The present invention provides a method for producing a crystalline metal oxide thin film by first depositing a substantially amorphous metal oxide film, and thereafter, as a post treatment, exposing the film to low temperature plasma in a high frequency electric field at 180° C. or less, and the crystalline metal oxide thin film produced by this method. Because the producing method according to the present invention allows a dense and homogenous crystalline metal oxide thin film to be formed onto a substrate at a low temperature without requiring active heat treatment, a metal oxide thin film having desirable characteristics can be formed without damaging the characteristics of a substrate even if the substrate has comparatively low heat resistance.

Forming a metal oxide film onto a substrate such as glass, a polymer or a semiconductor by sputtering or vacuum evaporation has been carried out in the past. In recent years, for reasons of reducing deposition costs and manufacturing large-scale products, there has been a trend towards increasingly larger areas which can be formed at one time. There has also been a steadily growing trend towards using resin substrates (for example, use of polycarbonate or acrylic) in place of glass as a substrate. With this move towards deposition of larger deposited film surface areas and non-heat resistant substrates, deposition that does not require heating is being widely carried out because deposition technologies that do heat the substrate cause the film to crack or damage the substrate.
However, in such a non-heating process, driving force and mobility for crystallization of the metal oxide is not supplied sufficiently. This means that the obtained film tends to be amorphous, making it difficult to achieve sufficient crystallinity. For that reason, in a case where a surface crystallinity greatly effects the characteristics of a product, it has been necessary to strictly control process conditions such as gas introduction. However, if such strict control of process conditions is required, it is often the case that the obtained film characteristics are inferior to those of films which were produced by a process which involves heat treatment of the substrate, even when it was thought that the process was comparatively successful.
One approach to reduce the extent of heating the substrate that has been widely used is to prepare an oxide film using a precursor solution containing an ion which comprises a metal element. Such a precursor solution includes a metal alkoxide, metal acetate, organic-metal complex, metal salt, metal soap and the like. A typical deposition method that uses these substances is a sol-gel method which uses a metal alkoxide solution. These deposition methods use water and a catalyst such as an acid for a solution containing an ion which comprises a metal element, wherein the ion comprising a metal element is made to transit from a low molecular state to a high molecular state, which is disorderly but has the molecules bonding to each other (this state is called gelation). At this stage heat is applied to remove organic substances at a comparatively low temperature, whereby a metal oxide can be obtained. Because this method has low equipment costs, and through dip coating or the like allows uniform deposition over an entire substance even for objects having an intricate shape, it is suitable for coating of thin film oxides for high-mix low-volume production or comparatively small objects. However, such a method has the drawback that it can only be applied to heat resistant substrates, because generally heat treatment of at least 400° C. is required for the combustion of organic material contained in the source solution, dehydration polycondensation inside the film or to promote crystallization.
Methods such as ultraviolet irradiation, steaming and electron beam irradiation are being investigated for these sol-gel process films as a technique for accelerating crystallization and densification without requiring heat treatment. Recently, Rengakuji of Toyama University (Japan) has reported that the addition of an aromatic compound such as benzene to a metal alkoxide allows the molecules in the alkoxide to be sandwiched by the benzene, and that a structure advantageous to crystallization can be formed by depositing it so as to make crystallization at a low temperature more easily carried out. However, this process also requires strict control process conditions similar to those mentioned above for the non-heat treatment processes. There are disadvantages such as insufficient repeatability and insufficient crystallization.
In view of the background described above, a technique for forming an amorphous metal oxide film on a substrate with low heat resistance such as a resin material and effectively crystallizing the film without deteriorating the substrate was extremely limited. In particular, there was almost no technique for sufficiently crystallizing an amorphous film simultaneously and uniformly over an entire object in a short period of time.
Highly advanced techniques for thin films using plasma which pertains to the present invention include Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-149090, U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,725, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-294861, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-199828, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-148377, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-31681, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-133466, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-64307, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-233489, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-200899, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-153491, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-246477, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-152339, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-273317, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-262466, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-85639, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-86242, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02-283022 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-145148. The main differences between what is disclosed in these techniques and the present invention will be described below.

