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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manual stop and mirror-up mechanism for a single lens reflex camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is customary that a variety of up-to-date single lens reflex cameras are equipped not only with a manual stop mechanism for confirming a depth of field, but also with a mirror-up mechanism for prevention of mirror shock when the camera is employed in microphotography and in photocopy work and for a preliminary mirror-up operation when a short focus lens such an ultrawide angle lens is employed during the photographic process.
For a camera in which a slit exposure is accomplished as in a focal plane shutter, the mirror-up operation will possibly lead to initiation of shutter movement prior to completion of the stopping-down operation, which in turn causes a blur in the photographic image obtained, and the stopping-down operation has to be accomplished concurrently with the mirror-up operation. For a single lens reflex camera including a self-timer mechanism, moreover, much space is of course required by respective components, and still worse, its respective actuating members must be mounted to the outside of the camera body which deteriorates materially the appearance and design of the camera. | {
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Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by Arabic numerals in brackets. Full citations for these publications may be found at the end of the specification immediately preceding the claims. The disclosures of these publications are in their entirety hereby incorporated by reference into this application to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
Construction of chimaeric DNA molecules in vitro relies traditionally on two enzymatic steps catalyzed by separate protein components. Site-specific restriction endonucleases are used to generate linear DNAs with defined termini that can then be joined covalently at their ends via the action of DNA ligase.
Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase, a 314-aa virus-encoded eukaryotic type I topoisomerase [11], binds to duplex DNA and cleaves the phosphodiester backbone of one strand. The enzyme exhibits a high level of sequence specificity, akin to that of a restriction endonuclease. Cleavage occurs at a consensus pentapyrimidine element 5xe2x80x2-(C/T)CCTTØ in the scissile strand [12, 5, 6]. In the cleavage reaction, bond energy is conserved via the formation of a covalent adduct between the 3xe2x80x2 phosphate of the incised strand and a tyrosyl residue (Tyr-274) of the protein [10]. Vaccinia topoisomerase can religate the covalently held strand across the same bond originally cleaved (as occurs during DNA relaxation) or it can religate to a heterologous acceptor DNA and thereby create a recombinant molecule [7, 8].
The repertoire of DNA joining reactions catalyzed by vaccinia topoisomerase has been studied using synthetic duplex DNA substrates containing a single CCCCT cleavage site. When the substrate is configured such that the scissile bond is situated near (within 10 bp of) the 3xe2x80x2 end of a DNA duplex, cleavage is accompanied by spontaneous dissociation of the downstream portion of the cleaved strand [4]. The resulting topoisomerase-DNA complex, containing a 5xe2x80x2 single-stranded tail, can religate to an acceptor DNA if the acceptor molecule has a 5xe2x80x2 OH tail complementary to that of the activated donor complex. Sticky-end ligation by vaccinia toroisomerase has been demonstrated using plasmid DNA acceptors with four base overhangs created by restriction endonuclease digestion [8].
This invention provides a modified vaccinia topoisomerase enzyme containing an affinity tag which is capable of facilitating purification of protein-DNA complexes away from unbound DNA. This invention further provides a modified sequence specific topoisomerase enzyme.
This invention provides a method of ligating duplex DNAs, a method of molecular cloning of DNA, a method of synthesizing polynucleotides, and a method of gene targeting.
Lastly, this invention provides a recombinant DNA molecule composed of segments of DNA which have been joined ex vivo by the use of a sequence specific topoisomerase and which has the capacity to transform a suitable host cell comprising a DNA sequence encoding polypeptide activity. | {
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Aluminium is produced by the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in molten cryolite. The electrolytic cell known as the Hall-Heroult cell, uses anodes consisting of a compacted mixture of petroleum coke and pitch. The cathodes are made from carbon blocks which are predominantly anthracite, metallurgical coke, graphite and pitch and form the cell bottom and the cell walls.
Although significant technological refinements in the cell design and construction have been made, the basic process of producing aluminium still remains substantially similar to what it was one hundred years ago. Carbonaceous materials are still the main lining material used today in the cell.
The carbon anode blocks are consumed during electrolysis and must be replaced every four or five weeks of operation in standard cells. The oxygen resulting from the decomposition of alumina burns the carbon anode at a theoretical rate of approximately 330 kg per ton of aluminium produced, but in practice the carbon consumption is about 450 kg per ton of aluminium due to side reactions. This results in the emission of carbon oxides, sulfur oxides and other undesirable gases which are now being recognized as major atmosphere polluants, but such emissions are considerably less dangerous and less polluting than those produced during fabrication of the carbon anodes with pitch as a binder.
At present, the method of producing carbon blocks to be used as anodes and cathodes in aluminium production cells consists of mixing petroleum coke with pitch for the anode and anthracite and other carbonaceous materials with pitch for the cathode, followed by compacting and calcining. Calcining designates a baking process in which volatiles are driven off at high temperatures without fusing the material.
The fabrication of the carbon anodes and cathodes involves the use of pitch. During fabrication, gases are emitted especially from the pitch during the long period required for calcining the blocks. These gases are polluting and very dangerous to the environment and are recognized as a major hazard to the health of workers involved in the production.
The pitch serves as the binder for the dry mixture of carbonaceous materials. Unfortunately, the pitch binder presents a series of serious hazards for health and for the environment.
Both solid and liquid pitch is used. The utilization of solid pitch results in unsatisfactory working conditions for the workmen, such as irritation and itching of the skin and eyes, and special precautions must be taken in order to protect the workmen during all operations where pitch is involved.
Additional problems result from the utilization of liquid pitch, particularly in regard to the storage and transportation to the utilization plant.
During the calcining of the carbon blocks, which is required to eliminate the volatile components and stabilize the blocks, there is an emission of aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are very dangerous to the health and special equipment is required to absorb these products. However, the residual products after absorption are also difficult to eliminate and the cost of disposal is high.
Utilization of pitch as a binder requires the mixing operations with carbonaceous materials to be carried out at about 150.degree.-200.degree. C. and this creates operating complications and high operating costs.
The calcining process is complicated and costly and large furnaces are required which are difficult to operate, are polluting and expensive because of the high energy consumption. On account of the requirement of low thermal gradients during heating of these blocks to over 1000.degree. C. and later cooling, the calcining operation normally takes as long as 2 to 4 weeks.
An additional disadvantage of the pitch is due to the fact that when the blocks are calcined the pitch is transformed mainly into a form of carbon which oxidizes more rapidly than the petroleum coke. This leads to disintegration of the anode block with formation of unutilized carbon powder which is detrimental to the operation of the electrolytic cell and increases the carbon consumption.
It would therefore be extremely advantageous for the aluminium industry to produce carbon blocks fabricated with a non-polluting binder without the necessity of handling pitch or like dangerous materials, avoiding the emission of polluting substances. Additionally, there is a need to develop compositions and methods which eliminate the high temperature fabrication and the long calcining times required to form the carbon blocks following the current state of the art. | {
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Root canal therapy may include clinical instrumentation that is driven by an endodontic motor. Endodontic motors have traditionally been designed to maintain constant rotation of between 300 RPM and 1000 RPM. Typically, a clinician sets the rotation speed. Despite the application of variable torque and friction to the motor during use, constant motor rotation is often maintained by a feedback control loop that dynamically monitors and then acts to maintain the speed of the motor. In this manner, the power output to the endodontic motor varies in accordance with the variable torque and friction observed by the motor to maintain the preset motor speed.
More recently, developments within the endodontic field suggest a performance benefit from a reciprocating endodontic motor. Reciprocating endodontic motors drive the rotor and attached endodontic drill or file through a clockwise rotation and then a counterclockwise rotation. This clockwise-counterclockwise rotation cycle may be repeated very rapidly during treatment. By way of example, the reciprocating endodontic motor may rotate a file clockwise 160 degrees followed by a counterclockwise rotation of 40 degrees. This reciprocating motion may be repeated with any combination of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations of differing degrees to create novel and complex filing cycles. Moreover, by introducing two directions of movement, the attached drill or file has two potentially useful directions, each rotation direction of which is capable of specialization. For instance, a file may be designed for dual use such that it may cut while rotating clockwise, but grind or buff while rotating counterclockwise.
A further modification to the reciprocating endodontic motor is a coast feature. In this regard, at the end of a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation, the motor and attached file will coast under only the influence of its own momentum. For example, an endodontic motor programmed with the coast feature may be programmed to drive a file through a 120 degree clockwise rotation followed by an 80 degree counterclockwise rotation. Following the 120 degree clockwise rotation, the endodontic motor and attached file will continue to rotate, but such rotation will be the result of coasting beyond the specified clockwise rotation. Thus, coasting occurs prior to beginning a counterclockwise rotation of 80 degrees. Regardless of the prescribed angular values, the coast feature permits additional, though unpowered, rotation of the endodontic motor. The amount of such additional rotational coast is dynamically determined and may depend on the time permitted to coast, the angular momentum of the system, and/or the amount of friction encountered by the system. It will be appreciated that generally angular momentum of the motor increases coast time while increased friction reduces coast time.
As applied to reciprocating endodontic motors, the coast feature is a desirable feature because it allows the motor and file to dynamically and automatically respond to various and complex environmental factors, including the specific anatomy encountered during root canal therapy. Rather than the traditional preset and forced control drive which forces a highly prescribed motion, the coast feature allows for greater flexibility of rotational movement. For instance, where the file is spinning freely within the root canal, coast will allow the file to continue spinning while also cutting efficiently to reduce the time to complete the procedure. On the other hand, where the file encounters increased friction due to resistance, coast will decrease the rotation of the endodontic motor to reduce torsional and bending loads applied to the file. In either case, the coast feature provides significant procedural benefits.
Presently, a clinician must choose an amount of coast that is symmetrically applied to the tool. That is, coasting following a clockwise rotation is the same as the coasting following a counterclockwise rotation. Unfortunately, different tools create different frictional forces, which, in turn, affect the amount of optimal coast for a counterclockwise rotation and a clockwise rotation. For instance, a file cutting in the clockwise direction will encounter greater friction and resistance than the same file which produces a buffing action in the counterclockwise direction. Such divergent uses may force a clinician to choose a coast for either cutting or buffing, but not both simultaneously. Thus, a clinician desiring a particular coast in the clockwise direction must also accept this coast in the counterclockwise direction due to the nature of such symmetrical coast control. Identical coast settings are not necessarily advantageous, because significant rotation in the counterclockwise direction may lead to undesirable procedural phenomena such as extrusion of canal debris out of the canal apex, creating post operative pain for the patient.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for use in endodontic procedures, such as root canal therapy, that addresses present challenges and characteristics such as those discussed above. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and corresponding method of providing key frames of a video selected from a plurality of videos and that are displayed on the mobile terminal so as to identify an overall story of the video and allow a user to start watching the video at a selected key frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals now provide many additional functions besides the basic call service function. For example, users can now send and receive text and voice messages, watch videos, sporting events and other broadcast programs, perform scheduling tasks, access the Internet, etc.
For example, mobile terminals now allow the user to connect not only to a mobile communication network, but also various communication/broadcast networks including a portable Internet network, an integrated wire/wireless internet network, a mobile broadcasting network, etc, so that a user can download and reproduce various audio/video multimedia contents using their mobile terminal.
However, it is difficult for users to get an overall feeling of whether or not they want to download or watch a particular video, because generally only the name of the video is given to the user. In addition, because the display size of the mobile terminal is limited, the titles of the available downloads are sometimes abbreviated, making it more difficult to get an overall feeling for what the movie or download is about. | {
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Musical instruments have always been very popular in society providing entertainment, social interaction, self-expression, and a business and source of livelihood for many people. Musical instruments and related accessories are used by professional and amateur musicians to generate, alter, transmit, and reproduce audio signals. Common musical instruments include an electric guitar, bass guitar, violin, horn, brass, drums, wind instrument, string instrument, piano, organ, electric keyboard, and percussions. The audio signal from the musical instrument is typically an analog signal containing a progression of values within a continuous range. The audio signal can also be digital in nature as a series of binary one or zero values. The musical instrument is often used in conjunction with related musical accessories, such as microphones, audio amplifiers, speakers, mixers, synthesizers, samplers, effects pedals, public address systems, digital recorders, and similar devices to capture, alter, combine, store, play back, and reproduce sound from digital or analog audio signals originating from the musical instrument.
Musicians often make impromptu use of musical instruments. Accordingly, a musician will often pick up and play an instrument without advanced planning or intent. The impromptu session can happen anytime the musician has an instrument, such as after a performance at a club, relaxing at home in the evening, at work during a lunch break, or while drinking coffee at a cafe. An impromptu session can include multiple musicians and multiple instruments. The impromptu session often results in the creation of novel compositions that have purpose or value, or are otherwise useful to the musician. The compositions will be lost if the musician was not prepared or not able to record the composition at the time of the impromptu session, either for lack of a medium to record the composition on or lack of time to make the recording. Also, the actions required to record the composition can interfere with the creative process. In any case, the circumstances may not afford the opportunity to record a performance at a planned or unplanned session, even when recording capability is available. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pompons, and more particularly to a miniature pompon that may also be used as a novelty pet article.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,725 describes a wrist pom utilized by individuals in cheerleading and the like, to include an elastomeric tubular sleeve having a forward annular end receiving a collar therewithin, wherein the collar has fixedly secured thereto an annular array of elongate, flexible tassel webs at rear distal ends of each web. A modification of the invention includes a squeeze bulb member mounted to the sleeve to provide for selective projection of glitter particles formed of reflective material for an enhanced visual display in use of the organization.
Kessler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,046 describes a pompon having flexible streamers formed of transparent plastic, preferably PET, in which the transparent flexible plastic contains a fluorescent dye such that when the plastic is cut to form the streamers, the cut edges provide a glowing effect in the presence of light.
Herklmer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,313 describes a pompon for use by yell leaders, pep squads, and the like having stands of crepe paper or similar material secured to a body with a protective hand around the portions of the stands on the body and a handle secured to the body for holding the pompon.
Offen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,215 describes a pompon that includes a plastic body member that has stands attached to an end thereof, and wherein a clip is provided for holding the stands in place on the member. One end of the holder or member is open so that a coupon or the like can be conveniently inserted within the member. Suitable advertisements, logos, and the like can be imprinted on the outer surface of the finger held pompon. The finger held pompon includes a receptacle that is constructed of plastic material of resilient characteristics whereby the user's finger can be conveniently inserted within the device to provide a convenient means of manipulating the pompon.
The prior art clearly teaches the construction and use of a pompon. However, the prior art does not teach that a pompon may be used also as a doll-like novelty. The art also does not teach a pompon handle that provides for the insertion of a finger in such a manner that the finger may be easily removed yet is captured with respect to lateral movement and so provides a more secure means for holding the device. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cassette and, more specifically, is directed to a tape cassette of the type having a mouth for receiving a head drum and tape loading members when the tape cassette is inserted in a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and which is capable of being tightly closed when the tape cassette is not in use.
2. Description of the Related Art
An existing tape cassette for use in a digital audio tape player (DAT) has a mouth and is provided with a front lid for closing the front opening of the mouth and a slide shutter for closing the lower opening of the mouth. In this tape cassette for a DAT, an extension of the top wall of the case or body of the cassette extends across the top of the mouth for closing the latter from above. Accordingly, the position of the tape cassette must be raised when it is desired to receive the head drum in the mouth of the tape cassette for reducing the size of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus measured laterally and from front-to-back. Consequently, the height of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus has to be increased. On the other hand, if the height of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus is not increased, the head drum needs to be located outside the mouth of the cassette case and, consequently, the size of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, as measured in the front-to-back direction, has to be increased. | {
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(1) Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a servo circuit for controlling the positioning of an object under servo control (hereinafter referred to as a "servo object") to a target position by speed control and then position control.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Wide use is being made of servo positioning circuits for the positioning of magnetic heads on tracks of magnetic disk devices. In such servo positioning circuits, there is a desire for a technique enabling stable positioning even at high speeds.
That is, in the speed control of conventional servo circuits, at the stage of acceleration control at the start of the speed control, due to the overly large difference between the real speed and the target speed of the voice coil motor, linear control of the control current flowing through the voice coil motor is not possible and there results a state of voltage control such that closed loop control by the servo circuit cannot be performed for that period.
If closed loop control cannot be performed, then the control current for the acceleration control flows uncontrolled. Therefore, the rise of the current is large, resulting in oscillation of the voice coil motor. At the stage of acceleration control, parasitic oscillation easily occurs and further the parastic oscillation cannot be suppressed, so turns into residual oscillation. This has the problem of reducing the seek speed and hindering high speed seek operations.
In particular, along with the increasingly higher speeds of seek operations as in recent years, the seek speed has been shortened to a value close to the cycle of the residual oscillation, making the problem of easy occurrence of residual oscillation much worse. | {
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From the prior art, a number of devices and methods are known for providing the surfaces of plate-shaped elements—herein referred to as plates or panels—with a décor. The provision of plates with décors is widespread, especially in the furniture industry and the manufacturing of flooring. For example, so-called laminate panels are known for floors, which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to work with. They are usually based on a carrier plate of a wood-based material, such as MDF or HDF, on which surface an imprinted décor paper impregnated with a resin has been applied. Over the décor paper, a so-called overlay paper is usually also applied, in order to improve the durability of the upper layer. The used papers are impregnated with resins, such as for example amino resins, which cure by compression under the influence of heat and pressure. In order to enhance the abrasion resistance of the surfaces the resins are also often provided with abrasion resistant particles, such as in particular corundum.
In a further development of such laminate panels so-called direct-imprinted panels have been developed. With these direct-imprinted panels, no papers are usually applied any longer, in particular no décor paper. The décor layer is printed rather by using emulsion paints by means of gravure printing directly on the surface of the panels or the plate. For this purpose, the surface is properly pretreated, in particular ground and provided with a proper primer, which is applied via rolls. After imprinting and drying of the décor layer, several polymer layers (based e.g. on polymerizable acrylate systems) are subsequently applied and cured. The resin layers serve as a protective layer and abrasion resistant surface, whereby also abrasion resistant particles are commonly embedded within.
From the WO 2008/061791 A1 of the same applicant, which content is hereby fully incorporated by reference, an improvement of the above mentioned polymer layers is known. The core of the improvement is that two different liquid polymer layers are applied wet on wet over one another on the surface of a panel, such that a partial mixing of the coating agent takes place at the interface. The two layers applied wet on wet are then cured jointly, whereby the resulting cured layer has a hardness gradient due to the partial mixing, whereby the hardness of the coating decreases with increasing depth as seen from the surface of the resulting coating.
From the DE 10 2004 009 160 B4 a method for manufacturing a floor panel is known, where an undercoating is applied on the surface of a plate by roll-coating, and subsequently thereon a primer also by roll-coating. Then the décor is imprinted thereon and subsequently a highly abrasion resistant as well as scratch resistant lacquer layer is applied. This document thus shows a typical method of the prior art.
From WO 2011/020755 A1 an improved method is known whereby a decorative pattern is applied by means of digital printing after rolling on a primer on the surface of a plate and drying the primer.
Although in particular the above mentioned WO 2008/061791 represents a significant advance in the prior art, there is still a need for improvement. It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve the known prior art and in particular to provide an imprinted panel, which has a particularly high quality print image, as well as a method for providing such an improved print image. In a further aspect, it is the object to provide a plate as well as a method, in which the adhesion of the various layers is increased, and therefore has particularly good values as to mechanical resistance.
These and other objects, which will be referred to more precisely when reading the following description, or may be recognized by the person skilled in the art, are achieved by a panel according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 4. | {
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In the fabrication of integrated circuits, a number of well-established processes involve the application of ion beams to semiconductor wafers in vacuum. These processes include ion implantation, ion beam milling and reactive ion etching. In each instance, a beam of ions is generated in a source and is directed with varying degrees of acceleration toward a target wafer. Ion implantation has become a standard technique for introducing impurities into semiconductor wafers.
The energetic ions in an ion beam applied to a semiconductor wafer generate heat in the wafer. This heat can become significant, depending on the energy level and current level of the ion beam and can result in uncontrolled diffusion of impurities beyond prescribed limits in the wafer. A more severe problem with heating is the degradation of patterned photoresist layers which are often applied to semiconductor wafers before processing and which have relatively low melting points.
Other semiconductor wafer processes such as ion etching, sputter deposition and etching, ion beam deposition, vacuum evaporation, plasma etching and chemical vapor deposition are performed in vacuum and may result in undesired heating of the wafer. In some instances, the process may require heat to be transferred to the wafer.
In commercial semiconductor processing, a major objective is to achieve a high throughput in terms of wafers processed per unit time. One way to achieve high throughput is by automation of the process for increased speed, reduced human handling of wafers, and more uniform and particulate-free devices. Another way to achieve high throughput in the case of an ion beam system is to use a relatively high current beam so that the desired process is completed in a shorter time. However, large amounts of heat are likely to be generated in the wafers being processed. Thus, it is necessary to provide wafer cooling in order to prevent the above-described detrimental effects of elevated temperatures.
A serious difficulty in effecting thermal transfer in vacuum is that thermal energy is blocked from conduction through a vacuum. The rate of thermal transfer from a semiconductor wafer by radiation is inadequate for most processes. Therefore, to achieve adequate rates of thermal transfer by conduction, it is necessary to physically contact the wafer with a thermally conductive medium coupled to a heat sink. Although such a system is straightforward in principle, efficient wafer cooling for automated ion implantation systems has been difficult to achieve for a number of reasons.
Since the front of the wafer must be exposed for ion beam treatment, any clamping must be at the periphery or by centrifugal force. Direct solid-to solid contact between a wafer and a flat metal heat sink is relatively ineffective since any bowing or irregularities in the back surface of the wafer result in regions where the wafer does not contact the heat sink surface Furthermore, where contact does occur, microscopic voids in the wafer and heat sink surfaces result in actual physical contact occurring over only about five percent of the two surfaces. As a result, thermal transfer is poor. A contoured heat sink surface for optimizing conductive heat transfer between a wafer and a heat sink is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,835, issued Aug. 20, 1985 to Holden. The heat sink surface is contoured so as to impose a load that results in a uniform contact pressure distribution and a stress approaching the elastic limit of the wafer for a peripherally clamped wafer.
Other techniques for limiting wafer temperature during processing have included batch processing in which the incident ion beam is time-shared over a number of wafers so that the heating on any particular wafer is limited. A thermally-conductive fluid can be confined by a flexible diaphragm which contacts the back of the wafer as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,580,619 issued Apr. 8, 1986 to Aitken and 4,682,566 issued July 28, 1987 to Aitken.
The technique of gas conduction has also been utilized for wafer cooling in vacuum. Gas is introduced into a cavity behind a semiconductor wafer and effects thermal coupling between the wafer and a heat sink. Gas-assisted solid-to-solid thermal transfer with a semiconductor wafer is disclosed in U S. Pat. No. 4,457,359 issued July 3, 1984 to Holden. A semiconductor wafer is clamped at its periphery onto a shaped platen. Gas under pressure is introduced into the microscopic void region between the platen and the wafer. The gas pressure approaches that of the preloading clamping pressure without any appreciable increase in the wafer to platen spacing, thereby reducing the thermal resistance. When gas conduction cooling is utilized, it is necessary to confine the gas to the region behind the wafer and to prevent escape of the gas into the vacuum chamber, since gas escaping into the vacuum chamber is likely to have detrimental effects on the process being performed.
Another prior art technique for thermal transfer in vacuum involves the use of a thermally-conductive polymer between a semiconductor wafer and a heat sink. A tacky, inert polymer film for providing thermal contact between a wafer and a heat sink is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,051 issued Feb. 13, 1979 to Jones et al. The polymer film disclosed by Jones et al has a sticky surface which is used to advantage to retain the wafer in position during processing. However, such a sticky surface is unacceptable in automated processing, wherein the wafer must easily be removed after ion beam treatment. The use of sticky surfaces in automated equipment often results in wafer breakage during wafer removal, or in an inability to remove the wafer from the sticky surface at all. Furthermore, particles, dust and other undesired materials tend to adhere to the sticky polymer surface and to contaminate subsequent wafers. In addition, cleaning of foreign matter from the sticky surface is difficult.
An automated wafer clamping mechanism utilizing a pliable thermally-conductive layer between a semiconductor wafer and a heat sink is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,924 issued Aug. 11, 1981 to Faretra. The wafer is clamped at its periphery to a convexly-curved platen having a layer of thermally-conductive silicone rubber on its surface. The Faretra apparatus has provided satisfactory thermal transfer under a variety of conditions. However, sticking of wafers to the silicone rubber surface has occasionally been a problem. To limit such sticking, relatively hard silicone rubbers have been utilized. However, the relatively hard silicone rubber is less effective with respect to thermal transfer, and intimate contact between the wafer and the convexly curved silicone rubber surface is not always achieved.
A technique for modifying the surface of a polymeric material utilizing ion implantation of selected ions is disclosed in British Pat. Application No. 2,071,673A, published Sept. 23, 1981. However, the British publication contains no disclosure of a technique for preventing stickiness on polymer surfaces.
Imperfections and gas bubbles in the silicone rubber or other polymer layer can seriously degrade thermal transfer performance. When a gas bubble that is present during the molding process leaves a void on the surface of the silicone rubber layer, thermal transfer is reduced in the area of the void. When gas bubbles are located within the bulk of the silicone rubber layer, they can gradually outgas during vacuum processing, thereby causing a virtual leak in the vacuum chamber It has been difficult to achieve a silicone rubber layer that is uniform and free of gas bubbles.
While the curved platens disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,835 and 4,282,924 increase the area of contact between the wafer and the thermally-conductive surface, they introduce a spatial variation in angle between the incident ion beam and the wafer surface. In some processes such as ion implantation, angle-of-incidence variations can be a serious problem. The depth of penetration of incident ions is a function of incident angle because of the well-known channeling effect. Therefore, it is desirable in ion implantation to provide a constant angle-of-incidence between the ion beam and the wafer surface over the surface area of the semiconductor wafer.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for fabricating a polymer layer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for molding a polymer layer that is substantially free of gas bubbles and surface cavities.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for molding a polymer layer having a very smooth surface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for molding a polymer layer having high purity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for molding a thin polymer layer having precisely-controlled dimensions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating apparatus for thermal transfer with a semiconductor wafer in vacuum.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for molding a polymer layer, which are simple in operation and low in cost. | {
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Commercially available abrasive materials, such as sandpaper and the like, are generally produced by adhering an abrasive grit onto a substrate. In the case of sandpaper, a paper substrate is used. When used to sand an area, sandpaper is generally used by affixing the sandpaper onto a form, such as a sanding block, and then sanding the area until the abrasive grit on the sandpaper is either "clogged" by the material removed from the item or is detached from the paper backing due to the force of friction. After either of these occurrences, the abrasive paper must be removed from the form and replaced with new sandpaper, a time consuming process.
In situations where a curved, or non-planar, surface requires sanding, e.g., cylindrical chair legs, the use of paper is particularly inadequate as any forms used in the sanding process, for best results, must also be curve-shaped. Accordingly, the flat sheet of sandpaper must be adhered to a curved form. This, however, makes changing paper troublesome and adds to the time required to sand an item.
In view of the problems associated with the abrasive surfaces and methods for producing these surfaces described previously, there exists a need for an aerosol composition and related method for providing an abrasive, sandpaper-like surface which may be used almost immediately after its production to remove paint and other coatings from selected items as well as to smooth wood, metal, plaster, and like surfaces. Moreover, a composition and related method are needed which would allow a new layer of abrasive material to be quickly and easily applied to a surface that has been rendered relatively non-abrasive through use, thereby rejuvenating the abrasive surface. Further, there is a specific need for an abrasive surface which is capable of being used to sand a curved item and which may be easily and quickly rejuvenated.
These and other advantages of the present invention, as well as additional inventive features, will become apparent from the description which follows. | {
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} |
Low-electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) switching systems, or switched circuits, are generally known in the art. These systems employ the use of electronic switches, such as transistors, to rapidly connect and disconnect a load, a power source, a signal, or other electrical circuitry within the system. Often, these systems utilize multiple switches, and often instances exist when one or more switches are to be engaged at a same desired time that one or more other switches are to be disengaged, or visa versa. To cost-effectively control EMI emissions of switching systems, the engaging and disengaging of switches is overlapped using pre-calculated timing in an effort to rid the system of fly-back voltage and shoot-through current without the need for additional external filtering components.
The switch overlap can be realized and controlled by dividing each switch into multiple independently-controlled switches in parallel with varying impedances (essentially creating a composite switch). When these parallel switches are operated sequentially, the impedance transition of the composite switch is slowed. Applying this technique to multiple switches and overlapping transitions can effectually eliminate both fly-back voltage and shoot-through current. Additionally, this decrease in high-frequency energy may help result in lower EMI.
Although effective for a wide range of output power levels, this technique's performance can be less than optimal when the output power falls outside of the effective power range of the pre-calculated timing values. Particularly, if output power is too low, the overlap time may be too long, resulting in excessive shoot-through current. This excessive shoot-through current may dominate the quiescent current of the system as a whole in low power applications where often it is desired to keep quiescent current to a minimum. Conversely, in high output power applications, the overlap may be too short, resulting in fly-back voltage, and thus defeating the desired low-EMI effect of the circuit. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
There is an ongoing need in the fragrance industry to provide new chemicals to give perfumers and other persons the ability to create new fragrances for perfumes, colognes and personal care products.
A particular effort in the fragrance industry has also been made to provide new chemicals to treat and control malodors. “Malodor” is a term used to describe undesirable or unpleasant odor. Common sources of malodors include body perspiration, smoke, environmental odor such as mold and mildew, bathroom, and etc. Conventional perfumes including a variety of fragrance materials are developed to mask malodors, which generally function via two mechanisms: first, the fragrance materials blend with the malodor compound to provide a different and more desirable aroma; and second, the fragrance materials are employed to overwhelm the malodor compound. However, a large quantity of fragrance materials is required for both mechanisms, which in itself is often undesirable. Thus, there remains a need for new chemicals that are effective in counteracting malodors. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates generally to the field of data processing and analysis, and more particularly to detecting improper posture while viewing a device screen and notifying the user of the improper posture, in order to continuously protect the eyesight of the user.
