A system for cardiac MR imaging receives a heart rate signal representing heart electrical activity. The system, over multiple successive heart cycles, uses multiple MR imaging RF coils in gradient echo imaging a patient heart, synchronized with the heart rate signal and uses an inversion recovery pulse for inverting myocardium tissue MR signal for an individual heart cycle, to acquire, within multiple individual successive portions of an individual heart cycle, corresponding successive multiple patient heart images. An individual image of an individual heart cycle portion is derived from multiple heart image representative data sets comprising a reduced set of k-space data elements acquired using corresponding multiple coils of the RF imaging coils. An image generator generates an MR image of an individual heart cycle portion using the multiple heart image representative data sets comprising the reduced set of k-space data elements.

Infarcted myocardium exhibits late gadolinium hyper-enhancement (LGE) and is usually imaged with an inversion recovery (IR) sequence. The inversion time (TI) is typically set to null normal myocardial signal in order to maximize luminance contrast between normal and infarcted myocardium. A multi-slice multi-planar 2D (two dimensional) approach requiring multiple breath-holds (BH) is commonly used in routine clinical practice. An additional BH TI scout is utilized to determine the precise null time of normal myocardium in individual patients. The TI that is chosen and subsequently applied may not adequately null normal myocardium as 2D multi BH imaging proceeds over several minutes, due to gadolinium washout kinetics. Phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) imaging minimizes the need to precisely null normal myocardium, but as it requires two ECG signal RR wave peaks per trigger, BH 3D PSIR LGE imaging is challenging to perform. Highly accelerated 3D LGE enables acquisition of data at the same time point of contrast kinetics, which helps provide uniform suppression of the volume of normal myocardium within the imaged volume. However, this method still requires a TI scout and demonstrates relatively low signal noise ratio (SNR) compared to 2D methods due to the high acceleration factor and IR pulse used. Moreover, isotropic data is desired. A system according to invention principles addresses these deficiencies and needs and related problems.

System for cardiac MR and MR cine imaging using parallel image processing


The present invention relates to apparatus for in-situ evaluation of the light flux of narrow and intense light beams, in particular those from the beacon lights of airport runways and taxiways. It comprises a closed box mounted in a pod placed on a moving chassis, the box has a translucent front face that diffuses the light flux from the beam to be measured omni-directionally inside the box, and another face having high diffusing reflection power that closes the box and provides both reflection and diffusion of the light in uniform manner towards a photoelectric sensor whose sensitive portion is disposed close to the front face, but facing said diffusing reflection face.

At present, beacon lights are mainly evaluated in photometric laboratories, i.e. off-site, using test benches that have several axes of freedom in order to scan the entire solid angle of a light and to make the corresponding light intensity measurements. Such tests are performed using the principles and rules appropriate to sampling. They require lights and their bases to be dismantled. In addition, evaluation requires 100 to 200 light intensity measurement points to be acquired so as to be able to plot isocandela curves and mean values in standard ellipses.
That approach gives rise to numerous drawbacks, and in particular: it is expensive; it takes no account of lamp power supply or environmental parameters; the handling involved runs the risk of changing the state of internal and external dirt; and since evaluation is based on sampling, it is not exhaustive as recommended by the standards that are in force (OACI Annex 14). Such assurance can be obtained only by 100% inspection.
Thus, patent document GB-A-1 454 272 describes apparatus enabling the light intensity of runway beacon lights to be determined on-site. It comprises a vehicle 13 having an alignment of six optical detectors 1 disposed thereon, with the axis of each detector being at a different angle to the horizontal (in the range 1.degree. to 6.degree.). An inductor loop 6 serves to detect when the apparatus passes over a light and to determine the distance at which a light intensity measurement is to be performed.
However, such a single measurement implies firstly that said distance is measured with sufficient accuracy, and secondly that the sensors are in a complex geometrical disposition so as to make it possible to perform measurement simultaneously with the required speed and accuracy.
Any offset relative to the measurement axis or any drift in distance measurement will be interpreted as a wrongly functioning light and may give rise to interpretation error or even to no evaluation.
In addition, when the measurements performed relate to an organized light array, they represent only a low level of sampling, i.e. they provide six particular values taken from a set that has an infinite number of values, with light flux analysis being limited to a single vertical slice of the solid angle of emission. The representation obtained is thus discontinuous. Furthermore, the single information obtained per light is unsuitable for computer processing, and there is no possibility of recovering information in the event of an error or in the absence of acquisition, thus making it impossible to analyze the causes of attenuation if any.
It may also be observed that the probability of digitizing the maximum point in the emitted beam is reduced since detection takes place in a single plane only.

Apparatus for evaluating beacon lights, in particular on runways and taxiways for airplanes having a light diffusing reflection box


Fluid velocity measurement apparatus which utilizes Doppler-shift spectral analysis includes a narrow line width light source, the light from which passes through a beam expander to provide an irradiated region, for example a two-dimensional plane, in which velocity measurements may be taken. Light scattered from small particles in the irradiated region is collected in an imaging system which enables spectral analysis of the scattered light for determining the velocity of the light scattering particles in the irradiated region. A single camera is used in the imaging system to obviate the need for costly electronics to synchronize images obtained Also to improve the accuracy of measurement, selected parameters of the apparatus may be measured to allow for perturbations in the velocity measurements obtained.

The present invention relates to fluid velocity measurement apparatuses and particularly an apparatus for determining the velocity of a fluid at any point in the fluid which utilizes Doppler-shift spectral analysis.
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the physics of fluid dynamics in turbulent systems, for example fluid flow through turbine engines and the aerodynamic properties of cars. One of the problems encountered in the study of fluid dynamics is that of establishing accurate measurements of the velocity of the fluid at any point in the fluid. Non-intrusive techniques have in general been based on single-point laser Doppler anenometry (IDA). Unfortunately, to date the results from using LDA have included undesirably large deviations owing to a number of factors affecting the size of the potential errors in the system. Moreover, such techniques require repeated spatial scanning cycles to obtain data over a two or three dimensional region and so are time consuming and are limited to steady state flow.
An alternative method of measuring velocities in a fluid is particle image velocimetry (PIV) but this method involves problems with detection and processing of the data because images are overlaid. Also, obtaining three dimensional information on a fluid flow is very difficult using PIV.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,536 a real-time system for measuring velocities in a turbulent fluid system in a two dimensional region is described using a Doppler Global Velocimetry (DGV) technique. The system described has a laser which emits a beam which is passed through a lens system. The lens system expands the beam into a sheet of light incident on a region of the fluid for which velocity measurements are required. The fluid is seeded with particles, which are carried in the fluid, so that when the particles pass through the sheet of lights the particles scatter the light and the frequencies of the scattered light are Doppler-shifted in dependence on the individual velocities of the particles. In this way a two dimensional picture of the different velocities of the fluid in the illuminated region may be achieved. The scattered light is observed through a further lens system which focuses the scattered light and then splits the resultant beam in two. Half of the beam is directed to a reference image camera and half of the beam is directed through an iodine cell, functioning as a frequency-to-intensity converter, and then to a separate Doppler image camera. The laser is tuned to emit light at a frequency which corresponds to a 50% point on the transmission profile for iodine. In this way Doppler shifts in the frequency of the scattered light to both higher and lower frequencies can be detected as variations in the intensity of the scattered light emerging from the iodine cell. The system also includes control circuitry for synchronization and image capture of the images from the two cameras to enable the display of the measured velocity field in real-time.
Although the DGV technique described above enables measurement of flow velocities of a fluid in a region, problems remain in achieving accurate absolute measurements for the velocities and in reducing the sizes of the errors in such a system. For example, the light emerging from the laser has a tendency to drift from the desired frequency; the response of the iodine cell to the incident light and in particular its transmission characteristics can vary considerably with temperature; and aberrations in the lens system can be introduced for example by stresses applied to the optical elements as a result of the manner in which the optical elements are mounted and by crystal formation on the windows of the iodine cell. It is also essential that the two light paths of the scattered light beam are accurately aligned or the results from the two cameras will be misrepresentative of the scattered light intensity. Moreover, the imaging electronics for synchronizing the images from the two cameras and for image capture is both costly and complicated. The definition of the velocity field measurements may, as a result, be poor. In fact a deviation of .+-.7.5 ms.sup.-1 for calculated fluid velocities is normally allowed for.


Dissolution, partial dissolution or softening of cellulose in an ionic liquid (IL) and its subsequent contact with anti-solvent produces regenerated cellulose more amorphous in structure than native cellulose, which can be separated from the IL/anti-solvent mixture by mechanical means such as simple filtration or centrifugation. This altered morphology of IL-treated cellulose allows a greater number of sites for enzyme adsorption with a subsequent enhancement of its saccharification. The IL-treated cellulose exhibits significantly improved hydrolysis kinetics with optically transparent solutions formed after about two hours of reaction. This provides an opportunity for separation of products from the catalyst (enzyme) easing enzyme recovery. With an appropriate selection of enzymes, initial hydrolysis rates for IL-treated cellulose were up to two orders of magnitude greater than those of untreated cellulose. Due to the non-volatility of the IL, anti-solvent can be easily stripped from the IL/anti-solvent mixture for recovery and recycle of both the ionic liquid and anti-solvent.