Thin metal oxide film and process for producing the same


An end fitting for use in a remote control cable assembly of the type having a control cable that includes a conduit and a wire-like strand or core element. The end of the strand is typically attached to a slider rod that extends within a swivel tube. The swivel tube is supported within a swivel socket provided in the end fitting. The end fitting allows for easy rotation of the end fitting relative to the axis of the conduit without adding additional lash into the cable system from the rotating end fitting joint. The end fitting has two pieces, a molded sleeve and a rotating fitting. The molded sleeve is fastened directly onto and along the longitudinal axis of the conduit such that the molded sleeve is fixed against longitudinal movement relative said conduit end. The molded sleeve includes a partial spherical ball portion and a cylindrical portion. The rotating fitting is rotatably disposed about the molded sleeve and is used to attach the conduit end to a support structure. The rotating fitting includes a partial spherical cavity portion for receiving the spherical portion of the molded sleeve and a cylindrical cavity for receiving the cylindrical portion of the molded sleeve. The partial spherical ball portion of the molded sleeve and the partial spherical cavity portion of the rotating fitting mate together to form a partial spherical or annular snap fit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conduit end fitting for a motion transmitting remote control cable assembly of the type used in transmission shift cables, park brake cables and light duty control cables and a method for making such a fitting.
2. Background Art
Motion transmitting remote control cable assemblies are used for transmitting both force and travel along a curved path in aircraft, automotive, and marine environments. Known cable assemblies can be used for transmitting load and motion in both push and pull type applications. In the automotive environment, typical applications include but are not limited to parking brake, accelerator, hood release, brake release, trunk release, park lock, tilt wheel control, fuel filler door, transmission shifter cables and hydraulic control cables. One specific use of such remote control assemblies is the positioning of throttle and transmission shift members in automobiles.
Motion transmitting remote control assemblies for transmitting motion in a curved path typically include flexible core element (strand) slidably enclosed within a flexible outer sheath (conduit) with end fittings attached to both ends of each respective member. These fittings attach to and react load from the conduit to its mounting points and from the strand to its mounting points respectively. The core element is adapted at one end to be attached to a member to be controlled whereas the other end is attached to a manual actuator for longitudinally moving the core element. Thus, in the automotive environment, for example, assemblies normally include one or more fittings secured to the conduit for attaching the conduit to a support structure of the automobile.
The conduit end fittings must remain attached to the conduit while resisting relative axial movement (lash) between the conduit and the conduit end fittings. These conduit end fittings may be attached to the conduit in many ways, which can include: over molding, gluing, press fitting, screw on, spin welding, staking as well as many other methods. Although all these methods provide for a strong joint that resists axial movement, unfortunately, they all eliminate relative rotational movement between the conduit and the conduit end fittings.
Having the conduit end fittings fixed against rotation relative to the conduit creates a problem in that, during the assembly operation, the operator frequently has to twist the conduit end fitting along the axis of the conduit in order to line it up and install it in the mounting point. When the conduit end fitting is fixed against rotation relative to the conduit, this twisting operation has the detrimental effect of, among other things, slowing down the assembly process and twisting and binding the conduit. To eliminate the assembly problems, it is desirable to have conduit end fittings on the conduit that provide for easy rotation about the axis of the conduit, and thus speed up the assembly time and reduce binding and twisting of the conduit.
One example of a known conduit end fitting product is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the control cable 10 includes a conduit 12 and a wire-like strand or core element 14. The end of the strand 14 is attached to a slider rod 16 that extends within a swivel tube 18. The swivel tube 18 is supported within a swivel socket provided an the conduit end fitting. The conduit end fitting of this prior art design includes a hard plastic sleeve 8 molded onto an end of the conduit. A compressible isolator 9 is molded or pressed over the molded sleeve. The sleeve and isolator are tapered toward the end of the conduit and contained within molded outer fitting 2. A spherical cavity or socket 2s for receiving the swivel tube is formed entirely within the outer fitting 2 at the one of the conduit end fitting. The opposite end of the conduit end fitting, i.e., the end that receives the conduit, is capped with a cap, which is typically formed of metal. This design does not, however, include any means to facilitate rotation of the end fitting relative to the conduit.
In addition, because the spherical socket or cavity for receiving the swivel tube 18 is formed entirely within the outer fitting 2, the swivel tube must be snapped into the socket during assembly. As a consequence, the spherical extent of the socket is limited and the degree to which the swivel tube is securely retained within the socket is also limited.
It is known to make conduit end fittings that rotate about the axis of the conduit. Conduit end fittings that rotate about the axis of the conduit are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. : 4,860,609; 4,951,524; 5,161,428 and 5,383,377.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,609 discloses a flexible motion transmitting core element that includes a conduit (12), a flexible motion transmitting core element (14) that is slidably supported by the conduit and a connector member (16) that includes an annular radially extending flange (18). The assembly (10) further includes an end fitting (30) having a cylindrical portion (32). The cylindrical portion (32) is positioned over the outer surface of the connector member (16) such that the cylindrical portion (32) abuts the flange (18). A retainer (38) simultaneously engages the end fitting (30) and the flange (18) for preventing relative axial movement between the conduit (12) and the end fitting (30) while permitting relative rotational movement therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,524 discloses a flexible motion transmitting core element (28) that includes a supporting fitting (14) having first and second ends defining a first axis for extending through a substantially U-shaped seat (18) in a support structure (20). A core element (28) is movably supported by the support fitting (14) for transmitting motion between the ends thereof. The assembly (10) includes a pair of spaced flanges (52, 52', 54, 54o) supported about the support fitting (14) for allowing relative rotation therebetween and positioning the support fitting (14) in the substantially U-shaped seat (18) on the support structure (20).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,428 discloses a motion transmitting remote control assembly (10) for transmitting forces along a curved path by a flexible core element (26) slidably disposed within a flexible conduit (12). The assembly (10) includes an elongated member (62) for adjusting the longitudinal position of the conduit (12) by being slidably disposed within a passageway (68) of a support member (32). A locking clip (86) is movable between a disengaged position for permitting relative longitudinal movement between the elongated member (62) and the base (32) and an engaged position for preventing longitudinal movement therebetween. The elongated member (62) is rotatably supported on the conduit (12) to allow rotation of the conduit (12) relative to the support member (32) while in an engaged position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,377 discloses a flexible motion transmitting core element (54) that includes a conduit (12) and a cable (54) that is movably supported along its length within the conduit (12). A support member (48) attaches one end (14) of the conduit (12) to a support structure (46). An isolator (96) is disposed between the support member (48) and the conduit end (14). The conduit end (14) has an integral conduit end fitting (18). The isolator (96) dampens vibrations and shocks transmitted between the support member (48) and the conduit end (14). The isolator (96) is fixed against translational movement relative to the conduit end (14). An anti-stick coating (106) disposed on the outer surface (100) of the conduit end fitting (18) allows the conduit end (14) and conduit end fitting (18) to rotate relative to the support member (48).
The assemblies described in these patents each have some disadvantage, however. For example, the fittings may introduce extra lash into the cable assembly, which in turn reduces the travel efficiency of the push pull cable system. The fittings may also complicate assembly and increase capital and labor expense.
Another known assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,251, which discloses a flexible core element (12) in a conduit (18) and a method of making same. An end fitting (20) is disposed about the conduit (18) by a cylindrical section which includes abutments (24). A vibration dampener (16) includes a cylindrical tube disposed about the end fitting (20) with grooves (28) aligned with the abutments (24) and tabs (30) extending radially outward from the vibration dampener (16). A support (14) includes a cylindrical wall (32) disposed about and coextensive with the vibration dampener (16) with openings (34) aligned with the tabs (30) of the vibration dampener (16). The vibration dampening means (16) is in axial mechanical interlocking engagement with the end fitting (20) and support (14) for maintaining the vibration dampener (16) free of radial compressive forces.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,050 discloses a flexible core element (12) in a conduit (18) and a method of making same. An end fitting (20) is disposed about the conduit (18) by a cylindrical section which includes abutments (24). A vibration dampener (16) includes a cylindrical tube disposed about the end fitting (20) with grooves (28) aligned with the abutments (24) and tabs (30) extending radially outward from the vibration dampener (16). A support (14) includes a cylindrical wall (32) disposed about and coextensive with the vibration dampener (16) with openings (34) aligned with the tabs (30) of the vibration dampener (16). The vibration dampener (16) is in axial mechanical interlocking engagement with the end fitting (20) and support (14) for maintaining the vibration dampener (16) free of radial compressive forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,838 discloses a flexible motion transmitting core element assembly (10) that includes a conduit (16) with a male end fitting (20) molded at one end, which engages with a female end fitting (30). The female end fitting (30) includes a conduit (38) and attaches to a support structure (90). Splining (24, 32) is provided on the engaging portions of the male end fitting (20) and the female end fitting (30) to allow for precise rotational adjustment and locking between the male end fitting (20) and the female end fitting (30).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,177 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,348 disclose a flexible motion transmitting core element that includes a flexible motion transmitting core element and a flexible conduit. An end fitting is disposed about the end portion of the conduit for supporting the conduit and core element with the core element extending from the end fitting. The assembly also includes a support housing for supporting the end fitting and the conduit on a support structure. A resilient vibration dampener is disposed between the support housing and the end fitting for providing noise and vibration isolation therebetween. A mold assembly and a method are also disclosed for making the motion transmitting remote control assembly including the steps of; inserting the end portion of the conduit into a cavity of a first mold and injecting organic polymeric material into the cavity for molding the end fitting about the conduit, inserting the end fitting into a cavity of a second mold and injecting a vibration dampening material into the mold for molding a vibration dampener about the end fitting, and placing the vibration dampener into a cavity of a third mold and injecting an organic polymeric material for molding a support housing about the vibration dampener.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,755 discloses a mold assembly and a method for making a motion transmitting remote control assembly including the steps of; inserting the end portion of the conduit into a cavity of a first mold and injecting organic polymeric material into the cavity for molding the end fitting about the conduit, inserting the end fitting into a cavity of a second mold and injecting a vibration dampening material into the mold for molding a vibration dampener about the end fitting, and placing the vibration dampener into a cavity of a third mold and injecting an organic polymeric material for molding a support housing about the vibration dampener.
Notwithstanding these prior art disclosures, there remains a need for an end fitting for a remote control cable assembly that is easy to assemble and allows for easy rotation of the end fittings relative to the axis of the conduit and does not add additional lash into the cable system from the rotating end fitting joint.

Zero lash joint for a rotating conduit fitting for a remote control cable assembly


A method of contraception in mammalian females, which method comprises the oral administration of an estrogenic component and a progestogenic component to a female of childbearing capability in an amount effective to inhibit ovulation, wherein the estrogenic component is selected from the group consisting of substances represented by the following formula (1)

Estrogens play an important major role in existing methods of hormonal contraception. For contraception estrogens are commonly used together with a progestogen, e.g. levonorgestrel, desogestrel, norethisterone, cyproterone acetate, dienogest. The estrogens are needed for inhibiting follicle maturation and ovulation, but in addition they replace the endogenous ovarian secretion of estradiol which is suppressed to a major extent by the administration of a hormonal contraceptive. This replacement is important for preventing estrogen deficiency and for maintaining an artificial menstrual cycle and other genital functions.
Endogenous and exogenous estrogens fulfil important central nervous and metabolic functions in the female organism: normal estrogen levels make a decisive contribution to a woman's well-being. Notwithstanding the widespread use of estrogens in hormonal contraceptives, there are still some unsolved problems. Known estrogens, in particular the biogenic estrogens (i.e. estrogens naturally occurring in the human body), show serious pharmacokinetic deficits. Biogenic estrogens such as estradiol, estrone, estrone sulphate, esters of estradiol and estriol become bioavailable only to a very low degree when taken orally. This degree may vary so much from person to person that general dosage recommendations cannot be given. Fast elimination of these estrogens from the blood is another related problem. For instance, for the main human biogenic estrogen 17β-estradiol the half-life is around 1 hour. As a result, between separate (daily) administration events, blood serum levels of such biogenic estrogens tend to fluctuate considerably. Thus, shortly after administration the serum concentration is usually several times higher than the optimum concentration. In addition, if the next administration event is delayed, serum concentrations will quickly decrease to a level where the estrogen is no longer physiologically active.
The most important synthetically altered estrogenic steroid is 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE). This estrogen is dominant in oral hormonal contraception. Apart from EE, mestranol has been used in a few cases; mestranol is a "prodrug" that is metabolised to EE in the organism. When applied orally to humans, EE has a much better bioavailability than the biogenic estrogens mentioned above, but its oral bioavailability varies to a large extent from individual to individual. Several authors have pointed to this as well as to the fact that concentrations in the blood proved to be highly fluctuating after oral application of this substance.
In addition to pharmacokinetic problems, the known estrogens also show pharmacodynamic deficits. After resorption from the intestinal lumen, orally applied active ingredients enter the organism via the liver. This fact is of specific importance for estrogenic agents as the liver is a target organ for estrogens; oral intake of estrogens results in strong estrogenic effects in the liver. The secretion activity that is controlled by estrogens in the human liver includes increased synthesis of transport proteins CBG, SHBG, TBG, several factors that are important for the physiology of blood clotting, and lipoproteins. If biogenic estrogens are introduced to the female organism while avoiding passage through the liver (e.g. by transdermal application), the liver functions mentioned remain largely unchanged. Therapeutically equivalent doses of biogenic estrogens, when applied orally, result in clear responses of hepatic parameters, such as increase of SHBG, CBG, angiotensinogen and HDL (high density lipoprotein). These hepatic effects of estrogens are also observed when equine estrogen formulations (so-called conjugated estrogens) are used. Ethinyl estradiol and diethylstilbestrol (DES) have an even greater hepatic estrogenicity. Elger et al., J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol. (1995), 55(3/4), 395-403, have reported that EE or DES have much higher hepato-cellular than systemic estrogenicity: in relation to FSH-secretion inhibitory activity these estrogens are 4-18 times more active in the liver than estrone sulfate.
The aforementioned deficits are of considerable clinical significance when commonly known biogenic and synthetic estrogens are applied. Consequently, there is an as yet unmet need for estrogens that do not display these deficits and which can suitably be employed in oral contraceptive methods for females because of their ability to (a) reliably suppress follicle maturation and ovulation and to (b) effectively replace the endogenous ovarian secretion of estradiol.

