A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named xe2x80x98Klerotystxe2x80x99, characterized by its uniform and cascading growth habit; dark green-colored leaves with zonation pattern; and light purple-colored double flowers.

Pelargonium peltatum cultivar xe2x80x98Klerotystxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Klerotystxe2x80x99.
The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with uniform growth habit, and interesting flower and foliage colors.
The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor in May, 1995 of a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as code number PL 808, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Klerotyst was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this cross in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany, in June, 1996.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Stuttgart, Germany, since July, 1996, has shown that the unique features of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Klerotystxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Klerotystxe2x80x99 as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:
1. Uniform and cascading growth habit.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with zonation pattern.
3. Light purple-colored double flowers.
Plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant growth habit, leaf color and flower color.
The new Ivy Geranium is most similar in flower color to the cultivar, Amethyst, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differ from plants of the cultivar Amethyst in the following characteristics:
1. Cuttings of the new Ivy Geranium are easier to propagate during the winter than cuttings of the cultivar Amethyst.
2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium are stronger and more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Amethyst.
3. Leaves of the new Ivy Geranium have a more distinct zonation pattern than leaves of the cultivar Amethyst.
4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium are more tolerant to rain and temperature extremes than plants of the cultivar Amethyst.


There is provided a semiconductor storage device including a substrate area, a first and a second isolation area, a first well area where the first transistor is placed, a second well area where the second transistor to output a first voltage to bring the first transistor into non-conduction is placed, and a third well area where the third transistor to output a second voltage to bring the first transistor into conduction is placed. The second and third well areas and the second isolation area are formed between two of the first well area, the second isolation area is formed between the second well area and one of the first well area, and the third well area is formed between the second well area and another one of the first well area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor storage devices and more particularly to a semiconductor storage device in which a cell array and a word driver are formed on isolate wells.
2. Description of Related Art
A semiconductor storage device (which is referred to hereinafter as a memory) is used as a storage device in various equipment. There is a strong need for a memory used in portable devices to exhibit low power consumption. However, as the manufacturing process of semiconductor elements constituting a memory is shifted to finer design rules, leakage current of semiconductor elements increases to result in higher power consumption. Further, the increase in leakage current requires increasingly frequent refresh operation for DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) to maintain memory, which further increases power consumption.
In order to reduce the leakage current, a back-gate voltage VBB to be applied to a back gate of a gate transistor of a memory cell is set to a lower voltage (i.e. a negative voltage) than a substrate voltage (which is typically a ground voltage). A technique to set a back-gate voltage VBB to be lower than a substrate voltage is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-37281 (referred to hereinafter as the related art 1).
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a memory according to the related art 1. As shown in FIG. 5, a memory 100 of the related art 1 includes word drivers to drive memory cells disposed in a word driver area 111 and memory cells to store data disposed in a cell array 110. In the word driver, a PMOS transistor P1 and an NMOS transistor N1 are connected in series between a drive voltage Vboot and a charge retention voltage VKK. Control signals CTRL with opposite logic levels to each other are input to the PMOS transistor P1 and the NMOS transistor N1, respectively. The drain of the PMOS transistor P1 and the drain of the NMOS transistor N1 are connected at a node, to which a word line WL is connected. In response to the control signals CTRL, the word driver supplies the drive voltage Vboot to the word line when writing or reading data and supplies the charge retention voltage VKK to the word line WL when holding data. The drive voltage Vboot is higher than the power supply voltage VDD, and the charge retention voltage VKK equals the ground voltage GND.
The memory cell includes a gate transistor and a capacitor C1. The gate transistor may be an NMOS transistor. The gate of the gate transistor is connected to the word line WL, and the drain is connected to a bit line BL. The source of the gate transistor is connected to a reference voltage VVC (e.g. VDD/2) through the capacitor C1. A back-gate voltage VBB of the gate transistor, which is a voltage of a well where the NMOS transistor is formed, is set to a negative voltage that is lower than the ground voltage GND. The bit line BL is connected to a sense amplifier (not shown) and the charge of the capacitor C1 is output from the sense amplifier through the bit line BL.
Data is written to or read from the memory cell by bringing the gate transistor into conduction according to the voltage of the word line WL. The charges accumulated in the capacitor are maintained by bringing the gate transistor into non-conduction.
FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a block layout of the memory 100. As shown in FIG. 6, the memory 100 of the related art 1 includes a cell array 110 where a plurality of memory cells are placed, a word driver area 111 where a plurality of word drivers are placed, a sense amplifier area 112 where a plurality of sense amplifiers are placed, and a crossing area 113 where a junction circuit to transfer a control signal from a controller (not shown) to the word drivers and the sense amplifiers is placed. The cell array 110, the word driver area 111, the sense amplifier area 112 and the crossing area 113 are isolated by a isolation area 114. The cell array 110, the word driver area 111, the sense amplifier area 112 and the crossing area 113 constitute one array set, and a plurality of array sets are arranged in a lattice pattern in the memory 100 of the related art 1.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the memory 100 along line A-A′ in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, in the memory 100, a deep N-well area 121 formed of an N-type semiconductor is placed in an upper layer of a substrate area P-sub 120 formed of a P-type semiconductor. A P-well area 122 where a cell array is formed is placed in an upper layer of the deep N-well area 121. In the upper layer of the deep N-well area 121 is also placed a part of an N-well area 125 to serve as the isolation area 114 in the vicinity of the P-well area 122 where a cell array is formed. The word driver area 111 is placed between the adjacent isolation areas 114. The word driver area 111 is formed in a well that is formed in the upper layer of the substrate area P-sub 120. For example, a P-well area 123 where an NMOS transistor is placed adjacent to the isolation area 114, and an N-well area 124 where a PMOS transistor is formed is placed between the P-well areas 123.
In the memory of the related art 1, the P-well area 122 where the cell array 110 is formed is isolated from the substrate area P-sub 120 and the word driver area 111 by the N-well areas 121 and 125, so that the back-gate voltage VBB of the gate transistor of the memory cell is a negative voltage.
A technique of reducing the layout area of the memory 100 of the related art 1 by reducing the isolation area 114 is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-17134 (referred to hereinafter as the related art 2). FIG. 8 shows a circuit diagram of a memory 200 according to the related art 2. The memory 200 is substantially the same as the memory 100 except that the charge retention voltage VKK of the memory driver 200 connected to the word driver equals the back-gate voltage VBB while the charge retention voltage VKK equals the ground voltage GND in the memory 100.
FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a block layout of the memory 200 according to the related art 2. As shown in FIG. 9, in the memory 200, a cell array 210, a word driver area 211, a sense amplifier area 212 and a crossing area 213 are arranged without a isolation area interposed therebetween. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A′ in FIG. 9.
As shown in FIG. 10, in the memory 200, a deep N-well area 221 is placed in an upper layer of a substrate area P-sub 220 formed of a P-type semiconductor. The cell array 210 and the word driver area 211 are placed in an upper layer of the deep N-well area 221. In the cell array 210 and the word driver area 211, an N-well area 223 where a PMOS transistor of the word driver area is formed is placed adjacent to a P-well area 222 where one cell array 210 is formed. A P-well area 224 where an NMOS transistor of the word driver area 211 is formed is integrated with a P-well area 222 where another cell array 210 is formed.
In the memory 200, one cell array 210 and the word driver area 211 are insulated from each other with the semiconductors having opposite polarities placed adjacently, and the other cell array 210 and the word driver area 211 are connected without a isolation area with the semiconductors having the same polarity placed adjacently. Such a layout achieves the reduction of a chip area while setting the back-gate voltage VBB of the cell array 210 to a negative voltage.
However, if the gate transistor of the memory cell is designed to be finer, leakage current flows even when the gate voltage of the gate transistor is set to the ground voltage GND to bring the transistor into non-conduction. An increase in the leakage current degrades the charge retention characteristics of the memory cell to require increasingly frequent refresh operation, which leads to higher power consumption.
Further, the inventors of the present invention have found by experiment that the leakage current flowing through the gate transistor has temperature characteristics. FIG. 11 shows a graph indicating the leakage current characteristics. As shown in FIG. 11, while the leakage current is minimized when the gate voltage is 0V under low temperature, the leakage current is minimized when the gate voltage is a negative voltage under high temperature. It is thus necessary to control the gate voltage of the gate transistor, which is the charge retention voltage VKK in the above-described related arts, according to temperature in order to minimize the leakage current.
In the memory 100 of the related art 1, it is impossible to control the charge retention voltage VKK because it is fixed to the ground voltage GND. This is because the substrate area P-sub 120 in the lower layer of the word driver area 111 is common to other circuit blocks and therefore changing the voltage can hinder other circuit blocks from operating normally.
In the memory 200 of the related art 2, it is also impossible to control the charge retention voltage VKK independently of the back-gate voltage VBB. This is because the P-well area 224 of the word driver area 211 is integrated with the P-well area 222 of another other cell array 210 and therefore the independent control of the back-gate voltage VBB and the charge retention voltage VKK causes a current to flow from the charge retention voltage VKK to the P-well areas 224 and 222.


