An electronic package which includes a rigid first substrate (e.g., ceramic) having a plurality of conductive pins spacedly located therein. These pins each include one end portion extending below an undersurface of the substrate for positioning and electrically coupling within a second substrate (e.g., printed circuit board), while also including an opposite end portion which projects from an opposite, upper surface of the first substrate. These upwardly projecting end portions are designed for accommodating, in stacked orientation, a plurality of thin film, flexible circuitized substrates thereon, each of these substrates being electrically coupled to a respective pin, if desired, using a solder composition. In one example of the invention, solder hierarchy for various solders is used, one solder being used to connect the substrates and respective pins, and a second solder (having a higher melting point and different composition from the first solder) used to connect the semiconductor devices (chips) of the flexible circuitized substrates to the conductive circuitry of the substrates. Hydrogen is preferably used to effect solder reflow for the solder which couples the flexible substrates to the respective pins. In an alternate embodiment, the flexible circuitized substrates may include at least two separate conductive layers as part thereof.

Various electronic packaging structures are known in the art including, for example, those shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,856 (Funari et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,551 (Anschel et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,416 (Jones et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,700 (McBride). Such packaging structures, as defined in these patents, typically utilize at least one thin film, flexible circuitized substrate as part thereof. Typically, such circuitized substrates include a thin dielectric (e.g., polyimide) layer having at least one circuit layer (e.g., chrome-copper-chrome) thereon. Such thin film, flexible circuitized substrates may be positioned on and electrically coupled to another circuitized substrate (e.g., printed circuit board) to thereby electrically couple a semiconductor device (chip) which is connected to respective portions of the thin film, circuitized substrate's circuitry to corresponding circuitry on the additional substrate. The aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,849,856, 4,914,551 and 4,962,416 are representative examples of such packaging structures which utilize this means of connection.
Thin film, flexible circuitized substrates as produced today possess several distinct advantages (e.g., high density, flexibility, relative ease of manufacture, etc.) desired in the information handling systems field.
Another type of packaging structure known in the art includes those structures which utilize a ceramic or the like substrate which may include various levels of circuitization therein/thereon as part thereof, in addition to a plurality of connecting pins (e.g., copper) projecting from a bottom surface thereof such that this structure may be positioned within a female, receiving electrical circuitized member such as a printed circuit board or the like. Examples of such packaging structures which include a ceramic base or substrate member as part thereof are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,697 (Spaight), U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,047 (Narken), U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,960 (Hamano et al), U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,977 (Jones) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,778 (Barbour et al). As shown in these patents, the various conductive pins typically project from an under side of the ceramic base or substrate for eventual coupling to such an associated circuit member. In more enhanced versions of these ceramic substrate packaging structures, the opposing upper surface of the ceramic includes a circuitized portion of various conductive (e.g., chrome-copper-chrome) layers, each located on a suitable dielectric (e.g., polyimide) layer. In some more recent examples, a total of two circuit layers may be utilized.
As will be understood from the following description, the present invention combines the several advantageous features of thin film, flexible circuitized packaging structures with those of the earlier, more ruggedized packaging structures which utilize a ceramic or the like substrate having appended pins as part thereof. The result is a significant expansion in the functional capabilities of such earlier packaging structures while simultaneously expanding the uses for thin film, flexible circuitized substrates of the type defined herein.
It is believed that an electronic packaging structure possessing the above advantageous features and others readily discernible from the teachings herein would constitute a significant advancement in the art.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods of increasing the permeability of a portion of a subterranean formation may comprise providing a remediation fluid capable of decreasing the tackiness of a tackifying agent, the remediation fluid comprising a surfactant; introducing the remediation fluid into the portion of the subterranean formation, wherein a plurality of tackified particulates at least partially coated with formation fines are located within the portion; and allowing at least a substantial portion of the formation fines to detach from the plurality of tackified particulates.

The present invention relates to methods for improving production from subterranean formations. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for improving the permeability of particulates placed in subterranean formations.
Subterranean operations often use particulates, such as proppant and gravel, substantially coated with a tackifying agent, e.g., a material that exhibits a sticky or tacky character. As used herein, the term "tacky," in all of its forms, generally refers to a substance having a nature such that it is somewhat sticky to the touch. These particulates that have been substantially coated with a tackifying agent will be referred to herein as "tackified particulates."
One example of a production stimulation operation using such tackified particulates is hydraulic fracturing, wherein a formation is treated to increase its conductivity by hydraulically fracturing the formation to create or enhance one or more cracks or "fractures." In most cases, a hydraulic fracturing treatment involves pumping a proppant-free, viscous fluid (known as a pad fluid) into a subterranean formation faster than the fluid can escape into the formation so that the pressure in the formation rises and the formation breaks, creating a new fracture or enlarging a natural fracture. Once the fracture is formed or enlarged, proppant particulates are generally placed into the fracture to form a proppant pack that may prevent the fracture from closing when the hydraulic pressure is released. A portion of the proppant particulates may be coated with a tackifying agent, among other things, to control formation fines from migrating into the proppant pack.
An example of a well completion operation using a treating fluid containing tackified particulates is gravel packing. Gravel packing treatments are used, among other things, to reduce the migration of unconsolidated formation sands into the well bore. Typically, gravel packing operations involve introducing a gravel pack screen in the well bore and packing the surrounding annulus between the screen and the well bore with gravel particulates designed to prevent the passage of formation sands through the pack. In some instances, the gravel particulates may comprise tackified particulates. The gravel pack screen is generally a type of filter assembly used to support and retain the gravel placed during the gravel packing operation. A wide range of sizes and screen configurations are available to suit the characteristics of a particular well bore, the production fluid, and the formation sands. When installing the gravel pack, the gravel particulates are suspended in a treatment fluid, which may be viscosified, and the treatment fluid is pumped into a well bore in which the gravel pack is to be placed. Once the gravel particulates are placed in the well bore, the viscosity of the treatment fluid is reduced, and it is returned to the surface. The resultant gravel pack may be used to stabilize the formation while causing minimal impairment to well productivity, for example, by preventing formation sands from occluding the screen or migrating with the produced fluids and/or preventing the gravel particulates from entering the well bore.
In some situations, the processes of hydraulic fracturing and gravel packing are combined into a single treatment to stimulate production and reduce formation sand production. Such treatments are often referred to as "frac pack" operations. In some cases, these treatments are completed with a gravel pack screen assembly in place with the hydraulic fracturing treatment being pumped through the annular space between the casing and screen. In such a situation, the hydraulic fracturing treatment usually ends in a screen out condition creating an annular gravel pack between the screen and casing. This allows both the hydraulic fracturing treatment and gravel pack to be placed in a single operation.
Operations using tackified particulates often lose their usefulness over time as unconsolidated or weakly consolidated formation fines within the formation migrate with fluids within the formation and attach to the surface of the tackified particulates by sticking to the tackifying agent coated on the particulates. As used herein, the term "formation fine(s)" refers to any loose particles within the portion of the formation, including, but not limited to, formation fines, formation sand, clay particulates, coal fines, resin particulates, unconsolidated proppant or gravel particulates, portions of unconsolidated proppant or gravel particulates, and the like. While such attachment may be desirable in that it may help control the formation fines from moving beyond the tackified particulates, the attachment of formation fines essentially acts as a partitioning agent that is applied over time. Eventually, the formation fines attached to the tackified particulates may plug the formation-particulate interface and even invade further into the proppant or gravel pack. This may cause the well's production to fall off quickly.

Methods for remediating subterranean formations


A typing typeprint is used to validate users for access to a computer system. The typeprint may also include a timestamp or voice stamp for further security. Multi-modal biometric protection is provided by supplementing keystroke-scan methods with fingerprint, voice-scan, signature-scan and/or mouse-scan verification. The authentication program may be built into a keyboard.

