A hybrid aircraft (1) having a fuselage (2) extending longitudinally along an anteroposterior plane of symmetry (PSYM) from the rear (4) of the aircraft (1) towards the front (3) of the aircraft (1). The aircraft (1) has a rotary wing (6) carried by the fuselage (2) of a lift surface (10) fastened to the fuselage (2) and constituted by a first half-wing (11) and a second half-wing (12). The aircraft (1) has a first propulsion unit (30) carried by the first half-wing (11) and a second propulsion unit (40) carried by the second half-wing (12). Each propulsion unit (30, 40) includes at least one tractor propeller (31, 32, 41, 42), and at least one propulsion unit has two propellers (31-32, 41-42) on the same axis, each of said propellers rotating about an axis of rotation (AX) that is offset transversely from said anteroposterior plane of symmetry (PSYM).

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rotary wing rotorcraft having a plurality of propellers, and to a method of optimizing such a rotorcraft.
The invention thus lies in the technical field of rotorcraft, and in particular of rotorcraft having a high forward speed and including at least one lift rotor and at least one propeller.
(2) Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a rotorcraft has a rotary wing that is carried by a fuselage. The rotary wing provides at least some of the lift of the aircraft, and possibly at least some of its propulsion. Such a rotary wing thus includes at least one rotor referred to, for convenience, as a "lift rotor".
Rotorcraft are also known that have both a rotary wing and a fixed wing carrying at least one propeller arranged beside a fuselage. For example, two propellers may be arranged on either side of the fuselage. For this purpose, each propeller is carried by a half-wing extending transversely from the fuselage of the aircraft.
The propellers then contribute to propelling the aircraft. Furthermore, the propellers can generate torque on the fuselage in order to balance the torque from the main rotor and in order to control yaw movement of the aircraft.
Such a rotorcraft is thus referred to as a "hybrid" aircraft for convenience insofar as a rotary wing is associated with at least one propeller and with at least one fixed wing.
Such hybrid aircraft are particularly advantageous. The use of propellers makes it possible in particular to achieve high forward speeds and to cover considerable distances.
Nevertheless, making a hybrid aircraft can raise difficulties in terms of design dimensions.
The aircraft must present a safety distance between the propellers and the rotary wing, and also between the propellers and the ground. Under such circumstances, it can be difficult to arrange propellers that are suitable for maximizing the performance of the aircraft.
Ground clearance between the ground and propellers that are relatively large may turn out to be marginal in terms of the aircraft having an acceptable roll angle on the ground.
In the process of designing an aircraft, the rotary wing is given dimensions to ensure adequate lift. The rotary wing of a hybrid aircraft (like that of a helicopter for example) then exerts a yaw torque on the fuselage.
In order to compensate that torque, the manufacturer needs to find a good compromise between the diameter of the propellers and the distance between the propellers and the axis of the aircraft. Nevertheless, the blades of a rotary wing tend to flex while they are in use, in particular during stages of take-off and landing. The amount of flexing increases with increasing distance from the axis of rotation of the rotary wing. This phenomenon is additional to the flapping movement of the blades.
Consequently, by locating the propellers of a hybrid aircraft far away from the fuselage, the distance between a propeller and the blades of the rotary wing is reduced. This distance is referred to as "rotor clearance" by analogy with the term "ground clearance", which designates the distance between a member of the aircraft and the ground when the aircraft is standing on the ground.
A manufacturer thus tends to space each propeller away from the fuselage, while also locating it closer to the ground in order to maintain an acceptable amount of "rotor clearance".
In order to obtain an acceptable compromise in the design of the aircraft, the manufacturer can thus increase the lift generated by the rotary wing, and can locate the propulsion propellers further away from the fuselage by bringing them closer to the ground.
Nevertheless, by bringing the propellers closer to the ground, the angle of inclination of a straight line passing through a low point of a propeller and a point of contact of the landing gear with the ground is made smaller. In other words, the acceptable roll angle on the ground for the aircraft is made smaller.
Consequently, in order to maintain an acceptable roll angle, the manufacturer may modify the height of the fuselage above the ground in order to increase the ground clearance of the propeller. The roll angle is thus increased.
The manufacturer may also provide outriggers close to the propellers in order to avoid a propeller making contact with the ground.
An outrigger is a piece of landing gear located under a wing. Outrigger technology can lead to difficulties, e.g. requiring the wing carrying the propellers to be reinforced and increasing the overall weight of the aircraft.
In order to compensate for a loss of stability resulting from this increased height, the width of the fuselage is optionally also significantly increased, thereby also leading to an increase in weight.
Nevertheless, the hybrid aircraft then presents a fuselage of large frontal area. For convenience, the term "frontal area" is used to designate the area of the fuselage that comes into contact with air as a result of forward flight. The resulting increase in the drag of the hybrid aircraft then runs the risk of degrading its performance.
In this context, the invention thus lies in the narrow technical field of rotorcraft having both a rotary wing and propellers, and it seeks to avoid such degraded performance.
In the technological background remote from the technical field of the invention, airplanes are known presenting a so-called "push-pull" configuration. It can be understood that an airplane does not form part of the technical field of the invention insofar as an airplane is not subjected to constraints resulting in particular from arranging a rotary wing.
Such an airplane has two propellers arranged one behind the other in an anteroposterior plane of symmetry of the airplane. More precisely, the airplane has a tractor propeller, also referred to as a "forward-mounted" propeller, and a pusher propeller, also referred to as a "backward-mounted" propeller. A tractor propeller faces towards the front of the aircraft while a pusher propeller faces towards the rear of the aircraft. Both propellers then generate thrust towards the front of the aircraft.
That push-pull concept seeks to minimize the drag generated by the two propellers by placing one behind the other. Furthermore, that concept seeks to make it easier to fly the airplane in the event of one of the propellers failing. That concept requires the propellers to be positioned in a central plane in order to avoid destabilizing the aircraft in the event of a failure of one propeller.
Under such circumstances, the push-pull concept does not provide any teaching for solving problems associated with ground clearance and with rotor clearance in a hybrid aircraft.
Reference may also be made to Documents U.S. Pat. No. 1,509,344 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,427, for example. Document DE 4 443 731 also describes an engine with twin propellers arranged in the plane of symmetry of an airplane.
Document FR 875 648 describes a multi-engined airplane seeking to leave clear the nose of the fuselage. That airplane has a tail propeller, and possibly two engine-and-propeller units in tandem. That document does not mention the problems of ground clearance and rotor clearance, and it therefore does not lie in the technical field of the invention.
Also known are the following documents: U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,277 and JP 2001/071998.

Rotary wing rotorcraft having a plurality of propellers


A printing device is provided with a printing module, an amount detecting module which detects a remaining amount of the printing material, and a first value determining module. If the remaining amount of printing material is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the first value determining module determines a maximum value of a density range, within which a print density is to be set for printing, to be a smaller value than a maximum value of the density range when the remaining amount of printing material is larger than the predetermined amount. The printing device also includes a print density changing module configured to change the set print density to be equal to or less than the maximum value determined by the first value determining module if the set print density is greater than the maximum value determined by the first value determining module.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing device which executes printing on recording media.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, when a printing device prints on a recording medium, a printer driver is used to define a print density, and printing is executed. Specifically, the printer driver is set up by a user so that the print density is defined within a prescribed possible density range. Further, the printing device typically allows the user to select one of two operation modes: a normal mode where printing is executed with a print density which is within a normal density range; and a toner saving mode where printing is executed with a print density within a toner saving density range which is a lower range than the normal density range. An example of such a printing device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Provisional Publication No. HEI 11-99728.
The conventional printing device may be configured such that the toner saving density range is lowered in comparison with the normal density range by a predetermined amount regardless of a remaining amount of toner. In such a case, quality of the printing results is also lowered.

Printing device having plural print density range settings


A stator vane assembly for a turbomachine comprising a plurality of circumferentially arranged stator vanes (32), the axial position of the stator vanes (32) and/or the pitch angle circumferentially between adjacent stator vanes (32) is varied circumferentially around the stator vane assembly. The stator vane assembly reduces the pressure distortion upstream of the fan outlet stator vanes (32), reduces the circumferential pressure variation and this reduces blade forced response excitation, noise generation and aerodynamic losses.

