A metal air battery system having a rotating anode/cathode assembly. The assembly is mounted in a housing system that provides a mechanism for loading of fresh metal anodes for the purpose of mechanical recharge of the battery. The anode and cathode are able to rotate at high speed for the purposes of producing local high centrifugal (g) forces on their respective surfaces for the purpose of wiping clean liquid electrolyte from their surface to provide for almost instantaneous shutdown of chemical reactions producing hydrogen gas and electric current. The anode and cathode are also rotated at slower speeds for the purpose of providing an even corrosion of the metal anode surface and the cathode rides on the liquid electrolyte using a dynamic and or static liquid bearing design. This liquid bearing provides a constant distance and therefore electrical resistance in the battery.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to metal air batteries. Metal air batteries provide high energy density power sources that show promising applications as mobile and stationary distributed power sources. They have the potential to replace the internal combustion engines found in hybrid cars and aircraft since the energy density, efficiency of conversion approach those of hydrocarbon fuels.
FIG. 1 depicts a schematic representation of a conventional aluminum-oxygen cell system 100. The system 100 comprises an air metal battery 102, an air blower 104 or an oxygen supply 106 and a carbon dioxide scrubber 108. An electrolyte tank 110 with a filter 112 is also present. A coolant system with a heat exchanger 114 and pump 116 is provided. An electrolyte pump 118 sends electrolyte through the air metal battery 102 and a gas separator 120. A knockout tank 122 and hydrogen disposal system 124 are also present.
FIG. 2 depicts a portion of the air metal battery 102 in further detail. A metal anode 200, an electrolyte 202 and an air breathing cathode 204 is shown. The air breathing cathode 204 may contain a conductive charge collecting screen embedded in a conductive matrix that contains a catalyst that promotes the reduction of oxygen. There is a hydrophobic layer that is porous to gas but not the liquid electrolyte. The oxygen needed for the chemical reaction can penetrate the air breathing cathode 204 but still hold the liquid electrolyte in place against the surface of the anode. The metal anode 200 is made from a variety of metals such as zinc, magnesium, iron and aluminum. In one embodiment, the metal anode 200 is aluminum due to the low cost and density of the material.
Metal air batteries are known to suffer from parasitic corrosion problems. Corrosion of edges of anode plates and parasitic corrosion of the surface changes the shape and the I2R losses (electrical resistance) due to the changing distance between the anode and cathode due to this corrosion. The mechanical loading of new metal anodes requires a high integrity edge seal on the metal anode to prevent entrapment of electrolyte after the drain of a cell electrolyte.
The metal anode of a metal air battery is consumed during operation and causes some issues with performance and reliability of the system. A metal air battery that has a fixed anode cathode suffers from an increase in the resistance between the anode and cathode due to the corrosion of the metal anode surface away from the cathode. Additionally, the edges of the metal anode that is not directly parallel to the cathode have parasitic corrosion that also can produce hydrogen gas in the right circumstances. Some methods in protecting the edges of the metal anodes have been designed that are adequate in control of this issue but complicate the mechanical reload of metal anodes because perfect seal of the system is required due to the direct immersion of the anode in the electrolyte.
When the electrical circuit in a metal air battery is interrupted (e.g. turned off) the electrolyte reacts instantly with the metal to produce dangerous volumes of hydrogen gas that must be vented from the battery system. The hydrogen bubbles collect in the electrolyte rapidly and increase the electrical resistance of the battery so that even if the battery is quickly turned back on full power is not available until the electrolyte with hydrogen bubbles is flushed from the system. This pumping and flushing of the electrolyte requires a "knockout" system that separates gas and liquid so hydrogen gas can be safely removed from the system. Knockout system normally uses some type of cascade of liquid through baffles to allow for departure of gas out of solution. Attempts to drain the electrolyte out of a metal air battery does shut down the power output but has been found to result in small droplets and liquid film coatings of the metal anode that produce large amounts of hydrogen gas and corrode the metal unevenly producing pits and voids that reduce the efficiency and amount of power available from the system. As a result of these problems all metal air batteries are designed to be turned on and run until the metal anode is spent. In summary it is very difficult to turn off a metal air battery and then turn it on again without damage to the complete system so they are left on for the lifetime of the anode.
Some metal air batteries allow the anode or cathode to adjust position and follow the corrosion of the metal anode surface. This reduces the I2R losses. However, these systems do not provide for inconsistency in the electric field between different areas of the anode cathode assembly. Additionally, such systems cannot provide for complete removal of electrolyte from a previously operating system.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Air metal battery having a rotating anode and a cathode assembly


An electromechanical device for driving the tip of a microinjection cannula, or needle, through the outer barrier of a blastocyst, cell, or cell nucleus for the injection of cells or other bioactive materials. Either a flexible frame or a ram moving within a base member is employed. Cannula motion is achieved by means of a piezoelectric stack and spring return system. The thrust motion over a predetermined microscopic distance is achieved without cannula setback prior to the thrust movement. Instead of specially prepared beveled and tipped needles, standard unimproved cannulas or needles can be used.

The production of mice with specific mutations is an important and frequently applied procedure that is used to determine the function of individual genes. For example, genetically altered stem cells are frequently injected into mouse blastocysts by means of cannulas, sharpened needles, or other injection means. The rate at which such injection processes can be performed is severely limited by the time-consuming and intricate production of microinjection needles with which to inject the cells into the blastocysts. In current practice, standard cannulas or needles are converted to injection needles having tips that first must be beveled and then pointed. The fabrication of these improved needles is largely an art requiring experienced technicians and many tedious steps. The inevitable result is that needles are produced that are disturbingly nonuniform. This nonuniformity in turn makes the injection step more demanding, and is a significant impediment to automation. In addition to being time consuming, the lengthy fabrication process also results in many rejects. At times, the defectiveness of the needle becomes apparent only after the whole system, cells and blastocyst are prepared, and the operator attempts an injection under the microscope.
In addition to the above problems caused by having to manually prepare beveled and tipped needles, the manner in which the blastocyst injection step is carried out presents additional difficulties. Typically, the injection is done on the stage of an inverted microscope. There are usually one or more micromanipulators rigidly attached to the microscope. These are used to manipulate the biological materials and perform other operations. The micromanipulators typically have a set of three motors used for coarse positioning, and a hydraulic actuator operated from a joystick that is used for fine positioning. The micromanipulators have been developed to the point where they are capable of positioning the tip of the needle at the blastocyst wall very well. It is also known to employ a computer to return the injection needle to a previous microposition after it has been withdrawn.
The injection step is usually carried out manually with a micromanipulator. The usual practice is for the operator to position the injection needle at the wall of the blastocyst, pull the needle back out of sight from the viewing field of the microscope in order to allow enough distance to accelerate the needle, and then slap the handle of the micromanipulator forward to jam the needle tip into the blastocyst. If the hand of the operator does not move along a sufficiently straight line, the blastocyst may be missed, knocked away, or torn and destroyed by the sharp needles. These attempts to use micromanipulators for the injection step have thus generally been unsatisfactory. No micromanipulators are known that are capable of carrying out the precise thrusting motion over the requisite microscopic distance needed to achieve proper cell injection.
In the above-described injection methods, a further complicating aspect is that of stopping the advance of the injection needle a predetermined distance into the blastocyst. A fully satisfactory solution to this problem has not been achieved by the known methods either.

Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation


A method and circuit for changing a threshold voltage of a transistor. The circuit includes a sense circuit coupled to a switching transistor, a circuit transistor and to one terminal of a resistor. The other terminal of the resistor is connected to a body contact. The switching transistor directs current along one of two different paths in response to an input voltage sensed by the sense circuit. When the switching transistor directs a first current along one path, the first current is steered towards the resistor and flows through the resistor in one direction and when the switching transistor directs a second current along the other path, the second current is directed towards the resistor and flows through the resistor in the opposite direction from the first current. Steering the currents varies the potential of a body with respect to the potential at the source of the circuit transistor.