Mobile electronic devices are becoming more and more common. Mobile electronic devices may be, for example, smart phones, tablet computers, PSPs, and any device in which an electronic screen is eminent. As these mobile electronic devices are not fixed, users may place the devices in any viewing position they choose. Users of these mobile electronic devices may include adults, students, teenagers, and children. Time spent by users of all ages viewing content on mobile electronic devices is increasing.
While mobile electronic devices are beneficial and convenient for searching and/or viewing content, excessive time spent viewing the electronic screen may be harmful to the eyesight of a user, particularly children (i.e., under 18 years of age), as their eyesight may be less developed than an adult's eyesight, and they may not apply the proper viewing postures as consciously as an adult. Some postures, such as lying down (i.e., improper angle of viewing the device) or holding the device screen closely to the user's face, may be more harmful to a user's eyesight, leading to, for example, eye fatigue and/or shortsightedness.
Regulating a user's posture while viewing an electronic device is often not feasible all of the time, especially for an adult supervising the viewing posture of a child. There is a need for automatically regulating the viewing posture of a device user, which includes monitoring both the distance from the screen of a device, as well as, the viewing angle of a user viewing a device screen. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to prodrugs of biologically active 2,4-pyrimidinediamine compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the prodrugs, intermediates and synthetic methods of making the prodrugs and methods of using the prodrugs and compositions in a variety of contexts, such as in the treatment or prevention of various diseases.
2. Description of the Related Art
Crosslinking of Fc receptors, such as the high affinity receptor for IgE (FcεRI) and/or the high affinity receptor for IgG (FcγRI) activates a signaling cascade in mast, basophil and other immune cells that results in the release of chemical mediators responsible for numerous adverse events. For example, such crosslinking leads to the release of preformed mediators of Type I (immediate) anaphylactic hypersensitivity reactions, such as histamine, from storage sites in granules via degranulation. It also leads to the synthesis and release of other mediators, including leukotrienes, prostaglandins and platelet-activating factors (PAFs), that play important roles in inflammatory reactions. Additional mediators that are synthesized and released upon crosslinking Fc receptors include cytokines and nitric oxide.
The signaling cascade(s) activated by crosslinking Fc receptors such as FcεRI and/or FcγRI comprises an array of cellular proteins. Among the most important intracellular signal propagators are the tyrosine kinases. And, an important tyrosine kinase involved in the signal transduction pathways associated with crosslinking the FcεRI and/or FcγRI receptors, as well as other signal transduction cascades, is Syk kinase (see Valent et al., 2002, Intl. J. Hematol. 75(4):257-362 for review).
The mediators released as a result of FcεRI and FcγRI receptor cross-linking are responsible for, or play important roles in, the manifestation of numerous adverse events. Recently, various classes of 2,4-pyrimidinediamine compounds have been discovered that inhibit the FcεRI and/or FcγRI signaling cascades, and that have myriad therapeutic uses. See, e.g., U.S. application Ser. No. 10/355,543 filed Jan. 31, 2003 (US 2004/0029902), international application Serial No. PCT/US03/03022 filed Jan. 31, 2003 (WO 03/063794), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/631,029 filed Jul. 29, 2003 (US 2005/0028212), international application Serial No. PCT/US03/24087 (WO 2004/014382), U.S. application Ser. No. 10/903,263 filed Jul. 30, 2004 (US2005/0234049), and international application Serial No. PCT/US2004/24716 (WO 2005/016893). While many of these compounds exhibit good bioavailability properties, in some instances it may be desirable to tailor their solubility or other properties such that their bioavailability via specified routes of administration is optimized. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel inkjet recording method and inkjet recording apparatus, and particularly the inkjet recording method and the inkjet recording apparatus by which an image at high definition with no color turbidity where bronzing resistance, gloss and scratch/abrasion resistance are improved is obtained.
2. Description of Related Art
An inkjet recording mode is one for recording images and texts by flying minute droplets of ink to adhere onto a recording medium by various operation principles, and has advantages such as relatively high speed, low noise and easiness of multiple coloration. In the above inkjet recording mode, various improvements have been performed in various fields such as an ink, inkjet recording medium and inkjet recording apparatus, and at present, the mode has become rapidly popular for various fields such as various printers, facsimiles and computer terminals. In particular, recently high-quality picture technology in the printer has been improved, and its level has come at a picture quality of photograph.
As the inkjet recording apparatus used in the inkjet recording mode, for enhancing a printing speed, those where multiple ink jet openings (nozzle sections) and ink liquid paths are integrated as a recording head where multiple recording elements are integrated/arrayed (hereinafter also referred to as a multihead) are used. Additionally, as the inkjet recording apparatus for corresponding to coloration, those where multiple recording heads composed of the above configuration are comprised are frequently used. In that case, it is general that the recording heads which ejaculate inks of respective colors are disposed in parallel with a main scanning direction.
Here, when a color image picture is printed, differently from those where only characters are printed in a black-and-white printer, various factors such as color density, gradation and uniformity are important to obtain high-quality pictures. In particular, with respect to the uniformity, slight dispersion of nozzle units which occurs in difference of multihead fabrication steps influences jetting amounts and jetting directions of inks at respective nozzles, and becomes a cause which finally deteriorates image quality as uneven density of a printed image. Also, speed variation at a main scanning of a carriage where heads are loaded, variation of sub scanning paper feeding amount of the recording medium, and variation of a distance between a recording medium surface and a nozzle face on the recording medium cause deterioration of the image.
For the above problems, a so-called multi-pass recording method has been proposed where image deterioration due to the dispersion of respective nozzles and various variations is reduced by scanning multiple times the recording head having multiple nozzle sections onto the same recording area on the inkjet recording medium and forming an image of a complementary thinning-out pattern. As a mask used in this case, as described in JP-SHO 60-107975A, the method of using a complementary pattern with a constant thinning-out rate of a certain rule is the commonest.
However, as described below, when using such a regular mask, conversely uneven colors, stripe unevenness and white spots sometimes remarkably appear, and thus, the method of using a mask pattern without regularity has been proposed as an improving countermeasure of this. By forming an image thinned out of this thinning-out pattern without regularity, it is possible to prevent the uneven density and uneven colors produced due to a synergistic effect of regularity of the image and regularity of the mask, and realize high-quality picture and high speed printing to some extent (for example, refer to JP-HEI 7-52390A, JP 2002-96461A, and JP 2002-144552A.).
Whereas, the present applicant has found that when a certain inks and a recording medium is used, and in particular when high-quality printing such as silver halide photograph is required, sufficient image quality is not obtained only by the proposed thinning-out printing method. This is illustrated below.
The inks used in the inkjet recoding mode are broadly divided into dye inks where color materials are dissolved in solvents and dispersion inks where color materials, mainly pigments are dispersed in solvents. The dye dissolves in the solvents and is in a molecular state or a cluster state, which makes its absorption spectrum sharp, and develops clear color with high purity. Additionally, there is no particle pattern due to particles and no scattered light and reflected light occur, therefore it is possible to obtain an inkjet image with high translucent feeling and clear color phase. The dye has a property excellent in scratch/abrasion resistance because no color material particle is present on the surface of media. The dye, however, has drawbacks of poor light resistance because dye molecules tend to bread by photochemical reaction. The reduction in dye molecular number directly reflects upon a color density. It is an actual state that the inkjet recording image using the dye inks is the high image quality but the poor image stability against light, and the technology which is superior to silver halide photographs in the light stability has not appeared yet.
As the method for solving this problem, pigment inks where the pigments with good light resistance are used as colorants have been used for the intended use where the high light stability is required.
However, when an inkjet image recording according to the thinning-out pattern without regularity is performed using the pigment inks, a dot position formed at each scanning has no regularity. Therefore, the case where the ink droplets of cyan, magenta, yellow and black are adjacently printed on the inkjet recording medium at the same scanning becomes frequent. As a result, the respective ink droplets are mixed one another, aggregation of pigment particles is caused, and a phenomenon called bronzing which is hardly caused in the dye inks occurs. A problem that the color image cannot be accurately reproduced occurs.
In particular, in order to form the image at high definition like a silver halide photograph, when the inkjet recording medium having a micro-porous layer containing inorganic fine particles with a mean particle size of 100 nm or less is used, an absorption speed of inks is fast and the aggregation of pigment particles present on the recording medium occurs more easily. Besides, it has been found that due to using the mask pattern without regularity, a probability that different color dots are adjacently printed becomes high, and the formation of image at high definition becomes difficult because the pigment particles having different color tone are mixed on the recording medium.
This is because when using the regular thinning-out pattern, the position of each ink formed on the recording medium at one scanning can be finely controlled and mixture of the dots can be effectively inhibited whereas it is difficult to perform such a control in the case without regularity. When a printing rate per scanning by the thinning-out is low, even if using the mask without regularity, the probability that the dots adjacently formed on the recording medium becomes low, and thus, the problem in image quality is reduced. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Recently, devices that send data collected from sensors by using wireless communication are being developed. Such devices are used for collecting measured data for applications in automotive systems, industrial systems, IoT systems, healthcare systems or the like. The devices need to store a sensor, a battery, an antenna, a wireless communication circuit or the like in a compact body, while maintaining high communication performance and high serviceability.
Since the antennas are located closely to the sensors and communication circuits in these devices, degraded communication performance and fluctuating frequency responses become problems. Depending on the type of sensors and location of circuits, different patterns of electromagnetic coupling and interference may occur. Therefore, it is difficult to find a general solution for the problems. Even though the design changes made to the circuit are small, the whole antenna needs to be redesigned. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Machine vision systems and methods are frequently used to detect people, objects or activities from imaging data that typically includes still or moving images as well as other information, data or metadata. Such systems and methods are commonly provided in environments where an ever-changing variety of people may be present, and where any number of actions may be occurring. In particular, machine vision systems and methods are commonly applied in industrial or commercial environments for the purpose of detecting and classifying human actions and activities. Such systems and methods may operate by detecting and recognizing a person within one or more environments, tracking movements of the person's arms, legs, head, torso or other body parts, and classifying an action that was performed by the person based on his or her tracked movements.
The detection and classification of human actions and activities from imaging data by machine vision systems may be complicated, however, by one or more intrinsic or extrinsic factors. For example, machine vision systems typically attempt to recognize actions or activities involving humans by recognizing the movement of limbs or other body parts in a particular fashion, e.g., a particular gait or other type or form of rhythmic or arrhythmic motion. Therefore, in order to recognize an action or activity from a set of imaging data, e.g., one or more still or moving images, such systems and methods must first identify a human within the set of imaging data, and determine whether the human is engaged in an action or an activity, before classifying the action or activity based on his or her motion. Where a number of imaging devices are provided in one or more scenes of an environment for the purpose of observing actions or activities occurring therein, however, the variations in the conditions of each of the scenes, or the orientations or configurations of the respective imaging devices provided therein, may lead to erratic or inconsistent results. Next, the various portions of the imaging data (e.g., digital images, or clips of digital video data) captured from a given imaging device may fail to cover or include each of the elements associated with a given action, and thus provide an incomplete or unreliable prediction as to the action observed therein.
Moreover, the accuracy or precision with which a machine vision system detects and classifies a human action or activity may be hindered based on the inherently unique characteristics of the human body. For example, no two humans are exactly alike, and each human may perform the same actions or activities in vastly different ways. Therefore, identifying the performance of an action or an activity by different humans typically requires individualized analyses of the respective motions of the respective humans, which frequently requires an extensive amount of processing power, network bandwidth or data storage capacity. Similarly, a single person may perform two or more different tasks using remarkably similar motions of his or her limbs or other body parts. Distinguishing between the discrete tasks in view of such similar motions may further occupy substantial portions of the available power, bandwidth or storage capacity of a computer system, as well. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A common shielding electrical connector in the industry has an insulating body, a tongue plate extends forwards from the insulating body, multiple terminals arranged in rows on the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue plate respectively, a middle shielding sheet arranged between the terminals in upper and lower rows and fixed in the tongue plate, and a metal shell framed outside the insulating body and matched with the tongue plate to form a docking space. The docking space is configured for docking with a docking electrical connector.
The foregoing shielding electrical connector has a shielding function to achieve the high frequency requirements of customers. However, along with development of social technologies, in order to meet the customer needs on transmission efficiency and functional diversity, each of the electronic products may be provided with various interfaces provided thereon, which frequently causes the customers for mistakenly plugging the connectors, and occupies certain space of the electronic products, thus being inconsistent with the trend of miniaturization development.
To meet the customer needs, a composite connector emerged in the industry, which provides two shielding electrical connectors that share a metal shell, and other structures maintain unchanged. In this case, the metal shell matches with one tongue plate to form a first insertion space, and the metal shell matches with another tongue plate to form a second insertion space. Further, the metal shell may even match with the two tongue plates to form a third insertion space, so that three types of docking connectors may be inserted. By such a design, functions are extended, transmission efficiency is improved, and the sharing of the metal shell can also save the space. However, the structures other than the metal shell are independently formed, which causes complexity of the forming process and tediousness in assembling.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need to design a new composite connector exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool hanger, and more particularly to a tool hanger at least for sockets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art of tool hanger is disclosed in TW M399017. Main bodies for assembling with the tools are independent to each other and serially connected with each other to form a long-rod-shaped tool hanger, wherein a protruding portion on a lateral surface of the main body is for assembling with a socket. The main body is formed with an assembling portion on the top and it is designed as a step-shaped protrusion. The internal of the main body is formed with a corresponding step-shaped concavity. The concavity is formed with a through hole for the other main body to connect with after the other main body inserts in. A barb is disposed on the end of the assembling portion to hook with the other main body so that they are detachable. A hanging plate is assembled on the top of the main body assembly, and a target for anti-theft and secure hanging is achieved. When the socket is taken out, an insertion of an inserting rod or a connection of the connecting rod is simply clipped with a cutting tool so that the socket is able to be taken out.
Although it has a good performance of securing while the tools are assembled on the tool hanger, however, after the tool hanger is damaged, the securing performance decreases. The tools can easily fall out from the tool hanger afterwards. So that it is inconvenient for repeating to use. The tool hanger of prior art is unable to give considerations to both a good strength of the structure and a repeatable usability. This disadvantage is needed to be improved.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for analyzing a fabrication line of semiconductor devices.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a fabrication line analysis apparatus in the background-art. The fabrication line analysis apparatus consists of a data analysis system D90 and data management systems C91 to C98. A fabrication process mainly consists of a wafer process and an inspection process for inspection of the products. The wafer process is carried out by fabrication devices A1 to A4. The inspection process is carried out by an electrical characteristic measuring device A5 and product measuring devices A6 to A8. A fabrication line 10 of semiconductor devices includes the devices A1 to A8. Furthermore, the fabrication process further includes an assembly process which is not shown in this figure.
Inspection systems B1 to B4 each include a contamination inspection device and a defect inspection device (not shown). The data management systems C91 to C94 each include a contamination inspection database and a defect inspection database (not shown).
A product wafer is sequentially processed by the devices A1 to A8. The fabrication devices A1 to A4 are each subjected to a periodical inspection before processing the product wafer. The inspection of the devices A1 to A4 is performed as follows: First, the fabrication device A1 processes a monitor wafer (bare wafer). Next, the contamination inspection device of the inspection system B1 inspects contaminations on the processed monitor wafer and the inspection result is given to the data management system C91 to be entered as data in the contamination inspection database. In like manner, the contamination inspection devices in the inspection systems B2 to B4 inspect contaminations on the monitor wafers processed by the fabrication devices A2 to A4 and the inspection results are given to the data management systems C92 to C94 to be entered as data in the contamination inspection databases, respectively.
The defect inspection devices of the inspection systems B1 to B4 inspect defects on the product wafers processed by the fabrication devices A1 to A4 and the inspection results are given to the data management systems C91 to C94 to be entered as data in the defect inspection databases, respectively.
The assembly process is carried out after the processing by the electrical characteristic measuring device A5 before the processing by the product measuring device A6. The product wafer undergoes the assembly process to be in a form of product.
The electrical characteristic measuring device A5 measures the product wafer and the product measuring devices A6 to A8 each measure the product. The measurement results obtained by the measuring devices A5 to A8 are given to the data management systems C95 to C98 to be entered as data in databases thereof (not shown), respectively.
A database D93 stores the data stored in the data management systems C91 to C98 without any processing. An output unit D92 gives a readout from the database D93.
Since an interconnection process is performed at the end of the wafer process, it is difficult to evaluate the product wafer in detail during the wafer process. Therefore, a detailed evaluation of the product wafer is made after the wafer process.
FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing a background-art procedure of evaluating the product wafer in detail. First, the fabrication devices A1 to A4 process the product wafer (Step 901). Next, the electrical characteristic measuring device A5 measures the electrical characteristics of the product wafer (Step 902). An operator judges whether or not there is any failure (nonconforming defect), observing the measurement result given by the output unit D92 (Step 903). If no failure is found, the product wafer undergoes the assembly process to be in a form of product. Subsequently, the product measuring devices A6 to A8 perform plural types of measurements (Steps 904, 906 and 908). The operator judges whether or not there is any failure, observing the measurement result given by the output unit D92 (Steps 905, 907 and 909). If no failure is found, the process ends, and otherwise the operator analyzes the cause of failure (Step 910). The operator performs an electrical measurement of the defective product (Step 911). Further analysis (Step 912) and a remedy of device, product or product wafer (Step 913) are made. If some failure is found, Step 903 is followed by Steps 912 and 913.
As discussed above, the detailed evaluation of the product wafer is made after the wafer process, and accordingly detecting the cause of nonconforming defect and the like is a time-consuming work and a prompt remedy is hard to do.
Furthermore, even if some nonconforming defect is found during the contamination inspection or the defect inspection, it takes much time to find the cause and it is hard to make a prompt remedy. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates generally to tags and labels. More particularly, the invention relates to a printable tag with integral loop fastener suitable for being printed and dispensed by mechanical means. The integral loop fastener allows the tag to be quickly attached to goods, shipping containers or dunnage, without the need to install a separate string or wire fastener.
Shipping tags and labels are used throughout industry for inventory control, shipping origin and destination addressing, component identification, just-in-time manufacturing, specimen labeling, and the like. Traditionally, most industries have used a simple paper tag with separate wire or string fastener, designed to be written on by hand and then attached to the article. Although this paper tag can be printed on and dispensed mechanically, the wire or string fastener must be installed separately so as not to jam the feeding and printing apparatus.
With the prevalence of many inventory management systems, process flow control systems and shipping systems now operating under computer control, there is considerable interest in a printable tag that works in this automated environment. Desirably, the tag should be printed and dispensed as part of the automated manufacturing, shipping and/or storage process, with the tag being ready for immediate application to the article. In this way, accurate correlation between the tag and the article is ensured and the manufacturing, shipping and/or storage process proceeds efficiently.
To meet the needs of today's automated environments, the invention provides a printable tag with integral loop fastener that requires no separate string or wire fastener. The tag employs a printable substrate that is provided with a first perforation which separates to define an elongated loop structure. A second perforation, extending laterally adjacent to one edge of the substrate, separates to define an elongated slotted opening in the loop structure. The opening is sized to allow the tag body to be passed through it.
In use, the tag is applied by breaking the perforations through a quick zipping action, to free the loop structure while leaving one end of the loop structure attached to the substrate. The loop structure is then wrapped or looped around the article to be tagged, and the free end of the tag body is inserted into the slotted opening and pulled tight.
The presently preferred tag is a biaxially multi-layered laminate of polyethylene with a matte top coating to support printing by suitable thermal printer or laser printer.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, its objects and advantages, refer to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Piezoelectric porcelain compositions are utilized in sound generators, vibrators, actuators, etc., as electrical-mechanical conversion elements utilizing the inverse piezoelectric effect, and also in sensors, generators, etc., as mechanical-electrical conversion elements utilizing the inverse piezoelectric effect. They are also utilized as electrical-mechanical-electrical circuit elements and also for mechanical-electrical-mechanical vibration control. Conventional piezoelectric porcelain compositions, normally, are constituted with Pb being the main ingredient. Conventional piezoelectric porcelain compositions are made, for example, of PZT constituted by two ingredients of PbZrO3 and PbTiO3, or of materials obtained by modifying PZT by Pb(Mg⅓Nb⅔)O3, Pb(Zn⅓Nb⅔)O3 or other third ingredient. Since Pb is harmful to the human body, however, efforts are underway to develop Pb-free piezoelectric materials.
Ferroelectrics, Vol. 160, P265-276 (1994) (Non-patent Literature 1) reports a Pb-free piezoelectric material made of a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2-xCaxNaNb5O15 and, in particular, it reports that the composite oxide of tungsten bronze type has single-crystal piezoelectric characteristics. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-240759 (Patent Literature 1) discloses, as piezoelectric porcelain for actuators, a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2NaNb5O15. In Patent Literature 1, compositions that are obtained by partially substituting Nb of the composite oxide of tungsten bronze type with V and Ta, as well as those obtained by partially substituting Sr with at least one of Mg, B and Ca and also partially substituting Na with K, are proposed. Similarly, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-278932 (Patent Literature 2) discloses a composite oxide of tungsten bronze type expressed by the formula Sr2NaNb5O15, where compositions are proposed that are obtained by partially substituting Sr of this oxide with at least one of (Bi1/2Li1/2), (Bi1/2Na1/2) and (Bi1/2Na1/2) or with at least one of Mg, Ba and Ca. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-169229 (Patent Literature 3) discloses a piezoelectric material produced by adding 0.5 to 3 percent by weight of rare earth oxide Re2O3, as a characteristic improvement component, to a polycrystal piezoelectric compound expressed by the formula Sr2-xCaxNaNb5O15 (x=0.05 to 0.35). Particularly in Patent Literature 3, it is proposed that A in the composition expressed by the formula Sr2-xAxNaNb5O15 (in the formula, x=0.075 to 0.25) represent at least two types of elements selected from Ca, B and Mg. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-297969 (Patent Literature 4) discloses a piezoelectric ceramic material expressed by the formula (1−y)(Ba1-xSrx)Nb2O6-yNaNbO3, whose main ingredient is a porcelain component whose x is in the range of 0≦x≦1, while y is in the range of 0.15≦y<⅓. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A refrigeration system generally requires a special electric control unit, for example, for some large refrigeration systems, the electric control unit may be an inverter starting cabinet. Moreover, electronic devices in the inverter starting cabinet generate more heat, and a greater temperature rise has some influences on the working state thereof. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the electronic devices, to meet performance requirements thereof.
At present, there are already several electronic device cooling modes. For example, a plurality of openings is provided on a housing of an electronic control unit, to cool the electronic device through natural convection or forced convection; for another example, a water-cooled heat exchange device is arranged in the housing, to cool the electronic device by introducing cooling water from an external water source. Therefore, the above electronic device cooling mode may have a problem of relatively low efficiency, or may have a problem that the electronic device in the cabinet fails due to improper dehumidification in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Applicants claim the foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 of European Patent Application No. 99113020.4, filed in the European Patent Office on Jul. 7, 1999. The European application is incorporated by reference into this application.
The present invention is from the area of notification systems and message brokering. In particular, the present invention relates to the area of processing notifications and in particular of publish and subscribe requests.
The present invention has a very general scope. Its basic principles can be applied in any situation in which any notification process or brokering, and in particular publish and subscribe processes take place.
The present invention introduces database technology into these matters of interest. It should be understood that for the sake of this invention the data model of the database system is irrelevant. Also, the database system might manage persistent data on disk or might manage data in main memory, i.e. a main memory database. Nevertheless, the terminology of relational database systems is persistently used in here for simplicity and increased clarity.
In general, a message broker is an instrument which is applied in a situation where messages are often and sometimes periodically sent from a plurality of message sources m to a plurality of message sinks n in a m/n relationship. Special cases of 1:m and n:1 occur as well. Message brokers xe2x80x98sharexe2x80x99 messages in a way that a sourcexe2x80x94often being any kind of program applicationxe2x80x94needs to transmit only one message and the broker delivers one or many versions of it to one or more sinks which are often applications as well. Further details on message broker systems can be found in R. Schulte, Message Brokers: A focused approach to application integration, Gartner Group, Strategic Analysis Report SSA R-401-102, 1996.
More particularly, a message broker is like a hub where messages are streaming in and are streaming out. The messages which are streaming into the broker are referred to hereinafter as being published. Messages which are streaming out of the broker are referred to as being subscribed. A subscription request specifies the subset of all incoming messages a particular application is interested in, and the format in which it has to be presented to the subscriber.
For example, various stock exchanges might publish stock data periodically, i.e. the stock data is sent to the message broker. Each stock exchange might use a different format to transfer its data. A subscriber might have registered to all messages about IBM stock data exceeding $103 and might request its delivery in XML format.
In state-of-the-art message brokers that provide publish/subscribe functionality significant effort is spent in managing the published messages and the subscriptions. This management is typically performed by using its own mechanisms. The present invention proposes to use object-relational database technology to implement publish/subscribe functionality.
State-of-the-art message brokers typically deal with messages that are being published and that subscribers would like to know about. However, subscribers are not just interested in messages that are being published, but also in changes that are applied to data stored in one or more tables in one or more databases. The present invention implements this functionality based on object-relational database technology.
Thus, it would be desirable to alleviate this big amount of programming, customizing effort. The above-cited prior art reference analyzes the feasibility of database technology used as a base for message brokering. It concludes that database systems lack many features that are necessary for message brokering, e.g., the middleware designed for performing the brokering, such as interface engines and message switches. Thus, a database technology as a base for message brokering is rejected in the above cited reference as being too difficult and complex to realize, and too slow in performance.
When analyzing the behavior of publish/subscribe technology using a database oriented view, the following observation can be made: a subscription request is similar to a query. Based on what has been specified in the subscription request, messages are filtered out and are delivered to its recipient. But there is a fundamental operational difference between a query and a subscription: A subscription does not operate on all messages stored for example in a message warehouse but only on a single message at a time, namely the message that has just been published to the message broker. Furthermore, typically many subscriptions will be registered with a message broker, i.e. identifying subscriptions with queries will result in the situation in which many queries will have to be evaluated on a single message: This situation reverses the situation typically found in query systems where the number of data items to be inspected exceeds the number of queries by many orders of magnitudes.
The proposal of the present invention to use object-relational database technology for publish/subscribe technology faces two problem areas that must be solved:
Firstly, how to efficiently identify operational data that is relevant to be published and secondly, how to perform subscriptions efficiently based on externalized database technology.
The first problem area results from the fact that most message brokers are not implemented based on database technology, and that in business environments having a natural need for management relevant enterprise data particular modifications of e.g., operational data are often seen as events that are relevant for external applications. This is depicted in FIG. 1.
For example, if a new tuple is inserted into a table, a person might want to be informed about this fact via a corresponding e-mail, or an application must be invoked because of this, or a message broker in turn has subscribers that want to get this data. Thus, the database may be seen as a source for publications.
In particular, when a message broker is used to manage the subscription requests for the changes in operational data and thus the operational data changes need to be published to the message broker, the importance of pre-filtering of publications becomes obvious. If each of the huge number of changes of operational data is pushed to the message broker which then determines whether or not a subscriber for the subject change exists, lots of data may be processed unnecessarily. This might be a waste of resources. Thus, providing subscription functionality within a database system is beneficial, in general.
Otherwise, without having subscription features natively provided within the database system the modified data has to be transformed into a message, then has to be sent, i.e. published to a separate message broker, and this message broker has to determine all corresponding subscribers. In this approach the database would be considered to be a publisher only, the message broker""s subscription engine is used to determine whether or not any subscriber is interested in the modified data.
If no subscriber is interested in this data communication between the database system and the message broker including associated data transformations etc. then much work and traffic is performed in vain putting unnecessary load onto the overall environment. Furthermore, a usage of a separate subscription engine would ignore the fact, that the database system""s query capability can be immediately used to process the subscriptions directly without needing a separate message broker enginexe2x80x94this will further improve efficiency.
The second problem deals with efficiency of implementing subscriptions based on database technology itself. Nearly all relational database systems are supporting trigger mechanisms today. Triggers allow the database system to automatically perform an action based on a registered interest on relevant modifications of data. There seems to be a suggestion for recognizing a xe2x80x98naturalxe2x80x99 fit between triggers and subscriptions. Simply map each subscription request onto a corresponding trigger.
For example, assuming that a STOCK table contains rows reporting the NAME of a company, its actual stock PRICE, and the AMOUNT traded. Then, each subscription on modified stock data is mapped to a separate trigger in this table. Please refer to FIG. 2 for a sample mapping of a particular subscription. If a number of S(T) subscribers, with T as an abbreviation for xe2x80x98tablexe2x80x99, have registered for modifications on a given table T, and a number of n(T) modifications happen per second on this table, then S(T)xc3x97n(T) triggers have to be run per second for table T. In practice, this number is even larger because more than one table will be of interest for subscriptions. If there are 10 modifications on the stock table per second and 100 subscriptions, both moderate estimates, 1,000 triggers have to be run on this single table. This is out of the scope of current database technology.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for efficient usage of database technology for notifications, and in particular for subscriptions.
These objects of the invention are achieved by the features stated in enclosed independent claims. Further advantageous arrangements and embodiments of the invention are set forth in the respective subclaims.
The present invention teaches in general how to efficiently exploit active database technology and extensible database technology, i.e. triggers and user-defined functions, for processing subscriptions.
According to a first aspect of the present invention it is proposed to aggregate all subscriptions on a certain table, or more generally of a plurality of tables, into a single trigger on this table or tables, respectively. This will dramatically improve the trigger-based efficiency.
According to a second aspect of the present invention it is proposed to deliver the information a subscriber has registered for, by exploiting the database system provided facility of user-defined functions. This allows the creation of the information to be sent to the subscriber(s) from the address space the database system is running, which is another source of efficiency improvement.
