A cylinder lock, especially for motor vehicles, comprising a housing (1) in the inner cylindrical cavity of which there is arranged a cylinder core (2) that is equipped with a key channel (22) and spring-loaded tumblers (20, 20′), wherein, when no appropriate key is fully inserted into the key channel (22), blocking projections (201) of the tumblers (20, 20′) protrude into a blocking groove (13, 13′) formed in a member in which the cylindrical core (2) is supported for turning and, when the appropriate key is fully inserted, the blocking projections (201) of the tumblers (20, 20′) do not extend beyond the periphery of the cylindrical core, wherein the cylinder lock is further provided with means for coupling the cylindrical core (2) with an output member (3) of the cylinder lock when the cylindrical core is being turned by the appropriate key, and for uncoupling of the cylindrical core (2) from the output member (3) of the cylinder lock when the cylinder core is turned by means of a false key or forcibly, the essence of which resides in that the cylindrical inner cavity of the housing (1) is provided with through-turnable annular grooves (11), and that at least one rib (12) which delimits the adjacent through-turnable groove (11) at that axial side that lies opposite to the direction (o) of a disengagement axial displacement of the cylindrical core (2) from the output member (3) is interrupted by at least one blocking groove (13), while blocking groove lateral surfaces (130, 131) diverge in the direction (o) of the disengagement axial displacement of the cylinder core (2) from the output member (3).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cylinder lock, especially for motor vehicles, the cylinder core of which that is provided with a key channel and spring-loaded tumblers is coupled, by means of an axial coupling, with an output member when the cylinder core is turned by means of an appropriate key, and is uncoupled therefrom when the cylinder core is turned by means of an inappropriate key or forcibly by a foreign body. In the course of unauthorized turning of the cylinder core, disengagement of the coupling from the output member of the cylinder lock occurs, so that it is possible to turn the cylinder core of the cylinder lock without any effect on a door lock latch with which the output member of the cylinder lock is mechanically coupled.
2. Description of Related Art
Cylinder locks of this kind, especially for motor vehicles, are already known. The aforementioned coupling or uncoupling of the cylinder core with the output member is accomplished, in most cases, by means of an axial coupling which, in the first end position of its axial translational movement, connects the output member of the cylinder lock with the cylinder core and, in the second end position of its axial translational movement, uncouples the output member of the cylinder lock from the cylinder core.
Cylinder lock constructions of this sort are known, for instance, from the published German applications DE 43 16 223 A1 and DE 196 04 350 A1, in each of which an axially movable cage is turnably supported in a cylindrical internal cavity of the housing, while a cylinder core provided with a key channel and equipped with spring-loaded tumblers is supported in a cylindrical hollow space of the cage. In the event that no appropriate key is fully introduced into the key channel, blocking projections of the tumblers project beyond the outer circumference of the cylinder core and engage in blocking grooves of the cage. Under these circumstances, the cylinder core is connected with the cage for joint turning and, when the cylinder core is being turned, the cage is simultaneously turned with the latter in the housing as well. Because the outer end face of the cage is provided with a detent part provided with a lifting profile that engages a corresponding detent part of the end projection of the housing, there is encountered, during the turning of the cage, a change in its position relative to the housing as a result of the axial movement of the cage. During this axial movement, an axially displaceable coupling, which simultaneously constitutes an output member of the cylinder lock, is shifted out of engagement with the cylinder core, as a result of which the kinematic connection between the cylinder core and the output member is discontinued, and it is possible afterwards to turn the cylinder core without acting on the door lock latch.
A disadvantage of these and similar constructions is that the use of the turnable and axially movable cage either prevents and/or makes considerably more expensive the provision of any additional safety elements between the cylinder core and the housing of the cylinder lock, such as, for instance, any protective measures against the extraction of the cylinder core out of, or its impacting into, the housing.
An annular, axially displaceable coupling is known from the German patent document DE 44 10 783 C1; it is provided at its inner end portion with an entraining recess for coupling with coupling projections provided on the axial extension of the cylinder core, and includes at its outer end portion an arresting projection that is to serve for the engagement with an arresting recess formed in the housing of the cylinder lock. This annular axially displaceable coupling is in permanent turnfast connection with the output member of the cylinder lock, while it engages in the arresting recess in the uncoupled condition from the cylinder core by means of its aforementioned arresting projection, as a result of which the output member of the cylinder lock is arrested in its position. Uncoupling of this annular axially displaceable coupling from the cylinder core is achieved by means of a detent part formed on the end face of the cage that is turnably mounted in the housing of the cylinder lock and is provided with a lifting profile that is entrained by the cylinder core for joint turning therewith in the event of forcible or unauthorized turning of the latter. The aforementioned lifting profile shifts the axially displaceable coupling out of its connection with the cylinder core against the force of a helical spring acting in the opposite direction, and moves the coupling in a turnfast engagement connection with the arresting recess provided in the housing of the cylinder lock.
When it is desired, after an effort to force the cylinder lock open, to open the latter again with the appropriate key, the cylinder core must be turned, jointly with the cage, into an initial position of the cylinder core, in which the relative positions of the detent part and the associated detent counterpart provided at the end face of the cage and at the facing end face of the annular coupling make possible an axial return movement of the coupling with the aid of the aforementioned axial helical spring, as a result of which there is obtained not only uncoupling from the housing but also connection of the coupling with the cylinder core for joint turning therewith.
A disadvantage of this axially displaceable coupling is its complicated and, from the manufacturing standpoint, demanding axial guidance in the housing of the cylinder lock, the need for the utilization of the cage equipped with the detent part for its axial displacement, as well as the use of a less reliable spring element for the axial return displacement of the coupling in engagement with the cylinder core.

Cylinder lock, especially for motor vehicles


In one embodiment, a method includes generating a file list for an aggregation of files based on a file pattern descriptor for each file in the aggregation of files or a file name for each file in the aggregation of files. The method also includes opening a session with a storage system manager and writing data from each file in the file list to a storage tier of a storage system. The method further includes writing metadata and storage location information from each file in the file list to an index file, closing the index file, and closing the session with the storage system manager. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described according to more embodiments.