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) low voltage amplifiers are used in a variety of circuit applications including consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive, aviation, etc. Typically these amplifiers are connected in a feedback configuration to linearly amplify a voltage difference that appears at their inputs. Like other integrated circuits, CMOS low voltage amplifiers are described in terms of various performance parameters, e.g., common mode input voltage, common mode rejection ratio, gain, slew rate, full-power bandwidth, input resistance, and output resistance, among others. Common mode input voltage range is an important performance parameter that indicates the range of input voltages over which a differential amplifier behaves in a linear fashion, i.e., the range of input voltages over which the amplifier can operate without any of the circuits of the individual gain stages within the amplifier entering a saturation operating mode. Common mode rejection ratio (CMRR) is a related performance parameter that is defined as the ratio of the open loop gain of the CMOS low voltage amplifier to its common mode gain. This performance parameter is a measure of the operational amplifier's ability to reject input signals that are common to both of the operational amplifier's differential inputs.
For CMOS low voltage operational amplifiers, it is desirable to maintain a high common mode rejection ratio over a wide range of common mode input voltages. This is a challenging goal because the processes for manufacturing CMOS low voltage amplifiers are typically suited for building field effect transistors having high threshold voltages. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art CMOS low voltage operational amplifier 10 manufactured using a 5 volt CMOS process for which the nominal threshold voltages of field effect transistors 20, 22, 30, 32, 34, and 36 are about 0.8 volts. CMOS low voltage operational amplifier 10 comprises a differential pair 12 of transistors coupled to a differential pair load 14 and to a current source 16. Differential pair 12 comprises P-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETS) 20 and 22, wherein the sources of P-channel MOSFETS 20 and 22 are commonly connected together and the gates are coupled for receiving input signals VIN+ and VIN−, respectively. In addition to input signals VIN+ and VIN−, the gates of P-channel MOSFETS 20 and 22 each receive a common mode input signal VCM. The sources of P-channel MOSFETS 20 and 22 are also electrically coupled to the body or bulk terminal 26 of the semiconductor material from which the operational amplifier is manufactured. The drains of P-channel MOSFETS 20 and 22 are coupled to differential pair load 14 which is coupled for receiving a source of operating potential VEE. By way of example, load 14 is a current mirror.
Current source 16 comprises P-channel MOSFETS 30, 32, 34, and 36 coupled in a cascode configuration, wherein the drain of P-channel MOSFET 32 is coupled to source of operating potential VEE through a current setting resistor 38, and the drain of P-channel MOSFET 36 is connected to the sources of P-channel MOSFETS 20 and 22. The sources of P-channel MOSFETS 30 and 34 are commonly coupled for receiving a source of operating potential VCC. The gates of P-channel MOSFETS 30 and 34 are connected together and to the drain of P-channel MOSFET 32. The gates of P-channel MOSFETS 32 and 36 are connected together and for receiving a bias voltage VBIAS. In operation, the maximum common mode input voltage VCM,MAX that can be applied to differential pair 12 is given by equation 1 (EQT. 1):VCM,MAX=VCC−(|Vtho|+2*Vdsat)  EQT. 1
where:
VCC is the upper supply or upper supply rail of the amplifier (volts);
Vtho is the threshold voltage with zero potential across the body and source terminals (volts); and
Vdsat is the saturation voltage for the P-channel MOSFET (volts).
For a 5 volt CMOS process in which the upper supply rail is 1.8 volts and the saturation voltage for the P-channel MOSFETS is about 100 millivolts, the maximum common mode input voltage, VCM,MAX, is about 0.8 volts.
The minimum common mode input voltage VCM,MIN that can be applied to differential pair 12 is given by equation 2 (EQT. 2):VCM,MIN=VEE+VDIFFLD−|Vtho|  EQT. 2
where:
VEE is the lower supply or lower supply rail of the amplifier (volts);
VDIFFLD is the voltage drop across differential pair load 14 (volts); and
Vtho is the threshold voltage with zero potential across the body and source terminals (volts).
For the 5 volt CMOS process in which the lower supply rail is 0 volts and the voltage drop across differential pair load 14 is about 100 millivolts, the minimum common mode input voltage, VCM,MIN, is about −0.5 volts. Thus, the common mode input voltage range is about 1.3 volts.
A drawback with this circuit is that techniques for increasing the maximum common mode input voltage VCM,MAX have also increased the minimum common mode input voltage VCM,MIN. Because both the maximum and minimum common mode input voltages are increased, the common mode input voltage range is not increased.
Another parameter that limits the common mode range of a circuit such as, for example, an operational amplifier, is the threshold voltages of the transistors making up the circuit. When the threshold voltages of these circuits are large, parameters such as common mode range are degraded. This limitation also applies to other analog and digital circuits.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a circuit and a method for increasing the common mode input voltage range. In addition, it would be advantageous for the circuit and method to adjust the threshold voltages of the transistors in the circuit. It would be of further advantage for the circuit and method to be time and cost efficient to implement.

Method for adjusting threshold voltage and circuit therefor

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC


The disclosure relates to systems and methods for direct clean-in-place (CIP) of inkjet print heads. More particularly, the disclosure relates to systems and methods for facilitating CIP of inkjet print heads by selectably alternating the position of a mask disposed between the print head and a printing surface, between printing position, cleaning position and/or purging positions.

The disclosure is directed to systems and methods for direct clean-in-place (CIP) of inkjet print heads. Specifically, the disclosure is directed to systems and methods allowing CIP of print heads by selectably alternating the position of a mask between printing, cleaning and purging positions.
Inkjet printing heads require periodic cleaning of printing nozzles to remove buildup (solid sediments) on the nozzles, remove air bubbles, and otherwise maintain printing quality. Cleaning the printing head is a significant part of the inkjet printing process, for example in some industrial settings the printing head is cleaned as often as every two minutes. The frequency of cleaning depends on the specific application for which the printing head is being used. Typically, cleaning can also be done by removing the print head to one side of the printer for easy access and manually cleaning the head. These methods are time consuming and inefficient.
An orifice plate, can be located on the printing side (lower surface) of the printing head, providing access for the nozzles to print, while potentially also providing protection for the printing head. Jetted ink from each nozzle can exits the orifice for printing. During periodic cleaning and/or after purging, the orifice surface can be cleaned to remove buildup, purged liquid, and enable proper jetting of the printing liquid from the nozzles (via the orifices). In order to preserve the smoothness and high interfacial tension between the printing side and the jetted ink (non-wetting characteristic) and the orifice surface, care must be taken in performing wiping.
Typically, removing content without contact to the orifice plate can be done using vacuum where a vacuum 'head' is moved across the orifice plate. The vacuum head can be maneuvered sufficiently close to allow the vacuum induced suction, to remove the jetted liquid from the orifice plate. Because the vacuum head does not contact the orifice plate, efficiency of the orifice plate cleaning is low. Typically, where an injection bath is present, the print head move to one side of the printer to purge the ink, which is time consuming and otherwise inefficient. Other disadvantages to conventional vacuum removal include cost, printing speed, reliability, and quality.
Moreover, when the ink contains volatile components, the ink at a tip of a nozzle may lose those components, resulting in certain circumstances in the remaining ingredients of the ink forming a semi-solid skin at the nozzle tip. The semi-solid skin, or buildup of solid sediments, can interfere with the jetting of ink from the nozzles, reducing the quality or even disabling jetting of ink from one or more nozzles. As the nozzle tips are aligned with orifices in an orifice plate, sediment buildup can also be on the orifices and/or orifice plate.
There is therefore a need for a system for cleaning an orifice plate, with increased efficiency over conventional techniques, and preventing sediment buildup.

Inkjet print head clean-in-place systems and methods


To provide an optical head to produce good servo and read signals by reducing the influence of interference by light reflected from a non-read layer of a multilayer optical disc.

Optical discs, on which signals representing a huge amount of information can be stored at high densities, have recently been used more and more extensively in a number of fields of audio, video, computer and other technologies. And yet the storage capacities of those optical discs are required to be further increased, and a lot of people have taken various approaches to achieve that object. One of those approaches that have been adopted so far to further increase the storage capacity is to provide multiple information storage layers.
In such a multilayer optical disc, however, light reflected from a target storage layer to read information from (which will be referred to herein as a "read layer") and light reflected from a storage layer other than the read layer (which will be referred to herein as a "non-read layer") often interfere with each other to threaten the stability of servo control, which is a problem.
For example, if the interval between two information storage layers of a multilayer optical disc is relatively close to the magnitude of focus error represented by the amplitude of the S-curve of a focus error (FE) signal as defined between the maximum and minimum peaks thereof (which amplitude will be referred to herein as an "S-curve amplitude"), then the S-curve signal representing the light reflected from the read layer and the S-curve signal representing the light reflected from the non-read layer will superpose one upon the other. That is to say, the FE signal will be affected by the light reflected from the non-read layer. As a result, the objective lens sometimes cannot be controlled accurately and the light beam spot sometimes cannot be formed on the target storage layer.
In this case, if the S-curve amplitude were sufficiently smaller than the layer-to-layer interval of a multilayer optical disc, this problem could be overcome to a certain degree. However, it would be difficult to shift the focal point of the light to as close to the read layer as to establish a focus controllable state easily. In addition, during a read/write operation, the stability of the focus servo control would be easily endangered when the drive is subjected to some disturbance such as vibrations, which is another problem to solve. Nevertheless, if the S-curve amplitude and the layer-to-layer interval were both increased to some extent, then the distance from the surface of the optical disc to the deepest storage layer would increase so much as to produce an increased spherical aberration in an optical head that uses an objective lens with a large numerical aperture (NA).
To overcome these problems, Patent Document No. 1 discloses a technique that uses both an FE signal with narrow S-curve amplitude detected by an astigmatism method and an FE signal with broad S-curve amplitude detected by a spot size detection (SSD) method in combination. Specifically, the optical disc drive disclosed in Patent Document No. 1 uses an FE signal with broad S-curve amplitude detected by the SSD method to shift the focal point of the light to as close to the read layer as to establish a focus controllable state easily. Thereafter, by using an FE signal with narrow S-curve amplitude that is less likely to be affected by the non-read layer, a focus servo is done on each of those layers.    Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-190132

Abstract: The head includes: a first optical system for converging light from a light source on a first or second storage layer; a second optical system for receiving and transmitting light reflected from the first layer and stray light reflected from the second layer when the light is converged on the first layer; a photodetector; and a calculator. The photosensitive areas of the photodetector output signals representing intensities of the light incident there through the second system. The reflected and stray light incident on the second system interfere with each other, and the first and second groups of areas are arranged so as to be equally affected by a variation in intensity caused by the interference. The calculator calculates the difference between sum of a first group of signals supplied from a first group of areas and that of a second group of signals supplied from a second group of areas, thereby generating a focus error signal.


