A load creation apparatus is adapted to create a specified mass intended to be suspended such that a load bearing structure is able to bear the mass. The apparatus includes a liquid impervious container. The container is suspended from he load bearing apparatus by suspension means. The container is able to be filled with liquid to create the test mass. The mass of the container is obtained by means for determining the mass of liquid in the container from the density and volume of the liquid. A method is also provided for testing the ability of a load bearing structure to bear a specified test mass, created by such a load creation apparatus.

This invention relates to load creation apparatus, and to a method of testing the ability of a load bearing structure to bear a test mass that is created using such a load creation apparatus. The invention relates particularly, but not exclusively, to loads which are used for testing the load bearing characteristics of hoists, cranes, davits, winches and other load bearing structures. The invention also relates to the testing of static load bearing structures, such as foundation piles, bridges, floors, jetties and wharves.
Specifically, the invention does not relate or extend to containers and apparatus in general that are not adapted or designed for load creation and testing purposes.
The ability of a load bearing structure to bear maximum loads will decrease with its length of service, due to wear and tear of the apparatus. For this reason, it is necessary and sometimes mandatory that load bearing apparatus, such as hoists, cranes, davits and winches be tested periodically to verify that the apparatus are still capable of functioning at the maximum load capacity. In addition, such tests may be required when substantial alteration or repairs are made to the apparatus.
The tests require the load bearing structure or apparatus to successfully bear a specified test load or, more precisely, a test mass. Typically, test masses are in the range of a few metric tonnes to more than a few thousand metric tonnes and, in most cases, are in the range of 25% in excess of the safe working load of the load bearing structure or apparatus. Earlier test masses have been made of concrete or metal. Over a period of time, such test masses made of concrete can chip or crack and may thus loose their original precision of mass due to wear and tear. Metal objects will tend to rust, and may in some cases suffer from metal fatigue or crack propagation. Furthermore, these tests are conducted only periodically. It is appreciated that between tests, the storage of these solid test masses can create an inconvenient storage problem. Furthermore, the problem is exacerbated when a range of test masses, required for different apparatus, must be stored.
In response to the problems inherent in the use of solid test masses, the use of flexible liquid-filled bags as test masses has been proposed in United Kingdom Patent No. 2,047,414B (Tonnes Force Testing Services Limited) and United Kingdom Patent No. 2,072,351 (Water Weights Limited). The bags used in these British patents consist of flexible envelopes that are filled typically with water in order to create the necessary test mass. The liquid-filled bags resemble generally pear-shaped objects that are supported either singly or in combinations to create the specified test mass. Since these flexible bags are collapsible when empty, they solve the problem of storage that is inherent in the use of metal or concrete test masses. However, while one set of problems is overcome, the use of water or liquid weights introduces a different set of problems that is inherent in the use of temporary masses, namely the problem of ensuring that the bag is filled with the correct amount of liquid to create a mass of the correct value.
This problem of filling the bag accurately with the correct amount of liquid must be seen in the light of the fact that the standards of weight testing often require the masses to be within relatively fine tolerances. For example, reference is made to British Standard BS 7121 Part 2: 1991 which is entitled xe2x80x9cCode of practice for safe use of cranes. Part 2. Inspection, testing and examinationxe2x80x9d. According to British Standard BS 7121, the test mass should be of proven accuracy to within xc2x11.0%.
Another factor that presents difficulties in creating a temporary mass within the acceptable margins is that the density of a liquid varies with composition and temperature. Consequently, changes in the liquid density affect the mass. A cubic meter of pure water at 40xc2x0 C. weighs around 7.7 kg less than another cubic meter of water at 3.98xc2x0 C. The density of pure water at 40xc2x0 C. is around 992.3 kg mxe2x88x923, whereas at 3.98xc2x0 C. it is around 1000 kg mxe2x88x923. The density of sea water taken from the open sea may vary between approproximately 1020 and 1030 kg mxe2x88x923. When expressed as the amount of salt per kilogram of sea-water, in terms of parts per thousand by weight (o/oo), the salinity of sea-water varies typically from 34 to 37 o/oo and has been found to be as low as 5 o/oo in the Finland and as much as 41 o/oo in the northern part of the Red Sea. The difference of density in sea water is caused mainly by the variation in temperature and salinity. Fresh water and sea water are the most common liquids used to fill the weight testing bags. Hence, if a bag is filled consistently with the same amount of liquid, the vagaries of liquid density means that the bag may not necessarily contain the same mass on each occasion. These variables mean that the amount of liquid required to fill the bag is not constant, and must be ascertained in the context of the ambient conditions. These factors explain why the task of filling bags, with what can amount to thousands of liters of liquid, is not simple task, especially when the amount of liquid may have to be within xc2x11.0% of a specified amount as required by certain mandatory standards.
The vagaries discussed above mean that it is often necessary to weigh the mass using a weighing device such as a load cell or dynamometer. Although weighing the mass, at the time of using the test mass, can ensure that the vagaries of the amount of liquid and the prevailing density of the liquid are taken into account, the use of a weighing device, in turn, presents another set of problems. It is appreciated that the calibration (and indeed the maintenance of that calibration) of weighing devices used for masses in the range of a few thousand tonnes is expansive and not straightforward. Furthermore, the precision of the calibration is lost progressively over time, which means that the expensive process of calibration must be repeated regularly. For example, in British Standard BS 7121, the weighing device or weighbridge used to ascertain the value of the mass must, at the time of conducting the test, have been calibrated and certified within the last twelve months.
In the field of weight testing, the weighing devices usually include electrical components and circuitry. The use of such electrical weighing devices presents peculiar problems in applications where inflammable materials are in close proximity. For example, when testing cranes that are used in petroleum production facilities, it is necessary to ensure that the electrical weighing devices are shielded, so that any sparks from the weighing device will not initiate ignition of the petroleum products in the vicinity.
Another type of load bearing structure which must be tested with a test load is found in the piles used as a foundation of buildings. A test method is defined in A.S.T.M. D 1143-8 (American Society for Testing and Materials) which is entitled xe2x80x9cStandard Test Method for Piles Under Static Axial Compressive Load.xe2x80x9d After the foundation piles have been driven into the ground, the piles must be subjected to a static compressive load to test whether each pile has adequate load bearing capacity. The test loads are usually created by soil, rock, concrete, steel or water-filled tanks. These solid masses are usually solid, and are often in the form of large concrete blocks. Therefore, problems similar to the ones mentioned above in connection with solid test masses are experienced in transporting and positioning the large, solid masses on the test rig, and in storing the solid test masses when not in use. Furthermore, a weighing device in the form of a hydraulic jack is required to determine the actual test load, and this hydraulic jack must be regularly calibrated and certified. Other types of load bearing structures that must be tested with compressive loads include bridges, floors, jetties and wharves.
An object of the present invention is to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art, and it is not intended that the invention in its broadest aspect must necessarily overcome all of the abovementioned problems in the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a load creation apparatus operatively adapted to create a specified mass which is suitably large for load testing a load bearing structure, comprising:
a liquid impervious container;
means for filling the container with liquid to create the specified mass therein;
suspension means for suspending the container such that said load bearing structure is able to bear said specified mass; and
wherein the container is provided with determination means for determining the mass of the liquid which forms the specified mass in the container, the mass being determined from the density and volume of the liquid.
The determination means may be provided in the form of said container being substantially shaped as a regular geometric shape at least at those regions that are adjacent the liquid in the container such that the volume of liquid in said container is readily calculable.
The determination means may be provided in the form of said container being provided with walls which, in use, are upright at least at those regions that are adjacent the liquid in the container.
Preferably, the walls, in use, are generally vertical at least at those regions that are adjacent any liquid in the container.
The determination means may be provided in the form of said container being provided with a base that has a predetermined surface area.
The base may be orthogonal, and the base may be level.
The determination means may include a calibrated gauge which provides a visual indication of the level of liquid to which the container must be filled when the liquid has a particular density.
The visual indication may be adjustable in accordance with the density of the liquid.
The liquid impervious container may be made of flexible material.
The means for filling may be in the form of an opening for said container.
The means for emptying the container may be in the form of liquid discharge valve in the base of the container.
The suspension means may be in the form of a central strap which extends generally through the center of gravity of said container when liquid is in the container.
The container may be divided into partitions by an internal web that connects internal surfaces of the container, said web functioning as a structural brace for the container when the container contains liquid.
Liquid may be able to flow from one partition to an adjoining partition through vents located in the web.
Alternatively, the walls of the container may be provided with flat reinforcing components which enable the walls, in use, to remain upright.
Alternatively, or in addition to the reinforcing components, at least some of the walls of the container may be connected one to another with reinforcing struts, each of the struts functioning as a structural brace for the container when the container contains liquid.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an arrangement for creating a specified mass for testing a load bearing structure comprising a plurality of load creation apparatus each of which are suspended, wherein said plurality of apparatus are juxtaposed with respect to one another.
The juxtaposed apparatus may be connectable by vents that enable at least one of the apparatus in the arrangement to be filled with liquid received from at least one other of said plurality of apparatus.
The vents may be in the form of a flexible duct that is able to interconnect adjacent apparatus.
The apparatus may be used for testing the ability of a load bearing structure to bear a specified test mass.
The arrangement may be used for testing the ability of a load bearing structure to bear a specified test mass.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of testing the ability of a load bearing structure to bear a suitably large specified test mass, comprising the steps of:
using suspension means to suspend at least one load creation apparatus such that the load bearing structure is able to bear a specified mass created by said load creation apparatus, said apparatus comprising a liquid impervious container;
filling said container with liquid to create said specified mass therein; and
using determination means provided on said container to determine said mass of the liquid which forms the specified mass in the container, the mass being determined from the volume and density of the liquid.
The method may involve the step of ascertaining the volume and density of the liquid and thereby determining the mass of the liquid therefrom.
Preferably, the determination means are provided in the form of said container being provided with walls which, in use, are upright at least at those regions that are adjacent the liquid in the container and said container being provided with a base that has a predetermined surface area, and wherein said method involves the step of calculating the volume of said liquid by multiplying the base surface area by the height of said liquid in the container and determining the value of the mass of the liquid therefrom.
The method may involve the step of ascertaining the density of liquid and thereby determining the amount of liquid with which to fill the container in order to produce the specified mass.
A plurality of said apparatus may be suspended in accordance with the abovementioned arrangement.
Liquid may be poured initially into one of said plurality of apparatus, and liquid from said one apparatus may flow to at least one other of said plurality of apparatus.
Preferably, one of more of said other apparatus are provided each with a valve which prevents the liquid from escaping from the apparatus such that the liquid is constrained to flow to at least one other of said apparatus until all the apparatus in the arrangement have been substantially filled to the required level.
The valve may be a float valve that is opened and closed by a floatable mechanism.
According to yet a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a load creation apparatus operatively adapted to create a specified mass which is suitably large for load testing a load bearing structure, comprising:
a liquid impervious container;
means for filling the container with liquid to create said specified mass therein; and
suspension means for suspending the container such that said load bearing structure is able to bear said specified mass;
wherein said container is provided with upright walls which are arranged and operatively adapted to determine the volume of the liquid therein, so that the specified mass created by the liquid in the container is able to be determined by reference to the density of the liquid.
The apparatus may be used for testing the ability of a foundation pile to bear a specified test mass.
The arrangement may be used for testing the ability of a foundation pile to bear a specified test mass.
The load bearing structure may be a hoist, crane, davit, winch or other similar load bearing structure.
In the specification and claims, it is said that the test mass is intended to be suspended such that a xe2x80x9cload bearing structurexe2x80x9d is able to bear the test mass. The word xe2x80x9cstructurexe2x80x9d is not intended to introduce any limitation on the type of structure, apparatus or machine that is able to be tested. For example, embodiments of the invention may be used for testing lifting machines such as hoists, cranes, davits and winches where the load is suspended from the apparatus. Other embodiments of the invention may be used to create a compressive load to be borne by load bearing structures such as structural foundation piles. The invention may be used to test a wide range of load bearing device which must be tested with a specified test mass.
In the specification, the word xe2x80x9cfilledxe2x80x9d is used in the descriptive sense of adding liquid to the container. The word xe2x80x9cfilledxe2x80x9d is not intended to imply that the container must necessarily be filled to the brim.