A turbofan gas turbine engine comprises a fan carrying a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending fan blades arranged to rotate within a fan duct defined by a fan casing. The fan casing is supported from a core engine casing by struts extending radially across the fan duct from the fan casing to the core engine casing and the engine is carried by a pylon which is secured to the core engine casing. The pressure non-uniformity is particularly strong in the fan duct due to the pylon and struts which extend radially across the fan duct and also due to a fairing for a radial drive shaft which extends radially across the fan duct and which may be located at the bottom of the gas turbine engine. These obstacles, the pylon, the struts and the fairing, generate circumferentially varying pressure levels, which may result in fan blade forced response excitation, noise generation and an increase in aerodynamic losses.
Conventionally fan outlet stator vanes are arranged axially between the pylon and the fan blades and the fan outlet stator vanes have been arranged to minimise the forcing on the fan blades.
It is known to arrange the fan outlet stator vanes such that some of them are over cambered and some of them are under cambered.
It is known from our UK patent GB1291235 to arrange the leading edges of the fan outlet stator vanes in a helical arrangement between struts.
It is known from our published UK patent application GB2046849A to arrange the fan outlet stator vanes axially upstream of the struts and to provide an asymmetric shape on the leading edge of the strut.
It is known from our published European patent application EP0942150A2 to arrange the fan outlet stator vanes between the struts, to arrange all the leading edges in the same plane and to vary the circumferential position of the fan outlet stator vanes between the struts.
It is also known from published International patent application WO9301415A to arrange alternate vanes at a first axial position and the remainder of the vanes at a second axial position.


Provided is a high-molecular weight high-ortho novolak type phenolic resin excellent in handleability, heat resistance characteristics, curability and electric characteristics suitable for various uses and superior in balance of properties. This high-molecular weight high-ortho novolak type phenolic resin is a condensate of a trifunctional phenol compound with an aldehyde compound, is soluble in solvents, has a weight-average molecular weight of 50,000 or more calculated by polystyrene standard, has methylene bonds at ortho-ortho position in respect to phenolic hydroxyl group in an amount of 55% or more based on total methylene bonds, and has an extraction water electric conductivity of 10 .mu.S/cm or less.

The present invention relates to novolak type phenolic resins, and particularly to high-molecular weight novolak type phenolic resins which are very low in content of ionic impurities, high in proportion of methylene groups bonded at ortho--ortho position, and are soluble in solvents, and thus are excellent in handleability, curability, electric characteristics, and heat resistance characteristics and suitable in a wide variety of fields such as molding materials, epoxy resin curing agents, photoresist resins, base resins for carbon materials, thermoplastic resin modifying agents, rubber compounding, etc.
Conventionally known novolak type phenolic resins include those of random novolak type in which methylene groups bond at ortho-position and para-position at nearly the same ratio and those of high-ortho novolak type in which methylene groups bond predominantly at ortho-position. Random novolak type phenolic resins are usually obtained by subjecting a phenol compound and an aldehyde compound to addition condensation reaction using a known organic acid and/or an inorganic acid as a catalyst at 100.degree. C. for several hours under normal pressures, followed by dehydration and removal of unreacted monomers. High-ortho novolak type phenolic resins are usually obtained by subjecting a phenol compound and an aldehyde compound to addition condensation reaction using a metallic salt catalyst such as zinc acetate, lead acetate, zinc naphthenate or the like in weakly acidic state, allowing the dehydration condensation reaction to proceed directly or with further addition of an acid catalyst, and, if necessary, removing unreacted materials. (See, for example, JP-A-55-90523, JP-A-59-80418, and JP-A-62-230815.)
The random novolak type phenolic resins have the problems that they are low in speed of curing with e.g. hexamethylenetetramine, and the high-ortho novolak type phenolic resins obtained using metallic salt catalysts have the problems that metallic ions are contained in the resulting resins and cured products of the resins are inferior in characteristics such as heat resistance, water resistance and electrical insulation, and thus they cannot be used in electrical and electronic fields which hate particularly incorporati on of ionic impurities.
Recently, further improvement in heat resistance characteristics, precision and handling workability is demanded for various uses, and as for phenolic resins, increase of molecular weight, uniformalization of molecular structure and high purification have been intensively investigated.
However, when trifunctional phenol compounds are used as the phenol compounds, novolak type phenolic resins obtained by the above processes have a weight-average molecular weight of about 15,000 at the most.
Recently, high-ortho novolak type phenolic resins obtained by reacting a trifunctional phenol compound with an aldehyde compound for a long time in a nonpolar solvent such as xylene have been reported. (For example, JP-A-6-345837). However, average-molecular weight of the resulting resins is about 3,000-40,000, which is still insufficient.
As other high-molecular weight resins obtained using trifunctional phenol compounds, there are known those obtained by adding a phenol compound to greatly excess amounts of hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde (for example, JP-A-57-177011). However, the resulting resins have methylol group and are not novolak type phenolic resins in a strict sense, and, furthermore, they are partially or completely insoluble in solvents, resulting in severe restriction in their use.
As other high-molecular weight novolak type phenolic resins, many examples of resins obtained using, as the phenol compounds, bifunctional phenol compounds such as o-cresol, p-cresol, p-nonyl phenol, and p-tert-butyl phenol are reported. (For example, Narasaki's, "Kogyo Kagaku Zasshi", Vol.66, P391-395 1963, JP-A-50-136393, JP-A-56-92908, JP-A-56-103215, JP-A-57-187311, JP-A-60-260611, and JP-A-61-12714). However, these resins obtained using such bifunctional phenol compounds cannot be completely cured thereafter.
At present, there are no novolak type phenolic resins which can satisfy the demands in various uses, for example, easy handleability in all uses, less ionic impurities and high heat resistance of the cured products in the use of epoxy resin curing agent, excellent curability and high heat resistance and electric characteristics in the use of molding materials, compatibility with rubber and great increase of rubber hardness in the use of rubber compounding.
The object of the present invention is to provide resins which are suitable for various uses such as molding materials for electric and electronic fields, curing agents for epoxy resins, laminates, base resins for carbon materials, and rubber compounding, and cured products of which are excellent in water resistance, heat resistance characteristics and electrical insulation and which can satisfy all of increase of molecular weight, solubility in solvents, high purification, and uniformalization of molecular structure which could not be simultaneously satisfied by the conventional novolak type phenolic resins.

High-molecular weight high-ortho novolak type phenolic resin


An LED actuating device comprises an LED actuating module, the LED actuating module comprises a micro-programmed control unit (MCU), a VF-value detection module, an actuator and an LED lamp unit; the MCU receives the VF value detected by the VF-value detection module; when the VF value is greater than or equal to a first boundary value, the LED lamp unit is actuated to operate in the constant current area at the first constant actuating current by the actuator; when the VF value is less than the first boundary value, the LED lamp unit is actuated to operate in the regulation area at the continuous step-down actuating current by the actuator until the VF is equal to the second boundary value, and the second boundary value is less than the first boundary value.

An LED semiconductor luminescent device comprises a semiconductor light-emitting diode (LED), a nixie tube, a symbol tube, a *-shaped tube and a dot-matrix display screen (hereinafter referred to as a "matrix tube"), etc. In fact, each light-emitting unit in the nixie tube, the symbol tube, the *-shaped tube and the matrix tube is a light-emitting diode.
The performances of an LED are determined by parameters and some key parameters related to the LED are as follows: (1) Allowable power dissipation Pm, which refers to the maximum value of the product between the forward DC voltage allowed to be applied on both ends of the LED and the passing-through current. If the value is exceeded, the LED becomes hot and damaged. (2) Maximum forward DC current IFm, which refers to the allowable maximum forward DC current. If the value is exceeded, diodes can be damaged. (3) Inverse peak voltage VRm, which refers to the allowable maximum inverse peak voltage. If the value is exceeded, the light-emitting diode can be broken down and damaged. (4) Operating environment (topm), which refers to the range of the environment temperature for normal operation of light-emitting diodes, and if the operating environment is beyond the temperature range, the light-emitting diodes cannot operate properly, with the efficiency greatly reduced. (5) Forward operating current If, which refers to the forward current value when the light-emitting diode operates normally. In actual use, the IF should be selected below 0.6 IFm as required. (6) Forward operating voltage VF: the working voltage given in the parameter list is achieved in the given forward current and usually measured when IF=20 mA. The light-emitting diode has forward operating voltage VF at 1.4˜3V. When the external temperature rises, the VF decreases. (7) V-I characteristics: the relationship between voltage and current of a light-emitting diode is that the forward voltage is just less than a certain value (called as a threshold value), the current becomes extremely low and the diode cannot be lighted up. When the voltage exceeds the value, the forward current rises rapidly along with the voltage, and the light-emitting diode is lighted up.
Currently, at home and abroad, the LED is actuated by means of constant voltage or constant current; no matter under numerical control or simulation control, when a constant-current and constant-voltage LED actuating power supply is equipped to actuate the LED lamp unit, the constant-voltage or constant-current control technology is adopted during operating no matter how great the VF value of the LED lamp unit is changed, the output voltage and current coincide with the rate value of the lamp unit; the VF values are different for different LED lamp units from different manufacturers, especially the VF value consistency is much poorer for the LED lamp units from those of the factories with a less advanced packaging technology, and after lamp beads completely different in the VF value consistency constitute a lamp unit, with the rising of the LED working temperature, the VF value changes and begins to drift and decrease at the impact of the temperature, but the existing LED power supply sources all have a constant voltage or constant current, so it is completely impossible to adjust the output current and voltage according to the serious drift of the VF value when the LED lamp unit is exposed to a high temperature, thus forcing the LED lamp unit to operate under the condition of low VF voltage and constant current. As a result a direct negative impact that the PN-junction temperature of the LED will continue to rise to speed up light depreciation, flickering and life shortening of the LED lamp unit is brought.
For example, in time of constant-current actuating: when the output voltage and current of an LED actuating power supply is 36V and 2.4 A respectively, the output power should be 86 W; when the temperature rises and the VF value falls, the output voltage will then have tiny changes: 30V, 2.4 A, the output power is 72 W, and the LED lamp unit temperature continues rising to cause the continuous deceasing of the VF value due to the constant-current 2.4 A actuating, while the actual luminous flux of the LED lamp unit is greatly reduced due to lowering of the VF value, and light depreciation, flickering and color temperature deviation of the LED lamp beads can be speeded up when a constant current passes through. In time of constant-voltage actuating: when the output voltage and current of the LED actuating power supply is 36V and 2.4 A respectively, then the output power should be 86 W; when the temperature rises and the VF value decreases, the feedback regulation function of the constant-voltage actuator adjusts the output voltage to 36V, the output current rises to 2.6 A instead, and the output power also rises to 93.6 W, the continuous rising of the PN-junction temperature of the LED lamp unit results in continuous decreasing of the VF value. Moreover, at the moment, the feedback regulation constant-voltage function of the constant-voltage circuit causes the current to further rise, and the power continuously is kept out of limits, which results in burning of the LED lamp unit.


