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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to memory devices and, more particularly, to programming non-volatile memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Memory devices that provide persistent data storage use non-volatile memory cells. The memory devices can typically be implemented by semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips can be used internal to electronic systems or can be used within memory cards that can be removably attached to electronic systems. Memory cards are commonly used to store digital data for use with various products (e.g., electronic products). Memory cards often use Flash type or EEPROM type memory cells to store the data. Memory cards have a relatively small form factor and have been used to store digital data for electronic products (e.g., portable consumer electronic products). A major supplier of memory cards is SanDisk Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif.
Several methods are known for programming non-volatile memory cells. One method applies a programming pulse of a sufficiently long duration to program a memory cell. In order to guarantee that every memory cell is able to be programmed using this method, programming time and power are set for worst-case conditions. Accordingly, this “over-provisioning” approach can result in excessive average programming time and power. In another method, a series of short, high-voltage programming pulses is applied to a memory cell. After each programming pulse, a nominal-voltage reading pulse is applied to determine whether the memory cell is in a programmed state. If the memory cell is in a programmed state, no further programming pulses are applied. Otherwise, an additional programming pulse is applied, and the sequence of reading and programming continues until the memory cell is eventually in a programmed state. One disadvantage of this approach is the time and power overhead associated with switching between program and read voltages. Another disadvantage of this approach is that the use of short programming pulses (as compared to a long, continuous programming pulse) tends to be less energy efficient.
More recently, a method for programming non-volatile memory cells made use of detection circuits. While a particular memory cell is being programmed, a detection circuit determines whether the memory cell is in a programmed state. Once the memory cell is detected to have reached the programmed state, the programming of the memory cell is terminated. Additional details on this method for programming are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,145. However, in programming memory cells, the memory cells can be subjected to high voltages and high power which are problematic when the memory cells become programmed and the programming voltage has not yet been removed. Although the programming voltage will be removed in due time after a memory cell has been programmed, the excessive power can cause damage to the already programmed memory cell.
Thus, there is still a need for improved memory devices and programming methods. | {
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Lipids are indispensable ingredients in the food and cosmetics industries, and they are important precursors in the biodiesel and biochemical industries. Many oleaginous microorganisms produce lipids, including the well-characterized yeast Yarrowia lipolytica.
Oleaginous microorganisms can be easily and cost-effectively grown on large scale, which suggests broad applicability for biodiesel and biochemical production. Microorganisms may also be engineered to produce high-value products for the food and beverage industries. Further, these products are typically sequestered within the microorganisms, which can facilitate their isolation and purification.
Microorganisms produce lipid products at different rates and with different efficiencies. Lipid production in eukaryotic organisms generally proceeds by the oxidation of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA in the mitochondria via pyruvate dehydrogenase and the subsequent export of acetyl-CoA to the cytosol via the metabolic intermediate citrate. Mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation and citrate export results in a net accumulation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in the mitochondria. The accumulation of NADH in the mitochondria is suboptimal for lipid production, however, in part because mitochondrial NADH cannot reduce cytosolic ketones, which results in a lower overall lipid yield.
The lipid yield of oleaginous organisms can be increased by the up-regulation, down-regulation, or deletion of genes implicated in a lipid pathway. The successful modulation of enzymes, however, is unpredictable at best. For example, overexpressing the type 2 diacylglycerol acyltransferase from Mortierella alpine in Y. lipolytica has no significant effect on lipid content (U.S. Pat. No. 7,198,937; hereby incorporated by reference). | {
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It is well known in the art that magnetic sensors can be employed in position and speed sensors with respect to moving ferromagnetic materials or objects (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,835,467, 4,926,122, and 4,939,456). In such applications, the magnetic sensor is biased with a magnetic field and electrically excited, typically, with a constant current source or a constant voltage source. A magnetic (i.e., ferromagnetic) object rotating relative, and in close proximity, to the magnetic sensor, such as a toothed wheel, produces a varying magnetic flux density through the magnetic sensor.
FIG. 1A is an example of a prior art magnetic sensor 50, wherein the magnetic sensor (MS) element 10 is mounted on the bottom surface 12 of a permanent magnet (bias magnet) 14 magnetized in a direction 16 perpendicular to the direction of motion 18 of target wheel 20 having teeth 22 and slots 24.
FIG. 1B is a plot 52 of the magnetic flux density detected by the prior art magnetic sensor 50 of FIG. 1A as the target wheel 20 passes the magnetic sensor. The larger magnetic flux density 22′ represents the passage of a tooth 22 past the sensor 50, whereas the smaller magnetic flux density 24′ represents the passage of a slot 24 past the sensor.
The resolution of magnetic sensor 50 is related to the number of teeth 22 of target wheel 20. Increased resolution is achieved in a prior art magnetic sensor in one of three ways. One possible way consists of increasing the number of teeth 22. This approach is limited at some point, because the teeth 22 and slots 24 must be of a sufficient physical size to affect the magnetic field in the MS element 10, and, in some applications, the number of teeth 22 is fixed by external constraints, for instance, when target wheel 20 is a gear used for both mechanical advantage and for position sensing. The number of teeth 22, in such a case, may not be sufficient to provide the desired resolution. Another way consists of placing several MS elements 10 on the magnet surface 12. This, however, adds cost. Yet another way consists of using a phase-lock loop (PLL). This approach, however, suffers from errors during accelerations and decelerations. Finally, some applications, for instance spark-plug firing control, could use very fine position information, possibly within plus or minus one-half degree in that example, yet correspondingly fine resolution sensors (360 pulses per revolution in that example) are generally too costly.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a more robust magnetic sensor design enabling the resolution of the magnetic sensor to be increased. | {
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A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device, and more specifically to a metal-insulator-semiconductor field effect transistor (MISFET) having an oxidized aluminum nitride gate insulator formed on a silicon or gallium nitride or other semiconductor substrate, and a method of making the same.
B. Discussion of the Related Art
Manufacture of a conventional MIS (metal-insulator-semiconductor)-type semiconductor device involves forming a gate insulator on a semiconductor substrate, and subsequently forming a gate electrode on the gate insulator. Typically, the semiconductor substrate consists of silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs), and the gate insulator comprises a film of SiO.sub.2, SiN, AlN, or the like, directly deposited on the substrate.
Conventional MISFETs include a silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) gate insulator deposited on a silicon substrate. However, it is preferable that MISFETs utilize an insulator made from a material other than SiO.sub.2, and a substrate made from a material other than silicon. For example, substrates made from a gallium nitride-based compound semiconductors such as, gallium nitride (GaN), gallium aluminum nitride (GaAlN), and indium gallium nitride (InGaN), are preferable since such substrates have direct band gaps in the range of 1.95 eV to 6 eV. For this reason, these compound semiconductors are promising as materials for light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes and laser diodes, and for high operating temperature circuits.
Unfortunately, when a silicon dioxide gate insulator is deposited on a gallium nitride substrate or a substrate made from a material other than silicon, the electrical properties of the deposited silicon dioxide gate insulator erode the performance of the conventional MISFET. Thus, a MISFET structure on a GaN substrate is not practical and will have poor performance characteristics.
The reason for this is that the best oxides for use as gate insulators in MISFETs are thermally formed by the chemical reaction of oxygen (O.sub.2) gas with the surface of the MISFET substrate. Such native oxides, as they are conventionally called, are not chemically stable for all materials. Further, semiconductor materials that form good FETs and react with oxygen to form a good gate insulator rarely exist. For example, a pure gallium nitride substrate will not react directly with oxygen to form stable oxides. Rather, the gallium nitride reacts with oxygen to form a nitrous oxide (NO) gas and water-soluble Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3. This creates reliability problems because the Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 will absorb water (H.sub.2 O) from the ambient environment, changing its electrical behavior. The electrical behavior of the transistor will change too, rendering it unstable and unreliable over time. The unstable transistor will render unstable the circuit incorporating the transistor. | {
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Optical shaft encoders are used to measure the position rotation of a shaft. An optical encoder typically includes a light source, an encoding strip mounted on a disk that moves with the shaft and which modulates the light from the light source, and a photodetector assembly that converts the modulated light signal into electrical signals used for determining the shaft position.
Incremental encoders generate a signal each time the shaft moves through a predetermined angle. If the photodetector assembly includes two photodetectors that are displaced from one another, both the direction and magnitude of the shaft motion can be determined from the signals generated by these photodetectors. A plurality of incremental encoders operating on different “tracks” on the encoding strip can be used to construct an absolute encoder that generates a signal indicative of the position of the shaft relative to a predetermined fixed reference point.
The encoding strips used in both types of encoders can be divided into two broad types. In the first type, the encoding strip consists of alternating opaque and transparent stripes, and the light source and detector array are on opposite sides of the encoding strip. In the second type, the encoding strip consists of alternating non-reflective stripes and reflective stripes, and the light source and detector array are on the same side of the encoding strip.
Encoders of the second type are, in principle, less expensive than encoders of the first type, since the light source and detector array can be combined into a single pre-packaged assembly. One such encoder design is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,149. This design utilizes two lenses in addition to the light source and the detector array. The first lens is used to generate a light beam that is reflected from the code strip. The second lens images the code strip onto the photodetector array. The cost of the second lens increases the cost of the encoder.
In addition, a single encoder module that will function adequately for a wide range of encoder resolutions is difficult to achieve using this design. The encoding strip is typically constructed by placing the stripe pattern on a disk that rotates with the shaft. The desired resolution sets the pattern of stripes on the encoding strip. The image of a code stripe on the photodiodes is a series of light and dark stripes having a width that must match the size of the active region on the photodiodes. For example, in the case of a two photodiode array used for determining both the direction of motion and the amount of motion, the stripes in the code strip image ideally have a width that is twice the width of the active area on the photodiode. Since the dimensions of the photodiodes are set in the manufacturing process and not easily changed, any mismatch in the dimensions of the stripes must be accommodated by changing the magnification provided by the second lens discussed above. As the resolution changes, the magnification factor may also change. Hence, a single design in which the first and second lenses have fixed focal lengths is often impossible to achieve.
In this type of prior art design, the shape of each stripe in the code strip pattern is a trapezoid. The stripes must be arranged around a disk that rotates with the shaft. Hence, each stripe covers an area defined by two radii on the disk and the angular resolution of the encoder. If the photodetectors have active areas that are rectangles, there is a shape mis-match that reduces the signal to noise ratio in the encoder. Hence, trapezoidal photodetectors are required. This also increases the cost of the encoder, since specialized photodetectors must be utilized. | {
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Hypertension is a condition from which many people suffer. It describes a constant state of elevated blood pressure which can be caused by a number of factors, for example, genetics, obesity or diet. Baroreceptors located in the walls of blood vessels act to regulate blood pressure. They do so by sending information to the central nervous system (CNS) regarding the extent to which the blood vessel walls are stretched by the pressure of the blood flowing therethrough. In response to these signals, the CNS adjusts certain parameters so as to maintain a stable blood pressure.
US Patent Application Publication 2003/0060858 to Kieval et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes devices, systems and methods by which the blood pressure, nervous system activity, and neurohormonal activity may be selectively and controllably reduced by activating baroreceptors. A baroreceptor activation device is positioned near a baroreceptor, for example a baroreceptor in the carotid sinus. A control system may be used to modulate the baroreceptor activation device. The control system may utilize an algorithm defining a stimulus regimen which promotes long term efficacy and reduces power requirements/consumption.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0154418 to Kieval et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes systems and methods to provide baroreflex activation to treat or reduce pain and/or to cause or enhance sedation or sleep. Methods involve activating the baroreflex system to provide pain reduction, sedation, improved sleep or some combination thereof. Systems include at least one baroreflex activation device, at least one sensor for sensing physiological activity of the patient, and a processor coupled with the baroreflex activation device(s) and the sensor(s) for processing sensed data received from the sensor and for activating the baroreflex activation device. In some embodiments, the system is described as being fully implantable within a patient, such as in an intravascular, extravascular or intramural location.
US Patent Application Publication 2006/0074453 to Kieval et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for treating heart failure in a patient which involves activating a baroreflex system of the patient with at least one baroreflex activation device and resynchronizing the patient's heart with a cardiac resynchronization device. Activating the baroreflex system and resynchronizing the heart may be performed simultaneously or sequentially, in various embodiments. In some embodiments, one or more patient conditions are sensed and such condition(s) may be used for setting and/or modifying the baroreflex activation and/or heart resynchronization. A device for treating heart failure includes a baroreflex activation member coupled with a cardiac resynchronization member. Some embodiments further include one or more sensors and a processor. In some embodiments, the device is fully implantable.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0027346 to Arkusz et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a tubular vascular stent graft with a passively pulsating midsection where the difference between the cross-sectional areas of the lumen under the systolic and diastolic pressures after the implantation is 10% or more. The pulsating stent graft accumulates blood during the systolic pressure wave thus lowering the peak value of the tugging force at the proximal attachment site.
PCT Publication WO 03/076008 to Shalev, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an implantable device which uses the carotid baroreflex in order to control systemic blood pressure. The implant includes sampling and pulse stimulation electrodes preferably located on the carotid sinus nerve branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve, adjacent and distal to the carotid sinus baroreceptors. The stimulators have an external control unit, which communicates with the implant for determining appropriate operational parameters, and for retrieving telemetry information from the device's data bank. Typically, two internal devices are implanted, one at each side of the patient's neck.
PCT Publication WO 04/073484 to Gross et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes apparatus which includes an inflatable bladder, adapted to be coupled to a blood vessel of a subject carrying oxygenated blood, such that an interior of the bladder is in fluid communication with the blood. The apparatus also includes a piston in mechanical communication with the bladder; a motor, adapted to synchronize contraction and expansion of the bladder with a cardiac cycle of the subject by applying a motor force to the piston; and a spring, adapted to apply a spring force to the piston. In some embodiments of the invention, a counterpulsation system comprises one or more springs, which are adapted to be inserted into an artery of a subject, such as a descending aorta. Typically, each of the springs is planar, i.e., flat rather than helical, and has a generally sinusoidal shape. For applications comprising more than one spring, the plurality of springs are arranged in substantially a single plane. The counterpulsation system causes the artery to have a cross-sectional area during diastole that is less than the cross-sectional area would be during diastole without use of the counterpulsation system. For example, the counterpulsation system may cause the artery to have a cross-sectional shape during diastole that generally resembles an ellipse. Use of the counterpulsation system is described as thus typically increasing diastolic blood pressure and decreasing systolic blood pressure, thereby providing counterpulsation treatment to the circulation of the subject.
CVRx (Minneapolis, Minn.) manufactures the CVRx® Rheos Baroreflex Hypertension Therapy System, an implantable medical device for treating patients with high blood pressure. The product, which is under clinical investigation, works by electrically activating the baroreceptors, the sensors that regulate blood pressure. These baroreceptors are located on the carotid artery and in the carotid sinus. CVRx states that when the baroreceptors are activated by the Rheos System, signals are sent to the central nervous system and interpreted as a rise in blood pressure. The brain works to counteract this perceived rise in blood pressure by sending signals to other parts of the body to reduce blood pressure, including the heart, kidneys and blood vessels.
The following patents and patent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference, may be of interest:
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0033407 to Weber et al.
European Patent 0,791,341 to Demeyere et al.
PCT Publication WO 06/032902 to Caro et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,981 to Liu et al.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0203610 to Tzeng
US Patent Application Publication 2004/0193092 to Deal
U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,994 to Marin et al.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0232965 to Falotico
US Patent Application Publication 2004/0106976 to Bailey et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,766 to Jarvik
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,219 to Bozal Gonzalez
U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,277 to Sjostrand et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,931 to Slate | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric iron, and more particularly, to an electric iron having a boiler-type steam generator.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention
Electric irons are commonly used in people's daily lives. The easiest method to prevent damage to clothing and to iron clothing wrinkle free is to sprinkle water onto clothing prior to ironing. However, this method is inconvenient as water cannot be sprinkled uniformly onto the clothing by hand. One improvement to this method is the incorporation of water tanks and water spraying systems into electric irons for directly sprinkling water when ironing, which allows for an easy operation and uniform distribution of water onto clothing.
Along with the improvement of people's lives and desire for better quality, the request for better electric irons was advanced, and steam-spraying electric iron was designed. For example, the Chinese Pat. No. 98102941.8 discloses a “spraying steam electric iron”, comprising: a water tank which is used for storning water, a steam chamber which is used for vaporizing the water form the water tank into steam, a base which is used for forming the steam chamber, a heating unit which is used for heating the base, a base cover which is used for covering the base, a first tube which is used for guiding water from water tank into the steam chamber, a mixing chamber, water positioned in the water tank is influenced by steam produced from steam chamber and forms corpuscule, the water positioned in the water tank is guided into the second tube of the mixing chamber, the steam positioned in the steam chamber is guided into the steam tube of the mixing chamber, with the influence of steam for sprinkling water from nozzle.
Said water spray sprinkled from said electric iron is a mixture of water and vapor, containing less vapor, and the sprinkling pressure is not enough, said electric iron has a good effect for clothing which is put flat-wise, but not for clothing which is hung. There are other structures of steam electric irons in the market, but most have the same drawbacks.
For obtaining enough steam in the industry, commonly, connecting a boiler-type steam station with electric iron for providing steam which has enough pressure, the principle of producing steam is same as the boiler used in the industry, since the volume is big, inconveniently using, so it is unpopular in the daily life.
Designer integrates boiler-type steam generator with electric iron, requiring the volume must be little enough, so the volume of the switch valve must also be little enough, and meeting the safety criterion. The electromagnetic valve accords with the safety criterion, but its volume can not achieve the minimum limit. So far, we do not find mechanical valve used in the boiler-type steam generator of electric iron.
On the other hand, the boiler-type steam generator and ironing plate adopt a same heating system, their temperature can not be changed separately, for obtaining the steam which has high temperature and high pressure, the boiler-type steam generator need high temperature, however, if the temperature of ironing plate is much higher, the clothing may be damaged, so the boiler-type steam generator and ironing plate can not use the same heating system. | {
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A wide variety of different proposals have been made for portable toothbrush kits, but few if any have been successful. Many of the designs have been so complex as to be unworkable or uneconomical to manufacture. Many of them incorporate various intricate passageways through which toothpaste or powder is intended to flow from some form of container in a handle to the brush portion of the device. These systems are useless in that the toothpaste will dry or clog the passageway after a single use. Other systems provide a cavity for receiving a separate toothpaste container. However, it is then necessary to supply toothpaste packaged in an appropriate container to fit the cavity, and this causes extra expense, and specialized packaging machinery. | {
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Curable thermoset coating compositions are widely used in the coatings art. They are often used as topcoats in the automotive and industrial coatings industry. Such topcoats may be basecoats, clearcoats, or mixtures thereof. Color-plus-clear composite coatings are particularly useful as topcoats where exceptional gloss, depth of color, distinctness of image, or special metallic effect is desired. The automotive industry has made extensive use of these coatings for automotive body panels.
Color-plus-clear composite coatings, however, require an extremely high degree of clarity in the clearcoat to achieve the desired visual effect. High-gloss coatings also require a low degree of visual aberrations at the surface of the coating in order to achieve the desired visual effect such as high distinctness of image (DOI). Finally, such composite coatings must also simultaneously provide a desirable balance of finished film properties such as durability, hardness, flexibility, and resistance to environmental etch, scratching, marring, solvents, and/or acids.
In order to obtain the extremely smooth finishes that are generally required in the coatings industry, coating compositions must exhibit good flow before curing. Good flow is observed when the coating composition is fluid enough at some point after it is applied to the substrate and before it cures to a hard film to take on a smooth appearance. Some coating compositions exhibit good flow immediately upon application and others exhibit good flow only after the application of elevated temperatures.
One way to impart fluid characteristics and good flow to a coating composition is to incorporate volatile organic solvents into the composition. These solvents provide the desired fluidity and flow during the coating process, but evaporate upon exposure to elevated curing temperatures, leaving only the coating components behind.
However, the use of such solvents increases the volatile organic content (VOC) of the coating composition. Because of the adverse impact that volatile organic solvents may have on the environment, many government regulations impose limitations on the amount of volatile solvent that can be used. Increasing the percentage nonvolatile (% NV) of a coating composition or decreasing the VOC provides a competitive advantage with respect to environmental concerns, air permitting requirements and cost.
Prior art attempts to improve the VOC of polymers and coating compositions have generally focused on the removal of volatile organic solvents from polymers by methods such as vacuum distillation. However, such techniques have significant disadvantages. First, they generally require the use of more energy and labor that leads to higher costs. Increased costs also result from the disposal of removed solvent. Finally, the viscosity of the stripped polymer often creates processing and manufacturing challenges.
There is thus a continuing desire to reduce the volatile organic content (VOC) of coating compositions and the components of such coating compositions while avoiding the problems of the prior art. This must be done without sacrificing the rheological properties of the coating composition required for trouble-free application of the composition while still maintaining the optimum level of smoothness and appearance. Finally, any such coating composition must continue to provide finished films having a good combination of properties with respect to durability, hardness, flexibility, and resistance to chipping, environmental etch, scratching, marring, solvents, and/or acids.
More particularly, it would be very desirable to provide a method of making film-forming components for coating compositions wherein the film-forming component is polymerized in a material that is inert with respect to polymerization but does not volatilize upon exposure to elevated curing temperature. Ideally, such a material would enter into the film-forming reaction of a thermosetting coating composition. The desired effect of incorporating the material into the final film would be to increase the crosslink density of the cured film and to impart positive film attributes such as etch resistance, flexibility, scratch and mar, or chip resistance.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide economical methods of making binders for curable coating compositions which provide all of the advantages of prior art binders, but that contribute lower levels of volatile organic solvents to the final coating composition while still providing desirable application properties as well as finished films having commercially acceptable appearance and performance properties.
It would also be advantageous to provide a method of making acrylic oligomers and/or polymers for curable coating compositions which provide all of the advantages of prior art acrylic oligomers and binders, but that contribute lower levels of volatile organic solvents to the final coating composition while still providing desirable application properties as well as finished films having commercially acceptable appearance and performance properties.
Finally, it would be especially desirable to provide a method of making film-forming components for curable coating compositions wherein the film-forming component is polymerized in a material that functions as a solvent with respect to the film forming component and that (1) is inert with respect to polymerization, (2) does not contribute to the VOC of a coating composition incorporating said film-forming component, and (3) enters into the film-forming reaction when the coating composition is cured. | {
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The present invention relates to an air cleaner and, more particularly, to a cyclone type air cleaner for cleaning air be separating dust particles and other foreign matters from air by making use of centrifugal force.
As is well known to those skilled in the art, a cyclone type air cleaner is constructed such that the air suspending dust particles and other foreign matters (referred to as "contaminated air" hereinunder) is introduced into a cylindrical housing defining a swirling chamber is caused to flow through the swirling chamber while swirling so that the dust particles and other foreign matters are separated from the air by the centrifugal force. In order to increase the centrifugal separation effect, therefore, it has been necessary to increase the size and, particularly, the axial length or height of the housing.
On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for reduction in size and weight of the air cleaners. To comply with this demand, it is necessary to reduce the size and, particularly, the height of the cylindrical housing. The reduced size of the cylindrical housing, however, undesirably impairs the swirling action and, hence, the centrifugal separation effect, resulting in a lowered dust separation efficiency to heavily burden an air filter element dispased in the downstream end of the housing as viewed in the direction of the flow of air. | {
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The use of touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices for computers and other electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. Exemplary touch-sensitive surfaces include touch pads and touch screen displays. Such surfaces are widely used to manipulate user interface objects on a display.
Exemplary manipulations include adjusting the position and/or size of one or more user interface objects or activating buttons or opening files/applications represented by user interface objects, as well as associating metadata with one or more user interface objects or otherwise manipulating user interfaces. Exemplary user interface objects include digital images, video, text, icons, control elements such as buttons and other graphics. A user will, in some circumstances, need to perform such manipulations on user interface objects in a file management program (e.g., Finder from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), an image management application (e.g., Aperture or iPhoto from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a digital content (e.g., videos and music) management application (e.g., iTunes from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a drawing application, a presentation application (e.g., Keynote from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a word processing application (e.g., Pages from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a website creation application (e.g., iWeb from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a disk authoring application (e.g., iDVD from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), or a spreadsheet application (e.g., Numbers from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.).
But existing methods for performing these manipulations are cumbersome and inefficient. In addition, existing methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This patent document relates generally to communication apparatus including radio frequency (RF) circuits and, more particularly, to bus arbitration of bus masters within digital processing circuits of communication apparatus that implement time domain isolation techniques.
2. Description of the Related Art
High performance wireless communication apparatus such as RF receivers, transmitters, and transceivers typically include RF front-end circuitry that operates on an RF signal being received or transmitted. For example, the front-end circuitry may down-convert a received RF signal to baseband and/or up-convert a baseband signal for RF transmission.
The RF front-end circuitry typically includes analog circuits such as low noise amplifiers and mixers that have a relatively high sensitivity to noise and interference. The RF circuitry in some applications, such as in mobile communication cellular handsets, may be required to detect signals as small as a few micro-volts or less in amplitude. It is thus often critical to minimize noise and interference from sources external or even internal to the communication apparatus.
In addition to the RF front-end circuitry, typical wireless communication apparatus may also include digital processing circuitry that performs various digital functions including, for example, low level baseband signal processing, implementation of the communication protocol stack, and various user interface functionality. The digital processing circuitry may include a variety of specific hardware such as a DSP (digital signal processor), an MCU (microcontroller unit), hardware accelerators, memory, and/or I/O interfaces, among numerous other specific hardware devices.
Unfortunately, the digital processing circuitry of a typical communication apparatus can be a significant source of detrimental noise and interference. More particularly, the digital processing circuitry in a typical high performance communication apparatus produces digitals signals with relatively small rise and fall times, or with fast transitions or sharp edges. Furthermore, those signals often have relatively high frequencies. As a result, their Fourier series or transforms have rich harmonic contents. The harmonics, or higher-frequency Fourier series components, cause spurious emissions that may interfere with, and may adversely impact, the performance of the RF front-end circuitry. Thus, in many systems, the RF front-end circuitry is implemented on an integrated circuit die that is separate from the integrated circuit die on which the digital processing circuitry is implemented. Additionally, the RF front-end circuitry and digital processing circuitry are often placed in separate electrical cavities, where the shielding of the cavities helps to isolate the electrical and magnetic coupling.
Implementing the RF front-end circuitry and the digital processing circuitry on separate dies, however, has several disadvantages, such as increased component count, size, and overall cost, and more potential for decreased reliability and increased manufacturing failures. It is thus desirable to allow integration of the RF front-end circuitry and digital processing circuitry on a single integrated circuit die without significant degradation and performance due to interference. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive system, in particular for a vehicle, including an electric machine, by means of which a shaft can be driven to rotate and/or electrical energy can be obtained when the shaft rotates. The electric machine has a stator arrangement with a stator interaction region and a rotor arrangement with a rotor interaction region, the rotor interaction region being coupled or capable of being coupled to the shaft for common rotation by means of a carrier arrangement. The drive system further includes a torsional-vibration damper arrangement with a primary side and a secondary side which can rotate, counter to the action of a damper element arrangement, about an axis of rotation with respect to the primary side.
2. Description of the Related Art
A drive system of this type is known, for example, from DE 199 14 376 A1. In this drive system, the torsional-vibration damper arrangement is designed so that it is either bolted onto a drive shaft together with the carrier arrangement for the rotor interaction region, or so that one of the primary side and the secondary side is linked to the carrier arrangement for common rotation or, via this arrangement, is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive shaft. The result is a structure which takes up a relatively large amount of space, but this causes difficulties in particular when drive systems of this type are integrated in a drive train of small motor vehicles.
The object of the present invention is to refine a drive system of the generic type in such a manner that the space which it takes up can be reduced.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a drive system, in particular for a vehicle, comprising an electric machine, by means of which a shaft can be driven to rotate and/or electrical energy can be obtained when the shaft rotates. The electric machine includes a stator arrangement with a stator interaction region and a rotor arrangement with a rotor interaction region, the rotor interaction region being coupled or capable of being coupled to the shaft for common rotation by means of a carrier arrangement. The drive system further includes a torsional-vibration damper arrangement with a primary side and a secondary side which can rotate, counter to the action of a damper element arrangement, about an axis of rotation with respect to the primary side.
In this system, it is furthermore provided that the carrier arrangement forms at least a part of the primary side.
The integration of functions, i.e. the incorporation of the carrier arrangement or a section thereof into the torsional-vibration damper arrangement, makes it possible to save on the number of components, and the electric machine and torsional-vibration damper arrangement assemblies can be positioned closer together, with the advantage that the overall size or length of a system of this type can be reduced compared to systems which are known from the prior art.
To further minimize the space which has to be made available, the carrier arrangement has its region which forms at least a part of the primary side located substantially radially inside the stator arrangement and preferably axially overlaps this arrangement at least in regions.
By way of example, the carrier arrangement may form a part of the primary side which serves to support the forces of the damper element arrangement.
To ensure symmetrical transmission of forces without the risk of primary side and secondary side becoming misaligned with respect to one another, the primary side has two force-supporting regions which, at least in regions, lie at an axial distance from one another, and the carrier arrangement forms one of the force-supporting regions. This can be achieved in a manner which is simple to produce by the fact that the primary side has two cover disk regions which form the force-supporting regions, and that the carrier arrangement forms one of the cover disk regions. In this case, it is furthermore advantageously provided that the secondary side has a central disk element which engages axially between the two force-supporting regions of the primary side.
In an alternative embodiment, the carrier arrangement, in a region which extends substantially axially and radially outside the damper element arrangement, has at least one first force-supporting region for the damper element arrangement. The secondary side has a second force-supporting region, which extends substantially axially, associated with at least one first force-supporting region of the primary side. In an embodiment of this type, the at least one first force-supporting region and the associated second force-supporting region preferably lie between the end regions of two damper elements which follow one another in the circumferential direction.
In design terms, this embodiment can be made particularly simple by the carrier arrangement having a carrier element which forms the part of the primary side, that the secondary side having a driver element which has the at least one second force-supporting region, and the carrier element and the driver element together forming a rotation-angle limitation for the torsional-vibration damper arrangement. In addition to its function of being able to transmit torque in damping mode, a further integration of function is provided in this case, namely that of preventing excessive compression of the damper element arrangement as a result of the rotation-angle limitation arrangement becoming active.
To achieve further integration of functions into assemblies or components which are already present, the secondary side can be supported in the radial direction and/or in the axial direction on the carrier arrangement. In this case, the central disk element is preferably supported on the carrier arrangement, preferably via a radial bearing arrangement.
With regard to the support of the primary side with respect to the secondary side, a bearing region for axially and radially supporting the secondary side with respect to the primary side may be formed on the carrier arrangement.
To connect the two cover disk regions in a simple manner and without the insertion of additional components, one of the cover disks has a connecting section for connection, preferably by welding, to the other cover disk region. This extends axially toward the other cover disk region and preferably radially outward.
If the connecting section lies substantially radially inside the stator arrangement and axially overlaps the stator arrangement, this part of the carrier arrangement can simultaneously serve to axially bridge the stator arrangement. The torsional-vibration damper arrangement can therefore be positioned even closer to the electric machine or is arranged substantially radially inside the stator arrangement thereof or axially overlaps this arrangement.
To produce a simple connection between the two cover disk regions, the other cover disk region, by means of a connecting section thereof, preferably extends axially toward the carrier arrangement and preferably radially outward.
To obtain a stable axial support between primary side and secondary side, the secondary side can be axially supported on the carrier arrangement via the second cover disk region. In this case, the secondary side is preferably axially supported on the secondary cover disk region in or close to a transition between a section which extends substantially radially and a connecting section which extends axially and preferably radially outward toward the carrier arrangement. The axial support in this connecting region produces an axially highly stable, i.e. relatively unyielding support, since in particular even when produced from sheet-metal material, the second cover disk region is very deformation-resistant in this transition region.
For axial support, the secondary side can be supported on a second cover disk element, with an axial bearing arrangement, preferably a slide bearing arrangement, arranged between them.
In the drive system according to the invention, in particular its torsional-vibration damper arrangement, the two cover disk regions preferably form a space between them which contains the damper element arrangement. This space is at the maximum radial distance from the axis of rotation, preferably in the region of the connection between the two cover disk regions.
The force-transmitting support of the damper elements, for example damper springs, on the primary side or the secondary side often takes place with so-called spring plates or spring saddles arranged in between, allowing better distribution of pressure or load. These spring plates are then generally supported radially on the outside on a slideway which is formed in the region of one or both of the cover disk regions.
In open systems, i.e. those which do not use lubricant in this region, there is a fundamental risk of considerable and undefined friction being introduced by abraded particles which are generated in operation and accumulate between the spring plates and the slideway, and this friction may also entail considerable abrasion in the region of the spring plates. To counteract this problem, at least one particle-removal opening is provided in at least one of the cover disk regions, preferably a connecting section thereof. This particle-removal opening passes through this region or section and opens out into the space in or close to the region which is at the greatest radial distance from the axis of rotation. Providing a particle-removal opening of this nature ensures that the abraded particles which collect radially on the outside due to centrifugal force can be conveyed out of the region in which the spring plates or the spring saddles are to slide along the associated slideway.
To provide a stable support combined with a simple structure, the secondary side is axially and/or radially supported on the carrier arrangement, radially outside the connection of the second cover disk region to the carrier arrangement.
In the drive system according to the invention, the carrier arrangement preferably has a first carrier element, which forms at least a part of the torsional-vibration damper arrangement and carries the rotor interaction region, and a second carrier element, which couples the first carrier element to the shaft. Naturally, it is also possible for the first carrier element to be directly linked to the shaft.
In rotary operation, tumbling movements frequently occur, being introduced by nonuniform rotary movements in the region of the shaft, for example a crankshaft. To damp these tumbling movements in the torque-transmission path and thus also ensure that the air gap between the rotor interaction region and the stator interaction region remains approximately constant in rotary operation, the second carrier element contacts the first carrier element by means of a contact region which is convex with respect to the first carrier element and extends around the axis of rotation. The curved contour allows a minimum rolling movement of the second carrier element on the first carrier element, so that the second carrier element together with the shaft can be at least slightly inclined with respect to the axis of rotation, without this incline inevitably also being transmitted to the first carrier element.