An internal combustion engine in which the oil content of blow-by gas is reduced by conveying the blow-by gas (34) away from the engine to be cooled in a heat exchanger (30). Oil (40) condensing from the cooled blow-by gas (34) is returned to the engine and the cooled blow-by gas is exhausted to atmosphere or conveyed to the engine air intake system.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning internal combustion engine crankcase blow-by gas and an internal combustion engine including said apparatus.
1. Field of the Invention
During the compression and power strokes in an internal combustion engine, the difference in gas pressures above and below a piston is sufficient to cause leakage (blow-by) of gas past the piston into the engine crankcase. The resulting increase in pressure within the crankcase can cause oil to pass by the engine oil seals and this pressure may also damage the seals.
To diminish the damaging effects of blow-by it is normal to relieve crankcase pressure by either venting the blow-by gas to atmosphere via an open breather or by connecting the crankcase to the engine intake air system whereby blow-by gas is conveyed to the air intake system and thence to the combustion chamber under the control of a pressure regulating valve. The pressure regulating valve maintains gas pressure within the crankcase between desirable limits. This latter arrangement constitutes a closed-circuit breather system.
The blow-by gas carries with it oil vapour and this exits the engine to atmosphere via the open breather or, in the closed-circuit breather system, is taken into the engine air inlet system and is partially or fully burned before exiting to atmosphere via the engine exhaust system. In either case, this results in undesirable emissions being emitted which contain either unburned oil or the products of burned oil. The oil content of the blow-by gas, where this is fed into the engine intake air system via a closed-circuit breather system, also leads to fouling of turbo-charger compressor vanes, engine poppet valves and other components in contact with inlet air.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,385 and JP-A-61-171814 each disclose an apparatus for reducing the oil content of blow-by gas in an internal combustion engine, comprising: means for conveying blow-by gas away from the engine crankcase to a heat exchanger cooled by air from an engine air intake system, said blow-by gas being cooled by passing it through the heat exchanger; means for returning oil condensed from said cooled blow-by gas to the engine; and means for directing the cooled blow-by gas into the flow of engine inlet air, said means comprising a blow-by gas outlet.
In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,385, the blow-by gas outlet is located internally of the heat exchanger but is not adjacent to an air inlet end of the heat exchanger.
In the case of JP-A-61-171814, the blow-by gas outlet is external of the heat exchanger.

Method and an apparatus for cleaning internal combustion engine crankcase blow-by-gas and an internal combustion engine including said apparatus


An educational device that makes printed material, in the form of a child's workbook of varying thickness in the open reading position, or sheet material in the form of a worksheet, or blank template reusable. Children view their work through the clear transparent cover of the apparatus and record answers using a dry erase marker or wipe-off crayon. When completed, answers easily wipe away, allowing for exercises to be repeated many times until mastery. Additionally, the device is convenient, quick, simple, and easy to utilize, especially for young children. It is easily transportable and has multiple functionality, including an additional work, therapeutic, play, or display surface.

The present invention relates generally to educational devices, and more specifically to a reusable write-on wipe-off book holder for teaching young children. The apparatus, when used in conjunction with any ordinary school workbook, worksheet, or blank template, will allow children, especially young children, children with learning disabilities and children with limited writing and fine motor skills, to repeatedly practice a wide range of learning skills in any subject. In addition, the write-on wipe-off book holder can also be used for therapeutic or recreational activities including coloring and 'paper and pencil' type games.
Workbooks are well known in the educational field. A seemingly unlimited variety of workbooks have been developed to aid in teaching children mathematics, handwriting, language, science, social studies, music, grammar, etc. Such workbooks are valuable instructional tools because they cover a wide range of learning skills, they provide a diversity of formats, and because exercises are typically sequenced from easiest to more difficult. Also, the exercises in typical school workbooks are generally enriched by fun drawings, colors, and interesting formats.
However, exercises in conventional workbooks that use a paper and pencil approach, can only be used once. There is only one chance to fill in each page and complete the assignment. There is no opportunity for repeated practice of any particular page. Making multiple copies of the same page from which to practice becomes, inconvenient, impractical, costly, and in some cases, not an option due to copy written materials.
Write-on wipe-off books, boards, and mats are also common in the educational field. The user is able to write on the coated surface and thereafter wipe off the markings for repeated use. Such devices, however, have a fixed, specific content and are limited in the versatility of the device.
In prior art, devices are known wherein a clear overlay is placed over an underlying paper form whereby a child can write on the clear overlay using the underlying paper form as a guide. The clear overlay may then be erased, and the paper form may be reused. However, devices such as these, as presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,741,561, 3,553,864, and 4,968,258, for example, which utilize plates, plexiglass, and the like, are limited in use and can only accommodate an underlying paper guide in the form of sheet material such as a worksheet.
Other such devices, such as those presented in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,409,383, 5,409,383, 6,199,816 B1, for example, although more versatile, are deemed to be of substantial height. The height of these devices is not ergonomically practical for use on a desk or tabletop or for young children who are still learning the proper writing posture (i.e. proper hand, wrist, forearm placement) as well as proper "pencil grip".
Other prior art devices, such as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,192, for example, have required mechanical means such as plates, spring clips, clamps, clipping mechanisms, and the like, to hold the device and or the underlying paper guide in place. These moving parts, when opened and shut, are disruptive in the classroom and are difficult for small children to operate. With these devices, inserting and removing the underlying paper guide, in the form of a worksheet, is cumbersome and time consuming in a classroom or instructional setting and is also difficult for young small children to utilize.
Furthermore, while write-on wipe-off learning devices of prior art are suitable for their intended purposes, these teaching aids do not allow for a variety of work surfaces in one apparatus for use in conducting various teaching, recreational or therapeutic activities. Although more than one work surface is often needed to better illustrate lessons taught in school workbooks, there have been no adequate devices for presenting the workbook material along with additional work or display surfaces for use as teaching aids, or to present alternate communication means or motivational reinforcements, or to remind students of training schedules, particularly learning disabled children.
An improvement over the presently known write-on wipe-off educational devices would comprise of an ergonomic, reusable, write-on wipe-off learning device able to accommodate multiple forms of underlying printed matter including a worksheet, a blank template, and a school workbook being of varying thickness in the open reading position, whereby children are able to write on the clear transparent overlay of the device and easily wipe away their work, allowing for repeated practice and opportunities to learn. Such a device would be quick, simple, and easy to utilize, especially for young children. Additionally, the easily transportable teaching apparatus would have multiple functionality including; an additional work or play surface. This present invention is directed to such an advance in the art.