The need for people to have passwords that are easy to remember goes contrary to what makes up a good password. People are not very rigorous when insuring the randomness of passwords. Furthermore, people usually have several passwords to keep track of and therefore are less tempted to create random and difficult-to-remember passwords. The preferred defense is to make passwords nearly impossible to guess, but such strength requires that the password be selected in a totally random fashion. That's a tall order for humans, because humans are not very good at making up randomness. Furthermore, because people usually have several passwords to keep track of, locking user accounts with random, but difficult-to-remember, strings of characters such as "wX%95qd!" is a recipe for a support headache.
Bending the wrists sideways or up and down while using the keyboard or mouse can cause musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Numerous studies have shown that the split keyboard design gives the operator a more neutral forearm position compared to a traditional keyboard. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition that can cause pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and thumb. CTS from work causes is highest between the ages of 20 and 40.
In accessing a secure computer system most of us use a username and password. The combination of a username and a password does not constitute strong authentication. That has traditionally been a weak point in authentication systems. In the modern world of global computerization we need a shift from a simple ID and password authentication that is easily intercepted to using a two-factor authentication, which requires people to identify themselves using two unique factors, such as a password along with either a digital certificate, a smart card, or a biometric proof.

Device with built-in user authentication and method for user authentication and identity theft protection


A highly reliable semiconductor device includes, for example, a memory circuit MEM such as a multiport RAM and a BIST circuit (BIST[A] and BIST[B]) for carrying out a test for each of the ports PO[A] and PO[B] of the MEM, as well as pointers PNT0[A] to PNT3[A] and PNT0[B] to PNT3[B] corresponding to the PO[A] and PO[B], respectively. Each of the BIST[A] and BIST[B] manages plural respective segments SEG0 to SEG3 obtained by dividing the MEM and the PNT0[A] to PNT3[A] are provided for those SEG0 to SEG3, respectively. For example, the BIST[A], upon accessing SEG0, writes ‘1’ in PNT0[A] while the BIST[B] refers to the value in this PNT0[A], thereby its access to SEG0 can be avoided. Consequently, each port can execute a complicated test pattern asynchronously.

For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication JP 1989-59173 A describes a two-port memory test pattern generator provided with two pairs of a timing signal generator for a two-port memory and a pattern generator. According to this configuration, for example, when carrying out a test for addresses 0 to 11, at first one of two pairs of the timing signal generator and the pattern generator carries out a write operation to addresses 0 and 11 with respect to the port A. At that time, upon ending the write operation in address 5 located halfway among the target addresses, a start signal is issued to the other pair, thereby the pair executes a read operation from addresses 0 to 5 with respect to the port B. Consequently, the write operation in addresses 6 to 11 with respect to the port A and the read operation from addresses 0 to 5 with respect to the read operation can be executed simultaneously with use of different clock frequencies, respectively. Thus the tests can be carried out asynchronously.


The specification relates to compounds and process for the preparation of a compound of formula 7,

Halinchondrin analogs have been disclosed as having anti-cancer and antimitotic activity (U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,865, incorporated herein by reference). In particular, Halichondrin B has been reported as a potent anticancer agent that was first isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai (U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,865; WO 2005/118565 A1 and WO 2009/124237 A1, all incorporated herein by reference).

(3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a) has been disclosed as a building block in the synthesis of halichondrin natural products and derivatives ((1)(a) Katrina, L. et al., Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, 2009, v. 48, no. 13, 2346-2350, (b) Kim, D-S. et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009, v. 131, no. 43, 15636-15641, (c) Guo, H. et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009, v. 131, no. 42, 15387-15393, (d) Choi, H-w. et al. Organic Letters, 2002, v. 4, no. 25, 4435-4438, all incorporated herein by reference). The preparation of (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a) has been disclosed by two synthetic methods,1b both of which can be unsuitable for large scale manufacturing of pharmaceutical quality material. The first approach involves the asymmetric SN2′ reaction of a cuprate. In addition to the difficulties that can be inherent to cuprate chemistry, the product is isolated in 98% enantiomeric excess (e.e.), with its enantiomer present in levels well above the 0.10% that can generally be required by regulatory agencies. The second method involves the use of trimethylaluminum, a pyrophoric chemical, which can pose a significant hazard for large scale reaction.

There is a need in the art for a process for preparation of (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a), and its analogs (7), that can be used in the preparation of halichondrin natural products, its derivatives and analogs, such as, for example and without limitation, eribulin the compounds described in recent publication of S. Narayan and others (Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry letters, 2011, 1630-1633; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry letters, 2011, 1634-1638, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry letters, 2011, 1639-1643), and other eribulin analogs with modified side chains on position C32 of eribulin. In addition, there is a need in the art for a process for preparation of (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a), and its analogs (7), that can be prepared from commercially available starting material. Moreover, there is a need in the art for a process for the preparation of (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a), and its analogs (7), that lead to (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a), and its analogs (7), in high enantiomeric excess. In addition, there is a need in the art for a process for preparation of (3R)-2,4-diiodo-3-methylbut-1-ene (7a), and its analogs (7), where the process is scalable.

Abstract: where LG is a leaving group and hal is a halide and is Cl, Br or I. The compound of formula 7 can be useful in the preparation of natural products, such as halichondrin and its derivatives.


A portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) is provided including a manually positionable articulated arm having opposed first and second ends. The arm includes multiple connected arm segments. Each arm segment has a longitudinal axis. Each arm segment includes a generally tubular core, an outer sleeve surrounding at least a portion of a length of the core, and at least one position transducer for producing a position signal. The outer sleeve is a cylindrical tube having a first portion at a first end and a second portion that extends from the first portion to an opposite end. The first portion is coupled to an end of the core. The first portion is shorter than the second portion and the second portion is configured to move relative to the core.

The present disclosure relates to a coordinate measuring machine and, more particularly, to an arm of a portable articulated coordinate measuring machine.
Portable articulated arm coordinate measuring machines (AACMMs) have found widespread use in the manufacturing or production of parts where there is a need to rapidly and accurately verify the dimensions of the part during various stages of the manufacturing (e.g. machining) or production of the part. Portable AACMMs represent a vast improvement over known stationary or fixed, cost-intensive, and relatively difficult to use measurement installations, particularly in the amount of time it takes to perform dimensional measurements of relatively complex parts. Typically a user of a portable AACMM simply guides a probe along the surface of the part or object to be measured. The measurement data are then recorded and provided to the user. In some cases, the data are provided to the user in visual form, for example, three dimensional (3-D) form on a computer screen. Alternatively, the data may be provided to the user in numeric form, for example, when measuring the diameter of a hole, the text "Diameter=" is displayed on a computer screen.
Arm portions of AACMMs may be susceptible to twist due to temperature changes. Twisting of a portion of an arm segment may cause a coupled encoder to rotate, thereby generating an angle error and reducing the accuracy of the machine. Such a twisting may be caused for example by a patterned composite material on an outer region of the arm segment, the outer region having a non-uniform pattern. In general, such twisting effects cannot be removed by measuring temperatures, especially since temperature sensors are ordinarily located in the interior of the arm segments. A method is needed to minimize twisting of the arm segments.

Coordinate measuring machines with dual layer arm


Methods for controlling the position of a plunge mechanism which is mounted to a cartridge engaging assembly are disclosed herein. In one method, the position of a plunge mechanism associated with a cartridge engaging assembly is regulated by 1) providing a reference mark on the plunge mechanism, 2) detecting a size of the reference mark on the plunge mechanism, and then 3) determining the position of the plunge mechanism based on the size of the detected reference mark. In another method, a plunge mechanism is moved to an extended position within a cartridge engaging assembly by 1) initiating movement of the plunge mechanism from a retracted toward an extended position in accordance with an open loop control schedule, and then 2) after moving the plunge mechanism for a predetermined distance, switching control of the movement of the plunge mechanism to a closed loop control schedule, and monitoring a detector which detects a reference mark provided on the plunge mechanism.