Drug delivery system comprising a tetrahydroxilated estrogen for use in hormonal contraception

Abstract: in which R1, R2, R3, R4 independently are a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or an alkoxy group with 1-5 carbon atoms; each of R5, R6, R7 is a hydroxyl group; and no more than 3 of R1, R2, R3, R4 are hydrogen atoms; precursors capable of liberating a substance according to the aforementioned formula when used in the present method; and mixtures of one or more of the aforementioned substances and/or precursors. Another aspect of the invention concerns a pharmaceutical kit comprising oral dosage units that contain the aforementioned estrogenic component and/or a progestogenic component.


Novel biological pesticides are prepared by introducing into a microorganism the genetic capability to produce a heterologous pesticide, wherein the microorganism is capable of proliferating in the rhizosphere or phylloplane in competition with wild-type microorganisms. A gene capable of expressing a polypeptide is introduced into the microorganism under conditions which allow for stable maintenance and expression of the gene, without significantly diminishing the ability of the microorganism to compete in the environment. Preferred microorganisms provide for the maintenance and protection from degradation of the polypeptide pesticide.

A number of naturally-occurring microorganisms produce polypeptide pesticides, which pesticides are capable of controlling the proliferation of many agricultural pests. For a number of reasons these naturally produced pesticides have not found widespread commercial exploitation, despite their ecological desirableness. In many cases, the organism is difficult to grow, the cost of the pesticide is high, the residual activity of the pesticide in the environment is relatively low, and in individual instances, there are additional drawbacks.
Microorganisms, like most living things, occupy specialized niches in the environment. A rather comprehensive review, entitled "Ecology and Epidemiology of Foliar Bacterial Plant Pathogens," is found in Annual Review of Phytopathology (1983, Hirano, S. S. and Upper, C. D. 21:243-69). Survivability is usually adversely affected when an organism is introduced into an exotic environment. Such is the case with naturally-occurring microorganisms that produce pesticides. In order to be effective as pesticides, the naturally-occurring microorganisms and/or their products must be introduced into exotic environments and, therefore, have insufficient residual activity. However, the potency of the pesticides and their ecological desirableness make them attractive candidates for commercial exploitation, if the detractions to their use could be removed or at least ameliorated.
There is, therefore, substantial interest in finding economical ways to produce these pesticides, to deliver them to the field in a bioactive form, and to enhance and prolong their activity in the environment.
Bulla et al., (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 254:3000-3004, describe the proteinaceous parasporal crystal toxin from B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Held et al., (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79:6065-6069, describe the cloning of the gene for proteinaceous parasporal crystal toxin into E. coli and B. subtilis. See also, Schnepf et al. ibid (1981) 78:289-294. Wong et al., (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258:1960-1967, describe the transcriptional regulatory signals of the B. thuringiensis toxin gene. Klier et al., (1982) EMBO 1:791-799, describe the cloning and expression of a Bt toxin gene. U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,880 describes embedding live insecticidal pathogens in a coacervate microbead.

Pseudomas hosts transformed with bacillus endotoxin genes


Methods and systems are provided for automatically determining a phase shift and noise insensitive similarity metric for electrocardiogram (ECG) beats in a Holter monitor recording. In one embodiment, a deep neural network may be trained to map an ECG beat to a phase shift insensitive and noise insensitive feature space embedding using a training data triad, wherein the training data triad may be produced by a method comprising: selecting a first beat and a second beat recorded via one or more Holter monitors, determining a dynamic time warping (DTW) distance between the first beat and the second beat, setting a similarity label for the first beat and the second beat based on the DTW distance, and storing the first beat, the second beat, and the similarity label, in a location of non-transitory memory as an ECG training data triad.

A Holter monitor is a long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement device used in ambulatory settings to detect if a subject has irregular/variable heart beats. Holter monitor recordings are typically carried out over a period of 24-48 hours, and comprise a very large number of beats (on the order of one hundred thousand beats). These recordings are retrospectively analyzed by a cardiologist to detect irregularity. This analysis is cumbersome if each beat in the recording is manually analyzed.
Conventional approaches for accelerating interpretation of Holter monitor recordings leverage the redundancy in heart beats to represent the large number of recorded beats using a much smaller set of template beats. Compressing the information contained in a Holter monitor recording in this way enables a cardiologist to form a holistic understanding of a patient's cardiac condition by viewing a handful of distinct beat types (the template beats), along with the relative abundance of each beat type over the period of the Holter monitor recording. This manner of presenting Holter monitor data greatly reduces the time required for a cardiologist to assess the condition of a patient's heart based on an obtained Holter monitor recording, and enables convenient identification of irregular, low abundance beats, without the need for the cardiologist to manually evaluate each of the tens of thousands of beats in the Holter monitor recording.
Representation of a Holter monitor recording using a relatively small set of template beats requires that each of the beats in the Holter monitor recording is classified as belonging to one of the template beat classes/clusters, in a process known as clustering, wherein beats with similar characteristics are grouped together. Each distinct cluster may be represented by an archetypal, template beat, having the average or typical properties of the beats within the cluster. Thus, in order to effectively generate clusters, it is necessary to group ECG beats according to their characteristics, which may rely on determination of a beat similarity metric. Additionally, a beat similarity metric may be useful for classification of ECG beats, longitudinal comparison across multiple Holter monitor recordings, etc. One difficulty in designing a beat similarity metric is that fine grain similarity metrics may be overly sensitive to small variances between otherwise similar beats (e.g., due to noise, amplitude changes/drift, phase differences, etc.) while more course grained similarity metrics may not retain the sensitivity towards clinically relevant changes, important in distinguishing arrhythmic beats from healthy beats. This trade-off between sensitivity and specificity makes designing an appropriate beat similarity metric very challenging, particularly where the beat similarity metric is to be applied to different patient demographics and in different clinical contexts. Most of the current day Holter monitor data clustering approaches use a correlation based distance metric for template generation (e.g., a Euclidean distance). However, correlation based distance metrics are not resilient to small phase shifts and minor amplitude changes, which may result in classification/clustering of beats into incorrect templates/clusters.
Therefore, it is generally desirable to explore techniques for automatically determining a similarity metric for ECG beats, which is sufficiently sensitive to distinguish between healthy/normal beats and unhealthy/arrhythmic beats, while being invariant to phase differences, noise, or other superficial differences between otherwise similar beats.

System and methods for electrocardiogram beat similarity analysis using deep neural networks


A semiconductor memory device which enhances the relief efficiency of defective bit lines by means of redundant bit lines is disclosed. To a column redundancy decoder are supplied not only a Y address but also a part of an X address. When a Y address corresponding to a defective bit line is supplied to the column redundancy decoder, the column redundancy decoder generates a detection signal. In this case, replacement by means of a redundant bit line is carried out if the part of the X address indicates a region where the defective bit line exists, and the replacement by means of a redundant bit line will not take place if it indicates a region where the defective bit line does not exists.

Accompanying fine geometry, high integration, and large capacity of the semiconductor memory devices in recent years, it is becoming extremely difficult to obtain perfect products which are absolutely free from defects. In other words, almost all of the produced semiconductor memory devices include defective memory cells, defective work lines, or defective bit lines. In order to make it possible to deliver semiconductor memory devices that include such defects as acceptable products, it is a general practice to provide the semiconductor memory device with a redundancy circuit.
The redundancy circuit is for disabling the use of a defective word or bit line when there exists one, and replacing the defective word or bit line with a redundant word or bit line. By designing a circuit configuration such that a defective word line or a defective bit line can be replaced by a redundant word line or a redundant bit line, as in the above, it is possible to deliver a semiconductor memory device as if it is absolutely free from defectiveness. Accordingly, a redundancy circuit contributes significantly to the enhancement of the yield of the semiconductor memory devices.
In order to relieve as many defective word lines or defective word lines or defective bit lines as possible, it is most effective to incorporate as many redundant word lines or redundant bit lines as its practicable. However, since the redundancy circuit is a superfluous circuit in the sense that it is useless unless there exists defectiveness in the manufactured semiconductor memory device, it is not recommended to provide a large scale redundancy circuit within the semiconductor memory device. For this reason, it is desirable to relieve as many defective word lines or defective bit lines as possible with a minimum number of redundant word lines or redundant bit lines.
Under those circumstances, a variety of methods for improving the relief efficiency of defective word lines or defective bit lines by means of a redundant circuit have been proposed. As examples, there may be mentioned methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,556, U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,339, U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,560, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,660. The method described in these patents is what is called the row flexible redundancy method. The row flexible redundancy method is a technique for efficiently relieving the word line defects, which has a feature in that the range of replacement covered by one redundant word line is broad.
However, according to the row flexible redundancy method, the relief efficiency for defective bit lines remains unchanged, although the relief efficiency for defective word lines can be improved. Because of this, a method which can also improve the relief efficiency for defective bit lines is in demand.