A first nitride semiconductor layer laminating step includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, an entire upper surface of the sapphire substrate is coated with a first nitride semiconductor layer, while supplying oxygen. In the second step, crystals of the first nitride semiconductor layer are grown by supplying oxygen at a smaller flow rate than that of oxygen supplied in the first step, or without supplying the oxygen.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a nitride semiconductor element.
2. Description of Related Art
A manufacturing method of a nitride semiconductor element is disclosed in WO 99/38218 as a conventional method. The manufacturing method of the nitride semiconductor element involves sequentially laminating a buffer layer of a gallium nitride compound semiconductor on a substrate at low temperature, and a light emission layer of a gallium nitride compound semiconductor over the buffer layer at high temperature, by a metal organic chemical vapor deposition. In growing the buffer layer, oxygen is supplied to stably grow the buffer layer.
In the conventional manufacturing method of the nitride semiconductor element, however, the temperature for growing the buffer layer is a low temperature, which leads to the formation of the grown buffer layer not in a single crystal state, but in a polycrystalline state close to an amorphous state. For this reason, the crystallinity of the nitride semiconductor layer formed over the buffer layer has room for improvement.

Method for manufacturing nitride semiconductor element


A transition between a waveguide and transmission line is disclosed in which a probe portion of the transmission line extends into the waveguide to electrically field couple signals between the waveguide and transmission line. The transmission line is preferably a coplanar fuse and includes a substrate having conductors disposed therein which prevent energy from propagating into the substrate from the waveguide. Propagation of energy into the desired transmission line mode is therefore facilitated. Because the probe is formed as an integral part of the transmission line, direct coupling to the waveguide is possible without the use of intervening sections, transitions or transmission lines. The transition may be scaled in order to couple a wide range of frequencies.

The present invention relates to a waveguide to transmission line transition for coupling signals between transmission lines and waveguides. Such transitions are commonly used for transmission of microwave and millimeter wave energy. Microwave and millimeter wave energy can be transmitted through a number of different transmission media, including waveguides, microstrip and coplanar transmission lines and coaxial cables. Often times, it is necessary to interface one type of transmission medium with another. For instance, coplanar transmission lines are well suited for the transmission of energy on the surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit, while waveguides are suitable for transmission of energy over larger distances. Thus, a need for a transition between the two media arises.
Conventional transitions and adaptors can be configured in the form of fins, ridges and steps disposed in a waveguide. The ridges, fins, and steps are physically designed to transform the impedance of the waveguide to match that of the transmission line. The structures guide microwaves or millimeter waves from a waveguide into an interface, such as a microstrip transmission line. The performance of transitions with these elements depends critically on the dimensions of the elements. Often, fins and ridges are difficult to manufacture.
Conventionally, coplanar waveguide and microstrip transmission lines have been coupled to waveguides by means of intervening transmission lines such as coaxial lines or finlines. The present invention avoids these intermediate transmission lines and has the advantages of lower fabrication cost, lower reflections, and increased reliability due to the elimination of very small and delicate connections in the case of small wavelength devices, e.g., millimeter wavelengths.
Harris, U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,902 shows a semiconductor probe coupling a coaxial cable to a rectangular waveguide. The reference describes a rectangular waveguide, a coaxial cable, a probe and a connector. A semi-conductor probe from the coaxial connector protrudes through a waveguide wall and is connected to the opposite wall of the waveguide.
Igarashi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,793 describes a waveguide to microstrip converter in which a probe is formed, surrounded by a dielectric to keep it structurally stable, in a short circuit waveguide. A microstrip transmission line is formed on a substrate. An end of the probe, which is not on the same substrate as the microstrip transmission line, is connected by soldering to the microstrip line.
Fache et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,204 describes a waveguide to microstrip converter in which a microstrip transmission line penetrates into a waveguide through a slot. The transmission line includes a substrate with a conductor strip disposed thereon. The substrate enters the waveguide approximately one-quarter wave from the short circuit plane of the waveguide. In one embodiment, the substrate apparently extends through the waveguide. The substrate of the probe is positioned in the waveguide so that the plane of the substrate is parallel to the length of the waveguide.
Kostriza et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,348 describes a coupling between a transmission line and a rectangular waveguide. The transmission line could be of a type that comprises a ground planar conductor, a layer of dielectric material, and a line conductor. The transmission line is coupled by extending the line conductor through a slot into the rectangular waveguide. The conductor and dielectric can extend partially or entirely across the waveguide. The probe and transmission line are disposed on the same substrate.
Ponchak and Simons, NASA TM-102477, January 1990 describe a rectangular waveguide to coplanar waveguide transition. A sloping tapered ridge in a top broad wall of the rectangular waveguide protrudes and extends down to contact a groove-like slot which gradually tapers in the bottom wall of the rectangular waveguide. The bottom wall can be formed by a printed circuit board.
Dalman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,892 & Cornell University Electronics Letters 21 June 1990, show a microwave waveguide to coplanar transmission line transition made of metal. The top wall of the waveguide is an integral part of the output coplanar waveguide, or coplanar transmission line. A signal entering the waveguide encounters a centrally located tapered fin which is shaped to gradually guide the wave to a slot formed in the top of the waveguide. The fin slopes in such a manner as to become the center conductor of the coplanar transmission line. The sidewalls of the slot provide separate ground planes.
Bellantoni, IEEE 1989 Cornell University, shows a transition from waveguide to coplanar transmission line comprising a test fixture employing a sloping finline.
Prior art devices that use sloping fins are difficult to manufacture to the precise tolerances required for optimum performance and are difficult to position within a waveguide. Microwave transitions are complicated by intervening transmission and adaptor structures imposed between the waveguide and transmission line which can create unwanted reflections.

Waveguide to transmission line transition


A silver halide color photographic material comprising a support having thereon at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, wherein the silver halide color photographic material comprises i) a nondiffusive coupler represented by the general formula (I) or (II): ##STR1## and ii) an acyl acetamide coupler comprising, as an acyl group, a group represented by the general formula (A) ##STR2## The silver halide color photographic material provides a high color density and exhibits a small fluctuation of photographic performance during preservation thereof and improved color image fastness and color reproducibility.

For silver halide color photographic materials (hereinafter simply referred to as light-sensitive materials), particularly those for photographing, it is required to have high sensitivity, to not exhibit fluctuation of photographic performance during preservation of the light-sensitive materials, and to have excellent image quality (color reproducibility, sharpness and granularity) and preservability of the color images formed.
As yellow couplers for forming color photographic images in the subtractive color process, acyl acetamide couplers typically include benzoyl acetanilides and pivaloyl acetanilides. The former couplers are mainly utilized in color light-sensitive materials for photographing which require a high sensitivity, since they ordinarily have a high coupling activity with an oxidation product of an aromatic primary amine developing agent in color development, and since the molecular extinction coefficient of yellow dyes formed therefrom is large in comparison with that of yellow dyes formed from the latter couplers. On the other hand, the latter yellow couplers are mainly utilized in color papers or in color reversal photographic materials, because they are superior to the former couplers in view of their spectral absorption characteristics and the fastness of the yellow dyes formed therefrom.
As described above, although benzoyl acetanilide type couplers have a high coupling reactivity with an oxidation product of an aromatic primary amine developing agent in color development, and a somewhat large molecular extinction coefficient of yellow dyes formed therefrom as compared with pivaloyl acetanilide couplers, they have problems in that the spectral absorption characteristics and the fastness of the yellow color images formed therefrom are poor. When the couplers have a high coupling reactivity and a large molecular extinction coefficient of the dyes formed therefrom, it becomes possible to provide high sensitivity, gradation and color density, and to bring about a so-called high color forming property. The excellent spectral absorption characteristics of the yellow color image results, for example, in a low absorption density on the longer wavelength side of the absorption spectrum, and in small undesirable absorption in the green region.
Therefore, it has been desirable to develop a yellow coupler which provides not only a high color density due to a high molecular extinction coefficient of the dye formed, but also a color image having excellent spectral absorption characteristics and fastness.
Acyl groups of the acyl acetanilide couplers, include a pivaloyl group, a 7,7-dimethylnorbornane-1-carbonyl group and an 1-methylcyclohexane-1-carbonyl group as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,506, and a cyclopropane-1-carbonyl group and a cyclohexane-1-carbonyl group as described in JP-A-47-26133 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an unexamined published Japanese patent application). However, these couplers are disadvantageous in that they have poor coupling reactivity, the molecular extinction coefficient of dyes formed therefrom are low, the spectral absorption characteristics of the color image formed are poor, or the fastness of color image formed is poor.
Further, benzoyl acetanilide or pivaloyl acetanilide couplers having an oil-soluble diffusion resistant group in their molecules, which are representative examples of acyl acetanilide couplers, have the problem that the above-described color forming property is degraded when the amount of a high-boiling point organic solvent added per unit weight of the coupler is small in a process for the production of a color light-sensitive material in which the coupler is mixed with a high-boiling point organic solvent, dissolved therein, and then finely dispersed to prepare a dispersion, and the resulting coupler dispersion is mixed with a silver halide emulsion.
On the other hand, malondiamide couplers which are relevant to one of the yellow couplers according to the present invention are described in French Patent 1,558,452. However, the couplers described therein are so-called O-releasing type couplers which have a group capable of being released through an oxygen atom at their active position and are predominantly diffusible couplers. Also, as functional couplers of malondiamide couplers, development inhibitor releasing (DIR) couplers are described, for example, in JP-A-52-69624, JP-A-52-82424, JP-A-57-151944 and JP-A-2-250053. However specific examples of the compounds are not described in JP-A-52-82424 and JP-A-57-151944, and the effect is not specifically described in JP-A-52-69624. Further, it has been found that the couplers described in the above described patents have some problems with respect to color forming preservability of the light-sensitive materials containing them, and color image fastness.