To facilitate integrating a system according to the invention in a drive train, the secondary side is supported in the radial direction on a radially inner region of the primary side, preferably of the first carrier element, and the second carrier element is or can be coupled to the shaft radially inside the radial support of the secondary side with respect to the primary side. In this way, threaded bolts which are used for this coupling can easily be introduced in the axial direction, without any components being impeded, and can be screwed into associated threaded openings in the shaft.
In another embodiment which is preferred on account of its very simple design, the carrier arrangement has a carrier element which, in its radially outer region, carries the rotor interaction region, in its radially inner region is or can be coupled to the shaft and between its radially outer region and its radially inner region forms the part of the primary side.
To ensure that the electric machine does not overheat when operating, particularly in the region of the stator arrangement, the carrier arrangement, in the radial region of the stator arrangement, has at least one air-passage opening region and/or at least one fan blade region.
If, in the system according to the invention, contaminating particles are produced or collect therein, there is a fundamental risk of these particles passing into the air gap between the rotor interaction region and the stator interaction region. This could impair the performance of the electric machine. To counteract this, the carrier arrangement has a hollow-like particle-receiving region which is open toward the radially inner side, surrounds the axis of rotation and into which preferably at least one particle-removal opening opens. Particles can then be trapped in the particle-receiving region of the carrier arrangement, which preferably lies close to the region of the air gap or slightly radially inside it, and can be removed from this region, for example through a particle-removal opening, without there being any risk of a further movement toward the air gap.
In rotary operation, the damper elements of the damper element arrangement are forced radially outward by the centrifugal forces which are active, so that they are supported radially on the outside, for example on the primary side, with frictional forces being generated.
To reduce these frictional forces, which may lead to an undesirable effect on the damping performance, at least some of the damper elements of the damper element arrangement are radially and/or axially supported on the primary side, with a bearing arrangement in between. For this purpose, the bearing arrangement may include at least one sliding bearing element which is carried on the primary side. A coating of sliding bearing material may also be provided on the primary side. Furthermore, a very low-friction bearing can be obtained if the bearing arrangement comprises a rolling bearing arrangement which is supported with respect to the primary side and the damper element arrangement.
To be able to ensure that the system according to the invention is held together in a defined way even when it has not yet been integrated in a drive shaft or the like, it is possible to provide an axial securing arrangement which acts between the primary side and the secondary side.
As has already been mentioned, in order for particles to be removed from the region of the damper element arrangement, the damper element arrangement may be arranged in a space which is substantially surrounded by two cover disk regions, and at least one particle-removal opening, which preferably opens out into a radially outer region of the space, may be provided in at least one of the cover disk regions.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Ink jet recording is, as well known, a process in which an ink jet recording ink is ejected as droplets through minute nozzles to form many dots on the surface of a recording medium, thereby recording images such as letters or figures on paper, etc.
As such ink jet recording, there have been developed and put to practical use a process in which an electric signal is converted to a mechanical signal by the use of an electrostrictive element to intermittently ejecting an ink stored in a nozzle head section, thereby recording letters or symbols on the surface of a recording medium; and a process in which an ink stored in a nozzle head section is rapidly heated at a portion very close to an ejection portion to generate bubbles, and intermittently ejected by volume expansion due to the bubbles to record letters or symbols on a surface of a recording medium.
According to the ink jet recording, it is possible to print high-resolution, high-quality images at high speed by an easy way. In particular, the ink jet recording has recently become an image formation method substitutable for a photographic method in color printing.
As inks that can be used in the ink jet recording, there have been widely known an aqueous dye ink containing a dye as a colorant and an aqueous pigment ink containing a pigment as a colorant. The aqueous pigment ink has the advantage that printed matter excellent in weather resistance can be prepared. However, when used alone, the pigment is difficult to dissolve in an aqueous solvent. Accordingly, the aqueous pigment ink usually contains a polymer type dispersing agent for dispersing the pigment at a specified concentration.
Meanwhile, for example, when photographic tone images are reproduced by the ink jet recording, the ink jet recording is usually carried out so as to increase the density of dots for a region having high print density and to decrease the density of dots for a region having low print density.
However, particularly, the use of the above-mentioned aqueous pigment ink as the ink results in the presence of the aqueous pigment ink in the region in which the density of dots is increased (high duty region) in larger amounts, compared to that in the region in which the density of dots is decreased (low duty region), and accordingly results in the presence of the polymer type dispersing agent in larger amounts. The polymer type dispersing agent usually has glossiness, so that the high duty region of printed matter shows a high gloss, and the low duty region shows a low gloss. Accordingly, there has been the problem that when the printed matter is observed as a whole, uneven gloss becomes obvious depending on the contents of an image to be reproduced.
In order to solve this problem, there has been known a technique of further printing the above-mentioned printed matter with a clear ink capable of imparting glossiness in such amounts that the amount thereof in the low duty region is larger than that in the high duty region, thereby intending to decrease the difference in glossiness between the high duty region and the low duty region and to solve the problem of the above-mentioned uneven gloss.
On the other hand, in order to maintain the quality of images obtained by the ink jet recording, the absence of dot omission is required. The term “dot omission” means the phenomenon that no dot is formed at a position where the dot is originally to be formed because of, for example, troubles in nozzles of a recording head mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus.
As a method for detecting the dot omission, there has been known a method, as shown in FIG. 5, of providing a light emitting unit 113 for emitting light L and a light receiving unit 114 for receiving the above-mentioned light L so that an ink 111 passes therebetween from a recording head 110 to paper 112, subsequently, continuously flying the ink 111 at predetermined intervals, thereby forming a detection pulse based on intermittent interception of the above-mentioned light L with the above-mentioned ink 111, and comparing the pulse interval of the detection pulse with a specified threshold value (see patent document 1).
Patent Document: JP 2002-192740 A
However, the method described in patent document 1 detects the dot omission by inspecting whether the light L emitted from the light emitting unit 113 is intercepted with the ink 111 at predetermined timing or not, when the ink 111 is allowed to drop from the recording head 110 at proper timing. Accordingly, when a clear ink or a reactive clear ink is used, it has been difficult to detect the dot omission of the clear ink or the reactive clear ink, because the light L is difficult to be intercepted therewith. | {
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This invention relates generally to an accurate, movable and easily transportable system for distance measurement and geologic mapping in subterranean shafts. Accurate, dependable measurement of bearings and directions and stereophotography are required for geologic mapping in subterranean shafts, such as, for example, nuclear waste storage investigations. Subterranean sites presently being investigated are in rock with natural magnetism and also contain steel structures. These factors preclude the use of devices that rely on the earth's magnetic field for a reference direction, that is, a magnetic compass. Under these conditions, a surveyed reference (strike rail), is necessary with all directions or bearings related to the reference.
Utilizing a conventional strike rail is time consuming and therefore extremely expensive. Previous methods consisted of obtaining bearings or directions from surveyed rails that had to be pre-positioned around the periphery of the work platform. This method is not compatible with a galloway. Magnetic compasses have been used but are not dependable. Photography for geologic photography can be obtained by hand, holding the camera, or by using a conventional tripod. These methods are not suitable in this case because of the speed and precision requirements. | {
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With the increasing popularity of various wireless standards and technologies, there is a growing demand to provide a simple and complete solution for wireless communications applications. In this regard, electronics manufacturers are increasingly attempting to incorporate multiple wireless technologies into portable electronic devices. For example, wireless technologies that are seeing widespread deployment include FM radio, Bluetooth (BT), GPS, Wi-Fi, and RFID.
Although desirable to users, incorporating multiple wireless communication technologies into devices such as wireless handsets may pose problems in terms of cost and complexity. In this regard, combining a plurality of wireless technologies into a portable electronic device may require separate processing hardware and/or separate processing software. Moreover, coordinating the reception and/or transmission of data to and/or from the portable electronic device may require significant processing overhead that may impose certain operation restrictions and/or design challenges. Additionally, the device may need to be highly configurable in order to reduce size and cost by sharing hardware.
As an example, consider integrating FM radio systems into a portable device such as a smart phone. In this regard, conventional FM broadcast radios have relatively large antennas, which may not be practical for incorporating into a device such as a smart phone. Accordingly, system designers are faced with the challenge of receiving a relatively broad FM broadcast band utilizing an antenna which is electrically very small. In this regard, it may be difficult to reliably and/or consistently match an FM broadcast radio to a relatively small antenna as is typically found in a portable wireless device. Furthermore, the frequency response of such an electrically small antenna may be incapable and or inefficient at receiving a broad frequency band, such as the FM broadcast band.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of mining and excavation equipment. More specifically, the invention comprises an improved rigging system for dragline buckets that reduces the need for heavy chains.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to understand the significance of the present invention, it is important to have some understanding of conventional dragline bucket rigging. FIG. 1 shows dragline bucket assembly 10. As those skilled in the art will know, the dragline bucket assembly is lifted and positioned by a boom crane—typically a very large boom crane. Bucket 24 is nearly always made of thick steel. The width of the bucket's mouth may be as much as twenty feet (6 meters). The bucket itself often weighs many tons.
In operation, the bucket is swung into position and then dropped into the material that is to be removed. The mouth of the bucket is typically given a downward pitch during the drop operation so that it digs into the material. The bucket is then dragged back toward the boom crane. As it is dragged along the bucket's mouth scoops in a load of material. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the dragline bucket assembly during a typical scooping phase.
Once the bucket is full the boom crane is used to pull the bucket assembly free of the material. The boom crane then swings the bucket toward the area where the scooped material is to be deposited. When the bucket assembly reaches the deposit area, a dumping mechanism causes the bucket to pitch downward. The contents of the bucket then spill from the bucket's mouth. Once the bucket is empty, the cycle repeats.
Bucket 24 and its contents are primarily suspended by a pair of lift trunnion assemblies 22—with a trunnion assembly being located on each side of the bucket. A lower hoist chain 20 connects each trunnion to spreader bar 18. An upper hoist chain 16 connects each side of the spreader bar to yoke 48.
The term “yoke” refers to the component that connects the upper hoist chains to the tensile members used to lift the entire bucket assembly. It is also typically used to connect the chains to the dump block assembly. It can take on many shapes and forms. In the example of FIG. 1, yoke 48 connects upper hoist chains 16 to a pair of lift ropes 14 (Each lift rope 14 is connected to a socket 12). In this context the term “rope” refers to any suitably flexible tensile member. A cable made of wrapped steel wires is often used as a lift rope.
The yoke may be a single large casting or it may be an assembly of several pieces. The term should be broadly construed to mean anything that connects the bucket assembly rigging to the lifting cables leading to the boom on the crane.
As stated previously, the lift ropes connect the bucket assembly to the boom of the crane. Yoke 48 also provides an attachment point for dump block 28. As the name suggests, a mechanism incorporating the dump block is used to change the bucket from its scooping configuration to its dumping configuration. When this mechanism is actuated, the bucket pivots downward about the two trunnion assemblies. The mouth of the bucket pitches downward and the tail of the bucket rises. Once the bucket's contents are completely dumped, the dumping mechanism is reversed and the bucket is returned to its digging orientation.
Still referring to FIG. 1, one or more drag lines 36 are attached to the rigging shown via drag socket 34. A drag line(s) is used to pull the bucket toward the crane once the bucket has been dropped into the material. A drag line is also commonly used to regulate the bucket's orientation. Drag chains 30 connect drag socket 34 to the sides of the bucket. The drag chains attach to bucket 24 on either side of the bucket's mouth. Arch 32 is typically provided to reinforce the bucket's open mouth.
The reader will note that a dump rope 26 passes from the drag socket 34, around dump block 28 and connects to the upper portion of arch 32. The dump rope is used to regulate the transition of the bucket between its digging and dumping orientations.
FIG. 2 shows the same assembly from a different vantage point. The reader will note that each drag chain is attached to the bucket using a large and robust drag chain hitch 40. The lifting chains may be divided into two categories: Lower hoist assembly 44 includes the two lifting chains connecting the trunnions to the spreader bar. The spreader bar itself may also be considered part of the lower hoist assembly. Upper hoist assembly 42 includes the lifting chains used to connect the spreader bar to the yoke. Top rail 38 extends around the top of the open bucket.
The bucket assembly is operated in a brutal environment. The bucket is typically dropped into an ore deposit containing rocks and other abrasive materials. Chains have traditionally been used near the bucket itself because of the extreme forces applied and the abrasive action of the material being dug. The chains shown in the assembly may be comparable in size to the termination chains used on a large ship. For example, each link may be well in excess of 1 foot (30+ centimeters) long.
Such chains are quite heavy. They must be serviced and replaced quite often as well. The size and weight of the chains make them difficult and dangerous to handle. In addition, the chains rapidly elongate while in use—primarily because of link-to-link abrasion. This elongation alters the dumping geometry of the bucket assembly and reduces its performance. In addition, the elongation of the lifting chains reduces the maximum height to which the bucket assembly may be lifted. The reduction in lift height reduces the amount of material that the dragline assembly can move. It would be advantageous to replace the chains with a lighter and less cumbersome material. It would also be advantageous to replace the chains with a tensile member that does not elongate significantly.
FIG. 3 shows a proposed replacement of the chains used in the upper hoist assembly. A pair of flexible tensile members 46 have been substituted for the chains used in the prior art. Chains are still used in the lower hoist assembly—since these components are subjected to the dropping and dragging operations of the bucket itself. It is likely that only a chain can be used in the lower hoist assembly as no other component is able to survive that environment, though it may ultimately be possible to use the present invention for the lower hoist components as well.
The reader will note that the cables used are free of the actual dropping and dragging operations—being above spreader bar 18. FIG. 5 shows a section view through the assembly that illustrates the position of the tensile members 46 compared to lower hoist assembly 44. Spreader bar 18 is needed to prevent the lower chains dragging along the side of the bucket and binding the dumping operations. However, above the rigid spreader bar, a more flexible tensile member may be used and one might therefore assume that the assembly of FIG. 3 provides a workable solution. Another problem exists, however.
A dragline bucket assembly must be periodically laid on the ground for servicing, shift changes, or other reasons. When the bucket assembly is placed on the ground and the boom is lowered, the lifting rigging falls over the bucket in random and unpredictable ways. FIG. 4 provides a detailed view of the upper and lower hoist assemblies when the bucket has been placed on the ground.
Tensile member 46 is flexible enough to lay across top rail 38 as shown. Spreader bar 18 and dump block 28 have both fallen on top of tensile member 46 and “pinched” it against top rail 38. Tensile member 46 may also be dragged along top rail 38 while being subjected to other forces. The spreader bar may weigh several tons and even the dump block assembly may exceed one ton in weight. Thus, the reader will perceive that even though tensile member 46 lies above the dropping and digging operations it is still subjected to extreme battering, bending, cutting, and compression forces when the bucket is laid down. Further, the orientation of the “pile” of heavy components created when the bucket is laid down is random and impossible to consistently predict.
Thus, even though it is possible to use a flexible tensile member in the upper hoist assembly, a conventional flexible tensile member is not likely to survive the full range of bucket operations. Some flexible designs have been evaluated over the years but no such design has ever been able to successfully compete with chain.
The advantages of using such a tensile member are promising, however. Any reduction in the weight of the bucket rigging means that a larger bucket can be used (for a given crane lifting capacity) and more fill material can be carried with each scoop. Any reduction in the stretching tendency of the tensile members used means that the assembly produces a more consistent bucket fill and soil mound height, thus increasing productivity. Any reduction in metal-to-metal wear increases the lifespan of a component and reduces the frequency of component replacement. Any reduction in the use of chain reduces the safety hazards inherent in the use of chain. Thus, a new type of flexible tensile member assembly that is able to withstand all the dragline bucket operations would be advantageous. A new type of flexible tensile member assembly that is able to employ modem synthetic materials would further reduce the weight of the rigging and provide an even greater advantage. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to compounds which inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme. In particular, it relates to 3-carboxyoctahydro-5-oxo-6-indolizinepropanoic acids and related octahydropyrido[1,2-a]-pyridine compounds.
The enzyme inhibitors of this invention are hypotensive agents and are useful for treating hypertension and pathological conditions arising from excessive angiotensin II levels and disease states wherein vasodilator therapy may be useful. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There are two approaches known for synthesis of self-healing polymer composite material, extrinsic self-healing and intrinsic self-healing.
In extrinsic self-healing, polymer composites include a polymer matrix containing sets of capsules or hollow fibers filled with healing agents and catalyst. Any damage or cracking of a polymer composite ruptures the capsules or hollow fibers that yield the healing agents, which fill the cracks via capillary forces. Subsequently, the healing agents undergo polymerization reaction due to catalyst present in the polymer composite and heal the cracks. Any existing self-healing approach occurs only for one time. Intrinsic self-healing only is effective for ultrafine cracks.
The conventional approaches involve extrinsic and intrinsic healing mechanism. In extrinsic healing, hollow fibers or capsules filled with healing agent and catalysts are encapsulated in polymer composite materials. The capsules rupture on damage of polymer composite, and healing agent is delivered, which fills the crack and is cured in presence of catalyst and heals the composite materials. The major issue with the approach is that it works only once and cannot heal any further damage after the capsules or hollow fibers are fractured and the curing agent is used.
Intrinsic healing involves extensive chemical modification of polymer chains of polymer composite which completely change various properties such as adhesion and mechanical properties, etc. Intrinsic self-healing coatings are not able to heal large cracks, which is a major drawback. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The field of the disclosure relates generally but not exclusively to wireless tag readers, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag readers, and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for ranging a wireless tag relative to a tag reader.
Wireless transponders or tags, such as RFID tags, are used in combination with RFID interrogators to identify an object or objects. Typically, when these tags are excited, they produce or reflect a magnetic or electric field at some frequency, which may be modulated with an identifying code or other useful information.
RFID tags may either be active or passive. Active tags have a self-contained power supply. Passive tags require external excitation in order to be read within the read volume of an interrogator or reader. In passive tag systems, the interrogator or reader typically contains a transmitting antenna for sending an exciting frequency signal to the passive tag. The transmitting antenna is often positioned adjacent to an antenna for receiving a modulated signal (magnetic or electromagnetic) produced by the excited tag. This modulated signal may identify the tag and, consequently, the object associated with the tag.
Current implementations of RFID readers return only the digital data associated with the tag, rather than information regarding the distance to the tag. The present inventors have therefore recognized a need for systems and methods for effectively determining a measured distance between an RFID reader and an RFID tag when interrogated by the RFID reader. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a carrier for a developer of an electrostatic latent image, and a two-component developer, a replenishing developer, an image forming apparatus, and a toner stored unit all of which use the carrier.
Description of the Related Art
In the course of image formation in an electrophotographic system, an electrostatic latent image is formed on an electrostatic latent image bearer, such as a photoconductive material, a charged toner is deposited on the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, and the toner image is then transferred to a recording medium and fixed to form an output image. Recently, a technology related to photocopiers or printers using an electrophotographic system has been rapidly sifted from monochrome image formation to full-color image formation. A market for full-color image formation is expected to expand even more.
A two-component developer used for an electrophotographic system is composed of a toner and a carrier. The carrier is a bearing material that is mixed and stirred with the toner separately supplied inside a developing chamber to impart desired charge to the toner, and to transport the charged toner to an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor to thereby form a toner image.
As a carrier, a known carrier is a carrier having a resin including carbon black formed on a surface of a carrier as a coating layer for the purpose of preventing filming of a toner, forming a uniform surface, preventing oxidization of the surface, preventing reduction in moisture sensitivity, extending a service life of a developer, preventing deposition on a surface of a photoconductor, protecting a photoconductor from scratches or abrasion, controlling a polarity of charging, and adjusting a charge amount.
Although excellent images can be formed with the above-mentioned carrier, there is a problem that an image quality decreases due to peeling of a coating layer of the carrier, as the number of sheets copied increases. Moreover, there is a problem that color staining occurs because the coating layer is peeled off from the carrier, or carbon black is fallen off from the coating layer. Generally, titanium oxide and zinc oxide are known as alternative materials of carbon black, but such materials demonstrate an insufficient effect of lowering volume resistivity.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-202560 discloses a carrier to which a coating layer containing antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) as a needle-shaped conductive powder is formed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-39357 discloses a carrier, in which a coating layer containing conductive particles is formed on a surface of each base particle, where each conductive particle includes a laminate of a tin dioxide layer and an indium oxide layer containing tin dioxide.
Moreover, it has been know that a coating layer including two different types of particles is disposed on a core. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-184167 discloses a coated carrier in which a first coating layer disposed just above a core includes a needle-like or scaly conductive powder and a second coating layer disposed above the first coating layer includes a particulate conductive powder. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 07-286078 discloses a carrier, in which a coating layer disposed on a carrier core includes a binder resin, first particles an average particle of which is equal to or larger than a film thickness of the coating layer, and second particles an average particle of which is equal to or smaller than the film thickness of the coating layer, and discloses, as an example that volume resistivity of the second particles is 1.0×1012Ω·cm or less (Claim 1 of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 07-286078), an example (Example 1) of a carrier, in which a coating layer is formed on each ferrite core with a coating liquid including 1,500 parts by mass of alumina particles (volume average particle diameter: 0.35 μm, volume resistivity: 1.0×1014Ω·cm), 6,000 parts by mass of titanium oxide (volume average particle diameter: 0.015 μm, volume resistivity: 1.0×106Ω·cm), and 1,950 parts by mass of curable acrylic resin (solid content: 50%). Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-39357 discloses a technique for adjusting resistance using conductive fillers composed of tin dioxide and indium oxide.
Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-117519 also discloses a carrier having a coating layer including first conductive particles, in which carbon is disposed on surfaces of tin oxide particles, and second conductive particles, in which surfaces of metal oxide particles and/or metal salt particles are conduction-treated.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-048167 discloses a carrier having a coating layer including magnetite particles.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-053421 discloses a carrier having a coating layer including an oxygen-deficient tin oxide-coated barium sulfate powder (product name: Pastran 4310, available from MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.). | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to three-dimensional (3-D) integrated circuits, and in particular to increasing the processing window for interlayer conductors contacting landing regions of active layers.
2. Description of Related Art
3-D integrated circuits include multiple active layers in which conductive or semiconductive elements are disposed. 3-D memory integrated circuits include stacks of two-dimensional arrays of memory cells. Active layers in the stacks can include bit lines or word lines for example, which must be connected to peripheral circuits like decoders, sense amplifiers and the like. In some arrangements, the connections are made using interlayer conductors that extend from each active layer to a routing layer, such as a patterned metal layer that overlies the stacks of two-dimensional arrays. The patterned metal layer can be used to route signals and bias voltages between the arrays and the appropriate peripheral circuits. Similar signal routing structures can be used on other types of 3-D integrated circuits.
3-D integrated circuits also include other types of structures including 3-D vertical gate structures and 3-D vertical channel structures. Both of these stacks have alternating active layers and insulating layers with interlayer conductors extending to landing regions, also referred to as landing pads, on the various active layers.
The interlayer conductors have lengths that vary in dependence on the active layer to which contact is made. As the number of active layers increases, some of the processes involved in formation of interlayer conductors can become more difficult. One reason for the difficulty is that as the length of the interlayer conductor increases, the interlayer conductor tapers to a smaller diametrical dimension so that the landing window between the interlayer conductor and the landing region on the active layer decrease. | {
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The present invention relates to immunofixation electrophoresis procedures in general and, more specifically, to improved method and apparatus for removal of unprecipitated chemicals as an intermediate step in the immunofixation electrophoresis process. | {
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Clustering is a powerful and widely used tool for discovering structure in data. Classical algorithms [9] are static, centralized, and batch. They are static because they assume that the data being clustered and the similarity function that guides the clustering do not change while clustering is taking place. They are centralized because they rely on common data structures (such as similarity matrices) that must be accessed, and sometimes modified, at each step of the operation. They are batch because the algorithm runs its course and then stops.
Some modern information retrieval applications require ongoing processing of a massive stream of data. This class of application imposes several requirements on the process that classical clustering algorithms do not satisfy. Dynamic Data and Similarity Function.—Because the stream continues over a length period of time, both the data being clustered and users' requirements and interests may change. As new data enters, it should be able to find its way in the clustering structure without the need to restart the process. If the intrinsic structure of new data eventually invalidates the organization of older data, that data should be able to move to a more appropriate cluster. A model of the user's interest should drive the similarity function applied to the data, motivating the need to support a dynamic similarity function that can take advantage of structure compatible with both old and new interests while adapting the structure as needed to take account of changes in the model. Decentralized.—Because of the massive nature of the data, the centralized constraint is a hindrance. Distributed implementations of centralized systems are possible, but the degree of parallel execution is severely limited by the need to maintain the central data structure as the clustering progresses. One would like to use parallel computer hardware to scale the system to the required level, with nearly linear speed-up. Any-time.—Because the stream is continual, the batch orientation of conventional algorithms, and their need for a static set of data, is inappropriate. The clustering process needs to run constantly, providing a useful (though necessarily approximate) structuring of the data whenever it is queried.
Biological ants cluster the contents of their nests using an algorithm that is dynamic, decentralized, and anytime. Each ant picks up items that are dissimilar to those it has encountered recently, and drops them when it finds itself among similar items. This approach is dynamic, because it easily accommodates a continual influx of new items to be clustered without the need to restart. It is decentralized because each ant functions independently of the others. It is anytime because at any point, one can retrieve clusters from the system. The size and quality of the clusters increase as the system runs.
Previous researchers have adapted this algorithm to practical applications, but (like the ant exemplar) these algorithms produce only a partitioning of the objects being clustered. Particularly when dealing with massive data, a hierarchical clustering structure is far preferable. It enables searching the overall structure in time logarithmic in the number of items, and also permits efficient pruning of large regions of the structure if these are subsequently identified as expendable.
Natural Ant Clustering
An ant hill houses different kinds of things, including larvae, eggs, cocoons, and food. The ant colony keeps these entities sorted by kind. For example, when an egg hatches, the larva does not stay with other eggs, but is moved to the area for larvae. Computer scientists have developed a number of algorithms for sorting things, but no ant in the ant hill is executing a sorting algorithm.
Biologists have developed an algorithm that is compatible with the capabilities of an ant and that yields collective behavior comparable to what is observed in nature [2, 4]. Each ant executes the following steps continuously: 1. Wander randomly around the nest. 2. Sense nearby objects, and maintain a short memory (about ten steps) of what has been seen. 3. If an ant is not carrying anything when it encounters an object, decide stochastically whether or not to pick up the object. The probability of picking up an object decreases if the ant has recently encountered similar objects. In the emulation, the probability of picking up an object isp(pickup)=(k+/(k++f))2
where f is the fraction of positions in short-term memory occupied by objects of the same type as the object sensed and k+ is a constant. As f becomes small compared with k+, the probability that the ant will pick up the object approaches certainty. 4. If an ant is carrying something, at each time step decide stochastically whether or not to drop it, where the probability of dropping a carried object increases if the ant has recently encountered similar items in the environment. In the emulation,p(putdown)=(f/(k−+f))2
where f is the fraction of positions in short-term memory occupied by objects of the same type as the object carried, and k− is another constant. As f becomes large compared with k−, the probability that the carried object will be put down approaches certainty.
The Brownian walk of individual ants guarantees that wandering ants will eventually examine all objects in the nest. Even a random scattering of different items in the nest will yield local concentrations of similar items that stimulate ants to drop other similar items. As concentrations grow, they tend to retain current members and attract new ones. The stochastic nature of the pick-up and drop behaviors enables multiple concentrations to merge, since ants occasionally pick up items from one existing concentration and transport them to another
The put-down constant k− must be stronger than the pick-up constant k+, or else clusters will dissolve faster than they form. Typically, k+ is about 1 and k− is about 3. The length of short-term memory and the length of the ant's step in each time period determine the radius within which the ant compares objects. If the memory is too long, the ant sees the entire nest as a single location, and sorting will not take place.
Previous Engineered Versions
Several researchers have developed versions of the biological algorithm for various applications. These implementations fall into two broad categories: those in which the digital ants are distinct from the objects being clustered, and those that eliminate this distinction. All of these examples form a partition of the objects, without any hierarchical structure. In addition, we summarize in this section previous non-ant approaches to the problem of distributing clustering computations.
Distinct Ants and Objects
A number of researchers have emulated the distinction in the natural ant nest between the objects being clustered and the “ants” that carry them around. All of these examples cluster objects in two-dimensional space.
Lumer and Faieta [12] present what is apparently the earliest example of such an algorithm. The objects being clustered are records in a database. Instead of a short-term memory, their algorithm uses a measure of the similarity among the objects being clustered to guide the pick-up and drop-of actions.
Kuntz et al. [11] apply the Lumer-Faieta algorithm to partitioning a graph. The objects being sorted are the nodes of the graph, and the similarity among them is based on their connectivity. Thus the partitioning reflects reasonable component placement for VLSI design.
Hoe et al. [8] refine Lumer and Faieta's work on data clustering by moving empty ants directly to available data items. Handl et al. [6] offer a comparison of this algorithm with conventional clustering algorithms.
Handl and Meyer [7] cluster documents returned by a search engine such as Google, to generate a topic map. Documents are characterized by a keyword vector of length n, thus situating them in an n-dimensional space. This space is then reduced using latent semantic indexing, and then ant clustering projects them into two dimensions for display. This multi-stage process requires a static document collection.
These efforts use only document similarity to guide clustering. Ramos [20] adds a pheromone mechanism. Ants deposit digital pheromones as they move about, thus attracting other ants and speeding up convergence.
Walsham [23] presents a useful summary of the Lumer-Faieta and Handl-Meyer efforts and studies the performance of these algorithms across their parameter space.
Oprisen [17] applies the Deneubourg model to foraging robots, and explores convergence speed as a function of the size of the memory vector that stores the category of recently encountered objects.
Monmarché [14] clusters data objects on a two-dimensional grid, basing drop-off probabilities on fixed similarity thresholds. Inter-object distance is the Euclidean distance between the fixed-length vectors characterizing the objects. To speed convergence, once initial clusters have formed, K-means is applied to merge stray objects. Then the sequence of ant clustering and K-means is applied again, this time to whole clusters, to merge them at the next level. The distinction between the smaller clusters is not maintained when they are merged, so that the potential for generating a true hierarchy is not realized. Kanade and Hall [10] use a similar hybrid process, employing fuzzy C-means instead of K-means as the refinement process. The staged processing in these models has the undesirable consequence of removing them from the class of any-time algorithms and requiring that they be applied to a fixed collection of data.
Schockaert et al. [22] also merge smaller clusters into larger ones, but using a real-time decision rule that tells an ant whether to pick up a single object or an entire cluster. Thus their algorithm, unlike Monmarché's, can accommodate a dynamic document population.
Active Objects
A natural refinement of these algorithms eliminates the distinction between ant and object. Each object is active, and can move itself.
Beal [1] addresses the problem of discovering a hierarchical organization among processors in an amorphous computing system. The nodes themselves are fixed, but efficient processing requires grouping them into a hierarchy and maintaining this hierarchy if the medium is divided or merged or if some processors are damaged. Processors form groups based on their distance from each other: they find neighbors and elect leaders. These leaders then repeat the process at the next level. The similarity function is implicit in the RF communication connectivity and conforms to a low-dimensional manifold, very different from the topology induced by document similarity.
Chen et al [3] apply the active object model to clustering data elements on a two-dimensional grid. They invoke the dissimilarity of data objects as the distance measure that drives clustering, but do not develop this dissimilarity in detail. They are particularly concerned to manage the processor cycles consumed by the document agents (a concern that is managed in the systems of the previous section by limiting the number of ants). Their solution is to have documents fall asleep when they are comfortable with their surroundings, awakening periodically to see if the world has changed.
We have implemented [19] a flat clustering mechanism with active objects. The other algorithms discussed so far form clusters on a two-dimensional manifold, but our algorithm clusters them on a graph topology reflecting the interconnections between processors in a computer network. The nodes of the graph are places that can hold a number of documents, and documents move from one place to another. Each document is characterized by a concept vector. Each element of the concept vector corresponds to a subsumption subtree in WordNet [5, 13], and has value 1 if the document contains a lexeme in the WordNet subtree, and 0 otherwise. Similarity between documents is the cosine distance between their concept vectors. Each time a document is activated, it compares itself with a sample of documents at its current node and a sample of documents at a sample of neighboring nodes, and probabilistically decides whether to move. This algorithm converges exponentially fast (FIG. 1) [19], even when documents are added while the process runs (FIG. 2). To manage the computational cost of the active objects, each one uses pheromone learning [18] to modulate its computational activity based on whether recent activations have resulted in a move or not.
Non-Ant Distributed Clustering
There has been some work on distributed clustering not using the ant paradigm.
Olson [16] summarizes a wide range of distributed algorithms for hierarchical clustering. These algorithms distribute the work of computing inter-object similarities, but share the resulting similarity table globally. Like centralized clustering, they form the hierarchy monotonically, without any provision for documents to move from one cluster to another. Thus they are neither dynamic nor anytime.
Ogston et al. [15] consider a set of agents distributed over a network, initially with random links to one another. Agents form clusters with their closest neighbors, and share their own links with those neighbors to expand the set of agents with whom they can compare themselves. The user specifies the maximum desired cluster size, to keep clusters from growing too large. This system is naturally distributed, anytime, and could reasonably be applied to dynamic situations, but it creates only a partitioning of documents, not a hierarchy.
Synopsis
All previous work on ant clustering other than our own clusters documents spatially on a two-dimensional manifold. In addition, some of these algorithms are multi-stage processes that cannot be applied to a dynamically changing collection of documents, and even those that could be applied to such a collection have not been analyzed in this context. All of the previous ant clustering work produces a flat partition of documents, and thus does not offer the retrieval benefits of a hierarchical clustering. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for processing an image in which filtering effects noise reduction and improved smoothing while preserving edges of the image and enabling robust scale-space representation. The method can be applied to any kind of computed image having an underlying spatial or temporal domain, and also can effect reduced encoding of images.
2. Related Art
In the processing of an image an essential problem is to preserve the outline or edges of the image while at the same time removing or filtering out noise from the processing data. Whether the system is designed for either artificial vision (i.e., machine vision) or for signal processing, the essential difficulty is defining what the real signals are and, thus, the essential overall appearance of the image so as to ensure that in filtering out noise or restructuring of the image essential recognition characteristics are not lost. The distinction between "signal" and "noise" really depends on the level of description or scale one desires.