The utilization of lignocellulosic waste materials, such as cornstalks, sawdusts, straws, bagasse, and the like, has been the subject of strong interest recently, particularly with respect to utilization of such agricultural and waste materials for developing alternate sources of fuels, chemicals, glucose and the like. Lignocellulose is commonly referred to as biomass.
Lignocellulosic materials include three principal components—cellulose (30-40%), hemicellulose (20-30%), and lignin (5-30%). In its natural state, cellulose is highly crystalline in structure with individual cellulose polymer chains held together by strong hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. The individual cellulose chains are linear condensation polymer molecules made up of anhydroglucose units joined together by β-1,4 glycosidic bonds with degrees of polymerization (DP) ranging, typically, from 1,000 to 15,000 units. The high crystallinity of cellulose, while imparting structural integrity and mechanical strength to the material, renders it recalcitrant towards hydrolysis aimed at producing glucose—the feedstock for producing fuels and chemicals—from this polysaccharide. In general, neither the water molecules nor the catalysts for hydrolysis (saccharification) are able to easily penetrate the crystalline matrix.
Cellulose hydrolysis to glucose is most often catalyzed using mineral acids or enzymes (cellulases). Cellulase hydrolysis is preferred over mineral acid hydrolysis for several reasons: acid hydrolysis leads to formation of undesirable degradation products of glucose that significantly lower glucose yield and inhibit subsequent fermentation; requires expensive corrosion-resistant materials; and poses disposal problems. Glucose degradation products observed with acid pretreatment or hydrolysis include hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and furfural which inhibit downstream fermentation to ethanol.
On the other hand, cellulase enzymes are very specific in their action, producing virtually no glucose degradation products. Cellulases (of fungal or bacterial origin) are in fact a mixture of enzymes which act in concert and synergistically. Special materials of construction are not required with cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis. However, cellulose hydrolysis in aqueous media suffers from slow reaction rates because the substrate (cellulose) is a water-insoluble crystalline biopolymer. Therefore, the enzymes have to accomplish the hydrolytic decomposition via first adsorbing on the cellulose surface, partially stripping the individual polymer chains from the crystal structure, and then cleaving the glycoside bonds in the chain. Adsorption sites of crystalline cellulose are very limited due to the tight packing arrangement of cellulose fibrils which not only excludes the enzymes but also largely excludes water.
Cellulose is very difficult to dissolve due to the extensive network of inter and intra-molecular bonds and interactions between cellulose fibrils. Ionic liquids have recently been shown to be novel solvents for dissolution of cellulose capable of dissolving large amounts of cellulose at mild conditions (Swatloski, R. P. et al., J Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 4974-4975; Zhang, H. et al., Macromolecules, 2005, 38, 8272-8277). Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts that typically melt below ˜100° C. With their low volatility, fluidity at ambient temperatures, and unique solvent properties, ILs comprise a class of prospective solvents that are potentially 'green' due to their minimal air emissions. Our invention exploits these properties of ionic liquids to enhance the saccharification of cellulose.


Nonwoven abrasive articles, particularly lofty nonwoven abrasive articles, with a textured, non-planar surface and an abrasive coating thereon. The coating may cover the entire surface or only portions of the surface. The textured surface, composed of peaks or high regions and valleys or recessed regions, provides improved cut performance over nonwoven abrasive articles having a generally planar abrading surface.

Nonwoven abrasive products are generally made by applying an abrasive coating to a nonwoven substrate and curing the abrasive coating. Suitable nonwoven substrates may be provided by processes such as carded, air laid, spunbond, or wet laid processes. Nonwoven substrates may be needletacked to densify and mechanically-entangle constituent fibers. Initial "prebond" coatings may be applied and cured to stabilize the nonwoven substrate prior to further processing. Abrasive coatings or layers, which include a curable (hardenable) binder and abrasive particles, are applied to the nonwoven substrate to form the abrasive product.
Low density abrasive products of the type defined in U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,593 and sold under the registered trademark "SCOTCH-BRITE" by 3M Company of St. Paul, Minn., have found significant commercial success as surface treatment products. This type of abrasive product is typically formed of crimped staple fibers which have been formed into a mat and impregnated with resinous binder and abrasive. This material is made available commercially in a wide variety of types to provide many functions.
Common forms for nonwoven abrasive products are a disc or wheel for mounting on a rotating axis, a belt, a pad for finishing equipment, such as floor treating pads or a sheet for use as a hand pad. The abrasive article may be attached to a support during use, such as a back-up pad for a grinder, or, the abrasive article may include sufficient volume to use as a hand pad.
In certain applications, nonwoven abrasive discs are preferred over coated abrasive discs, which generally have a cloth, paper or plastic backing, because the nonwoven discs are more conformable to the surface being finished. For example a nonwoven abrasive disc easily conforms around sharp corners and welds without tearing the disc or gouging the surface being finished. This conformability has its disadvantages for some applications, as the nonwoven discs usually have lower grinding characteristics (e.g., cut rate) than coated abrasive discs.
What is desired are nonwoven abrasive articles that retain the conformable aspects of nonwoven abrasive articles but have increased cut performance.


The present disclosure relates to a disinfecting compositions of pH 2-7 comprising:. a) 1-30 wt. % on product of an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant; PA1 b) less than 50 wt. % of total surfactant of anionic surfactant; PA1 c) 0.005-5 wt. % on product of a water-soluble, anionic polymer having an average molecular weight of less than 1,000,000, wherein, the ratio of polymer: nonionic is 0.1:1 or less; and PA1 d) 0.1-15 wt. % on product of an antimicrobial agent selected from the group comprising:. i) benzoic acid derivatives, dicarboxylic acids, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkanols and mixtures thereof.

Hard-surface cleaning compositions generally comprise one or more surfactants, and, optionally, one or more hygiene agents.
Typically, the surfactants used in such cleaning compositions are selected from anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and cationic surfactants. Nonionics are very commonly used due to their effectiveness on fatty soils and the ease with which their foaming can be controlled. Of these surfactants, nonionics are reported as showing low biocidal activity, whereas certain anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants show biocidal activity under specific conditions of, for example, pH and concentration. However, the biocidal activity of surfactants is, with a few notable exceptions low and it is commonplace to add a separate hygiene agent to compositions.
Typical hygiene agents include, strong acids, alkali's, phenolics, and oxidants such as peracids and hypohalites. These, of which a typical example is hypochlorite, are generally highly reactive species which exhibit this reactivity in terms of one or more of, short shelf life, toxic, corrosive and irritant properties. In general, these reactive components are required at relatively high levels in formulations. Other less chemically reactive hygiene agents, such as 2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxy diphenyl ether (available in the marketplace as IRGASAN [RTM]), are effective at relatively low concentrations but are more expensive than simpler species and may be specific as regards their spectrum of activity. Many organic acids, including benzoic, salicylic and sorbic are known as preservatives in cosmetics and some food products, but these preservatives generally show lower biocidal activity than the above-mentioned chemically reactive hygiene agents when used at the same level.
Similar compositions are known outside of the field of hard surface cleaning. For example, EP 0331489 (PARKE DAVIS PTY.) discloses a formulation for the treatment of acne which comprises a surfactant and a biocide. The examples illustrate the invention by reference to combinations of specific surfactants with specific biocides. DE 3518929 (Hans-Joachim Gobel) disclose a formulation for the treatment of dandruff which comprises a commercially available hair washing composition, which is identified, but whose composition is not given, and salicylic acid. RO 64162 (MIRAJ, 1974) discloses an anti-dandruff lotion which contains 10-30% wt ethanol, water, 0.5-3% wt salicyclic acid, 0.5-3% wt fatty acid alkoyl-betaine amide and 0.1-1% wt undecylenic acid monoethanolamide. It is believed that the salicyclic acid in such formulations is present as a keratolytic agent: causing dead skin tissue to be shed.
In hard surface cleaning it is often necessary to disinfect a surface. A `disinfectant` can be understood to be a hygiene agent which shows a 100,000 fold or better reduction in the number of viable microorganisms in a specified culture when used at a level of around 0.5 wt %. This is generally known as a `log 5 kill`. Of the organic acids mentioned above, salicylic acid is generally regarded as the most effective biocide against common bacteria, but it's activity falls far short of that required of a disinfectant at practical concentrations.
Some surfactants have been found to potentiate the effects of certain hygiene agents. DE 3619375 (Henkel) discloses that alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactants show a synergy with alcohols and organic acids as regards hygiene. The examples disclose compositions which comprise APG and organic acids including salicylic acid. These compositions are used at strongly acidic pH, generally below pH 3.
In addition to surfactants and hygiene agents it is known to incorporate polymers in hard surface cleaning compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,592 (1972) discloses alkaline, cleaning and soil preventative compositions which comprise surfactant and 1-10% wt, particularly 4%, of a film forming component. GB 1528592 (1978) discloses alkaline, floor cleaning compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,665 (1979) discloses aqueous, alkaline, hard surface cleaning compositions of pH 9-12 which comprise a `detergency-boosting` acrylic copolymer having a molecular weight substantially in excess of 100,000 in combination with anionic surfactants.
U.S. Ser. No. 07/297,807, as described in EP 0467472 A2 (Colgate Palmolive) demonstrates that the incorporation of 2.3% of a 15-20% aqueous solution of the cationic polymer poly-[beta(methyl diethyl-ammonium) ethyl-methacrylate] in a mixed nonionic surfactant system for hard surface cleaning results in significant improvement of ease of subsequent re-cleaning of previously soiled and cleaned ceramic tiles. These cationic polymers are rather more expensive than commonplace acrylic and methacrylic polymers and some doubt has been cast upon the environmental acceptability of cationic species containing quaternary nitrogen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,596 relates to a rinse aid formulation for HDW and MDW of pH 7.5-10 which comprises 5-60% nonionic surfactant (examples are 15%), preferably 2% wt of anionic poly(meth)acrylic acid polymer of molecular weight 1,000-50,000. The pH is limited by the stability of the composition (which is unstable at pH 7.0: see table 4 of citation).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,690 relates to a washing and foaming composition for hair and skin (pH range is 4.5-7.7) which comprises nonionic (around 5%) and poly(meth)acrylic acid (anionic polymer). The weight ratio of the anionic polymer to the nonionic surfactant is greater than 0.1:1, examples have 0.5-5% polymer and 0.5-7% nonionic with a lowest ratio of 0.2:1.
EP 0379256 (Colgate 1989) relates to stable acidic disinfectant liquid cleaning compositions which comprises, nonionic surfactants in a mixed system, organic acids, and an acid stable disinfectant of which quaternary nitrogen based materials are used in the examples. It is noted in the specification that a polymer can be present as a soil release agent.