An onboard washing system provides the ability to wash specific areas at the rear of a concrete truck, without requiring an operator to climb a ladder or climb on the truck. Certain specified areas which are traditionally difficult to wash, including the inside of the charge hopper, the interior portions of the discharge chute, and rear portions of the mixing drum structure, can now be washed in an automated and efficient manner. The truck-mounted washing system has components which are specifically positioned to cause washing fluid (water) to be sprayed or directed toward predetermined areas in an efficient and effective manner. The system also includes hand-held washing wands or washing mechanisms, which allow an operator to easily reach additional zones or additional areas at the rear of the truck, which are lower. Most significantly, the truck-mounted wash systems and the hand-held nozzle systems (wand) are all operable while an operator remains on the ground.

This application relates to mixing trucks traditionally used to carry concrete or ready mix (hereinafter "concrete"). More specifically, this application relates to an onboard washing system, which allows an operator to wash certain parts of the mixing truck after the concrete has been unloaded, while remaining on the ground. By having this system on the truck, there is no need for an operator/driver to climb ladders or other structures on the truck to carry out cleaning operations. This eliminates one possible source of injury, allows for removal of the ladder from the back of the truck, saves time for the operator, conserves water and saves/reduces weight.
Mixing trucks are widely used to transport and deliver concrete to construction or work sites. These trucks traditionally include a mixing drum, which is mounted on the rear of the truck in an angled manner to allow the mixing or stirring of cement, and discharge/delivery when desired. In operation, the truck is traditionally loaded in two different ways: (1) the mixing drum is loaded with dry materials, including dry concrete, aggregate material, and subsequently water is added, thus allowing the concrete to be mixed within the mixing drum, or (2) the drum is loaded with pre-mixed concrete at a ready-mix plant. In either case, the rotating operation of the mixing drum will mix materials, and/or will agitate/stir the concrete materials. The concrete is thus maintained in a non-hardened format until delivery/wash.
Once at the job site, the mixing drum reversed, causing the transported concrete to be discharged as desired. As is well recognized, this typically involves the concrete being fed from the drum opening, through a collection chute, and a delivery chute. The delivery chute is traditionally movable, and can be oriented or moved as desired to accommodate delivery.
Loading of the concrete truck, using either of the above-referenced methods involves the use of a charge hopper, which is traditionally mounted at the rear of the cement truck, adjacent the open end of the mixing drum. While the charge hopper can take on many shapes or forms, it is generally a funnel-like device, which will direct materials into the interior of the mixing drum.
As is also well known, the loading, mixing, and delivery of concrete is a messy process and allowing concrete to harden on or within the truck is very undesirable. Consequently, it is essential for the longevity of the equipment that concrete residue be washed or removed after the concrete has been delivered. If such residue is not removed, it quickly hardens and can cause all necessary equipment to operate inefficiently, adds weight, or cause many different equipment failures.
Traditionally, cleanout or washing operations are carried out by the operator shortly after the truck is filled or charged, and then again after delivery of the transported concrete. To accommodate cleaning, the truck will carry a water tank or water supply, and related hoses. Pressure is supplied to the water tank at a relatively low level, which allows water to be easily pumped into the clean-out hoses. After filling of the drum, the operator will usually climb an adjacent ladder (mounted at the rear of the truck) and use a hand-held spray nozzle to clean the charge hopper and various interior surfaces of the mixing drum. As the charge hopper and mixing drum are traditionally situated several feet off the ground, and have upwardly extending openings, the operator is required to climb ladders, or climb on the truck in some way, to reach the necessary locations. Some surfaces of the charge hopper and drum can be reached by spraying water while on the ground, but many of the critical surfaces cannot. Thus, climbing the back of the truck is the only way to access the portions of the change hopper and drum which need cleaning. After delivery it is necessary to wash the collection and delivery chutes. As will be anticipated, it is easier to wash these from the ground, but washing of some surface may require the operator to climb the ladder. For example, the interior surfaces of the collection chute can be challenging to access. Unfortunately, having operators climb on equipment and/or ladders creates an additional risk of harm or injury, which is clearly an undesirable circumstance. Consequently, any mechanisms or approaches that avoid having the operator climb on equipment is beneficial.
As mentioned, water tanks are traditionally carried on the truck itself. This water can be used for mixing operations, or any necessary re-wetting of concrete within the mixing drum. Additionally, the water can be used for the above-mentioned washout procedures or any other washing needs (e.g. cleaning of tools used during preparing or spreading concrete.) That said, it is desirable and efficient to carry water tanks which provide an optimum volume of water (enough water to carry out operations, without requiring excess or unnecessary capacity.) Obviously, unreasonably large water tanks increase weight and require space accommodations when designing the truck.
Based upon the above considerations, it would be desirable to provide a washing system which is easily capable of cleaning multiple surfaces in an efficient manner, without requiring an operator/driver to climb on ladders or related equipment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed herein are methods for neurostimulation therapy for spinal cord injury. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for neurostimulation therapy for spinal cord injury. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for providing multiple independent, simultaneous waveforms in neurostimulation therapy while minimizing or substantially eliminating undesirable interactions between the waveforms.

Serious spinal cord injuries (SCI) result in partial (incomplete) or substantially complete loss of sensory motor function below the level of the spinal lesion. For individuals with incomplete loss of motor function, substantial recovery of standing and stepping recovery has been demonstrated with task specific physical rehabilitation training. Recently, task specific physical rehabilitation training has been combined with epidural stimulation (ES) of the spinal cord in patients with incomplete and complete motor paralysis. High density epidural stimulating electrode arrays can provide spatially selective stimulation to regions of the spinal cord to facilitate or cause muscle movement.
SCI and other conditions may benefit from the delivery of stimulus intended to enable or excite multiple neurological responses using an implantable neurostimulator. A targeted neurological function, such as blood pressure, may respond to a particular electrical stimulus or waveform at a specific location, amplitude, frequency, pulse width or a combination thereof. Other functions, such as muscle flexon, may require a different waveform to produce the desired response. For situations where multiple neurological functions need to be stimulated at the same time, the different stimulus signals may interfere and prevent the desired responses or even cause an undesired and potentially dangerous overstimulated condition.
The circuit shown in FIG. 1 is a simplified model of four electrodes being stimulated using two different waveforms for neurostimulation. A first waveform connects to electrode pair 4 and 3, while a second waveform connects to electrode pair 2 and 1. Node R is common to all electrodes, since all electrodes are in a common conductive medium, e.g., tissue and fluid. Interactions between each pair of electrode sets or waveforms can occur when electrodes are not isolated from connecting circuits. These coupled interactions between waveforms with overlapping pulses can add constructively or destructively to each other, depending upon if each pulse is in the charging or discharging phase. Moreover, this situation of overlapping pulses from multiple and simultaneous waveforms will result, at minimum, in undesired stimuli and could result in larger than intended and potentially dangerous stimuli from constructive interference in scenarios where the overlapping pulses add together. Overlapping pulses can also interfere destructively, which will limit the expected waveform amplitude delivered to the nerves. Overlapping pulses can also make charge balancing very complicated, as a clinician may not know the exact behavior of interactions between pulses. This scenario of overlapping pulses may occur routinely if each waveform is allowed to independently vary in frequency and pulse width.
The common approach in the industry for managing interaction between waveforms is to not allow overlap of stimulus pulses between electrode pairs or sets. One product, the Precision Spectra™ stimulator offered by Boston Scientific, allows for independent variation of the frequency and pulse width for up to four simultaneous waveforms. The product, as understood by the inventors, manages interactions between waveforms by detecting waveform overlap, defined as pulses within 3 milliseconds (ms) of each other, and if detected, automatically delaying one the pulses by 3 ms. This approach has several shortcomings, including (1) no user understanding of the effect this pulse delay has on the frequency change of the waveform—the more overlapping pulses are delayed, the greater the effect on the frequency change of the waveform—or even which waveform was affected, (2) no user control or feedback, as the waveform management is performed autonomously by hardware, (3) no pre-processing of the phase relationship between waveforms to minimize the number of overlap occurrences, (4) no option to select the length of the delay or select which of the overlapping pulses receives the delay, (5) no option to "blank" or refrain from emitting the overlapping pulse at a particular instant in time, (6) no ability to prioritize which of the overlapping waveforms will be blanked or phase shifted, (7) no ability to change the recharge width of the pulse, (8) no ability to change the shorting width of the pulse, and (9) no ability to accommodate global shorting windows. The assembly and delivery of sophisticated stimulation patterns while minimizing undesirable interactions between waveforms remains a challenge.