The overall processing can thus be summarized as follows:
When a first subscription is registered for a table T this kind of xe2x80x9caggregated subscription triggerxe2x80x9d is created on the table T, and a collection of so-called metadata tables suitable to hold all subscriptions for the table T is created which is called ENABLE TABLE, depicted in FIG. 3. It should be noted that this function can also be realized as a separate utility explicitly to be invoked by an administrator, for example.
Preferred embodiments for creating suitable metadata tables and for creating aggregated subscription triggers are described later in more detail.
Each single subscription is reflected by xe2x80x9csimplyxe2x80x9d INSERTing appropriate tuples into these latter metadata tables, i.e. according to the invention no separate trigger is created and no modification on the single subscription trigger has to be applied.
A preferred embodiment for reflecting a subscription as tuples in the associated metadata tables is described in detail.
When a tuple is manipulated in table T which corresponds to a publication in a usual prior art message broker the corresponding trigger fires and determines in a single invocation all subscribers interested in modification of tuples.
Using a single subscription trigger to achieve the desired efficient usage of the database system""s trigger features has its price in that. The query in the body of the trigger must be a more complicated one as it basically has to search for all potential subscribers in the associated collected metadata tables. Depending on the embodiment of the present invention this might involve at least an n-way join where n is the number of comparison operators supported in subscription filters for the target table. Nevertheless, query systems have been optimized for decades to perform n-way joins very efficiently.
With reference to the notification which is initiated by the database trigger it should be mentioned that the inventional concept is very general in this respect. Notification could mean, for example, that a message in the sense of a messaging system is sent, an action is performed on an object managed on an object server, or, an e-mail is sent to the subscriber. It could be even inserted into a table that is maintained for each subscriber, which allows the subscriber to retrieve the appropriate notifications by querying the table.
With respect to the second aspect of the present invention as mentioned above the actual construction of the notification to be sent to each qualified subscriber can be done based on a so-called user-defined function (UDF). While the filter of the query in the body of the trigger determines the qualifying subscribers, the SELECT-clause of the query may reference a UDF which initiates the delivery of the notification to each subscriber. This delivery UDF is automatically invoked by the database system for each qualified subscriber. The delivery function will get all data necessary, e.g., the relevant values of the modified tuple which caused the firing of the trigger, the recipients address, etc., to construct the notification. Based on this data passed, the delivery function will construct the notification and send it to the recipient""s address, e.g. via a message queuing system like MQSeries, via e-mail etc. A preferred embodiment of the delivery UDF is described in more detail later.
As an advantage, the present invention builds an efficient subscription mechanism on top of existing database functionality. No modifications to the database system are required. Thus, a standard object-relational database system can be utilized, as it is, to implement a publish/subscribe engine. Furthermore, the subscription mechanism described easily transforms a database into a publisher of messages. | {
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1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to bulk polymerization processes for making vinyl aromatic/vinyl cyanide copolymers, and more particularly relates to bulk polymerization processes having a vapor phase additive which inhibits popcorn formation.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Mass or bulk polymerization techniques for making copolymers of monoethelenically unsaturated polar monomers and monovinylidene aromatic monomers are known, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3509237; 3660535; 3243481; 4221833 and 4239863, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such copolymers may be rubber modified graft copolymers or may be rubber-free rigid copolymer. Bulk processes, such as those involving a boiling reactor, typically involve a liquid phase held under a nitrogen (N2) atmosphere. In boiling reactors, heat of reaction is the source of heat to the reactor to cause boiling of the liquid monomeric composition. Boiled monomer then enters the nitrogen vapor phase, contacts the reactor dome, which is typically air or water cooled, condenses and returns to the liquid phase. Condensed monomer on the reactor dome will generate undesired, crosslinked popcorn polymer. Popcorn generation at the dome surface may be due in part to the absence of typical polymerization inhibitors in the gas phase because of low volatility of the inhibitors with respect to the monomers, thereby necessitating that an inhibitor be present in the vapor phase if popcorn formation is to be inhibited. In the past, inhibitors such as oxygen have been incorporated into the vapor phase to prevent popcorn formation. It is believed, however, that oxygen may be incorporated into polymer and may contribute to the formation of black carbonaceous material on the reactor walls. Analysis of the black material has indicated that the material has a high oxygen content which tends to support the proposition that the oxygen inhibitor is part of the cause of the formation thereof. Additionally, oxygen (O.sub.2) has a high solubility in many liquid organic monomers which tends to support the proposition that the oxygen is present in the liquid monomer phase during the bulk polymerization process.
Accordingly, there is a need for vapor phase additives which will inhibit popcorn formation in bulk polymerization processes. | {
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This invention relates to a guide drum apparatus for a magnetic tape, and more particularly to a guide drum apparatus for guiding a magnetic tape around the periphery thereof for the purpose of recording and/or reproducing video signals on the tape.
A guide drum apparatus according to this invention is preferably used in a video tape recorder or a video tape player in which a field or a frame of the video signal is successively recorded in the longitudinal direction of a magnetic tape, and the video signal is reproduced by magnetic heads mounted on the guide drum apparatus while the tape is moving around the periphery of the guide drum apparatus.
In such video equipment, it is very important for the quality of a picture image to maintain the height and the straightness of a video track on the tape accurately while the tape is moving around the guide drum. It is also important that the rotating video heads should scan the video track on the tape accurately for good reproduction of the video signals. Conventionally, it is difficult in such video equipment to provide a simple construction of the guide drum apparatus in which the video heads can be easily adjusted to exactly trace the video track on the tape while the video heads are rotating at a high speed. | {
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Olefins, including ethylene, propylene and butenes, are major building blocks in the chemical process industries. These materials are either recovered from refinery streams or produced by cracking naphtha or LPG. Not with standing the success of these processes, there is an incentive to use methane as a raw material because of the large reserves of natural gas throughout the world.
From the prior art (Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th ed., Vol. 5, p. 1031), methyl chloride, when heated to very high temperatures, is known to couple giving ethylene and hydrogen chloride. At somewhat lower temperatures, catalytic reactions involving methyl chloride also produce ethylene and other olefins.
The literature (U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,084) further discloses a process for the chlorination of methane using hydrogen chloride as the source of chlorine. This process, however, is attended by several drawbacks. Not only is methyl chloride produced, but the higher chlorinated methanes, including methylene chloride, chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, are also generated. In addition, when air is employed in the catalytic reaction, a substantial quantity of gases must be vented, thereby complicating emission control problems and related environmental concerns. On the other hand, the use of pure oxygen hinders the reaction due to the formation of hot spots in the catalyst bed.
There consequently exists a need for a process that starts with methane as a raw material and converts it through the formation of methyl chloride into olefins. Such an integrated process must at once be economical to operate and reduce the inefficiencies characterizing conventional processes. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an optical transmitter, in particular, the application relates to a circuit for driving a semiconductor laser diode (hereafter denoted as LD).
2. Related Background Art
One type of drivers for an LD has been known as, what is called, a shunt-driver. Various prior arts have disclosed the shunt-driver circuits. The shunt-driver absorbs a primary portion of the bias current supplied to the LD responding to a driving signal provided to an input of the driver. Thus, the bias current flowing in an LD connected to the output of the shunt-driver in a primary portion thereof is shunted to the driver as leaving a rest portion in the LD. Thus, the LD is modulated by the driving signal. In order to adjust average power and an extinction ratio of an optical output of the LD, the driver often controls an input bias level thereof.
However, an optical transmitter including the shunt-driver leaves a subject that, in the start of the operation, the activation of the bias current for the LD precedes the powering of the driver circuit. Under such a situation, the driver circuit absorbs no bias current; that is a whole bias current is supplied to the LD, which results in an excess emission of the LD. Also, at stopping the optical transmitter, the power-down of the driver circuit occasionally precedes the cut-off the bias current to the LD. In such a case, the whole the bias current instantaneously flows in the LD to cause the excess emission. The present application is to provide a technique to prevent such an excess emission of the LD. | {
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This invention relates to a system and apparatus for cultivating and harvesting shell fish, such as oysters.
Most oysters are recovered commercially from natural oyster reefs by relatively crude harvesting procedures that usually include the hand picking of the oysters from the reef with the use of hand manipulatable tongs but sometimes without even the aid of such equipment. Such approaches to harvesting the oysters are expensive and require considerable labor that is both grueling and fatiguing to the worker. Apart from the harvesting problems which confront the shell fish industry, many coastal waters have become polluted and this has given rise to laws and regulations which preclude the commercial recovery of the oysters from the reef habitats located in the polluted areas. All of this is leading the shell fish industry toward the adoption of commercial rather than natural cultivation procedures.
In the natural development of the mature oyster, the water borne spat seeks out an appropriate base to adhere to and thereafter develop into the mature oyster. An oyster shell per se is especially attractive as a base for such spats and this of course accounts for the development of the natural reefs. Commercially, various materials may be used as the cultch or base for attracting the spats, although oyster shells are frequently preferred. In some commercial practices, the cultch material is simply dispersed along the water bottom in the selected water area. This is not the most favorable approach to commercial cultivation of oysters however, since shifting bottom sands, sediment and mud frequently cover the cultch and render it useless for its intended purposes. Apart from this, the bottom locations for maturity of the oysters provide little opportunity to change or improve on the current harvesting procedures.
The oyster has many natural enemies, among which can be mentioned Thor's the conch, leeches, boring clams, fungus, and the encrustating organisms, such as amorphous sponges, barnacles and mussels. Apart from these enemies, there are parasites and diseases which, experience has shown, can be controlled by periodic exposure of the oyster to the air and sun, as happens naturally, for example, in some tidal waters.
To avoid the shifting sands and to provide improved harvesting procedures, there have been those who advocate suspending the cultch material from floating devices that are anchored at preselected growth areas. This approach has certain advantages, but it precludes the exposure of the oyster to the sun and air and leaves room for improving on the retrieval and harvesting procedures. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustment device, and more particularly to an adjustment device for a stacker trolley. The adjustment device allows the user to adjust a distance between two forks and also a height of the two forks above the ground.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional stacker trolley is shown in FIG. 7, wherein the stacker trolley has a body (70) with two forks (706), a bracket (90) securely connected to one end of the body (70) and a hydraulic pump (80) mounted on the body (70) for controlling upward/downward movement of the two forks (706). A yoke (701) is provided to one end of each of the two forks (706). The bracket (90) is composed of a crossbar (91) and two arms (92) each connected to one end of the crossbar (91). The crossbar (91) is securely connected to a bottom of the yoke (701) and the arms (92) are respectively and pivotally connected to a bottom of the hydraulic pump (80). When the user is using the stacker trolley and applies a force to the handle (801), the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic pump (80) is pumped out so as to lift the forks (706). However, when using the stacker trolley, a major drawback is that the yoke (701) is securely connected to the two forks (706). Hence, the distance between the two forks (706) is fixed and can not be changed. When the size of the pallet to be moved by the trolley is changed from small to large or vice versa, the stacker trolley is no longer available to successfully and stably lift the pallet. Even when the pallet is actually lifted by the stacker trolley, because the forks (706) are indirectly yet securely connected to the hydraulic pump (80), the forks (80) are tilted. In this situation, the pallet and the cargo on top of the pallet will easily fall to the ground.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide an improved adjustment device to mitigate and obviate the aforementioned problems.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustment device for a stacker trolley to adjust the distance between the two forks, such that the stacker trolley is adaptable for all kinds of trolley with different dimensions.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved adjustment device for the stacker trolley to maintain the forks in horizontal when the forks are lifted.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to voltage controlled oscillation circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known an emitter-coupled stable multi-vibrator, for example as shown in FIG. 5, which is conventionally used as a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit. The circuit shown in FIG. 5 has a capacitor c1 connected between emitters of the transistor tr1 and tr2 which are further connected to voltage-controlled current sources cs1 and cs2. As further shown in FIG. 5, the base of tr1 is connected to the collector of tr2 and the base of tr2 is connected to the collector of tr1. Thereafter, the collectors of tr1 and tr2 are connected to a power supply terminal VCC (e.g., 3 V) through diode-connected transistors tr3 and tr4 and resistors r1, r2 connected in parallel with the transistors tr3 and tr4. With the above configuration, the transistors tr1 and tr2 are alternately turned on to cause charging to and discharging from the capacitor c1, thereby effecting oscillation operation. This produces voltage waveforms as denoted by a and b in FIG. 6 on terminals a and b. Here, each transistor is equal in size and the current value in each voltage-controlled current source is determined same. The voltage waveforms a and b oscillate with a base-to-emitter voltage VBE of each transistor as an amplitude value. The frequency is determined by the charge/discharge time of the capacitor c1, which is controlled by varying the current values of the voltage-controlled current sources cs1, cs2. For example, the charge/discharge time is reduced by increasing the current value, which means in the voltage waveforms in FIG. 6 the slant of the voltage waveform becomes abrupt to increase the frequency with amplitude value kept constant.
In the configuration of FIG. 5, the transistors tr3 and tr4 are used as diodes to set the amplitude at the voltage VBE (approximately 0.7 V). The resistors r1 and r2 are provided in parallel with these diodes, in order to raise the potential on the terminals a and b to the potential of the power supply terminal VCC when no current flows through these diodes. In order to fix the amplitude value, there is a necessity, for any current value within a variable range of the voltage-controlled current sources cs1, cs2, to give a voltage drop due to the resistors r1, r2 and such current greater than the voltage VBE. If the voltage drop is not set in that manner, a current flows on a resistor r1, r2 side, making it impossible to ensure the amplitude value. Accordingly, there is a necessity of setting at a certain great value the resistance value of the resistor r1, r2 and/or the current value of the voltage-controlled current source cs1, cs2. However, such a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit is usually used for a PLL or the like, and integrated together with other circuit elements in one chip. If the resistors r1, r2 are increased in size, a floating capacitance will increase to decrease the speed in raising the potential. This, in other words, prevents the frequency from being increased. Due to this, if a high frequency oscillation is desired, the current value of the voltage-controlled current sources cs1 and cs2 requires an increase, making it difficult to reduce the power consumption.
Meanwhile, if frequency is increased by decreasing the capacitance of the capacitor cl, there is a limitation in decreasing the capacitance value of the capacitor c2 if the capacitance is considered relative to the floating capacitance.
As stated above, in order to increase the frequency in the FIG. 5 configuration there is no way but to increase the current value of the voltage-controlled current source cs1, cs2, resulting in difficulty in advancing the reduction in power consumption. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator for use in an optical pickup, and more particularly, to improvements in retaining the neutral point of tracking in an actuator of the type in which focusing and tracking are performed by sliding the lens in the axial direction and by rotating the line about a shaft, respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an actuator in which focusing and tracking are conducted by sliding a lens in the axial direction and rotating the lens around a shaft, respectively, it is common to use a rubber spring to retain the neutral point of tracking. FIG. 2 shows an example of such a conventional actuator. In the Figure, one end of a rubber spring 21 is fixed to a pin 23 set up in a fixed or stationary portion such as a yoke, and the other end thereof is fixed through a pin 22 to an objective lens retaining tube 1 constituting a movable or rotary portion and having a central portion and an annular peripheral portion. When the objective lens moves in the tracking direction indicated by the double-headed arrow A, its neutral point is retained by the resilient force of the rubber spring 21.
This conventional method of retention by a rubber spring, however, requires the provision of space for the rubber spring, and is therefore very inconvenient from the view point of the desirability of reducing the size of the pickup, which has been requested more and more in recent years.
If the rubber spring is inaccurately mounted in such a way that it is distorted, nonlinearity may be generated in the spring action, or the neutral position of the objective lens may be deflected from the outset. This makes the process of mounting the rubber spring very troublesome.
In addition, the rubber spring does not have good temperature characteristics owing to the physical properties of its material, and is subjected to deterioration as its resonance frequency or sensitivity changes.
When the objective lens retaining tube 1 is raised to its operating point by passing a bias current through a focusing servomechanism, the rubber spring generates a force which pulls it downward, thereby necessitating to flow a larger bias current. In this way, the rubber spring affects the movement of the objective lens in the focusing direction. | {
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This invention relates to a reclosable metal paint can of the type which incorporate a plastic handle for carrying as well as for hanging the can as from a rung of a ladder. | {
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Construction of buildings is traditionally a manual process. Recent advances in additive “3D” manufacturing technology promise to reduce the cost of construction substantially, by autonomously printing sequential layers of a structure from the bottom up. However, current attempts to 3D print structures using Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) are limited by the medium. OPC reacts over hours and days with water to harden. Thus, print speed is limited with OPC: too fast and wet cement will collapse under its own weight, too slow and the layers will not adhere well to each other. Mixed OPC slurry pumped through the gantry must be used before it hardens in the conduits. These systems mostly utilize 3-axis gantry designs, in large part to support the weight of the conduits and wet cement being supplied to the print head. The structure size is then limited by the size of the gantry which defines the area of the print bed, as well as the maximum height of the structure. Many potential construction sites have limited access that may not support the delivery of large gantry systems.
Alternative cement chemistries utilizing two slurries that do not react until combined already exist commercially, albeit not yet very competitively with OPC. One example of such a chemistry is a basic magnesia (MgO) slurry (Part B) and a mild acid phosphate (e.g., KH2PO4) slurry (Part A) which can react to form a hard cement in minutes. These slurries may also contain other fillers to control for viscosity and add strength or reduce the cost of the material. Such chemistries, due to their exothermic nature and fast cure may not always work well when poured in bulk form (i.e., traditional OPC construction methods), but lend themselves well to 3D printing methods. Although seemingly unrelated to one not having the benefit of this disclosure, various polymer epoxy systems wherein a “PART B” hardening agent is mixed with a “PART A” resin would also lend themselves to a methodology which eliminates the limitations of gantry systems. While bulk polymers have not historically been used in construction, the methodology claimed herein may promote the adoption of polymer materials as a part or whole in building scale structures. | {
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The present disclosure generally relates to reinforced packages for holding products and to methods of forming the packages. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a package including a bag or liner attached to a carton or blank having features to reinforce the shape of the formed package and allow access to the contents of the package, and features that facilitate forming the package and keeping the package open.
Bags or liners, such as paper or plastic bags, traditionally have been used for the packaging and transport of products from bulk materials such as rice or sand to larger items. Bags or liners generally are inexpensive and easy to manufacture and can be formed in different configurations and sizes, and can be used for storage and transport of a wide variety of products. In particular, in the food service industry, bags or liners are frequently used for packaging of prepared food items, such as sandwiches, French fries, cereal, etc. Currently, there is a growing demand for bags or liners or similar packages for use in packaging various products, including sandwiches, French fries, cereal, and other prepared food items, for presentation to consumers. However, it is equally important that the costs of such packages necessarily must be minimized as much as possible. While various packages designs including reinforcing or supporting materials have been developed, often, the manufacture of such specialty bags or liners having reinforcing layers or materials supplied thereto has required multiple stages or operations, which can significantly increase the cost of manufacture of such packages. | {
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Heretofore, there have been provided various types of bar, link and other articulated mechanisms for preventing the theft of vehicles, such as bicycles, motorcycles, motor bikes, mopeds and the like. Such devices have ranged from the very complex to the very simple such as that which is identified as bike chain locks. These locks have generally included a flexible belt, strap or chain which has an integral pad-lock mechanism for locking the free ends of the chain together so that the chain can be looped around the wheel, for example, of the vehicle and then attached around a fixed part of the vehicle frame.
More recently, there has been provided a chain lock which incorporates a main body having at one end a plate detachably secured thereto and which with the body defines a channel to receive the chain which is engaged by a pair of prongs which are secured by a manually operable lock mechanism disposed in the body. Such chain lock device is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,354. Other lock devices are further illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 60,454, 587,456 and 3,754,420. | {
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The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and their manufacture, and more specifically to a structure and method of making a stacked transformer structure using through-silicon vias (TSVs).
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors or coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer and thus a varying magnetic field through a second or secondary winding. This varying magnetic field induces a varying electromotive force (EMF), or “voltage”, in the secondary winding. This effect is referred to as inductive coupling.
Transformers range in size from on-chip transformers occupying the area less than one square millimeter to huge units weighing hundreds of tons used to interconnect portions of power grids. However, regardless of size, all transformers operate on the same basic principles, although the range of designs is wide. While new technologies have eliminated the need for transformers in some electronic circuits, transformers are still found in nearly all electronic devices. | {
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The presence of humoral immunity (circulating antibodies) to adenovirus capsid proteins is a barrier to the use of adenovirus vectors for gene therapy. The prototype adenovirus vectors that have been developed for gene therapy are based on subgroup C adenoviruses such as that of serotype 5. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against subgroup C adenoviruses is generally high in human populations as a result of frequent exposure to these pathogens. This fact is likely to greatly limit the effectiveness of gene therapy vectors based on serotypes such as Ad5.
Analysis of the nature of the protective antibodies against adenoviruses has indicated that the most important target is the major capsid protein, hexon [Wolfhart (1988) J. Virol 62, 2321; Gall et al. (1996) J. Virol. 70, 2116]. Several efforts have been made to engineer the hexon so as to evade the anti-hexon antibodies by making chimeric adenoviruses harboring hexons from other serotypes [Roy et al. (1998) J. Virol. 72, 6875; U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,315; Gall et al. (1998) J. Virol. 72, 10260; Youil et al. (2002) Hum. Gene Ther. 13, 311; Wu et al. (2002) J. Virol. 76, 12775]. However, this has been largely unsuccessful when exchanges among distant serotypes are attempted.
Alternatively, investigators have proposed using adenovirus vectors that rarely cause human infections or using adenoviruses from non-human sources. However, the lack of a practical manner in which to produce large numbers of such vectors has proved to be a hindrance to developing such vectors. | {
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The present invention relates to a piston for an internal combustion engine, having a piston head, a piston skirt, and a circumferential recess configured between the piston head and the piston skirt. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for the production of such a piston.
A piston of this type is known, for example, from DE 44 46 726 A1, and is also referred to as a “piston having a thermally uncoupled piston skirt.” Such pistons are characterized by great strength and by great heat resistance, because of the thermal uncoupling of piston head and piston skirt. Their relatively great construction height, which results from a minimum height of the ring-shaped recess, required due to process technology, is disadvantageous. | {
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The incorporation of increasing numbers of discrete devices into progressively smaller integrated circuits remains an important challenge in the manufacture of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) structures. For example, the implementation of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology into integrated circuits usually involves imparting a prescribed set of manufacturing attributes to the integrated circuit, such as selected dopant concentrations, channel lengths, interconnect dimensions, contact shapes, or other pertinent attributes, which collectively permit the integrated circuit to provide a desired function.
Many of the desired features in VLSI structures may be formed using photolithographic methods. Briefly, and in general terms, a photolithographic mask (or reticle) is formed that includes a desired pattern corresponding to a particular masking step for the structure. The pattern generally includes optically transparent areas and optically attenuating areas that are suitably arranged on an optically transparent supporting substrate. The mask may then be positioned proximate to an illumination system and a layer of an illumination-sensitive photoresist material applied to a semiconductor wafer. The illumination system projects illumination radiation through the optically transmissive portions of the mask and onto the photoresist material, which suitably changes the properties of the photoresist material. Subsequent development of the exposed photoresist material thus permits the selective differentiation between exposed and non-exposed areas in the photoresist material so that the desired pattern may be subsequently formed on the semiconductor wafer.
When a wavelength of the illumination radiation is greater than a minimum feature size expressed on the mask, various optical effects may adversely affect the quality of features formed on a semiconductor structure. For example, a mask used to form a memory device array may include patterns having different orientations, such as a first set of generally horizontal features in an array portion of the memory device, and a second set of generally vertical and/or mixed features in a peripheral logic region. Although the illumination system may permit the first set of features to be accurately resolved at a first focal distance, undesired optical aberrations (including, for example, astigmatism) in the illumination system generally permit the second set of resolvable features to be accurately resolved only at a second focal distance that is different from the first focal distance. In one commonly employed method, a focal distance is selected for the illumination system that is intermediate between the first focal distance and the second focal distance so that the first set and the second set of features are projected from the mask and onto the wafer to yield a device pattern on the wafer having a correspondingly intermediate pattern resolution. As device features continue to decrease in size, however, the foregoing optical compensation method may be unable to generate device patterns at an acceptable resolution level.
Therefore, there presently exists an urgent need in the art for optical compensation methods, systems, and devices applicable to sub-resolution photolithography that permit aggressive reductions in device feature size. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to a sharpness emphasizing method of a reproduction picture for use in a picture reproducing machine such as a color scanner, a color facsimile, or the like.
In a conventional picture reproducing machine, a sharpness emphasizing method of a reproduction picture is carried out by using picture signals to be processed or circumferential information of the picture signals.
The former case has a disadvantage, that is, the sharpness emphasis effect is obtained only in the scanning direction of the cylinder's circumference, and hence such a method cannot be applied independently to a color scanner for plate-making, or the like.
In the latter case, as shown in FIG. 1, a light beam 1 obtained by scanning an original picture optically, is divided into two components by a half mirror 2. Each light beam propagates along a light axis 3a or 3b through an aperture 5a or 5b having an opening distance d.sub.1 or d.sub.2, which is formed in a mask 4a or 4b.
Each light beam through the opening 5a or 5b is incident to a photoelectric element 6a or 6b which converts the light beam into a signal. Thus the obtained signal is then converted into a density signal in a logarithmic amplifier 7a or 7b including a preamplifier, thereby obtaining a picture signal A or B.
The picture signal A through the smaller aperture 5a is a so-called sharp signal whose sharpness is to be emphasized. The picture signal B through the larger aperture 5b is usually called an unsharp signal which includes the circumferential information of the sharp signal A.
However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in fact, the light beam through the aperture 5a is color-separated into red, green and blue colors by half mirrors to obtain three picture signals A.sub.R, A.sub.G and A.sub.B, and the picture signal A.sub.G is selected as the picture signal A.
In order to emphasize the sharpness of a recording signal by using the sharp signal A (A.sub.G) and the unsharp signal B, the unsharp signal B is subtracted from the sharp signal A to obtain an unsharp masking signal C in a differential amplifier 8. Then, the unsharp masking signal C is added to the sharp signal A (A.sub.R, A.sub.G or A.sub.B) in a summing amplifier 9 which outputs a sharpness-emphasized picture signal D (D.sub.R, D.sub.G or D.sub.B), as shown in FIG. 2.
This sharpness emphasizing method of the picture signal is now widely used. However, this method requires a special system having an optical system and an electric operational circuit, for obtaining the unsharp signal B, which is inconvenient and high cost. Further, in this method, by varying the shape of the aperture 5b of the mask 4b the sharpness in certain directions may be emphasized, and by varying the opening distance d.sub.2 of the aperture 5b the sharpness range may be varied. However, various masks are required for these variations.
The opening distance d.sub.1 of the aperture 5a of the mask 4a for the sharp signal A is determined depending on the resolving power of the sharp signal A. When the distance d.sub.1 of the aperture 5a is varied according to a reproducing magnification and so forth, the distance d.sub.2 of the aperture 5b must be changed, and accordingly sets of masks 4a and 4b must be prepared depending on the resolving power of the sharp signal A.
The sharpness emphasizing operation will be explained theoretically in connection with space frequency-response curves shown in FIG. 3. There are shown two slit functions f(A) and f(B) having widths d.sub.1 ' and d.sub.2 ', corresponding to the aperture sizes d.sub.1 and d.sub.2 of the apertures 5a and 5b are shown in FIG. 3a. In order to obtain the space frequency-response curves, or the spectrum distributions F(A) and F(B), which includes a space frequency range sensible to the eyes of human beings, the slit functions f(A) and f(B) are performed by Fourier transformation, as shown in FIG. 3b wherein F(u) means a spectrum value corresponding to a space frequency u.
As shown in FIG. 2, the unsharp masking signal C is A-B, and the sharpness-emphasized picture signal D is A+C. Thus, the spectrum distributions F(C) and F(D) corresponding to the unsharp masking signal C and the sharpness-emphasized picture signal D are expressed as F(A)-F(B) and F(A)+F(B), as shown in FIG. 3b.
Such spectrum distributions are shown in the X axis direction, as shown in FIG. 3a, and the same spectrum distributions are obtained in the Y axis direction. In the X=Y axis direction, the similar spectrum distribution is obtained, as shown in FIG. 3c wherein the aperture size d may be d.sub.1 ' or d.sub.2 ', but the points wherein F(u) equals naught, are different. In practice, in this case, the distribution may be considered as almost the same as the one in the X or the Y direction.
Therefore, on the contrary, the slit functions f(x) may be obtained from the spectrum distribution corresponding to the desired sharpness emphasizing characteristics in the reverse manner.
Consequently, as shown in FIG. 4, wherein d is the opening size of the aperture or the width of the scanning line, from the spectrum distribution F(D') of the sharpness-emphasized picture signal D' the spectrum distribution F(C') of the unsharp masking signal C' is given by F(D')-F(A), and the spectrum distribution F(B') of the ideal unsharp signal B' is obtained by (F(A)-F(C'). Then, the spectrum distribution F(B') is performed by reverse Fourier transformation to obtain the slit function f(B') corresponding to the ideal unsharp signal B'. According to the slit function f(B') obtained the aperture 5b of the mark 4b is formed, and the transmittance of the light through such an aperture 5b is continuously reduced radially from its center according to the slit function f(B').
In FIG. 4 is shown one example of a wave form of such a slit function, and, in practice, the wave form is exactly determined from the slit function.
In this method, a plurality of masks, each having such an aperture, must be prepared in advance, depending on the opening size d.sub.1 of the aperture. However, since the aperture size is minute, and the variation of the light transmittance of the aperture is effected by using the photographic technique, in practice, it is quite difficult to control the light transmittance of the minute aperture area. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Previously, coating type magnetic recording media have been prepared by coating non-magnetic supports with a coating comprising organic polymer binders and magnetic materials of ferromagnetic powders dispersed therein. In recent years, with the increased demand for high density recording, magnetic recording media of the so-called thin metal film type which are free of binders and which have thin ferromagnetic metal films formed by paper deposition methods (such as vacuum deposition, sputtering and ion plating), or plating methods (such as electroplating and electroless plating) as magnetic layers, have attracted attention and partly utilized.