Silver halide color photographic material


The present invention is basically a device that can be used as a centering tool, clamp and/or a gauge for measuring the size of bores. The device is basically made up of six different components. The first being a housing. The housing has three pocket bores near it's top to take three spheres. These pockets are placed 120.degree. from each other. First a spring is placed into the housing. Next a large diameter sphere or conical plug is then placed into the housing. Then three smaller spheres are placed into the housing. These smaller spheres are adapted to fit into the machine pockets above mentioned. To operate you simply place the bore of the work piece over the locator and press down. One would know that the bore is precisely located when one hears or feels the three spheres snap into place. The device can also be used to measure the size of a bore by adding a measurement device to measure the position of the large sphere within the housing. The position of the large sphere within the housing tells how far the three smaller spheres extend in or out of the housing. Thus one can use the device to measure the size of a bore. One can also replace the spring with a solenoid or hydraulic fluid.

Most locators on the market today have a conical head. These heads are solid body and when the head wears out the whole locator must be discarded. Thus, one of the objectives of this invention is to create a locator with interchangeable parts that only the part that wears out needs to be thrown away and the whole locator will work for a great number more cycles in the manufacturing process. Another problem with these locators are that one must insure that the locator is lined up perpendicular to the bore. If one is not precisely perpendicular to the bore the locator will mislocate the center. Thus one of the objectives of this invention to create a locator that will precisely locate the center of the work piece. Another problem with the old style locators is that the work piece need to be machined to a specific tolerance or will not perform properly. Thus one of the objectives of this invention is to create a locator that does not need a highly precise tolerance and has a much larger tolerance yet performs a more precise job of locating work piece. Also the tolerance of the work piece can be larger since the locator does a more precise job location. Another advantage of this invention that is not present in the previous art is that this locator can be ganged. In other words the locator can be used to locate the centers of two or more bores. Also one locator could be placed upon another locator to locate the centers of the two bores in which they fit. Also unlike previous art this locator can be used as a gauge to measure the precise diameter of a bore. It also could be ganged as a gauge and measure the diameter and taper of a conical surface. The invention has been designed to work in a dirty, high temperature environment at high temperature.
Another advantage of this invention that is not seen in the prior art is this invention can be spring loaded, hydraulic loaded, or electrically mechanically loaded. The invention can provide feedback as to the size of the bore. Further, this invention, unlike the previous art, can clamp the work piece into position and thus not only locate the work piece but hold it in position. The locator can be designed to not only locate a bore but also a shaft and a cylinder in a shaft.


A hands-free connection system is provided for coupling downhole tools for use in well operations. The connection system includes two downhole tools connectable together in threaded engagement. The connection system further includes a compressible locking sleeve positioned between the coupled downhole tools for maintaining the tools in threaded engagement and in a predetermined alignment for deployment downhole.

After a well has been drilled and casing has been cemented in the well, one or more sections of the casing may be perforated using a string of perforating guns. After the perforating string is lowered into the well to a desired depth, the guns in the string are fired to create openings in the casing and to extend perforations into the surrounding formation. Production fluids in the perforated formation can then flow through the perforations and the casing openings into the wellbore.
In deploying a perforating string in a wellbore, the tools are usually assembled into a relatively long and heavy string, with the string suspended over and run into the wellbore. The perforating string includes a number of perforating guns coupled or fastened together in series, along with other components. The perforating guns are generally aligned in a predetermined pattern as a function of the desired perforation of the well formation.
Present fastening practices typically involve assembling the string manually at the surface before running into the wellbore. Such practices may be subject to human error, inefficiencies, and potential safety hazards. Accordingly, a need exists for a system to couple downhole tools together in series to form a tool string that may be automated and that yields a more reliable connection. The present invention is directed at providing such a system.


A speckle reducing device includes: a polarization splitter element with a polarization splitter portion that splits incident light into first and second light containing a first and a second component respectively, which outputs the first and the second light along different directions; a first reflecting member that reflects the first light to reenter the polarization splitter element; a first conversion member disposed between the first reflecting member and the polarization splitter element, which converts the first light to third light containing the second component; a second reflecting member that reflects the third light to reenter the polarization splitter element; and a second conversion member disposed between the second reflecting member and the polarization splitter element, which converts the third light to fourth light containing the first component, wherein: the polarization splitter element outputs the second and the fourth light along one direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speckle reducing device and a projector.
2. Description of Related Art
When coherent light such as light from a laser light source is used to illuminate a rough surface, an irregular speckle pattern (referred to as speckle noise), attributable to interference of light fluxes diffused at various points of the rough surface, which assume complex phase relations to one another, may be formed. Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2001-296503 proposes a method for reducing speckle noise which is bound to adversely effect illumination provided by a laser light source for an exposure apparatus, a projector or the like.


A ball screw including a threaded spindle and a spindle nut has a ball deflector arranged in an opening in the lateral surface of the spindle nut. The ball deflector is formed with an upper shell and a lower shell, the lower shell being arranged radially inwardly closer to the spindle nut longitudinal axis than the upper shell. The lower shell has a substantially half-shell-shaped contour. Both the upper shell and the lower shell are fastened in the spindle nut without any further, discrete mechanical fastening elements, and the ball deflector formed thereby does not protrude beyond the outer contour defined by the spindle nut.

The present invention is concerned with a ball screw, in particular a highly simplified ball deflector for a ball screw.
A ball screw usually refers to a rolling screw drive with balls as the rolling elements. In technical terms, a ball screw functions like a helical gearing, the gear ratio of which is defined by the dimensioning of the threaded spindle, more precisely by the pitch of the thread.
Ball screws are used in many technical applications, especially in mechanical engineering and preferably in machine tools. However, ball screws are increasingly being used as longitudinal drives in fields where previously hydraulic systems were mostly used, e.g. in presses, injection-moulding machines and power steering systems. In addition, ball screws are also playing an increasingly important role in electromechanical and electrohydraulic braking systems, where ball screws are used as a replacement for hydraulic braking cylinders or in parallel with known braking systems as an actuation element of a brake assist system.


An array substrate includes a substrate including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, a transistor layer formed in the display area of the substrate and electrically connected to a gate line and a data line, a color filter formed in a pixel region on the transistor layer, a first light blocking member disposed between adjacent color filters, a first transparent member formed on the first light blocking member to cover the first light blocking member, a first color pattern formed in a peripheral area of the substrate and including substantially the same material as the color filter, and a second transparent member including substantially the same material as the first transparent member. The second transparent member is disposed in the peripheral area of the substrate to cover the first color pattern.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an array substrate and method of manufacturing an array substrate, and more particularly, to an array substrate having an enhanced display quality.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device, which is one of the flat panel display devices, includes an array substrate, an opposite substrate facing the array substrate and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the array substrate and the opposite substrate.
Color-filter On Array (COA) technology for forming a color filter on the array substrate may be used to enhance transmittance of the LCD device.
In order to employ the COA technology on the array substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer including a TFT is formed on a substrate, a color photo-resist layer is formed on the TFT layer, and a color filter is formed in a pixel area by patterning the color photo-resist layer. A pixel electrode is formed and is electrically connected to the TFT that is formed in the pixel area where the color filter is formed so that a COA substrate is formed. The opposite substrate facing the COA substrate includes a common electrode facing the pixel electrode and a light blocking member.
When the COA substrate is combined with the opposite substrate where the light blocking member is formed, misalignment may occur. Therefore, Black matrix On Array (BOA) Technology for forming the light blocking member on the COA substrate has been developed to prevent misalignment.
However, since the color filter, the light blocking member and a column spacer are formed on the COA substrate, the COA substrate may be uneven so that filling of the liquid crystal layer may not be performed to acceptable standards. In addition, since a gas generated from the light blocking pattern flows into the liquid crystal layer, an afterimage may occur.