A test data extraction and persistence technique that relies on a data domain based storage infrastructure is disclosed. In operation, a test data server receives a test data query that specifies selection parameters for selecting test data and any transformation operations to be performed on the test data. The test data server identifies domains associated with the selection parameters and traverses the tables in the database based on the identified domains to extract test data that satisfies the selection parameters. The test data server optionally performs transformation operations, such as masking operations, specified by the test data query on the extracted data. The identified domains are stored such that test data that satisfies the test data query may be extracted from the database repetitively without reevaluating the test data query each time.

1. Field of Disclosure
The disclosure generally relates to testing database applications, and in particular to domain centric test data generation.
2. Background Information
When testing an application that accesses and manipulates data in database, it is beneficial to generate test data that has characteristics of real data to test the various features of the application. In some testing environments, test data is generated manually by creating fake data sets as the need arises. In other testing environments, existing live test data from a database is selected every time test data is needed for testing a particular feature of the application. In both environments, the test data generation process is repetitive and labor intensive. Further, using live data for testing purposes requires that the test development engineer to have access to the data in the database. Database applications often handle sensitive user or enterprise data, and exposing such data to non-essential third parties, such as test development engineers, is highly undesirable.


A method for visual interaction between a user (10) and a machine (20) using gaze estimation is disclosed. The method comprises: displaying an initial element and one or more further elements on a display (30), each further element being spatially separated from the initial element, whereby each further element defines an angular range with respect to the position of the initial element; determining that a direction from a first gaze point to a second gaze point lies within the angular range defined by a further element selected by the user; and sending instructions to the machine to perform a function associated with the selected element. A system (1) for visual interaction between a user (10) and a machine (20) using gaze estimation is also disclosed. The gaze points of the user may be determined with relatively low precision.

Eye tracking techniques enable human-machine interaction through eye gaze. These techniques may for example be used for inputting text into a computer. In such applications, a user usually "types" by first selecting a letter by gazing at an icon of the letter shown on a screen. The gazed-upon icon is highlighted, and the user finally confirms the selection by for example blinking or letting his or her gaze dwell briefly on the highlighted icon. A discussion of gaze-controlled text input can be found in the paper "Gazing with pEYEs: towards a universal input for various applications" (by A. Huckauf and M. H. Urbina and published in "Proceedings of the 2008 symposium on Eye tracking research & applications", ETRA '08, pages 51-54, ACM, New York, N.Y., USA).
Text input and other applications where a user interacts with a graphical interface shown on a display through eye gaze typically require the gaze direction to be determined with high precision. High precision usually requires accurate calibration of the eye tracking system with respect to eye parameters and glint parameters, something which drives cost due to requirements on illumination for glint generation and camera resolution. In addition, the calibration procedure normally involves a series of measurements in which the user must look carefully at a sequence of different targets. The procedure is time-consuming and perceived as complicated by many users.
A system which reduces the need for accurate calibration is disclosed in US 2014/0354539. As disclosed therein, a user selects an input operation to an operating system by following a moving graphical control on a screen with his or her gaze. The input operation associated with a particular graphical control is selected if the movement of the gaze matches the movement of the graphical control. Although the need for accurate calibration is reduced in the system disclosed in US 2014/0354539, the system is rather complicated, for example because of the requirement of several interaction modes (unidirectional and bidirectional). Moreover, some users may find it difficult or inconvenient to follow the moving graphical controls with their gaze, and the process of selecting an operation is also rather slow.

Method and a system for visual human-machine interaction


A floor to fuselage attachment structure incorporates a truss having an upper angled attachment engaging the floor proximate an edge and extending at an angle upward from the floor edge to attach to the fuselage. Additionally, the truss includes a lower angled attachment engaging the floor proximate the edge and extending at an angle downward to attach to the fuselage. The upper and lower angled attachments support the floor with the edge spaced from the fuselage and further have a plurality of apertures for providing airflow between a first volume above the floor and a second volume below the floor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of structural architecture for aircraft, and more particularly, to an attachment structure to support a floor substructure to a fuselage with venting for pressure equalization.
2. Description of the Related Art
Attachment of a honeycomb floor structure to a honeycomb aircraft fuselage requires distribution of the loads through the honeycomb structure to avoid load concentrations and the ability to provide adequate equalization venting between the passenger compartment and the cargo bay in the event of rapid decompression in either of the compartments. Extension inboard is constrained by passenger cabin interior fascia, window seat and passenger foot rest area; therefore this structure must occupy a minimal amount of space for design efficiency.
In current aircraft applications the floor is tied directly to the fuselage wall using a traditional "pi" type fitting. This structural architecture places too high a tear off load on the bond between the pi fitting and the honeycomb fuselage wall.
Typical aircraft utilize independent features or structures for addressing the decompression venting and the load distribution between the floor and fuselage wall. It is therefore desirable to provide unique structural designs that incorporate load distribution between the floor and the fuselage wall in a minimal amount of space and yet provide for decompression venting.


A fluid tank fluid is provided which includes a bubble removing device provided therein to remove bubbles from the fluid. The bubble removing device includes a cyclone chamber for generating a swirling current in the fluid flowing therethrough to separate bubbles from the fluid. At least one outflow port is provided through which the fluid from which the bubbles have been separated flows from the cyclone chamber. And an exhaust port is provided through which the bubbles separated from the fluid are driven from the cyclone chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid tank and, more particularly, it relates to a fluid tank provided with a bubble removing device for removing (air) bubbles in fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many cylinders and other components of construction machines are normally driven by means of hydraulic fluid. Therefore, construction machines are mostly provided with hydraulic circuits for driving cylinders. Such hydraulic circuits comprise hydraulic tanks, pumps for feeding hydraulic fluid from working tacks under pressure, oil coolers for cooling hydraulic fluid and control valves and are often provided additionally with bubble removing devices for removing bubbles produced in the hydraulic circuit. If bubbles exist in hydraulic fluid, a phenomenon called cavitation can take place to damage the pump. Therefore, bubbles are removed from the hydraulic fluid that is being returned from the cylinder or some other component to the hydraulic tank by the bubble removing device. Then, hydraulic fluid that is free from bubbles is fed back by the pump, using pressure.
Various types of bubble removing device are known.
For example, firstly, there is a type called cyclone type (see, inter alia, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2-52013) that is adapted to generate a swirling current (vortex) in hydraulic fluid, drive bubbles having a small specific gravity toward the center and separate them by way of a dedicated flow path.
Secondly, there is a type that is also referred to as cyclone type but adapted not to separate bubbles from hydraulic fluid by way of a dedicated flow path. Instead, it is adapted to cause both bubbles and hydraulic fluid to flow into the hydraulic fluid stored in the hydraulic tank and drive off only bubbles having a small specific gravity upward along the wall surface of the bubble removing device (see, inter alia, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 61-124701).
Thirdly, there is a type having a spiral flow path of hydraulic fluid that contains bubbles and adapted to expel bubbles as they are driven toward the center while hydraulic fluid is made to pass through the flow path (see inter alia, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 56-83602).
However, all the above listed types are accompanied by problems specific to each of them.
Since a bubble removing device of the first type is arranged outside the hydraulic tank, it requires a large space dedicated to the hydraulic system because a bubble removing device has to be installed there in addition to a hydraulic tank and other facilities. Additionally, the bubble removing device has to be installed somewhere in the middle of the piping system and hence the installing operation will be a cumbersome and time consuming one.
In the case of using a bubble removing device of the second type, both bubbles and hydraulic fluid from which bubbles are expelled are forced to flow into the hydraulic fluid already stored in the tank. Therefore, if the hydraulic tank is rocked to a large extent as a result of a change to the posture of the construction machine, for instance, some or all of the bubbles that have been separated from hydraulic fluid can be mixed with the later to reduce the bubble removing effect of the device.
Finally, in the case of using a bubble removing device of the third type, since the flow path of hydraulic fluid that contain bubbles is realized to show a spiral form, the helix has to be made to show a large diameter so as to generate a sufficiently large centrifugal force and reliably expel bubbles. Then, the entire bubble removing device needs to have a large dimension in a radial direction of the helix so that consequently it requires a large space.


