A lidded chip package apparatus has reduced latent thermal stress in an under-chip high-CTE layer of the chip package because the lid of the package was adhered to a substrate of the package and cured during a same thermal excursion as when underfill was dispensed and cured under a chip of the package, and the chip package was cooled from the combined underfill and lidding process to room temperature with the lid adhered to the chip and the substrate, thereby reducing latent thermal stress in the under-chip high-CTE layer of the chip package.

The present invention relates to the electrical, electronic, and computer arts, and more specifically, to assembly of integrated circuit chip packages.
During fabrication of integrated circuit chip packages, the chips and substrates experience repeated thermal excursions as they alternately are heated to process temperatures (e.g., underfill dispense and cure, lidding adhesive cure) then cooled to room temperature for handling. Thermal excursions introduce thermomechanical stresses to various layers of the chips, especially during cooldowns to room temperature when high-coefficient-of-thermal-expansion (high-CTE) chip layers experience a peeling stress due to differential contraction relative to other layers.

Mitigating cooldown peeling stress during chip package assembly

International Business Machines Corporation


An antenna device has a core made of a magnetic material, a coil formed by winding a conducting wire on a predetermined range including the core and the outer region of the core, and a sub-core that adjusts the resonance frequency by moving in the inner peripheral region of the coil and in the direction orthogonal to the winding direction of the coil. A communication system of the present invention is a combination of an external communication device, the antenna device, and an internal communication device that is connected to the antenna device and is disposed in a cabin.

Recently, a wireless door locking/unlocking mode where a door of a vehicle is locked or unlocked by remote control becomes widespread, and hence an antenna device for the vehicle and a communication system using the antenna device are used. Such wireless mode requires an antenna device that allows a driver to certainly remotely control the door within a predetermined distance range from the vehicle and a communication system using the antenna device.
A conventional antenna device for a vehicle employed for the wireless mode and a communication system using the antenna device are described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a conventional general communication system for locking or unlocking door 51 of vehicle 50 in wireless mode. Antenna device 52 for transmitting or receiving radio waves to communicate with the outside is built in mirror movable unit 54. Mirror movable unit 54 is mounted to mirror fixing unit 53 disposed in door 51 of vehicle 50. Mirror movable unit 54 is opened or closed automatically or manually. In other words, the driver operates a switch in the vehicle to automatically open or close mirror movable unit 54, or the driver manually and directly operates mirror movable unit 54 to open or close it.
External communication device 56 communicates with antenna device 52 interactively. External communication device 56 is specific to vehicle 50 and transmits a code or the like specific to vehicle 50. The shape of external communication device 56 is a card shape for example, and is selected to allow the driver to carry the device even when the driver goes away from vehicle 50.
Antenna device 52 is connected to an electronic circuit (not shown) of an internal communication device installed in vehicle 50. The electronic circuit processes information transmitted from external communication device 56, determines whether or not the information is a code specific to vehicle 50, and locks or unlocks the door. The communication system is a combination of external communication device 56, antenna device 52, and the electronic circuit.
Antenna device 52 is formed of a ferrite core, a hollow bobbin into which the core is inserted, a coil wound on the outer periphery of the bobbin, a capacitor, and a resistor. The coil, the capacitor, and the resistor are interconnected in series, and both ends of the connection are electrically connected to the electronic circuit, thereby forming a series resonant circuit. These are not shown.
When all doors 51 of vehicle 50 are closed, and a radio wave is transmitted from external communication device 56 in a state where the driver separates from vehicle 50, antenna device 52 receives the radio wave, the electronic circuit verifies the radio wave against the specific certified code, and locks or unlocks doors 51.
In conventional antenna device 52 and the communication system using the antenna device, however, when the driver of vehicle 50 folds mirror movable unit 54, the direction of antenna device 52 built in mirror movable unit 54 changes. As a result, the directivity of antenna device 52 changes, and hence the driver cannot always and certainly perform the remote control within a predetermined distance range from vehicle 50.
Therefore, a configuration where an antenna device is mounted to the inside of a mirror fixing unit for fixing a mirror, for example, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2004-364231. FIG. 12 shows the configuration of this antenna device. In this antenna device, coil 300 is formed by winding a conducting wire on an outer peripheral region of hollow bobbin 200 made of dielectric resin, and ferrite core 100 is inserted into bobbin 200.
Case 400 stores coil 300, capacitor 900, and resistor 110, and they are interconnected by predetermined wiring. Thin lead terminals 500 and 600 made of conductors are insert-molded in case 400. Part other than coil 300, core 100, bobbin 200, capacitor 900, resistor 110, and lead terminals 500 and 600 in case 400 is filled with resin 220 such as silicone.
This antenna device has circuitry where coil 300, capacitor 900, and resistor 110 are interconnected in series and lead terminals 500 and 600 are disposed at both ends of this connection. Lead terminals 500 and 600 are electrically connected to an electronic circuit as the internal communication device disposed in the vehicle body, thereby forming a series resonant circuit.
The antenna device is mounted to the mirror fixing unit of the vehicle, so that the mirror fixing unit does not move even when the driver folds the movable unit of the door mirror. Therefore, the direction of the antenna device in the mirror fixing unit does not change, and hence the directivity of the antenna device does not change before and after the folding.
However, the directivity of the antenna device has a characteristic where the directivity expands from the mounted position as the origin. The driver, in performing the remote control, is apt to carefully watch the door handle rather than the mirror fixing unit. Therefore, when the antenna device is mounted to the inside of the mirror fixing unit, the behavioral characteristic of the driver makes it difficult to obtain high directivity of the antenna device.
While, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. H9-125776, a wireless door locking/unlocking device is disclosed that can certainly automatically lock a door even when the driver is near the vehicle in getting out and can sufficiently improve secrecy of an identification code. The locking/unlocking device has an antenna device that transmits a signal for starting the external communication device and receives a signal including the identification code transmitted from the external communication device. The locking/unlocking device further has a door lock controlling means for locking or unlocking the door based on the signal received by the antenna device. A door outer handle made of resin is disposed in the door. The antenna device is disposed near the door outer handle, and the communication distance between the antenna device and the external communication device is set at 50 cm or shorter. In this conventional example, a specific mounted position of the antenna device is inside the door outer handle.
Since the communication distance between the antenna device and the external communication device is set at 50 cm or shorter in the conventional example, for operating the locking/unlocking device, the driver must approach the door until this distance. When the antenna device is disposed near the door outer handle, the locking/unlocking device is apt to suffer impact or vibration that is caused by the motion of the driver in operating the door outer handle, and the operation reliability is low.
When the locking/unlocking device is mounted to the vehicle, the resonance frequency shifts dependently on the mounted position and hence this shift is required to be adjusted. However, in the conventional antenna device, this adjustment cannot be easily and accurately performed.
The present invention addresses the conventional problems. The present invention provides an antenna device where the adjusting range of the resonance frequency is large and certain adjustment can be performed, and a communication system allowing the driver to certainly perform the remote control within a predetermined distance range from the vehicle using the antenna device.

Antenna device and communication system using it

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A folding chair having a friction damping part for decelerating a rotary speed of a seat board is provided. The folding chair comprises the seat board vertically rotatably supported between a pair of stand frames, a rotary connection part connecting the seat board to the pair of stand frames to be vertically rotatable while having a rotary shaft line as a center of rotation, and a damping part capable of decelerating a rotary speed of the seat board. The damping part comprises a friction clutch disposed on the rotary shaft line and having a friction surface arranged in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft line, a clutch pressure plate integrally rotating with the seat board and having a pressure surface configured to come in contact with the friction surface of the friction clutch, and an elastic pressure body elastically pressing the clutch pressure plate toward the friction clutch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a folding chair having a friction damping part, and more particularly, to a folding chair having a friction damping part in which a damping part for decelerating a rotary speed of a seat board is disposed at a folding chair, such as a grandstand, having the seat board vertically rotatably supported between a pair of stand frames to reduce noise generation and decrease a possibility of being damaged due to rapid rotation of the seat board and decrease a possibility of accidents caused by the rapidly rotating seat board, while a friction force and elastic force are used in damping to have a simple structure by a mechanical mechanism, be easily manufactured, and guarantee a sufficient damping force.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Generally, a chair for viewing, i.e. a grandstand seat, is installed at a multiuse facility such as various types of stadiums, movie theaters, etc. For efficient space utilization in installing the grandstand seat, a stepped concrete structure is installed, and the grandstand seat is installed on an inclined surface, a wall, or a horizontal surface (floor surface) of the concrete structure.
As disclosed in Korean utility model gazette No. 20-1993-0003026, a foldable chair in which a seat member is folded toward a backrest member is mostly used as the grandstand seat to provide a moving space to enable people to easily pass by.
In a conventional grandstand seat, a fixing bracket was fixed and installed at one side of a seat member using a screw, a fixing shaft formed as above was inserted into a frame, a fixing bracket was inserted into another side of the frame, and a seat board was put on a seat board fastening part of the fixing bracket and fixed and assembled to the bracket by a screw.
The grandstand seat has a torsion spring installed at a rotary shaft of the seat member to enable the seat member to automatically rotate by an elastic force of the torsion spring.
In other words, when a person uses the grandstand seat, the person sits thereon after the seat member rotates in a direction away from the backrest member. When the person stands up, the seat member rotates in a direction toward the backrest member to be folded by an elastic force of the torsion spring.
However, the grandstand seat had a disadvantage of generating noise which disturbs viewing of others as the seat member collides with the backrest member when rotating by the elastic force of the torsion spring, or causing the seat member and the backrest member to be damaged due to an impact caused by the collision, and had a problem of causing accidents by the rapid rotation of the seat member at a chaotic situation caused by many people pouring into a stadium.
To overcome the above disadvantage of the grandstand seat, "Damper for Rotary Chair" has been suggested in Korean Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-2015-0072557.
However, the damper for a rotary chair decelerates a rotary speed of a seating member by filling a filling liquid such as silicone oil having predetermined viscosity into an installation space in which a torsion spring for rotating the seat member by an elastic force is embedded to provide a friction force to the torsion spring, thereby having a possibility of leakage of the filling liquid and thus having a limitation in maintaining a sufficient damping force for a long period, and having a disadvantage of not being able to be installed at a circular grandstand since the seat member cannot be installed at a slant with respect to a frame.