In forming a mask pattern on a circuit board, a mask pattern of N-layer structure is formed in a region where the mechanical strength of the circuit board needs to be increased. N photosensitive layers are first stacked on a substrate so that they becomes lower in sensitivity from the first photosensitive layer toward the Nth photosensitive layer. In the first photosensitive layer (bottom layer), a first pattern is formed and has the same shape as a predetermined pattern to be formed on the circuit board. In the Kth photosensitive layer (N≧K≧2), a Kth pattern is formed so that the Kth pattern is smaller than a (K−1)st pattern formed in the (K−1)st photosensitive layer and arranged inside the (K−1)st pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method suitable for forming wiring patterns on a substrate during a printed-circuit board fabrication step.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wiring patterns for a printed circuit board are typically formed as follows. First, a resist layer comprising a photosensitive material is formed on a conductive layer (e.g., a thin film of Cu) on which wiring patterns are to be formed. Then, the resist layer is exposed with a mask having patterns of the same shapes as the wiring patterns. After patterns of the same shapes as the wiring patterns (hereinafter referred to as resist patterns) are formed in the resist layer by development, the conductive layer is etched with the resist patterns as a mask. In this manner, the wiring patterns are formed on the conductive layer.
When fabricating a double-sided (or multilayer) printed circuit board, a through hole is first formed to connect wirings formed on both sides of a substrate. The above-described steps are then repeated on both sides of the substrate. Such steps are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6(1994)-169146, for example.
In the above-described circuit board fabrication step, when spraying a developer on the resist layer, or when spraying an etchant on the substrate where resist patterns are formed and then etching the conductive layer, there are cases where the resist pattern on the through hole in the substrate tears. The reason for this is that the resist pattern on the through hole becomes weaker in mechanical strength than the resist patterns formed on other portions of the substrate. If the resist layer is made thicker to increase the mechanical strength, it will block the flow of a developer in the development step and the flow of an etchant in the etching step. For this reason, there are cases where accurate resist patterns cannot be obtained.


The present invention provides a novel protein that regulates degranulation of mast cells (degranulation regulator), a gene encoding it, a protein (conjugate factor) that interacts with the regulator, a gene encoding it, a screening method of an inhibitor of the degranulation, which uses this degranulation regulator and the conjugate factor, an inhibitor obtained by the screening method and the like.

When a biological organism is exposed to a foreign substance as an antigen, an IgE antibody specific to the antigen is produced in the body, and when the same antigen invades again, binding of IgE antibody with the IgE receptor formed on the surface of mast cells (also called mastocytes) stimulates extracellular release of the chemical mediators contained in granules in the mast cells, such as histamine, serotonin, platelet activating factor (PAF), heparin and the like. As a result, promotion of capillary permeability, bronchial smooth muscle constriction, increase in the secretion due to exocrine gland stimulation and the like are induced, which in turn leads to the onset of allergic inflammations such as anaphylactic shock, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, hives, atopic dermatitis, drug hypersensitivity and the like.
Mast cells are responsible for not only the onset of allergic conditions caused by various chemical mediators released by stimulation of antigen and the like but also chronic allergic inflammation caused by the release of cytokines secondarily produced in the mast cells (M. K. Church & J. P. Caulfield, Chapter 5, pp. 5.1–5.12, Allergy, ed. S. T. Holgate et al., Gower Medical Publishing, London, UK (1993)).
Furthermore, the release of chemical mediators from the mast cells is induced not only by the action via IgE receptors but by various substances (IgG, complement, neuro-peptide, calcium ionophore, phorbol ester etc.). While the phenomenon of extracellular release of chemical mediators from the mast cells (degranulation) is considered to involve various factors such as cyclic AMP (cAMP), calcium ion, sodium ion, phosphoinositide metabolism, protein kinase C, phospholipase A2, changes in membrane potential, and the like, but the detail thereof has not been elucidated (D. A. Kennerly & P. A. Duffy, Chapter 4, pp. 4.1–4.14, Allergy, ed, S. T. Holgate et al., Gower Medical Publishing, London, UK, (1993)).
As the therapeutic agent (hereinafter to be referred to as antiallergic agent) for allergic inflammations induced by these chemical mediators, either a pharmaceutical agent that suppresses the action of chemical mediators released from the mast cells, or a pharmaceutical agent that suppresses degranulation of the mast cells is currently used.
Adrenocorticosteroid drugs, which are typical antiallergic agents that suppress the action of chemical mediators, are effective but, due to the side effect associated with long-term administration, the development of a nonsteroidal antiallergic agent has been desired.
As nonsteroidal antiallergic agents, antihistamic agents, anti-leukotriene agents, anti-PAF agents, thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitors and antagonists and the like are commercially available or under development, that block the action of chemical mediators released from mast cells, basophil and the like, activated by IgE antibody.
However, it is extremely difficult to create a pharmaceutical agent that basically suppresses degranulation of the mast cells. This is because the process of release of chemical mediators by mast cells stimulated by IgE antibody is extremely complicated and the mechanism of degranulation has not been clearly elucidated, as mentioned above. At present, pharmaceutical agents considered to have a degranulation suppressive action have been approved as antiallergic pharmaceutical products free of anti-histamic action and used for clinical treatment. Under the present situation, however, their action mechanisms are indefinite and the degranulation suppressive action is too weak to afford a superior treatment effect.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel means for developing a pharmaceutical agent capable of basically suppressing the degranulation of the mast cells, and to provide a novel antiallergic agent that suppresses degranulation using this means.

Factors participating in degranulation of mast cells, DNAs encoding the same, method of screening of these factors and the inhibitors


A flow-through pressure regulator includes a retainer that secures a diaphragm relative to a seat, and includes a cylindrical portion, an axial end portion and an annular portion. The cylindrical portion extends about a longitudinal axis and is fixed with respect to the seat. The axial end portion extends from the cylindrical portion and extends generally orthogonal relative to the longitudinal axis. The axial end portion includes a plurality of apertures that permit fluid communication and are selected so as to reduce noise due to fluid flow.

Most modern automotive fuel systems utilize fuel injectors to deliver fuel to the engine cylinders for combustion. The fuel injectors are mounted on a fuel rail to which fuel is supplied by a pump. The pressure at which the fuel is supplied to the fuel rail must be metered to ensure the proper operation of the fuel injectors. Metering is carried out using pressure regulators that control the pressure of the fuel in the system at all engine r.p.m. levels.
Fuel flow rate, measured in liters per hour, through known pressure regulators tends to be low at high engine speed, measured in revolutions per minute, as large quantities of fuel are consumed in the combustion process. At low engine speeds, less fuel is consumed in combustion and flow rates through the pressure regulators are high. These high fuel flow rates can produce unacceptably high noise and pressure levels.
A first known pressure regulator, as shown in FIG. 7, includes a spring biased valve seat with a longitudinal flow passage. The longitudinal flow passage, which has a constant cross-section orthogonal to a longitudinal axis, can be modified for length along the longitudinal axis to slightly modify noise and flow performance characteristics.
A second known pressure regulator, as shown in FIG. 8, includes a necked-down longitudinal flow passage and mutually orthogonal cross-drilled holes. The cross-drilled holes disperse fluid flow in a manner that is effective to improve the noise and flow characteristics of the known regulator shown in FIG. 7. However, manufacturing a seat with the necked-down longitudinal flow passage and cross-drilled holes is costly to machine.
It is believed that there is a need for a pressure regulator that is less expensive to manufacture and maintains flow-related noise and pressure within acceptable levels, even at high fuel flow rates.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Flow-through pressure regulator including a perforated diaphragm-to-seat spring retainer


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a power transmitter and control circuitry. The power transmitter is configured to transmit power by using electromagnetic waves. The control circuitry is configured to transmit a first request including information on the electronic apparatus to a first server before power transmission, and start power transmission by the power transmitter if a first response from the first server relating to the first request is received.

Generally, in wireless power transmission in which electric power is transmitted using electromagnetic waves, the transmission power when radiating electromagnetic waves is larger than the power of wireless signals transmitted and received by other wireless communication systems, so that the electromagnetic waves may interfere with other wireless communication systems when wireless power transmission is carried out everywhere.
Therefore, it is desired to develop technology capable of performing wireless power transmission without giving serious interference to other wireless communication systems.


A slide rail assembly includes a first slide rail having a release portion, a second slide rail having a slot, a third slide rail having a stop portion, a latch member slidably attached to a slot of the second slide rail, and a resilient member connected to the latch member for returning the latch member to an original position. The latch member includes a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion located at opposite sides of the second slide rail. Wherein the first engaging portion engages with the stop portion of the third slide rail such that the third slide rail is capable of driving the second slide rail to slide together relative to the first slide rail. The release portion of the first slide rail is capable of engaging with the second engaging portion to bias the latch member to slide along the slot to release the third slide rail from the first engaging portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide rail assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Slide rails are used in a variety of applications, including business furniture, kitchen drawers, electronic racks, and copiers. One type of slide rail is a telescopic slide rail. Telescopic slide rails often include two, three, four or more telescoping members. The shape of a slide rail, and the individual members, are determined by the design. The slides can be frictional, with lubricated members rubbing against each other, or a slide assembly may include roller or ball bearings for easier movement. The members in such assemblies tend to be C-shaped in nature.
A conventional three-section slide rail assembly for a drawer includes a first slide rail (e.g. outer slide rail), a second slide rail (e.g. middle slide rail), and a third slide rail (e.g. inner slide rail). A ball bracket is sandwiched between any two of the first slide rail, the second slide rail, and the third slide rail to provide a smooth sliding movement. In such basic slide mechanisms; the order in which the second slide rail extends relative to the first slide rail and the third slide rail extends relative to the second slide rail is unpredictable. Considerations of strength and smoothness of operation may render a given order or sequence preferable in a given slide configuration. Further, activation of external mechanisms such as cabinet interlocks may require a specific sequence of operation.
Consequently, it is required to provide a slide rail assembly having a latch mechanism urging collapsing of slide rails in a specific desired order.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen)Co., Ltd.


