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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a specimen holding device for microscope stages adapted to be moved in X and Y directions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional microscope stage adapted to be moved in X and Y directions, a specimen supporting body is secured to the stage and a specimen push claw is rotatably mounted on the specimen supporting body. The specimen push claw is rotated by a coil spring to a position where the specimen push claw is urged against the specimen so as to hold it between the specimen push claw and the specimen supporting body. The specimen push claw is provided near its rotary shaft with a tongue made integral with the specimen push claw.
In the above mentioned well known specimen holding device, when setting the specimen to the microscope stage, it is necessary to push the tongue with one hand so as to open the specimen push claw and to insert the specimen with the other hand into a given set position on the microscope stage. As a result, in the case of setting the specimen to the microscope stage, use must be made of both hands. Thus, the conventional specimen holding device has the drawback that it is very troublesome to operate and hence inefficient for examining a large number of specimens in succession. | {
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In a manufacturing process of electronic devices such as a semiconductor device and a liquid crystal display device, for example, an etching process for etching a film on a substrate in a desired pattern is performed to form a predetermined circuit pattern on the substrate. A plasma processing apparatus has been widely used for the etching process. The plasma processing apparatus includes in a processing chamber thereof a lower electrode for mounting thereon the substrate and an upper electrode serves as a showerhead for injecting a predetermined gas toward the substrate on the lower electrode. In the etching process, a radio frequency power is applied between the upper and the lower electrode under the condition that a predetermined gaseous mixture is injected through the showerhead into the processing chamber to generate a plasma, thereby etching a film on the substrate.
Here, in case of etching the substrate in the processing chamber by generating a plasma therein, etching characteristics such as an etching rate and an etching selectivity at a central portion of the substrate is different from those at a peripheral portion thereof. One of the reasons for this is considered that a density of the plasma generated in the processing chamber is not uniform when the density in the central portion is compared with that in the peripheral portion. Accordingly, there has been proposed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. H9-45624 and 2002-184764 that a so-called focus ring is disposed around the substrate mounted on the lower electrode to enlarge the plasma generation range up to the surrounding area of the substrate, thereby making the plasma density even above the substrate and resulting in a uniform etching processing.
However, the focus ring and other components disposed in the processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus are provided with their identification indicia for management thereof. The management using the identification indicia makes it possible to determine a component replacement timing or trace, e.g., a manufacturing process of a defective component. Conventionally, in case of marking an identification indicia on a component of the plasma processing apparatus, the identification indicia such as numbers and/or characters is formed on the surface of the component in a way that continuous recesses are inscribed therein by using a so-called laser marking method.
However, since the components disposed in the processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus are exposed to a high temperature ambience during the processing, the components having the identification indicia as described above are likely to develop an crack at the identification indicia due to a thermal stress applied thereto during the plasma processing. Particularly, a component formed of Si such as the focus ring and other components formed of a brittle material such as quartz, alumina ceramic, yttria ceramic and SiC are likely to develop a crack at the identification indicia. | {
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The present invention relates generally to electric door strikes and, in particular, to an electric door strike for use in residential buildings.
With regard to “electric door strike” prior art, the earliest reference found to this type of device is the U.S. Pat. No. 277,628 to Sullivan in May of 1883. Sullivan's patent claims to be an “improvement in electric locks”, indicating that the electric door strike is even older than that. As you might expect from a device of this age, there are literally hundreds of patents on file promoting changes and improvements of every type.
Nearly all prior art patents utilize a “surface mount” design. Only two exceptions were found. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,276 to Jarvis describes a latch and strike arrangement, of which the strike is supported via a bored hole in the door frame. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,198 to Gorman (mentioned below) describes a solenoid mounted in a tube extending back into the door frame. With these two exceptions notwithstanding, the mounting arrangement according to the present invention and described in this patent application is unique.
With regard to router jigs, router and guide structures of various types have been used for many years to provide guidance of routers and their use in wood working procedures. Such apparatus may be found for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,920 to Evitts wherein a router structure utilizes a slotted guide plate mounted to a support base for mounting a router thereto.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,168 to Lundquist shows an adjustable router table of rectangular configuration, wherein each of the legs is adjustable relative to one another.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,657 to Obradovich shows a router guide structure utilizing opposed clamping members to secure a workpiece and router structure thereof.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,193 to Armas describes a door frame shaper mounting a router thereto in a guide orientation for shaping door frames in predetermined patterns.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,862,302 to Lucia describes an adhesive backed “paper-like” template designed to assist an installer in locating boring holes associated with strike installation.
Although each of the above patents provides for a specific need, no prior art has been found that addresses the need to provide fast mounting of an electric strike.
The advent of ‘keyless entry’ in the automotive world has created an interest in developing a similar product for the residential home market. Early efforts included remote controlled deadbolts (as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. D401,565 to Smith), and remote controlled locksets (as described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,174 to Aydin). Though simple and inexpensive, these ‘do-it-yourself’ products were cheaply made and utilized battery power. Their success was short lived.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,198 shows a wireless residential door unlatch system having solenoid/strike plate assembly controlled by a receiver unit which in turn is controlled by RF or other signals. The system can be retrofit into existing residential structures with a single bore into the door jam into which the solenoid/strike plate assembly is mounted. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,198 is incorporated herein by reference.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,306 shows a remote control door lock system for residential and commercial building pedestrian doors. The system includes an electrically powered striker plate assembly having a striker plate member moveable between positions for engagement and disengagement with a door latch member. The striker assembly is adapted to be connected to a control unit which supplies low voltage DC power to the striker assembly and includes a radio frequency range signal receiver and a circuit responsive to receiving signals from an operator controlled radio transmitter to effect indefinite or momentary operation of the striker assembly to unlock a door. The control unit circuit includes a first self-latching relay, a selector switch and a second relay for selecting an operating mode of the system wherein the door may be unlatched momentarily (for about 3.5 seconds, for example) or indefinitely until a second signal is transmitted by the transmitter to the receiver. This arrangement has three drawbacks: 1. Many electric strikes are equipped with “intermittent duty” solenoids or magnetic coils (as opposed to “continuous duty”). These coils are made to exert maximum magnetic force, at the expense of heat buildup in the coil. They are limited to 90 seconds of operation in the energized position. If energized longer than 90 seconds they will burn up. The option to leave the striker in the energized position for extended periods as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,306 could result in considerable maintenance to the striker mechanisms. 2. Since users may forget if they locked the door behind them, there should be a position indication of some type near the door (a light, or buzzer to indicate that the door is not locked). The design outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,306 has no provision for indication. Other than physically ‘trying’ the door, the user has no way to tell if the striker is in the latched or unlatched position. 3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,306 provides a maximum of 3.5 seconds of delay in the “momentary” mode. If the user is entering the house with an armload of groceries, it might be good to have more time than that. | {
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Claims of a patent are not only difficult to understand for the general public but also sometimes are complicate for patent specialists including patent examiners, patent attorneys and patent agents. Especially it is even harder for people to understand a claim in foreign languages. Therefore, a translation of claims with high translating accuracy is required. Accordingly, a computer translation of a patent specification including claims has been applied in the field of intellectual property for the translation. However, in spite that the computer translation has been improving with the advance of technology, the computer translation such as Google translation, Dr. eye, etc. for translating a patent specification including a claim is still not practical. The reason is that a relationship definition of a subject and an object in a claim is generally expressed by a passive form such that when there are a plurality of passive forms defined in the same sentence, the computer is always confused to the relationship in connection to the subject and the objects. The confusion leads to an incorrect result.
However, the inventor of the present invention has found that the special form which a patent claim is drafted can be applied to provide a translated result with a very high percentage of accuracy by dividing one claim as a plurality of divided sections, and translating the divided sections respectively by a computer. In other words, the inventor of the present invention has found the translated result is excellent if one claim is divided into a plurality of divided sections, and the divided sections are then respectively translated by a computer in the same sequence as the original claims to obtain translated claims with very high translation accuracy. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to GPS receivers and, more particularly, to GPS receivers that incorporate inertial systems.
2. Background Information
A global positioning system (GPS) receiver requires signals from a number of GPS satellites in order to accurately calculate its position. The GPS receiver acquires and tracks signals consisting of carrier, pseudo random codes and modulated data from various satellites. The receiver correlates locally-generated codes with the codes received from the respective satellites to derive timing information relating the receiver time relative to the local generation of code chips to the satellite time at the times of the transmission of the corresponding code chips. The timing relationship between the receiver time and the transmission times of the various signals at the various satellites can be used in conjunction with the modulated data from the various satellites to generate a position of the receiver with respect to a reference frame shared with the satellites, for example, the earth centered earth fixed (ECEF) frame.
At least 4 satellites are required to provide a GPS position solution. Corrections to pseudo random measurements with respect to a fixed position, which is generated at a “base station” receiver, can be used to derive a relative position of the local receiver with respect to the base station position. Carrier measurements taken at the base station and the local receiver can be mixed in a known manner to generate precise relative position measurements, provided sufficient signals are available either instantaneously or over time to make it possible to resolve associated initial ambiguities of the carrier measurements. Specifically, the ambiguities can be used in conjunction with the current carrier measurements to generate the differences in geometric distances between the local receiver, the base station receiver and the various satellites whose signals are, at the time, being tracked by the two receivers.
The ambiguity resolution process typically takes between 30 seconds and 1 minute. The time the process takes is dependent on the number of satellites tracked with the process taking longer if only a relatively small number of satellites are being tracked.
If the GPS receiver does not, at any given time, receive the signals from a minimum number of satellites, the GPS receiver is unable to calculate position information. Thereafter, when the satellite signals are again available to the GPS receiver, that is, the satellites are “visible” to the receiver, the receiver must re-acquire the signals before the receiver can resume its position calculations. Signal re-acquisition involves re-synchronizing locally-generated codes to the codes in the received signals, in order to again track the signals. Following the signal re-acquisition process, the receiver must, when operating in precise differential mode, re-resolve the carrier ambiguities before precise positions become available.
During the re-acquisition operations, the user is without navigation information, and during the resolution process the user is without precise position information. Accordingly, the speed with which the receiver re-acquires the signals and resolves the carrier ambiguities is of paramount importance to the user.
The GPS satellites may become unavailable to the GPS receiver for various periods of time in, for example, urban environments, when the GPS receiver travels under a bridge, through a tunnel, or through what is referred to in the literature as an “urban canyon,” in which buildings block the signals or produce excessively large multipath signals that make the satellite signals detrimental to use for position calculations. In addition, other environments, such as racetracks that include grandstands or high fences, may similarly block the signals and produce large multipath signals. Thus, operating the GPS receiver while passing through natural canyons and/or on race tracks or other areas in which satellite coverage is sparse, and so forth, may similarly result in the receiver being unable to track a sufficient number of satellites. Thus, in certain environments the navigation information may be available only sporadically, and GPS-based navigation systems may not be appropriate for use as a navigation tool.
One solution to the problem of interrupted navigation information is to use an inertial system to fill-in whenever the GPS receiver cannot observe a sufficient number of satellites. The inertial system has well known problems, such as the derivation of the initial system (position, velocity and attitude) errors as well as IMU sensor errors that tend to introduce drifts into the inertial position information over time. Accordingly, a system that uses GPS position information to limit the adverse effects of the drift errors on the position calculations in the inertial system has been developed. Further, such as system provides inertial position and velocity information to the GPS system, to aid in signal re-acquisition and in the process to resolve ambiguities. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,657 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
The patented combined GPS and INS system in real time combines the information from GPS and inertial sub-systems to aid in signal re-acquisition and in the resolution of associated carrier ambiguities. The INS/GPS receiver thus provides accurate and uninterrupted navigation information in an environment in which sufficient numbers of GPS satellites are not continuously in view. The combined system has been improved by modifying the INS Kalman filter to include GPS and/or other observables, i.e., measurements, that span previous and current times. The INS Kalman filter utilizes the observables to update position information relating to previous and current positions and propagate current position, velocity and attitude related information. The INS/GPS receiver thus produces even more accurate estimates of inertial position and velocity in the environment in which sufficient numbers of GPS satellites are not continuously in view. The improved system is described in co-pending patent application entitled INERTIAL GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH MODIFIED KALMAN FILTER Ser. No. 10/758,363 filed Jan. 15, 2004.
The INS/GPS systems described above work well in environments in which the INS system alignment can be established when the receiver is stationary. The alignment of the INS system is often derived with a combination of the accelerations as measured by the INS system and compared with the gravity vector, and the angular rate measured by the INS system and compared to the earth rate. The computation requires that the INS system not experience any specific forces except gravity and not be physically rotating except from earth rotation. Further, the computation requires that the gyro bias in the unit is small compared to the earth rate.
In environments in which the receiver is not stationary at start-up, for example, in a race car that rolls out of a garage (no GPS) and onto a race track, the INS system alignment must be obtained when the receiver is moving at a relatively high rate of speed and around corners. In such environments the INS system senses significant non-vertical specific forces and motion induced rotation. Accordingly, the standard method for alignment could, under these circumstances, easily give roll and pitch errors of 45 degrees or more. This type of initial error leads to non-linear errors in the Kalman filter estimators, which causes the filter to take a prohibitively long time to estimate its system errors well enough to make the system useful. | {
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1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device. Other example embodiments relate to a multi-stack memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The integration density of a semiconductor device may be increased to a limit by reducing a line width because the line width below a critical value may not be realized due to the limitation of an exposure process. Also, when the line width of a storage node where data is stored is reduced below a critical value, the data retention characteristics of the storage node may be deteriorated. For example, in a storage node formed of a magnetic material having relatively small magnetic anisotropic energy, if the size of a minimum region where data is stored, for example, a bit size is reduced below a critical value, the thermal stability of the storage node may be reduced and the data retention characteristics may be deteriorated.
Therefore, a multi-stack memory device may have increased integration density by stacking storage nodes. Accordingly, the integration density may be increased without reducing the line width. This technique may be applied to various fields, e.g., a domain wall motion memory device, a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device and/or a flash memory device.
In such a multi-stack memory device, storage nodes stacked with a plurality of rows or a multi-structured wiring connected to the storage nodes may be respectively connected to a plurality of transistors formed on a substrate. In a domain wall motion memory device field, the domain wall movement of a particular storage node may be possible by the transistor. Also, in a RRAM device and the flash memory device fields, random access of data may be possible by the transistors.
However, due to structural complexity, connecting the storage nodes or the wirings to the transistors and maintaining a pitch of the storage nodes or the wirings of about 2F (F=minimum width) may be difficult. When the storage nodes or the wirings are connected to the transistors using a conventional method, a conductive plug may be disposed between every storage node or wiring, the pitch of the storage nodes or the wirings may increase to about 4F. Therefore, in the conventional multi-stack memory device, increasing the recording density per unit area as long as the pitch of the storage nodes or the wirings, and not reduced below about 4F, may be difficult. | {
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Integrated circuitry may include arrays of memory devices for data storage. The memory devices may, for example, be dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices; with the DRAM unit cells corresponding to transistors coupled with charge storage devices (typically capacitors). Alternatively, the memory devices may lack the capacitors of DRAM. Such memory may be referred to as zero-capacitor-one-transistor (0C1T) memory, and may correspond to so-called ZRAM™ (zero capacitance DRAM).
A continuing goal of integrated circuit fabrication is to increase the level of integration; with a corresponding goal to decrease the size of memory devices, to simplify memory devices, and/or to reduce the complexity and amount of wiring associated with memory devices. Another continuing goal of integrated circuit fabrication is to reduce the number of steps of a fabrication process, thereby improving throughput and possibly reducing costs.
One approach being utilized to increase integration is to incorporate partially-insulated transistors into memory devices. More specifically, the approach is to utilize partial semiconductor on insulator (SOI) to alleviate leakage at source/drain junctions of transistor devices. The individual transistor devices comprise a gate, and a pair of source/drain regions on opposing sides of the gate. The source/drain regions extend within a first semiconductor material, and have insulator directly beneath them which isolates them from a bulk semiconductor material beneath the first semiconductor material. The insulator provided beneath the source/drain regions does not extend under the transistor gate to any substantial degree.
It is desired to develop improved memory devices, and improved methods for fabricating memory devices. Although some embodiments disclosed herein were motivated, at least in part, by such a desire, other embodiments may have applications beyond memory device structures and fabrication. | {
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There are a number of applications which would benefit from the use of conductive micro traces on a substrate, where the width of a micro trace as measured parallel to the surface of the substrate is 25 μm or less. In some of these applications, only the electrical properties of the conductive micro traces are significant, but others require consideration of the optical properties. Optical properties are significant if the micro traces are to be formed on vehicle or refrigeration windows to provide controlled window defogging and deicing or are to be formed on a plasma display panel (PDP) to control the level of electromagnetic radiation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,206 to Hood et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describes a filter arrangement which may be used for vehicle, housing and office windows. The Hood et al. patent states that the arrangement of layers for an optical filter should provide color correction, heat reflectivity and infrared reflectivity. The complexity in achieving a desired optical property is increased if the optical filter is combined with conductive micro traces for deicing or defogging.
Factors which must be considered within the design of an optical filter for a PDP include the degree of neutrality of transmitted color, the level of reflected light, the color shift with changes in the incidence angle of a viewer, and the transmission levels of infrared and electromagnetic radiation. FIG. 1 is one possible arrangement of layers to provide a filter for a PDP, which includes a module or separate glass sheet 10. An Etalon filter 12 is formed on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate 14 that has been affixed to the glass sheet by a layer of adhesive 16. Because a plasma display generates infrared radiation and electromagnetic radiation that must be controlled in accordance with legislated regulations, the filter layers 12 are designed to reduce undesired radiation from the display. Etalon filters based on multiple filter layers are used to screen infrared wavelengths and electro-magnetic waves. Interference between adjacent filter layers can be tuned to cause resonant transmission in the visible region, while providing desirable screening. FIG. 1 also includes an antireflection (AR) layer stack 18 that was originally formed on a second PET substrate 20. Antireflection layer stacks are well known in the art. A second adhesive layer 22 secures the PET substrate 20 to the other elements of FIG. 1.
The formation of conductive micro traces on a substrate for application to a PDP may be used to further reduce electromagnetic radiation. The tradeoff is that the presence of the micro traces may adversely affect the overall optical properties. A second concern is cost. A process for forming conductive micro traces is preferably able to achieve a small width dimension in a cost-efficient manner. | {
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In the installation of adjustable Width metal door frame assemblies, it is conventional to put in place the frame elements, e.g. the jambs and the header, to adjust them to the thickness of the wall and then to fasten them to the wall using screws through the door casing into the wall. This is a relatively complex procedure when compared with the installation of a fixed width door frame. In the resultant frame, the screws through the casing are aesthetically undesirable so it is common practice to install caps over the casing. This is a further step that has to be taken in the installation and also requires six additional pieces in the overall frame assembly.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable door frame that is relatively simple both in construction and installation and that does not suffer from the aesthetic problems of the prior art. The invention is also Concerned with a method of installing the frame. | {
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The thermal efficiency and hence the output power of an engine of a saddle-ridden vehicle such as a motorcycle can be increased by equipping the engine with a supercharger and supplying air that has been compressed by the supercharger to the combustion chambers of the engine. JP-A-2015-83437 discloses a saddle-ridden vehicle which is equipped with a supercharger.
The saddle-ridden vehicle disclosed in JP-A-2015-83437 is equipped with an air cleaner for cleaning external air, a supercharger for compressing air cleaned by the air cleaner, an intercooler for cooling air that has been compressed by the supercharger and thereby made high in temperature, and a surge tank for supplying air cooled by the intercooler after storing it temporarily. In this saddle-ridden vehicle, an air intake pipe connects the air cleaner and the supercharger. An air outlet pipe connects the supercharger and the intercooler. The intercooler and the surge tank are adjacent to each other and a short pipe connects them directly.
On the other hand, an electronically controlled throttling method is known in which an accelerator manipulation amount of a rider is detected by a sensor and an electric drive motor is operated on the basis of the detected accelerator manipulation amount, whereby the degree of opening of a throttle valve is controlled. JP-A-2002-256895 discloses a throttle control device that employs the electronically controlled throttling method. | {
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Three phase pad-mounted transformers such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,181 entitled xe2x80x9cHigh Voltage Winding for Dry Type Transformersxe2x80x9d usually include a transformer cabinet that houses the high voltage connectors. Latch mechanisms, such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,437 entitled xe2x80x9cTransformer Having an Integral Cabinet with Door Latching and Locking Apparatusxe2x80x9d, are employed to comply with safety code requirements.
The provision of such latch mechanisms results in added cost to the transformer in view of the number of components that are attached to the cabinet door and door frame.
To comply with an additional safety code requirement, door stops are usually attached to the bottom of the door frame to prevent the door from becoming closed while the interior components are being serviced. The provision of door stops in the form of welded lugs and the like further increases the transformer costs due to the deformation of the door frame during the welding and subsequent annealing processes.
It would be economically advantageous to provide a simplified latch having fewer parts for assembly as well as door stop that does not require welding and annealing.
A transformer cabinet door latch in the form of a shaped plate includes rod apertures at opposing ends for connecting with the latch rods and a door handle aperture intermediate the rod apertures for fastening to the cabinet operating door handle. Rotation of the door handle in the clock-wise direction drives the latch rods out from the door frame and allows access to the cabinet interior. A door stop in the form of a U-shaped rod is positioned on the bottom of the cabinet door frame. One end of the rod is rotationally attached to the door frame while the other end is attached to the bottom of the door whereby the door is rotated 90 degrees to the open position and held in the open position until and unless the other end is released from the door bottom. | {
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Hand held data entry terminals are available to collect data, to selectively process data and to communicate collective data with other systems by various automated or manual operations. A typical automated process, which may be included in such operations, relates to collecting data by scanning bar code data with a scanner. Subsequently, the collective data information may be processed such as becoming included in a data base. In another operation, it may be desired to communicate the information to another unit within a respective data collection system.
Various investigatory efforts in this area have shown that some functional applications of the data collection systems may require certain features on such hand-held units which may not at all be required in other functional applications. Going toward specialization of the units for specific tasks, the cost of operating the data collection systems tends to become more and more prohibitive as systems become configured to accommodate various specific applications. On the other hand, when data entry units are mass produced for general applications, efficiency in the application is jeopardized and compromise on various features results in less than the most efficient data handling procedures. It is consequently desirable to provide a data collection system in which hand-held units are equipped with features relating to particular needs without having a prohibitively high price tag.
The desirability of using interchangeable modules in a hand held data entry terminal is illustrated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/633,500, filed Dec. 26, 1990, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/816,888, filed Jan. 3, 1992, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. For example, in addition to having a scanner which can connect to a data entry terminal, other modules can be substituted for such scanners, such as an RF link.
Since these accessories must be sealed to the body housing and secured from moving with respect to the second body housing, prior art systems have been somewhat cumbersome and not altogether reliable.
Another problem associated with hand held data entry terminals is replacement of a battery pack and making sure that the battery pack makes a reliable contact with the contacts within the hand held unit itself.
Because these hand held data entry terminals are often used outside and in wet and inclement weather, it is necessary that it be sealed sufficiently to prevent the entry of moisture therein. The attempts to seal these units on the keyboard portion have not been completely satisfactory and the sealing of an accessory module such as a scanner has been even more of a problem.
Another problem associated with a hand held data entry apparatus is being able to position a scanner attached thereto in such a manner that it is flexible enough to accommodate all users and most working situations. Heretofore, a hand held unit has not been available to permit scan left, right or straight ahead (all three options) while viewing a display on such hand held unit. Also, pivoting the built in scanner or bar code reader about two perpendicular axes has not been considered as a way to provide desired adjustability.
Another problem has been that the audio signal, signaling the situation that the scan has been acceptable, is not always heard because of other noises in the area. Consequently, there is a need for both an audio and visual indication of a "good scan" situation and furthermore, there is a need for a visual indication of a "bad scan." Because the size of the keyboard of a hand held unit must be kept to a minimum, there is quite often not enough space to put all such features available on such keyboard. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device which has a motor capable of varying its driving load in accordance with temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional various equipment having a motor for driving a load, such as an image forming device, the driving load increases due to thermal contraction of an object to be driven or increase in lubricant viscosity, in the case where such equipment is left at a low temperature.
In a device which is assumed to operate at a low temperature, therefore, a large motor enough to obtain a required torque, or a motor driven by a large current is used, so as to obtain the driving load required at the lowest temperature to ensure operation.
However, the torque, adjusted for the device to operate at a low temperature, is too high within a normal temperature range. This prevents the motor cost from being reduced, and the image forming device from being miniaturized.
In response to this, taking advantage of the relation that a motor torque becomes higher as an RPM (revolutions per minute) decreases as shown in FIG. 3, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 06-121592 proposes that a motor is driven at a low RPM so as to compensate for insufficient torque occurred at a low temperature in the case where an operating temperature of the motor is lower than the preset temperature.
However, in such a conventional device, where the operational speed of the motor varies simply with temperature, it is difficult for the device to form a steady image. One is because the device is not warmed up properly. Another is because the operational speed (RPM) of the motor changes at an inappropriate timing during image formation. | {
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Electromagnetic based instruments can be used for measuring properties of matter and/or used for identifying its composition. For example, an electromagnetic based instrument capable of performing magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be used to obtain physical, chemical and/or structural information about matter (e.g., a molecule). Typically, in order to perform magnetic resonance spectroscopy, for example to provide high quality measurements of an object/subject (e.g., high resolution image and/or image contrast), it can be desirable for the magnetic field inside of a zone of measurement (e.g., an area where an object is to be measured is positioned) to be substantially stable and/or uniform. Other applications (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) can also require a high, stable, and/or uniform magnetic field strength.
Some systems that use magnetic fields for measurements can include magnetic coils to create the magnetic fields, with application of current to the coil, while other systems can utilize permanent magnets to create the magnetic fields, which typically do not require application of a current.
One difficulty in creating a magnetic field in a zone of measurement with permanent magnet(s) that is sufficient for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and/or magnetic imaging (e.g., that is substantially stable and/or uniform) is that magnetic fields produced by the permanent magnets(s) can be non-homogeneous, thus typically resulting in a non-homogenous magnetic field within the zone of measurement.
Some current solutions for creating a homogenous and/or stable magnetic field within a zone of measurement using a permanent magnet can include adding additional elements to an imaging device (e.g., coils) and/or increasing the size of the permanent magnets. One difficulty with current solutions is that as the number of elements in a magnetic measurement device increases and/or the size of the permanent magnets increases, the weight, size and/or cost of the device can increase.
Another difficulty with current solutions is that a magnetic measurement device that is heavy can cause a lack of mobility. For example, for magnetic measurement devices in a hospital setting (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices), a heavy and/or large device can prevent hospital personnel from moving an MRI. This can cause further difficulties, when imaging patients that can be hard to move (e.g., patients that are hooked up to multiple life support and/or monitoring equipment).
In another example, for magnetic measurement devices in an industrial setting (e.g., nuclear magnetic measurement (NMR) devices that measure properties of fluids and/or drilling muds in oil production facilities), a heavy and/or large device can prevent personnel from measuring the fluids/muds at various locations in the processes.
Therefore it can be desirable to achieve a desired magnetic field strength, having sufficient homogeneity and/or stability, and/or reducing a total weight of a magnetic measurement system. | {
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This invention relates generally to a process for preparing water-soluble cationic polymers from non-ionic acrylamide monomers, dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate quaternary cationic monomers, and a waste stream which is produced as a result of the transesterification reaction used to produce the cationic monomer. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of an azeotropic waste stream which is generated and removed during the transesterification reaction between a dialkylamino alcohol and an acrylate, which is the primary step in the preparation of the cationic monomers.
Cationic water-soluble polymers containing dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate quaternaries are well-known. Such polymers have found a wide variety of uses, for example as flocculants in the mining and paper industries and especially in sewage treatment for sludge dewatering. In view of the large quantities of these polymers used in each of these applications, there is a continuing need to develop more efficient polymer compositions and methods of preparing them.
Furthermore, the use of both the quaternized and unquaternized compounds in other applications, i.e. paints, textiles, and sizes, is growing rapidly. As such, the amount of azeotropic waste stream being produced is increasing and there is an increasing need to develop uses for it. The present invention, which resulted from research to develop improved cationic polymers, provides a new and valuable commercial use for the waste stream.
The present invention is based upon replacing a portion of the non-ionic acrylamide content of a cationic polymer with a waste stream which has been azeotropically stripped off during and after a transesterification reaction which has been used to prepare the cationic monomer. The cationic monomers useful in the present invention and from which the waste stream is produced include those of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.1 is lower alkylene, and R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 are each lower alkyl groups as defined further below. These monomers are conventionally prepared by a transesterification reaction between an excess of a lower acrylate or methacrylate of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sup.5 is lower alkyl, and a dialkylamino alcohol of the formula: ##STR3## in the presence of catalysts such as metal alkyls, metal alkoxides or organic quaternaries, followed by a quaternization reaction with such as methyl chloride or dimethyl sulfate. Some recent patents related to improving the transesterification process include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,784,566, 4,074,062, 4,202,990, 4,281,175, 4,301,297, and 4,543,422. In the reaction, the alcohol R.sup.5 OH is formed as a byproduct and it is removed, along with excess starting acrylate or methacrylate and substantial amounts of unquaternized dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate, trace amounts of acrylic or methacrylic acid, and some dialkylamino alcohol starting material, generally as an azeotrope by vacuum distillation and generally in the presence of polymerization retarders/inhibitors. Some recent disclosures relating to the distillation include such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,959,358 and 4,369,097. This distillation is generally performed at high efficiency and with a high reflux ratio, i.e. 2 to 10 or more. The only present uses for the azeotropic waste stream are either (i) to separate out the R.sup.5 alcohol by a further distillation to recover a stream containing about 90% methyl acrylate or methacrylate which can then be recycled in small amounts (along with other associated by-products, i.e. the other 10%) into subsequent transesterfication reactions or (ii) to burn the stream for its fuel value. Waste stream recycling is normally kept to a minimum in order to avoid a build-up of adverse by-products.
To complete the preparation of the cationic monomer, the transesterified material is then quaternized with such as methyl chloride or dimethyl sulfate, generally in the presence of solvents, such as water or ketones, and/or catalysts. Some recent patents directed to the quaternization reaction include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,948,979, 4,169,208, 4,180,519, 4,362,890 and 4,520,210. The quaternized cationic monomer is then cleaned up to produce the very high purity monomer which is needed for polymerizations. Some recent patents dealing with post-treatment purifications include U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,827 and Jap. Kokai Patent No. SHO 60 (1985)-48955.
The presently commercially utilized cationic monomers have a purity of at least 99.5 percent though generally the purity is 99.8 percent or higher.
It is thus apparent that although the art is aware that cationic monomers must be highly pure to be reproducibly polymerized and, therefore, expensive and time-consuming purification steps are needed in preparing the cationic monomers, there has been no attempt heretofore to develop a practical use for either of the primary waste streams which result from the purification steps.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to incorporate, into a polymerizable mixture, a minor amount of a waste stream which is produced by azeotropic stripping during and after a transesterification cationic-monomer-forming reaction, to produce water-soluble cationic polymers having substantially lower raw material costs but at least equivalent polymerization and performance profiles to conventionally prepared polymers.
It is a further object to utilize the azeotropic waste stream in water-in-oil emulsion polymerizations to produce particles of water-soluble polymers which, when used in dewatering-type applications exhibit superior performance.
These and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a modified polyphenylene ether resin, a method of making the same and a resin composition.