A resist composition comprising a polymer comprising recurring units having an optionally substituted brominated phenol has advantages including high sensitivity, high resolution and reduced acid diffusion and forms a pattern of good profile with improved CDU.

To meet the demand for higher integration density and operating speed of LSIs, the effort to reduce the pattern rule is in rapid progress. The logic devices used in smart phones drive forward the miniaturization technology. Logic devices of 10-nm node are manufactured in a large scale using a multi-patterning lithography process based on ArF lithography.
In the application of lithography to next 7-nm or 5-nm node devices, the increased expense and overlay accuracy of multi-patterning lithography become tangible. The advent of EUV lithography capable of reducing the number of exposures is expected.
Since the wavelength (13.5 nm) of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) is shorter than 1/10 of the wavelength (193 nm) of ArF excimer laser, the EUV lithography achieves a high light contrast, from which a high resolution is expectable. Because of the short wavelength and high energy density of EUV, an acid generator is sensitive to a small dose of photons. It is believed that the number of photons available with EUV exposure is 1/14 of that of ArF exposure. In the EUV lithography, the phenomenon that the edge roughness (LWR) of line patterns or the critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of hole patterns is degraded by a variation of photon number is considered a problem.
For the purpose of suppressing such photon variation, the use of low sensitivity resist material is effective. On the other hand, for the purpose of preventing any drop of throughput even when the laser power is low, it is desired to develop a high sensitivity resist material. A reduction of photon variation and an increase of sensitivity are contradictory requirements.
Non-Patent Document 1 reports that an acid generator in polyhydroxystyrene exerts a high acid generation efficiency when processed by the EB or EUV lithography. The energy transfer model contemplated therein is that upon exposure, a phenol group generates a phenoxy radical, which is ionized to emit electrons, to which the acid generator is sensitive. It is a brominated styrene that has the next high acid generation efficiency in the report. The model advocated therein is that a bromine anion generated upon exposure forms a charge transfer complex with a radical cation of a polymer, after which an acid generates.
In the prior art, halogenated hydroxystyrene base resins are known (Patent Documents 1 and 2). By halogen substitution, the acidity of phenol groups is improved whereby alkali dissolution rate or transparency is improved.

Resist composition and patterning process


An implantable diaphragm pump for use in medical applications comprising a housing having a pump cap, a valve plate, a diaphragm, and a base plate, wherein the pump cap and the valve plate are separated by the diaphragm, and the valve plate and lower surface of the diaphragm serve to form a pump chamber. A permanent magnet is attached to the pump cap within the diaphragm chamber wherein the lower surface of the permanent magnet is adjacent to the upper surface of the diaphragm. The diaphragm having a coil and a corrugated outer periphery, wherein when electrical current flows in a first direction through the coil, the diaphragm engages the lower surface of the permanent magnet, and when electrical current flows in a direction opposite the first direction, said diaphragm engages the upper surface of the valve plate.

Miniature or micro-pumps are currently used for a variety of medical purposes. Such devices are implantable in the human body and serve to deliver small quantities of therapeutic drugs. Currently, implantable infusion pumps are known to utilize a solenoid to drive a small piston. Because it is essential for these pumps to be both precise and reliable, the stroke length and cylinder bore must be precisely made, thereby allowing the pump to deliver a well controlled volume of fluid with each stroke. Manufacturing and assembly of miniature precision equipment of this type is extremely expensive requiring specialized tooling and inspection techniques.
Furthermore, because these pumps are to be used as part of an implantable drug system, it is desirable that they be relatively thin so that they may be easily integrated into these systems. Additionally, the cylindrical shape of a piston pump, is cumbersome for such applications, and tends to take up more space than a relatively flat object such as a diaphragm pump would. While many of the prior art pumps contain diaphragms, the systems generally work in conjunction with a piston or solenoid.
For example, turning now to the prior art patents, U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,268 to Gibson et al. discloses an infusion pump having a compressible source of compliance, such as, a plurality of diaphragms serving as pillows. While the prior art utilizes a pumping mechanism, it specifically requires a piston pump to compress the aforementioned diaphragms.
Also, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0135160 to Gray et al. discloses a drive mechanism for an infusion device having a coil surrounding a piston channel, the piston is located within the piston channel. In the retracted position the a piston chamber is formed between the piston and valve member, and filled with a fluid. When the piston is moved into the forward position chamber volume is reduced and pressure increases, moving the valve member to the open position to thereby discharge the fluid.
Finally, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0173773 to Olsen discloses an implantable substance delivery device having a permanent magnet solenoid pump. The pump piston is moveable within the pump cylinder wherein a fluid contained in the inlet chamber is displaced when the pump piston retracts. The fluid contained within the pumping chamber is displaced when the pump piston is actuated.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is an implantable pump that eliminates the need for components having tight tolerances such as those found in miniature piston pumps.
Furthermore, what is needed in the art is an implantable pump that is relatively thin and may be integrated easily into medical devices worn just beneath the skin.


Disclosed is an imaging lens having a small F number, a wide angle of view, and a low manufacturing cost and capable of obtaining a high-quality image. An imaging lens includes a first lens having a negative power and including a concave surface facing an image side, a second lens having a positive power, an aperture diaphragm, a third lens having a negative power, an aperture diaphragm, a fourth lens having a positive power, a fifth lens having a positive power and including a convex surface facing the image side, and a sixth lens having a negative power arranged in this order from an object side. When the curvature radius of an image-side surface of the third lens is R3r and the curvature radius of an object-side surface of the fourth lens is R4f, the imaging lens satisfies the following Conditional expression:|R3r/R4f|<1.0.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging lens and an imaging apparatus, and more particularly, to an imaging lens applicable for, for example, an in-vehicle camera, a mobile terminal camera, or a monitoring camera using an imaging device, such as a CCD (charge coupled device) or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), and an imaging apparatus including the imaging lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the size of an imaging device, such as a CCD or a CMOS, has been reduced, and the number of pixels thereof has increased. In addition, the size of an imaging apparatus including the imaging device has been reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the optical performance of an imaging lens provided in the imaging apparatus and reduce the size and weight of the imaging lens.
Meanwhile, for example, an in-vehicle camera or a monitoring camera requires a high-performance lens that has high weather resistance, can be used in a wide temperature range in a vehicle from a low temperature in a cold region to a high temperature in a tropical region, and has such a small F number that it can be used in the night.
Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2007-236445 and 200 8-193299 (which correspond to US 2009/0067063) and Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-59127 filed by the inventors disclose a lens system having six lenses including a cemented lens as an imaging lens that can be used in the above-mentioned field. In addition, Japanese Patent No. 3723654, JP-A-2005-24969, JP-A-11-142730, Japanese Patent No. 3723637, and Japanese Patent No. 3478643 disclose imaging lenses that can be used in the above-mentioned field. Japanese Patent No. 3723654 discloses an imaging lens including five lenses, that is, negative, positive, negative, positive, and positive lenses arranged in this order. JP-A-2005-24969 and JP-A-11-142730 disclose an imaging lens including six lenses that are classified into a front group including an aspheric lens and a rear group having a positive refractive power. Japanese Patent No. 3723637 discloses an imaging lens that includes six lenses and has a large back focal length. Japanese Patent No. 3478643 discloses an imaging lens including six lenses in which a cemented lens is arranged closest to an image side.
However, the imaging lens disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3723654 includes five lenses, and the aberration of the imaging lens needs to be reduced, as compared to an imaging lens having six lenses.
The imaging lens disclosed in JP-A-2005-24969 and JP-A-11-142730 use an aspheric lens. However, when the aspheric lens is made of resin, the performance of the imaging lens is likely to be lowered due to a temperature variation. Therefore, when the imaging lens is used in a wide temperature range, problems may arise. For this reason, it is preferable that the aspheric lens be made of glass. However, when the aspheric lens is made of glass, a glass mold is needed to manufacture the aspheric lens, which results in an increase in manufacturing costs.
The imaging lenses disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3723637 and Japanese Patent No. 3478643 use only the glass spherical lens. Therefore, the imaging lens is cheaper than a structure using a glass mold aspheric lens. However, since the imaging lens disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3723637 has a large total length, sufficient reduction in the size of the imaging lens is not achieved. The imaging lens disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3478643 has a relatively small size, but the F number thereof is 2.8. Therefore, the imaging system is not fast enough to be used for an in-vehicle camera or a monitoring camera.
Meanwhile, in the above-mentioned imaging apparatuses, in some cases, a ghost is generated in an image surface due to light reflection from each lens surface or the imaging surface of the CCD. Therefore, there is a concern that it may be difficult to exactly recognize an image according to the degree of ghost. In particular, it is necessary to prevent the generation of the ghost in an imaging apparatus, such as a monitoring camera or an in-vehicle camera that captures the image of the front side and performs image processing.