A modular filtering system is provided including modular filter cartridges which can be arranged into filter assemblies of various configurations by interconnecting the filter cartridges in a desired configuration. In one embodiment of the invention, the modular filtering system includes a first filter cartridge, a second filter cartridge and a connector clip that mechanically secures the first filter cartridge to the second filter cartridge. The first filter cartridge includes an outlet port which is hydraulically connected to an input port on the second filter cartridge. Each filter cartridge includes a filter tube, a first end cap attached to one end of the filter tube and a second end cap that is attached to an opposite end of the filter tube. The connector clip can be connected between the first end caps of the filter cartridges, the second end caps of the filter cartridges, or both the first and second end caps of the filter cartridges. The connector clip can include a locking tab and each end cap can include a socket connector that is adapted receive the locking tab of the connector clip. The end caps can also include a plurality of planar portions arranged in an axially symmetric pattern around the side wall of the end caps. The inlet and outlet ports and the socket connector are disposed on the end caps at a planar portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid filtering system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a modular filter cartridge which can be arranged into filter assemblies of various configurations by hydraulically and mechanically interconnecting a plurality of individual filter cartridges.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of fluid filtering systems continues to expand into an ever increasing number of areas. For example, fluid filtering systems are used in research, medical, commercial, industrial, and even residential applications to treat fluids conventionally associated with such facilities. In particular, the treatment of water is one area in which the need for improved filtering systems continues to grow as the demand increases for cleaner, more pure water in homes as well as research laboratories, and the quality of municipal water supplies continues to deteriorate in many regions throughout the world. In addition to water, other fluids such as oil, bodily fluids, and the like also require treatment in many instances to remove unwanted contaminants, odors, bacteria, and the like.
The sequential treatment of fluids through multiple filters is known to have an affect on the quality of the filtered fluid as it passes through a filtering system. Both the number of filters and the type of filter media contained in the filters can affect the amount and type of contaminants removed from a treated fluid. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a filtering system in which the number of individual filter cartridges, the type of filter media and the particular configuration of the filtering system can be readily assembled.
Filtering systems are known which include individual filter cartridges that are hydraulically connected to each other to form a filtering system. However, many of these filtering systems suffer from a variety of disadvantages. For example, many modular filtering systems hydraulically interconnect individual filter cartridges using threaded hydraulic fittings and tubing. In addition to providing the hydraulic circuit, the fittings and tubing may also provide the only mechanical support between the individual filter cartridges. Such systems are more prone to fluid leaks due to internal pressure or external forces placed on the filtering system. Furthermore, in such systems, modification of the particular filtering configuration or replacement of individual filter cartridges can be difficult, labor intensive tasks. An example of a filtering system using hydraulic fittings is disclosed by Dalessandro, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,420.
In an effort to overcome some of the foregoing disadvantages, filtering systems have been developed that eliminate such hydraulic fittings and tubing by using a fluid manifold that interconnects the individual filter cartridges. In general, the manifold of these systems is formed with fluid passages that hydraulically connect the filter cartridges in a desired configuration. However, such manifolds are typically made for a particular application and cannot be reconfigured once the internal flow passages are formed. Examples of filtering systems using manifolds are disclosed by Clack et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,035, and Slovak et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,601.
Another example of a water filter apparatus using multiple filter tubes in a sequential arrangement is disclosed by Gaignet, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,875. The apparatus includes a plurality of filter tubes which are connected both structurally and hydraulically by two molded end plates. The desired flow path is established by modifying the end plates prior to assembly to provide appropriate holes through internal partitions. The end plates are then permanently bonded to the ends of the tubes either thermally or adhesively. A major disadvantage of this apparatus is the inability to reconfigure the apparatus or replace filter tubes once the end plates are bonded to the tubes.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a fluid filtering system that includes a plurality of modular filter cartridges that can be readily connected and disconnected from each other to form a fluid circuit in a desired configuration.


A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a door coupled to the vehicle body and a flexible vehicle-body grommet. The door is pivotable about a horizontal axis between a closed position and a horizontal open position, and about a vertical axis between the closed position and a vertical open position. The flexible vehicle-body grommet is coupled to the vehicle body and the door. The flexible vehicle-body grommet is pivotable about the horizontal axis when the door is pivoted to the horizontal open position.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
A pickup truck disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,740,279, which issued Jun. 3, 2014 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, includes a multi-functional tailgate spanning a width of the aft end of the cargo bed. The multi-functional tailgate is pivotably coupled to the cargo bed so that the multi-functional tailgate is allowed to pivot about a horizontal axis between a horizontal open position and a closed position. The multi-functional tailgate also includes two doors that can be latched together so as to pivot together between the horizontal open position and the closed position, or unlatched so as to pivot independently of each other between the horizontal open position and the closed position.
When the two doors are unlatched from each other, each door can rotate independently about the horizontal axis (i.e., between the horizontal open position and the closed position) and about a vertical axis (i.e., between a vertical open position and the closed position). The teachings of the present disclosure provide a grommet assembly that allows a wiring harness in one or both of the doors to move in multiple directions, thereby avoiding damage to the wiring harness.


It is an object of the present invention to apply a sufficient electrical field to a liquid crystal material in a horizontal electrical field liquid crystal display device typified by an FFS type. In a horizontal electrical field liquid crystal display, an electrical field is applied to a liquid crystal material right above a common electrode and a pixel electrode using plural pairs of electrodes rather than one pair of electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device. In particular, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a wide viewing angle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device includes a self-light emitting display device and a light receiving display device. A liquid crystal display device is the most typical light receiving display device. A driving method for liquid crystal in a liquid crystal display device includes a vertical electrical field type in which voltage is applied perpendicularly to a substrate and a horizontal electrical field type in which voltage is applied approximately parallel to the substrate. Each of a vertical electrical field type and a horizontal electrical field type has an advantage and disadvantage. For example, a horizontal electrical field type has characteristics such as a wide viewing angle, high contrast, high gradation display, and the like compared with a vertical electrical field type typified by a TN type, and is used for a monitor or television. These kinds of liquid crystal display devices coexist in the field of liquid crystal, and product development has been made. In addition, each of a liquid crystal material for a horizontal electrical field type and a liquid crystal material for a vertical electrical field type is developed and has different material characteristics according to a direction of applied voltage.
In addition, a horizontal electrical field liquid crystal display device includes an IPS (In-Plane Switching) type and an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) type. In an IPS type, a pixel electrode having a comb-shape or a slit and a common electrode having a comb-shape or a slit are alternately arranged and an electrical field approximately parallel to a substrate is generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, whereby a liquid crystal display device is driven (see Patent Document 1). On the other hand, in an FFS type, a pixel electrode having a comb-shape or a slit is placed over a common electrode which having a plane-shape that is formed in a whole pixel portion. An electrical field approximately parallel to a substrate is generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, whereby a liquid crystal display device is driven.
It is shown that an FFS liquid crystal display device has high transmittance, a wide viewing angle, low power consumption, and no crosstalk (see Non-Patent Document 1).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H9-105918    [Non-Patent Document 1] Ultra-FFS TFT-LCD with Super Image Quality and Fast Response Time, 2001 The Society For Information Display pp. 484-487
In a horizontal electrical field type liquid crystal display device which is typified by a conventional horizontal electrical field type liquid crystal display device, an electrical field applied to a liquid crystal material is not sufficient. This is because an electrical field is not well applied to a liquid crystal material which is right above a common electrode and a pixel electrode.
In addition, a wide viewing angle technique using a horizontal electrical field type such as an IPS type or an FFS type is used mostly for television; therefore, the technique is applied only to a transmissive type. However, a reflective type or a semitransmissive type is needed when reducing power consumption or outdoors use is required. However, a reflective or a semitransmissive type is realized by using a vertical electrical field type typified by a TN type.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to novel betulinic acid derivatives of formula (I), wherein R is C(═CH2)CH3 or CH(CH3)2; R2 together with the adjacent carbonyl group forms a carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester or amide or substituted amide; R3 or R4 are hydrogen or aryl with the proviso that both are not independently hydrogen or alkyl or R3 and R4 are combined together to form an aryl ring optionally substituted with a group X, wherein X is selected from halogen, alkyl, cyano, nitro, alkoxy, amino or substituted amine; Y is N or O; and R1 is zero when Y is O, and R1 is hydrogen, alkyl or aryl alkyl when Y is N, useful for inhibition of tumor cancer cells.