There are many types of data storage systems available today. Some of these systems store data cartridges at known locations, and retrieve desired data cartridges from the known locations so that data may be written to or read from the data cartridges. Such data storage systems are often referred to as "juke box" data storage systems, particularly if they can accommodate a large number of data cartridges.
A typical juke box data storage system may include one or more different types of cartridge receiving devices for holding the various data cartridges. For example, one type of cartridge receiving device may comprise a cartridge storage rack or "magazine", while another type of cartridge receiving device may comprise a cartridge read/write device or "drive". The cartridge storage racks or magazines serve to provide storage locations for the data cartridges and are often arranged so that they form one or more vertical stacks, although other configurations are possible. The cartridge read/write device may be located at any convenient location within the data storage system.
The data storage system may also be provided with a movable cartridge engaging assembly or "picker" for transporting the data cartridges between the various cartridge receiving devices (e.g., between the cartridge storage racks and the cartridge read/write devices). A typical cartridge engaging assembly may also be provided with a plunge mechanism or "thumb assembly" for engaging the various data cartridges contained in the cartridge receiving devices and for drawing them into the cartridge engaging assembly. A positioning system associated with the cartridge engaging assembly may be used to move the cartridge engaging assembly between the various cartridge receiving devices.
Data storage systems of the type described above are usually connected to a host computer system which may be used to access or store data on the data cartridges. For example, if the host computer system issues a request for data contained on a particular data cartridge, a control system associated with the data storage system will actuate the positioning system to move the cartridge engaging assembly along the cartridge storage racks until the cartridge engaging assembly is positioned adjacent the desired data cartridge. The plunge mechanism associated with the cartridge engaging assembly may then extend to remove the data cartridge from its cartridge storage rack, and then retract to draw the cartridge into the cartridge engaging assembly. The positioning system may then be actuated to move the cartridge engaging assembly to an appropriate cartridge read/write device. Once properly positioned adjacent the cartridge read/write device, the plunge mechanism may extend to insert the selected data cartridge into the cartridge read/write device so that the host computer may thereafter read data from or write data to the data cartridge. After the read/write operation is complete, the plunge mechanism may be actuated to remove the data cartridge from the cartridge read/write device. The cartridge engaging assembly may thereafter return the data cartridge to its cartridge storage rack.
A typical plunge mechanism is usually slidably mounted to the cartridge engaging assembly and is provided with a drive system so that the plunge mechanism may be moved toward and away from a cartridge access end of the cartridge engaging assembly (i.e., to an extended or retracted position). For example, if it is desired to retrieve a data cartridge from a cartridge receiving device, the drive system moves the plunge mechanism toward the cartridge access end of the cartridge engaging assembly so that the plunge mechanism may engage (or grab) the data cartridge. The drive system then retracts the plunge mechanism and pulls the engaged data cartridge into the cartridge engaging assembly. If it is desired to load the data cartridge into the cartridge receiving device, the drive system then moves the plunge mechanism and data cartridge toward the cartridge access end of the cartridge engaging assembly, thus inserting the data cartridge into the cartridge receiving device.
Typically, the position of the plunge mechanism must be controlled within fairly tight tolerances, especially when the plunge mechanism is moved to its extended position. Otherwise, the plunge mechanism may not be able to adequately engage a data cartridge, or the plunge mechanism may fail to seat a data cartridge in a cartridge receiving device. One method of controlling the position of a plunge mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,693, entitled "Mounting System for Cartridge Plunge Mechanism", which is hereby incorporated by reference for all that it discloses. The method disclosed therein uses a detector assembly to read a plurality of index marks on an elongate linear reference member. The detector assembly is mounted to the body of a plunge mechanism, and the reference member is mounted to the frame of the cartridge engaging assembly. In this manner, movement of the plunge mechanism causes the detector assembly to pass by the plurality of index marks on the reference member. The position of the plunge mechanism may therefore be controlled, for example, by counting the number of index marks which the plunge mechanism passes, and controlling the drive system for the plunge mechanism in response thereto.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for regulating the position of a plunge mechanism of a cartridge engaging assembly

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Disclosed is a compound of the formula

The present disclosure is generally related to colorant compounds. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to colorant compounds particularly suitable for use in hot melt or phase change inks. In embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to dimeric azo acetoacetamido colorant compounds particularly suitable for use in hot melt or phase change inks. One embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a compound of the formula

or
and dimers thereof, wherein R is an N-substituted acetoacetamide;
R2 is (i) an alkyl group, (ii) an alkylene group, (iii) an arylene group, (iv) an arylalkylene group, (v) an alkylarylene group, (vi) an alkyleneoxy group, (vii) an aryleneoxy group, (viii) an arylalkyleneoxy group, (ix) an alkylaryleneoxy group, (x) a polyalkyleneoxy group, (xi) a polyaryleneoxy group, (xii) a polyarylalkyleneoxy group, (xiii) a polyalkylaryleneoxy group, (xiv) a heterocyclic group, (xv) a silylene group, (xvi) a siloxane group, (xvii) a polysilylene group, or (xviii) a polysiloxane group;
X is a (i) direct bond, (ii) an oxygen atom, (iii) a nitrogen atom, (iv) a sulfur atom, (v) a group of the formula NR40 wherein R40 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, (vi) or a group of the formula —CR50R60—; wherein R50 and R60 each, independently of the other, is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group; and
Z is optionally present and if present is a (i) hydrogen atom, (ii) a halogen atom, (iii) a nitro group, (iv) an alkyl group, (v) an aryl group, (vi) an arylalkyl group, (vii) an alkylaryl group, (viii) a group of the formula

wherein R70 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an arylalkyloxy group, an alkylaryloxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a polyaryleneoxy group, a heterocyclic group, a silyl group, a siloxane group, a polysilylene group, or a polysiloxante group, (ix) a sulfonyl group of the formula —SO2R80 wherein R80 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an arylalkyloxy group, an alkylaryloxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a polyaryleneoxy group, a polyarylalkyleneoxy group, a polyalkylaryleneoxy group, a heterocyclic group, a silyl group, a siloxane group, a polysilylene group, or a polysiloxane group, or (x) a phosphoryl group of the formula —PO3R90 wherein R90 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an alkylaryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an arylalkyloxy group, an alkylaryloxy group, a polyalkyleneoxy group, a polyaryleneoxy group, a polyarylalkyleneoxy group, a polyalkylaryleneoxy group, a heterocyclic group, a silyl group, a siloxane group, a polysilylene group, or a polysiloxane group.
In general, phase change inks (sometimes referred to as "hot melt inks") are in the solid phase at ambient temperature, but exist in the liquid phase at the elevated operating temperature of an ink jet printing device. At the jet operating temperature, droplets of liquid ink are ejected from the printing device and, when the ink droplets contact the surface of the recording substrate, either directly or via an intermediate heated transfer belt or drum, they quickly solidify to form a predetermined pattern of solidified ink drops. Phase change inks have also been used in other printing technologies, such as gravure printing, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,879 and German Patent Publications De 4205636AL and DE 4205713AL, the disclosure of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
Phase change inks for color printing typically comprise a phase change ink carrier composition which is combined with a phase change ink compatible colorant. In a specific embodiment, a series of colored phase change inks can be formed by combining ink carrier compositions with compatible subtractive primary colorants. The subtractive primary colored phase change inks can comprise four component dyes, namely, cyan, magenta, yellow and black, although the inks are not limited to these four colors. These subtractive primary colored inks can be formed by using a single dye or a mixture of dyes. For example, magenta can be obtained by using a mixture of Solvent Red Dyes or a composite black can be obtained by mixing several dyes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,560, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,761, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,852, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, teach that the subtractive primary colorants employed can comprise dyes from the classes of Color Index (C.I.) Solvent Dyes, Disperse Dyes, modified Acid and Direct Dyes, and Basic Dyes. The colorants can also include pigments, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,335, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,022, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, discloses the use of a specific class of polymeric dyes in phase change ink compositions.
Phase change inks have also been used for applications such as postal marking, industrial marking, and labeling.
Phase change inks are desirable for ink jet printers because they remain in a solid phase at room temperature during shipping, long term storage, and the like. In addition, the problems associated with nozzle clogging as a result of ink evaporation with liquid ink jet inks are largely eliminated, thereby improving the reliability of the ink jet printing. Further, in phase change ink jet printers wherein the ink droplets are applied directly onto the final recording substrate (for example, paper, transparency material, and the like), the droplets solidify immediately upon contact with the substrate, so that migration of ink along the printing medium is prevented and dot quality is improved.
Compositions suitable for use as phase change ink carrier compositions are known. Some representative examples of references disclosing such materials include U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,932, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,369, U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,948, U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,956, U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,045, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,560, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,170, U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,120, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,852, U.S. Pat, No. 5,496,879, European Patent Publication 0187352, European Patent Publication 0206286, German Patent Publication DE 4205636AL, German Patent Publication DE 4205713AL, and PCT Patent Application WO 94/04619, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference. Suitable carrier materials can include paraffins, microcrystalline waxes, polyethylene waxes, ester waxes, fatty acids and other waxy materials, fatty amide containing materials, sulfonamide materials, resinous materials made from different natural sources (tall oil rosins and rosin esters, for example), and many synthetic resins, oligomers, polymers, and copolymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,747 of Rina Carlini et al., entitled "Processes for Preparing Dianthranilate Compounds and Diazopyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a process for preparing dianthranilate compounds which comprises (a) admixing reactants as follows: (1) a diol of the formula R1(OH)2, wherein R1 is an alkylene group having at least about 20 carbon atoms, and wherein the —OH groups are primary or secondary, (2) isatoic anhydride, present in an amount of at least about 2 moles of isatoic anhydride per every one mole of diol, (3) a catalyst which is 1,4-diazabicyclo [2,2,2]octane, N,N,N′, N′-tetramethylethylene diamine, or a mixture thereof, said catalyst being present in an amount of at least about 0.2 mole of catalyst per every one mole of diol, and (4) a solvent; and (b) heating the mixture thus formed to form a dianthranilate compound of the formula