Array substrate and method of manufacturing the same


A bobbin has a bobbin body capable of fitting into the inside of a winding, and a protrusion protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin body and capable of intervening between windings. Preferably, stopper means is further provided for preventing the bobbin from rotating. This means is a stopper piece which protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin body substantially on the opposite side of the protrusion, and fits in a slit formed at a bend of the winding. The stopper means may have a flange extending from one end of the bobbin body, and a stopper protrusion protruding from a flange edge in a direction opposite to a direction in which the bobbin body extends, for engagement with a core. The protrusion may have a thickness dimension equal to or larger than a spacing between windings.

It is often the case that an internal combustion engine car, an electric car, or a hybrid car, which employs a combination of an internal combustion engine and a motor, require a plurality of supply voltages.
For example, the electric car and hybrid car are generally equipped with a high-voltage battery for driving a motor for running at high voltages, and simultaneously equipped with a low-voltage battery (for example, 12-volt based) for powering a variety of electrical components because their parts are used in common with the internal combustion engine car. Also, in the internal combustion engine car, higher voltages are more advantageous for EPS (electric power steering), defogger (hot wires on a rear wind shield) and the like, whereas low voltages (for example, 5V, 3.3V) are dominating in an in-vehicle control/communication system such as an ECU (electronic control unit). Further, for responding to increasingly higher requests for electric power in the feature, there have been also provided some cars which are equipped with a high-voltage battery (for example, 36 V or 42 V), and a low-voltage battery (12 V) which supports a rated voltage of existing electrical components.
Then, in a car which has these two types of high and low powering systems, a DC voltage is scaled up and down by a DC-DC converter arranged between a low-voltage battery and a high-voltage battery to distribute power within the car. Also, even in a car equipped with a single battery, a voltage supplied from the battery is often scaled up and down by a DC-DC converter to efficiently accommodate a request for a plurality of types of voltages.
Such a DC-DC converter generally comprises respective elements such as a transformer, a diode, a capacitor, a switching element and the like. As a coil for a transformer, widely used is one having a winding which is formed by spirally bending an elongated plate-shaped conductive material (sheet metal) or by folding a sheet metal.
FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary coil which is used in a DC-DC converter. As illustrated in FIG. 15, this coil 100 comprises a winding 2 formed of a sheet plate spirally bent to have a plurality of loop patterns, cores 4a, 4b which cover the winding 2 from above and below, and bobbins 1a, 1b disposed between the winding 2 and cores 4a, 4b to provide isolation therebetween.
Also, there is U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,437 which discloses a coil which has a winding formed by folding a sheet plate.


A display apparatus may include a backlight assembly configured to generate an emitted light and a display panel configured to receive the emitted light to display images. The display panel may include a display substrate, an opposite substrate facing the display substrate, a wire grid polarizer, and a reflection reducing layer. The wire grid polarizer may be disposed on at least one of the display substrate and the opposite substrate to polarize the emitted light. The reflection reducing layer may have a grid shape and may be disposed on the wire grid polarizer. The reflection reducing layer may reduce an amount of a light reflected by the wire grid polarizer.

Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a display apparatus having a wire grid polarizer.
Discussion of the Background
A display apparatus having a liquid crystal display panel, which is not self-emissive, may include a backlight assembly to generate light. The liquid crystal display panel may display an image using the light provided from the backlight assembly.
The liquid crystal display panel may include a display substrate on which pixels are formed, an opposite substrate facing the display substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the display substrate and the opposite substrate, and polarizing plates respectively disposed on front and rear surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel. The display substrate may include signal lines electrically connected to the pixels to transmit various signals to the pixels and thin film transistors electrically connected to the pixels and the signal lines.
Polarizing plates may be realized by a wire grid polarizer formed of metal wires, which is different from a film type polarizing plate. An external light may be reflected by the wire grid polarizer and may be perceived by a user. Thus, the light may add noise in an image displayed on the display panel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is provided to enhance understanding of the background of the disclosed subject matter and therefore may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A method and apparatus for moulding ice statues using a mould formed of a liquid impervious flexible material which defines a mould cavity having the shape of the statue to be formed and a pair of extending wall portions which are held in a juxtaposed attitude during the freezing process. For demolding, the wall portions are moved apart to increase the cross-sectional size of the mould to allow it to be released from the statue formed.

Ice statues have become increasingly popular for use as promotional tools or for special occasions in a number of different situations. In the past such statues have been sculpted or carved by hand from a solid piece of ice, however, this obviously is a time consuming process with high labour costs. To overcome these disadvantages, moulding methods have been used to produce ice statues which are similar in form to ice sculptures. Whilst some disadvantages are associated with moulding ice statues, generally this procedure has proved relatively effective in enabling statues to be produced. Difficulties, however, arise with the known moulding processes.
Austrailian Patent No. 596009 in the name of Lipke and Lipke discloses apparatus for forming ice sculptures including a mould assembly fitted with a liner formed of latex rubber for holding water to be frozen to form the sculpture. So as to prevent cracking in certain parts of the sculpture, particularly narrow portions thereof, the mould members are provided with means to vary the rate of heat transfer through the mould accomplished by either perforating parts of the outer mould member or employing insulating materials adjacent certain areas of the mould. A mould assembly of the above described type requires a number of separate parts which must be assembled prior to use. Placement of the perforated areas or insulated areas is critical to achieving a well defined moulded product. Furthermore, the time involved in producing an ice sculpture using the method and assembly disclosed in the above patent is relatively long, requiring extensive freezing and thereby resulting in increased cost of production. Further disadvantages occur because of leakage around the split mould and in demoulding without causing damage to the end product.
The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages by providing improved moulding apparatus. The present invention also aims to provide a method for producing moulded products using the moulding apparatus according to the invention.

Method and Apparatus for forming moulded ice products


An apparatus for cleaning a blackboard mounted on a wall including a cleaning head pivotally mounted on a vertical rod so as to be slidable vertically along the rod and rotatable about a vertical axis, into and out of cleaning engagement with the blackboard. At its upper and lower extremities, the rod is secured to a pair of carriages connected together and respectively horizontally movable, by rolling, along top and bottom channel tracks fixedly mounted on the wall respectively above and below the board. The cleaning head includes a sponge holder connected to the vertical rod by brackets and a sponge having a backing removably secured to the holder.

The present invention relates generally to blackboard or wall erasers, and more particularly to an apparatus providing guided manual cleaning action for removing chalk or other marks from selected portions of a blackboard or like erasable and reusable writing surface on a wall.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,167,296 (Farmer); 3,858,265 (Schlick) and 3,731,335 (Chrisp) show previously proposed blackboard cleaning devices. Each of these proposed devices provides a motorized mechanism, and has an eraser or sponge and an associated mount extending vertically to cover the entire height of the blackboard, the erasers or sponges being continuously engaged with the surface of the board. Thus, each device is designed to erase or clean an entire board in one pass or sweep of the eraser over the entire surface of the board, controlled entirely by a motorized drive. None of the proposed devices can erase a selected portion of the board while leaving other portions unerased, such as, for example, the bottom half or a single quadrant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,943 (Bell) shows a manually operated mechanical blackboard eraser having means for selectively disengaging the eraser from the board to leave a portion of the board unerased. However, the eraser and its associated mount again extend over the entire height of the board; hence a full-height vertical section of the board must be left uncleaned to save what is written on any part of that section.
Since each of the prior devices mentioned above has an erasing or cleaning member of more or less complex structure extending for the full height of the blackboard, it is necessary to custom-make (or at least custom-fit) the erasing/cleaning member for a particular blackboard height, and the custom-made erasing/cleaning member cannot be used with a blackboard of a different height. Both the inherent cost of the large erasing/cleaning member, and the inability to produce such members in a single size to fit all blackboards, add to the expense of manufacture of the prior devices.
In addition, since none of the erasers and sponges of the abovedescribed prior devices is readily detachable from its associated mount, cleaning and replacement of the eraser or sponge is difficult.