A virtual tape system is a tape management system such as a special storage device or group of devices and software which manages data such that the data appears to be stored entirely on tape cartridges when portions of the data may actually be located in faster, hard disk storage. Programming for a virtual tape system is sometimes referred to as virtual tape server (VTS), although these terms may be used interchangeably, unless otherwise specifically indicated. A virtual tape system may be used with hierarchical storage management (HSM) system in which data is moved as the data falls through various usage thresholds to slower but less costly forms of storage media. A virtual tape system may also be used as part of a storage area network (SAN) where less-frequently used or archived data can be managed by a single virtual tape server for a number of networked computers.
In prior art virtual tape storage systems, such as International Business Machines (IBM) Magstar Virtual Tape Server, at least one virtual tape server (VTS) is coupled to a tape library comprising numerous tape drives and tape cartridges. The VTS is also coupled to a direct access storage device (DASD), comprised of numerous interconnected hard disk drives.
The DASD functions as a tape volume cache (TVC) of the VTS subsystem.
When using a VTS, the host application writes tape data to virtual drives. The volumes written by the host system are physically stored in the tape volume cache (e.g., a RAID disk buffer) and are called virtual volumes. The storage management software within the VTS copies the virtual volumes in the TVC to the physical cartridges owned by the VTS subsystem. Once a virtual volume is copied or migrated from the TVC to tape, the virtual volume is then called a logical volume. As virtual volumes are copied from the TVC to a Magstar cartridge (tape), they are copied on the cartridge end to end, taking up only the space written by the host application. This arrangement maximizes utilization of a cartridge storage capacity.
The storage management software manages the location of the logical volumes on the physical cartridges, and the customer has no control over the location of the data. When a logical volume is copied from a physical cartridge to the TVC, the process is called recall and the volume becomes a virtual volume again. The host cannot distinguish between physical and virtual volumes, or physical and virtual drives. Thus, the host treats the virtual volumes and virtual drives as actual cartridges and drives and all host interaction with tape data in a VTS subsystem is through virtual volumes and virtual tape drives.
One issue of VTS systems is the management of data within the tapes. The VTS system may have a number of duplicate, invalid, latent or unused copies of data. After a virtual tape volume is created and/or modified (one or more records are written to the volume) and closed, the virtual tape volume is copied onto the physical tape (logical) volume. The image of the virtual volume copied to a physical volume when the virtual volume was closed is a complete version of the virtual volume at the point in time the virtual volume was closed. If a virtual volume is subsequently opened and modified, when the virtual volume is closed, that image of the virtual volume is also copied onto physical tape, however the virtual volume does not overwrite the prior version of the volume since the virtual volume may have a different size than the previous version. So at any point in time, there may be several versions of the same volume serial number that reside on one or more physical tape volumes.
Moreover, physical volumes within a VTS are arranged in groups that are called "pools," with each physical volume including one or more logical volumes. Each of the physical volumes managed by the VTS system is assigned to one of 32 pools, for example. It is understood that each pool of physical volumes is assigned a name and may have one or more parameters associated therewith. For example, typical parameters associated with a pool include, but are not limited to: a media type (e.g. physical volumes having 10 Gbyte tape or 20 Gbyte tape); and a rule(s) for managing volumes in a pool. One rule may involve the concept of "reclamation" whereby the VTS monitors what percentage of data associated in a particular physical volume is still valid. That is, over time, data space occupied by a logical volume needs to be reclaimed from a physical volume when the data is no longer used or needed by the host, i.e., has expired. Thus, if any volume(s) in the pool falls below a reclaim percent threshold, then a reclamation process will be performed to take the valid logical volume(s) off the physical volume and put the valid logical volume on another physical volume—potentially combining multiple partially full physical volumes and filling up the other.
If a virtual volume is removed from the physical volume and put on to another physical volume, the data on the first physical volume is deleted but has not been overwritten, and thus, the data may be recovered. Further, data associated with the most current version of a virtual volume may be expired or considered latent or unusable by the customer, but the virtual volume still will exist on the physical tape volume and could be accessed.
Hierarchical storage, with active files on a first tier of media (such as hard disk, optical disk, nonvolatile memory, etc.) and archived files on a second tier of media (such as magnetic tape, digital tape, hard disk, etc.) is popular with users for its cost savings, energy savings, etc. A common scheme is to use hard disk media for the first tier and magnetic tape media for the second tier. However, traditional HSM systems suffer from several drawbacks which limit their adoption.
A standard approach for HSM is to migrate files to the second tier and leave a stub file on the first tier. An access to the stub file causes the original file to be recalled from the second tier to the first tier. This approach is user friendly, as users are isolated from the details and complexity of the second tier storage. The stub file appears as a normal file on the first tier and supports some or all standard file operations. This implementation works for small scale solutions, but also has several drawbacks. These drawbacks include, but are not limited to: (1) each migrated file is represented by a stub file, which results in managing millions or billions of stub files, which is not practical from a space and time of access perspective; (2) as individual files are migrated, bottlenecks may develop from the number of transactions required to move or track the individual files; (3) centralized storage of the indexes which manage the stubs and original files may limit the size of the solution, since a central repository including a billion items may not be practical to implement; (4) users or the user's applications may not be aware that the files are on the second tier and may attempt to invoke access patterns which result in unexpected and/or unacceptable response times; and (5) the central repository represents a single point of failure that may cause the entire implementation to fail.
In an alternative approach, users and/or user's applications may move files to and from the second tier via dedicated interfaces. This implementation minimizes the risk of inadvertent second tier overloads, but also has drawbacks, including: (1) it puts a burden on users to conform to applications and/or application programming interfaces (APIs) specific to the dedicated interface, and for users who prefer a simple copy-based interface, this can preclude the use of a dedicated interface and a second tier as a solution; (2) files are still handled and tracked individually, though their data can be aggregated; (3) a central repository is still used, and the size of the central repository may still limit scalability; and (4) there is still a central point of failure (e.g., the central repository).
Therefore, a storage solution which mitigates or eliminates the drawbacks and problems associated with conventional implementations while providing a tiered storage solution which results in cost and energy savings would be beneficial.

Scalable and user friendly file virtualization for hierarchical storage

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An apparatus for efficient heating liquids or gases comprising of a transformer having a primary and secondary winding wherein the secondary winding forms a shorted heating element having a resistance in the range of 1.6730 μΩ·cm to 185 μΩ·cm, permitting liquid or gas to pass therethrough, whereby the liquid or gas is heated and heat transfer may be optionally facilitated through use of disc filters disposed within said heating element promoting turbulent flow which aids in mixing and more efficient thermal transfer. In an alternative embodiment, the heating element is not the secondary winding but another portion of the circuit on the alienation side of the transformer. The heating element may be comprised of a variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. In an alternative embodiment, the alienation side of the transformer may have a reverse winding which cancels reactive currents generated in the secondary winding.

There is always a need for heated liquids and gases. Lack of efficiency in converting electric energy into usable thermal energy has been problematic. Electric heaters ultimately rely on fossil fuels to produce electricity, thus consumption of fossil fuels produces CO2 that contributes to global warming. Therefore, when using electricity to produce heat, it is important to use that electricity sparingly and efficiently to minimize damage to the global environment.
The heating efficiency of many prior art devices varies considerably: between 40%-60% for nichrome wire heaters, and 60%-80% for induction heaters generally. These differences are attributable to: the nature of the heated substance (liquid, gas, or a mixture thereof), dynamic properties of the substance (stationary or moving liquid or gas), contacting surface shape and area, and the shape and location of any insulation. When heating liquids and gases, it is most advantageous to utilize a heating element that addresses some aspects of fluid dynamics (e.g. laminar flow, turbulent flow, fluid adhesiveness, cohesiveness, viscosity (and inviscid flow), friction and pressure loss, steady and unsteady flow, fluid velocity, and other fluid attributes) and the physical properties of the substances to be heated (melting point, boiling point, enthalpy, inductivity, properties of thermal expansion, and other physical properties). Heat transmission to liquids and gases is determined by the flow of fluid, fluid surface area, stirring phenomena (involving mixing of heated with relatively cooler liquid or gas), current speed of fluid, current volume, and mixing phenomenon. Further, as a liquid approaches its boiling point, the temperature difference between liquid and gas must be greater than 10° C. owing to gas generating phenomena, as gas produced at the heating surface forms a parting line which interferes with heating liquid not presently in contact with the heating element. Therefore, at a relatively proximal portion of the boiling point, it is especially necessary to foster stirring and mixture for the purpose of preventing degradation of heating efficiency.
Induction heaters require a relatively large heating area and use a plurality of coils and several converters to improve heating efficiency, as the heating area has limitations in relation to reactance value. Other problems exist with typical nichrome wire resistance-based heating elements including limitations on durability, the need for maintenance, the need to provide a protective covering, and nichrome wire degradation. Additionally, utilization of high output power results in increasing probability of a broken wire when using a plural heater. Moreover, to prevent unhelpful radiation of heat, it is necessary to consider insulation, which increases manufacturing costs, contributes to structural complexity, adds to running costs, and decreases heating efficiency. Furthermore, when heating liquids and gases, limitations in the available heat transfer area result in a decrease in heating efficiency. No known prior art transformer-based heating apparatus improves heating efficiency using heating methods disclosed herein.


An article for holding currency and credit cards is disclosed which comprises (a) a first length of substantially non-stretchable material having a first end and a second end configured to form a closed flat loop when the first end is retained on or near the second end, a lumen in the first length, a flat length of bendable metal within the lumen in the first length which allows the closed flat loop to retain a desired shape, the closed flat loop having a length which is slightly longer than half the length of U.S. currency; (b) a second length of substantially non-stretchable material having a middle, a first end, a second end, and a lumen, the first end and the second end secured to the first length of substantially non-stretchable material, thereby forming a second flat loop slightly wider than the width of U.S. currency, the middle secured to a point on the first length (a) to maintain the first flat loop perpendicular to the second flat loop, the lumen in the second length containing a flat strip of bendable metal.