Folding chair having friction damping part


A trampoline has an enclosure system including a barrier of a flexible material (14) such as a net material surrounding the trampoline mat above the mat and having a lower peripheral part coupled directly or indirectly to the mat, and a plurality of resiliently flexible generally upright enclosure support members or rods (13) which are retained at or towards the lower ends of the enclosure support members and below the mat (1) by the frame (4) of the trampoline and which support the net above the mat, so that the enclosure is free to deform away from the mat when impacted by a user against an enclosure support member and/or against said barrier of flexible material.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,845 describes an enclosure for a trampoline consisting of a net fence or barrier which surrounds the trampoline and is supported by upright poles spaced around the periphery of the trampoline and fixed to the trampoline frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,174 discloses a form of soft-edged trampoline in which the mat of the trampoline is supported by a plurality of resiliently flexible rods received in a frame of the trampoline at the lower ends of the rods and coupled to the periphery of the bouncing mat of the trampoline at their upper ends, and which avoids the need for a solid frame about the exterior of the bouncing mat and exposed springs between the frame and periphery of the mat.


A computing device associated with a cloud computing environment identifies a first worker cloud computing device from a group of worker cloud computing devices with available resources sufficient to meet required resources for a highest-priority task associated with a computing job including a group of prioritized tasks. A determination is made as to whether an ownership conflict would result from an assignment of the highest-priority task to the first worker cloud computing device based upon ownership information associated with the computing job and ownership information associated with at least one other task assigned to the first worker cloud computing device. The highest-priority task is assigned to the first worker cloud computing device in response to determining that the ownership conflict would not result from the assignment of the highest-priority task to the first worker cloud computing device.

The present invention relates to cloud computing environments. More particularly, the present invention relates to automated cloud workload management in a map-reduce environment.
Cloud computing environments often include a master computing device and multiple worker computing devices. Work is distributed from the master computing device into the cloud and to the worker computing devices within the cloud. The worker computing devices perform the work and return the results to the master computing device. The master computing device assembles the results received from the worker computing devices.

Automated cloud workload management in a map-reduce environment

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A broadband light source device that can generate supercontinuum light in a visible range and having a spectrum with a stable shape and high intensity is provided. The broadband light source device includes a diode-pumped solid-state laser light source that outputs seed light in response to being excited by a laser beam output from a semiconductor laser light source; a wavelength converter that receives the seed light to generate wavelength-converted light having a wavelength different from that of the seed light, and outputs the wavelength-converted light; and a nonlinear medium that receives the wavelength-converted light to generate supercontinuum light having a bandwidth of 100 nm or greater included in a wave band of 400 nm to 700 nm inclusive, and outputs the supercontinuum light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to broadband light source devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Supercontinuum light (SC light) is a type of broadband light that has a high-output, broad-band, and flat spectrum. For this reason, SC light is expected to be used in various fields of application, such as for light measurement and near-infrared spectroscopy. In particular, SC light in a visible range of 400 nm to 700 nm is much researched for its application to displays.
Page 14 of the document "FemtoFiber Lasers" in TOPTICA Photonics AG's Internet website (URL: http://wwwtoptica.com/products/itemla_yer/97/BR-41003E-FFS-2006-12.pdf, searched on Apr. 11, 2007) describes a broadband light source device FFS.SYS-SHG-PCF. In this broadband light source device, an erbium-doped fiber laser is used as a seed light source, and an output laser beam is guided to a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) where a nonlinear optical phenomenon is caused to occur. Utilizing this nonlinear optical phenomenon, SC light in a visible range is generated. However, in a seed light source including an erbium-doped fiber laser, a light amplifier such as an erbium-doped fiber amplifier is used in order to obtain high output necessary for wavelength conversion. This unfavorably leads to problems such as an increase in cost and a distorted waveform of the output light. A distorted waveform of the output laser beam (i.e. an incident beam on a PCF) leads to a lower wavelength conversion efficiency, thus making it difficult to obtain high-intensity and stable SC light.


A cellular modem device that is integrated with a proprietary dock connector of a mobile device, such as the proprietary 30 pin dock connector of an iPod Touch or iPad, permits the mobile device to connect for Internet access to the associated cellular carrier. The device is usable in circumstances where the mobile device does not contain internal cellular modem circuitry, and/or the device is unable to use WiFi-based Internet and/or the device's internal cellular circuits are out of range of cellular service of the carrier for which those circuits are designed, and/or the internal cellular circuits are not activated on the associated cellular network.

In recent years the development of computing devices has increasingly focused upon mobility and ease of use. This focus has led to increasingly more sophisticated palm-sized mobile computing devices. Two examples of such devices, sold by Apple, are the iPod Touch and iPhone. Both offer a wide array of functions, including networked applications whereby a user can access email, browse web pages, and the like. The primary difference between the iPod Touch and iPhone is that the iPhone includes a telephone function (and microphone), and has more ways to obtain Internet access. The iPod Touch can obtain Internet access only via 802.11x networking (WiFi), whereas the iPhone is capable of Internet access via either WiFi networking or by a cellular Internet connection, either using GSM networks (for older iPhones) or, more recently, using the Verizon CDMA network (for the iPhone 4 as sold by Verizon).
A more recent product from Apple is the iPad, which was released in early 2010 and was a tremendous sales success. The iPad is functionally similar to an iPod Touch but has a larger screen. Notably, the original iPad can only obtain Internet access via WiFi networking as it does not have a GSM or CDMA modem.
Recently, the iPad 2 has been announced and sold. The iPad 2 differs from the original iPad in the option of including a cellular modem. However, this option comes at an extra price, and may not be purchased by all users; moreoever, there are a large number of iPad and iPod Touch devices in the field which lack cellular Internet capability.
At least one cellular carrier, Verizon, has sold iPad devices bundled with a cellular WiFi hotspot device, allowing the iPad to obtain Internet access while away from wired Internet service, such as in moving vehicles and the like. This is a reasonable solution technically, but involves a substantial hardware cost for the separate device which has its own battery, WiFi router, and cellular modem, which must be absorbed in the up-front purchase price or through a long term service contract.
Thus, there is a need for a device that can provide a cellular Internet option for mobile devices that lack a built-in cellular Internet capability, without substantial hardware cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Wireless broadband modem for mobile device connector


A method of removing columnar streaks from a digital image of the type in which it is assumed that pixels in a predetermined region near a given pixel are strongly related to each other and employing gain and offset values to compute streak removal information, a test is performed for a strong relation between the pixels in a predetermined region near a given pixel and streak removal information is computed only if such a strong relationship exists, whereby image content that does not extend the full length of the image in the column direction will not be interpreted as a streak.