Description of Related Art
In recent years, with the rapid development of electronics industry, electronic devices tend to become small, thin, light-weight, of high assembly density and high functionality, demanding the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing technology to develop toward high density wiring and multilayer configuration. Development of high density wiring of PCB enables a board to have finer patterns, miniature apertures and narrow wire spacing, and requirements for copper clad laminates (CCLs) mainly reflect on the aspects of high reliability, high humidity and heat resistance, low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, high dimensional stability, and the like. Therefore, there is a need to find a high-performance novel printed circuit board (PCB) material of excellent dielectric properties. Polyphenylene ether (PPE) has the advantages of low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and other prominent advantages, making it an ideal material for use in current high-frequency PCBs.
However, polyphenylene ether is a thermoplastic resin; when the temperature is above 210° C., it is easy to deform and difficult to bear welding operation of the printed circuit board above 260° C.; it has poor resistance to organic solvent (e.g. chloro-aliphatic hydrocarbons or aromatic hydrocarbons); in a manufacturing process of the printed circuit board, polyphenylene ether tends to dissolve when chloro-aliphatic hydrocarbons are used for cleaning, which causes deformation of the circuit board and weak wire attachment or fall-off. These limit its application scope, so it is necessary to modify the thermosetting property of polyphenylene ether.
Moreover, if the molecular weight of PPE is too high, the viscosity increases, the melt flowability is low and molding process is difficult; if the molecular weight of PPE resin is too low, especially when the number average molecular weight Mn<3000, the heat resistance and electrical properties are poor.
Therefore, in this field there still needs a polyphenylene ether resin of good heat resistance, good dimensional stability and dielectric properties. | {
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the combined or associated administration of adapalene and of benzoyl peroxide for reducing the number of acne lesions. 6-[3-(1-Adamantyl)-4-methoxyphenyl]-2-naphthoic acid (referred to hereinbelow as adapalene) is a naphthoic acid derivative with retinoid and anti-inflammatory properties. This molecule was developed for the topical treatment of common acne and of dermatoses sensitive to retinoids.
2. Description of Background and/or Related and/or Prior Art
Adapalene is marketed under the trademark Differin® at a weight concentration of 0.1%, in the form of an “alcoholic lotion” solution, an aqueous gel and a cream. These compositions are useful for treating acne. FR 2,837,101 describes adapalene compositions at a weight concentration of 0.3%, for treating acne.
WO 03/055 472 moreover describes stable pharmaceutical compositions comprising adapalene and benzoyl peroxide (BPO).
An article by Korkut and Piskin, J. Dermatology, 2005, 32: 169-173, reports the results of a study comparing a treatment combining application of adapalene in the evening and application of BPO in the morning, relative to an application of each of the active principles alone. The authors do not observe any superiority of the combined treatment over a period of 11 weeks of treatment. | {
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This invention concerns a method and a system for processing value documents.
Before value documents are processed with a value-document processing apparatus they are usually prepared for the impending processing. The preparation of the value documents involves in particular capturing data or information of the deposit and making it available for the processing by the value-document processing machine. The data can comprise particulars about the depositor, an account number, the quantity and the value of the value documents forming the deposit, a unique transaction number, etc. In addition, the prepared value documents are inserted into containers that allow an automatic feed of the value documents to the value-document processing apparatus. For feeding the value documents to the value-document processing apparatuses there are employed e.g. containers that are open on one side and into which one or more value-document stacks of loose value documents are inserted, which stand on their longitudinal edges in the respective container.
The value documents can belong to different deposits which are respectively associated with a certain person, an account, an accounting unit, etc. The value documents of the deposits are usually bank notes, but can also comprise checks, vouchers or other value documents.
To enable uninterrupted processing by the value-document processing apparatus, the deposits are mutually separated by header cards or separation cards which are added between different deposits. The value-document processing apparatus recognizes said header cards or separation cards and thus also the start of each new deposit. The header cards have information on the deposit following after the respective header card. Said information is read by the value-document processing apparatus, so that the latter can associate value documents with the deposit to which they belong. If a plurality of containers are required for an extensive deposit, the order in which said containers are fed to the value-document processing apparatus must be heeded. | {
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This invention relates to a portable communication device, such as a cellular phone, a portable digital assistance (PDA) device, and, in particular, to the cellular phone which can transmit or receive a voice signal through a radio channel.
Heretofore, a wide variety of cellular phones have been manufactured and sold which may be classified into comparatively old-fashioned cellular phones and modern ones. The old-fashioned cellular phones have only a function of talking to another subscriber or a called person in a voice through a radio channel and, in this connection, may register phone or directory numbers of called person or persons alone in a memory.
On the other hand, modern cellular phones can usually have personal e-mail addresses and can practically transfer e-mails by the use of the mail addresses when users make contracts with service providers. Under the circumstances, each modern cellular phone can generally register not only directory numbers but also e-mail addresses assigned to each user and called persons in its memory. In consequence, an amount of data registered in each cellular phone tends to increase more and more with time.
As to such a technology related to a cellular phone, disclosure has been made, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications (JP-A) Nos. Hei 6-205096 (namely, 205096/1994; Reference 1), Hei 7-15549 (namely, 15549/1995; Reference 2), Hei 10-326397 (namely, 326397/1998; Reference 3), Hei 11-46163 (namely, 46163/1999; Reference 4), and 2000-165574 (Reference 5). Herein, References 1 through 5 are titled “A telephone set having a function of automatically registering a directory number”, “A communication terminal”, “An emergency telephone device with a function of memorizing a reporting history”,“A digital cellular phone device”, and “A facsimile device having a message recording function executed by directory number information”, respectively.
However, a teaching of each of References 1 to 5 is made neither about a cellular phone nor about registering both a directory number and e-mail address in the cellular phone. For example, although Reference 4 discloses a cellular digital phone which enables data communication in the absence of a voice signal, consideration is given neither to registering received directory numbers nor to registering e-mail addresses.
Under the circumstances, when a directory number is received from the other party by a cellular phone through the use of a calling line identification presentation service, the cellular phone requires manual operation so as to register or input the directory number each time on reception of the directory number.
On the other hand, when e-mail is received from the other party by such a cellular phone, the e-mail address of the other party is generally attached to the received e-mail. Therefore, it is possible to register a received e-mail address at the user's cellular phone once the e-mail is received from the other party. However, a user of the cellular phone must carry out a manual operation so as to register the other party's e-mail address.
In addition, it is a recent trend that each user has a plurality of directory numbers and a plurality of e-mail addresses as cellular phones and the Internet become popular. However, no consideration at all is given to registering the plurality of directory numbers and e-mail addresses in the cellular phone. This applies to a portable digital assistance (PDA) device also. | {
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There is a need for an effective and economical means for making rotary wing aircraft rod ends for helicopter applications and use. There is a need for economically feasible rotary wing aircraft rod ends with precooked orientations. There is a need for a robust system and method of making a vehicle rod end with a precooked orientation. | {
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This invention relates to an improved dielectric ceramic composition of the X7R variety, and more particularly to an improved such composition which is capable of exhibiting a dielectric constant (K') of greater than 5,000. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an improved ceramic capacitor made from such material.
The art relating to the production of ceramic dielectric compositions for use in producing monolythic ceramic capacitors is extremely highly developed. One reason for such a plethora of prior art is that, with even the slightest apparent variations in the components or ratios of components in a dielectric composition, the resultant changes in the characteristics of a ceramic capacitor are often new and unexpected. In connection with the invention described hereinafter, it has been discovered that the dielectric constant of a barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3) based material can be increased substantially, and surprisingly, by utilizing a novel ternary system.
At the outset, it should be noted that the prior art has disclosed various temperature-stable barium titanate compositions which are claimed to produce a dielectric constant in the range of 3000 to 4700. U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,305, for example, suggests that a barium titanate mixture containing cobalt oxide and niobium pentoxide, can produce multi-layer ceramic capacitors which meet the X7R rating of the U.S. Electronics Industries Association (EIA) Standard--i.e., its temperature coefficient of dielectric constant (K') varies no more than about .+-.15% from the reference value at 25.degree. C. over a temperature range of -55.degree. C. to 125.degree. C.
However, the compositions disclosed in the above-noted patent yielded either lower than desired insulation resistance values, or higher dissipation factors than desired for most commercial applications.
Compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,430 which issued a short time before the 4,882,305 patent, also disclosed temperature-stable barium titanate compositions which exhibit dissipation factors below about 1.8%, and insulation resistance values above about 10,000 ohm-farads at 25.degree. C., and 1,000 ohm-farads at 125.degree. C. The problem with these compositions, however, is that their dielectric constants are reduced to about 4,000 whenever the X7R temperature characteristic is achieved.
Further refinements of these compositions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,108, which suggests that even greater dielectric constants can be achieved by improving the homogeneity of the dopant distribution in the barium titanate composition. Although this latter patent suggests that dielectric constants in excess of 4900 can be achieved, the process for producing the composition appears to be very impractical. Removal of undesirable chlorides is difficult at best, and expensive washing and pollution control steps would become necessary to commercialize such a process.
The homogeneity theory advanced in the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,108, conflicts with the conclusions reached by Hennings and Rosentein (Temperature-Stable Dielectric based On Chemically Inhomgeneous BaTiO.sub.3, Apr., 1984, Vol. 67, No. 4 of Journal of the American Ceramic Society), who concluded from tests that they conducted that X7R--type dielectric ceramics owe their TC characteristics, not only to small grain size, but to the nature of the chemically inhomogeneous materials that are employed. In his article entitled Barium Titanate Based Ceramic Materials For Dielectric Use, Int. J. High Technology Ceramics 3, pp. 91-110, 1987 Elservier Applied Science Publishers Ltd., England, Hennings recognized that an increase in the dielectric constant of barium titanate compositions can be associated with a decrease in grain size, and again noted that high dielectric constant, temperature-stable materials exhibit chemically heterogeneous grains, rather than homogeneous grains. However, as will be noted hereinafter, none of the foregoing prior art teachings suggests the novel ternary system disclosed hereinafter, and the unexpectantly high dielectric constant which is achieved by such a composition.
The closest prior art known to the applicant appears to be that of a Soviet publication entitled BaTiO.sub.3 -Based Solid solution of Niobates And Tantalates Of Transition Metals, Soviet Phys. Solid State 2, 66 (1960), translated from Fizika Tverdogo Tela Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 73-79, Jan., 1960. This article discloses or suggests the use of solid solutions composed of barium titanate and metaniobates, pyroniobates, and tantalates of Mn, Ni, and Co to produce very high dielectric constant, non-temperature stable materials. However, conventionally calcined barium titanate was employed with the various stoicheometric niobates and tantalates, thus producing bodies which would not be acceptable for use as X7R dielectrics. Moreover, the Soviet article discusses only two component systems--i.e., barium titanate and a single niobate. (See FIGS. 1-4 of the Soviet publication). No. attempt is made to either incorporate non-stoicheometric niobates or tantalates, or combinations thereof, as is the case with the novel ternary system disclosed herein.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved, inexpensively processed dielectric ceramic composition which qualifies as an X7R type dielectric, and which is capable of resulting in dielectric constants substantially greater than 5000.
Still another object of this invention is to produce an improved dielectric ceramic composition utilizing normal processing steps on a novel barium titanate based ternary system.
A further object of this invention is to produce improved multi-layer capacitors from the novel composition disclosed herein.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with accompany drawing. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of plant husbandry devices and systems, more particularly to the field of self watering plant containers.
2. Background of the Invention
A traditional plant container (alternatively referred to as a pot) typically comes as two parts, the pot itself and a separate saucer. The two piece construction presents certain difficulties in use. Specifically, the two pieces are handled as separate items. If it is desired to move a plant, the pot and saucer are moved separately, i.e., if both hands are necessary to carry the plant, the saucer is carried on a separate trip. If one hand may carry the pot, the other hand carries the saucer, preventing the other hand from carrying another plant. Thus, if many plants must be moved, the separate saucer multiplies the work.
In another aspect, the pot is usually watered from the top, saturating the top of the soil. For some plants and soils, this encourages insects and molds. Watering through the bottom has a further advantage in promoting root growth. To water a plant in the saucer, the water must be directed to a narrow space between the pot and saucer—difficult to accomplish if watering from a pail. A spigot is typically required to reach the saucer. The saucer being located below the plant offers further difficulties in directing the water to the saucer.
Specialized plant pots have been developed to address some of these issues. In one approach, the saucer is attached to the pot. Attached saucers often fit too close for bottom watering. In one approach a port or opening is provided at the bottom of the pot to allow filling the saucer. Again the location at the bottom of the pot and the side watering require special watering apparatus and dexterity. When carrying pots with attached saucers, a slight tilt in the assembly will typically spill water out of the saucer, necessitating careful handling.
In another approach, a series of self watering pots may have an enclosed space for water to be displaced by air as the water is used. These pots must be carefully sealed and require individual attention to remove air tight caps to add water. Because the pots must be air tight, disassembly for cleaning is difficult or not feasible.
Therefore there is a need for a plant pot with a water reservoir to extend the time between watering, a plant pot that allows watering without saturating the surface of the soil and that can be carried conveniently as a single assembly. | {
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FIG. 1 shows a pulse noise average value measuring and display device which is used in a conventional field intensity measuring instrument or field intensity meter. An input signal from an input terminal 11 is adjusted by a variable attenuator 12 to a proper level and is then supplied to a frequency converter 13. The frequency converter 13 is supplied with a local signal from a local oscillator 14, and the input signal converted by the frequency converter 13 to an intermediate frequency is amplified by an intermediate-frequency amplifier 15. By a suitable selection of the frequency of the local signal from the local oscillator 14, an input signal of a desired frequency can be obtained as the output of the intermediate-frequency amplifier 15. From the output of the intermediate-frequency amplifier 15 is extracted by a band-pass filter 16 a specified frequency component (9 kHz or 120 kHz) according to the rules of the Comite International Special des Perturbations Radioelectriques (CISPR), and the output of the band-pass filter 16 is provided to a linear detector (or envelope detector) 17, wherein its peak value is detected, and the detected output is integrated by an integrating circuit 18. The integrated output is amplified by an amplifier 19 and its level is displayed on a display 21.
When such impulsive noises 22 as shown in FIG. 2A are provided as input signals to the input terminal 11, the linear detector 17 yields an impulse 23 corresponding to the waveform of each impulsive noise at one polarity side as shown in FIG. 2B. Such impulses are averaged by the integrating circuit 18 as depicted in FIG. 2C. That is, the area of the impulse 23 and the area of that portion of the integrated output above the zero level become equal to each other in FIG. 2A-2D.
In the case where the pulse width is remarkably small and the pulse interval T.sub.1 is long relative to the peak value of the impulsive noise 22, the level of the integrated output becomes very low. For instance, when the pass frequency of the band-pass filter 16 is 120 kHz, the smallest pulse width W.sub.1 of the pulse 23 available from the linear detector 17 is 0.9 .mu.S (1/120 kHz). If the repetition frequency of the impulsive noise 22 is 100 kHz, the output of the integrating circuit 18, that is, the average value of the pulse 23, becomes 90 .mu.V, even if the peak value V.sub.p1 of the pulse 23 is 1 V. Thus the level difference between the peak value of the pulse 23 and the integrated output is as large as 81 dB.
As mentioned above, when the impulsive noise 22 is very short and its period of generation T.sub.1 is long, the output level of the integrating circuit 18 drops very low, sometimes, close to or below the noise level. If the attenuation of the variable attenuator 12 is set small so as to avoid such a situation, the frequency converter 13 and the intermediate-frequency amplifier 15 are supplied with pulse signals of large peak values and become saturated, providing waveform distortions. For these reasons, it has been impossible to accurately measure the average value of pulse signals of extremely long pulse intervals.
The integrating circuit 18 performs integration through use of a CR circuit. To remove ripples from the integrated output and hence sufficiently smooth it, the CR time constant for the integration needs to be selected sufficiently larger, for example, about 100 times larger than the interval T.sub.1 of the impulsive noise 22. Since the interval T.sub.1 is 1 sec or so in some cases, the above-mentioned time constant is usually set to approximately 100 sec. This poses another problem that a large amount of time is needed to obtain accurate measured values.
The prior art uses a spectrum analyzer to measure the frequency components of impulsive noises. The conventional spectrum analyzer is shown in FIG. 3. The input signal from the input terminal 11 is adjusted by the variable attenuator 12 to a proper level and is then applied to the frequency converter 13. The frequency converter 13 is supplied with a local signal from the local oscillator 14 as well. The oscillation frequency of the local oscillator 14 is swept by a ramp signal from a ramp signal generator 24. Consequently, the frequency of the received input is swept. The intermediate-frequency amplifier 15 is capable of varying its pass frequency and gain and is provided with a pass frequency varying part 15a and a gain varying part 15b. The output of the amplifier 15 is detected by the linear detector 17, the detected output of which is periodically sampled by an A-D converter 24 and each sample value is converted to a digital signal. The digital signal is written into an image memory 26. When data of one frame of a display 27 is stored in the image memory 26, the display 27 reads out the stored contents of the image memory 26 and displays them as an image. The attenuation of the variable attenuator 12, the passing frequency and gain of the intermediate-frequency amplifier 15, the operation of the ramp signal generator 24, the operation of the A-D converter 25 and the operation of the display 27 are placed under the control of a control circuit 28 equipped with a CPU. Various parameters for measurements can be entered and set in the control circuit 28 through a keyboard 29.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the frequencies and levels of received input signals are displayed as waveforms on a display screen 27a of the display 27 with the abscissa representing frequency and the ordinate level. In the case of observing temporal variations of one of the input signals, for example, a signal which seems to be an impulsive noise, the sweeping of the local oscillator 14 is stopped and its oscillation frequency is set to a value corresponding to the frequency component desired to observe, that is, the signal is received in what is called a zero span mode. In this instance, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, the input signal waveform is displayed on the screen 27 of the display 27 with the abscissa representing time. In the prior art, however, the spectrum analyzer is not equipped with a function for obtaining the average value of impulsive noises.
An object of the present invention is to provide an average value measuring device capable of measuring the average value of pulse signals with accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an average value measuring device capable of measuring the average value of pulse signals or the like accurately and rapidly. | {
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The invention relates to an expandable table. More particularly, the invention relates to a table with a circular tabletop, which is capable of expanding for the insertion of leaves to thereby provide a larger, circular, even tabletop surface.
Selection of a dining room table is often a tradeoff between maximizing seating capacity and minimizing the floor space that the table occupies when not in use. For this reason, rectangular dining room tables have been made expandable for centuries. Generally, a rectangular dining table will slide apart from its middle, and allow one or more "leaves" to be inserted therein--resulting in a longer table. After use, the leaves are removed and the table is retracted to a smaller, storage size.
Although a circular table is desirable choice by many, it has the limitation in that it is fixed in size. There have been attempts, but no one has produced a way to effectively, neatly, and reliably expand a round table in order to increase its seating capacity. Thus, one must carefully choose a table by first determining whether it should be suited for seating four, six, or eight people.
Some others have conceived of table constructions which attempt to provide round expandable surfaces. Among these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 254,388 to Schultz; 340,176 to Wardwelt Jr.; 351,101 to Fauber; 838,671 to Turner; 1,384,925 to Seiler; 3,683,825 to Sheldon; 4,782,764 to Robinson; and 4,809,619 to Piretti. Many of these tables employ overlapping leaves which "fan" outward like a camera iris, clearly resulting in a uneven table surface. Others provide mechanisms which would be cumbersome to use, impractical or expensive to construct, or would likely fail after just a few uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,937 to Peltier shows an expansible table which employs a separate radial guide track and arcuate activating means. Because separate means are provided for causing the sectors to move radially outward and to guide the sectors outward in a straight, radial line, the design is limited in reliability, sturdiness, and the ability to be constructed with more than four sectors. Furthermore, the construction of the guide tracks using vertically overlapping pairs of guide members ensures that the tabletop will be, at best, unevenly supported.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter. | {
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The present invention relates to improvements in electric storage batteries of the type comprising a container of a generally upright form having a square or rectangular shape in plan and closed at the top by a cover through which connecting terminals extend.
The improvements constituting the subject of the present invention are especially directed to electric storage batteries of the lead-acid type, especially used as starting batteries for engines.
In the batteries of the type indicated, the container is subdivided internally into two or more cells, each of which houses alternating positive and negative electrodes and intermediate separators which can be constituted by microfibers of an inorganic type that form a type of fabric of variable thicknesses, or also by sintered compound such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride. These separators can also consist of polyethylene laminas, cellulose paste, etc.
The storage cells basically contain electrolyte which can be completely absorbed into the separators or can remain in a free state.
The current-conducting elements which form the plates or electrodes can be constituted by a base of pure lead or of alloys of lead-calcium-tin, lead-antimony-tin or any othe material which can supply a strong, self-supporting electrode which is easy to handle and paste.
As a result of the configuration of the battery container and of its weight due to the elements housed in its interior, namely, the lead electrodes and the liquid electrolyte, it is difficult to handle a battery for which reason the battery is frequently provided with handles generally located at the sides of the container. This position of the handles makes it difficult to place the batteries side by side during storage and/or transport.
On the other hand, conventional batteries have no protective means for the connection terminals. For this reason it is dangerous to stack batteries during storage and/or transport since there is a risk of damaging the terminals of the lower stacked batteries.
Another problem presented by batteries of the type indicated derives from the location or position of their connection terminals. Depending upon the structure or design of the automobile, batteries must be mounted sometimes with the positive terminal on the right and at other times with it on the left. This means that batteries must be available with covers in two different versions. | {
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Carnation plant, botanically known as Dianthus caryophyllus, grown commercially as a potted and garden plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Hilpure’.
The new Carnation plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Carnation plants that have uniform plant habit and numerous large and attractive flowers.
The new Carnation plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in June, 2008 of a proprietary selection of Dianthus caryophyllus identified as code number A76063-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Dianthus caryophyllus identified as code number A56040-01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Carnation plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in September, 2009.
Asexual reproduction of the new Carnation plant by terminal cuttings propagated in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since October, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Carnation plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. | {
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Mobile device users may have a range of customer service needs. Some of these customer service needs may be related to the mobile device itself. For example, mobile device users may need help with device activation, technical questions, wireless service plan features, wireless service plan updates, billing questions, etc. Mobile device users may also have customer service and other needs that are not directly associated with their wireless service device (e.g., banking, emergency medical assistance, roadside assistance, etc.).
Many service providers offer telephone help lines and similar customer service features that users may access via a telephone. In addition, some Internet web sites offer customer service help via customer chat rooms or the like. While some mobile devices may have access to Internet sites including those providing customer assistance via chat rooms or the like, accessing such customer service web sites may be difficult from a mobile device, due to the compact nature of the devices themselves. Instead, customers often resort to calling customer help lines and other voice-based service features and are faced with long waiting times and other inconveniences, due to the associated inefficiencies. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnetic erasing head, and more particularly to a magnetic erasing head suitable for a magnetic recording medium having high coercive force.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A magnetic recording tape having high coercive force is required for high-density magnetic recording. At the present, an AC magnetic erasing head made of ferrite is usually used for erasing signals recorded on the magnetic recording tape. However, there are such problems in the use of the conventional AC magnetic erasing head that it cannot sufficiently erase the recorded signals from the magnetic recording tape, and that much power should be consumed for erasing the recorded signals by it.
For example, FIG. 1 shows schematically a conventional magentic erasing head 1 of the semi-double gap type, and FIG. 2 shows schematically another conventional magnetic erasing head 2 of the double gap type. The magnetic erasing heads 1 and 2 are made of ferrite. The front surfaces of the magnetic erasing heads 1 and 2 to be contacted with the magnetic recording tape are further worked or polished. However, the front surfaces of the magnetic erasing heads 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are not yet worked or polished.
The magnetic erasing head 1 of FIG. 1 includes two core elements 3a and 3b made of ferrite. Two front gaps 5 and 6 are formed between the core elements 3a and 3b. The core elements 3a and 3b are set to each other, for example, by resin material R such as epoxy resin. An erasing coil 9 is wound on the central portion of the one core element 3a.
The other magnetic erasing head 2 of FIG. 2 includes three core elements 4a, 4b and 4c constituting the so-called "E-shape" type, made of ferrite. The core elements 4a, 4b and 4c are integrally formed with each other. Two front gaps 7 and 8 are formed between the side core elements 4a, 4c and the central core element 4b in the magnetic erasing head 2. An erasing coil 10 is would on the central core element 4b.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the depth of the pole faces of the core elements 3a, 4a and 4c is usually about 300.mu.. However, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 do not show the actual size relationships between the parts for facilitation of the understanding. For example, the ratio of the length of the front gap to the depth of the pole face is 1/2.
When the erasing coils 9 and 10 are energized with AC power, alternating magnetic fluxes are generated in the front gaps 5, 6, 7 and 8. The recorded signals on the magnetic recording tape are erased by the alternating magnetic fluxes of the gaps 5, 6, 7 and 8. The magnetic fluxes are concentrated in the gaps 5, 6, 7 and 8. The magnetic flux densities are higher in the gaps 5, 6, 7 and 8. Particularly, when the recorded signals are erased from the magnetic recording tape having high coercive force by the magnetic erasing head 1 or 2, the magnetic flux density becomes extremely high in the gaps 5 and 6, or 7 and 8. Generally, the saturation magnetic flux density of ferrite material is low. Accordingly, the core elements 3a, 4a and 4c are liable to be saturated with the magnetic fluxes particularly at the edge portions. In the saturation, the amounts of the magnetic fluxes from the core elements 3a, 4a and 4c are supressed, and much electric power is consumed in vain. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device; and, more particularly, to a method for forming a capacitor dielectric having a zirconium oxide layer and a tantalum oxide layer, and a method for manufacturing a capacitor using the capacitor dielectric.
A stacked structure of hafnium oxide (HfO2)/aluminum oxide (Al2O3)/hafnium oxide is conventionally used as a capacitor dielectric in a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor for enhancing capacitance and minimizing leakage current. Hafnium oxide is a high-dielectric-constant material with a crystalline phase, and aluminum oxide is a low-dielectric-constant material with an amorphous phase.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional capacitor structure. The conventional capacitor includes a lower electrode 11, a capacitor dielectric 12 having a stacked structure of HfO2/Al2O3/HfO2 disposed on the lower electrode 11, and an upper electrode 13 disposed on the capacitor dielectric 12.
Hafnium oxide increases the dielectric constant in the capacitor dielectric 12. However, the leakage current performance characteristic deteriorates when hafnium oxide crystallizes. Thus, the hafnium oxide should be cautiously crystallized in the conventional capacitor structure to achieve a favorable leakage current performance characteristic.
Furthermore, an amount by which the capacitance may be increased may be limited when using hafnium oxide for the capacitor dielectric. Hence, applying hafnium oxide to the capacitor dielectric is difficult when the design rule of the capacitor is reduced. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This is an improvement in the process for separation of soap from soapstock. The process overcomes problems with an intractable emulsion that occurs between acidulated fatty acids and water by treatment of the soapstock with both an acid and a monohydric alcohol or mixture of monohydric alcohols. The reaction is unique in that it allows the quantitative recovery of fatty acids from soapstock with the addition of monohydric alcohols and stoichiometric addition of acid. Large excesses of acid are required for acidulation without the addition of monohydric alcohols. The process aqueous by-product stream is recovered by ultrafiltration, electrolysis and ion exchange chromatography to minimize process waste and recover value-added products streams from the soapstock by-product water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Crude glyceride oils such as soybean and canola oil contain free fatty acids and other impurities. Contacting the crude oil with aqueous alkali in a batch or continuous process refines such crude oil. The alkali reacts with the free fatty acids to form soap that may be separated from the oil by settling or centrifugation. The separated soap material is referred to as soapstock that is a lipid-rich byproduct of vegetable oil refining. It contains substantial amounts of glyceride, phosphoglyceride and free fatty acid, the latter as their sodium or, less commonly, potassium salts. From soybean, the predominant source of edible oil in the United States, soapstock is generated at a rate of about 6% of the volume of crude oil produced (Anonymous, Soya Bluebook Plus, Soyatech, Inc., Bar Harbor, Me., 1995, p. 262.), amounting to as much as approximately one billion pounds of soapstock annually. Its price can be as low as one-tenth that of refined vegetable oil. Where possible, recovery of value from soapstock is achieved by adding a mineral acid to the soapstock to separate lipids from the water, sodium and other contaminants.
When allowed to settle acidified soapstock separates into 3 layers. The top layer is the desired fatty acid rich lipid product. The middle layer is an emulsified material containing lipid, salts and water and the bottom layer contains primarily salt water and dissolved organic compounds. While the top layer has considerable value as a source of lipids the other layers provide little or no economic return. The emulsion layer produced from splitting soapstock can detrimentally affect the recovery of the oil product. Johansen et al. (Journal of the American Oil Chemist""s Society Vol. 73, pp. 1275-1286) extracted six soapstock samples by sequentially adding sulfuric acid then centrifuging the samples at 8,000-x gravity and measured the volume of the three layers. The emulsion layers varied from 0 to 56% of the total post acidulation sample volume. Four of the six samples produced 26 percent emulsion or greater. Their analysis further revealed that the middle emulsion layer entrained large amounts of lipids that hampered efficient separation of lipid and water layers. The difficulty of separating oil and water from acidulated soapstock also occurs in industrial separations. For example, Brister (U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,902) reacted 75,000 liters of soybean soapstock with sulfuric acid to obtain 28,000 kg of fatty sludge containing 17,000 kg of fatty acids. Brister recovered the fatty acids from the sludge by addition of antifoam and spray drying the entire sludge volume to reduce the water content to less than 3.5 percent. This method though effective required the evaporation of almost 10,000 kg of water, a process step requiring substantial amounts of energy.
Dowd (Journal of the American Oil Chemist""s Society Vol. 73 pp. 1287-1295) analyzed cottonseed soapstock and found that it contained a series of water-soluble compounds. Johansen et al. (Journal of the American Oil Chemist""s Society Vol. 73, pp. 1275-1286) reported between 2.5% and 15% dissolved solids in the acid water of acidulated soapstock. The dissolved solids certainly contained sulfuric acid and sodium sulfate as residual salts from acidulation but many potentially valuable soluble compounds were also identified. These compounds included glycerol and inositol phosphates as well as other carbohydrates. Johansen et al. further noted that potentially valuable phosphorylated carbohydrates were present in the acid water and that these compounds might be recovered by strong base ion exchange chromatography. However the presence of large amounts of sulfate ion in these preparations would certainly prohibit efficient recovery of these materials from soapstock using ion exchange chromatography.
Some methods for the production of esters of lower alcohols from soapstock have been reported (e.g. Canadian patent application 2,131,654). However, the adoption of these may be limited by their use of elevated temperatures and pressures, incomplete esterification of all fatty acids in the starting material, and/or relatively long incubation times. Haas et al (Haas, M. J., and K. M. Scott, Combined Nonenzymatic-Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Simple Alkyl Fatty Acid Esters from Soapstock, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 73:1393-1401 (1996)) described a two-step method for the production of biodiesel from soapstock. However, this method achieved esterification of only 81% of the total fatty acids, and involved the use of lipase catalysis. It is possible that the cost and operational requirements associated with enzymatic catalysis might retard adoption of the process.