Semiconductor memory device with redundancy circuit


A sensor for measuring at least one measurement variable, a sensor network which has several sensors and a method for operating the sensor network. The sensor initially has a measurement variable sensor which is used to convert the measurement variable into an electric signal. A transducer is used to convert the electric signal into measurement data. The sensor has a first communication interface for transferring the measurement data and other data in accordance with a first protocol and a second communication interface for transferring the measurement data and other data in accordance with a second protocol. The sensor also has a data exchange unit for exchanging data between the transducer, the first communication interface and the second communication interface.

DE 103 26 249 A1 shows a measuring device having a control device for controlling functions of the measuring device and/or processing measurement data. The measuring device has a communication interface in order to be able to communicate with an identical measuring device.
DE 101 60 395 A1 shows a data transmission arrangement for selectively transmitting data from a multiplicity of measurement sections to at least one radio interrogator. The data generated by one or more transmitters are continuously forwarded to the radio interrogator by radio via a receiver and a radio transmitter and/or via an integrated receiving/transmitting unit.
DE 195 19 164 B4 discloses a decentralized apparatus for controlling operations for detection, transmission and control by seismic equipment installed in an investigation area. Seismic data are transmitted to a local central station from a multiplicity of local units. The seismic data are transmitted to a central station from one or more of the local central stations.
DE 100 64 420 B4 shows an apparatus for the decentralized detection and evaluation of physical events. One or more measuring elements are connected to an internal bus system and can be programmed via the latter. The data transmitted on the internal bus system can be emitted to the outside via at least one one-part or multi-part evaluation unit. The disadvantage of this solution is the increased outlay for the evaluation unit without which it is not possible to transmit the measurement data from the one or more measuring elements to the outside. The connection of the measuring element(s) to the internal bus system allows communication inside the apparatus, as a result of which measurement data and data for programming the measuring elements can be interchanged between the measuring elements and the evaluation unit.

Sensor and sensor network and method for the operation thereof


An apparatus and method are disclosed for reducing oscillations of an elevator car occurring transverse to the direction of travel. The elevator car is guided by rails and includes guide elements with a predefined range of motion. The apparatus includes a plurality of inertial sensors mounted to a frame of the elevator car and at least one actuator positioned between the elevator car and the guide elements. The inertial sensors measure oscillations transverse to the direction of travel and the at least one actuator is driven according to the output from the inertial sensors to actuate movement in an equal and opposite direction to the oscillations. The at least one actuator includes a drive motor with a stationary motor part coupled to the frame and a moving motor part coupled to the guide elements. The method includes measuring an oscillation occurring transverse to a direction travel and driving at least one actuator positioned between the car and the guide elements. The at least one actuator substantially effects movement in an equal and opposite direction to the oscillation. The command to the at least one actuator includes combining the outputs of an acceleration feedback controller active in the higher frequency range and a position feedback controller active in the lower frequency range to determine a force target value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus and method for damping oscillations in an elevator car guided by rails. The system includes guide elements connected to the elevator that are movable between two end settings. Oscillations that occur transversely to the direction of travel may be measured by inertial sensors mounted at the elevator and used for driving at least one actuator positioned between the car and the guide elements. The at least one actuator operating simultaneously with the occurring oscillations and oppositely to the direction of the oscillations.
2. Discussion of the Background of the Invention and Material Information
Transverse oscillations act on the elevator during travel due to unevennesses in the guide rails and due to the slipstream, i.e., a consequence of the lateral components of traction forces transmitted by the traction cable or positional changes of the load during the travel and also due to aerodynamic forces. A method for damping such oscillations in an elevator or a part thereof was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,925. After it is determined that certain undesired transverse accelerations are occurring, corresponding counterforces are exerted on the elevator by a vibration damper positioned between the elevator and the frame. This method, however, requires an expensive floating bearing in the elevator frame, which in addition to the high apparatus expenditure entails a substantially greater space requirement. Further, the force acts on the frame, which, in the case of low frequencies, can cause a jerky, knocking swing of the frame between the guides. Such a system is hardly manageable in terms of regulation.

Apparatus and method for the damping of oscillations in an elevator car


A remote radar phase calibrator that provides radar phase measurement and libration. A trihedral or dihedral reflector placed in the radars field of view provides an amplitude calibrated phase stable signal to the radar. Movement of the reflector head-on to the radar provides a phase angle measurement that varies as a function of the radars transmitted wavelength and the distance the reflector is moved.

This invention relates to a radar phase measurement apparatus with a remote phase shifting element used for radar calibration.
Wide bandwidth coherent radars used in tracking systems, synthetic aperture measurement systems, and high range resolution systems measure relative phase differences at discrete frequencies between the transmitted and received signals. These differences are calibrated in terms of wavelength angle difference, which is referred to as phase angle. These phase measurements along with signal amplitude are transformed to the time domain via Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), for range information. Range resolution R is inversely proportional to the number of discrete frequencies measured and the measurement bandwidth. High range resolution radars may require as much as 2,000 megahertz of bandwidth .
The phase delay through various components of the radar receiver varies as a function of the measurement frequency. The phase delay of the complete radar system must be calibrated at each measurement frequency across the receiver bandwidth.
Phase calibration is accomplished by measuring the radar phase angle output with a calibrated phase-shifted RF signal input.
In the prior art, phase shifting elements that are part of the radar system are used to vary the phase angle of a constant phase signal measured by or injected into the radar. This may be a waveguide phase shifter or a device at the radars intermediate frequency. Generally these devices shift the phase in increments of degrees, and the absolute accuracy is variable. These devices, especially the waveguide shifters, are inherently narrow band and the absolute accuracy degrades when they are used across a wide radio frequency (RF) bandwidth. The signal loss through component phase shifters may change as the phase angle is varied. This will introduce additional error in the overall absolute calibration of the radar system. Component phase shifters built into the radar system will introduce some additional losses that can degrade the overall sensitivity of the radar system. This will also introduce additional error in the overall absolute calibration of the radar system.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


In a general aspect, a quantum process for execution by a quantum processor is generated. In some instances, test data representing a test output of a quantum process are obtained. The test data are obtained based on a value assigned to a variable parameter of the quantum process. An objective function is evaluated based on the test data, and an updated value is assigned to the variable parameter based on the evaluation of the objective function. The quantum process is provided for execution by a quantum processor, and the quantum process provided for execution has the updated value assigned to the variable parameter.

The following description relates to constructing quantum processes for quantum processors.
Quantum computers can perform computational tasks by executing quantum algorithms. Quantum algorithms are often expressed in terms of quantum logic operations applied to qubits. A variety of physical systems have been developed for quantum computing applications. Examples include superconducting circuits, trapped ions, spin systems and others.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Constructing quantum processes for quantum processors


A wooden structural member for use as a stud in the wall of a building is formed from two strips of wood separated simply by elongate pins at right angles to the length of the strips. Each pin has pointed ends which are punctured into the wood of the strips to provide a frictional engagement therewith. After formation of the structural element, it is formed into the wall of a building and services can be threaded through the space between the strips following which insulation material is applied between each stud and the next and in between the strips thus increasing the insulation value of the wall, reducing the amount of lumber required and simplifying construction.

This invention relates to a method of forming the building using the wooden structural member.
Many buildings are formed from wooden frames which is then coated or covered on the inside and outside surfaces with suitable sheathing material. The wood frame buildings include a floor plate, a plurality of vertical wall studs arranged at horizontally spaced positions to thus form a vertical wall and a top plate for the wall. In most cases a roof structure is applied which also includes ceiling joists and roof trusses.
In most cases the joists and studs are formed from solid lumber and in imperial measure these structural members are nominally formed as two inches by four inches or two inches by six inches et cetera. In practice of course after planing these sizes are reduced so that a nominal 2.times.4 has a conventional dimension of the order of 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
For many years wooden frame buildings of this type used wall studs which are simply 2.times.4 and joists which are suitably dimensioned depending upon the intended size of the building. However solid lumber of this type has a number of disadvantages.
Firstly solid lumber is a relatively poor insulating material so that there is significant communication of heat from the inside edge of the lumber adjacent the warm interior outwardly to the outside surface of the lumber which is adjacent the cold exterior.
Secondly the solid lumber divides the wall into separated compartments so that there is no possibility of communication from one compartment to the next and therefore it is necessary to cut or drill holes in the studs for transmission of services to the building such as the electrical wiring.
Thirdly it is becoming more difficult to provide single pieces of lumber in the wider widths now required over a full length of the lumber in view of logging practices. The reduced availability therefore of the full size of the lumber in the length and width directions provides a significant increase in cost relative to the basic volume of wood required for the structural member. Thus solid wood structural member of for example 2.times.12 is significantly more expensive than two pieces of 2.times.6.
The formation of trusses using two strips of lumber is of course well known. Examples of these devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,372,093 (Ericsson); 4,741,139 (Campbell); 4,485,606 (Gottlieb); 4,541,218 (Gottlieb); 4,669,243 (Gore et al); 4,827,688 (Tene). However trusses of this type can be relatively expensive in view of the expense of the hardware involved. In addition the hardware provides a significant quantity of metal for communication of heat through the structural member. Trusses of this type have therefore achieved little success in the construction field. Trusses used as floor joists involving an upper strip and a lower strip which are connected by plywood which is rebated into a slot within the upper and lower strips has become more widely used but is solely used as floor joists and is particularly used for the greater accuracy and structural rigidity which is obtained which reduces movement, flexing and noise from the floor structure. Problems of this type however are of limited value in the formation of walls.