Every detector in an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD image sensor, may have a different response function that relates the input intensity of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) to a pixel value in the digital image. This response function can change with time or operating temperature. Image sensors are calibrated such that each detector has the same response for the same input intensity (illumination radiance). The calibration is generally performed by illuminating each detector with a given radiance from a calibration lamp and then recording the signal from each detector to estimate the response function of the detector. The response function for each detector is used to equalize the output of all of the detectors such that a uniform illumination across all of the detectors will produce a uniform output.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic of an image acquired by a linear image sensing arrays. In such an image, if errors in estimating the response curve of a detector are different from the errors in the response curve of an adjacent detector, the detector responses will not be equalized and streaking 2 will appear in the image along the scan direction indicated by arrow A. Often to achieve a very long array, several image sensor chips are joined together to form a single linear image sensor. When calibration errors occur between chips, the streaking is generally referred to as banding, as illustrated at reference numeral 4.
Even when the detectors are calibrated to minimize the streaking in the image, some errors from the calibration process are unavoidable. Each detector is sensitive to a slightly different spectrum of light, but they are all calibrated using the same calibration lamp with a broad, non-uniform spectrum. Since the scene spectrum is unknown, the calibration process assumes the spectrum of the calibration lamp and the scene are identical. The spectrum of the calibration lamp will usually be somewhat different than the spectrum of the scene being imaged, hence calibration errors will occur. Calibration errors also occur because the calibration process includes an incomplete model of the complete optical process and because the response function for each detector changes over time and operating temperature.
Streaking can be seen in uniform areas of an image acquired by a linear detector and become very apparent when the contrast of the image is enhanced. Calibration differences between the red, green, and blue detectors of color imaging systems produce streaks of varying colors in the composite color image. These streaks not only reduce the aesthetic quality of digital images but can impact the interpretability of features in the images. Streaking also severely degrades the performance of pattern recognition and feature extraction algorithms.
Streaks can be attenuated by reducing the contrast of the image or by blurring the image in a direction perpendicular to the streaking, but these methods degrade the quality of the overall image. Previously developed algorithms designed to remove the streaks while preserving the contrast and sharpness of the image assume that the streaks do not change over time or that the pixels near each other are strongly correlated. In general these assumptions are not true. The responsivity of each detector, and hence the magnitudes of the streaks, changes over time, therefore methods that remove fixed patterns of streaks will not always work. U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,444, issued Nov. 12, 1991, to Garber discloses a method of removing streaks from digital images by assuming that pixels in a predetermined region are strongly correlated, examining the pixels in the region, computes the difference between the pixels in the region, thresholding the pixel differences lower than a predetermined value, computes a gain and offset value from the distribution of differences, and uses the gain and offset value to remove the streaking. Methods that assume a strong correlation between pixels that are near each other, such as the one disclosed by Garber will interpret scene variations as streaks and produce additional streaking artifacts in the image as a result of attempting to remove existing streaks. FIG. 2a shows an image having streaks 2 and linear features 6 that are in the same direction as the streaks. As shown in FIG. 2b, the correction of the streaks 2 using the method taught by Garber remove the streaks 2, but results in additional streaking artifacts 8.
There is a need therefore for an improved digital image processing method for removing streaks in images.

Adaptive process for removing streaks in digital images


The present invention relates to electrically magnetized synchronous machine comprising an electrically magnetized rotor, and electrically supplied sator windings, whereby it further comprises non-linear means, optionally controllable, such as rectifying means in a series with three sator phase windings, whereby a rotor field winding is arranged to be fed from said non-linear means.

Permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSM) are getting increasingly more popular due to their high torque and power density. The main drawbacks are the magnet price, the difficulties with field weakening, and possibly the assembly/disassembly that is somewhat difficult due to high forces emanating from the magnets.
Another problem is that the metals used in alloys for producing permanent magnets are a restricted nature resource, and from a global environmental point of view there is a requirement for less use of such metals, as there is no endless source thereof.
Electrically magnetized synchronous machines (EMSM) have almost the same properties as permanent magnet synchronous machines. However, one drawback thereof is the need for a field winding in the rotor, and a corresponding power supply and slip rings or rotary transformer plus rectifier to deal with the magnetization. An advantage using electrically magnetized synchronous machines compared to permanent magnet synchronous machines is the ease of carrying out field weakening.


A storage device with a memory may include memory block health monitoring and behavior tracking. Each memory block may be analyzed based on one or more dummy wordlines within the block may not be accessible for normal data storage. The dummy wordlines may be programmed with a known data pattern that can be tracked and analyzed for potential errors, which may be used as representation of the health of the memory block. Adjustments can be made to the operating parameters (e.g. read voltages) to optimize each memory block based on its error analysis.

Non-volatile memory systems, such as flash memory, have been widely adopted for use in consumer products. Flash memory may be found in different forms, for example in the form of a portable memory card that can be carried between host devices or as a solid state disk (SSD) embedded in a host device. As the non-volatile memory cell scales to smaller dimensions with higher capacity per unit area, the cell endurance due to program and erase cycling, and disturbances (e.g. due to either read or program) may become more prominent. The defect level during the silicon process may become elevated as the cell dimension shrinks and process complexity increases. Further, the memory may have a limited endurance, which determines a number of times a particular memory can be erased and re-programmed. Bit error rate (BER) may be used as an estimate for wear, data retention (DR), read disturb errors, or remaining margin; however, BER is merely the result of the problem and may not be an accurate indicator and predictor of memory block health.

Block behavior tracking in a memory system


A system and method are provided. A virtual reality environment rendering module provides a virtual reality environment representative of one or more of a contact center, a predictive dialer, and a media collaboration session. The virtual reality environment is configured based on collected information of various types.

Contact centers service incoming contacts from customers while predictive dialing facilities initiate outgoing customer contacts regarding goods and services. An important function in contact centers and predictive dialing facilities is optimizing contact center performance in light of policies and objectives while substantially minimizing costs and maximizing customer satisfaction. Many performance metrics and analytics algorithms have been created to evaluate and control contact center performance but further improvements are required.
Virtual Reality ("VR") offers a vehicle not only to substantially optimize contact center performance but also substantially minimize costs and maximize customer satisfaction. VR applies to a computer-simulated environment simulating physical presence in a defined environment, which may emulate the real or an imaginary world. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. VR is increasing rapidly in popularity in many applications, including fictional gaming, radio, motion pictures, and therapeutics.
There is a need to implement VR in a contact center environment to enrich the customer experience, and provide higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Configuring a virtual reality environment in a contact center


A burial container having a seamless single piece base with a bottom, sides and ends, each of which has an inner wall and an outer wall and a seamless single piece lid having an inner and outer wall, the lid sealably securable to the base. The lid, bottom side and end inner and outer walls form hollow chambers capable of being filled with cellular concrete or other structural flowable materials. The inner and outer walls of the lid and base may be parallel and unconnected or connected at a plurality of locations to hold the walls in a substantially fixed relationship with each other and thereby strengthen the lid, bottom, sides and ends to withstand the forces exerted by the surrounding earth and water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to burial containers for the interment of human or animal remains and is particularly concerned with a burial container, the lid and base of which are formed in a sexless and single piece and have walls spaced and/or braced from each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Caskets in common use at the present time are usually bulky structures made of wood or metal and fitted with elaborate ornamentation. For the most part, such burial caskets are not completely sealable or cannot withstand the soil loads of interment. Consequently, they are usually placed in a massive burial vault made of concrete or some other similar material.
Concrete burial vaults are porous and therefore under soil load pressure will eventually permit the flow of moisture into the vault interior. Attempts have been made to line such vaults with plastic or fiberglass shells, however the continuous pressure of the soil load eventually will cause moisture to move through the pores of the concrete and separate the interior shell from the concrete to which it was originally adhered. An example of the plastic lined version of such a vault is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,461.
Other coatings have been applied to the concrete walls of vaults in an attempt to completely seal them from moisture. In none of these earlier developments has one hundred percent (100%) efficiency in preventing moisture seepage and wall separation been achieved. Other variations in vault construction include forming a double wall of reinforced concrete having an inner asphalt liner between the two (2) concrete walls. Other vaults have been made of various molded plastic resinous materials, concrete outer walls having an inner liner of glass, fiber-reinforced resin, and combinations of other pressure and moisture-resisting substances.
All such prior vaults have had certain desirable advantages and in some instances, certain undesirable features and disadvantages. For example, burial vaults made entirely of reinforced concrete where properly made and of a proper wall thickness, have adequate structural and tensile strength to resist the crushing force of the overlying earth load as well as the additional pressure of earth-handling machinery moved thereover, commonly occurring in cemetery operations. However, such vaults made of reinforced concrete are heavy and tend to allow moisture to infiltrate through the porous concrete wall of the vault due to the hydrostatic pressure in the grave opening.
Prior burial vaults made entirely of synthetic plastic resinous materials have been known and used heretofore and certain of them have desirable advantages and characteristics. Yet a distinct disadvantage is the lack of adequate structural, tensile and flexural strength and the resulting inability to withstand the crushing weight of the overlying earth load and the hydrostatic pressure when the vault is interred in the grave opening, and the additional weight when earth-handling machinery is moved thereover.