Soapstock, a by-product of the oilseed processing industry, contains lipids, water and water-soluble organic materials. Although soapstock has a relatively low value it may be readily converted into more valuable products by addition of strong mineral acids in a process known as acidulation. The conventional process for acidulation and recovery of lipids from soapstock requires the addition of large excesses of acid at high temperatures to recover the fatty acid rich oil. In the conventional process a large volume of emulsion is formed that entrains lipids making them unavailable and the resulting emulsion has little commercial value in spite of its lipid content. The present invention discloses a unique process for total recovery of lipids from soapstock by acidulation in a solution containing a monohydric alcohol. The process occurs at lower temperatures than the conventional method and requires the addition of only enough acid to hydrolyse the soaps present in the soapstock. Once recovered, the lipids may be readily sold as acidulated soapstock or converted advantageously to alkyl esters of monohydric alcohols. Acid water produced by this extraction method has a lowered content of inorganic solutes and may be efficiently deionised by any of a number of commercial methods. The deionised by-product water may then be efficiently extracted to concentrate more valuable dissolved components. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Modern automobiles and other vehicles may include sophisticated on-board computer systems that monitor the status and operation of various components of the vehicle (for example, the vehicle engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, and/or other components of the vehicle). Many of these computer systems may also adjust or control one or more operating parameters of the vehicle in response to operator instructions, road or weather conditions, operating status of the vehicle, and/or other factors.
Various types of microcontroller or microprocessor-based controllers found in many conventional vehicles include supervisory control modules (SCMs), engine control modules (ECMs), controllers for various vehicle components (for example, anti-lock brakes, electronically-controlled transmissions, or other components), among other modules. Such controllers are typically implemented with any one of numerous types of processors that appropriately receive data from one or more sensors or other sources, process the data to create suitable output signals, and provide the output signals to control actuators, dashboard indicators and/or other data responders as appropriate. Such processors may include a main processor for performing these and other functions, and a sub-processor for monitoring the arithmetic logic unit and/or other aspects pertaining to the operation of the main processor.
The processors in a vehicle control system may be periodically or continuously validated for proper operation, often by another processor using a seed and key strategy. While such validation techniques generally perform quite well, in some circumstances the vehicle control system and specified security metrics may not allow for optimal performance of such techniques due, for example, to an increase in validation requirements and/or a decrease in the time and/or memory allotted for doing so. Also, the processors used to validate one another may have different sizes or other features, in which different implementations may be appropriate.
Accordingly, it is desirable to validate the processors more quickly to meet specified security metrics, to reduce memory utilized by such validation techniques, to tailor the validation techniques to the individual processor, and/or to provide improved validation. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The requirements for protection of a motor drive against electric shock are presented e.g. in the standards IEC 61140: “Protection against electric shock. Common aspects for installation and equipment.”; IEC 60364-4-41: “Low-voltage electrical installations—Part 4-41: Protection for safety—Protection against electric shock”; IEC 60204-1: “Electrical equipment of machine”; IEC 61800-5-1: “Adjustable Speed electrical power drive systems—Part 5-1: Safety requirements—Electrical, thermal and energy”.
According to standard EN 61140 a fundamental rule of protection against electric shock is that hazardous-live parts shall not be accessible and that accessible conductive parts shall not be hazardous live in normal circumstances or as a consequence of a single fault. For these reasons accessible conducting parts are normally earthed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new polythiols and their use in curing or hardening polyepoxide resins to produce hard, insoluble, infusible films, castings and adhesives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Polyglycidyl ethers, particularly those prepared from a dihydric phenol such as Bisphenol A, i.e., 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, and an epihalohydrin such as epichlorohydrin, also referred to as epoxy resins, epoxide resins, polyepoxide resins or polyepoxides are important commercial products. When cured, these thermosetting resins form insoluble, infusible films, pottings, castings, adhesives, and the like, and are markedly superior in their physical, chemical, and electrical properties to many other cured thermosetting resins. They exhibit low shrinkage during curing. The combination of hardness and toughness exhibited by the cured resins, their high adhesive strength, resistance to degradation by solvents and other chemicals and their electrical properties, such as dielectric constant and resistivity, are outstanding. At the same time, these properties can be varied within wide limits depending on the end use intended for the resin. Of the wide variety of hardeners, curing agents, or homopolymerization catalysts which have been used to cure polyepoxide resins, no one is suitable for all applications, and many have serious drawbacks no matter what the application.
Among the curing agents for epoxy resins are polythiols, generally used in combination with tertiary amines as catalyst or accelerator. See, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,459 --Le Fave et al, June 28, 1966 describing use of thiol terminated polyoxyalkylene glycols in combination with a tertiary amine accelerator and U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,173 --Carr, Dec. 4, 1979 describing a curing system for polyepoxide resins composed of polymercaptan and poly [(N,N-dimethylamino) alkyl]ethers as catalyst. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to power distribution, and more particularly, to a low impedance power distribution system for an integrated circuit chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electrical coupling of an integrated circuit such as a microprocessor to a power supply can be modeled as a resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) circuit. A series of conductive paths define a power supply loop circuit from a first terminal of the power supply to the integrated circuit and back from the integrated circuit to a second terminal of the power supply. The electrical characteristics of these conductors (e.g., resistance, capacitance and inductance) and their configuration define the AC impedance of the loop circuit.
A well designed power distribution system should provide a well-regulated supply voltage over a wide range of frequencies from a peak frequency, down through mid-frequencies, to very low frequencies characterized by sleep modes. Unfortunately, even well designed power distribution systems will exhibit an imperfect, i.e., non-uniform, AC impedance as a function of frequency. As high performance integrated circuits demand larger currents at higher frequencies with lower power supply voltages, power system design becomes increasingly more challenging. For example, next generation microprocessors will demand peak currents in excess of 100 A and reach operating frequencies of 1 GHz with power supply voltages below 2 V. At such current levels, surge currents and associated excitations of power distribution system resonances can result in significant power supply voltage excursions. Accordingly, reductions in the AC impedance of a power distribution system, particularly inductive components thereof, are desired.
A variety of techniques are available to improve the AC impedance characteristics of a power distribution system. One such technique involves the appropriate placement of decoupling structures/devices, e.g., capacitors, throughout the power distribution system. Others include chip layout with respect to power distribution, use of low inductance packaging technologies such as Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (C4) and Ball Grid Array (BGA) for delivery of supply voltages (VDD and VSS), BGA package design and layers, card layout and use of discrete capacitance placed thereon, connector selection and VDD/VSS allocations, regulator choice, and lastly the motherboard layout.
In a typical computer system xe2x80x9cSlot 1xe2x80x9d configuration, inductances are associated with the vias, traces, connectors, etc. of an integrated circuit carrier (or xe2x80x9cpackagexe2x80x9d), of a daughterboard card, and of a motherboard. At low frequencies (i.e., below approximately 100 KHz), impedance of the power supply loop circuit can be made arbitrarily low through the utilization of feedback voltage sensing at the power supply. At very high frequencies, the impedance of the power supply loop circuit can be lowered with the use of on-die capacitance to approximately (1/xcfx89C) where xcfx89 is the angular frequency (such that xcfx89=2xcfx80f) and C is the capacitance associated with the power supply loop circuit including the on-die capacitance. Unfortunately, in the mid-frequencies (e.g., from approximately 1 MHz to 100 MHz), the AC impedance of the power supply loop circuit is likely to exhibit resonances.
While the impedance at both high- and mid-frequencies can be managed through the use of decoupling capacitors placed strategically in the power supply loop circuit, two significant challenges exist. First, spatial limitations of an integrated circuit chip can limit the amount of capacitance provided on-die. Typically, only portions of the die that are free from device structures will be available for fabrication of on-die capacitors. High-frequency, high-current integrated circuits such as advanced microprocessors may require hundreds of nF of on-die capacitance. Such capacitance typically requires a significant die footprint, since with typical gate oxide thicknesses the capacitance is of the order of 10 nF per mm2. As a result, achieving such added capacitance can adversely affect die size and yield. Even worse, larger capacitances, e.g., xcexcF, will be required to manage mid-frequency resonances. Second, F although resonance peaks in the impedance at mid-frequencies can be lowered by off-chip decoupling capacitors, the inductive impedance of off-chip portions of the power supply loop circuit typically limits the efficacy of large off-chip capacitors. In general, the series inductance (Ls) from the switching circuits of the integrated circuit to the decoupling capacitance (Cp) should be low enough that the decoupling capacitance pathway resonance, 1 2 π C p L s ,
is in the range of mid-frequency resonances to be mitigated, e.g., 1-100 MHz. Accordingly, power distribution configurations are desired in which large, e.g., tens to thousands nF, can be placed off-chip but with low intervening inductance.
It has been discovered that providing an integrated circuit chip carrier with a power supply loop having first and second groups of carrier vias arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation advantageously reduces the inductance of a loop circuit associated with the first and second groups of carrier vias. By providing two large-numbered carrier via groups with complementary current flows in an anti-parallel tessellation, the inductance of an electrical pathway between an integrated circuit chip and decoupling capacitance can be greatly reduced. The reduction in the inductance of the electrical pathway allows large off-chip and off-package decoupling capacitance to be used to effectively manage mid-frequency resonances. For example, in one embodiment in accordance with the invention, the inductance of an electrical pathway from decoupling capacitance located on one side of a circuit board, through a circuit board, through a carrier, and to the integrated circuit is less than 60 pH.
In one aspect of the invention, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit carrier, a circuit board, and a loop circuit having a loop inductance. The integrated circuit carrier includes first and second power planes, first and second groups of carrier vias extending from the first and second power planes, respectively, substantially to a first side of the carrier, and third and fourth groups of carrier vias extending from the first and second power planes, respectively, substantially to a second side of the carrier. The circuit board includes first and second groups of circuit board vias extending substantially from a first side of the circuit board towards a second side of the circuit board. The loop circuit is defined from the first group of circuit board vias, through the third group of carrier vias, through the first power plane, through the first group of carrier vias to the first side of the circuit board and back through the second group of carrier vias, through the second power plane, through the fourth group of carrier vias, through the second group of circuit board vias. The carrier vias of the first and second groups are arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation, and the circuit board vias of the first and second groups are arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation.
In another aspect, the invention includes a method of providing a low inductance path through a carrier for an integrated circuit. The method includes positioning first and second power planes between first and second sides of an integrated circuit carrier. The method also includes positioning first and second groups of carrier vias extending from the first and second power planes, respectively, substantially to the first side in an anti-parallel tessellation to reduce a loop inductance associated with the first and second carrier vias for a loop circuit defined from a first group of electrically conductive structures on the second side though the first power plane, through the first group of carrier vias, back through the second group of carrier vias, through the second power plane to a second group of electrically conductive structures on the second side.
In yet another aspect, the invention includes a carrier for providing a low inductance path from an integrated circuit chip to a circuit board. The carrier includes first and second power planes and first and second groups of carrier vias extending from the first and second power planes, respectively, substantially to a first side of the carrier. The carrier also includes third and fourth groups of carrier vias extending from the first and second power planes, respectively, substantially to a second side of the carrier. The carrier has a loop inductance associated with a loop circuit defined from the second side through the third group of carrier vias, through the first power plane, through the first group of carrier vias to the first side and back through the second group of carrier vias, through the second power plane, and through the fourth group of carrier vias to the second side. The carrier vias of the first and second groups are arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation.
In still another aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip carrier includes first and second groups of carrier vias extending substantially from a first side of the carrier towards a second side of the carrier. The first and second groups of carrier vias are arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation at a first pitch. The carrier also includes first and second groups of electrically conductive structures on the second side arranged in an anti-parallel tessellation at a second pitch. The first group of carrier vias is electrically coupled to the first group of electrically conductive structures, and the second group of carrier vias is electrically coupled to the second group of electrically conductive structures.
Providing a low inductance electrical pathway from the circuit board to the integrated circuit chip also aids in reducing the inductance of a power supply loop circuit of the integrated circuit chip. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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An emergency stop cover with plug-in unit includes a lock cover and lock, a lock base having a lockstitch, a stop button, a locking tongue in front end of the lock inserted into a lockstitch for connecting the lock cover to the lock base when the emergency stop cover is in its locked position. Because plug-in units are not available for existing emergency stop covers, users of stop covers need another locking means to ensure that the emergency stop button will not open when the stop button is depressed.
In addition, many existing emergency stop buttons have a locking tongue in the front end of a shutter that projects out through the stop button. The stop cover opens by directly pushing the shutter at the time when it is not locked with a lock. As such, existing emergency stop covers are not convenient and safe to use. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to light-beam scanning systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical-beam scans are utilized in a number of applications. For example, two-dimensional, linear scans over an area are often required. These two-dimensional scans may be produced by deflecting a scanned beam in two dimensions (e.g., elevation and azimuth). Two-dimensional scans may also be generated by scanning a beam in one dimension, and then moving the entire beam-generating apparatus in the second dimension.
Most of the beam scans are performed in a continuously progressive, linear manner, in which the scanned beam is always active and is scanned in a continuous, linear pattern. However, for some applications a rastered scan is needed, in which the scanned beam is active only at specific points of a raster and not otherwise active. It may also be necessary that the beam does not follow a continuous, linear pattern. For example, in one type of a two-dimensional, 3×3 raster scan, a conventional continuous pattern would move the scanned beam linearly, for example from point (1,1) to point (1,2) to point (1,3) to point (2,1), etc. But it may be necessary in another specific application for the beam to scan nonlinearly, for example from point (2,1) to point (3,2) to point (1,2) to point (2,2), etc. and be active only when the beam is directed toward these points and not intermediately.
Although a discretely rastered, nonlinearly scanning apparatus may be possible using conventional technology, it would likely operate at a relatively slow rate. There is a need for a scanning apparatus that allows discrete rastered or nonrastered scanning in a nonlinear manner, at both slow and fast scanning rates. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process cartridge and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a configuration of a developing unit used to supply a developer to a latent image carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, image formation is performed by performing a charging process, an exposure process, a developing process, and a transfer process on a photosensitive element used as a latent image carrier.
A developing device including a developing sleeve which is opposed to the photosensitive element is used to supply a developer to the photosensitive element.
A two-component developer which is a mixture of toner and a carrier or a single-component developer which contains no carrier is used in the developing device; even when either one of the developers is used, the developer is carried on the surface of the developing sleeve in the developing device.
The developer carried on the developing sleeve as a developer carrier is maintained at a predetermined layer thickness on the surface of the developing sleeve, and comes in contact with the surface of the photosensitive element.
In the supply of the developer from the developing sleeve to the photosensitive element, there is known a configuration that the developing sleeve is placed to be opposed to the photosensitive element leaving a slight space between them, and the developer is sequentially supplied to the photosensitive element in accordance with the rotation of the developing sleeve, and at the same time, the toner contained in the developer is electrostatically transferred to an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive element by the application of a developing bias (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-282752).
On the other hand, a gear mounted on one end of a rotating shaft in an axial direction is used to drive the developing sleeve in most cases.
In the case where a gear used to drive the developing sleeve is mounted on one end of the rotating shaft in the axial direction, when a driving force acts, the acting force in a radial direction with respect to the rotating shaft differs between both ends of the rotating shaft in the axial direction, i.e., an end which is subject to the driving force and the other end which is not subject to the driving force. Therefore, in the case of a developing sleeve integrated with a rotating shaft mounting thereon a gear as described above, a gap between the developing sleeve and the opposed photosensitive element may vary along the axial direction. This means it becomes in a state where an axis line of the rotating shaft is distorted in the axial direction, and the position of the axis line of the developing sleeve with respect to the photosensitive element is misaligned, and as a result, the gap between the developing sleeve and the photosensitive element varies with location in the axial direction.
Consequently, to resolve such a problem, there has been proposed a configuration that the developing sleeve is pressed toward the shaft center of the photosensitive element thereby preventing a variation in the gap between the developing sleeve and the photosensitive element (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-282752).
In addition, as another configuration for preventing a variation in the gap, there has been proposed a configuration that a bearing for supporting the rotating shaft of the photosensitive element is made to have the same outer diameter as the photosensitive element, and a bearing for supporting the rotating shaft of the developing sleeve is made to have a larger outer diameter than that of the developing sleeve and is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the bearing of the photosensitive element by application of bias by an elastic body, such as a spring, thereby making a gap between the developing sleeve and the photosensitive element equal to a difference between the outer diameter of the bearing of the developing sleeve and the outer diameter of the bearing of the photosensitive element (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2878660).
Furthermore, as a configuration for equalizing the above-mentioned pressing/biasing force of the developing sleeve applied to the photosensitive element in any location in the axial direction, there has been proposed a configuration that the pressing/biasing force is adjusted so that a pull-out force of a film placed in the position at which the photosensitive element and the developing sleeve are opposed is set within a predetermined range (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-48018).
By the way, in recent years, for the purpose of parts recycling, devices built into an image forming apparatus are unitized, thereby improving the attachment and removal operability.
Also in the developing device described above, the attachment and removal operability is required for enabling reuse of the developing sleeve thereby achieving the price reduction; however, in conventional configurations, as for a rotating shaft of a developing sleeve, a configuration that the rotating shaft is inserted into a bearing attached to a unit thereby being supported by the bearing is frequently used, and the unit including the developing sleeve cannot be removed unless the unit is taken apart. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a cleaning member for removing condensation and ink wetness created on the ink discharge port surface of a recording head carried on an ink jet recording apparatus applicable to an apparatus using an ink jet recording apparatus as the output unit of an image display apparatus or an image forming apparatus, such as a coyping apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, an electronic desk top calculator, a typewriter, a printer as the output unit of a computer or the like, or a composite apparatus, and an ink jet recording apparatus provided with the cleaning member.
2. Related Background Art
As the main current of the ink jet recording system, mentioned may be made of the system using a piezo-electric element and the bubble jet system which is compact and can accomplish formation of liquid droplets well represented by Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-61985. These systems form a liquid droplet in comformity with a desired electrical signal, and causes the discharged liquid droplet to adhere to a recording medium spaced apart from the discharge port of an ink jet head to thereby accomplish printing or image formation.
In a recording apparatus to which this ink jet recording system is applied, it has sometimes happened that water content contained in ink and a recording medium is evaporated to make the atmosphere of the recording head highly humid and cause condensation to occur on a surface in which the ink discharge port of the recording head is formed, depending on conditions such as the temperature of the recording head and of its atmosphere.
It has also sometimes happened that droplets resulting from the rebound occurring when the discharged ink impacts a recording medium, or minute ink droplets other than the liquid droplets discharged from the discharge ports and the satellites thereof adhere to the discharge port surface (i.e., the surface of the head). When condensation thus occurs on the discharge port surface or minute ink, droplets adhere to the discharge port surface, it has sometimes happened that the original function of the apparatus is degraded and discharge from some discharge ports becomes difficult or the direction of discharge is changed. That is, when condensation or wetness occurs on the discharge port surface, waterdrops or the like adhere to the discharge port surface, and these adhering waterdrops or the like pull discharged ink non-uniformly when ink is discharged from the discharge ports. Thereby, irregularity of the direction of discharge and the speed of discharge of the ink and the diameter of ink droplets results, thus deteriorating the quality of recording. Also, the wetness of the discharge port surface makes paper powder, dust and the like likely to adhere to the discharge port surface. Therefore, these conditions adversely affect the direction of discharge of the ink or cause the discharge ports to be clogged, and this has sometimes become a cause of the deteriorated quality of recording. The phenomenon such as the above-described condensation or wetness has become more remarkable where a fixation heater is used to expedite the fixation of recorded images on a recording medium or where the dot duty of recorded images is high.
In order to solve this phenomenon, it has been conceived and proposed to clean the discharge port surface and remove condensation, wetness and the like.
Firstly, wiping the discharge port surface by the use of a solid rubber blade or a metallic blade is mentioned, and secondly, wiping the discharge port surface by an absorbing member is mentioned.
The wiping by an absorbing member is not known in detail as in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-61574 (detailed description thereof is not made therein), and the use of a porous substance and the use of Japanese paper or cloth as in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-80064 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-116655 have been proposed, but have not yet be put into practice.
On the other hand, a construction in which, unlike the usual cleaning for the purpose of washing the discharge port surface, a sponge impregnated with ink-soluble liquid is caused to bear against the discharge port surface and apply the liquid to the discharge port surface is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-164149.
On the other hand, as a method of wiping the discharge port surface by a rubber blade, mention may be made of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 52-102728 (German Patent Publication DE-OS-2607313.2) and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-230949.
In numerous patent citations showing rubber solid blades, including these, only the construction thereof is shown. Of course, the effect of cleaning the discharge port surface by the use of these blades is recognized.
For example, if cleaning is not performed, as shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, a so-called "leak condition" 3 of ink such as minute ink droplets and ink droplets made gigantic by the aggregation thereof is created on a head surface (discharge port surface) 2 which is a surface in which discharge ports are formed. In the on-demand type ink jet system particularly like the BJ (bubble jet) system, this occurs when the duty or rate of discharge becomes high. Also, in the continuous injection type ink jet system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,373,437, 3,298,038 and 3,416,153, recording liquid is continuously discharged from discharge ports and therefore, "leak" occurs more readily.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows the result of wiping the condition of "leak" indicated by 3 in FIG. 1 substantially perpendicularly to the direction of arrangement of discharge ports 8 by the use, for example, of an elastic blade chiefly of silicone rubber or urethane rubber having a conventional construction (this is a conventional cleaning method).
For example, where use is made of a blade of silicone rubber having a hardness of the order of 40.degree. and a thickness of the order of 0.2-0.6 mm to a relatively small thickness of 0.2-0.4 mm determined so as not to damage, for example, the coating or the like of the discharge port surface by the elastic force of the blade, it has sometimes been the case that the pressure contact force of the blade to the discharge port surface is not sufficient and therefore water content, dust, etc. adhering to the discharge port surface of the recording head cannot be completely removed.
In contrast, if the thickness of the silicone rubber is made relatively great, e.g. 0.4-0.6 mm, the pressure contact force becomes sufficient and water content dust, etc. adhering to the discharge port surface of the recording head can be removed well, but if the wiping operation is performed 300,000 times or so, it has sometimes been the case that the silicone material abraded thereby adheres to the discharge port surface and discharge ports of the recording head and the unsatisfactory discharge as described above occurs.
In addition, with regard particularly to the state of pressure contact between the blade and the discharged port surface, in order to forcibly clean the discharge port surface, it has been proposed to use a relatively high pressure of line pressure 25 g/cm or more as the pressure of contact between the discharge port surface and the blade to thereby enhance the cleaning effect. The line pressure herein referred to is the load divided by the length of contact.
As a problem resulting from the high pressure of contact, it has happened that the friction of the blade itself occurs to deteriorate the durability of the blade. Particularly, where the discharge port surface is treated with a water-repelling agent to form a condition in which it is difficult for ink to adhere to the discharge port surface, i.e., a condition in which the discharged port surface can be readily cleaned, it has been found that the water-repelling agent is removed by this high pressure and all the more, unsatisfactory cleaning occurs. | {
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Modern motor vehicles not only have to meet high expectations in terms of road performance (such as acceleration, maximum speed) and driving comfort (such as noise, vibration, and harshness behavior, NVH) but also in terms of the efficient use of resources available to the drive, in particular fuel consumption. In conventional motor vehicles, during non-negligible periods of time, the drive motor, frequently a combustion engine including a reciprocating piston, is operated in unfavorable ranges of operation; moreover, in particular during braking operations, energy that has previously been invested in driving the motor vehicle is mainly converted into heat that has no further use. In the last few years, the demand for a more efficient use of the fuel in particular to increase either traction power or mileage has led to the development of drive trains for motor vehicles that include several different driving engines. Motor vehicles that have such drive trains are commonly referred to as hybrid vehicles. The drive trains of these motor vehicles are frequently able to regain braking energy and to make it available to the drive of the vehicle. In addition, these drive trains frequently allow a shifting of the operating point of at least one driving engine, thus allowing a more efficient operation of the motor vehicle.
These requirements give rise to new requirements in particular in terms of the distribution of torques and power within these new drive trains. The distribution of torque and power is generally achieved by torque transmission devices. Although the number of functions that drive trains of such hybrid vehicles have to perform has increased, the installation space provided for them has not increased to the same degree. This means that modern drive trains frequently require torque transmission devices that incorporate many different functions in a comparatively small installation space yet with a high degree of operational reliability.
German Patent Document DE 100 36 504 A1 discloses to integrate a torque damper device, here a torsional vibration damper, and a torque transmission device, here a clutch, into a stator of an electro-mechanical energy converter in a drive train of a motor vehicle. The torque damper device is received radially inside the torque transmission device. The torque transmission device may be used to control whether power is transmitted to the driving wheels of the motor vehicle from a combustion engine or from an electromechanical energy converter. Due to the nested arrangement of the torque damper device and the torque transmission device in the electromechanical energy converter, the torque transmission device requires little installation space. | {
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This invention relates to a commercial process for the production of sulfates from by-product aluminum oxides.
Commercially produced aluminum is generally derived from two sources. Primary aluminum is obtained from smelting alumina. This process and subsequent remelting and casing operation results in the production of drosses and other by-products which remain high in aluminum content and are a source of secondary aluminum. Processing for recovery of secondary aluminum results in by-product aluminum oxides.
The disposal of these aluminum oxides is a problem of increasing magnitude to the aluminum industry. Usually the aluminum oxide wastes are stockpiled causing mountains of environmental blight and it is an object of this invention to provide a commercially feasible method for disposal of aluminum oxide by-products.
Aluminum sulfates may be produced by the reaction of aluminum oxide and sulfuric acid. The reaction has the equation: EQU Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 +3H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 .fwdarw.Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 +3H.sub.2 O
In practice it is the hydrated form (the aluminum oxide molecule chemically bonded with one or three molecules of water) that will react with the acid.
Aluminum sulfate compounds have utility in both the production of paper products and the water treatment industry. In the latter industry liquid aluminum sulfate is used as a flocculant and as a clarifier, while in the paper industry it is used to set the sizing agent. Up to now, such high grade aluminum sulfate was derived from commercial bauxite and Arkansas clay which has a high aluminum oxide content. It is, therefore, another object of this invention to conserve natural resources by providing a method for the production of aluminum sulfate of high purity for use in papermaking and water treatment from by-product oxide wastes.
A typical by-product oxide composition would probably contain the following elements in a physical/chemical matrix:
______________________________________ Element Wt % ______________________________________ Al 25-50 Si 0.5-2.0 Mg 3-7 Fe 0.05-2.0 Ca 0.3-1.0 Ti 0.06 Zn 0.1-1.0 N 0.5-5.0 C 0.03-0.3 Na 0.5-2.0 Cu 0.1-0.5 Mn 0.1-0.2 K 0.3-0.7 Cl 1.0-3.7 ______________________________________
When sulfuric acid is combined with such a complex by-product composition, there will be a multitude of reactions, some of which will produce sulfates other than aluminum, unless the reaction conditions are strictly controlled. Some of the oxide components will be unreactable.
The major proportion of aluminum available for reaction is found in its oxide form. Under the conditions described in this invention, the hydrated portion of the oxide will react with sulfuric acid according to the previously mentioned equation.
Some of the aluminum is present in the by-product matrix in zero valent form. This elemental form has been found to react with sulfuric acid to form aluminum sulfate, but hydrogen gas, which would be expected as a reaction product if pure metallic aluminum were present, has not been detected in significant quantity. On occasion significant sulfur dioxide has been detected as a reaction product. This latter condition has been reported in the literature according to the equation. ##EQU1##
Aluminum carbide reacts to produce sulfate according to the equation: EQU Al.sub.4 C.sub.3 +6H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 .fwdarw.3CH.sub.4 +2Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3
Another reaction which has great commercial utility is that of aluminum nitride. However, the principal object of this invention is the production of aluminum sulfate for use in water treatment and in papermaking which contains reaction products and by-product compounds which are not detrimental to these industries. It was determined that the inclusion of significant amounts of Fe, Mg, Si, Na and K in the aluminum sulfate product does not adversely affect the product when used in the above-recited industries. Inclusion of significant quantities of Cu, Cr, Mn and Pb would, however, effectively remove the reaction product for use in water treatment and papermaking. Thus, the processing steps as described below recite those conditions which convert significant quantities of aluminum sulfate from by-product oxide wastes without the inclusion of toxic heavy metals, such as Cu, Cr, Mn and Pb.
When the aluminum oxide by-products have a high nitride content, the process of this invention can be utilized to produce the binary salt, aluminum ammonium sulfate. The reaction follows the equation: EQU 2 AlN+4H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 .fwdarw.Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 .multidot.(NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4
Therefore, it is another object of this invention to provide a process to maximize the recovery of the aluminum in the by-product wastes in the form of aluminum sulfate and aluminum sulfate compounds. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiographic system that radiographs a tomographic image using radiation and a control method of the radiographic system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical fields, radiographic systems using radiation such as X-rays are known. A radiographic system includes an X-ray generator including an X-ray source generating X-rays and an X-ray imaging apparatus receiving X-rays and capturing an X-ray image. As an X-ray imaging apparatus, an X-ray image detector using as a detection panel a flat panel detector (FPD) in which pixels accumulating signal charges corresponding to the dose of X-rays are arranged in a matrix shape has been widely spread. The FPD accumulates signal charges in the respective pixels and converts the accumulated signal charges into a voltage signal through the use of a signal processing circuit, whereby an X-ray image representing image information of the subject is detected and is output as digital image data.
A radiographic system is known which detects the dose of X-rays passing through a subject through the use of a dose sensor and performs an automatic exposure control (AEC) of stopping irradiation with X-rays from an X-ray generator when the integrated value of the doses reach a predetermined threshold. In a radiographic system including plural dose detectors, a detection field corresponding to a region (also referred to as “a region of interest (ROI)”) to which attention should be most paid is set for each radiographing site and the irradiation stop of X-rays is determined on the basis of the X-ray dose from the dose sensors in the detection field.
A radiographic system is also known which performs a tomosynthesis imaging of causing an X-ray source to move and irradiate a subject with X-rays from different irradiation angles to perform plural radiographing operations and reconstructing plural images acquired through the radiographing operations to generate a tomographic image in which a desired tomographic plane is emphasized. In the tomosynthesis imaging, the distance traversed by X-rays passing through a subject, that is, the thickness of the subject, varies depending on the irradiation angle of X-rays. Accordingly, when the tomosynthesis imaging is performed with a fixed dose, the density of the detection field of each image differs. Therefore, in radiographic systems described in JP2000-501552T and JP2008-253555A, the variation in thickness of a subject is predicted on the basis of the irradiation angle of X-rays and the subject is irradiated with X-rays of the dose corresponding to the predicted thickness of the subject. | {
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Use of pre-processed foods, both in homes and in restaurants, has created a demand for high-capacity automated food processing equipment. That demand is particularly evident with respect to hamburgers, molded steaks, fish cakes, and other molded food patties.
Food processors utilize high-speed molding machines, such as FORMAX F-6, F-12, F-19, F-26 or F-400 reciprocating mold plate forming machines, available from Formax, Inc. of Mokena, Ill., U.S.A., for supplying patties to the fast food industry. Prior known high-speed molding machines are also described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,887,964; 4,372,008; 4,356,595; 4,821,376; and 4,996,743 herein incorporated by reference.
Although heretofore known FORMAX patty-molding machines have achieved commercial success and wide industry acceptance, the present inventors have recognized that needs exist for a forming machine having increased energy efficiency, and a smoother and quieter patty-forming machine operation. The present inventors have recognized that needs exist for an enhanced controllability and ability to tune a patty-forming machine for particular food materials to be processed, for an enhanced effectiveness of a patty-forming machine in producing uniform patties. The present inventors have recognized the needs exist for an enhanced convenience for cleaning and maintenance of a patty-forming machine, and for an increased durability and an increased duration of maintenance free operation. | {
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The present invention relates to an optical recording medium for recording and reproducing data by using a laser beam and more particularly to an optical recording medium in which an address area is intermittently arranged in a radial direction and the storage capacity of an optical disc is improved by a technique, that is, what is called a zoning method.
To increase a storage capacity by effectively using a recording area in an optical disc, a method called a zoning method has been hitherto employed. This is a method that a reference recording frequency for recording and reproducing data is switched for each radius, for instance, in a disc rotating at a constant angular velocity to have substantially the same recording density throughout all the surface of the disc.