In particular, the vacuum deposition method does net require waste fluid treatment which is necessary in the plating method. Further, the manufacturing processes involved in vacuum deposition are simple, and the deposition rate of films is high. This method therefore has merit. Methods for producing magnetic films, having a coercive force and a squareness which are desirable for magnetic recording media, by the vacuum deposition and oblique incidence vapor deposition methods are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,342,632 and 3,342,633.
Major problems concerning magnetic recording media having thin ferromagnetic metal films include weather resistance, running properties and durability.
Magnetic recording media move at a high speed compared to the magnetic head during recording, reproducing and erasing of magnetic signals. Running the media must be carried out smoothly and stably, and at the same time, abrasion or breakage due to contact with the head must not occur. In view of these problems, there is a need for lubricating layers or protective layers on the thin ferromagnetic metal films as means for improving their running properties and durability.
The protective layers of the magnetic recording media of the thin metal film type include layers formed by applying thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, fatty acids, metal salts of fatty acids, fatty acid esters or alkyl phosphates dissolved in organic solvents. For example, such protective layers are disclosed in JP-A-60-69824 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-60-85427.
Recently, a technique of improving the durability of the media by using compounds having branched perfluoroalkenyl groups has been developed (JP-A-61-107528).
Investigations of the application of perfluoroalkyl polyether compounds have also been extensively conducted, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,308 proposes providing a perfluoropolyether on a thin ferromagnetic metal film. Further, JP-B-60-10368 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication") describes a perfluoropolyether of the terminal modification type in which one or both termini of the perfluoropolyether chain are modified with polar groups such as carboxyl groups.
Furthermore, there is the report that a multi-chain type perfluoropolyetheramide obtained by dehydration condensation of a compound having a plurality of amine groups and a perfluoropolyether chain having a carboxyl group at one terminus thereof was tested as a lubricating agent for disk-like magnetic recording media of the thin metal film type (Sugiyama et al., the 34th National Meeting, the Lubrication Society of Japan, B.multidot.28; Preliminary Reports issued on October, 1989, p. 425). This compound results in fairly good running properties and durability, but has the undesirable effect of reducing the coefficient of static friction. Improvements have been therefore desired.
As described above, the magnetic recording media of the thin metal film type shown in the prior art have the problems that the running properties and durability are insufficient under severe conditions of high or low humidity, and that the electromagnetic characteristics deteriorate due to spacing loss between the head and the recording medium caused by the thickness of the protective or lubricating layer. These problems have limited the practical applications of the magnetic recording media of the thin metal film type. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to data center management, and in particular enclosures for high speed data transport fiber cabling systems. Optical fibers allow for transmission of communications over longer distances and at higher bandwidths than wire cables. Optical fibers are also advantageous for communication systems because signals suffer less loss than wire cables and are immune to electromagnetic interference. Optical fibers are therefore often used for high bandwidth, long distance applications. One of the primary functions of a data center is to provide connections between incoming and outgoing optical fiber connections.
A user may desire to use different sized fiber optic modules housing optical fiber connections. At present, such a user installs and removes entire banks of patch panels or trays in order to accommodate different sized fiber optic modules because trays are currently designed to only support one size of fiber optic module. Thus, it may be advantageous to provide a tray that allows different sized fiber optic modules to be installed within the tray without replacing or removing the tray itself. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A known storage cell includes a gas discharging section (safety valve) that opens to prevent, for example, rupture of a cell case when an internal pressure of the storage cell increases due to heat generated by internal short circuiting or the like and reaches a predetermined pressure. For example, PTL 1 discloses a metal battery case including a gas discharging section provided on a bottom surface portion of the case. When the internal pressure of the battery reaches a predetermined pressure, a large opening is formed in the bottom surface portion of the metal battery case.
In the case where a plurality of storage cells are connected together to form an electricity storage device (for example, a battery pack), a connecting member is attached to the bottom surface portion of each cell case. In the storage cell of the related art disclosed in PTL 1, a connecting member is welded to the gas discharging section. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to the field of methods for catalytically oxidizing carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, and more particularly, to methods for selectively catalytically oxidizing carbon monoxide present in a hydrocarbon stream using a specially prepared supported cobalt oxide catalyst.
Numerous synthetic routes to such products as acetic acid, acrylic acid, vinyl acetate and benzyl acetate, rely upon the catalytic oxidation of a hydrocarbon, for example, ethylene in the case of acetic acid and vinyl acetate, propylene in the case of acrylic acid, and toluene in the case of benzyl acetate. In addition to the principal reaction product, small quantities of carbon monoxide are also produced in these reactions. Following the recovery of the principal product, the reaction effluent is recycled so that any unreacted starting material can be fully utilized. It is known that carbon monoxide deactivates the catalysts, for example, palladium metal, which are commonly used for these syntheses. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that the carbon monoxide be converted to the dioxide prior to the recycling of the reaction effluent without, however, causing any significant oxidation of the unreacted hydrocarbon present in the effluent.
It is well known that cobalt oxide is a useful catalyst for the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Ismailov et al., Azerb. Khim. Zh., 1969, (4), 75-80 (Russian), describes the oxidation of carbon monoxide and gaseous hydrocarbon present in a simulated internal combustion engine exhaust using a supported cobalt oxide catalyst. The maximum level of carbon monoxide conversion was 50% and was achieved at 800.degree. C. Belgium Pat. No. 814,130 describes a cobalt aluminate catalyst useful in gas masks and as a component of cigarette filters. U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,545 describes the accelerated combustion of both carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in exhaust gases using a catalyst containing a mixture of copper and manganese oxides and the oxides of other metals such as cobalt. The oxidation of hydrocarbons and CO is described in the article entitled "The Oxidation of Hydrocarbons and CO over Metal Oxides III. Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 " by Yung-Fan Yu Yao, Journal of Catalysis, 33, 108-122 (1974). In none of the foregoing is there a selective oxidation of carbon monoxide to the virtual exclusion of the hydrocarbon component which may be present. The catalytic oxidation of propylene is described in the article entitled "Regularities in Catalytic Properties of Metal Oxides in Propylene Oxidation" by U. Morooka and A. Ozaki, Journal of Catalysis, 5, 116-124 (1966). A series of experiments is discussed therein and shows that a cobalt oxide catalyst, prepared by calcining silicon carbide pellets impregnated with cobalt nitrate, readily oxidized propylene. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a positioning device, a mobile terminal, a positioning method, and a positioning program and particularly to those suitably used for a GPS (Global Positioning System).
2. Related Art
At present, as a ground position determination system, a GPS which is called NAVSTAR and operated by the U.S. government is known as disclosed in Parkinson, Bradford W Gilbert, Stephen W.; “NAVSTAR: Global Positioning System—Ten Years Later”; Proceedings of the IEEE; Vol. 71; No. 10. This GPS is a wireless navigation system which is designed for providing highly accurate three-dimensional information to a recipient on or near the ground, the GPS using a satellite as a transmitter.
Also, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics government operates a GPS known as GLONASS. Further, a system known as GALILEO is under development by the European Community. Recently, a GPS receiving device is used as a car navigation system.
Also, in JP-A-6-118156, for example, a method of downsizing the GPS receiving device to obtain a direction and a distance of a person's movement while the person is walking so that the person can carry the device is disclosed.
Further, JP-A-2001-133535, for example, discloses a method of reducing positioning time by using location information of a base station acquired by a PHS communication as an initial location for the positioning using the GPS.
JP-A-2001-235337, for example, discloses a method of reducing positioning time by using a field intensity map of a base station in a mobile communication network as an initial location for the positioning using the GPS.
However, in the method of reducing GPS positioning time by using the location information of the base station on the mobile communication network as the initial location, it is necessary to receive the location information by communicating with the base station or to store the location information of the base station in a GPS receiver. The method of communicating with the base station for the purpose of acquiring the location information of the base station has the problem of communication cost, thereby undesirably increasing a burden on a user. Also, the method of storing the location information of the base station in the GPS receiver has the problem that, in the case where multiple base stations exist at an interval of a several kilometers, a large memory capacity is required for storing the base stations.
Further, with the method of using the location information of the base station on the mobile communication network as the initial location, even in the case where the previous positioning information can be used as the initial location for the current positioning, it is necessary to confirm the location information of the base terminal by communicating again with the base terminal and to use the newly obtained location information of the base terminal as the initial location for the current positioning, thereby raising a problem of wasteful communication.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a positioning device, a mobile terminal, a positioning method, and a positioning program capable of reducing the time required for positioning by a GPS without allowing specific parties to occupy a communication channel. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A radio frequency (RF) connector is an electrical connector designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range. Typically, RF connectors are used in a variety of applications such as wireless telecommunications applications, including WiFi, PCS, radio, computer networks, test instruments, and antenna devices. In some instances, a number of individual connectors are ganged together into a single, larger connector housing for electrically and physically connecting two or more printed circuit boards.
One example of an RF connector interface is the sub-miniature push-on (SMP) interface. SMP is commonly used in miniaturized high frequency coaxial modules and is offered in both push-on and snap-on mating styles and is often used for PC board-to-board interconnects. For these applications, the conventional SMP interface utilizes a male connector on each of the PC boards and a female-to-female adapter mounted in between to complete the connection. One problem with conventional RF connectors is that such connectors typically do not have the flexibility to customize the degree of axial or radial float between connectors.
Another problem associated with conventional RF connectors is that the density of individual connectors is limited by the shape and design of the adapter. As RF connector applications have begun to require a greater number of individual connections between components, RF connectors using conventional designs have necessarily increased in size to accommodate this. Larger connectors require more physical space in order to provide the necessary contacts, which make the connectors less applicable to high density systems requiring smaller connectors and more expensive to produce.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electrical connector, such an RF connector, with improved axial and radial float while also having a smaller profile. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The annulus of intervertebral discs develop defects or tears, and a portion of the nucleus pulposus can be squeezed toward, into or through the defect or tear. This creates pain and discomfort. Methods have been developed to repair these tears in the annulus. These methods include using sutures to close the tear. The sutures, however, can fail over time. Other methods use plugs that are inserted into the tear. These plugs, however, are typically inserted from the exterior of the annulus and require difficult positioning or enlarging of the tear to accommodate insertion of the plug. Some plugs only cover the external side of the annulus tear.
Therefore, systems and methods are desired for annulus repair that cover both the internal and external surfaces of the annulus and that provide for access to the internal surface of the annulus for improved attachment of a repair device to the annulus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Solar power generation is a renewable energy source of great potential. It can significantly reduce carbon emission and gets increasing attention. However, due to physical limitation the efficiency of solar power generation is still not desirable to date, and the cost of solar power generation remains very high. How to reduce the cost of solar power generation is a main focus of solar power development at present.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional solar power producing equipment. It includes a glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 to load a quartz bracket 2 holding a glass substrate (not shown in the drawing) into a reactor 3 filled with high pressure fluorine. The glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 can load or unload a quartz bracket 2 into or from a plurality of reactors 3.
The glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 includes an electric lift 4 and a holding rack 5 located on the electric lift 4. The electric lift 4 is slidable on a track 6 and movable by users on the track 6. The elevation of the electric lift 4 is adjustable to align the holding rack 5 with the reactors 3 so that the holding rack 5 can be moved into the reactors 3 to load or unload the quartz bracket 2.
The aforesaid conventional glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 is moved manually on the track 6, hence operation speed is slow. Moreover, the number of the reactors 3 accessible by one glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 also is limited. Utilization of the glass substrate transporting apparatus 1 is not desirable, and production yield also is limited and cannot meet mass production requirement. | {
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The cigarette package of this type comprises an inner pack and a parallelepiped outer box enclosing the inner pack. The inner pack includes a bundle of rod-shaped smoking articles, such as filter cigarettes, and an inner wrapper covering the bundle. The outer box includes a box body open at the upper end thereof, and a lid joined to the box body at a rear edge of the open end of the box body, which functions as a hinge. The outer box is formed by folding a blank around the inner pack.
The lid of the outer box can be a hinged lid in the shape of a box, or a tongue lid having a tongue. While the hinged lid is fitted on top of the open end of the box body, the tongue lid has an upper wall for covering the open end of the box body and a tongue extending from the upper wall designed such that when the upper wall closes the open end of the box body, the tongue overlies the front wall of the box body.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-49134
It is desirable that at the time the above-described cigarette package is made, the lid of the outer box should be joined to the box body by a tearable separation line. The provision of such separation line is effective in deterring people from tampering with the cigarette package.
More specifically, when the lid is first opened, the lid is torn from the box body along the separation line, and the torn separation line leaves break marks to the box body as well as the lid, which marks indicate that the lid has already been opened.
Generally, the separation line is provided as a perforated line formed in the blank for the outer box in advance. The perforated line, i.e., the separation line has a lot of joins connecting the adjacent perforations. Thus, when the lid is first opened, first, a join at one end of the separation line suffers a break, and the adjacent joins suffer such break one after another, so that the separation line completely breaks. In other words, the separation line breaks in the manner that a crack spreads.
However, the crack does not infallibly spread along the separation line, but can spread deviating from the separation line. Such deviating crack can give an undesired break to the tongue lid and/or the box body, and therefore lead to a damaged appearance of the cigarette package opened.
Such trouble can be avoided by making the joins of the separation line shorter so that the joins can be broken easily. This can, however, cause a problem that in the process of making a cigarette package, specifically in folding the blank, the blank splits along the separation line so that the cigarette package fails to be made. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a cleaning apparatus, and, in particular, to an apparatus especially suited for cleaning hard-surfaced floors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cleaning floors is a tedious and laborious task. Over the years, many devices have been designed for this purpose, including brooms, mops, vacuum-cleaners, and countless variations thereon. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,896,611 and 500,976 each discloses a device that utilizes a rotatable brush to accelerate debris into a collection container. These devices have the ability to pick up relatively large dirt particles, but smaller items such as dust and hair are usually left behind. Additionally, these devices generally are designed for industrial applications, and therefore, tend to be too cumbersome for household use.
Meanwhile, widely-used electret cloth mops, which utilize static electricity to attract dirt, hair, and dust particles, pose the opposite problem. These devices are effective at picking up small particles, but larger debris tends to collect at the front edge of the mop where the debris is pushed across the floor until a user manually removes the debris from the floor. In addition, using electret cloth mops is time consuming because the user frequently has to replace spent electret cloth. Other floor cleaning devices, like those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,092,699 and 5,372,609, attempt to solve this problem by providing a continually-fed cleaning cloth, but these devices are likewise incapable of picking up larger debris.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a cleaning apparatus that is capable of removing both large and small particles from a surface, yet is easily handled and operated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for efficient energy usage and resultant monetary gain. More particularly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention is a system and method to aid building engineers to effectively manage energy demand and energy sources in commercial and industrial HVAC applications.
2. Description of the Art
Energy producers typically charge customers according to electrical demand (measured in kW hour) and also by a peak demand in a given hour (measured in kW). Energy management is ever more critical for environmentally conscious, cost-effective operation of buildings where heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are employed. Henceforth, many control systems have been introduced to obtain greater control over energy usage. One such innovation was proposed by Hilebrand et al., entitled “Temperature Control Method and Apparatus,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,633, and was awarded patent protection in 1996. According to Hileband and his co-inventors, it is desirable for HVAC controls to automatically reduce cooling output in response to a pre-determined peak demand, as electrical utility cost during an actual peak demand will be at its highest. A drawback to the approach offered by Hileband is that it's difficult to provide the automation desired along with maintaining comfortable temperatures to building occupants.
Another control system has been proposed by Traut, II et al., entitled “Computer Program And Method for Reducing HVAC Demand for Energy,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,043. According to Traut II, a need exists to enable energy suppliers to more effectively control peak demand situations so that their capacity is not exceeded. The solution proposed aggregates users into a purchasing block and regulates user demand based on energy needs relative to one another. However, this solution for overdemand also provides automation that removes ad hoc control of the electricity consumers.
Additional control systems have been proposed that attempt to provide energy saving automation in HVAC controls, such as “Adaptive Hierarchy Usage Monitoring HVAC Control System,” to Poth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,555,364. A further example is provided by Ehlers et al, entitled “System and Method of Controlling An HVAC System,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,226; as well as “System and Method of Controlling An HVAC System,” U.S. Pat. No. 7,130,719 also to Ehlers et. al.
As stated herein, managing electrical loads in commercial HVAC applications is ever more important as new rises in energy cost and environmental concerns come forth. Energy customers are still concerned over surcharges that are accessed by power producers during peak demand. Also more expensive electronic equipment, for example, is more abundant in commercial buildings leading to increased electrical demand. While some electrical loads are essentially fixed and cannot be easily controlled, other loads can be effectively managed to maximize efficiency. For example, a chiller having a primary function of making ice, as needed, would optimally be used at night/holidays or weekend where demand is relatively low. Additionally, any systems requiring battery charges should be performed during an off-peak time. Similarly, if batter power can be used during a demand peak to offset actual load, then building engineers should consider this option.
Hence, building engineers are having an ever increasing role in monitoring energy performance to improve efficiency. While many commercial buildings rely solely on the power grid for electrical demand, some building can provide limited power for their own consumption with battery cells, solar cells, natural gas and diesel generators. The alternate energy source is primarily a back up for essential loads in the event the power distribution grid loses power; however the alternative energy sources could be used to offset a peak in electrical demand.
One advantage to monitoring energy demand and performance, as stated herein, is that load shedding may be needed to conserve electricity peak periods. For example, unnecessary loads can be reduced during the early to mid afternoon hours during the sunniest days resulting in reduced energy costs during peak demand. Another advantage to monitoring energy performance is that it could be a first indicator that a certain electrical load, such as an air handling unit, may be in need of periodic maintenance.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for monitoring energy performance in HVAC applications so that building engineers can respond to projected peak demands and unexpected surges in demand. It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method of collecting historical temperature data in relation to hourly demand and peak demand. It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a software module able to plot real-time energy demand vs. expected energy demand and automatically issue an alert to building engineers of any abnormality.
These, as well as other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description and drawings. It is understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Image-forming apparatuses, e.g., copiers and printers, have in recent years been subjected to greater diversity in their intended uses and use environments as well as demands for greater speed, higher image quality, and greater stability. For example, printers, which in the past have been used mainly in the office, have also entered into use in severe environments, e.g., high temperatures, high humidities, and it is also critical in such instances that a stable image quality be provided.
Copiers and printers are also undergoing apparatus downsizing as well as advances in energy efficiency, and the use is preferred within this context of magnetic single-component developing systems that use a favorable magnetic toner.
In a magnetic single-component developing system, a magnetic toner layer is formed by a toner layer thickness control member (referred to herebelow as the developing blade) on a toner-bearing member (referred to herebelow as the developing sleeve) that is provided in its interior with a magnetic field-generating means such as a magnetic roll. Development is carried out by transporting this magnetic toner layer to the developing zone using the developing sleeve.
Charge is imparted to the magnetic toner by the friction generated when the developing blade and the developing sleeve come into contact in the contact region between the developing blade and the developing sleeve (referred to herebelow as the blade nip region).
Reducing the diameter of the developing sleeve is a critical technology for reducing the size of the apparatus. With such a reduced-diameter developing sleeve, the developing zone at the developing nip region is narrowed and fly over by the magnetic toner from the developing sleeve is then impaired and a portion of the magnetic toner will readily remain on the developing sleeve.
In this case, turn over of the magnetic toner in the magnetic toner layer within the blade nip deteriorates and the charging performance of the magnetic toner layer readily becomes nonuniform.
Moreover, when an extended durability test is carried out in such a state, the magnetic toner in the blade nip region is readily subjected to shear and deterioration phenomena then readily occur, for example, the external additive at the magnetic toner surface becomes buried. As a consequence, the flowability and the charging performance of the magnetic toner are prone to decline in the latter half of an extended durability test that uses a small-diameter sleeve, and the charging performance in particular readily becomes nonuniform.
In addition, these deterioration phenomena are particularly prone to occur with magnetic toners in high-temperature, high-humidity environments, and systems in which the process speed has been raised in support of the higher speeds of recent years will only continue to be more stringent with regard to charging performance uniformity.
In particular, with magnetic toners the dispersibility of the magnetic body readily exercises a substantial effect on charging performance uniformity, as compared to magnetic body-free nonmagnetic toners, and various image defects are readily produced when the magnetic toner has an inferior charging performance uniformity.
For example, the overcharged magnetic toner fraction remains on the developing sleeve, and as a result the image density is prone to decline and image defects, such as fogging in nonimage areas, can occur.
In addition, due to the influence of the curvature of a reduced-diameter sleeve, it is difficult to stir the magnetic toner at the back of the developing sleeve. When the flowability of the magnetic toner is unsatisfactory, the magnetic toner compacted at the back of the developing sleeve assumes a packed condition and a state may be assumed in which the magnetic toner cannot be satisfactorily fed to the developing sleeve.
In this case the magnetic toner in the vicinity of the developing sleeve becomes overcharged and the charging performance uniformity of the magnetic toner then readily becomes unsatisfactory due to the transport of the magnetic toner to the blade nip region in a state of nonuniform charge.
To respond to this problem, numerous methods have been proposed in which the dielectric properties, which are an index for the state of the dispersion of the magnetic body within a magnetic toner, are controlled in order to bring about a stabilization of the changes in the developing performance that accompany changes in the environment.
For example, in Patent Document 1 the dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) in a high-temperature range and the normal temperature range is controlled in an attempt to reduce the variations in toner charging performance associated with variations in the environment.
While certain effects are in fact obtained under certain prescribed conditions, in particular adequate consideration is not given to a high degree of starting material dispersity for the case of a high magnetic body content, and there is still room for improvement with regard to the charging performance uniformity of magnetic toners.
In order to suppress environmental variations by toners, Patent Document 2 discloses a toner for which the ratio between the saturation water content HL under low-temperature, low-humidity conditions and the saturation water content HH under high-temperature, high-humidity conditions is brought into a prescribed range.
This control of the water content does in fact provide certain effects for the image density reproducibility and transferability under certain prescribed conditions, but in particular no mention is made of the charging performance uniformity when the magnetic body is incorporated as a colorant in the reasonable amount, and this is inadequate for obtaining the effects of the present invention.
Patent Document 3 discloses an image-forming apparatus that contains toner particles as well as spherical particles that have a number-average particle diameter of from at least 50 nm to not more than 300 nm, wherein the free ratio of these spherical particles is from at least 5 volume % to not more than 40 volume %. This has a certain effect with regard to inhibiting, under a prescribed environment, contamination of the image carrier, scratching of the image carrier and intermediate transfer member, and image defects.
Patent Document 4, on the other hand, discloses a toner in which large-diameter particles are anchored and small-diameter particles are externally added. This supports an improvement in the fixing releasability and a stabilization of the toner flowability and makes it possible to obtain a pulverized toner with excellent charging, transport, and release properties.
Patent Document 5 discloses an art in which the coating state for the external additive is controlled and the dielectric properties of the toner are also controlled and that is effective mainly for the issue of streak prevention.
In these inventions, however, the free ratio of the spherical particles or large-diameter particles, as inferred from the anchoring conditions or free conditions of these particles, is relatively high, and control of the state of fixing of inorganic fine particles that are otherwise added is inadequate.
Due to this, the charging performance uniformity for magnetic toners is inadequate, for example, when an extended durability test is run in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment—where charging is already prone to become nonuniform, and the effects sought by the present invention are not obtained.
That is, there is still room for improvement to obtain, through the use of a magnetic toner that has a satisfactory charging performance uniformity, a high quality image even after an extended durability test in a system with a fast process speed in support of higher speeds and using a reduced-diameter sleeve in support of apparatus downsizing. | {
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The invention generally relates to an analog varactor.
A varactor is an electronic device whose capacitance is a function of a control voltage that is applied to the device. The varactor typically is used, for example, in an oscillator to control its oscillation frequency.
As a more specific example, the oscillator may be a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) of a phase locked loop (PLL). The VCO typically generates an oscillating output signal for the PLL, and the PLL controls the oscillation frequency of the VCO to lock the output signal onto a reference signal. In this regard, the PLL typically regulates a frequency control signal that is provided to a varactor of the VCO in a feedback loop to achieve the lock. The frequency control signal is a function of the phase difference between the reference signal and the PLL's output signal. Thus, by controlling the capacitance of the varactor with the frequency control signal, the PLL finely tunes the oscillation frequency of the VCO to achieve the lock. | {
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Interference and noise are major factors limiting the performance of cellular wireless communication networks. Most modern mobile terminals, or User Equipment (UE) include some demodulation capability to mitigate interference, thus improving the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) measured at the output of the receiver. Improvements in SINR result in better performance. This capability can be used, for example, in detecting transmitted data information or in computing some measure of channel quality information (CQI) that is used for link adaptation, power control and user scheduling. The same is true of base stations.
Canceling or suppressing interference typically relies on identification of a set of channel resources that experience a particular form of interference as well as the estimation of interferer parameters for that set. The process of identification estimates the presence of an interference source that affects multiple channel resources. The process of interference parameter estimation is more easily accomplished when the interferer does not vary significantly in time or frequency due to fading, dispersion or intermittent transmission of the interferer. Since the estimation process typically is performed in the presence of random (i.e., thermal) noise, a sufficient number of estimation samples are required to minimize the effects of the noise. Further, estimation degrades when those samples are used where the interference varies abruptly.
Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a spread spectrum multiplexing technique that distributes transmitted data over a large number of sub-carriers that are spaced apart at precise frequencies. Data is divided into a plurality of parallel data streams, one for each sub-carrier. Each sub-carrier is modulated at a low symbol rate, maintaining total data rates similar to conventional, single-carrier modulation schemes in the same bandwidth. Additionally, pre-coding may be applied across the transmitted symbols prior to mapping to the OFDM sub-carriers, for example, to obtain transmit diversity or to obtain better peak to average power in the transmitted signal.
In OFDM systems such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), discontinuities can exist in the interference due to a number of reasons: 1) interferer signals transmitted from other cells can be packet-based, so interferer transmissions may be intermittent; 2) in addition to scheduling in time, transmissions can be scheduled in different frequency sub-bands; 3) multiple users can exist, for example from multiple base stations in the downlink and from multiple users in the uplink; 4) different transmission ranks can be used which present different interferer profiles; and 5) different pre-coding schemes can be used, which also present different interferer profiles. Similar situations exist in other OFDM systems, such as WiMAX.
For LTE, since scheduling is performed on contiguous groups of OFDM sub-carriers and symbols, called resource blocks, one approach to mitigating the impact of interference discontinuities is to restrict the estimation of the interferer parameters to use only received data corresponding to a single resource block. This avoids the problem of having to use an adjacent resource block, which may contain a different interferer profile. However, this potentially limits the estimation accuracy in the case where the same interferer profile exists in one or more adjacent resource blocks, and could be used to improve interference estimation. | {
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The present invention relates to a wet type clutch to be actuated by a hydraulic pressure.
This kind of clutch is made to effect torque transmission by bring a friction member and a frictional surface facing the friction member into facial contact with each other. In a known torque transmission system for forcing the friction member and the frictional surface to contact, the friction member is adhered to either a piston or the surface facing the piston, and the frictional surface is exemplified by the surface facing the friction member, so that the piston is moved forward to engage with that surface. In this system, the piston itself acts as a torque transmission member, as exemplified in a lockup clutch of a torque converter.
FIGS. 16 and 17 show a torque converter 1 which is equipped with a lockup clutch of the prior art. This torque converter 1 has its entirety defined liquid-tight by a front cover 2 and a shell 3a of the pump impeller 3 and is filled up with a fluid. The torque converter 1 is arranged with a turbine runner 4, a stator 5, and a piston 6 of the lockup clutch. To such a surface of the piston 6 as is located at the circumferential edge portion and faces the inner surface of the front cover 2, there is adhered a porous friction member 7 which is formed into an annular shape having a constant width. Across this piston 6, there are formed a first oil chamber 8 at the side of the front cover 2 and a second oil chamber 9 at the side of the turbine runner 4. In case the lockup clutch is to be applied, the fluid is fed to the second oil chamber 9 and discharged from the first oil chamber 8. As a result, the internal pressure in the second oil chamber 9 exceeds that in the first oil chamber 8 so that the piston 6 is pushed toward the front cover 2 to bring its friction member 7 into contact with the front cover 2 as a countermember while shutting the communication between the first oil chamber 8 and the second oil chamber 9 by that friction member 7. As a result, leakage of the fluid from the second oil chamber 9 to the first oil chamber 8 is substantially eliminated to establish a large pressure difference between the two oil chambers 8 and 9 so that the friction member 7 of the piston 6 is pushed to contact with the front cover 2. In other words, the lockup clutch is applied to transmit the torque of the engine directly to the (not-shown) input shaft of the gear transmission mechanism from the front cover 2 through the piston 6.
As in the lockup clutch described above, however, the wet type clutch, which is to be applied by shutting the communication between the higher pressure oil chamber and the lower pressure oil chamber with the friction member and the frictional surface, has a tendency to be given a lower torque capacity for the fed oil pressure than that of the ordinary wet type clutch, in which clutch discs and clutch plates alternately arranged are pushed by a piston. Specifically, such lockup clutch as in the prior art is constructed such that the porous friction member 7 is used and impregnated with the fluid. As a result, the higher pressure of the second oil chamber 9 at the time of applying the clutch propagates to the fluid in the friction member 7, too. This pressure applied to the portion of the friction member 7 acts in the direction to move the piston 6 away from the front cover 2 thereby to reduce the force to applying the clutch.
More specifically, the force acting to move the piston 6 apart from the front cover 2 takes a higher level (as will be called the "apply pressure"), as seen from FIG. 17, at the portion of the friction member 7 contacting with the second oil chamber 9 having a higher pressure and gradually takes the lower level as goes away from the second oil chamber 9, until it takes substantially the same level (as will be called the "drain pressure") as that in the first oil pressure 8 at the portion contacting with the first oil chamber having a lower pressure. The so-called "sum of reactions", as is distributed due to the porous material of the friction member 7, lowers the force to apply the clutch so that the apparent coefficient .mu. of friction of the friction member 7 drops to reduce the torque capacity.