A rotation speed control method for impact type fastening tools has a presetting step and a dynamic control step. The presetting step includes setting a plurality of working positions, and setting a PWM signal with a larger duty cycle as a driving signal in a period after energization so that a motor can rotate at a higher speed and improve work efficiency. When a main controller judges, according to feedback, that the operation enters an impact phase and torsion control is needed to reduce rotation speed, the main controller makes adjustment by driving the motor with a PWM signal with a lower duty cycle corresponding to a working position currently set by the user. The control method improves work efficiency, and meet the user's need of driving a fastener with a higher rotation speed at an early stage of operation. In the torsion control phase, the method according to the present invention can automatically use a suitable torsion to drive the fastener to better meet the user's needs in operation and enable the user to obtain an excellent experience of use.

Many impact type tools having torsion or rotation speed adjustment are available in the market and are used to achieve engagement between a fastener and a workpiece. Generally, when used in a fastening operation, an impact type fastening tool will have an impact fastening phase which follows a screwing phase. During a fastening operation application of a too large torsion will damage the fastener at the impact phase and application of a too small torsion will not allow completion of the fastening operation, so that the fastener and the workpiece get loose. It is for this reason that current impact type fastening tools are generally provided with several torsions or rotation speed control positions. Such control positions are generally used to drive a motor with different duty cycles, and is characterized by high rotation speed with high torsion and low rotation speed with low torsion, that is to say, a higher duty cycle will result in a higher rotation speed and torsion.
FIG. 1 illustrates a relationship diagram showing a change over time of rotation speeds (and accordingly torsion) at different rotation speed control positions of current impact type fastening tools. As shown in FIG. 1, each rotation speed control position comprises a stage in which the rotation speed (and accordingly torsion) rises slowly along with the current of the motor during an initial start period. After a designated position is reached, the rotation speed is output constantly at a constant value set according to the rotation speed control position.
In actual application, there usually occurs such a problem that a user selects a control position of rotation speed or torsion to obtain a suitable torsion at the impact phase as shown in FIG. 1, and the impact type fastening tool will achieve the driving according to the rotation speed. To prevent the fastener from being damaged due to too large a torsion, the user sets a safe and relatively low torsion, and a corresponding rotation speed is a relatively low rotation speed. However, such rotation speed and torsion waste efficiency for the screwing phase.
Currently, there is not yet a rotation control method for allowing for efficient rotation before entry into the impact phase and allowing for a switch to a suitable rotation speed to obtain a suitable torsion after automatic judgment of entry into the impact phase.

Rotation speed control method for impact type fastening tools


The invention discloses a method of manufacturing a microneedle including the steps of forming an island etching mask having thickness distribution on a substrate, and processing the substrate into a needle by taking advantage of a difference in etching rates between the etching mask and the substrate. The invention enables to readily control a point angle and height of the manufactured needle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a microneedle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Percutaneous absorption has been known as one of the methods for administering a drug by permitting it to permeate through the skin. In this method, a liquid or gel of the drug is applied on the surface of a living body such as the skin or mucous membrane.
This method is noninvasive, and makes it possible to simply administer the drug without giving pain to the human body. However, the applied drug is liable to be removed by perspiration or external contact. Another problem may arise in terms of safety since skin failure occurs by long-term administration. In addition, the drug is hardly absorbed in the body merely by applying it on the surface of the body when the drug to be administered has a high molecular weight or the drug is water soluble, and percutaneous absorption of such drug is difficult.
Accordingly, a noticed method is to directly inject the drug beneath the skin by perforating the skin using a microneedle array having many needles of micron order in order to permit the drug to be efficiently absorbed into the body. This method enables simple subcutaneous administration without using any special devices (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,434).
The microneedle used in this method is required to have sufficient fineness and point angle for perforating the skin, and a sufficient length for permitting the drug solution to be permeated under the skin. Consequently, it is thought to be desirable that the needle diameter is from several μm to 100 μm, and the needle length is selected so that the needle penetrates through corneum that is an outermost layer of the skin while the needle does not reach a nerve layer, or specifically from scores of μm to hundreds of μm. The material constituting the needle is required to be harmless to the human body even when the needle is broken and left behind in the body. Materials considered to be promising include medical use silicone resins and biocompatible resins such as maltose, polylactate and dextran resins (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-21677).
For mass production of needles having such a fine structure with a low production cost, transcription molding methods represented by injection molding method, imprint method and casting method are effective. However, a mold having inversed projections and recesses of a desired shape is necessary for molding by any of the above-mentioned methods, and a quite complicated production process is required for forming a structure that is necessary to have a high aspect ratio (a ratio of the height or depth to the diameter of the structure) and an acute tip as the microneedle.
In a proposed method of manufacturing the microneedle, the tip of the needle is sharpened by anisotropic wet etching of a single crystal material such as a silicon wafer by taking advantage of a difference in etching rates between respective crystal orientations of the singe crystal. However, a strict control of the anisotropic wet etching time is necessary for sharpening the tip of the needle, and a high degree of processing technology becomes necessary (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-79499).
Other proposed methods include controlling the point angle of the needle by changing the light exposure value while an exposure mask is moved (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-246595), or combining wet etching using a chemical solution and plasma etching (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-239014).
Another method of manufacturing microneedles to form a microneedle patch includes the steps of forming tips of the microneedles by isotropic etching under a resist mask, and forming microneedles with a desired height by anisotropic etching (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-199392).
However, the above-mentioned manufacturing methods involve a problem in the cost and time since the methods include many complicated steps of forming a thermal oxide layer, applying a resist, forming a mask pattern by photolithography, applying isotropic etching, applying anisotropic etching, removing a sidewall deposit layer, and applying gradient etching.
While the microneedle is required to be uniformly formed particularly with respect to the height since the microneedle should reliably arrive at body tissues such as the epidermis, it is difficult to form the microneedle with high accuracy by the above-mentioned methods.
A special exposure apparatus that is not usually used, a high precision machining technique and a complicated manufacturing process are often needed for satisfying the structural requirement of the microneedle, since a high aspect ratio as well as sharpening the tip are necessary in the conventional methods for manufacturing the microneedle. It is another problem that stripped pieces of the mask contaminate around the mask as etching advances.


In one general approach, an apparatus includes a sensor having an active tunnel magnetoresistive region, magnetic shields flanking the active tunnel magnetoresistive region, and gaps between the active tunnel magnetoresistive region and the magnetic shields. The active tunnel magnetoresistive region includes a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a reference layer. At least one of the gaps includes a seed layer of a chromium alloy and an electrically conductive layer having a refractory material formed on the seed layer. The seed layer in this configuration is more resistant to corrosion than elemental chromium when used in a magnetic recording head and/or in a structure exposed to even trace amounts of fluorine.

The present invention relates to data storage systems, and more particularly, this invention relates to tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) sensors implemented in contact recording.
In magnetic storage systems, magnetic transducers read data from and write data onto magnetic recording media. Data is written on the magnetic recording media by moving a magnetic recording transducer to a position over the media where the data is to be stored. The magnetic recording transducer then generates a magnetic field, which encodes the data into the magnetic media. Data is read from the media by similarly positioning the magnetic read transducer and then sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic media. Read and write operations may be independently synchronized with the movement of the media to ensure that the data can be read from and written to the desired location on the media.
An important and continuing goal in the data storage industry is that of increasing the density of data stored on a medium. For tape storage systems, that goal has led to increasing the track and linear bit density on recording tape, and decreasing the thickness of the magnetic tape medium. However, the development of small footprint, higher performance tape drive systems has created various problems in the design of a tape head assembly for use in such systems.
In a tape drive system, the drive moves the magnetic tape over the surface of the tape head at high speed. Usually the tape head is designed to minimize the spacing between the head and the tape. The spacing between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape is crucial and so goals in these systems are to have the recording gaps of the transducers, which are the source of the magnetic recording flux in near contact with the tape to effect writing sharp transitions, and to have the read elements in near contact with the tape to provide effective coupling of the magnetic field from the tape to the read elements.
Minimization of the spacing between the head and the tape, however, induces frequent contact between the tape and the media facing side of the head, causing tape operations to be deemed a type of "contact recording." This contact, in view of the high tape speeds and tape abrasivity, quickly affects the integrity of the materials used to form the media facing surface of the head, e.g., causing wear thereto, smearing which is known to cause shorts, etc.
Moreover, TMR transducer failure in multi-channel tape drives having trace amounts of fluorine on the tape bearing surface has recently been observed. While the source of fluorine is not currently known, it is suspected to be a residual artifact from tape head manufacturing and/or possibly appears post manufacturing.
Specifically, drives having iridium conductive spaces appear to be prone to such failure. The inventors have found that drives may fail after running tape for many hours. The problem is due to specific tracks developing high resistance and low output. Drives that fail are not recovered by cleaning. This problem is very serious and will affect future products.