Wooden structural member for use in a building


A motor vehicle protection system suitable for large-size cars such as sport utility vehicles (SUV), is disclosed. The protection system includes a cover sheet adapted to be anchored on a motor vehicle so as to cover the motor vehicle body which has a roof and two opposite sides, on each of which at least one window is present. The motor vehicle protection system cover sheet has at least one supplementary traction appendage having a first end constrained to the sheet and a second end adapted to be fixed through coupling means on the body so as to put in traction the portion of the sheet intended to cover the roof of the motor vehicle downwards. The supplementary traction appendage extends starting from the sheet so as to be interposed between the body and the sheet.

Currently, the manufacturers of motorcars and motorcar dealers have various types of vehicle covers, adapted to be used for protective purposes against atmospheric agents, acts of vandalism and accidental bumps; such accessories protect the exterior finishing and the body of the vehicle parked in car dealership depots or production plants.
The currently known covers comprise a protection sheet provided with perimetral, i.e. perimeter, constraint means, for example hooks, for the application of the sheet itself on the body of the motor vehicle, generally at the deck or mudguards.
Once covered by the aforementioned protection sheets, the motor vehicles are generally taken to the car dealerships or factory parking on truck trailers, or on trains, or on ships or other transport means. In many cases, during these movements the covered motor vehicles are outdoors exposed to wind and/or strong wind currents that develop during the movement of the means of transport. In such cases, and in particular under high speed conditions or in the presence of strong wind, the air manages to penetrate into the space between the protection sheet and the body and tends to inflate the sheet itself.
Therefore, the anchoring of the sheet under these conditions is strongly stressed and it may occur that the stress caused by the air inside the protection sheet is so strong to tear the sheet or break the anchoring of the same.
This especially occurs at the portion of the sheet that covers the roof of the motor vehicle and it is more frequent the more extensive the surface of the roof and the relative cover portion is.
As a matter of fact, in the case in which the motor vehicle to be covered is provided with a very extensive roof, such as for example in the case of SUVs or limousines, the volume of air between body and sheet is also very high. Thus, the force exerted by such air volume is greater than that exerted in the case of a sheet for protecting a runabout.


A subtractor subtracts a first control signal output from a first bandpass filter from an error signal, and supplies a differential signal to a second bandpass filter. The second bandpass filter, which has a central frequency of 70 Hz, is affected by an operation of the first bandpass filter, i.e., a first control signal, which has a central frequency of 40 Hz. The first bandpass filter is not affected by an operation of the second bandpass filter, i.e., the second control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular active vibratory noise control apparatus for canceling road noise generated in the passenger compartment of a vehicle when the vehicle is driven, by causing a canceling sound, which is in opposite phase with and equal in amplitude to the road noise, to interfere with the road noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there has been proposed in the art a vehicular active vibratory noise control apparatus for canceling road noise (also called "drumming noise") in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, with a canceling sound that is in opposite phase with the road noise at an evaluation point (hearing point) where a microphone is located (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-025527). The road noise is based on vibrations of vehicle wheels, which are caused by the road when the vehicle is running thereon. Such vibrations are transferred through the suspension to the vehicle body, and are excited by the acoustic resonant characteristics of the closed passenger compartment. The road noise has a peak level at a frequency of about 40 [Hz], and has a frequency bandwidth in a range from 20 to 150 [Hz].
In addition to the first peak referred to above at about 40 Hz, the road noise also has a second peak at a frequency of about 70 Hz.
FIG. 10 of the accompanying drawings shows in block form a vehicular active vibratory noise control apparatus 200 for canceling road noise at two frequencies of 40 Hz (ω0=2π×40) and 70 Hz (ω1=2π×70), based on the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-025527.
The vehicular active vibratory noise control apparatus 200 has two processing circuits 201A, 201B including respective sine-wave generating means 202 for generating sine waves having respective frequencies of 40 Hz and 70 Hz, respective cosine-wave generating means 203 for generating cosine waves having respective frequencies of 40 Hz and 70 Hz, respective pairs of one-tap digital filters 204, 205 for processing the output signals from the sine-wave generating means 202 and the cosine-wave generating means 203, and respective pairs of coefficient updating means 206, 207 for sequentially updating coefficients of the corresponding one-tap digital filters 204, 205. Each of the processing circuits 201A, 201B supplies output signals therefrom to an adder 211, which adds the output signals into a signal whose amplitude and phase are adjusted by an adjusting circuit 208. The adjusted signal is supplied from the adjusting circuit 208 to a speaker 209, which radiates a canceling sound. A microphone 210 detects an interference sound generated by interference between the canceling sound and the road noise, and inputs an output signal, which is representative of the detected interference sound, to the processing circuits 201A, 201B.
FIG. 11A of the accompanying drawings shows a characteristic curve 212 of the road noise input to the processing circuit 201A, together with a characteristic curve 214 of the output signal from the processing circuit 201A. FIG. 11B of the accompanying drawings shows a characteristic curve 212 of the road noise input to the processing circuit 201B, together with a characteristic curve 214 of the output signal from the processing circuit 201B. As shown in FIG. 11A, the characteristic curve 214 is of the same amplitude as the characteristic curve 212 at 40 Hz, but is lower in amplitude than the characteristic curve 212 at 70 Hz. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 11B, the characteristic curve 214 is of the same amplitude as the characteristic curve 212 at 70 Hz, but is lower in amplitude than the characteristic curve 212 at 40 Hz. Therefore, the processing circuits 201A, 201B affect each other in operation at all times, which tends to cause the processing circuits 201A, 201B to become unstable in operation.
In addition, there are certain technical difficulties that occur when a single adjusting circuit 208 is utilized to adjust road noise components of 40 Hz and 70 Hz in amplitude and phase.

Vehicular active vibratory noise control apparatus


The present invention relates to an ADB head lamp system and a beam control method using the ADB head lamp system, the ADB head lamp system includes an ADB head lamp which is installed in a vehicle; a driving unit which drives the ADB head lamp; a road circumstance detecting unit; and a control unit which controls the driving unit to allow the ADB head lamp to radiate beam below a horizontal line in accordance with a signal which is generated by road circumstance information obtained by the road circumstance detecting unit, thereby implementing a beam which suppresses glare to the opposite vehicle, glare to a vehicle ahead, and minimize fatigue to a driver of the driving vehicle by recognizing a road circumstance.

Generally, a vehicle includes a lighting system which has an illumination function so as to clearly view an object in a driving direction during nighttime driving and notifies a driving state of its own vehicle to the other vehicle or a pedestrian on the road. Here, a head lamp which is also called a head light is an illuminating lamp which lights the road ahead, on which a vehicle drives.
The head lamp is adjusted to emit a weaker beam onto a road which is adjacent to a center lane. It is regulated by the law so that a beam emission direction of the head lamp is adjusted to reduce an amount of beam which is shone onto a driver which is driving from an opposite direction, thereby preventing glare to the oncoming driver.
Therefore, an adaptive driving beam (ADB) head lamp was introduced in order to improve forward direction recognition of a driver and the oncoming driver which drives in an opposite lane. That is, the ADB head lamp is a light emitting device which radiates light while changing an illumination angle, a brightness, a width, and a length of the lamp.
The ADB head lamp may adjust the brightness of the head lamp so that a driver of a vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as an opposite vehicle) which approaches in an opposite lane does not receive glare.
That is, as illustrated in FIG. 1, when there is no oncoming vehicle, the vehicle which includes the ADB head lamp drives with a high beam and when an oncoming vehicle appears, the vehicle changes a beam pattern into a beam pattern having an L shape. Further, the vehicle uses a swivel actuator to form a dark zone in which no glare will form to affect the oncoming vehicle. Thereafter, the beam status of the ADB head lamp returns to the high beam after the oncoming vehicle passes by.
However, an ADB head lamp of the related art operates only depending on whether there is an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle ahead, regardless of a road condition. In this case, the ADB head lamp operates only depending on whether a camera installed in a vehicle detects a vehicle, so that when a median strip is provided as on a highway, erroneous operations may be caused due to various road obstacles.
That is, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the camera repeatedly detects the median stripe during driving. Therefore, the erroneous operation causes fatigue to the drive and causes glare to a driver who drives ahead and acts as a dangerous factor of nighttime driving.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, an ADB head lamp which implements a beam to suppress glare to the opposite vehicle 3, glare to the vehicle ahead, and minimize fatigue to the driver of the driving vehicle 2 by recognizing a driving circumstance is required. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 5 denotes a median strip.