Methods for providing optimized neurostimulation

University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.


An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, a liquid crystal display panel and a display device are provided, the array substrate comprises a base substrate, and thin film transistors and pixel electrodes provided on the base substrate, the pixel electrode and the active layer in the thin film transistor are provided in the same layer. The active layer is formed of transparent oxide semiconductor material, and the concentration of carriers in the oxide semiconductor material may be increased by performing a plasma process on the oxide semiconductor material, thus the pixel electrode may be manufactured by using the oxide semiconductor material used for manufacturing the active layer, thereby the pixel electrode and the active layer can be provided in the same layer, the number of the masks can be reduced, the manufacturing process is simplified, production cost is saved, the productivity is increased, and the manufacturing time is shortened.

A liquid crystal display panel comprises an array substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer between the array substrate and the opposite substrate, wherein the array substrate is provide with thin film transistors and pixel electrodes on one side thereof facing to the liquid crystal layer. The thin film transistor generally comprises a gate, an active layer, a source and a drain. Specifically, the structure of a thin film transistor may be of a bottom-gate type or a top-gate type, taking the structure of bottom gate type as an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the thin film transistor comprises a base substrate 1, and a gate 2, a gate insulation layer 3, an active layer 4, an etching blocking layer 5, a source 6, a drain 7, an insulation layer 8 and a pixel electrode 9 which are sequentially formed on the base substrate 1.
No matter an array substrate is an array substrate of bottom-gate type or an array substrate of top-gate type, components need to be patterned using a mask plate during manufacturing thereof at least comprises a pattern of gate, a pattern of active layer, a pattern of etching blocking layer, a pattern of source and drain, a pattern of insulating layer and a pattern of pixel electrodes. Therefore, six mask patterning processes are needed for manufacturing the above array substrate, thus the manufacturing process is complicated, the number of the manufacturing procedures is large, the cost is high, and the time consumption is long.
Hence, how to simplify the manufacturing process of the array substrate is a problem to be solved by persons skilled in the art.

Array substrate and manufacturing method thereof, liquid crystal display panel and display device


A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided, which may include, but is not limited to, the following processes. Grooves may be formed in an insulating region and in a semiconductor region, while forming burrs near the boundary between the insulating region and the semiconductor region. Protection films may be selectively formed on inside walls of the grooves except on bottom walls of the grooves. A selective thermal process may be carried out in the presence of the protection films, thereby removing the burrs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of forming a semiconductor device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of forming a semiconductor device including a trench gate structure.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-297682, filed Nov. 16, 2007, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) may generally include transistors and capacitors. Shrinkage of a semiconductor device will shrink the dimensions of a transistor that is included in the semiconductor device. Shrinkage of the dimensions of the transistor may cause remarkable short channel effects. Shrinkage of memory cells would in general reduce the channel length of a transfer gate transistor that is included in every memory cell of the semiconductor device particularly in large capacity DRAMs. Reduction of the channel length of the transfer gate transistor would increase S-value of the transfer gate transistor. Increasing the S-value of the transfer gate transistor may deteriorate the retention and writing performance of the memory cell.
Trench gate transistors with three dimensional channel structures have been known for countermeasure to the short channel effects of the transistor and/or for improvement in refresh properties of the DRAM. The trench gate transistor has a channel which extends along the side walls of a trench groove that is formed in a semiconductor substrate, so as to ensure the adequate channel length thereof. The trench gate structure can suppress the short channel effects of the transistor and may improve the refresh properties. The trench gate structure will ensure longer channel length that may allow reducing channel dose, thereby allowing field relaxation at p-n junctions of source/drain regions. The field relaxation will improve the refresh properties.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2006-108243 discloses a semiconductor manufacturing method for a trench transistor in which an ozone treatment process is carried out to form an oxide film before an anneal process is then carried out to cause reduction of the oxide film or remove the oxide film, prior to causing migration of silicon atoms.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2004-140039 discloses a semiconductor manufacturing method for a trench transistor in which an anneal process is carried out in a reduction atmosphere, while trench upper corners are covered by masks of silicon nitride.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2000-114362 discloses a semiconductor manufacturing method for a trench transistor in which the lower half of a trench is buried by a spin on glass and then the upper half of the trench is then buried by an oxide film.

Method of forming semiconductor device including trench gate structure


A method and apparatus for continuous manufacture of viscous food products such as process cheese-type products wherein a formulation is continuously pumped through a processing chamber comprising an elongated tube or housing having a rotor which shears the formulation as it travels longitudinally through the tube while imparting little or no axial motion to the formulation as a result of contact with the rotor. The temperature of the formulation as it enters the processing chamber may be in the range of about 150.degree. F. to about 250.degree. F., and the residence time of the formulation may be between about 30 seconds and about 8 minutes. The formulation may be subjected to shear of between 10 and 1,000 sec.sup.-1 with an absolute viscosity .mu. of between about 20 and 50 poise, while the rotor is operated at a rotational velocity of between about 10 rpm and 800 rpm.