The chemical entity, 33-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid, generically known as betulinic acid and represented by the chemical formula (II),
is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid (Journal of Applied Biomedicine, 2003, 1, 7-12) possessing useful biological properties such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiseptic, antimalarial, spermicidal, antimicrobial, antileshmanial, antihelmentic and antifeedent activities.However, amongst all the aforementioned activities, betulinic acid has been found particularly to exhibit anticancer and anti HIV activities (Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences, 2002, 24, 1031-1037).
Earlier, betulinic acid was considered as a melanoma-specific cytotoxic agent, however, recent evidences indicate that it has a broad spectrum of activity against other types of cancer cells (IDrugs, 2004, 7(4), 359-373).
Betulinic acid has been selected by NCI, USA for Rapid Access to Intervention Development (RAID) programme. Betulinic acid has been shown to act through the induction of apoptosis irrespective of the cells p-53 and CD-95 status. Some experimental reports indicate that betulinic acid functions through the mitochondrial pathway. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of betulinic acid has also been studied in CD-1 mice but a detailed investigation is required to find out its kinetic behavior (Biopharm. Drug Dispos., 1999, 20, 379-383). A recent study indicates that though betulinic acid has lower potency as compared to doxorubicin, but the former seems to be selective for tumor cells, since minimal toxicity against normal cells was observed (Cancer Letters, 2002, 175, 17-25). These findings and favorable therapeutic index, even at dose up to 500 mg/Kg body weight, have made betulinic acid a very promising candidate for the clinical treatment of various forms of cancer (Medicinal Research Reviews, 2004, 24(1), 90-114).
As a consequence of the promise betulinic acid holds for treatment of various types of cancer, research in the recent past has been directed towards synthesis and screening of new derivatives of the acid with a view of finding more potent compounds. A summary of the recent advances is given herein below:
At the outset, it might be mentioned that variations of substituents at positions 2, 3, 20 and 28 of betulinic acid molecule of formula (II), has been the subject matter of all research efforts to obtain potent lead compounds, viz, U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,847; U.S. Pat. No. 6,225,353; U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,109;U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,345; WO 98/51293; WO 98/51294; WO 02/16395; WO 02/091858; US 03/0181429; US03/0186945;U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,816.
Recently, isoxazole derivatives of betulinic acid have been reported as cytotoxic agents (Bioorganic Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2003, 13, 3137-3140).
Even though, all the above mentioned reports collectively disclose a large number of betulinic acid derivatives, with a vast majority of them found to possess antitumor activity, however, due to various reasons they are not particularly good candidates, clinically as well as do not have the best of pharmacokinetic properties.
Of all the derivatives of betulinic acid discussed hereinbefore, findings from our laboratory show that one of the molecules disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,816 and designated as MJ1098-RS of formula (III) exhibits good in vitro cytotoxicity in various cancer cell lines. U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,345 further discloses that compound of formula (III) also shows tumor reduction in murine xenograft models.

A need therefore, exists for new betulinic acid derivatives, which are not only potent, but also clinically safe and moreover, have better pharmacokinetic properties.
In our efforts to find molecules which are not only potent therapeutically but also acceptable clinically, we have found that substitutions at C-2 and C-3 positions of the betulinic acid of formula (II) with a heterocycle fused to the said positions, imparts the desired characteristics which forms the basis of the present invention.


An oral pharmaceutical composition comprising a hydrophobic resin or ion exchange resin which has a therapeutic agent bound thereto forming an agent-resin complex is disclosed. The complex is coated with a water-permeable diffusion barrier of poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer cryogel.

Cryogels are solid elastomers containing over 80% water which are produced when solutions of higher molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) of high degree of hydrolysis are subjected to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Such cryogels are tough, slippery, elastomeric, resilient, insoluble in water below 50.degree. C., and nontoxic.
The fact that cryogels may be produced without the use of cross-linking agents or other adjuvants is a desirable feature emphasized in a review of the scientific literature on such gels (N. A. Peppas and S. R. Stauffer. Reinforced uncrosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) gels produced by cyclic freezing-thawing processes: a short review. Journal of Controlled Release, 16, 305-310, 1991).
Transdermal films of PVA containing drugs such as corticosteroids, inflammation inhibitors, sedatives, tranquilizers, antihypertensives, diuretics, antibiotics, anesthetics, and vitamins have been disclosed (M. Sunamiu, et al, Transdermal films for drug preparations. Chemical Abstracts 112:240485m, 1990). These films used PVA of 500-2400 degree of polymerization (molecular weight of about 22,000-105,000 daltons) and were used to administer pharmaceuticals through the skin.
The anti-inflammatory indomethacin has been incorporated into cryogels. Its release was found to be in direct proportion to the square of time. PVA cryogels cross-linked with glutaraldehyde were shown to release indomethacin with zero order kinetics (A. Takamura, M. Arai, F. Ishii. Drug release from freeze-thaw poly(vinyl alcohol) gel. Yakugaku Zasshi, 107, 233-237, 1987).
PVA hydrogels have been used as rectal suppositories for controlled release for beta-blockers. Straight line release of the drugs superior to that of other suppositories was observed (K. Morimoto, S. Fukanoki, K. Morisaka, S. Hyon and Y. Ikada. Design of a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel as a controlled-release vehicle for rectal administration of dl-propranolol hydrochloride and atenolol. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 37, 2491-2495, 1989).
The inclusion of phospholipids in the PVA hydrogels was shown to slow the release of propranolol (K. Morimoto, S. Fukanoki, Y. Hatakeyama, A. Nagayasu, K. Morisaka, S. Hyon. Design of a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogen containing phospholipid as controlled-release vehicle for rectal administration of (+/-)-propranolol hydrochloride. J. Pharm. Pharmacol, 42, 720-722, 1990).
Hydrogels containing indomethacin, however, were inferior to conventional suppositories in their effect on dog plasma levels (K. Morimoto, A. Nagayasu, S. Fukanoki, K. Morisaka, S. Hyon and Y. Ikada. Evaluation of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels as a sustained-release vehicle for rectal administration of indomethacin. Pharm. Research, 6, 338-341, 1989).
PVA hydrogels containing bunitrolol-HCl gave straight line release as the square of time over 60% of the total release time (K. Morimoto, A. Nagayasu, S. Fukanoki, K. Morisaka, S. Hyon and Y. Ikada. Evaluation of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel as sustained-release vehicle for transdermal system of bunitrolol-HCl. Drug Devel. Ind. Phar., 16, 13-29, 1990).
The manufacture of a poultice or topical patch for transdermal delivery by wrapping a film which may contain a polyhydric alcohol, starch, hyaluronic acid or propylene glycol alginate with a PVA sheet has been disclosed (M. Shigemitsu, Jpn KTK 01 16,718, Jan. 20, 1989).
The use of PVA hydrogel as a soft contact lens material has been reported (M. Kita, Y. Ogura, Y. Honda, S. Hyon, W. Cha and Y. Ikada. Evaluation of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel as a soft contact lens material. Graefe's Arch. Clin. Exp. Ophthal. 228, 533-537, 1990).
Controlled-release systems for oral administration of therapeutic agents are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,778 to Raghunathan, issued Sep. 9, 1980 in which a preparation of a drug resin complex is coated with an impregnating agent in order to provide the desired controlled release of the drug.
Controlled-release systems for oral administration of therapeutic agents are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,077 to Raghunathan, issued Jul. 11, 1989 in which a preparation of a drug resin complex is coated with glycerin and then coated with a water-permeable diffusion barrier in order to provide the desired controlled release of the drug.
Controlled-release systems for oral administration of therapeutic agents are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,047 to Kelleher et al, issued Feb. 26, 1991 in which a preparation of a drug resin complex having a drug content above 38% by weight is coated with a water-permeable diffusion barrier.
Although these poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogel materials have been used to accomplish transdermal delivery, the prior art has not disclosed compositions of poly(vinyl alcohol) and methods of their preparation for bandages which effectively release therapeutic agents directly to a wound, trauma or surgical site. The use of ion exchange resins incapsulated in various coatings for oral administration of therapeutic agents has been described, however, the prior art has not disclosed the use of ion exchange resins incapsulated in poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogels for use in bandages which effectively release therapeutic agents directly to a wound, trauma or surgical site. The prior art has also not disclosed the use of ion exchange-drug complexes enclosed in poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogels for the transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents or for use in oral pharmaceutical preparations for administration of drugs in the gastrointestinal tract.