This invention relates to wallets, more particularly to wallets for holding, handling, and securing currency, credit cards, business cards, and the like.
Wallets in various sizes, shapes, and designs have been used in the past and are currently being used, each having its advantages and disadvantages, and are purchased by individuals based on their own personal preferences in terms of size, shape, weight, durability, functionality, utility, quality, image, brand name, price, and design appearance. Some people prefer a money clip rather than a large leather wallet because they do wish to carry a bulky article in their pocket. However, money clips have some disadvantages, for example they are not usually designed to carry credit cards and business cards in addition to currency.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,375 to Johnson disclosed a pocket-sized wallet comprising a first loop comprising elastic material attached to a second loop comprising elastic material at two opposing points on the loop to form a volume bounded by the first loop and the second loop to form a harness for carrying cards and/or folded currency in which a first pair of opposed edges of the cards and/or folded paper is contacted by the first loop and a second pair of opposed edges of the cards and/or folded currency is contacted by the second loop, and a key ring attached to one of the loops.
Others have proposed various alternative designs, but none has disclosed a wallet which is not only easy to carry but securing fits comfortably in a pocket and is very easy and efficient to use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wallet which is extremely easy to carry, holds contents securely, fits comfortably in a pocket, and is very easy and efficient to use.

Article for holding currency and credit cards


Methods for making foamed elastomer gels are disclosed. Chemical foaming agents may be incorporated or gas may be injected into a molten gel and then using heating and cooling techniques and/or additives, gas bubbles are formed and preserved in the cooled and solidified elastomer gel.

Elastomer gel materials, such as those made from KRATON® or SEPTON® A-B-A triblock copolymer elastomer-extended with mineral or other oils, are well known. Those gel materials can be foamed, such as by use of chemical foaming agents. Such foaming is disclosed in some of the cases to which priority is claimed above. Those gel materials may also be foamed by injecting a gas, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen, under high pressure so that the elastomer gel dissolves. When pressure on the gel is reduced, gas bubbles from the injected gas form and remain in it, leaving an elastomer gel that is instantly foamed.
Foam created using elastomer gels has excellent qualities including but not limited to feel and durability. In addition, such foams can be recycled more readily than ordinary thermoset polyurethane foams because the elastomer foams are thermoplastic in nature. One problem that may be encountered in making elastomer foam in commercially-viable thicknesses is that the low viscosity of the melted elastomer gel allows the bubbles, which create the cells in the finished foam, to coalesce or to migrate out of the melt before the melt can be sufficiently solidified by cooling. Elastomer foams without additives can readily be made in very thin layers, up to about 4 millimeters thick, because the melt can be cooled before the bubble distribution is lost. Commercial applications for 4 millimeter or less thick foam are limited, and many more applications exist for thicker foams.


A superior lithium secondary battery having high total discharge capacity, high effective discharge capacity, high total discharge efficiency, and high effective discharge rate can be obtained by using, as a carbon electrode for a lithium secondary battery, a carbon for a lithium secondary battery obtained by successively conducting a halogenation treatment, a dehalogenation treatment, and a pore adjustment treatment on a dry-distilled charcoal, or by successively conducting a crushing treatment, a molding treatment, and a carbonization treatment on a dry-distilled charcoal.

As the starting material for a carbon for an electrode, carbonized plant and animal material such as lignite, brown coal, anthracite coal, coke, wood charcoal, coconut shell char; any kind of resin such as phenol resin, furan resin, vinylidene chloride copolymer, etc., which have been heated (dry-distilled) in an inert gas, and the like may be used.
Because carbonaceous materials are chemically inactive, they are used in a wide range of applications such as adsorption agents, catalysts, electrode materials, structural materials for use in machines, etc.; however, these applications are closely related to the structure of the carbon.
That carbon which is referred to as porous carbon has special effects due to the development of pores. For example, using the adsorption phenomena, there are mixture separation and refining actions. In addition, the carbon used in electrical double layer capacitors, the carbon used in lithium secondary batteries, and the like display electrochemical storage effects.
The structure of the carbonaceous material can take various forms depending on the starting material and the manufacturing method. Char and activated carbon obtained by activating char comprise microcrystalline carbon (crystallite), and carbon which takes on a chain structure. When the carbonaceous material is a nongraphitizing carbon, the crystallites take on a structure which is layered in a disorderly manner, and a wide range of pores, from micropores to macropores, are formed in the gaps between these crystallites.
The crystallites are layers of net planes of six membered carbon rings of several parallel layers, and graphite carbon which has a six membered carbon ring structure bonds using hybridized orbitals SP.sup.2. A net plane comprising six membered ring carbon is called a basal plane.
A graphitizing carbon develops crystallites by means of heating at a high temperature, and finally becomes graphite.
A nongraphitizing carbon and a graphitizing carbon which has not been completely graphitized usually contain unorganized carbon. Unorganized carbon refers to carbon other than graphite carbon which is chemically bonded to graphite carbon only; carbon which has a chain structure; carbon which is stuck around six membered ring carbon; carbon which is in the periphery (the prism plane) of six membered ring carbon; carbon which is held in cross-linked structures with other six membered carbon rings (crystallites), and the like. Unorganized carbon is bonded with oxygen atoms, hydrogen atoms, and the like in forms such as C--H, C--OH, C--OOH, and C.dbd.O; or is in the form of double bonded carbon (--C=C--).
Lithium secondary batteries which use porous carbonaceous material in the negative electrode are charged by means of the uptake (doping) of lithium ions by the carbonaceous material of the negative electrode and are discharged by the release (un-doping) of lithium ions. In this lithium secondary battery, the charging capacity is determined by the amount of lithium ions with which the carbonaceous material is doped and the discharging capacity is determined by the un-doping amount. The efficiency of the electrical charging and discharging is defined as the ratio of the charging capacity to the discharging capacity.
When using graphite as the above-mentioned carbonaceous material, the lithium ions are taken in between the layers of the net planes of the carbon. In this case, the opinion is that the theoretical maximum for the doping quantity is when there is one lithium ion for every six carbon atoms. However, there are reports that, when non-graphitizing carbonaceous material is used, charging capacities which exceed the above-mentioned theoretical maximum amount can be obtained.
To the present, various proposals have been made for manufacturing methods for electrode carbon for lithium secondary batteries. For example, those recited in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 2-66856; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 6-187972; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Sho 61-218060; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 5-335017; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 2-230660; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 5-89879; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 5-182668; Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 3-245473; and Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 5-144440.
Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 2-66856 discloses that a carbon in which the distance d.sub.002 of the crystals is 3.80 .ANG. and for which the density is 1.55 g/cm.sup.3 can be obtained by carbonizing furfuryl alcohol resin at 500.degree. C., and then heat-treating it at 1100.degree. C., and that it is possible to dope the spaces between the carbon net planes with a large amount of lithium ions.
Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Hei 6-187972 obtains a carbonaceous material by reacting a condensed polynuclear aromatic compound and a cross linking agent such as paraxyleneglycol, and baking the generated resin at a temperature of 1000.degree. C. or greater. The aromatic component forms a crystallized graphite structure and the cross-linking agent forms a non-crystallized domain, and this is suitable as a carbonaceous material for a lithium secondary battery.
Japanese Patent Application, First Publication, No. Sho 61-218060 discloses that a substance obtained by heat-treating an aromatic condensed resin, such as polyacene, and which has a H/C atomic ratio of 0.5.about.0.05, a BET specific surface area of 600 m.sup.2 /g or greater, and communicating pores having an average pore size of 10 .mu.m is suitable. It discloses that it is possible to manufacture a carbon having the above-mentioned characteristics by means of adjusting an aqueous solution of an initial polymer and an inorganic salt such as zinc chloride, and then heat-treating this at a temperature of 350.about.800.degree. C. which causes a three dimensional network structure to develop.
(Problem to be Solved By the Present Invention)
Lithium secondary batteries are used as power sources for portable telephones, small size personal computers and the like, however, when used for these applications, the total discharge capacity, total discharge efficiency, effective discharge capacity, and effective discharge ratio (these are called discharging characteristics) are insufficient, and improvements in these are desired.
Lithium secondary batteries, in general, have the problems of irreversible charging and discharging due to which the whole of the charging capacity cannot be discharged, and that the total discharge capacity and effective discharge capacity are low.
In addition, in a secondary battery which is used at a certain fixed voltage, large effective discharge capacity which can maintain that voltage, and large effective discharge ratio are sought, and conventional lithium secondary batteries do not have satisfactory discharging characteristics.
The present invention learning from the above circumstances, aims to provide a carbon for a lithium secondary battery which can be used in the manufacture of lithium secondary batteries which have excellent discharging characteristics by using this carbon in the electrode material of chargeable lithium secondary batteries, a manufacturing method therefor, and a lithium secondary battery.