The phase detector compares the phases of a synchronous clock signal and serial data and outputs a phase error signal corresponding to a comparison result. The second integrator performs integration of the phase error signal to obtain a phase correction control signal for tracking phase shift of the serial data. The first integrator performs integration of the phase error signal in each smoothing period with a predetermined length to obtain a smoothed error signal. The pattern generator generates a pattern for changing the phase of the synchronous clock signal at a frequency corresponding to the smoothed error signal in each pattern generation period with a predetermined length and outputs the pattern as a frequency correction control signal. The first integrator receives the frequency correction control signal which is fed back and changes the length of the smoothing period according to the direction of a change in the frequency of generating the frequency correction control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of extracting a clock signal from input data in an LSI at the receiving end in the serial transmission of data between LSIs.
2. Description of Related Art
With the progress of semiconductor technology, data transmission between LSIs is serialized. In order to reduce electromagnetic interface (EMI) in the serial data transmission, there is known a technique of performing frequency modulation using a spread spectrum clock in an LSI at the transmitting end and then extracting a clock from frequency-modulated serial data by a clock and data recovery circuit in an LSI at the receiving end.
FIG. 7 is the illustration shown in FIG. 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-5999, and it shows the clock and data recovery circuit which is disclosed therein. The clock and data recovery circuit includes a phase detector 101, an integrator 102, an integrator 103, a pattern generator 104, a mixer 105, and a phase interpolator 106. The phase detector 101 compares the phase of input serial data with the phase of a synchronous clock signal which is output from the phase interpolator 106 and outputs a comparison result. Based on the comparison result, a frequency tracking loop which is formed by the integrator 103 and the pattern generator 104 tracks the phase shift at low frequencies or the frequency shift, and a phase tracking loop which is formed by the integrator 102 tracks the phase shift at high frequencies which cannot be tracked by the frequency tracking loop. The mixer 105 mixes the results of the frequency tracking loop and the phase tracking loop. Based on the mixture result, the phase of the synchronous clock signal which is output from the phase interpolator 106 is controlled, thereby extracting the clock of the serial data.
The phase detector 101 detects a difference in phase between the serial data and the synchronous clock signal and outputs an up signal UP1 or a down signal DOWN1 which indicates the difference as a comparison result. The integrator 102 and the integrator 103 are up/down counters that smooth the comparison result to obtain UP2/DOWN2 and UP3/DOWN3, respectively, and output them as control signals. The integrator 102 and the integrator 103 respectively have a predetermined count width. The pattern generator 104 generates a control signal UP4/DOWN4 for correcting the frequency of the synchronous clock signal based on the control signal UP3/DOWN3.
The phase detector 101 outputs "1" for the up signal UP1 when the phase of the synchronous clock signal should be advanced. On the other hand, the phase detector 101 outputs "1" for the down signal DOWN1 when the phase of the synchronous clock signal should be delayed.
Because the phase tracking loop tracks the high-frequency phase shift and the frequency tracking loop tracks the frequency shift or the low-frequency phase shift, the count width of the integrator 102 is set to be smaller than the count width of the integrator 103. The integrator 102 and the integrator 103 operate in the same manner except that the count width is different, and thus the integrator 103 only is described hereinafter.
The integrator 103 counts from "−m" to "+m" and the count width is "m+1" (m is an integer). The integrator 103 counts up when UP1 is "1" and counts down then DOWN1 is "1". When the count value is "+m" and UP1 is "1", the integrator 103 outputs "1" for UP3 and performs clear operation which sets the count value back to 0. When the count value is "−m" and DOWN1 is "1", the integrator 103 outputs "1" for DOWN3 and performs clear operation which sets the count value back to 0.
In this manner, the signals UP1 and DOWN1 are smoothed by the integrator 103. As the count width of the integrator 103 is larger, the period of smoothing UP1 and DOWN1 is longer. Thus, the count width of the integrator 103 is a smoothing period.
The signal UP3/DOWN3 which is output from the integrator 103 is input to the pattern generator 104.
FIG. 8 is the illustration shown in FIG. 7 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-5999, and it shows the configuration of the pattern generator 104. The pattern generator 104 includes a counter 141 that receives a clock signal and repeatedly counts from 0 to a predetermined upper limit in synchronization with the clock, an up/down counter 142 that receives the control signal UP3/DOWN3 from the integrator 103 and the clock signal and counts up or counts down, and a decoder 143 that receives and decodes the count values from the counter 141 and the up/down counter 142 and outputs it as a result of the frequency tracking loop.
The pattern generator 104 outputs "1" for UP4 which indicates that the phase of the clock signal is advanced or outputs "1" for DOWN4 which indicates that the phase of the clock signal is delayed, respectively several times in each period with a predetermined length that is represented by the number of clocks or cycles. The frequency of outputting "1" for UP4 or outputting "1" for DOWN4 in each period is determined by the state of UP3/DOWN3 from the integrator 103. Specifically, if UP3 with "1" is output successively, the frequency of outputting "1" for UP4 increases or the frequency of outputting "1" for DOWN4 decreases. On the other hand, if DOWN3 with "1" is output successively, the frequency of outputting "1" for DOWN4 increases or the frequency of outputting "1" for UP4 decreases.
The length which is represented by the number of cycles is called a pattern length of the pattern generator 104. The pattern length of the pattern generator 104 is determined by the count width of the counter 141. The count width of the up/down counter 142 is generally the same as the count width of the counter 141. For example, if the counter 141 counts from "0" to "k" (k is an integer) and the count width is "k+1", the up/down counter 142 generally counts from "−k" to "+k" and the count width at one side is "k+1". The pattern length of the pattern generator 104 is "k+1". The count width of the up/down counter 142 may be different from the count width of the counter 141.
FIG. 9 is the illustration shown in FIG. 10 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-5999, and it shows another clock and data recovery circuit which is disclosed therein. The clock and data recovery circuit is different from the clock and data recovery circuit shown in FIG. 7 in that the frequency tracking loop and the phase tracking loop share the integrator 102.
As described in the foregoing, in the frequency tracking loop of the clock and data recovery circuit shown in FIG. 7, as the count width of the integrator 103 is larger, the smoothing period is longer, so that the frequency tracking loop is less sensitive to the phase shift of serial data. This deteriorates the effect of frequency correction of the clock and data recovery circuit and thereby decreases the tolerance to jitter at low frequencies (which is referred to simply as jitter tolerance).
On the other hand, as the count width of the integrator 103 is smaller, the smoothing period is shorter, so that the frequency tracking loop is more sensitive to the phase shift of serial data. The inventor of the present invention has studied and found that overcorrection of a frequency occurs in a particular frequency range to cause a decrease in jitter tolerance. This is possibly because if the count width of the integrator 103 is small, the phase is fed back with a delay with respect to input jitter in the frequency tracking loop.
This is the same for the clock and data recovery circuit shown in FIG. 9.


The present invention provides a method of designing target-specific hybridization sequences which include one or more mutations. The method of the invention comprises selecting a candidate target nucleotide sequence in a subject nucleotide sequence. A first complementary nucleotide sequence to the target nucleotide sequence is identified by applying the known bonding relationships of the nucleotides. Next, a second complementary nucleotide sequence having one or more mutations is constructed. The amount of the “target-second complementary nucleotide sequence” hybrid formed when the candidate target nucleotide sequence and second complementary nucleotide sequences are combined in the presence of interfering sequences is characterized and used to assess utility of the second complementary nucleotide sequence. The present invention also provides the target-specific hybridization sequences designed by the methods of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to methods for developing target-specific hybridization sequences, and in particular, to a method for developing hybridization probes using natural nucleotide mismatches and having reduced cross hybridization.
2. Background Art
The ability of DNA microarrays to analyze tens of thousands of genes in one assay has led to continuous improvements in microarray techniques and to software that analyzes microarray data. While researchers have begun to pay close attention to the quality of microarray data, the problem of cross-hybridization has received little consideration.
The success of microarrays in gene expression profiling depends on the specificity between the selected probes and the target genes. All DNA microarrays operate on the principle of DNA hybridization between complementary target and probe sequences. In cross-hybridization, an expressed gene hybridizes with probes designed for other genes as well as with its own designated probe, introducing noise. Experiments with cDNA microarrays have raised cross-hybridization concerns. Although oligonucleotides have the advantage of greater specificity than cDNA microarrays, they too are subject to some degree of cross-hybridization. In particular, genes of highly similar sequences such as those in a large gene family are very difficult to distinguish in microarray experiments.
An even greater problem related to cross-hybridization arises when microarrays are employed to discriminate single nucleotide polymorphism ("SNPs"). In order to enhance specificity, new probes other than conventional linear oligonucleotides have been developed, such as structured DNA probes (molecular beacons) or gold nanoparticle probes. Another approach includes the preparation of target genes by pooling two separate PCRs. Unfortunately, all of these approaches require new materials and/or complex processes. A simpler, more promising approach by Guo et al. involves the introduction of artificial mismatches in the probes to enhance the discrimination of SNPs. However, they introduced artificial nucleotides, which cannot utilize the hybridization differences between natural nucleotides, for mismatch pairs. Moreover, such artificially nucleotides are not appropriate for in vivo applications. Also their dataset was limited in size and only short length oligos were used in the experiments. Moreover, it is difficult to extend their findings to general SNP probe selection.
Accordingly, there is a need in the prior art for systematic methods of designing target-specific hybridization sequences with little or no cross-hybridization.