ADB head-lamp system and beam control method using the same


A sense circuit for a non-volatile memory device includes a selecting circuit for selecting a predetermined cell transistor by selecting a predetermined bit line which is connected to the predetermined cell transistor, a feedback type bias circuit for maintaining a potential of a bus line to a constant level and including a first transistor which flows a current to the bus line, a detecting circuit for detecting whether or not a current flows through the predetermined cell transistor so as to read a data from the predetermined cell transistor and including a terminal for outputting the read data, and a current source including a second transistor for forcibly supplying a predetermined current to the first transistor, so that a gate-source voltage of the first transistor is greater than a threshold voltage of the first transistor.

FIG. 1 shows an essential part of an example of a conventional sense circuit together with related parts of an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). A floating gate transistor Q6 corresponds to a memory cell of the EPROM, and this transistor Q6 receives a word line selection signal X from a word line 10. A node N.sub.3 corresponds to a bit line, and this node N.sub.3 is coupled to a node N.sub.2 which corresponds to a bus line via a transistor Q5. The transistor Q5 receives a bit line selection signal Y. Transistors Q1 and Q2 form an inverter and is used as a bias circuit for feeding back a signal at the node N.sub.2 to a transistor Q4. In order to prevent soft error, the potential at the node N.sub.2 is set to approximately 1 V. Driving transistors Q3 and Q8 form a current mirror circuit. A transistor Q7 acts as a load and flows a current which is approximately 1/2 a cell current that a transistor Q6 flows. A sensed data DATA is output from a terminal 11.
When sensing the data, the bit line selection signal Y is set to a high level to select a single bit line, and thus, a potential at the node N.sub.3 is pulled up from 0 V to 1 V by the bias circuit. Thereafter, the word line selection signal X is set to a high level to select a single word line. For example, when a data is already written into the transistor Q6 (that is, the transistor Q6 is programmed), a current does not flow through the transistor Q6 and the potential at the base of the transistor is at the high level. In other words, the data DATA has the high level, and thus, a low-level data DATA is read out from the terminal 11.
According to the conventional sense circuit, a level fluctuation peculiar to a feedback circuit is generated by the bias circuit when the potential at the node N.sub.3 is pulled up from 0 V to 1 V. For this reason, there is a problem in that the potential at the node N.sub.1 and the potential of the data DATA fluctuate, thereby making a high-speed data read operation difficult. This problem is caused by a slow response of the inverter which is formed by the transistors Q1 and Q2 and a poor convergence of the level fluctuation of the bias circuit in a vicinity of a steady state level (1 V) of the node N.sub.3.

Sense circuit for non-volatile memory device


A vibrator assembly comprising a feed pipe that has a longitudinal axis as well as a first end and a second end. The vibrator assembly may further comprise a vibrator unit that is mechanically coupled to the feed pipe, and a filling assembly which extends into the feed pipe at the first end and is designed to pick up material and direct same into the feed pipe. The feed pipe may have at least two separate channels from the first end to the second end and parallel to the longitudinal axis.

Stone columns are columns of material which are introduced into the ground and are used in the building industry to improve the properties of the ground for subsequent building development. In order to create stone columns, use can be made of vibrator assemblies, which with the aid of vibrations penetrate to some extent into the ground and generate a drill hole in the ground. Thereafter, the vibrator assembly is used to direct material, for example dry concrete, recycled concrete, rubble, sand, gravel or a mixture thereof, into the drill hole and the material is then compacted. By virtue of this operation being repeated a number of times, the stone column of material is filled up, bit by bit, to the surface of the ground. The amount of time required for creating stone columns is determined to a decisive extent by the amount of time required for charging the vibrator assembly and for the stone-column-filling operation.
Known vibrator assemblies have the disadvantage that only a limited quantity of material can be directed into the drill hole per unit of time.

Vibrator assembly for creating stone columns, and method for creating stone columns


Some embodiments include a magnetic tunnel junction comprising magnetic reference material having an iridium-containing region between a multi-layer stack and a polarizer region. Some embodiments include a magnetic tunnel junction having a conductive first magnetic electrode which contains magnetic recording material, a conductive second magnetic electrode spaced from the first electrode and which contains magnetic reference material, and a non-magnetic insulator material between the first and second electrodes. The magnetic reference material of the second electrode includes a first region containing a stack of cobalt alternating with one or more of platinum, palladium and nickel; includes an iridium-containing second region over the first region; and includes a cobalt-containing third region over the second region. The third region is directly against the non-magnetic insulator material.

A magnetic tunnel junction is an integrated circuit component having two conductive magnetic electrodes separated by a thin non-magnetic tunnel insulator material (e.g., dielectric material). The insulator material is sufficiently thin such that electrons can tunnel from one magnetic electrode to the other through the insulator material under appropriate conditions. At least one of the magnetic electrodes can have its overall magnetization direction switched between two states at a normal operating write or erase current/voltage, and is commonly referred to as the "free" or "recording" electrode. The other magnetic electrode is commonly referred to as the "reference", "fixed", or "pinned" electrode, and whose overall magnetization direction will not switch upon application of the normal operating write or erase current/voltage. The reference electrode and the recording electrode are electrically coupled to respective conductive nodes. Electrical resistance between those two nodes through the reference electrode, insulator material, and the recording electrode is dependent upon the magnetization direction of the recording electrode relative to that of the reference electrode. Accordingly, a magnetic tunnel junction can be programmed into one of at least two states, and those states can be sensed by measuring current flow through the magnetic tunnel junction. Since magnetic tunnel junctions can be "programmed" between two current-conducting states, they have been proposed for use in memory integrated circuitry. Additionally, magnetic tunnel junctions may be used in logic, sensors, oscillators or other circuitry apart from or in addition to memory.
The overall magnetization direction of the recording electrode can be switched by a current-induced external magnetic field or by using a spin-polarized current to result in a spin-transfer torque (STT) effect. Charge carriers (such as electrons) have a property known as "spin" which is a small quantity of angular momentum intrinsic to the carrier. An electric current is generally unpolarized (having about 50% "spin-up" and about 50% "spin-down"electrons). A spin-polarized current is one with significantly more electrons of either spin. By passing a current through certain magnetic material (sometimes also referred to as polarizer material), one can produce a spin-polarized current. If a spin-polarized current is directed into a magnetic material, spin angular momentum can be transferred to that material, thereby affecting its magnetization orientation. This can be used to excite oscillations or even flip (i.e., switch) the orientation/domain direction of the magnetic material if the spin-polarized current is of sufficient magnitude.
An alloy or other mixture of Co and Fe is one common material proposed for use as a polarizer material and/or as at least part of the magnetic recording material of a recording electrode in a magnetic tunnel junction. A more specific example is CoxFeyBz where x and y are each 10-80 and z is 0-50, and may be abbreviated as CoFe or CoFeB. MgO is a suitable material for the non-magnetic tunnel insulator.
Tunnel insulator materials are often crystalline, and are desired to have a body-centered-cubic (bcc) 001 lattice.
Tunnel insulator and polarizer materials may be deposited using any suitable methodology (e.g., physical vapor deposition). One technique usable to ultimately produce the bcc 001 lattice in both tunnel insulator and adjacent polarizer material includes initially forming cobalt-and-iron-containing material of the polarizer to be amorphous and upon which tunnel insulator material (e.g., MgO) is deposited. During and/or after the depositing, the cobalt-and-iron-containing material and the tunnel insulator may each achieve a uniform bcc 001 lattice structure.


A starting button apparatus for a vehicle includes a switch body, an antenna coil, a reciprocation housing, and a rotation housing. The switch body includes a key hole therein, into which a key fob is inserted, and a starting button mounted thereto. The antenna coil is provided to the switch body to allow power to be applied to the key fob inserted into the key hole. The reciprocation housing is secured to an outer surface of the starting button and has a first inclined guide. The rotation housing is fitted around the reciprocation housing and has a second inclined guide which is slidably engaged with the first inclined guide so as to push the starting button when the inserted key fob is rotated.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a starting button apparatus for a vehicle which allows a vehicle to be started using a key fob.
2. Background Art
A PIC (personal identification card) system applied to a vehicle allows opening and closing of a door, starting of a vehicle, etc. to be implemented through communication without using a conventional key.
In the PIC system, communication between the vehicle and a driver is conducted using a key fob. The key fob is provided with a transponder for preventing communication from being disabled in the event of discharge of a battery. A fob holder is installed in the cabin of the vehicle as a separate device to supply power to the transponder when the key fob is fitted therein.
However, since the fob holder is installed in the cabin of the vehicle as a separate device, the aesthetic appearance inside the cabin is likely to be deteriorated, and limitations are imposed on the layout of the vehicle.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.