One approach taken to solving these problems in the past has been so-called Gaussian scale-space filtering, such as described in the article "Scale-space Filtering" by A. Witkin presented at the International Joint Conference Artificial Intellegence, Karlsruhe, Germany, 1983. According to this technique, a family of images are obtained by convolving an initial image I.sub.o with a Gaussian G(x,t). Accordingly, we now have I(x,t)=I.sub.o (x)*G(x,t) where variance t has been interpreted as the scale parameter. Considerable interest has been shown in this technique in the computer vision community.
A technique for smoothing data termed median filtering has also been proposed in a book entitled "Exploratory Data Analysis" by J. W. Tukey published by Addison-Wesley, Massachusetts in 1977. Median filtering has been used for both speech processing and image restoration, however, it has been found that in this technique of filtering insufficient smoothing has been obtained for the handling of non-impulsive noise. A generalized form referred to as an order statistic filter (OS) has found considerable use. Still other approaches to this problem have been attempted by so-called robust estimators which have been used to produce a modified trim mean filter. L-filters and M-filters have more direct motivation from statistical techniques.
Of these several known approaches to image processing, all are not completely satisfactory in being unable to provide one or more of the desired features of a fully successful system, namely, image edge preservation, noise reduction, improved smoothing of nonimpulsive noise, and robust scale-space representation. | {
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This invention relates generally to a hand-held printing calculator and more particularly to a hand-held calculator for printing calculating results on elongated paper strips stored within the calculator.
Recently, electronic calculators have become substantially miniaturized as a result of technical improvements and capabilities in assembly. This reduction in size is due principally to the high integration and low power consumption of the large scale integrated circiuts (LSI), the reduced thickness and low power consumption of improved liquid crystal displays, the reduced thickness of batteries and simplification of the keyboard and the like. However, electronic calculators including printing capabilities have not been substantially miniaturized even though the printer itself has been miniaturized. This is due to the fact that a roll of print paper continues to be used as the printing medium. The paper roll because of its bulk is not particularly well suited for use in hand-held electronic calculators.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to eliminate this disadvantage of having to use a roll of print paper as the printing medium in a hand-held calculator. | {
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Spatial light modulators (SLMs) are transducers that modulate an incident beam of light in a spatial pattern that corresponds to an optical or electrical input. The incident light beam may be modulated in phase, intensity, polarization, or direction. This modulation may be accomplished through the use of a variety of materials exhibiting magneto-optic, electro-optic, or elastic properties. SLMs have many applications, including display systems, optical information processing, optical data storage, and printing.
A common technology for an SLM cell is to use a liquid crystal material sandwiched between two electrodes, at least one of the electrodes being transparent. By applying a voltage between the electrodes, the orientation of the molecules in the liquid crystal layer changes, which alters the optical properties of the layer, in particular the polarization of light traveling through the layer. Thus, the liquid crystal layer in combination with one or more polarizing filters can be used to create an amplitude modulator (light valve). However, such liquid crystal based devices have several disadvantages for SLM applications. First, much of the light is absorbed in the polarizing filters, reducing optical efficiency. In addition, the devices have limited contrast ratio, (the ratio of the intensities of the pixel when on and the pixel when off), and the response time of the most widely used liquid crystals is very slow (several milliseconds). Liquid crystals also have poor performance outside a fairly narrow temperature range. For these reasons and others, mechanical SLMs, which use moving structures to deflect light, have been pursued.
An early mechanical SLM designed for use in a projection display system is described by Nathanson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,911. The individual pixels of the SLM are addressed via a scanning electron beam as in a conventional direct-view cathode ray tube (CRT). Instead of exciting a phosphor, the electron beam charges deflectable reflective elements arrayed on a quartz faceplate. Elements that are charged bend towards the faceplate due to electrostatic forces. Bent and unbent elements reflect parallel incident light beams in different directions. Light reflected from unbent elements is blocked with a set of Schlieren stops, while light from bent elements is allowed to pass through projection optics and form an image on a screen.
Another electron-beam-addressed SLM is the Eidophor, described in E. Baumann, “The Fischer large-screen projection system (Eidophor)” 20 J. SMPTE 351 (1953). In this system, the active optical element is an oil film, which is periodically dimpled by the electron beam so as to diffract incident light. A disadvantage of the Eidophor system is that the oil film is polymerized by constant electron bombardment and oil vapors result in a short cathode lifetime. A disadvantage of both of these systems is their use of bulky and expensive vacuum tubes.
A spatial light modulator in which movable elements are addressed via electrical circuitry on a silicon substrate is described in K. Peterson, “Micromechanical Light Modulator Array Fabricated on Silicon” 31 Appl. Phys. Let. 521 (1977). This SLM contains a 16 by 1 array of cantilever mirrors above a silicon substrate. The mirrors are made of silicon dioxide and have a reflective metal coating. The space below the mirrors is created by etching away silicon via a KOH etch. The mirrors are deflected by electrostatic attraction: a voltage bias is applied between the reflective elements and the substrate and generates an electrostatic force. A similar spatial light modulator is the two-dimensional array described by Hartstein and Peterson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,732. Although the switching voltage of this SLM is lowered by connecting the deflectable mirror elements at only one corner, the device has low efficiency due to the small optically active area (as a fraction of the entire device area). In addition, diffraction from the addressing circuitry lowers the contrast ratio of the display.
A silicon-based micro-mechanical SLM in which a large fraction of the device is optically active is the Digital Mirror Device (DMD), developed by Texas Instruments and described by Hornbeck, U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,537 and its references. The most recent implementations include a first aluminum plate suspended via torsion hinges above addressing electrodes. A second aluminum plate is built on top of the first and acts as a mirror. The double plate aluminum structure is required to provide an approximately flat mirror surface that covers the underlying circuitry and hinge mechanism, which is essential in order to achieve an acceptable contrast ratio. The entire structure is made from aluminum alloys—the plates, torsion hinges and special “landing tips” each have independently optimized compositions. Aluminum can be deposited at low temperatures, avoiding damage to the underlying CMOS addressing circuitry during manufacture. Aluminum has the disadvantage, however, of being susceptible to fatigue and plastic deformation, which can lead to long-term reliability problems and cell “memory”, where the rest position begins to tilt towards its most frequently occupied position. Additional disadvantages of the DMD include: 1) A large dimple (caused by the mirror support post) is present at the center of the mirror in current designs which causes scattering of the incident light and reduces optical efficiency. 2) The entire DMD structure is released via plasma etching of a polymer sacrificial layer. This manufacturing process is problematic, in that it (a) requires large gaps between mirrors in order for the plasma etch release to be effective, and (b) pixel failures are created during the release process, which is not sufficiently gentle on the delicate micromirror structures. Due to the complex structure and process difficulties, commercialization of the DMD has proceeded slowly.
Another SLM fabricated on a flat substrate is the Grating Light Valve (GLV) described by Bloom, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,360. As described in the '360 patent, the GLV's deflectable mechanical elements are reflective flat beams or ribbons. Light reflects from both the ribbons and the substrate. If the distance between the surface of the reflective ribbons and the reflective substrate is one-half of a wavelength, light reflected from the two surfaces adds constructively and the device acts like a mirror. If this distance is one-quarter of a wavelength, light directly reflected from the two surfaces will interfere destructively and the device will act as a diffraction grating, sending light into diffracted orders. A favored approach is to make the device from ceramic films of high mechanical quality, such as LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) silicon nitride.
Even though addressing circuitry cannot be placed below such films, an inherent electromechanical bistability can be used to implement a “passive” addressing scheme (Raj Apte, Grating Light Valves for High Resolution Displays, Stanford University Ph.D. thesis, June 1994). The bistability exists because the mechanical force required for deflection is roughly linear, whereas the electrostatic force obeys an inverse square law. As a voltage bias is applied, the ribbons deflect. When the ribbons are deflected past a certain point, the restoring mechanical force can no longer balance the electrostatic force and the ribbons snap to the substrate. The voltage must be lowered substantially below the snapping voltage in order for the ribbons to return to their undeflected position. This latching action allows driver circuitry to be placed off-chip or only at the periphery, and addressing circuitry does not need to occupy the optically active part of the array. In practice, this approach is difficult to implement: when the ribbon comes into contact with the substrate, which is at a different potential, charge can be injected into the insulating ceramic ribbon material, shifting the switching voltages and making passive addressing impossible. Film non-uniformity across the device can also shift the switching voltages significantly. Another problem with the GLV technology is sticking: since the underside of the deflected ribbons contacts the substrate with a large surface area, the ribbons tend to stick to the substrate. Films comprising the structure can be roughened, but this results in undesirable optical scattering, reducing the contrast ratio of the device.
Micro-mechanical mirror-based SLMs have an advantage over diffraction-based SLMs because they reflect incident light at only one angle, which can be quite large. This simplifies the design of the optical system in which the modulated light may pass through the center of the imaging lens, while maintaining high efficiency. This results in an image with fewer aberrations and lowers manufacturing cost.
The need therefore is for a spatial light modulator with a high contrast ratio, high efficiency, high speed, which is easy to fabricate, and whose moving elements are made of reliable mechanical materials. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barcode reading apparatus and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a two dimensional imager device for capturing a barcode as a symbol and scanning the barcode. Regarding the imager device, degradation of a captured image is determined by degradation ability depending on angle of view and number of pixels and optical degradation depending on focus position, and the degradation is substantially ability to read barcode (reading depth ability). In a conventional imager device, since the angle of view and focus position are fixed, reading ability is characterized by the manner of setting such as high resolution compliant module and long distance compliant module.
In order to enhance the reading depth ability, an imager module which further includes an automatic focus mechanism using a solid lens similar to a camera is developed.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an optical system of an imager module including a conventional automatic focus mechanism. As shown in FIG. 17, the imager module including a conventional automatic focus mechanism is composed of an imaging element 211A, lens 31 and driving mechanism of lens 31 (not shown). The lens 31 is a solid lens including plastic, etc. The lens 31 is a plurality of lenses combined and is shown as one lens. When focus is adjusted, the entire lens 31 physically (mechanically) moves with respect to an optical axis with the driving mechanism to perform optical adjustment.
However, the imager module including the conventional automatic focus mechanism performs focus adjustment based on a captured image similar to a camera and such method takes time to obtain a clear image. Therefore, performance of response as a scanner decreases.
There is also known an exposing device for a laser printer employing a liquid lens instead of a solid lens (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-152766). The ability of the liquid lens as a lens is not as high as the solid lens. However, the liquid lens has characteristics such as, since the liquid lens does not use mechanical components, the ability of impact resistance is high and the speed of focus adjustment is fast. Therefore, the liquid lens is considered to be suitable for an embedded device.
Moreover, an imager device in which focus depth is deeper than the liquid lens is known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-203383). Further, lately, an imager module employing a liquid lens device as one of the automatic focus mechanisms is being developed.
However, the imager device including the conventional automatic focus mechanism using the liquid lens substitutes the solid lens in the conventional automatic focus mechanism with the liquid lens. Therefore, the imager device including the conventional automatic focus mechanism using the liquid lens includes the characteristic of high speed focus adjustment due to the liquid lens, however, the ability of response (scanning time) as a scanner is lower compared to the fixed focus imager.
Here, an example of a process of reading (scanning) a barcode with an imager device including a conventional automatic focus mechanism is described with reference to FIG. 18.
FIG. 18 is a diagram describing an example of a process of reading a barcode with an imager device including a conventional automatic focus mechanism.
An example of reading a barcode B3 at a distance corresponding to focus position F3 and a barcode B1 at a distance corresponding to focus position F1 in order as shown in FIG. 18 is considered. The focus positions F1, F2, F3 and F4 are four levels of focus positions of a liquid lens where an object is aligned from a close position to a far position in order.
In the imager device, the position of the liquid lens is adjusted to the focus position F1 after scanning starts and image capturing and decoding of the barcode B3 is performed. Then, when the barcode image of the obtained image data is unfocused and decoding fails, the position of the liquid lens is adjusted to focus position F2 and image capturing and decoding of the barcode B3 is performed. Then, when the barcode image of the obtained image data is unfocused and decoding fails, the position of the liquid lens is adjusted to focus position F3 and image capturing and decoding of the barcode B3 is performed. Then, when the barcode image of the obtained image is focused and decoding succeeds, the reading of the barcode B3 finishes.
Similarly, the focus position adjustment of the liquid lens, image capturing, and decoding is performed corresponding to change of the focus position from F3 to F4 and to F1. As described above, regarding the imager device including the conventional automatic focus mechanism, the image capturing and decoding is performed many times, and such process is also time consuming. Therefore, there is a demand to shorten time consumed in barcode reading. | {
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1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a wafer-level package for an optical sensor device, and in particular to a package in which a sensor assembly is embedded in a molding compound layer, and also to a camera module that includes such a package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A challenge that designers face with respect to coupling the optical sensor to a camera circuit is that the device must be positioned on a substrate with the optical sensor facing outward, and without any obstructions that would interfere with the reception of an optical image. It is therefore necessary to couple a circuit to contact pads that are not overlying the optical sensor using techniques that are often not compatible with the correct operation of the optical sensor. Additionally, as camera modules are more commonly used in small electronic devices such as cell phones and tablet computers, there is a strong market pressure to reduce the height of the modules so they can be installed in ever thinner devices.
FIG. 1 shows a known camera module 20 with a semiconductor die 22 on which an optical sensor circuit 26 is formed. The die 22 is mounted to a substrate 24 and wirebonds 28 couple the sensor circuit to a circuit in the substrate. A housing 30 covers the semiconductor die 22 and supports a lens barrel 32, which in turn supports a lens array 36 and a glass plate 34. The glass plate 34 commonly includes an infrared wavelength filter coating.
FIG. 2 shows another known camera module 40 that includes a semiconductor die 42 with an optical sensor circuit 26, a glass plate 52, a filter plate 56, and a lens housing 58 with a lens array 60. The semiconductor die 42 includes through-silicon vias (TSV) 48 that couple the sensor circuit 26 to a circuit on a support substrate 46. Legs 62 couple the housing to the underlying support substrate 46, and an array of solder balls 50 are provided to couple the module to a circuit board.
The example of FIG. 1 is problematic because the housing must be high enough and wide enough to accommodate the wirebonds 28, which makes it less desirable for use in small electronic devices because it limits the minimum thickness of such devices.
The example of FIG. 2 is an improvement over the previous example because it eliminates the wirebonds, which enables a more compact structure with a reduced height, meaning that the device in which it is mounted can be thinner than with the device of FIG. 1. Nevertheless, there are some problems associated with the configuration shown in FIG. 2, including the potential for light leaks. These problems and others will be discussed later. | {
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In general, vinyl chloride-type polymers are prepared by the suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride monomers or a mixture of vinyl-type monomers with vinyl chloride as a major constituent in an aqueous media using a monomer-soluble polymerization initiator. At this time, the types of monomer-soluble polymerization initiators employed have a large effect on the exothermic pattern during the polymerization reaction, polymerization duration, productivity, and scale deposition during the polymerization, as well as on the quality characteristics of polymers such as initial colorization, thermal stability, odor, and extraction resistance.
Further, recent trends aim to reduce the duration of the polymerization reaction in order to improve the productivity for vinyl chloride-type polymers. Therefore, the amount of polymerization initiators being utilized is increasing. However, the increased amount of utilized polymerization initiators brings up problems: the limitations accompanied by the insufficient cooling capacity of the polymerization instruments in general; the effects on polymer qualities, particularly on the initial colorization, thermal stability, the generation of strange odors caused by the residue of the polymerization initiators, the increased amount of the decomposition products, and the increase in the extractable components; and further the increased amount of scale deposit in the polymerization vessels. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
As network technologies, such as the Internet have evolved, security issues involving network communications have steadily increased. For example, it is common to receive news involving hacking and/or other espionage attempts to disrupt, harm, or disable computer systems via the Internet. Furthermore, network communications are often spied upon by thieves wherein valuable information is often stolen. Thus, private network data may be exploited. This data may relate to confidential business, financial and personal information, for example. In order to combat these problems, systems designers and architects have developed encryption techniques and other negotiation algorithms to secure network communications and facilitate negotiated trusts between systems communicating over networks. Encryption algorithms enable encrypted network information to be sent between two parties wherein only the parties may decrypt the information via a decryption key. Simply encrypting and decrypting communications is not sufficient, however. It is important for both parties to trust one another before agreeing on an encryption/decryption scheme. If trusts are not properly established, a non-trusted receiving party may be able to fool a sending party into providing information relating to the encryption/decryption method. Thus, negotiation algorithms are provided with the encryption/decryption methods to establish trusts between the parties.
One such system for providing network security relates to the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and the Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) standards. According to these standards, multiple phases of negotiated exchanges occur between network systems to establish a trust between systems, to determine encryption methods to be employed, and to establish keys for encrypting and decrypting the information. One phase associated with IKE is known as a Main Mode negotiation phase and generally establishes a security relationship between systems based upon the IP address of the systems. Upon completion of the Main Mode phase, a second phase known as a Quick Mode negotiation occurs between the systems secured in Main Mode in order to secure the network traffic between the systems. The Quick Mode phase utilizes “keying” material determined in Main Mode in order to secure the network traffic via IPSec protocol. Unfortunately, since the network trusts are established at a system level according to the IP address of the systems, IKE and IPSec generally are not able to authenticate multiple users from the same system, wherein the origin and integrity of a message sent from a particular user is verified. Since the trusts are established at the system level based upon IP addresses, any user logging into to a trusted system would therefore have access to the other trusted system. Similarly, authentication of multiple services offered by a trusted system is not provided by IKE and IPSec because of the system level authentication problems described above.
In view of the above problems associated with conventional security systems, there is an unsolved need for a system and/or methodology to facilitate multiple user and service level authentication between network systems. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
With regard to algorithm for image enlargement processing, there are nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, bicubic method, and so on.
First, the nearest neighbor method inverse-transforms pixel coordinates of a transformation target into pixel coordinates of a transformation source, and lets the value of a pixel in the most vicinity be the pixel value of transformation target. Although transformation is simple, the method produces degraded image quality having a conspicuous jaggy etc.
Further, the bilinear method inverse-transforms pixel coordinates of a transformation target into pixel coordinates of a transformation source, and obtains the pixel value of transformation target by performing linear interpolation among 4 (=2×2) pixels in the vicinity. Although a jaggy is not conspicuous, the enlarged image gives an impression that it is a blurred. This is because the image is generated using a weighted average of 4 pixels in the vicinity.
Also, the bicubic method inverse-transforms pixel coordinates of the transformation target into pixel coordinates of transformation source, and performs interpolation by use of a cubic equation from 16 (=4×4) pixels in the vicinity. In comparison with the bilinear method, the bicubic method requires a large calculation amount, causing a low processing speed, although an image blur may be suppressed.
Further, with regard to an image enlargement processing technique, for example an “image processing apparatus and a control method therefor” is disclosed in the official gazette of the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-33692. According to the above conventional example, in order to maintain the sharpness of an original image while restraining the occurrence of noise, first, a smoothed image data is generated in addition to an enlarged image data. Then, an emphasis coefficient is multiplied by a difference image data which is obtained by subtracting between the above two data. Thereafter, by adding the above multiplied result to the enlarged image data, the enlarged image is obtained. In short, the above technique is to perform unsharp mask processing upon the data after enlargement processing. For the image enlargement processing, the bicubic method is mainly used.
Further, as a proposal for image enlargement processing algorithm, for example, an “image processing apparatus” is disclosed in the official gazette of the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 06-38024. In this conventional example, in order to obtain an enlarged image in which the sharpness is preserved in an edge portion, a gradation change rate of an interpolated pixel is adjusted according to the degree of gradation change between adjacent pixels. Then, according to the above adjusted change rate, the gradation of the interpolated pixel is obtained. Typically, the following methods are exemplified: (1) to adjust the change rate from a gradation difference between adjacent pixels; (2) to adjust the change rate in consideration of the direction (positive or negative) of the gradation change, which is obtained from a gradation difference between adjacent pixels and also from a backward pixel; and (3) to adjust the change rate from a gradation difference between adjacent pixels after edge enhancement processing. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This application claims the benefit of the Korean Application No. P2002-70809 filed on Nov. 14, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate, and more particularly, to a device for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate, in which polyethylene sheets are cladded on front and back surfaces of galvanized steel plate, which is mostly used for fabricating a steel pipe, for enhancing corrosion resistance, and durability.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the galvanized steel plate 1, having a zinc layer galvanized both on front and back surfaces of a steel plate, is widely used as a raw material of a steel pipe for sewage disposal because the galvanized zinc layers on front and back surfaces of the steel plate enhance corrosion resistance, and durability.
For reference, in formation of the steel pipe from the galvanized steel plate 1, the galvanized steel plate 1 is rolled into a helical form, with edges lock seamed, by a steel pipe former generally used in the field of a steel pipe industry, in which it can be known that if the galvanized steel plate 1 is corrugated before the rolling into the helical form by using an extra equipment, the finished steel pipe will be a corrugated steel pipe, which has a strength higher than non-corrugated steel pipe, with a longer durability.
In the meantime, currently, as demands for the steel pipe (inclusive of corrugate pipe) with better corrosion resistance, and durability formed of the galvanized steel pipe 1 is high for sewage disposal, the steel pipe is formed from polyethylene sheet 2 cladded galvanized steel plate, which is formed by putting polyethylene cladding on front and back surfaces of galvanized steel pipe, for improving the corrosion resistance, and durability.
Thus, the polyethylene clad galvanized steel plate requires putting the polyethylene cladding on front and back surfaces of the galvanized steel plate, for which on device is required. A related art process for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate will be explained.
In the related art, manual coating of an adhesive 3 on one surface of the galvanized steel plate 1, being unrolled from a roll, is made, and a roll of polyethylene sheet 2 is unrolled thereon, so that the polyethylene sheet 2 is pre-bonded on one surface of the galvanized steel plate 1.
Then, the galvanized steel plate 1 having the polyethylene sheet 2 pre-bonded on one surface thereof is turned over, manual coating of an adhesive on the other surface of the galvanized steel plate 1 is made, another roll of polyethylene sheet 2 is unrolled thereon, so that the polyethylene sheet 2 is pre-bonded on the other surface of the galvanized steel plate 1.
Referring to FIG 1, upon finishing the pre-bonding of the polyethylene sheets 2 on the one and the other surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1, the polyethylene sheet 2 per-bonded galvanized steel plate 1 is passed through between compressive rollers with a plurality of rollers arranged oppositely, the pre-bonded polyethylene sheets 2 are bonded on the one surface and the other surface of the galvanized steel plate 1, with an adhesive layer formed inbetween, firmly and completely, to obtain a polyethylene clad galvanized steel plate 1, which may be used for forming a steel pipe.
In the meantime, in the process of bonding the polyethylene sheets 2 on both surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1, the galvanized steel plate may be subjected to shot blasting for removing foreign matters from the one and the other surfaces, that improves adhesive capability of the polyethylene sheet 2 to the galvanized steel plate 1.
However, the related art process for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate has the following problems.
First, the putting of polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate by bonding of an adhesive is liable to peel off as the bonding force between the galvanized steel plate 1 and the polyethylene sheet 2 becomes the weaker gradually as times goes by (particularly, in the case of corrugated polyethylene clad galvanized steel pipe), causing fast corrosion and short durability of the pipe.
Second, the non-automated process has a poor workability, with a low productivity and a high production cost.
Third, the poor washing of the galvanized steel plate 1 before bonding the polyethylene sheets 2 on both surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1, such as one time of cleaning of the galvanized steel plate 1 surfaces with water, or no cleaning at all, failing to remove various impurities (particularly, organic impurities) from the both surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1, can not, but cause peeling the polyethylene sheet 2 off the galvanized steel plate 1, that reduces the corrosion resistance, and durability. Even though, the galvanized steel plate 1 is subjected to shot blasting with steel pieces for perfect removal of the impurities in the invention of prevention of the peeling off in advance, the shot blasting results in damage to the zinc layer, that offsets the advantage of improvement of the bonding force, to some extent.
Fourth, uneven surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1 which may be formed during initial rolling and/or unrolling for putting the polyethylene sheet 2 thereon caused by different reasons, that inevitably leads to bonding of the polyethylene sheet 2 on the uneven surfaces of the galvanized steel plate 1, with a poor bonding force, which affects bonding of adjacent parts, are liable to cause peeling of the polyethylene sheet 2 off the galvanized steel plate 1, that drops the corrosion resistance, and durability.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a device for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate, in which putting of polyethylene cladding on both surfaces of a galvanized steel plate is automated by welding, thereby enhancing productivity by improving workability, and dropping a production cost by saving labor cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for putting a polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate, in which various impurities are removed from a galvanized steel plate while giving no damage to the zinc layer before welding the polyethylene sheets on the galvanized steel plate, and uneven surfaces of the galvanized steel plate being unrolled from a roll are flattened, for preventing the polyethylene cladding from being peeled off the galvanized steel plate even if prolonged use of the steel pipe, thereby improving corrosion resistance, and durability.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the device for putting polyethylene cladding on a galvanized steel plate includes a base for placing different elements of the device thereon, an unroller at one end of the base for unrollably supporting a roll of galvanized steel plate, a plate press on one side of, and a distance away from the unroller on the base for pressing down unrolling galvanized steel plate to flatten uneven parts thereof, an ultrasonic cleaner on one side of, and a distance away from the plate press on the base for removing various impurities stuck to a surface of the galvanized steel plate passed through the plate press with an ultrasonic wave, a dryer on one side of, and a distance away from the ultrasonic cleaner on the base for drying moisture on the surface of the galvanized steel plate passed through the ultrasonic cleaner with high temperature dry air, an intermediate frequency heater on one side of, and a distance away from the dryer on the base for heating the galvanized steep plate passed through the dryer with an intermediate frequency wave, a sheet feeder on one side of, and a distance away from the intermediate frequency heater on the base having one pair of sheet unrollers each unrollably supporting a roll of polyethylene sheet, for bringing the polyethylene sheets unrolling from the sheet unrollers into contact with opposite sides of the galvanized steel plate, a roll press on one side of, and a distance away from the sheet feeder on the base for pressing down the polyethylene sheets in contact with opposite surfaces of the galvanized steel plate thereto, to weld thereto, a cooler on one side of, and a distance away from the roll press on the base for cooling down the galvanized steel plate having the polyethylene sheets welded on the opposite surfaces thereof, a sheet roller at the other end of the base, an opposite end of the unroller, for rolling the galvanized steel plate into a roll, a cutter between the cooler and the sheet roller on the base for cutting the galvanized steel plate as required, and a brake between the cutter and the sheet roller on the base for holding the galvanized steel plate at the moment the galvanized steel plate is cut with the cutter for preventing the galvanized steel plate rolled on the sheet roller from unrolling.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
It is known practice to crosslink ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers by placing these copolymers in the presence of free-radical-initiating peroxides such as O,O-tert-butyl-O-(2-ethylhexyl) monoperoxycarbonate.
However, the crosslinking times obtained via such processes are long. This results in a loss of productivity for the industries that transform these elastomers into finished products.
Moreover, it is important, during a process of crosslinking of an ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, to maintain a good crosslinking density. Specifically, the crosslinking density is an indication of the mechanical properties of the finished product. Thus, if the crosslinking density is too low, the finished product may be characterized by a breaking strength and a tear strength that are too low.
There is thus still a need for a mixture for facilitating crosslinking for crosslinkable compositions of elastomeric polymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, in particular for the purpose of rapidly manufacturing finished products based on ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer elastomers, while at the same time maintaining a good crosslinking density. There is also still a need for a process for crosslinking such crosslinkable compositions, which has an improved rate of reaction while at the same time maintaining a good crosslinking density.
The Applicant has now discovered, surprisingly, that by using a particular mixture of peroxides, with a particular content for at least one of these peroxides, it is possible to crosslink ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers rapidly while at the same time maintaining a good crosslinking density. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a ceramic chip antenna, and more particularly, to a ceramic chip antenna of a helix structure with application to a wireless communication system.
Ceramic chip antennas have been widely accepted as an antenna element in the field of wireless communications due to their compactness. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, such ceramic chip antennas include a helical conductor of a single helix structure embedded by printing into a main body composed of a plurality of laminated ceramic sheets. The helical conductor comprises a plurality of first horizontal strip lines 4a and a plurality of second horizontal strip lines 4b, both of which are thickly printed on the ceramic sheets. The helical conductor further comprises a plurality of vertical strip lines 5a and 5b that are produced by filling via holes (formed in the ceramic sheets) with conductive material. First horizontal strip lines 4a, second horizontal strip lines 4b, and vertical strip lines 5a and 5b are electrically connected to form an integral structure.
However, this single helical conductor structure poses a problem in terms of bandwidth when applied to a wireless communication system. Ceramic chip antenna 100 in FIG. 1 does not meet the wideband frequency characteristics required by a typical wireless communication system such as a mobile phone, WLAN, Bluetooth etc.
Alternatively, a ceramic chip antenna as shown in FIG. 2A is often used to meet the required wideband frequency characteristics of wireless telecommunication systems. Ceramic chip antenna 200 in FIG. 2A includes two helical conductors 7 and 8, which have different axes of helical rotation A, B, respectively. The structure of ceramic chip antenna 200 is further described with reference to FIG. 2B. First helical conductor 7 is formed by electrically connecting a plurality of first horizontal strip lines 7a, which are thickly printed on first ceramic sheet 6a, a plurality of vertical strip lines 7b, which are produced by filling via holes (not shown) formed in second ceramic sheet 6b and third ceramic sheet 6c with conductive materials, and a plurality of second horizontal strip lines 7c, which are thickly printed on fourth ceramic sheet 6d. Similarly, second helical conductor 8 is formed by connecting a plurality of third horizontal strip lines 8a, which are thickly printed on first ceramic sheet 6a, a plurality of vertical strip lines 8b, which are produced by filling via holes (not shown) formed in second ceramic sheet 6b and third ceramic sheet 6c with conductive materials, and a plurality of fourth horizontal strip lines 8c, which are also thickly printed on fourth ceramic sheet 6d. Power supplying terminals 9 and 10 are formed on first ceramic sheet 6a.
As explained above, horizontal strip lines 7a, 7c, 8a and 8c are thickly printed on first and fourth ceramic sheets 6a and 6d to form the two helical conductors, so that the structure of ceramic chip antenna 200 avoids complexity in manufacturing. However, two problems are encountered with ceramic chip antenna 200: the size of the antenna inevitably becomes large because helical conductors 7 and 8 have different axes of helical rotation A and B from each other; and the structure of the antenna becomes complicated as two power supplying terminals 9 and 10 must be provided.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists to provide a ceramic chip antenna with a simple structure, which can be manufactured in an efficient manner while meeting wideband frequency requirements.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic chip antenna meeting wideband frequency requirements and having a simple structure for efficient manufacturing.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a ceramic chip antenna is provided that comprises a main body formed by laminating a plurality of ceramic sheets made of a ceramic dielectric material, first and second helical conductors formed inside the main body, and a power supply section coupled to the first and second helical conductors for supplying power thereto, wherein the first and second helical conductors have the same axis of helical rotation as viewed from the power supply section. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and more specifically to a multi-bank system semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Background Art
As recent approaches to achieve higher speed of dynamic random access memories (DRAMs), the method of improving the transfer rate of data by accessing the data at a high frequency and the method of improving latency are used.
Since access to row circuitry is especially several times as slow as access to column circuitry in the DRAMs, considerable latency is required when the row circuitry is not activated. In recent years, therefore, the row circuitry has been divided into several banks to increase hit ratio at a row-related activated bank. Thus, such delay in latency as caused by the system has been eliminated and apparent performance of the DRAMs has been improved. The more the number of banks, the higher the performance in this case. However, several drawbacks are caused.
A conventional multi-bank system semiconductor memory device 9000 will be described in the following with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 representatively shows an example where row circuitry is divided into sixteen banks. In the figure, reference numbers 5, 6 and 9 denote a 2-bit global data input/output line, a local data input/output line and a transmission line for transmitting a column bank control signal described below. Further, reference number 8 denotes part of a dividing region 15 described below.
Conventional semiconductor memory device 9000 includes a plurality of banks 10#0, 10#1, 10#2, . . . , 10#15 and a plurality of sense amplifier bands 20#0, 20#1, 20#2, . . . , 20#15, 20#16 and has the configuration of a shared sense amplifier type. The banks can operate independently from one another. The banks each include a plurality of memory cell arrays.
Conventional semiconductor memory device 9000 further includes, a column bank control circuit 100, a column-related control circuit 102, a row-related/row bank control circuit 104 and a row decoder 106.
Column-related control circuit 102 includes a column decoder, a write.read buffer and so on. A read signal from each memory cell array is transmitted from global data input/output line 5 to column-related control circuit 102 and processed.
The sense amplifier bands each include a plurality of sense amplifiers. A read signal from a memory cell is amplified by a sense amplifier and transmitted to local data input/output line 6 that is arranged in the word line direction (row direction).
A signal on local data input/output line 6 is transmitted to global data input/output line 5 that is arranged in the direction of a column selection line (column direction). Global data input/output line 5 is arranged commonly to the same column in a plurality of banks.
Which bank and global data input/output line 5 are connected together is controlled in accordance with a column-related active signal (more specifically, a column bank control signal). Column bank control circuit 100 supplies, in accordance with a column-related bank address, the column bank control signal to transmission line 9 that runs on a sense amplifier band.
Here, the relations between the sense amplifier band and the banks will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12.
In FIG. 12, bank 10#0 and corresponding sense amplifier band 20#0 are shown as an example. Bank 10#0 includes a plurality of memory cell arrays 12 divided corresponding to a plurality of columns. Memory cell arrays 12 are separated from one another by sub decode bands (in the case of a divided word line configuration) or pile-driven word line regions 15 (in the case of a word line shunt method, the region is hereinafter referred to as dividing regions 15). Here, reference number 4 denotes a bit line pair.
A specific configuration of the sub decode band will be described with reference to FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 13, the sub decode band (reference number 15 in the figure) includes a plurality of sub decode circuits 16#0, 16#1, 16#2, . . . , 16#i. The sub decode circuits are arranged corresponding to main word lines MWL#0, MWL#1, MWL#2, . . .
Sub decode circuit 16#0 will be representatively described. Sub decode circuit 16#0 includes AND circuits 17#0, 17#1, 17#2 and 17#3. AND circuits 17#2 and 17#3 output, in response to a signal on main word line MWL#0 and a signal on a sub decode line 18, sub decode signals SWL#10 and SWL#11 for one adjacent memory cell array 12.