Also disclosed is a process for preparing diazopyridone colorants which comprises (I) preparing a dianthranilate compound by the aforementioned method, (II) reacting the dianthranilate compound with nitrosylsulfuric acid to form a diazonium salt, and (III) reacting the diazonium salt with a pyridine compound to form a diazopyridone compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,614 of Rina Carlini et al., entitled "Dimeric Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses compounds of the formula

The compounds are useful as colorants, particularly in applications such as phase change inks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,703 of Bo Wu et al., entitled "Phase Change Inks Containing Dimeric Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound of the formula

U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,902 Patent of Jeffrey H. Banning et al. entitled "Phase Change Inks Containing Azo Pyridone Colorants" which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound of the formula

U.S. Pat. No. 6,590,082 of Jeffrey H. Banning et al. entitled "Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses compounds of the formula

The compounds are useful as colorants, particularly in applications such as phase change inks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,552 of James D. Mayo et al. entitled "Process for Preparing Substituted Pyridone Compounds," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a process for preparing substituted pyridone compounds which comprises (a) admixing in the absence of a solvent (1) an amine of the formula R1-NH2 wherein R1 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group, and (2) a first ester of the formula

wherein R2 is an electron withdrawing group and R5 is an alkyl group; (b) heating the mixture containing the amine and the first ester to form as intermediate compound of the formula

(c) admixing the intermediate compound with (1) a base and (2) a second ester of the formula

wherein R4 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, or an alkylaryl group and R5 is an alkyl group, said second ester being present in a molar excess relative to the intermediate compound, said base being present in a molar excess relative to the intermediate compound, and (d) heating the mixture containing the intermediate compound, the second ester, and the base to form a pyridone compound of the formula

or a salt thereof. Also disclosed is a process for preparing diazopyridone colorants which comprises preparing a pyridone compound by the above process and reacting the pyridone compound with a diazonium salt to form a diazopyridone compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,748 of Rina Carlini et al. entitled "Method for Making Dimeric Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a process for preparing a diazopyridone compound which comprises (a) preparing a first solution comprising (1) either (A) a dianiline of the formula

or (B) an aniline of the formula

and (2) a first solvent mixture comprising (I) a solvent, (II) acetic acid, and (III) an optional second acid, said acetic acid being present in the solvent mixture in an amount of at least about 95 percent by weight of the solvent mixture, said first solution being at a temperature of about +15° C. or lower; (b) adding to the first solution nitrosylsulfuric acid, thereby forming a diazonium salt either (A) of the formula

or (B) of the formula

(c) preparing a second solution comprising (1) a second solvent mixture comprising water and an organic solvent soluble in or miscible in water, (2) either (A) a pyridone of the formula

or (B) a dipyridone of the formula

(3) a base present in an amount of at least about 3 molar equivalents of base per mole of pyridone moiety, and (4) an optional buffer salt, and (d) combining either (A) the second solution containing the dianiline and the first solution containing the pyridone, or (B) the second solution containing the aniline and the first solution containing the dipyridone to form a third solution and effect a coupling reaction to form a diazopyridone compound either (A) or the formula

or (B) of the formula

U.S. Pat. No. 6,646,111 of Rina Carlini et al. entitled "Dimeric Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses compounds of the formula

The compounds are useful as colorants, particularly in applications such as phase change inks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,139 of Bo Wu et al. entitled "Phase Change Inks Containing Dimeric Azo Pyridone Colorants," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a phase change ink composition comprising a phase change ink carrier and a colorant compound of the formula

While known composition and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for new colorant compositions, for example new yellow to orange colorant compositions. In addition, a need remains for yellow to orange colorant compositions particularly suitable for use in phase change inks. Further, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants with desirable thermal stability. Additionally, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants that exhibit minimal undesirable discoloration when exposed to elevated temperatures. There is also a need for yellow to orange colorants that exhibit a desirable brilliance. In addition, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that exhibit a desirable hue. Further, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that are of desirable chroma. Additionally, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that have desirably high lightfastness characteristics. A need also remains for yellow to orange colorants that have a desirably pleasing color. In addition, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants that exhibit desirable solubility characteristics in phase change ink carrier compositions. Further, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks to be jetted at temperatures of over 135° C. while maintaining thermal stability. Further, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants for use in solid ink printers that operate with lower print head temperatures much lower than 135° C. as well as in ultraviolet radiation curable systems. Additionally, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks that generate images with low pile height. There is also a need for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks that generate images that approach lithographic thin image quality. In addition, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that exhibit oxidative stability. Further, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that do not precipitate from phase change ink carriers. Additionally, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that do not, when included in phases change inks, diffuse into adjacently printed inks of different colors. A need also remains for yellow to orange colorants that do not leach from media such as phase change ink carriers into tape adhesives, paper, or the like. In addition, a need remains for yellow to orange colorants that, when incorporated into phase change inks, do not lead to clogging of a phase change ink jet printhead. Further, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks that generate images with sharp edges that remain sharp over time. Additionally, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks that generate images which retain their high image quality in warm climates. Further, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that enable phase change inks that generate images of desirably high optical density. Additionally, there is a need for yellow to orange colorants that, because of their good solubility in phase change ink carriers, enable the generation of images of low pile height without the loss of desirably high optical density. A need also remains for yellow to orange colorants that enable cost-effective inks.
The appropriate components and process aspects of the each of the foregoing may be selected for the present disclosure in embodiments thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is a compound of the formula

Abstract: and dimers thereof, wherein R, R2, X and Z are as described herein. The compounds are useful as colorants, particularly in applications such as phase change inks.


An apparatus for reworking contacts of sockets is provided with an elongated member having a first formation tip, and a pair of arms having second formation tips, to respectively impart first and second profiles to first and second surfaces of a contact of a socket.

Embodiments of the present invention are related to the field of electronics; and in particular, to the reformation of socket contacts of electronic apparatuses.
Modern electronic apparatuses often employ sockets having contacts disposed therein at predetermined positions. Further, the contact surfaces often have desired shapes or profiles. With modern surface mounted metallic spring contact sockets, e.g. Land Grid Array sockets, the contacts are often made of relatively thin materials, and therefore, relatively fragile. As a result, there is a significant probability that mechanical damage and deformation could occur, e.g. during system integration assembly.
Currently there are no devices designed for reforming damaged socket contacts (restoring their shapes/profiles), such as surface mounted metallic spring contact sockets, especially not in a repeatable manner. Under the present state of the art, damaged contacts, such as bent contacts, are often reformed using ad-hoc devices, such as tweezers. However, the ability to restore the shape/profile of a damaged contact to its original position and/or shape/profile using an ad-hoc device, such as a pair of tweezers, is limited. The options to successfully rework damaged contacts at the system level or in the field are often limited to replacement of the motherboard, or thermally unmounting and remounting another socket using surface mount techniques.


