve this problem, WO2009/067074 proposes a light emitting diode (LED) tube lamp having a power switch which is arranged to close the lamp circuit when two ends of the lamp simultaneously are inserted into the respective contact sockets. The power switch has two pressing members, which are arranged on each side of the contact pins. If the tube lamp is inserted slantingly into the contact socket, the power switch is actuated only by one of the pressing members, whereby a safety arrangement of guiding pins, grooves and stop heads prevents the power switch from closing the circuit. However, such a safety arrangement is technically rather complex.

Electric lamp with pin safety arrangement