The display system displays, at a first position on the transparent flexible display unit, a first augmented reality object corresponding to a first real object forming a first angle relative to the camera unit, and displays, at a second position on the transparent flexible display unit, a second augmented reality object corresponding to a second real object forming a second angle relative to the camera unit, wherein, upon detecting bending of the transparent flexible display unit, the processor displays the first augmented reality object at a third position spaced a first distance apart from the first position, and displays the second augmented reality object at a fourth position spaced a second distance apart from the second position, wherein, when the first angle is greater than the second angle, the first distance is set to be greater than the second distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a display system for displaying augmented reality images and a control method for the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for a display system to control, upon detecting bending of a transparent flexible display unit, the position to display an augmented reality image based on the angle of bending.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Augmented reality technology employing a mixture of a real object and a virtual object allows a user to view a real object along with an augmented reality object, thereby providing realism and additional information. For example, when a real environment around a camera of a smartphone is shown on the camera, augmented reality objects such as positions and phone numbers of nearby stores are stereoscopically displayed along with real objects. Augmented reality technology is applicable to a display system including a transparent flexible display. More specifically, a user may detect a real object through a transparent display unit. The display system may display an augmented reality object corresponding to the detected real object on the transparent flexible display unit. In addition, the flexible display unit may be bendable. The display system may display the augmented reality object on the transparent flexible display unit based on the angle of bending.
Accordingly, in the case that a display system including a transparent flexible display unit employs the augmented reality technology, a method for the display system to display an augmented reality object corresponding to the real object on the transparent flexible display unit based on transparency and flexibility.

Display system for displaying augmented reality image and control method for the same


An index determining unit determines that a current position in a disk medium corresponds to a true index when reaching a true index pattern of servo information recorded in the disk medium. The determination is used for reading predetermined servo information so as to perform a servo control operation of a disk reading/writing head. The disk medium has the true index pattern in a first portion of the disk medium and also untrue index patterns of servo information in a predetermined number of second portions in proximity to the first portion along a track direction. The true index pattern and the untrue index patterns form a predetermined sequence. The index determining unit comprises a reading unit for reading the servo information recorded in the disk medium; a storing unit for storing the read servo information in series; and a determining unit for determining that a current position in the disk medium corresponds to the true index when the stored servo information includes a sequence which is different from the predetermined sequence by a predetermined error.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus for recording servo information on a disk medium, and then reading the servo information and performing servo control of a head.
Recently, due to the increased amount of information being processed in computer systems, the amount of information to be stored in a magnetic disk apparatus has increased. Therefore, miniaturization and increased storage capacities of storage media of information storage apparatuses are required. Further, high-density storage media and high-performance recording/reproducing apparatuses are demanded.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one example of a magnetic disk apparatus in the related art. In the magnetic disk apparatus 11, an actuator 12 includes a predetermined number of arms 13 each of which has a magnetic head 14 at a projecting end thereof via a supporting-spring mechanism 13a. A base of each arm 13 is pivotably supported by a pivot 15.
A rotational supporting unit 16 is provided at the other end of the arm 13. A coil 17 is wound on the rotational supporting unit 16. Magnets 18a and 18b are fixed below the coil 17. A VCM (Voice Coil Motor) is formed by the coil 17 and magnets 18a and 18b.
A predetermined number of magnetic disks 20 are fixed onto a spindle 19 of a sensor-less spindle motor (not shown in the figure) and are rotated. In the actuator 12, an electric current flows through the coil 17 via a circuit substrate 21 and a flexible print board 22, and thus the arms 13 are rotated so that each of the heads 14 moves along a radial direction of each of the disks 20.
In this magnetic disk apparatus 11, a seeking control is performed for positioning the magnetic heads 14 at predetermined tracks in the magnetic disks 20. This seeking control is performed in a closed-loop servo control method in which servo information previously recorded on the magnetic disks 20 is read for the seeking control.
A servo-area servo method and a data-area servo method are included in the servo control method. In the servo-area servo method, a magnetic disk which has the servo information recorded in a special servo area in the disk is used. In the data-area servo method, a magnetic disk which has the servo information recorded in a data area in the disk is used.
The servo information is recorded in each track or each sector in the magnetic disks 20 at predetermined positions common to the magnetic disks 20. In order to read predetermined servo information from the magnetic disks 20, an index recorded in each track of each of the magnetic disks 20 is previously detected, index detection thus being performed. A recording position of the servo information and then positions of the magnetic heads 14 are detected based on the detected index.
FIG. 2 illustrates an index pattern in a magnetic disk in the related art. FIG. 2 shows a case of a sector servo method in which sector servo information 24 is recorded in each sector of a predetermined track in the magnetic disk 20. The sector servo information 24 is recorded, for example, in an AGC (Automatic Gain Control information) region 24.sub.1, in an SM (Servo Mark information) region 24.sub.2, an ID and INDEX (writing and reading index information) region 23.sub.3, and a POSITION (position information) region 24.sub.4 shown in FIG. 2.
Sector servo numbers (for example, 0 through 60) and an index pattern are recorded in the ID and INDEX region 24.sub.3. The index pattern is formed by a pattern in which "0" is allocated for a position at which the sector number is "0" and "1" is allocated for the other positions. The "0" in the index pattern acts as an index, and an index pulse is generated when "0" is detected. Thus, the above-mentioned index detection is performed.
Servo information is recorded in each of the magnetic disks 20 in a manner in which positions at which the servo information are recorded overlap one another between recorded tracks of the disks 20.
FIG. 3 shows a spatial relationship of the positions between disks 20 in the related art at which the servo information is recorded. FIG. 3 shows an example disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-304784. In this example, the servo information is recorded in the tracks TRK0 through TRK3 of the disks 20 in a manner in which the positions at which the servo information is recorded overlap one another between the tracks TRK0 through TRK3 of the disks 20 in a time series manner. When servo information is recorded or written in sectors (0, 0), (0, 1), (0, 2), and (0, 3) of the tracks TRK0 through TRK3 shown in the figure, a head 14.sub.0 selected from the magnetic heads 14 writes the servo information to the sector (0, 0) of the track TRK0. Then, after the completion thereof, a head 14.sub.1 selected from the magnetic heads 14 writes the servo information to the sector (0, 1) of the track TRK1. Thus, after completion of servo-information writing to one sector, servo-information writing to a subsequent sector is performed. In this manner, the servo information is written to the four sectors (0, 0) through (0, 3).
In the related art, as shown in FIG. 2, one index pattern is provided for the relevant servo information, and the index detection is performed by detecting only the one index pattern. Therefore, if the one index pattern is missing for some reason, an index error occurs and any normal operation cannot be performed until a subsequent index pattern is appropriately detected. Thus, performance of the magnetic disk apparatus is degraded.
Further, redundancy is not sufficiently high if only one index pattern is provided for the relevant servo information. Therefore, an index detection margin is not sufficiently high and thus performance degradation may also occur by this cause.
Further, in the related art, as shown in FIG. 3, the positions of the relevant servo information overlap one another between the tracks of the disks. Therefore, after the completion of servo-information writing on a sector of a track of a magnetic disk, it is necessary to wait for approximately one rotation of the disks 20 before starting servo-information writing to a sector of a track of a subsequent disk. As a result, the time required for writing the desired whole servo information and for verifying it for the entirety of the disks 20 is a considerably long time. In fact, this time results from multiplying the time required for writing the servo information for one track by the number of servo frames for each track and then multiplying this result by the number of cylinders of the disks 20. Thus, the servo-information writing or recording work is troublesome.

Recording/reproducing apparatus and servo-information recording method


A bio-derived polymer matrix composite originating from a single wastewater stream and a method for the production of such bio-derived polymer matrix composites from a single wastewater stream are herein disclosed. The process disclosed allows production of both the bio-derived polymer matrix and the additive, the main constituents of the composite, at the same time from a unique wastewater stream source. In a preferred embodiment, this invention is applied but not limited to the production of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) composite from a single olive mill wastewater (OMW) stream. An application of such composites is represented by but not limited to the use as materials to make agricultural items.