AND circuits 17#0 and 17#1 output, in response to a signal on main word line MWL#0 and a signal on sub decode line 18, sub decode signals SWL#00 and SWL#01 for the other adjacent memory cell array 12, not shown.
Referring to FIG. 12, sense amplifier band 20#0 includes a sense amplifier 26, a data input/output-related switch circuit 22 and a sense amplifier-related switch circuit 24. Data input/output-related switch circuit 22 and sense amplifier-related switch circuit 24 are arranged in the row direction.
Data input/output-related switch circuit 22 is arranged at a crossing area of a series of dividing regions 15 in the column direction and a sense amplifier band. Data input/output-related switch circuit 22 directly controls connection of global data input/output line 5 and local data input/output line 6 in accordance with column bank control signal CBS received from transmission line 9. Thus, local data input/output line 6 connected to global data input/output line 5 is selected (a bank is selected).
In the multi-bank system, at least two banks may be activated simultaneously during a certain time period. In this case, column access for another bank may be performed while sense amplifier 26 amplifies the fine width of a signal. When column selection line 7 is activated at this time, data on another bank on the global data input/output line is transmitted to sense amplifier 26 and therefore memory cell data is destroyed.
Accordingly, sense amplifier-related switch circuit 24 is provided to directly control connection of sense amplifier 26 and local data input/output line 6 in accordance with column bank control signal CBS received from transmission line 9. Thus, sense amplifier 26 connected to local data input/output line 6 is selected.
A circuit configuration of data input/output-related switch circuit 22 will be described in the following with reference to FIG. 14. In FIG. 14, global data input/output line 5 is formed of global data input/output lines 5a and 5b, and local data input/output line 6 is formed of local data input/output lines 6a and 6b.
Data input/output-related switch circuit 22 includes gate circuits 23a and 23b and an inverter circuit 21. Inverter circuit 21 inverts column bank control signal CBS received from transmission line 9 and outputs a signal/CBS.
Gate circuit 23a is arranged corresponding to global data input/output line 5a and local data input/output line 6a. Gate circuit 23a transmits a signal on local data input/output line 6a to global data input/output line 5a in response to column bank control signal CBS and signal/CBS.
Gate circuit 23b is arranged corresponding to global data input/output line 5b and local data input/output line 6b. Gate circuit 23b transmits a signal on local data input/output line 6b to global data input/output line 5b in response to column bank control signal CBS and signal/CBS.
In this manner, local data input/output line 6 connected to global data input/output line 5 is selected by column bank control signal CBS corresponding to a bank.
A specific configuration of sense amplifier-related switch circuit 24 will be described in the following with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 also shows the relations with sense amplifier 26.
Sense amplifier-related switch circuit 24 includes NMOS transistors N2a, N2b, N3a and N3b. NMOS transistors N3a and N3b constitute a column selection gate 25.
NMOS transistors N2a and N3a are connected in series between local data input/output line 6a and sense amplifier 26. NMOS transistors N2b and N3b are connected in series between local data input/output line 6b and sense amplifier 26.
NMOS transistors N2a and N2b have their gate electrodes connected to transmission line 9. NMOS transistors N3a and N3b have their gate electrodes connected to column selection line 7.
Column selection gate 25 is opened and closed in response to a signal on column selection line 7. NMOS transistors N2a and N2b are turned on/off in response to column bank control signal CBS received from transmission line 9.
Column selection line 7 selects memory cell array 12 in the column direction, and column bank control signal CBS selects sense amplifier 26 connected to local data input/output line 5.
However, the operation cycle of the column-related circuitry side is several times as fast as that of the row-related circuitry side. In the configuration of the above described conventional semiconductor memory device 9000, therefore, the column bank control signal CBS is transmitted from the row-related circuitry side and thus the timing of the row-related circuitry and column-related circuitry sides is difficult to match. Accordingly, the configuration is not suitable for a high speed operation.
Further, transmission line 9 for transmitting the column bank control signal CBS has a considerable load. In the case of a one-directional input (input in the row direction) from column bank control circuit 100, therefore, the speed of signal transmission is different between switch circuits (the sense amplifier-related switch circuit and the data input/output-related switch circuit) closest to the row decoder and switch circuits farthest from the row decoder. Thus, achievement of higher operating speed is hindered. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Some computing devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, personal digital assistants, etc.) are “voice-activated” and can recognize voice commands based on audio input (e.g., a user's voice). For example, a computing device may receive voice input (e.g., audio data) with a microphone. The computing device may analyze the voice input using speech-recognition techniques to determine a command (e.g., “search,” “navigate,” “play,” “pause,” “call,” etc.) and then execute a voice-initiated action associated with the command (e.g., provide a search option, execute a map application, begin playing a media file, stop playing a media file, place a phone call, etc.). As such, a voice-activated computing device may provide users with the ability to operate some features of the computing device by speaking commands at the computing device.
Although hands-free computing can offer some benefits over alternative forms of input (e.g., touch), some voice-activated computing devices may be cumbersome to use. For instance, a user may be unsure whether a computing device has recognized a voice command while the user is still speaking, which may cause the user to hesitate and/or pause while providing voice input. Periods of hesitation and/or pauses in audio data may cause inaccuracies in the voice recognition techniques being performed by the voice-activated computing device, however. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for allowing an operator of a magnetic resonance apparatus, such as a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus or a magnetic resonance spectroscopy apparatus, through the operator console for the apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The pulse sequences utilized in imaging magnetic resonance technology (MRI) and in the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR spectroscopy) are normally parameterizable. Parameters are offered to the operator by means of which the operator selects the anatomy that is of interest (e.g. number, position, orientation of the slices), or influences the contrast between the relevant tissue (e.g. T1/T2 contrast via TR/TE parameters, pre-saturation pulses for fat/water suppression), or selects the resolution depending on the size of the significant objects (e.g. FoV, matrix size, layer thickness), or influences the signal-to-noise ratio of the resulting images (e.g. averages, bandwidth), or controls the measuring time (e.g. TR, TE, concatenations, averages), etc. Generally, the values of these parameters cannot be selected independently of one another. There are numerous dependencies between the individual parameters (for example, TR and the number of the slices), which generally are different for different sequence types. Moreover, the parameter values are subject to further boundary conditions, which, for example, are determined by the efficiency of the utilized hardware (e.g. maximum amplitude and minimum rise time of the gradient system) and the load capability of the patient (e.g. physiological stimulation threshold given rapidly varying magnetic fields).
A difficulty for the dialog system of a MR scanner is to support the user with respect to finding a parameter set (called a protocol), which meets the operator's requirements and which can be implemented with the present hardware.
Conventionally, the user selects a protocol from a set of stored, predetermined protocols, each protocol being optimized for a particular investigation. If parameters must be adapted (normally, this is the case at least for the parameters for selecting the anatomy), only values by means of which the protocol remains intact as a whole, with unchanged values of all other parameters, are offered to the operator/user for each single parameter Pi. The advantage of this approach is that the suitability of the protocols for their intended purpose cannot be degraded by the “over-adjustment” by user. As a result of the aforementioned dependency between the parameters, the value range Ai of the parameter Pi generally depends on the value of the other parameters Pj(j≠i). If the user does not see a desired value offered in the selected protocol, it is theoretically possible to select the desired value subsequent to the modification of one or more other parameters. For this purpose, however, the user needs detailed knowledge about the dependencies between the parameters, which is a disadvantage. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
As noted hereinabove, the present invention is particularly concerned with solution well mining, such as is employed in mining uranium, wherein a leaching solution is utilized. In general, such an operation employs a plurality of wells including an injection well into which the leachant is pumped and at least one production or recovery well which is located some distance from the injection well. The wells extend into a mineralized zone, i.e., a substratum containing the mineral sought to be recovered, and the leaching solution passes through the zone from the injection well to the recovery well and carries with it the mineral to be recovered, viz., uranium.
Such uranium leaching wells are conventionally cased with polyvinyl chloride and cemented to depth beyond the mineralized zone. The grouted casing in the mineralized zone is then removed with a mechanical reaming device and a so-called well screen is placed in the mineralized zone of the well. This well screen is designed to permit only essentially sand free liquid to flow into the well bore. It will be appreciated that sand must not be permitted to enter the well bore because such sand will drastically accelerate the wear of the downhole submersible centrifugal pumps used to lift the leachant to the surface. It will be understood that the process described above, wherein the well is underreamed and a well screen used to prevent the ingress of sand, is relatively expensive and time consuming.
A further, more general problem associated with uranium leaching wells is that many wells exhibit below standard injectivity so that little or no mineral recovery is achieved. Although well stimulation methods such as "acidizing" are available, these simply are not effective in many instances.
As will be discussed hereinbelow, the present invention concerns the use of a water jet perforator in uranium solution mining and like applications. It is noted that casing perforators using fluid jets have been used for cutting steel casings in oil wells. Although this art is not thought to be relevant, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,638,801 (Klassen et al.); 2,302,567 (O'Neill); 2,315,496 (Boynton); 3,066,735 (Zingg); and 3,130,786 (Brown et al.) which disclose various forms of perforating apparatus for this purpose. Characteristically, these apparatus employ a drill fluid which contains an abrasive such as sand or grit and/or a chemical used in enchancing perforation. The use of an abrasive jet presents operational problems particularly with regard to wear. Moreover, the pressures used are generally substantially lower than employed in accordance with the present invention. | {
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Propargyl bromide (3-bromopropyne) is known to be useful as a soil fumigant for control of fungi, nematodes, and undesirable plant life. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,794,727. It is believed that propargyl bromide is a good replacement for methyl bromide. See K. C. Barrons, Farm Chemicals International, 2000 35-36.
A typical process for producing propargyl bromide involves low temperature initiation of reaction of propargyl alcohol and phosphorus tribromide in a liquid phase in the presence of base which usually is a tertiary amine such as triethylamine. While workable, undesirable amounts of waxy solids are often formed in the reaction mixture. Further, because the reaction is exothermic, the requirement for low temperatures (e.g., 5-6xc2x0 C. or below) at the start of the reaction adds refrigeration costs to the operation. Previous attempts to synthesize propargyl bromide from phosphorus tribromide and propargyl alcohol in the absence of a base yielded large amounts of undesired side products; see L. Henry, Chemische Berichte, 1873, 6, 728.
It would be of considerable advantage if a way could be found of eliminating or at least significantly reducing formation of waxy solids in the process. It would be particularly advantageous if this could be done while avoiding the need for expensive refrigeration in the operation. An additional advantage would be the accomplishment of these things with a concomitant decrease in the formation of undesirable side products.
This invention is deemed to enable achievement of the above advantages.
A feature of this invention is that propargyl bromide can be produced in good yield while minimizing the formation of undesired side products, such as 1,3-dibromopropene, 2,3-dibromopropene, and bromoallene. Surprisingly, this result can be achieved at higher addition temperatures than heretofore appreciated. And the process is economically advantageous, as a base such as pyridine or triethylamine is not required.
Provided by this invention is a process of producing propargyl bromide, which process comprises:
A) bringing together in a reaction zone under an inert atmosphere and in the absence of a base and in the presence of an inert diluent, a feed of phosphorus tribromide and a separate feed of propargyl alcohol thereby forming a reaction mixture;
B) while mechanically agitating the mixture being formed in A), maintaining the temperature of the mixture in the range of about 0xc2x0 C. to about 25xc2x0 C. to form a product mixture, and then
C) raising the temperature of the product mixture to a temperature in the range of about 40xc2x0 C. to about 60xc2x0 C. while stirring the product mixture for a ride period of at least about 2.5 hours.
Such process can be conducted as a batch process, as a semi-batch process, or as a continuous process.
Other embodiments and features of this invention will become still further apparent from the ensuing description and appended claims.
When conducting a process in accordance with this invention there are basically two ways of bringing the reactants together in the reaction zone. One way is to feed the propargyl alcohol to the reaction zone and then feed the PBr3 to the propargyl alcohol in the reaction zone. In such case, it matters not how or when the diluent is introduced into the reaction zone as long as at least sufficient diluent is present when the PBr3 and propargyl alcohol are coming together in the reaction zone to serve as a heat sink for the heat of reaction evolved. Thus it is convenient to introduce all of the diluent before starting the feed of the PBr3, or to introduce a substantial portion of the diluent before starting the feed of the PBr3 and to introduce additional diluent along with the feed of PBr3, either as a preformed solution of PBr3 in the diluent, or as separate but concurrent feeds of PBr3 and of diluent.
The second way of bringing the reactants together in the reaction zone is to feed propargyl alcohol and PBr3 separately but concurrently into the reaction zone. Here again it matters not how or when the diluent is introduced into the reaction zone as long as at least sufficient diluent is present to serve as a heat sink for the heat of reaction evolved when the PBr3 and propargyl alcohol are coming together in the reaction zone. For example, all of the diluent can be introduced into the reaction zone before starting the separate but concurrent feeds of the PBr3 and of the propargyl alcohol. Alternatively, a substantial portion of the diluent can be introduced into the reaction zone before starting the concurrent feeds and additional diluent can accompany either or both such concurrent feeds. In other words, additional diluent maybe introduced as a preformed solution of PBr3 in the diluent, as a preformed solution of propargyl alcohol in the diluent, and/or as a separate but concurrent feed with the concurrent feeds of PBr3 and of propargyl alcohol.
In any event, the point at which the propargyl alcohol and the phosphorus tribromide come into contact with each other is part of the reaction zone. Preferably, the reactants are concurrently fed into a reaction zone composed of at least one reactor in which all of the componentsxe2x80x94whether fed individually or in any subcombination(s)xe2x80x94all come together for the first time and in which the process is initiated and carried out.
When the propargyl alcohol and the phosphorus tribromide come into contact with each other, the mechanical agitation can be accomplished by the use of, for example,jet mixers or static mixers. Optionally, high shear mechanical agitation and/or high speed jet dip legs may also be used.
The use of the term xe2x80x9cconcurrentxe2x80x9d does not exclude the possibility of inconsequential interruptions taking place during the feeds. Nor does this term imply that the feeds must start at exactly the same moment in time. In the case of a co-feed process, the two feeds can be initiated with an interval of time between such initiation as long as the interval is sufficiently short as to cause no material adverse effect upon the overall process. Likewise in the case of a tri-feed or multi-feed operation, there maybe one or two different time intervals between or among the respective feeds, again provided that the time intervals are of sufficiently short duration to cause no material adverse effect upon the overall process.
The processes of this invention, whether performed in a batch mode, semi-batch (semi-continuous) mode, or continuous mode, are preferably conducted so that such things as the feeds, reaction, and maintenance of the desired temperature occur xe2x80x9ccontinuouslyxe2x80x9d during the reaction. However, it cannot be stressed strongly enough that one must not gain the impression that inconsequential interruption in one or more of such things cannot occur. Interruptions which do not materially affect the conduct of the process are not excluded from the scope of this invention. Whatever the terms used, the process should be conducted as one of ordinary skill in the art would carry out the processes after a thorough, unbiased reading of this entire disclosure and in keeping with the spirit of the invention gained from such a reading.
As is well known in the art, operation under an inert atmosphere requires the presence of an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, or helium. This minimizes or excludes oxygen from the reaction zone. Nitrogen is a preferred inert gas in the practice of this invention. The inert gas can be introduced into the reaction zone by various means, such as sweeping the reaction zone with an inert gas prior to the introduction of the inert diluent, or passing the inert gas into the reaction zone during the process.
The inert diluent used is typically one or more (i) paraffinic hydrocarbons, (ii) cycloparaffinic hydrocarbons, or (iii) aromatic hydrocarbons or a mixture of any two or all three of (i), (ii) and (iii), but can be any inert liquid, i.e., a liquid which does not react with either the reactants or the products produced in the reaction in such a way as to prevent formation of propargyl bromide. Thus a diluent that solvates or complexes with a reactant or product of the reaction can be used provided that the formation of propargyl bromide is not prevented by its use; such a diluent is deemed to be inert within the meaning of this disclosure.
Because propargyl bromide is a high energy material that is sensitive to physical shock or impact, and that is also susceptible to rapid thermal decomposition upon exposure to high temperatures or fires, it is preferred to employ an inert solvent which forms an azeotrope with propargyl bromide, such as a paraffinic and/or cycloparaffinic hydrocarbon solvent that forms an azeotrope with propargyl bromide. By xe2x80x9cazeotropexe2x80x9d is meant a mixture that under temperature and pressure conditions encountered at any normal stage of the life-cycle of propargyl bromide, the propargyl bromide and a stabilizing amount of the hydrocarbon when in the liquid or vapor state remain together at all times. Also when propargyl bromide is to be used as a fumigant, especially as a soil fumigant, it is desirable that the diluent used in the process be an environmentally-acceptable azeotropic inert liquid solvent that remains with and protects the propargyl bromide against hazardous shock-induced or thermally-induced decomposition whether the propargyl bromide is in the liquid state or in the vapor state.
By xe2x80x9cenvironmentally-acceptablexe2x80x9d is meant that the inert liquid satisfies or, if not yet evaluated, will satisfy the requirements for listing as an xe2x80x9cinertxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cother ingredientsxe2x80x9d in categorized List 1, List 2, List 3, or List 4 of the Office of Pesticide Programs of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, such lists as updated Jun. 12, 2001. Such lists are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein, except that all substances on such lists which do not meet all criteria specified herein are excluded from such lists because they are incapable or unsuitable for use herein. The features of this paragraph are more fully described in commonly-owned copending application Ser. Nos. 10/118,290, filed Apr. 8,2002, and 10/126,260, filed Apr. 18, 2002.
Various azeotropic solvents can be used in the practice of this invention. Non-limiting examples include n-heptane, mixed heptane isomers, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, 2-methylhexane, 2,4-dimethylpentane, n-octane, isooctane, 2-methylheptane, 2,2-dimethylhexane, isopropyl alcohol, and a mixture of cyclohexane and isopropyl alcohol. A preferred solvent mixture is composed of a mixture of C7-9 hydrocarbons (e.g., Isopar E, ExxonMobil Chemical Corporation) in admixture with cyclohexane. A particularly preferred azeotropic solvent is a mixture composed primarily of C8 isoparaffinic hydrocarbons such as Isopar C (ExxonMobil Chemical Corporation).
Mechanically agitating the reaction mixture being formed minimizes localized heat buildup in the reaction zone, ensures good mixing, and might minimize formation of undesired side products. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that good agitation may be important for achieving a decrease in undesired side products. At higher temperatures, the use of agitation to prevent heat buildup becomes increasingly important. On the laboratory scale, agitation rates are normally in the range of about 15 rpm to about 20 rpm.
During the bringing together of the phosphorus tribromide and the propargyl alcohol, the temperature of the reaction mixture being formed needs to be controlled, because of the exothermicity of the reaction of phosphorus tribromide and propargyl alcohol, and because of the thermal sensitivity of the propargyl bromide being formed. The temperature is maintained in the range of about 0xc2x0 C. to about 25xc2x0 C., and preferably in the range of from about 5xc2x0 C. to about 20xc2x0 C. Preferably, the temperature is continuously maintained in the desired range. While it is possible to perform the addition at temperatures above 25xc2x0 C., it is not recommended for safety reasons and because the yield of propargyl bromide decreases. For a description of the sensitivities of propargyl bromide to shock and to thermal decomposition, see D. R. Forshey et al., Fire Technology, 1969 5 100-111.
A molar excess of phosphorus tribromide can increase the yield of propargyl bromide. Thus, preferably, a stoichiometric excess of phosphorus tribromide relative to propargyl alcohol is used. This can be accomplished using either of the two ways described above of bringing the propargyl alcohol and the phosphorus tribromide together. When propargyl alcohol is fed to the reaction zone before phosphorus tribromide, phosphorus tribromide is fed until the desired excess has been added to the reaction zone. When propargyl alcohol and phosphorus tribromide are fed separately but concurrently to the reaction zone, the phosphorus tribromide is fed in an amount that is a molar excess relative to the amount of propargyl alcohol being fed to form the reaction mixture. The amount of molar excess of phosphorus tribromide is preferably in the range of about 3% to about 15% relative to propargyl alcohol. More preferably, the phosphorus tribromide is in the range of about 5% to about 10% molar excess relative to propargyl alcohol.
Raising of the temperature of the product mixture and subjection of the product mixture to the ride period can occur in the reaction zone where the product mixture was formed, or in a different location (e.g., another reactor or vessel). For the ride period, ride times are typically at least about 2.5 hours on the laboratory scale. During the ride time, the temperature is usually in the range of about 40xc2x0 C. to about 60xc2x0 C. Preferably, the temperature during the ride period is in the range of about 40xc2x0 C. to about 55xc2x0 C. Primarily for safety reasons, it is highly preferred to keep the ride period temperature no higher than about 50xc2x0 C.
The following Examples are presented to illustrate the practice of, and advantages made possible by, this invention. These Examples are not intended to limit, and should not be construed as limiting, the scope of this invention to the particular operations or conditions described therein. | {
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Modern technology allows moving object data to be collected easily and extensively. Applications that deal with moving object data (e.g., traffic monitoring, flight control, and location-based advertisement and recommendation) typically require location-based services (LBS). LBS involve querying for the historical, current, or predicted future locations of moving objects. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in stylets that are used for intubating an endotracheal tube, catheter or like medico-surgical tube in a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a stylet in a catheter or tube for the purpose of stiffening or shaping, is an accepted practice for introducing or intubating a patient. In the past stylets made from music wire, malleable copper wire, plastic rods, etc., have been used (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,541). Wire has the desirable characteristics for stiffness and shaping. However, on occasions the wire, through accidents, has become a trauma causing instrument. A plastic stylet cannot be as readily shaped and therefore is not generally acceptable.
Intubation stylets of more complicated structure than a mere wire or rod have been developed (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,149). Such stylets include tubular metal devices with articulated end units (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,541,402 and 3,314,431). Although these stylets may be quite effective in use, they are so expensive to make, they cannot be marketed as single-use disposable items. Hence, they are not compatible with the current trend in marketing and use of medico-surgical tube devices of the single-use disposable type. | {
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Myocardial bridging is a congenital coronary abnormality in which a coronary segment runs through the myocardium intramurally (e.g., a segment of a coronary artery tunnels through the myocardium instead of lying on top of it), resulting in systolic compression of the tunneled segment. The frequency of myocardial bridging has been reported to be 1.5% to 16% in coronary angiography and as high as 80% in autopsy series. Myocardial bridging can cause cardiac-related complications such as ischemia and acute coronary syndromes, and coronary spasms.
Coronary artery disease, in turn, may cause the blood vessels providing blood to the heart to develop lesions, such as a stenosis (abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel). As a result, blood flow to the heart may be restricted. A patient suffering from coronary artery disease may experience chest pain, referred to as chronic stable angina during physical exertion or unstable angina when the patient is at rest. A more severe manifestation of disease may lead to myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
Myocardial bridging may occur partially or completely. For example, a segment of a coronary artery of a patient may be completely surrounded by the patient's myocardium (e.g., 100% tunneling of the vessel into the myocardium). Alternatively, the abnormality may occur as partial myocardial bridging—e.g., 30%-99% of the circumference of a segment of a coronary artery of the patient is surrounded by the myocardium, with tapering and/or reduction of cross-sectional area of the coronary artery.
Typically, myocardial bridging may be diagnosed by coronary angiography or intravascular ultrasound imaging (IVUS) based on one or more of several features, including significant percent lumen diameter narrowing, persistent diastolic diameter reduction, a “milking effect” in angiography, and/or a “half moon” phenomenon in IVUS. Besides morphological evaluation, intracoronary Doppler may show increased flow velocity, retrograde systolic flow, and reduced coronary flow reserve in myocardial bridging. The functional significance of myocardial bridging may be evaluated using fractional flow reserve (FFR) with the use of inotropic agents. FFR may be defined as the ratio of the mean blood pressure and/or flow downstream of a location, such as a lesion or location of myocardial bridging, divided by the mean blood pressure and/or flow upstream from the location, under conditions of increased coronary blood flow, e.g., when induced by intravenous administration of adenosine.
However, traditionally, these methods are invasive procedures and may involve the use of inotropic agents such as dobutamine to induce maximal myocardial contraction. In some cases, diastolic FFR may be more relevant than the conventional FFR to the evaluation of myocardial bridging due to overshooting of systolic pressure, which may lead to underestimation of severity when assessed by the conventional FFR.
As these physiologic and hemodynamic conditions of myocardial bridging may hamper the use of conventional invasive FFR, it would be useful to differentiate patients with fixed stenosis from those with myocardial bridging for an accurate blood flow simulation in assessing the hemodynamic significance of lesions.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. | {
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This invention relates generally to a vent apparatus and more particularly, to a vent apparatus having a pivotal vent cap that may be used in a wide variety of applications where it is needed to provide airflow to or from a closed or enclosed space, while also preventing water or other similar elements from entering the closed space.
Vents and vent caps are known in the art. Generally, these devices include a vent cap mounted to a vent, which extends into a opening. The vent cap usually assumes a conical or triangular shape and functions to keep water, ice, snow or other such elements from entering the vent from a position substantially perpendicular to and above the vent cap. While the existing vent caps have been relatively successful at keeping water or other elements from entering the vent from perpendicular positions above the vent cap, such vent caps are susceptible to water and other elements entering the closed space from positions which are substantially horizontal to or below the vent cap. As is currently known in the art, water can cause significant problems in the operation or longevity of the devices or structures typically associated with the vent and vent cap.
To overcome these disadvantages, the present invention is realized through an improved vent apparatus. The improved vent apparatus includes a vent tube with a first end extending outside of the closed space and a second end extending into a closed space, a vent cap attached to the first end for keeping water, snow, ice and other elements from entering the vent tube. The vent cap includes a top, a continuous side wall extending in a downward direction from the top and a cap opening through which air enters the vent tube. The vent cap also includes an annular structure located on an inside top portion of the vent cap for enabling the vent cap to be removably coupled to the vent tube. It should also be understood that the closed space may exist as part of a variety of distinct structures, which require an exhaust port that may be exposed to the elements, such as a home or building, a boat, a car or any other motorized vehicle.
A better understanding of the objects, advantages, features, properties and relationships of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which set forth an illustrative embodiment and is indicative of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. | {
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Modern vehicular emissions control systems typically employ a catalytic converter to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. The catalytic converter contains a catalyst which converts unburned exhaust hydrocarbons to less environmentally detrimental exhaust gases.
Unfortunately, modern catalytic converters only operate after reaching temperatures in excess of about 300 degrees Centigrade. For this reason, a substantial portion of hydrocarbon emissions occur during the first few minutes of cold-start engine operation before the converter reaches its minimum effective operating temperature, otherwise known as the converter "light-off" temperature. Because the first few minutes of operation is an integral part of automotive emissions tests, and because over 60% of the measured hydrocarbons are emitted during the cold-start period of the test, reducing cold-start hydrocarbon emissions is of critical importance. Recent tightening of emissions requirements to limit emissions of certain hydrocarbon compounds such as benzene has further underscored the need for reduced cold-start hydrocarbon emissions.
To reduce cold-start hydrocarbon emissions, emissions control designers have proposed routing exhaust gases through hydrocarbon adsorbers such as charcoal for a short period of time following an engine cold-start. For example, Templin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,645,098 teaches the use of an exhaust gas valve downstream of a catalytic converter for directing unconverted cold-start hydrocarbons onto a charcoal adsorber. As adsorber temperature increases, hydrocarbons initially adsorbed during the cold-start period are released from the adsorber and recirculated into the engine or exhaust manifold. Once the catalytic converter reaches its light-off temperature, the exhaust gas valve routes exhaust gas directly from the catalytic converter to the tailpipe.
While Templin's system might reduce hydrocarbon emissions below the levels emitted from similar systems lacking an adsorber, his system is not preferred because the system requires an exhaust gas valve to operate reliably under the severe chemical and temperature conditions present in the exhaust gas stream and because the physical adsorbance efficiency of his absorber is likely to decrease significantly with increasing exhaust gas temperature.
To overcome the disadvantages of systems like Templin's, other designers have turned to multi-adsorber systems. In these systems, exhaust gas flow is directed first to a low temperature adsorber chamber. As system temperature increases, flow is directed around the low temperature adsorber chamber to a second adsorber chamber containing an adsorber useful in a temperature range above that of the low temperature adsorber and below the catalytic converter light-off temperature. One example of such a system is disclosed in Minami, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,210.
Minami discloses a system in which cold-start exhaust gas initially flows serially through a charcoal adsorber chamber, a Y-zeolite or mordenite adsorber chamber and a catalytic converter. When exhaust gas temperature reaches a predetermined level, an exhaust gas valve operates to route exhaust gas around the charcoal adsorber and directly into the second adsorption chamber containing the mordenite or zeolite. Because the second adsorber is believed to provide some additional hydrocarbon hold-up at temperatures exceeding the upper useful temperature of the charcoal adsorber, emissions may be reduced from the levels emitted from systems like Templin's. Unfortunately, like Templin's, Minami's system also employs an exhaust gas valve which must function reliably under the harsh physical and chemical conditions found in exhaust gas streams. Additionally, because exhaust gas passes directly into Minami's adsorbers, heat is lost in the adsorbers, thereby delaying catalytic converter light-off.
To avoid the reliability problems inherent in valved emissions systems, other designers have turned to non-valved designs combining an adsorber and a catalytic converter in a single unit. One such example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,002 to Reid. Reid discloses an exhaust gas emissions control system in which a plurality of catalyst-containing channels are interspersed with a plurality of manifolded open ducts within a housing. As exhaust gas passes through the open ducts, the gas indirectly heats the catalyst contained in the catalyst beds prior to the exhaust gas entering the beds. Reid states that an adsorbent such as a natural or synthetic zeolite can be incorporated into a portion of each catalyst bed.
While Reid's design might reduce the time before catalytic converter light-off, the design appears to preclude the use of heat-damageable adsorbers such as charcoal because exhaust gas must continually pass through the adsorber at all times while the engine is running. More significantly, Reid's physical arrangement of interspersed heat transfer ducts, adsorbent and catalyst within a single envelope appears to limit the potential temperature difference between adsorber and catalyst, thereby limiting the potential effectiveness of his system.
What is needed is a mechanically simple, valveless exhaust gas emissions control system that employs one or more adsorbents to reduce hydrocarbon emissions over at least a substantial portion of the time period between an engine cold-start and catalytic converter light-off. | {
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Conventional halogen-based MR16 lamps include certain designs. In many cases, for aesthetic purposes, perceptible radiation is emitted in a direction substantially opposite that of the projection direction. For example, MR16 lamps on “track lighting” systems used in higher-end restaurants employ this characteristic. This backward-emitted light is actually the residual effect of visible light leakage through the dichroic filter applied to the reflector in many MR16 lamps. The multi-layered reflector causes different regimes of the visible spectrum to be transmitted (backwards) or reflected (projected), so that the backward emitted light has a “rainbow” appearance which is pleasing to the eye and contributes positively to the overall ambience. A side-view photograph of such a halogen lamp in operation is shown below (left).
Unfortunately, halogen lamps are extremely inefficient (˜10-20 lm/W, or ˜5% of theoretical light-generation efficiency) and are thus not cost-effective to operate. LED reflector lamps, on the other hand, exhibit efficacies up to 60 lm/W (˜20% efficient) and correspondingly lower operating costs. However, LED reflector lamp designs today substantially block the backward emitted light, and thus are unable to provide an aesthetic feature that is highly valued by many lighting designers and end users (see above: middle, right). Thus, legacy LED reflector lamps are not able to be deployed in certain applications, meaning reduced market adoption for energy-efficient lamps and thus slower reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption for lighting.
Prior descriptions of LED lamps to effect decorative illumination require additional LEDs to provide such illumination directly (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,456). The additional LEDs add cost and complexity to the LED lamp. What is needed is a cost-effective LED reflector lamp solution that provides for backward emitted light. The aforementioned legacy technologies do not have the capabilities to perform apportioning of the optical projection paths in an LED lamp. Therefore, there is a need for improved approaches. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit board on which a plurality of heat generating elements have been formed and a manufacturing method of such a circuit board. More particularly, the invention relates to a circuit board for a liquid discharging apparatus which converts an electric energy into a thermal energy by heat generating elements and discharges a liquid by using the thermal energy and a manufacturing method of such a circuit board.
2. Related Background Art
A manufacturing method of a conventional circuit board will be described hereinbelow with respect to an ink jet head as an example.
In an ink jet recording apparatus, ink is discharged as a micro liquid droplet from a discharge port onto a material to be recorded, so that an image can be recorded. Its principle will now be described. An electric energy is converted into a thermal energy by a heat generating element and a bubble is generated in the ink by the thermal energy. The liquid droplet is discharged from the discharge port existing in a front edge portion of a liquid discharge head by the operation of the bubble and deposited onto the material to be recorded, so that the image is recorded. Therefore, such a liquid discharge head has a circuit board on which a plurality of heat generating elements each for converting the electric energy into the thermal energy have been formed.
Specifically, after a resistor layer and an electrode material layer were formed onto an insulative surface, a part of the electrode material layer is removed, a pair of electrodes are formed, and an interval between the electrodes becomes a heat generating portion. After that, a protective layer to protect them against the ink and a cavitation resistive film to protect the protective layer against a chemical or physical damage accompanied by heat generation are formed.
In such a construction, there is a case where a step coverage of edge portions of the electrodes to form the heat generating portion deteriorates. It is schematically shown in FIG. 7. A resistor layer 62 of TaSiN or the like is formed on an oxide layer 61 of SiO2 on an Si substrate. Although a wiring layer 63 of, for example, Al is formed on the resistor layer 62, a portion without Al exists on a part of the resistor layer 62. The portion without Al is a heat generating portion 64 of the heat generating element. A protective layer 65 consisting of P-SiN (SiN film formed by a plasma CVD) or the like to protect those layers against the ink and a cavitation resistive film 66 consisting of Ta or the like to protect the protective layer 65 against the chemical or physical damage accompanied by the heat generation are formed on those layers.
The circuit board for the liquid discharging apparatus has a plurality of heat generating elements as mentioned above at a high density, thereby enabling an image to be recorded. Each heat generating element is serially connected to power transistors (not shown) for on/off controlling a current flowing in the heat generating element. Discharge ports are formed on the circuit board and become the liquid discharging apparatus.
To solve the above problems, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid -Open Nos. H4-320849 or H4-320850, a method of providing a taper shape for edge portions of a pair of electrodes which the heat generating element has has been developed.