In order to increase this torque capacity, it is conceivable to increase the size of the clutch or to raise the oil pressure for applying the clutch. The large-sized clutch will cause problems that its mountability on a vehicle becomes poor and that its responsiveness to the operation is deteriorated. On the other hand, the rise in the oil pressure for the clutch application will increase the deformation of the shell or the like of the torque converter to cause another problem that an offset contact with the clutch surface occurs. | {
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Vehicles include seatbelts for each of the seats onboard. The seatbelt includes webbing that, when the seatbelt is buckled, stretches across an occupant of the seat. An anchor attaches one end of the webbing to a seat frame. The other end of the webbing feeds into a retractor, which includes a spool that pays out and retracts the webbing. A tongue slides freely along the webbing and, when engaged with a buckle, divides the webbing into a lap band and a shoulder band. The seatbelt is typically a three-point harness, meaning that the webbing is attached at three points around the occupant when fastened: the anchor, the retractor, and the buckle. | {
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1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a portable device, a display apparatus, a display system, and a method for controlling power of a display apparatus thereof, and more particularly, to a portable device, a display apparatus, a display system, and a method for controlling power of a display apparatus thereof, which can control power of the display apparatus using the portable device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various display apparatuses such as a digital television (TV), etc. have undergone rapid development in all aspect of the device such as the addition and improvement of many features as well as the quality of the image and sound produced by the apparatuses. Further, the TV has evolved, from an analogue TV through which users simply view broadcasts, into a digital TV through which users view and enjoy various content. As the TV has evolved into the digital TV, a booting time that is required to display a digital broadcast or perform a smart function (for example, a web browsing function, etc.) after the TV has been turned on is somewhat prolonged in comparison with the responsiveness of the analogue TV
For example, in the case of the digital TV, the booting time that is taken when the TV is initially turned on is a time that is required every time that the TV is turned on. The entirety of the booting time is preserved by a user as time taken prior to reaching the intended feature so any time taken for booting is not a short time as experienced by the user who wishes to watch the TV promptly. Although the booting time has become shorter in recent years as the processor has been improved and S/W technology has been developed, there is a hardware limit. | {
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The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting objects formed by labels on a carrier material, and sheets, particularly sheets of paper.
An apparatus of this type is known from German Patent DE-PS 195 21 129. This apparatus includes a capacitive sensor having two adjacent capacitor elements, which are spaced from one another opposite a capacitor plate. The carrier material with the labels is guided in the air gap between the capacitor plate and the capacitor elements.
For detecting the labels on the carrier material, a timing element that generates a pulse sequence and a low-pass filter are disposed downstream of each capacitor element. The outputs of the low-pass filters are guided to the inputs of a differential amplifier. This circuit can detect labels on the carrier material, even if the labels and the carrier material comprise transparent materials.
A disadvantage, however, is that such apparatuses are extremely sensitive to temperature influences, and humidity in particular. They also encounter difficulties in detecting metallized materials. Furthermore, the two capacitor elements can only detect the signal flanks occurring in the detection of a label edge. A prerequisite of this is that the labels and the carrier material be moved past the capacitor elements at a predetermined speed. Static detection with a stationary carrier material is not possible. A further drawback is that a reliable label detection is only possible if the label edges travel along a straight line transverse to the transport direction of the carrier material, so that an at least approximately constant spacing between adjacent labels must be maintained over the label width. | {
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A bacterial infection is one of the most common and fatal cause to the human diseases, unfortunately, an abuse of the antibiotics has caused an antibiotics resistance to bacterium. In fact, the resistance rate of bacterium to a new antibiotics is much faster than the developing rate of newly made antibiotics analogue. For example, Enterococcus faecalis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can be threaten to a life, have grown the resistance to all antibiotics known up to the present (Stuart B. Levy, Scientific American, 46-53, 1998).
The tolerance to the antibiotics is a distinguished phenomenon from the resistance to the antibiotics. The above tolerance to the antibiotics was firstly found from Pneumococcus sp in the 1970's and gave an important clue to a mechanism of action of Penicillin (Tomasz et al., Nature, 227, 138-140, 1970). The species having the tolerance to the antibiotics stop growing under the normal concentration of the antibiotics, but do not die in the event. The tolerance is caused because an activity of the autolytic enzymes, like autolysin, is not occurred when the antibiotics inhibits a cell wall's synthetase. In case of Penicillin, it may kill a bacterium by activating an endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, but in another case a bacterium may be survived at the time of antibiotics' treating by controlling an activation of the enzyme.
Having the tolerance to a bacterium is clinically very important this is because if it is impossible to kill the tolerance bacterium, the effective of antibiotic's treating to a clinical infection may be decreased (Handwerger and Tomasz, Rev. Infec. Dis., 7, 368-386, 1985). In addition, the tolerance is regarded as a kind of essential prerequisite to generate the bacterium's resistance to the antibiotics as there may be certain survived strain by the antibiotic treating. The survived strain can grow continually under the existence of the antibiotics by way of obtaining a new genetic element having the resistance to the antibiotics. In fact, it is known that all the bacterium having the resistance to the antibiotics also have the tolerance to the antibiotics (Liu and Tomasz, J. Infect. Dis., 152, 365-372, 1985), thus it is necessary to develop the new antibiotics, which can kill a bacterium having the resistant to the antibiotics.
The tolerance can be divided into two cases in a point of a mechanism of action, wherein the first case is a phenotypic tolerance, which is generated from all the bacterium when the growth rate is decreased (Tuomanen E., Revs. Infect. Dis., 3, S279-S291, 1986) and the second case is a genetic tolerance by a mutation, which is generated from a certain bacterium. A basic phenomenon for both cases is the regulation of decreasing the activation of autolysin enzyme. This regulation may be temporary when it is the phenotypic tolerance by an external stimulus, but the regulation may be permanent when it is the genetic tolerance causing the change of channel for regulating a hemolysis. Evidently, the simplest genetic tolerance is the one generated by the lack of autolysin enzyme. However, due to several uncertain reasons, there has been no precedent case of clinically finding the strain having the tolerance by the lack of autolysis enzyme, preferably the tolerance found clinically is made under the process of regulating the activation of autolysin enzyme (Tuomanen et al., J. infect. Dis., 158, 36-43, 1988).
As examined in the above, the development of the new antibiotics is needed in order to kill the bacterium having the resistance to the antibiotics and it is necessary to develop the new antibiotics, which can act independently irrespective of the activation of the autolysin enzyme.
Meanwhile, the bacterium can kill a neighboring bacterium by synthesizing peptides named as a bacteriocin or small organic molecules, wherein those bacteriocins are structurally divided into three kinds. The first kind is lantibiotics, the second kind is nonlantibiotics, and the third kind is the one secreted by a signal peptide (Cintas et al., J. Bad., 180, 1988-1994, 1998). The animal, including the insect, can also produce a peptide antibiotics by themselves (Bevins et al., Ann. Rev. Biochem., 59, 395-414, 1990), wherein there may be three divided groups according to the structure. The first group is a cysteine-rich β-sheet peptide, second group is an α-helical amphiphilic peptide molecule, and third group is a praline-rich peptide (Mayasaki et al., Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents, 9, 269-280, 1998). It is well known that these kinds of antibacterial peptides play an important role both in host defense and innate immune system (Boman, H. G., Cell, 65:205, 1991; Boman, H. G., Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 13:61, 1995). Additionally, the antibacterial peptides have various structures according to the amino acid sequence. The most common one among the structures is the structure forming an amphiphilic alpha helical structure but without cysteine residue like a cecropin, which is the antibacterial peptide, found in the insect.
Although there has been a hypothesis that a peptic ulcer is caused by a stress and a product of hyperchylia, however interest is on a Helicobacter pylori bacterium after it is disclosed that the peptic ulcer is caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium (Blaser, M J., Trends Microbiol., 1, 255-260, 1991). The Helicobacter pylori bacterium belonging to the Gram negative bacterium is very slow in the growth rate and is anaerobic microorganism having a helical body and flagella. RPPL1 protein among the most proteins produced by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium is consisted of 230 numbers of amino acid and it is disclosed that the amino terminal of the proteins has the same structure as the cecropin's, especially eight number of amino acid. The RPL1's amino terminal of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium has a complete amphiphilic helical-shaped structure (Putsep, K. et al., Nature, 398, 671-672, 1999). There has been a report about the mechanism of action that the amphiphilic peptide destructs the lipid of the microorganism by connecting with the lipid of cell membrane of the microorganism or by changing a displacement of the lipid of cell membrane because the amphiphilic peptide is comprised of the structure similar to the lipid of cell membrane. In addition, there has been a report that the amino terminal of RPL1's protein in the Helicobacter pylori bacterium also has the antibacterial activity (Putsep K. et al., Nature, 398, 671-672, 1999).
Accordingly, a lot of researches have been made, and using these researches, lots of researches to develop the antibiotics to the bacterium have also been tried. The amphiphilic peptides being reported until now are HP (2-20) peptide and melittin peptide and etc.
It has been reported that HP (2-20) peptide, which has the amphiphilic activation among the parts of the amino terminal of RPL1's protein derived from the Helicobacter pylori along with having the antibiotic activation, has not a cytotoxicity but has antibacterial activation together with an antifungal effect (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 2002, 291, 1006-1013, Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 2002, 1598, 185-194).
Besides, it has been reported that the melittin peptide, which occupies more than 50% of the Pan-Cake among the bee venom's ingredients, wherein a carboxy terminal has become amidation. And it has been reported that the melittin peptide can destruct the cell of the higher animal well under the low concentration due to having the high cytotoxicity to a eukaryotic cell and has the antibacterial activation to the Gram negative bacterium and Gram positive bacterium (Habermann, E., Science, 177: 314, 1972; Steiner, H., et al., Nature, 292: 246, 1981; Tosteson, M. T., et al., Biochemistry, 228: 337, 1987).
What is more, the amphiphilic peptide belonging to the cecropin series HP (2-20) comprising the amino acid similar to the HP (2-20) was firstly found from a drosophila, and since then it is also found from a silk worm pupa and a small intestine of a pig. Among them, it has been reported that a cecropin A has the high antibacterial activation, but has the low antifungal and anticancer effect (Boman, H. G. and Hultmark, D., Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 41: 103, 1987).
Also, in addition to the research about the activation of the above amphiphilic peptide, it is confirmed that the characteristic of sequence is closely related to the antibacterial activation when inspecting the amino acid sequence and protein structure of the amphiphilic peptide. Therefore, a conjugation peptide can be made by substituting the certain parts of the sequence with the similar amino acid using the amino acid sequence of the above amphiphilic peptide or by recombinating the certain sequences. And the production of a new synthetic peptide having the excellent antibacterial, antifungal or anticancer activation can be also made by inversing the certain parts of the function of the peptide sequence (Chan, H. C., et al., FEBS Lett., 259: 103, 1989; Wade, D., et al., Int. J. Pept. Prot. Res., 40: 429, 1992).
In fact, a synthetic peptide mag A and mag G, which have the anticancer effect, were prepared by applying the amphiphilic peptide and the potency was also reported (Ohsaki, et al., Cancer Res., 52: 3534, 1992). Additionally, the synthetic peptides having the antifungal activation by mutually connecting the amino acids in the amphiphilic parts, flexibility parts and hydrophobic parts from a magainin 2 and melitin peptides have been developed, and those developed peptides was granted as a patent because of the action to bacteria and the strain in a fungus (KR Patent no. 0204501). Also, the inventors for the present invention substituted the certain amino acids of the existing HP (2-20) peptide with a tryptophan and resulted in the addition of hydrophobic (sequence no. 2) By doing so, the inventors confirmed the addition of the antibiotics effect and the present invention was granted a patent with the antibiotics peptide (KR Patent no. 0459808). Also, the present inventors synthesized the antibiotics peptide, which was only left the helical structure of the peptide but added the cation property, by amputating the relaxation structure from the antibiotic peptide comprising of the helical structure in a straight line, wherein they confirmed the high effect of the antibacterial and antifungal of the above peptide without having the cell toxicity and filed an application with the above contents (KR Patent no. 10-2007-0088127).
Recently, lots of researches to develop an excellent antibiotic peptide having more antibacterial activity and less cell toxicity than the existing antibiotic peptides.
Accordingly, the present inventors have tried to develop the excellent antibiotic peptide using the existing antibiotic peptide. By the process of development try, they have completed the present invention by confirming the fact that both the new peptide comprising of amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO:2, which was produced by substituting both the first and the eighth position of Phenylalanine from the antibiotic peptide each alanine comprising the amino acid sequence of the existing SEQ. ID. NO:1, and the new peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO:3, which was produced by substituting Asparagine at the thirteenth position of the above peptide with lysine have less cell toxicity and have similar antibacterial activity or more antibacterial activity than the antibiotic peptide comprising of amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO: 1 | {
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(1) Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to metal vapor discharge lamps useful in photochemical reactions or for hardening paints and inks.
(2) Description of the Prior Art:
Ultraviolet rays are often used to induce photochemical reactions or to harden paints and inks. For these purposes, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength range of about 280-400 nm are effective.
As sources for such ultraviolet rays, electrode-type high-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamps in each of which a discharge takes place between its electrodes have conventionally been used. Furthermore, electrodeless high-pressure mercury vapor lamps have also been known recently, in each of which mercury and a rare gas are filled in amounts sufficient to retain a discharge within an electrodeless light-emitting tubing, and electromagnetic waves such as high-frequency waves of several tens MHz or higher or microwaves are externally irradiated to the tubing so as to excite the internally-filled mixture and to produce a discharge as light.
By the way, each of these electrode-type or electrodeless high-pressure mercury vapor lamps emits light having a line spectrum which comprises a number of peaks and extends over a considerably wide wavelength range. It is therefore inefficient to use high-pressure mercury vapor lamps for photochemical reactions or hardening of paints, which require the above-mentioned range as an effective wavelength range. Accordingly, there are often employed metal vapor discharge lamps in each of which a metal halide is filled as a light-emitting material within the light-emitting tubing so as to increase the light quantity of a specific effective wavelength range. Metal vapor discharge lamps in which iron is filled are particularly convenient for such purposes as photochemical reactions and hardening of paints, because the lights from these lamps is continuously emitted in the range of the 350-400 nm.
When a metal vapor discharge lamp filled with iron in an amount of enough to provide an iron-related spectrum of sufficient intensity is lit over many hours, iron is caused to deposit on the inner wall of its light-emitting tubing so that a thin film is formed thereon. For this reason, the amount of iron which contributes to the emission of light decreases and at the same time, the thus-formed thin film prevents the transmission of ultraviolet rays, leading to a problem that the output of ultraviolet rays is reduced.
With a view toward improving this problem, it has been proposed to additionally incorporate and fill lead within a metal vapor discharge lamp which contains iron therein (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 15503/1979). Although such an addition of lead can prevent the formation of a thin iron film and can retain the output of ultraviolet rays as intended, the output of large bright lines of 302 nm, 313 nm and 365 nm from mercury is extremely weakened by the thus-added lead. It is hence not desirable to add lead. Such lead-added metal vapor discharge lamps are not suited for such purposes as photochemical reactions or hardening of paints.
It has also been known to add tin. Similar to lead, tin is accompanied by a drawback that the output of the line spectrum of mercury is lowered to a significant extent. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication apparatus and method and a program, and more particularly to a communication system, a communication apparatus and method and a program capable of suppressing a communication process speed from being lowered by signal collision.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional communication system, as signals are transmitted from a plurality of transmission apparatus at the same time to the same communication medium, a signal collision occurs so that a reception apparatus cannot receive signals correctly in some cases. Particularly in the case wherein devices respond to a request transmitted from one device through broadcasting, there is a high possibility that response timings of the devices become coincident with each other, and a probability of signal collision occurrence becomes high.
For example, in a non-contact type IC card system for short distance wireless communications, when a reader/writer requests identification information from IC cards existing in a communicable range, the reader/writer transmits the request through broadcasting (transmits the request to many and unspecified IC cards). If there exist a plurality of IC cards in the range communicable with the reader/writer, each IC card responds to the request and transmits its identification information. However, since a possibility of coincident transmission timings becomes high, there is a high fear that the reader/writer cannot acquire correctly each identification information piece, because of signal collision occurrence.
In this connection, for example, there is a method of avoiding a signal collision by assigning a specific code and frequency to each device. However, if the number of devices (in this case, IC cards and a reader/writer) is large such as in a non-contact type IC card system for short distance wireless communications, codes and frequencies to be assigned become insufficient.
In this connection, there is a method of intentionally shifting timings of signal transmissions from devices by providing a communication process with time slots (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-317042). Namely, one signal transmission process is provided with a plurality of temporal transmission timings (time slots). When a signal is transmitted, each device generates a random number, and transmits the signal at the timing (time slot) corresponding to the generated random number. In this manner, it becomes possible to suppress a signal collision occurrence, because signal transmission timings are dispersed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preparing amines, and more specifically, it relates to a method for preparing methylamines from methanol and ammonia in which monomethylamine and dimethylamine are obtained in larger amounts, while the production of trimethylamine is inhibited to a sufficiently low level. The methylamines obtained by the method of the present invention are useful as raw materials for the manufacture of solvents and various intermediates of organic synthesis.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
Methylamines, i.e., monomethylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine have been prepared by a method in which methanol or a mixture of methanol and dimethyl ether is reacted with ammonia, a method in which prussic acid is subjected to catalytic reduction, or the like.
These methylamines are produced as a mixture of monomethylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine, and they have independent applications, respectively. On the other hand, the demand of these methylamines is localized on dimethylamine and monomethylamine, and so trimethylamine is nowadays in little demand. The methylamines obtained by the reaction of methanol and ammonia in the presence of a conventional amorphous silica-alumina catalyst contain trimethylamine as a main component, and the process using this catalyst has the drawback that the production of dimethylamine which is in great demand is insufficient.
In order to overcome this drawback, U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,667 has suggested a technique in which a dehydrated crystalline aluminosilicate (a zeolite) having a pore diameter of 5-10 .ANG. is used as a catalyst in the reaction of an alcohol having 1 to 18 carbon atoms with ammonia to predominantly produce monoamine and diamine over triamine. Furthermore, as zeolites suitable for the above-mentioned reaction, natural zeolites and synthetic zeolites are recited. That is, this U.S. patent discloses that examples of the desirable natural zeolites include faujasite, analcite, clinoptilolite, ferrierite, chabazite, gmelinite, levynite, erionite and mordenite. It is also disclosed that examples of the desirable synthetic zeolites include X type, Y type and A type zeolites.
There are known a method which comprises mixing methanol with ammonia in a specific ratio, and then carrying out the reaction in the presence of a catalyst such as mordenite to form monomethylamine in a surprisingly large amount (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 113747/1981), and a method which comprises disproportionating monomethylamine on a crystalline aluminosilicate selected from Na mordenites to prepare dimethylamine with a high selectivity (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 46846/1981).
In addition, there are also known a method in which a natural mineral is used as a mordenite in the same manner as in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,667 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 169444/1982), a method in which a mordenite ion-exchanged with lanthanum ions is used as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 49340/1983), a method in which a mordenite containing an ion-exchanged alkaline metal in a specifically limited amount range is used as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 210050/1984), a method in which a steam-treated mordenite is used as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 227841/1984), a method in which an A type zeolite having a low binder content is used as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 69846/1983), and a method in which a Rho type (ZK-5) zeolite is used as the catalyst.
When the zeolite catalyst is used by any of the above-mentioned methods, the production of trimethylamine can be inhibited, but for the purpose of inhibiting the production of trimethylamine to zero or substantially zero, some methods are also known in which a mordenite having pores treated by CVD (chemical vapor deposition) of silicon tetrachloride is used as the catalyst (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 262540/1991; J. Catal., Vol. 131, pp. 482 (1991); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,854). Another method is also present in which chabazite, erionite, ZK-5 or a Rho type zeolite deposited or modified with compounds of silicon, aluminum, phosphorus or boron is used as the catalyst to restrict the production of trimethylamine (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 254256/1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,334). Moreover, there is also known a method which comprises reacting an alcohol with ammonia by the use of SAPO of a non-zeolite molecular sieve as the catalyst to obtain alkylamines (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 734/1990).
As described above, the production of trimethylamine which is in little demand can be inhibited to a low level by using any of the various already disclosed zeolite-based catalysts in the reaction of methanol and ammonia, so that the production of dimethylamine which is in great demand can be increased. However, even if the zeolite-based compound is used as the catalyst, the production ratio of trimethylamine can be merely restricted to usually 10%, or at most about 5%. If the production of trimethylamine can be inhibited to about 1 to 3%, it is not necessary to recycle trimethylamine which is in little demand to the reaction system for disproportionation, and as a result, a manufacturing process can be simplified and utilities, steam or the like, to be used can be decreased.
As a method for decreasing the production of trimethylamine to several percent, there is the above-mentioned method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 262540/1991 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,854) in which a mordenite deposited with silicon tetrachloride by a CVD treatment is used as the catalyst. However, this method can be easily carried out on a laboratory scale, but it is difficult to industrially manufacture a large amount of the catalyst for use in preparing methylamines.
In the above-mentioned method in which ZK-5 or a Rho type zeolite treated with silicon, aluminum, phosphorus or a boron compound is used to inhibit the production of trimethylamine to several percent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,334), there is the drawback that a specific synthetic zeolite such as ZK-5 or Rho is required to be used. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a parts cleaning apparatus and more specifically, but not exclusively, to a centrifugal parts cleaning apparatus for cleaning parts covered with a fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the process of machining, it is common to use fluids to lubricate parts in order to reduce wear on equipment and to facilitate the machining process. However, fluid residue left on parts after the machining process is generally unwanted and often removed. One common way to remove the fluid from parts is to wash the parts with a solvent capable of removing or dissolving the fluid. One drawback of such a process, however, is that the fluid removed from the parts cannot be reclaimed without an expensive secondary process. Moreover the solvent itself is often expensive. It is also known to remove fluid from parts using centrifugal force. Parts are placed in a centrifuge and spun until the fluid is removed from the parts. Such a process however, imparts a great deal of force on the parts and has the capability to dislodge parts, causing damage and lost parts. | {
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Incontinence associated with sexual activity encompasses several forms, including orgasm-associated incontinence and climacturia, and can involve incontinence at different points along the sexual spectrum, for example, at penetration, during intercourse, or at climax. The condition can be associated with disorders including overactive bladder (OAB) and neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), and has received increasing attention in the medical literature. Additionally, it can significantly impact sexual satisfaction among both sufferers (both men and women) and their partners. Some male sufferers develop incontinence associated with sexual activity following prostate surgery such as radical prostatectomy (RP; removal of the prostate) or brachytherapy.
Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the United States, accounting for approximately 33% of new cancer cases, and is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Several surgery-related complications are associated with RP, including urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction. The nature and degree of sexual dysfunction can vary widely following RP, including erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, orgasm alterations (anorgasmia, decreased orgasmic intensity, dysorgasmia and orgasm-associated incontinence) and decreased sexual satisfaction. Abouassaly and coworkers (Abouassaly R, Lane B. Lakin M, Klein E, Gill I. Ejaculatory incontinence after radical prostatectomy: a review of 26 cases. Program and abstracts of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America Fall Meeting; Nov. 17-20, 2005; New York, N.Y. Abstract 1) reported their findings with men who had climacturia after having undergone radical prostatectomy. Of an estimated 220 patients evaluated, 26 men experienced urine leak almost exclusively at the time of orgasm. The average age of the patients was 62 years. Patients experienced anywhere from 3 to 120 mL of urine leak (by patient self-report) at the time of orgasm. The authors felt that the occurrence of ejaculatory incontinence is high enough to be considered as part of the routine post-prostatectomy evaluation. In a 2006 study of 42 men, two years following RP, 68% reported experiencing climacturia. Forty-eight percent felt that it was a significant bother to them. In a 2007 study of 475 patients, 20% reported incontinence associated with sexual activity following radical pelvic surgery. Men were more likely to experience it in the first twelve months following surgery than later. Common methods of dealing with incontinence associated with sexual activity include emptying the bladder before sex and wearing a condom during sex. Thus, improved treatment methods are sought.
Men can also display a form of stress incontinence after RP wherein incontinence can occur during intercourse and continue through climax.
In women, incontinence associated with sexual activity may be associated with detrusor overactivity linked to overactive bladder (OAB), or to neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO)—one study has found that orgasm can produce an uninhibited detrusor contraction. It has also been associated with female ejaculation in the absence of OAB (Cartwright, 2007) or other urodynamic abnormality. Additionally, some researchers speculate that incontinence associated with sexual activity can be linked with stress or sphincter incontinence. This incontinence can, as in the case with males, occur at any point from before penetration to after climax.
Coital Incontinence (CI) is urinary leakage that occurs during either penetration or orgasm and can occur with a sexual partner or with masturbation. It has been reported to occur in 10% to 24% of sexually active women with pelvic floor disorders, yet CI may still be an underreported problem since sexual or urinary dysfunction may not be often or readily discussed due to patient or physician embarrassment. Unfortunately, CI can have a disturbing impact on Quality of Life (QoL) and sexuality. Women rarely refer to it spontaneously, with only 3% of women self-reporting sexual disorders including CI; even with direct questioning, only 20% will admit to it. The impact on QoL from CI is significant. Sexually active women with CI reported a worse QoL than those without it.
Coital incontinence is divided into 2 subtypes based on when urinary leakage occurs: incontinence with penetration and incontinence with orgasm. Each has different pathophysiologic causes. In the original series of 79 patients with CI, two-thirds experienced CI with penetration, while one-third did so with orgasm. After uro-dynamic testing, CI with penetration was strongly correlated to stress urinary incontinence, while CI from orgasm was strongly correlated with detrusor overactivity. A larger, more recent series of 132 women confirms the findings that the majority of women, 63%, experience CI from penetration, while 37% do so from orgasm.
Botulinum toxin type A is the most lethal natural biological agent known to man. About 50 picograms of botulinum toxin type A (available from Allergan, Inc., of Irvine, Calif. under the tradename BOTOX®) is an LD50 in mice. One unit (U) of botulinum toxin is defined as the LD50 upon intraperitoneal injection into female Swiss Webster mice weighing 18-20 grams each. Seven immunologically distinct botulinum neurotoxins have been characterized, these being respectively botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A, B, C1, D, E, F and G, each of which is distinguished by neutralization with type-specific antibodies. The different serotypes of botulinum toxin vary in the animal species that they affect and in the severity and duration of the paralysis they evoke. The botulinum toxins apparently bind with high affinity to cholinergic motor neurons, are translocated into the neuron and block the release of acetylcholine.
Botulinum toxins have been used in clinical settings for the treatment of neuromuscular disorders characterized by hyperactive skeletal muscles. Botulinum toxin type A has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of blepharospasm, strabismus, hemifacial spasm, cervical dystonia, and migraine headaches. Botulinum toxin type B has also been approved by the FDA for the treatment of cervical dystonia. Clinical effects of peripheral intramuscular botulinum toxin type A are usually seen within one week of injection. The typical duration of symptomatic relief from a single intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A averages about three months.
It has been reported that botulinum toxin type A has been used in clinical settings as follows:
about 75-125 U (U) of BOTOX® per intramuscular injection (multiple muscles) to treat cervical dystonia;
5-10 U of BOTOX® per intramuscular injection to treat glabellar lines (brow furrows) (5 U injected intramuscularly into the procerus muscle and 10 U injected intramuscularly into each corrugator supercilii muscle);
about 30-80 U of BOTOX® to treat constipation by intrasphincter injection of the puborectalis muscle;
about 1-5 U per muscle of intramuscularly injected BOTOX® to treat blepharospasm by injecting the lateral pre-tarsal orbicularis oculi muscle of the upper lid and the lateral pre-tarsal orbicularis oculi of the lower lid.
to treat strabismus, extraocular muscles have been injected intramuscularly with between about 1-5 U of BOTOX®, the amount injected varying based upon both the size of the muscle to be injected and the extent of muscle paralysis desired (i.e. the amount of diopter correction desired).
to treat upper limb spasticity following stroke by intramuscular injections of BOTOX® into five different upper limb flexor muscles, as follows:
(a) flexor digitorum profundus: 7.5 U to 30 U
(b) flexor digitorum sublimis: 7.5 U to 30 U
(c) flexor carpi ulnaris: 10 U to 40 U
(d) flexor carpi radialis: 15 U to 60 U
(e) biceps brachii: 50 U to 200 U.
Each of the five indicated muscles has been injected at the same treatment session, so that the patient receives from 90 U to 360 U of upper limb flexor muscle BOTOX® by intramuscular injection at each treatment session.
To treat migraine, pericranial (symmetrically into glabellar, frontalis and temporalis muscles) injection of BOTOX® has showed significant benefit as a prophylactic treatment compared to vehicle as measured by decreased measures of migraine frequency, maximal severity, associated vomiting and acute medication use over the three month period following the 25 U injection.
Additionally, intramuscular botulinum toxin has been used in the treatment of tremor in patients with Parkinson's disease, although it has been reported that results have not been impressive. Marjama-Jyons, J., et al., Tremor-Predominant Parkinson's Disease, Drugs & Aging 16(4); 273-278:2000.
In addition to having pharmacologic actions at the peripheral location, botulinum toxins may also have inhibitory effects in the central nervous system. Work by Weigand et al., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 1976; 292, 161-165, and Habermann, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 1974; 281, 47-56 showed that botulinum toxin is able to ascend to the spinal area by retrograde transport.
A Botulinum toxin has also been proposed for the treatment of rhinorrhea, hyperhidrosis and other disorders mediated by the autonomic nervous system (U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,605), tension headache, (U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,365), migraine headache (U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,468), post-operative pain and visceral pain (U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,986), pain treatment by intraspinal toxin administration (U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,915), Parkinson's disease and other diseases with a motor disorder component, by intracranial toxin administration (U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,403), hair growth and hair retention (U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,893), psoriasis and dermatitis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,484), injured muscles (U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,319, various cancers (U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,845), pancreatic disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,306), smooth muscle disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,291, including injection of a botulinum toxin into the upper and lower esophageal, pyloric and anal sphincters)), prostate disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 6,365,164), inflammation, arthritis and gout (U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,768), juvenile cerebral palsy (U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,277), inner ear disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 6,265,379), thyroid disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,513), parathyroid disorders (U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,977). Additionally, controlled release toxin implants are known (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,306,423 and 6,312,708).