Methods for incorporating non-perfectly matched oligonucleotides into target-specific hybridization sequences

The Regents of the University of Michigan


A contact mask for inkjet printing on a solar cell substrate may be generated by creating a printing bitmap of contacts to be printed on the solar cell substrate. The contacts may be located on the solar cell substrate by mapping coordinates of the printing bitmap to coordinates of the solar cell substrate as positioned in the inkjet printer. The location of the contacts on the solar cell substrate may be defined relative to a location on the solar cell substrate, such as relative to center of mass. The contact mask may be printed by the inkjet printer using the printing bitmap and location information of the contacts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to solar cell fabrication, and more particularly but not exclusively to generation of contact masks for solar cells.
2. Description of the Background Art
An inkjet printer includes a print head with a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle configured to dispense dots of ink on a surface. A pattern formed by the dispensed dots can be printed by appropriate movement of the inkjet's print head across the surface. Inkjet printing is relatively low cost compared to traditional lithography techniques and is thus suitable for cost-sensitive applications, such as solar cell fabrication.
Inkjet printing has been used to form contact masks on solar cells. A contact mask defines regions of a solar cell substrate where contact holes are to be formed. The contact mask protects other areas of the solar cell during etching of the contact holes. Once etched, the contact holes are filled with an electrically conductive material, referred to as a "metal contact," to allow an external electrical circuit to be electrically coupled to diffusion regions of the solar cell. Embodiments of the present invention pertain to improved techniques for generating contact masks suitable for inkjet printing on a solar cell.

Generation of contact masks for inkjet printing on solar cell substrates


A protective screen includes a front wall (1), connected to a lateral wall (2) running perpendicular or essentially perpendicular to the front wall (1), the walls (1, 2) including transparent panels (8, 10) over at least a part of the height thereof. The upper part (8) of the front wall (1) is inclined forwards, forming an overhang which permits the operator to approach the working region and with two holes (11, 12) to permit the passage of the operator's arms.

The present invention relates to a radioprotective screen, and more particularly a screen used in medicine or other to protect an operator against ionising radiation emissions, for instance the X or gamma rays.
For certain interventions on patients, such as catheterism type, placement of pacemaker, vascular, neurological or urological tests . . . the operator (technician, doctor, surgeon or other) must be protected against the ionising radiations to which the patient is exposed.
The existing protection structures consist of clothing such as vests, jackets or aprons made of radioprotective material.
There exist also screens made of panels or assemblies of panels of appropriate material placed vertically and directly on the ground or by dint of a supporting skid.
But the clothes of radioprotective material do not ensure optimal protection for the operator, since in particular they do not cover the whole body (head, legs, arms and feet), and also since weight loads to which these clothes are exposed. On the other hand, the current radioprotective screens, for example as described in the documents U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,297 or EP-A-0 345 548, are not adapted to enable an operator to work comfortably and in complete safety.

Screen for protection against ionising radiation emissions

Lemer Protection Anti-X Par Abreviation Societe Lemer Pax


A resonant circuit includes a choke coil, a variable-capacitance diode, coupling capacitors, a resonant capacitor, a resonator defining an inductor element, and a bypass capacitor. An amplifying circuit includes a buffer amplifying transistor, an oscillating transistor, bias resistors, Colpitts capacitors, bypass capacitors, a coupling capacitor, a choke coil, a resonant capacitor, and a resonant inductor. A bias resistor has one end electrically connected to the base of the oscillating transistor and has the other end electrically connected to the ground via the resonator having one end electrically grounded.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage-controlled oscillator, a composite module, and a communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a conventional voltage-controlled oscillator 1. The voltage-controlled oscillator 1 includes a resonant circuit 2 and an amplifying circuit 3. The resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 2 changes according to a control voltage Vc applied to a control terminal 4. The amplifying circuit 3 oscillates a signal based on the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit 2 and amplifies the signal.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the circuits 2 and 3 of the voltage-controlled oscillator 1 typically include various electronic components (described below) mounted on or formed inside a circuit substrate 10, which is produced by integrally firing multilayered ceramic sheets having circuit patterns or ground electrodes printed thereon. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the circuit substrate 10 includes a control terminal 4, a driving power terminal 5, an output terminal 6, inter-layer connecting terminals 7 to 9, and a ground terminal G. The circuit substrate 10 further includes wiring patterns 12a to 12e, a via hole 11a, and a through-hole 11b. In addition to the components described above, the circuit substrate 10 has on its upper surface other wiring patterns, via holes, and through-holes, which are not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
The resonant circuit 2 includes a choke coil L1, a variable-capacitance diode D1, coupling capacitors C9 and C10, a resonant capacitor C11, a resonator (strip line or microstrip line) SL2 which is an inductor element, and a bypass capacitor C12.
The amplifying circuit 3 includes a buffer amplifying transistor Tr1, an oscillating transistor Tr2, bias resistors R1, R2, R3, and R4, Colpitts capacitors C4, C5, C6, and C7, bypass capacitors C1 and C3, a coupling capacitor C2, a choke coil (strip line or microstrip line) SL1, a resonant capacitor C8, and a resonant inductor (strip line or microstrip line) SL3 which is an inductor element.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-74727 discloses another well-known voltage-controlled oscillator, which has a different circuit from that according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. In this voltage-controlled oscillator, the emitter of a transistor is connected to the ground not only via a capacitor and a bias resistor, but also via a resonator connected to a node between the bias resistor and the capacitor.
Referring again to FIG. 5, the bias resistor R3 in the amplifying circuit 3 has one end electrically connected to the base of the transistor Tr2 and the other end directly connected to the ground. One approach for connecting the bias resistor R3 to the ground is via the wiring pattern 12a that is provided on the circuit substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 6, so as to electrically connect the bias resistor R3 to the ground terminal G.
This approach, however, prevents chip components from being mounted in an area S1 because the area S1 overlaps the wiring pattern 12a. Therefore, this approach is not appropriate for compact design of the voltage-controlled oscillator 1. Another disadvantage of this approach is that the space available for a microstrip line is reduced which makes it difficult to form the resonator SL2 as a small-loss microstrip line.
Another approach, as shown in FIG. 7, is to form the through-hole 11b in the circuit substrate 10 such that the through-hole 11b electrically connects the bias resistor R3 to a ground electrode (not shown in the figures) on the lower surface of the circuit substrate 10. This approach eliminates the need for forming the wiring pattern 12a on the circuit substrate 10, and thus enables a chip component such as the bias resistor R1 to be mounted in the area S1.
Unfortunately, this approach has a disadvantage in that the area for the resonator (strip line or microstrip line) SL2 inside the circuit substrate 10 is restricted by the through-hole 11b which prevents an area S2 from being utilized, as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, this approach is also not appropriate for compact design of the voltage-controlled oscillator 1. In particular, the resonator SL2 which is defined by a strip line requires the formation of the via hole 11a for electrically connecting between strip lines on the surfaces and the inner layers of the circuit substrate 10, which further restricts the component layout and internal layer patterns.

Voltage controlled oscillator, composite module, and communication apparatus


A wheeled trailer chassis is provided including a flat load bed and a rear end pivotally mounted loading ramp swingable between an operative rearwardly downwardly inclined position and an upright position closing the rear of the load bed. An ATV also is provided behind which the trailer maybe trailed and the ATV is loadable over the loading ramp onto the rear portion of the load bed of the trailer. The forward portion of the trailer load bed stationarily supports a slightly rearwardly inclined upright from whose upper end the lower end of a lift boom is pivotally supported, the upper end of the lift boom having an occupant receiving receptacle pivotally supported therefrom. A parallelogram link is connected between the upright and the receptacle and hydraulic cylinders are operatively connected between the lift boom and the upright for raising and lowering the lift boom. The occupant receiving receptacle carried by the free end of the lift boom is swingable rearwardly and downwardly behind the ramp when the latter is in its upright position closing the rear of the load bed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lift boom-type of apparatus specifically designed for use as a deer stand and to elevate a hunter relative to the ground, although the apparatus may be utilized for lifting and supporting various other loads.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different forms of hunting blinds of the elevatable and retractable types as well as tower structures to be towed behind a pickup truck heretofore have been known. In addition, it is also known to provide a vertically extendable and retractable platform on a trailer designed to be towed behind a towing vehicle as well as to provide a hunting stand or tower used in operative association with an ATV.
However, the hydraulic deer stand of the instant invention provides a novel blind supporting and elevating structure specifically designed to be supported from the forward portion of a small flat bed trailer to be towed behind a pickup truck and wherein the blind supported therefrom, when a lowered position, is disposed to the rear of the load bed of the trailer such that the latter may be used to support and transport a ATV thereon spaced rearward of the base of the blind supporting and elevating structure, the ATV also being provided with a trailer hitch such that once a pickup truck or the like has been used to tow the trailer, blind and ATV to a hunting area, the ATV may be unloaded from the trailer, coupled to the towing tongue of the trailer and thereafter used to tow the trailer and blind to a specific hunting site.