According to such a method, even in the edge portions of a pair of electrodes which the heat generating element has, coating performance of the protective layer and the cavitation resistive film can be improved. A manufacturing method of the circuit board including a forming method of the taper shape portions of the pair of electrodes which the heat generating element has will be described hereinafter.
FIG. 6 shows a flow for a manufacturing process of the circuit board. FIG. 5A shows a cross sectional view of peripheral portions of a heat generating element of the manufactured circuit board. First, an Si wafer is used as a substrate and an oxide layer 41 of SiO2 having a thickness of about a few μm is formed on the Si wafer by a thermal oxidation process. A resistor material layer of TaSiN or the like having a thickness of about 50 nm is formed on the oxide layer 41 by sputtering. After that, for example, an Al film having a thickness of about 200 nm is formed and an electrode material layer is formed. A resist layer (I) is formed on the electrode material layer and patterned. Thereafter, Al and the resistor material layer are dry-etched by using an RIE or the like, thereby separating the element and forming a wiring 43 and a resistor layer 42. After the resist layer (I) was removed by O2 ashing, a resist layer (II) is formed and patterned. Thereafter, Al of a portion serving as a resistor portion 44 of the heat generating element is removed by wet etching. At this time, by using an organic alkali etchant comprising a tetramethylammonium hydrooxide (hereinafter, abbreviated to TMAH) as a main component or an acid etchant comprising a phosphoric acid as a main component as a wet etchant, an edge portion of the resist layer (II) is etched and while it is moved backward, Al is etched. Thus, edge portions of a pair of electrodes which are formed become a taper shape. Subsequently, a protective layer 45 consisting of SiN and having a thickness of about 300 nm is formed by a plasma CVD method. A Ta film 46 is formed by sputtering. By removing unnecessary portions of the Ta film 46 by dry etching, a circuit board is obtained.
However, in recent years, the realization of high fineness of printing has been further progressed and a discharge quantity of the ink per discharging operation is decreasing from tens of pl to a few pl. The realization of a high speed of printing is also strongly demanded. To reduce the reciprocating motion of the liquid discharge head, a long circuit board has been realized. Therefore, the number of heat generating elements per circuit board has been increased from hundreds to thousands. In such a situation, also in the forming method of the pair of electrodes in the foregoing taper shape, such a problem that a slight fluctuation occurs in the taper shape and the coating performance of the protective layer and the cavitation resistive film on a part of the heat generating elements deteriorates occurs.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a circuit board for a liquid discharging apparatus in which coating performance of a protective layer and a cavitation resistive film on a heat generating element is excellent and durability is excellent and to provide a manufacturing method of such a circuit board. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a lubrication for a horizontal type hermetic compressor and, more particularly, to a lubricating device for the horizontal type hermetic compressor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, hermetic compressors are generally classified into two types, that is, vertical type hermetic compressors and horizontal type hermetic compressors. The above classification of the hermetic compressors is according to location of their crank shafts. Otherwise stated, the crank shafts of the vertical type compressors are vertically positioned while the crank shafts of the horizontal type compressors are horizontally positioned. However, the hermetic compressors irrespective of their types should be provided with lubricating devices for supplying lubrication oil to their driving parts such as the crank shafts.
With reference to FIG. 1A, there is schematically shown a construction of a typical hermetic compressor of the vertical type. The vertical type hermetic compressor is encased by a vertical compressor casing 1a which is charged with lubrication oil "o" in its lower section. The lubrication oil surface is nearly leveled to a cylinder 2 as well as a main bearing 5a which are encased in the compressor casing 1a at the lower section of the casing 1a. The cylinder 3 receives a crank shaft 4a which has an oil port 5 provided with a lubricating propeller (not shown). When the crank shaft 4a is rotated in the cylinder 3, the lubricating propeller provided at the oil port 5 is also rotated in order to supply the lubricating oil "o" to the driving parts of the compressor.
Turning to FIGS. 1B and 1C, there is shown a construction of a typical horizontal type hermetic compressor. This compressor has a crank shaft which is horizontally positioned in a horizontal compressor casing 1 such that its axis is coaxial with the center axis of the casing 1. A lubricating device of this horizontal type hermetic compressor comprises a rotating shaft 4 which is concentrically received in a cylindrical cavity of a cylinder 2 defining a compression chamber C therein. The rotating shaft 4 is also coupled to an eccentric roller 3. The cylinder 2 is coupled at its both sides to a main bearing 5 and a sub bearing 6, respectively, which support the rotating shaft 4 at opposed sides of the cylinder 2 and define the compression chamber C in cooperation with the inner surface of the cylinder 2. The cylinder 2 also includes an oil pumping chamber 9 communicating with the inside of the casing 1 and pumping the lubrication oil "o" in the casing 1 in order to supply the oil to the driving parts of the compressor. The oil pumping chamber 9 is provided with an oil inlet-side hydraulic diode 10 at one side thereof corresponding to the main bearing 5 and with an oil outlet-side hydraulic diode 11 at the other side thereof corresponding to the sub bearing 6. A spring-biased vane 7 is radially received in the oil pumping chamber 9 such that its distal end comes into close contact the outer surface of the eccentric roller 3. When the eccentric roller 3 coupled to the shaft 4 is eccentrically rotated in the cavity of the cylinder 2 by the rotation of the shaft 4, the spring-biased vane 7 coming into close contact with the roller 3 elastically advances and retracts by the eccentric rotation of the roller 3. Thus, the lubrication oil "o" in the casing 1 flows in the oil pumping chamber 9 through the oil inlet-side diode 10 and, thereafter, is delivered to the driving parts of the compressor, such as the rotating shaft 4, through the oil outlet-side diode 11. The communication of the oil outlet-side diode 11 with the rotating shaft 4 is achieved by an oil feed pipe 12 connected therebetween.
In operation of the above horizontal type hermetic compressor, the eccentric rotation of the roller 3 coupled to the rotating shaft 4 makes the spring-biased vane 7 elastically advance and retract, thus to cause a change of inner volume of the oil pumping chamber 9 as well as an oil pressure difference between the pumping chamber 9, the oil feed pipe 12 and the inside of the casing 1. Hence, the lubrication oil "o" charged in the lower section of the casing 1 is forcibly supplied to the rotating shaft 4 through the oil inlet-side diode 10, the oil pumping chamber 9, the oil outlet-side diode 11 and the oil feed pipe 12.
Otherwise stated, when the vane 7 advances towards the cavity of the cylinder 2, the volume occupied by the vane 7 in the pumping chamber 9 is reduced and this causes generation of negative pressure in the pumping camber 9. The lubrication oil in the casing 1 is thus sucked into the pumping camber 9 through the oil inlet-side diode 10. At this time, the lubrication oil intending to reversely flow from the feed pipe 12 to the pumping chamber 9 is limited in its amount to be very small since the oil outlet-side diode 11 is reversely positioned. When the vane 7 retracts from the cavity of the cylinder 2, the inner volume of the pumping camber 9 is reduced and, as a result, the oil in the chamber 9 is compressed. The lubrication oil under pressure is thus delivered to the rotating shaft 4 through the oil outlet-side diode 11 and the feed pipe 12. At this time, the lubrication oil intending to reversely flow from the pumping chamber 9 to the inside of the casing 1 is limited in its amount to be very small since the oil inlet-side diode 10 is reversely positioned. A predetermined amount of lubrication oil, that is, the difference between the amount of the lubrication oil flowing out through the oil outlet-side diode 11 and the amount of the lubrication oil flowing out through the oil inlet-side diode 10, is supplied to the friction parts of the driving parts of the compressor.
However, the conventional horizontal type hermetic compressor has a problem that since its compression chamber is defined by the cylinder 2, the main bearing 5 and the sub bearing 6, it can not use the cylinder, the main bearing and the sub bearing of the conventional vertical type hermetic compressor. Another problem of the conventional hermetic compressor is resided in that the delivery amount of the lubrication oil is determined by the geometrical characteristics of the oil inlet-side and oil outlet-side hydraulic diodes, so that it is difficult to control the flow rate of the lubrication oil. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a converter system converting power. More particularly, the present invention relates to a converter system technology for operating a plurality of converter modules in parallel with optimum efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Unlike solar or wind power, fuel cells are representative renewable distributed energy sources of which an output can be controlled according to a user demand characteristic and are widely used as power supply sources of a mobile system such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, an automobile, a submarine and the like at present. Miniaturization and high power of fuel cell stacks applied to the mobile system are very important factors to reduce the weight of the system and improve the efficiency of the system.
Meanwhile, a DC-DC converter is used for efficient power conversion of the high power fuel cell stack. When modules having the same capacity are arranged in parallel in an interleaving type, the DC-DC converter may relatively easily increase processing power and reduce current ripple.
However, such a parallel arrangement type corresponds to a very advantageous structure to the reliability improvement and the increase in processing power, but has disadvantages in that power is easily non-uniformly processed between parallel modules and a high efficiency operation is difficult during entire load operation intervals. Particularly, the mobile system requires as long an operation as possible with limited fuel, and accordingly, loss reduction through the high efficiency of the DC-DC converter is a very important factor. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In computer user-interfaces, a user generates signals, e.g., using a keyboard or pointing device such as an electronic mouse, which are then transmitted to a computer system which processes the signals and takes action in accordance with the signals. The computer system typically converts the user-generated signals to data which conveys information to the computer system. Such data is referred to herein as "user data." Generation of signals by the user and conversion of those user-generated signals into user data are sometimes collectively referred to herein as "generating" the user data. For example, in a text-based, c-shell user-interface, signals are generated by the user pressing keys on a keyboard and into user data in the form of commands of the well-known c-shell. The c-shell user interface is a user interface computer process which is widely used and known. The c-shell user interface is most widely used in various implementations of the well known UNIX operating system. In response to the user data, the operating system, which is a computer process, processes the user data and performs operations in accordance with the received and processed user data.
In a graphics-based user-interface, the user can generate signals by identifying a graphical object displayed in a display device by manipulation of a pointing device and actuating the pointing device. In a graphical editor, such signals can cause the identified graphical object to be selected for graphical manipulation. In a navigation tool, such as a World Wide Web browser for the Internet global network, such signals can cause a document referenced by the identified object to be retrieved and displayed. Browsers are well known computer processes but are described briefly for completeness. A browser is a computer process which retrieves and displays information in accordance with command signals generated by a user. The user can determine which information to retrieve next based on previously retrieved and displayed information. Selecting information for retrieval and display based on previously retrieved and displayed information is generally referred to as navigation. In a navigation tool such as a World Wide Web browser, signals which are generated by the user manipulating a pointing device and which are received by the computer system are converted into user data which specifies information to be retrieved and displayed for the user.
In many such text and graphics based user-interfaces, history mechanisms are provided to enable the user to quickly and easily regenerate user data which have been previously generated. For example, the c-shell user-interfaces provides a history command. By invocation of the history command by the user, a number, e.g., 100, of the most recently entered c-shell commands are displayed with associated respective numerical identifiers. The following is an example of the display generated by invocation of the history c-shell command.
______________________________________ % history (1) 1 cd mydir 2 ls -Fl mystuff.* 3 print mystuff.* 4 lpq 5 history % ______________________________________
It should be noted that the first character in commands 2 and 4 is a lower case "L" and not a numeral one or an upper case "I." In the example of textual output (1), the user generated as user data the commands listed as commands 1-5 immediately prior to entering the history command in response to the command prompt, i.e., the percent sign ("%"). The user can regenerate previously generated user data by prefixing a portion of a previously submitted command, or its associated numerical identifier, with a "bang" symbol ("!"). For example, if the user generates as user data the command "!3" (pronounced "bang three"), the c-shell user interface regenerates and processes the user data "print mystuff.*" since user data "print mystuff.*" is associated with the numerical identifier "3." Similarly, if the user generates as user data the command "!l" (pronounced "bang L"), the c-shell user interface regenerates and processes the user data "lpq" since the user data "lpq" is the most recently generated user data beginning with the letter "L." To distinguish command 2 from command 4 without reference to the numerical identifier of command 2, the user can generate "!ls" as the user data.
The history command and history mechanism provided by the c-shell user interface is not particularly useflul when hundreds of commands have been previously entered. For example, the user may recall from hundreds of previously entered commands one which references files "mystuff.*." In the c-shell history mechanism, the user must either also recall all of the letters preceding "mystuff.*" in the previously entered command of interest or must locate the previously entered command of interest in a list of hundreds of the previously entered commands. If the particular previously entered command was generated relatively recently, finding the previously entered command may require searching only a relatively few commands near the end of the history list since the history list provided by the c-shell user interface is organized chronologically. However, if a considerable number of commands have been entered subsequent to the entering of the particular previously entered command of interest, searching the chronologically ordered history list for the particular command can be difficult and time consuming.
Thus, the history command of the c-shell user interface becomes complicated and impractical when a large number of commands have been entered by the user. In general, chronological organization of a history list is a poor organization since the relative order in which commands are entered is frequently less memorable than the substantive content of the commands. As a result, users of the c-shell user interface frequently disregard the c-shell history mechanism and resort to manually regenerating and re-entering the command without reference to a previously entered command.
Other history mechanisms are used in text-based user interfaces similar to the c-shell user-interface. For example, some text-based user-interfaces allow the user to regenerate previously generated user data by pressing arrow keys on a keyboard. Specifically, the user presses an up arrow key at a command prompt to retrieve the most recently entered command. Pressing the up arrow key again retrieves the next most recently entered command. The user can retrieve any of a number of previously entered commands by repeatedly pressing the up arrow key. The retrieved previously entered command is displayed in a computer display device and the user can alter the retrieved command by pressing other keys on the keyboard. The retrieved command is regenerated by pressing the Enter key of the keyboard.
Another text-based history mechanism uses a hot key to regenerate previously generated user data specified by partial user data. For example, the user presses a few keys on a keyboard and then presses the hot key to regenerate user data whose initial few characters are specified by the pressed keys. The hot key can be, for example, meta-p which is generated by the user by pressing and holding a meta key while concurrently pressing the "p" key. A meta key can be, for example, any of the "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys of a standard keyboard used in workstation computers such as the SPARCstation workstation computer available from Sun Microsystems, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.
In this history mechanism, a user enters one or more characters of a command and presses meta-p on the keyboard. In response, the computer process retrieves and displays the most recently entered command which begins with the one or more characters entered by the user. If the user presses meta-p again, the next most recently entered command beginning with the one or more characters entered by the user is retrieved and displayed. To retrieve and display a more recently entered command, the user presses meta-n on the keyboard. This history mechanism suffers from the same deficiencies as the history c-shell command described above in that the user must remember specifically the first few letters of the previously entered command and that the history is organized chronologically. As described above, the first few letters of a previously entered command may be neither unique nor memorable.
History mechanisms are also used in graphical user-interfaces (GUIs). For example, the Netscape browser available from Netscape Communications of Mountain View, Calif. which allows users to navigate the World Wide Web of the Internet includes two history mechanisms. In the context of a World Wide Web browser, user data generated by a user identify a particular document within the World Wide Web and the browser typically retrieves and displays the document in response to the user data. A World Wide Web browser and a document within the World Wide Web are sometimes referred to herein as a Web browser and a Web document, respectively. Web documents are common and well known but are described here briefly for completeness. A Web document can be a hypertext document and, like other types of hypertext documents, can include links to locations within the Web document or to other Web documents. Such links are generally represented graphically when the Web document is displayed. User data generated by a user typically specify the universal resource locator (URL) of a specific Web document. Typically, the user gestures to identify a graphical representation of a link within a first Web document to a second Web document. The identification by gesture of the graphical representation of the link generates and transmits to the Web browser engine as user data the URL of the second page.
The first history mechanism of the Netscape Web browser is a list of some of the most recently retrieved Web documents in reverse chronological order. The list is presented to the user as a list of items of a pull-down menu. The list includes the respective titles of the previously retrieved Web documents. The title of a Web document is specified within the Web document and does not always convey to a user the nature or content of the Web document. However, the title of a Web document does typically convey to the user more information about the Web document than does the URL of the Web document.
Closely related to the history list of the Netscape Web browser is the notion of moving backwards or forwards within previously retrieved Web documents. For example, the Netscape Web browser provides a "Back" command, which is accessible to the user either through a pull down menu or through a virtual "Back" button. A virtual button is a graphical representation in a computer display device of a button which can be pressed by appropriate manipulation of a pointing device, e.g., an electronic mouse. Virtual buttons are well known and are commonly used in various GUIs and are therefore not discussed further herein. The "Back" command, when issued by the user, retrieves and displays the Web document which immediately follows the currently displayed Web document in the history list, which is organized in reverse chronological order as described above. In response to issuance of a "Forward" command by the user, the WWW browser retrieves and displays the Web document which immediately precedes the currently displayed Web document in the history list. The "Forward" command is accessible to the user either through a pull down menu or through a virtual "Forward" button. By repeatedly issuing "Back" and/or "Forward" commands, the user can sequentially traverse the history list in either direction.
Chronological history lists in the context of hypertext documents, such as Web documents, become exceedingly complicated as a user navigates the various hypertext documents. The following example illustrates this limitation. Consider a hypertext document A with links to hypertext documents B, C, and D. Consider further that hypertext documents B, C, and D include links to (i) hypertext documents E, F, and G, (ii) hypertext documents H and I, and (iii) hypertext document J, respectively. A user specifies hypertext document A for retrieval and display and thereafter gestures to identify the link to hypertext document B to cause retrieval and display of hypertext document B. Identifying a link to cause retrieval and display of a document referenced by the link is generally referred to as "following" the link. The user follows the link within hypertext document B to hypertext document hypertext document F. At this point, the history list includes user data specifying hypertext documents A, B, and F. However, if the user determines that hypertext documents B and F are not of interest, the user can follow the history list back to hypertext document A. At this point, the history list includes user data specifying hypertext documents A, B, F, B, and A. The user can then follow a link to hypertext document D, causing the history list to include user data specifying hypertext documents A, B, F, B, A, and D. If the user repeatedly follows links to hypertext documents and then reverses the followed links as described above, the history list becomes cluttered with user data redundantly specifying various hypertext documents.
The Netscape Web browser avoids such redundant specification of hypertext documents by removing from the history list links which are subsequently followed in reverse by use of the "Back" command. In the above example, when the user follows links in reverse by use of the "Back" command to go back from hypertext document F to hypertext document B and back to hypertext document A and then follows the link to hypertext document D, specification of hypertext documents F and B are removed from the history list. Thus, the history list resulting from the above exemplary hypertext document navigation in the context of the Netscape Web browser includes user data specifying hypertext documents A and D. This approach, while avoiding redundant specification of hypertext documents, also avoids recording in the history mechanism previously retrieved hypertext documents. Thus, if the user later determines that hypertext document F is of interest, the user cannot use the history list to regenerate user data specifying hypertext document F for retrieval and display.
The second history mechanism provided by the Netscape Web browser involves the notion of virtual bookmarks. A virtual bookmark stores in a history database user data specifying a Web document which the user identifies as important. For example, when the user views a Web document retrieved and displayed by the Web browser, the user determines whether the Web document is one that the user is likely to want to see again. If the user determines that the user is likely to request retrieval and display of the Web document again, the user issues a command to the Web browser to store the URL and title of the currently displayed Web document in a structure of virtual bookmarks. The user can later regenerate user data specifying the Web document for retrieval and display by selecting the title of the Web document from the structure of virtual bookmarks. This mechanism has the advantage that only Web documents which are of interest are stored in the structure of virtual bookmarks. In addition, the Netscape Web browser provides a mechanism by which the user can organize the virtual bookmarks of the structure in any order. Furthermore, the user can include in the structure headers of multiple hierarchical levels to form a hierarchical structure and organize virtual bookmarks within the hierarchical structure.
The bookmark history mechanism of Web browsers suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, the user must anticipate which Web documents the user will want to retrieve and display at a later time. The user is not always blessed with such foresight. Accordingly, the desired Web document may not be found in the structure of virtual bookmarks. In addition, users typically save scores of virtual bookmarks, sometimes in excess of one hundred virtual bookmarks. To facilitate location of a particular virtual bookmark from the structure of bookmarks, the user must generally expend time and energy to categorize and organize saved virtual bookmarks. Such organization by one user is generally specific to that user's unique perspective of the various Web documents and the utility of the various Web documents. Therefore, a second user cannot always easily navigate the particular organization established by the first user. Furthermore, the mechanism by which a user organizes virtual bookmarks requires a level of skill beyond that required for simple navigation of the World Wide Web using the Web browser. Accordingly, novice users are sometimes intimidated by this mechanism and accordingly decline to save and organize virtual bookmarks. Even for users who can manage to organize saved virtual bookmarks, doing so requires time and effort which can be devoted to more important or rewarding pursuits.
Thus, conventional history mechanisms organize previously generated user data by chronology, by the first alphabetic character of the user data, or by an organization imposed upon the user data by the user. What is needed is a history mechanism in which previously generated user data can be easily and quickly located within a structure of previously generated user data. What is further needed is a system and method for automatically generating an organizational structure for storing previously generated user data to facilitate location of previously generated user data within the organizational structure without requiring the user to construct the organizational structure. What is farther needed is a history mechanism by which a user can recall and regenerate previously generated user data without requiring the user to recall the initial character or characters of the previously generated user data and without requiring the user to search for the previously generated user data in a chronological list of previously generated user data. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to housings for protecting regulators and gauges associated with pressurized gas supplies. More particularly, the present invention concerns a housing for supporting and protectively enclosing a regulator and one or more gauges associated with providing, controlling, and monitoring a flow of a gas from a pressurized gas supply, such as is commonly used, for example, in welding, cutting, or otherwise heating metal, wherein the housing is both modular and hingedly mounted for ease of use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to transport pressurized gas supplies, such as, for example, conventional gas cylinders, by a truck or similar vehicle for use onsite to weld, cut, or otherwise heat metal. Typically, a regulator is provided to stop, start, and otherwise control a flow of a gas from the gas supply, and one or more gauges are provided for monitoring the flow. The regulator and gauges must be mounted so as to be both conveniently accessible for use and visibly monitorable during use. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that it is highly desirable to protect the regulator and gauges from damage, particularly from damage which could affect their accuracy.
In the prior art, it is well-known to provide a housing for protectively enclosing the regulator and the gauges. Typically, the regulator and gauges mount within or behind the housing and the housing itself mounts upon a surface of the truck or other vehicle. Unfortunately, prior art housings suffers from a number of disadvantages, including, for example, that accessing the regulator or gauges for maintenance, leak testing, or other purposes is substantially inconvenient, requiring that the housing be completely dismounted. Furthermore, where two or more different gases and gas supplies are used, such as, for example, when welding or cutting metal using both oxygen gas and acetylene gas, a corresponding number of housings must be separately mounted to the vehicle, thereby undesirably requiring, for example, that twice as many mounting holes be drilled into the mounting surface. Additionally, because the regulator and gauges are mounted to the housing and the housing is mounted to the vehicle, vibrations and impacts are often undesirably transferred from the vehicle to the regulator and gauges, thereby potentially resulting in decreased accuracy or other damage.
Due to these and other problems and disadvantages in the prior art, a need exists for an improved housing for protectively enclosing the regulator and gauges. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device that has been used typically employs a polarizing film using linearly polarized light. The polarizing film is fabricated by adsorbing an iodine or dichroic dye on a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film to form a resulting adsorbed film and stretching the resulting adsorbed film in a certain direction.
The polarizing film fabricated thus cannot be used as a practical polarizing film since its mechanical strength is weak with respect to the direction of a transmission axis and a polarizing function is significantly degraded due to shrinkage by heat or moisture.
In order to solve the above problems, a polarizing film having a structure in which an adhesive is adhered between supports such as an acetic acid cellulose film, etc. has been developed.
The polarizing film using the above-described polyvinyl alcohol film produces linearly polarized light by absorbing light that progresses in one direction while passing only light that vibrates in the other direction. Thus, efficiency of the polarizing film does not exceed 50% theoretically, which acts as the most significant factor to reduce the efficiency and brightness of an LCD.
If a reflective polarizing film formed by using cholesteric liquid crystal is additionally used, the shortcomings of the conventional polarizing films can be improved greatly. Cholesteric liquid crystals have a selective reflection characteristic in which a twisted direction of a spiral liquid crystal structure and an oriented direction of a circularly polarized light are consistent with each other and only a circularly polarized light of which wavelength is the same as the spiral pitch of the liquid crystal is reflected. If the selective reflection characteristic is employed, it is possible to fabricate a polarizing film that converts non-polarized light of a constant wavelength band into a specific circularly polarized light.
That is, if non-polarized light in which a left circularly polarized light component and a right circularly polarized light component are mixed equally is incident to a cholestric liquid crystal film having a left-wind or right-wind spiral structure, a circularly polarized light of which direction is the same as the spiral direction is reflected and a circularly polarized light of which direction is in the opposite direction to the spiral direction is transmitted. At this time, the transmitted circularly polarized light is converted to a linearly polarized light after passing through a ¼λ retardation film. The circularly polarized light reflected thus has its polarization direction changed and transmitted if it is reflected again from a reflective plate. Thus, the whole circularly polarized light can transmit the liquid crystal film. Accordingly, if the polarizing film formed by using the cholesteric liquid crystal film is employed additionally, brightness can be improved significantly compared to the case in which only a conventional absorption type polarizing film that absorbs 50% light is used because there is no loss of light theoretically.
However, a backlight used in an LCD usually generates light of a visible band (400 to 700 nm) that is a region where colors are displayed. Therefore, the selective reflection wavelength region of the cholestric liquid crystal film has to cover the visible light region. If the selective reflection wavelength region of the cholestric liquid crystal film does not cover the visible light region, light of a certain wavelength which is not selectively reflected get into the polarizing film in a non-polarizing state. Accordingly, there is a problem that the picture quality of the LCD is degraded. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to the field of photobioreactors. More particularly, it concerns a photobioreactor, a culture unit and a process for cultivating photosynthetic organisms, such as microalgae.
The algae biomass artificially produced is usually dried and used as a nutraceutical food for humans. Derived fine biochemical products can be extracted from algae, for instance, cosmetic pigments, fatty acids, antioxidants, proteins with prophylactic action, growth factors, antibiotics, vitamins and polysaccharides. The algic biomass can also be useful, in a low dose, to replace or decrease the level of antibiotic in animal food or be useful as a source of proteins. Furthermore, the algic biomass provided in a wet form, as opposed to a dried form, can be fermented or liquefied by thermal processes to produce fuel. The algae biomass which may have commercial interests are: Spirulina maximum, Spirulina platensis, Dunaliella salina, Botrycoccus braunii, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Serenastrum capricomutum, Scenedesmus auadricauda, Anabaenopsis, Aulosira, Cylindrospermum, and Tolypothrix.
Various approaches of algae production are known in the art. A first generation of photobioreactors is based on the use of shallow lagoons agitated with one or several paddle wheels. The photobioreactors of this first generation have the disadvantage of offering poor productivity to the seasonal and daily climatic variations and are thus to be confined to tropical and subtropical areas. They also have the disadvantage of being prone to contamination.
Other approaches of algae production have emerged over the past years. An example, is the use of closed cultivating systems which have gained popularity because they overcame the majority of the limitations allotted to the conventional shallow lagoons. The most popular closed cultivating systems are the tubular photobioreactors whose configuration allows to reach high production rates due to the optimization of their light path, their temperature control and their culture mixture. This second generation of photobioreactors allows for an automated control and a more effective absorption of CO2 used as a source of carbon. It also allows the pH of the culture medium to be lowered. Examples of tubular photobioreactors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,137,828; 5,242,827 and 6,174,720.
The photobioreactors of the first and second generations were constructed to principally receive the sun""s daylight. Their productivity is indeed limited to the intensity of the sun, which intensity depends on the photoperiod, the season, the localization and the diurnal cycle. It is possible to provide an artificial light to compensate for the periods of low intensity. However, in such a case, the energy losses are numerous. The fact that these types of photobioreactors are being laid out outside, even under a greenhouse, also limits their use in more moderate climatic areas.
The use of artificial light as an energy source for the growth of microalgae was the subject of several studies and gave birth to the third generation of photobioreactors. Photobioreactors of various shapes and employing various systems of artificial lighting are known in the art. Examples of these photobioreactors are given in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,803; 5,169,051 and 5,614,378. Because their scaling was too expensive, the photobioreactors of the third generation rarely exceeded the stage of prototype. Furthermore, a major drawback with these photobioreactors, is that they become dirty or contaminated unless special precautions are taken. Indeed, adhesions of microalgae occur in a natural manner, particularly on the walls where light is emitted. The extent of this phenomenon is a function of the cultured algae species, as well as the constituent material of the light-emitting devices and the culturing conditions. This effect of adhesion of microalgae leads to a reduction in the volume of culture exposed to the light. It also increases the risks of contamination as a result of the development of bacteria and/or protozoa, which develop in the absence of light.
On an other hand, it is now of general knowledge that the main gas causing the greenhouse effect and the reheating of the planet is the carbon dioxide (CO2). This gas comes from various sources. CO2 of anthropic origin is emitted by breathing, fossil combustion of fuel and by certain chemical processes. It is also shown that the inorganic carbon provided in the form of gaseous CO2 or of bicarbonate can be useful as the only source of carbon for the growth of the microalgae. The gaseous CO2 is generally directly injected into the culture medium at concentrations reaching 15%, the balance consisting of air. Though more expensive, the bicarbonate, generally provided in the form of sodium bicarbonate, is another source of inorganic carbon assimilable by the microalgae.
Several drawbacks were identified concerning the coupling of techniques involving the sequestration by the microalgae of CO2 of anthropic origin. The most important drawbacks are the dependence on the light intensity of the sun, the external temperature, the large surfaces occupied by basins of low yield culture and the CO2 absorption towers.
Although many photobioreactors have been proposed in the prior art, there is still a need for an improved photobioreactor using artificial light as the energy source for photosynthesis. Indeed, there is a need for a photobioreactor designed so as to reduce or eliminate the problem described above concerning the accumulation of microalgae on the light-emitting source. There is also a need for a photobioreactor that can easily be coupled with techniques involving the recycling of CO2 of anthropic origin.
An object of the present invention is to provide a photobioreactor that satisfies at least one of the above-mentioned needs.
According to the present invention that object is achieved with a photobioreactor comprising a container for containing a liquid culture medium for cultivating photosynthetic organisms, and a plurality of parallel light-emitting tubes mounted within the container and extending in a first direction, each light-emitting tube having an outer surface. The photobioreactor further comprises cleaning means mounted within the container for cleaning the outer surface of the light-emitting tubes, and actuating means for actuating the cleaning means.
Thanks to the cleaning means provided within the container and the actuating means for actuating the same, it is possible with the present invention to easily get rid of the cultivated organisms which may block the light source by adhering to the same. Also, the simplicity of its concept makes it a very attractive and easy tool to be used for growing a desired organism at a substantially low cost.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a culture unit for cultivating photosynthetic organisms, comprising a photobioreactor for cultivating a photosynthetic organism in a liquid culture medium and a bioreactor for producing bicarbonate ions and hydrogen ions from a CO2-containing gas, the bioreactor comprising:
a reaction chamber containing immobilized carbonic anhydrase or analog thereof capable of catalyzing the hydration of dissolved CO2 into the bicarbonates ions and hydrogen ions,
a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, for receiving a liquid,
a gas inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, for receiving a CO2-containing gas; and
a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber, for dispensing a liquid solution containing the bicarbonates ions and hydrogen ions.
The culture unit further comprises means for transferring the solution of bicarbonates ions and hydrogen ions dispensed from the liquid outlet to the photobioreactor.
As can be appreciated, one advantage of a culture unit as defined above is that it allows the use, at low cost, of bicarbonate ions as the source of carbon necessary for the growth of the organisms. Also, thanks to the use of a CO2-containing gas in the bioreactor, the unit has the advantage of reducing CO2 contained in the air. Consequently, it also helps reducing the greenhouse effect mentioned above.
The invention also proposes a process for producing photosynthetic organisms, the process comprising the steps of:
a) cultivating a photosynthetic organism in a photobioreactor as defined above, and thereby obtaining a liquid culture medium containing photosynthetic organisms;
b) removing from the photobioreactor a portion of the liquid culture medium; and
c) separating the liquid culture medium of step b) into a solid phase containing the photosynthetic organisms and a liquid phase. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to protective equipment for sports participants and, more particularly, to a neck roll apparatus and method for protecting a sports participant against neck injuries.
2. The Prior Art
Football is a popular contact sport both for participants and spectators and is engaged in by various age groups and organizations. As a sport, football involves vigorous bodily contact so that each participant wears extensive protective equipment so as to reduce, to the extent possible, bodily injury. This protective equipment ranges between fitted helmets with face guards to special shoes. The protective equipment is designed to protect the body from injuries resulting from direct impact during the game. However, numerous injuries result from the force of impact being transmitted through the protective equipment to another part of the body, for example, by causing movement in a direction for which the body is not prepared. Serious knee, shoulder, arm, and neck injuries are sustained as a result of these kinds of forces.
Neck injuries are particularly dangerous because of the serious consequence to the player. Many neck injuries result from an impact to the head (although protected by a helmet) which forces the neck backwardly beyond its normal range of motion. This type of injury is particularly prevalent among football players who are designated as linemen and who plunge headfirst into the opposing linemen at the line of scrimmage. Typically, the helmet and shoulder pads absorb most of the forces received by the player but, on unfortunate occasions, the player's head/helmet is forced sharply backward beyond the normal range of motion of the neck causing injury to the player's neck.
In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide a protective device to reduce neck injuries. An even further advancement in the art would be to provide a neck roll which can be worn by the football player, the neck roll providing a cushion for the back of the neck to reduce injuries by restricting the backwardly oriented range of motion of the neck. Such a novel device and method is disclosed and claimed herein. | {
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Systems for controlling the movement of barriers, such as upward acting sectional or single panel garage doors, rollup doors, gates, and other types of motor operated barriers, utilize remotely controlled barrier operators for effecting the requisite control. The remote control of the barrier operator is typically provided by user-actuation of interior or exterior building mounted consoles, in wired or wireless communication with the barrier operator, as well as by remotely located hand held or vehicle mounted wireless transmitters, transmitting barrier movement commands, typically access code encrypted, to the barrier operator. A microprocessor or microcontroller based controller unit associated with the barrier operator receives and decrypts these encrypted commands, and based thereon, instructs an associated motor to respectively open, close, halt the travel of, or otherwise move, the barrier in accordance with the transmitted commands.