A communication system, user device thereof, and a synchronization method thereof are provided. The communication system includes a user device and a wireless network. The wireless network transmits a RRC re-configuration message containing ciphering configuration information to a user device on a logical link. The user device suspends all measurement operation transmitting measurement report after receiving the RRC re-configuration message. The user device changes to a new ciphering configuration according to the RRC re-configuration message, and the wireless network changes to the new ciphering configuration. The user device transmits a RRC response message to respond the RRC re-configuration message to the wireless network. The user device resumes the measurement operation after changing to the new configuration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a synchronization method of communication, in particular, to a synchronization method adapted to be employed in the third generation mobile communication system for decreasing the call-dropping probability thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
With the arrival of the information era, demands for mobile audio, data communication, and kinds of mobile service are continuously increasing. Limited communication channels and insufficient transmission speed deter the concurrent communication system to be further developed. Therefore, the third generation mobile (3G) mobile communication, capable of providing higher frequency band utilizing efficiency and faster transmission service, has been developed accordingly.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a 3G mobile communication network. Referring to FIG. 1, a user equipment (UE) 10, e.g., a cellular phone or one of other handheld communication devices, communicates to a universal mobile telecommunication system radio access network (UTRAN) 11 via radio signals. The UTRAN 11 includes several radio network subsystems (RNS) 121, 122. Each of the RNSs is controlled by a radio network controller (RNC) 131, 132. Each RNC is connected with a plurality of node bases (Node B) 141-143. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the RNS 121 includes RNCs 131 and Node Bs 141, 142, and the RNS 122 includes RNCs 132 and a Node B 143. The UTRAN 11 communicates with other telecommunication network, e.g., internet, via a core network (CN) 15 to provide 3G audio and/or data transmission service.
If moved or the wireless environment is changed, the UTRAN may shift UE among different RNSs, e.g., changing from connection to the RNS 121 to connect to the RNS 122. Such a procedure is called serving radio network subsystem (SRNS) relocation. In such a procedure, the UE 10 and the UTRAN 11 have to communicate to each other by synchronously using identical setting configuration. For example, the UE 10 and the UTRAN 11 must synchronously use data cipher corresponding to a new ciphering configuration to encrypt or decrypt the data.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the 3G mobile communication synchronization between a UE and a UTRAN. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in an SRNS relocation procedure, the UTRAN transmits a radio resource control (RRC) message containing ciphering configuration information. After receiving the RRC re-configuration message containing the ciphering configuration information, the UE changes to the corresponding new ciphering configuration and transmits RRC response message to the UTRAN. For example, the UTRAN transmits a UTRAN mobility information RRC message containing downlink counter synchronization information to the UE. After receiving the aforementioned RRC message, the UE changes to the new configuration and feeds back a UTRAN mobility information confirm RRC message to respond the reception of the RRC message.
Because of the standard of 3G mobile communication, the UE is setup to measure e.g. wireless channel, according to which the RNC performs and controls channel source management. The obtained results also depend on the adjustment of the wireless channel quality factors for maintaining quality of different services. Therefore, the UE transmits a measurement report at predetermined times to the UTRAN according to the measurement event or the standard. However, the 3G mobile communication standard does not clearly define when the UTRAN should use its corresponding new ciphering configuration. As such, the UTRAN cannot correctly use the same data cipher of the UE to encode or decode the data, which is illustrated with reference to FIG. 4 as follows.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for illustrating incorrectly encrypting/decrypting due to a synchronization failure between the UE and the UTRAN of 3G mobile communication. At the beginning, the UTKAN transmits UTRAN mobility information RRC message containing downlink counter synchronization information and ciphering mode info containing new ciphering configuration to the UE. However, after receiving the aforementioned RRC message, the UE most probably performs measurement operation (e.g. signal intensity measurement and/or buffer usage-status reporting) for sending measurement reports to the UTRAN at predetermined times triggered by measurement event or following the standard, before changing to the new ciphering configuration and feeds back a UTRAN mobility information confirm. In such a way, the UE will use the old configuration to transmit the measurement report. Unfortunately, if the UTRAN has already used the new ciphering configuration to receive the measurement report, the UE and the UTRAN is unsynchronized, thus causing incorrectly data encrypting/decrypting of the two parties. Affections of the incorrectly data encrypting/decrypting are illustrated below with reference to FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for illustrating incorrectly data encrypting/decrypting of the UE and the UTRAN. Referring to FIG. 4, it is assumed that the measurement report transmitted by the UE is composed of protocol data units (PDUs) 401-402, while the UTRAN mobility information confirm is composed of PDUs 403-404 of the RLC entity. If the data are asynchronously encrypted/decrypted, the UTRAN would decrypt the received PUDs 405-408 into incorrect service data unit (SDU), e.g., SDU 411 and SDU 412 which would not form RRC messages. The measurement report includes measurement values of the wireless connection, and the UTRAN can select exchanging cells according to the measurement values. Most importance of all, the new configurations of data cipher between UE and UTRAN are not synchronous any more and the old configuration cannot be changed back. Therefore, the call-dropping probability is increased.

Communication system, user device thereof and synchronization method thereof


This liquid crystal polyester resin composition includes a liquid crystal polyester resin and a filler composed of a fibrous filler and a plate-like filler, in which the amount of the filler is at least 15 parts by mass but not more than 55 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the liquid crystal polyester resin, and the number average fiber length of the fibrous filler is at least 450 μm but not more than 700 μm.

Liquid crystal polyester resins have excellent moldability and superior heat resistance. In order to utilize these types of properties, liquid crystal polyester resins are mainly used in applications for electronic components such as connectors, relays and bobbins. In recent years electronic components have seen much progress in terms of increased levels of integration, increased miniaturization, reduced wall thickness and improved thinness, and particularly in the case of connector components, the trends towards increased miniaturization and reduced wall thickness have been remarkable.
Representative examples of these thin-walled connectors include board-to-board connectors used for connecting printed circuit board substrates together, and flexible printed circuit (FPC) connectors used for connecting a flexible printed circuit board or a flexible flat cable (FFC) to a printed circuit board.
As the electronic devices that use the printed circuit boards are reduced in size, board-to-board connectors and FPC connectors also require miniaturization. For example, narrow-pitch connectors in which the pitch between the metal terminals of the connector have been narrowed to 0.35 mm to 0.4 mm have been proposed. Further, thin connectors in which the height of the connector in an installed state (the so-called stacking height) is from 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm have also been proposed.
However, attempting to meet the demands for increasingly miniaturized and thin-walled connectors increases the possibility of short shots caused by insufficient fluidity of the resin during molding of the connector. Consequently, there is a need for further improvement in the fluidity of the resin in thin-walled portions of the molded article (thin-wall fluidity).
Furthermore, attempting to meet the demands for increasingly miniaturized and thin-walled connectors increases the possibility of weakening of the connector strength due to the thinner walls, making it impossible to maintain a practical degree of strength. Specifically, there is an increased possibility of connector deformation caused by impact during transport and handling of the connector.
In a similar manner, the hardness of the connector decreases as a result of the thinner walls, and there is a possibility that damage may occur during handling of the connector. Examples of the type of damage that may occur during handling of the connector include connector collapse caused by positional misalignment during installation of the connector. Consequently, improvements in the hardness of the connector would be desirable.
Moreover, attempting to meet the demands for increasingly miniaturized and thin-walled connectors means there is a possibility of the following phenomenon occurring even with a small amount of warping. For example, if warping occurs in the connector, then a gap may develop between a metal terminals and the circuit formed on the substrate. Then, during soldering, the molten solder is sometimes unable to be retained in a satisfactory amount in the gap between the metal terminal and the substrate, meaning the solder hardens in a state where the metal terminal and the circuit are separated. As a result, the metal terminal and the circuit cannot be electrically connected, leading to the possibility of connection faults.
Therefore, the forming materials for thin-wall connectors typified by board-to-board connectors and FPC connectors must have excellent thin-wall fluidity, and be capable of producing a molded article having superior strength and hardness and low warping. In the present embodiments, "low warping" means the level of warping of the molded article, determined on the basis of the least squares plane of the molded article, is small.
In response to these types of demands, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid crystal polyester resin composition having excellent fluidity and a high weld strength. The liquid crystal polyester resin composition disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of 98 to 20% by mass of a liquid crystal polyester, 1 to 79% by mass of a plate-like or granular filler, and 1 to 79% by mass of glass fiber. Further, the liquid crystal polyester used has a heat distortion temperature of 190 to 280° C., a flow start temperature of not more than 330° C. and a melt viscosity of not more than 10,000 poise, and forms an anisotropic melt phase.

Liquid crystal polyester resin composition and molded article


A trailer hitch apparatus (10) for dampening shocks and surges between a towing vehicle (2) and a trailer (1) is disclosed. The hitch apparatus (10) includes a draw bar (20) for removably coupling to a towing vehicle (2), a hitch ball assembly (16) for coupling to a tongue of a trailer, and a torsional spring apparatus (30) pivotally coupling the draw bar to the hitch ball assembly. The torsional spring apparatus is adapted to resist the pivoting motion of the hitch ball assembly with respect to the draw bar thereby dampening shocks and surges transmitted between the towing vehicle and the trailer. The torsional spring further includes an incremental scale (13) and indicator (12) working in conjunction with the torsional spring apparatus for weighing the tongue weight of a trailer.