For instance, in ISO/IEC14517 (130 mm 4×), ISO/IEC15286 (130 mm 8×), ISO/IEC15041 (90 mm 5×) or the like as magneto-optical discs of an ISO standard, the storage capacity of the disc is improved by using this method.
That is, a data recording and reproducing area is divided into a plurality of zones in the radial direction as shown in FIG. 1. Since frequencies for recording and reproducing data are respectively different in the zones, the number of sectors in one round changes. Therefore, an address area shows partly radial forms for each radius as shown by 1a.
Further, in a magneto-optical recording disc, an operation for setting the magnetizing direction of a recording film to a prescribed direction is applied to the disc before the disc is provided for a user. That is, an operation, that is, what is called a polarization is carried out that a static magnetic field larger than the coercive force of a recording layer is applied to the disc to forcedly direct the magnetizing direction of the recording layer to an erasing direction.
Ordinarily, when the recording layer to be polarized has a coercive force as low as 0.8×106 A·m (A·m is SI unit as a magnetic field strength), the recording layer can be polarized with a low magnetic field such as an electromagnet. However, when the recording layer having a coercive force not lower than 1.19×106 to 1.59×106 A·m is polarized, the temperature of the recording layer is raised to lower the coercive force and a low static magnetic field not higher than 0.8×106 A·m is applied to the recording layer to polarize the recording layer.
Further, in a phase-change type disc, an operation for crystallizing all the surface of a recording film is applied to the disc before the disc is provided to a user. That is, the temperature of the recording film is raised to prescribed temperature or higher and the recording film is gradually cooled. Thus, the disc is initialize from what is called an Ad-depo state as a crystalline and amorphous mixed state after the recording film is formed to a completely crystallized state.
In such an initializing process, the temperature of a recording film having a wide area such as several hundred tracks is raised at one time to polarize and crystallize the recording film. This method is called a bulk erase. In the bulk erase method, a semiconductor laser of 1 to 2 watt is restricted to the diameter of an elliptic beam having a major axis of 10 μm or longer in the radial direction of a disc. The rotating disc is irradiated with the laser beam by focusing only on the recording film to raise the temperature of the recording film.
The above-described laser beam is designed, as shown in FIG. 2, to focus an output beam from a laser 5 on a recording film 8 through a resin substrate 7 from the reading surface 6 of the rotating disc.
The above-described bulk erase method has not only a purpose of initializing the recording layer, but also an effect of suppressing a sensitivity change (sensitivity shift) during the use of a medium by a user, by previously taking a recording sensitivity or a reproducing sensitivity generated upon repeated use of the medium. This operation is supposed to be carried out because thermal energy is applied to the recording film to previously relax atoms in an amorphous recording layer and stabilize the recording film.
As parameters of the bulk erase, the rotating speed or the linear velocity of a disc, a radial feed pitch of a laser spot, laser power, the width of a laser beam, etc. are enumerated. These parameters can be easily controlled, so that a polarization or an initialization and a sensitivity shift can be generated in a stable manner by setting optimum bulk erase conditions. Accordingly, the bulk erase method is a very effective method.
When the inventors of the present invention carried out a test of the bulk erase of a magneto-optical recording medium for the purpose of performing the sensitivity shift and the polarization, they found following problems. Specifically, such a bulk erase process as to sufficiently generate a prescribed sensitivity shift is applied to an optical disc zoned in the radial direction and having addresses by emboss pits set in the radial direction respectively in the zones as shown in FIG. 1. Then, they observed tracking errors in the boundaries of the zones. Thus, the existence of an area where the tracking errors were increased was recognized as shown in a signal waveform view in FIG. 3.
FIG. 3 shows a relation between an address signal and a tracking error signal in a position of a tenth track from the zone boundary of the disc whose entire surface undergoes the bulk erase process. (a) designates an address signal, (b) designates a tracking error signal, (c) designates an enlarged part of an area F of the address signal (a), and (d) designated an enlarged part of an area F of the tracking error signal (b), respectively. Further, in the drawing, E designates a track jump signal, G designates an enlarged address in the area F, and H designates a tracking error increasing part.
In measuring conditions in FIG. 3, a linear velocity of 7.5 m/s, CLV, laser power: 1.5 mW, the diameter of a disc of 86 mm, a measuring place R of 40 mm and a land part to which a tracking is applied are included.
As recognized in FIG. 3, the tracking error increasing part H in FIG. 3 is not affected by the address G and has the same positional relation as an address existing in a zone 10 tracks before the tracking error increasing part. The address separated by 10 tracks therefrom gives any effect to the tracking error.
The amount of increase of tracking errors of the tracking error increasing part H reaches as high as 17% relative to the amplitude of the track jump signal E. Further, this phenomenon is observed to spread to several hundred tracks from the zone boundary. Therefore, a drive (disc driving system) recognizes the tracking error increasing areas as defective areas and performs a replacement process. Accordingly, the disc in which an extremely many replaced sectors are present is formed.
When the bulk erase process is not performed, the above-described tracking error increasing phenomenon is not generated. However, when the bulk erase process is not performed, the recording sensitivity changes while a user uses the disc, so that optimum recording and reproducing operations cannot be performed to generate an error.
Further, a method may be proposed that a drive or the like is used to generate the sensitivity shift by a method for recording and erasing each track. However, in this method, the same track needs to be recorded and erased many times. Thus, extremely much time is necessary so that this method is not a realistic method. | {
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The cytochrome P450 subfamily CYP3A represents one of the most important families of the P450 superfamily and plays a major role in the metabolism of an ever expanding list of therapeutic compounds (23, 24). This family comprises the most abundantly expressed P450s in human livers, and is responsible for the metabolism of over 50% of all clinically used drugs, including the dihydropyridines, cyclosporin, erythromycin and barbiturates (1). Wide inter-individual variation in the metabolism of CYP3A substrates has been noted and is a factor in determining individual drug efficacy. Evidence also exists for the metabolism of an array of lipophilic environmental pollutants, including the activation of pro-carcinogens such as aflatoxin B1 by members of this subfamily (2).
Presently, four CYP3A cDNAs have been identified in humans, CYP3A3, CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and CYP3A7. It is believed that CYP3A3 represents an allelic variant of CYP3A4, whilst CYP3A4 and CYP3A7 are found only in human adult and fetal livers respectively (3). Initial experiments suggested that a polymorphism existed in CYP3A4 (4). However other studies, whilst confirming a wide range of inter-individual variation in CYP3A4 expression have failed to confirm the original bimodality (5, 6). Overlapping substrate specificities between CYP3A5 and CYP3A5 have previously made it difficult to separate metabolism by these isoforms; consequently little phenotyping data have been produced to study variation in CYP3A5 activity in humans. However, there is evidence for the polymorphic expression of CYP3A5. Use of both immunoblotting and Northern analysis have detected CYP3A5 expression in only 10–30% of human livers (7, 8, 9). More recently, analysis of 30 human liver samples using immunoblotting found that only 3% showed no detectable CYP3A5, whilst a large number had trace amounts, suggesting that a polymorphism in this enzyme may be regulatory as opposed to structural (10). Comparisons of the 5′ flanking regions from the CYP3A4, 3A5 and 3A7 genes have identified putative binding sites for several transcriptional regulatory factors common to all isoforms (11, 12, 13). However, the molecular basis, if any, for this inter-individual variation in expression of the CYP3A sub-family members has so far remained unclear. Indeed it has been suggested that the host cellular environment may be a greater determinant of inducibility than gene structure (14). However, the determination of a major genetic component to variant expression and activity, linked to an easy screening method, would be extremely beneficial, not only in providing a predictor of individual response to drugs which are metabolised by these isoforms, but also in facilitating association studies between CYP3A and disease processes.
The delineation of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 metabolism has been shown to be possible using the sedative midazolam as a probe drug (15). In this case two metabolites are formed, 1-hydroxy midazolam (1-OHM) and 4-hydroxy midazolam (4-OHM). Those samples containing a higher proportion of CYP3A5 compared to CYP3A4 have their metabolism driven towards the 1-OHM route and therefore show a higher ratio of 1-OHM/4-OHM than those containing only CYP3A4. The present inventors have now established that two polymorphisms, located in putative transcriptional regulatory regions, which caused increased CYP3A5 gene expression and metabolic activity are linked and have developed assays for their detection. These assays will allow prediction of inter-individual variability in response to drugs metabolised by this isoform, as well as facilitating disease association studies. | {
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Hands-free supporting devices, such as for use with normally hand-held objects are known in the art. A first example of this is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,985, to Galvin, which teaches an electronic device holder having a flexible adjustable gooseneck, the proximal end of which carries a tab having two spring pins that securely engage with a pocket member. A securing/attachment means secures the pocket member to the backside of the handheld electronic device. A distal end of the flexible gooseneck connects to a spring clip similar to a clothes line pin, which attaches the hands-free electronic device holder to an airline dining tray or a worktable.
US 2014/0048662, to Ferris, teaches an article supporting device secured to an elevated location and in turn supporting an item such as a computer tablet. A hinged and foldable body has first and second pivotal sections each depicting a “U” shaped cross sectional profile and convertible between a collapsed/storage configuration and an extended/use configuration in which the sections establish a continuous and three sided support surface. A pair of suspending hooks extend upwardly from spaced apart locations along the body for engaging a vertical extending (seatback tray) support edge. Depth adjustable abutment portions located beneath the hooks establish proper angular orientation in use. Laterally adjustable and vertically extending brackets support vertical edges of the item placed upon the support surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,312, to Johnson, Jr. teaches a collapsible/storable drink holder assembly mountable above an airline table tray, such as a sufficient distance to accommodate a laptop computer seated upon the tray, and including a support extending downwardly from the drink holder. A mounting mechanism connected to the support removably mounts the drink holder on the tray.
Other references of note include Graham, US 2007/0164987 which teaches a hands-free support apparatus configured so as to be mounted to the human anatomy. Chivallier, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,572, teaches a cradle device for a portable radio terminal also supported in gooseneck adjustable fashion to a flat surface. A further class of bracket style supporting or suspending devices is shown in each of Spinelli, U.S. Pat. No. 8,353,490, Grassi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,319, Heimstra, U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,649, and Carmody, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,924. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as existing energy sources such as petroleum and coal are expected to be depleted, interests in alternative energy sources for replacing the existing energy sources are increasing. Among the alternative energy sources, solar cells have been particularly spotlighted because, as cells for generating electric energy from solar energy, the solar cells are able to draw energy from an abundant source and do not cause environmental pollution.
A general solar cell includes a substrate and an emitter layer, formed of a semiconductor, each having a different conductive type such as a p-type and an n-type, and electrodes respectively formed on the substrate and the emitter layer. The general solar cell also includes a p-n junction formed at an interface between the substrate and the emitter layer.
When light is incident on the solar cell, a plurality of electron-hole pairs are generated in the semiconductor. Each of the electron-hole pairs is separated into electrons and holes by the photovoltaic effect. Thus, the separated electrons move to the n-type semiconductor (e.g., the emitter layer) and the separated holes move to the p-type semiconductor (e.g., the substrate), and then the electrons and holes are collected by the electrodes electrically connected to the emitter layer and the substrate, respectively. The electrodes are connected to each other using electric wires to thereby obtain an electric power.
At least one current collector, such as, a bus bar is positioned on each of the emitter layer and the substrate, and the current collector on the emitter layer and the current collector on the substrate are connected to the corresponding electrodes, respectively. Hence, charges collected by the electrode easily move to a load connected to the outside through the current collector adjacent to the electrode.
However, in this case, because the current collectors are respectively formed on one surface of the substrate on which the light is not incident and the other surface of the substrate on which the light is incident (i.e., the emitter layer on an incident surface of the substrate), an incident area of the light is reduced. Hence, the efficiency of the solar cell is reduced.
Accordingly, a metal wrap through (MWT) solar cell was developed so as to prevent a reduction in the efficiency of the solar cell resulting from the current collectors. In the MWT solar cell, a current collector connected to an emitter layer was positioned on a rear surface of a substrate opposite an incident surface of the substrate. | {
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The present invention relates to a solid state imaging device having a hole accumulated diode, a method of manufacturing the same, and an imaging apparatus.
Solid state imaging devices, such as a CCD (charge coupled device) and a CMOS image sensor, are widely used in a video camera, a digital still camera, and the like. Improvement in sensitivity and noise reduction are important issues in all kinds of solid state imaging devices.
In particular, a dark current, which is detected as a very small current when an electric charge (electron) generated from a minute defect in a substrate interface of a light receiving surface is input as a signal, or a dark current generated due to the interface state on the interface between a sensor section and an upper layer even though there is no pure signal charge generated by photoelectric conversion of incident light in a state where there is no incident light is a noise to be reduced in the solid state imaging device.
As a technique of suppressing generation of a dark current caused by the interface state, for example, an embed type photodiode structure having a hole accumulation layer 23 formed of a P+ layer on a sensor section (for example, a photodiode) 12 is used as shown in FIG. 9B. Moreover, in this specification, the embed type photodiode structure is referred to as an HAD (hole accumulated diode) structure. As shown in FIG. 9A, in a structure where the HAD structure is not provided, electrons generated due to the interface state flow to the photodiode as a dark current. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9B, in the HAD structure, generation of electrons from the interface is suppressed by the hole accumulation layer 23 formed on the interface. In addition, even if electric charges (electrons) are generated from the interface, the electric charges (electrons) do not flow to a charge accumulation section, which is a potential well in an N+ layer of the sensor section 12, but flow to the hole accumulation layer 23 of the P+ layer in which many holes exist. Accordingly, the electric charges (electrons) can be eliminated. As a result, since it can be prevented that the electric charges generated due to the interface are detected as a dark current, the dark current caused by the interface state can be suppressed.
A method of suppressing the dark current may be adopted in both a CCD and a CMOS image sensor and may also be adopted to not only a known top-emission-type image sensor but also a back illuminated image sensor (for example, refer to JP-A-2003-338615).
As a method of forming the HAD structure, it is common to perform ion implantation of impurities for forming the P+ layer, for example, boron (B) or boron difluoride (BF2) through a thermally oxidized silicon layer or a CVD oxide silicon layer formed on a substrate, to activate injected impurities by annealing, and then to form a p-type region near the interface. However, heat treatment in a high temperature of 700° C. or more is essential in order to activate doped impurities. Accordingly, formation of the hole accumulation layer using ion implantation is difficult in a low-temperature process at 400° C. or less. Also in the case of desiring to avoid long-time activation at high temperature in order to suppress diffusion of dopant, the method of forming a hole accumulation layer in which ion implantation and annealing are performed is not preferable.
Furthermore, when a silicon oxide or a silicon nitride formed on an upper layer of the sensor section is formed in a low-temperature plasma CVD method, for example, the interface state is reduced compared with an interface between of a light receiving surface and a layer formed at high temperature. The reduction in interface state increases a dark current.
As described above, in the case of desiring to avoid ion implantation and annealing process at high temperature, not only the hole accumulation layer cannot be formed by known ion implantation but also a dark current is further increased. In order to solve the problem, it becomes necessary to form a hole accumulation layer in another method that is not based on ion implantation in the related art.
As an example, there is a method of forming a layer having negative fixed electric charges on an upper layer of a sensor section. In this method, a hole accumulation layer is formed on the interface at a side of the light receiving surface of the sensor section by the electric field caused by the layer having negative fixed electric charges. Accordingly, electric charges (electrons) generated from the interface is suppressed. In addition, even if electric charges (electrons) are generated from the interface, the electric charges (electrons) do not flow to a charge accumulation portion which is a potential well in the sensor section but flow to the hole accumulation layer in which many holes exist. As a result, the electric charges (electrons) can be eliminated. Thus, since it can be prevented that a dark current generated by the electric charges on the interface is detected in the sensor section, a dark current caused by the interface state is suppressed. Thus, by using the layer having negative fixed electric charges, the HAD structure can be formed without ion implantation and annealing. The layer having negative fixed electric charges may be formed of a hafnium oxide (HfO2) layer, for example.
However, as described above, when the configuration in which the layer having negative fixed electric charges is formed on the light receiving surface is applied to a back illuminated CCD or CMOS image sensor, for example, a layer 22 having negative fixed electric charges is formed on the entire light receiving surface 12s of a sensor section 12 as shown in FIG. 10. Accordingly, a hole accumulation layer 23 (P+ layer) is formed not only in a pixel region where the HAD needs to be formed but also on a surface of a semiconductor substrate 11 on a peripheral circuit section 14.
For example, when a well region, a diffusion layer, a circuit, and the like (a diffusion layer 15 is shown as an example in the drawing) are present in the peripheral circuit section 14 so that a negative electric potential is generated on a back side of the semiconductor substrate 11, holes having positive electric charges are drawn to the negative electric potential to be diffused. Accordingly, a desired negative electric potential is not obtained due to the positive electric charges drawn but an electric potential biased toward a positive side from a designed value is output. As a result, an applied voltage of the sensor section using the electric potential is adversely affected, causing a problem that a pixel characteristic changes. | {
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In the PUREX process ("PUREX" is an acronym for "plutonium-uranium recovery by extraction"), waste reprocessing facilities dissolve used fuel from nuclear reactors in nitric acid. The uranium and plutonium are extracted with an organic solvent and the remaining aqueous phase is frequently neutralized with sodium hydroxide to permit storage in carbon steel tanks.
Because this PUREX waste is radioactive, yet has no commercial utility, it must be safely disposed of such as by immobilization in glass at a vitrification facility. The quantity of PUREX waste at some waste reprocessing facilities is too small to justify the cost of constructing a vitrification plant at the reprocessing facility, which means that the PUREX waste must be transported to a central vitrification facility. However, because the PUREX waste is a radioactive liquid it cannot be transported due to the danger of spillage in route. Evaporation of the water in the PUREX waste would produce a fine powder which also cannot be transported because of the danger that any container in which the powder is placed may break open, permitting the wind to disperse the powder. Thus, the waste can only be transported in the form of a solid having a particle size large enough to prevent air dispersion. | {
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The present invention relates generally to a portable apparatus for blowing and vacuuming outdoor areas.
Portable blower-vacuum devices are generally used to clean outdoor areas of leaves, grass clippings, and other debris. Conventional blower-vacuum devices generally include a housing containing a motor, such as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, and an impeller. The impeller is driven by the motor to generate an airflow from an inlet of the housing to an outlet of the housing. In a blower mode of operation, an elongated tube may be secured to the housing outlet for directional control of the airflow. In a vacuum mode of operation, an elongated tube may be secured to the housing inlet and a debris collection bag may be secured to the housing outlet.
Efforts have been made in the past to develop lightweight and relatively compact blower-vacuums that provide for easy transportation and manipulation of the blower-vacuums during use. Prior efforts have also focused on increasing the airflow of the blower-vacuum while maintaining a relatively light-weight and energy efficient power supply, reducing vibration of the blower-vacuum during use, and providing additional safety and functional features.
The present invention pertains to improvements to leaf blowers and blower-vacuums that addresses shortcomings and disadvantages associated with prior leaf blowers and blower-vacuums.
In accordance with an embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, an elongated air outlet structure of a convertible blower-vacuum, over which an elongated blower tube may be slid for attachment in a blower mode and removed in a vacuum mode, possesses a configuration that improves the ease with which the blower tube may be fitted to the air outlet. An edge of an opening in the housing defining the air outlet lies within a plane to which the axis of the outlet is not normal. The orientation of the opening assists with sliding a tube over the outlet.
In accordance with an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention, a portable blower-vacuum includes a housing of an impeller having an inlet and an outlet. A motor rotatably drives the impeller for generating an airflow from the inlet to the outlet of the housing. A cover that cooperates with the inlet in a blower mode includes a plurality of apertures disposed relative to the inlet to provide an airflow path directly into the inlet. The blower-vacuum also includes a skirt adapted to cooperate with the inlet and the cover to substantially reduce or eliminate a lateral airflow from entering the inlet by, for example, bypassing the apertures of the cover, thereby maintaining a substantially columnar airflow pattern to the inlet. A lateral or cross-directional airflow increases turbulence around the inlet. Reducing the cross-directional airflow improves performance of the blower-vacuum, resulting in an increased velocity of air at the outlet when in a blower mode.
According to an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention, a portable leaf blower includes a strain reliever adapted to substantially prevent inadvertent disengagement of an electrical power supply from an electric motor of the blower. The strain reliever includes an opening disposed near a rearward portion of the housing of the blower. A loop of an electrical cord is inserted through the opening to engage a cleat. A receptacle is located upwardly from the ring to receive a corresponding plug of the electrical cord. Forces that would otherwise disconnect the plug from the receptacle are absorbed by the ring and the cleat, thereby substantially preventing inadvertent disengagement of the electrical cord from the receptacle.
According to an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention, the cover is constructed to provide an object clearance zone to prevent damage to the cover when the blower-vacuum is seated on the ground or other supporting surface. For example, the cover includes an inverted face directed upwardly towards the inlet of the blower to form the object clearance zone. Thus, debris located on the ground is less likely to damage the cover when setting the blower upon the ground.
Other aspects and features of the invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. | {
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‘BRU-1’ is a new and distinct variety of hop plant discovered by the inventor as a chance seedling in a cultivated ‘Cascade’ (not patented) hop field near Toppenish, Wash. ‘BRU-1’ variety has been asexually reproduced by cuttings near Toppenish, Wash. and has been observed to remain true to type over successive asexually propagated generations. | {
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The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device for driving liquid crystal (a liquid crystal control driver IC) that drives a liquid crystal display panel and, more particularly, to a technique effectively used for a liquid crystal control driver IC having means for setting characteristics and specifications of a liquid crystal display panel used in a non-volatile manner.
In recent years, as displays of portable electronic devices such as cellular phones and PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), generally, dot-matrix-type liquid crystal panels in each of which a plurality of display pixels are arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix are used. In a device, a display controller (liquid crystal controller IC) formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit for controlling display of the liquid crystal panel and a driver circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel or a liquid crystal display driver (liquid crystal control driver IC) having therein such a driver circuit are mounted.
The specifications such as gamma characteristic, drive voltage, operation clock frequency, and the like of a liquid crystal display vary according to kinds of liquid crystals used and driving methods, and the characteristics vary due to manufacture variations. Manufacturers providing liquid crystal display drivers construct liquid crystal display drivers so as to be adapted to liquid crystal displays of different specifications and liquid crystal displays having manufacture variations. The manufactures are devising methods of increasing versatility of the drivers and decreasing the manufacture cost.
Hitherto, as a measure for enabling liquid crystal displays of different specifications to be driven, a method is practically used in which a register is provided in a liquid crystal display driver. Simultaneously, a nonvolatile memory such as an EPROM is provided on the outside. For initial setting or the like at power-on, setting information such as drive conditions is transferred from the nonvolatile memory to the register on the inside. Another method has been also proposed. A setting circuit having a fuse and the like is provided in a liquid crystal display driver. On determination of a liquid crystal display applied, setting is performed by disconnecting a fuse in accordance with the specifications of the liquid crystal display. An invention of adjusting operation characteristics of a liquid crystal driver by using fuses is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-148064. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a negative-pressure control device for an ink-supply system, and especially to a structure provided with a negative-pressure ink-jet pipeline to prevent leakage of ink in an ink-jet head, and when the ink-jet head do jet printing downwards, it makes a predetermined amount of ink in the ink-supply structure flow into the ink-jet head for continuous jet printing; the present invention is suitable for a jet-drawing machine to place an advertising board with a propaganda paint or a poster etc. for printing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In markets, to get the goal of marketing of various commodities, people engaging in packaging and planning normally present the effect of advertisement with outdoor measures including a large stage background, an exhibition by illuminating or a car body advertising, and with indoor measures including small decorative paints, commodity display promotion and showcase display etc., in order that they can attract consumers' eye sights to achieve the object of sale.
As to the above stated various advertisements, people in the art normally use a jet-drawing machine to jet print on a soft thing such as a cloth or a paper. A jet printing structure “a” of the jet-drawing machine can be horizontally displaced on the machine, as shown in FIG. 7. It mainly comprises an ink box “b” and a micro-piezoelectric jet head “c”, these two are connected by means of a hose “d” fully filled with ink. When the jet head “c” has not yet be operated, the air pressure in the ink box “b” and the pressure of the atmosphere are in a balance state, hence the ink will not be jetted; when the jet head “c” jet prints outwards, the ink box “b” supplements ink for the jet head “c” to get the effect of jet printing.
Although the above stated jet printing structure “a” of the jet-drawing machine can get the effect of continuous jet printing on a soft material. By the fact that the soft material of a cloth or a paper is mounted on the jet-drawing machine in an inclined mode, the height of the ink box “b” is lower than that of the horizontal height of the jet head “c”, the entire jet printing structure “a” forms an angle. And in practical application, the cloth or the paper can be bent at will to be coincident with the angle required for jet printing. This will not make any inconvenience for the soft material. However, for a hard plane board unable to be curved, a situation results: a small plane board often drops during jet printing, while a large plane board is unable to be placed on the machine for jet printing. Therefore, it is a problem hard to deal by a conventional jet-drawing machine with such hard plane boards. | {
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For many years agricultural balers have been used to consolidate and package crop material so as to facilitate the storage and handling of the crop material for later use. Usually, a mower-conditioner cuts and conditions the crop material for windrow drying in the sun. When the cut crop material is properly dried, a baler, for example a round baler, travels along the windrows to pick up the crop material and form it into cylindrically-shaped round bales.
More specifically, pickups of the baler gather the cut and windrowed crop material from the ground then convey the cut crop material into a bale-forming chamber within the baler. A drive mechanism operates to activate the pickups, augers, and a rotor of the feed mechanism. A conventional bale forming chamber may include of a pair of opposing sidewalls with a series of belts, chains, and/or rolls that rotate and compress the crop material into a cylindrical shaped bale.
When the bale has achieved a desired size and density, a wrapping system may wrap the bale to ensure that the bale maintains its shape and density. For example, a twine wrapping apparatus may be provided to wrap the bale of crop material while still inside the bale forming chamber. A cutting or severing mechanism may be used to cut the twine once the bale has been wrapped. The wrapped bale may be ejected from the baler and onto the ground by, for example, raising a tailgate of the baler. The tailgate is then closed and the cycle repeated as necessary and desired to manage the field of cut crop material.
It is desired to be able to adjust the location of the twine wrapping at the ends of the bale. The desired location of the twine varies depending on, for example, crop type, storage conditions, operator preference, and the like. Some conventional wrapping systems allow for the control of the end wrap location using guides or deflector plates bolted to the side walls of the baler. However, these traditional methods are difficult to implement. For example, conventional means typically require tools to change out the bolted guides or deflector plates. It is desired to be able to adjust the end wrap location easily and without the use of tools.
A bale twine wrapping solution is needed to facilitate easy adjustment of the end wrap location of the twine at the ends of the bale. Preferably, bale twine wrapping solution may be implemented without the use of tools. | {
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The present invention relates to a receiver and to a semiconductor integrated circuit having the receiver. More specifically, the present invention relates to a receiver that receives a signal, for instance, through an AC-coupling element, and to a semiconductor integrated circuit having such a receiver.
When wiring is used to directly transmit a signal between a plurality of semiconductor chips that differ in power supply voltage, semiconductor chip breakage or signal transmission failure may occur due to a voltage difference in DC voltage components of the signal to be transmitted. Therefore, when a signal is to be transmitted between the semiconductor chips that differ in power supply voltage, an AC-coupling element is coupled between the semiconductor chips so as to transmit only an AC signal. A capacitor or a transformer may be used as the AC-coupling element.
A certain method of signal transmission through an AC-coupling element indicates the direction of data transition in accordance with the amplitude direction of a pulse signal to be transmitted. When, for instance, a pulse signal having a positive amplitude is transmitted, the level of data is found to have transitioned from L to H (risen). When a pulse signal having a negative amplitude is transmitted, the level of data is found to have transitioned from H to L (fallen). This signal transmission method has the following problem although it can reduce a current consumption and a circuit area as compared to the other signal transmission methods.
A case where a transformer is used as the AC-coupling element is explained below. When transmitting a pulse signal having a positive amplitude, this signal transmission method causes a current to flow temporarily from one end of a primary coil to the other end. A positive electromotive force (a pulse signal having a positive amplitude) is then generated in a secondary coil in accordance with an electrical current change in the primary coil. On the other hand, when transmitting a pulse signal having a negative amplitude, this signal transmission method causes a current to flow temporarily from the other end of the primary coil to the one end. A negative electromotive force (a pulse signal having a negative amplitude) is then generated in the secondary coil in accordance with an electrical current change in the primary coil.
If the current flowing from the one end of the primary coil to the other end is blocked when the pulse signal having a positive amplitude is transmitted, a negative electromotive force (a counter pulse having a negative amplitude) is generated in the secondary coil in accordance with an electrical current change in the primary coil. Similarly, if the current flowing from the other end of the primary coil to the one end is blocked when the pulse signal having a negative amplitude is transmitted, a positive electromotive force (a counter pulse having a positive amplitude) is generated in the secondary coil in accordance with an electrical current change in the primary coil. Therefore, the receiver may acquire such a counter pulse as a normal pulse signal that indicates the direction of data transition. In other words, the receiver may erroneously determine the logic value of data.
A solution to the above problem is disclosed in “A 2.5 kV isolation 35 kV/us CMR 250 Mbps 0.13 mA/Mbps digital isolator in standard CMOS with an on-chip small transformer” (S. Kaeriyama, S. Uchida, M. Furumiya, M. Okada, M. Mizuno, 2010 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, Technical Digest of Technical Papers, 2010, pp. 197-198).
A configuration disclosed in “A 2.5 kV isolation 35 kV/us CMR 250 Mbps 0.13 mA/Mbps digital isolator in standard CMOS with an on-chip small transformer” (S. Kaeriyama, S. Uchida, M. Furumiya, M. Okada, M. Mizuno, 2010 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, Technical Digest of Technical Papers, 2010, pp. 197-198) compares the amplitude of a pulse signal having a positive amplitude to the amplitude of a pulse signal having a negative amplitude to determine which pulse signal is a normal pulse signal indicative of the direction of data transition. A related art disclosed in the above document uses such a configuration to prevent the logic value of data from being erroneously determined.
Other related arts are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications Nos. Hei 8 (1996)-236696 and 2011-142175.
An integrated circuit disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-236696 has a three-dimensional structure formulated by vertically stacking integrated circuit chips. This integrated circuit is configured so that coupling inductance M is used to provide induction-based signal transmission between one portion of a vertically integrated circuit in one chip layer Ln and another portion of a vertically integrated circuit in another chip layer Lnx.
A configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-142175 includes an AC-coupling element and a receiver. The AC-coupling element generates a reception signal V2 whose voltage changes in accordance with electrical current changes in an input transmission signal V1. The receiver reproduces the transmission signal V1 from the reception signal V2 by performing an integration operation on a numerical value based on the order of differentiation from the transmission signal V1 to the reception signal V2. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diesel particulate filter apparatus to be incorporated into an exhaust system for purification treatment of exhaust gas discharged from a diesel engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a diesel engine generates particulates such as carbon, soot and HC because of heterogeneous combustion wherein fuel sprayed into air elevated in temperature through adiabatic compression is combusted.