Cryogel oral pharmaceutical composition containing therapeutic agent


A new and distinct Verbena variety is provided which forms attractive medium-sized purplish pink blossoms. The plant is broad and exhibits a spreading growth habit. The blossoms are borne in abundance on spikes. The blossoming is of long duration and commonly occurs between April and November. The plant exhibits a high tolerance to rain, cold, and heat and good resistance to diseases, such as powdery mildew.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Verbena plant obtained from a crossing Vorbena.times.hybrida `Rainbowcarpet rose` (.female.) and a wild type of Verbena plant Verbena peruviana f. rosea. (.male.) native to Brazil.
The Verbena is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and as a pot plant in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the verbena plant which have a spreading growth habit, much branching, the formation of a high number of flowers in a spike and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and deseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a spreading growth habit, strong branching, the formation of a high number of flowers in a spike, high tolerance to heat, rain, drought and cold, and resistance to diseases and pests, and also having strong purplish pink flower petals.
The new variety of verbena plant according to this invention originated from crossing of `Rainbowcarpet rose` (.female.) and a wild type of verbena plant Verbena peruviana f. rosea. (.male.) native to Brazil.
First of all, 4 seedlings were obtained from crossing Verbena.times.hybrida `Rainbowcarpet rose` as female parent and a wild type of verbena plant (Verbena peruviana f. rosea) as pollen parent in the May of 1992. From this crossing 1 seedling was selected in view of the spreading growth habit and flower coloration. This seedling that was selected was propagated by the use of cuttings and was grown for evaluation during which time the botanical characteristics of the seedling was examined, using the similar variety `Rainbowcarpet rose` for comparison, from in the spring of 1993 to in the autumn of 1994. As a result, it was concluded that this Verbena is distinguishable from any other variety whose existence is known to us, and is uniform and is stable in its characteristics. This new variety of Verbena plant was named `SUNMAREF TP-SP`. The new variety of the present invention is botanically classified as Verbena.times.hybrida.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Colour Chart), and the Inter-Society color Council-Nation Bureau of Standard Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color designation based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
The `Rainbowcarpet rose` used as female parent in the obtaining of this new variety `SUNMAREF TP-SP`, is bred by the Takii Seed Corp., Japan and is commercially available. Such parent was registered on Jul. 15, 1989 as No. 1953 under the Seed and Seedling Law of Japan. The `Rainbowcarpet` series includes `Rainbowcarpet bright purple`, `Rainbowcarpet white` and the like. The main botanical characteristics of `Rainbow-carpet rose` are as follow.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: Moderate tolerance to heat, cold, and pests and low resistance to diseases. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to diseases and pests, high tolerance to heat and moderate tolerance to cold.
Growth habit.--Semi-erect. PA2 Plant extension.--25-30 cm. PA2 Plant height.--20-25 cm. PA2 Diameter.--1.7-1.9 mm. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation.--Absent. PA2 Branching.--Medium. PA2 Subterranean stem.--Absent. PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Length of internode.--3.0-3.5 cm. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite. PA2 Shape of blade.--Cordate. PA2 Length.--2.0-2.5 cm. PA2 Width.--1.5-2.0 cm. PA2 Depth of incision.--Deep. PA2 Color.--Dark green (R.H.S. 137B, JHS 3716). PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Upward. PA2 Outward curvature of petal.--Curved. PA2 Diameter.--1.2-1.7 cm. PA2 Height.--13-15 mm. PA2 Color.--Vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 57C, JHS 9707). PA2 Color intensity.--Absent. PA2 Overlapping of petals.--Opened. PA2 Spike.--25-30 mm in length; and 30-35 m m in diameter. PA2 Calyx.--0.5-1.0 cm in length. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation of calyx limb.--Present. PA2 Peduncle.--1.7-1.8 mm in thickness; and 4.0-6.0 cm in length. PA2 Number of flowers.--Few (7-11). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens. PA2 Flower fragrance.--Absent. PA2 Flowering duration.--Medium. PA2 Growth habit.--Slightly erect and spreading. PA2 Plant extension.--130-180 cm. PA2 Plant height.--5-8 cm. PA2 Diameter.--2.0-3.0 m m. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation.--Present. PA2 Branching.--Medium. PA2 Subterranean stem.--Absent. PA2 Pubescence.--Medium. . PA2 Length of internode.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite. PA2 Shape of blade.--Narrow lanceolate. PA2 Length.--3.0-4.0 cm. PA2 Width.--2.0-2.5 cm. PA2 Depth of incision.--Shallow. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green (R.H.S. 146A, JHS 3509). PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Upward. PA2 Outward curvature of petal.--Slightly curved. PA2 Diameter.--1.7-2.0 cm. PA2 Height.--15-20 m m. PA2 Color.--Yellowish white (R.H.S. 159D, JHS 1901). PA2 Color intensity.--Absent. PA2 Overlapping of petals.--Separate. PA2 Spike.--30-40 m m in length; and 40-50 m m in diameter. PA2 Calyx.--1.0 cm in length. PA2 Anthocyanin pigmentation of calyx limb.--Present. PA2 Peduncle.--1-2 m m in thickness; and 5.0 cm in length. PA2 Number of flowers.--Abundant (Commonly 13 to 15). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistill and 5 stamens. PA2 Flower fragrance.--Absent. PA2 Flowering duration.--Short.
The pollen parent used in the obtaining of this new variety `SUNMAREF TP-SP` was a wild type of Verbena native to South Brazil which introduced to Japan in 1991 and Verbena peruviana f. rosea. This wild type of verbena plant is presently maintained at the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 863-1, Aza-Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan. The main botanical characteristics of this pollen parent are as follows.
This new variety of verbena plant `SUNMAREF TP-SP ` was asexually reproduced by the use of cuttings at the aformentioned the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of SUNTORY Ltd., residing at 863-1 Aza - Iketani, Oomori-cho, Youkaiti-shi, Shiga-ken, Japan, and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.


The present invention is directed to a receiver for a wire-free communication system for reception of a received signal which is modulated using a digital modulation method having a first frequency conversion device for production of a frequency-converted received signal by conversion of the received signal to an intermediate frequency. The receiver further includes a pre-filter for production of a filtered received signal from the frequency-converted received signal such that the received signal is band-limited, and an analogue/digital converter for production of a binary received signal from the filtered received signal by comparison of the filtered received signal with a level threshold. In addition, the receiver includes a phase reconstruction device for production of a phase-reconstructed received signal by reproduction of the phase of the received signal from the time intervals between zero crossings of the binary received signal, and a mapping device for production of a bit sequence by mapping symbols from the phase-reconstructed received signal onto this bit sequence using the digital modulation method.