Natural cheese is generally made by developing acidity in milk and setting the milk with a clotting agent, such as rennet, or by developing acidity to the isoelectric point of the protein. The set milk is cut and whey is separated from the resulting curd. The curd may be pressed to provide a cheese block. Curing typically takes place over a period of time under controlled conditions.
Products having flavor and body characteristics similar to those of natural cheese have been made by replacing at least a portion of the animal fat of the milk with a vegetable fat such as corn oil, and/or by replacing at least a portion of the casein of the milk with an analog protein.
It is well known to provide a product having some of the characteristics of natural cheese by grinding a natural cheese, and heating it with an emulsifying salt. The name given to the resulting product depends upon the ingredients used and its composition and, in some instances, is determined by regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 21 C.F.R. .sctn.133.169-180. For example, the term "pasteurized process cheese" refers to a product comprising a blend of cheeses to which an emulsifying agent, usually an emulsifying salt, and possibly acids, have been added, and which has then been worked and heated into a homogeneous plastic mass.
The term "pasteurized process cheese food" refers to a product which is prepared from the same materials and the same processes used for manufacture of process cheese. However, cheese food generally has dairy ingredients added thereto, such as cream, milk, skimmed milk, whey, or any of these from which part of the water has been removed (e.g., concentrated skimmed milk). The moisture level in process cheese food is generally higher than that of process cheese and may be up to about 44%. Fat is generally present at a level of not less than 23%.
The term "pasteurized process cheese spread" refers to a product which is similar to cheese food, in the sense that it can contain the indicated dairy ingredients. Process cheese spread, however, may have a moisture level as high as 60%, and a minimum fat level of 20%.
Process cheese, process cheese food and process cheese spread are referred to as "standardized products", since their methods of manufacture and composition are determined by Federal Standards of Identity.
As used herein, the term "process cheese-type products" includes those products known and referred to as "pasteurized process cheese", "pasteurized process cheese food", "pasteurized process cheese spread", and "pasteurized process cheese product". "Process cheese type-products" also includes products resembling process cheese, process cheese food, process cheese spread and process cheese product, but which may not meet the U.S. Federal Standards of Identity for any of the above products in that they may contain ingredients not specified by such Standards, such as vegetable oil or vegetable protein, or may not meet the compositional requirements of such Standards. Process cheese-type products also include products having flavor and texture similar to those of a process cheese-type product regardless of the ingredients or manufacturing steps employed, and regardless of whether the Standards have been met.
In prior manufacture of process cheese-type products, two forms of batch cookers have been generally known, one being a steam jacketed kettle equipped with a mechanical agitator and the other being a horizontally extending cooker also known as a "lay-down" cooker having a screw in the cooker chamber. Live steam is injected directly into the chamber and the raw material at atmospheric pressure as the raw material is agitated by the screw. The raw material is heated in the cooker to a temperature of at least 150.degree. F., usually about 160.degree. F. to 190.degree. F., and is held at that temperature for at least 30 seconds, and usually for about 5 minutes, depending in part upon the raw material and the desired cheese product.
The conventional cheese cookers used in the manufacture of process cheese products are essentially batch-type cookers in which an amount of raw material is introduced into the cooker, and heated and agitated to provide a homogenized molten mass. The molten mass is then intermittently discharged from the cooker for appropriate handling.
The design and operation of the cooker is critical in obtaining a good process cheese product. Mere heating of the cheese blend without proper agitation results in separation of the fat, thus failing to provide a satisfactory emulsion. Too much agitation during heating results in over-emulsification and a process cheese product having undesirable body characteristics. Also, maintenance of the process cheese at the cooking temperatures for an extended period of time is undesirable and burn-on of the cheese onto the sides of cookers has been a problem.
When the cheese has been cooked to the degree desired, the molten process cheese product is withdrawn from the cooker, cooled to a proper packaging or filling temperature, and packaged. Packaging may take any one of a number of forms. For example, the product may be packaged in loaves or in jars. Alternatively, the molten process cheese product may be formed into slices by distributing the product upon the surface of a cooled rotating chill roll in the form of a thin layer which solidifies into a sheet or ribbon, removing the sheet or ribbon from the chilled surface of the roll, and cutting it into individual slices.
Considerable research has been expended to understand the physical and chemical processes which occur during the manufacture of process cheese-type products. In order for process cheese-type products to have the correct texture, flavor, and meltability attributes, they must undergo a specific temperature and shear history. A certain time at elevated temperatures is required to cook the cheese curd into a continuous phase and to eliminate or minimize the presence of uncooked cheese or "curd specks". In addition to the elevated temperature, a certain degree of agitation at specific shear values is required to facilitate the melting of the cheese and to emulsify the fat in the system.
In one known prior art process for the manufacture of a process cheese-type product, the formulation is subjected to shear in a range of between 10 and 1,000 sec.sup.-1, and the formulation has an absolute viscosity of between about 20 and 50 poise when subjected to shear within this range.
If the shear is excessive, the fat may become over-emulsified, causing defective texture, i.e., the process cheese-type product may become too firm and rubbery and may have restricted melting ability in applications such as hot sandwiches. Hence, the amount of time the process cheese-type product experiences given conditions of shear and temperature may be critical to the finished product attributes.
In the past, continuous processes have been proposed as alternatives to batch processes for manufacture of process cheese-type products. However, one of the problems associated with continuous manufacturing processes is that, where a particular line or apparatus is intended for use in producing more than one type of product, it is generally difficult to provide for a smooth and clean transition from one product to the next, without extensive intermixing of the first product and the second product during the transition period. This is due in part to the fact that plug flow is difficult or impossible to maintain in the context of continuous production of process cheese-type products.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for manufacturing viscous food products.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for manufacturing process cheese-type products which enables a transition to be made from manufacture of a first process cheese-type product to manufacture of a second process cheese-type product without excessive intermixing of the first and second product in the continuous manufacturing operation.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such apparatus for the continuous manufacture of process cheese-type products wherein the apparatus may be cleaned in place, i.e., cleaned without disassembly.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a continuous method for the manufacture of process cheese-type products wherein the shear, temperature, and residence time are controlled to provide a process cheese-type product having the correct texture, flavor, and meltability attributes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for the continuous in-line cooking of a process cheese-type formulation, particularly by the direct introduction of steam into a flowing stream of the raw materials used to provide the process cheese-type product.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the attached drawings.

Method for continuous manufacture of viscous food products


A metal stake having a pointed lower end is arranged for penetration into and upright support above the ground. At least one plate extends laterally from the stake to preclude turning thereof and also can enter a slot in a wooden post to enable removable post mounting on the stake. With slight addition of square collars a square tubular post can be similarly mounted.

Real estate and other signs are frequently mounted in the earth in front of a home or other appropriate locations. They are mounted on a post most commonly composed of wood which deteriorates with soil contact. Furthermore considerable effort is required to dig a hole in the earth for installation and if the post is not securely embedded, it may well blow down in a storm.


A floor sanding or polishing device includes a housing that can be guided across a floor. The housing carries a motor which rotates a plate in a first direction about a vertical axis. The plate carries a plurality of sanding or polishing discs that are rotatable in the same second directions which are opposite to the first direction of rotation of the plate. The discs are displaceable radially relative to the plate by centrifugal force to bring a gear of the disc into engagement with a ring gear affixed to the housing, whereby the discs are rotated about their respective axes in response to rotation of the plate.

The invention concerns a device to sand or polish floors or surfaces which incorporates a motor-driven sanding or polishing disc that rests during operation on the floor or floor surface in order to treat that surface and whereby a handle element is mounted on the housing to guide the device across the surface.
Such devices to sand or polish floors or surfaces are primarily used, for example, to treat wood or cork floors, but can also be used to treat other types of floor sub-surfaces. In the process, the surface of the floor is so treated by the device, that the surface is smoothed by sanding using a rotating disc or can also have a gloss texture imparted by polishing. Chemicals can also be sanded-in or polished-in during treatment of the floor. The devices used for sanding or polishing contain a motor drive which, for example, could be an electric motor. This motor causes rotation of a sanding or polishing disc which rotates on the surface of the floor while the device operates and whereby the rotating sanding or polishing disc can be guided across the surface to be treated by a standing person using the handle. The pressure required for sanding or polishing the surface to be treated is provided during operation of the device by the device's own weight.
A basic disadvantage of such a sanding or polishing device constructed in accordance with the currently known state of technology consists particularly in the existence of a strong sideward force during the operation of the machine, making controlled sanding or polishing only possible by the operator's use of force. The machine always tries to slide to the side. In addition, there also is the resulting disadvantage that, because of dynamic forces, the circumference area of the sanding or polishing disc always tries to penetrate into the floor or surface, thereby representing a severe impediment when treating a soft floor, like wood or cork floors. The known sanding and polishing device, after it has been placed in operation, always tends to wander from the starting position without the operator having exerted any influence at all. In order to counter this movement, the operator is required to exert much force and use skill in order to make possible a concentrated, controlled sanding or polishing of the surface. An additional disadvantage of this known device is the high consumption of sanding material because of the sideward force.
It is therefore an object of this invention to further develop beyond the stated stage of technology a device to sand or polish a floor or surface which, on the one hand, manifests controlled guiding stability and, on the other hand, conserves the use of sanding or polishing material during operation of the device. Another object is to provide a simple way of achieving the counter-rotation of the discs, and also of starting/stopping the rotation.

Device to sand or polish floors and other surfaces


A gas turbine airfoil (e.g. 12) includes a pressure sidewall (14) and a suction sidewall (16) joined along respective leading and trailing edges (18, 20) and extending radially outward from an inner diameter (26) to an outer diameter (22). The airfoil includes a plurality of suction side flow channels (52) extending chordwise within the suction sidewall and having respective heights selected to achieve a desired degree of cooling for the suction sidewall. The airfoil also includes a plurality of pressure side flow channels (30) extending chordwise within the pressure sidewall and having respective heights selected to achieve a desired degree of cooling for the pressure sidewall. A transition region (58) is provided in each flow channel wherein the height of the channel is reduced to an outlet height so that respective outlets of the flow channels can each be independently disposed in the trailing edge.

Gas turbine airfoils exposed to hot combustion gases have been cooled by passing a cooling fluid, such as compressed air bled from a compressor of the gas turbine, through a hollow interior of the airfoil to convectively cool the airfoil. Gas turbine airfoils such as vanes may be provided with a cooling fluid to cool the vane but the vane may also be required to conduct a portion of the cooling fluid to cool a downstream element of the turbine. FIG. 1 illustrates a known arrangement for cooling a gas turbine vane 96 and conducting a portion of a cooling fluid downstream. The gas turbine vane 96 depicted in FIG. 1 may include an outer hollow member 98 having a desired airfoil shape exposed to a hot combustion gas 100 and an inner hollow member 102 held spaced inwardly away from the outer hollow member 98 to form a cooling space 104 between the inner and outer members. Typically, the outer hollow member 98 serves as a structural member of the vane 96 and the inner hollow member 102 may be formed as a sleeve for insertion into the outer hollow member 98. The inner hollow member 102 may include a fluid flow path 106 for conducting a cooling fluid flow 108 through the vane 96 to cool a downstream element, such as a turbine blade, using a tangential on-board injection (TOBI) system. In addition, passageways 110 may be formed in the inner hollow member 102 to allow a portion of the cooling fluid flow 108 to exit the fluid flow path into the space 104 between the inner and outer members to cool the outer hollow member 98, such by using the known technique of impingement cooling. The impinged cooling fluid 112 may be allowed to mix in a trailing edge region 114 and then may be directed to exit a trailing edge 116 of the vane 96. In such vane designs, it is important to control the cooling fluid flow through the vane to provide sufficient cooling of the vane, while also providing a cooling fluid flow effective to cool downstream elements, such as a row of blades disposed downstream of the vane 96. One of the problems with such designs is that a distribution and velocity of the cooling fluid flow in the space 104 between the inner and outer members may be difficult to control to achieve a desire cooling effect. Another problem is that a seal (not shown) typically needs to be provided between the inner hollow member 102 and the outer hollow member 98 (such as around the periphery of the inner hollow member 102 near a location where the cooling fluid flow 108 is injected into the vane 96). Such a seal needed to seal the space 104 between the inner hollow member 102 and the outer hollow member 98 to insure that the cooling fluid flow 108 flows within the inner hollow member 102 before being allowed to exit the fluid flow path 106 through the passageways 110 into the space 104. Furthermore, for gas turbine vanes having a complex shape, such as a twisting or bending geometry along a radial axis, it may be difficult to fit the vane with an inner member formed as an insertable sleeve.