A diesel particulate filter made of, e.g., cordierite as the material thereof is known as a conventional filter for collecting particulates such as carbon, soot and HC from exhaust gas discharged from a diesel engine. A filter made using as the material thereof an inorganic fiber instead of cordierite is also known. In a diesel particulate filter apparatus having a filter body made using an inorganic fiber, the filter body is produced by laminating an inorganic fiber material and locally weaving an inorganic fiber material into the resulting laminate material to effect felting thereof. The filter body made of the inorganic fiber material can be miniaturized as compared with a honeycomb filter made of cordierite because the former enables particulates in exhaust gas discharged from a diesel engine to be trapped in the inner part of the filter body as well as on the surface thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a diesel particulate filter apparatus wherein a filter is disposed in an exhaust gas flow path to filter exhaust gas for collecting particulates in exhaust gas was developed. Since a shutoff plate 33 for regulation of the exhaust gas flow path is disposed on the downstream side of the filter 31 in a cylindrical form, the diesel particulate filter apparatus is constructed in such a way that exhaust gas introduced into the filter 31 from the upstream side thereof is passed across the filter provided along the sidewall of a cylinder to be flowed into an exhaust path 32. Under control with a controller 34, electricity is flowed through a heater provided on the filter 31 to incinerate particulates collected with the filter.
In the particulate filter, a ceramic fiber laminate 25 having ceramic fibers randomly laminated and integrated together in a felty or papery form, and sandwiched between metal nets 27 as a heater is used as a filter material 23. The filter material 23 is bent in a wavy profile for enlargement of the collection surface area thereof, and then formed in a cylindrical form as a whole to produce the filter 31. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an upstream seal cap 37 and a downstream seal cap 38 are used for sealing both ends of the filter 31. Thus, the filter 31 is formed. The seal cap 37 is provided with an opening 39 for allowing passage therethrough of exhaust gas.
Sealing between the filter 31 and the seal caps 37 and 38 is carried out according to the following procedure. Prior to sealing, a sealant is cast into the respective recesses 36 and 29 of the seal caps 37 and 38. A mixture prepared by adding 1 part of waterglass (in the form of a mixture of 1 part of waterglass admixed with 1 part of water) to 1 part of a material comprising 80 wt. % of an alumina powder and 20 wt. % of an alumina staple fiber (1 to 30 mm) is used as the sealant. Before the sealant is dried, the end portions of the filter 31 are fitted into the recesses of the seal caps 37 and 38, followed by heating thereof up to 350.degree. C. for solidification of the sealant.
Since the filter material 23 is elastic in the thickness-wise direction thereof and hence not necessarily uniformly settled in thickness because it is constructed in such a way that the ceramic fiber laminate is sandwiched between the wire nets 27. Further, the cross-sectional form of the filter 31 is wavy for enlargement of the collection surface area thereof. In sealing between the filter 31 and the seal caps 37 and 38, adhesion therebetween is sometimes unsatisfactory to cause leakage of exhaust gas though the former has the same wavy cross section as those of the latter. As a result, the diesel particulate filter apparatus involves a problem that particulates in exhaust Gas are discharged out of the apparatus without collection therewith of particulates.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 108,820/1994 discloses a filter produced using a nonwoven fabric made of a ceramic fiber. End portions of the filter are put between and carried by metal sealing members, and supported by a case. In order to carry the end portions of the filter put between the metal sealing members, an areal pressure of about 10 Mpa is necessary. When the end portions of the filter are sandwiched between the sealing members under such a high areal pressure, the ceramic fiber constituting the nonwoven fabric is broken and the end portions of the filter come off.
Meanwhile, the applicant of the instant application developed a diesel particulate filter made of an inorganic filament, and previously filed a patent application directed thereto (Japanese Patent Application No. 114,131/1994). This diesel particulate filter is produced by horizontally irregularly orienting and laminating cut pieces of a heat-resistant inorganic filament cut to a predetermined length, needling the resulting laminate to effect vertical entanglement of the inorganic filament, superposing wire nets made of a heat-resistant metal on both the upper and lower surfaces of the resulting felty material, and fastening them from both surfaces thereof with a heat-resistant yarn. Herein, the above-mentioned inorganic filament is, for example, a fiber made of a material selected from among Si--Ti--C--O, Si--C--O, Si--N, SiO and metals, and having the surface thereof coated with at least one of SiC, Al and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
When a diesel particulate filter apparatus for collection therewith of particulates such as carbon and smoke contained in exhaust gas is produced using the filter produced by laminating a heat-resistant ceramic fiber such as an SiC fiber or an Si--Ti--C--O fiber, however, pieces of the fiber material must be alternately woven into one another in the step of laminating the ceramic fiber to create a difficulty in forming the filter through laminating thereof because the ceramic fiber material is liable to break. Specifically, when a filter body is produced using the ceramic fiber, the ceramic fiber material constituting the filter body is brittle in itself and hence weak against vibrations and impacts to involve problems such as a fear of breakage and a high production cost. Further, the ceramic fiber such as an SiC fiber in particular has a high Young's modulus of 430 GPa to be liable to break. In the step of producing the filter body by felting the ceramic fiber and in the step of assembling the ceramic fiber material-based diesel particulate filter apparatus, therefore, the ceramic fiber is broken into fine pieces and separated during bending thereof for forming the filter as well as assembly of the apparatus to create a difficulty in weaving pieces of the ceramic fiber material into one another for forming the filter body, and the separated fine pieces of the fiber are scattered to present a problem of deterioration of working environment. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing member for electrostatic photocopying, such as printing drum or plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Printing members for electrostatic photocopying are used to form on copying paper a visible image pattern corresponding to a photo or light image of the pattern to be copied in the manner described below.
The photocopying process starts with electrically charging the surface of the printing member uniformly all over it, onto which a photo or light image of the pattern to be copied is projected to form an electrostatic latent image. Then a toner powder is applied to the charged surface of the printing member for developing the latent image, and copying paper is pressed against the surface of the printing member to print a visible image pattern on the copying paper.
There has heretofore been proposed a printing member for electrostatic photocopying which comprises a substrate having a conductive surface and a photoelectric-sensitive, electrically chargeable layer formed on the conductive surface of the substrate. The photo-electrically-sensitive, electrically chargeable layer has a P type first non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, a first laminate member having an I type second non-single-crystal semiconductor layer and an I type third non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having a smaller energy band gap than that of the second non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, and an I type fourth non-single-crystal semiconductor layer having equal to or larger energy band gap than that of the second non-single-crystal semiconductor layer. In this instance, a P type first non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is formed of amorphous silicon (Si). The I-type second and third non-single-crystal semiconductor layers are formed of amorphous silicon and Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x (0<x<1), respectively,
With the conventional printing member of such a structure, the surface of the I-type non-single-crystal semiconductor layer of the chargeable layer forms the printing surface. When the chargeable layer, with its printing surface electrically charged positive, is exposed to a photo or light image of a pattern charged positive, is exposed to a photo or light image of a pattern to be copied, the light is absorbed mainly by a laminate member of the I-type second and third non-single-crystal semiconductor layers, with the result that photo carriers formed by electron-hole pairs are created chiefly in the laminate member. The electrons flow through the I-type fourth non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, neutralizing the positive charges on the printing surface. On the other hand, the holes flow through the P-type non-single-crystal semiconductor layer and reach the conductive surface of the substrate. In this way, the latent image pattern corresponding to the photo image pattern is formed in the conductive layer through such a mechanism as mentioned above. The two I type second and third non-single-crystal semiconductor layers of the laminate member by which the applied light is mainly absorbed have different energy band gaps of 1.7 to 1.9 and 1.2 to 1.5 eV, respectively. This permits the use of light over a wide range of wavelength from visible light to laser light for applying the photo or light image pattern to the chargeable layer.
In the case of the conventional printing member, however, the semiconductor layers making up the chargeable layer are all made of amorphous silicon and the I-type second and third non-single-crystal semiconductor layers are constituted of amorphous silicon and Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x (0<x<1), respectively. Since the Si.sub.1-x Ge.sub.x forming the I-type non-single-crystal semiconductor layer is poisonous, much care is necessary in handling the printing member. Moreover, the I-type third non-single-crystal layer can be produced by a CVD method through use of a material gas of GeH.sub.4, GeF.sub.4, or the like, but germanium for the material gas is not easily available and expensive; in addition, it is difficult to produce such a material gas. This means that the formation of the I-type third non-single-crystal semiconductor layer and accordingly the manufacture of the printing member is difficult, and the printing member becomes costly. | {
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Lithium ion cells are the fastest-developing storage cells at present, and are broadly used in portable electronic products and household appliances. With the increasing petroleum crisis and global warming problems, it is an urgent need to develop green material and energy-related applications. Among these applications, the development of the electric vehicle is important to decrease petroleum usage in the face of global warming. The lithium cell is the most promising cell that can be used in an electric vehicle, wherein the lithium salt used for portable electronic products is LiPF6. LiPF6 has poor thermal stability, and it tends to decompose into LiF and PF5 when the operating temperature is higher than 60° C. (J. Power Sources 81 (1999) 119; J. Power Sources 89 (2000) 206), wherein PF5 and LiPF6 react with water to produce corrosive HF in the presence of trace water and will cause the corrosion of the current collector layer, deterioration of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and damage of the electrode material. Currently, lithium cells using LiPF6 cannot be directly applied in electric vehicles because the cells need to be modified so as to repeatedly recharge under a high temperature (>60° C.) for a long time. The most important part of the lithium cell that can be used in electric vehicles is a thermally stable lithium salt, which is the object of the present invention.
The lithium cell primarily consists of graphitic carbon as an anode, lithium transition metal oxide as a cathode and an electrolyte solution having high conductivity. The electrolyte of the lithium ion is formed by dissolving the lithium salt in a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the primary solvents are alkyl carbonates such as ethylene carbonate (EC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) and propylene carbonate (PC).
From the 1990s to the present, LiPF6 has been the dominant commercial lithium salt. LiPF6 has very high conductivity and high solubility in alkyl carbonates, it is electrochemically stable under the operating voltage (<4.2V vs. Li) and can be used at a temperature between −40 to 50, therefore, there is almost no other commercial lithium salt that can replace LiPF6. However, LiPF6 lithium salt cannot be used in a hot environment (>60° C.) because the following reactions will occur when the temperature is higher than 60° C.:LiPF6LiF+PF5 wherein LiPF6 and PF5 react with water to produce corrosive HF in the presence of trace water and result in a decrease in the performance of the cell:LiPF6+H2O→POF3+LiF+2HFPF5+H2O→POF3+HFTherefore, because LiPF6 lithium salt cannot be used in a hot environment (>60° C.), there is an urgent need to develop a lithium salt that can be used at high temperatures and is suitable for electric vehicles.
Any lithium salt that can be applied in lithium ion cells must have the following properties: high conductivity, good thermal stability, nontoxicity, safety and electrochemical stability under the potential of a fully charged cell (4.1V vs. Li), but few lithium salts have all these properties. Lithium salts can be classified as inorganic lithium salts and organic lithium salts. Examples of inorganic lithium salts are LiClO4, LiAsF6, LiPF6, LiBF4, Li2B12F12 (referring to J. Power Sources 193 (2009) 851), wherein LiClO4 may explode when it is used, LiAsF6 is highly toxic, LiBF4 has lower ion conductivity and Li2B12F12 also has low ion conductivity due to large anion. These significant disadvantages prevent these lithium salts from being commercialized. Examples of organic lithium salts are LiN(SO2CF3)2(LiTFSI), LiN(SO2C2F5)2(LiBETI), LiC(SO2CF3)3, LiCF3SO3(LiTF), LiC(SO2CF3)2 (referring to European Polymer Journal. 43 (2007) 5121). However, these lithium salts cannot be commercialized due to the disadvantage of causing the aluminum collector layer to corrode. Other organic lithium salts such as Lithium tetrakis(haloacyloxy)borates (Li[B(OCOBX)4]), Lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB), LiPF3(CF2CF3)3 (LiFAP) (referring to European Polymer Journal. 43 (2007) 5121) cannot be commercialized due to their low ion conductivities.
In the development of high temperature lithium salts, the lithium salt containing heterocyclic anion is main strategy, (referring to Electrochim. Acta 55 (2010) 1450) such as lithium 4,5-dicyanotriazole (LiDCTA). LiDCTA was successfully used in a Polyethylene oxide (PEO) system, but it was not ideal for an EC/DMC system.
One interesting salt is an organic imidazolide lithium salt, lithium bis(trifluoroborane)imidazolide (Lilm(BF3)2), and this lithium salt has been used in forming lithium ion cells (see J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 9560 (2000), J. Electrochem. Soc., 149, A355 (2002)). It has been demonstrated that a cell with an electrolyte containing Lilm(BF3)2 has comparable performance to a cell containing LiPF6. Unfortunately, a strong base n-butyllithium (n-BuLi) was required to synthesize this type of Lilm(BF3)2 lithium salt, and a lithium salt made in this way contains impurities that are difficult to remove. As a result, such a lithium salt shows poor over-change safety and poor performance under high temperature. The anion of lithium salt with good thermal stability is important for the safety of the cells, the thermal stable lithium salt would prevent the cell from smoking and firing even the cell is over-charged. It would therefore be highly desirable to develop a lithium salt with good conductivity, good thermal stability and good electrochemical safety during the charge and re-charge operations of the cells, in order to enhance the safety of the lithium ion cell.
The present invention discloses an organic metal salt having good solubility (>1.0 M) in alkyl carbonates solvents that are commonly used in lithium cells. When dissolving such a salt in alkyl carbonates to prepare a non-aqueous electrolyte, this non-aqueous electrolyte has good conductivity (6.85 mS/cm). The lithium salt of the present invention had excellent thermal stability (i.e. the initial decomposition temperature>200° C.) and oxidation resistant electrochemical stability (i.e. anodic limit>5.0V vs. Li). The present invention also discloses a simple method suitable for preparing a cyano benzimidazole metal salt. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Due in part to a number of new analytical techniques, there has been a significant increase in knowledge about genetic information, particularly in humans. Allelic variants of genetic loci have been correlated to malignant and non-malignant monogenic and multigenic diseases. For example, monogenic diseases for which the defective gene has been identified include DuChenne muscular dystrophy, sickle-cell anemia, Lesch Nyhan syndrome, hemophilia, beta-thalassemia, cystic fibrosis, polycystic kidney disease, ADA deficiency, .alpha.-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Wilm's tumor and retinoblastoma. Other diseases which are believed to be monogenic for which the gene has not been identified include fragile X mental retardation and Huntington's chorea.
Genes associated with multigenic diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer and premature coronary atherosclerosis have also been identified.
In addition to identifying individuals at risk for or carriers of genetic diseases, detection of allelic variants of a genetic locus has been used for organ transplantation, forensics, disputed paternity and a variety of other purposes in humans. In commercially important plants and animals, genes have not only been analyzed but genetically engineered and transmitted into other organisms.
A number of techniques have been employed to detect allelic variants of genetic loci including analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphic (RFLP) patterns, use of oligonucleotide probes, and DNA amplification methods. One of the most complicated groups of allelic variants, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), has been extensively studied. The problems encountered in attempting to determine the HLA type of an individual are exemplary of problems encountered in characterizing other genetic loci.
The major histocompatibility complex is a cluster of genes that occupy a region on the short arm of chromosome 6. This complex, denoted the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, includes at least 50 loci. For the purposes of HLA tissue typing, two main classes of loci are recognized. The Class I loci encode transplantation antigens and are designated A, B and C. The Class II loci (DRA, DRB, DQA1, DQB, DPA and DPB) encode products that control immune responsivenes. Of the Class II loci, all the loci are polymorphic with the exception of the DRA locus. That is, the DR.alpha. antigen polypeptide sequence is invariant.
HLA determinations are used in paternity determinations, transplant compatibility testing, forensics, blood component therapy, anthropological studies, and in disease association correlations to diagnose disease or predict disease susceptibility. Due power of HLA to distinguish individuals and the need to match HLA type for transplantation, analytical methods to unambiguously characterize the alleles of the genetic loci associated with the complex have been sought. At present, DNA typing using RFLP and oligonucleotide probes has been used to type Class II locus alleles. Alleles of Class I loci and Class II DR and DQ loci are typically determined by serological methods. The alleles of the Class II DP locus are determined by primed lymphocyte typing (PLT).
Each of the HLA analysis methods has drawbacks. Serological methods require standard sera that are not widely available and must be continuously replenished. Additionally, serotyping is based on the reaction of the HLA gene products in the sample with the antibodies in the reagent sera. The antibodies recognize the expression products of the HLA genes on the surface of nucleated cells. The determination of fetal HLA type by serological methods may be difficult due to lack of maturation of expression of the antigens in fetal blood cells.
Oligonucleotide probe typing can be performed in two days and has been further improved by the recent use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. PCR-based oligoprobe typing has been performed on Class II loci. Primed lymphocyte typing requires 5 to 10 days to complete and involves cell culture with its difficulties and inherent variability.
RFLP analysis is time consuming, requiring about 5 to 7 days to complete. Analysis of the fragment patterns is complex. Additionally, the technique requires the use of labelled probes. The most commonly used label, .sup.32 P, presents well known drawbacks associated with the use of radionuclides.
A fast, reliable method of genetic locus analysis is highly desirable. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A steep conveying installation for arranging on the slope of an open-cast mining glory hole is known from DE 199 63 464 A1. Heavy goods vehicles, which are loaded with the raw materials, can be conveyed via the height distance between the mining floor of the open-cast mine and the upper height level, namely the soil, by means of the steep conveying installation. The steep conveying installation encompasses a travelling platform, on which heavy goods vehicles can travel and which can be pulled upwards across the height distance between the mining floor and the soil, via a traction means, which is formed from a plurality of ropes. An alternative for overcoming the height distance is thus created in that heavy goods vehicles travel on a correspondingly created road, which leads from the lower mining floor of the open-cast mine to the high soil. Heavy goods vehicles, which are used in mines or in other raw material open-cast mining, cause high costs and the speed across the created road for overcoming the height distance often needs to be chosen so as to be very slow. There is also a significant wear of the heavy goods vehicles, which results in further costs.
This height distance across the travelling platform can be overcome by means of the proposed conveying installation, which can be displaced at an incline. However, this results in the disadvantage that the drivers of the heavy goods vehicles for traveling on the mining floor and for traveling on the higher soil must alternate, because the drivers must leave the heavy goods vehicles, when the heavy goods vehicles are pulled up by means of the conveying installation.
A further disadvantage is created in that the heavy goods vehicles encompass a very high dead weight, which can be up to half of the payload. A conveying installation for conveying the payload and additionally for conveying the weight of the heavy goods vehicle must thus be dimensioned so as to be correspondingly large. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of integrated circuits and, more particularly, to design methodologies for integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Integrated circuits are employed in many different products. Generally, an integrated circuit includes a relatively large number of transistors (perhaps 1 to 5 million in modern integrated circuits, for example) formed upon a semiconductor substrate. The transistors are connected together using two or more wiring layers placed above the transistors, separated from the transistors and other wiring layers with an appropriate dielectric material.
Given the relatively large number of transistors included upon an integrated circuit, it is not feasible to design each transistor and its interconnection to other transistors. Instead, integrated circuit designers typically specify the operation of the integrated circuit using a high level design language (HDL) such as Verilog or VHDL. The description of the integrated circuit is typically a register-transfer level (RTL) description. An RTL description comprises multiple storage devices (e.g. the "registers") which store a current state of the integrated circuit, and a set of logical equations defining a next state of the integrated circuit. The next state is stored in the storage devices according to a clock signal defined for the integrated circuit. The clock signal defines the interval of time in which the next state is to be computed, and is used by the storage devices to determine when to sample an input to the storage device. The input thus sampled is stored in the storage device until the subsequent sampling point occurs upon the clock signal. For example, the rising or falling edge of the clock signal may be used as a sampling point. Alternatively, a storage device may "open" (i.e. allow the input to pass through to the output) during one phase of the clock signal (e.g. logical high or logical low value), and "close" (i.e. store the value upon the input regardless of subsequent changes upon the input) during the other phase of the clock signal. One period of the clock signal is referred to as a clock cycle.
HDLs can be used to provide a readily understandable description of the operation of an integrated circuit. The RTL description may be read by a person unfamiliar with the integrated circuit's operation, and the person may come to an understanding of the operation more quickly than if the person studied the transistors which implement the integrated circuit. However, RTL descriptions must be compiled into a list of transistors and their relative placement upon the semiconductor substrate, as well as a description of the wiring layers used to interconnect the transistors, in order to actually manufacture the integrated circuit. Typically, the integrated circuit design is divided into multiple partitions. At least one RTL description file is associated with each partition.
The process of compiling an RTL description includes a first compiling step, referred to as synthesis, which converts the RTL description into a list of cells and interconnection there between. The list of cells interconnected as specified by the synthesis tool implements the logical next state equations of the RTL description, as well as the storage devices in the RTL description. The cells available to the synthesis tool are provided to the synthesis tool in the form of a cell library comprising multiple cells. Each cell has a set of attributes defining the cell's logical, electrical, and physical properties. One cell attribute is a logical function (such as AND, OR, NAND, NOR, etc., or a complex logical function implementing an equation of basic logical functions) between one or more input pins and one or more output pins of the cell. A second cell attribute is timing information regarding the delay between a signal arriving at a particular input to the cell and an output signal from the cell reacting to the input signal. Each cell is associated with a corresponding circuit including a set of transistors arranged for placement upon an integrated circuit and interconnect between the transistors. The area occupied by the corresponding circuit is a third cell attribute included in the cell library. Furthermore, the timing information referred to above is derived from the circuit and from parameters defined for the semiconductor fabrication process in which the circuit is to be implemented.
The synthesis tool uses the logical functions of the cells in the library to realize the logical next state equations defined in the RTL description. Additionally provided to the synthesis tool is a set of constraints for the design, including a maximum desired clock cycle time and maximum area for the integrated circuit (or portion thereof, in the case of a partitioned integrated circuit). The synthesis tool attempts to realize the RTL description using the cell library within the clock cycle time and area constraints, as well as any other constraints provided to the synthesis tool.
The RTL description of the integrated circuit is typically synthesized multiple times during the design of the integrated circuit. The early synthesis results tend to include a number of logic paths (i.e. interconnected levels of cells between two storage devices) which do not meet the design constraints. Integrated circuit designers analyze the results of the earlier synthesis runs and change the integrated circuit design and/or optimize the RTL description to improve the results of later synthesis runs. Once a design has substantially achieved the design constraints, a second compiling step is performed. The lists of cells corresponding to each partition of the integrated circuit and interconnect between the partitions are "laid out" (i.e. placed within the confines of the desired integrated circuit dimensions) and the wiring between the partitions is routed through the wiring layers. Once the layout is completed, an extraction of the capacitance for the interconnect can be performed, and a final timing analysis including the interconnect delay and delays for the cells is performed to verify that the integrated circuit meets the design goals for the integrated circuit.
A typical cell library includes multiple cells implementing the same basic logical function (e.g. AND, OR, NAND, NOR, etc.) or complex logical function. The multiple cells correspond to different circuits. The number and configuration of the transistors may vary between the circuits corresponding to each of the cells. Alternatively, the "drive strength" may be varied between different circuits having the same number and configuration of transistors. The drive strength is a measure of the circuits ability to charge/discharge a largely capacitive load (e.g. the input pins of other cells plus the wiring there between). A high drive strength indicates the ability to charge/discharge a large load quickly, while a low drive strength indicates a longer time period for charging/discharging a large load. The drive strength may be characterized by an output resistance for the cell. Typically, a circuit having a higher drive strength occupies more area than an equivalent circuit having a lower drive strength (the transistors are made larger to increase the drive strength, for example).
The synthesis tool uses the multiple cells corresponding to a given logical function to realize the RTL description within the area, timing, and other constraints for the integrated circuit. If the timing of a particular logic path is not close to the maximum desired clock cycle time, then cells having a lower drive strength may be selected for that path to minimize the area occupied by those circuits. Additionally, different combinations of cells may form the same overall logical functions, and the different combinations may have different timing and area characteristics. The synthesis tool tries different combinations of drive strengths and different combinations of cells to realize a given RTL description. If none of the selected combinations can realize the RTL description within the design constraints, the synthesis tool selects the combination which is closest to achieving the constraints. Generally speaking, a synthesis tool is a computer program which performs integrated circuit design synthesis. An exemplary synthesis tool is the Design Compiler family of tools available from Synopsys, Inc. of Mountainview, Calif.
Unfortunately, the time required to synthesize an RTL description given multiple drive strengths per logical function and/or multiple circuit types providing an equivalent function can be prohibitive. The time required is particularly prohibitive during the early synthesis attempts performed upon the RTL description. The RTL description provided during the early attempts to synthesize the integrated circuit may require significant optimization before an acceptable synthesis result can be achieved. Additionally, the functionality of the RTL description may need to be modified to achieve an acceptable synthesis result. These early synthesis attempts, then, provide an evaluation of the RTL description and the integrated circuit design itself. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to quickly synthesize an RTL description in order to evaluate the RTL.
In some cases, a library of cells corresponding to a set of circuits designed for a particular semiconductor fabrication process may not be available until after initiation of synthesis is desired. The design cycle (i.e. the time elapsing between defining the design goals of an integrated circuit and the fabrication of the integrated circuit) may be lengthened by the inability to evaluate the RTL description of the integrated circuit earlier in the design cycle. | {
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powdery adhesive and a process for the preparation thereof. The powdery adhesive of the present invention is preferably used as a spot adhesive for bonding two substrates of an electro-optical element comprising a liquid crystal, such as a smectic liquid crystal or a nematic liquid crystal, which is supported between the substrates, especially two substrates having a uniform spacing of an order of .mu.m.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal electro-optical element comprises two substrates confronting each other with a certain spacing therebetween and a liquid crystal sealed in the spacing, in which each substrate comprises a driving transparent electrode film and an orienting film for orienting liquid crystal molecules, which are formed on the surface of a glass sheet.
A liquid crystal electro-optical element comprising a ferroelectric liquid crystal showing the chiral smectic C phase was recently developed (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56-107216). A liquid crystal substance having the chiral smectic C phase, such as p-decyloxybenzylidene-p'-amino-2-methylbutyl cinnamate or p-hexyloxyben-zylidene-p'-amino-2-chloropropyl cinnamate, has a structure in which liquid crystal molecules are spirally oriented. If the liquid crystal is injected between two substrates arranged to confront each other with a spacing narrower than the frequency of this spiral, the liquid crystal molecules lose the spiral structure, and simultaneously, a bistable state characteristic is produced by the influence of the orienting film. Two stable states are alternated at a high speed in response to an applied voltage by utilizing the ferroelectric property possessed by the liquid crystal molecules, whereby the liquid crystal is driven. If the voltage is removed, the liquid crystal molecules maintain one of the two stable states, and therefore, the liquid crystal has a memory property.
However, since the liquid crystal has the chiral smectic C phase, to realize the bistable state in the liquid crystal substance, two substrates must be arranged with a certain spacing smaller than several .mu.m, but since distortions and warping are present in the substrates, it is difficult to uniformly decrease the spacing between the substrates.
Under this background, it is desirable to provide a technique of forming a cell structure in which two substrates are arranged in parallel with as narrow a spacing as possible therebetween.
It is also desirable to provide a technique of producing a stability against shock or movements of the liquid crystal in a liquid crystal electro-optical element.
A liquid electro-optical element is sometimes exposed to a low temperature during transportation or use, and the liquid crystal electro-optical element generally must have be stable at about -30.degree. C. and drivable at about -20.degree. C. Among the members constituting the liquid crystal electro-optical element, the glass, spacer particles or adhesive particles have a linear expansion coefficient on an order of 10.sup.-5 /.degree.C., but the linear expansion coefficient of the liquid crystal is on an order of 10.sup.-3 /.degree.C. Accordingly, as the element is cooled from a temperature close to room temperature to a lower temperature, the liquid crystal is unilaterally shrunk. Accordingly, by a simple calculation, it will be readily understood that, if the temperature is lowered by about 50.degree. C. from room temperature to -30.degree. C., in about 15% of the display area, the state in which the liquid crystal is not filled, i.e., the state wherein vacuum bubbles occur, is formed, and a blank portion is formed in the display picture. Practically, because of distortions of the substrates and the deformation of spacer particles and adhesive particles, the quantity of vacuum bubbles is smaller than the calculated quantity, but it is apparent that vacuum bubbles are formed, and thus the quality of the liquid crystal electro-optical element is drastically degraded at low temperatures. | {
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The subject matter disclosed herein relates to routing plate and, more particularly, to a routing plate for hydraulic lines between line replaceable units (LRUs).
Hydraulic components on aircraft gearboxes are typically interconnected via internal cast cores in the gearbox or by external hydraulic plumbing lines. Cast cores present a problem with gearbox design as they add significant cost and complexity to the gearbox housing manufacture. External plumbing lines present issues with the removal of components, as separation of the external line is typically required to remove the component, presenting additional interfaces for the potential of external oil leakage. Also, there is significant effort in achieving certification requirements with external plumbing lines due to requirements for survival in power plant fire zones. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Tubular systems often employ valves that allow fluid to flow through a tubular or to block fluid flow through the tubular. After closing a valve to block flow it is sometimes desirable to reopen the valve to reestablish flow therethrough. Doing so can be difficult in systems wherein the blockage is via a plug run within the tubular to a seat. Removal of the plug to reopen the tubular may require reversing flow to pump the plug back out through the pathway that it entered. Other options include milling or machining the plug out. Many methods, including the two foregoing require time (during reverse flow or running of a milling tool) to remove the blockage. This time could be spent more productively. Tubular valving systems and methods that overcome these drawbacks are well received in the art. | {
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A wide variety of different types of storage systems are known. For example, some storage systems are configured to include multiple storage tiers, with different ones of the tiers providing different levels of performance or other characteristics. In such storage systems, data may be moved from one tier to another within a given storage system based on access frequency of the data or other factors. These and other types of tiered or non-tiered storage systems may be shared by multiple host devices of a compute cluster. However, problems can arise in such arrangements when paths from one or more of the host devices to the storage system are added or deleted as a result of zoning and masking changes or other types of storage system reconfigurations performed by a storage administrator or other user. In some cases, a manual intervention by a host administrator may be required in order for a given one of the host devices to determine any changes in its paths to the storage system. The storage administrator is typically not able to control this path discovery function in the host device because he or she does not have access to the requisite host credentials. Numerous manual interventions may therefore be required over time as various changes are made to the paths. | {
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The present invention is related to systems and methods for charging batteries, and more particularly to systems and methods for switching between current and voltage mode charging.
The need for rechargeable batteries has increased in recent years due to the proliferation of portable electronics devices. A typical consumer electronics device includes a rechargeable battery and an associated battery charger. One complaint about such devices is that recharging the battery requires a significant amount of time. To address this complaint, fast charging approaches have been developed. For example, one common method of fast charging includes a fast charge portion where the battery is charged at a fast rate with a relatively high constant current followed by a slow charge portion where a low current derived from a constant voltage is used to charge the battery. Using this approach, the battery is charged using the high fixed current for a fixed period of time allowing the battery to charge at a relatively constant and fast rate. When the battery voltage nears its final value, the charging switches from a constant current mode to a constant voltage mode. While charging in the constant voltage mode, only a trickle current is applied to the battery. The switch from constant current mode to constant voltage mode is critical. In particular, if the switch occurs too late, the battery may overcharge and/or overheat.
In some cases, use of sensors has been proposed to detect when the battery voltage is approaching its final voltage. When a threshold near the final voltage is detected by the sensor, charging is switched from the constant current mode to the constant voltage mode. After the switch, a timer is initiated and based on predetermined battery profiles, the constant voltage mode charging is switched off after a period of time. However, the aforementioned method of switching between the constant current mode and constant voltage modes is not seamless and relies on predetermined battery characteristics.
Hence, for at least one or more of the aforementioned reasons, advanced systems and methods for battery charging are desired. | {
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This invention relates to an emergency exit door lock system, and more particularly this invention relates to an emergency exit door lock system wherein the system includes structure for delaying transition of the lock from a locked to unlocked mode so as to permit sounding of an alarm to give notice that the emergency exit door is being opened without authorization.