A wire-free digital communication system has at least one transmitter and one receiver. The information to be transmitted from a transmitter is normally initially in the form of a bit sequence. The bit sequence is mapped in the transmitter onto symbols on a complex plane, by means of a mapping device or a mapper. The complex plane is covered by a real in-phase branch (I) and an imaginary quadrature branch (Q), and the symbols correspondingly have an in-phase component and a quadrature component. The complex plane is also referred to as the symbol space, state diagram or constellation diagram. The symbols are thus also referred to as states or constellation points. The mapping rule that is used in the mapping device differs depending on the digital modulation method that is used. In general, k bits can be combined to form a symbol with M=2k states. The number of states also governs the value of a digital modulation method, that is to say the number of distinguishable values or symbols which a digital modulation method has.
After the mapping device, the symbols are filtered by means of a transmission filter in the transmitter, and are finally mixed by a mixer from baseband to the pass band. The mixer modulates the symbols onto a carrier signal at a specific carrier frequency. The transmission filter is used to produce a transmission signal with as narrow a bandwidth as possible.
The resultant transmission signal is sent from the transmitter via a radio channel to the receiver. The radio channel distorts the transmission signal and adds noise to it. In the digital communication system receiver, the signal which has been received via the radio channel is converted by an analogue/digital (A/D) converter to a quantized received signal. The quantized received signal is then down-mixed by a mixer to an intermediate frequency (IF) or to baseband. Once the signal has been down-mixed, it is necessary to ensure that only those signal components which are within the frequency band defined by the signal bandwidth are passed to the further processing stages. This is referred to as channel selection. A reception filter is normally provided for this purpose, which suppresses the undesirable frequency components, and if required together with the transmission filter reduces the intersymbol interference, and maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio.
The received signal is sampled in a sampling device after being filtered, and the symbols in the received signal are associated in a subsequent decision-making device with the symbol which has most probably been transmitted. The symbols are then converted or demodulated again by a mapping device or a demapper, on the basis of the digital modulation method that is used, to form a bit stream.
The optimum demodulation with the minimum bit error rate (BER) is based on the concept of a matched filter. Matched filters are based on the knowledge that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a radio channel with white Gaussian noise (AWGN=Additive White Gaussian Noise) can be maximized when the impulse response of the reception filter, as a matched filter, is the complex-conduit, time mirror-image impulse response of the transmission filter. Furthermore, the demodulation process must be synchronized, that is to say the carrier frequency and the carrier phase must be known or recovered in the receiver. If the carrier phase is known, this is referred to as coherent demodulation, and if the carrier phase is not known, this is referred to as non-coherent demodulation.
There are various digital modulation methods which are used in digital communication systems. The basic digital modulation methods include amplitude shift keying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK) and phase shift keying (PSK). In the case of amplitude shift keying or modulation, the in-phase component of a symbol can assume M different amplitude values and one sampling time. The quadrature component is not used in this case. In the case of phase shift keying or modulation, M states are distinguished, with a different phase angle and the same amplitude. The points on the complex plane of the symbol space thus lie on a circle. In the case of frequency shift keying or modulation, the carrier frequency is changed as a function of the data.
There are numerous sub-variants of the basic digital modulation methods and, for example, these can also be subdivided into modulation methods without any memory and modulation methods with a memory or differential modulation methods. In the case of differential modulation methods, information is transmitted by state transitions rather than by the absolute state. The receiver therefore does not need to know the absolute phase angle and need determine only the phase change between the current symbol and a subsequent symbol. In this case, there is no need to recover the carrier phase exactly, provided that the phase error per symbol resulting from any frequency offset is small. Non-coherent demodulation can therefore be used.
One type of known phase shift keying without any memory is quaternary phase shift keying (QPSK), in which the phases of the states are each shifted through 90° with respect to one another. Known phase shift keying processes with a memory, in contrast, are by way of example DQPSK (Differential Quaternary Phase Shift Keying) and 8-DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying). In the case of δ/4-DQPSK, by way of example, two state diagrams that are rotated through 45° are used alternately, in which case the transitions between the states may take place only between the two state diagrams, but not within the same state diagram. Only two bits can therefore be transmitted per symbol in the case of p/4-DQPSK, despite there being eight possible states. One known frequency shift keying process with a memory is GFSK (Gaussian Frequency Shift Keying), in which suitable pulse shaping is carried out in baseband with regard to the instantaneous frequency, by means of Gaussian filters, in order to suppress crosstalk between individual frequency channels. GFSK is a special case of so-called CPFSK (Continuous Phase Frequency Shift Keying). In CPFSK, and in contrast to abrupt frequency shift keying FSK, continuous phase transitions take place between the individual symbols. In the case of CPFSK, only one fundamental frequency is used, and is deliberately mistuned. The phase angle thus remains continuous.
In wire-free digital communication systems such as DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), WDCT (Worldwide Digital Cordless Telecommunications) or Bluetooth, suitable receivers are required for wire-free reception of transmitted radio-frequency signals, these being receivers which are suitable for processing of the digital modulation type that is used in the respective communication system. In addition to high sensitivity, it is desirable for the receiver to have a high degree of integration, to cost little, to consume little power and to be flexible in terms of applicability to different digital communication systems.
The wire-free digital communication systems nowadays preferably use GFSK as the digital modulation method. In this two-value modulation method, it is preferable to use a receiver with a limiter or a limiting device instead of a conventional A/D converter. The limiting device converts the received signal to a binary data stream using a simple comparator, with a low intermediate frequency. The limiting device chops off all the input levels above a predetermined level threshold, that is to say it produces an output signal at a constant signal level in the chopped-off area. If the limiting device has high gain and/or a low level threshold, it is operated virtually continuously in the chopped-off area. A discrete-value (binary) signal, which is nevertheless continuous over time, is thus produced just by this means at the output of the limiting device. The useful information in the signal at the outputs of the limiting device is contained in its zero crossings. The rest of the signal processing is carried out digitally. The use of a limiting device is distinguished by low costs and a low power consumption, since there is no need to use a conventional high-resolution analogue/digital (A/D) converter.
The standards for the digital communication systems DECT, WDCT or Bluetooth are currently being developed further towards higher data rates, with digital modulation methods such as DQPSK and 8-DPSK with more values being used. In this case, a root-cosine filter (RRC=Root-Raised Cosine) is preferably used as the transmission filter for signal forming in the transmitter. Investigations have shown that simply adding a limiting device to a conventional receiver for a modulation method with more values leads to a severe loss of performance in comparison to a linear (ideal) receiver. This loss of performance may be quite considerable, particularly when subject to the influence of non-linear effects. Since the standards provide in addition for the capability to switch to the more robust two-value modulation methods, for example when the reception conditions are poor, the terminals have to support both the two-value digital modulation methods, and digital modulation methods with more values.
Since the performance loss that has been mentioned when using a receiver with a limiting device is unacceptable, a receiver with a conventional high-resolution A/D converter is used nowadays for the modulation methods with more values. If the digitization is carried out after quadrature signal production, as is generally the case nowadays, two A/D converters are required, in each case one for the I branch and one for the Q branch of the digital modulation method. If the resolution of an A/D converter is sufficient (for example 10 bits), this makes it possible to achieve approximately the same performance as an ideal receiver.
One disadvantage of the use of conventional high-resolution A/D converters is, however, that the implementation complexity is very high, and this is therefore associated with increased costs and a greater power consumption.

Receiver for a wire-free communication system


A method of proof testing glass containers is disclosed. The method involves applying pressure to a sealed container in two discrete stages as shown in FIG. 1. In the first stage, the pressure is increased to a peak over at a first rate. In the second stage, the pressure is reduced to zero at a much greater rate.

Needle-free injectors are used as an alternative to needle-type hypodermic injectors for delivering liquid drugs and other substances through the skin and into the underlying tissues. The drug is dispensed from a drug capsule having a piston which is driven with sufficient force that the drug is expelled at sufficiently high pressure to pierce the skin. Typically, the drug capsule will comprise a hollow cylindrical chamber narrowing to a discharge orifice at one end, and a piston slidingly and sealingly located at the other. The piston is caused to move towards the orifice to dispense the drug by a ram, powered by a variety of means such as a spring, pressurised gas or pyrotechnic charge. The orifice diameter can vary from about 0.08 mm to about 0.7 mm, according to the application.
The more successful and controllable injectors employ a two-phase injection pressure profile; the first is a short but very high-pressure pulse to puncture the skin and the second is at a lower pressure to dispense the drug through the hole thus formed. Typically, the first pressure pulse will be of around 100 microsecond duration, and have a peak pressure of 300-500 bar, and the second will last for around 200 milliseconds with a pressure of around 100 bar. The duration of the second phase will vary according to the volume to be delivered.
It is highly preferred that the drug capsule is transparent, so that the contents may be checked for accuracy and contamination. This requirement has placed a severe limitation on the types of materials that may be used, because the transparent material must be strong enough to withstand the extremely high pressures, and must not adversely affect the drug. As a consequence, virtually all of the needle-free injectors proposed use a plastic drug capsule, typically made from polycarbonate. However, such materials are generally unsuitable for storing the drug, because they absorb water from the drug, or are permeable to oxygen, or react in some way with the drug. Therefore, drug capsules made from plastics are required to be filled immediately before use, a rather inconvenient procedure, with a risk of inaccurate filling and contamination, and requiring training of the operators.
The only material with a long history of satisfactory drug storage is borosilicate glass, but this is very brittle and hence there have been few injectors with glass capsules. The obvious problem with glass capsules is the potential for particles of glass to be ejected if they burst. The underlying causes of the weakness of glass capsules are tiny flaws which occur during manufacture, such as scratches and cracks.
The "Intraject" manufactured by Weston Medical Limited is a pre-filled single-use disposable needle-free injector, having one of the very few glass capsules suitable for long-term drug storage. This is a borosilicate drug capsule of up to 1 ml capacity, made to exceedingly close manufacturing specifications, and further improved by ion exchange strengthening. The breakage rate for these capsules is exceptionally low, but it is desirable to reduce this still further.
Several attempts have been made to reduce the breakage rate for these capsules. For example, further layers of material have been added to the capsule to provide increased physical strength (see international patent publication WO96/15821 in the name of Weston Medical Limited). However, this approach increases significantly the manufacturing costs of the capsule. Additionally, to still further reduce the breakage rate visual inspection techniques have been employed. However, visual inspection techniques are limited both due to the flaw-size which can be detected and the inherent difficulty in automation, which in turn leads to increased cost. Therefore, there is still a requirement for further reducing the incidence of breakages in a cost-effective manner.