The wireless transmissions are typically in the form of radio frequency (RF) transmitted data packets, the data packets thereafter received by an appropriately tuned RF receiver associated with the barrier operator, where they are then decoded and processed by the barrier operator controller. A typical RF communication protocol now in use by the industry adopts code-hopping encryption of the access codes, sometimes referred to as “rolling codes”, to prevent capture of the access codes by those not authorized to control the barrier operator.
Various drive assemblies are used to move the garage door or other barrier in accordance with the instructed operation. For example, it is typical in garage door installations for an AC or DC motor to reciprocatingly drive a coupled screw, belt or chain to correspondingly move a carriage interconnected with the garage door back and forth along a building mounted rail, thereby moving the door in the respectively instructed direction. The barrier operator, directing the motor shaft to turn in one direction or the other, thus causes the door to be moved by the drive assembly along a pair of oppositely disposed curved tracks between a fully vertical (closed) position and a fully horizontal (open) position. A large compression spring, along with associated pulleys and trained cables connected to the door, provide assistance to the door opening and closing operations.
Various techniques are also known to those of ordinary skill in the art for electronically setting the open and close travel limits of the carriage as well as electronically establishing the force sensitivity limits. The electronically set force sensitivity limits determine the upper limits of the force to which the door can be subjected as it travels along its path before there is an indication of an obstruction. Exceeding these limits then typically results in either the stoppage, or the stoppage and reversal, of the motor (and thus the door travel), respectively depending upon the door's then existing direction of travel.
While the past years have witnessed increased sophistication in the design and operation of these barrier operator systems, the present systems are not entirely satisfactory for all conditions of service. Consequently, it is the principal object of the herein described inventions to provide such improvements and additions to existing barrier operator systems, particularly in the area of a new and improved mechanical drive sub-system as well as to the electronics and software controls thereof, so as to provide improved operating characteristics of the resulting systems. | {
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This invention relates generally to composite stray field electrode materials. More particularly, it relates to stray field electrodes comprising filled conductive silicone elastomers and to methods for determining the presence of water in insulating materials, such as those used in electrical power generation.
Water detection methods are available for a variety of end use applications. For example, the water content of porous materials such as soil has been measured by using electromagnetic fields, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,293. Moreover, the determination of moisture content in materials such as wet or cured concrete is sometimes very important in the building industry. U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,951, for example, describes an electrical measuring probe useful for such a purpose.
Water detection is also important in water-cooled electrical generators. The stator yoke in these generators surrounds the armature core and partially encloses the armature windings, which are sometimes referred to as "stator winding" or "stator bar." As one typical example, copper conductors are usually wound in the armature to form loops. The armature windings are arranged in such a manner that the desired voltage and current characteristics can be maintained by the generator in operation. A number of the individual conductors (sometimes referred to herein as "strands") inside the stator bars are hollow, to allow for the flow of cooling water from a coolant system.
Electrical insulation is wrapped around both the strands and the stator bars, and is also often used to separate some of the strands from each other, or from other conductive structures, such as portions of the steel stator yoke. The ground wall insulation which is usually wrapped around the stator bars can be formed of various materials. Examples are fiberglass tape, vacuum/pressure-impregnating resins, casting and potting resins, and different types of laminates made by bonding layers of a reinforcing web.
A preferred type of generator insulation is mica-based insulating tapes. Various types of mica-based tapes are available (e.g., Micapal.TM. tapes). Most of these types consist of mica flakes or laminates bound together with a resinous binder, such as an epoxy material.
The durability and integrity of the insulation during operation of electrical generators is of great importance. The stator bars operate at very high voltages, e.g., greater than 10,000 volts in a large generator. The voltage must remain isolated from ground. Any "flashover" from one stator bar to another, or from one electrical phase to another, or to ground could activate safety mechanisms which automatically shut down the generator. A sudden shut-down could instantaneously direct the current flow (often greater than 2,000 amps) to ground, an event which in some circumstances could severely damage many of the generator components.
The leakage of water into the ground-wall insulation can damage water-cooled electric generators and ultimately lead to the catastrophic failures mentioned above. Water leaks from the coolant system are often found in or near the many brazed connections at the junction of a stator winding terminus and a water hose connection. The leaks are caused by a variety of factors, such as stress cracks or porosity in copper castings or corrosion of the braze materials. As described by J. Timperley in Rotating Machinery, 62 PAIC 95 (copyright 1995 Doble Engineering Co.), water can then begin migrating along voids between the ground wall insulation and the strands, and can delaminate the mica-flake tape layers within the ground wall insulation. Failure of the generator can occur when water contaminates the ground-wall insulation in the vicinity of the stator core, where higher voltage stresses are present. Although on-line failures of generators due to water leakage are a rare occurrence, the damage caused by such an event could be extreme, as mentioned above.
Failure is most often experienced during routine maintenance or testing of the generator. For example, a stator water pumping unit may be left in operation when the generator is degassed. Under those conditions, the pressure differential may force water through a leak site and into the ground-wall insulation. In general, even very small water leaks can be detrimental to a generator if they are allowed to persist.
There are a number of techniques which are presently used to detect water in electrical insulation. One technique is capacitance mapping, as described in the Timperley article mentioned above. Another technique is the so-called direct current ("DC") technique for detecting water "trees" in insulated power cables, described in H. Oonishi et al. in IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. PWRD-2, No. 1, January 1987. Other techniques also include the stator leak monitoring system (SLMS), use of a tracer gas such as sulfur hexafluoride, or the use of thermographic video cameras.
However, all of the above techniques suffer from one or more disadvantages. The disadvantages include poor sensitivity to the presence of water, inability to detect water while the generator is on-line, failure to accurately indicate the location of the water in the insulation, and damage to the insulation being monitored.
Thus, a method and an apparatus for detecting the presence of water in materials which overcomes or reduces these disadvantages would be desirable. It is desirable that an electrode, method and apparatus be suitable for testing of an insulating material which is incorporated into electrical power equipment, such as water-cooled generator insulation. It would be desirable if the apparatus could be employed while the power equipment was in operation, so that unnecessary shut-downs could be avoided. Finally, the method and apparatus should be accurate, exhibit good sensitivity to the presence of water and not add significant expense to any of the related procedures, such as power generation. The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least reducing one or more problems set forth above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to generally to fuel delivery systems, and more particularly, to a method of determining wall wetting for a port injected internal combustion engine.
2. Background and Summary of the Invention
Internal combustion engines are employed most efficiently and with minimal pollution when the correct fuel to air ratio is maintained. This is easier said than done, because transient conditions during engine operation make it difficult to determine the precise quantity of fuel that should be injected at any given instant. In a present-day fuel injection system, fuel is injected into the intake port of the fuel intake manifold. There, the fuel is mixed with air and introduced into the cylinder when the intake valve is opened. There are several factors which contribute to the efficient delivery of the fuel droplets into the cylinder. These factors include the injector targeting which includes the direction of fuel spray from the injector relative to the intake valve. Another factor is the injection timing which involves the start and finish times for injecting fuel relative to the times that the valve is opened and closed. The injection spray envelope is also an important factor in reducing wall wetting. An injection spray envelope which is too narrow causes a fuel droplet spray which does not properly mix with the air being induced. An injection spray envelope which is too wide causes fuel droplets to impinge against the walls of the intake manifold, thereby causing a film to develop on the wall. The droplet size of the injected fuel is also an important factor in wall wetting. For example, if the droplets are too large, they fail to mix properly with the induced air. Since the amount of wall wetting can have a great impact on the engine emissions and performance, a simple technique for quantifying or qualifying wall wetting would be welcome during the engine development process. Thus, the optimization of injector targeting, injection timing, injection spray envelope, and injection fuel droplet size can be obtained in order to reduce the engine emissions.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of determining wall wetting for an engine, which includes running a multi-cylinder (or single cylinder) engine at a predetermined speed and load. The fuel delivery and spark to one of the cylinders is then interrupted. The hydrocarbon level exhausted from the cylinder is then measured for a predetermined number of engine cycles. The test results can then be curve fitted to the relationship HCPPM=(A+BN).sup.(1/exp). In this relationship, HCPPM is the hydrocarbon count in parts per million, A and B are each constants, N is the number of engine cycles after interrupt and the exponent "exp" is derived using an iterative process. The exponent which is derived is the main qualifier for wall wetting.
The apparatus for determining wall wetting for an engine according to the present invention includes a dynamometer attached to an output of the engine. A hydrocarbon level detector disposed in an exhaust passage of a cylinder of the engine. A fuel delivery and spark interrupting device is provided for interrupting fuel delivery and spark to the cylinder of the engine. A crank angle data acquisition device is provided for counting engine cycles of the engine. A processor is provided for curve fitting data obtained by the hydrocarbon level detector and the fuel delivery and spark interrupting device to the relationship HCPPM=(A+BN).sup.(1/exp) and solving for the exponent exp.
The method of the present invention can be utilized for comparing different injector targeting, injection timing, injection spray envelope, and injected fuel droplet size set up arrangements. Thus, the method of the present invention provides a simple technique for optimization of each of these factors.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to analog circuits, and more particularly, to amplifiers.
With increasing data rates in electronic systems, it is expected that optical interconnects (optical fibers) may in the near future replace wire interconnects at the board-to-board and chip-to-chip level. For example, a computer system such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 may comprise one or more boards 102 and memory hierarchy 104 that exchange data packets over optical interconnects 106. These packets may be routed via switch 108, or perhaps the various integrated circuits may be directly connected to one another. In the example of FIG. 1, each board 102 comprises I/O circuit or board 110, and comprises one or more microprocessors, e.g., microprocessor 112, in communication with its corresponding I/O circuit.
An I/O circuit utilizes an optical transceiver, comprising an optical transmitter for up-converting an electrical signal to an optical signal, and an optical receiver for down-converting an optical signal to an electrical signal. An optical receiver usually comprises a photodetector to provide an electrical signal indicative of a received optical signal. A typical small-signal model for a photodetector is provided in FIG. 2, comprising small-signal current source 202 and parasitic capacitor 204. The small-signal current provided by current source 202 is representative of the received optical signal. The output current signal is provided at output port 206.
The output signal provided by the photodetector is amplified to a logical voltage level before utilized by a CDR (Clock and Data Recovery) circuit to recover both the original clock signal and the optically transferred data. A multi-stage amplifier is often employed to amplify the small signal output of the photodetector to a logical voltage level. The front end of the multi-stage amplifier usually a transimpedance amplifier. A transimpedance amplifier provides a small-signal output voltage signal in response to a small-signal input current signal. As one example, the output voltage signal of a transimpedance amplifier may have an amplitude in the range of 100 mV. Because this voltage swing is usually inadequate to drive a CDR circuit, further amplification is usually provided by a limiting and saturating post-amplifier.
Currently, high speed optical communication links involve data rates high than 10 Gb/s (bits-per-second). The bandwidth of a transimpedance amplifier is typically chosen to be equal to about 0.7 times the bit-rate, which is a compromise between the total integrated noise and the intersymbol interference resulting from the limited bandwidth. For example, a 14 GHz bandwidth transimpedance amplifier may be desirable for a 20 Gb/s optical link. Furthermore, the number of photons integrated in the photo detector during one clock cycle and the resulting number of electrons generated by the photodetector is relatively low. As a result, there is a need for high gain, high bandwidth transimpedance amplifiers. In the past, such transimpedance amplifiers have often been realized by expensive and high power consumption Si-bipolar or III-V semiconductor technologies. But for a low cost solution, it would be desirable to realize high gain, high bandwidth transimpedance amplifiers utilizing CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technology. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A dye-sensitized solar cell is a photoelectrochemical solar cell originally invented by Grätzel et al. in Switzerland in 1991. Generally, it includes photosensitive dye molecules capable of creating electron-hole pairs, a transition metal oxide used for transport of electrons generated, an electrolyte, and electrodes positioned on both sides.
The dye-sensitized solar cell has advantages over the existing silicon solar cells, such as its simple and eco-friendly manufacturing process and low production cost per electricity generated by it. The conventional dye-sensitized solar cells are, however, prepared using a liquid-state electrolyte and are thus disadvantageously poor in reliability and long-term stability due to leakage or volatilization of the electrolyte.
As one of the solutions to this problem, a dye-sensitized solar cell using a solid-state amorphous and polymer electrolyte as a hole-transporting material has been suggested [Bach, U. et al., Nature 395, 583-585 (1998)].
However, the solid-state electrolyte has such a high viscosity that it cannot be sufficiently filled in gaps formed between semiconductor particles constituting the photoelectrodes in the manufacture of the dye-sensitized solar cell. Such a limited fill efficiency of the electrolyte leads to a difficulty in making the photoelectrodes thick, consequently with deteriorated light-to-energy conversion efficiency and poor reproducibility based on the process environments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Post hole diggers mounted on a three-point hitch of a tractor and connected to the tractor power takeoff are highly effective in digging post holes, but inclusion of a mechanism to reverse rotation of the auger is needed in case underground obstacles such as strong roots or rocks are encountered. Various approaches have been taken, including use of a kit or adapter including a gear transmission providing forward and reverse capability, with this mechanism being placed outside of the power head of the system. It is desired to include a reversing mechanism within the power head, with this mechanism being self-contained in a common housing or case, so that such capability is provided for in initial design and manufacturing steps. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electroluminescent devices that perform multicolor light emission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an electroluminescent device has a plurality of optical output parts, each including a light-emitting layer and a resonator structure that resonates light emitted from the light-emitting layer. The resonator structure includes, for example, electrodes having the light-emitting layer interposed therebetween. A resonant wavelength of the light resonated by the resonator structure changes in accordance with an output angle of the light output from the electroluminescent device. Thus, the intensity of the light output from the electroluminescent device changes in accordance with the output angle of the light.
In an electroluminescent device that performs multicolor light emission, an intensity ratio among the multiple color light rays output from the respective optical output parts constituting pixels of the respective colors fluctuates in accordance with the output angle of the light rays, thus leading to color shifts in which the luminescent colors vary depending on the output angle (viewing direction).
However, in a typical electroluminescent device, the countermeasure against color shifts is insufficient, and therefore, color-shift prevention still needs to be improved.
Furthermore, since the sensitivity of the human eye (i.e. visibility) varies depending on the wavelength, it is necessary to prevent color shifts in view of the visibility.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electroluminescent device that can suppress the occurrence of color shifts in the luminescent colors when the viewing direction changes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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There are known semiconductor memory devices having memory cells that can store data of 2 bits or more. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Embodiments described herein relate generally to devices, systems and methods for measuring the close remaining in a drug delivery device.
Many chronic disease patients are prescribed medications that need to be self administered using injection pens or similar drug delivery devices. For example, patients diagnosed with Type I or II diabetes need to regularly check their blood glucose levels and self administer an appropriate dose of insulin using an injection pen. In order to monitor the efficacy of the medication, dose information needs to be recorded. The process of manually logging dose information, particularly in an uncontrolled setting, is tedious and error prone. Patients often forget to log the dose information when administering medicine. In addition, many such patients can be minors or elderly and cannot efficiently keep track of the dose information.
Incomplete dosage records binder the ability of the patient to self-manage disease conditions and prevent caretakers from adjusting care plans through behavioral insight. Lack of adherence to target dosage schedules for injectable medicine can result in an increased need for critical care, which results in a significant increase in health care costs in countries around the world.
Thus, there is a need for better technological aids to assist patients in improving their ability to self-manage disease treatment. Such aids can not only make the patients more aware and educated about their health condition, but also assist caregivers in better monitoring patient health. In particular, there is a need for systems, devices and methods that facilitate data acquisition on patient behavior and that allow that data to be used to reduce the incidence of hospital visits (e.g., readmission), as well as to inform and educate patients, care providers, family and financial service providers. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and an interferometer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning device may be used to generate a desired circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist).
The term “patterning device” as here employed should be broadly interpreted as referring to a device that can be used to impart an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate; the term “light valve” can also be used in this context. Generally, the pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning devices include: a mask: the concept of a mask (also known as a “reticle”) is well known in lithography, and it includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmission mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. In the case of a mask, the support structure will generally be a mask table/holder/holder, which ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired; a programmable mirror array: one example of such a device is a matrix-addressable surface having a visco-elastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that (for example) addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as non-diffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the non-diffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable surface. An alternative embodiment of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of tiny mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted about an axis by applying a suitable localized electric field, or by employing piezoelectric actuation mechanism. Once again, the mirrors are matrix-addressable, such that addressed mirrors will reflect an incoming radiation beam in a different direction to unaddressed mirrors; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable mirrors. The required matrix addressing can be performed using suitable electronic means. In both of the situations described here above, the patterning device can comprise one or more programmable mirror arrays. More information on mirror arrays as here referred to can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,891 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,193, and PCT patent applications WO 98/38597 and WO 98/33096, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the case of a programmable mirror array, the support structure may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required; and a programmable LCD array: an example of such a construction is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,872, which is incorporated herein by reference. As above, the support structure in this case may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required.
For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask and mask table/holder/holder; however, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning device as set forth here above.
In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In current apparatus, employing patterning by a mask on a mask table/holder/holder, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper.
In an alternative apparatus—commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus—each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the “scanning” direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table/holder/holder parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. Since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally <1), the speed V at which the substrate table/holder/holder is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table/holder/holder is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as here described can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic apparatus, a pattern (e.g. as defined by a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g. an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. Further information regarding such processes can be obtained, for example, from the book “Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processing”, Third Edition, by Peter van Zant, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN 0-07-067250-4, incorporated herein by reference.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the “lens”; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a “lens”.
Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate table/holder/holders (and/or two or more mask table/holders). In such “multiple stage” devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Dual stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and WO 98/40791, both incorporated herein by reference.
The ever present demand in lithography to image mask patterns with a small critical dimensions (CD) necessitates increasing accuracy of the positioning of the substrate table, the substrate and/or any other object which is moveable within the apparatus. This drives the need for ever increasing accuracy of the knowledge of a position of such objects.
Conventional interferometer systems are often capable of accurately carrying out a well known measurement of a difference in phase between light which has traveled along a reference path and light which has traveled along a measurement path. In this specification, these type of measurements are referred to as phase measurements. A measured change of difference in phase corresponds to a displacement of an object. In other words, a phase measurement can be regarded as a displacement measurement. Although a phase measurement provides some information on a displacement of an object, information is only provided with respect to a previous location of that object itself.
In this specification, a position is to be understood to mean a position that is defined with respect to a known position that is stable in time. A position of an object is defined with respect to a reference position, stable in time of, for instance, another object, lens, or axis within the lithographic apparatus. The position of an object, for example, the substrate table, is in the known lithographic apparatus determined by employing a so-called zeroing system which is a stand-alone system in the sense that it is provided in addition to the interferometer system. A measured displacement may provide a position if the phase measurement is combined with a determination of a position by the zeroing system. The zeroing system provides, for instance, a position from which the displacement takes place. As such, the zeroing system in the prior art is a system which operates independently of the interferometer system. The zeroing system is in that sense another module of the known apparatus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic head for use in magnetic recording and to a fabrication method thereof. An embodiment of the present invention relates particularly to a read/write magnetic head which is suitable for high density read/write operations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of conventional magnetic head technology is disclosed in JP-A-59-178609.
A magnetic head of the type in which only a head gap portion projects to a medium direction has been proposed in order to accomplish high density magnetic recording. For example, "IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS", Vol. 24, No. 6, November, 1984, pp. 2841-2843, describes a method of deciding a track width of a magnetic head by applying machining from an air bearing surface side.
As to a magnetoresistive head (hereinafter referred to as an "MR head") used as a read-only magnetic head, too, JP-A-59-71124 and JP-A-1-277313 disclose structure in which only a track width portion (magnetic sensing region) is projected to a medium opposing surface.
On the other hand, a read/write magnetic head produced by integrating the MR head and an induction type write head is known from JP-A-51-44917, for example. | {
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This invention relates to mechanical delay lines and, more specifically to mechanical delay lines wherein a coaxial cable is moved axially with respect to a contact member to effect a change of the cable's effective electrical length.
The principal and purpose of such devices are well known in the art. By proper mechanical positioning of the cables, the effective electrical length of the co-axial conductors can be changed to provide a desired phase shift to establish a desired time-delay between the application of a signal to the input end of the conductors and the emergence of the signal from the output end.
Examples of related devices are illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,379,047; 2,407,147; and 2,468,147. The first of these patents shows two concentric conductors 16, 17 whose effective length is varied by means of an axially movable contact in the form of a spring 2 carried by a carrier nut 8, which is mounted on a lead screw driven by a controllable motor. The spring 2 occupies the space between the two concentric conductors 16, 17, and short-circuits the two conductors at the position to which it is moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,147 discloses a co-axial line having an outer conductor 1 and an inner conductor 2. A slidable sleeve 3 is mounted for axial movement about the central conductor 2, and terminates in a piston-like head 4 inside the coaxial section. As the sleeve 3 is moved by a rack and pinion arrangement, the piston head 4 couples the inner and outer conductors at a changing position along the length of the conductors.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,407,147 shows a device in which a short-circuiting member 37 has fingers 22 contacting an outer cylindrical conductor 10, and fingers 21 contacting an inner cylindrical conductor 11.
In addition to the foregoing devices, presently available mechanical delay lines are known wherein semi-rigid coaxial cables are moved axially into and out of a coaxial cavity, to change the location at which their inner and outer coaxial conductors are contacted by respective, non-moving elements within the housing. The change in location of the contacting members along the cable changes the effective electrical length of the coaxial conductors. These devices are sold by such companies as Arra Inc. (Bay Shore, N.Y.), Sage Laboratories, Inc. (Natick, Mass.) and Precision Tube Company, Inc. (North Wales, Pa.). These mechanical "delay lines" are sometimes referred to as "phase shifters", and it is understood that the two terms are also used interchangeably herein.
The use of known mechanical delay lines has been limited by wear-related problems, as well as by difficulties in precisely setting the position of the movable coaxial cable to achieve the desired delay with absolute accuracy.. The wear-related problems have arisen most noticably from the sliding contact of the shorting elements against the coaxially-extending conductors. Consequently, mechanical delay lines have been used for relatively few applications, wherein the number and frequency of adjustments is minimal. Typically, such adjustments were made only once for a fixed phase adjustment. Adjustment methods have included screwdriver-type adjustments, micrometer adjustments, or the use of a slow moving motor. | {
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Biosensors are measuring instruments that examine the properties of a substance using functions of an organism. These biosensors are excellent in sensitivity and reaction specificity because the biosensors use a biomaterial as detecting element. Thus, the biosensors are broadly used in various fields such as clinical chemical analysis, process instrumentation of bioindustry, environment instrumentation, stability evaluation of chemicals, and so on, and their usage is continuing to spread. Particularly, a variety of biosensors are used in a medical diagnostic field to analyze samples, particularly bio-samples. The biosensors are divided into enzyme assay biosensors and immunoassay biosensors according to the kind of detecting element, and into optical biosensors and electrochemical biosensors according to a method of quantitatively analyzing a target substance within a bio-sample.
The enzyme assay biosensors are designed to use a specific reaction between an enzyme and a substrate and a specific reaction between an enzyme and an enzyme inhibitor, and the immunoassay biosensors are designed to use a specific reaction between an antigen and an antibody.
The optical biosensors are widely used to measure a concentration of a target material by measuring transmittance, absorbance, or alteration in wavelength. The optical biosensors have an advantage in that, since reaction mechanisms of various materials to be analyzed have already been known and measurement is made after a reaction takes place for a sufficient time, a deviation in measurement time is low. In contrast, the optical biosensors have a disadvantage in that they require a longer measurement time and a greater quantity of samples than the electrochemical biosensors. Further, the optical biosensors have other disadvantages in that measured results are influenced by turbidity of a sample, and it is difficult to miniaturize an optical unit.
The electrochemical biosensors are used to measure a concentration of a target material by measuring an electric signal obtained from a reaction. The electrochemical biosensors have advantages in that it is possible to amplify a signal using a very small quantity of sample, they are easy to miniaturize, it is possible to stably obtain a measured signal, and they can be easily combined with a telecommunication instrument. However, the electrochemical biosensors have disadvantages in that an electrode manufacturing process is additionally required, the cost of production is high, and a measured signal is very sensitive to response time.
Meanwhile, a capillary structure is typically used to introduce a biomaterial such as a sample into a measuring region of the biosensor. In the case of conventional biosensors using such a capillary structure, a vent hole is generally formed in some of substrates forming a capillary. This vent hole allows air in the capillary to be discharged to the outside while a bio-sample is introduced into the capillary of the biosensor, thereby forcing the bio-sample to be continuously introduced into the capillary.
A biosensor having an opposing electrode structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,999. In this biosensor, three substrates including spacer are adhered to form a capillary gap, and upper and lower substrates are each provided with a vent hole at the same position. Thus, when a sample is introduced into the capillary gap defined by the three substrates including the spacer, air in the capillary gap is discharged to the outside via the vent holes formed in the upper and lower substrates. Another biosensor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,364, in which several substrates including an embossed substrate are adhered to form a capillary gap. In the biosensor, the uppermost substrate is provided with a vent hole to discharge air in the capillary gap when a sample is introduced.
In the case of these conventional biosensors, the capillary gap is formed by deforming or processing the substrate, so that the manufacturing process is complicated and expensive. Further, when the sample is introduced into the capillary gap, the air in the capillary gap is pushed out only through the vent hole, and thus the sample is introduced at a low speed. In addition, when a capillary wall has high friction, the sample may be introduced at a lower speed. | {
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Cables of the metal-clad type typically comprise an outer metallic armor or sheath which may be insulated and a plurality of internal conductors or wires, some of which may be individually insulated. Such metal clad cables are used, for example, for conducting power and/or control signals to distribution centers, motors, panel boards and numerous other electrical and electro-mechanical apparatus.
The environments in which such cables may be used may vary substantially. That is, cables are often connected to another cable or an electrical apparatus in moist conditions, sometimes even in standing water, in sandy or extremely dusty conditions, in conditions where there may be surrounding potentially explosive gases and numerous other surrounding environmental influences. Such other influences include vibrations and cable strains introduced by mechanical actions such as by pushes and pulls. A cable connector used to connect the cable to another cable or an electrical apparatus therefor is also subjected to similar environmental conditions. Cable connectors that do not properly seal the cable in certain potentially hazardous conditions permit an additional potential hazard to exist. For example, such leakage can introduce adverse conditions to the sensitive components of engines, switches, controls and the like. Moreover, apparatus which is potentially hazardous itself, such as in the case of motors capable of exploding when they fail, should be completely shielded at the wall of the apparatus so as to prevent personnel injuries and injury to other apparatus in the event of such an explosion.
Various electrical codes such as the National Electrical Code (NEC) require connectors used in these situations to be "explosion proof", i.e., the connector must be capable of withstanding explosion within a box or enclosure to which it is connected, preventing ignition thereby of surrounding gases and thus preventing transmission of gases through the cable core.
Therefore, it may be seen that such cable connectors are desirably made to insure a tight fit around the cable to reduce the effects of cable strain, provide a grounded connection to the metal armor and seal the cable from the above-mentioned environmental hazards.
Explosion-proof connectors in present use generally include multiple components, and often from six to ten parts, including various gland nuts, bushings, pressure rings, sleeves, lock nuts, gaskets and the like. As can be readily appreciated, these various structures must include fittings wherein the parts must precisely fit together to perform their intended functions. The loss of any part, which parts are usually non-standard by nature, means that the entire connector may no longer be useful. Furthermore, a connector made of many parts that fit together in a specific order is not only time-consuming and sometimes difficult to assemble, but is often susceptible to being constructed in the wrong order, in which event the entire connector becomes ineffective. As the seals are not successfully assured, grounding connections are not effectively made, and the like.
Beyond the above-known connectors, the cable terminating art has seen improvement in explosion-proof connectors. In a commonly assigned, copending application, Ser. No. 06/369,112 filed Apr. 16, 1982, a cable connector is disclosed which provides an environmentally sealed connector with relatively few parts and which overcomes many of the problems of the prior connectors. Such a connector comprises a body, grounding sleeve for connection with the metal jacket and an extension of the grounding sleeve which receives a sealing compound therein. This compound, which is poured in the opening of the extension, surrounds the internal conductors, and when set, provides an environmental seal for the cable. A compression gland, which is secured by a gland nut to the body, encloses the jacketed end of the cable and provides a complete seal therearound.
While the above-mentioned connector provides the desired "explosion proof" seal, it is desirous to insure that the sealing compound poured through the extension flows through to the grounding sleeve to seal the cable by fully surrounding the armor and the outer jacket. | {
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The present disclosure relates to a display device, a CMOS operational amplifier, and a driving method of the display device.
In general, in a display device such as a liquid crystal display device and an Electro-Luminescence (EL) display device, which performs a display using a plurality of pixels (liquid crystal or EL elements) which are arranged in a matrix shape, the pixels are driven as a load using an amplifier installed in an output stage of a source driver. A driving capability of such an amplifier is constant if the amplifier is a class A amplifier, and varies within a certain constant range according to the load if the amplifier is a class AB amplifier.
Here, there is a case where variation occurs in the load which is driven by the amplifier, due to an influence of a large size or the like of the liquid crystal. In a case where the amplifier is class A, if the load is larger than the driving capability of the amplifier, a problem occurs in which ringing occurs in an output of the amplifier, and if the load is smaller than the driving capability of the amplifier, a problem occurs in which the output of the amplifier is overshot. A technology to solve such problems is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-85113.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-85113, an amplifier is disclosed which includes a bias variable circuit that varies a bias current flowing in a differential amplifier and an output circuit. The bias variable circuit can adjust the bias current of the differential amplifier or the bias current of an output unit of the output circuit.
As a result, regardless of a size of the load of the liquid crystal, by increasing the bias current of the output circuit, it is possible to immediately reach a target voltage. At this time, although the ringing or the overshoot occurs in an output waveform, it is possible to immediately reach the target voltage, and thus, a liquid crystal display can be normally performed. | {
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The presence of significant quantities of H.sub.2 S in various "sour" industrial gaseous streams poses a persistent problem. Although various procedures have been developed to remove and recover this contaminant, most such processes are deficient, for a variety of reasons.
In one cyclic method currently attracting attention, the sour gas is contacted with an aqueous polyvalent metal chelate or complex reactant solution to produce solid sulfur which is recovered either prior to or subsequent to regeneration of the reactant. Preferred reactants are iron (III) complexes in which the iron (III) forms complexes with specified organic acids and derivatives thereof.
While sour gaseous streams that contain relatively low concentrations of H.sub.2 S may be treated successfully in a variety of ways if deep removal, e.g., greater than 95 percent removal of H.sub.2 S, is not required, removal of this level, or greater, demands efficiencies of operation if excessive costs of operation and materials are not to be incurred.
One scheme for carrying out the gas treatment utilizes a two-stage contacting procedure in which a venturi-shaped contacting zone is utilized as an initial or primary contacting stage to remove the bulk of the H.sub.2 S, and a follow-up or "clean-up" stage, such as a packed column or sparged tower, is provided for removing the remainder of the H.sub.2 S in the gaseous stream. These configurations have a number of drawbacks, such as susceptibility to plugging, high gas pressure drop, and high cost. It has been determined that the H.sub.2 S removal rate by iron chelate or complex systems is not limited by the reaction rate of the iron with the H.sub.2 S, but by the rate of absorption of the H.sub.2 S into the reactant solution. Accordingly, a process which provided an efficient contacting technique to insure good absorption rates of the H.sub.2 S into the contacting solution, while avoiding or minimizing plugging and high pressure drop might have great utility. The invention is such a process. | {
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The smart TV standard has been designed to provide an enhanced experience to the viewer over the traditional TV. Typically, the smart TV includes two separate inputs: (a) a traditional TV port for receiving traditional TV channels from a TV content provider, e.g., cables or satellite provider (hereinafter, a “traditional mode watching”), and (b) an Internet port for receiving TV channels from the Internet (hereinafter, “Internet mode watching”). The viewer can select at any given time whether to view a channel through the traditional port or through the Internet port.
The Internet mode watching provides many enhanced options to the viewer not existing in the traditional mode. For example, the Internet mode enables the viewer the option of chatting with others while watching a TV channel, activation of a “picture in picture” in order to simultaneously watch several channels according to his preference, to combine Facebook and Twitter features with the TV content, to operate the TV without the use of set-top box, and more. As noted, the essence of the smart TV resides in the Internet TV mode, not in the traditional mode, and there are many advantages for the viewer in watching the smart TV in the Internet mode.
One typical way by which a user may access a TV channel in the Internet TV mode is by means of activation of a widget. In this case, the widget is essentially a user interface which accesses the channel provider, and activates the streaming of data to the smart TV. Widgets of specific channels can be purchased, for example in “Appstores”, or in many other cases these widgets are distributed for free in various Internet sites.
While in the traditional mode of watching the viewer has a signed contract for a package of channels with a domestic, well known content provider, this is not the case while watching a channel in the Internet mode. Even when paying for a widget, the viewer does not know for sure who the real provider of the widget is, and therefore, the reliability of the streamed content is doubtful. In other words, the viewer may be subjected to a content spoofing while viewing content in the Internet mode. For example, a viewer who watches the Bloomberg channel for business purposes assumes that the share rates appearing on the screen of his TV are indeed the rates as provided by Bloomberg. While viewing the Bloomberg channel on a smart TV in the Internet mode, a content spoofing may deceive him to believe that he is watching the authentic Bloomberg channel, but in fact he watches a false channel which provides him with false data, that he may count on in his decision making.
Various manners for authenticating Internet sites are well known, and the field for providing said authentication is commonly referred to as DRM (Digital Right Management). The existing solutions to this problem may be classified to three groups: (a) certificate based solutions; (b) encryption based solutions; and (c) watermark based solutions. All said common solutions are relatively complicated, therefore most of the Internet mode content for smart TV is typically provided unencrypted, without watermarks, and does not use certificate, leaving the viewer uncertain with respect to the authenticity and reliability of the content. In view of this situation, a viewer who wants to ensure the reliability of the content, typically reverts to the traditional TV mode in which the same content is provided by the traditional TV provider, rather than watching the channel in the Internet mode. However, as noted above, the traditional mode does not provide many features that are available at the Internet mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,793 discloses a system with GPS, which in turn provides to a server means for determining whether a TV receiver is located in an area with permission to view a transmitted content, and in the affirmative case, the permission to view the content is granted.