Apparatus and methods for fusing developer are disclosed. In one embodiment. a developer fuser has a first heating element for transferring energy. The developer fuser may have a second heating element for transferring energy. The developer fuser may have a controller, controlling at least one of power to, current through, frequency to, resonance of, inductance of, voltage across, and temperature at the first heating element and the second heating element, for fusing a developer to a media. The at least one of power to, current through, frequency to, resonance of, inductance of, voltage across, and temperature at the first heating element is different in magnitude from the at least one of power to, current through, frequency to, resonance of, inductance of, voltage across, and temperature at the second heating element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fixing device of an image forming apparatus such as a copier or a printer.
2. Description of Related Art
An image forming apparatus using digital technology may include a fixing device which fixes developer by applying pressure to images heat fused on a media such as paper.
In an electronic copier, the catoptric light from an original is photo electrically converted by the photoelectric conversion element, such as a CCD (charge coupled device), and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an acquired image signal is formed on a photo conductor. The electrostatic latent image is generated by adhering a developer (toner) selectively. A developer image on the photo conductor is transferred to medias supplied at the predetermined timing, and fixed with the fixing device.
Fixing devices are equipped with a heating member which fuses a developer, such as a toner, and a pressurizing member which provides this heating member with a predetermined pressure. The developer images on a media are melted between the heating and pressurizing members with heat from the heating member, and fixed on the media by pressure from the pressurizing member.
Induction-heating is one method of heating a fixing device. The induction-heating method uses a coil. By applying high frequency current to the coil, a predetermined magnetic field is generated, and the joule heat caused by the eddy current generated from the magnetic field heats the heating member.

Energy conserving fuser and method for image forming


An apparatus for assembling a nuclear fuel assembly is disclosed. The apparatus includes a deflecting device which is disposed adjacent to the grid and deflects grid springs away from dimples opposing thereto. The deflecting device includes a tubular member, a rod member and a drive mechanism. The tubular member has a plurality of circumferentially divided sleeve pieces. The rod member is releasably inserted in the tubular member for sliding movement therealong. The drive mechanism is drivingly connected to the rod member and moves the rod member in the tubular member in a longitudinal direction thereof to bring the rod member into urging engagement with the sleeve pieces of the tubular member, whereby the sleeve pieces are deflected to be urged against the spring to deflect the same.

This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 3-357763 filed Dec. 26, 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention pertains to an apparatus for assembling a nuclear fuel assembly.
FIG. 6 depicts a known nuclear fuel assembly which is mounted on a nuclear reactor such as a pressurized water reactor. The assembly, generally designated at 1, includes a pair of top and bottom nozzles 2 and 3 arranged in a facing relation to each other and in a vertically spaced relation to each other. A plurality of guide pipes 4 such as control-rod guide pipes or instrument pipes are disposed so as to extend between the top and bottom nozzles 2 and 3, and fixedly secured thereto. A plurality of grids 4 are secured to the intermediate portions of the guide pipes 5 so as to be vertically spaced from one another, and a plurality of fuel rods 6 are inserted through and supported by the grids 4 so as to extend parallel to the guide pipes 5.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each grid 5 is formed as follows. A plurality of straps 11, each in the form of a thin strip sheet, are assembled perpendicularly to each other into a grid 5 to define a number of grid cells 13. Springs 15 and dimples 16 for supporting a respective fuel rod 6 are formed on the walls of each grid cell in opposed relation to each other. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a single spring 15 is formed on one side of each wall of the grid cell 13, while a pair of dimples 16 are formed on the other side of the same wall defining adjacent grid cell so as to sandwich the aforesaid spring 15, and a spring 15 and a pair of dimples 16 are opposed to each other and protrude into the same grid cell 13. Each fuel rod 6, which is inserted into the grid cell 13, is supported by being urged to the dimples 16 by the spring 15 opposing thereto. Furthermore, rectangular cut-outs 14 or openings are formed at the intersections of the straps 11. Those wall portions which sandwich the spring 15 therebetween and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the strap serve as ribs 23 with which hook portions 22 of a key member 21 are held in engagement.
A conventional method for inserting the fuel rods 6 in the grid 5 thus constructed will now be described.
First, a deflecting jig 24 as shown in FIG. 9 is inserted through the grid cell 13. The deflecting jig 24 comprises a cylindrical jig body 25 divided at its forward portion into four pieces, and a tapered pin 26 inserted in the jig body 25 for sliding movement therealong. When the tapered pin 26 is withdrawn or retracted in its axial direction while holding the deflecting jig 24 in the grid cell 13, the jig body 25 is enlarged to deflect the springs 15 as shown in FIG. 10.
Subsequently, an elongated key member 21 of a generally rectangular cross-section is inserted into the cut-outs 14 from the lateral side of the grid 12, to bring the hooks 22 of the key member 21 into engagement with the ribs 23 to keep the springs deflected. Then, the deflecting jig 24 is removed from the grid.
Thereafter, the fuel rod 6 is inserted in the grid cell 13, and the key member 21 is removed from the grids to release constriction of the spring. Thus, the fuel rod 6 is secured by being resiliently urged by the springs 15 toward the dimple 16 opposing thereto.
However, inasmuch as the aforesaid tasks of deflecting the springs 15 and inserting the key member 21 are carried out manually, they are labor-intensive and time-consuming, resulting in low operational efficiency.
Furthermore, the task of deflecting the springs 15 using the aforesaid deflecting jig 24 must be carried out carefully so as not to cause any twisting or shifting to the springs 15, without exerting any force thereon in a direction other than the acting direction of the spring 15. Therefore, the deflecting task requires a high level of skill, so that it has been desired to improve this task and achieve standardization of the operating procedure.

Apparatus for assembling nuclear fuel assembly


A collapsible personal shopping cart device includes a rolling frame assembly having a plurality panels that are joined together. A set of wheels extend from the bottom of the frame assembly, and two of the panels include pivoting handle receivers. A telescoping handle assembly is connected to the handle receivers, and a basket assembly is suspended from the handle assembly. The device transitions from an extended position to a fully collapsed position for storage.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
It is estimated that in 2014 alone, American consumers spent nearly 10.7 trillion dollars shopping. In this regard, the American landscape is filled with shopping facilities such as grocery stores, outlet malls, mega shopping malls, and smaller strip malls, wherein consumers can view and purchase an endless variety of goods.
In order to aid consumers in handling merchandise, many stores provide known and familiar shopping carts for use by the customer within the store. Such a feature is extremely useful when shopping at a large store such as a grocer, or a big box store, for example, wherein the customer remains within a single facility for a prolonged period of time. Unfortunately, many smaller stores which make up the bulk of outlet centers, strip malls and mega malls, do not provide shopping carts for their customers.
As a result, whenever a customer makes a purchase, he or she must typically carry the purchased item(s) (along with their purse and/or any personal items) from one store to another. Such a process is physically difficult, and can cause the customer to become tired, thus leading to a shortened visit. Alternatively, the customer can walk to their vehicle, deposit their purchased items there, and then walk back to the shopping center. Unfortunately, studies have confirmed that this practice is inherently unsafe, as unsavory individuals often prowl parking lots in search of unattended vehicles laden with newly purchased items.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a lightweight personal shopping cart that is collapsible for easy storage, and which can function to allow an individual to easily and securely transport their purchases from one store to another during a shopping trip without suffering from the drawbacks discussed above.


An apparatus and method of automatic identification an external audio input/output device. The external device connected to an audio jack is identified as an audio output or input device, according to the impedance thereof. Furthermore, the present invention automatically selects the most suitable internal circuit to connect to the external device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio jack, and in particular to an audio jack for automatic identification of an external audio input/output device and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most personal computers and notebooks have at least two audio jacks, one for audio input, and another for audio output. Audio jacks are typically very small, and hence it is difficult to label it clearly to allow users to distinguish between audio input and output. Users often make the mistake of plugging the external devices into the wrong audio jacks, for example, plugging an input device in an output audio jack. Mismatching the external device and the audio jack causes inconvenience to the users.
In another aspect, the size of ordinary notebooks has become smaller and smaller as a result of computer technology development. A further limitation for notebooks to reduce size is that at least two audio jacks are required for audio input and audio output respectively. Thus, reducing the number of audio jacks required in notebooks increases available space, allowing further reduction in the size thereof.