Carbon for a lithium secondary battery, lithium secondary battery, and manufacturing methods therefor


In clusters of multiprocessor systems it is important that these processor nodes are aware of each others availability and performance capabilities. In highly available systems using these multiprocessor systems there needs to be a method to dynamically bring nodes both into the cluster and to remove nodes out of the cluster. The processor node that is responsible for these actions is designated the manager node (50). The manager node has a pre-selected backup to assume this responsibility upon the inability of said manager node to fulfill its duties. To allow the cluster of nodes to communicate with each other efficiently there needs to be a distributed messaging system that allows for the rapid distribution of data messages among the cluster nodes.

A cluster is a cooperating, named set of networked nodes. Nodes can be servers or any other device that has the power to process data. Each node on this network is given a unique network address. Two or more of the nodes in this cluster have the capability of managing the other nodes in the cluster using the software enabled cluster management system (CMS), the basis of which is incorporated in the following present invention. The present invention provides the framework that allows a processing system to tolerate errors and component failures and still maintain a high level of availability to those other systems relying on the before mentioned processing system. The component errors and failures can occur either in the processing system hardware or in its software. In traditional fault tolerant systems there are usually redundant CPUs that are run in tandem with each other, mirroring each other's clocks and instructions. This limits the processing power of those CPUs since there are effectively duplicating the same work. However, in systems utilizing a cluster management system as herein described, the nodes are more loosely coupled and may be performing their own separate tasks until called upon to take over the duties of another node that may be experiencing difficulties. The advantage over the traditional fault tolerant systems is that the present invention gets more work done per processing resource. To achieve this goal it's necessary that there be a great deal of cooperation and coordination between the nodes given this responsibility. In other words the nodes, organized into a cluster, need to designate one node in the cluster as the manager of the cluster. In the preferred embodiment all the capable nodes in a given cluster are given this ability to manage other nodes. Nodes within the cluster are able to serve as substitutes for each other in the face of failure. Note that these nodes generally should not share a system resource that could bring the sharing nodes down if the said shared resource failed. The cluster management system (CMS) of this disclosure enables software developers to build applications that can duplicate key application data; this data may then be shared among the nodes in the cluster, thereby allowing the application to still run regardless of any particular node that is taken off the network. This duplicated data allows an application on node B to rapidly take over the functions of a failed application on Node A with minimum time delay and functionality impact.

System and method for managing clusters containing multiple nodes


A polycarbonate blend of good impact and flexural strength, good weldline properties, and good solvent resistance prepared by admixing with polycarbonate an aromatic polyester, an olefinic epoxide-containing modifier, and a thermoplastic elastomer. Optionally, a graft copolymer of the core-shell type and a rubber-modified styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer may be used as an additional impact modifiers.

Polycarbonate has found many uses because, in general, it combines a high level of heat resistance and dimensional stability with good insulating and non-corrosive properties, and it is easily molded. It does, however, suffer from a tendency to craze and crack under the effects of environmental stress, especially contact with organic solvents such as gasoline. Polycarbonate which has crazed is, undesirably, more likely to experience brittle rather than ductile failure. This disadvantage has been somewhat relieved by the practice of blending polycarbonate with substances such as various olefin polymers. These added substances are capable of improving the resistance of polycarbonate to solvents, but they tend to delaminate and cause an offsetting reduction in the toughness, impact resistance and weldline strength of the blended high gloss polycarbonate composition. It would accordingly be desirable if substances admixed with polycarbonate for the purpose of improving its resistance to organic solvents and other environmental stresses did not also deleteriously affect its toughness and impact and weldline strength, and cause delamination as evidenced by peeling or splintering.
In Chung, U.S. Pat. No. 4,554, 315, a system to promote the level of mechanical properties of polycarbonate is described wherein polycarbonate is blended with a polyester, an epoxide-containing modifier (preferably containing styrene and methyl methacrylate), and 5-30 percent of a core-shell, impact modifiying graft polymer. However, no recognition exists therein of the possibility of strengthening polycarbonate while maintaining a useful level of solvent resistance by employing a graft polymer in the system at levels below 5 percent, or by employing none at all, or by employing in place of the graft polymer a thermoplastic elastomer or a rubber-modified sytrene/acrylonitrile copolymer.
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-184,051 (1987), compositions are described containing polyester, polycarbonate, a butadiene-based graft copolymer, an ethylenic copolymer and an epoxy-containing modifier. All five of these components are said to be necessary to achieve an acceptable level of impact strength and aesthetics in a molded part. However, no recognition exists therein of the possibility of improving the impact strength of a molded part even further by omitting the ethylenic copolymer from such a composition and by, optionally, also omitting the butadiene-based graft copolymer therefrom, in favor of a thermoplastic elastomer.

Polycarbonate/aromatic polyester blends containing an olefinic modifier


Fault tolerance is incorporated within the integral electric heaters of a reworkable electronic semiconductor component, such as a reworkable multi-chip module, to increase production yield and longevity of the rework feature. Components of the foregoing kind contain a multi-layer substrate to bond to a printed wiring board, and, for rework, the component includes a plurality of electric heaters arranged side by side on a bottom layer of the substrate. When energized with current, the heaters generate sufficient heat to weaken the adhesive or solder bond to the printed wiring board without delaminating the layers of the substrate, allowing the electronic semiconductor component to be pulled away from the printed wiring board for rework. Additional circuitry is included to automatically route heater current around, that is bypass, any current-interrupting break(s) as may form in any of the electric heaters giving the heaters a fault tolerance.