As explained in the aforecited co-pending U.S. Patent Applications, there is a need for a new type of emergency exit door lock in which opening of the lock is delayed. In the related patent applications this delay is accomplished by throttling a fluid. In order to reduce the cost of delayed action emergency exit door locks, another approach to the problem may be desirable in order to get this type of lock into wide use.
As indicated in the related patent applications, there is an inherent conflict between safety and security, even though these two concerns are interrelated. This conflict becomes readily apparent when one considers the problems encountered in trying to optimize the design of emergency exit doors. At least some doors in public buildings, such as schools, theaters, auditoriums, restaurants and the like must, by law, be equipped with latches or locks which can be readily opened from within the building should there be a fire or other emergency situation. These locks and latches pose a security problem since doors which can be readily opened from the inside of a building allow people within the buildings to easily escape with stolen articles and allow people within the buildings to open the doors and admit anyone they wish into the buildings. In the minds of security personnel, in many instances the security problems caused by easily openable emergency doors far outweigh the dangers of fire. Consequently, emergency exit doors are frequently locked with chains or other devices. This is probably done because security problems arise with greater frequency than fires and must be dealt with on a day-to-day basis, whereas fires occur infrequently and the dangers of fire are therefore ignored. If emergency exits are locked the results are often catastrophic when fires do occur and this causes fire departments great concern. | {
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Vehicle operation by persons under the influence of alcohol is a well known safety problem in the United States and throughout the world. Thousands of deaths per year in the United States are attributable to drivers operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol. To address this problem, most states have established laws that prohibit operation of a vehicle by an individual with a blood alcohol content (BAC) greater than a preset value (e.g., 0.08% BAC). In addition, “ignition interlock” systems have been developed which are directly connected to a vehicle's ignition system and are designed to prevent vehicle operation by inebriated individuals. Many states require the installation of ignition interlock systems in the vehicles of individuals convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, particularly repeat offenders.
Conventional ignition interlock systems include a breath analyzer which measures the alcohol content of the breath of an individual. It is well known that the alcohol content of gas present in the alveoli of the lungs has an alcohol content directly proportional to that of the bloodstream of an individual. Blood alcohol content, thus, can be accurately determined by measuring breath alcohol content with a breath analyzer.
Typically, in order to start a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock system, the driver must first blow into the breath analyzer. If the driver's breath alcohol exceeds a preset limit, the vehicle's ignition is disabled and the vehicle is rendered inoperable. If the driver's breath alcohol is below the preset limit, ignition is permitted and the vehicle may be started. If a driver successfully passes an initial breath test and is allowed to start a vehicle, some ignition interlock systems will require one or more retests (typically random) of the driver after vehicle ignition. These retests may occur as the driver is operating the vehicle (referred to as “rolling retests”) or the driver may be required to stop the vehicle prior to taking the retest. If the driver either refuses to take a retest or if the driver's breath alcohol exceeds a preset limit, vehicle operation may be disabled or may become disabled within a preset period of time. Exemplary ignition interlock devices that utilize breath analyzers are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,780,311; 3,824,537; 3,831,707; and 4,592,443.
Operation of conventional ignition interlock systems is unsupervised. This lack of supervision has led to various attempts to bypass the breath analyzer such as by using air or other gases from balloons, bicycle pumps, gas station air hoses, and other sources. As a result, conventional ignition interlock systems may include breath temperature and humidity detection sensors to deter the use of non-human breath samples.
The lack of supervision has also led to attempts by vehicle operators to circumvent ignition interlock devices by using breath samples of non-driving individuals. To deter a person other than a vehicle operator from taking a breath test in order to start a vehicle, conventional ignition interlock systems have utilized various ways for confirming the identity of the person providing the breath sample. For example, the use of retina scans, voice identification, and face recognition have all been utilized. See, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos.: 2002/0089660, 2002/0084130 and 2002/0117287. Unfortunately, many of these systems are complicated and expensive.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a cost effective and reliable ignition interlock system that is capable of discriminating, without human supervision, between a vehicle operator and other persons in order to prevent circumvention of the ignition interlock system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a circuit and method of detecting a saturation level of an image sensor and an image sensor including the saturation level detecting circuit and, more particularly, to a circuit and method of detecting a saturation level of an image sensor including a photodiode using a black pixel circuit included in the image sensor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Image sensors used in cellular phone cameras and digital cameras include CMOS image sensors and charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors. The image sensors capture images and output video signals corresponding to the captured images.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional CMOS image sensor. The CMOS image sensor includes a module lens 110 for condensing light and a semiconductor chip 120 generating a video signal corresponding to the condensed light. The chip 120 includes an image pixel region 130 including an image pixel circuit, an optical black region 140 including a black pixel circuit for removing an error caused by a voltage offset or by heat, a row driver 160 for driving pixels arranged in rows, and an analog-digital converter 150 for converting analog video signals received from pixels arranged in columns into digital video signals.
FIG. 2 illustrates the image pixel circuit 131 and the black pixel circuit 141 respectively included in the image pixel region 130 and the optical black region 140 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the image pixel circuit 131 and the black pixel circuit 141 essentially have the same circuit components. More specifically, each of the image pixel circuit 131 and the black pixel circuit 141 includes a photodiode PD receiving input light Lin, a transfer switch TTr receiving a transfer control signal TC, a floating diffusion node FDN, a voltage follower FTr, a select switch STr receiving a select control signal SC, and a reset switch RTr receiving a reset control signal RC. One terminal of the photodiode PD is connected to the source of a reference voltage, which is ground voltage GND in FIG. 2, and one terminal of the reset switch RTr is connected to a source of a power voltage VDD. A voltage signal Vout output from the pixel circuit 131 or 141 is input to an analog-digital converter ADC (150 of FIG. 1).
While the image pixel circuit 131 and the black pixel circuit 141 have the same configuration, the photodiode PD of the image pixel circuit 131 is exposed to light, whereas the photodiode PD of the black pixel circuit 141 is blocked from light by a light-shielding layer.
The photodiode PD of the image pixel circuit 131 generates charges caused by heat as well as charges caused by photoelectric conversion. Thus, to obtain a correct amount of charges caused by photoelectric conversion, the amount of the charges caused by heat should be subtracted from the total amount of generated charges. The photodiode PD of the black pixel circuit 141 generates only charges caused by heat, because charges caused by photoelectric conversion are not generated due to the light-shielding layer. Accordingly, the analog-digital converter ADC (150 of FIG. 1) that receives voltage signals from the image pixel circuit 131 and the black pixel circuit 141 can output a digital video signal corresponding to the amount of charges caused by photoelectric conversion by subtracting the voltage signal output from the black pixel circuit 141 from the voltage signal output from the image pixel circuit 131.
The black pixel circuit 141 is included in the optical black region 140 to remove any error caused by heat and to eliminate the effect of an offset existing in the photodiode PD of the image pixel circuit 131 and the photodiode PD of the black pixel circuit 141.
A photodiode has a saturation level that varies for wafers or chips due to manufacturing environments or other variables. Thus, image sensors have different saturation levels. Accordingly, the image sensors do not use their respective output ranges but use an output range that can be commonly applied thereto to operate stably. That is, the dynamic range of an image sensor is narrower than the actual output range in order to secure a stable operation margin of the image sensor.
Reducing the dynamic range of an image sensor, however, requires expensive devices for detecting levels that become finer in the reduced dynamic range. This is a problem different from a problem that the dynamic range become narrower because an operating voltage of the image sensor becomes lower. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Lettuce, Lactuca sativa L., is a commercially important fresh leaf crop belonging to the Cichoreae tribe of the aster family (Asteraceae) which includes such other important crops as sunflowers and artichokes. Lettuce is widely grown throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world and is used predominantly as a fresh green in the human diet.
There are six morphological types of lettuce: iceberg (crisphead), romaine (cos), butterhead, leaf, stem and Latin. Ryder, E. J., 1979, Leafy Salad Vegetables, AVI Publishing Company. These basic lettuce types frequently form the basis for grouping lettuces as is commonly seen in supermarkets, grocery and produce stores.
The crisphead type is the most common in the United States, while butterheads and romaines are the popular types in northern and southern Europe. Id. In the United States, California is the leading producer of lettuce. California produces crisphead, leaf and romaine lettuce. In 1995, California's cash receipts for crisphead lettuce amounted to about $987 million dollars. 1996 California Agricultural Resource Directory. Furthermore, also in 1995, California exported about $154 million dollars of crisphead lettuce to other countries such as Japan, Canada, the European Union and Korea. Id.
Terms used herein to describe plants are explained in “Guidelines for the Conduct of Tests for Distinctness, Homogeneity and Stability” UPOV Ref. No. TG/13/7, 16 Oct. 1993, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The iceberg group lettuces are characterized by their relatively large, spherical, dense heads averaging 20.0 cm in diameter and 1000 g in weight, which are borne on a set of frame leaves that form the base of the plant. The heads are composed of leaves that are spirally arranged on a stem with greatly foreshortened internodes, are tightly clasping upon one another forming a sphere of broadly shaped (obovate) leaves, where the length and width of each leaf is nearly identical, having length to width ratio (L/W ratio) of 1.0 approximates 20.0 cm in length to 20.0 in width. The length to width ratio for commercial iceberg lettuce varieties ranges from about 0.5 to 1.0. Outer leaves range in color intensity from dark green (Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart 146A) to green (RHS 146B) with inner leaves ranging from very pale green (RHS 145C) to white or blanched (RHS 145D). Iceberg lettuces have a closed head formation. Iceberg leaves have a high content of water—hence the name, “crisphead.” More information regarding the general characteristics of iceberg lettuce may be found in Ryder, E. J., Leafy Salad Vegetables, AVI Publishing Company, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The romaine group of lettuces are characterized by large, cylindrical, semi-firm heads averaging 30.0 cm in diameter and 800 g in weight, which are borne on a set of frame leaves that form the base of the plant. The heads are composed of leaves that are spirally arranged on a stem with greatly foreshortened internodes, are loosely clasping upon one another forming a roll of elongated, spatula-shaped (spatulate) leaves, where the length is normally 50% longer than the width, having a range of length to width ratios of 1.2 to 2.5, where 1.5 is most common. Romaine lettuces generally have a semi-open head formation. The name “romaine” comes from the French for “Roman”. Outer leaves range in color intensity from dark green (RHS 146A) to mid-green (RHS 146B) to light green (RHS 146C) with inner leaves ranging from green (RHS 146B) to light green (RHS 146D). More information regarding the general characteristics of romaine lettuce may be found in Ryder, E. J., Leafy Salad Vegetables, AVI Publishing Company.
A major disadvantage of existing iceberg varieties lies in their shape. While they are widely used in salads and sandwiches for their unique taste and crunchy texture, the iceberg's round shape makes it difficult to process, resulting in inefficient handling and waste. For example, the iceberg lettuce head cannot be used when separating individual leaves to allow for cleaning and the production of individual lettuce leaves. The deeply cup-shaped leaves make thorough cleaning difficult and this same shape prevents their use as individual leaves in sandwiches because of their inability to lie flat and thus they are broken and damaged. In contrast, such disadvantages are not present in the shape of romaine lettuces.
Another disadvantage of existing iceberg varieties lies in their growing pattern. Because they grow low to the ground, harvesting must be done by hand. This means high harvest costs due to hand labor, which can also cause potential damage to the head when the lettuce stem is not cut at the correct level. Improperly harvested heads cannot be salvaged and must be discarded. In contrast, romaine lettuces grow erect and their leaves are oriented nearly vertically, thereby allowing for better access to the stem. These erect plants (such as a romaine) make the prospect of machine harvesting possible. Machine harvesting results in significant time and money savings.
Another disadvantage of existing iceberg varieties lies in their susceptibility to certain debilitating diseases. All plants rely on evaporation of moisture from the surface of their leaves to draw vital water and nutrients up into the remote areas where growth occurs. Due to the round head shape for crisphead lettuce, inner leaves are not exposed to light and air, thereby inhibiting evaporation of moisture from its inner leaves and the translocation of critically needed water, nutrients, and defensive agents to all interior areas of the head. Under these circumstances, the lack of calcium and other minerals in the process of leaf formation is a common problem in iceberg lettuce, causing brown and black spots (tipburn) to occur leading to the likelihood of subsequent infection by secondary pathogens such as bacteria and fungi, that result in the rapid decay and spoilage of the head from the inside out. In contrast, such diseases are much rarer in romaine lettuces due to the erect, semi-open shape of the head.
Other problems with existing cultivars adapted to western conditions include a lack of resistance to corky root rot and lettuce mosaic virus. Corky root rot is believed to be caused by a pathogenic soil bacterium of the genus Rhizomonas. One species of Rhizomonas that is commonly found to cause corky root rot is R. suberifaciens. Corky root rot accounts for significant lettuce crop loss in the western United States, particularly in the valleys of the central coast of California, i.e., the Salinas, Santa Maria, and Lompoc valleys.
Lettuce mosaic virus, on the other hand, is commonly found throughout the world, and occurs in all lettuce production areas of the United States. Vectored by the Green Peach aphid (Myzus persicae), outbreaks of lettuce mosaic virus can devastate an entire field within a short period of time.
Corky root rot symptoms include yellow bands on tap and lateral roots of lettuce seedlings. Guide to Leafy Vegetable Production in the Far West, Ron Smith, ed., California-Arizona Farm Press (1997). Yellow areas gradually expand and develop a green-brown color with cracks and rough areas on the root surface. The entire taproot may become brown, severely cracked and may cease to function. Feeder root systems are reduced and damaged. Roots become very brittle and break off easily. When the root is severely discolored, aboveground symptoms show up as wilting during warm temperatures, stunting and general poor, uneven growth. Loss of the root system results in stunted plants that are chlorotic and too small to harvest.
Lettuce mosaic virus symptoms first appear as vein clearing in the newly developed leaves followed by mottling (a mosaic appearance) and recurving of the leaves as they mature. Ryder, E. J., Leafy Salad Vegetables, AVI Publishing Company. The leaf margins increase in undulation and necrotic spots may also appear. Infected plants are generally much smaller than healthy plants, rendering the plants unsuitable for harvest. | {
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Airborne sensor arrays provide challenges in terms of weight and power limitations. Reducing weight and power requirements is a typical objective for airborne and space sensor arrays. | {
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The present invention relates generally to the field of indoor positioning systems, and more particularly to identifying unauthorized wireless personal area network low energy devices.
Indoor positioning systems (IPS) are solutions to locate objects and/or people within a building (e.g., store, venue, public service building, etc.) or designated area through sensory information collected by a mobile device. Instead of utilizing satellites, IPS solutions rely on different technologies, including distance measurement to nearby anchor nodes (e.g., nodes with known positions, such as WiFi® access points), magnetic positioning, and dead reckoning. The IPS either actively locates mobile devices and tags or provides ambient location or environmental content for devices to be sensed. Magnetic positioning utilizes a mobile device to measure magnetic disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic disturbances, when mapped, provide a digital representation of a building's floor plan. Dead reckoning is the process of calculating the current position of an individual by using a previously determined position, or a position derived from measuring external reference points, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over an elapsed time and course.
Beacons are a class of wireless personal area network low energy devices that broadcast a universally unique identifier (UUID) to nearby portable electronic devices. The UUID is a standard identifying system that allows a unique number (e.g., 128 bits, split into five groups with a major and a minor value) to be generated for the purpose of distinguishing beacons in one network from all other beacons in other networks. The major ID value identifies and distinguishes a specific group. For example, in a two-story building, beacons placed on each of the two floors are assigned a major value specific to the floor the beacons are located on. In other words, all the beacons on the first floor share the same major value, which is different from the major value shared by the beacons on the second floor. The minor value identifies and distinguishes an individual within a group. Continuing the example, on the first floor, beacons are located in a men's, women's, and children's departments. While the major values for each of the beacons indicate the three beacons are on the first floor, each individual beacon includes a unique minor value that distinguishes the beacon in the men's, women's, and children's departments from one another. The identifier (UUID, major ID, and minor ID) can therefore be used to determine the physical location of a mobile device and/or trigger a location-based action of the mobile device, such as a check-in on social media or a push notification. | {
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Various types of handguns are known in the art. A distinction is typically made between a revolver and an automatic pistol. A revolver is characterized by a rotating cylinder containing several cartridges that may be fired in quick succession without reloading. An automatic pistol is characterized by a magazine or a clip from which cartridges are automatically fed to a firing chamber for propulsion out of the barrel.
Regardless of type, a handgun has long been recognized as a weapon difficult to fire with consistent accuracy. Conventional firing calls for the shooter to sight a target along a rear sight and a front sight provided on the top of the gun. Depending on where the bullet lands in relation to the target, the shooter will compensate accordingly. Compensation may be required for such factors as distance, wind, and speed or size of the target. Due to the difficulty of making such compensations, handgun manufacturers have provided sighting devices with the firearm.
By way of example, reference is had to a conventional revolver manufactured by Smith & Wesson. The top-strap of a Smith & Wesson revolver is formed as an arcuate surface that defines an apex at its uppermost portion. Rear sights are typically provided at this apex and classified as "fixed" or "adjustable". A fixed rear sight comprises a trough cut at the apex of the radius in such a position as to be in alignment with the front sight provided on the end of the barrel. It is also well-known to mount an adjustable sight at this position. An adjustable sight is more desirable, as it can be adjusted up and down, or left and right. Both "fixed" and "adjustable" sights are designed for shooting at relatively close range. While such sights are very accurate, they are limited by the shooter's eyesight and knowledge of the shooting pattern of the revolver.
Due to the difficulty of making such compensations, the need for a device by which the shooter may repeatedly and quickly sight a target at long range has been known for many years. As a result, various sighting devices have been provided for use in both competition shooting and handgun hunting. For example, telescopic sights have long been used, and electronic sights and laser sighting devices are now offered to the general public. Such gunsights have been traditionally mounted to the handgun by one of two methods. The first method calls for the barrel of the revolver to be drilled and tapped and/or the top-strap of the revolver to be drilled and tapped to accept a dove-tailed rail to which a sight is clamped. The second method calls for the removal of an adjustable rear sight and installation of a clamping assembly in the resulting void. Alternatively, the clamping assembly may be drilled and tapped in combination with the revolver. Drilling and tapping of any firearm is undesirable because of the cost, the potential for causing damage to the firearm, and the requirement that a skilled gunsmith must be employed to perform this operation. These factors served for many years to deter handgun owners from utilizing anything but the standard factory issued gunsights.
The handgun art has developed to such a stage, however, that revolvers are being retrofitted with scopes and sights with something other than the standard metallic factory issue. These after-market sighting devices provide the benefit of a scope or sight, but highlight the need for professional conduct of the mounting operation. In retrofitting any handgun for a gunsight, it is preferred that the sight be mounted to the revolver without disrupting the balance thereof so as to provide consistent and smooth firing.
Thus, there exists a need for a gunsight mounting device that can be readily affixed to the revolver without drilling, tapping or like modification to the revolver, but still provides a balanced firearm. Further, the need exists for a mounting device that facilitates repeated and accurate attachment of after-market gunsights to a revolver without need of a skilled gunsmith to perform this operation. | {
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The present invention relates to computer memory arrays. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for mapping non-functional locations of random access memory array chips, such as audio DRAM chips, so that the chips may thereafter be used within a computer memory storage subsystem for storing digitized voice messages and facsimile data.
Computer systems following conventional architectures include a central processing unit (CPU) and main memory array which is used to store the application's and operating system's control programs which are executed by the CPU. A bus structure enables the CPU and main memory array to receive and send data to peripheral equipment, such as input/output (I/O) devices and auxiliary data storage and retrieval devices such as disk drives.
One type conventional memory array commonly used is the dynamic random access memory or DRAM. DRAM technology has progressed to the point where single DRAM chips may provide as much as a megabit or four megabits, or more, of storage. For example, an array of eight one megabit chips provides a megabyte of data storage capacity while an array of 16 one megabit chips provides a megaword of data storage capacity. Larger capacity chips provide even greater storage capacities. In order to assure integrity of each bit position within a particular address location, several approaches have been followed. The simplest approach is a single additional parity bit position which checks the parity (odd or even) of the particular byte or word to be stored at the address and indicates an error if, as actually stored, the parity is different than anticipated.
Another approach is to provide an error correction scheme which requires as many as six extra bit positions for a 16 bit word. One example of such approach is provided by the Nagano, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,763. This patent describes a method for detecting two-bit errors with an error correction code (ECC) scheme and then swapping a spare bit storage cell in place of a suspected defective cell and rerunning the bus memory transfer cycle. If only a single error remains, the ECC corrects this error and the process continues. In other words, the Nagano, et al. approach is to provide dynamic bit swapping within an ECC scheme in order to replace bad bit cells with substitute good bit cells during operation of the memory array. The evident drawback of the Nagano, et al. approach is that the ECC scheme requires considerable overhead in order to provide a six bit error correction code value for each sixteen bit word.
Another technique suggested by the prior art in Beausoleil U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,902 is to provide a mechanism for physically reconfiguring the boards comprising a memory array, so that an arrangement of boards in which a data word has a two bit error is changed to a new arrangement wherein a single bit error remains. Then, conventional ECC techniques may be used to correct for the single bit error.
DRAM chips are typically specified as having certain electrical characteristics. For computer service, characteristics such as power consumption, access times (speed), refresh rate, and freedom from nonfunctional storage locations are considered to be critical. Unfortunately, the manufacturing process is not yet sufficiently reliable in the megabit capacity ranges to provide full yields of chips that meet or exceed specifications relating to these four characteristics. However, a significant number of chips are produced which meet a slightly relaxed or less stringent set of specifications.
Since these chips cannot be reliably used within computer main memory, they are available at significantly lower cost than chips which meet the more stringent specifications for use within main memory of a digital computer. Other applications having relaxed specifications have been proposed and found for these chips. Such applications typically utilize fault tolerant data, which is binary data such as, for example, digitized audio information which can tolerate a few faulty bits within the data without seriously corrupting the data as a whole. Since these partially defective memory chips are mostly used within digital audio voice recording systems, wherein single bit or several bit non-functionality will not perceptibly degrade reconstituted audio information, these chips have come to be known within the semiconductor industry as "AUDIO DRAM" or ARAM.
However, for obvious reasons, ARAM chips have not conventionally been used for storage of fault non-tolerant data, which is binary data such as, for example, computer program code or facsimile data which cannot tolerate any faulty bits within the data. A hitherto unsolved need has arisen for the practical utilization of Audio DRAM within computing systems in order to realize a low cost, high storage capacity solid state memory array.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a memory management technique for allowing ARAM chips to be utilized for storage of both fault tolerant binary data and fault non-tolerant binary data. | {
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The present invention relates to an automotive electric compressor driving apparatus comprising driving circuits for air-conditioning components, data input circuits for sensors, and a serial communication circuit for inputting driving signals and outputting sensor data.
FIGS. 4 and 5 is a partially sectional view of an automobile having a conventional electric compressor driving apparatus for an automotive air conditioner. An air conditioner controller 25 is provided in the passenger compartment 30 of the automobile. A room temperature sensor 22 for detecting room temperature and a sunshine sensor 23 for detecting sunshine are provided in the passenger compartment 30. The detection outputs from the room temperature sensor 22 and the sunshine sensor 23 are supplied to the air conditioner controller 25. A room fan driving unit 15 for driving a room fan 6 for sending cool or warm air through a duct portion 40 of the air conditioner is also provided in the passenger compartment 30, and connected to the air conditioner controller 25.
An electric compressor 1, an electric compressor driving unit 29 for driving the electric compressor 1 and a four-way valve 7 for switching the passages of refrigerant compressed by the electric compressor 1 are provided in an engine compartment 31 outside the passenger compartment 30 of the automobile. The four-way valve 7 is driven by a valve driving unit 8 in the engine compartment 31. An outside heat exchanger fan 3 is also provided in the engine compartment 31. Near the outside heat exchanger fan 3, an outside heat exchanger fan driving unit (hereinafter referred to as an outside fan driving unit) 16 is provided to drive the outside heat exchanger fan 3. At the front end of the engine compartment 31, an outside temperature sensor 21 is provided to detect outside air temperature. The electric compressor driving unit 29, the valve driving unit 8, the fan driving unit 16 and the outside temperature sensor 21 are connected to the air conditioner controller 25 by respective connection cables 35 passing through a partition wall 32. FIG. 5 is a view showing the connection of the above-mentioned conventional electric compressor driving apparatus. In FIG. 5, the electric compressor driving unit 29, the valve driving unit 8, the outside fan driving unit 16 and the outside temperature sensor 21 provided in the engine compartment 31 are connected to the air conditioner controller 25 provided in the passenger compartment 30 by the respective connection cables 35.
In the conventional automotive electric compressor driving apparatus, the electric compressor 1 is driven by a motor current having an instructed driving frequency which is instructed by a driving signal from the air conditioner controller 25. The instructed driving frequency of the driving signal is sent by an eight-bit serial signal as shown in FIG. 6A. The electric compressor driving unit 29 detects a driving frequency corresponding to an actual rotating speed of the electric compressor 1, and sends an eight-bit transmitting signal indicating the detected driving frequency to the air conditioner controller 25 as shown in FIG. 6B. This method is used because of the following reason. For the purpose of protection of the electric compressor 1, when the electric compressor 1 is not driven at a rotating speed corresponding to the instructed driving frequency, and the difference between the instructed driving frequency and the detected driving frequency exceeds a predetermined value, an occurrence of malfunction in the electric compressor 1 is determined, and operation for protection of the electric compressor 1 is performed. The air conditioner controller 25 also delivers respective driving signals to the valve driving unit 8, the outside fan driving unit 16 and the room fan driving unit 15 for driving the room fan. These driving signals are obtained by arithmetic operations using an arithmetic operation unit (not shown) in the air conditioner controller 25.
The valve driving unit 8 is provided near the four-way valve 7, and the outside fan driving unit 16 is provided near the outside heat exchanger fan 3. In other words, since these units are provided near respective connection pipes, these units are disposed outside the passenger compartment 30. Furthermore, the outside temperature sensor 21 is usually provided outside the passenger compartment 30 in order to detect outside temperature. On the other hand, the air conditioner controller 25, to which the above-mentioned units are connected, is usually disposed in the passenger compartment 30 in consideration of environmental conditions.
Therefore, the total number and the whole lengths of the cables extended between the air conditioner controller 25 and the above-mentioned units from the inside to the outside of the passenger compartment 30 are large. Furthermore, the number of connectors 38 provided at the passing-through parts of the partition wall 32 of the passenger compartment 30 is large, whereby the reliability of the electric connection is low. In particular, since the output signal from the outside temperature sensor 21 has a small analog voltage value, the output signal is susceptible to electric noise if the cable is long.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automotive electric compressor driving apparatus capable of reducing the number of connectors 38 for the various units and sensors for air-conditioning, and capable of enhancing the reliability of electric connection. | {
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The present invention relates to voltage reference and regulator circuits, and more particularly, to a circuit which actively simulates the performance of a zener diode and which is capable of regulating currents at very low levels or providing very low reference voltages.
Zener diodes are extensively utilized in simple voltage regulator circuits, reference voltage circuits, overvoltage protection circuits, signal clipping circuits, etc. A zener diode is a specially treated PN junction with a relatively low reverse breakdown voltage, for example less than five volts. When a source of voltage is applied to the zener diode in the reverse direction (anode negative), a reverse current develops. As the reverse voltage is increased, eventually a so-called "avalanche breakdown" condition occurs, resulting in a large increase in current for a small change in voltage. A zener diode presents the effect of a very low impedance and therefore maintains a fairly constant voltage over a large range of currents. The voltage at which the avalanche breakdown occurs is referred to as the zener voltage. Thus, the current-voltage curve of a zener diode exhibits a sharp knee at the zener voltage. Since the resistance of the zener diode drops drastically at this point, it is necessary to limit the current flow with an external resistor. Avalanche breakdown of an operating zener diode is not destructive as long as the rated power dissipation of the junction is not exceeded.
Physical limitations in the fabrication processes make it difficult to fabricate a zener diode to regulate on currents less than approximately one milliamp, or to maintain reference voltages less than approximately three volts. It would be desirable to provide a circuit for actively simulating the performance of a zener diode at low current levels and low voltage levels so that regulating and reference functions could be performed at these low levels. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to irrigation control devices and more specifically to multi-wire irrigation control systems including remote devices coupled to a multi-wire path and for coupling to actuator coil-controlled irrigation equipment.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In decoder-based irrigation control systems, an irrigation controller sends signaling along a wire path to which one or more decoder devices are attached. Each decoder device monitors transmissions on the wire path and decodes this signaling to determine when to cause irrigation devices coupled thereto to be activated and deactivated. The decoder module typically includes circuitry formed on a printed circuit board located within a housing. Wiring from the decoder module housing must be coupled to the wiring of the wire path as well as coupled to one or more actuator devices each controlling the opening and closing of an irrigation rotor or valve. In one form, the rotor or valve is operated by a solenoid coil as is well known in the art. Likewise, during installation, the operator must provide and electrically connect two separate devices, a decoder module and an actuator coil module, to each other and to the control wire path. FIG. 1 illustrates a separate decoder module 102 and a coil unit 104 that are conventionally coupled together. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, for a solenoid activated rotor assembly 200, the coil module 104 is coupled (in part by a bracket 212 and retainer 214) to the parts of a selector valve assembly 202 (including a pressure regulator) attached to a casing assembly 204. The electrical wire inputs to the coil module 104 are then connected to the electrical wire outputs from the decoder module 102, while the electrical wire inputs to the decoder module 102 are coupled to the control wire path from the irrigation controller. Thus, a typical installation requires the connection of six wires to install the decoder module 102 and a coil module 104.
As is well known, in operation, a portion of a plunger (not shown) of the selector valve assembly 202 is disposed within the coil unit 104 while another portion is seated against a solenoid plunge port (not shown) within the selector valve assembly 202 in a normally closed position. In this position, high pressure water flow from a main water control valve (not shown) located within a main control valve portion 206 of the device is flowed up high pressure water line 208 into the selector valve assembly 202 and its regulator and is prevented from further movement by the normally closed position of the plunger against the solenoid port in the selector valve assembly 202. This results in a back pressure that causes the main water control valve to close. In response to signals from the decoder module 102, the coil module 104 causes the actuation of the plunger to move it off of (or unseat from) the solenoid plunge port allowing the high pressure flow in the high pressure line 208 to flow through the selector valve assembly 202 (and its pressure regulator), which relieves the back pressure and allows water to flow through the main control valve and to a pop-up sprinkler device, i.e., the main water control valve is opened. The pop-up sprinkler device is located within the casing assembly 204 and extends upwardly due to the water pressure through a top portion of the casing assembly 204. The high pressure flow exits the selector valve assembly 202 down through a discharge flow line 210 which terminates within the casing assembly 204 at a location downstream of the main water control valve. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet light monitoring system that quantitatively and in real time monitors damage caused by ultraviolet light from plasma or the like in a semiconductor fabrication step (process) or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the progress of miniaturization of element structures, thinning of layers and formation of three-dimensional structures in, for example, semiconductor devices, ultraviolet light irradiation damage, when ultraviolet light is emitted from a plasma which is used in a step of forming an interlayer insulation film, wiring or the like and reaches a boundary surface of a semiconductor element, has become a significant problem.