A bottom prefolding assembly prefolds the bottom panels of a package having a bottom wall formed with in-folded gusset tips. The prefolding assembly infolds the bottom gusset panels, leading and trailing panels of a carton and in-folds the gusset panel tips prior to forming the sealed carton bottom. The assembly includes a drive, first and second folding arms configured to contact and inwardly prefold the lead and trailing panels and a forming arm movable with the first and second folding arms. The forming arm has a pair of pivotable finger elements mounted thereto. The finger elements each having a carton engaging portion to engage the panel portions that form the gusset tips and fold the panel portions in a direction opposite of the folding of the gusset panels.

The present invention pertains to a pre-folding device for carton bottoms. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an apparatus for pre-folding carton bottom flaps for cartons having folded-in gusset tips.
Gable top cartons are widely used for packaging milk, juice and the like. Recently, packaging technology has made enormous strides vis-à-vis these gable top cartons, as well as other types of packages. Present technology permits packaging perishable food items for non-refrigerated extended shelf lives. These packages provide the ability to bring these food items into parts of the world that have limited transportation, distribution and storage infrastructure.
As such, efforts have been focused on increasing the ability to maintain high levels of cleanliness in forming, filling and sealing containers to provide the highest quality product and to provide the greatest product shelf life. In conjunction with these efforts, the demands on packaging machines have become greater, in particular, relative to operating speeds. Such machines must form, fill and seal packages, in a sterile environment, at high operating speeds.
To maintain the integrity of the package after it is filled and sealed, advanced technologies have been applied to the carton materials, as well as the processing operations. Many such packaging materials are formed from paperboard or fiberboard-based materials formed in a composite structure. Typically, one or more layers, such as polymeric coatings, foil coatings and the like, are applied to the paperboard or fiberboard substrate to reduce or eliminate the gas and liquid permeability of the substrate material.
It has been found that one avenue for promoting an environment that reduces the shelf life is wicking of the food product into the package material. Wicking occurs at the edges of the material that are exposed to the food product. Often, wicking occurs at the raw or exposed edges of the bottom wall panels as they are folded to form the bottom wall. To this end, it has been found desirable to reduce the amount or extent of exposed edges, and in particular at the bottom wall. It has also been found that foil at the tips of the gussets (the in-folded triangular panels) can crack thus exposing the paperboard substrate.
One package that has affected such a reduction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,204 to Stacy-Ryan and an apparatus to form such an over-folded bottom is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,950 to Anderson, both of which patents are commonly assigned with the present application and are incorporated herein by reference. While this over-folded bottom served to "cover" the exposed edge from the bottom front or rear panel, the infolded side panels (those panels that form the triangles when folded in) have edges that can remain exposed.
A package that overcomes these drawbacks is disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/163,657, entitled "Carton With Folded-In Gusset Tips", filed Oct. 26, 2005, commonly owned with the present application and incorporated herein by reference. One machine is known for carrying out the folded in gusset tips of the carton. However, this machine contacts the carton on the interior surfaces to fold the gusset tips after the carton (polymeric coating) has been heated. This resulted in the accumulation of polymer on the folding gusset folding elements which in turn caused increased maintenance.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a carton bottom pre-folding device for pre-folding or pre-breaking cartons having bottoms with folded in gusset tips. Desirably, such a device can be fitted within known form, fill and seal machines. More desirably, such a pre-folding device can accommodate carton folding operations at the operating speeds of known filling machines

Bottom pre-folder for carton with folded-in gusset tips


An image forming apparatus comprising a heating rotating body which heats a toner image while nipping and conveying a recording material bearing the toner image, a fan which cools down the heating rotating body, and a duct adapted in such a manner that air which is blown by the fan so as to cool down the heating rotating body does not pass through a recording material conveying path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image heating device for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, printer, or facsimile.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of fixing an unfixed toner image onto a sheet (recording material) in an image forming apparatus, which is conventionally adopted, is a thermal fixing method wherein the toner image which is not yet fixed on the sheet is heated and melted to be thereby fixed onto the sheet because of its favorable stability and fixability.
When the sheet is fixed in a fixing region according to the fixing method, a temperature distribution on a surface of a heating material which transits a sheet-transit region is substantially even.
In the case where small-size sheets each having a width smaller than that of a largest-size sheet are continuously fixed in the fixing region, however, a temperature on the surface of the heating material in a non-sheet-transit region is excessively increased. The temperature increase occurs because, when the small-size sheets are continuously fed, heat is accumulated in a part of the non-sheet-transit region since the heat is not removed by the sheet in the non-sheet-transit region where the sheets do not transit. The phenomenon is called the temperature increase in the non-sheet-transit region (end-portion temperature increase) in an image heating device. When the temperature in the non-sheet-transit region reaches a high temperature, the temperature of the heating material exceeds a temperature-increase limit, which possibly causes damages.
Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 04-51179 recites the technology, wherein, in order to prevent the temperature increase in the non-sheet-transit region thus described, a cooling fan is provided in the image heating device so as to send air to the non-sheet-transit region of the heating material, so that the temperature increase is controlled. According to the technology recited in JP-A No. 04-51179, the cooling fan provided in the image heating device sends air selectively to a side where the non-sheet-transit region is provided.
In the technology recited in JP-A No. 04-51179, as shown in FIG. 9, air Z1 from a cooling air fan 1A collides with a fixing belt 20A and is thereafter split into air Z2 which is sent upward (downstream in a conveying direction) and air Z3 which is sent downward (upstream in the conveying direction). Accordingly, longitudinal ends of the fixing belt (heating film) 20A in an image heating device 101A are cooled down. However, the upward air Z2 is retained above the image heating device 101A, which excessively increases temperatures of a conveying guide 104A and a conveying roller 105A. As a result, problems are generated in the conveying process.

Image heating device with cooling air circulation


An optical transmission device includes: a serializer and deserializer configured to convert an input client signal into parallel data at a sampling rate of k times (k is a power of 2) a rate of the input client signal and output the parallel data; a frame generation section configured to generate an optical channel payload unit (OPU) frame from the client signal; and a stuff control section connected to an output of the parallel data and configured to perform, in units of 1/k bits, a stuff operation to map the client signal into the OPU frame and thereby calculate a Cn(n=1/k) value which is a theoretical value of the stuff operation.