This invention relates to reworkable electronic semiconductor components, including multi-chip modules (xe2x80x9cMCMsxe2x80x9d), that incorporate electrical heaters integrally within the component structure to produce the heat necessary to soften or weaken the bond of the component to the printed wiring board to which the component is attach, allowing removal of the component from a printed wiring board for rework. More particularly, the invention relates to a new heater structure for the electronic semiconductor component that is fault tolerant to current-interrupting breaks as may be formed or produced in any of the heaters. The invention is applicable to substrate-to-printed wiring board attachments that employ adhesive bonds, such as found in the thermoset adhesive lead type components, or that employ reflow solder bonds, such as found in ball grid array lead-less type components.
The present invention improves upon the invention of Berkely et al presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,729, granted Feb. 29, 2000 entitled xe2x80x9cIntegral Heater for Reworking MCMS and Other Semiconductor Componentsxe2x80x9d (hereafter the xe2x80x9cBerkely et al ""729 patentxe2x80x9d) assigned to TRW Inc., the assignee of the present invention. In a broader aspect, the invention improves upon electrical heater systems as may be applied in other ways than presented in the foregoing patent by incorporating circuits that provide fault tolerance to current-interrupting breaks in the electric heaters of an electric heater system for an electronic component that avoids disruption of heating.
A principal application of the present invention is with reworkable Multi-Chip Modules, such as described in the cited Berkley et al ""729 patent. Multi-Chip Modules (xe2x80x9cMCMsxe2x80x9d) perform a variety of electronic functions, and are finding increasing use in sophisticated electronic applications, particularly airborne and space-borne application. By definition, an MCM contains two or more semiconductor die or chips, as variously termed, and ancillary electrical components, assembled in a single enclosed package, that together comprise an electronic circuit function. The semiconductor chips contain the micro-miniature integrated circuits, such as processors, amplifiers, memory, and the like.
In one type of MCM structure, the semiconductor chips and components are supported on a common base, consisting of an integral multi-layer printed wiring structure, referred to as the substrate. Often that substrate is formed of ceramic, an electrical insulator that is rigid, allows for plated-on conductors of the finest widths and spacing with the greatest accuracy and is able to maintain a hermetic seal. Metallic conductors printed on various layers of the substrate, and metallic vias through the layers, serve to electrically connect the semiconductor chips to each other and to the external interfaces of the MCMs.
The foregoing elements are contained together in a single enclosed four-sided package, often hermetically sealed, that serves as a protective housing for the semiconductor chips and associated components. The ceramic substrate, being hermetic, serves as the bottom wall to the module. A metal wall, or seal ring, is brazed to the substrate around the perimeter, encompassing the components and a lid welded to the top surface of this seal ring hermetically seals the components inside. A number of electrical contacts or leads extend out the four sides of the MCM to provide external electrical input-output connections to the MCM.
In practice MCMs are generally installed upon a printed wiring board, much larger in area than an MCM, that contains the electrical interconnections between the MCMs and other components thereon. The larger wiring board is typically constructed of a material such as glass-epoxy or glass-polyimide, a less expensive and lower quality material than the ceramic of the substrate. For airborne and space applications, MCMs are typically bonded to the printed wiring boards. Bonding enhances thermal conductivity to the MCM, and isolates mechanical loads from the input-output connections of the MCM, which promotes longer product life. A variety of adhesives, such as thermosetting epoxies or thermoplastics, and solder are available to provide the bonding.
To bond the MCM in place, as example, a layer of thermally sensitive adhesive is applied to either the underside surface of the MCM, or directly to the surface of the printed wiring board at the location to which that component is to be placed. With the MCMs and all other components for that circuit board properly positioned, the board is then placed in an oven and the temperature raised to cure or reflow the adhesive, attaching the MCMs and other components in place. When removed from the oven and cooled down to room temperature the MCMs are firmly attached to the printed wiring board.
Solder is another known thermally sensitive adhesive material used to fasten parts together. A second known technique for fastening the MCM to the circuit board is the solder ball grid array. Instead of incorporating electrical leads extending from the side of the MCM package and using a separate adhesive for fastening the MCM to the circuit board, as in the foregoing structure, the electrical leads are instead formed by electrical vias extending through the multiple layers of substrate to the underside surface of the MCM package. At the underside the terminal end of those vias typically appear by design arranged in regular rows and columns. Minute solder balls or solder columns, different geometry""s for the dab of solder collectively referred to herein as solder balls, are formed at the terminal ends of those vias on the underside of the substrate.
In assembly, the MCM package is placed upon the printed wiring board, the latter of which contains solder pads that mate with the solder balls on the MCM package and the temperature is raised above the solder eutectic at which the solder reflows. When cooled, the solder solidifies and provides a firm mechanical connection that fastens the MCM package to the printed wiring board as well as completing the electrical connections to printed circuitry on that wiring board. The foregoing connection apparatus and technique is well known.
If failed components were detected during subsequent electrical testing of the assembled board, the failed components needed to be removed from the printed wiring board for repair or replacement. The problem in reworking MCM""s, whether fastened to the circuit board by regular adhesives or with a solder ball grid array, is recognized as endemic to other large size electronic semiconductor components as well, even those that contain only a single physically large semiconductor chip. As those skilled in the art recognize, the more modern semiconductor chips are growing in physical size as more and more circuit functions are expected to be packed within a single die even in commercial devices, such as cellular telephones. As a consequence large numbers of very fine closely spaced wires are required to interface to the semiconductor die. Because the wires must all extend into the die they are necessarily physically small in width and must be packed closely together, typically one mil in diameter separated by a two mil space. However, conventional printed circuit board technology typically provides semiconductor die interface connections with no less than a four mil separation.
To resolve the apparent physical incompatibility in spacing requirements, the approach taken has been to mount the semiconductor chip onto an intermediate xe2x80x9cinterposerxe2x80x9d substrate, which is often formed of ceramic material. The printed wiring formed on the substrate fans out from the microscopic spacing at the location of the semiconductor die or chip to the wider spacing and wider wiring required by the conventional printed circuit board.
That electronic semiconductor assembly is then mounted onto the printed circuit board. The electrical leads from the assembly substrate are soldered to the mating solder pads on the printed circuit board, or, should the substrate instead employ a solder ball grid array, the solder balls are soldered to the mating solder pads formed on the printed circuit board. As in the case of the earlier described MCMs, in the foregoing arrangement, viewed in a generic sense, one multi-layer printed circuit board is mounted atop another printed circuit board. The dimension critical wire bonding of the electrical leads to the chips, thus, is accomplished on the ceramic substrate. Interconnect to the printed circuit board is accomplished by soldering the electrical leads from the substrate to mating pads on the conventional circuit board. With such an interposer or intermediate substrate, in retrospect, one recognizes the parallel between the foregoing structure and that of the MCM, earlier described.
Heat was employed to assemble each of the foregoing electronic components; and heat is the means that was typically used to remove an MCM or other thermally bonded unit from the printed wiring board. The difficulty and problems encountered in removing MCM""s from the printed wiring board for rework, particularly in large size MCM""s, those over 1.5 inch in a dimension, using traditional techniques, such as application of a heat gun, is described at some length in the Berkley ""792 patent to which the interested reader may make reference and need not be here repeated.
The Berkely et al ""729 patent describes a new structure by means of which heat may be uniformly applied to the underside of the substrate sufficient to permit detachment of the MCM from the printed wiring board without damage. The reworkable MCM presented in the Berkely et al ""729 patent includes electric heater elements formed in a metallized pattern typically printed on the bottom most internal layer of the multi-layer substrate of the MCM; in effect to form an integral heater assembly. In addition to the multiple layers of the substrate that contains the printed-on metal interconnections for the semiconductors and input-output connections of the MCM, a dedicated bottom layer to the multi-layer substrate contains a number of printed and fired-on resistive conductors, suitably arranged in a pattern, such as a serpentine pattern, each of which serves as a heater. When current is passed through the heater, the resulting I2R losses in the conductor of the heater is evoked as heat. Together, the multiple heaters effectively covers the surface of the bottom layer with heat; and the heat is conducted to the adhesive bond to the printed wiring board. By design, the heat produced is sufficient to weaken the bond between the substrate of the MCM and the printed wiring board, but is insufficient to cause delamination of the multiple layers of the substrate.
The Berkely et al ""729 patent also discloses a preferred embodiment in which the electrical conductors and supporting layer that forms the heater (or heaters) are formed of the same conductor and substrate materials used in the other layers of the multi-layer substrate, such as aluminum oxide and tungsten, respectively, permitting convenient manufacture of the heater as part of a conventional substrate fabrication process.
By incorporating within the structure of the electronic semiconductor components a heater that facilitates removal of that component from its installed adhesive-bonded position on a printed wiring board in the event of a semiconductor component failure, individual electronic semiconductor components may be expeditiously and efficiently removed and replaced. Any necessity for discarding the entire printed wiring board, along with other good electronic components, is avoided, eliminating the expensive procedure of building the entire circuit board assembly anew.
The individual heaters in the MCM described in the Berkely et al ""729 patent are connected electrically in parallel between elongate conductors along a pair of opposed sides of the substrate, as example, along the front and rear sides of the substrate; and each heater is formed of a fine line of metal. In one embodiment, each heater forms a serpentine-like pattern in between the two sides. A large number of such heaters cover the area of the substrate, thirteen in one example of the ""792 patent. As one realizes, if the heater wire of an individual heater in the foregoing structure is broken, that heater cannot conduct electrical current. Since the heat produced by the heater wire is produced by the I2R loss, being unable to conduct current, no heat can be produced; and that produces a heating discontinuity in the substrate that could wholly or partially negate the advantage of the embodiment of the Berkely et al ""729 patent.
A current-interrupting break could be produced during fabrication processing of the substrate layers, as example, should a piece of dust lodge on the substrate during plating. A second possibility for creating a break is due to mishandling during assembly of the MCM. As example, should an assembler inadvertently scratch the substrate on another solid and scrape or cut through a heater line. A third possibility occurs during rework of the MCM, should the technician raise the voltage applied to the heaters to a level that results in too high a current through a heater lead, one or more of the heaters may overheat and, like a fuse, burn out, producing a break in the line. Unless the break is large enough to visually observe, it can only be found by testing. For consistency it would be necessary to electrically test each substrate produced, and that testing procedure takes time and effectively raises the production costs. Irrespective of the underlying reason for a current-interrupting break in a heater, the availability of some means to automatically xe2x80x9cpatch upxe2x80x9d the break or effectively minimize the effect of a break in a heater as would give the MCM a fault tolerant characteristic, and would be of benefit to and improve upon the foregoing combination.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a reworkable MCM or other electronic semiconductor component that employs an integral heating system for permitting detachment of the component from a printed wiring board with a heater system that is fault tolerant.
And another object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity for testing of the integrity of heaters contained in a reworkable electronic component so as to reduce production cost without detracting from the effectiveness of the heaters, even though one or more of the heaters contains a break.
In accordance with the foregoing objects, the invention incorporates fault tolerance within the integral electric heaters of a reworkable electronic semiconductor component, such as a reworkable multi-chip module, to increase production yield and longevity of the rework feature. Components of the foregoing kind contain a multi-layer substrate to bond to a printed wiring board, and, for rework, the component includes a plurality of electric heaters arranged side by side on a bottom layer of the substrate. When energized with current, the heaters generate sufficient heat to weaken the adhesive or solder bond to the printed wiring board without delaminating the layers of the substrate, allowing the electronic semiconductor component to be pulled away from the printed wiring board for rework. Additional circuitry, specifically a series of buses, is included to automatically route heater current around, that is, bypass any current-interrupting break (or breaks) as may form in any of the electric heaters rendering the heaters tolerant to that kind of fault.
The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention together with the structure characteristic thereof, which was only briefly summarized in the foregoing passages, will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which follows in this specification, taken together with the illustrations thereof presented in the accompanying drawings.