Apparatus for automatic identification of audio input/output device and method thereof


A microelectromechanical tunable inductor is formed from a pair of substantially-identically-sized coils arranged side by side and coiled up about a central axis which is parallel to a supporting substrate. An in-plane stress gradient is responsible for coiling up the coils which. The inductance provided by the tunable inductor can be electrostatically changed either continuously or in discrete steps using electrodes on the substrate and on each coil. The tunable inductor can be formed with processes which are compatible with conventional IC fabrication so that, in some cases, the tunable inductor can be formed on a semiconductor substrate alongside or on top of an IC.

In the radio frequency (RF) and microwave technology domain there is a need to integrate passive components including inductors, capacitors, switches and filters on an integrated circuit (IC) chip to lower device size and manufacturing cost and to improve performance and reliability. The integration of these passive devices into an RF IC will provide high value for such applications as voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO), phase-locked-loop (PLL) and other RF functionality required for advanced telecom systems.
Efforts have been focused on improving the RF performance of silicon IC technology, in part due to its low cost, dielectric compatibility, and micromachining properties. The on-chip integration of relatively high-Q fixed and variable inductors with silicon IC technology, however, has been problematic due to the parasitic effects of low-conductivity metallization as well as lossy substrate interactions. As a result, the quality factor Q of inductors fabricated using silicon IC technology is less than about 10 at a frequency of 2 GHz. Therefore, to achieve high performance, most RF IC applications still require the use of off-chip inductors. However, drawbacks of the off-chip inductors include significant parasitic effects, prohibitive size, and large losses due to board-level flip-chip and/or surface-mount interconnections.
Inductors with disk-shaped coils wound about an axis which is substantially perpendicular to an underlying semiconductor substrate are lossy due to eddy currents induced in the closely underlying substrate, and also due skin effects which restrict an alternating current (AC) in the coil to a small skin depth at the edge of the coil thereby substantially increasing the AC resistance of the coil. Efforts to overcome the drawbacks of disk-shaped coil inductors with the above-cited alignment have sought to raise the inductors off the substrate (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,184,755; 6,621,141; and 6,922,127).
The present invention provides an advance over the prior art by providing a tunable inductor having a pair of coils of substantially the same size which are arranged about a central axis which is substantially parallel to the substrate, and with the pair of coils being electrostatically unrolled in tandem to change the inductance.
The tunable inductor of the present invention comprises multi-turn coils which can be partially or completely unrolled to provide a wide variation in inductance.
The electrical power required to tune the inductor of the present invention is low since tuning is accomplished electrostatically, and not by resistive current heating.
The tunable inductor of the present invention can also be digitally tuned by shaping the coils and/or underlying electrodes, or alternately by using a segmented electrode beneath the pair of coils.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art.


A method of producing 1,2,4-triazole, comprising a step of subjecting a ketazine, water and formamide to a cyclization reaction. The ketazine and water are added simultaneously to formamide kept at a cyclization temperature. Then, ketone by-produced during the cyclization reaction is distilled off while maintaining the reaction mixture at a cyclization temperature to complete the cyclization reaction, thereby obtaining 1,2,4-triazole. The use of the ketazine in place of hydrazine makes the energy-consuming hydrolysis step in the conventional hydrazine production unnecessary. Therefore, the method of the invention is advantageous over the known methods in energy consumption and production cost.

The present invention relates to a method of producing 1,2,4-triazole which is a useful compound having numerous applications such as a starting material for synthesizing agricultural chemicals.
To date, various methods have been proposed for synthesizing 1,2,4-triazole. In all the conventionally known methods, hydrazine is used as the starting material as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-95177, and no method utilizing a ketazine, an intermediate of hydrazine production, has been reported.
The ketazine is an intermediate of industrial hydrazine production, and hydrazine is produced by hydrolysis of the ketazine. A substantial portion of energy required in the hydrazine production is consumed during the hydrolysis of the ketazine to result in increased cost of producing hydrazine. This in turn increases the production cost of 1,2,4-triazole.


A brake caliper (10) includes a first caliper arm (12) that opposes a first frictional surface (6a) of a vehicle wheel (5) and a second caliper arm (14) that opposes a second frictional surface (6b) of the same. A movable brake pad (7) is supported by the first caliper arm (12) and applies a braking force to the first frictional surface (6a). A plurality of pistons (55) which drive the movable brake pad (7) in accordance with expansion of a diaphragm (75) provided in the brake caliper (10), and a guide member (65) that guides displacement of the plurality of pistons (55) in a right-angle direction relative to the first frictional surface (6a) are provided, and therefore the movable brake pad (7) applies an even braking force to the vehicle wheel (5) in cooperation with a fixed brake pad (700) fixed to the second caliper arm (14).

A railway vehicle is typically installed with a pneumatic-hydraulic converter that converts air pressure supplied from an air pressure source into oil pressure such that a hydraulic brake is activated by the oil pressure, which is supplied thereto from the pneumatic-hydraulic converter via a hydraulic pipe.
In relation to this point, JPH08-226469 and JPH08-226471, published by the Japan Patent Office in 1996, disclose a hydraulic brake device for a railway vehicle in which a hydraulic cylinder presses a brake pad against a frictional surface of a rotary body such as a brake rotor in accordance with a supplied oil pressure.
Meanwhile, by installing a pneumatic brake that is activated by air pressure supplied from an air pressure source in the railway vehicle, it may be possible to omit the pneumatic-hydraulic converter and the hydraulic pipe.
In relation to this point, JPH11-193835, published by the Japan Patent Office in 1999, discloses an air brake device for a railway vehicle in which a pneumatic actuator presses a brake pad against a frictional surface of a rotary body when compressed air is supplied to an air chamber of the pneumatic actuator. FIG. 6 of this conventional technique further discloses an air brake device employing a lever.


A method for decontamination of a contaminated region containing biological species to be destroyed, includes a decontamination step during which a decontamination gas containing atomic nitrogen is propagated in the contaminated region, and atomic nitrogen contributes to the destruction of biological species in the contaminated region.

Decontamination is performed in a wide range of ways, depending for example of the nature of the object to be decontaminated. In hospitals, for instance, the validated method for sterilization uses sealed autoclaves, at temperatures over 373K. Nevertheless, these temperatures can be harmful to those non-metallic materials which make up at least part of the objects to be decontaminated.
In another proposed decontamination/sterilization method, disclosed in FR-A-2 790 962, an active species having sporicidal effect is obtained from a mixture of H2O, N2 and O2 and is transported in a region to be decontaminated. In this method, nevertheless, the use of water vapour in the decontaminating gas can cause the production of acid, which can be harmful to the materials to be decontaminated.
In the proceedings of club PISE "Stérilisation d' instruments médicaux par plasmas froids" ("Sterilization of medical apparatus by cold plasmas"), published Oct. 19th, 2001, it is described, in "Post décharge en écoulement dans des tubes à la pression atmosphérique" ("Post-discharge in tubes at atmospheric pressure") an experiment wherein a discharge is created in a gas containing N2 and O2 and the afterglowing activated gas is propagated in a tube and exhibits UV fluorescence in an optical region that might be useful for decontamination. Nevertheless, the active species in this experiment is unknown and, would decontamination be provided by such a method, it would still be necessary to assess its potential effect on the materials of the decontamination area.

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique--CNRS


Fuel injector-igniters with variable gap electrodes. A fuel injector-igniter comprises a housing, an actuator disposed in the housing, and a valve including a valve head operative to open and close against a valve seat in response to activation of the actuator. A valve seat electrode including at least one aperture surrounds the valve head and valve seat and at least one rocker electrode is pivotably mounted to the housing to form a variable gap between the electrode and a portion of the valve seat electrode. The rocker electrode is positioned to move relative to the valve seat electrode in response to a fuel flow through the aperture, thereby varying the gap.