A stripping solution for photolithography including hydrofluoric acid, a basic compound represented by general formula (b-1), and water. In the formula, R1b to R5b represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or the like, and at least one of R1b to R5b represents a hydrogen atom. One of R1b to R4b may bind with R5b to form a ring structure. Y1b and Y2b represent an alkylene group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 0 to 5.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stripping solution for photolithography which can be suitably used in manufacture of semiconductor elements such as IC and LSI as well as liquid crystal panel elements, and to a method for forming a pattern using the same.
Related Art
When semiconductor elements such as IC and LSI, or liquid crystal panel elements are manufactured, a CVD vapor-deposited metal film or an insulating film such as an SiO2 film is first formed on a substrate such as a silicon wafer or glass. Next, a photoresist composition is uniformly applied on the metal film or the insulating film to form a photoresist film, and this photoresist film is selectively exposed and developed to form a photoresist pattern. Then, the substrate is subjected to an etching treatment using the photoresist pattern as a mask to form a fine circuit. Thereafter, the photoresist pattern is ashed, and residual materials of the ashed photoresist pattern, and etching residual materials are stripped away using a stripping solution for photolithography.
It is to be noted that aluminum (Al); an aluminum alloy (Al alloy) such as aluminum-silicon (Al—Si), aluminum-copper (Al—Cu) or aluminum-silicon-copper (Al—Si—Cu); titanium (Ti); a titanium alloy (Ti alloy) such as titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium tungsten (TiW); tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten (W), tungsten nitride (WN), copper (Cu) or the like may be used as the metal film described above. Furthermore, not only the metal film and the insulating film, an interlayer insulating film such as an organic SOG (spin-on glass) film may be also adopted. The metal film, insulating film, interlayer insulating film and the like are formed on the substrate as a single layer or a plurality of layers.
The stripping solution for photolithography is desired to have an ability to effectively strip residual materials of a photoresist pattern and etching residual materials, and be superior in anticorrosion properties on metals. In order to achieve both performances, use of hydrofluoric acid and a compound containing ammonia as a counter amine thereof (see Patent Documents 1 to 3), hydrofluoric acid and a compound containing 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene-7 as a counter amine thereof (see Patent Document 4), or the like has been proposed so far.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2001-83713
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H9-197681
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2000-47401
Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2000-181083

Stripping solution for photolithography and pattern formation method


The invention provides a process for preparing linear organopolysiloxanes (P) having diorganosiloxy units and Si—H groups, in which, in a first step, diorganodichlorosilanes (A) and monochlorosilanes (B) and optionally dichlorosilanes (C), at least one of the monochlorosilanes (B) or dichlorosilanes (C) containing Si—H groups, are reacted with at most 0.5 mol of water per mole of hydrolyzable chlorine to give a partial hydrolyzate (T) and gaseous hydrogen chloride, and, in a second step, the SiCl groups still present in the partial hydrolyzate (T) are removed by treating with water to form hydrochloric acid, and a hydrolyzate (H) containing the organopolysiloxanes (P) is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for preparing organopolysiloxanes having linear diorganosiloxy units and Si-H groups from organochlorosilanes and water.
2. Background Art
EP 967236 A describes the preparation of hydrogenmethylpolysiloxanes having trimethylsilyl end groups in a two-stage process from methyldichlorosilane, trimethylchlorosilane and water.
The preparation of polysiloxanes having hydrogenmethylsiloxy units and dimethylsiloxy units and trimethylsilyl end groups via the equilibration of hydrogenmethylpolysiloxanes with dimethylpolysiloxanes using an equilibration catalyst is described in WO 96/18670.

Process for preparing linear organopolysiloxanes having Si-H groups


The invention relates to a method and arrangement for expanding a desktop. Especially the invention relates to a method and arrangement for expanding a desktop virtually. The objects of the invention are fulfilled by relating an audible sound to the application, window or other user interface element as it is shifted out of the display. The sound related to the user interface element may also be characteristic for the element it is related to. In addition, the element can be located by only listening to the sound related to the element.

The use of computers, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant), GPSs (Global Positioning System), mobile terminals and other kinds of data processing systems has increased strongly in recent years. At the same time the size of these systems and devices has become smaller, whereupon there has arisen some problems with the size of the screens and displays of these apparatus. Visual acuity of human being is quite limited so that individual can't see small objects clearly and thus the size of the displays must be kept moderately big. There are, however, some other problems with small displays and also with big displays, when a large number of application windows are operated parallel, because there is not enough space in the display for showing all operated applications, windows or other user interface elements simultaneously.
There are several prior art solutions for solving the problems mentioned above, like a taskbar for example in Microsoft Windows™ operating systems and different kinds of task lists. There are also so called virtual desktops, which can be larger than the physical screen, whereupon user can switch between the different user interface elements, applications or windows by scrolling the virtual desktop in horizontal and vertical directions.
A solution is also known where windows can be dragged outside of the screen so that a part of them remains on the display. In addition, there is a solution where the windows and other user interface elements can be stacked on top of each other, the desired window or other element can be selected by switching between the windows by using, for example, some button combination.
However, there are certain disadvantages and problems related to the prior art solutions that were described above. For example, in solutions where users are allowed to have a large number of windows, applications and other user interface elements on top of each other, the switching between e.g. the windows can be carried out by using buttons and button combinations (such as alt+tab in Microsoft Windows™ operating systems) that requires much knowledge about how the operating systems work. With many windows stacked, it is also difficult to know how many active windows and applications there actually are, what they contain, what their purpose is and what is the state of the applications.
Furthermore, in applications, which contain larger virtual desktop than the physical screen or display the scrolling the desktop is typically slow and tedious and if the virtual desktop is much larger than the physical screen (which can be true with small screens), it becomes very difficult to remember the location of a window and to find it. In systems, which allow the shifting the windows so that part of the window is still on the screen, the screen space or display easily becomes confused.
There are also some arrangements with a task list that shows all the active windows, applications and other user interface elements. This kind of arrangements require a way to activate the task list, and again the list of active tasks can be so long that it requires scrolling.

Method and arrangement for providing an expanded desktop


A method, computer program product, and computing system for associating a local communications port on a local computing device with a DUT communications port on a Device-Under-Test. A user is enabled to remotely access the DUT communications port via the local communications port using a remote computing device.

Modern computing systems (such as data storage systems) are often complex and require testing and configuration during development. When testing and configuring such systems, access to the system in question is often required so that e.g., data signals can be provided to (and read from) various data ports included within the system being tested/configured. Unfortunately, the people that are testing/configuring the system may be located in regions geographically different from the system being tested/configured.

Computer-implemented method, computer program product and computing system


The present invention relates to a porous membrane comprising multiple layers, at least one type of curable compound and at least two types of photo-initiator, wherein at least two layers each contain a the different photo-initiator. The invention further relates to recording media which comprise the porous membrane of the invention, as well as to processes for producing the membrane and the recording media.

Several examples can be found in which curable mixtures are used to produce inkjet recording media. EP-A-1 289 767, EP-A-1 418 058 and EP-A-1 477 318 disclose layers, cured by UV or other radiation in which the porous character is provided by organic or inorganic particles in order to obtain sufficient solvent uptake. However, application of inorganic particles can cause physical weakness of the layer, resulting in cracking or breaking of the layer.
EP-A-0 738 608 describes curing compositions containing a water soluble high-molecular weight compound, but these compositions yield solid layers and therefore do not dry quickly.
WO-A-99/21723 discloses a substrate coated with a binder dissolved in an aqueous solvent mixture, which layer is then cured, and teaches that any amount of solvent is suitable, and there is no limit to the degree in which the binder is diluted before curing.
WO-A-01/91999 and GB-A-2 182 046 disclose a curable inkjet coating that is cured after drying the coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,808 describes an inkjet recording sheet wherein a colloidal suspension of water-insoluble particles and water-insoluble monomers/prepolymers is cured.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,734,514 discloses a radiation curable coating for ink jet printing comprising water insoluble latexes.
Another method is the application of foamed layers as in for example EP-A-0 888 903.
In the above mentioned prior art the receiving layer is not isolated, but formed directly on the substrate after drying and/or further manipulation of the coated substrate. It would be advantageous, to be able to isolate such a layer as a membrane which can be used as such or which can be applied to a substrate in a separate process to give advantageous properties, for instance as an inkjet receiving medium. Membranes are produced by various methods such as dry and wet phase inversion of polymeric solutions, stretching of homogeneous, partially crystalline polymer films, sintering of particulate materials, thermal gelation of homogeneous polymer solutions and by radical polymerization with simultaneous phase separation by irradiation or thermal initiation. Of these methods the wet phase inversion method—in which a polymer solution is contacted with a precipitating agent or non-solvent causing separation into a solid polymer-rich phase and a liquid solvent-rich phase—is by far the most widely used technique for obtaining porous structures. Examples in which this technique is applied can be found in WO-A-98/32541, WO-A-2005/016655, U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,265, U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,272, EP-A-0 803 533, EP-A-0 812 697, EP-A-0 824 959, EP-A-0 889 080 and EP-A-1 149 624.
The main disadvantages of wet phase inversion are the limited production speed obtainable and the high amounts of organic solvents required.
Dry phase inversion processes are described e.g. in EP-A-1 176 030. An alternative method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,931, EP-A-0 216 622 and EP-A-0 481 517 describing a membrane which is produced by irradiating curable monomers in non-volatile organic solvents which are to be removed by washing with a washing liquid of low boiling point.
As many curable compounds are hydrophobic in nature both dry and wet phase inversion techniques require organic apolar solvents to obtain a clear solution. Since these membranes are often not hydrophilic an additional process step may be required to make the membrane hydrophilic for instance by impregnating the membrane with a saline solution as is described in e.g. FR-A-2 687 589, with molecules that comprise hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups as is described in e.g. WO2004/022201 or with a solution of a cationic or anionic polymer as is described in e.g. JP-A-2 107 649.
Membranes can also be made by other methods such as thermal polymerization as described in e.g. EP-A-0 251 511, JP-A-5 177 120 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,204 or grafting acrylic acid to PVC films as described in GB-A-1 549 352 but these membranes or films are not porous and are not formed by phase separation from a solvent.
Membranes made from amphiphilic copolymers as free standing films are described in WO-A-01/88025 which are also not porous and of relatively small size (up to 1 mm2).
Although under certain conditions acceptable results can be obtained with the above-mentioned prior art materials, there is still a need for improvement. The present invention seeks to fulfill, at least in part, this need.
For recording media improvement is required in particular with respect to smearing properties, which may be associated with absorption properties of the porous film, in particular absorption speed. At the same time a porous film must be provided that has a good gloss.
There is a need for a membrane that can be produced at high speeds without requiring costly measures to guarantee safety and to prevent pollution of the environment. This invention aims at solving these problems, at least in part.