Tunnel magnetoresistive sensor with adjacent gap having chromium alloy seed layer and refractory material layer

International Business Machines Corporation


A gasketing device for forming a molded interior trim component for a vehicle utilizes a flexible planar gasket compressed between mold halves to prevent foaming material from entering the gasket area. The gasket is adapted to be secured to a structural insert and has a flexible peripheral edge that seals against the inside surface of a bezel on the insert. The gasket extends through the opening defined by the bezel to seal against a skin shell. The method includes mounting the gasket on the insert. The insert and gasket are placed on a mold half with an opposing mold half having a skin shell thereon. A foaming formulation is placed between the skin shell and insert and allowed to foam about the gasket to secure the insert to the skin shell. The product is removed, the skin shell over the gasket cut and peeled away to form an opening in the shell dimensioned smaller than the dimensions of the peripheral edge of the gasket. The gasket is accessed by hand through the smaller opening, is flexed to clear the edges of the smaller opening to prevent damage thereto and removed for reuse.

In the past, preformed vinyl skin shells of a synthetic resin material, such as polyvinyl chloride resin, have served as the outer surface of finished products. The vinyl skin covers the entire inner surface of the typical open pour-type mold cavity section, in order to keep molds clean after removal of the molded products. The entire skin shell is then covered by pouring an expanding urethane foam formulation thereon. A mold lid is placed on the mold cavity section. Typically, it supports an insert member that backs the skin shell in spaced relationship therewith. The urethane foam is spread between the skin shell and insert to bond them together. Thereafter, particular sections of the vinyl shell and any adjacent foam must be cut out or trimmed at openings in the insert that define required openings in the finished products for various associated add-on components, e.g., radio speaker, odometer, etc., in automotive instrument panels. Such cutouts or trim constitute waste sections.
In order to block out flow of an expensive foam formulation at a particular waste section between the skin shell and the insert, lower cost precast rigid foam blocks are sometimes used to fill cavities in the pour mold for the instrument panel insert. These rigid foam blocks are used as fillers to displace any foam that would travel into the waste sections during the final pour stage in the manufacture of a finished product such as an instrument panel. After foaming and removal of the final product, the skin is cut and the rigid foam blocks are removed and discarded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,465, issued Nov. 6, 1990 to Rhodes, Jr. discloses another method of containing foam during molding of a foam-filled product. The patent discloses a mold assembly for molding vinyl skin shelled covered and foam filled products wherein waste portions or the shell and foam are eliminated from }he molded product. Compressible foam or silicone rubber gaskets or spacers of predetermined shape, such as the shape of an opening suitable for a radio speaker, are placed on a skin shell in the mold and compressed between the mold lid and the bottom surface of the mold cavity. The gasket is generally cylindrical. An insert is attached to the upper lid mold half and a vinyl skin is placed on the lower mold half. The gasket is placed on the lower mold half on end in an opening of the skin. The foam is poured and thereafter the mold is closed. After foaming, the gasket is removed. The gaskets of the '465 patent do not provide a peripheral edge for sealing around an extended length bezel surrounding large area openings for instrument clusters and the like.
At the present time, a seal arrangement of paper, tape, foam tape, and a large piece of cardboard is used to plug and seal such bezels and instrument cluster area openings in the instrument panel. Such a sealing arrangement requires substantial installation time. Moreover, it may tear so as to allow foam to leak into a large waste section cavity within the pour mold, created by the shell on the outer surface of cavity of the pour tool and the insert and lid surface of the pour tool creating the upper surface of the cavity. The foam leakage can, in some cases, constitute a substantial percentage of the total foam pour. As a consequence, voids or fatty foam can occur in the instrument panel behind the skin.

Flexible gasketing device for foam control in crash pad pour molds


An image recording apparatus includes a rotating photosensitive drum, a developing unit, a neutralizing device, and a transferring device. An electrostatic latent image is formed on a charged surface of the rotating photosensitive drum, the electrostatic latent image being developed by a developing unit and subsequently transferred by a transferring device to a print medium. The neutralizing device neutralizes the charged surface of the photosensitive drum at the point on the surface disposed downstream of the developing unit and upstream of the transferring device with respect to rotation of the photosensitive drum. A controller controls the neutralizing device according to characteristics of the print medium such as size, material, insulation, and transparency. The neutralizing device may be operated in different modes. For example, the neutralizing device may neutralize an entirety of the charged surface of the photosensitive drum only if the print medium is of a predetermined characteristic, i.e., an insulating sheet such as a transparent OHP sheet or may neutralize only selected parts of the charged surface of the photosensitive drum according to a width of the print medium.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Image recording apparatuses such as an electrophotographic printer use an electrophotographic method. A photosensitive drum surface is uniformly charged by a charging device and light illuminates the charged surface to form an electrostatic latent image thereon. Then the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by a developing device which deposits toner on the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. The toner image is then transferred to the print medium by a transferring device. The toner image transferred to the print medium is fixed by a fixing device.
FIG. 14 illustrates a general construction of a conventional image recording apparatus.
A charging roller 17 applies a negative voltage to the surface of a photosensitive drum 16 rotating in a direction shown by arrow A, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum 16 is negatively charged. An LED head 13 illuminates the surface of the photosensitive drum 16 to form an electrostatic latent image thereon.
Then, a developer 18 deposits negatively charged toner 10 to the photosensitive drum 16 to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. When a print medium 37 is fed between the photosensitive drum 16 and a transfer roller 14, the transfer roller 14 receives a positive voltage so that the toner image is transferred to the print medium 37.
With the aforementioned conventional image recording apparatus, if the print medium 37 is a sheet made of an insulating material such as a transparent OHP (overhead projector) sheet, negative charges are apt to be stored on the insulating sheet. When the transparent sheet 37 passes between the photosensitive drum 16 and transfer roller 14, discharge takes place from the photosensitive drum 16 to the print medium 37. Therefore, a surface potential of the transparent medium 37 is negative.
The amount of negative charges increases since there is no path through which the negative charges stored on the surface of the transparent medium 37 can leak. As a result, the negative charges accumulates on the surface of the transparent medium 37 and the negative potential on the surface increases, being detrimental to effective transfer of the toner 10 to the print medium 37.
FIG. 15 illustrates the transfer process of the conventional image recording apparatus. Referring to FIG. 15, the width of the print medium 37 is narrower than the photosensitive drum 16 and transfer roller 14. When the high voltage is applied to the transfer roller 14, a transfer current Ia flows through the print medium 37 sandwiched between the transfer roller 14 and photosensitive drum 16. During the transferring process, an unwanted current Ib also flows directly from the transfer roller 14 to the photosensitive drum 16.
If the print medium 37 is thick, the impedance of the print medium 37 is high. Therefore, the transfer current Ia decreases and the unwanted current Ib increases by that amount with the result that the toner image 98 is transferred incompletely to the print medium. One way of increasing Ia is to increase the transfer voltage. However, changing the transfer voltage in accordance with the various widths of the print medium 37 is difficult and an increase in transfer voltage results in an increase in unwanted current Ib. An increased unwanted current Ib causes damages to the surface of the photosensitive drum 16.

Image recording apparatus having a neutralizing device


Systems and methods relating to the encryption and decryption of messages to be sent through a communications link. The system and method uses a random data source at the receive and transmit sides, along with a trusted random sampler that produces correlated random samples from the random data source to be used at the send and receive sides. At the transmit side, the correlated random sample is used to generate a symmetric key as well as a ciphertext. The symmetric key is then used to encrypt the message. The ciphertext is transmitted, along with the encrypted message, to the receive side. The receive side then uses the ciphertext, along with its own correlated random sample, to recover the symmetric key. The symmetric key is then used to decrypt the encrypted message.