Stratified-charge, compression ignited diesel engines can provide considerably higher thermal efficiency than spark-plug ignited homogenous-charge combustion engines but require fuels with high cetane rating to provide ignition by air that has been sufficiently preheated by rapid compression. Combustion chamber compression ratios of 16:1 to 22:1 are typically required for compression ignition systems of engines designed to use diesel fuel with an appropriate cetane rating. There is great interest in using alternative and/or renewable fuels interchangeably with diesel fuel in existing engines to reduce fuel costs and reduce exhaust emissions compared to diesel fuel.
However, long standing problems have defeated numerous attempts to use spark ignition in high compression engines. Such problems include: failure of narrow spark gaps to reliably ignite fuel-air mixtures at high compression pressures; failure of inductive coil voltage boosting ignition systems due to inadequate containment and delivery of the voltage required for spark production in highly compressed air; and failure of capacitance discharge systems due to failure to contain the voltage required for spark production in highly compressed air.
In many cases, these failures are the result of voltage containment failures of materials such as engineering polymers and spark plug porcelain that have provided satisfactory voltage containment for combustion chambers of relatively low compression engines. Other failures include capacitive dissipation, conduction and arc-propagation, along with cracking, spalling, and phase changes of conventional materials due to the high voltage magnitudes required in high-compression engines.
Accordingly, there are urgent needs for improved ignition and/or fuel system components that have the capability to provide an adequate spark discharge at electrode gaps of 1 mm (preferably greater) and for cylinder pressures of 700 PSIG and greater in order to facilitate applications of alternative and/or renewable fuels interchangeably with diesel fuel in existing engines.

Injector-igniters with variable gap electrode


A cleaning system for non-ferrous metals for the removal of ash residue and dirt from metals derived from a municipal waste combustor includes an infeed chute for receiving the dirty metals and water from a clean water source. The water and metals are combined in a rotating tumbler for removal of the ash and dirt which is directed to a holding tank. The clean metal is engaged by a rotating upwardly angled drum that includes an internal helix. The metals are moved by the helix to an outlet and pass through a second spray of downwardly directed clean water for further cleaning of the metal. Motor-driven idlers and associated bearings provide for rotation and positioning of the apparatus. A water pump has an inlet from the holding tank and is used to maintain proper level control. An agitation pump prevents the collected ash and debris from settling in the tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the cleaning of non-ferrous metals and particularly for the cleaning of such metals extracted from the ash output stream of a municipal waste combustor (MWC).
2. Prior Art
Cleaning of non-ferrous metals is known to the prior art and frequently involves the use of expensive chemical technology that presents serious issues of environmental control that will limit the usefulness and applicability of such an approach on the large scale contemplated in MWC ash recycling. Other approaches such as impact hammermills are also limited in their usefulness because of expense and the irregular shape of the metals that are to be cleaned. Furthermore, what is desired is a process for large scale continuous cleansing. None of the systems or methods of the prior art are satisfactory for ash recycling systems.


An apparatus for suppression of individual ignition events in an ignition system includes a short-circuit switch, connected in parallel to the primary winding of the ignition coil. The short-circuit switch is controlled by a control switch. In order to avoid having to provide a separate power supply to furnish triggering energy to the control switch, this energy is derived from the energy stored in the ignition coil during a closing phase of the ignition switch. This requires fewer components than prior art circuits designed for the same purpose.

The invention relates generally to apparatus for suppression of individual ignition events in an ignition system. An apparatus of this kind is known for instance from German Patent 24 43 403, Knoedler & Blum, assigned to Robert Bosch GmbH. The known circuit arrangement is used in ignition systems that have an ignition coil and an interruptor switch disposed in the primary circuit of the ignition coil. To suppress individual ignition events, a controllable switch is provided, which is connected parallel to the primary winding of the ignition coil. For triggering the switch, a trip switch device is provided, which draws its requisite triggering energy from a separate circuit, for instance in the form of a blocking oscillator. With the aid of the blocking oscillator, the necessary control voltage for the switch, which is above the operating low voltage of the ignition system, is simultaneously furnished.
The object of the invention is to simplify the known circuit arrangement for suppression of individual ignition events in an ignition system.

Apparatus for suppression of individual ignition events in an ignition system


A lamp for a motor vehicle, such as an indicator lamp for mounting on a flank of the vehicle, comprising a lamp body, a fastening piece behind the lamp body, and at least one screw inserted through a hole in the fastening piece from behind, the screw being received in a threaded hole in the lamp body. The lamp body has at least two external side faces which are divergent from each other towards the front of the lamp. Each of these side faces terminates in a flange which is oriented at right angles to an axis of the lamp. The fastening piece has at least two deformable lugs in contact with the external side faces of the lamp body, and these lugs have an end which is spaced away from the flange before the screws are tightened and is close to the flange after they have been tightened.

Motor vehicle lamps, such as indicators for various purposes, which are designed to be fitted on the vehicle by introducing the lamp into its seating from inside the vehicle and fastening the lamp from inside the vehicles. Such arrangements make it necessary to have sufficient access available from inside the vehicle. Such access is however not always available, and there exist today some models of vehicles in which it is necessary to fit lamps from outside, with no access being available to the lamp from inside the vehicle except by means of a screwdriver. The above mentioned known types of lamp are incompatible with such a situation.

Lamp for a motor vehicle, adapted to be fitted from outside


An apparatus for collection of garden waste wherein the apparatus has a vacuuming mode of operation and a dirty fan operation in the vacuuming mode of operation thereof, the apparatus comprising: a hand-holdable unit comprising a motor with an output shaft coupled to an impeller for generation of air flow; a volute enclosing the impeller for direction of air flow from an axial air inlet of the volute past the impeller to a tangential air outlet of the volute; a vacuum tube for conducting dirty air flow to the air inlet of the volute in the vacuuming mode of operation; and a cyclonic separation arrangement for receiving dirty air flow from the air outlet of the volute and separating garden waste from said dirty air flow in the vacuuming mode of operation. A blowervac comprising the apparatus for collection of garden waste.