A magnetic tape drive has a servo head for performing the tracking control and a head unit. The head unit includes a recording head group composed of a plurality of recording heads, which are lined up along the width directions with respect to a magnetic tape. In this head unit, the distance between the recording heads is the same distance as the distance between adjacent data tracks to be formed on the magnetic tape, and the azimuth angle of each recording heads differs with each other. A plurality of data tracks are simultaneously formed on the magnetic tape using a plurality of recording heads, respectively, when performing the recording of data on the magnetic tape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape drive that can provide data tracks along the width directions of the magnetic tape in the high density. Preferably, the present invention relates to a magnetic tape drive, which can provide more data tracks along the width directions of the magnetic tape.
2. Description of Relevant Art
In recent years, a high-density recording technique to be applied to a magnetic tape has been developed rapidly, and thus a magnetic tape whose recording capacity is more than 100 G bytes has been brought to the market. In these conventional magnetic tapes, the width of the data track and the interval between data tracks have been made narrow gradually in order to increase the number of data tracks, when providing data tracks on the magnetic tape.
In the conventional magnetic tape drive that performs the recording and reproducing of data to the above described magnetic tape, a head unit, which has a plurality of data signal recording heads (hereinafter indicated as "recording head") and data signal reproducing heads (hereinafter indicated as "reproducing head"), is installed.
In this head unit, the recording (reproducing) of data on the adjacent data track is performed by the same recording head. Thus, the recording (reproducing) of data is performed by changing the data track in due order. To be more precise, when the recording (reproducing) of data by the recording head (reproducing head) is performed from one end to the other end of the data track, the position in the width direction of the head unit is shifted to just above the adjacent data track. Then, the recording (reproducing) of data by the recording head (reproducing head) is performed from the other end to one end. By repeating this motion of the recording head (reproducing head) for several times, the recording (reproducing) of data on (from) the magnetic tape is achieved.
In the conventional magnetic tape drive, therefore, a tracking servo technique that controls the position in the width directions of the head unit is adopted.
Here, the tracking servo technique is a technique that allows the head unit to track the data track. In other words, this is a technique that allows the head unit to move along the data track with accuracy. In this case, the tracking of the head unit is performed by controlling the position of the head unit along the width directions with respect to the magnetic tape using an actuator, which is operated based on the servo signal obtained by the readout of the servo signal from the magnetic tape. Here, servo signal is a signal previously recorded on the magnetic tape and is obtained using a servo signal readout head.
As examples of the tracking servo technique, a technique disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication H08-227511 and a technique disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication H08-30942 can be cited. In H08-227511, an amplitude servo method, in which servo burst patterns as a servo signal that are lined up in two lines along traveling directions of the magnetic tape are used, is disclosed. In H08-30942, a timing based servo method, in which timing based signals as a servo signal that are recorded on the magnetic tape are used, is disclosed.
In the conventional magnetic tape drive, the recording head is shifted to the next position, from which new data track is provided along the longitudinal directions of the magnetic tape, when the provision of one data track by the recording head is terminated.
In the conventional magnetic tape drive, therefore, a margin having a predetermined width is provided between adjacent data tracks so that the newly provided data track will not contact the data track provided before.
In the conventional magnetic tape drive, additionally, various kinds of efforts that is used for improving the accuracy of the tracking servo technique has been attempted in order to line up data tracks along the width directions of the magnetic tape at a short margin (interval).
As reasons described above, the magnetic tape drive that can provide data tracks along the width directions of the magnetic tape at short interval has been required.


An illumination optical system for use in a microscope or electronic endoscope includes a solid-state lighting element that generates light having a spectral profile with peak intensities at multiple wavelengths such that the light output by said solid-state lighting element is perceived by an observer as being white in color, and a wavelength distribution conversion element having a spectral transmittance profile that includes specified wavelength regions within which the transmittance is nearly constant with increasing wavelength so as to form a step of nearly even intensity, and having specified wavelength regions within which the transmittance changes with increasing wavelength so as to form a transition region. By the combined effect of the solid-state lighting element and the wavelength distribution conversion element, the wavelength distribution of the light generated by the illumination optical system more closely resembles the wavelength distribution of daylight than the light generated by the solid-state lighting element.

Conventionally, an ordinary microscope (meaning one that does not provide stereo viewing optics so that a 3-D image is viewable) as shown in FIG. 8 may be formed of a lamp housing 1 having a light source 2 that generates illumination light; a collector lens 3 that converts light from the light source 2 into a substantially collimated light; a light-balanced daylight filter 9 that causes the spectral content of the light emitted by the light source to more closely resemble that of daylight; a diaphragm 4 that functions as a field stop to restrict the illumination light; a field lens 5 that converts the substantially collimated light emitted from the lamp housing 1 to a collected light flux; an aperture diaphragm 6; and a condenser lens 7 through which the illumination light from the field lens passes to a sample surface 8 that may be composed of an illuminated surface of an object.
In recent years, as a light source used for an illumination optical system, attention has been given to using solid-state lighting elements, such as LEDs and the like. An LED has the advantage of consuming less electrical power and having a longer life span than conventional halogen light sources. In particular, as a light source substitute for conventional halogen light sources, LEDs that emit light that is perceived as being white in color (hereinafter termed white light LEDs) have been developed. For example, Japanese Patent 2002-543453 and Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 2005-148296 each disclose an illumination optical system that uses a white light LED.
In biology/medical treatment applications where pathological specimens (i.e., thin slices) are examined using a microscope provided with an illumination optical system, a determination is made concerning disease based on the color of the observed cell specimen. During such examinations, if the spectral distribution of the illumination light source is changed, even when observing the same specimen using a microscope, the color of the observation object that may be observed either visually, or through a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or the like, may result in erroneous diagnostic results. Owing to this, in an illumination light source used for diagnosis, it is important that there be a rather uniform distribution of spectral components in the illumination light. Thus, even when using a novel light source such as a white light LED, it is desirable to make the spectral components of the illumination light more closely resemble the spectral components in daylight by combining a white light LED light source with a wavelength distribution conversion element so as to thereby provide a distribution of spectral components that is similar to that output by a conventional halogen light source when combined with a light balanced daylight filter (for example, the spectral output shown by the dash line in FIG. 10).
A single lighting element of an LED typically provides light having a narrow spectral distribution centered about a single peak wavelength. Also, a white light LED may be composed of a single LED lighting element that provides a narrow spectral distribution centered about one peak wavelength and a fluorescent element that emits light having wavelengths centered about a longer peak wavelength. The fluorescent element is excited by the light emitted by the LED. White light is observed due to the eye being unable to resolve two separate point light sources located close together, and so the two light outputs are effectively mixed together and appear as a single white light source.
However, in the case of a solid-state lighting element that uses a white light LED, one can see by comparing the curve of FIG. 9 with the solid curve of FIG. 10 that the spectral distribution emitted by such a white light LED (having one peak wavelength near 450 nm and another peak wavelength near 550 nm, as shown in FIG. 9) differs substantially from the spectral distribution of a halogen light source (shown by the solid line in FIG. 10) that is conventionally used as the illumination light source.
Owing to this, an illumination optical system that is equipped with a solid-state lighting element to generate white light (such as disclosed in JP 2002-543453 and in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application 2005-148296) cannot be used in its existent state for the diagnosis of pathological segmentations, and the like, using a microscope that is equipped with a halogen light source, since the diagnostic standards required when using illumination of an observation body with a microscope that employs a halogen light source are different than when using illumination of an observation body with a microscope that employs a solid-state lighting element. For example, if the illumination light source of a microscope were to be switched to a white light LED from a conventional light source, this would require that the microscopic diagnosis must be performed using a different diagnostic standard than previously used. Thus, an increased burden would be placed on individuals who perform diagnoses, owing to the concern about the possibility of an error in the diagnosis occurring due to an inapplicable diagnostic standard being applied for a given light source type.
In industrial applications as well, when mixing an examination performed using a microscope having a conventional halogen light source with an examination performed using a microscope having a white light LED (for example, in the case of using color to detect defect(s) of a magnetic head formed from multiple layers), there are inconveniences that are similar to those found in biological and medical applications.

Illumination optical system that uses a solid-state lighting element which generates white light, and an optical device equipped therewith


An IC card includes a substrate, semiconductor devices mounted on at least one of the major surfaces of the substrate and a casing in which the substrate with the semiconductor devices mounted on it is housed. The casing includes a frame and panels bonded to the frame on the opposite sides of the frame by means of adhesive layers. The semiconductor devices are prevented from being bonded to the panel via the adhesive layers at locations on the adhesive layers facing the semiconductor devices.