Adrenergic nerves release norepinephrine as the neurotransmitter for the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic system activates and prepares the body for vigorous muscular activity, stress, and emergencies. Adrenergic drugs stimulate the adrenergic nerves directly by mimicking the action of norepinephrine or indirectly by stimulating the release of norepinephrine. An adrenergic agent is a drug, or other substance, which has effects similar to, or the same as, epinephrine (adrenaline). Thus, it is a kind of sympathomimetic agent. Alternatively, it may refer to something which is susceptible to epinephrine, or similar substances, such as a biological receptor (specifically, the adrenergic receptors).
Adrenergic agonists stimulate a response from the adrenergic receptors. The five categories of adrenergic receptors are: α1, α2, β1, β2, and β3, and agonists vary in specificity between these receptors, and may be classified respectively. However, there are also other mechanisms of adrenergic agonism. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are endogenous and broad-spectrum. More selective agonists are more useful in pharmacology.
A great number of drugs are available which can affect adrenergic receptors. Each drug has its own receptor specificity giving it a unique pharmacological effect. Other drugs affect the uptake and storage mechanisms of adrenergic catecholamines, prolonging their action. Agents that work with and activate the adrenergic receptors include alpha- and beta-adrenergic agonists. Agents that increase neurotransmission in endogenous chemicals such as epinephrine and norepinephrine include amphetamines, cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), tyramine, nicotine, caffeine, and methylphenidate. Agents that exhibit aspects of both of these modes include ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.
Adequate treatments for incontinence associated with sexual activity are currently lacking, therefore long-lasting, minimally invasive methods of treatment are desirable. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a shifting mechanism for an automotive vehicle and more particularly to shift forks utilized therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 4 shows a prior art shifting mechanism for an automotive transmission with parts removed to better illustrate the portion with which the present invention is concerned.
In the drawing, 10 is a transmission case, 12 a shaft, 14 a collar mounted on the shaft 12, 16 a shift fork and 18 a fork rod located at the lower part of the shift fork 16.
In the above structure, dropping or dripping oil 20 for lubrication of the sliding surfaces of the tip 16a of the shift fork 16 and the collar 14 tends to come down along the course indicated by the arrow A in the drawing since the shift fork 16 is so constructed and arranged to have a branch whose upper end face 16b is normal to the collar-engaging surface of the tip 16a, resulting in that the amount of lubricant for the sliding surfaces of the shift fork tip and the collar becomes insufficient. | {
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Generally, data is always recorded in a document recorded on paper (described a paper document hereinafter) so that people can visually and easily understand it. Accordingly, a paper document itself has a role as a recording medium for recording data thereon and also has a role as a displaying means for displaying data, whereby excellent characteristics are provided in ease in reading, convenience in portability, ease in handling, applicable circumstances, and continuity with actual work.
On the other hand, in recent years, electronization of documents has been promoted by improving the computer-related technology and man-machine interface as well as by upgrading the network environment, whereby distribution of a paperless system has been accelerated in offices.
Concretely, various types of documents are prepared (electronized) on a screen of a personal computer work station, and the electronized document can be edited, copied, transferred, shared in common, filed, proofread, and searched or the like in the computer (in a digital world or virtual reality). Especially with development of the network, an electronized document can be distributed (transferred) to a personal address as is without outputting it by a printer or the like, so that the paperless system in an office is achieving further progress.
Also, electronized documents can automatically and systematically be managed with a document data administrating system constructed in a computer, so that there are such advantages such as that classifying documents to be stored and searching documents to be referred to can easily be carried out, and furthermore that a total volume of documents can be reduced due to increasing of documents held in common, security of confidential documents due to use of a pass word or the like can be improved, and data between documents can be related to each other.
However, although there are many advantages in an electronized document, in a case where it is compared to a document outputted onto an actual sheet of paper (described as a paper document hereinafter), there are various types of restrictions relating to ease in reading, convenience in portability, ease in handling, applicable circumstances, and continuity with actual work or the like. Thus in a case where the electronized document is used in actual work, it is sometimes more efficient to use the document as a paper document after it is outputted onto a sheet of record paper by a printer or the like once. Accordingly, a paper document and an electronized document each used according to an object of work will coexist in an office environment in the future.
However, with the conventional technology described above, there have been some problems as described below because there are no continuity and no relation of data as digital data between the digital world such as a computer or the like and the paper document.
Firstly, even in a case where a document electronized is put under control by the document data administrating system constructed in the digital world, when the electronized document is outputted as a paper document, related data which the electronized document has, for instance, address data in the document data administrating system, security data such as a pass word, linking data with other documents or the like are eliminated, so that a paper document has no value except one as only an output from the document data administrating system.
Secondarily, it is impossible to directly access digital world by using a paper document as a medium, so that a user is required to access the digital world by operating a keyboard or the like, which is convenient.
It should be noted that there is a method of directly accessing the digital world with paper like a mark sheet as a medium in conventional technology, but mark sheets which are previously formed in one particular pattern are used, so that there are various types of restriction therein, and for this reason mark sheets can not be used as an ordinary type of document.
Thirdly, a hyper text document exists in the digital world as an advanced concept of an electronized document, but in a case where this hyper text document is outputted as a paper document, only a plane data (visualized two-dimensional data) is outputted, so that data which the original hyper text has is lost, which causes a loss in data and reduction of the convenience.
More specifically, a hyper text is a collection of linked (related) texts (electronized documents), and a basic concept of multi-media software allowing reference to each text hierarchically and multi-dimensionally related to each other in an arbitrary order through the linked construction. Accordingly, this hyper text includes data for forming the linked construction (namely, data as a hyper text) other than data visually provided to a user. However, when a hyper text document is once outputted as a paper document, the data as hyper text is eliminated, so that the outputted paper document does not have features of a hyper text document.
It should be noted that, in conventional technology, hyper text documents can exist only as electronized documents, so that the concept of a hyper text itself was used only in the digital world (virtual document) in which electronized documents were handled. Accordingly, there has not existed such a concept that a paper document can be handled as a hyper text document and the hyper text is realized by using the paper document in the real world (this concept is defined as a paper hyper text, and described as paper hyper text hereinafter).
With a paper document based on conventional technology, it is assumed that data is always recorded so that people can easily and visually understand it, and for this reason, a quantity of data recordable on a sheet of paper document is physically restricted according to the size of a visible character and the size of a sheet of paper, and also the number of pages (the number of sheets of paper) is increased in proportion to quantity of increased data in an entire document, whereby much more space is required for storing paper documents.
With the paper document based on conventional technology, the data recorded on paper was used as final output data which people could easily and visually understand, which means that the data was not generally used for any other purposes.
On the other hand, in the digital world, a hyper text document exists as an advanced concept of an electronized document. More specifically, the hyper text is a collection of linked (related) texts (electronized documents), and a basic concept of multimedia software in which texts hierarchically and multi-dimensionally related to each other can be referred in a given order through a linked construction. Accordingly, data for forming a linked construction (namely, data as a hyper text) is included in this hyper text document other than the data visually provided to users.
However, in conventional technology, the hyper text document exists as an electronized document, so that the concept of the hyper text itself was used only in the digital world (virtual document) in which electronized documents were handled. Accordingly, there has not existed until now such a concept as that a paper document can be handled as a hyper text document and the hyper text is realized by using the paper document in the real world (this concept is defined as a paper hyper text, and described as paper hyper text hereinafter). | {
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This invention relates to a novel class of cephalosporins and analogues thereof and the pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, and amide derivatives thereof which bear in the 3-position of the 6-membered ring a substituted thio substituent. These compounds are useful as antibiotics. This invention also relates to processes for preparing such compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds; and methods of treatment comprising administering such compounds and compositions when an antibiotic effect is indicated.
The novel class of cephalosporins and analogues thereof to which this invention relates may be generically represented by the following structural formula: ##STR1## wherein THE DOTTED LINE INDICATES PROVISION FOR BOTH .DELTA..sup.2 AND .DELTA..sup.3 EMBODIMENTS;
A is S, O, SO, CH.sub.2, or NR.sup.7, (R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, formyl, acyl, thioacyl, alkylsulfonyl, and aryl sulfonyl); PA1 R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or an acyl group. The term acyl is by definition those acyl radicals conventionally known in the cephalosporin and penicillin art and includes thio analogues thereof wherein the carbonyl oxygen is replaced by sulphur and diacyl radicals wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are joined together. PA1 R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkoxy, alkylthio, halogen such as fluoro and bromo; PA1 R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; substituted and unsubstituted: alkyl; aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl and heteroaralkyl wherein the heterocyclic moiety comprises 4-6 ring atoms and the hetero atom (or atoms) is O, N or S; wherein the ring or chain substituent is selected from: amino, carboxy, hydroxy alkoxy, carbalkoxy, lower alkyl, heteroaryl, and substituted amino such as mono- and di-alkylamino, acylamino; examples of such substituents, R.sup.5 are: .beta.-aminoethyl, .beta.-hydroxyethyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, benzyl, phenethyl and the like; and PA1 R.sup.6 is selected from the group consisting of PO(OH).sub.2, SO.sub.2 (OH), SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 and derivatives thereof and COXR.sup.8 wherein X is oxygen or sulphur and R.sup.8, is inter alia, representatively selected from the group consisting of trialkylsilyl, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester and amide moieties known in the antibiotic bicyclic .beta.-lactam art such as sodium, potassium, pivaloyloxymethyl, and the like. PA1 A is selected from S, CH.sub.2, SO, and O; PA1 R.sup.3 is selected from hydrogen, methoxyl, and lower alkyl thio. PA1 R.sup.5 is hydrogen formyl or --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --Y wherein Y is hydrogen, hydroxyl, halo, mercapto, acyloxy, acylthio, substituted hydroxy, substituted mercapto, a quaternary ammonium group, azido, amino, carboxy and carbalkoxy, or an N-substituted amino group; and PA1 n is an integer from 1 to 6 and preferably 1 to 3. PA1 R.sup.1, r.sup.2 and R.sup.6 are as previously defined; PA1 R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of H, OCH.sub.3 and lower alkylthio having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; PA1 R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, substituted phenyl, N-methyltetrazolyl, amino alkyl such as .beta.-aminoethyl, .beta.-dimethylaminoethyl, .beta.-thioethyl, .beta.-hydroxyethyl, .beta.-carboxyethyl, and 2-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazolyl-5yl.
There is a continuing need for new antibiotics. For, unfortunately, there is no static effectiveness of a given antibiotic because continued wide scale usage of any such antibiotic selectively gives rise to strains of pathogens which are resistant to the exploited antibiotic. In addition, the known antibiotics suffer from the disadvantage that they are effective only against certain types of microorganisms. Accordingly, the search for new antibiotics has continued.
Unexpectedly, it has been discovered that the compounds of the present invention are broad spectrum antibiotics; which are useful in animal and human therapy and in inanimate systems. It will be recognized from the above generic representation (I) that the principal novel feature of the compounds of the present invention is the substituent at the 3-position, a substituted thio radical. It will also be noted, except where expressly stated, that the balance of the cephalosporin or cephalosporin-like structure (I) is well-known in the relevant art.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel class of antibiotics which includes, inter alia, species having the basic nuclear structure of the cephalosporins but which are characterized by having a substituted thio radical at the three-position. These antibiotics are active against a broad range of pathogens, which representatively include gram positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and gram negative bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus mirabilis, and Proteus morganii. Further objects of this invention are to provide chemical processes for the preparation of such antibiotics; intermediates useful in preparing such antibiotics; pharmaceutical compositions comprising such antibiotics; and to provide methods of treatment comprising administering such antibiotics and compositions when an antibiotic effect is indicated. | {
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This invention relates to polyetherimides. More particularly, it relates to polyetherimides having extremely good resistance to high temperatures.
Polyetherimides are well known commercially available polymers having advantageous properties including thermal oxidative resistance, good mechanical strength, excellent electrical properties and good chemical resistance. Commercially available polyetherimides include those of the type which may be prepared by the reaction of such aromatic amines as m- and p-phenylenediamine with bis(ether anhydrides) such as 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride, hereinafter sometimes designated "BPADA" for brevity. Their temperature stability is high, as shown by a glass transition temperature in the range of 215-220.degree. C.
It is of interest, however, to prepare polyetherimides having still better resistance to high temperatures. Glass transition temperatures above 250.degree. C. would be especially desirable. | {
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The present invention relates to a spinal fixation device for spinal fusion and particularly relates to a uni-directional anterior cervical spinal fixation plate device for progressively maintaining a bone graft between adjacent vertebrae under compression.
Spinal plates have been developed for stabilization of the spine upon spinal fusion. Conventional anterior cervical spinal fixation plates typically comprise a unitary plate having a pair of bone screw openings at each of its opposite ends. The plate has sufficient length to span an excavated bone graft-receiving site in the vertebral column and in which site a bone graft is located for fusion to adjacent vertebrae. These prior anterior cervical fixation plates fix the adjacent vertebrae on opposite sides of the bone graft-receiving site relative to one another. It will be appreciated, however, that with both ends of the unitary plate secured by screws to the adjacent vertebrae, advantageous and beneficial compression of the bone graft between the adjacent vertebrae and during the fusion process cannot be obtained. While it has been recognized that compression of a bone graft is desirable over time as the graft fuses to the vertebrae, the nature of these unitary anterior cervical spinal plates fixed at opposite ends to the adjacent vertebrae precludes compression of the bone graft beyond any initial compression during the surgical procedure. Consequently, there has developed a need for a spinal fixation device in which the bone graft can be progressively compressed between adjacent vertebrae over time. | {
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The present invention relates to vehicle wheel alignment systems, and in particular to an improved non-contact vehicle wheel alignment system utilizing one or more optical imaging sensors to acquire images of a vehicle from which three-dimensional information on one or more current vehicle wheel alignment angles can be obtained.
Various systems have been designed to determine vehicle wheel alignment angles. Originally, vehicle wheel alignment angles were measured directly by alignment angle sensors mounted to the vehicle wheels. For example, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 33,144 to Hunter et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,838 to Grosssman et al. each describe vehicle wheel alignment systems which use electro-optical transducers to determine the toe alignment angles of a vehicle. In these systems, six or more electro-optical transducers are carried by support assemblies which are mounted to the vehicle wheels, two on each front wheel, and one on each rear wheel. The '144 Hunter et al. patent and the '838 Grossman et al. patent further describe and illustrate the various wheel alignment angles which can be directly measured using the electro-optical transducers, and how to compute additional angles from these directly measured angles.
In addition to the electro-optical transducers used to measure wheel angles, a gravity-referenced inclinometer, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,670 to Colarelli may also be used. Gravity-referenced inclinometers can be mounted to the vehicle wheels to provide measurements of the wheel camber angle, assuming that the vehicle, while being measured, is resting on a flat and level surface. SAE Publication No. 850219, entitled “Steering Geometry and Caster Measurement” by January, derives and discusses the industry standard procedures and methods by which toe and camber wheel alignment angle transducers are used to determine the caster and steering axis inclination (SAI) angles of the vehicle.
Equipment of this general type, and the use of the apparatus and method set forth above, is well known in the vehicle wheel alignment industry. Such equipment is capable of determining the camber, caster, and toe alignment angles of the wheels of a vehicle relative to one or more appropriate reference axes, and is sufficient to permit proper adjustment of the vehicle wheel alignment so as to reduce tire wear and provide for safe vehicle handling.
An alternative type of vehicle wheel alignment system which has become increasingly popular is what is commonly referred to as an “external reference aligner”. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,745,469 and 4,899,218, both to Waldecker et al. illustrate how lasers may be used to illuminate the tires of a vehicle with structured light, and cameras used to capture images of the illuminated tires. These patents further describe how “machine vision techniques” are employed to process the obtained images and to determine distances between the cameras and locations on the tire sidewalls, thereby allowing a determination of the locations and orientations of the vehicle wheels in a coordinate system relative to the cameras. Subsequent processing of the determined locations and orientations identifies conventional wheel alignment angles such as toe, camber, and caster for the imaged vehicle wheels.
German Patent No. DE 29 48 573 A1, assigned to Siemens AG, describes the use of cameras to determine the locations and orientations of the wheels of a vehicle. On one side of the vehicle, a single camera is moved to multiple positions to view the vehicle wheels and obtain multiple images of the known ellipse formed by the wheel rim. Alternatively, a single fixed camera is used at each side of the vehicle in conjunction with movable mirrors, or multiple cameras may be used to obtain the multiple images. The system examines the sets of images of the rim ellipses thus viewed for each of the wheels of the vehicle, identifies major and minor ellipse axes, and subsequently determines the locations and orientations of the wheels. Using this determined information, the conventional wheel alignment parameters are identified.
Continued development in the industry of “external reference aligners” is shown in a series of patents related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,515 to January, and in a series of patents related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,522 to Jackson. These patents describe and disclose various embodiments of “external reference aligners” and vehicle wheel alignment systems in which optical targets of known configurations having contrasting surfaces are mounted to the wheels of a vehicle undergoing alignment. Images of the known optical targets are obtained by one or more camera systems, and processed to determined relative positions, orientations, and rotational axes in three-dimensional space. From the relative positions, orientations, and rotational axes of the targets, corresponding information about the associated vehicle wheels is calculated, and conventional wheel alignment angles identified.
The optical targets of known configurations employed in conventional “external reference aligner” systems typically consist of high contrast geometric shapes such as circles, squares, or triangles. The accuracy of such an optical target is dependent upon how well the high contrast edge of the geometric shapes can be located in the pixellated image produced by the machine vision camera system observing the target. For the best accuracy, the high contrast geometric shapes must be separated from each other on the face of the target by a distance which is sufficient to prevent the apparent fusing of adjacent shapes into a single shape when reduced edge sharpness causes two shapes to bleed into the same image pixel. These factors combine to limit the number of pixels in an image whose values are utilized to calculate the position and orientation of the optical target to a very small portion of the pixels in the image which represent the target. Typically, only a small percentage of the pixels in the image of a target are used to calculate the position and orientation of a high-contrast optical target.
Accordingly, an increase in performance and functionality of external reference vehicle wheel alignment systems would be greatly beneficial. One possibility for increasing performance and functionality would be to provide a target design which provides a high percentage of useful image pixels for purposes of determining target position and orientation. An alternative improvement would be the elimination of the need for costly known optical targets in a system which is capable of determining the position, orientation, and rotational axes of one or more vehicle wheels directly from images obtained by one or more imaging systems configured to observe and track multiple points on a vehicle wheel without the need for highly precise attached optical targets. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and its manufacturing technique. In particular, it relates to a technique effective to be applied to a semiconductor device in which semiconductor chips arranged side by side are electrically coupled via a wire.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-356382 (Patent Document 1) describes a semiconductor device in which two semiconductor chips arranged adjacent to each other, in a planar manner, over one die pad are electrically coupled via a wire.
Also, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2011-124487 (Patent document 2) describes a semiconductor device in which two semiconductor chips arranged adjacent to each other, in a planar manner, over a wiring substrate are electrically coupled via a wire.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-356382
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2011-124487 | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to the use of a polymer in a method of treatment in which it is introduced into a body cavity under conditions whereby insoluble polymer is deposited in the body cavity. In the invention polymer having pendant zwitterionic groups is used, whereby biocompatibility is optimised.
The current chosen method for the treatment of aneurysms involves the packing of the aneurysm with platinum coils. Some work has been performed on the coating of these coils to provide a surface with increase thrombogenicity and render it biologically active by enabling the release of cellular growth factors and the like (German Patent DE-A-19647280). Others have concentrated on the use of polymer systems for embolising aneurysms, often simply by precipitating the polymer from a solution in a biocompatible solvent (WO-A-9745131). Specifically, a Japanese Group has had some success using a liquid composition containing a hardening polymer (cellulose acetate), with an X-ray contrast agent in a solvent such as DMSO. The polymer is caused to precipitate in-situ within the aneurysm when contacted with blood (JP-A-06-107549, J. Neurosurg., 83(3), 531, 1995). Another approach has been to directly polymerise monomers in-situ, an example of which is a iron-acrylic compound which polymerises rapidly and is non-toxic (J.Neurosurg., 47(2), 137, 1977). Yet another approach described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,894 is to introduce a coil and a polymeric composition which is melted by incident radiation and re-solidified in situ in the aneurysm. Examples of polymers are polyalkenes, poly(meth)acrylates, polyesters, polyamides and polysaccharides.
The use of polyion complexes in medical applications has been suggested for many years. Indeed, Michaels made reference to the use of such complex solutions for potting or encapsulating aneurysms, commenting that the materials were reasonably well tolerated by the tissue. Ioplex 101 (a complex poly(triethyl-(3 and 4)-vinylphenylammonium bromide) and poly(sodium vinyl benzenesulphonate)) has been examined intensively for biomedical usage (Vogel et al. J.Macromol. Sci., Chem., 4, 675, 1970; Marshall et al., J. Biomed Mater. Res., 4, 357, 1970; Bruck et al., Ann. N.Y. Acad Sci., 283, 332, 1977). Analogues of this system have been studied to determine the effect of charge and structure on the complex and their behaviour towards blood platelets (Kataoka et al., Makromol. Chem., 179, 1121, 1978 and 181, 1363, 1980) and have been used as encapsulating agents in the development of artificial liver support systems (Kataoka et a., Jinko Zoki (Artificial Organs), 8 296, 1979).
Nakabayashi et al. have previously described the use of polyion complexes of polymers having zwitterionic pendant groups for the selective adhesion of platelets (J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 28(11), 1347, 1994 by Ishihara, K. et al. Adv. Biomat. Biomed. Eng. Drug Delivery Syst. (1995) 227-228 by Ishihara, K. et al., and Japanese Patent JP-A-7-238124). Their invention claims specifically the use of a ternary polymer system consisting of 2-methacroyoyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), butyl methacrylate (BMA) and sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPM) or trimethyl ammonium propyl methacrylate (TPM). Further to this, they define the compositions in which the MPC:BMA molar ratio is between 2:98-50:50, and the ratio of these two components to the ionic monomer (SPM or TPM) is between 98:2-80:20. These systems seem to have been designed to produce coatings with weak ionic interactions that have favourable properties in terms of platelet binding and activation. The polyion complexes described in these references are tested as coatings on glass beads and one of the products is said to be under test for use to encapsulate activated charcoal used for an artificial liver support system.
In the present invention there is provided a new use of a charged polymer in a method of manufacture of a composition for use in the method of treatment of a human or animal by therapy or diagnosis in which the charged polymer containing composition is introduced into a body cavity and is contacted with a separate composition comprising a polyvalently charged counterion whereby the polymer is rendered insoluble in the body cavity, and is characterised in that the charged polymer has zwitterionic pendant groups.
The present invention also includes the method of treatment itself.
In the present invention, the insoluble polymer is deposited as a gel in the body cavity. The polymer should be insoluble in situ, so that it remains in situ over a period of time, for instance at least several hours, days or weeks. A gel comprises a matrix of polymer and solvent distributed throughout the matrix. Preferably the solvent in the gel is aqueous and substantially free of organic solvent.
The gel depot may be used as a vehicle for delivery to the body cavity of therapeutically active agents, or diagnostic agents such as contrast agents. Contrast agents may, for instance, be introduced to allow medical practitioners to visualise the position of the insoluble polymer, which itself may be providing a therapeutic benefit, or diagnostic utility in a patient. According to a preferred aspect of the invention therefore the insoluble polymer is, in the body cavity, combined with a therapeutically active or imaging agent.
The gelled polymer may be a coating, or encapsulating agent, on particulate or non particulate solid material which is opaque to electromagnetic radiation (possibly radio frequency). The opaque material may, for instance, be an imaging agent such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,767 such as tantalum, tantalum oxide and barium sulphate, or as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,480 including gold, tungsten and platinum. The opaque agent may be particulate or may be a solid material having a discrete physical shape, for instance being 1 mm or larger in size such as a metallic coil, filament, wire, mesh or tube. For instance coils as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,994,069, 5,122,136, 5,226,911 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,361 may be included.
The present invention is particularly useful for embolising blood vessels, or for packing aneurysms. The polymer is thus used in methods analogous to those described in the prior art discussion above. The invention may also be used as a therapeutic or cosmetic filler, for instance for use following tumour excision, for enhancing lips or breasts, for improving muscle control, for instance sphincter muscles to control incontinence, for endoluminal gel paving, for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus, or for replacement or supplement of synovial fluid.
The charged polymer is prior to insolubilisation, soluble, in the composition in which it is introduced into the body cavity. That composition is preferably aqueous. The polymer is thus preferably water-soluble. The counterion is also preferably soluble in the separate composition in which it is introduced into the body cavity. It is most convenient for the separate composition to be aqueous, so that it is preferred for the counterion to be introduced in a water-soluble form, in solution in an aqueous composition.
The two compositions may be mixed in the body cavity or immediately before being introduced into the body cavity. Preferably they are introduced using a catheter designed for the purpose, which has separate lumens for each composition and means for allowing contact and mixing of the compositions immediately before delivery of the insoluble, usually gel form, polymer from the catheter into the desired location in a body cavity.
The counterion may be inorganic or organic. It may be a di- or tri-valently charged soluble ion, for instance a metal cation, or a multivalent oxyanion. Calcium ions are suitable multivalent cations.
Preferably in the invention, the counterion is a polyelectrolyte. The counterionic charges of the two polymers attract one another when the polymers are intimately mixed, thereby insolubilising (gelling) the blend. This blend is consequently a polyion (or polyelectrolyte) complex. At least one of the polymers forming the polyion complex should have zwitterionic pendant groups. Preferably both polymers have zwitterionic pendant groups. The charged polymer which has an essential feature pendant zwitterionic groups, may be anionic or cationic but is preferably anionic. The counterion is thus preferably cationic.
In some embodiments of the present invention, a polycationic polymer will have permanently cationic pendant groups. These may be quaternary ammonium or phosphonium or tertiary sulphonium groups. In other embodiments, the cationic group may not be a permanent cation. It may be a weak or a strong base. For instance it may be selected so as to provide pH sensitivity whereby the degree of attraction between the two first polymers may be controlled by the pH.
Likewise, the anion may be the anion of a weak or strong acid, selected so as to be pH sensitive or insensitive within a predetermined pH range, as desired.
A suitable cationic group is a group N+R13, P+R13 or S+R12
in which the groups R1 are the same or different and are each hydrogen, C1-4-alkyl or aryl (preferably phenyl) or two of the groups R1 together with the heteroatom to which they are attached from a saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring containing from 5 to 7 atoms. Preferably the cationic group is permanently cationic, that is each R1 is other than hydrogen. Preferably the cationic group is N+R13 in which each R1 is C1-4-alkyl, preferably methyl.
Suitable anionic groups are carboxylate, carbonate, sulphonate, sulphate, phosphonate or phosphate. Preferably the anionic group is monovalent. A sulphonate group is particularly convenient.
In a polyion complex used in the invention, the polycationic polymer and polyanionic polymer are preferably used in ratios so as to provide a ratio of equivalents of cationic groups and anionic groups in the range 2:1 to 1:2. Preferably the anions are present in approximately equivalent amount to the cation so that the ratio is preferably in the range 1.5:1 to 1:1.5, or preferably 1.2:1 to 1:1.2, for instance about 1:1.
In the gelled condition the level of zwitterionic groups is preferably in the range 1 to 75 mole %, preferably 20 to 50%, based on the total moles of monomer from which the polymer(s) forming the insoluble polymer are formed (in the preferred embodiment where the charged polymer(s) is formed from ethylenically unsaturated monomers including zwitterionic monomer).
The amount of ionic monomer in an ionic polymer comprised in the charged polymer is preferably at least 1 mole %, more preferably at least 5 mole %, for instance at least 10 mole %. Where the amount is higher than about 30 or 40 mole % (and the counterionic charges in a PIC are approximately balanced) the or each polymer should preferably also include at least 20%, preferably at least 30% zwitterionic monomer.
For the preferred embodiment in which the charged polymer comprises at least one ionically charged polymer including zwitterionic pendant groups, the ratio of zwitterionic ionic groups is preferably in the range 5:1 to 1:5, preferably 2:1 to 1:3.
The total content of ionic and zwitterionic monomer in the charged polymer and in preferred counterion is preferably at least 25 mole %, more preferably at least 30%, more preferably at least 40%, up to 100%, more preferably up to 80%, most preferably in the range 50 to 70%. The remaining components of the polymer(s) are non-ionic monomer, which may act primarily as diluent or may confer desirable physical properties on the polymer(s). A non-ionic, monomer may comprise a hydrophobic pendant group.
The ratio of anionic to cationic polymer and the relative amounts of zwitterionic and hydrophobic diluent groups in a polyion complex may be judged by determining the gel properties of a gel, usually an aqueous gel formed by mixing the counterionic polymers from solutions each containing one of the polymers. A suitable technique for investigating the gel properties is described in Example 3 below.
The zwitterionic pendant group of the polymer used in the invention may have an overall charge, for instance by having a divalent centre of anionic charge and monovalent centre of cationic charge or vice versa or by having two centres of cationic charge and one centre of anionic charge or vice versa. Preferably, however, the zwitterion has no overall charge and most preferably has a centre of monovalent cationic charge and a centre of monovalent anionic charge.
Preferably the centre of cationic charge in the zwitterionic group is permanent, that is it is preferably a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium or a tertiary sulphonium group. Preferably the anion is permanent, that is it is substantially completely ionised at in vivo pH""s, for instance at pH""s in the range 5 to 8. It is preferably a phosphate, phosphonate, sulphate or sulphonate anion.