As a countermeasure, technologies have been developed for ultraviolet light monitoring systems (for example, a plasma monitoring system) which monitor ultraviolet light irradiation damage in real time at actual patterns on wafers. Methods and evaluation results of these technologies are presented in detail in documents such as, for example:
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2003-282546 (below referred to as document 1);
JP-A No. 2005-236199 (below referred to as document 2);
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, Vol. 23, No. 6, November/December 2005, American Vacuum Society, pp. 1509-1512 (below referred to as document 3);
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, Vol. 23, No. 1, January/February 2005, American Vacuum Society, pp. 173-177 (below referred to as document 4); and
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, Vol. 22, No. 6, November/December 2004, American Vacuum Society, pp. 2818-2822 (below referred to as document 5); and the like.
FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are diagrams showing a conventional plasma monitoring system which is described in, for example, FIG. 6 of the document 2 and FIG. 2(a) on page 174 of the document 4. FIG. 8A is a schematic structural diagram, and FIG. 8B is a diagram showing problem. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan diagram showing an electrode of FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B.
The plasma monitoring system shown in FIG. 8A is provided with a plasma processing device 10. The plasma device 10 is a device which generates plasma 12 in a plasma chamber 11, which is in a vacuum state, by application of a high frequency (RF) bias voltage, and implements etching, film formation or the like on a monitoring subject 20 which is placed on a stage 13. Wiring 14 is connected to the monitoring subject 20. This wiring 14 leads out to outside the plasma chamber 11. A voltage supply 15, for applying a negative bias voltage (for example, −30 V) to the monitoring subject 20, and an ammeter 16, for measuring an induction current flowing in the monitoring subject 20, are connected in series with the wiring 14 that has been led out to the outside.
The monitoring subject 20 has a structure in which an electrode (for example, a polysilicon electrode 22 formed as a film with a substantially rectangular shape in plan view) insulated by a silicon dioxide film (SiO2 film) is formed on a wafer (for example, a silicon (Si) substrate 21), and a film to be used for an actual semiconductor device (for example, a silicon dioxide film 23) is formed on the polysilicon electrode 22. A portion of the silicon dioxide film 23 is opened up and a portion of the polysilicon electrode 22 is exposed, and the wiring 14 is connected to this exposed location via a wiring connection portion 24.
At a time at which monitoring of ultraviolet light UV is to be performed, when plasma processing of the monitoring subject 20 is being implemented by application of the RF bias voltage, pairs of holes h and electrons e are generated in the silicon dioxide film 23 on the polysilicon electrode 22 by the ultraviolet light UV emitted from the plasma 12. The negative bias voltage is applied to the polysilicon electrode 22 by the voltage supply 15, and thus the holes h are measured in real time by the ammeter 16, as an induction current. This induction current is monitored as a quantitative indicator of damage to the silicon dioxide film 23 that is caused by the ultraviolet light UV.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 2(b) on page 174 of the document 4, a structure may be employed in which a surface of the silicon dioxide film 23, including the opening portion, is covered with an aluminum (Al) based metal film, in order to eliminate effects of ions i, electrons e or the like as much as possible.
As shown in FIG. 8B, when the monitoring subject 20 is exposed to the plasma 12, the plasma 12 has been separated into positive ions, and the electrons e and holes h act to electrostatically charge up the silicon dioxide film 23. Here, because the electrons e are much lighter than the holes h, the electrons e have higher speed, and large amounts of the electrons e are accumulated on the silicon dioxide film 23. As a result, a negative potential is generated at the top of the silicon dioxide film 23 by this electron charging. Then, the slower holes h having opposite charge to the electrons e reach the top of the silicon dioxide film 23, but amounts approximately canceling out the previously charging electrons e do not cause charging. Therefore, although the negative electrons e and positive holes h from the plasma 12 both eventually reach the top of the silicon dioxide film 23 and cause charging, an initial charging amount by the negative electrons e is large. Hence, a potential at the top of the silicon dioxide film 23 is in a stable state, and is a negative potential. This negative potential is referred to as a self-aligning bias Vdc.
Thus, it is known that usually, in a plasma processing process, a self-aligning bias Vdc is generally formed with a negative potential at a pattern surface. This potential varies greatly in value depending on conditions of the plasma processing. If the self-aligning bias Vdc is, for example, −80 V, when the feed-in bias is constant (−30 V in this case), a portion of the holes h that are generated in the evaluation subject silicon dioxide film 23 by the ultraviolet light UV will be attracted in a direction toward the surface of the silicon dioxide film 23 rather than the polysilicon electrode 22, and accurate measurement of induction currents is not possible, which has been a problem. | {
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Service providers and device manufacturers (e.g., wireless, cellular, etc.) are continually challenged to deliver value and convenience to consumers by, for example, providing compelling network services. One area of interest has been the development of location-based services (e.g., navigation services, mapping services, etc.) that have greatly increased in popularity, functionality, and content. Advanced navigation and mapping applications allow users to use location aware searches to explore panoramic views of places with their mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones) by combining proprietary street imagery, building models, and terrain data to create interactive panoramic street scenes that provide an end-to-end platform for mobile panoramic three-dimensional maps. However, panoramic maps provide a static view of places from the time of capture (e.g., people and cars appear “frozen”), which can reduce a user's sense of immersion due to the lack of live action. In contrast, cinemagraphs combine still imagery (e.g., a still photograph) and moving imagery (e.g., animations) to generate subtle movement within an image. Therefore service providers and device manufactures face significant technical challenges in providing a service that allows users to experience panoramic maps featuring small and surprising elements of movement. | {
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Implantable neuromodulation systems have proven therapeutic in a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) have proven highly effective in the treatment of a number of cardiac conditions (e.g., arrhythmias). Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) systems have long been accepted as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes, and the application of tissue stimulation has begun to expand to additional applications such as angina pectoralis and incontinence. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has also been applied therapeutically for well over a decade for the treatment of refractory chronic pain syndromes, and DBS has also recently been applied in additional areas such as movement disorders and epilepsy. Further, in recent investigations, Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) systems have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes and incontinence, and a number of additional applications are currently under investigation. Furthermore, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) systems, such as the Freehand system by NeuroControl (Cleveland, Ohio), have been applied to restore some functionality to paralyzed extremities in spinal cord injury patients.
These implantable neuromodulation systems typically include one or more electrode carrying stimulation leads, which are implanted at the desired stimulation site, and an implantable neuromodulation device (e.g., an implantable pulse generator (IPG)) implanted remotely from the stimulation site, but coupled either directly to the neuromodulation lead(s) or indirectly to the neuromodulation lead(s) via a lead extension. The neuromodulation system may further comprise a handheld external control device (e.g., a remote control (RC)) to remotely instruct the neuromodulator to generate electrical stimulation pulses in accordance with selected stimulation parameters.
Electrical modulation energy may be delivered from the neuromodulation device to the electrodes in the form of an electrical pulsed waveform. Thus, electrical energy may be controllably delivered to the electrodes to therapeutically modulate neural tissue. The configuration of electrodes used to deliver electrical pulses to the targeted tissue constitutes an electrode configuration, with the electrodes capable of being selectively programmed to act as anodes (positive), cathodes (negative), or left off (zero). In other words, an electrode configuration represents the polarity being positive, negative, or zero. Other parameters that may be controlled or varied include the amplitude, width, and rate of the electrical pulses (which may be considered electrical pulse parameters) provided through the electrode array. Each electrode configuration, along with the electrical pulse parameters, can be referred to as a “modulation parameter set.”
With some neuromodulation systems, and in particular, those with independently controlled current or voltage sources, the distribution of the current to the electrodes (including the case of the neuromodulation device, which may act as an electrode) may be varied such that the current is supplied via numerous different electrode configurations. In different configurations, the electrodes may provide current or voltage in different relative percentages of positive and negative current or voltage to create different electrical current distributions (i.e., fractionalized electrode configurations).
As briefly discussed above, an external control device can be used to instruct the neuromodulation device to generate electrical pulses in accordance with the selected modulation parameters. Typically, the modulation parameters programmed into the neuromodulation device can be adjusted by manipulating controls on the handheld external control device to modify the electrical modulation energy provided by the neuromodulation device system to the patient. Thus, in accordance with the modulation parameters programmed by the external control device, electrical pulses can be delivered from the neuromodulation device to the electrode(s) to modulate a volume of tissue in accordance with a set of modulation parameters and provide the desired efficacious therapy to the patient. The best modulation set will typically be one that delivers modulation energy to the volume of tissue that must be modulated in order to provide the therapeutic benefit (e.g., treatment of pain), while minimizing the volume of non-target tissue that is modulated.
However, the number of electrodes available combined with the ability to generate a variety of complex electrical pulses, presents a huge selection of modulation parameter sets to the clinician or patient. For example, if the neuromodulation system to be programmed has an array of sixteen electrodes, millions of modulation parameter sets may be available for programming into the neuromodulation system. Today, neuromodulation systems may have up to thirty-two electrodes, thereby exponentially increasing the number of modulation parameters sets available for programming.
To facilitate such selection, the clinician generally programs the neuromodulation device through a computerized programming system. This programming system can be a self-contained hardware/software system, or can be defined predominantly by software running on a standard personal computer (PC). The PC or custom hardware may actively control the characteristics of the electrical stimulation generated by the neuromodulation device to allow the optimum stimulation parameters to be determined based on patient feedback or other means and to subsequently program the neuromodulation device with the optimum modulation parameter sets.
For example, in order to achieve an effective result from conventional SCS, the lead or leads must be placed in a location, such that the electrical modulation energy (in this case, electrical stimulation energy) creates a sensation known as paresthesia, which can be characterized as an alternative sensation that replaces the pain signals sensed by the patient. The paresthesia induced by the stimulation and perceived by the patient should be located in approximately the same place in the patient's body as the pain that is the target of treatment. If a lead is not correctly positioned, it is possible that the patient will receive little or no benefit from an implanted SCS system. Thus, correct lead placement can mean the difference between effective and ineffective pain therapy. When electrical leads are implanted within the patient, the computerized programming system, in the context of an operating room (OR) mapping procedure, may be used to instruct the neuromodulation device to apply electrical stimulation to test placement of the leads and/or electrodes, thereby assuring that the leads and/or electrodes are implanted in effective locations within the patient.
Once the leads are correctly positioned, a fitting procedure, which may be referred to as a navigation session, may be performed using the computerized programming system to program the external control device, and if applicable the neuromodulation device, with a set of modulation parameters that best addresses the painful site. Thus, the navigation session may be used to pinpoint volume of activation (VOA) or areas correlating to the pain. Such programming ability is particularly advantageous for targeting the tissue during implantation, or after implantation should the leads gradually or unexpectedly move that would otherwise relocate the stimulation energy away from the target site. By reprogramming the neuromodulation device (typically by independently varying the stimulation energy on the electrodes), the volume of activation (VOA) can often be moved back to the effective pain site without having to re-operate on the patient in order to reposition the lead and its electrode array. When adjusting the volume of activation (VOA) relative to the tissue, it is desirable to make small changes in the proportions of current, so that changes in the spatial recruitment of nerve fibers will be perceived by the patient as being smooth and continuous and to have incremental targeting capability.
Although alternative or artifactual sensations are usually tolerated relative to the sensation of pain, patients sometimes report these sensations to be uncomfortable, and therefore, they can be considered an adverse side-effect to neuromodulation therapy in some cases. Because the perception of paresthesia has been used as an indicator that the applied electrical energy is, in fact, alleviating the pain experienced by the patient, the amplitude of the applied electrical energy is generally adjusted to a level that causes the perception of paresthesia. It has been shown, however, that the delivery of sub-threshold electrical energy (e.g., high frequency pulsed electrical energy and/or low pulse width electrical energy) can be effective in providing neuromodulation therapy for chronic pain without causing paresthesia.
Although sub-threshold modulation therapies have shown good efficacy in early studies, because there is a lack of paresthesia that may otherwise indicate that the delivered sub-threshold electrical energy is optimized, or at least efficacious, it is difficult to immediately determine if the delivered sub-threshold therapy is optimized in terms of providing efficacious therapy. Given that the user cannot rely on the patient's perception of paresthesia, it is often difficult to find the pulse amplitude for the patient that neither under-stimulates the targeted tissue nor accidentally causes the sensation of paresthesia. Thus, finding the optimal set of modulation parameters, especially pulse amplitude, for sub-threshold modulation therapy is often time-consuming and tedious.
There, thus, remains a need to provide a more efficient means to determine the appropriate pulse amplitude for sub-threshold modulation therapy. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
In fuel injection systems for air-compression internal combustion engines, injection systems with a common rail are presently used. These fuel injection systems also include injectors for injecting fuel into the combustion chambers of the engine, and in terms of tightness and material strength these must withstand the pressures prevailing in the fuel injection system. To that end, annular sealing elements are used on injectors, with which sealing off of the high-pressure region of the injector from regions of low pressure of the injector is performed. If the pressure level in fuel injection systems is raised for the sake of greater thermodynamic efficiency of the engine, then the demands made of the sealing elements of the fuel injector also become more stringent.
2. Prior Art
German Patent Disclosure DE 196 19 523 A1 relates to a fuel injection valve for high-pressure injection. In this embodiment, a fuel injection valve is proposed that is used for high-pressure injection in self-igniting internal combustion engines and for controlling the injection includes a magnet valve. For triggering this magnet valve, a control circuit is provided that is divided up into a first circuit part and a second circuit part. The second circuit part is disposed separately on each individual injection valve from the first circuit part, which first circuit part serves to control a plurality of injection valves in common. The housing is clipped onto the fuel injection valve and experiences a flow of fuel through its interior for the sake of cooling.
In this embodiment, a sealing ring of bronze-reinforced teflon and a metal support ring are let in between the housing and an insert part let into the housing below the control chamber, the support ring of metal material being required in order to improve the sealing action of the bronze-reinforced teflon ring and to prevent the extrusion of the bronze-reinforced teflon ring. To prevent the sealing ring on the insert part from creeping in the direction of the outlet throttle that pressure-relieves the control chamber, suitable measures must be taken. Moreover, in the embodiment until now, with the use of the bronze-reinforced teflon ring and the metal support ring, it is necessary that these rings be mounted at the correct position by a secure process, which necessitates considerable effort and expense in production. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a polyphase linear motor with a stationary series of coils set upon an internal flux-conducting member, with a secondary excited by permanent magnetism and concentrically enveloping some of the coils, and with external ferromagnetic flux-conducting members concentrically enclosing the secondary. The invention finds application in e.g., peripheral data-processing equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A polyphase linear motor of this type is described commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,899. The entire disclosure of that patent is incorporated herein by reference.
In this reference the coil arrangement consists of at least two coils longitudinally offset relative to each other along the longitudinal motor axis, while the secondary (which is excited by permanent magnetism) is provided with a plurality of juxtaposed magnets which alternate in directions of magnetization. Spacing of the coils and spacing of the magnets along the longitudinal motor axis is matched in such a manner that cyclical energizing of the coils may generate a motive force acting upon the permanently magnetized secondary.
In the reference, the secondary supports radially magnetized magnetic plates of polygonal form, which form is preferably hexagonal. Particularly in this arrangement, several polygonal or, respectively, circular, magnet units with radially alternating directions of magnetization are axially juxtaposed. Although this construction is highly efficient, and although only a low iron weight is required since the ferromagnetic parts do not tend to saturate, construction of the secondary is a relatively expensive proposition.
In this reference a massive ferromagnetic rod forms the internal flux-conducting member. The motor is robust and simple.
In practice, however, it has been found that undesirable eddy currents, may occur in the internal flux-conducting member when the coils are energized. This decreases motor efficiency. | {
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a bone screw and, more particularly, to a semi-constrained bone screw for use with an implant, such as a bone plate.
2. Background of Related Art
The human spinal column is a highly complex structure. It includes more than twenty discrete bones, known as vertebrae, coupled sequentially to one another to house and protect critical elements of the nervous system. The cervical portion of the spine, which comprises the top of the spine up to the base of the skull, includes the first seven vertebrae.
For many reasons, such as aging and trauma, the intervertebral discs may begin to deteriorate and weaken, potentially resulting in chronic pain, degenerative disc disease, or even tearing of the disc. Ultimately, the disc may deteriorate or weaken to the point of tearing and herniation, in which the inner portions of the disc protrude through the tear. A herniated disc may press against, or pinch, the spinal nerves, thereby causing radiating pain, numbness, tingling, and/or diminished strength or range of motion.
Many treatments are available to remedy these conditions, including surgical procedures in which one or more damaged intervertebral discs are removed and replaced with a prosthetic. However, should the prosthetic protrude from the adjacent vertebrae and thereby contact the surrounding nerves or tissues, the patient may experience additional discomfort. In procedures for remedying this problem, a spinal plate assembly having one or more apertures and one or more bone screws is affixed to the vertebrae and oriented to inhibit such protrusion.
A common problem associated with the use of such a spinal plate assembly is the tendency of the bone screws to “back out” or pull away or otherwise withdraw from the bone into which they are mounted. This problem occurs, primarily, due to the normal torsional and bending motions of the body and spine. As the screws become loose and pull away or withdraw from the bone, the heads of the screws can rise above the surface of the plate assembly, which results in pain and discomfort for the patient or possibly the separation of the spinal plate from one or more vertebrae. | {
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Door sills can be damaged during shipment from the manufacturer to the construction site, or more commonly during construction of a building. Common causes include objects dropped on the sill, excessive traffic within a relatively short time period, or accidental application of paint or stucco to the door sill. Left unrepaired, the door sill will not function as originally designed, i.e., the damaged door sill will not provide an effective seal between the frame and door, nor will the door sill manage water intrusion that minimizes moisture accumulation. Unrepaired door sills do not have the desirable aesthetics that newly manufactured and installed door sills have.
There are solutions available to a building owner or contractor who installs the door systems. The damaged door sill can be completely cut out and replaced. While a new door sill may be aesthetically pleasing, this particular type of repair can damage the surrounding mullions, doorjambs, astragals or other structures, compromising the entire stability or function of the entryway system. Replacing a door sill is also costly, and is rarely done. An alternative is to simply attach a metal cover patch to the exposed surface of the existing door sill. The metal patch is not aesthetically or functionally equivalent to the original, undamaged door sill. This repair can also be costly because it is cut and notched on-site in order to provide the proper fit to the door unit.
There is a need, therefore, for a door sill system that retains functionality, allows for easy replacement of door sill components, and can address any damage arising during shipping, installation, or construction. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor having a cantilever. More particularly, it relates to a sensor which is designed for use in a device for measuring the thickness of a thin film being formed by a PVD method or a CVD method, or in a vacuum gauge for detecting the intensities of molecular beams being applied to an object, and in which a minute displacement of a cantilever is detected in the form of changes in the tunnel current supplied to the probe of an STM or that of an AFM, or in the form of changes in an atomic force.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of the film thickness measuring device, multiple reflection interference, crystal oscillator and the other manners are usually employed as the method for measuring the thickness of a thin film.
According to the multiple reflection interference manner, the film thickness measuring plate, the half of the surface of which has been masked, is arranged adjacent to a sample and thin film forming and not forming areas are formed adjacent to each other on the plate at the time when a thin film is to be formed on the surface of the sample. A metal film having a high reflection rate is uniformly formed all over the plate and a semitransparent film is placed on the plate at an angle of 8. When homogeneous light having wave-length .lambda. is radiated onto the plate in such a way that it is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the plate, linear interference fringes which are shifted from each other at the stepped portion on the surface of the plate by distance (b) are created parallel to each other with interval (b) interposed between them. Therefore, film thickness (d) can be obtained as follows: d=(.lambda./2).multidot.(b/a). In this case, however, the measurement of film thickness is possible only after the thin film is formed on the plate. Therefore, film thickness cannot be measured while forming the thin film on the plate. In addition, it is needed that the thin metal film having high reflection rate is formed on the plate and this makes the measurement for film thickness quite troublesome. When film thickness is smaller than 20-30 .ANG., measurement error becomes quite large, thereby making it impossible to carry out the practical measurement of film thickness.
In the case of the film thickness measurement according to the crystal oscillator manner, the crystal oscillator plate is located adjacent to a sample when a thin film is to be formed on the sample. Film thickness can be obtained by measuring the eigenfrequency of the oscillator plate which changes depending upon the thickness of the film formed on the oscillator plate. However, the temperature of the crystal oscillator plate rises while the thin film is being formed and this causes the frequency of electrical oscillation to be shifted, with the result of making measurement accuracy low.
Molecular beam flux radiated on the processed surface of the sample to form a thin film is not uniform in its strength distribution but its strength is gauss-distributed along the direction passing through the center of molecular beam flux. The strength of molecular beam is high in the center of beam-radiated area but low at the periphery of the area. The developing speed of the thin film becomes therefore slightly different at various parts on the processed surface of the sample and this makes it important to previously know the strength distribution of molecular beam flux radiated on the processed surface of the sample.
The strength distribution of molecular beam is obtained from the regional strengths of the beam which are measured at predetermined areas in a plane perpendicular to the beam flux and including the axis of the beam flux. The regional strengths are measured by regional vacuum gages and they are obtained from momentums of molecular beam measured at predetermined areas on the processed surface of the sample by ion gages. The surface ionization gage and detector of the electrons collision type are usually used as the ion gage. The surface ionization gage and electrons collision type detector have openings only in the direction of incident molecular beam, ionize gas molecules passed through the openings and measure the momentum of molecular beam from the equilibrium pressure of gas in the detector obtained by measuring ionization current flowing while gas molecules are being ionized. In the case of the surface ionization gage and electrons collision type detector, however, it is needed for the detection of ion current that the opening through which molecular beam enters has a diameter of at least 10 mm. This makes the resolution, at which the detector can detect the strength distribution, quite low. It is therefore difficult to measure the strength distribution of molecular beam in the space. Further, the pressure of molecular beam measured by the ion gage is likely to be influenced by remaining gas except the molecular beam. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image processing, and specifically, a method and an apparatus for tracking an object in the computer vision technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, the human-computer interaction system is getting a lot of attention, because the operation mode is very easy and convenient for the user. In particular, the hand gesture control system is very convenient for the user. An effective hand gesture recognition system can provide a natural and effective interaction method. In the hand gesture recognition system, the hand tracking is a very important part.
In order to be operated by a user, in a hand tracking system, it is required for the user not to wear any special equipment, such as a special glove, a color marker, etc. Furthermore, the hand is a non-rigid object and has the characteristics of fast movement, easy distortion and self-shielding, therefore the hand tracking technology is a very challenging task.
The U.S. Patent Publication US20100310127A1 discloses an object tracking method. In this patent, there are two different templates for tracking, namely, an initial template and a dynamic template. A tracking result is determined by one or two of an initial template tracking result and a dynamic template tracking result. Meanwhile, a decision-making unit determines whether to update the dynamic template or not. The dynamic template is updated by the initial template and a target image. In this patent, the initial template is never updated, and the dynamic template is updated by the initial template and the target image. Thus, the initial template may be inapplicable to a current environment when the tracking environment changes frequently, therefore such a tracking method is not robust.
In the article published in February 2008 on Image Processing, IEEE Transactions, Volume 17, Issue 2, for which the authors are Junqiu Wang et al., and the title is “Integrating Color and Shape-Texture Features for Adaptive Real-Time Object Tracking”, a new target template update method based on an adaptive selection of features is provided. In such a tracking method, the best two features are combined by using a joint histogram. In the article, the feature selection is performed for every 8 to 12 frames. The target template is updated by calculating a similarity between a current template and an initial template. In the article, an alternative update method by considering a relationship among the initial template, a previous template and a current candidate image is provided. In the article, the initial template is a fixed template, is formed by tracking an artificially defined before the start-up or detected object, and never changes during the whole process. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slotting tool for use in slotting a work.
2. Description of the Related Art
A slotting tool of the related art is constructed in a manner such that a toe of a punch does not cooperate with a die to preliminarily punch out a work. The slotting tool slots the work by means of a slotting portion of the punch and the die. Slotted scrap is punched out for cutting off from the work by means of a heel portion of the punch and the die. Therefore, the slotting tool does not work from a slotting starting position in the work. In this connection, prior to slotting the work by the slotting tools of the related art, an auxiliary and extra hole must be prepared which is located in an extension line of and overlapping the slot to be formed.
In another type of slotting tool, a repeated slotting operation is performed from a hole preliminarily and previously punched for slotting. This is required because incomplete slotting scrap is left on a work at the final stage of the continuous slotting operation, notwithstanding that this type of slotting tool does not require an auxiliary and extra hole. Therefore, the extra auxiliary hole, which is located in an extension line of the slotted hole required and overlaps with the slotted hole required, must be punched at a final and terminating slotting position, prior to slotting the work by the slotting tool.
The above slotting operations of the related art are thus complicated thereby increasing the cost of the slotting operations.
Furthermore, where a second slotted hole is required near a first slotted hole and where a micro-joint portion is required on a work and formed on the work by the first slotted hole, the micro-joint portion cannot remain on the work and therefore is not formed on the work where an auxiliary and extra hole is required.
In addition, the preliminarily punched slotted holes are typically uneven thereby reducing the accuracy of the hole. | {
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This invention relates to the field of motor vehicles such as automobiles, introducing a concept of modular construction where self-contained, multi-functional, structural units provide building blocks in the vehicle assembly. In particular, the invention is directed to electric vehicles using battery power or a battery and an external power supply. More so the invention concerns specialized vehicles designed to perform specific functions.
The present art in this field is highly developed and well represented by the conventional automobile. Until recent years, the automobile status was accepted without any serious reservations. However, in the process of development, some features such as efficiency were neglected, while others such as size and weight had a tendency to grow.
Presently, almost all motor vehicles depend on internal combustion engines as their source of power. This is also the source of two serious problems: dependence on an unstable and expensive supply of fuel, and the more serious problem of air pollution. The latter problem causes ever-growing restrictions on the use of internal combustion engines, forcing the industry to produce less polluting cars or to turn to production of electric vehicles.
This invention addresses both of these problems by enabling vehicle designers and manufacturers to produce less expensive and more efficient vehicles than the internal combustion engine, and, moreover, to produce an electrical vehicle with a potential to equal and surpass performance and utility of the present day automobiles.
Primarily, the invention seeks to provide a commuter and general utility vehicle with reduced weight, improved performance and low production cost. | {
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The invention relates to the use of the internet in medical and clinical research.
The conduct of trials for a new drug, food supplement or other human or animal intended preparation is typically done through clinical trials. Conventionally, clinical trial participants are monitored at one or more central site(s), such as a doctor's office, clinic, hospital, or other health care facility. The participants are either institutionalized at or must make regular visits to such a facility to be checked, to receive new medications, or to otherwise consult with the trial's principal investigators and their assistants. The trials typically involve more than one substance being administered: at least one being a test substance—i.e., a compound or preparation having a hoped-for effectiveness—and at least one being a placebo or control substance. Multiple test substances of expected effectiveness are often used.
The requirement for regular appearance of participants at a monitoring facility has a number of disadvantages, particularly for trials for interventional drugs. These disadvantages include the burden on the researchers and/or their assistants to spend time scheduling visits, to conduct interviews with each participant, and to compile data on the effectiveness of each substance undergoing test. This burden is magnified by the number of substances and placebos involved in the trial. The need for a large number of participants for statistical accuracy further increases the burden, both in terms of time and resources. Conventional trials having many participants also usually involve multiple test facilities, and staff and resources at each facility in order to conduct the trial there.
Moreover, the scheduling of participant visits is based on information and other factors that are not necessarily interactive with the participant, and thus visits may be at inappropriate or inconvenient times. This can lead to inadequate participant monitoring and/or to non-compliance with a trial protocol, which may adversely affect the accuracy of clinical trial results.
Because of the time burden on the research staff and the ineffectiveness of the timing of visits or data acquisition from the participants, it is nearly impossible to test a large number of drugs in a single, conventionally conducted trial in order to have a more effective way of drug comparison.
The need for the participants to travel to the monitoring facility is also a burden on their time and produces results that can be biased by having data collected in other than a relaxed, customary or home setting. This travel also prevents the data being given and taken in real time or close to the actual time of the participant's observations that are the basis of the data gathered in the trial. Such a time lag can also affect the accuracy of the information gathered and bias the trial results.
The present invention addresses the preceding problems of conventional clinical trials, through a heretofore unexplored medical application of the internet. The invention encompasses conducting major, even all, aspects of a clinical trial on-line, including direct monitoring or evaluation of trial participants. Because of the vast scope of the internet, it may be possible to study the attributes of a wide variety of compounds, including ones that are difficult or impractical to evaluate in traditional clinical trial formats, which typically use clinic-based settings, often at multiple clinics. For example, there exist a number of nutritional compounds or food supplements (commonly called “nutriceuticals”) that may be modestly effective in relieving symptoms of a non-life-threatening condition. Because of the large numbers of participants required and of the prohibitive costs involved in detecting efficacy from these compounds, it is unlikely that they will all be adequately evaluated by traditional, clinic-based trials. On the other hand, the internet, through use of validated symptom-monitoring questionnaires, can have great utility in facilitating the effective and economical testing of non-toxic, safe compounds in the treatment of various conditions, e.g., osteoarthritis.
Some publications have explored the potential of the internet for facilitating purely observational, epidemiological studies and describe how recent software developments can be used to enhance data security, allow automated data compilation and evaluate in-coming data in real-time. i,ii,iii The internet has also been proposed as a vehicle for facilitating the conduct of large, multi-center, conventional clinical trials by allowing global access to collected data, fast interaction with the database and automation of some aspects of data collection and manipulationiv. However, until the present invention, there has been no suggestion to use the internet to direct and monitor, from a central site, the administration of an interventional test substance to trial participants at remote sites. | {
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates to tobacco wrappers and, more particularly, to combined tobacco leaf-rolled wrappers and packaging for creating home-made cigarettes.
2. Prior Art
Cigarettes have been around for many centuries, but it wasn't until the 1800s that they gained their paper wrappers and came to some degree of acceptability. In France, especially with women, smoking cigarettes was considered the height of fashion. Ask any smoker today why they find so much pleasure in a cigarette and it is very likely that a plethora of reasons will be given. Whether inhaling the sweet tobacco calms the nerves during stressful times or simply holding a cylindrical smoke allows one to feel enveloped in an aura of cool, smoking provides much enjoyment to the many who indulge in this habit.
While cigarettes are very popular, quality smokes tend to be extremely expensive, especially for college students and financially-struggling young adults just entering the job market. Premium brands can cost, on the low end, between $5.00 and $8.00 per pack in some areas of the country. Seeking a way to enjoy a good cigarette without having to pay a fortune, young smokers often choose to just make their own. One solution is to purchase cheap, inferior paper, then wrap up their own chosen blends inside. While this method may be an effective way for cash-strapped individuals to create an affordable smoke, such a makeshift means can lack glamour and sophistication when image is just as important as taste. Obviously, it would be advantageous to provide users an affordable means to produce their own quality cigarettes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,471 to Fitzgerald discloses cigarettes that possess smokable rods having paper wrapping materials having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive materials, which can have the forms of liquid or paste formulations (e.g., aqueous formulations incorporating starch or modified starch), are applied to a continuous paper web on the cigarette making apparatus. The formulation is applied to the paper web using an application apparatus possessing rollers or a series of rollers. For example, additive material is applied to the roll face of a transfer roller due to roll interaction of that transfer roller with a pick-up roller; roll interaction of the transfer roller with an application roller causes transfer of the additive material from the transfer roller to the application roller; and additive material from the application roller is transferred to the paper web that passes between the application roller and a back-up roller. A radiant dryer is used to dry the additive material that has been applied to the paper web. The radiant dryer is located on one component of a two component assembly that is used to manufacture cigarettes. A first component of the two component assembly provides a source of paper web, applies additive material to that web in a pattern and dries the paper web; while a second component receives the paper web, supplies tobacco filler and manufactures a cigarette rod from the paper web and tobacco filler. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a method for allowing a user to wrap their own cigarettes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,652 to Fournier discloses a tobacco smoking article wrapper which selectively reduces the content of gaseous components in the smoke delivered during the use of the smoking article. The gaseous components can be low molecular weight aldehydes in the smoke produced during combustion/pyrolysis of the smoking article. The wrapper can comprise cigarette paper having an ammonium-containing compound filler therein for reducing the aldehyde content in the smoke. The ammonium-containing compound filler evolves ammonia upon combustion/pyrolysis of the smoking article which can chemically react with aldehydes in tobacco smoke and/or modify the combustion/pyrolysis reactions thereby reducing the initial formation of aldehydes to selectively reduce such aldehydes from the smoke inhaled by a smoker. The ammonium-containing compound can be magnesium ammonium phosphate used alone or in combination with one or more other fillers such as calcium carbonate. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a method for allowing a user to wrap their own cigarettes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,346 to Bushby discloses a smoking article comprising a wrapper enwrapping a tobacco smoking material. The wrapper comprising a ceramic material and is capable of mechanically trapping mainly aqueous particulate phase materials in the sidestream smoke, thereby reducing sidestream smoke deliveries considerably despite the use of the wrapper with conventional tobacco materials. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not provide a method for allowing a user to wrap their own cigarettes.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an apparatus that is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for creating home-made cigarettes. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use. | {
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Ketenes have been important intermediates in chemistry for many years, demonstrating a wide variety of applications. The ketene functionality ##STR2## reacts readily with aldehydes to produce beta-lactones. Ketenes also react with thiazoles to produce antibiotics. Patai, "The Chemistry of Ketenes, Allenes, and Related Compounds" (1980); Isaacs (1976); and Borrmann, et al. (1969). Ketenes also react with the unsaturated linkages of olefinic compounds to form cyclobutanone groups. This reaction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,563 (1981) for increasing the adhesiveness of conjugated diene polymers.