Conventional fossil carbon derived plastics represent an important concern for the environment, being at once a problem for the limited fossil resources and one of the first source of pollution, increasing interest in using bio-derived and bio-degradable polymers to produce sustainable eco-friendly materials as an alternative to conventional plastics. Examples of bio-derived and bio-degradable polymers are, among others, poly-lactic acid (PLA), starch and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
Although the production of biopolymers from natural sources is currently on stream, research is still ongoing to find effective methods of sustainable biopolymer production from sources different from those destined for the human food supply. The industrial production of biopolymers from waste is highly desirable and the object of many research efforts.
Beside ethical concerns, producing biopolymers from waste is intended to reduce their cost since the high price of biopolymers represents the primary barrier for their market penetration. Suitable waste streams for biopolymer production include industrial and urban wastewater.
An important concern about polymers, in general, and more specifically about biopolymers, is related to their physical and mechanical properties. In order to obtain the desired properties, biopolymers are usually loaded with different fillers. Since fillers are often expensive and used in high mass percentage (1-40%) in the final composite, natural fillers, such as natural fibers, have been proposed to decrease the cost of the final polymer matrix composite. When a bio-derived polymer matrix and natural fillers are used, the resulting composite is absolutely a green plastic. As for biopolymer matrix materials, waste-derived natural fillers as additives are highly desirable and object of many research efforts.
Several industrial processes produce a wastewater stream. Such waste is often rich in organic carbon content, especially in the case of agro-industrial processes, as for instance, the production of milk, cheese, fruit juice, sugar and olive oil. Other examples of common wastewater streams which are rich in organic carbon are pulp and paper-mill wastewater, municipal wastewater and farm wastewater. These aqueous liquid streams have a high environmental impact due to their high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). At the same time, however, a high COD value represents a hidden source of value, as the added-value molecules can be separated from the wastewater and the remaining organic content may be used as raw material for biopolymer production. Researchers have been working for a long time on size-exclusion membrane filtration techniques that are ideal candidates for separating valuable chemicals from waste streams.
Several patents and patent applications describe methods for treating and purifying high COD wastewater streams. These methods are usually based on membrane filtration techniques with a final reverse osmosis (RO) step to generate ultra-pure water, which can be re-used in the process or collected for other applications. The extracted organic matter may be used to make compostable materials or for bio-gas production by microbial digestion, which allows the abatement of COD in the liquid stream. The order of the filtration process and the microbial digestion can be inverted depending on the specific process considered.
Examples of wastewater purifying treatment by membrane filtration, microbial digestion and combined methods are disclosed in the following documents and in the references of the patent and non-patent literature cited therein.
WO 2013/058761 describes a system for wastewater treatment, to be applied to distillery waste streams, reducing the organic content by means of interconnected components of a coarse suspended solids removal unit, a coarse filtration unit, an ultrafiltration unit (UF), a nanofiltration unit (NF) and a reverse osmosis network. The output from such a system may meet drinking water standards.
US 2012/0085701 also describes a process for treating a water stream containing dissolved organic carbon, such as pulp or paper mill wastewater, to reduce the organic content by means of a bioreactor for biogas production, possibly a membrane bioreactor, and membrane filtration modules, i.e. nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, applicable to domestic and industrial effluents. The purpose of the process is the purification of organic carbon containing water stream for water disposal or recycling.
EP 0824503 describes a multi-stage system for producing high yields of drinking water from organically contaminated wastewater. The system comprises, beside other treatments such as ultrafiltration and oxidation processes, a double (anaerobic and aerobic) microbial digestion to reduce the organic carbon load and multiple reverse osmosis steps to produce ultra-pure water to be used in beverages.
An interesting industrial wastewater stream is olive mill wastewater (OMW). OMW is a difficult waste to treat for water purification, as it features a very high organic carbon content, and/or for bio-gas production, due to the high content of polyphenols. It can be treated by membrane filtration techniques to separate polyphenols as high commercial valuable molecules. EP 1773721 describes a process for recovering the components of olive mill wastewater with membrane technologies. A multi-step filtration process (microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (R0)) is used to recover polyphenol solutions and purified water from OMW. The residual organic matter, beside polyphenols, resulting from the different filtration steps has been proposed for use as a fertilizer or for biogas production.
In addition to natural polymers directly extracted from natural feedstock, different natural chemical substances can be used as raw materials for biopolymer production (see, e.g., Handbook of Biopolymers and Biodegradable Plastics, S. Ebnesajj ad, Ed., 2012). For instance, unsaturated fatty acids deriving from vegetable oils are useful monomers for polyamide (PA) synthesis, through subsequent dimerization and poly-condensation processes, or for microbial polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. Among others classes of natural chemicals, sugars represent a great platform for biopolymer synthesis. The use of sugars for this purpose includes (i) lactide production through sugar hydrolysis, fermentation to produce lactic acid and its condensation; lactide is the monomer used to produce poly(lactic acid) (PLA) through ring opening and polymerization; (ii) production of chemicals such as bioethanol, ethylene, acrylic acid and its derivatives, acrolein, glycerol, 1,3-propanediol and other polyols, hydroxymethylfurfural and its derivatives; all these bio-derived chemicals are useful monomers for the production of a variety of polymers; (iii) direct production of polymeric bio-materials, such as PHAs, by living microorganisms through microbial digestion of naturally occurring nutrients, such as sugars or volatile fatty acids (VFAs).
Currently, different processes are on stream, based on the use of sugars from renewable resources for the production of biopolymers. Nevertheless, the majority of these processes employ edible biomasses like sugar cane, maize, starch crops, etc. Municipal and industrial wastewater streams, especially those coming from the agro-food chain, are usually characterized by a high organic carbon load and, in particular, by a considerable concentration of sugars. A cost-efficient recovery and/or utilization of the sugar content in this waste can enable the production of all the bio-based monomers and polymers described in the previous paragraph.
The production of polyhydroxyalkanoates from high sugar content waste has been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 7,141,400, US 2006/0088921 (Yu) and WO 2013/072723 describe the microbial production of PHAs from high sucrose content waste such as molasses, byproduct of sugar production. Nevertheless, microbial digestion for production of PHAs often exploits other classes of natural substances (such as protein or fatty acids) contained in the waste in addition to sugars (see, e.g., M. Koller et al. Food Technol. Biotechnol. 2010 48:255-269; C. Du et al. Curr. Chem. Biol. 2012; J. G. C. Gomez et al. in Advances in Applied Biotechnology, 2012, 6:14-25; J.-Y. Chee et al. in Current Research, Technology and Education Topics in Applied Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, 2010), so that different classes of wastewater streams have been considered for PHA production, as reported in US 2013/0040351, US 2013/0199997 and WO 2012/166822, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,187,462 and 8,263,373.
Research efforts have been spent to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of bio-derived and biodegradable thermoplastic polymers, from OMW, but an effective industrial process has yet to be disclosed. Examples of this technology have been reported at the lab scale by bacterial fermentation of untreated diluted OMW. (G. A. Martinez et al. Env. Eng. Manag. J. 2013, 12:97-100; F. Cerrone at al. J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2010; M. Beccari et al. J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 2009, 84:901-908).
Among plastic composites, biopolymer-matrix composites obtained by combining natural reinforcing agents such as natural fibers with biodegradable and bio-derived resins are attractive because they are ecofriendly, sustainable and degradable by composting (see, e.g., Polymer Composites: Volume 1, S. Thomas et al., Eds, Wiley-VCH 2012). A number of natural fibers and bio-derived reinforcing agents such as jute, flax, sisal, coir etc. have been mixed with biopolymers such as PLA, starch and PHAs among the others (see, e.g., J. Sahari et al. Rev. Adv. Mater. Sci. 2011, 30:166-174; P. Asokan et al. Rev. Adv. Mater. Sci. 2012, 30:254-261). Agricultural residues are a huge industrial byproduct (billions of tons per year worldwide) and their use as reinforcement for polymer composites is a realistic alternative to their disposal or burning. The use of natural fibers provides many advantages, including low cost, abundance, low density, high specific properties and, clearly, biodegradability. These bio-based composites may be used effectively in many applications such as mass-produced consumer products. As for conventional plastics, the addition of natural additives may improve the physical and mechanical properties of the polymeric resin.
For the natural fiber biopolymer-matrix composites not only an improvement of physical and mechanical properties has been reported but also an improved biodegradability (see, e.g., O. Faruk et al. Macromol. Mater. Eng. 2014, 299:9-26; H. Ku et al. Composites Part B Eng. 2011, 42:856-873; P. M. Visakh et al. Advances in Natural Polymers, S. Thomas et al., Eds., Springer 2013; M. Avella et al. Materials, 2009, 2:911-925; C.-S. Wu, Carbohydrate Polym. 2012, C.-S. Wu, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 2012, 97:64-71).
PHAs are representative of the utility of biopolymer-matrix composites with natural reinforcing agents. Many research efforts have been spent to improve the biodegradability and physical properties of PHAs by addition of natural reinforcing agents (see, e.g., C.-S. Wu et al. Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 2014, 99:274-282; C.-S. Wu, Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 2013, 98:1473-1480; V. Nagarajan et al. Ind. Crops Prod. 2013, 42:461-468; Y. S. Salim et al. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 2012, 167:314-326; P. Mousavioun et al. Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 2012, 97:1114-1122). U.S. Pat. No. 7,887,893 describes a bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer/natural fibers composite that aims to be a bio-material with improved properties compared to PHA alone while retaining its biodegradability properties. U.S. Pat. No. 6,903,053 describes the use of PHA copolymers for agricultural items that come in contact with plants and methods for the controlled release of chemicals from such materials.
There is a need for methods of producing a low cost natural biopolymer-matrix composite which is useful in applications, for example, in agriculture and packaging.
It is to be understood that the foregoing is not an admission that anything discussed above is citable as prior art or within the common general knowledge.

Methods for producing biopolymer matrix composites


An acoustic device has a suspended sheet of a thin flexible material having a rigid rod secured along one edge. An audio frequency actuator, which is preferably a magnetostrictive actuator, is acoustically coupled to an end face of the rod. The audiofrequency actuator is supplied with an audio signal from an audio source such as player device selected from the group which includes a recording tape player, a CD player, a DVD player, and a solid state memory device.

Flat panel loudspeakers are well-known, and typically consist of a rigid panel of laminated plastics, card or wood with an acoustic transducer attached to one face of the panel. Typical transducers are moving coil electromagnetic devices or piezoelectric devices. On a smaller scale, it has been proposed to attach a transducer to a greetings card to permit the card to deliver an audible message, or music, in addition to the written or printed matter on the card. Devices of this type are disclosed in WO 97/09842, for example.
It has now been found that a flexible sheet material, such as may be used to a make a window blind or the like, may be caused to act as an effective sound radiator.


Charged droplet spray is formed from a solution with all or a portion of the charged droplet spray current generated from reduction or oxidation (redox) reactions occurring on surfaces removed from the first or sample solution flow path. In one embodiment of the invention, two solution flow channels are separated by a semipermeable membrane. A first or sample solution flowing through the first solution flow channel exchanges cation or anion charged species through the semipermeable membrane with a second solution or gas flowing through the second flow channel. Charge exchange is driven by the electric field applied at the charged droplet sprayer sample solution outlet. Redox reactions occur at an electrode surface in contact with the second solution. The invention increases the control and range of the Electrospray ionization process during ES/MS operation. Alternative embodiments of the invention provide for conducting redox reactions on conductive surfaces removed from the first or sample solution flow path but not separated by semipermeable membranes.

Sprays of charged liquid droplets can be produced through Electrospray and pneumatic nebulization or ultrasonic nebulization in the presence of an electric field. The mechanisms of ion production from unassisted Electrospray ionization have been described by Karbarle, P., J. Mass Spectrom. 35, 804-817 (2000)[1], and Karbarle, P. and Ho, Y. "Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry", Edited by Richard Cole, Chapter 1, 3-63, 1997[2]. The oxidation and reduction chemical reactions that occur, or that can be induced to occur, on conductive surfaces located in sample solution flow channels prior to or during the charged droplet formation process in Electrospray have been described by Van Berkel, G. L. "Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry", Edited by Richard Cole, Chapter 2, 65-105, 1997[3], Van Berkel, G. J., J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2000, 11, 951-960[4] and Van Berkel, G. J., Asano, K. G. and Kertesz, V., Anal. Chem. 2002, 74, 5047-5056[5]. Promotion of oxidation or reduction of sample species on conductive surfaces during Electrospray ionization followed by mass spectrometric analysis can be a useful tool to enhance the sensitivity or aid in determining the structure of specific sample species. The production of ion species in sample solutions through reduction/oxidation reactions on surfaces in the first solution flow channel with solutions retaining a total net neutral charge prior to Electrospraying for mass spectrometrometric analysis has been reported by Hackett et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,832[6]. Commercially available products are available from ESA Inc., Chelmsford, Mass., that promote electrochemical reactions on surfaces in the sample solution flow path by applying voltages across electrodes extending into the sample solution flow. Specific electrode materials have been explored to control analyte oxidation in sample solutions prior to Electrospraying [5]. Split flow fractionation techniques used in conjunction with Electrospray ionization have been described by Van Berkel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,593 B1 [7] where electric or magnetic fields are applied across a sample solution in a flow path using two electrodes positioned on opposite sides of a sample solution flow path in contact with the solution flow to separate positive and negative ions into separate sample solution flow streams prior to charged droplet spraying. Van Berkel describes charged droplet spraying from such devices even without the presence of an external electric field applied at sample solution channel exit tips. Multiple Electrospray tips have been configured from a single sample solution flow channel by Kostianen and Bruins, Rapid Comm. in MS, Vol. 8, 549-558 (1994)[8]. Simultaneous Electrospraying of a sample solution from positive and negative sprays partitions the sample species in a manner that may not be readily predictable or controlled.
Neutral and charged species have been exchanged across membranes, transferred into and/or removed from sample solution flows to reduce or eliminate selected species in exchange for other selected species in a sample solution prior to Electrospraying. Acid and/or salt concentrations in a sample solution have been reduced by exchange across species specific semipermeable membranes prior to Electrospraying. Charged or neutral species are exchanged between a sample solution and a second solution through a semipermeable membrane driven by concentration gradients or electric fields maintained across such membranes while retaining an electrically neutral sample solution. In such devices electrodes are positioned in the first and second flow channels in contact with the sample solution and the second solution. Charged species in the sample and second solutions are neutralized through redox reactions occurring on the first and second flow channel electrode conductive surfaces resulting in a net neutral sample solution flow exiting these membrane devices. Such devices have been described and are sold by Dionex Corporation. The electric field is maintained across the membrane in these devices by applying a voltage difference between electrodes positioned in the first and second solution flow channels on either side of the membrane. The electric field applied across these electrodes drives the charged species across the membrane between the sample solution and second solutions. The electric field applied across the membrane in these devices is configured upstream and operated independent of a second electric field formed in the Electrospray process if these devices are interfaced to an Electrospray ion source through a connecting flow tube. The charged droplet spray current produced in these devices interfaced to an Electrospray probe is generated from redox reactions occurring at conductive surfaces located in the sample solution flow channel.
The present invention eliminates the occurrence of oxidation or reduction reactions on conductive surfaces in the sample solution flow channel during Electrospray Ionization (ES) while providing control of the total Electrospray current generated during the charged droplet formation process. The total Electrospray current has a direct impact on the size distribution of the charged droplets produced. In one embodiment of the invention, a sample solution flow channel is separated from a second solution or gas phase flow channel by a semipermeable membrane. The solution or gas composition flowing through the second flow channel can be varied as a step function or gradient during Electrospraying. In charged droplet sprayer embodiments configured according to the invention, the Electrospray field present at the sample solution spray tip during Electrospray is the only electric field driving charged species formation in the sample solution and second solution flow channels. Van Berkel, et. al. [5] describe the use of a cellulose ester 5000 Da molecular mass cutoff membrane membrane covering an electrode surface to prevent redox reactions of sample molecules on the electrode surface during the Electrospraying. The electrode is maintained at a kilovolt potential during Electrospraying, with an upstream grounded electrode positioned the sample solution flow path. No second solution is used behind the membrane in the reported Electrospray apparatus and no current measurement was taken on the grounded conductive surface in the sample flow path during Electrospray ionization to determine the extent of redox reactions occurring at the grounded electrode surface in the sample solution flow path. No explanation is given by the authors as to how the electrical contact is completed between the sample solution and the electrode through the membrane but it is likely that the sample solution wetting the membrane forms the electrical contact with the electrode maintained at kilovolt potentials during Electrospray ionization.
Severs, J. C., Harms, A. C., and Smith, R. D., Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 10, 1175-1178 (1996) and Severs, J. C. [9] and Smith, R. D., Anal. Chem. 1997, 69, 2154-2158 [10] describe a capillary electrophoresis (CE) Electrospray interface with a mass spectrometer (MS) in which a polysulfone dialysis membrane with a molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 Da separates the capillary electrophoresis solution from a second electrolyte solution in contact with a CE column exit electrode. In the CE/ES/MS interface described, the total Electrospray current is a small fraction of the total CE current flowing to the CE column exit electrode surface. In the CE runs reported, a +30 kV potential was maintained at the CE column entrance. In positive ion mode CE/ES operation reported, reduction occurs at the CE column exit electrode maintained at +1.6 kV as electrons pass from the electrode into the second electrolyte solution. During this CE/ES operation described, net positive charge transfers from the CE column solution into the second electrolyte solution through the membrane during positive Electrospray ionization. The net positive charge for charged droplet production in Electrospray appears to be supplied by a small portion of the electrophoretic charge moving from entrance to exit through the CE column driven by the 30 kV electrical potential applied at the CE column entrance. In the CE/ES apparatus described, the electric field maintained across the dialysis membrane is in the opposite direction required to supply charge for positive polarity Electrospray ionization. As described by Severs et. al. [9, 10] the second solution with electrolyte added is a static solution volume placed in a capillary tube surrounding the CE column exit end. The capillary tube has open ends to allow release of gas formed in redox reactions at the CE column exit electrode surface. The second electrolyte solution appears to remain in place due to surface tension of the liquid in the capillary tube. The authors report changing the second solution between CE/ES/MS runs, replacing the ammonium acetate solution with an acetic acid solution, resulting in a shift in charge state of multiply charged peaks appearing in mass spectrum of myoglobin and carbonic anhydrase. The shifting of the multiply charged profile to increased charge state peaks would occur with a reduction of pH in the CE solution. How this apparent decrease in pH occurs is not explained by the authors. The electric field applied across the membrane during CE/ES/MS with the apparatus described would have driven positively charged protons from the CE column solution into the second electrolyte solution effectively decreasing pH in the CE solution. One explanation could be that a portion of acetic acid in second solution remains in a neutral form and neutral acetic acid molecules may have transferred through the dialysis membrane into the CE solution driven by a concentration gradient during CE/ES/MS operation.
As described in the prior art, it may be desireable in some analytical applications to cause redox reactions with sample substances in solution prior to Electrospray MS analysis. However, for many applications it is preferable to minimize any changes to the analyte species in solution prior to Electrospraying to achieve minimum distortion of information regarding a solution composition in ES/MS analysis. In many applications including quantitative analysis, the study of peptides and proteins, high throughput screening, drug discovery, drug metabolite studies and biomarker detection it is preferred to have minimum modification of the analyte population during ES/MS analysis. The Electrospray probe apparatus configured according to the invention allows control of the Electrospray current using only the Electrospray electric field while preventing redox reactions from occurring on conductive surfaces in the first or sample solution flow path during Electrospray ionization. One embodiment of the invention provides control of the total Electrospray current and sample solution pH while preventing redox reactions from occurring on conductive surfaces in the sample solution flow path. This control of the Electrospray process allows optimization of ES/MS or ES/MSn analysis and expansion of ES/MSn or liquid chromatography Electrospray mass MS (LC/ES/MSn) analytical capability while insuring minimum modification of the analytes in the sample solution due to redox reactions prior to Electrospraying. The introduction of specific neutral or charged species into the sample solution through semipermeable membranes during Electrospray ionization can be selected and controlled to maximize ion signal for different classes of analyte compounds in the sample solution. The invention allows conducting of conductivity or pH scans during Electrospraying to maximize ion signal or to study processes occurring in solution such as protein folding as a function of pH. Preventing redox reactions from occurring on conductive surfaces in the first or sample solution flow path minimizes the carryover of contamination species that deplate from the conductive surfaces when the Electrospray polarity is changed. The contamination ions occurring in mass spectra when polarity is changed can reduce sample signal due to charge competition and cause interference peaks in the acquired mass spectrum. The charged droplet sprayer configured according to the invention reduces the time and solvent consumption required to flush sample solution flow paths, providing increased analytical throughput at lower cost per analysis.
The electrical circuit equivalence of conventional Electrospray ionization charged droplet formation and neutralization processes have been described by Kebarle, P., and Tang, L., Anal. Chem. 1993, 65, 972A-985A [11] and Jackson, G. S., and Enke, C. G., Anal. Chem. 1999, 71, 3777-3784 [12]. The total electrical current generated in unassisted or pneumatic nebulization assisted Electrospray is established by electrolytic processes occurring in solution. For a given voltage differential applied between the Electrospray tip and counter electrodes and for a given liquid flow rate, the total Electrospray current produced through the formation of charged liquid droplets is a strong function of the resistance, or inversely the conductivity, of the solution being Electrosprayed. The invention allows changing of the effective solution conductivity during Electrospraying by changing of the conductivity of a second solution flow separated from the sample solution flow by a semipermeable membrane. Charged species exchanged across the membrane between the first or sample solution and the second solution, effectively changing the conductivity of the sample solution, are driven across the membrane by the applied Electrospray electric field. Selected neutral species may also traverse the membrane driven by a concentration gradient between the first and second solutions that may also change the first solution conductivity. The controlled exchange of proton charged species across the membrane changes the first solution conductivity and pH. The invention allows the addition of protons or cations to the sample solution during positive polarity Electrospray ionization without the addition of the counter ion as is the case when acids or salts are added directly to the sample solution. The converse is true for negative polarity Electrospray ionization.
The total Electrospray current can be changed with precise and stable control during Electrospray ionization with no change to the charged droplet sprayer geometry or the applied Electrospray voltage. For a given solution flow rate, as the total Electrospray current increases, the size of the charged droplets produced decreases. Higher total Electrospray currents with smaller droplet size distributions allows faster drying of charged droplets and the reduction of aerosols produced from evaporating droplets with insufficient charge available to ionize non volatile components within the droplet. In unassisted Electrospray charged droplet production, each initial charged droplet breaks off with approximately half the Rayleigh limit of charge per droplet. For a given liquid flow rate, as the total ES current increases due to increasing solution conductivity, the total number of droplets produced must increase to carry the additional charge limited by the Rayleigh limit of charge per droplet. As the number of charged droplets produced per time increases, the charge to solution volume ratio increases. The same trends apply with pneumatic nebulization assisted Electrospray ionization charged droplet formation. Increasing the total charge available will increase analyte ES/MSn signal to the point where sufficient charge is available to ionize all analytic molecules. Increasing the total ES current beyond the equivalent analyte concentration may cause a decrease in ES/MSn signal. The charged droplet sprayer configured according to the invention allows rapid adjustment of total ES current during Electrospray ionization to maximize analyte signal in ES/MSn analysis.
Embodiments of the invention include charged droplet sprayers configured such that no redox reactions occur on conductive surfaces in the first or sample solution flow path during charged droplet formation in Electrospray ionization. In one embodiment of the invention, charged species are added to or removed from the first or sample solution through semipermeable, dielectric membranes separating the first solution from a second solution or gas flow. In this embodiment, the total charged droplet spray current produced from the charged droplet spraying process can be adjusted by modifying the second solution or gas phase composition, electric field strength across the membrane, electrode composition and geometry, membrane composition and geometry, the electric field at the spray tip, the number of spray tips, solution flow rate and other variables independent of the initial first or sample solution composition as will become apparent in the description of the invention. Through adjustment of such variables using the charged droplet sprayer configured according to the invention, charged droplet spraying can be optimized for a given application. For example, the amplitude of multiply charged peaks of proteins in a mass spectrum acquired by Electrospraying from an aqueous solution can be increased by adding protons through a fluorethylene polymer (Nafion™) dielectric membrane during Electrospraying using one embodiment of the invention. Alternative embodiments of the invention provide for charge separation and the addition or removal of net charge from the first or sample solution with all or a portion of the total charge droplet spray current generated through redox reactions occurring on conductive electrodes separate from the first solution flow path. Embodiments of the invention allow adjustment and optimization of charged droplet spraying for a given sample solution composition.


A two-section slat for use in a roll-type shutter is formed of a channel-shaped extrusion section having a hook formation at its upper end and a receiving channel for the next slat hook along its lower edge. The channel is overlapped by a cover section which is engaged and interlocked with the channel section at the upper edge, lower edge and in the central portion of the cover section. The two sections are formed with interlocking means which hold the two sections together under resilient pressure to form a hollow, substantially rigid, flat bar. The cover section may have a preselected color or texture which differs from the color and texture of the channel section. Thus, the slat, having two different colors or textures can match the decor of a interior room of a dwelling while also matching the appearances of numerous shutters exposed to view on the exterior of the building.

This invention relates to an improved slat for use on roll-type shutters or blinds. Roll-type shutters are typically formed of a substantial number of horizontally elongated slats which are connected together, one above the other, to form a complete panel when the shutter is extended. One common form of shutter slat is formed of an aluminum or plastic extrusion made in a box-like cross-sectional configuration. The extrusion includes a hook configuration along the slat upper edge and a socket receiving the hook of the next slat along the slat lower edge for interconnecting adjacent slats one above the other.
Typically, extruded slats are made of a single aluminum or plastic extrusion. However, slats have been made of two separate sections which were fastened together to form a single box-like slat construction. Where the slats are formed of a single extrusion, the visual appearance on both sides of the shutter or blind, which is made of assembled slats, is the same. For example, if the slats are formed of aluminum which is painted with a particular color, both sides of the extended panel are the same.
There are times, however, where it is desirable to produce a blind or shutter panel which has an interior surface that is different than the appearance of the panel exterior surface to match a desired decor of a building. For example, it may be desirable to provide a different color and texture on the interior surface of the panel so that a large number of panels, covering a large number of windows of a building all appear to be the same from the outside of the building, while the interior surfaces are selectively matched to the decor of a particular room in which they are placed.
Examples of prior roll-type shutters with extruded, hollow or box-type slats are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,340 issued Aug. 10, 1982 to Paule; U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,218 issued Jan. 31, 1984 to LaRocca; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,953 issued Jul. 22, 1986 to Haffer. An example of a prior two-section slat formed of an aluminum extrusion with a separate, connected wood or extruded plastic section is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,247 issued Nov. 6, 1979 to Piana.
The invention herein relates to improvements to the types of slats mentioned above and particularly to the type of slat formed of two sections of two different materials. The improvements provide an inexpensive slat construction of the two-section type but, which can be more rapidly and easily assemblied.