US 2010-0017627 discloses a system for verifying content which is based on encryption, decryption and signature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,504 discloses a system and method of verifying the authenticity of dynamically connectable executable images, which is based on a digital signature.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for authenticating smart TV content, particularly but not exclusively, channels that are provided by means of widgets via the Internet.
It is another object of the invention to provide said method and system in a manner which is independent from the conventional authentication methods that use a certificate, encryption-decryption, and/or watermarks.
It is still another object of the invention to provide said method and system in a manner which is most suitable for smart TV, and which is efficient, reliable, and simple.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds. | {
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This invention relates to a scale having a load bed which is supported, directly or indirectly by load supporting members on one or more load levers which transmit force from the load bed to a measuring device.
In a platform scale having a flat load bed and a measuring device acted upon by a load lever, generally the load bed is supported on the load lever system at its four corners. The quality of support appreciably affects the measuring properties of the scale, and the strength and sturdiness of the scale in operation.
Known types of load supporting members for transmitting forces acting on the load bed to the load lever system are the swinging-lever hanger type, the spherical support type, and the swinging-lever upright type. In all these types of load supporting member, the support elements are generally made of metal. The contact surfaces must accordingly undergo costly machining (grinding and polishing) and require frequent maintenance in the form of greasing and cleaning. In addition, in all cases the support in the vertical direction is rigid, so that vertical impacts which can occur, for example, when a load is set down abruptly on the load bed, are transmitted undamped to the load lever. Such sudden loading of the load lever system can cause damage. In addition, deflections of the load bed in the horizontal direction can give rise to a persistent rocking of the load bed, which makes operation difficult.
It is known to employ a cylindrical elastomeric piece in a load supporting member (load upright) with the elastomeric section sandwiched between metal discs comprising end members of a three-layer load upright structure. In this arrangement, one end member is a flat metal plate rigidly attached to the load bed, and the opposite end member is in the form of a metallic cone which rests in a matching depression in the load lever system. In such a load upright attached to the load bed (or to the load lever system) at least at one end of the load upright, the stiffness in the vertical direction is not appreciably greater than the stiffness in the horizontal direction. If a relatively soft load upright is used, vertical compression of the load bed is too great; and if a relatively hard load upright is used, there is little shock absorption in the horizontal direction, so that side forces on the load bed are transmitted to the load lever system via the load upright, and may damage the load lever system.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a load supporting member (load upright) construction which affords greater protection for the load lever system of the scale than in known arrangements, and which is simple and easy to manufacture and maintain. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rechargeable batteries as for example, nickel-cadmium cell batteries and charging arrangements therefore.
2. Prior Art
A number of rechargeable batteries with integrated rechargers have heretofore been developed. For example, the present inventor has been issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,360,708 and 4,622,507 for such. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,119 has been issued to S. J. Dokos for a "Cordless Portable Electric Appliance", and a rechargeable battery is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,523 issued to Izumi.
The present invention, in addition to a modified rechargeable integrated battery and recharger of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,507 as a prime charging battery includes at least one satellite rechargeable nickel-cadmium cell battery that can be configured for charging from the prime battery, and provides a circuit arrangement for disconnecting the satellite battery poles during charging.
The combination of the integrated battery and recharger of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,507 as a recharging source and a satellite rechargeable battery or batteries and their circuitry for safe recharging is distinct from the rechargeable batteries cited above. | {
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The invention relates to audio signal combining, and more particularly to adjusting the relative phase of combined signals.
For background reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,910,779A, 6,332,026B1, 4,251,682A, 5,671,287A, 4,063,034A, 5,970,152A, 4,356,349A and PCI Application No. WO 99/33173.
It is an important object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for combining audio signals, especially in the bass frequencies. | {
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This invention relates in general to the field of mass storage devices and more particularly to a pre-amplifier and a device for determining faults in a head.
A hard disk drive includes a stack of magnetically coded platters that are used for storing information. The magnetically coded platters are mounted together in a stacked position through a spindle which may be referred to as a platter stack. The platter stack is typically rotated by a motor that is referred to generally as a spindle motor or a servo motor. A space is provided between each platter to allow a read/write head or slider to be positioned on each side of the platter so that information may be stored and retrieved. Information is stored on each side of each platter and is generally organized into sector track zones and cylinders. Each of the read/write heads or sliders is mounted into one end of the dedicated suspension arm so that each of the read/write heads may be positioned as desired. The opposite end of each of the suspensions arms is coupled together at the voice coil motor to form one unit or assembly that is positionable by a voice coil motor. Each of the suspensions arms is provided in a fixed position relative to each other. The voice coil motor positions all of the suspensions arms so that the read/write head is properly positioned for reading or writing information. The read/write heads or sliders may move from at least one inner diameter to an outer diameter where data is stored. This distance may be referred to as a data stroke.
Hard disk drives also include a variety of electronic circuitry for processing data input for controlling its overall operation. The electronic circuitry may include a pre-amplifier, a read channel, a write channel, a servo controller, a motor control circuit, a read only memory open (ROM), a random access memory (RAM) and variety of disk control circuitry to control the operation of the hard disk drive and to properly interface the hard disk drive to the system bus. The pre-amplifier may contain a read pre-amplifier and a write pre-amplifier that is also referred to as a write driver. The pre-amplifier may be implemented in a single integrated circuit or may be a separate integrated circuit such as read pre-amplifier, a write pre-amplifier, or a write driver. The disk control circuitry generally includes a separate microprocessor for executing instructions stored in memory to control the operation and interface of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive performs read, write and servo operations when storing and retrieving data. The write operation includes retrieving data from a system bus and storing to data in the RAM. The microprocessor schedules a series of events to allow the information to be transferred from the ROM to platters through the write channel. Before the information is transferred, the read and write heads are positioned on the appropriate track, and the appropriate sector of the track is located. The data from the RAM is then communicated to the write channel as a digital write signal. The write channel processes the digital write signal and generates an analog write signal. In doing this, the write channel may encode the data so that the data can be more reliably retrieved later. The digital write signal may then be provided to an appropriate read/write head after first being amplified by the pre-amplifier. In read operation, the appropriate sector is read, is located and data that has previously written to the platter is read. The appropriate read/write head senses the changes in the magnetic flux and generates a corresponding analog read signal. The analog read signal is provided back to the electronic circuitry where the pre-amplifier amplifies the analog read signal. The amplified analog read signal is then provided to the read channel where the read channel conditions the signals and detects xe2x80x9czerosxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9conesxe2x80x9d from the signal to generate a digital read signal. The read channel may condition the signal by amplifying the signal to an appropriate level using automatic gain control (AGC) technique. The read channel may then filter the signal to eliminate unwanted high noise, equalize the channel, detect xe2x80x9czerosxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9conesxe2x80x9d from the signal and format the digital read signal. The digital read signal is then transferred from the read channel and stored in the RAM. The microprocessor may then communicate to the host that data is ready to be transferred. The read channel may be implemented using any of a variety of known or available channels. For example, the read channel may be implemented as a peak detection type read channel or as a more advanced type of read channel utilizing discreet time signal processing. The peak detection read channel involves level detecting the amplified analog read signal and determines if the wave form level is above a threshold level during a sampling window. The discreet time signal processing type read channel synchronously samples the amplified read signal using a data recovery clock. The sample is then processed through a series of mathematical manipulations using signal processing theory to generate the digital read signal. There are several types of discreet time signal processing read channels such as partial response, maximum likelihood (PRML) channel and extended PRML channel or enhanced extended PRML channel, a fixed delay tree search channel and a decision feedback equalization channel.
As the disk platters are moving, the read write heads must align or stay on a particular track. This is accomplished by the servo operations through use of the servo controller provided in a servo control loop. In servo operation, a servo wedge is read from the track that generally includes track identification information and track misregistration information. The track misregistration information may also be referred to as position error information. The position error information may be provided as servo bursts that may be used during read and write operations to ensure that the read write heads are properly aligned on the track. As a result of receiving the position error information, the servo controller generates a corresponding control signal to position the read write heads by positioning the voice coil motor. The track identification information is also used during read and write operations so that a track may be properly identified.
Hard disk drive designers strive to provide higher capacity drives that operate at a high signal to noise ratio and a lower bit error rate. To achieve higher capacities, the aerial density of the data stored on each side of the platter must be increased.
It can be appreciated that there is a need for detecting an open circuit or any kind of fault in the write head. Such a fault would prevent data from being written to the medium and without such a fault indication, the fault would go unnoticed or undetected. Consequently, it is desirable to detect this fault operation. Importantly, it necessary to detect WDI to low open head, a short cross, which is a cross of the X and Y, and short to ground which is when the head is short to ground. The fault, if undetected, could result in loss of data.
The present invention detects fault conditions during operation of the head for example, during read write operations by a write unsafe detector (WUS). The present invention uses advantageously the inductive property of the head which cause a xe2x80x9ckickbackxe2x80x9d when the current is switched through the head. This kickback causes the voltage on one side of the magnetic head to rise above the normal operating value. The present invention recognizes that this kickback pulse would not be present if the head were open. By detecting the presence of this pulse during each half of the write cycle, a write unsafe circuit can determine if the head is in a normal operation or has opened. | {
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A commercial off the shelf (COTS) memory used to store data is susceptible to radiation events such as radiation from solar flares. Although, the radiation event may only affect part of the memory, data stored in the affected area will be lost or corrupted. Radiation hardened or tolerant devices could be used to resolve this problem. However, the cost of radiation hardened devices may be prohibitive and the performance of radiation hardened and tolerant devices may not be up to the performance requirements of the targeted applications.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an effective and efficient method of dealing with localized radiation events that affect strings of data. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine combining several of the functions of these apparatuses, particularly to an image forming apparatus including an image carrier removably installed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as a copier or a printer, in some cases an image carrier such as a photoconductor drum is removably (i.e., replaceably) installed in the body of the image forming apparatus. The image carrier such as a photoconductor drum may be a component of a process cartridge such that, when the process cartridge in the body of the image forming apparatus is replaced with a new process cartridge, the image carrier is also replaced with a new image carrier.
Further, the image forming apparatus may be configured such that a transfer member of a transfer device is contactable with and separable from the image carrier, and that the transfer member is brought into contact with the image carrier in a normal image forming operation and is separated from the image carrier in, for example, replacement of the image carrier. In this type of image forming apparatus, the image carrier is replaced when the transfer member is separated therefrom. This configuration therefore reduces the possibility of the image carrier and the transfer member interfering with each other and damaging respective surfaces thereof in replacement work.
According to this configuration, however, an operator may mistakenly operate the image forming apparatus with the transfer member separated from the image carrier after the completion of the replacement work of the image carrier. In such a case, the image forming apparatus may fail to form a normal image, or may fail to normally feed a recording medium. | {
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Agricultural equipment, such as a tractor or a self-propelled windrower, includes a prime mover which generates power to perform work. In the case of a tractor, for instance, the prime mover is often a diesel engine that generates power from a supply of diesel fuel. The diesel engine drives a transmission which moves wheels, treads, or tracks to propel the tractor across an underlying surface. In addition to providing power to wheels through a transmission, tractors often include a power takeoff (PTO) which includes a shaft coupled to the transmission and driven by the engine.
In different embodiments, a mower or mower conditioner is a separable machine which is configured to be attached to and detached from a tractor or other work machine, which either pushes the mower or pulls the mower. In the separable mower, the mower is removably coupled to the tractor and is readily moved from one tractor to another if desired. In these embodiments, the mower is powered by the PTO of the tractor or a hydraulic motor system thereof. | {
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This invention is directed to the hotel and motel industry and having as objective, providing of a more expeditious means of maintaining an instantly available and accurate monitoring of the status of any number of the rooms in the particular establishment. The general practice and procedure in hotels, and by the term hotels it is intended to include motels or other types of room rental businesses and establishments, for monitoring of the status of a room as to being occupied, unoccupied or in a state of cleaning, has been effected through the means of personal communication between the housekeeper and the desk clerk and may include telephone communications. This personal communication also necessarily involves the communication as between the several personnel of the housekeeping staff and thus the systems, as heretofore employed necessarily resulted in a substantialy delay and often inaccurate representation to the desk clerk as to the availability or the status of any particular room.
Additionally, the controls afforded the desk clerk over any of the rooms, have been limited to dispatching of a person to personally check the status of the room and to control the operation of equipment that may be placed in that room. Specifically, the equipment of substantial concern includes the heating and cooling equipment as well as the lights and other large electrical power consuming apparatus such as the television set. Again, this personal checking necessitated a substantial delay in obtaining the information and consequent inaccuracy of that information. It is quite clear that once a person departed the room after checking on the status, the status of the room could subsequently change without knowledge of the desk clerk or housekeeper and this could result in embarrassment to the desk clerk as to the availability or nonavailability of a particular room. Also, the prior personal checking systems enabled persons to continue occupancy of a room undetected by the desk clerk and thus deprive the hotel of earned revenue as well as continued expenditure of money for the electrical power requirements for the operation for that room.
An important aspect of hotel operation is the economic utilization of resources. One very important factor and element of such resources and economics is the utilization of electrical power. Most equipment in modern hotels is now opearated by electrical power and this includes equipment such as the heating and cooling equipment. Most hotels are now constructed to have individual heating and cooling units for each room and these are necessarily controlled at that room. Consequently, the conservation of electrical power requires turning off all unused apparatus, such as the lights and television sets that are normally included in a hotel room. Guests very frequently leave the room with the heating or cooling equipment operating as well as numerous lights and often leave the television set operating. Thus, it will be readily apparent that the continued operation of these devices in the absence of a registered occupant represents an unnecessary waste and material cost factor to the hotel operator in the economics of hotel management. That the use of electrical power when a room is not occupied by a registered guest represents a substantial cost will be clearly apparent when it is noted that the occupancy time in normal one day stay represents only about one half day. This continued use of electrical power as for unnecessary heating or cooling is a very significant cost factor.
Also, as indicated, control over the room and monitoring of its status as well as its occupancy is a matter of substantial concern and is necessary for obtaining of proper revenue from hotel operation. Many times occupants have a tendency to return to a room for continued occupancy for a short period of time beyond that of the specified checkout time. This characteristic has resulted in embarrasement at times to the desk clerk for the subsequent assignment of such a room to other registered occupants. The difficulty is that the new occupants upon arrival at the room find that it is already occupied and become extremely concerned that the desk clerk has made a mistake when in fact the desk clerk has the proper information that the room should be unoccupied. The difficulty of the personal communication system, as previously described, is that the desk clerk is unable by any reasonably economic means, to assure himself that the room is in the indicated unoccupied state, which indication is based on the fact that the guest had checked out at the registration desk.
Furthermore, the personal communication system that has been necessitated by previous management procedures is slow and is an inaccurate reporting system between the housekeeper and the desk clerk. One disadvantage is that the desk clerk is unable to rapidly communicate to the housekeeping station that a particular room has now arrived at an unoccupied status and is thus requiring the complete cleaning and readiness for a subsequent registered occupant. A second disadvantage is that the housekeeper, upon the maids having completed the assigned duties of cleaning and readying the room, is unable to readily communicate this fact to the desk clerk as the maids require a certain amount of time to advise the housekeeper and then there is further delay in relay and transfer of information to the desk clerk. | {
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This invention relates to metal working, and more particularly to metal working in the field of aircraft manufacturing utilizing metal alloys capable of superplastic behavior.
The use of superplastic metal alloys as part of a process for forming metal structures has been known for some time. The first U.S. patent to disclose superplastic metal working was U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,101 to Fields et al for "Thermoforming of Metals" (1967), hereby incorporated by reference. This patent explains the limitations of other methods and suggests the extreme deformability that can be attained using superplasticity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,436 to Summers et al for "Forming Metals" (1975), hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a process for forming a metallic vessel, the process including the steps of forming an inflatable envelope of a superplastic metallic alloy, heating the envelope to within the temperature range for superplasticity, and applying a differential pressure between the interior and exterior of the envelope such that the envelope expands like a balloon.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,648 to Schertenleib for "Blow Molding Process for Container of Superplastic Alloy", hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a method in which, within a metal mold, a smoothed hollow cylinder of superplastic alloy with a bottom is preheated and partially inflated by the application of a first internal pressure, and then blown out to its final dimensions by a second, higher internal pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,986 to Laycock et al for "Forming Ductile Materials" (1977), hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a process by which a sheet of ductile metallic superplastic alloy material is first forced by a pressure differential into a female portion of a pre-form mold, and then forced by a reversed pressure differential into conformity with a male portion of the mold which has advanced to press against the opposite side of the sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,369 to Hamilton for "Method for Superplastic Forming", hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a method for eliminating or minimizing cavitation and voids in superplasticly formed parts by applying pressure to both sides of the material either during or after forming the part.
None of the above prior art patents for superplastic metal working appear to provide any means for preventing thinning of the superplastic material as it is expanded and deformed. Yet, thinning can be a very serious problem when the dimensions of a desired part must greatly exceed the dimensions of the blank piece of material from which it is to be formed.
A number of U.S. patents disclose one or another variation on the idea of applying axial compressive loading to a tubular work piece, while also using a liquid (or flowable solid) to raise the pressure inside the work piece, so that bulging or similar shaping of the work piece is accomplished without thinning of the material in the regions that are caused to bulge. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,675 to Tominaga for "Molding Device", hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a system in which a work piece is subjected to axial compression as it is caused to bulge by an instantaneously generated high hydraulic pressure. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
A variable depth stackable separator is provided for separating cable into predetermined distinct groups includes a hub having a bottom member with a first surface and a second surface and an upwardly projecting sidewall forming a central area defining a predetermined radius for maintaining a minimum bend radius for the cable.
2. Description of Background Art
A junction box is normally provided for permitting cables to be connected relative to each other. A conventional junction box is designed to receive the cables and provides adequate space for splicing cables or connecting cables to switches or other devices.
In connecting optical fiber cables, a junction box is provided for permitting the optical fibers to be spliced together and to be connected to switches or other devices. However, it is desirable to provide a sufficient amount of slack for the optical fiber cables as they enter and exit from the junction box. In addition, to ensure the proper operation of the optical fiber cables, it is necessary to provide a minimum bend radius for the optical fiber cables. Conventional electrical junction boxes do not provide adequate accommodations for handling optical fiber cables.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a variable depth stackable separator for separating cables into predetermined distinct groups.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stackable separator for maintaining a minimum bend radius of a optical fiber cable that is mounted thereon.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a stackable separator that requires a small footprint for separating a plurality of distinct groups of optical fiber cable within a junction box.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a variable depth stackable separator for separating cable into predetermined distinct groups that includes a hub having a bottom member with a first surface and a second surface with an upwardly projecting sidewall forming a central area defining a predetermined radius. A connector is formed on the first surface of the bottom member of the hub. A receiver is formed on the second surface of the bottom member. The connector of the hub is adapted to be secured relative to a receiver of a second hub to form a variable depth stackable separator for separating cable into predetermined distinct groups. Tabs are provided that project from the sidewall of said hub for retaining a cable relative to said hub. The variable depth stackable separator is designed to provide a small footprint for the separator that maintains a minimum bend radius for the optical fiber cable.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. | {
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The field of the invention is systems and method for magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”). More particularly, the invention relates to methods for producing motion-compensated MR images.
Magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) is highly sensitive to patient motion. Depending on the k-space acquisition trajectory, motion can cause blurring, ghosting, or other artifacts that reduce image quality and diagnostic value of the images, thereby reducing the diagnostic information available to the clinician or requiring repeated scans. Most physiological motion artifacts can be suppressed by proper gating techniques; however, bulk motion remains a clinical problem, particularly in three-dimensional imaging where the prolonged acquisition time increases the likelihood of the occurrence of motion artifacts. Especially challenging subject groups include pediatric, uncooperative, and impaired patients.
Gross body motion such as muscle twitching, adjusting for comfort, or restlessness often occurs in a discontinuous manner with longer, interleaved periods in which no motion occurs. Many successful retrospective motion correction techniques rely on this assumption and compare low resolution images that function as navigators acquired during the motion-free segments for successive motion correction. PROPELLER is one such approach, and has achieved widespread use in clinical applications, particularly in cranial imaging. In a PROPELLER scan, two-dimensional Cartesian k-space data are acquired in successively rotated strips of parallel lines called “blades,” with the assumption that motion occurs in-plane only and that no motion occurs during the acquisition of a blade. Motion parameters for translational and rotational in-plane motion are then determined by comparing low-resolution information from individual blades. Wider blades allow for more sensitive corrections; however, increasing the number of echoes per blade also increases the probability of in-blade motion and, for some pulse sequences, is limited by the available echo-train length. For the same reasons, straightforward extensions of PROPELLER to three dimensions by acquiring three-dimensional bricks instead of blades may have limited performance.
Despite reduction in imaging times through improved hardware and rapid acquisition schemes, motion artifacts can compromise image quality in MRI. This is especially true for three-dimensional imaging, where scan durations are prolonged and the assumptions of most state-of-the-art two-dimensional rigid body motion compensation techniques break down.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method for producing motion-compensated images, especially in three dimensions, without the need for additional navigator data or external motion estimation schemes. | {
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This invention relates to implantable devices including but not limited to tissue stimulators having measurement capability for determining impedance measurements and is particularly well suited to measure long term edema variations within a living body.
Impedance monitoring has been used for determination of numerous physiologic conditions within the body with implanted devices and has been used in external monitoring devices as well. It is commonly understood that Transthoracic Impedance measurements give a good indication of the level of edema in patients. Even as far back as 1971, in an article entitled "Transthoracic Electrical Impedance as a guide to Intravascular Overload" by Berman et. al. (Archives surgery, V102 P61-64 Jan. 1971), electrical impedance methods have been used to document the accumulation of fluid in the living tissue.
What's important about long term impedance measurement and noting changes therein is that it is an valuable clinical indicator of the health of the living body which has heretofore been unavailable to physicians in a very useful form.
While edema is a sign of many other conditions it is also a sign of the failing heart circulation which is our first concern. There are several mechanisms or diseases that can cause or affect edema. In general edema is a failure or over response of homeostatic process within the body. The body normally prevents the build up of fluids by maintaining adequate pressures and concentrations of salt and proteins, and by actively removing excess fluid. If a disease affects any of these mechanisms the result can be edema. This includes heart failure, left sided MI(Myocardial Infarction), high blood pressure, altitude sickness, emphysema (all which affect pressures), and cancers that affect the lymphatic system, diseases which disrupt the protein concentrations, . . . etc. The list is large. The point is that by providing an adequate monitor of edema we can provide a physician and his patient with a better tool to manage disease.
Unfortunately, ordinarily the first indication that a treating physician would have of the occurrence of edema is very late in the disease process when it becomes a physical manifestation with swelling or breathing difficulties so overwhelming as to be noticed by the patient who then proceeds to be examined by a physician. For a cardiac heart failure (CHF) patient, hospitalization at such time would likely be required. A device and system as proposed in this application can obviate the need for proactive hospitalization simply to monitor a patient's progression of edema as hospital stays are discouraged whenever possible under the emerging health care delivery system in the world today. Therefore a strong incentive or need exists for devices that can allow a patient to be monitored for disease symptoms over a long term without requiring hospitalization and allows for out-of-hospital intervention when symptoms, in this case, due to edema suggest it.
Additional need for this type of invention is found in the article "EFFECTS OF PREHOSPITAL MEDICATIONS ON MORTALITY AND LENGTH OF STAY IN CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE," by Wuerz and Meador, ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, 21:6, June, 1992, pp 669-74, in which it is demonstrated that early pre-hospital treatment can save lives. A device that establishes new indications before the patient can be hospitalized by allowing for a readout of accumulated and trend data can be seen as an improvement in the tools available to save lives from CHF.
There are numerous devices and teachings which describe or are capable of making impedance measurements including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,534,018, 5,271,395, 5,370,6665, 5,233,985, and 5,282,840. Likewise, there are numerous mentions of the use of impedance for determination of levels of edema in the literature without the use of long term implantable devices which usually require significant and expensive monitoring, attention, and effort. Such monitoring and effort may not be available before hospitalization. However, there currently are no impedance measurement devices suitable for providing an indication of when an edema is about to become a serious problem for a patient, nor for closely monitoring it over a protracted period of time. Consequently, as patients become out of titer on their edema management medication (diuretics, for example) or after they unknowingly or unintentionally eat salty foods, hospitalization may be enhanced or possibly avoided through the use of a device as described herein. Thus healthcare resources can be used more efficiently and effectively to help CHF patients in particular as well as other patients which can benefit from similar information availability.
It should be noted that adaptations of some technologies for performing some patient monitoring functions are developed as evidenced by U.S. Patents to Yomotov, et al, Nos. 5,313,953 and 5,411,031, incorporated herein by reference in their entirieties. However as yet there has not been acceptance of implantable devices for monitoring purposes alone, and certainly none for simply monitoring edema per se, nor for edema as a partial indicator of health, nor for use of edema monitoring as an adjunct indicator for therapy modification. Accordingly it is believed there is a large need for the teaching of this invention.
Additional measurements--Respiration rate.
Additional data can be found in the respiration rate which can be monitored as a separate and independent indicator of edema onset and particularly of pulmonary edema or increased lung water, since patients are known to breath quickly when their lungs fill with fluid. It is known, for instance that in extreme cases of pulmonary edema breathing rates of 60 per minute can occur. Because it would be impossible to clinically measure slight changes in long term breathing rates, for example a 5.5 to 5.8 breath per minute change, but such monitoring is possible with an implanted device, by including a processor for sampling the rate of breathing and comparing it to next sampled rates over time, substantial clinical benefit can be obtained by making this data available. | {
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The present invention relates to a novel fluorine-containing, polymerizable monomer having a carbon-carbon double bond (hereinafter referred to as "a double bond") at one of its main molecular chain ends (hereinafter referred to as "the molecular chain ends") and a process for producing thereof. More in detail, the present invention relates to a novel fluorine-containing monomer having a double bond at one of its molecular chain ends and molecular weight of 300 to 1600, prepared by bringing a fluorine-containing telomer having a molecular weight of 200 to 1500 and an OH group at one of its molecular chain ends into esterification with acryloyl chloride or methacryloyl chloride.
Hitherto, there have been known numerous fluorine-containing, polymerizable monomers, and the polymers obtained from such a monomer have been broadly utilized as industrial material, materials for apparatus and instruments used in medical treatment and in electronics and the necessaries of life.
The present inventors have studied the utilization of fluorine-containing polymers comprising polyvinylidene fluoride for years as a material for apparatus and instruments used in medical treatment. For instance, although we have proposed a soft lining material for the denture base (refer to U.K. Patent Application GB No. 2027043A). U.K. Patent Application GB No. 2027043A discloses the soft lining material for lining the surface of the hard dental plate made of polymethyl methacrylate, which is contacted to the mucous membrane, with the soft fluoropolymer.
The demanded properties as a soft lining material for the dental plate are modulus of rigidity of 5 to 150 kg/cm.sup.2, water absorbance of less than 0.7%, adhesion strength of more than 250 kg/cm.sup.2, excellent compatibility to the mucous membrane, stability, etc. The lining material of the fluorine-containing polymer shows excellent properties as a soft lining material for the dental plate as compared with other lining material such as polyvinyl chloride, silicone rubber, etc. and accordingly the fluorine-containing polymer is extremely useful as a lining material for the dental plate.
However, since the operation of such a fluorine-containing polymer for equipping such a dental plate is not good, an improvement has been still demanded. In order to use the fluoropolymer of a high molecular weight as a surface material of the dental plate, which is contacted to the mucous membrane, it was found necessary to soften the fluoropolymer of a high molecular weight temporarily and thereafter to harden thereof again. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel fluorine-containing monomer solving the above-mentioned problems. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the testing of underground formations or reservoirs, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for effecting a cleaned and sealed well borehole wall portion for improved formation fluid sampling from a formation surrounding the wall portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Formation testing while drilling (“FTWD”) is a form of formation evaluation that incorporates aspects of wireline logging into a drilling operation. Today, well boreholes are drilled by rotating a drill bit attached at a drill string end. The drill string may be a jointed rotatable pipe or a coiled tube. A large portion of the current drilling activity involves directional drilling, i.e., drilling boreholes deviated from vertical and/or horizontal boreholes, to increase the hydrocarbon production and/or to withdraw additional hydrocarbons from earth formations. Modem directional drilling systems generally employ a drill string having a bottomhole assembly (BHA) and a drill bit at an end thereof that is rotated by a drill motor (mud motor) and/or the drill string. A number of downhole devices placed in close proximity to the drill bit measure certain downhole operating parameters associated with the drill string. Such devices typically include sensors for measuring downhole temperature and pressure, azimuth and inclination measuring devices and a resistivity-measuring device to determine the presence of hydrocarbons and water. Additional downhole instruments, known as measurement-while-drilling (MWD) or logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools, are frequently attached to the drill string to determine formation geology and formation fluid conditions during the drilling operations. For the purposes of the present invention, the term Formation Testing While Drilling (“FTWD”) includes, but is not necessarily limited to MWD and LWD tests.
Various types of drilling fluids are used to facilitate the drilling process and to maintain a desired hydrostatic pressure in the borehole. Pressurized drilling fluid (commonly known as the “mud” or “drilling mud”) is pumped into a drill pipe through a central bore to rotate the drill motor and to provide lubrication to various members of the drill string including the drill bit. The mud exits the drill string at the drill bit and returns to the surface in the annular space between the drill string and the borehole wall carrying formation debris (“cuttings”) pulverized by the rotating drill bit. The term (“return fluid”) is used herein to mean fluid comprising drilling fluid, formation fluid and cuttings returning to the surface or otherwise existing in the annulus. The terms drilling fluid, mud, clean fluid or the like are used to mean fluid in the drill string and/or fluid in close relation to any exit port of the drill string and substantially free of cuttings. Such clean fluid may be drilling fluid pumped from a surface location or any substantially clean fluid in the tool.
The clean drilling fluid, typically mixed with additives at the surface, is also used to protect downhole components from corrosion, and to maintain a specified density based on known or expected formation pressure. The return fluid in the annulus is typically maintained at a pressure slightly higher than the surrounding formation. The annular pressure is reduced during certain testing operations that require production of formation fluid.
Several FTWD operations involve producing fluid from the reservoir by, for example, sealing a portion of the borehole and collecting samples of fluid from the formation. Well-known devices such as packers, snorkel probes and extendable pads are typically used to effect a seal at the borehole wall thereby separating the annulus into at least two portions, i.e. one portion being a sealed portion containing formation fluid for testing and at least one more annular portion containing mostly return drilling fluid.
Whenever the sealing device fails to maintain a good seal, the sealed portion may become contaminated with return fluid or pressure control within the sealed portion becomes unmanageable due to pressure communication between the sealed portion and the rest of the annulus.
A common cause sealing problems is the existence of cuttings in the return fluid. As a sealing device is moved to engage the borehole wall, cuttings or thick mud layers are trapped between the sealing device and wall or trapped within the sealed portion. In the former instance the seal is poor, thereby allowing leakage across the seal. In the latter instance cuttings debris can clog the sampling tool or otherwise corrupt the test. The cuttings might also become lodged within a sampling port causing damage or loss of sampling capability.
When starting to pump formation fluid through the sealed portion the mud layer is removed first and enters the formation testing device as well as the formation fluid. The mud contaminates the sample and makes the determination of certain formation parameter more difficult or even impossible. | {
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1. Field
The exemplary embodiments generally relate to a firearm and, more particularly, to fire control systems for a firearm.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Generally shooters want to be able to discharge a firearm by exerting as little force as possible on the trigger so that there is minimal perceptible movement of the trigger. The more force and perceived motion required to pull or actuate the trigger, the harder it is to accurately hit the target since it is harder to determine when the firearm will discharge. Also a hard pull on the trigger may cause the jarring of the firearm affecting the accuracy of the shooter.
To reduce the perceived movement of the trigger, two-stage triggers have been developed to allow an initial long movement of the trigger to take up most of the trigger pull and provide the shooter with an indication that the trigger is about to be actuated. A second short movement of the trigger actuates the trigger and discharges the firearm. Conventional two-stage triggers utilize the trigger sear and the disconnect to provide the two stage operation of the trigger. For example, in a first stage of operation the trigger is pulled so the trigger sear slides most of the way off of the hammer sear until the disconnect contacts the hammer. A spring provided under the disconnect causes the disconnect to press against the hammer to increase the amount of force required to actuate the trigger during the second stage of operation. These conventional two-stage triggers allow for adjusting the disconnect spring, however this results in an increase of the overall force required to actuate the trigger.
It would be advantageous to have a trigger that enhances feedback or “feel” to the user during pulling of the trigger from battery, and yet reduces trigger travel for hammer release and discharging of a firearm. It would also be advantageous to be able to adjust the force required to actuate a two-stage trigger while maintaining an overall force at a predetermined value. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
In thermoplastic extrusion operations requiring the feed of molten polymer from a single extruder to a pair of extrusion outlet orifices or dies, care must be taken to insure that the distribution and pressure of the molten polymer exiting from each die is easily regulatable within precise limits to insure product quality and uniformity of the individually extruded films.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been common practice to feed dual tubular extrusion dies with a single extruder (not shown) as illustrated in FIG. 1. When it is desired to adjust the average film thickness 11 of the respective tubes, this may be accomplished by varying the rotational speed of the positively driven take-up nip rollers 12. An increase in nip-roller speed draws the still semi-molten polymer immediately adjacent the extrusion orifice away from the die 13 at a higher rate, resulting in a gauge reduction of the final tubular product. Such an arrangement for gauge control adjustment can be employed only when the tubes are being fed to separate, in-line, bag making machines due to the differential in the rate of travel between the flattened tubes.
FIG. 2 shows an alternate prior art technique of forming two tubes from a single extruder (not shown) by extruding a relatively large tube 14, passing the extruded tube through collapsing shields 15, nip rollers 12, and subsequently slit-sealing the tube utilizing a heated wire or blade 16. The forming technique has the advantage of permitting two tubular streams to be fed through one set of wide downstream equipment, such as printing presses and bag-making machines, but it has the drawback of introducing an additional heat seal seam in the finished bag product making such bags more susceptible to rupture under load stresses applied during use of the bag.
It would be possible to attain the quality advantage of the dual tube technique (FIG. 1) in which there is no side seal, along with the economic advantage of the slit-seal technique (FIG. 2) in which there is only a single set of downstream machinery, by extruding two tubes and running them through the same set of nip rolls. However, this does not permit operating the two tubes at different take-off speeds in order to adjust their relative average gauge. Such adjustment would require the employment of a separate flow-control valve for each die.