A substrate processing system includes one or more processing chambers defining N reaction volumes. N-1 first valves are arranged between the N reaction volumes. A controller communicates with the N-1 first valves and is configured to pressurize a first one of the N reaction volumes with precursor gas to a first target pressure, wait a first predetermined soak period, evacuate a second one of the N reaction volumes to a second target pressure that is lower than the first target pressure, and open one of the N-1 first valves between the first one of the N reaction volumes and a second one of the N reaction volumes.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Some vapor-based reaction technologies and their associated applications, such as dielectric constant (k) recovery and atomic layer deposition (ALD), require expensive precursor gas. These processes involve exposing a substrate to the precursor gas at a target pressure, allowing the substrate to soak and then dumping the precursor gas (an expose/soak/dump sequence). To minimize the use of the precursor gas, significant effort has been expended to minimize reaction volumes, which reduces precursor gas consumption per wafer. However, the smaller reaction volumes may cause other undesirable reactor design compromises, which may increase cost on a per-wafer pass basis.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a first reaction volume 10 is shown. A pedestal 12 is arranged in the first reaction volume 10 and provides support for a substrate 14 such as a semiconductor wafer. Precursor gases 20-1, 20-2, . . . , and 20-N (collectively precursor gases 20) are supplied via valves 22-1, 22-2, . . . , and 22-N (collectively valves 22) to the first reaction volume 10, wherein N is an integer. Purge gas 24 is supplied via a valve 26 to the first reaction volume 10. A pump 30 may be used to selectively draw precursor gas and/or purge gas from the first reaction volume 10.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a method for operating the first reaction volume 10 is shown. At 31, N=1. At 32, the substrate 14 is arranged in the first reaction volume 10 and is exposed to a first precursor gas at a target pressure. At 34, the substrate 14 is allowed to soak in the precursor gas for a predetermined period. At 36, the precursor gas is purged from the first reaction volume 10 and discarded. At 38, if another precursor gas is to be used, control returns to 32. Optionally the sequence may cycle via 39 and 41. Otherwise the process ends.

Sequential cascading of reaction volumes as a chemical reuse strategy


A method for determining parking assignments for material handling vehicles in a manufacturing system is provided. The manufacturing system is operable to perform fabrication processes on a plurality of loads. The method includes identifying at least one idle material handling vehicle. A first cost factor associated with expected transit times for the at least one idle material handling vehicle to available parking locations in the manufacturing system is determined. A second cost factor based on a number of loads available to be serviced by the at least one idle material handling vehicle in the parking locations and relative priorities assigned to the loads is determined. A parking location for the at least one idle material handling vehicles is determined based on the first and second cost factors. A parking request is issued to the at least one idle material handling vehicle based on the determined parking locations.

This disclosed subject matter pertains to automated manufacturing environments, such as semiconductor manufacturing, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for assigning material transport vehicle idle locations.
Growing technological requirements and the worldwide acceptance of sophisticated electronic devices have created an unprecedented demand for large-scale, complex, integrated circuits. Competition in the semiconductor industry requires that products be designed, manufactured, and marketed in the most efficient manner possible. This requires improvements in fabrication technology to keep pace with the rapid improvements in the electronics industry. Meeting these demands spawns many technological advances in materials and processing equipment and significantly increases the number of integrated circuit designs. These improvements also require effective utilization of computing resources and other highly sophisticated equipment to aid, not only design and fabrication, but also the scheduling, control, and automation of the manufacturing process.
Turning first to fabrication, integrated circuits, or microchips, are manufactured from modern semiconductor devices containing numerous structures or features, typically the size of a few micrometers or less. The features are placed in localized areas of a semiconducting substrate, and are either conductive, non-conductive, or semi-conductive (i.e., rendered conductive in defined areas with dopants). The fabrication process generally involves processing a number of wafers through a series of fabrication tools. Each fabrication tool performs one or more of four basic operations discussed more fully below. The four basic operations are performed in accordance with an overall process to finally produce the finished semiconductor devices.
Integrated circuits are manufactured from wafers of a semiconducting substrate material. Layers of materials are added, removed, and/or treated during fabrication to create the integrated, electrical circuits that make up the device. The fabrication essentially comprises the following four basic operations:                layering, or adding thin layers of various materials to a wafer from which a semiconductor is produced;        patterning, or removing selected portions of added layers;        doping, or placing specific amounts of dopants in selected portions of the wafer through openings in the added layers; and        heat treating, or heating and cooling the materials to produce desired effects in the processed wafer.
Although there are only four basic operations, they can be combined in hundreds of different ways, depending upon the particular fabrication process.
To facilitate processing of wafers through a process flow, wafers are typically grouped into lots. Each lot is housed in a common wafer carrier. Carriers are transported to various process and metrology tools throughout the fabrication facility to allow the required processes to be completed to fabricate integrated circuit devices on the wafers.
Modern wafer fabrication facilities employ automated material movement systems to satisfy ergonomic concerns and to maintain a high level of automation. An interbay/intrabay vehicle automated material handling systems may be employed to automate the transfer of wafers to the tools required in the process flow. One factor contributing to the efficiency of the material handling system is the delivery time between tools. Delivery time may vary depending on the distance between tools, the congestion of the tools, and the distance an idle material handling vehicle needs to travel to pick up a waiting wafer carrier.
The transport time between tools is relatively static under normal system conditions, but the time required to locate an idle material handling vehicle, assign it to a lot, and move the assigned vehicle to the current location of the lot (e.g., tool or intermediate storage location) can exhibit significant variability. Hence, the disposition of idle material handling vehicles throughout the fabrication facility impacts the time it takes a completed lot to transit from a current tool to the next required tool, and thus the throughput of the manufacturing system.
The determination of the appropriate parking locations for the material transport vehicles is an aspect that affects the overall efficiency of the system. However, as with other resources in the fabrication facility, the material handling capacity is relatively fixed. In determining a number of material handling vehicles to park in a given controlling area, it is necessary to attempt to provide enough vehicles to respond to transport pickup requests, but also it is not efficient to have too many idle vehicles. An excess number of idle material transport vehicles could result in additional vehicle traffic and extended delivery times, and could also cause an imbalance in the distribution of vehicles across the fabrication facility, further increasing retrieval time variability. Redistributing idle vehicles by making a significant number of parking move requests could degrade system performance by artificially increasing the vehicle utilization by tasking the vehicles with move requests.
This section of this document is intended to introduce various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosed subject matter described and/or claimed below. This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosed subject matter. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. The disclosed subject matter is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

Method and apparatus for assigning material transport vehicle idle locations


A disposable internal defibrillator paddle providing for a more economical and easier defibrillation procedure than non disposable paddles. The disposable paddle contains: (a) a handle attached to a shaft attached to a spoon, the spoon having a receiving unit, and the handle, the shaft, and the spoon are all made of non conducting material; and (b) an electrode plate attaching onto the receiving unit of the spoon.

During open-heart surgery, a pair of internal defibrillation paddles is used to restart the patient's heart. Each internal defibrillation paddle comprises a handle attached to a shaft attached to a spoon electrode. The paddle handles are held by a surgeon while the spoon electrodes are inserted into the patient's chest and placed in direct contact with the myocardium (heart muscle). An electric discharge is passed from one spoon electrode through the patient's heart to a second spoon electrode.
Prior to use, paddle electrodes must be sterilized to eliminate patient infection. Modern sterilization methods use heat or chemical agents, such as ethylene oxide. The methods and materials used degrade the paddle materials limiting their useful life. Most manufacturers specify a maximum service life for paddles, usually in the range of 50–100 sterilization cycles. However, there is no convenient mechanism for users to measure and track the number of sterilization cycles a paddle experiences. Therefore, there is no easy way to determine if the service life of the paddles has been exceeded.
Sterilization can cause two problems. First, the process is expensive and often uses environmentally unfriendly materials. Second, it is destructive and the expensive reusable paddles must be replaces periodically. Furthermore, it is difficult to pass the cost of the paddle electrodes to the patient because the actual service life is indeterminate.
Paddle cleaning is required after use because dried blood and other dried body fluids must be removed prior to sterilization. Cleaning is time consuming, expensive, and hazardous due to possible contamination with AIDS, Hepatitis, or other infectious materials.
Further, paddles are now made as durable as possible. This means that a paddle electrode contact area is made of thick rigid metal in the shape of a large flat "spoon." This one-size fits all shape of the spoon is fixed and may not conform equally well to the curvature of all hearts.
Therefore, what is needed is a paddle not subject to the problems indicated above, such as a disposable paddle. What is also needed is a way to test the disposable paddle without comprising the sterility of the paddle.

Sterile disposable internal defibrillation paddles


Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for an application deployment engine. A processor that executes an application deployment engine can receive an application request. The processor can obtain network topology data that indicates availability of resources of a data center, an application template associated with the application, and a running time during which an application placement plan is to be identified out of a large number of placement scenarios within the running time. The application template can describe an application flow path associated with the application. The processor can identify the application placement plan, where the application placement plan can include an optimal placement of the application at the data center, before a given running time expires by pruning the large search space. The processor can generate a command to effect deployment of the application in accordance with the application placement plan.