The communications revolution of the early 21st century has led to an explosion in the amount of data being transferred between people. Concomitant with this explosion in communications volume is an increasing interest in privacy as people seek to keep their communications private from prying eyes. Multiple encryption schemes exist to ensure that communications are kept private between communicating parties.
Public-key encryption (PKE) schemes are usually defined for restricted message spaces and so the ciphertext can hide a limited number of plaintext bits. A Hybrid encryption scheme [R1] consists of a public-key part and a (symmetric) secret-key part. The public-key part is called the key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) and generates a pair: (i) a random symmetric key K, and (ii) a ciphertext C. The symmetric key part uses the generated key K to encrypt the actual data and obtains the corresponding ciphertext C′ using an efficient data encapsulation mechanism (DEM) (that can be constructed using, for example, AES in counter mode). The pair (C,C′) allows the decryptor to first recover K from C, and then use it to decrypt C′ to obtain the data.
Today's main constructions of KEM rely on the hardness assumption of two computational problems, discrete logarithm (DL) and integer factorization problems, both with known efficient quantum algorithms by Shor [R2]. KEMs that remain secure in presence of quantum computers are called post-quantum secure, and have been constructed using hard problems in areas such as lattices or algebraic codes for which efficient quantum algorithms are not known.
These constructions, in many cases, require high computation and communication cost and in all cases need to update their parameters with advances in computing and security technologies (e.g., updating parameters when new algorithms and attacks are found). Post-quantum security of hybrid encryption systems is primarily determined by the post-quantum security of the KEM because DEM is constructed using a symmetric key encryption system that can be designed to have security not significantly impacted by quantum computers (for example, one needs to double the key size of AES).
This highlights a need for new systems and methods for encryption that operate with post-quantum security between parties.

Encryption/decryption using key encapsulation/decapsulation


A system for facilitating remote printing via a network. The system, in one embodiment, includes a first mechanism for receiving information with respect to the availability to print of one or more printers connected to the network, for selecting an available printer in response thereto, and for providing a printer-selected message to the selected printer indicating that the printer has been selected to print the document. The system also includes a second mechanism, responsive to the printer-selected message, for rechecking the availability to print of the selected printer and for pulling the document from the first mechanism in preparation for printing via the selected printer unless the rechecking determines that the selected printer has subsequently become unavailable to print.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to printing systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating remote printing via one or more devices, such as Internet appliances, and one or more printers connected to a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote printing systems and methods are employed in various demanding applications including office computer network and home Internet appliance printing applications. Such applications often demand memory-efficient and versatile printing systems and software that can effectively print from plural network devices.
In an exemplary network-printing environment, one or more network devices, such as computers, hand-held devices, Internet appliances, and printers intercommunicate via a wireless and/or landline network. Devices connected to the network often print via one or more printers connected to the network. To print to a desired printer via a network device, the network device must run printer driver software specific to that desired printer. A document to be printed is sent to the desired printer, i.e., pushed via the driver software running on the network device. If other devices are currently printing to the same printer, the current print job is typically placed in a queue until previously pushed jobs are printed. If the desired printer is offline or malfunctioning, the user may waste time printing to the printer.
In a conventional network-printing environment, a device that prints to several different types of printers must have installed printer drivers for each type of printer. The printer drivers are often bulky software packages that occupy significant device memory. Consequently, some devices may not have sufficient memory to enable printing to various types of printers without first removing other software from memory to accommodate the additional printer driver(s). This is particularly problematic in hand-held devices and Internet appliances, where available memory is often severely limited.
To overcome driver storage issues, companies such as Lexmark, NEC, and Peerless Technology, have developed various remote Internet based printing systems. In these systems, a user employing a device with a document to print browses to a printer interface website or other service via the device. The user then pushes, i.e., transfers the desired document to the printer interface website or directly to a selected printer via the device. Translation of the document into appropriate printer control commands is performed via drivers running on the printer interface website or running directly on the printer. The user typically must know the printer type, the electronic address of the printer interface website or service, the name of the website or service, and/or the name of the desired printer. Unfortunately, users often lack this information, and obtaining it may be undesirably time consuming. This is particularly problematic when traveling, where users may lack information about the local network printers.
Hence, a need exists in the art for an efficient system and method that enables devices connected to a network to print to various types of printers without requiring installation of several different bulky printer drivers on each device for each type of printer being employed. There exists a further need for a system and method that enables a user to efficiently obtain information about printers on a given network, such as whether the printers are available to print.

System and method for facilitating network printing

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A platinum(IV) complex represented by the general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently represent ammonia, an alkylamine or a cycloalkylamine, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 may together form a cycloalkyldiamine; X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 independently represent a halogen, nitrate ion, sulfate ion or a monocarboxylic acid, or X.sub.1 and X.sub.2 may together form a glycolate or a dicarboxylic acid; Y.sub.1 represents formic acid, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl-, alkenyl-, aryl-, aralkyl-, alkylamino- or alkoxyl-monocarboxylic acid or sulfonic acid; and Y.sub.2 represents a halogen. The complex of the invention is stable even when orally administered and has high antitumor activity.

Since the development and practical use of cisplatin as an effective antitumor agent, a broad range of studies have been conducted with the aim of finding a new platinum complex which possesses more effective antitumor activity than cisplatin, and of improving properties thereof other than the antitumor action, such as reduction of toxicity and other undesirable side effects.
Carboplatin is known as a platinum(II) complex, as well as recently developed oxaliplatin. With regard to platinum(IV) complexes, iproplatin is known, and tetraplatin has been subjected to clinical trial but its clinical development has been suspended due to the side effects, such as toxicity.
Each of these platinum complexes is for parenteral administration use and is hydrophilic. In order to improve quality of life of cancer patients, great concern has been directed toward the development of an oral preparation for use in the treatment of cancer patients at the terminal stage.

Platinum (IV) complex, production process thereof and carcinostatic agent containing the same


The present invention relates to a highly smooth fiber comprising a fiber produced from a thermoplastic resin on which a mixed composition is deposited in an amount of 0.1 to 2.0 percent by weight of said fiber, said mixed composition comprising 50 to 85 percent by weight of a composition (A) consisting of an alkyl phosphate salt having an average number of carbon atoms of 6 to 14 and/or an alkyl phosphate salt having an average number of carbon atoms of 10 to 22 to which a polyoxyalkylene group is added; and 15 to 50 percent by weight of a composition (B) consisting of a polyoxyalkylene modified silicone containing amide group.. The present present invention also relates to a fabric or formed articles produced from such a highly smooth fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly smooth fiber having hydrophilic groups. More specifically, the present invention relates to a highly smooth fiber having an excellent processability in terms of dispersion and fiber opening using air flow or a carding machine, produced by depositing a specific fiber treatment agent, thereby providing anti-static properties, high smoothness, and hydrophilic properties to a fiber consisting of a low-melting thermoplastic resin. The present invention also relates to a fabric or formed articles produced from such a highly smooth fiber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various fields represented by the hygienic material field, there are used woven and non-woven fabrics produced from thermoplastic resins such as polyolefins, polyesters and polyamides. These resins are uniformly dispersed using wet or dry processes, and subsequently adhered with hot air, compressed with hot rolls, and knitted or weaved using high-pressure water flow or metal needles.
However, since fibers made of thermoplastic resins such as polyolefins produce much fiber--fiber and fiber-metal friction in the dry carding process, static electricity is generated and twining occurs.
Because of the present discreteness and improved quality and performance of products, functional thermoplastic resins are often used. In some of these applications, there are used fibers which produce more fiber--fiber and fiber-metal friction than do conventional fibers. Such fibers include resins suitable for low-temperature processing and those having high tackiness. Also, for improving processing efficiencies, increase in processing speed is attempted.
For these reasons, various fiber finishing agents have been proposed for imparting anti-static properties or smoothness to the fibers. Widely used fiber finishing agents include waxes, fatty acid-based fats and oils, and quaternary ammonium salts containing long-chain alkyl groups. However, none of these agents impart sufficient smoothness to the fibers.
On the other hand, silicone-based finishing agents are well known to impart high smoothness to the fibers. For example, emulsion-polymerized dimethyl siloxane and amine-modified silicone have been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Publication NO 48-1480). However, both emulsion-polymerized dimethyl siloxane and amine-modified silicone have poor anti-static properties, interfere with the hydrophilic properties of the fiber, and cause the non-woven fabrics to turn yellow.
For imparting hydrophilic properties to fibers, treatment with polyether-modified silicone has been proposed (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 63-303184, 1-148879 and 2-169774). However, polyether-modified silicone imparts hydrophilic properties but does not impart smoothness to fibers. Therefore, highly smooth fibers provided with higher smoothness, anti-static properties, and hydrophilic properties have still been demanded.