A conventional IC card of the above-described type is now described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional IC card 20, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional IC card inserted into an inlet port of an external device, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the IC card of FIG. 1 when it is bent.
On opposing major surfaces of a substrate 13, lands 3a, 3b, . . . 3j are disposed. Each of the lands constitutes a part of the circuit of the IC card 20. Leads 2a, 2b, . . . , 2h of IC's 1a, 1b, . . . , 1h, which may be semiconductor devices for storing or processing information, are connected to the associated lands 3a, 3b, . . . , 3j by means of solder layers 4a, 4b, . . . , 4j. Thus, the IC's 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1h are electrically and mechanically coupled to the respective opposing major surfaces of the substrate 13 by the leads 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i and 2h soldered to the associated lands 3 a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i and 3h by means of the solder layers 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i and 4j. The substrate 13 on which the IC's 1a, 1b, . . . , 1h are mounted is disposed in a frame 5. A connector 6 is disposed at one end of the frame 5 for connecting the IC card 20 to an external device which is described later. The connector 6 is connected to the substrate 13 within the frame 5. A top panel 7 and a bottom panel 8 are bonded with respective adhesive layers 9a and 9b to the peripheral edges of the frame 5 on the opposite sides of the frame 5 to thereby form a casing, in which the substrate 13 with the IC's 1a-1h mounted thereon is housed. The IC's 1a, 1b, . . . 1h are bonded to the panels 7 and 8 with the adhesive layers 9a and 9b, respectively. The IC card 20 is inserted, by a user, into an external device 10 through an inlet port 10a thereof, as shown in FIG. 2, The insertion of the IC card 20 into the external device 10 causes the connector 6 of the IC card 20 to be connected to a connector (not shown) within the external device 10. When necessary processing has been completed, the IC card 20 is pulled out of the external device 10.
If the IC card 20 is roughly handled and receives abnormal force when, for example, it is inserted into or withdrawn from the external device 10, the IC card 20, particularly its rear part opposite to the end where the connector 6 is disposed, is bent in the direction perpendicular to the major surfaces of the card, as shown in FIG. 3. When the IC card 20 is bent in the clockwise direction as in the case shown in FIG. 3, not only the IC card 20 itself is deformed, but also the IC's 1a-1d, which are bonded to the top panel 7 via the adhesive layer 9a, are forced to move rearward due to the bending of the top panel 7. As for the IC's 1e-1h, which are bonded to the bottom panel 8 via the adhesive layer 9b, are forced to move forward toward the connector 6 of the IC card 20 due to the bending of the panel 8. When the IC's 1a-1d on the top surface of the substrate 13 move rearward and the IC's 1e-1h on the opposite surface of the substrate 13 move forward, force is exerted via the leads 2a-2h of the respective IC's to the associated solder layers 4a-4j. Since the amount of displacement of the rearmost IC's 1a and le is largest, the leads 2a and 2e of the IC's 1a and le are deformed more than the other leads. Accordingly, if the IC card 20 is repeatedly bent as it is inserted into the external device 10, the solder layers connected to the leads of the IC's, particularly the solder layers 4a, 4b, 4f and 4g to which the leads 2a and 2e of the IC's 1a and 1b located in the rear portion of the IC card 20 are connected, may be cracked, which may cause disconnection of the leads 2a and 2e from the associated lands 3a, 3b, 3f and 3g, or, sometimes the leads 2a and 2b may snap.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved IC card, in which at least those IC's which are located in the rear portion of the card are not bonded to the adhesive layers so that the IC's may not be forced to move forward or rearward by the bending of the top and bottom panels which occurs when the IC card is bent as shown in FIG. 3, for example, whereby no stress is applied to the leads or the solder layers.

IC card having adhesion-preventing sheets


A satellite communications system having a fallback mode of operation, during which uplink signals are transmitted at a reduced data rate, is provided with a novel fallback mode ingress/egress mechanism utilizing a combination of a feedback-based fade detection scheme and fade detection based on parameters independent of the uplink signal transmission. The fallback mode ingress/egress mechanism is responsive to a satellite beacon signal independent of the uplink signals and to feedback signals produced by the satellite in response to the uplink signals, for requesting a satellite terminal to switch into the fallback mode when either the feedback signals indicate an increase in a fade level or in response to a first value of a selected parameter of the satellite beacon signal. The fallback mode ingress/egress mechanism requests the satellite terminal to switch out of the fallback mode in response to a second value of the satellite beacon signal parameter.

Various atmospheric conditions along the transmission path may affect the strength of a radio signal. In particular, rain fade is one of the most common phenomena to affect satellite signals in a Ka-band satellite communications system. Two of the most common causes of the rain fade are absorption and scattering. When a transmitted radio wave strikes a rain droplet, part of the transmission energy is converted to heat energy and absorbed by the droplet. Moreover, a non-uniform transmission medium due to the raindrops in the atmosphere causes energy to be dispersed from its initial travel direction. These different reactions ultimately have the same effect—they cause any satellite system to lose some of its normal signal level.
To avoid transmission loss due to fade, our copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/875,607 filed on Jun. 6, 2001 and incorporated herewith by reference, suggests using a fallback mode, during which an uplink data rate of a satellite terminal is reduced, for example, from 2 Mbps to 512 Kbps, or from 512 Kbps to 128 Kbps. The maximum fade acceptable for a particular satellite terminal depends on its maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) representing the total effective transmission power. By reducing the uplink data rate of the terminal, the amount of EIRP required to maintain transmission for a given packet loss rate (PLR) is substantially reduced. For example, when the data rate is reduced from 2 Mbps to 512 Kbps, the EIRP required to maintain transmission for a given PLR is reduced by 10 log(2M/512K)=6 dB. Therefore, additional amount of EIRP is available in the fallback mode to prevent transmission loss due to increased fade caused by heavy rains, snow, solar activity or other atmospheric conditions.
The copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/875,607 discloses a feedback-based approach to entering and exiting the fallback mode of operation. This approach utilizes analysis of feedback signals produced by a satellite in response to uplink signals transmitted by a satellite terminal. For each uplink signal transmission, the satellite measures the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR). This information fed back to the satellite terminal serves as an indicator of excessive fade and is utilized for the fallback mode ingress/egress procedure.
However, the feedback signals are available only when the satellite terminal transmits the uplink signals. If fade increases during a period when the satellite terminal does not transmit the uplink signals, it would be desirable to detect excessive fade before the beginning of the transmission. Otherwise, a substantial delay would occur after the beginning of the transmission before excessive signal fade is detected based on feedback signals. Therefore, it would be desirable to combine a feedback-based fade detection scheme with fade detection based on parameters independent of the uplink signal transmission.

Fallback mode ingress/egress mechanism for satellite communication system


A substantially flat and planar dust cover has at least one opening formed through it near at least one edge for receiving a stacking tab on an open-topped container when the dust cover is applied to the container. A narrow strip of material is defined between the opening and an outer edge of the dust cover, and a strip of reinforcing tape is embedded within the edge of the dust cover to reinforce the narrow strip of material and prevent tearing of it or surrounding portions of the dust cover. A tongue shaped friction lock is integrally formed in the opening to capture the stacking tab.

Corrugated paperboard is typically used in many different applications, for example, to form containers, boxes, cartons, or dividers for holding, storing, stacking or shipping various items such as agricultural produce.
Typically, such containers have a bottom panel and four side walls, and are formed from a blank scored with score lines or cut lines. The containers are frequently open-topped containers, with male member stacking tabs extending upward from the top edges of the side walls and complimentary female member cut-out slots in the bottom panel or side wall of the container. During use, the stacking tabs of an open-topped container may be inserted into the slots cut out of an. adjacent container thereby enabling stacking of the containers on top of one another.
Such stacking of adjacent containers is only possible if the pattern of the cut-out slots are configured in the same pattern as the stacking tabs. This is made easier by the fact that such tabs and cut-out slots are, with increasing frequency, configured in a common footprint, such that the pattern and placement of the tabs and slots follow an industry standard.
When shipping or stacking open-topped containers, the top container in a stack, or an individual container not in a stack, is left uncovered. In these circumstance, a dust cover, which is a flat piece of flexible material that is flexible enough to bend but firm enough to create firm frictional connections, such as paperboard, is often placed on top of the open container. The dust cover mimics the bottom panel of an adjacent container, as if it were separated from the container's side walls. It is usually a substantially rectangular corrugated paperboard with several cut out slots configured a common footprint to accept the stacking tabs of an open-topped container.
Problems arise when the cut out slots do not accept the tabs in a firm and secure manner. This creates loose fitting stacks that are prone to toppling, or loose fitting dust covers that are prone to easy and premature removal. As a result, some slots are coupled with friction locks, wherein an extension of the bottom panel or dust cover presses against the tab as it extends through the cut out slot, creating a positive frictional force between the lock and the tab.
However, these friction locks have a short life span. Frequent use and re-use of the locks lowers the ability of the locks to maintain strong frictional contact with the stacking tabs. This diminished capacity often comes in the form of fraying or disfigurement of the lock, which prevents the lock form being able to adequately press against the tab. Further, tab locking mechanisms are inwardly spaced a small margin. from the edge of the bottom panel or dust cover, leaving a small strip of paperboard between the edge and the lock. Much like the locks themselves, the narrow strip of flexible material that lies between the lock and the edge of the bottom panel or dust over often tears or frays and wears out, further loosening the connection.
Further, prior art friction locks can only contact the tabs if the tabs are of sufficient thickness such that they rub against the lock. This creates a problem when the tabs are thin enough so that they extend through the cut out slot without significantly touching the friction lock. In these circumstances the lock's functional capacity is impaired, as there is insufficient friction to hold the tab in place securely. Along similar reasoning, variations in the size of the open-topped container are problematic, as the locks can only accept tabs of an exact formation. Thus, a container that is slightly thinner, for example, by ⅛ of an inch, requires an entirely different dust cover with locks inwardly spaced an additional ⅛ of an inch to achieve proper friction locking.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a friction lock that has sufficient durability to sustain frequent use and can securely hold stacking tabs of various thicknesses and from containers of various widths.