A recent move in networking has been to cloud technologies that can allow some network functionality to be virtualized. Thus, some applications, services, networking functions, and the like can be virtualized as software appliances that can supplement and/or replace traditional hardware devices that may be tightly coupled to the software and/or functionality hosted by those devices. In some cases, large data centers can provide the hardware resources to host virtual machines that can execute software to provide functionality associated with certain applications or services, thereby obviating the traditional hardware/software coupling that has been relied upon for generations.
One advantage of cloud technologies over traditional networking technologies is the ability to deploy applications to resources without necessarily having to add and/or support new hardware infrastructure. On the other hand, identifying what resources of a large data center to deploy services to may be difficult as thousands or even several hundreds of thousands of deployment scenarios may be available to support a particular complex application that can consist of several hundreds of components. Thus, some cloud technologies may not deploy applications in an ideal manner.


A case for portable electronic devices such as smartphones includes a feature to prevent glare from a flash from affecting images and video captured by a camera lens and also may include a battery to extend battery life of the electronic device. Smartphones have telephony, Internet connectivity, and camera and video features. Photos and video may be uploaded through the Internet or sent to other phones. The case has a hole for a camera flash of the smartphone. The edging of the hole is colored black or another dark color to prevent glare from appearing in the photos or video taken by the smartphone when using the camera flash.

This disclosure relates to cases for portable electronic devices and smartphones that have cameras and flashes.
Protective cases are used to protect portable electronic devices from possible damage. It is desirable that these cases allow users to use the functionality of their devices while the devices remain in their cases. Cases may also be used to enhance the functionality and capabilities of the device.
For example, portable electronic devices and smartphones have cameras used to take pictures and capture video. With a flash, these cameras can take pictures and video in low light or dark conditions. However, the flash can cause glare that will cause the pictures and video to become washed out, which is undesirable.
Thus there is a need for cases for portable electronic devices that will protect the devices, while at the same time prevent or reduce glare appearing in pictures and video taken by the cameras when a flash is used.

Camera opening for smartphone case to reduce flash glare


A wireless communication system operates a power amplifier (422) in an earth terminal (400) in a non-saturated mode of operation to transmit communication signals over a communication uplink to a communication satellite (100). The satellite operates a power amplifier (186, 188) in a saturated mode of operation to transmit communication signals over a communication downlink to terminal (400). Operating the amplifiers in the different modes of operation increases efficiency.

This invention relates to wireless communication and more particularly relates to such communication over a link in which one of the transmitters used for communication has a power transmission disadvantage compared to another transmitter used for communication over the link.
Bandwidth for wireless communication systems is a limited resource. Methods for efficient use of bandwidth are needed for satellite communications and cellular telephone communications. This invention addresses the need and provides a solution.
The preferred embodiment is useful in a wireless communication system employing a communication link between a first transmitter/receiver comprising a first power amplifier and a second transmitter/receiver comprising a second power amplifier. The second transmitter/receiver has a power transmitting disadvantage with respect to the first transmitter/receiver. In such an environment, the efficiency of the communication can be improved by generating first communication signals for transmission over the communication link from the first transmitter/receiver to the second transmitter/receiver. The first power amplifier is operated in a non-saturated mode of operation during transmission of the first communication signals to the second transmitter/receiver on the communication link. Second communication signals are generated for transmission over the communication link from the second transmitter/receiver to the first transmitter/receiver. The second power amplifier is operated in a saturated mode of operation during transmission of the second communication signals on the communication link to the first transmitter/receiver. The foregoing techniques can be used to advantage in wireless communication systems, such as a satellite communication system or a cellular telephone communication system.
By using the foregoing techniques in a satellite communication system, the satellite uplink requires less bandwidth than prior art symmetric systems. Bandwidth is a limited resource that is regulated internationally and often licensed for use at high cost. Thus, saving bandwidth on the uplink can:
1. reduce requirements for the limited bandwidth resource;
2. reduce cost;
3. allow allocation of more-bandwidth to downlink (by reducing uplink bandwidth), thereby allowing maximum data transmission from user terminal uplink to satellite and satellite downlink to user terminal; and
4. maximize possible revenue to satellite communication operators (billable bits) by using the foregoing techniques.

Asymmetric bandwidth wireless communication techniques


A structure and method of fabrication for a Si based material p-i-n photodetector is disclosed. The light is absorbed in an undoped layer containing SiGe or Ge in such a manner that the absorption length is not limited by a critical thickness of the SiGe or Ge layer. The result is achieved by growing the SiGe or Ge layer from the walls of a trench in monocrystalline Si using lateral epitaxial. A second, doped material is disposed over the undoped layer for biasing and photocarrier collection in the p-i-n diode.

In many advance applications there is a need to combine microelectronics with optical technologies. One cornerstone device in optical technologies is the photodetector, a device which converts a light signal into an electrical signal. The material ruling microelectronics is silicon (Si). However its optical applications are limited by its small light absorption coefficient due to its indirect band structure. Moreover the cut-off wavelength in silicon is about 1.1 μm corresponding to its band-gap of 1.12 eV at room temperature. To extend the light absorption to infrared regime, especially to 1.3 or 1.55 μm for medium or long distance communication, and/or increase light absorption, germanium (Ge) is usually introduced into silicon in the absorption region (for example, intrinsic region in a p-i-n photodiode) because it has smaller band-gap and larger absorption coefficient. It is also relatively compatible with silicon, capable of forming a good quality single crystal of Si1−xGex, where "x" is a number greater than 0 and less or equal to 1 (0≦x≦1) giving the fractional concentration of Ge. The p-i-n diode, meaning an intrinsic semiconductor layer, the "i" in the p-i-n, is disposed between two conductive semiconductors of opposite conductivity type, the "p" and the "n". The higher the Ge concentration in the Si1−xGex alloy, the larger the light absorption coefficient at certain wavelength and the longer the cut-off wavelength will be. To an extreme, the entire intrinsic region of the p-i-n photodiode can be pure Ge. However due to the lattice mismatch between Si and Ge, to achieve defect-free quality the thickness of the Si1−xGex alloy layer grown on silicon substrate is limited by the Ge concentration, i.e. the higher the Ge content the thinner the Si1−xGex layer must be. For each Ge concentration in the SiGe there is a well defined thickness, called the critical thickness, beyond which the SiGe relaxes its strain in the form of lattice defects. Defects in the intrinsic (light absorption) region can dramatically increase the photodetector dark current and thus reduce the signal-to-noise ratio. Currently a Si based photodetector working in the 1.3 or 1.55 μm requires a Ge concentration >70% in the light absorption region, which limit the thickness of defect-free Si1−xGex<10 nm. For such a thin Si1−xGex layer, the total light absorbed, and thus the sensitivity of the photodetector is very low. For application in shorter wavelength (for example 850 nm), although higher Ge content give larger light absorption coefficient compared with Si, the limited Si1−xGex thickness will limit the benefit of adding Ge. Therefore a need exists for a structure/method for forming p-i-n diode using high quality Si1−xGex layer with large Ge concentration and large sensitivity.

Photodetector with hetero-structure using lateral growth

International Business Machines Corporation


Pea explant material is transformed by incubation with Agrobacterium cells carrying an exogenous DNA sequence. The pea explant is preferably obtained from the plumule of a pea seed, and transformed shoots are preferably induced directly in the explant material without passage through a callus phase. Whole transformed pea plants may be regenerated from the transformed shoots by rooting and subsequent planting in the soil. The exogenous DNA will be stably incorporated into the chromosomes of the regenerated pea plant which will be able to express gene(s) encoded by the DNA sequence.