Apparatus for collection of garden waste for use in the garden are well known. One type of device comprising an apparatus for collection of garden waste is a blower-vacuum device, commonly referred to as a "blowervac". Blowervacs generally comprise a motor having an output shaft coupled to a fan. The motor is usually either petrol or electrically powered. The fan is usually enclosed within a volute. The fan is configured to draw air in along its axis of rotation and expel air out tangentially when the fan is driven by the motor. Fans having such a configuration are properly called centrifugal impellers. The exterior of the volute has a generally disc-shaped appearance. The volute is provided with both an air inlet generally aligned with the impeller's axis of rotation and at least one air outlet located at a point on the periphery of the volute. The interior of the volute is spiral-shaped to enable the flow of air generated by the fan in operation in the air inlet and out the air outlet. As their name implies, blowervacs have two modes of operation: blowing and vacuuming.
In the blowing mode of operation, clean air is drawn into the volute from the atmosphere via the air inlet thereto and is expelled via the air outlet. A blowing tube is attached to the air outlet in order to concentrate and direct the expelled air into a jet, which may be aimed in different directions by pointing the blowing tube as desired.
In the vacuuming mode of operation, garden waste may be collected up a vacuum tube connected to the blowervac in one of two ways, usually known as "clean fan" and "dirty fan" operation. In clean fan operation of a blowervac in vacuuming mode, clean air is drawn into the volute from the atmosphere via the air inlet thereto in the same manner as for blowing operation and the air expelled from the volute through the air outlet thereof is directed towards a collection device or receptacle.
Typically, the receptacle is porous to the passage of air therethrough and is also fed by the vacuum tube with air from ground level. Air passing into the receptacle from the volute therefore causes air to be sucked up the vacuum tube as well. Garden waste entrained with the air passing up the vacuum tube is collected in the receptacle without passing through the fan; hence, clean fan operation. In contrast, in dirty fan operation, an air-porous receptacle for garden waste is attached directly to the air outlet from the volute and the vacuum tube is instead attached to the air inlet thereto. In this latter case, air flow with entrained garden waste (i.e. dirty air flow) passes up the vacuum tube, enters the volute via the air inlet thereto and collides with the fan, before being expelled via the air outlet of the volute into the receptacle; hence, dirty fan operation. Collision of the garden waste with the fan causes the fan to mulch, or chop, the garden waste into smaller particles. Since garden waste mulched in this fashion contains far fewer air pockets than unmulched garden waste, the volume ratio of unmulched to mulched garden waste can be as much as 10:1. The garden waste receptacle can store a larger mass of garden waste in the same volume once it has been mulched than of unmulched waste.
A conventional blowervac providing dirty fan operation in the vacuuming mode thereof is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,479 assigned to The Toro Company. FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,479 shows the blowervac thereof in the blowing mode of operation and FIG. 4 of this patent document shows the blowervac thereof in the vacuuming mode of operation with a dirty fan. The blowervac of U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,479 has an impeller permanently enclosed within a volute which may be used interchangeably with separable blowing and vacuum tubes.
A second conventional blowervac providing dirty fan operation in the vacuuming mode thereof is described in European patent publication No. 0 723 758 of Black & Decker Inc. FIG. 1 of EP 0 723 758 shows the blowervac thereof in the blowing mode of operation and FIG. 2 of this patent document shows the blowervac thereof in the vacuuming mode of operation with a dirty fan. FIG. 3 of this patent document shows an embodiment of the blowervac thereof convertible between a blowing mode of operation and a vacuuming mode of operation with a dirty fan. As may be seen from these three figures, the blowervac is provided with one or more different detachable volutes for use in the blowing and vacuuming modes of operation. The detachable volutes may be formed integrally with blowing and vacuum tubes as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, of this document, or as a single detachable volute which may be used interchangeably with separable blowing and vacuum tubes as shown in FIG. 3. The blowervac of this patent document may be converted to clean fan operation in the vacuuming mode as is shown in FIG. 4 thereof.
The blowervacs of U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,479 and EP 0 723 758 suffer from certain disadvantages as follows. Firstly, the bag does not filter all the garden waste from the air because it allows some of it, particularly smaller sized matter such as dust, to pass through the wall of the bag to open atmosphere. This is a particular problem when the bag is located against, or in close proximity to, the body of a user. Garden waste, particularly dust, is expelled from the collection bag onto the body of the user, which is undesirable as it may dirty the user's clothing.
When the garden waste is wet, additional moisture is also able to pass through the walls of the bag, thus wetting the clothing of the user. If the moisture is mixed with some of the garden waste, such as dust, which is able to pass through the walls of the bag, it can stain the user's clothing.
The garden waste, particularly when wet, can clog the pores of the bag, thus reducing the porosity of the walls of the bag. This reduces the effectiveness of the collection bag as a filter and hence the performance of the device as a whole.
Another type of device comprising an apparatus for collection of garden waste is described in European patent publication No. 1 042 980 of Black & Decker Inc. FIG. 2 of EP 1 042 980 shows a vacuum cleaner for collection of garden waste which, unlike a blowervac, only has a vacuuming mode of operation. Air flows, together with entrained garden waste, along a vacuum tube in a direction indicated by Arrows A to an axial inlet of the fan having dirty fan operation. The fan mulches entrained garden waste and generates rotational movement of both the air and mulched garden waste about a toroidal chamber in a direction indicated by Arrows B. The garden waste is pushed by air flow away from the fan and along the length of the toroidal chamber in an axial direction indicated by Arrows C. The garden waste and some air flow enter a collection device equipped with an air return pipe to the vacuum tube. The remainder of the air flows through a toroidal outlet, also in the direction indicated by Arrows C.
The vacuum cleaner of EP 1 042 980 suffers from certain disadvantages as follows. The vacuum tube has a cross-sectional area which is large enough to suck garden waste such as leaves. The vacuum tube is surrounded by the toroidal air outlet which is surrounded by the toroidal chamber which, according to FIGS. 1 and 2, has an outer diameter approximately five times greater than that of the vacuum tube. This adds significant bulk to the device which makes it difficult to handle. Further, some of the air flow from the impeller is diverted towards a corner of the toroidal chamber from where its only escape is to the collection device via a small outlet duct. Restriction of air flow in this manner causes turbulence and increases energy losses. Also, the air flow is recycled, via the air return pipe, into the vacuum tube in case it re-entrains garden waste from the collection device. The recycled air flow reduces suction force at the tip of the vacuum tube which diminishes the device's ability to pick up new garden waste. Furthermore, air flow which is not so recycled is instead directed towards the tip of the vacuum tube. This further diminishes the device's ability to pick up garden waste by blowing it away from the tip of the vacuum tube.


The feeding apparatus 50 includes a hopper 51 that is provided operable to support the papers in inclined attitude and pivot around a pivot axis 51a, and a feed roller 53 that is provided at a feed roller shaft 54 and feeds the paper to the downstream side by rotating in contact with the paper. When seen from the side view of the feeding path, guide rollers 57 and 58 are provided near the feed roller 53 and are driven to rotate in contact with paper. A movable member, provided near the feed roller 53, pivots around a pivot axis 63a so that the movable member moves backward and forward to the feeding path. Accordingly, a clearance between the feed roller 53 and the hopper 51 is narrowed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus. More particularly, the preset invention relates to a recording medium feeding apparatus that is operable to set a plurality of recording medium and feeds the recording medium one-by-one to a downstream, and a recording apparatus that includes the recording medium feeding apparatus. In addition, the present relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus.
Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a printer, a copying machine or a facsimile which performs recording by ejecting ink from the recording head onto the recording medium using an ink-jet type recording head, as well as any apparatus which makes the liquid to be adhered onto an exposed media corresponding to the recording medium by ejecting any type of liquid suitable for a predetermined purpose instead of the ink from a liquid ejection head corresponding to the ink-jet type recording head.
Other than the above-mentioned recording head, the liquid ejection head includes a coloring-material ejection head used for color filter manufacturing such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode material (conductive paste) ejection head used for electrode formation of an organic EL display, a field emission display (FED), etc., and an organic substance ejection head used for biochip manufacture, a specimen ejection head as a precision pipette, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of the recording apparatus, the printer includes an Auto Sheet Feeder (ASF) which can set papers as the recording medium in inclined attitude. The ASF includes a feed roller, a hopper, a guide member, and a separating means. The hopper supports the papers to be in contact with the feed roller or to be separated from the feed roller, and it is possible to change these two states. The guide member includes an edge supporting part for supporting an edge of the papers that is set in inclined attitude, and a guide face for guiding the edge of the papers to a downstream side of the printing, opposed to the feed roller. The separate means separates a top paper that is to be fed in contact with the feed roller from the next papers. (CF. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.2000-95362.)
Recently, it is desirable to prepare as many papers as possible at one action for the convenience when setting papers. In order to satisfy this requirement, it is necessary to make the clearance between the hopper and the feed roller a wide clearance, and this clearance is generated when the hopper separates from the feed roller. However, if the clearance is wide, the edge of the papers tends to bend when a few papers are set, and consequently the edge of the papers slips on the surface of the supporting part and then enters into a clearance between the feed roller and a guide face. This phenomenon is called "avalanche phenomenon" hereinafter. According to this avalanche phenomenon, the printer tends to feed multi papers with failure.
In addition, if the clearance between the hopper and the feed roller become wide, the attitude of the papers is not constant when the maximum number of the papers is set or the minimum number of the papers is set, and consequently the loads caused by transporting each of the papers is not constant. Therefore it is also desirable to reduce the loads in order to obtain consistent quality of recording.

Recording medium feeding apparatus, recording apparatus, liquid ejecting apparatus


A method for generating a test vector of an IC including: designating a retrieval condition to select a path on which a signal can be transmitted in the circuit; executing a timing analysis of the circuit based on a circuit information of the circuit, retrieving the path satisfying the retrieval condition, and generating a path list in which cells composing the retrieved path are put in order of executing the timing analysis; generating a test vector to test a path delay fault of the circuit based on the path list; designating an ending condition to end generation of the test vector when the path in the path list for the test vector is distributed over the circuit; and stopping generation of the path list when the ending condition is satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a delay fault test of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). More particularly, the invention relates to generating a test vector, and executing a delay fault test with the test vector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Verification of functions and timing in an IC, and especially logic circuits, is typically performed by simulation. Such simulations often employ test vectors to activate a critical path that has been identified by the timing analysis.
Current verification efforts often result in incomplete testing of an IC, though. Verification often focuses on paths with large signal delays, thus centering only on specific circuit blocks or regions known to have large delays. Also, due to dispersion of size and density in manufacturing of an IC, paths which are assumed at verification of timing during a design stage to easily breach timing may not necessarily become an actual breach path after the IC is actually manufactured. The timing breach, if any, may actually be generated on a different path.
Accordingly, it is desirable to execute the delay fault test on a path which is selected so as to cover a large area of the IC. In particular, it is desirable to develop an apparatus that allows users to designate a specific region of an IC, and that generates a test vector by which the specified region is tested.

Apparatus for delay fault testing of integrated circuits