The zwitterionic group may be a betaine group (ie in which the cation is closer to the backbone than the anion), for instance a sulpho-, carboxy- or phospho-betaine. A betaine group should have no overall charge and is preferably a carboxy- or sulpho-betaine. If it is a phosphobetaine the phosphate terminal group must be a diester, i.e., be esterified with an alcohol. Such groups may be represented by the general formula I
xe2x80x94X2xe2x80x94R2xe2x80x94N.(R3)2xe2x80x94R4xe2x80x94V⊕xe2x80x83xe2x80x83I
in which
X2 is a valence bond, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, preferably xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94;
V is a carboxylate, sulphonate or phosphate diester(monovalently charged) anion;
R2 is a valence bond (together with X2) or alkanediyl, xe2x80x94C(O)alkanediyl- or xe2x80x94C(O)NHalkanediyl preferably alkanediyl and preferably containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkanediyl chain;
the groups R3 are the same or different and each is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or the groups R3 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring of 5 to 7 atoms; and
R4 is alkanediyl of 1 to 20, preferably 1 to 10, more preferably 1 to 6 carbon atoms.
One preferred sulphobetaine monomer has the formula II
where the groups R5 are the same or different and each is hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl and n is from 2 to 4.
Preferably the groups R5 are the same. It is also preferable that at least one of the groups R5 is methyl, and more preferable that the groups R5 are both methyl.
Preferably n is 2 or 3, more preferably 3.
Alternatively the zwitterionic group may be an amino acid moiety in which the alpha carbon atom (to which an amine group and the carboxylic acid group are attached) is joined through a linker group to the backbone of polymer A. Such groups may be represented by the general formula III
in which
X3 is a valence bond, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94, preferably xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94,
R6 is a valence bond (optionally together with X3) or alkanediyl, xe2x80x94C(O)alkanediyl- or xe2x80x94C(O)NHalkanediyl, preferably alkanediyl and preferably containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and
the groups R7 are the same or different and each is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably methyl, or two of the groups R7, together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, form a heterocyclic ring of from 5 to 7 atoms, or the three group R7 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a fused ring structure containing from 5 to 7 atoms in each ring.
Preferably the zwitterion has the formula IV
in which
the moieties X4 and X5, which are the same or different, are xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Sxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94 or a valence bond, preferably xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, and
W+ is a group comprising an ammonium, phosphonium or sulphonium cationic group and a group linking the anionic and cationic moieties which is preferably a C1-12-alkanediyl group.
Preferably W contains as cationic group an ammonium group, more preferably a quaternary ammonium group.
The group W+ may for example be a group of formula xe2x80x94W1xe2x80x94N+R83, xe2x80x94W1xe2x80x94P+R93, xe2x80x94W1xe2x80x94S+R92 or xe2x80x94W1-Het+ in which:
W1 is alkanediyl of 1 or more, preferably 2-6 carbon atoms optionally containing one or more ethylenically unsaturated double or triple bonds, disubstituted-aryl, alkylene aryl, aryl alkylene, or alkylene aryl alkylene, disubstituted cycloalkyl, alkylene cycloalkyl, cycloalkyl alkylene or alkylene cycloalkyl alkylene, which group W1 optionally contains one or more fluorine substituents and/or one or more functional groups; and
either the groups R8 are the same or different and each is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably methyl, or aryl, such as phenyl or two of the groups R8 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring containing from 5 to 7 atoms or the three groups R8 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached form a fused ring structure containing from 5 to 7 atoms in each ring, and optionally one or more of the groups R8 is substituted by a hydrophilic functional group, and
the groups R9 are the same or different and each is R8 or a group OR8, where R8 is as defined above; and
Het is an aromatic nitrogen-, phosphorus- or sulphur-, preferably nitrogen-, containing ring, for example pyridine.
Preferably W1 is a straight-chain alkanediyl group, most preferably 1,2-ethanediyl.
Preferred groups of the formula IV are groups of formula V:
where the groups R10 are the same or different and each is hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl, and m is from 1 to 4.
Preferably the groups R10 are the same. It is also preferable that at least one of the groups R10 is methyl, and more preferable that the groups R10 are all methyl.
Preferably m is 2 or 3, more preferably 2.
Alternatively the ammonium phosphate ester group V may be replaced by a glycerol derivative of the formula VB, VC or VD defined in our earlier publication no WO-A-93/01221.
Preferably the polymer or polymers having a pendant zwitterionic group are wholly synthetic, although under some circumstances it may be desirable to use derivatives of natural polymers. Preferably the polymer(s) is formed from radical polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated monomers including a monomer of the formula VI
YBXxe2x80x83xe2x80x83VI
wherein
B is a straight or branched alkanediyl, alkanediyloxaalkanediyl or alkanediyloligo(oxaalkanediyl) chain optionally containing one or more fluorine atoms up to and including perfluorinated chains or, if X or Y contains a terminal carbon atom bonded to B, a valence bond;
X is the zwitterionic group; and
Y is an ethylenically unsaturated polymerisable group selected from
xe2x80x83CH2xe2x95x90C(R)xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, CH2xe2x95x90C(R)xe2x80x94CH2OC(O)xe2x80x94, CH2xe2x95x90C(R)OC(O)xe2x80x94, CH2xe2x95x90C(R)xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, CH2xe2x95x90C(R)CH2OC(O)N(R11)xe2x80x94, R12OOCCRxe2x95x90CRC(O)xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, RCHxe2x95x90CHC(O)Oxe2x80x94, RCHxe2x95x90C(COOR12)CH2xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94,
xe2x80x83wherein:
R is hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl group;
R11 is hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl group or R11 is xe2x80x94Bxe2x80x94X where B and X are as defined above; and
R12 is hydrogen or a C1-4 allyl group or BX where B and X are as defined above;
A is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NR11xe2x80x94;
K is a group xe2x80x94(CH2)pOC(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pC(O)Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pOC(O)Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pNR13xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pNR13C(O)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pC(O)NR13xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pNR13C(O)Oxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pOC(O)NR13xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pNR13C(O)NR13xe2x80x94 (in which the groups R13 are the same or different), xe2x80x94(CH2)pOxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94(CH2)pSO3xe2x80x94, or, optionally in combination with B, a valence bond and p is from 1 to 12 and R13 is hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl group;
Preferably Y is a group CH2xe2x95x90C(R)COAxe2x80x94, in which R is H or methyl, preferably methyl, and in which A is preferably O.
B is preferably an alkanediyl group of 1 to 12, preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms, most preferably group (CH2)q in which q is 2 to 6.
Where the polymer having a zwitterionic group is part of a polyion complex, the polymer is formed by including in the ethylenically unsaturated monomers an ionic monomer of the formula VII
Y1B1Qxe2x80x83xe2x80x83VII
in which
Y1 is selected from the same groups as Y;
B1 is selected from the same groups as B; and
Q is an ionic group or ionisable.
Q may be a cationic group Q1 or an anionic group Q2. A cationic group Q1 is preferably as described above. An anionic group Q2 is preferably selected from the groups listed above.
Another suitable type of cationic monomer copolymerisable with ethylenically unsaturated monomers is diallyl dialkyl ammonium halide, for instance diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
The ethylenically unsaturated monomers preferably further comprise nonionic monomer. The nonionic monomer may be selected so as to confer desired solubility, hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity properties upon the polymer bearing zwitterionic pendant groups. The nonionic monomer may also confer on the polymer physical characteristics which affect the mechanical characteristics of the insoluble polymer in situ. For instance hydrophobic groups may provide inter or intramolecular interactions with other hydrophobic groups, or with substrates or biological compounds in situ which render the insoluble polymer particularly suitable for the desired application.
Preferably a nonionic monomer has the general formula VIII
Y2R14xe2x80x83xe2x80x83VIII
in which
Y2 is selected from the same groups as Y; and
R14 is a nonionic organic group which is an optionally substituted C1-24-alkyl or -alkenyl group. Optional substituents in the alkyl or alkenyl group are hydroxyl groups; halogen atoms, alkoxy and oligo-alkoxy groups, in which the alkoxy groups have 1-6, preferably 2 or 3 carbon atoms; aryl groups, preferably optionally substituted phenyl groups; optional substituents in a phenyl group being hydroxyl, halogen atoms or alkyl groups; acyl groups, especially C1-6-alkanoyl groups; acyloxy groups, especially C1-6-alkanoyloxy groups; acylamino groups, especially C1-6-alkanoyl amino, in any of which alkanoyl groups there may be substituents selected from halogen atoms and hydroxyl groups, and alkoxy groups. Preferred groups R14 are C1-24-unsubstituted alkyl, more preferably C4-18-alkyl.
A nonionic monomer is preferably present in the ethylenically unsaturated monomers from which the charged polymer and/or the counterionic polyelectrolyte are formed in a molar amount in the range 1-75%, preferably 20 to 70%, more preferably 30-50%.
A particularly preferred use of the invention is in the treatment of aneurysms. The charged polymer and counterion could be mixed via a catheter, in the form of aqueous solutions or dispersions, to form a gel in situ within the aneurysm void. Once filled the aneurysm would have no void space for the blood to occupy and the danger of rupture of the blood vessel would be removed.
The zwitterionic groups of the gelled (insoluble) polymer are believed to confer biocompatibility, minimising response from the inner lining of the aneurysm or other tissue or biological fluids in contact with the second polymer in the body cavity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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As computing devices have increased in capabilities and features, demand for data storage devices has grown. Data storage devices have been used, for example, to store program instructions (i.e., code) that may be executed by processors. Data storage devices have also been used to store other types of data, including audio, image, and/or text information, for example. Recently, systems with data storage devices capable of storing substantial data content (e.g., songs, music videos, etc.) have become widely available in portable devices.
Such portable devices include data storage devices (DSDs) that have small form factors and are capable of operating from portable power sources, such as batteries. Some DSDs in portable devices may provide non-volatile memory that is capable of retaining data when disconnected from the power source. Portable devices have used various non-volatile data storage devices, such as hard disc drives, EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read only memory), and flash memory.
Flash memory has become a widely used type of DSD. Flash memory may provide a non-volatile memory in portable electronic devices and consumer applications, for example. Two types of flash memory are NOR flash and NAND flash. NOR flash typically provides the capacity to execute code in place, and is randomly accessible (i.e., like a RAM). NAND flash can typically erase data more quickly, access data in bursts (e.g., 512 byte chunks), and may provide more lifetime erase cycles than comparable NOR flash. NAND flash may generally provide non-volatile storage at a low cost per bit as a high-density file storage medium for consumer devices, such as digital cameras and MP3 players, for example.
Typical flash memory stores a unit of information by storing an electrical charge in each memory cell at a voltage representative of a digital data value. Single level cells store one bit of information based on the cell being charged to a “high” voltage, or being discharged to a “low” voltage. NAND flash memory has been developed that stores up to two bits of information in a single cell by decoding the charge as being within one of four different voltage ranges. NOR flash memory has been developed that can store up to 8 bits of information in a single cell by decoding the charge as being within one of 256 different voltage ranges. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The present invention relates to a composition for use as an agent or concentrate for the preservation of wood and wood materials on the basis of or with the additional use of 1-aryl-3-hydroxy -3-alkyl-4-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-butane derivatives of the formula ##STR1## wherein X is halogen, alkylthio having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or halogenoalkoxy having 1 or 2 carbon atoms and 1 to 5 halogen atoms and Alkyl is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and/or acid addition salts thereof and metal salt complexes thereof, and at least one solvent, diluent and/or additive.
The said 1-aryl-3-hydroxy-3-alkyl-4-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-butane derivatives are known from German Offenlegungsschrift 3,621,494 and are used as agents having a fungicidal action for the protection of engineering materials from damage or destruction by microorganisms.
Wood preservatives, however, have to meet requirements which go beyond the purely fungicidal activity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to an arrangement of various axles in a grinding machine, which make it possible to precisely guide a grinding wheel. while at the same time sealing off the guide mechanism from the dirt and contamination formed during the operation of the device.
Grinding machines of the type described herein are used for grinding of, for example, slots, threads, exterior and interior diameters or front surfaces of workpieces.
In the conventional grinding machines, the grinding wheel is guided on a sliding carriage. This sliding carriage can be in the form of a saddle having a dove-tailed key and slot or a shaft slidably mounted in a mating bore. These guiding means have the drawback, that they may not be sufficiently tightly mounted to seal off the guiding means from the grinding dust or other contaminations that occur in grinding machines. Furthermore, these guiding means can only carry out the guiding in a predetermined direction. When it is necessary that the grinding disc be guided in more than one direction, then a plurality of guiding arrangements are required. The grinding dust and dirt that is produced penetrates into a guide path and prematurely reduces the precision of the guiding and thereby the operational precision of the grinding machine. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels have been widely used in flat surface illumination applications such as certain design lamps and warning lights. The lighting films of flat surface illumination applications often have squared shapes, rectangular shapes, or circular shapes. Currently, to improve the yield of lighting surface used in such illumination applications, the illuminating region of a lighting surface is often divided into a plurality of small sub-regions. The dividing process is referred as a pixelating process. A pixelated lighting surface is less susceptible to short circuit issues and failure of the entire illuminating region caused by a single impurity.
After the lighting surface of the flat surface illumination applications is pixelated, dynamic voltage drop or voltage drop often occurs on the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The lighting of the lighting surface can be less uniformed. To improve the uniformity of the lighting, positive electrodes and negative electrodes are often alternatingly arranged in a circuit. For example, positive electrodes and negative electrodes may be arranged at the four corners of a lighting surface to reduce the impact of voltage drops. However, in such an arrangement, it may be more difficult to connect the positive electrodes and the negative electrodes to power supply. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The amount of data available for making business and personal decisions has grown rapidly as networking and other communications media have enabled access to large stores of information. To make use of this information, a class of workers, called “information workers” has developed. Information workers are tasked with developing analysis techniques that can be applied to data so that the data can be presented in a way that supports informed decision making.
In some instances, information workers use documents to capture information and knowledge about analysis of that data. Such documents may be of different types. For example, a word processing document may be primarily organized according to paragraphs or sections. Though, a word processing document may include objects, such as tables. In contrast, a spreadsheet document may be organized as a table with rows and columns of cells. Each cell may contain text or numbers. In some instances, cells contain formulas that can compute a value based on values in other cells or other spreadsheets.
These documents can incorporate “visualizations.” A visualization may be a graphical object linked to a data set. Values in the data set may control the appearance of visual characteristics of the graphical object when it is rendered on a graphical user interface. Charts are one example of visualizations. For example, the EXCEL spreadsheet program allows a chart to be linked to data in cells of the spreadsheet such that the data is displayed graphically as an embedded object in the spreadsheet.
In some instances, the visualization may be interactive. The visualization may include a control that a user may manipulate to change some aspect of a data set associated with the interactive visualization. A slider is one example of an interactive visualization. The slider may be positioned based on a value in the data set. By interacting through the graphical user interface with the slider, the user may specify a new value for that value in the data set.
Regardless of the specific format of the document, once created, it may be distributed to others who may use it for analyzing data and making decisions. For example, an information worker may create a spreadsheet that captures knowledge about running a department in a large company. The spreadsheet may be distributed to managers of various departments, who may then enter data into cells of the spreadsheet. Each manager may then gain insights related to their department by viewing graphs that have been incorporated into the spreadsheet by the information worker. As one example, managers may view a chart showing profitability of their departments. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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While the specter of "spies" eagerly trying to obtain the defense information of various countries is very much still present in the defense and intelligence community, an equally massive threat now exists from technological or commercial "spies" who desire to obtain commercial and technical information from competing companies. These agents use sophisticated means similar to those used by the defense and intelligence community in order to obtain commercially valuable information that reveals the plans and commercial activities of competitors thereby allowing the aggressor company to obtain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Theft of commercially valuable information is a very real and ever present threat.
To combat this type of commercial spying, various complex systems have evolved to protect company proprietary information. These systems involve physical controls over personnel as well as over the data flowing in and out of a company. For example, most computer systems used within companies require a password to be entered before the system can be accessed. It is frequently the case that confidential or company proprietary information must be passed electronically from one location to another in order to convey that information within the company in a timely fashion. Such electronic communication is easily susceptible to interception if not protected in some other form.
Cryptographic systems have evolved to fill the needs of companies and individuals wanting to protect the proprietary commercial information of a company from competitors and those who generally should not have that information.
Encryption of data is therefore a critical requirement in denying access to confidential information from those who are not so authorized. Cryptographic "keys" are an essential part of the information encryption process. The cryptographic key, or "key" for short, is a sequence of letters, numbers, or bytes of information which are manipulated by a cryptographic algorithm to transform data from plain (readable) text to a series of unintelligible text or signals known as encrypted or cipher text. The key is then used by the receiver of the cipher text to decrypt the message back to plain text. However, for two people to communicate successfully using keys, each must use the same key, assuming that the same encryption/decryption algorithm is used on both ends of the communication.
Simple encryption of data being communicated between two points only provides one level of security, however. Encryption limits data communication to those who have the key. Anyone who has the key is privy to any communication at any location. That is, if a group of people are working on a particular project, they will all presumably share a key for decrypting information relating to the project. Some of the project group may be working in one location, while the rest of the group may be located in a distant city. If one member of the group wants to send a communication to a particular member in the other city, the key will afford him no protection because everyone in the project shares the same key. Likewise, if someone wants to communicate a message to a subset of the group, for example, only to management personnel, this key would again provide her with no extra security. In another case, someone may want to send a message that is capable of being read only at a particular computer terminal, or of being printed only at a particular printer. In these and other cases, multilevel multimedia key access, or individual keys issued to each person, would provide a solution, albeit one that is quite unwieldy, inflexible, and difficult to manage by a security officer or key administrator.
A secure method of labelling files or messages that are sent from a sending user to a receiving user over a network can provide a level of protection in addition to cryptographic protection. A file "label" for purposes of this invention means a series of letters or numbers, which may or may not be encrypted, separate from but associated with the sending of a message, which identifies the person, location, equipment, and/or organization which is permitted to receive the associated message. Using a secure labelling regimen, a network manager or user can be assured that only those messages meant for a certain person, group of persons, and/or location(s) are in fact received, decrypted, and ready by the intended receiver. Thus, a sending user can specify label conditions that limit access to the transmitted message. For example, many people within a company may have the key necessary to read a data file that a sender may transmit from his computer terminal to other terminals at another sits within his company. The sender may, however, wish to restrict reception to those persons present at a particular terminal. By employing a secure labelling technique in addition to encryption, the sender can be assured that people having the correct key to decrypt the message but working at different terminals will not receive or be allowed to access the communication. Access may be limited to particular people as well.
A system such as that described above is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/009,741, the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein.
A system that can limit access on an object level would be more flexible and would offer still more protection. Access could be specified on an object-by-object basis, and objects could be embedded within other objects, providing an access hierarchy for users.
The ability to cryptographically secure objects ensures the authentication and data integrity of the particular object or objects in question. If a device were able to cryptographically control an object(s) or nested object(s), then that device would have total control over the entire object and all other objects within it. This type of control over the knowledge/information flow would allow for clear data separation, and at some levels could become a transparent method. A system that is able to do this would be able to achieve multi-level multimedia security. | {
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The present invention relates to a method of making a dual-faced corrugated paperboard which has at least one reinforcing strip located within the paperboard layers and product therefrom, and more particularly, to such a method and product requiring the use of only a single adhesive station.
Corrugated board is available in various grades of thickness, including single-, double-, or triple-walled, as well as in single- or double-faced configurations. A single-faced corrugated board has one smooth liner board side adhered to an opposite exposed corrugated side. Due to certain packaging and shipping requirements, it is sometimes desirable to produce corrugated board with discrete regions of reinforced thickness. This structure affords increased resistance to crushing forces in those areas protecting fragile contents therein, yet minimizes the additional material costs of reinforcing the entire carton.
A cardboard carton may be strengthened thus by selectively inserting strips of a reinforcing material between layers of corrugated board and facing liner in only those regions where additional strength is desired. However, as such a reinforced corrugated board is currently manufactured in the prior art, multiple gluing stations are required, which unnecessarily duplicates production steps and requires additional manufacturing materials. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This application is also related to application Ser. No. 396,377 filed Aug. 21, 1989, entitled "A Method And Apparatus For Constructing Circumferentially Prestressed Structures Utilizing A Membrane" which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/915,269 filed Oct. 3, 1986 and entitled "A Method And Apparatus For Constructing circumferentially Wrapped Prestressed Structure Utilizing A Membrane," which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,859, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 559,991 filed on Dec. 9, 1983 and entitled "Multi-Purpose Dome Structure And Construction Thereof," which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,145.
This application is also related to Ser. No. 07/436,479 filed Nov. 14, 1989, entitled "A Method And Apparatus For Constructing Circumferentially Prestressed Structure Utilizing A Membrane Including Seismic Coupling," which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 06/915,269, filed Oct. 3, 1986, which was a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 559,911 filed on Dec. 9, 1983.
There is presently pending Ser. No. 07/444,839, filed Dec. 1, 1989, entitled "Automated Accurate Mix Application System For Fiber Reinforced Structures" which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 050,317 filed May 14, 1987, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,746 and is entitled "Ripple Free Flow Accurate Mix And Automated Spray System" and Ser. No. 07/434,322 filed Nov. 13, 1989, also entitled "Ripple Free Flow Accurate Mix And Automated Spray System," which is a divisional of Ser. No. 07/050,317, filed May 14, 1987 above.
The field of the present invention is of dome structures and their construction which can be used to contain liquids, solids or gases or to provide temporary or permanent shelter.
There has been a need for the facile construction of dome-type structures, as conventional construction of these structures has proven difficult and costly and the structures themselves have had problems with stability and leakage.
Certain of these conventional structures have utilized inflated membranes. Indeed, inflated membranes have been used for airport structures where the structure consists of the membrane itself. Inflated membranes have also been used to form concrete shells wherein a membrane is inflated, and used as a support form. Concrete is placed over the membrane and the membrane is removed after the concrete has hardened. Conventional systems called "Binishells" are systems of this type. These are constructed by placing metal springs and reinforcing over an uninflated lower membrane. Concrete is placed over the membrane and then the membrane is inflated while the concrete is still soft. An upper membrane is placed over the concrete to prevent it from sliding to the bottom as the inflation progresses. After the concrete has hardened the membranes are typically removed. Literature regarding "Binishells" technology is provided under cover of the disclosure statement submitted. It is noted however that the steel springs of the Binishells cannot be used effectively, or economically, in the spring direction (center line of the spring) to restrain tensile forces in, and prestress the concrete. Only bursting forces inside the spring, transverse to the spring direction, can be retained effectively by the wire spiral since the bursting forces will put the wire spiral in tension along the linear direction of the wire. Besides economic considerations which by themselves militate against using springs as prestressing, springs used in the direction of the spring as tensile members, offer excessive strains and creep to be acceptable as prestressing. This coupled with the fact that the spring would not tension the concrete in the axial or linear direction of the wire and indeed forms a sinusoidal pressure pattern, make the subject invention superior to the Binishells system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Computer vision is a growing research field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analyzing and understanding images. The main driving idea in that field is to duplicate the abilities of human vision by electronically perceiving and understanding images of a scene. Notably, one theme of research in computer vision is the depth perception or, in other words, the three-dimensional (3-D) vision.
Time-Of-Flight (ToF) systems, including a camera and data processing means, appeared recently and are capable of capturing 3-D images of a scene by analysing the time of flight of light from a light source to an object. Such camera systems are used in many applications where depth or distance information from a fixed point is required.
The basic operational principle of a ToF system 3, illustrated by FIG. 1, is to illuminate a scene 15 with a modulated light 16, such as pulses. The modulated light 16 is reflected back from objects within the scene 15 and a lens collects the reflected light 17 and forms an image of objects in the scene on an imaging sensor 35, and in particular, on a sensor plane of the sensor. Depending on the distance of objects from the camera, a delay is experienced between the emission of the modulated light, e.g. pulses, and the reception of their reflection at the camera. For example, an object 2.5 m away from the camera causes a time delay of 16.66 ns. By analysing this delay, and in particular by implementing correlation calculation, the distance of said object from the camera can be retrieved.
The distance of objects from camera can be calculated as follows. For clarity purposes, an example of signals is given FIG. 2. A modulation signal 16 (S) is sent towards an object. After reflection on the object, a signal 17 (Sφ) is detected by a photodetector. This signal Sφ is phase-shifted by a phase φ compared to the original signal S, due to the travelling time.
φ is a key parameter for measuring the distance of objects from camera. To measure this parameter, the photodetected signal Sφ, is usually correlated with electrical reference signals named SI, SĪ, SQ and SQ. SI, SĪ, SQ and SQ are electrical reference signals shifted by 0°, 180°, 90° and 270° respectively, compared to the original optical signal S, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The correlation signals obtained are defined as follows:Sφ,I=Sφ·SI Sφ,Ī=Sφ·SĪSφ,Q=Sφ·SQ Sφ,Q=Sφ·SQ. (eq. 1-4)Then, two parameters I and Q are calculated such that:I=AS·α·(Sφ,I−Sφ,Ī) andQ=AS·α·(Sφ,Q−Sφ,Q). (eq. 5-6)AS and α are, respectively, the amplitude change of the photodetected signal Sφ and the efficiency of the correlation.The extraction of φ depends on the shape of the modulation signal S. For example, if S is a sine wave, then
φ = { arctan Q I if I , Q ≥ 0 arctan Q I + π if I < 0 arctan Q I + 2 π if Q < 0 , I ≥ 0 ( eq . 7 - 9 ) Once the phase φ is known, the distance Dφ of objects from camera can be retrieved thanks to the following formula:
D φ = c · ( φ + 2 π · n ) 4 π · f mod ( eq . 10 ) where fmod is the modulation frequency and n is a integer number of .
From equations 1-4, one can notice that, in theory, it should be the same signal Sφ which is correlated with reference signals SI, SĪ, SQ and SQ to obtain Sφ,I, Sφ,Ī, Sφ,Q and Sφ,Q, respectively.
In practice, ToF measurements are generally carried out by ToF sensors comprising an array of ToF pixels. In prior art, each of these pixels comprise generally one or two “taps”. A “tap” is a component comprising a control node and a detection region, used to photogenerate charges when exposed to optical signals such as Sφ. The fact of having only one or two taps per pixel involves that, in practice, the measure of Sφ is time-sequential. For example, a pixel comprising only one tap has to measure successively 4 distinct signals, Sφ 1-4, in order to calculate I, Q and then Dφ. In these configurations, several exposures occur and, if in between each exposure the object has moved, then the depth data Dφ is corrupted.
The fact of using only one or two taps per pixel is problematic for matters of consistency of the depth calculation, but not only. It is also problematic for design reasons. Indeed, if several distinct signals Sφ i are measured, a memory has to be added in pixels, on the sensor or on a system level in order to store the signals Sφ i before calculation steps. The size of ToF systems is then dramatically increased.
Finally, when several taps are comprised in a single pixel, the driving signals used to drive them are often not optimal as the bandwidth required is too high. When a positive potential is applied to a tap with respect to the other taps, the tap is activated and the detectivity is high, meaning the detection region of the activated tap will be receiving the majority of the photogenerated minority carriers in the pixel. With a 4-tap pixel architecture, a straightforward approach is to enable each of the four taps for 25% of the modulation period, as illustrated in FIG. 3. For a sent modulated signal with frequency 50 MHz, the 4-tap device taps will need a response time equivalent to 100 MHz due to the 25% duty cycle of each tap.
Despite what has been presented in prior art, a method and a system remain to be proposed in order to measure non-biased distances of object from ToF system while reducing both the size of the ToF systems and the bandwidth required for the taps. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is generally related to cellular telephone systems and more particularly to an improved cellular data telephone system and cellular data telephone for providing data and telephone services.
In the prior art cellular telephone systems, telephone calls between two parties continue until their discussions are completed. Since both parties are continuously listening, either can ascertain that the discussions have been terminated and hang up. However, when making data calls on cellular telephone systems, the user is not continuously listening and, as a result, there may be long periods of time when there is no data activity. Since the user is billed for the actual air time used, the user is being charged at a relatively high rate for such long periods of inactivity. Furthermore, the cellular telephone system is needlessly tied up with data calls that could be disconnected during the long periods of inactivity. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cellular data telephone system and cellular data telephone that maintain data calls only as necessary to communicate data, thereby substantially eliminating long periods of inactivity. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information display apparatus, an image taking apparatus, and a method and computer program for controlling displaying information, and more particularly, to an information display apparatus, an image taking apparatus, and a method and computer program for controlling displaying information, in an apparatus such as a camera having a display, capable of controlling the timing of switching information displayed on the display depending on convenience of a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image taking apparatus such as a digital still/video camera or in an information processing apparatus having a display, various processes are performed to display information on a display.
In some information processing apparatus such as a digital still camera having various input devices, a description of how to use input devices or a description of how the input devices function is displayed on the display as required. Specific examples of techniques to control displaying information may be found, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-330181, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-319226, or Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-173029.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-330181, when a particular input device is operated by a user, a function of the input device is displayed on a display. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-319226, when a help button is pressed, information indicating an operation performed previously and a related description are displayed. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-173029, disclosed is a digital camera having an instruction mode in which various descriptions are provided.
However, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-330181 and the technique disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-319226, the description of the function of the input device is displayed only for a fixed period after the input device is operated by a user. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-173029, the description of the function of the input device is displayed only when the operation mode is set in the instruction mode. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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In the production of filter tow for use in making filter rods for the cigarette industry, the tow is laid in so-called “filling cans”. During this process, the filter tow is distributed in uniform layers over the cross-sectional area of the can by the movements of a laying unit, which moves alternately in the lengthwise and crosswise direction. As a result, a large number of layers are laid on top of each other until the filter tow package has reached the desired weight and height in the can. Package weights of several hundred kilograms are conventional in this area. A highly compressed bale and a process for the optimal filling of a can for the purpose of avoiding consequent processing problems is described in WO 02/32,238 A2.