This invention relates generally to hitches for making draft connections between vehicles, for example, between trailers and towing vehicles, and more specifically, to force responsive hitches.
Conventional trailer hitches generally include a support structure rigidly attached to the rear of a towing vehicle. A hitch ball connector is mounted to the rigid support structure and is engaged by a compatibly shaped receptacle or coupling mounted on the forward end of a tongue of the trailer frame. This creates a pivotal connection in a plane normal to the length of the towing vehicle but the connection is rigid along the lengths of the vehicles. Because of the longitudinal rigidity, longitudinal surges, both compressive and expansive, and vertical shocks, both up and down, are transmitted between the trailer and the towing vehicle.
Longitudinal surges and vertical shocks between the towing vehicle and the trailer have numerous sources. For example, upon acceleration or deceleration of the towing vehicle, expansive or compressive surges, respectively are longitudinally transmitted between the trailer and the towing vehicle. A driver commonly causes these surges when accelerating and decelerating the towing vehicle. Further, bumps, ruts, potholes, etc. in a road surface subject the towing vehicle and a trailer to vertical vibrations and other vertical shocks. These vertical shock forces are transferred between the towing vehicle and trailer through the trailer hitch. It is well known that undue wear and damage to the towing vehicle, the hitch, and the trailer result from continual surges and shocks commonly associated with towing a trailer. Thus, it is desirable to reduce effects on both the towing vehicle and trailer of the surges and shocks.
In addition to causing undue wear and damage to both the trailer hitch and the trailer, surges and shocks between the towing vehicle and its trailer can be detrimental to the cargo being hauled in the trailer. For example, live stock such as horses are prone to becoming unnerved when confined within a trailer and the surges and shocks can cause them to become even further unnerved and scared. A racehorse, for example, can become too xe2x80x9cstressed-outxe2x80x9d from having been transported in a trailer to perform at peak efficiency, and consequently, the horse""s owner may suffer financially. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the surges and shocks transmitted to the trailer for the comfort of the livestock and for the protection of other cargo that may be harmed by surges and shocks.
Trailer hitches are designed to accommodate various tongue weights of a trailer. Ideally, the tongue-weight is five to ten percent of the gross trailer weight. An excessive tongue weight, a tongue weight greater than the rated capacity of the trailer hitch, leads to undue wear and damage to the trailer hitch and to the towing vehicle, and is also a safety hazard. An excessive load placed on the trailer hitch results in the rear end of the towing vehicle being pushed downward, and the front end of the towing vehicle becoming raised. The raised front end reduces the contact load between the steering wheels of the towing vehicle and the road or ground, thereby creating a safety hazard for the operators of the towing vehicle and all other drivers sharing the road with the towing vehicle. Conversely, trailer tongues having a tongue weight of less than five percent of the trailer""s gross weight are prone to accidentally becoming decoupled from the trailer hitch; a bump in the road can result in an upward vertical shock greater than the load exerted by the tongue on the hitch ball. The net upward vertical force might result in the decoupling of the trailer from the trailer hitch. Thus, for safety reasons it is important to apply the correct tongue weight to the trailer hitch.
Therefore, there exists a need for a trailer hitch assembly that has the ability to dampen surges and shocks between the towing vehicle and trailer in both the longitudinal and vertical directions simultaneously. Furthermore, there exists a need for a hitch assembly that can measure the tongue weight of the trailer to make sure that the proper weight limit applied by the tongue of the trailer to the hitch ball is not exceeded.
Briefly described, the invention is directed to a hitching mechanism that dampens both surges and shocks experienced between a towing vehicle and its"" trailer. Vertical and longitudinal forces applied to the hitching mechanism are dampened by a torsional spring included in the hitching mechanism.
In one embodiment of the invention, a hitch assembly for coupling to a tongue of a trailer includes a draw bar having first and second opposed ends, a yieldable retaining means, and a means for mounting a tongue of a trailer. The first end of the draw bar is removably coupled to a receiver tube rigidly mounted to a towing vehicle. The trailer mounting means is pivotally supported at a pivot point on the draw bar and extends from the pivot point to a distal end having a means for receiving a hitch ball. The hitch ball receiving means is horizontally and vertically offset from the pivot point of the draw bar such that the mounting means moves in an arc about the pivot point in response to shocks and surges, i.e. horizontal and vertical forces, experienced between the towing vehicle and the trailer tongue. In response to the mounting means pivoting in an arc about the pivot point the yieldable retaining means provides a retaining force to resist the pivoting and to biases the mounting means to a predetermined position.
In another embodiment, the invention includes a conventional rectangular draw bar, a torsional spring assembly mounted to the draw bar at the pivot point, and a hitch ball assembly mounted to the torsional spring so that the draw bar is biased by the torsion spring about the pivot point toward a predetermined position. The hitch ball assembly includes a pair of opposed side load support arms, a spindle and a spacer-bar assembly that extend between the side arms. The draw bar is received by a receiver tube mounted rigidly to the towing vehicle, and is removably coupled thereto. The draw bar has a top wall with a housing of a torsional spring apparatus rigidly affixed thereto. Thus, when the draw bar is coupled to the receiver tube, the towing vehicle, the receiver tube, the draw bar and the torsional spring housing define a rigid structure that moves as one piece.
In accordance with one embodiment, the torsional spring apparatus includes a torsional housing which is transversely mounted to the top wall of the draw bar and has a generally square hollow elongated interior that extends normal to the length of the draw bar. A plurality of rubber cords are positioned at the comers of the square interior. A square spindle having opposed ends extends though the torsional housing. The square spindle is generally co-axially aligned with the center-line of the interior of the housing and held therein by the plurality of rubber cords. The plurality of rubber cords simultaneously abut the sides of the square spindle and the interior comers of the housing. The rubber cords essentially surround the square spindle urging the spindle toward a predetermined position.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a pair of generally reclined, or open, L-shaped, load bearing side arms are removably attached at one end thereof to the opposed ends of the square spindle. A spacer-bar assembly configured to receive a hitch ball is mounted between the load bearing support arms. The hitch ball assembly includes a spacer-bar, the load bearing side arms, and the spindle, and these elements pivot as one element about the center-line of the torsional housing. The hitch ball assembly is configured to receive the hitch ball such that the hitch ball is horizontally and vertically offset from the center-line of the torsional housing. Thus, the hitch ball assembly pivots in an arc about the center-line of the torsional housing in response to shocks and surges transmitted between the towing vehicle and the trailer. With this arrangement, forces transmitted between the towing vehicle and the trailer are dampened by the rubber cords as the cords resist the pivoting motion of the spindle.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the torsional spring apparatus working in conjunction with the side arms form a spring scale for weighing the tongue weight of a trailer. On the top wall of the housing is a plurality of essentially parallel lines forming an incremental scale for indicating the load being applied to the spacer-bar assembly by a tongue of a trailer. The upper portion of one of the side arms has a notch cut out of it with a groove formed therein. When a load is applied to the spacer-bar assembly, the pair of side arms and the spindle pivot as one structure in response to the load. The pivoting of the spindle compresses the rubber cords between the spindle and the interior sidewalls of the housing and the compression of the rubber cords counters the torque applied to the spindle by the load. Thus, the displacement of the groove due to the pivoting of the side arms corresponds to the load being applied to the spacer-bar assembly, and the load is determined from the alignment of the groove with the incremental scale.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trailer hitch whereby fore or aft surges and vertical shocks between the towing vehicle and its trailer are simultaneously absorbed or reduced.
Another object is to provide for an improved trailer hitch capable of simultaneously absorbing vertical shocks and fore or aft surges which is of simplistic design with a minimum number of components allowing for a lower manufacturing cost.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved trailer hitch with a load gauge capable of displaying the vertical load on the hitch.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification which taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A scanning device including a controller and a light source operatively coupled to the controller. The light source is shaped and located such that at least part of the light emitted from the light source is reflected off of a document to be scanned, and the light source has a maximum output when the light source is fully warmed up. The scanning device further includes a receptor operatively coupled to the controller, the receptor being located to receive the light reflected from the document to be scanned such that the at least part of the visual properties of the document to be scanned are transmitted to the receptor in a scanning process. The controller is configured to selectively allow the scanning process to proceed when an output of the light source is less than about 80% of the maximum output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a scanning device, and more particularly, to a scanning device which can scan a document with relatively short warm up time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical scanning devices, or devices which include optical scanning components, are widely used by businesses and personal users for scanning and transmitting documents and other information. Such scanning devices may electronically or optically scan the document. The scanning device may then provide a copy in the manner of a standard copier, or provide an electronic version of the document that can be further processed or manipulated. For example, the electronic version of the scanned document may be printed, sent via a facsimile transmission, exported or sent to a network or computer, etc.
Many existing scanning devices utilize a lamp to direct light at the document to be scanned, and the light reflected by the document is then utilized to create a scan or copy of the document. However, most lamps, when not having been used for a period of time, require a warm-up time until the lamp reaches a state at which the lamp can provide an output sufficient to provide scans or copies. Thus, in many scanning devices, when the lamp is cold or is not sufficiently warmed up, a user must wait for the lamp to warm up before making a scan or copy. The warm up time can last from several seconds up to several minutes, which results in wasted time. Many prior art attempts to address this issue have focused upon speeding up the warm up time of the lamp, which has proved to be unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, there is a need for a scanning device which can provide scans or copies while reducing any waiting time for the lamp to warm up.