Equipotential fault tolerant integrated circuit heater


A needle attachment for a surgical sewing instrument has a proximal-side connector for connecting to a sewing instrument. The needle attachment has a hollow shaft-like body which has a curved hollow needle on the distal side. A thread can be guided through the needle attachment. The cross-section of the curved hollow needle is oval.

The invention relates to a needle attachment for a surgical sewing instrument with a proximal-side connector for connecting to a sewing instrument, with a hollow shaft-like body, which has a curved hollow needle on the distal side, whereby a thread or a thread bundle can be guided through the needle attachment.
The invention further relates to a surgical sewing instrument having attached such a needle attachment.
Such a needle attachment and such a surgical sewing instrument to be connected with the needle attachment is known from the catalog "Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, Spinal Surgery", 2nd edition January 2005, page 106 (Bulletin ART-SHF 14A) by Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany. This surgical sewing instrument has an approximately rod-like body, through which a surgical thread is guided from proximal to distal to a distal suture attachment. A recess, along which a section of the thread is guided exposed, is left open in the body of the sewing instrument.
This surgical sewing instrument can be connected to various needle attachments, distinguished in particular by variously bent and formed curved hollow needles.
For this the needle attachment has a hollow shaft-like body which proximally has a connector for connecting to the surgical sewing instrument. The surgical thread or the thread bundle guided in through the body of the surgical sewing instrument is also guided in through a needle attachment and exits at a tip of the curved hollow needle. In the case of surgical threads which are designed as relatively stiff, but yet flexible bodies it is no problem to push the thread through the curved or sometimes even volute hollow needle until it exits at the distal end in the region of the tip of the hollow needle. The thread must however exhibit a certain stiffness in a longitudinal direction so that it can be pushed through the relatively long stretch of the needle attachment, approximately 150 mm. For this, it was established to equip the lumen of the hollow needle with a circular cross-section, which corresponds approximately to the cross-section of the thread.
In a further development of the sewing technology with sewing materials in particular which are inclined to splice, the distal end of the thread or thread bundle was provided with a relatively stiff end section, for example by a sleeve being pressed onto this end or the end region being stuck. With many sewing techniques the thread should not comprise monofilament, rather multifilament, where the ends of the multifilaments must be connected or stuck together by such a stiff sleeve for handling purposes.
With curved needles, in particular in highly curved needles, it is now no longer possible to push the stiff end sections, where required measuring several centimetres, through a hollow body, whereof the lumen corresponds approximately to the outer diameter. The stiffened end section would become jammed in such a curve or become wedged and could no longer be distally pushed.
Relatively large-lumen hollow needles must be provided to make sufficient space available for the stiff end section, so that these can move round the curve. This results in a relatively thick needle which causes a large-size puncture site in the tissue to perform the sewing procedure.
But this is in contrast to the general aim in surgery of carrying out such a procedure with the least possible trauma.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a remedy in this case and develop a needle attachment to the extent where it also enables threads to be pushed through with a stiffened thread end, with the smallest possible structure.

Needle attachment for a surgical sewing instrument


A portable jig for facilitating the transport and storage a liquid crystal syringe includes a supporting die including at least one inspection hole, at least one receiving hole for receiving at least one liquid crystal syringe at an upper portion thereof and having a flange for fixing an upper end portion of the liquid crystal syringe, and an airtight lower face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable jig, and more particularly, to a portable jig for facilitating the transport and storage of a liquid crystal syringe.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, recent developments in the field of communications have increased the demand for various types of display devices. In response to this increased demand, numerous types of flat panel displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electro-luminescent displays (ELDs), vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), etc.) have been developed.
Owing to their high resolution, light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption, LCD devices have been widely used in mobile devices (e.g., monitors of notebook computers) as well as televisions and computer monitors.
LCD devices generally include two substrates coupled to each other and separated by injected liquid crystal material. Liquid crystal materials exhibit mid-range and long-range molecular orders. Liquid crystal materials exhibit a mid-range molecular order upon melting (i.e., transitioning from a solid phase to a liquid phase), in that the liquid crystal material can assume a phase that is neither solid nor liquid. Accordingly, liquid crystals may exhibit properties of both liquids and crystals, within predetermined temperature ranges. Liquid crystal materials exhibit optical birefringence properties of optical anisotropic crystals when they are irradiated with light or when electric or magnetic fields are applied to them.
LCD devices are manufactured using a series of processes including array formation process, color filter formation process, liquid crystal (LC) cell formation process, and module formation process.
The array formation process includes steps of deposition, photolithography, and etching to form an array of thin film transistors (TFTs) on a first substrate. The color filter formation process includes the formation of a black matrix to shield light from being transmitted through a region, other than a pixel region, in a second substrate. The color filter formation process further includes steps of forming red (R), green (G), and blue (B) filters over the entire surface of the second substrate, and forming a common electrode made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) on the color filters.
The LC cell formation process includes steps of forming an LCD cell by bonding the first substrate, on which the array of TFTs are formed, to the second substrate, on which the black matrix, color filters, and common electrode are formed. The bonded substrates are spaced apart a uniform distance by a cell gap. The LC cell formation process further includes injecting liquid crystal material into the cell gap.
The module formation process includes the steps of manufacturing an LCD module by providing a circuit for signal processing, electrically connecting an LCD panel with the circuit via mounting technologies, and assembling other components.
A typical LC cell formation process will now be described in greater detail.
A first cassette (not shown), housing a first plurality of first substrates, and a second cassette (not shown), housing a second plurality of second substrates, are mounted into respective ports via loaders.
Each of the first and second substrates are designed to be used in the manufacture of at least one LCD panels. A plurality of gate lines are formed at fixed intervals along a first direction on the first substrate and a plurality of data lines are formed along a second direction on the first substrate, perpendicular to the first direction. Accordingly, a plurality of pixel regions may be formed in a matrix pattern at the crossing of each of the gate and data lines. A plurality of pixel electrodes are formed at the pixel regions and a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs). In order to prevent light leakage in regions outside the pixel regions, a black matrix layer, color filters, and common electrode are sequentially formed on the second substrate.
Next, the first substrate and the second substrate are selected from the first and second cassettes, respectively, via a robot arm that is programmed to select each of the first substrates and the second substrates one at a time.
Referring to FIG. 1, an orientation film formation process (1S) is performed wherein orientation films are deposited on each of the selected first and second substrates. The orientation films uniformly align the liquid crystal material within the cell gap. Particularly, the orientation film process (1S) is carried out by pre-cleaning each of the substrates, printing the orientation films, plasticizing the orientation films, inspecting the orientation films, and rubbing the orientation films.
After the orientation film process (1S) is completed, a gap formation process is then performed. During the gap formation process, the first and second substrates are cleaned (2S), spacers are dispensed on the first substrate so as to ensure the cell gap is uniform (3S), sealant is dispensed on the second substrate and a liquid crystal injection inlet is formed at an edge portion of each panel (4S), and the first and second substrates are pressed and bonded together (5S).
The bonded first and second substrates are then cut and processed into an LCD panel (6S).
Subsequently, liquid crystal material is injected through the liquid crystal injection inlet into the cell gap of each of the LCD panels and the liquid crystal injection inlet is then sealed (7S).
Lastly, cut surfaces of the first and second substrates are then polished, and the LCD panel is then inspected for appearance and electrical failure (8S).
The liquid crystal injection process will now be described in greater detail.
In injecting liquid crystal material, liquid crystal material is provided in a liquid crystal container, the liquid crystal container is loaded into a vacuum chamber, and pressure in the vacuum chamber is reduced, thereby creating a vacuum within the vacuum chamber so that any moisture adhered to the inner surface of the liquid crystal container or any air bubbles in the liquid crystal material are removed.
While maintaining the vacuum within the vacuum chamber, the liquid crystal injection inlet of an empty LC cell contacts, or is dipped into, the liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal container. The pressure of the vacuum chamber is then increased and, due to the pressure difference between the interior of the empty LC cell and the interior of the vacuum chamber, liquid crystal material is injected through the liquid crystal injection inlet into the cell gap.
There are, however, disadvantages to manufacturing LCD devices according to the above liquid crystal injection method.
First, the aforementioned liquid crystal injection method is a time consuming process. By performing the steps of cutting substrates into LCD panels, maintaining a vacuum within cell gap of the LCD panels, contacting the liquid crystal injection inlet with liquid crystal material, injecting liquid crystal material, a considerable amount of time is required to perform and the productivity of the process is thus reduced.
Secondly, as LCD panels get larger, liquid crystal material may not be completely injected into the cell gap.
Thirdly, the aforementioned injection process is very complex and a wide variety of considerably large injection apparatuses are required.