Highly smooth fiber, fabric, and formed article


The present invention is a window regulator mechanism for vertically moving a window panel mounted within a motor vehicle door. The mechanism comprises an elongated guide rail member mounted within the vehicle door and having a base portion with a pair of side flange portions. A first of the pair of side flange portions has a nose portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom. A second of the pair of side flange portions has a convex exterior surface. A window moving structure engages the window panel and has a base member and a pair of side leg portions extending from opposing sides thereof. One of the side leg portions has a nose-receiving groove formed in an inwardly facing surface thereof. The window moving structure is slidably mounted on the guide rail member. A manually operable actuating mechanism is constructed to slidably move the window moving structure vertically along the guide rail member. The nose portion of the guide rail member is received within the nose-receiving groove of the window moving structure and the convex exterior surface of the guide rail member is slidably engaged with an inwardly facing surface of another of the side leg portions of the window moving structure opposite the nose-receiving groove such that (1) relative pivotal movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure about a fixed pivot axis extending longitudinally through the nose portion is permitted and (2) relative movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure in a radial direction with respect to the fixed pivot axis is substantially restricted to thereby reduce vibrations which occur as a result of forcibly moving the vehicle door into closing engagement with a motor vehicle body.

The present invention relates to window regulator mechanisms. More particularly the present invention relates to a window regulator mechanism which reduces or eliminate vibrations which occur when a motor vehicle door is forcibly closed.
Conventional window regulator mechanisms comprise a slider member slidably mounted on a guide rail member and a lifter plate engaged with the window panel and attached to the slider member. An actuating mechanism in the form of an electric motor or a crank handle retracts one of a pair of wires attached to the slider member so as to slidably move the slider member along the guide rail member and raise or lower the window panel with respect to the vehicle door. Oftentimes, during assembly or over an extended period of usage, these components may become misaligned within the vehicle door. As a result, it is desirable to provide some free play between the guide rail member and the slider member in order to compensate for such misalignments and any other irregularities which may otherwise occur. Typically, conventional window regulator mechanisms permit rotational free play and free play in both the inboard/outboard and the fore/aft directions of the vehicle.
One problem associated with providing such free play in the conventional manner occurs when the vehicle door is forcibly shut or slammed. When the vehicle door is forcibly shut, the free play permitted between the guide rail member and the slider body results in vibrations and vibratory noise which lasts for a short period of time thereafter. One way to reduce these vibrations is to pinch the guide rail and slider member close together and eliminate the free play. This, however, does not allow for any misalignment or irregularities of the mechanism components and also increases the amount of operating effort required to raise and lower the window panel.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a window regulator mechanism which utilizes a limited amount of free play in order to correct any misalignments between the components thereof while at the same time eliminating or minimizing the vibrations which occurs as a result of movement of the slider member and guide rail member after the vehicle door has been forcibly closed.
The present invention is a window regulator mechanism for vertically moving a window panel mounted within a motor vehicle door. The mechanism comprises an elongated guide rail member mounted within the vehicle door and extending longitudinally in a vertical direction. The guide rail member has a base portion with a pair of side flange portions extending longitudinally along opposing sides thereof to define a guide rail channel therebetween. A first of the pair of side flange portions has a nose portion extending laterally outwardly therefrom. A second of the pair of side flange portions has a laterally outwardly facing convex exterior surface.
A window moving structure engages the window panel. The window moving structure has a base member and a pair of side leg portions extending from opposing sides thereof to define a window moving structure channel therebetween. One of the side leg portions has a nose-receiving groove formed in an inwardly facing surface thereof. The window moving structure is slidably mounted on the guide rail member to allow the window panel to be moved vertically with respect to the vehicle door.
A manually operable actuating mechanism is constructed and arranged to slidably move the window moving structure vertically along the guide rail member so that the window panel is moved vertically with respect to the vehicle door in response to manual operation. The nose portion of the guide rail member is received within the nose-receiving groove of the window moving structure and the convex exterior surface of the guide rail member is slidably engaged with an inwardly facing surface of another of the side leg portions of the window moving structure opposite the nose-receiving groove such that (1) relative pivotal movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure about a fixed pivot axis extending longitudinally through the nose portion is permitted and (2) relative movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure in a radial direction with respect to the fixed pivot axis is substantially restricted to thereby reduce vibrations which occur as a result of forcibly moving the vehicle door into closing engagement with a motor vehicle body.
Another aspect of the present invention is a window regulator mechanism for vertically moving a window panel mounted within a motor vehicle door. The mechanism comprises an elongated guide rail member mounted within the vehicle door and extending longitudinally in a vertical direction. The guide rail member has a base portion with a pair of side flange portions extending longitudinally along opposing sides thereof to define a guide rail channel therebetween.
A window moving structure engages the window panel. The window moving structure has a base member and a pair of side leg portions extending from opposing sides thereof to define a window moving structure channel therebetween. The window moving structure is slidably mounted on the guide rail member to allow the window panel to be moved vertically with respect to the vehicle door. A manually operable actuating mechanism is constructed and arranged to slidably move the window moving structure vertically along the guide rail member so that the window panel is moved vertically with respect to the vehicle door in response to manual operation. The guide rail member is slidably mounted on the window moving structure such that (1) relative pivotal movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure about a fixed pivot axis extending longitudinally through the guide rail member is permitted and (2) relative movement between the guide rail member and the window moving structure in a radial direction with respect to the fixed pivot axis is substantially restricted to thereby reduce vibrations which occur as a result of forcibly moving the vehicle door into closing engagement with a motor vehicle body.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly for guidably mounting a motor vehicle window panel for vertical movement. The assembly basically comprises the elongated guide rail member and window moving structure as discussed above.
Other objects, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the method of operation and function of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of the parts and economics of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification.


Some embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus for implementing an automatic failover mechanism for a resource. A client accesses a source through a first server using a first session. During the session, the client stores checksum information corresponding to data received via the session with the first server. When it is detected that the session between the first server and the client has failed, the client is automatically connected with second server that has access to the resource. The checksum information is transmitted from the client to the second server, where it is compared with checksum information calculated at the second server, so that a determination can be made as to whether the client can continue processing where it left off when connected to the second server.

A typical client-server database system includes a client, a database server, and a database. The client portion includes two main components, a database application and a client driver interface. The database application issues database language commands (e.g., SQL (Structured Query Language) commands), and provides an interface to a user through a keyboard, screen, and/or pointing devices such as a mouse. The client driver interface provides the connection and communication interface between the client and the database server.
A specific connection between a particular client and a particular database server may be termed a database session. The database server responds to the database language commands (e.g., SQL queries) sent from the client by executing database operations for accessing and manipulating a physical database. Contained within the database server is session state data which may reflect the current state of the database session.
To initiate a database session, a "log on" procedure may be performed to establish a new database session by connecting a client with a database server. Normally, the database session lasts from the time the user connects until the time the user disconnects or exits the database application. However, if a database session failure occurs, either through a failure of the connection between the client and database, or the failure of the database or database server, the connection between the client and the database server is lost. When this occurs, the user will observe a visible interrupt in his service as access to the database is terminated. To continue accessing the database, the user must reconnect a client to an active database server. This may require human intervention to manually log back onto the system to establish a new database session.
Besides requiring human intervention to manually log back onto the system, the failure of a database session creates other significant problems to the user. Because the logon process creates a new database session, all previous queries that were not complete at the time of the failure are lost. Thus the user must resubmit all lost queries once the connection to the database is reestablished.
Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for handling the failure of a database session without requiring someone to perform manual reconnection steps. Additionally, it is also desirable to be able to restore session state data after the occurrence of a database session failure.

Method and system for automatic failover for clients accessing a resource through a server using hybrid checksum location


A stud-bail assembly is made of a bail with pintles each having a recessed portion which mates with studs having boss portions to create a limiting structure to restrict the swinging movement of the bail, thus preventing the bail from damaging the underlying surface of the assembly. Additionally, the stud-bail assembly is formed as a one-piece part to facilitate ease of shipping and handling.

A stud and bail assembly is used most often as a handle to open drawers, cabinet doors, or the like. Usually, a combination of studs, rosettes, and a bail are used. A pair of studs are placed on the pintles of a bail, and a rosette is placed on each stud. This assembly is then mounted onto the face of a surface such as a drawer and locked into place usually by a pair of screws. It is also known to substitute the rosettes with a decorative backplate with holes to accommodate the studs. This assembly is then attached to the face of a surface such as a drawer to form a handle.
In a typical stud-bail assembly, the bail is left to swing freely because the stud-pintle assembly forms a rotational joint. This swinging action allows the bail to impact the mounted surface causing damage to the finish of the contacting surface or backplate. Therefore, stops are required on the bails to restrict the bail from making contact with the underling surface to prevent damage. Typically, stops are formed on the underside of the bail to prevent the bail from swinging down onto the mounted surface. However, this stop configuration does not prevent the bail from swinging upwards to hit the mounted surface or backplate at the top of where the bail assembly is mounted. Furthermore, the stops themselves can cause minor damage to the rosettes, backplate, or the underling surface after repeated impact.
Another problem with known stud-bail assemblies is shipping and handling. Typically, the studs and rosettes are held on the pintles of the bail with rubberbands during shipping or the pieces are shipped as loose components that require assembly during mounting. Handling many individual components, whether loose or held together by rubberbands, poses disadvantages such as increasing the chance of missing parts, longer assembly time, and more complex inventory.