A typical flow control valve that is commonly used in prior art is shown in FIG. 6. Molten thermoplastic material 203 is caused to flow through gap 201, where it is subjected to a pressure drop. As the valve is adjusted by moving restrictor 202, gap 201 is changed, and the resulting pressure drop is changed accordingly. If there are two such valves in parallel, fed from a common manifold source and discharging into identical downstream pressures, the flow rate through the two valves is proportional to approximately the 5th power of the size of the gap. Since this gap is usually a small fraction of an inch, it may be seen that a very small change in the size of this gap will result in an undesirably large change in flow rate. For example, if the gap is 0.1 inch, and it is changed by a very small amount such as 0.005 inches, there will be a resulting change in flow through that gap of approximately 28 percent, provided the supply and discharge pressures remain unchanged. Precise flow rate control with such valves is, at best, extremely difficult. It may be seen that prior art valving means such as that described above, when used in a pair (one for each die) cannot readily be used for the purpose of accurately balancing the flow, because they have the following limitations:
(a) They are not sufficiently precise to permit very accurate adjustment of flow distribution, for the reasons described above.
(b) Adjustment of one valve results in a change in net back pressure against the extruder, thus causing a change in total flow leaving the extruder. Therefore, any adjustment of a valve would necessitate re-adjustment of the extruder speed in order to restore the desired overall average thickness of the two streams.
(c) Since there is a separate valve for each die, the operator is required to make a decision as to which valve to adjust. After numerous adjustments, this sometimes results in both valves being almost fully closed, while at another time both may be almost fully open, so there is a difference in operating conditions (back pressure) for the extruder from one time to another. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with novel 4-hydroxy-5-substituted-3(2H)-isothiazolone-1, 1-dioxide compounds useful in treating urinary tract, especially renal calcium oxalate lithiasis. The novel compounds of the present invention act as potent inhibitors of the enzyme glycolate oxidase.
The present invention is also concerned with a method of treating or preventing the formation of calcium oxalate urinary tract lithiasis, especially kidney or bladder stones, as well as pharmaceutical compositions useful in such a method, containing the novel 4-hydroxy-5-substituted-3(2H)-isothiazolone-1, 1-dioxide compounds as active ingredient.
Close to 70% of kidney stones are composed partially or predominantly of calcium oxalate; yet there is no satisfactory drug specific for the treatment of calcium oxalate urinary tract lithiasis, nor for prophylactic use by people prone to recurrent attacks of this disease.
Calcium oxalate lithiasis, the formation of stony concretions composed partially or predominantly of calcium oxalate, may occur at different points in the urinary tract, and is especially a problem in the kidney and in the bladder.
Approximately 70% of all renal calculi contain oxalate as the main anionic component of the matrix. In many, but not all patients, the condition is associated with a higher than normal level of metabolically produced oxalate.
Common procedures for treatment of renal lithiasis due to calcium oxalate consist of surgical removal of stones, or control of the diet to restrict intake of calcium and/or oxalate combined with ingestion of large quantities of water to dilute the urine. Attempts at chemotherapy have included the administration of magnesium oxide, orthophosphate, cellulose phosphate, isocarboxazide, thiazide diuretics, allopurinol and succinimide. Limited success has been realized so far by these drug approaches. No drug which specifically inhibits the biosynthetic formation of oxalic acid is available for the treatment of calcium oxalate urinary tract, especially renal lithiasis.
The major precursor of oxalate is glyoxylate. Thus, approaches to the reduction of the biosynthetic output of oxalic acid focus on (a.) the prevention of the conversion of glyoxylate to oxalate, and/or (b.) restriction of the production of glyoxylate from its precursors. A major pathway for the biosynthesis of oxalate can be represented as follows: ##STR2##
The same enzyme glycolate oxidase participates both in the biosynthesis of glyoxylate and, in its oxidation to oxalate. An inhibitor of the enzyme will act to block at two key points in the chain of reactions contributing to the production of oxalic acid. As a direct consequence of reducing oxalic acid levels in the urine with the compounds of this invention, the formation of oxalate calculi will be reduced or prevented in individuals whose urinary oxalate is primarily of metabolic origin.
The novel 4-hydroxy-5-substituted-3(2H)-isothiazolone-1,1-dioxide compounds described herein are potent inhibitors of glycolate oxidase and are thus useful in the treatment and prevention of urinary tract lithiasis, especially renal disease due to calcium oxalate stone formation in the kidney. As inhibitors of glycolate oxidase, the novel compounds of the present invention may also be useful in the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria. In the genetically inherited diseases designated hyperoxaluria types I and II, large quantities of oxalic acid are produced metabolically. Crystallization of calcium oxalate, occurring not only in the kidney and bladder, but in other tissues as well, frequently results in early death. The novel compounds of this invention may prove of value in the treatment of these rare but serious disease states.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Glycolic acid oxidase inhibitors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,178,386; 4,207,329; and 4,233,452; as well as co-pending applications Ser. No. 074,465, filed Sept. 11, 1979, and Ser. No. 047,412, filed June 11, 1979. 5-Substituted-3(2H)-isothiazolone-1,1-dioxide compounds are described in Lewis et al., J. Het. Chem., 8, p. 591 (1971). However, none of the compounds described in any of the above would suggest the novel 4-hydroxy-5-substituted-3(2H)-isothiazolone-1,1-dioxide compounds of the present invention. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for improving automation of the fuse blow procedure and the associated memory repairs in relation to a determination, through testing, of the defective sections of memory of a semiconductor chip of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design.
2. Related Art
An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) may include a semiconductor chip, wherein the chip includes memory devices such as random access memory (RAM). Examples of RAM devices include static random access memory (SRAM) and embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM). Since these memory devices are subject to failure they may be tested, such as by use of a built-in self-test (BIST) design, so that defective sections of memory can be subsequently switched out and replaced by redundant memory that had been reserved for repairing said defective sections of memory. The chip may contain an array of fuses and upon detection of a defective memory section, select fuses of the array of fuses may be blown to encode within the hardware of the chip the defective sections of memory so determined by the testing. When the chip is subsequently powered up, the array of blown and unblown fuses may be used to identify the defective sections of memory so that the defective sections of memory may be logically disconnected from the chip circuitry in favor of the redundant memory.
Unfortunately, the use of fuses for replacing defective memory with redundant memory is not currently optimal with respect automation of the fuse blow procedure and the associated memory repairs. Thus, there is a need to improve automation of the fuse blow procedure and the associated memory repairs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for generating magnetic field varying in response to an information signal, and more particularly, is directed to improvements in an apparatus operative to generate a magnetic field varying in response to an information signal, which is used for recording information signals on a magnetooptic disc with magnetic field modulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed a so-called optical writable disc as one type of record disc which is available for optically writing an information signal in a record track provided thereon and optically reading an information signal written in the record tracks provided thereon. A magnetooptic disc is one of such optical writable discs and distinguished in that erasure of information signals and writing of the information signals are able to be conducted repeatedly thereon.
The magnetooptic disc comprises a disc-shaped transparent base, a vertically magnetized layer provided for forming a recording layer on a surface of the disc-shaped transparent base, a reflecting layer formed with a thin metallic layer provided on the vertically magnetized layer and a protective layer provided to cover the reflecting layer. Recording of information on the magnetooptic disc is effected by erasing an information signal written therein and writing a new information signal therein, and reproduction of information from the magnetooptic disc is effected by reading an information signal written therein.
In the event of writing of an information signal on the magnetooptic disc, the magnetooptic disc is rotated on an axis of rotation at a central portion thereof and a laser light beam is caused to impinge upon the vertically magnetized layer on a record track portion of the magnetooptic disc, to which a predetermined external magnetic field acts, so that a part of the vertically magnetized layer on the record track portion upon which the laser light beam impinges is magnetized in a direction depending upon the external magnetic field with temperature rise due to impingement of the laser light beam. The information signal is written in the vertically magnetized layer on the record track portion with inversions in the direction of magnetization provided in the vertically magnetized layer by means of a combination of the laser light beam controlled to be constant in intensity and the external magnetic field modulated in direction in response to the information signal or a combination of the laser light beam modulated in intensity in response to the information signal and the external magnetic field produced to be constant in direction.
For writing the information signal in the vertically magnetized layer of the magnetooptic disc with the combination of the laser light beam controlled to be constant in intensity and the external magnetic field modulated in direction in response to the information signal, a magnetic field generating apparatus which is operative to generate a magnetic field varying in response to the information signal and to cause the magnetic field thus generated to act to the vertically magnetized layer of the magnetooptic disc is employed. The magnetic field generating apparatus includes as a main component a magnetic head comprising a magnetic core and a coil wound on the magnetic core to be supplied with a current varying in response to the information signal. It is preferable that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating apparatus to be applied to the vertically magnetized layer of the magnetooptic disc be provided with sufficiently large intensity for acting on the vertically magnetized layer of the magnetooptic disc, and therefore the magnetic head included in the magnetic field generating apparatus is required to be disposed at a position as close as possible to the surface of the magnetooptic disc.
However, it is usual that the magnetooptic disc is rotated with a portion surrounding a central portion thereof and being subjected to periodic deviations in a direction of an axis of rotation during the rotation of the magnetooptic disc, so that it is very difficult to maintain the magnetic head included in the magnetic field generating apparatus to be close to but not to contact the surface of the magnetooptic disc without any particular control for the position of the same. Accordingly, there has been proposed a servocontrol system for the magnetic head included in the magnetic field generating apparatus wherein the magnetic head is mounted on an actuator and variations in a space between the magnetic head mounted on the actuator and the surface of the magnetooptic disc are detected to produce a detection output which is used for driving the actuator to keep the space between the magnetic head mounted on the actuator and the surface of the magnetooptic disc at a predetermined small value regardless of the periodic deviations of the portion of the magnetooptic disc during the rotation of the magnetooptic disc.
In the operation of such a servocontrol system, detection of the variations in the space between the magnetic head and the surface of the magnetooptic disc is achieved, for example, by detecting variations in capacitance between the magnetic head and the reflecting layer provided in the magnetooptic disc.
For detecting the variations in capacitance between the magnetic head and the reflecting layer provided in the magnetooptic disc in order to carry out the detection of the variations in the space between the magnetic head and the surface of the magnetooptic disc, which is required in the servocontrol system for keeping the space between the magnetic head and the surface of the magnetooptic disc at the predetermined small value regardless of the periodic deviations of the portion of the magnetooptic disc during the rotation of the magnetooptic disc, it is necessary to provide a capacitance detecting electrode to be opposite to the magnetooptic disc and to move together with the magnetic head. For meeting this requirement, the capacitance detecting electrode is attached to the magnetic head or the actuator on which the magnetic head is mounted so as to be driven by the actuator together with the magnetic head. However, this results in a disadvantage that the magnetic field generating apparatus including the magnetic head, the actuator and the capacitance detecting electrode results in a complicated configuration and is large in size, and also in another disadvantage that the actuator is burdened with driving a heavy load. Further, in the magnetic field generating apparatus including the magnetic head, the actuator and the capacitance detecting electrode, it would be feared that an eddy current is induced in the capacitance detecting electrode due to the magnetic field generated by the magnetic head and that the capacitance detecting electrode would be undesirably heated by means of eddy current loss. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to an illumination apparatus which is suitable for image pickup apparatuses and includes a reflective member reflecting light from a light source.
The above-described illumination apparatus is used, for example, as a flash unit for image pickup apparatuses such as digital cameras. The illumination apparatus includes an optical member such as a Fresnel lens which transmits light from the light source such as a discharge light emitting tube to control a light irradiation range, and a reflective member which reflects part of the light from the light source to return it to the light source and to introduce it to the optical member.
Japanese Patent No. 3544066 discloses an illumination apparatus including a reflective member in which its rear portion disposed on a rear side with respect to a center of a light source is formed into an elliptical shape whose focal point is located at the center of the light source, and its front portion disposed on a front side with respect to the center of the light source is formed into a cylindrical shape whose center is located at the center of the light source.
With miniaturization of the image pickup apparatus equipped with such an illumination apparatus, miniaturization of the illumination apparatus itself is also required.
However, the miniaturization of the illumination apparatus causes the light source and the front portion of the reflective member to be disposed closer to an optical member formed of optical plastic, which may melt the optical member by heat from the light source and the front portion of the reflective member. Moreover, in a case where a chassis of the image pickup apparatus is formed of metal, a creepage distance between the light source and the chassis reduces, which makes it easy to cause an electrical leak from the light source to the chassis.
Covering the light source and the reflective member by a heat-resistant optical member makes it possible to prevent the melting of the optical member and generation of the electrical leak. However, the optical member disperses light from the light source at a periphery of its light exit region, which may make it impossible to efficiently introduce the light to a required irradiation range. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention is in the field of water circulation and filtration systems for both freshwater and salt-water aquariums.
The maintenance of high water quality in aquariums is essential for successfully keeping many breeds of fish and other aquatic organisms. For example, it is the dream of every discus fish hobbyist to decorate their living space with plant-containing aquariums in which large discus fish live comfortably. However, it is not only labor-intensive, but also impractical for amateur hobbyists, or even professional breeders, to keep discus fish in tanks with plants due to the fact that discus require ultra clean water. The major source of contamination in an aquarium tank is debris from left-over food, plant and animal waste accumulated under the gravel, with the resulting release of excessive amounts of toxic metabolites and substances such as ammonium and organic acids from decaying substances. In addition, the presence of such debris promotes the growth of infectious bacteria and fungi. It is therefore strongly recommended that aquariums with discus fish do not contain any kind of bottom substrate in order to avoid the accumulation of debris. The only way to make a more attractive discus tank is to decorate the tank with individually potted plants, thereby lowering the aesthetic quality of the aquarium.
The two filtration systems commonly employed in aquariums are under-gravel and outside power filtration. The under-gravel filtration system provides water flow within and under the gravel, supplying oxygen to the plant roots, and promoting the growth of beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria, all of which are required for plant growth. The major drawback of this system is the need to remove all plants and gravel in order to clean the tank, and in particular to clean the bottom of the tank where all debris accumulates. The outside filtration system is less labor-intensive for cleaning and replacing filtration materials. However, debris will gradually accumulate under the gravel, making frequent cleaning of the gravel layer necessary in order to maintain a high level of water quality. There thus remains a need for a filtration system that prevents accumulation of debris at the bottom of the tank.
This invention provides a water filtration or cleaning system, together with methods for its use, which allows for automatic removal of debris accumulated at the bottom of an aquarium, thereby maintaining high quality water within the aquarium without intensive work.
In one embodiment, the inventive system comprises: (a) a water flushing tube adapted to be positioned at one of the aquarium, the water flushing tube comprising a first generally vertical tubular member connected at one end to a hose for connection to a water supply or to a reverse power-head pump, and connected at the other end to a generally right-angled water jet tube, or connector, having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium; (b) a water draining tube adapted to be positioned at the opposing end of the aquarium, the water draining tube comprising a second generally vertical tubular member being connected at one end to a hose for the drainage of water out of the aquarium and connected at the other end to a generally right-angled siphon tube, or connector, having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium; and (c) a water circulation tube adapted to be positioned at the opposing end of the aquarium, the water circulation tube comprising a third generally vertical tubular member being connectable at one end to a filter located outside the aquarium and having an opening to be positioned in proximity to the base of the aquarium. In a preferred embodiment, the aquarium is provided with a gravel screen and the openings of the water flushing tube, water circulation tube and water draining tube are positioned below the screen.
In an alternative embodiment, the water flushing tube is connected to a horizontal tube which is placed along at least one inner side of the aquarium and which has multiple holes placed along its length. Preferably the holes face perpendicular to the bottom of the tank. Similarly, the water circulation and draining tubes are connected to a second horizontal tube having multiple holes along its length and which is placed along at least one opposing side of the aquarium. Preferably the holes in the second horizontal tube face down towards the bottom of the aquarium.
In the inventive methods, water is passed through the water flushing tube, either from the water supply or by means of the reverse power-head pump, and directed towards the opposite side of the aquarium, thereby pushing debris accumulated on the bottom of the aquarium towards the water draining and water circulation tubes. Water and debris are then removed from the aquarium through the water draining tube into an external container or drain and/or through the water circulation tube to the filter. Preferably, water and debris are continually removed from the tank by means of the water circulating tube, with clean water being passed into the aquarium through the water flushing tube and water and debris being removed from the aquarium through the water draining tube as necessary.
Using the inventive system and methods, debris may be effectively removed from an aquarium without removing any objects, such as fish, live plants and gravel, thereby maintaining a high level of water quality cost-effectively and with minimal labor. The inventive system further enables effective use of the biological cleaning effect of the plants, which utilizes animal waste. The water quality in aquariums with densely growing plants is much higher than in a bare aquarium. Using conventional filtering and cleaning systems, the accumulation of debris significantly increases after a certain period and overwhelms the plants"" water cleaning ability. Using the inventive system, the accumulation of debris can be readily avoided by routine removal of debris at the aquarium bottom. When plants grow well, their nitrogen uptake is significant and much less water exchange is required.
The above-mentioned and additional features of the present invention and the manner of obtaining them will become apparent, and the invention will be best understood by reference to the following more detailed description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates generally to answering queries from consumers. In particular, consumer queries transmitted through an augmented reality can be received and processed with a server, wherein answers can be communicated to consumers through the augmented reality device.
2. Background
Some retail stores extend across tens of thousands of square feet and offer thousands of products for sale. Many consumers visit such retail stores when shopping for products such as groceries, office supplies, and household wares. Typically, these stores can have dozens of aisles and/or sections. Accordingly, traversing these aisles looking for specific products may be a frustrating experience. Furthermore, over-crowding can occur in certain regions of the retail location. Employees of the retail store can be deployed to over-crowded locations, leaving consumers in other areas of the retail store without assistance. Difficulties in finding products and minimal available assistance at a retail location can be frustrating to customers and tends to discourage customers from shopping at the retail store.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure. | {
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Such an arrangement is disclosed in U.K. patent specification No. 1,404,078, from which it is known to replace the mechanical interrupter contact present in a dial by an electronic interrupter contact. It is then important that the electronic interrupter contact closely approaches the properties of the mechanical interrupter contact.
It is of particular important that the value of the resistance of the contact is very large in the opened condition and very small in the closed condition.
The value of the resistance in the open as well as in the closed condition is determined not only by the choice of the element but also by the circuit into which the contact is incorporated.
Applicants found that with the line interruption arrangement known from the above-mentioned United Kingdom Patent Specification the problem is encountered that the voltage drop across the electronic interrupter contact is not sufficiently small for low line currents, such as those in very long subscriber's lines. A low voltage drop across the switching contact is a particular requirement for a long subscriber's line in order that the supply voltage to the remaining equipment is sufficient.
This undesired voltage drop is caused by the fact that the control energy of the electronic interrupter contact decreases in response to a decreasing line current causing the voltage drop across the contact increases. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Wireless communication technologies have seen explosive growth over the past few years. A recent addition to wireless communication technologies has been the ability to broadcast television to mobile users. Mobile broadcast users can view mobile editions of news, entertainment, sports, business, and other programming using their cell phone or other wireless devices. These broadcast systems have seen significant increase in usage and availability worldwide. Further growth in the deployment and services offered by mobile broadcast television-type networks is expected. | {
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Handheld consumer electronics require packaging technologies which are able to provide more compact sizes, higher performance, and/or low costs. These market requirements motivate the transition of the die placement from side by side to die stacking. Also, these requirements encourage the switching of interconnection technologies from wire bonding to vertical interconnections using Through Silicon Vias (TSVs). FIG. 1A is an image 100a showing wirebond stacking. FIG. 1B is an image 100b showing through silicon via (TSV) stacking.
TSV technology has been considered as a promising platform for 3D stacking as well 2.5D interposer to accommodate high input/output (I/O) and smaller form factor. However, this technology may still be considered as a high cost process due to relative expensive front-end process such as dual damascene, deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) etc.
FIG. 2 is a schematic 200 showing process flow of through silicon via (TSV) die stacking. “FEOL” refers to Front End of Line and “BEOL” refers to Back End of Line. “C4 bump formation” refers to controlled collapse chip connection bump formation or flip chip bump formation. The process flow may include 3 main processes: fab wafer process, post fab wafer process, and assembly and packaging process. The conventional die stacking process using TSV includes Back End of Line (BEOL) processing methods such as deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE), chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plating, as well as packaging methods such as bumping, backgrinding, Temporary Bonding Debonding (TBDB), and thermal compression bonding. | {
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Etching and cleaning of SiO.sub.2, tungsten, polysilicon and Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 materials are technologically significant processes for microelectronics device fabrication. Faster etch rates are required to increase the throughput of the process, thus decreasing the total cost.
In most etching processes, diluting the fluorine source gas, CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, etc. results in a decrease in SiO.sub.2 or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 etch rates. The NF.sub.3 literature reports the same result, diluting the NF.sub.3 results in lower etch rates.
Various attempts have been made to use nitrogen trifluoride efficiently in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,698 describes a plasma etching process for thermally grown or CVD deposited silicon oxide. This work describes selective etching of silicon oxide to silicon and refractory metals and their silicides. The preferred embodiment uses a gas mixture of BF.sub.3 /H.sub.2 /Ar with the claim that the BF.sub.3 gas can be replaced by one of the following: NF.sub.3, SF.sub.6, or SiF.sub.4 Hydrogen is supplied to the reactor in a carrier gas of argon in the concentration of 3% hydrogen to 97% argon. Total flow rates are calculated from the flow rate of the fluorinated gas (BF.sub.3, etc.) and the hydrogen flow rate, with the inert gas component disregarded. The inventor claims the percentage in the etchant gas mixture of all atomic species which form in the glow discharge molecules and radicals capable of adsorbing onto and reducing silicon oxides in the range of 5% atomic to 50% atomic of the etchant gas mixture. The pressure range claimed is 100 mTorr to 3 Torr. Also claimed is the atomic ratio of fluorine to hydrogen in the etchant gas mixture in the range of 15:1 to 30:1.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 63-11674 is an improved cleaning method for plasma CVD chambers utilizing mixtures of argon and NF.sub.3. In particular, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 was etched with a 50% mixture (nitrogen trifluoride/argon) at 0.6 Torr. Data shown in this patent application range from 0.3 to 1.0 Torr with 50% dilution.
H. G. Stenger and G. S. Akiki, "Kinetics of Plasma Etching Silicon with Nitrogen Trifluoride," Mat. Res. Soc. Proc. Vol. 68, (1986) pp. 267-272, state that, "A potential drawback from the use of NF3 is its formation of fewer positive ions than CF4 at similar reaction conditions [2]. Fewer positive ions cause NF3 to give predominately isotropic etch profiles [4]." Etching was performed in a Plasma Therm PK-24 radial flow reactor with electrode spacing of 1.57 cm and electrode area of 2450 sq cm (55.8 cm dia.). The reactor pressure was held at 18.7 Pa, electrode temperature was held at 25.degree. C., and mole fraction of NF.sub.3 in Ar held at 0.4. Etch rates of silicon (given in micromoles of Si/min) were a linear function of inlet gas flow (from 4 to 24 sccm) with power densities of 0.082, 0.123, 0.163, and 0.204 W/cm.sup.2. "As silicon loading is decreased, loss of fluorine atoms in non-etching reactions will become significant relative to those consumed in the etching reaction."
J. Barkanic, A. Hoff, J. Stach, and B. Golja, "Dry Etching Using NF3/Ar and NF3/He Plasmas," Semiconductor Processing, ASTM STP 850, (1984) pp. 110-123, include research in which experiments were performed in a Plasma Therm PK 2440 Dual Plasma/Reactive Ion Etch System with 22 in Dia. electrodes and electrode spacing of 2.6 inches. Helium and argon were used as diluents with the NF.sub.3 being varied from 10% to 80% of the total flow (by volume). For plasma etching (PE) experiments a fixed flow of 40 sccm was used and pressure ranged from 60 to 500 microns. For RIE the flow was varied from 10 to 40 sccm and the pressure ranged from 15 to 80 microns. Power densities ranged from 0.02 to 0.8 W/cm.sup.2. "At low NF3 concentrations (<40% NF3/inert) the etch rate in either an Ar or He mixture is not significantly different. In addition, the etch rate for low percent NF.sub.3 mixtures (10 to 20% NF3/inert) doesn't vary markedly with power density. This indicates that the NF3 concentration in low percentage NF3 mixtures is low enough such that it doesn't result in more NF3 being dissociated as power density is increased." SiO.sub.2 etch rates varied from 30 to 1500 A/min depending upon the mode selected. Loading of the chamber was also noted to have an effect on etch rate with the rate decreasing with increasing number of wafers.
V. M. Donnelly, D. L. Flamm, W. C. Dautremont-Smith, and D. J. Werder, "Anisotropic Etching of SiO.sub.2 in Low-Frequency CF4/O.sub.2 and NF3/Ar Plasmas," J. Appl. Phys., vol. 55, no. 1, (Jan. 1984), pp. 242-252, describe a protocol in which during all experiments gas pressure was 0.35 Torr and total flow rate was 100 sccm. Additionally, three types of electrodes were used: (1) hard anodized aluminum; (2) Stainless steel; and (3) silicon covered stainless steel lower electrodes. "NF3/Ar plasmas generated much higher fluorine atom concentrations than CF4/O.sub.2 plasmas . . . The fluorine atom density is .about.10 times higher than in CF4/50% O.sub.2 under the same conditions (empty stainless-steel reactor, power =0.35 W/cm.sup.2, flow rate =100 sccm, and pressure =0.35 Torr)." When the lower electrode was covered with silicon the fluorine atom concentration in the NF.sub.3 plasma dropped by a factor of .about. 6. Their results of etch rate vs. fluorine atom concentration suggest that the same processes are operative in both CF.sub.4 /O.sub.2 and NF.sub.3 /Ar for SiO.sub.2 etching. Additionally, it was found that the higher the percentage of NF.sub.3 in the mix, the higher the resulting substrate temperature. Contamination was found to be "less serious" when the stainless steel electrodes were used.
S. M. Tan, H. C. Goh, H. A. Naseem, and W. D. Brown, "Plasma Etching of Silicon Using NF3 Diluted with Argon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen," Proc. 2nd Int'l. Conf. on Elec. Mats., (1990 Materials Research Society), pp. 439-444, reported that experiments were performed in a single chamber stainless steel PECVD system. The chamber pressure was kept at 250 mTorr, the total flow rate was 10 sccm, and the power was varied from 4 to 20 Watts (0.023 to 0.113 W/cm.sup.2). Etch rates were measured by profilometry. It was observed that the sustaining power for NF.sub.3 diluted with argon or hydrogen was about half that for dilution with nitrogen. The authors point out that their etch rate data is in contrast to that of Barkanic (i.e., the etch rates of silicon vs. dilution % peak at different concentrations, with power held constant, and are not linear as in the Barkanic studies). They explain this result by stating ". . . although there is a higher concentration of NF3, the concentration of reactive etching radicals seems to decrease, resulting in a lower etch rate. With constant power applied to the plasma, the fall in the etch rate at higher R [R=NF3 flow rate/(NF3+diluent gas)] can be observed as the operating power for etching gets nearer to the plasma sustaining power. Increasing the concentration further would put the power in the no plasma region . . ." That is, as the concentration of NF.sub.3 increases it becomes harder to "light" the plasma, i.e., more power is needed to sustain the plasma.
In their study of NF.sub.3 /N.sub.2 they find that both fluorine and nitrogen play a role in etching silicon. They note that higher powers are needed to sustain the plasma of this type of mixture than for NF.sub.3 /Ar. The results also indicate that the N-F radical may also etch silicon and result in a higher etch rate than with NF.sub.3 /Ar. Again they observe a nonlinear relationship between etch rate and NF.sub.3 concentration at constant power.
Low etch rates were obtained for the NF.sub.3 /H.sub.2 mixes. They explain this by noting that hydrogen scavenges fluorine. Additionally, material deposition was observed for R=0.4.
The prior art has attempted to use nitrogen trifluoride for various etching processes, but the prior art has not resolved the problem of efficient use of nitrogen trifluoride as the present invention has done in which lower requirements of expensive nitrogen trifluoride at higher etch rates result in shorter down time for semiconductor process equipment, more thorough etch-cleaning with lower utilization of nitrogen trifluoride as will be set forth in greater detail below. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An automobile vehicle four-stroke internal combustion engine generally includes a block delimiting cylinders defining combustion chambers in each of which is mounted a piston connected to a crankshaft connected via the gearbox to wheels of the automobile vehicle to drive them in rotation. Into each combustion chamber open an intake pipe and an exhaust pipe provided with valves mobile between open and closed positions. The valves are moved between their two positions by camshafts driven by the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine also includes a device for feeding the combustion chambers with fuel and an engine control unit connected to the fuel supply device and to the ignition circuit in the case of a controlled ignition engine. Electrical power used on board the vehicle is supplied by an alternator driven by the internal combustion engine and connected to the battery of the vehicle to charge it. The engine is started by a starter motor that is connected to the battery and which has an output gear meshing with a toothed ring fastened to the crankshaft.
It is also known to use a combined alternator/starter motor that provides the alternator and starter motor functions alternately.
The alternator/starter motor when operated as a starter motor provides for fast starting of the engine. When the engine equips an automobile vehicle, it is then possible to envisage stopping the engine temporarily each time that the vehicle is stationary (for example in a traffic jam or at a red light) and to start the engine as soon as the driver indicates their intention to move forward, for example by selecting a gear. When the internal combustion engine is stopped, the actuator immobilizes the valves as quickly as possible in order to reduce the noise associated with movement of the valves, which noise could prove a nuisance when the engine is stopped, at which time the general noise level is relatively low.
However, frequent starting of the engine causes battery charging problems and therefore problems with the rating of the battery. | {
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Bisphenols such as 2,2-bis(4'-oxyphenylpropane), or bisphenol-A, and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)butane, or bisphenol-B, are made by a condensation reaction of phenol with ketones, as for example with acetone for bisphenol-A, or with methyl ethyl ketone for bisphenol-B. Similar condensation reactions occur between phenol and aldehydes. Such condensation reactions are acid catalyzed, and particularly advantageous acid catalysts for the reactions are strong-acid cation exchange resins which carry the anionic portion of the acid on a solid substrate, allowing its easy removal at the completion of the reaction.
A particular problem with making bisphenol-A using cation exchange resins as the acid catalyst is that the crude bisphenol-A product may be strongly colored, and this color, unless removed, carries through into products, such as fibers, transparent sheet for glazing and the like, made from the bisphenol-A and having particularly stringent requirements for low color.
Impurities, particularly those such as sulfonic acid residues which lead to decomposition during distillation, have been removed from bisphenol-A by treating the crude bisphenol-A with anion exchange resins prior to its distillation (Faler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,254), but this treatment is a separate step from the reaction which produces the crude bisphenol-A. It would be highly advantageous to produce bisphenols such as bisphenol-A with low color directly from the condensation reaction. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Platform bicycle pedals are flat-surfaced pedals used on a variety of bicycles, typically for casual and mountain bike use. Here, the rider's force is only applied in a downwards direction on the pedals when cycling. Clipless bicycle pedals are intended for a cyclist to be more efficient when cycling by providing a better foot-to-pedal connection. Such pedals are comprised of special pedals and cleats, whereby the cleats are attached to the sole of specialized bicycling shoes that attach to the clipless pedals. Because the clipless pedal is attached to the rider's shoe, force is applied by pulling one pedal upwards while pushing the other downwards, simultaneously. Clipless pedals are typically used for more competitive purposes where riders aim to energy-efficiently maximize their performance, such as in bicycle races, long-distance endurance rides or competitive mountain bike rides.
While clipless pedals have many benefits over platform pedals, they are typically unsuitable for casual rides. The cleat-to-clipless pedal system works best when the rider is continuously in motion, without needing to stop abruptly. Rides that are not ideally suited for the clipless pedal systems may include bike rides in crowded urban areas or in traffic, family bike rides or mountain bike rides over difficult terrain, such as slippery or rocky surfaces. Some of these situations may be risky for riders who may be unable to disengage themselves from the clipless pedals quickly enough in the event of unforeseen hazardous circumstances. Such an instance may include commuters crossing riders' paths, who must stop abruptly and place their feet on the ground to prevent themselves from falling. Riders who fail to react quickly and appropriately in such circumstances may suffer injuries, such as a broken collar bone when falling, or injure others in their path. This is especially relevant for mountain bike riders, who may be more likely to fall and suffer serious injuries as a result of being attached to their clipless pedals when riding over difficult terrain. Many mountain bike riders who use clipless pedals, in particular amateur riders, may see a benefit in changing their clipless pedals to platform pedals in potentially hazardous situations. In other circumstances, the use of clipless pedals is simply impractical, often because the rider must wear specialized shoes that are not suited for walking. Here, platform pedals are superior, especially when the destination requires the rider to move around on foot on normal shoes.
Some riders may solve these problems by owning multiple bicycles, each with different types of platform and clipless pedals. However, bicycles that use clipless pedals are typically intended for more competitive, or endurance-related, purposes and are therefore commonly more expensive than standard commuter bikes. It is therefore not within everyone's means to own multiple bicycles for different purposes. While changing pedals is an option, it is a time consuming process that requires a specific set of tools and considerable effort. For these reasons, riders are typically unlikely to opt for this method. Alternatively, riders may choose to wear normal shoes on a bicycle fitted with clipless pedals. However, because clipless pedals are not intended for this purpose, they provide little traction for normal shoes, which will easily slip, particularly in wet conditions. Wearing normal shoes while riding on clipless pedals will result in an uncomfortable ride, where the rider may feel out of balance and insecure.
Several clipless pedal adapters have been created in the past in order to address this problem. However, such clipless pedal adapters have various drawbacks. For example, most clipless adapters are specially designed for a particular type of clipless pedal, and therefore a narrow segment of clipless pedal users. Other adapters approach a solution with a combination of a clipless pedal and a platform pedal. While this approach solves the issue of traction on clipless pedals, the device is not an adapter, but rather a modified pedal that is fitted on the bike permanently. Some of these types of clipless-platform pedal combinations have the problem of unequal weight distribution; therefore, the rider is only presented with one side of the pedal to engage with. Lastly, riders typically enjoy the benefits of their clipless pedals and may not wish to have a permanent platform adapter attached to their bicycles. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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