A rotor system includes a multiple of rotor blade yokes mounted to a rotor hub. A lead/lag damper is mounted to each of the rotor blade yokes and to a damper hub. An actuator system is operable to shift a damper hub axis of rotation relative the rotor axis of rotation to minimize 1P damper motions. A method of minimizing 1P damper motions within a rotor system includes shifting the damper hub axis of rotation relative the rotor axis of rotation to oscillate an inner connector of each lead/lag damper in phase with a 1P blade motion to minimize the 1P motion of the damper.

The present invention relates to a damper system, and more particularly to a mechanical lead/lag damper system for a rotor system of a rotary wing aircraft.
Rotary-wing aircraft include lead/lag dampers to increase rotor blade lead/lag mode damping characteristics. The damper assembly reacts against lead/lag motions of each rotor blade assembly of the rotor system to dampen harmonic oscillations due to the lead-lag motion of the rotor blades.
The lead-lag motion of the rotor blades is primarily described by two frequencies, 1P motion and approximately 1/3P motion (once per revolution and once per three revolutions, respectively). The 1P motion, although the largest in amplitude, does not typically require damping as the 1P motion remains substantially stable. The 1/3P motion (e.g., regressive lag mode) is typically a relatively small amplitude, but may become unstable if undampened and excited by certain flight conditions and ground resonances of the rotary-wing aircraft.
A single lead/lag damper on each blade suppresses the 1/3P motion but needs to also endure the 1P motion such that the lead/lag damper may provide some damping of the 1P motion—even though none is required. To provide ample damping of the 1/3P motion and endure the 1P motion, the damper has to be oversized, primarily because of the 1P motion.
Although effective, current lead/lag dampers operate under high pressures and require a relatively long stroke which may require relatively comprehensive maintenance attention. As each rotor blade requires a lead/lag damper, the dampers may increase the overall structural envelope and weight of the rotor system.

System and method of damping a 1P motion


A device for supporting a workpiece in which an eccentric hole is to be drilled parallel to the workpiece's longitudinal axis is disclosed. The device has a base having a forward end, a rearward end, a top surface, and a bottom surface. Prior to drilling, the workpiece is secured in an upstanding retainer attached to or integral to the top surface of the forward end of the base. The retainer has a rectangular block body with a cavity into which one end of the workpiece is secured. The other end of the workpiece is similarly secured in an upstanding retainer on the top surface of the other end of the base. The distance between the retainers is adjustable. The height of the workpiece may be adjusted within each retainer by shims. Drill guides are provided at both retainers. The drill guides are aligned to permit the drilling of an eccentric longitudinal hole through the workpiece.

In the past, when it was desired to make an eccentric shaft parallel to a longitudinal axis of a workpiece, the workpiece would typically be clamped in a vise or onto a rotary table, and, by using a horizontal head, indicate each end of the shaft and step off the required off-center distance of the shaft with a milling machine. This technique required an experienced machinist and a considerable amount of time to set up.
An object of this invention is therefore to provide a device for supporting a workpiece into which an eccentric shaft is to be drilled that is simple to set up.
It is further an object of this invention to provide such a device for supporting a workpiece that does not require a milling machine.


Green and red light from first green and red light sources light a first element. Green and red light from second green and red light sources light a second element. Blue light from a blue light source light a third element. A control unit causes an image of a first video signal to be displayed on the first element during lighting of first red source, and causes an image of a second video signal to be displayed on the first element during lighting of the first green source. The unit causes an image of the first signal to be displayed on the second element during lighting of the second red source, and causes an image of the second signal to be displayed on the second element during lighting of the second green source. The unit causes an image of a third video signal to be displayed on the third element.

Among recent projectors, some projectors are provided with LEDs of three colors, red, green and blue. They use display elements such as liquid crystal panels to spatially modulate light from the LEDs for each color to generate image light of each color, and that then project a color image made up by this image light.
Typically, the output characteristics differ for each of the red LED, green LED, and blue LED, the maximum output value of the red LED and green LED being smaller than that of the blue LED.
When each of the red LED, green LED, and blue LED is driven at maximum output, the luminance of the projected image also reaches a maximum. However, the color mixture ratio of the light (red, green, and blue) from the LEDs for each color that are being driven at maximum output differs from the predetermined color mixture ratio for obtaining the ideal white balance, and the projected image therefore has unnatural colors and deteriorates picture quality. As a result, the ideal white balance is normally obtained by controlling the output of the blue LED while using the maximum output value of the red LED or green LED as a reference.
The optical output of the light source itself can be increased by arranging red or green LEDs in an array. A projector, however, is subject to the limitation known as etendue that is determined by the area of the light source and the angle of divergence, and if the value of the product of the area of the light source and the angle of divergence is not made equal to or less than the product of the area of the display element and the acceptance angle (solid angle) that is determined by the f-number of the projection lens, a portion of the light from the light source is not used as projection light. Accordingly, despite the arrangement of a large number of LEDs in array form, the brightness of the projector cannot be improved beyond the limitations of etendue.
In order to achieve higher luminance in the above-described projector, the output of the red LEDs and green LEDs must be increased without raising etendue, and to achieve this goal, increasing the luminance of these light sources is crucial.
The luminance of LEDs can be increased by increasing the drive current. However, an increase in the drive current is attended by the generation of heat in the LEDs themselves, and this heat detracts from the efficiency of light emission of the LEDs. As a result, when the drive current surpasses a particular value, the optical output is saturated, and the output does not increase despite increases in the drive current. This type of "thermal saturation" limits the increase in luminance of LEDs realized by increases in the drive current.
As described hereinabove, the achievement of higher luminance of a projector raises the two problems of etendue and the influence of heat.
Patent Document 1 discloses a light source device as a technology that can solve these two problems and achieve higher luminance.
The light source device described in Patent Document 1 is used in a projector and includes: a plurality of solid-state light-emitting devices that are arranged in a ring such that the light emitted from each solid-state light-emitting device converges at a single point, light guide means that reflects the emitted light from each of the solid-state light-emitting devices in the same direction and guides this reflected light along the same light path, and control means that causes each solid-state light-emitting device to sequentially and intermittently generate light.
The light guide means has a reflection surface and rotation means that causes the reflection surface to rotate such that emitted light from each solid-state light-emitting device is reflected in the same direction.
The control means causes each solid-state light-emitting device to sequentially generate light in synchronization with the rotational motion of the reflection surface realized by the rotation means.
By means of the above-described light source device, light that is emitted from each solid-state light-emitting device and reflected by the reflection surface is guided along the same light path, whereby etendue does not increase.
By causing each solid-state light-emitting device to sequentially and intermittently generate light, the reduction of the efficiency of light generation caused by the generated heat of each solid-state light source can be suppressed, whereby the output of the light source device can be increased. A brief explanation for these effects is next presented.
The maximum amount of input current (the amount of current at which thermal saturation is produced) under pulsed operation typically greater than that under continuous operation. This is because the repetition of operation and non-operation at a fixed interval in a pulse operation results in a lower time-averaged current value than the current during operation, and the effect of generated heat is correspondingly lower.
According to the light source device described in Patent Document 1, each solid-state light-emitting device is operated in pulsed mode, whereby the maximum amount of input current of each solid-state light-emitting device is greater than that in continuous mode. As a result, a greater current can be supplied to each solid-state light-emitting device than in a case in which one solid-state light-emitting device is lighted continuously, and the luminance of each solid-state light-emitting device can be increased.
Each solid-state light-emitting device is operated sequentially and intermittently, whereby the output light of the light source device can be considered continuous light, and this light output is greater than for a case in which one solid-state light-emitting device is operated continuously. Accordingly, this light source device increases the light output without increasing etendue and can realize higher luminance.
A projector that has greater luminance can be provided by applying the light source device described in Patent Document 1 to the light source of each of the colors red, green, and blue of a projector. In addition, although the red and green LEDs have less output than a blue LED as described hereinabove, balance can be established by adjusting the number of LEDs used in the light source device of each color.
In Patent Document 2, a display device is described in which two green solid-state light sources are provided to increase green light.
The display device described in Patent Document 2 includes: first to third illumination units, a first display panel into which light from the first illumination unit is irradiated, a second display panel into which light from the second illumination unit is irradiated, a third display panel into which light from the third illumination unit is irradiated, an optical element into which image light from the first to third display panels is entered from respectively differing surfaces and in which image light that was entered from each surface is superposed and exited, and projection lens that projects image light from the optical element onto a screen.
The first illumination unit is equipped with a red solid-state light source, a first green solid-state light source, and a dichroic prism that transmits red light from the red solid-state light source and reflects first green light from the first green solid-state light source. In this first illumination unit, the red light from the red solid-state light source and the first green light from the first green solid-state light source are incident to the first display panel by the same light path by way of the dichroic prism.
The second illumination unit is equipped with a second green solid-state light source. The second green light from the second green solid-state light source is irradiated to the second display panel.
The third illumination unit is equipped with a blue solid-state light source. The blue light from the blue solid-state light source is irradiated to the third display panel.
In the display device described in Patent Document 2, the red solid-state light source and the first green solid-state light source are lighted in time division, and an image based on the video signal for red light is displayed on the first display panel during the lighted period of the red solid-state light source, and an image based on the video signal for green light is displayed on the first display panel during the lighted period of the first green solid-state light source.
The second green solid-state light source and the blue solid-state light source are lighted constantly. An image based on the video signal for green light is displayed on the second display panel and an image based on the video signal for blue light is displayed on the third display panel.
According to the display device according to Patent Document 2, while the first green solid-state light source is lighted, first green light from this first green solid-state light source is added to the second green light from the second green solid-state light source, whereby the luminance of the green image is increased. The use of this method improves the luminance of the color for which the maximum light source output is small, whereby the overall brightness of the projector can be improved.