Porous membrane and recording medium comprising same


A concave space is formed at a predetermined position of a lower portion of an apparatus including an image forming means. An up switch, a standard position moving switch, and a down switch are arranged. When the up switch is depressed, the apparatus moves the image forming means upward to a predetermined position. When the down switch is depressed, the image forming means moves downward to a predetermined position. When the standard position moving switch is depressed, the image forming means moves to a standard position. Therefore, a wheelchair user can easily operate the apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pedestal for supporting an equipment such as an office equipment.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional pedestal for supporting an image forming apparatus (e.g., a copy machine or a facsimile apparatus) or a cabinet is used to place the above equipment or cabinet at an appropriate height for a user. The pedestal can be used in a stable state wherein it withstands the weight of an object placed thereon. The pedestal has casters at its bottom portions and can be moved on the installation surface.
However, sufficient consideration is not taken for installation locations and installation circumstances for such a pedestal. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, when a user on a wheelchair 61 is to change the direction of the wheelchair 61, an area of about 140 cm .times.170 cm is required. When a copy machine 62 is placed on the above pedestal in an office, it is rather difficult to secure a passage having a width of 140 cm in front of the copy machine 62 in consideration of the present office situation suffering from a lack of space.
As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, when a wheelchair user 63 uses a copy machine 62 installed in a narrow passage, and the wheelchair 63 is moved toward the front of the copy machine 62, footrest portions 64 of the wheelchair 61 abut against the front surface of the pedestal. For this reason, the wheelchair user must operate the copy machine 62 while the side of the body of the user faces the front surface of the copy machine 62. In addition, the direction of the wheelchair cannot be changed during use of the copy machine, resulting in poor operability. As shown in FIG. 22, when a wheelchair user 63 faces the front surface of a copy machine 62, a space is formed between the copy machine 62 and the wheelchair user due to the presence of footrest portions 64, thus making it difficult to operate the copy machine 62.
Conventional copy machines are designed to have a height of about 90 cm to 100 cm, i.e., a height for facilitating to place an original on a platen glass arranged at the upper surface of a copy machine or to operate operation keys for a person, having a height of 150 cm or more, who stands in front of the copy machine. This height is ideal when the copy machine is installed on an office floor.
When the copy machine installed on the office floor is used by a wheelchair user or when the copy machine is used by a user who sits on a chair due to a large number of copies, the operation surface is too high to operate, making it difficult to operate the copy machine.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, operations such as an operation for placing an original, and operations for setting a copy count and a copy density and for depressing a start key on the operation panel are difficult because the operation surface is too high. Jam processing and an operation for replenishing a paper cassette with paper sheets are difficult to perform because the door on the front surface of the copy machine and the paper cassette are located at lower positions which are not easily accessible to a wheelchair user.


An apparatus and method for inserting and extracting printed circuit boards from a housing using screwing devices. A connector on the printed circuit board includes two tapped holes that cooperate with two threaded shafts held by the housing. The threaded shafts are operatively coupled to a common control shaft in such a way that rotating the control shaft in turn rotates the threaded shafts. Depending upon the rotation direction, the threaded shafts either screw or unscrew within the tapped holes so that the printed circuit board coupled to the connector is inserted or extracted.

The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for inserting, retaining and extracting printed circuit boards from a housing and more particularly for inserting, retaining and extracting a printed circuit board wherein a relatively strong force is required, in addition to a high degree of accuracy in positioning the corresponding contacts.
As is known, printed circuit boards (PCBs) are a common form of electrical circuit packaging. Today, many electrical systems like computers, routers and switchers are based on a housing containing a backplane (circuit board) comprising active devices and at least one slot to connect a respective PCB (usually more than one PCB is connected to such a backplane). PCBs are linked to the backplane with connectors, located on the PCB""s lower edge and a corresponding backplane surface, through which signals are transmitted. These connectors must meet specific electrical and mechanical requirements, e.g., signals must be transmitted without deformation and at high speed. The PCBs must be able to be inserted and extracted relatively easily and must be retained so that necessary electrical connections are maintained.
A known mechanism to insert and extract PCBs from a housing consists of lever arms disposed on each upper side edge of the PCB which in turn cooperate with the housing. Such a mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,552. The apparatus includes a lever mounted on the board and a cooperating gear assembly carried by the board and the housing for use in manually installing the board in, or removing the board from, the housing. A conventional locking wedge assembly can be manually operated by the same lever, to retain the PCB within the housing after its installation.
The present electronic packaging engineering practice is to increase the number of Input/Output (I/O) contacts (pins and sockets) for these structures, which in turn results in an increasing size for these PCBs. As a result, the mechanical packaging of these structures is more costly from both a development and manufacturing standpoint. As the number of electrical contacts increases, the force required to insert or extract a board from a housing increases correspondingly. Furthermore, the accuracy that is required in mating the connectors is more difficult to achieve because of the greater number of more closely positioned contacts that must be simultaneously made. In addition, each of the electrical contacts can be easily damaged by improper insertion. As a result, the effective installation and the removal of a PCB from such a backplane poses a significant engineering challenge.
It is believed, therefore, that an improved means for inserting and removing a PCB relative to a backplane would constitute an advancement in the art.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an enhancement in the art of inserting and removing PCBs from backplane (and related) structures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that can withstand the relatively strong forces required to insert or remove a PCB in a housing including a backplane board therein.
It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for inserting or removing a PCB from a housing that provides a high degree of accuracy in aligning the mating electrical contacts.
The accomplishment of these and other related objects is achieved by an apparatus for positioning a PCB within a housing and for removing the PCB from said housing in which the PCB includes at least one connector positioned thereon and having a threaded opening therein. The housing includes a connector for coupling to the PCB connector. The apparatus comprises a a control shaft adapted for being rotatively moved in first and second opposing directions and at least one threaded shaft operatively coupled to the control shaft and adapted for being screwed into the at least one threaded opening in the at least one connector on the PCB during movement of the control shaft in the first direction to draw the PCB toward the at least one connector in the housing such that the at least one connector on the PCB will be electrically connected to the at least one connector within the housing, the at least one threaded shaft also adapted for being unscrewed from the at least one threaded opening during movement of the control shaft in the second direction to move the PCB away from the at least one connector within the housing such that the PCB will be disconnected from the at least one connector within the housing.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a PCB having at least one connector positioned thereon along a lower edge of the PCB and including at least one threaded opening therein oriented substantially perpendicular to the lower edge.

Apparatus and method for inserting, retaining and extracting printed circuit boards

International Business Machines Corporation


A pen for providing input to an electronic apparatus includes a cylindrical pen body made of a resin, a pen tip attached to one end of the pen body, and a weight member disposed within the pen body and offset from the axis of the pen body. The weight member is of a density higher than that of the rein. This allows the center of gravity of the pen body to be radially eccentric with respect to the axis thereof and aids in preventing rolling of the pen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pen for input operation and, more particularly, to a pen for input operation to be used for electronic apparatuses such as electronic diaries, handy information tools, word processors, personal computers and the like which have hand-writing and/or touchkey input functions.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, pens for inputting to electronic apparatuses having hand-writing and/or touch-key input functions are provided with a clip portion or the like projecting outwardly from the cylindrical main body thereof in order to prevent rolling.
The projecting clip that prevents rolling makes such a conventional pen inconvenient, however, because the projecting clip makes contact with a finger of a user, giving an uncomfortable feeling to the user.
Further, the pen with the projecting clip occupies a significant amount of space for accommodation in an electronic apparatus, and cannot easily be taken out of or put back into a predetermined accommodation space due to a certain directional requirement for accommodating the pen in the space.
Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No.2-94189 (1990), which relates to an ordinary writing pen, proposes a pen having a balancer disposed within the main body thereof movable in an axial direction thereof. However, such a pen is not useful for preventing rolling.

Pen, used for input to electronic apparatus, including a weighted member disposed in the pen to create a radially eccentric center of gravity within the pen