There are several known methods for generation of ketenes, including the dehydrochlorination of acyl chlorides with tertiary amines, and the photolysis of diazo oxides. Brady, et al. (1967); and Meir, et al. (1975).
Methods for modification of the physical and/or chemical properties of compounds which can be formed from ketenes are of recognized importance. The siloxy group (--SiO--) would be a useful functionality of such modifications. However, as far as is known, there has been no report of a method for combining siloxy groups with ketene-reactive compounds. In fact, siloxy ketenes appear to be a novel class of compounds not previously known, although such ketenes would have interesting properties, being simultaneously a ketene and a silyl enol ether. It appears that the potential value of siloxy ketenes are synthetic intermediates has not previously been recognized.
As far as is known, the literature of photochemical reactions does not include any report of a photochemical reaction of silicon-containing diketones, such as the 1-silyl-1,2-diones. Background references on photochemistry include Brook (1973) Intra-Science Chem. Rept., 7:131-138; the Bryce-Smith, "Photochemistry", Vol. 9, pages 320-335, and Vol. 10, pages 281-297. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention generally relates to towing of a performer by a vessel, and more particularly to enhancing performance of the performer using a water sport implement while maintaining stability of the vessel.
Wakeboarding has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. In the sport of wakeboarding, there is an ever increasing need for the tow boat to create a larger wake to ride. Unlike waterskiing, the performer on a wakeboard is looking for as large a wake as possible. Further, by anchoring the tow line at a high elevation above the boat deck, the greater the ability of the performer to lift higher into the air, whether with a ski or wakeboard.
Tow rope pylons are known in the art, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,577 to Jennings and U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,597 to Paxton. A typical skiing and wakeboarding pylon has a height of approximately three feet to eight above the floor of the boat. Pylon heights have increased to accommodate the ever increasing height of jumps across the wake by wakeboarders. The extended pylons run a cable from the top of the pylon to the bow of the boat as a guy wire. This wire interferes with movement inside the boat. Further, these extended height pylons have not satisfied wakeboarders with their performance. They do give the performer the ability to get bigger air on the jumps, but the extended pylons flex too much when the performer cuts away or to the wake. During these cuts, the boat heels to a point of instability for the boat and a hazard for all concerned. The guy wire provides support when the skier is pulling straight back, but offers less support when the skier is pulling from the side.
The simplest way to increase the size of the wake is to increase the amount of weight inside a boat. Typically, this has been done by adding lots of people. Alternatively, the industry""s response has been to include water bladders in the boat or other weighting materials such as buckets filled with concrete, rocks, or sand.
In one bladder system, a liner is placed inside of a canvas sack or bag. Filling the liner full of water by use of a bilge pump with hoses, wires and clips, can add weight to the back of a boat. However, this process is awkward and cumbersome. Another attempt at adding weight to the back of a boat is believed to include two gates on a transom of a boat. A cable is pulled to open the two gates and thereby flood two tanks located behind the transom of the boat. The tanks are drained by opening the gates. This system required a four foot high boat hull, where typical sports towing boats have a transom or hull height of only thirty inches from bottom to top of the gunwale.
As described, by way of example with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,003 to Grinde, it is known to add water for ballasting, typically uniformly along the length of the boat or forward, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,927 to Lizuka et al. for enhancing the planing of the vessel. Typically ballast pumps are used to control the amount of water within the ballasting, as described, by way of example, with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,025 to Talmor.
It is typically thought that by simply adding more weight to the boat, the wake will become bigger and better. However, the shape of the wake is as important as the size. The perfect slope, length and hardness of the lip of a wake are also important to enable the performer to release from the wake and achieve a desired launch into the air. Further, it is important that wake control be done in a relatively rapid and timely manner, not available with use of a typical ballast pump. During periods of non-performance by a performer, there is a need to improve travel between performance locations, whether over water or by trailer, without having to disassemble and then reassemble pylons and pylon rigging.
In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the aerial characteristics of a performance by a performer using a water sport implement, such as a wakeboard or ski, by way of example, and being towed by a vessel while maintaining the stability of the vessel.
This and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, are provided by a method aspect of the invention comprising the steps of providing a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern and an operator station between opposing sides, and fitting a first relatively rigid vertical support structure to a first one of the sides and fitting a second relatively rigid vertical support structure to a second one of the sides, and then extending a generally horizontal bridging portion between upper extremities of the first and second vertically extending support structures, at a height substantially above the level of the operator station. A tow rope is attached to the horizontally extending bridging portion, and the vessel is operated in a body of water while towing the performer from the horizontally extending bridging portion.
An apparatus of the present invention comprises a vessel behind which the performer is to be towed, the vessel including a bow, a stern and an operator station between opposing sides, a first relatively rigid vertical support structure fitted to a first one of the sides of the vessel, a second relatively rigid vertical support fitted structure to a second one of the sides of the vessel, and a generally horizontal bridging portion extending between upper extremities of the first and second vertically extending support structures, at a height substantially above the level of the operator station. A tow rope is attached to the horizontally extending bridging portion for towing the performer from the horizontally extending bridging portion while operating the vessel in a body of water.
In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus further comprises pivotally attaching means for attaching the first and second generally vertically extending support structures to the respective sides of the vessel, so as to permit the first and second support structures to be rotated downwardly so that the vessel may pass underneath a bridge or into a boat house. Improvements to the rotatable feature of the present invention are provided by yet another preferred embodiment, wherein a towing apparatus comprises a vertical support rigidly dimensioned for rigidly attaching to a vessel at a location proximate an operator station of the vessel, a frame for extending upwardly from the vertical support to a height substantially above the level of the operator station, and attaching means for attaching the frame to the vertical support, the attaching means rigidly attaching the frame to the vertical support in an operating position for towing the performer, while permitting the frame to be rotated about the vertical support into a stored position on a deck of the vessel for reducing a height clearance of the vessel.
In one preferred embodiment, the coupling means comprise a ball and socket assembly carried by a first proximal end of the frame. The ball and socket assembly include a ball carried by the frame, a socket carried by the vertical support, and a shaft extending through the socket. The shaft has a distal end for engaging the ball and a proximal end for manipulating the shaft into and out of engagement with the ball for readily removable attachment of the ball with the socket and thus the frame with the vertical supports. A knob is attached to the proximal end of the shaft, and a compression spring carried by the shaft and positioned between the knob and the socket for biasing the proximal end away from the socket. A pivotal linkage assembly operable between the frame and vertical support is positioned for rotating the frame about the vertical support when the shaft is disengaged from the ball. | {
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Software download via the Internet is quickly replacing traditional brick-and-mortar avenues for software distribution. Broadband Internet access allows a customer to download software that would otherwise be distributed through multiple compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs). Such downloads may be more convenient than a trip to a retail store. Depending on the program size and connection speed, a program may be downloaded, for example, in seconds, minutes, or hours. | {
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The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and is preferably used for a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including, for example, a solid-state image sensing element.
As a solid-state image sensing element, a solid-state image sensing element (CMOS image sensor) using a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) has been under development. The CMOS image sensor includes a plurality of pixels each having a photodiode and a transfer transistor.
With a CMOS image sensor, a technology of providing a gettering layer in a semiconductor substrate is known as a countermeasure against dark-time white spots, and a technology referred to as “hydrogen sintering)” of terminating the dangling bond by hydrogen is known as a countermeasure against dark-time white spots or dark current.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-130397 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-130396 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-99482 (Patent Document 3), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-99481 (Patent Document 4) each disclose a technology of forming a gettering layer in a silicon substrate by cluster ion irradiation in a silicon epitaxial wafer having an epitaxial layer over a silicon substrate.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-34181 (Patent Document 5), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-295918 (Patent Document 6), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-59824 (Patent Document 7), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-81205 (Patent Document 8) each disclose a hydrogen sintering technology. | {
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From 2004 to 2009, the average U.S. national wastewater treatment rate increased by 28%. There are approximately 18,500 municipalities in the United States producing 40 billion gallons of wastewater per day at a taxpayer cost of $150,000,000 or $55 billion dollars annually. A study by the Association of Metropolitan Sewage Agencies indicates that 25% of this 40 billion gallons per day, or $14 billion annually, is due to inflow and infiltration of ground and storm water, the cause of which is directly linked to an aging and faulty sewer infrastructure.
For calculation of flow in an open channel that is gravity fed, a well established method is used. This method, known as the Mannings equation, allows a flow value to be derived by first knowing certain conditional parameters of the application. One of the parameters is the roughness of the channel material usually obtained by an empirically derived table of constants. Another parameter is the slope of the channel specified in percentage of horizontal length to vertical drop. These parameters may be difficult to obtain with any certainty or may require stopping flow, which may not be practical for meter site installation.
The base Circular Mannings equation is in the form of:
Q = 1.49 * A * R 2 / 3 * S 1 / 2 n Where A is the area of flow, R is the hydraulic radius, S is the slope of the pipe and n is the roughness coefficient of the pipe. Unfortunately, heretofore during meter installation, it has typically been required to go into a confined space area to get measurements required for accurate flow calculation. This created a potential safety risk and required special equipment and permits. | {
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The present invention relates to a gearbox, and particularly an automatic stepless gearbox for motor vehicles, comprising:
a continuous transmission-ratio variator,
sensor means for supplying electrical signals indicative of the speed of the motor vehicle and of the number of revolutions of the engine, and
a control and operating unit for causing, through actuator devices, the variation of the transmission ratio by the variator in accordance with a predetermined mode dependent upon the signals supplied by the sensor means.
The known devices of this type are generally characterised by a satisfactory operation. Under certain conditions of running of the motor vehicle, however, they suffer from drawbacks which cannot be ignored. In general terms, these drawbacks are associated, paradoxically, with the characteristics of full automation of the operation of such devices. Thus, for example, when a motor vehicle fitted with an automatic stepless gearbox of the aforesaid type is travelling down a hill of considerable gradient, the transmission ratio automatically set by the gearbox becomes excessively "long" and the braking action which can be positively and conveniently exerted by the engine of the motor vehicle is absent or inadequate. | {
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1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating system, and, more particularly, to a digital camera of the kind that produces a compressed image signal.
The digital camera utilizes a sensor for sensing an image and producing a first signal. A Bayer pattern producer is coupled to said sensor and operates to produce a Bayer pattern from said first signal. A splitter is provided to split said Bayer pattern into separate color channels. The color channels are then compressed into a compressed image which is output using an output interface on a communication channel.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital still cameras (DSC) generate a datafile that represents an image acquired by the camera. Generally, the DSC acquires the information from the light/color sensors in the camera in a camera filter array (CFA) format. A popular format for the CFA is a Bayer mosaic pattern layout, shown in FIG. 1. In a Bayer pattern, each pixel contains only one bit of color information, for instance, Red, Green or Blue. Typically, the Bayer pattern includes a green bit in every other space, and, in each row, either a blue or a red bit occupies the remaining space. For instance, as seen in FIG. 1, row one alternates between green and red bits, and row two alternates between green and blue. The end result is a mosaic made of red, green and blue points, where there are twice as many green points as red or blue.
A typical DSC is a stand-alone unit that includes all the circuitry and processes to create an image data file that represents an image. In addition to the sensors (typically charge coupled devices (CCDs) or CMOS circuits) that are used to create the Bayer pattern, DSCs include a mechanism to process the output from the CFA and turn it into a common data format, such as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file. These JPEG files can then be viewed with image programs, printed, stored, sent via email, etc. There are dozens of formats that can be used to store picture data, but the JPEG format is widely used because it creates a useable image with a small file size.
FIG. 2 is an example functional block diagram of a prior art DSC. Included in the camera 10 is a sensor 20 that is used to originally acquire an image. A pre-processing block 22 includes all of the phases used for image pre-elaboration prior to obtaining the Bayer pattern. Generally it is activated prior to and during the image acquisition time. Functions within the pre-processing block 22 can include white-balance, auto-exposure, defect correction, auto-focus, etc. The output from the pre-processing block 22 is the Bayer pattern of the image.
The Bayer pattern is input into an image processing pipeline 24, which includes color interpolation functions 26 and an RGB converter 28. Those functions will be examined in detail with reference to FIG. 3. The output from the image processing pipeline 24 is sent to a JPEG compressor 30, which compresses the image modified by the image processing pipeline. A JPEG image is sent from the JPEG compressor 30 to a set of I/O devices 32, which are used to send the JPEG file from the DSC to another device, for instance a computer, a disk or CD drive, a printer, etc.
FIG. 3 is an example functional block diagram showing components that can be in the image processing pipeline 24. As stated above, the image processing pipeline 24 receives as input the Bayer pattern from the sensors. Although the Bayer pattern is the output from the sensors, this raw output from the sensors is not in a useable form, because there are too many defects, deviations, etc. in the output, and the Bayer pattern output must be modified prior to producing a useable image.
Some of the processes that can be performed on the Bayer pattern are a white balance process 40, aperture or other defect correction 42, a color interpolation 44, and a color matrix 46, which can include changing an RGB image from the Bayer pattern to one that separates chrominance and luminance. For example, a color conversion can be made using the following equations:Y=0.299(R)+0.587(G)+0.114(B)Cb=0.5(R)−0.4187(G)−0.0813(B)+128Cr=−0.1687(R)−0.3313(G)+0.5(B)+128Where Y is the luminance value, and Cr and Cb are the color (chrominance) values, in amounts of redness and blueness, respectively.
Additionally, the image processing pipeline 24 can include a gamma correction circuit 48, which can use a look up table 50.
The final image quality output from the DSC essentially depends on the number and quality of the processes contained in the image processing pipeline 24, and their accuracy and complexity. To produce an image with no or few artifacts and a very high image quality, the image processing pipeline 24 will be very complex, expensive and take a lot of time to process the Bayer pattern.
FIG. 4 is an example functional block diagram of the JPEG compressor 30. Similar to the image processing pipeline 24, the quality of the JPEG 30 will depend on the number, complexity and quality of the components contained within it. Typically found in a JPEG compressor 30 are a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit 50, which feeds its output to a quantizer 52. The quantizer uses a table 54 to produce a signal fed to a Zig-Zag circuit 56. The output of the Zig-Zag circuit 56 flows to an entropy encoder 58, which, by using a Huffman table 60, creates the JPEG image of the DSC.
As can be seen from the number of components and processes used to create a JPEG image from a DSC, it is difficult to create an accurate image with a DSC, in part because of the expense of the components involved, and the execution time of the large number of processes that must occur to create the JPEG image. Fewer components would save expense to the DSC, but would result in lower JPEG picture quality. Long execution times are not favored because a user of the DSC may wish to take several photographs in a short amount of time, which would be impossible if the image processing pipeline 24 took too long on each image.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing relative example processing times for different functions in an image processing pipeline. While producing the Bayer pattern includes only a few operations and a moderate amount of data, the color interpolation requires a great amount of data and operations. At the end of the process the data are compressed according to the JPEG standard and transmitted according to the proprietary coding.
FIG. 6 shows a typical system 70 where an image is created in a DSC and then transmitted to another device. That FIGURE shows components that were seen in previous FIGURES, for example, the CCD generating an analog signal that is converted to a digital one prior to entering the image processing pipeline 24. Additionally, an encoder 72 prepares the data for transmission along a data channel 74. The data channel can be any transmission means, for example wired (Serial, LAN, USB), or wireless (IR, Bluetooth, cellular), and the like. On the other side of the data channel 74 is a decoder 76 and a digital to analog processor 78, which is used to create a useable image product from the transmitted data.
Conventional DSCs use a conventional color interpolation process to extend data from the CFA format to three color planes. After the color image generation, compression is performed to reduce the color plane data. As described above, the image processing pipeline in a DSC carries out heavy calculations that must be performed for a great amount of data.
FIG. 7 shows a transmission system 80 similar to the system 70 of FIG. 6. The transmission system 80 performs the color processing after sending the data over the data channel 74. In this system, the encoder 72 (which is generally some type of compression system) compresses the raw CFA format data prior to splitting it into separate color planes, etc. After the receiver receives and decompresses this data, it performs all of the steps described above that are usually performed by the DSC (white balance, gamma correction, etc.). This type of system 80 prevents the paradox in typical DSC systems, such as the one shown in FIG. 6, which is that after the color processing expands the amount of data received from the Bayer pattern, the compression algorithms (especially in lossy type systems such as JPEG) throw away some of that expanded data.
Few solutions use the method of the transmission system 80. One of the problems is in the way the source data is compressed. In a transmission system 80, if the data from the CFA or the Bayer pattern is immediately compressed with JPEG compression (in order to send it over the data channel 74) there is a problem with some of the parameters. Specifically, in the DTC process, there is a distortion of the DTC coefficient if this procedure is used. This prevents widespread use of the transmission system 80 because a quality image could not be produced on the receiving side of the channel due to the distortion.
Current DSC systems cannot take advantage of using a distributed approach to create images and other services. Generally, current DSCs are instead stand-alone devices that generate adequate image files, which can then be transmitted over a separate network. | {
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The present invention relates to novel compounds, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same and their use as medicaments in the treatment of CNS and other disorders. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fibrous activated carbon with a metal chelate compound supported thereon, a process for preparing the same, and a method of using the same. More particularly, it relates to fibrous activated carbon which is suitable for removal of toxic substances contained in gases, particularly ozone, a process for preparing the same, and a method of removing such toxic substances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ozone gas present in the air is responsible for air pollution because it produces oxidants in combination with NO.sub.x. Furthermore, ozone is produced by air planes flying through the stratosphere, or released from equipment in which corona discharge is involved, such as electrophotographers, ozone sterilizers, etc., equipment employing strong ultraviolet rays, and equipment in which a mercury lamp is used; the thus-produced ozones cause environmental problems.
The adverse influence of these ozones indicated below:
______________________________________ Exposure Conc. Exposure (ppm) Time Remarks ______________________________________ Damages on plants 0.03 8 hrs spinach, Japanese radish, tomato Cracks in elongated 0.02 1 hr Rubbers Perception of odor 0.02 only for 90% of people 5 minutes perceive. or less Sensitivity of test 0.08 to 3 hrs mice animals on bacterium 1.30 Irritation of 0.3 continuous respiratory organs, work for oppression of chest about 8 hrs Reduction of lung 0.5 3 hrs/day, recovery after function 6 days/ 6 weeks, no week, 12 change at 0.2 ppm weeks Reduction in lung 0.6 to 2 hrs breathing capacity 0.8 Increase in Resistance 0.1 to 1 hr respiratory 1.0 Violent coughing, 2.0 2 hrs Diffusion of power of attention Acute pulmonary 9.0 not clear tumor ______________________________________
The above results and tests therefore are described in (Kasseitan Kogyo(Activated Carbon Industry), Jukagaku Kogyo Tsushin Sha (1974)).
For the adsorption removal or decomposition removal of ozone contained in exhaust gases or in the air, a number of methods have been proposed, but materials which are very effective for the removal of ozone have not been available. For example, as an ozone removal or dcomposition agent, oxides of manganese, vanadium, iron, copper, nickel, chromium, cobalt, zinc, etc., catalysts prepared by supporting salts of such metals on granular or powdery activated carbon, and decomposition catalysts comprising such metallic elements are known. These agents, however, are low in removal efficiency and are not particularly effective materials as decomposition or removal agents. Additionally, activated carbon with palladium, platinum or silver supported thereon has been proposed. These activated carbons, however, have the disadvantages that the metals are expensive and that the activated carbons are low in ozone removal ratio and limited in durability. | {
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A vehicle system may include vehicle relay circuitry having separate circuits that are connected to a relay socket adapted to receive a relay at a relay box. The continuity of each circuit may be individually tested by using a multi-meter or a test probe light. However, this is a somewhat time consuming process for determining the continuity of the entire relay circuit. In addition, the relay socket may have generally small dimensions such that it may be cumbersome to contact the multi-meter lead or test light lead with the circuit. | {
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The use of piezo injection valves has the advantage with combustion engines that the fuel for each combustion cycle can be distributed over a plurality of precise portions, and that an improved mixing of fuel and oxygen can thus be achieved. The combustion process can in this way be designed for lower pollution and more efficiency.
In directly driven piezo injection valves in particular, the fuel throughput is adjusted in that a piezo drive (stack) coupled with the jet needle is subjected to defined charge/energy. The energy applied creates a proportional force at the drive which generates a deflection at a mechanically or hydraulically coupled jet needle, and so permits a regulation of the fuel throughput.
This places high demands on the charging/discharging electronics, which is usually implemented in the form of a DC-DC converter. The electronics must apply defined charge/energy to the capacitively operating drive of the piezo injector in a short time with high precision, robustness and efficiency, and with good repeatability, and must discharge it again in a defined manner at the end of the injection process. A large number of injections following closely on one another can thus be generated in each combustion cycle in order to create the most homogeneous possible fuel-air mixture.
The converter must feed a defined charge to the piezo injector in a short time under current control, and charge the load from 0 V to up to 250 V. At the end of the injection process, the load must also again be discharged from up to 250 V down to 0 V. For reasons of power loss, cost and efficiency, it is desirable to recover the highest possible proportion of the charge transferred back from the injector into the converter.
Two-quadrant switched-mode power supply units are usually used for this in order to transfer charge from the internal store of the converter into the load and back again into the converter under bidirectional operation.
EP 0 871 230 B1 discloses a device and a method for charging and discharging a piezoelectric element, as is illustrated in FIG. 1.
That document relates to a simple down-up converter BUCK/BOOST with a first upstream DC-DC converter DCDC1, a discharge path LINEAR DISCHARGE, and a selection circuit SELECTION, along with the capacitive load CPIEZO which represents the piezo element of an injection valve.
The down-up converter BUCK/BOOST is constructed as a half-bridge with a first transistor M1 to which a second transistor M2 is connected in series, while diodes D1, D2, for example in the form of substrate diodes, are connected in parallel with the transistors M1, M2, respectively. The connecting point of the two transistors M1, M2 is connected through a main coil LMAIN and an LC low-pass filter to the supply terminal of the capacitive load CPIEZO. The LC low-pass filter is formed with a filter capacitor CFILT and a filter coil LEMC, and is connected through a first shunt resistor RSH1, used for current measurement, to the ground terminal GND of the circuit.
The first DC-DC converter DCDC1 is formed in the illustrated embodiment as a fly back converter, but may however also be realized by other converter types. It includes a transformer, whose primary winding PW is connected on one side through an EMC (Electro Magnetic Compatibility) filter to the positive terminal of a battery voltage VBAT, and on the other side through a transistor M0, with which a diode is connected in parallel, to the ground terminal of the battery voltage GND. The one terminal of the secondary winding SW is connected through a diode DDCDC to the terminal that carries a positive voltage of an intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC, and the other terminal of the secondary winding SW is connected to the ground terminal GND, to which the other terminal of the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC is also connected.
The supply terminal of the capacitive load CPIEZO is connected through a discharge transistor M7, a diode connected in parallel and a current measuring resistor RSP, which is connected in series with the discharge transistor M7 to the ground terminal GND.
The other terminal of the capacitive load CPIEZO is connected through a selection transistor M3 with a diode connected in parallel and a second shunt resistor RSH2, which is connected in series with the selection transistor M3 and serves to measure current, to the ground terminal GND of the circuit. The series circuit of the capacitive load CPIEZO with the selection transistor M3 and with the second shunt resistor RSH2 may have further such series circuits connected in parallel with it, which is regularly the case in the application for injection valves for combustion engines.
The first DC-DC converter DCDC1 creates a buffered intermediate circuit voltage VDC at the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC. While the piezo element CPIEZO is being charged, the down-up converter BUCK/BOOST operates, considered simply, as a step-down converter (buck mode), and as a step-up converter (boost mode) during discharge. During charging, a current is created in the main coil LMAIN by pulse-width-modulated switching-on of the first transistor M1. While the first transistor M1 is switched on, the diode D2 is at first in blocking mode, and the current in the main coil LMAIN rises in accordance with equation (1):
i L = 1 L ∫ u · dt ( 1 )
The differential current in the main coil LMAIN during the phase when the first transistor M1 is switched on can be approximately described by equation (2):
di dt = VDC - VPIEZO L MAIN ( 2 )
During the time when the first transistor M1 is switched off, the diode D2 acts as a freewheeling path for the coil current, and the energy stored in the main coil LMAIN is removed by the flow of current into the capacitive load CPIEZO. The differential current through the main coil LMAIN in this phase can be approximately described by equation (3):
di dt = VDC - VPIEZO L MAIN ( 3 )
In accordance with equation (2), the fall in the current depends on the potential difference between the voltage VDC at the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC and the voltage VPIEZO at the capacitive load CPIEZO, which becomes smaller and smaller as the load voltage VPIEZO rises. The smaller the potential difference, the longer the time for the set current in the main coil LMAIN to develop. If VPIEZO gets closer to VDC, the charging current through the main coil LMAIN is limited by the nature of the system, and is pinched off. Only load voltages VPIEZO that are lower than the intermediate circuit voltage VDC can thus be reached.
When discharging the load, the down-up converter BUCK/BOOST operates, considered simply, as a step-up converter. The load functions as a voltage source for the converter, which is operated with pulse-width modulation, as when charging. While the second transistor M2 is switched on, a current is developed in the main coil LMAIN in accordance with equation (4). In this case, the diode D1 of the first transistor M1 is blocking.
di dt = VPIEZO L MAIN ( 4 )
During the phase in which the second transistor M2 is switched off, feeding back (recovery) of the energy stored in the main coil LMAIN into the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC takes place. In this case, the current flows out of the capacitive load CPIEZO through the diode D1 back into the CDCDC Equation (5) applies here. Diode D2 is blocking here.
di dt = VPIEZO - VDC L MAIN ( 5 )
An extended down-up converter BUCK/BOOST is described in DE 10 2012 204 576 A1 and illustrated in FIG. 2. The same components are given the same reference signs there as in FIG. 1.
In contrast to the down-up converter BUCK/BOOST of FIG. 1, the down-up converter BUCK/BOOST of DE 10 2012 204 576 A1 is formed with a full bridge which, in addition to the transistors M1, M2 of the first half-bridge, includes a second half-bridge with transistors M21 and M22 connected in series, wherein (substrate) diodes D21 and D22 are again connected in parallel with these transistors M21 and M22, respectively. The main coil LMAIN is connected between the connecting points of the respective transistors M1 and M2, M21 and M22, respectively, of the two half-bridges. The second half-bridge is connected in parallel with the filter capacitor CFILT, so that the first shunt resistor RSH1 can also be used as the current measuring resistor for the current when charging the main coil LMAIN.
Here again, a first DC-DC converter DCDC1 generates a buffered intermediate circuit VDC at an intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC. The down-up converter BUCK/BOOST with two half-bridges operates during the charging and discharging, considered simply, as a flyback converter. During charging, a current is created in the main coil LMAIN by simultaneous pulse-width-modulated switching-on of the transistors M1 and M22. While the transistors M1 and M22 are switched on, the diodes D2 and D21 are at first in blocking mode, and the current in the main coil LMAIN rises in accordance with equation (6):
i L = 1 L ∫ u · dt ( 6 )
The differential current in the main coil LMAIN during the phase when the transistors M1 and M2 are switched on can be described by equation (7):
di dt = VDC L MAIN ( 7 )
During the time when the transistors M1 and M22 are switched off, the diodes D2 and D21 act as a freewheeling path for the coil current, and the energy stored in the main coil LMAIN is removed by the flow of current into the capacitive load CPIEZO. The differential current in the main coil LMAIN can be described here by equation (8):
di dt = - VPIEZO L MAIN ( 8 )
In accordance with equation (7), the development of current in the main coil LMAIN depends on the voltage VDC at the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC, but is independent of the load voltage VPIEZO. This has the consequence that, regardless of the level of the output voltage, energy may always be stored in the main coil LMAIN, which is then transferred during the freewheeling phase to the capacitive load CPIEZO. This permits the generation of output voltages VPIEZO that are higher than the intermediate circuit voltage VDC. The load voltage VPIEZO may thus become as high as desired, limited only by the dielectric strength of the components in use.
When discharging the capacitive load, the converter operates, similarly to when charging, as a flyback converter. The load functions as a voltage source for the converter, which is also operated with pulse-width modulation. While the transistors M2 and M21 are switched on, a current is developed in the main coil LMAIN in accordance with equation (9).
di dt = VPIEZO L MAIN ( 9 )
During the phase in which the transistors M2 and M21 are switched off, feeding back (recovery) of the energy stored in the main coil LMAIN into the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC takes place. In this case, the main coil LMAIN drives a current through the diodes D1 and D22 back into the intermediate circuit capacitor CDCDC. Equation (10) applies here.
di dt = - VDC L MAIN ( 10 )
Now, with the two solutions described above, as a result of equations (4) and (9), the problem arises when discharging that the development of current in the main coil LMAIN depends on the load voltage VPIEZO, which becomes smaller and smaller as the load CPIEZO becomes increasingly discharged. The smaller the load voltage VPIEZO, the longer the time for the set current in the main coil LMAIN to develop. If the load voltage VPIEZO approaches a critical voltage, the discharge current is limited and pinched off. This has the result that the load cannot be fully discharged, and a remaining residual charge remains in the injector.
Until now, one of the solutions to this problem has been that at the end of the discharge phase, a linear current regulator or resistor LINEAR DISCHARGE is connected in parallel with the load, and the remaining charge converted to heat. The switching element M7 of the current regulator LINEAR DISCHARGE must have an appropriate regulation and protection circuit.
In particular, in the case of injectors with a high energy requirement and a high injection rate, this method increasingly creates problems through heating the electronics, since the remaining residual energy must be dissipated as lost power. The non-recovered charge must be supplied as additional energy by the intermediate circuit converter DCDC1. Additionally, restrictions must be accepted in terms of minimum spacing between sequential injection pulses due to the long delay/settling and activation times of the linear regulation path, and this impairs the performance of the overall system.
The synchronization of the discharge currents at the transition between the clocked and linear operating modes which can, among other things, impair desired sensor effects when closing the injector or make evaluation of the drive through sensors impossible, is also problematic. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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