In present optical core networks, the optical transport network (OTN) has been widely used as basic platforms. The OTN is optical transport standards recommended by the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) in 2000. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in an OTN optical core network 1, network devices 2 are connected to each other via an optical fiber network. The OTN optical core network 1 enables high-capacity transmission by accommodating or multiplexing, in OTN frames, various client signals such as synchronous optical network (SONET) signals, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE, trademark) signals, and fiber channel (FC) signals. The client signals are mapped into OTN frames in the order of optical channel payload unit (OPU) frames, optical channel date unit (ODU) frames, and optical transport unit (OTU) frames. When the client signals are mapped into the OPU frames, stuff control is performed using the generic mapping procedure (GMP) which is an asynchronous accommodation scheme (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 2010-212890 and 2012-023647, for example).
FIG. 2A illustrates a configuration example of a general network device 2. Optical modules 211 to 21k receive multiple client signals (optical signals). The received signals are subjected to data reception processing by low-speed interface processing sections 221 to 22k, and then the data are selected by a cross-connect section 23. The selected data are multiplexed by a multiplexer 24, and then accommodated in OTN frames by a high-speed interface processing section 26. The OTN frames are converted into optical signals by an optical module 27, and the optical signals are transmitted to an OTN network. OTN frames received from the OTN network are subjected to the above processes in the reverse order and output from the optical modules 211 to 21k as client signals.
FIG. 2B illustrates a circuit configuration of each low-speed interface processing section 22. A serializer and deserializer (hereinafter referred to as "SERDES") 31 is configured to use a reference clock to detect a change point from a serially transmitted client signal and reproduce a recovery clock synchronous with the client signal. The SERDES 31 is also configured to perform serial-to-parallel conversion on the client signal and output parallel data.
In present circumstances, the SERDES 31 is capable of reproducing a recovery clock synchronous with a client signal if the client signal is at a rate of 600 Mbps or higher.
Since the speed of the SERDES 31 has been increasing, the SERDES is incapable of reproducing a recovery clock synchronous with a client signal if the signal is a low-speed signal (155.52 Mbps or lower).
For this reason, digital oversampling using the high-speed SERDES 31 is employed to receive a low-speed signal such as an optical carrier-level 3 (OC-3) signal.
The SERDES 31 samples a serially transmitted client signal at a rate of 8 times the original rate, for example, performs serial-to-parallel conversion on the signal, and outputs parallel data.
An oversampling extraction circuit 32 is configured to detect a change point in the parallel data output from the SERDES 31, extract data from a midpoint between one data change point and a subsequent data change point as valid data, and output the extracted data together with an oversampling extraction data valid signal.
If no data change point exists, the circuit extracts valid data using the position of the previous change point as a reference.
A stuff operation section 33 is configured to compute, according to the type of a client signal, the number of data of the client signal received per OPU frame (Cn value), the number of data of the client signal to be actually mapped into one OPU frame (Cm value), and the number of data of the client signal to be accumulated without being mapped (ΣCnD value).
The Cn value is a theoretical value representing the amount of data to be mapped into one OPU frame in units of n bits, and n=1 in the case of OC-3 (mapping processing on a per-bit basis).
When a recovery clock and the received client signal are synchronous, the Cn value may be obtained from the number of edges of the recovery clock per OPU frame. However, because oversampling is performed in the configuration of FIG. 2B, the recovery clock is asynchronous with the received client signal.
Hence, the Cn value is computed from the oversampling extraction data valid signal.
An OPU frame generation section 34 is configured to generate an OPU frame, perform stuff control based on the Cm value obtained by the stuff operation section 33, and map the client signal into the OPU frame.
The OPU frame generation section 34 is also configured to insert the Cm value and the ΣCnD value into the overhead of the OPU frame as justification control (JC) bytes.
An OPU frame format and a method of mapping a client signal into an OPU frame are defined in the OTN optical transport standard.
When a low-speed client signal is oversampled and output as parallel data using a reference clock, a gap (or phase deviation) between the frequency of the reference clock and the frequency of the client signal is accumulated gradually if the reference clock and the client signal are asynchronous.
This causes a gap corresponding to one bit of the client signal at a fixed cycle according to the difference between the frequencies of the reference clock and the client signal, as will be described later.
This gap corresponding to one bit of the client signal may cause jitter and wander in the stuff control.
In addition, the gap corresponding to one bit of the client signal is also propagated to the stuff operation section 33 and the OPU frame generation section 34.
Since the OPU frame reception side reproduces the clock of the client signal based on the received Cm value and ΣCnD value, the client signal extracted by the reception side has a gap corresponding to one bit (6 ns in the case of OC-3) from the original signal.
This gap causes jitter and wander on the reception side.
The embodiments aim to provide an optical transmission device and a signal frame generation method which may reduce a gap caused when a low-speed client signal is mapped into an OPU frame and thereby suppress jitter and wander.

Optical transmission device and OPU frame generation method


The invention pertains to a system for the co-extrusion of multiple layers of thermoplastic material. The invention employs a modular system concept which enables a manufacturer to quickly exchange components to accept melt flow from a number of extrusion injectors to provide a number of extrudate layers for shaping by a standard sheet extruder die.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to a system for extruding multi-layer thermoplastic materials into sheets having selected layer thicknesses and more particularly to modular extrusion manifold systems.
2. Description of Related Art
The invention is concerned with the art of fixed area injection port plastic extruders for the manufacture of thermoplastic sheet or film. It is known in the art that many advantages are achieved by the production of multi-layer film constructions of thermoplastic materials as they exhibit characteristics which are a composite of all the individual layer characteristics. For instance, the inner layer may be of a material with high permeability resistance to chemicals, the next layer may be a pigmented layer followed by a layer which is very tough and a final layer may have an ultraviolet light inhibiter in it to protect the underlying structures from ultraviolet light. These layers are often melt laminated in a co-extrusion process which results in a very stable structure with extremely high delamination resistance. Where several products may be manufactured by a factory, a simple and economical means to vary the number of laminae and the relative thicknesses of each is required.
Fixed manifold dies are well known in the art, for instance the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,822 which teaches a five-layer film extrusion system. Extruders of fixed orifice size are often employed where, as in that invention's application, a very high degree of laminal thickness control is required. These fixed units become increasingly expensive to build because of their injection chamber configurations' complexity. Consequently, the configurations are generally application specific; relating to a specific combination of laminae and melt materials and are not readily adaptable to extrude sheets with different thermoplastic materials or diverse lamina thicknesses. Furthermore, as extrudate rheology or injection pressure vary during the period of a manufacturing run, it can be difficult to compensate for factors such as viscosity changes when using a fixed manifold system which may result in extrudate laminal thickness inconsistencies.
An example of a variable orifice size die is taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,152,387 and 4,533,308. Dies of these configurations utilize a vane system which directs flow and adjusts lamina thickness, within limits, without requiring a die exchange. Similarly, the system provides for adjustment to accommodate diverse melt rheologies. The inherent disadvantage of such systems lays in the need to experimentally determine the flow distribution settings after each changeover which results in a loss of production capacity. Production capacity is important because high production capacity is the primary advantage of extrusion systems over other thermoplastic production techniques.
Extrudate laminal uniformity is also critical and those factors related to melt flow characteristics which result in diverse flow rates among the passages can cause a curtaining effect, well known in the art, whereby waves occur in the finished sheet due to variations in the passage flow rates. Another effect which has been observed is that there exists a pressure gradient across a melt flow such that the pressure at the center of the flow is greater than that at each extreme edge of the flow. This causes increased melt deposition in the center of the sheet being extruded and a corresponding thinning at the sheet edges which results in a non-uniform extrudate.
The curtaining effect is a result of the convergence of molten thermoplastic streams at diverse flow rates. Many attempts have been made in the art to come to terms with the curtaining effect phenomenon. In configurations of the invention principles of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,533,308 and 4,152,387, compensation is accomplished by shutting down the extruder and changing the metering vane to one of an appropriate configuration with resultant loss in production time as new settings are experimentally determined.
Conventional machines of this type have also the disadvantage that the vane configurations are inherently weaker than the more rigid structures of fixed manifold systems; such strength being necessary to withstand variations in melt passage pressures which can cause the vane to deflect. Furthermore, the long manifold channel lengths limit the flow rate of the melts thereby placing an inherent limitation on the attainable production capacities in systems using dies of their construction.


A circuit arrangement converts signals and information between analog junction lines and digital terminal devices in communications exchanges. A decentralized control device is provided in order to process and pass on switching criteria and codes received and sent to the respective analog junction line, inside and outside the audio frequency band, the circuit arrangement including a plurality of line interfaces, each coupled directly to a respective one of the decentralized control devices, for the switching criteria and codes to be exchanged outside of the audio frequency. At least one digital signal processor is provided for processing the codes to be exchanged within the audio frequency band, the digital signal processor being looped in via a hybrid connection and converter in a speech path which cooperates with the control device. A digital terminal interface is responsive to the control device and the signal processor, the digital terminal interface being modulated by the control device and the signal processor to provide a plurality of useful channels and at least one signaling channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a circuit arrangement for signal and information conversion between analog junction lines and digital terminal devices in communications exchanges. In particular the invention concerns an arrangement wherein decentralized control devices are provided in order to process and pass on switching criteria and codes received and sent to the analog junction line, both inside and outside of the audio frequency band.
2. Prior Art
A process for controlling switching codes and switching states on junction lines is known from DE 29 19 617 - Poehlchen (Nov. 20, 1980). The document discloses a decentralized control which serves several junction lines and controls switching codes lying outside the audio frequency band. The switching codes are received and transmitted via the junction line. This peripheral control device works with a scanning device and memory in which junction states and properties of the respective junction lines are stored in each case. The control of audio signals to be transmitted and the evaluation of audio frequencies received cannot be performed by such a control device.
DE 30 14 572 - Burkart et al (Oct. 29, 1981) discloses a circuit arrangement for transmitting low-frequency signals on junction lines in telephone exchanges. Matrix-like coupling components are provided with which centrally generated signals lying within the audio frequency band are switched onto the junction line. A decentralized control is provided in each case for this purpose which serves several communications lines. Switching codes lying outside the audio frequency band cannot be controlled with this circuit arrangement.