An inkjet recording apparatus includes a support member having a plurality of ribs and supporting the sheet; a head disposed above the support member and ejecting ink to the sheet supported by the support member; and at least one contact portion disposed upstream of the head and configured to come in contact with the sheet so as to make the sheet a waved shape. The support member includes a first support portion comprising at least one first guide portions disposed corresponding to the at least one contact portion, and a plurality of second guide portions disposed corresponding to the plurality of ribs and disposed above the plurality of first guide portions. The support member further comprises a second support portion comprising a third guide portion disposed downstream of the first support portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus which records an image on a sheet by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles.
2. Description of Related Art
In an inkjet recording apparatus comprising a recording portion configured to record an image on a sheet by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles disposed therein, a problem called "cockling" may occur. The cockling is a phenomenon in which permeation of ink into a sheet makes the sheet deformed, and it is known that due to the deformation of the sheet, the sheet is curved. When the cockling occurs in the sheet, a distance between the sheet and the recording portion changes during image recording. Accordingly, the deformed sheet comes into contact with the recording portion and the sheet is fed in a state in which a leading end of the sheet is displaced from a desired position, so that it is possible that a sheet jam occurs.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, there is known a recording apparatus, in which an elastic member is allowed to be in contact with a recording surface of the sheet at an upstream side of a landing area of ink droplets in a platen and is located between a plurality of ribs, which are formed in the platen, in a width direction that intersects with a feeding direction. The elastic member is elastically deformed so as to press the sheet toward a lower position than an upper end of each rib. Accordingly, the sheet becomes in a waved shape in the width direction, and, as a result, the sheet is hard to be curved.


A molded plastic load-bearing support device with an adhesive coated fabric backing member is disclosed. The fabric backing member is adhesive coated so that the molded plastic, load-bearing support device will adhere to a surface. The fabric backing member is integrally associated with the molded plastic load-bearing support device. The adhesive coating at least partially penetrates the surface of the fabric backing member.

Various types of self-adhering support devices, such as utility hooks, soap dishes, towel bars, bathroom fixtures, and the like, have proven very popular with consumers for household use. These types of devices ordinarily include adhesive material preapplied to a rearwardly facing surface of the device, thus facilitating convenient mounting on surfaces such as walls or doors. One particularly successful construction is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,878 to Dressler.
Load-bearing support devices can be adhesively affixed to a surface in a variety of ways. One particularly effective manner includes the provision of a hydrophilic substrate coated with a moisture-activated adhesive, with the substrate bonded to the device such as by molding the device directly against the substrate. When the moisture-activated adhesive is moistened it will bond with the surface to which it is attached. When the adhesive dries, it "sets up" or cures, and firmly adheres to the surface. However, in order for the adhesive to cure and set up effectively, the adhesive must dry thoroughly. If the moisture-activated adhesive is applied to a hydrophilic or porous substrate, evaporation of water from the adhesive after the device has been applied to a surface is facilitated. In fact, without this type of porous substrate, the adhesive will probably not dry sufficiently after the device is affixed to a surface for the device to support significant loads. Fibrous inserts made of materials such as wood have been used as hydrophilic substrates that permit the evaporation of moisture from the moisture-activated adhesive coated substrate after the device is affixed to a surface.
Nevertheless, use of fibrous inserts as the adhesive backing for load-bearing substrates can be problematic. If the fibrous insert is warped or is otherwise not flat, it will not fully contact the surface on which the load-bearing support device is mounted. This reduces the strength of adhesion between the load-bearing support device and the surface to which it is attached. Although wood veneer is commonly employed as a fibrous backing member or insert for load carrying support devices, wood warpage is a common problem. Wood has a tendency to warp when exposed to changes in temperature or when moisture evaporates from the wood. Moreover, this warpage problem becomes more acute as the size of the fibrous inserts increases.
Additionally, when molten synthetic material is used to form the load-bearing support device and it cools to form the molded support device, the slight changes in configuration and dimension which accompany this cooling also tend to warp the wood backing member.
Even when an automated apparatus, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,787 to Ragir et al., is employed to substantially concurrently cut, position and bond wood backing members to support devices, warpage of the wood backing materials imposes constraints upon the efficiency of manufacture. To abate warpage, the adhesive is not applied to the wood backing prior to it being applied to the support device, because evaporation of the moisture from the adhesive warps the wood. This warpage problem is avoided by applying the adhesive onto the wood after it is bonded to or formed as a part of the support device.
Since it is more expensive, time-consuming and complex to apply the adhesive onto the wood backing member of individual support devices, rather than apply adhesive to large rolls of wood prior to cutting and bonding of the individual wood inserts, wood backing members that have a tendency to warp when dried are a significant impediment to a streamlined, efficient process for producing these types of relatively low-cost consumer articles.

Molded plastic load-bearing support device


An object of the present invention is to provide a light- or heat-curing method by which a cured product (crosslinked product or resin) can be prepared in a simple method even in a case where filler is contained in a large amount; a curable resin composition which is used in the curing method; and the like.

High-power LED devices which are increasingly demanded in lighting applications, electronic devices typified by PCs and tablet terminals that handle high-speed and high-capacity information, power semiconductors that control electric motors of electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, and the like have problems with heat generated from elements accompanying by miniaturization, higher performance, and higher density of devices. The heat generated has problems such as a significant impact on performance or lifespan of products. It has become an object to find a method to efficiently radiate heat generated while not sacrificing product performance such as miniaturization, weight reduction, thickness reduction, and the like.
Generally, examples of materials having high thermal conductivity include metals and ceramics. Since a number of metals exhibit conductivity, it is difficult to use them as they are in electronic circuits requiring insulation properties. On the other hand, since the ceramics have high electrical insulation properties and a wide variety of types, various types of performance can be expected to be imparted, but the workability is poor, high-temperature heating is required in a molding treatment, and the productivity is low.
In addition, from the viewpoint that a resin has good workability, it is considered that the resin is used as a heat-radiating material of an electronic circuit, but the resin has lower thermal conductivity and hardly radiates generated heat, as compared with metals or ceramics, and thus, it cannot be used as it is as a heat-radiating material. Therefore, attempts to prepare a thermally conductive resin composition in which thermally conductive filler having high thermal conductivity such as ceramics is filled into a resin have been made.
For example, a resin composition containing 70% or more of filler with respect to a total resin composition so as to improve thermal conductivity has been studied (for example, Patent Literatures 1, 2, 3, and the like). However, since the resin composition has a complicated molecular structure, there is a problem in that multiple synthesis steps are required, long-term and high-temperature heating is required during the curing of the resin composition, and the productivity is low.
Therefore, a curing method for curing a resin composition with light (active energy rays), not by heating, has been studied. The light curing is a method in which various active species such as radicals, acids, and bases are generated from a photoinitiator by irradiating a resin composition with light (active energy rays) while making the photoinitiator coexist in the resin composition, and reactive monomers are quickly cured using the active species.
As a resin composition that generates a radical by irradiation with light in the light-curing resin composition, for example, a resin composition in which thermally conductive filler such as alumina is filled in a (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer is known (for example, Patent Literature 4). However, since most of polymer components of a resin obtained from such a resin composition are (meth)acrylic acid-based polymers, and thus, they have a large curing shrinkage and an insufficient anchoring effect of a hydroxyl group, the adhesiveness to a base material is poor and peeling occurs easily. In particular, in a case where filler that scatters light is present in a large amount in the resin composition, light hardly reaches the deep portion, and therefore, the curing performance is lost, the curing becomes insufficient, and a film is apt to become a brittle film. Accordingly, it is hard to mention that a resin obtained from such a resin composition satisfies the performance as thermally conductive film on a metal substrate.
Among the light-curing resin compositions, a resin composition that generates a strong acid by irradiation with light can realize the curing of a composition having an epoxy-based monomer and the like, which cannot be cured by a radical as a resin raw material. However, since the resin composition generates a strong acid by light irradiation, corrosion easily occurs in a portion in contact with a metal, and thus, it is difficult to apply the resin composition to a thermally conductive resin composition that is considered to be applied to a copper plate or the like.
Among the light-curing resin compositions, as a resin composition that generates a base by irradiation with light, various resin compositions are known, but a method for preparing a silicone-containing resin (crosslinked product) by generating a base and a radical simultaneously by irradiation with light to performing solation-gelation and a thiol-ene reaction simultaneously has been proposed (for example, Patent Literature 5). The present method can make it possible to prepare a composition from low molecular monomers in a build-up method, and thus, it is possible to prepare the composition while adding an additive such as filler before increasing the molecular weight of silicon alkoxide through polycondensation, and it is also possible to enhance adhesiveness to a base material, and the like. However, since the present method requires addition of a certain amount of an organic resin raw material, the upper limit of a filling rate of filler with respect to a total composition is limited, and a thermal conductivity of a resin (crosslinked product) obtained cannot be said to be sufficient in some cases.
Under these circumstances, there is a demand for development of a curing method which is capable of rapidly and efficiently preparing a cured product (crosslinked product or resin) having desired performance even in a system that contains a large amount of filler while neither preparing a polymer with a complicated structure in advance nor performing a complicated operation.