Projector spatially modulating incident light to display images of different colors


A gas monitor includes an infra-red source enclosed within a housing having inner surfaces which are reflective. Radiation emitted from the source reflects off ellipsoidal surfaces and intermediate planar surfaces to be focussed at a sensor, being reflected five times. Radiation is absorbed by gas within the housing and a comparison of the source intensity and detected intensity gives a measure of the gas concentration. Use of ellipsoidal reflective surfaces directs emitted radiation along a plurality of routes having substantially the same path length, hence giving an accurate measure of the gas concentration with a compact device. In another embodiment, off axis parabolas are used to direct the radiation through the gas.

In one known gas monitor, an infra-red source is arranged to emit radiation which passes through a gas to be monitored. Infra-red radiation is absorbed by the gas and that remaining is subsequently detected by a pyroelectric detector. A comparison is made between the source intensity and the intensity of radiation detected following passage through the gas to give the concentration of the gas. The concentration is related to the intensity by the following equation: EQU I=I.sub.o e.sup.-.epsilon.cl
where I is the intensity of radiation detected by the detector, I.sub.o is the intensity of radiation emitted at the source, .epsilon. is effectively a constant which is dependent on the particular gas being monitored, c is the gas concentration and 1 is the distance travelled by the radiation through the gas.
In one known gas monitor, an infra-red source is located remote from a pyroelectric detector on a bench with a tube between them through which gas is passed. Infra-red radiation travels along a direct path between the source and sensor but there also tend to be multiple reflections from the interior surfaces of the tube. This results in numerous different path lengths taken by the infra-red radiation between the source and the sensor, which leads to errors in measuring the gas concentration. Moreover, the errors vary over time because the interior surfaces of the tube gradually degrade and present a non-uniform surface.
The present invention seeks to provide a gas monitor having improved characteristics over those previously known.


A buck-boost switching regulator which includes a first switch, a first diode, an inductor, a second switch, a second diode, and a controller for controlling the first switch and the second switch, the controller being configured to receive a current signal indicative of a inductor current flowing in the inductor, and generating a signal indicative of an average current flowing in the inductor, the average current being utilized to control the first switch and the second switch, wherein the controller includes a first compensator circuit for outputting a voltage error signal, a second compensator circuit for outputting a current error signal and a modulator circuit to output a first control signal to control the first switch and a second control switch to control the second switch.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inductor based switching regulator in which the output voltage can be less than, equal to, or greater than the input supply voltage. In particular, this invention relates to a buck-boost (step down-step up) type switching regulator which exhibits better performance than those of the prior art.
2. Background of the Related Art
Most prior art buck-boost regulators utilize voltage mode control where the inductor current is not measured at all or at least not utilized in the control process. A typical configuration of a conventional buck-boost switching regulator is shown in FIG. 1, which shows a functional block diagram of TPS6300X of Texas Instruments. The regulator utilizes MOS transistors for switching and the current flowing in the input MOS transistor switch. The gate controller directly uses VOUT to control each of the MOS transistors. It is, however, noted from FIG. 1 that this regulator does not utilize an average current flowing in an inductor. Some other prior art switching regulators utilize instantaneous (often referred to as peak) current control where the switch or inductor current is measured and its time domain waveform is used directly in the PWM modulator as the "clock" waveform.
Voltage mode control has a slow transient response, which changes greatly between continuous current mode (CCM) and discontinuous current mode (DCM) operation unless the loop compensation is also changed. With voltage mode control, the pulse width modulation (PWM) gain at the PWM modulator varies with the supply voltage, thereby requiring supply voltage feed-forward operation in the controller for reasonably good performance. However, current measurement or slope compensation is not required for operation of a voltage mode controller.
Conventional "peak" current mode operation has inherently good transient response. Such devices can operate in both continuous and discontinuous inductor current mode without compensation change. This mode of operation also utilizes the measured current waveform for the "clock" function in the PWM modulator, and thus has inherent supply voltage magnitude compensation and fast transient response. However, the conventional "peak" current mode requires wide bandwidth current measurement, is very sensitive to noise on the current waveform, requires slope compensation in the PWM modulator to avoid instability when operating over a wide range of switch duty cycles and is difficult to configure for buck-boost operation.
On the other hand, average current mode is advantageous particularly for buck-boost functionality since it uses lower bandwidth, time averaged measured inductor current in the controller, operates in both CCM and DCM without compensation changes, requires no slope compensation regardless of duty cycle and has a quite good transient response. However, conventional average current mode devices suffer from various implementation challenges. Specifically, such devices require continuous inductor current measurement, not the intermittent switch currents; require supply voltage feed forward to maintain constant PWM gain at varying supply voltage; and need a more complex PWM modulator, especially for buck-boost operation.
Further, both CCM and DCM operation are required at fixed clock frequency for good current efficiency at small load and fast programming of the output voltage. DCM offers better light load efficiency because it reduces I2R losses in the switches and inductor and also reduces output voltage ripple magnitude. However, it can not easily provide negative polarity inductor current when needed to program a rapid decrease in the output voltage value. CCM readily provides for rapid increases and decreases in the output voltage in response to both programming and load changes. In CCM, the amplitude of the inductor ripple current, which is approximately constant, is a relatively small percentage of larger load currents. If mode transition between DCM and CCM is automated, CCM can be used automatically during transients without significantly reducing average power efficiency.
Therefore, there is a need for a buck-boost switching regulator utilizing average current mode control without excessive circuit complexity and which provides for operation in both CCM and DCM.