Circuit arrangement for signal and information conversion between analog junction lines and digital terminal devices in communications exchanges


A non-volatile storage device such as an EPROM (erasable programmable read only memory) and a method of manufacturing the same. A silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film are formed one after another on a gate region of a semiconductor substrate in which a source region and a drain region are formed. To restrict carrier capture to the silicon nitride film near the source region, impurity ions such as hydrogen ions are mixed with the silicon nitride film at a side toward the source region.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a non-volatile storage device, and more particularly to an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which has an improved selectivity.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Non-volatile memories are devices which are important in widening the application of general purpose LSIs; for example, they are used as EPROMs.
FIGS. 4A and 4B of the accompanying drawings show a MONOS (Metal Oxide Nitride Oxide Semiconductor) memory as a typical non-volatile storage device. The MONOS memory comprises a silicon oxide film 12, a silicon nitride film 14, a silicon oxide film 16 and a polysilicon electrode 18, which are laminated in order in a gate region of a p-type silicon substrate 10. During data writing, as shown in FIG. 4A, assume that a positive bias, e.g. Vg=10 V, is applied to the gate electrode; Vd=9 V, to a drain electrode; and Vs=0 V, to a source electrode. Then electrons from the silicon substrate 10 are captured and accumulated in the silicon nitride film 14 through the silicon oxide film 12 (tunnel phenomenon). With the charges accumulated, a drain current does not flow unless a voltage sufficiently excessive to cancel the captured charges is applied. Therefore the condition where upon this drain current flows or does not flow corresponds to 1 bit of data.
During erasing, as erasing, as shown in FIG. 4B, assume that a negative bias, e.g. Vg=-6 V, is applied to the gate electrode; Vd=9 V, to the drain electrode; and Vs=0 V, to the source electrode. Then holes cancel the electrons captured and accumulated in the silicon nitride film 14 through the silicon oxide film 12, so that a drain current will flow.
Thus, in the conventional MONOS memory, data is stored and erased by injecting electrons and holes into the silicon nitride film 16. In the event that a bias is applied to the gate electrode, the electric field becomes gradually weaker toward the drain electrode obliquely from the source electrode as indicated by arrows in FIG. 3. Therefore, during storing and erasing data, electrons and holes are injected only in a predetermined area of the drain region rather than the entire area of the silicon nitride film 14 so that the remaining area of the silicon nitride film is kept in a fresh condition. Injection of electrons and holes into this predetermined area makes it possible to keep the selector transistor function of the storage device.
Namely, in the case where holes are captured in the entire area of the silicon nitride film during erasing, if the holes are excessively injected (this might be caused due to the staggering characteristics at the time of production), a drain current would normally flow even in the absence of a bias to the gate electrode. As a result, because of the fact that it is composed of a plurality of MONOS elements, an EPROM does not function as a selector transistor.
Thus to function as an EPROM, the storage device requires that electrons or holes should not be captured near the source region of the silicon nitride film. However, in the conventional storage device, since electrons and holes are injected with a large quantity of energy from near the drain, there is a slight probability that the electrons and holes would move toward the source and be captured.
If the channel of the gate is lengthened, areas devoid of captured electrons or holes would be formed, but reduction in the size of the device cannot be achieved.

Non-volatile storage device with impurities in nitride toward source side


The present invention provides a lithographic apparatus including an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a patterning device support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device placed on the patterning device support being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a patterning device handling apparatus, including a single robot for exchanging a patterning device with the patterning device support and a loading station, wherein the robot includes a first holding device configured to hold a patterning device in a first holding position and a second holding device configured to hold a patterning device in a second holding position. Such single robot makes a rapid and accurate exchange of patterning devices possible.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Conventional lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
In the conventional lithographic apparatus, a patterning device handling apparatus is provided to exchange a patterning device between the patterning device support on which the patterning device is positioned during the transfer of a pattern on a substrate, and a stationary loading station wherein one or more patterning devices can be placed. The patterning devices are exchanged between the loading station and the patterning device station to subsequently transfer the different patterns of the patterning devices on the substrates which are placed on a substrate support.
Production capacity of a lithographic apparatus is, in part, affected by the exchange time needed to take away a patterning device which is located on the patterning device support and place another patterning device on the patterning device support. During the time needed for this exchange, no pattern can be transferred on a substrate. In order to increase the capacity of the lithographic apparatus it is desirable to decrease this exchange time.
In order to keep the exchange time small, the patterning device handling apparatus of a conventional lithographic apparatus includes a turret and a robot. The turret can hold at the same time two patterning devices in two different holding positions, whereby the turret can be rotated around its vertical axis so that one of the two holding positions can be turned to a position wherein the turret can exchange a patterning device with the patterning device support. In another position, usually when the turret is rotated over 180 degrees, a patterning device in the other of the two holding position can be exchanged with the patterning device support.
The patterning device handling apparatus further includes a robot to exchange a patterning device between a loading station and the turret, so that a patterning device held by the turret can be exchanged for another one.
When a first patterning device held in the patterning device support is to be exchanged by a second patterning device which is placed in a loading station, the second patterning device can, during the transfer of the pattern of the first patterning device on a substrate, be placed by the robot in one of the holding positions of the turret. When the transfer is finished, the first patterning device is taken by the turret out of the patterning device support. After that, the turret is rotated and the second patterning device can then be placed on the patterning device support. Subsequently the pattern can be transferred on a substrate. During this pattern transfer the robot can take the second patterning device out of the turret and place it in a loading station.
However, the turret is a relative expensive part of the lithographic apparatus, also due to the required position of the turret close to the patterning device support.

Exchangeable object handling apparatus, lithographic apparatus including such exchangeable object handling apparatus, and device manufacturing method


An elliptical exercise machine includes a bottom frame, two transmission bars, and two stepping bars. The bottom frame has a rotating axis, both sides of which are provided with a crank, respectively. One end of each of the two transmission bars is connected with the corresponding crank. The two stepping bars are connected with the two transmission bars. The other end of each of the stepping bars has a dragging mechanism mounted on the bottom frame. Driven by the two swing arms and the two transmission bars, the two stepping bars perform elliptical motions. Before the two stepping bars move to the left and right extremities of the elliptical curve, the corresponding dragging mechanism is driven to produce a quick return action. The two dragging mechanisms also simultaneously perform reciprocal dragging motions to correct the elliptical motions of the stepping bars and make the motions smoother.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to fitness equipment and, in particular, to an elliptical exercise machine in accord with human factors engineering.
2. Related Art
The conventional elliptical machine design, as shown in FIG. 9, has a frame 91 whose front end extends upward with a vertical bar 92. Both sides of the vertical bar 92 are pivotally installed with two swing arms 93. The rear end of the frame 91 is mounted with a driving wheel 94. Both sides of the driving wheel 94 are disposed with a crank 95, respectively. Both sides of the frame 91 are installed with a stepping bar 96, respectively. The two stepping bars 96 are fixed with a stepping board 97, respectively. The two stepping bars 96 are pivotally connected to the ends of the two swing arms 93 by their front ends. The rear ends of the two stepping bars 96 are connected to the two cranks 95, respectively. The front end of the stepping bar 96 is dragged by the swing arm 93 to perform a reciprocal motion along an arc curve. The rear end of the stepping bar 96 is dragged by the crank 95 to move along a circular curve. Therefore, the stepping boards 97 on the two stepping bars 96 can move along an elliptical curve.
In order for the elliptical machine to fit users of different sizes, one often has to adjust the length of the crank 95, thereby satisfying the different footstep spans. However, the conventional elliptical machine design fixes the stepping boards 97 on the stepping bars 96, and the two stepping bars 96 are directly connected with the swing arms 93 and the crank 95. Therefore, the higher the steps and the larger the footstep span, the angle of the stepping boards during the exercise is also larger. This affects the comfort and the force exerted on the joints of the user. This is because the design does not fit human factors engineering.
Moreover, the conventional elliptical machine has elliptical curves. When the motion reaches the left and right extremities, the tangential speed has the largest change. Therefore, the user may experience frustration when the two stepping boards 97 move to the extremities of the elliptical curves.


A film cooling structure formed in a component wall of a turbine engine and a method of making the film cooling structure. The film cooling structure includes a plurality of individual diffusion sections formed in the wall, each diffusions section including a single cooling passage for directing cooling air toward a protuberance of a wall defining the diffusion section. The film cooling structure may be formed with a masking template including apertures defining shapes of a plurality of to-be-formed diffusion sections in the wall. A masking material can be applied to the wall into the apertures in the masking template so as to block outlets of cooling passages exposed through the apertures. The masking template can be removed and a material may be applied on the outer surface of the wall such that the material defines the diffusion sections once the masking material is removed.

In a turbomachine, such as a gas turbine engine, air is pressurized in a compressor then mixed with fuel and burned in a combustor to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases are expanded within a turbine of the engine where energy is extracted to power the compressor and to provide output power used to produce electricity. The hot combustion gases travel through a series of turbine stages. A turbine stage may include a row of stationary airfoils, i.e., vanes, followed by a row of rotating airfoils, i.e., turbine blades, where the turbine blades extract energy from the hot combustion gases for powering the compressor and providing output power.
Since the airfoils, i.e., vanes and turbine blades, are directly exposed to the hot combustion gases as the gases pass through the turbine, these airfoils are typically provided with internal cooling circuits that channel a coolant, such as compressor bleed air, through the airfoil and through various film cooling holes around the surface thereof. For example, film cooling holes are typically provided in the walls of the airfoils for channeling the cooling air through the walls for discharging the air to the outside of the airfoil to form a film cooling layer of air, which protects the airfoil from the hot combustion gases.

Component wall having diffusion sections for cooling in a turbine engine