The content of the can which has been filled in this way is then compressed in the direction in which the layers were superimposed. After it has been compressed, the filter tow package is wrapped with packaging material while still inside the pressing device and therefore still under compressive stress. The pressing device is then opened completely, so that the filter tow package, now called the “bale”, is held together by the packaging material. Conventional packaging materials include cardboard, which is held mechanically together by strapping or by an adhesive, and synthetic fabric, which is closed by, for example, a Velcro fastening. An example of a glued package is described in German Utility Patent No. 76-35,849.1. Information on a filter tow package wrapped with synthetic fabric can be found in the company prospectus “Some Useful Information about the Reusable Packaging for Rhodia Filter Tow”, published by RHODIA Acetow GmbH, Engesserstrasse 8, D-79108 Freiburg. The two latter types of packaging require no additional strapping.
The types of packaging described above which do not make use of any strapping suffer from the problem that, after the pressure on the bale has been released at the end of the pressing operation, the elastic restoring force of the compressed filter tow leads to a pressure on the packaging, this pressure being exerted primarily in the direction opposite that in which the bale was compressed. This leads to an increase in the volume of the package and thus to undesirable bulges at the top and bottom of the bale. If the measures described in WO 02/32,238 A2 are taken, these bulges do not interfere with the intended use of the filter tow, but they do prevent the filter tow packages from being stacked securely. This problem is solved in the state of the art either by stacking the bales on their sides or by the use of special pallets, such as those described in the Rhodia publication cited above. Problems associated with the bursting-open of the packages because of excessive internal pressure also occur frequently.
A solution to the difficulties associated with strapping is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,752. In cases where filter tow which has been packaged with straps is used as intended, the bulges are less of a problem than the constrictions, which cause the variations in puff resistance described in WO 02/32,238 A2. And even strapped bales can burst open. It is also standard practice in the packaging of filter tow to use liners between the filter tow and the above-mentioned mechanically supportive packaging materials. The liner protects the filter tow from contamination, especially from odor contamination, and from the diffusion of water vapor into and out of the package. The liner usually consists of three pieces, which are laid loosely inside the external packaging.
The disadvantages of the transport packaging normally used today have already been discussed above in the description of the state of the art. It is especially the bulges at the top and bottom of the bales which interfere with transport of multiple layers. This problem has been solved in the past by transporting the bales not in their so-called working position but rather in a sideways storage position. Two additional work steps are required to do this, however; namely, the bale must be turned 90° before transport and then turned back into the working position after transport. The constrictions which are formed by strapping are also a source of trouble. Even when the bale is used as intended, these constrictions cause considerable variations in the puff resistance of the filter rods produced from the filter tow. More than 5% of the filter rods produced from a bale are affected by these variations. The greater the packing density of the bale, the greater the severity of these two problems. The problems occur as soon as the packing density exceeds 300 kg/m3. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to nuclear fuel assemblies and more particularly to a reusable locking arrangement for guide tubes and upper end fittings.
2. General Background
In a nuclear reactor core, each fuel assembly is fitted with a number of guide tubes that are used to receive control rods. In the nuclear industry, the tubes that are used to receive control rods are referred to as guide tubes or thimble tubes and the upper internal structure that these tubes are attached to are referred to as an upper end fitting or a top nozzle, depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, it should be understood that references herein to a guide tube and upper end fitting should be considered as also referring to a thimble tube and top nozzle. The guide tubes have a relative thin wall thickness and thus require a sleeve at the upper end to provide the necessary support for attachment points and shoulder stops. During assembly, the guide tubes are inserted into the spacer grids. The upper end fitting is then aligned with, received on, and attached to the upper end sleeves of the guide tubes. Typically, upper end fittings and sleeves are attached to one another by the use of threaded joints and locking cups. When it becomes necessary to remove an irradiated fuel assembly upper end fitting or nozzle at the reactor site, the work must be done with remotely controlled tooling under water. This results in the handling of a number of parts and provides the potential for cross threading the fasteners during installation. The remote handling of a number of parts under water increases the potential for loose parts in the system that can damage the reactor and increases working time. Patents directed to nuclear fuel assembly end fitting retainers that applicant is aware of include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,769,158 discloses the use of an end fitting over fuel rods where a reduced neck extending through the opening in the end fitting has resilient split rings in grooves and engage the end fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,868 discloses guide tubes that are threadably attached to the end fitting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,761 discloses the use of a threaded sleeve on the upper end of the guide tube. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
The application relates to an apparatus comprising a fuel cell unit and a component, such as for example a heat exchanger or a reformer. The application also relates to a stack component for use for example in such an apparatus or generally for use in combination with devices requiring a fluid flow passing through the device. The application also relates to a component unit comprising two stack components.
In order to optimize energy performance of fuel cell stacks, these are combined with heat exchangers, afterburners, reformers or several of these components. Since space is often limited compact systems are preferred. In WO-A-2004/082057 a modularly built fuel cell system is described, wherein further components such as an afterburner, a heat exchanger and a reformer are subsequently arranged to a planar fuel cell stack. The outer geometry of the fuel cell stack and the further components match each other. Through bore holes in the plates and tubes arranged in the components, fluid is guided within the components and from one component to another. Plates are positioned perpendicular to the general flow direction, so that the flow has to be guided by tubes from one component to another. Deflection plates may be required to bridge individual fluid channels in the system. Thus, this system bears high pressure drop and non-uniform temperatures due to fluid flow deflection and requires additional space to accommodate the connecting elements between components.
Therefore, there is a need for a compact apparatus comprising a fuel cell unit and a component such as for example a heat exchanger, a reformer, a preheater or an afterburner, which apparatus provides good flow characteristic. There is also a need to provide a component unit comprising two stack components to form for example such an apparatus or a stack component for use for example in such an apparatus, to support the overall performance of such a combined system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to use of thermal management. Still more particularly, the present application relates to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and processor for tracing thermal data via performance monitoring.
2. Description of the Related Art
The first-generation heterogeneous Cell Broadband Engine™ (BE) processor is a multi-core chip comprised of a 64-bit Power PC® processor core and eight single instruction multiple data (SIMD) synergistic processor cores, capable of massive floating point processing, optimized for compute-intensive workloads and broadband rich media applications. A high-speed memory controller and high-bandwidth bus interface are also integrated on-chip. Cell BE's breakthrough multi-core architecture and ultra high-speed communications capabilities deliver vastly improved, real-time response, in many cases ten times the performance of the latest PC processors. Cell BE is operating system neutral and supports multiple operating systems simultaneously. Applications for this type of processor range from a next generation of game systems with dramatically enhanced realism, to systems that form the hub for digital media and streaming content in the home, to systems used to develop and distribute digital content, and to systems to accelerate visualization and supercomputing applications.
Today's multi-core processors are frequently limited by thermal considerations. Typical solutions include cooling and power management. Cooling may be expensive and/or difficult to package. Power management is generally a coarse action, “throttling” much if not all of the processor in reaction to a thermal limit being reached. Other techniques such as thermal management help address these coarse actions by only throttling the units exceeding a given temperature. However, most thermal management techniques impact the real-time guarantees of an application. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a thermal management solution which provides a processor with a method to guarantee the real-time nature of an application even in the event of a thermal condition which requires throttling of the processor. In the cases where the real-time guarantees can not be met, the application administrator is notified so that a corrective action can be implemented. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
A predominant number of color picture tubes in use today have line screens and shadow masks that include slit-shaped apertures. The apertures are aligned in columns, and the adjacent apertures in each column are separated from each other by webs or tie bars in the mask. Such tie bars are essential in the mask to maintain its integrity when it is formed into a dome-shaped contour which somewhat parallels the contour of the interior of a viewing faceplate of a tube. Tie bars in one column are offset in the longitudinal direction of the column (vertical direction)from the tie bars in the immediately adjacent columns. When electron beams strike the shadow mask, the tie bars block portions of the beams, thus causing shadows on the screen immediately behind the tie bars.
When the electron beams are repeatedly scanned in a direction perpendicular to the aperture columns (horizontal direction), this scanning results in a series of bright and dark horizontal lines on the screen. These bright and dark horizontal lines interact with the shadows formed by the tie bars, creating lighter and darker areas and producing a wavy pattern on the screen, called a moire pattern. Such moire pattern greatly impairs the visible quality of image displayed on the screen. It is highly desirable to select a moire mode that will minimize the moire pattern for any scan condition used in a television receiver. The two scan conditions presently in use are interlaced scan and noninterlaced scan. A moire mode is the ratio of scan line pitch to tie bar shadow pitch. Because of the practical limitations of light output and mask strength, the moire mode is usually chosen to be between 6/8 and 10/8. The moire mode most frequently selected is 7/8. Such mode can be expressed by the equation: ##EQU1## where T.sub.s is the pitch or period of the scanning lines, which is equal to the vertical height, H, of the viewing screen divided by the number, n.sub.e, of effective scanning lines for a given TV system: and a.sub.v is the vertical repeat distance of the mask apertures on the screen.
There is a possibility for use of a third scan condition. This third condition is called progressive scan and may be used on high definition television receivers. A higher scan frequency is necessary for progressive scan. In the special case of progressive scan, only one scan condition is considered to minimize the moire pattern. This scan condition produces less moire and a much smoother picture. For this condition, a moire mode lower than 6/8 or higher than 10/8 would be used. The moire mode most frequently selected for this condition is 5/8.
There have been many techniques suggested to reduce the moire problem. Most of these techniques involve rearranging the locations of the tie bars in a mask to reduce the possibility of the electron beam scan lines beating with the tie bar shadows. Although many of these techniques have been used successfully in the past to reduce moire, most of the prior techniques do not correct the moire, problem in all parts of a screen, so that there is still a need for improved moire reduction techniques. Such improved techniques are especially needed for the newer higher quality color picture tubes that are required for higher definition television. For example, as the quality of electron guns improves to meet the needs of higher definition television, such improved guns produce smaller electron beam spots at the screen. This reduction in electron beam spot size produces visually sharper scan lines on the screen which interact with the tie bar shadows and increase the moire pattern problem. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for the transmission of signals for initiation of detonations, and more particularly to signal transmission relay and initiation devices for delayed transmission of pyrotechnic or detonation initiation signals.
2. Related Art
The prior art is well aware of the use of signal transmission lines, such as signal transmission tubes, to transfer initiation signals to initiate pyrotechnic or detonation events and the use of pyrotechnic delays to help time the occurrence of such events.
Signal transmission lines, i.e., fuses, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,739 issued Jul. 6, 1971 to P. A. Persson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,753, issued May 11, 1982 to L. Kristensen et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,573 issued Aug. 26, 1986 to G. R. Thureson et al comprise signal transmission tubes and are commonly referred to as "shock tubes". Shock tubes comprise an elongated hollow tube made of one or more layers of synthetic organic polymeric material(s) (plastics) containing on the interior wall thereof a thin coating of reactive material such as a pulverulent mixture of a high brisance explosive and reducing agent, for example, a mixture of PETN, HMX, RMX or the like, and aluminum powder. The tube is hollow, providing an open channel or bore extending the length of the tube. When the reactive material is ignited, as by a spark igniter or a detonator cap used as a signal-transmitter, or by any other suitable means, ignition of the reactive material propagates an initiation signal through the open bore of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,764, issued Jul. 19, 1988 to G. R. Thureson et al discloses low velocity signal transmission ("LVST") tubes comprising plastic tubes as described above except that the reactive material is a low velocity deflagrating material, e.g., manganese/potassium perchlorate, silicon/red lead, zirconium/ferric oxide, etc., instead of an explosive powder of high brisance. The deflagrating material provides a speed of transmission of the initiation signal propagated through the tube of about one-third that of shock tubes.
The connection of shock tube initiator devices in series or other sequence is shown, for example, in R. W. Spraggs U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,732.
The use of static electricity dissipation means, such as isolation members, in non-electric detonator caps which are to be assembled to fuses of a type capable of transmitting a static electric charge, e.g., a shock tube or LVST tube, is known in the art, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,240, issued Sept. 21, 1976 to E. L. Gladden.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,076 to Rowe, dated Mar. 27, 1990, discloses a signal delay device comprising a delay detonator cap connected to a pair of shock tubes. Portions of both shock tubes are disposed externally of the cap in close proximity to the closed, output end of the cap, i.e., the active end of the cap. One end of each shock tube is disposed in the detonator cap shell in signal transfer relation to the delay element. An incoming signal in either shock tube can initiate the delay element, but the shock tubes have sealed ends so that one shock tube cannot fire the other and the burning of the delay element will not initiate a signal in the as yet un-fired shock tube, i.e., the output shock tube. Accordingly, an incoming signal from either shock tube will ignite the delay element, and after the predetermined delay, detonation of the charge in the device will initiate a signal in the other shock tube, through the wall thereof, exteriorly of the cap. Thus, the device provides a delay in the transfer of a signal between the two shock tubes. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Cells and batteries having an alkali metal anode (negative electrode) and finely divided metal oxide cathode (positive electrode) are known. Particularly favored are such cells comprising a lithium foil anode of a thickness of about 75 microns, and an intercalation cathode layer of a similar thickness which contains finely divided transition metal oxide, electrically conductive carbon and solid electrolyte material. An electrolyte layer having a thickness of about 25 microns is positioned between the anode and cathode and often comprises an ion conducting polymer such as polyethylene oxide complexed with an ionizable alkali metal, preferably, lithium salt. The electrolyte layer separates the anode and cathode from one another while providing transport of ions between the anode and cathode. Typically, a current collector of conductive metal is positioned on both of the electrodes away from the electrolyte layer.
The cathode (positive electrode) provides for storage of lithium ions released from the anode (negative electrode) during discharge of the battery. Such ions are releasably retained by the cathode and then are transported back to the anode during charge. The cathode is a composite of ionically and electrically conductive materials disposed between the electrolyte layer and cathode current collector plate to provide the necessary transport between such components of the cell. There are two interfaces on the cathode side of the cell, the electrolyte-cathode interface and the cathode current collector interface. Failure of the cathode material to make good contact with the cathode current collector and with the solid electrolyte layer leads to an overall increase in cell impedance. This makes it difficult to recharge the cell.
It is desirable to further enhance contact between the positive electrode material and the respective materials of the current collector and the electrolyte layer at the interfaces so as to further reduce impedance. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Sliding doors are very well known. If sliding doors are to be provided with a linear drive system, the challenge is having to modify already existing suspensions as little as possible or not at all. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for teaching a child, and in particular to devices for familiarizing a child with a musical instrument having a keyboard, as for example, a piano keyboard, and for familiarizing a child with musical concepts.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In the prior art, it is known to use a chart and a set of dummy keys, some of which resemble the white keys of a piano keyboard and some of which resemble the black keys of a piano keyboard, to teach the arrangement and names of the keys of a standard piano keyboard. The chart is marked with the alphabetical names of the keys represented on the chart and the dummy keys are marked with the alphabetical names and/or staff notations. The chart is placed in an upright position on a piano keyboard by slipping the chart into the space adjacent to the rear ends of the black keys of the keyboard. Then the dummy keys are placed over the piano keyboard keys in their proper position relative to the divisions on the chart.
Such devices are not well suited to the needs of young children since both the keyboard and the chart are often unfamiliar to them. These devices also require the dummy keys to be matched with the chart by placing the dummy keys over the keyboard, thereby presenting the child with the opportunity to press the keys of the keyboard instead of concentrating on the proper placement of the dummy keys with respect to the chart.
It is also known in the prior art to color code interfitting dummy white keys and dummy black keys. Color is added to the dummy keys so that dummy keys of the same diatonic scale share the same color in order to teach a music student the diatonic scales. While such devices may be appropriate for some music students, such devices do not permit a young child to easily and properly position the dummy keys since many keys will share the same color. An inability to easily and properly position the dummy keys may frustrate the young music student and thereby inhibit the child's enthusiasm for learning. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Service providers for communications devices generally require that the communications device have the proper credentials to access and enable use of services. The credentials securely and uniquely identify a subscription or account with the service provider and enable the communications device to access and use the services associated with the subscription. When the communications device is a mobile communications device, the service provider may be called a mobile network operator (MNO), and the services may include, for example, mobile voice calling, text messaging, or internet data service.
The credentials may reside in a secure container called a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) or “SIM card.” The UICC may be embedded in the communications device, in which case it may be called an embedded UICC (eUICC). The credentials may be provisioned to the UICC or eUICC when manufactured or may be provisioned to the UICC or eUICC remotely while the UICC or eUICC resides in the communications device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-transmission/reception antenna device and a multi-transmission/reception method in a multi-user and multi-cell environment for uplink and downlink. In particular, the present invention relates to a multi-transmission/reception antenna device and a multi-transmission/reception method in a multi-user and multi-cell environment that can appropriately select a user using channel response information of a user to be selected in a cell and information of interference signals from adjacent cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a wireless communication system that uses a multi-transmission/reception antenna is a communication system that has been developed in order to achieve a large-bit transfer rate in a limited bandwidth. In such a wireless communication system, a multi-antenna is used at a transmission/reception terminal, and an appropriate transceiver structure is adopted accordingly, thereby achieving a high transfer rate. At this time, the transmitting unit multiplies individual items of a signal vector to be transmitted by individual allocated power values, and multiplies the signal vector multiplied by the allocated power values by a weighted matrix of a transmission antenna again. The receiving unit also multiplies the individual items of the transmitted signal vector by an appropriate weighted matrix so as to generate a plurality of subchannels in a space domain. Independent data streams can be transmitted through the individual subchannels.
In a known multi-transmission/reception antenna system, a technology that assumes a one-to-one wireless communication system having a pair of transceivers is applied, leaving presence of other cells generating interference signals out of consideration. In addition, in order to achieve a higher transfer rate, a multi-user multi-transmission/reception antenna system that can obtain advantages of multiplexing of a multi-user environment has been researched for an uplink (K.-N. Lau, “Analytical framework for multiuser uplink MIMO space-time scheduling design with convex utility functions,” IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 3, no. 5, September 2004) and a downlink (O.-S. Shin, and K. B. Lee, “Antenna-assisted round robin scheduling for MIMO cellular systems,” IEEE Communications Letters, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 109-111, March 2003).
However, a research on an existing multi-user multi-transmission/reception antenna system has a limitation in that a single cell environment is taken into consideration, but an influence by an interference signal from adjacent cells in an actual mobile communication environment is not taken into full consideration.
Meanwhile, unlike the multi-user environment, for a single user environment, a research on an influence of an interference signal from adjacent cells has progressed. Blum has researched downlink performance when a transmission method is determined in consideration of the interference signal from adjacent cells in a multi-cell environment (R. S. Blum, “MIMO capacity with interference,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, vol 21, no. 5, pp. 793-801, June 2003). (In this paper, a research has progressed in a multi-link environment, not a multi-cell environment, but, when a cell structure of a cellular system is applied to a multi-link environment, it is regarded as a multi-cell environment.) Further, Dai et al have suggested a receiver system that takes an influence of interference from adjacent cells into consideration in a downlink multi-transmission/reception antenna environment where interference from adjacent cells exist (H. Dai, A. F. Molisch, and H. V. Poor, “Downlink capacity of interference-limited MIMO systems with joint detection, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 3, no. 2, March 2004).
However, the researches of Blum and Dai et al assume only downlink case and are limited to the case which assumes single user in each cell. Researches on the influence of an interference signal from adjacent cells for uplink multiuser systems are insufficient. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing electronic components. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electronic component including chip surface mount devices including electrodes at both ends thereof. The chip surface mount devices are mounted on a substrate in a state in which the chip surface mount devices are arranged in series.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods of manufacturing electronic components are known in which surface mount devices are mounted on substrates by performing a reflow process after the surface mount devices are installed on the substrates.
Mounting the surface mount devices so as to be in contact with each other by using the manufacturing methods using the reflow process has been proposed.
For example, FIG. 5 shows an example in which surface mount devices 101 and 102 are installed on a substrate 103. The surface mount device 101 is installed on the substrate 103 so that the locations of solder bumps 107 provided on electrodes 101b of the surface mount device 101 are shifted from land electrodes 104 on the substrate 103, and the surface mount device 102 is installed on the substrate 103 so that the locations of the solder bumps 107 provided on electrodes 102b of the surface mount device 102 are shifted from land electrodes 105 on the substrate 103.
Then, the surface mount devices are put through a reflow oven. When the surface mount devices are subjected to the reflow process, a main body 101a of the surface mount device 101 and a main body 102a of the surface mount device 102 are moved so as to be close to each other due to the surface tension of the solder bumps 107 that are melted by the heating, as shown by arrows in FIG. 6.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface mount devices 101 and 102 are fixed on the substrate 103 with solders 106 sandwiched therebetween in a state in which an end surface of the surface mount device 101 is in contact with an end surface of the surface mount device 102 (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-347660).
An electronic component can be manufactured by the following method, in which chip surface mount devices each including electrodes at both ends thereof are mounted on a substrate in a state in which the chip surface mount devices are arranged in series.
FIGS. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views schematically showing an example of a process of manufacturing an electronic component 10x in a reference example.
Specifically, as shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 1A, joint materials 22, 24, 26, and 28, such as cream solder, are applied on land electrodes 12x, 15, and 18x that are formed on a substrate 11 so as to be aligned with each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 1B, first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 of a chip type are installed on the substrate 11 so as to be spaced apart from each other. The first surface mount device 30 includes electrodes 34 and 36 at both ends of its main body 32 and the second surface mount device 40 includes electrodes 44 and 46 at both ends of its main body 42. Then, the first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 are put through a reflow oven to melt the joint materials 22, 24, 26, and 28. A force that moves the first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 so as to be close to each other is applied to the first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 due to the surface tension of the joint materials 22, 24, 26, and 28, as shown by arrows 38 and 48 in FIG. 1B. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1C, the first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 are moved due to the reflow oven and, therefore, it is possible to manufacture the electronic component 10x in which the first and second surface mount devices 30 and 40 are mounted in a state in which the first surface mount device 30 is closer to the second surface mount device 40, as compared to the state before the reflow.
However, since the electrodes 36 and 44 are also formed on end surfaces 37 and 47 of the first and second chip surface mount devices 30 and 40, respectively, a joint material 25 is suctioned upward due to the capillary action so as to enter a region between the end surface 37 of the first surface mount device 30 and the end surface 47 of the second surface mount device 40, which are opposed to each other, as shown in FIG. 1C. As a result, a gap 50 is formed between the end surface 37 of the first surface mount device 30 and the end surface 47 of the second surface mount device 40, which are opposed to each other.
Narrowing the gap 50 between the end surface 37 of the first surface mount device 30 and the end surface 47 of the second surface mount device 40 enables the electronic component 10x to be reduced in size. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monolithic ceramic capacitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Monolithic ceramic capacitors generally comprise a plurality of stacked dielectric ceramic layers, a plurality of internal electrodes formed between two adjacent dielectric ceramic layers, and external electrodes formed on opposite sides of the stacked ceramic layers and connected to the internal electrodes.
Stronium titanate and a small amount of bismuth incorporated wherein have previously been used as dielectric materials because of their relatively large dielectric constant, small voltage dependency of dielectric constant and small dielectric loss. Typical dielectric ceramics of the prior art include a composition of a SrTiO.sub.3 -PbTiO.sub.3 -Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3.sup..multidot. nTiO.sub.2 system (Japanese patent Laid-open No. 49-30900), a dielectric ceramic composition of a SrTiO.sub.3 - MgTiO.sub.3 - Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 - TiO.sub.2 - Pb.sub.3 O.sub.4 system (Japanese patent publication No. 59-8923), a dielectric ceramic composition of a SrTiO.sub.3 -CaTiO.sub.3 - Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3.sup..multidot. nTiO.sub.2 system (Laid-open No. 59-20908), and a If such compositions are used in monolithic 60-145951).
If such a composition is applied to monolithic ceramic capacitors, the internal electrodes is should be made of material such as platinum and silver-palladium alloys which have high melting points and high resistance to oxidation at high temperatures. This is because the compositions have high sintering temperatures of not less than 1120 .degree. C. A drawback to using platinum and silver-palladium alloy is their high cost. In addition, if any silver-palladium alloy is used as the internal electrode material, it causes migration of silver into the ceramic layers, resulting in lowering the electrical properties of the capacitors. Further, the silver-palladium alloy causes increased equivalent series resistance of the capacitors because of its low conductivity.
To solve these problems, use of copper or a copper alloy has been proposed as a material for internal electrodes because these materials are low in price and high in conductivity. In order to use copper or a copper alloy as an internal electrode material, it is required to fire the dielectric ceramic composition in a reducing atmosphere since such a material has a low melting point and is easily oxidized at the sintering temperature of the dielectric ceramic compositions of the prior art. However, if the dielectric ceramic compositions of the prior art are fired in reducing atmospheres, the bismuth oxide contained therein is reduced during firing, resulting in lowering of the insulating resistance. Thus, it is impossible to use copper or a copper alloy as a material for internal electrodes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an expensive monolithic ceramic capacitor which does not experience decrease in electrical properties as a result of.
According to the present invention, there is provided a monolithic ceramic capacitor including a plurality of dielectric ceramic layers united into one body, a plurality of internal electrodes formed between two adjacent dielectric ceramic layers, and external electrodes formed on opposite sides of the united ceramic layers, each being connected to alternate internal electrodes. The dielectric ceramic layers mainly consists of strontium titanate containing bismuth oxide and an antireducing agent which prevents the composition from reduction. The internal electrodes consist essentially of a copper or a copper alloy.
In a preferred embodiment, the internal electrodes may be incorporated with at least one additive selected from the group consisting of glass frit, dielectric powder, and an antireducing agent. The incorporation of such an additive into the internal electrodes prevents the monolithic ceramic capacitors from delamination between adjacent dielectric layers. The sum of the content of additives in the internal electrodes should be not more than 40 wt%.
It is preferred to use a dielectric ceramic composition of a system, SrTiO.sub.3 -PbTiO.sub.3 -CaTiO.sub.3 -Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 -SnO.sub.2 -TiO.sub.2, or of a system, SrTiO.sub.3 - MgTiO.sub.3 - Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 - TiO.sub.2 - Pb.sub.3 O.sub.4 for the dielectric layers of the monolithic ceramic capacitor. Preferably, the dielectric layers are made up of a dielectric ceramic composition expressed by the general formula: EQU .alpha.(Sr.sub.l-x-y-z Pb.sub.x Ca.sub.y Mg.sub.z)TiO.sub.3 +.beta.{Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3.n (Ti.sub.l-m Sn.sub.m) O.sub.2}
wherein x, y, z, .alpha., .beta. and m are mole fractions of the respective components or ingredients, each taking a value within the following respective ranges: .alpha.+.beta.=1.000, 0<.beta..ltoreq.0.300, 0.000 .ltoreq..times..ltoreq.0.500, 0.000 .ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.500, 0.000.ltoreq.z .ltoreq.0.650, 0.000.ltoreq..times.+y+z.ltoreq.0.750, 0.000.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.0.995, and wherein n takes a value in moles within the following range: 0.00<n.ltoreq.5.00.
To prevent the dielectric ceramic composition from reduction during firing, an antireducing agent may be used therein having a composition expressed by the general formula: EQU .alpha.MnO.sub.2 +.beta.RO+.gamma.B.sub.2 O.sub.3 +(1-.alpha.-.beta.-.gamma.)SiO.sub.2, or EQU .alpha.Li.sub.2 O+.beta.RO+.gamma.B.sub.2 O.sub.3 +(1-.alpha.-.beta.-.gamma.)SiO.sub.2, or EQU .alpha.ZnO+.beta.RO+.gamma.B.sub.2 O.sub.3 +(1-.alpha.-.beta.-.gamma.)SiO.sub.2,
wherein RO is at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO, and wherein .alpha., .beta.and .gamma.are molar percentages of the respective components and take a value within the following respective ranges, 5.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.20, 10.ltoreq..beta..ltoreq.60, 20.ltoreq..gamma..ltoreq.40. Copper and copper alloys may be used as a material for internal electrodes;
The incorporation of an antireducing agent into the above basic composition lowers its sintering temperature and prevents it from reduction during firing in a reducing atmosphere. This makes it possible to use copper or a copper alloy as a material for the internal electrodes. In addition, the use of copper or an copper alloy makes it possible to prevent the dielectric layers from migration of the internal electrode material, as well as to reduce the cost of producing the monolithic ceramic capacitors.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, preferred embodiments thereof. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Devices such as thin-film devices or micro-electro-mechanical devices (also further referred to as MEMs) may have specific requirements to the environment in which they operate or in which they are stored. Thin-film devices are, for example, devices which are constituted of a plurality of stacked layers which together constitute an electrical circuit, an electro-optical element or an optical element. Such electrical circuits typically are miniaturized electrical circuits, also known as Integrated Circuits or in short ICs which comprise stacks of conductive, semi-conductive and insulating layers. The electro-optical elements comprise stacks which, for example, constitute a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode or a laser diode, and thus typically at least partially have an electrical circuit equivalent to a diode-circuit combined with a light emitting layer which may, for example, be constituted of an organic light emitting layer which results in an Organic Light Emitting Diode (further also referred to as OLED). Electro-optical elements may also comprise stacks which, for example, constitute a solar cell able to absorb electromagnetic radiation and convert the absorbed electromagnetic radiation into electrical power. Optical elements may comprise several optical layers which constitute an optical circuit comprising, for example, light guides and light gates. Such optical elements often may be designed to perform similar functions as Integrated Circuits and are often designed to replace Integrated circuits.
All of these thin-film devices and/or MEMs require some kind of sealing to protect the devices from environmental influences or to store these devices in a well defined environment. The quality of the seal often determines the operational life-time of the thin-film device. Especially when the thin-film device is, for example, a light emitting or light absorbing device, the sealing of the thin-film device is done preferably in a glass package to allow electromagnetic radiation to pass the glass package.
Such glass packages are known, for example, from the US patent application US 2004/0207314. In this patent application, a hermetically sealed glass package is described for sealing an OLED display. The glass package comprises a first substrate plate and a second substrate plate and a frit deposited onto the second substrate plate. The OLEDs are deposited on the first substrate plate. An irradiation source is then used to heat the frit which melts and form a hermetic seal that connects the first substrate plate to the second substrate to seal the OLEDs. The frit is glass that is doped with at least one transition metal and possibly a filler configured for lowering the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (further also referred to as CTE) of the frit such that when the irradiation source heats the frit, it softens and forms a bond.
A disadvantage of the known glass package devices is that they are relatively expensive. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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