Light- or heat-curing method and curable resin composition

Abstract: The present invention provides a light- or heat-curing method containing a step 1 of obtaining (E) a condensate having constitutional units of Si—O—Al and/or Si—O—Si, obtained from aluminum derived from an aluminum alkoxide and a silane derived from a silane coupling agent having a mercapto group, from (A) a compound that is formed of a salt of a carboxylic acid and an amine and has a carbonyl group generating a radical and a carboxylate group generating a base through decarboxylation by irradiation with light or heating, the (B) aluminum alkoxide, the (C) silane coupling agent having a mercapto group, and (D) water, and a step 2 of performing a reaction among the (E) condensate, (H) a compound having two or more polymerizable unsaturated groups, and (I) filler under the conditions of irradiation with light or heating in the presence of the (A) compound; a curable resin composition which is used in the curing method; and the like.


A load balancer adapted to set the load of an article to substantially zero by utilizing an air pressure, and provided with a balance cylinder unit consisting of air brakes, a balance cylinder and a weight sensing cylinder. This balance cylinder unit is formed by arranging the balance cylinder and weight sensing cylinder on the same axis, and air brakes on both sides of the balance cylinder.

This invention relates to a load balancer capable of transferring articles easily, and more particularly to a load balancer adapted to set the load of articles to substantially zero by utilizing an air pressure.
A known load balancer of this kind is disclosed in, for example, Japanese utility model application Kokai publication No. 61-197079. In this conventional example, an air brake cylinder provided in series with respect to a balance cylinder is operated to control a piston rod of the balance cylinder unitarily with the balance cylinder, and the load of articles, which is transmitted from an article support arm, is transmitted to a weight sensing cylinder provided in series just as the balance cylinder, to generate a reference pressure corresponding to the load. The compressed air the pressure of which corresponds to the reference pressure is supplied to a chamber in the balance cylinder. When the air brake is then released, this compressed air causes a reaction force corresponding to the load to be generated, which is applied to the support arm via the piston and piston rod of the balance cylinder to set the load of the articles held on the support arm to substantially zero. This enables the articles to be treated and transferred easily by human power.
However, in order to make the air brake, which is provided in series with respect to the balance cylinder, fix the piston rod of the balance cylinder when the load of the articles is transmitted to the weight sensing cylinder to set a reference pressure, the necessity of setting the axial length of the air brake considerably large occurs. Therefore, the axial length of a balance unit consisting of the weight sensing cylinder, balance cylinder and air brake is necessarily set large. Accordingly, the height of the load balancer necessarily becomes large, so that it becomes unsuitable to use the load balancer, for example, inside a building or under a construction machine and an aircraft.

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.


A system and method for providing, managing, and accessing a multi-user secure portable database using secure memory cards is provided. The database has a secure portion for storing security keys and a non-secure portion for encrypted data files. Access to the encrypted data files is controlled by assigning access rights through an access control matrix to each encrypted data file according to a hierarchical structure of users. A user requesting access is identified in the hierarchy, associated with a key for allowing the requested access, and the requested access allowed to a file in accordance with the rights allocated through the access control matrix. A patient can selectively grant access to encrypted medical records on his card to a physician. Authentication of the owner/patient is preferably required. Other records required by emergency medical personnel are readable from the same card without requiring permission from the patient.

Conventionally, portable storage of data has been commercially available for electronically strong text, such as addresses and phone numbers, or for simple storage and access of a common type of digital media, such as music. These databases, commonly provided on flash memory cards or Universal Serial Bus (USB) tokens have nominal or no built-in security, since the intended use is for non-sensitive data storage and access for a single user. In other words, these products do not provide for the portable storage of secure, privatized data, and a means for multiple parties to access such protected data in a controlled way. There is a need for a portable, multi-user, secure database and a system and method for storage and retrieval of select data by an authorized user, which is not provided for in the prior art.
In particular, there is a need in the current fragmented health care system in the United States and in other countries for a generic database and network for the exchange of patient health information among different health-care providers. The U.S. health care system is made up of many entities spread over a large geographic area, with minimal or no communications or coordination among them for exchange of patient health data. Information is generally owned and kept by the health care provider generating the data, and will only be copied to another if expressly asked for. As a result, physicians do not have easy routine access to the patient's general medical records except for what they themselves produce. In addition, patients going from one health care provider to another usually do not have the relevant records and test results with them. This system results in a number of major problems including delays in diagnosis and treatment, inefficient use of time and resources, unnecessary repetition of tests, and errors in medical practices that could lead to thousands of deaths each year.
Finally, the physician's lack of immediate access to patient information also encourages fraud and abuse of our current health care system. The consequences of such abuse are increased insurance premiums, and, therefore, increased cost to the consumer. There is clearly a need, therefore, for a more accessible, portable, and efficient system for exchanging patient health information among different health-care providers.
There is also a need for a system and method of managing and accessing medical data that maintains a patient's privacy. In fact, as a result of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enacted by Congress in 1996, U.S. health care providers are now mandated to maintain patient data in a private and secure manner. In accordance with HIPAA, patient health care information can only be divulged by a physician to other health care providers upon the consent of the patient.
Though some attempts have been made to implement an accessible electronic medical information system, none of them provide the accessibility, security, and portability needed to address the current problems in our health care system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,998 to McGauley et al., for example, discloses a method and system for maintaining and updating computerized medical records. The system includes a set of databases that propagate data from one database to the other over a network. Encryption techniques are used to maintain the security of the data only when it is being transmitted to other computers.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,417 to Schoenberg discloses a method and system to allow access to patient data over a communications network. All patient medical records are stored on a number of computers. Access to these computers is only available via a communications network. Should the network fail, the access to the data will be lost. In addition, access to such a host-based database requires access to another provider's system or another insurance company's database, which may not be easily accessible due to business reasons.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,116 to Berman discloses a personal card that contains a public key to access a centralized database. The public key identifies the patient, whose medical record is needed, and allows access to the data. The card only provides the user access to the database. No medical data records are available on the card. The user needs either direct access or an access point that is connected to the computer that hosts the centralized database, generally through a network.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,488, to Eberhardt discloses storage of a patient's medical history on a smart card. The medical history on the card can be updated, and also stored on a computer database. The card is associated with an ID number, rather than a name, and only health care providers have a list to associate the ID number with a name. The data is not otherwise protected or secure, and there is no mechanism for a patient to selectively authorize a physician access to particular data records saved on the card. In summary, none of these systems provide a database that is portable and easily accessible to both health care providers and patients within an environment that adequately protects the patient's privacy.
These and other prior art systems and methods for providing a medical database, which include server-based storage, low-tech compact disc (CD) formats, or low-memory smart cards, have at least the following limitations. The server-based solutions do not allow off-line access to the data, the low-memory smart cards have very limited storage capability and are generally used only as identification tokens, and CDs are neither easy to use nor flexible enough to handle the necessary security requirements. Other limitations of the prior art include the inability to provide integrated data across multiple providers, the inability for the patient (and the doctor) to have easy access to their own medical data and medical history, and the lack of a standard format where the data can be easily stored in a secure form and "mined".
There is a need, therefore, which is lacking in the prior art for a system and method for providing a storage system and method for providing the secure storage of and hierarchical multi-user access to privatized data on a portable database.

Method and system for providing a secure multi-user portable database


Disclosed is a fixture to fix a vehicle component which comprises a metallic bolt to fix the vehicle component having a threaded portion to be threaded into a nut to fasten the vehicle component to the support member; a metallic bracket having a through-hole into which the threaded portion is inserted, the bracket holding the vehicle component between the bracket and the support member; and a metallic washer into which the threaded portion is inserted, the washer comprising a washer portion which contacts a peripheral edge of the fixture hole of the support member on the same side as the vehicle component and a locking portion which is provided integrally with the washer portion to be locked with and thus integrated with the bracket. According to the above constitution, the loosening of the nut can be prevented to stably maintain the earth performance of the vehicle body.