The present invention relates generally to methods for genetically altering higher plant materials and reproducing whole plants therefrom. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for genetically transforming pea plants.
The garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a legume and an important food crop. As with other legumes, pea plants are able to obtain nitrogen from symbiotic soil bacteria and have a substantially reduced fertilizer requirement compared to other non-leguminous crops. Thus, the production of new, improved cultivars of pea could be of great commercial value, particularly in view of increasing fertilizer costs.
As with any valuable plant species, breeders have long used conventional cross-breeding techniques to improve existing varieties and create new cultivars. While improvements have been achieved, cross-breeding techniques are laborious and slow because of the time required to breed and grow successive plant generations.
Conventional breeding methods can only utilize those genes that are present in species that are sexually compatible with P. sativum. Thus, it would be desirable to utilize recombinant DNA technology to produce new pea varieties and cultivars in a controlled and predictable manner that contain genes both from sexually compatible crops, and from other unrelated plants, animals, bacteria and viruses.
The recombinant DNA manipulation of pea, however, has been hindered by difficulty in regenerating whole plants from tissue culture, by difficulty in obtaining transformed pea tissue and ultimately, in linking regeneration with transformation.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved methods for the recombinant DNA transformation of pea plant material and the regeneration of whole plants from the transformed material. It would be particularly desirable to be able to introduce desired characteristic(s) to such material(s) and to be able to regenerate viable pea plantlets from the modified materials. Such methods should be capable of introducing a preselected exogenous gene(s) into the pea plant material and should permit the selection of transformed shoots which are regenerated from the material. The method should produce regenerated pea plants which have stably incorporated the gene(s).
2. Description of the Background Art
DeKathen et al. (1990) Plant Cell Rep. 9:276-279, describes the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of epicotyl and nodus explants from Madria (an inedible pod variety of pea). Related work was described in DeKathen et al. (1990) J. Cell Biochem., Suppl. O (14 Part E), Abstract R125, p. 282. Puonti-Kaerlas et al. (1990) Theor. and Appl. Genet. 80:246-252, describes the regeneration of transformed shoots from transformed callus material of two inedible pod varieties of pea.
Jackson and Hobbs (1990) In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. 26:835-838, describes the regeneration of whole plants from pea plumule material, without transformation. PBI Bulletin, May 1991, NRC Plant Biotechnology Institute, National Research Council Canada, pp 2-4, asserts that the culture method of Jackson and Hobbs has been used for the transformation of pea with Agrobacterium vectors. See, Jordan et al. (1990) J. Cell Biochem., Suppl. O (14 Part E), Abstract R126, p. 282.
Transformation of pea plant material without whole plant regeneration is described in Lulsdorf et al. (1991) Plant Cell Rep. 9:479-483; Puonti-Kaerlas (1989) Plant Cell Rep. 8:321-324; Hussey et al. (1989) 148:101-105; Filipone and Lurquin (1988) Genet. Agrar. 42:452 (Abstract); and Nauerby et al. (1991) Plant Cell Rep. 9:676-679.
The transformation of legumes other than pea is described in Hinchee et al. (1988) Bio/Technology 6:915-922 (soybean); and Eapen et al. (1987) Theor. Appl. Genet. 75:207-210.

Genetically transformed pea plants and methods for their production


An detection system emits a light beam and has a photodetector that senses when light is reflected by objects to be detected. Because reflectivity of the objects varies greatly, the intensity of the reflected light varies over a large range. To prevent false object detection, an automatic sensitivity control mechanism is provided which controls the intensity of the emitted light beam and attenuation of the signal from the photodetector. That control is in response to the level of the photodetector signal.

The present invention relates to utilizing a beam of light to detect the presence of objects, and more particularly to optical sensing equipment which employ a plurality of photodetectors to receive the light which has been reflected by an object to be detected.
In manufacturing operations, it is desirable to detect the presence of an object moving down a conveyor. This enables material handling equipment to direct the object safely between conveyor sections or to a work station. It also is desirable to detect when objects become jammed along the conveyor.
An optical detector system often is used for these purposes. One type of detection apparatus, referred to as a retro-reflective system places an emitter-detector assembly on one side of the conveyor and a reflector on the opposite side. A beam of light is sent from the emitter across the conveyor to the reflector and then returns back across the conveyor to the detector. An object, moving along the conveyor, interrupts the beam of light, thereby providing an indication of the presence of the object. Retro-reflective systems have the disadvantage of requiring installation of a reflector on the opposite of the conveyor. Installation of the reflector in many situations is difficult or interferes with other operations being performed along the conveyor. Therefore, it is desirable to utilize an object detector apparatus that does not require devices on both side of the conveyor.
In response, sensing systems have been developed which detect the reflection of the light beam from objects moving along the conveyor. However, such systems must address several potential problems. First, the reflectivity of the objects vary greatly from very specular in nature to ones that are very diffuse. In addition, black objects naturally absorb more light than white objects. The circuitry that processes the signal from the light detector can be designed with a relatively high sensitivity to detect low reflectivity objects. However, that high sensitivity often results in the signal processing circuitry being saturated in response to light from highly reflective objects.
In addition, high sensitivity sensing circuits can falsely respond to highly reflective objects on the opposite side of the conveyor. For example, a shiny metal object being transported on a cart next to the conveyor system can reflect enough light back to the photodetectors to be erroneously interpreted as an object moving down the conveyor. Therefore, it is desirable to have a detector system that has a relatively high sensitivity and a sharp cutoff at a distance equal to the far side of the conveyor.
FIG. 1 depicts a prior detection system of this type. In this system, an emitter 10 transmits a beam of light across the conveyor. One ray 12 of that light beam is illustrated passing through an output lens 14. An object 16 reflects the ray 12 through another lens 18 onto a detector assembly 20. The detector assembly 20 has an near detector 22 that receives light from objects which are relatively close to the detector assembly and has a far detector 24 that receives light from objects which farther away from the detector assembly. Note that the objects usually move in a direction that is orthogonal to the plane of the drawing. The farther an object is from the emitter 10 the smaller the angle of the reflected ray 12. For example, the reflected beam from object 16 strikes the near detector 22, whereas the reflected ray from a more distant object 26, beyond a given cutoff distance 28 from the emitter, strikes the far detector 24 and not the near detector 22.
It should be understood that the emitter 10 produces a beam of radiation comprising numerous rays. Thus, when the entire beam is reflected from an object, some of the rays may strike the near detector 22 and other reflected rays may strike the far detector 24. If the object is within the cutoff distance 28 from the emitter, a greater amount of reflected light will strike the near detector 22 than the far detector 24. Conversely, when the object is beyond the cutoff distance 28, a greater amount of light is reflected onto the far detector 24 than onto the near detector 22. The output signal produced by a detector corresponds to the amount of light which impinges that detector. Thus, by comparing the two detector signals, the object detection apparatus is able to distinguish an object moving along the conveyor from objects beyond the conveyor.
This dual detector system does well when a diffuse object fully blocks the beam of light from the emitter. However, when an out of range object blocks only a portion of the emitted beam or is specular, light from that out of range object can be falsely interpreted as being from an object on the conveyor because the near detector 22 may receive more light than the far detector 24.
An object detection system according to the present invention has an automatic sensitivity control mechanism that adjusts the photodetector signal processing to account for objects of vastly different reflectivities.
This object detection system has an emitter which produces a light beam that will be reflected by objects to be detected. The emitter is connected to an output terminal of and control circuit which produces an electric current that varies in magnitude in response to a first control signal.
A photodetector receives light that has been reflected by an object and produces a signal indicating the amount of light which strikes the photodetector. A variable attenuator is connected to the photodetector to attenuate the signal by an amount that varies in response to a second control signal.
The amounts of emitter current and attenuation are determined by a controller. The controller receives the signal produced by the photodetector and compares that signal to one or more threshold levels to determine amounts of emitter current and attenuation. The first and second control signals are generated by the controller in response to that determination.

Optical object detector with automatic sensitivity control


A jig for positioning vehicular exterior parts, which can improve workability as well as accuracy of a mounting location. A jig 1 used when aching exterior parts to a vehicle 20 includes a first engagement portion 4 prescribing a location in a height direction of the vehicle 20, and a second engagement portion 5 prescribing a location in a direction orthogonal to the height direction of the vehicle 20. At least one of the first engagement portion 4 and the second engagement portions 5 is fixed between a vehicle body 22 and a door 21. The jig 1 is formed from a tabular member. As a result, positioning in mutually orthogonal two directions can be carried out simultaneously, simplifying attachment works.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a jig for positioning vehicular exterior parts, used at the time of attachment of exterior parts, such as a side under spoiler or the like.
2. Description of Related Arts
In order to attach exterior parts to a vehicle, it has heretofore been necessary to measure a distance from a reference position such as an edge of a vehicle body or door, using a tape measure to determine where the exterior parts arc to be attached, and thus such attachment work has been somewhat troublesome in the past.
As a means for solving the above-mentioned problem, Japanese Unexamined utility model publication No. 60-127293, for example, proposes a jig for attaching a side protector molding for vehicle, said jig being fitted into a space between doors or a door and a fender in order to position the side protector molding in a longitudinal direction, prior to attaching the side protector molding to the door or fender of the vehicle, and comprising: an elastic two-forked leg that is capable of being inserted into the space and engaged therein; and a head having an abutting section for allowing the longitudinal end of the side protector molding to about thereto when the leg is inserted into the space, said head protrudes by a predetermined thickness "T" from the width of the aforementioned space at least on the side adjacent to the rotational center of the door.
According to this conventional jig for attaching the side, protector molding, the elastic leg is inserted into the space to allow the same to abut to the door or fender, and then the longitudinal end of the side protector molding attached to the fender is allowed to about to the head, whereby not only the positioning work can be easily performed but also the dimensional error of the space can be absorbed due to the leg having elasticity, so that it excels in workability. Further, in FIG. 14 showing another prior art, there is illustrated a jig 53 used for attaching a side under spoiler, in which the positioning is carried out with the jig being about to a vehicle body 52 with a door 51 being opened.
According to the conventional jig for attaching the side protector molding disclosed in Japanese Unexamined utility model publication No. 60-127293, however, it is only possible to carry out the positioning in the longitudinal direction, and not possible to carry out the positioning in the height direction simultaneously therewith, and thus there was a problem that reduction of the number of man-hours was difficult. On the other hand, the conventional jig 53 shown in FIG. 14 also has problems that the door 51 needs to be opened fully at the time of the positioning, and thus a large work space is required; and that since the worker needs to attach exterior parts with the jig 53 being held in place, not only the attachment work is complicated, but also the improvement of the accuracy of an attachment position was difficult. In addition, since the jig 53 is rotated during its use in accordance with where the positioning is carried out, the worker needs to follow instructions of an operation manual and the number of man-hours is increased, causing a concern that the worker might fail to follow the instructions properly.