A fixture 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 has heretofore been used to fix a vehicle component such as a spoiler, which is a plastic molding, to a support member to be electrically connected to a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the fixture 1. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing how a vehicle component 3 is fixed, by the use of the fixture 1, to a support member 4 secured to the vehicle.
This fixture 1 includes a bolt 12, a bracket 14, a washer 16, and a cushion member 18.
The bolt 12 is a metallic fastening member, and comprises a flat disk-shaped head 12a, an intermediate portion 12b having, for example, a columnar shape coupled to the head 12a, and a threaded portion 12c coupled to the intermediate portion 12b. An external thread is formed on the outer periphery of the threaded portion 12c. The intermediate portion 12b is formed to be larger in diameter than the threaded portion 12c, and a step 13 is formed therebetween.
The bracket 14 is a metallic plate material to hold and secure the vehicle component 3 between the bracket 14 and the metallic support member 4 to be electrically connected to a vehicle body. A through-hole 15 is formed in the bracket 14, and the intermediate portion 12b of the bolt 12 is inserted into this through-hole. The head 12a of the bolt 12 is engaged with the peripheral edge of the through-hole 15 of the bracket 14. In this condition, the head 12a of the bolt 12 is welded to the bracket 14, and the bolt 12 is thereby secured to the bracket 14.
The washer 16 is an annular metallic plate material. The washer 16 is provided to prevent the loosening of a nut 5 threaded and thus tightened to the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12. The washer 16 contacts the step 13 of the bolt 12 when the bolt 12 is tightened, and is thereby electrically connected to the bolt 12 and the bracket 14.
The cushion member 18 is a flexible plate-shaped or sheet-shaped member made of, for example, a sponge or rubber. The cushion member 18 is provided, for example, to prevent the washer 16 from coming off the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12.
The fixture 1 configured as described above is used to fix the vehicle component 3 to the support member 4 of the vehicle in the following procedure.
First, the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12 secured integrally with the bracket 14 is inserted into a through-hole 3a formed in the vehicle component 3.
The washer 16 and the cushion member 18 are then sequentially inserted into the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12 projecting from the vehicle component 3 on the side opposite to the bracket 14. In consequence, as shown in FIG. 1, the fixture 1 is mounted to the vehicle component 3.
The vehicle component 3 to which the fixture 1 is mounted is then lifted to insert the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12 into a fixture hole 4a of the support member 4 of the vehicle, and the threaded portion 12c projecting from the support member 4 on the side opposite to the fixture 1 is then tightened into the nut 5. As a result, the vehicle component 3 is fastened and secured to the support member 4 of the vehicle by the fixture 1.
When the vehicle component 3 is attached in this way, the flexible cushion member 18 is formed into a thin sheet shape compressed by being held between the support member 4, the washer 16, and the vehicle component 3. The cushion member 18 thus compressed functions, together with the washer 16, to prevent loosening of the nut 5. That is, the resilient restoration force of the compressed cushion member 18 is used as tensile force for the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12. The nut 5 is thereby pressed against the support member 4, and loosening of the nut 5 is thus prevented.
The fixture 1 may be used as a ground portion to earth the vehicle body. In this case, the metallic support member 4 to be electrically connected to a vehicle body comes into metallic contact with and is secured with the bolt 12, the bracket 14, the washer 16, and the nut 5, whereby they are electrically connected to each other. Accordingly, the vehicle body is earth-connected via the fixture 1 and the metallic support member 4, with the result that this earth-connection inhibits the deterioration of radio receiving sensitivity and the generation of radio noise that are caused by performance deterioration of an in-vehicle radio antenna.
No prior-art literature related to such a fixture has been discovered through investigation conducted by the applicant.
In the fixture 1 described above, the effect of preventing loosening of the nut 5 deteriorates when the resilient restoration force of the cushion member 18 is reduced by aged deterioration. Accordingly, the nut may loosen and come off.
If the nut 5 loosens, the bolt 12, the bracket 14, the washer 16, and the nut 5 cannot be kept stably in metallic contact in the fixture 1, and the earth performance of the vehicle body may deteriorate. This can cause problems of radio receiving sensitivity deterioration and radio noise generation.
Moreover, when the fixture 1 is used to attach the vehicle component 3 as described above, an assembly operator has to pass the threaded portion 12c of the bolt 12 through the vehicle component 3 and then insert the washer 16. This causes such problems as the washer 16 being dropped.


An X-ray diaphragm which forms a pyramidal X-ray beam with use of a simple construction includes four blades which are arranged in a surrounding relation to four sides so as to form a pyramidal X-ray beam with an X-ray focus as a vertex, the four blades having a structure such that the blades are fitted in one another in the form of parallel crosses at portions corresponding to four-corner edges of the pyramid. The blades have respective plural cross beams, the cross beams being formed such that adjacent cross beams are fitted in each other. The distance between mutually opposed blades is variable.

The present invention relates to an X-ray diaphragm, an X-ray irradiator, and an X-ray apparatus. Particularly, the invention is concerned with an X-ray diaphragm for forming a pyramidal X-ray beam with an X-ray focus as a vertex, as well as an X-ray irradiator and an X-ray apparatus both equipped with such an X-ray diaphragm.
In an X-ray irradiator there is used an X-ray diaphragm for forming a pyramidal X-ray beam with an X-ray focus as a vertex. The X-ray diaphragm comprises a first diaphragm close to an X-ray tube and a second diaphragm remote from the X-ray tube. An aperture of the first diaphragm and that of the second diaphragm are set small and large, respectively, to form a pyramidal X-ray beam (for example, a patent literature 1).
[Patent Literature1] Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 4-267041 (pp. 3 to 4, FIGS. 1 to 3)
The above X-ray irradiator using two diaphragms to form a pyramidal X-ray beam is required to interlock the two diaphragms in order to adjust the spread of X-ray beam, resulting in that the construction thereof becomes complicated.

X-ray diaphragm, X-ray irradiator, and X-ray apparatus

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


The invention provides an apparatus and method for thin die detachment involving the use of a collet for holding and detaching a die mounted on an adhesive surface of an adhesive film. An ejector device comprising a plurality of ejector pins is employed to partially delaminate said die from the adhesive surface for detachment by the collet. Each ejector pin is operative to contact and raise a second surface of the film opposite the adhesive surface at a position substantially at a corner of the die to be detached within a predetermined distance from the edges of said die.

In wafer processing, wafers comprising arrays of semiconductor dice are usually received after dicing on a film frame, and are fed to die bonding machines for placement. In a typical die bonding process, dice are detached and lifted from a film frame comprising plastic adhesive film or a Mylar film and are then transferred to a substrate such as a lead frame or printed wiring board (PWB) substrate. Typically, in a pick-up process, a designated die will first be aligned and moved to a location where push-up pins will rise to raise a die from below while the plastic adhesive film is held down by vacuum suction. A collet or pick-up tool is then moved to just above the top surface of the die. The die will be detached from the plastic adhesive film when the push-up pins rise to an appropriate level. The collet provides vacuum suction to hold the die during the action of transferring the die from the plastic adhesive film to the bonding substrate.
Conventionally, for small dice (say, less than 2 mm in width), one ejector pin positioned at the center of the die to be detached is used. However, for larger dice, multiple ejector pins are used in order to evenly distribute the push-up force on the die and reduce a pinching effect by the ejector pins. When the dice get thinner, there is always a chance that a die may break or crack during the detachment process of the die from the plastic adhesive film. The breakage of the die is primarily due to the fact that the stress induced by the pushing up of the pins reaches the critical failure bending stress of the die before the delamination of the interface between the die and the plastic adhesive film takes place. This will be more problematic for (i) dice of bigger size, (ii) thinner dice, and (iii) attachments where there is stronger adhesion force between the die and the plastic adhesive film.
A prior art pick-up process includes a typical push-up mechanism using one ejector pin or multiple ejector pins. FIG. 1 shows a typical layout of the push-up device and its peripheral devices. On a vacuum ejector platform, hole(s) on a cap connected to a vacuum suction supply is used to hold a designated die and the plastic adhesive film in position during the die detachment process. Inside the cap of the vacuum ejector platform, a chuck holds ejector pins and is connected to a motorized mechanism that provides a vertical pushing motion for the ejector pins. During the push-up motion, the ejector pins move upward and push onto a die and the plastic adhesive film. As a result, the die mounted on the plastic adhesive film starts to be delaminated and separates from the film. As the ejector pin rises to certain level, the adhesive force and adhered area between the die and plastic adhesive film are small enough such that it is possible for the pick-up collet to pull the die away from the film by suction means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,373 for a "Die Push-Up Device" uses a die push-up device with only one push-up ejector pin in a bonding machine for semiconductor devices. This invention is applicable for small and thick dice (say, more than 0.2 mm thick). As the size of the die gets bigger (say, more than 5 mm in width), a two-stage ejecting process (such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,780 for a "Pre-Peel Die Ejector Apparatus") may be used. In relation to U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,373, using a single ejector pin to perform the die detachment process will not be practical if a thin (less than 0.1 mm thick) and large die (more than 4—mm width) is involved.
For prior art devices using multiple pins, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,780 and US publication number 2001/0017403A1, the locations of the pins are not optimized for handling very thin dice (say, less than 0.1 mm thick). These designs can reduce somewhat the pinching force and minimize any damage to the die during the pick-up process. However, for a large (e.g. more than 4 mm width) and thin (e.g. less than 0.1 mm thick) die, an optimized design for the multiple pushing-up ejector pins is needed in order to prevent the die from cracking during the pick-up process.

Apparatus and method for thin die detachment


A subframe mounting bush structure for improving NVH performance is provided. The subframe mounting bush structure includes an outer shell, a first bridge formed in the outer shell along a longitudinal direction, a second bridge formed in the outer shell along the longitudinal direction, a first inner shell positioned at a center of the first bridge, and a second inner shell positioned at a center of the second bridge.

A subframe mounting bush is a component for connecting a suspension with a vehicle body. The subframe mounting bush should enhance the responsiveness by quickly delivering the load from the suspension to the vehicle body during acceleration, braking, and handling. Further, the subframe mounting bush should enhance noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance by insulating the vibration from the suspension during normal constant speed running.
However, the characteristics (rigidity/damping) of the mounting bush made of rubber may not improve both functions. This is because the rigidity/damping should be large for the responsiveness, but the rigidity/damping should be small for the insulation (NVH) performance.
In order to overcome this conflicting performance, a hydro bush for increasing damping only at a specific frequency is used, but a complex structure leads to increased costs and increased field claims.
The contents described in the Background are to help the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and may include what is not previously known to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains.