A single row deep groove radial ball bearing according to the present invention is used to support a rotary member such as a pulley and to removably support an offset load.
Automotive accessories such an alternator and a compressor are driven to rotate by an engine for driving a vehicle. Due to this, an endless belt is extended between follower pulleys fixed to end portions of rotating shafts of the automotive accessories and a drive pulley fixed to an end portion of a crankshaft of the driving engine, and the rotating shafts are constructed to be driven to rotate based on the circulation of the endless belt.
FIG. 5 illustrates the construction of a rotational driving portion of a rotating shaft 1 of a compressor constituting an automotive air conditioner. The rotating shaft is rotatably supported by rolling bearings, not shown, within a casing 2. A follower pulley 4 is rotatably supported around the circumference of a supporting tube portion 3 provided on an outer circumference of an end portion of the casing 2 by a single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5. The follower pulley 11 is formed into an annular configuration, on the whole, which has substantially a U-shaped cross section, and a solenoid 6 which is fixed to an end face of the casing 2 is disposed within an internal space of the follower pulley 4. On the other hand, a mounting bracket 7 is fixed to a portion protruding from the casing 2 at an end portion of the rotating shaft 1, and an annular plate 21 of a magnetic material is supported on the circumference of the mounting bracket 7 via a plate spring 8. The annular plate 21 is spaced away from the follower pulley 4, as shown in FIG. 5, when the solenoid 6 is not energized, while when the solenoid 6 is energized, the annular plate 21 is drawn toward the follower pulley 4 so as to be secured thereto, so that a rotational force is free to be transmitted from the follower pulley 4 to the rotating shaft 1.
With the rotational supporting device as described above, there may be a case where a transverse central position (a chain line xcex1 in FIG. 5) of the endless belt wound around an outer circumference of the follower pulley 4 is not allowed to coincide with a transverse central position (a chain line xcex2 in FIG. 5) of the single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5. In such a case, a moment load in proportion to a deviating amount (offset amount) xcex4 between the transverse central positions of the two members is applied to the single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5 based on the tension of the endless belt. Then, a central axis of an inner ring 9 and a central axis of an outer ring 10 which constitute the single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5 do not coincide with each other (they are inclined).
With a mechanism like one as described above, when the central axes of the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 10 do not coincide with each other, there occurs an unbalanced wear of the endless belt which is wound around the outer circumference of the follower pulley 4, this making it difficult to secure the durability of the endless belt. In addition, the inclination of the central axes also makes it impossible to secure a certain gap between the annular plate 21 and the follower pulley 4, resulting in a possibility that these two members 21, 4 come into friction with each other. In the event that such a friction occurs, abnormal wear and abnormal noise are likely to be generated unfavorably. With a view to preventing the occurrence of these inconveniences, it is considered to reduce an angular gap of the single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5 in order to make it difficult that the central axes of the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 10 discord with each other.
Then, in order to reduce the angular gap for the aforesaid purpose, the following (1) to (4) procedures will be contrived.
(1) Radius of curvatures of cross-sectional shapes of an inner ring raceway 11 formed in an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 9 and an outer ring raceway 12 formed in an inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 10 are made small (they are to be reduced so as to approximate 50% of the outside diameter of balls 13 constituting the single row deep groove radial ball bearing 5).
(2) As shown in FIG. 6, the raceway surface of one or both of an inner ring raceway 11a in an outer circumferential surface of an inner ring 9a and an outer ring raceway 12a in an inner circumferential surface of an outer ring 10a is formed into a combined surface, and rolling surfaces of balls 11 are brought into contact with both the raceway surfaces at three or four points.
(3) As shown in FIG. 7, the heights of shoulder portions 14a, 14b existing on transverse (in left and right directions in FIG. 7) sides of the raceway surface of one or both of an inner ring raceway 11b in an outer circumferential surface of an inner ring 9b and an outer ring raceway 12b in an inner circumferential surface of an outer ring 10b are made higher as indicated by a solid line than a general height indicated by a chain line in the same figure.
(4) As shown in FIG. 8, a plural row radial ball bearing 15 is used in which a plurality of balls 13, 13 are provided between a plurality of inner ring raceways 11c, 11c formed in an outer circumferential surface of an inner ring 9c and between a plurality of outer ring raceways 12c, 12c formed in an inner circumferential surface of an outer ring 10c, respectively.
The conventionally known and contrived constructions for reducing the angular gap as described above have the following problems.
First of all, in the case of the construction described under (1), although the angular gap can be reduced, the contact ellipses existing at abutting portions of the rolling surfaces of the respective balls and the inner ring raceway 11 and the outer ring raceway 12 become larger. Then, the contact ellipses dislodge from the inner ring raceway 11 and the outer ring raceway 12 when the central axes of the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 10 are only inclined slightly by virtue of a moment load. In this state, the rolling fatigue life of the rolling surface becomes extremely short. Thus, the construction described under (1) is not desirable as the allowable moment load becomes small. Note that while the configurations of the contact portions can be ellipse no more (resulting in a configuration in which part of the ellipse becomes lost) when the contact portions between the rolling surfaces and the raceway surfaces reach the transverse end edges of the raceway surfaces, for the purpose of description, a state like this will be referred to as xe2x80x9cthe contact ellipse dislodges from the raceway surfacexe2x80x9d in this specification.
Next, with the construction described under (2), the rolling surfaces of the balls 13 and the inner ring raceway 11a and the outer ring raceway 12a come to contact with each other at a plurality of contact positions, and moreover, in a state in which the engine is driven while the moment load is applied, since the contact positions become asymmetrical relative to the rotating axis of the ball 13, there occur much wear and heat based on slippage at the contact points, which is not desirable.
Next, with the construction described under (3), since the space between the shoulder portions 14a, 14a on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 9b and the shoulder portions 14b, 14b on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 10b becomes narrow, the diametrical thickness of a retainer 16 for holding the balls 13 becomes thin. Thus, as the thickness of the retainer 16 becomes thin, since it is difficult to secure the durability of the retainer 16, in consideration of the durability of the retainer 16, the effect of reducing the angular gap using the procedure described under (3) is limited.
Furthermore, with the construction described under (4), although the effect of reducing the angular gap and securement of the durability of the constituent components becomes compatible at a higher order, the increase in axial dimension cannot be avoided. The rotational supporting portion such as the follower pulley 4 has to be installed within a limited space in many cases, and therefore the increase in axial dimension is not desirable. Moreover, as the axial dimension increases, the production cost of the respective constituent components also increases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single row deep groove radial ball bearing which can solve the inconveniences as described above.
Similarly to single row deep groove radial ball bearings conventionally widely known, any of single row deep groove radial ball bearings according to the invention comprises an inner ring having a deep groove inner ring raceway formed in an outer circumferential surface thereof, an outer ring having a deep groove outer ring raceway formed in an inner circumferential surface thereof and a plurality of balls rotatably provided between the inner ring and the outer ring.
In particularly, in the single row deep groove radial ball bearing according to the present invention, at least one of the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway has a cross-sectional shape in which a transversely central portion thereof is different in a radius of curvature from transverse end portions between which the transversely central portion is interposed, and also transverse end edges of the portions having different radius of curvatures are made to be smoothly continuous with each other.
In the above-mentioned single row deep groove radial ball bearing as set forth in the invention, it is advantageous that the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of at least one (or preferably, both) of the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway is made smaller at a transversely central portion and larger at transverse end portions, and transverse end edges of the portions having different radius of curvatures are made to be smoothly continuous with each other.
According to the single row deep groove radial ball bearings constructed as described above in accordance with the invention, the reduction of the angular gap and securement of the allowable moment load can be established at a higher order.
First of all, with the single row deep groove radial ball bearing as set forth in the invention, since the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of the raceway is made larger at the transverse end portions, in the event that the central axis of the inner ring and the central axis of the outer ring are inclined toward each other based on the moment load, and that the contact point between the rolling surface of the ball and the raceway is displaced to the transverse end portion side of the raceway, the contact ellipse existing at the contact point becomes small. Due to this, it is difficult for the contact ellipse to dislodge from the raceway, the allowable moment load can be secured. Moreover, since the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of the transversely central portion of the raceway is made smaller, when compared with a case where the entirety of the raceway constitutes a single curved surface having a large radius of curvature, the rolling surface of the ball and the raceway are allowed to get closer to each other to thereby reduce the angular gap.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned single row deep groove radial ball bearing as set forth in the invention, it is advantageous that the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of at least one (or preferably, both) of the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway is made larger at a transversely central portion and smaller at transverse end portions, and transverse end edges of the portions having different radius of curvatures are made to be smoothly continuous with each other.
According to the single row deep groove radial ball bearings constructed as described above in accordance with the other aspect of the invention, the reduction of the angular gap and securement of the allowable moment load can be established at a higher order.
With the single row deep groove radial ball bearing as set forth in the invention, since the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of the raceway is made smaller at the transverse end portions, when compared with the single curved surface having a large radius of curvature, the rolling surface of the ball and the raceway are allowed to get closer to each other to thereby reduce the angular gap. In this case, too, since the radius of curvature of the cross-sectional shape of the raceway is made larger at the transversely central portion, even in the event that the central axis of the inner ring and the central axis of the outer ring are inclined toward each other based on the moment load, and that the contact point between the rolling surface of the ball and the raceway is displaced to the transverse end portions of the raceway, it is difficult for the contact ellipse to dislodge from the raceway to thereby secure the allowable moment load.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to surgical instruments and a methods, and surgical kits for treatment of pelvic floor prolapse conditions.
2. Background Discussion
Women account for more than 11 million of incontinence cases. Moreover, a majority of women with incontinence suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Women with SUI involuntarily lose urine during normal daily activities and movements, such as laughing, coughing, sneezing and regular exercise. SUI may be caused by a functional defect of the tissue or ligaments connecting the vaginal wall with the pelvic muscles and pubic bone. Common causes include repetitive straining of the pelvic muscles, childbirth, loss of pelvic muscle tone, and estrogen loss.
Normally, the urethra, when properly supported by strong pelvic floor muscles and healthy connective tissue, maintains a tight seal to prevent involuntary loss of urine. When a woman suffers from the most common form of SUI, however, weakened muscle and pelvic tissues are unable to adequately support the urethra in its correct position. As a result, during normal movements when pressure is exerted on the bladder from the diaphragm, the urethra cannot retain its seal, permitting urine to escape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,909, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a surgical instrument comprising a shank having a handle at one end and connecting means at the other end to receive, one at a time, two curved needle-like elements which are connected at one end to one end of a mesh intended to be implanted into the body. In practice, the mesh is passed into the body via the vagina first at one end and then at the other end at one side and the other, respectively, of the urethra to form a loop around the urethra, located between the urethra and vaginal wall. The mesh is extended over the pubis and through the abdominal wall and is tightened. The mesh ends are cut at the abdominal wall, and the mesh is left implanted in the body. This trans-vaginal procedure is exemplified by the TVT product sold by the Gynecare Worldwide, a division of Ethicon Inc., of Somerville, N.J., USA. In this procedure two 5 mm needles pass a PROLENE® mesh trans-vaginally and through the abdomen to create a tension-free support around the mid urethra.
An alternate method to treat SUI is the sling procedure. In this procedure a needle or other suture-retrieving device is first inserted through the abdomen, above the pubic bone. The needle is guided behind the pubic bone, through the subrapubic fascia around the urethra, and out of the body through an incision in the anterior vaginal wall. At this point sutures are attached to the needle(s) and pulled up back through the abdominal cavity, where the sutures are fastened to the rectus muscle.
Techniques for protecting against the puncture of the internal structures during this type of procedure have included laparoscopic procedures. This involves making an incision in the abdomen and inserting a video scope to watch the progress of the needles as they pass through the abdominal cavity. These additional incisions are not optimal for the patient. Also, the needles, which pass through the abdomen, are not designed to capture a mesh but rather a suture, which has been previously attached to the mesh or harvested fascia. These needles are generally in the diameter range of about 0.090 inches to about 0.120 inches. Therefore, the needles do not create a large channel through the fascia. The channel is only wide enough to pass the suture. Accordingly, the sutures do not possess the elongation properties of the PROLENE® mesh and therefore cannot provide the tension-free support of the TVT. Also, attaching a mesh directly to these needles is not optimal because it is very difficult, if at all possible, to pull the mesh through the narrow channel created by the needle.
Another common condition suffered by women is prolapse of organs within the pelvic cavity. Prolapse is a condition in which organs, namely the bladder, bowel, and uterus, which are normally supported by the pelvic floor, herniate or protrude into the vagina. This occurs as a result of weakening or damage to the muscles and ligaments making up the pelvic floor support. Childbirth is the most common cause of damage to the pelvic floor, particularly where prolonged labor, large babies and instrumental deliveries were involved. Other factors can include past surgery such as hysterectomy, lack of estrogen due to menopause, and conditions causing chronically raised intra abdominal pressure such as chronic constipation, coughing, heavy lifting, and other physical activity involving impact with the body, such as skydiving. Specific prolapse conditions include cystocele, which is a prolapse of the bladder, rectocele or rectal prolapse, enterocele or intestinal herniation, and prolapse of the vaginal vault such as after a hysterectomy.
Vaginal surgery is the usual method of repair, but abdominal surgery (typically laparoscopc surgery) may also be performed. Traditional pelvic floor repair surgeries, whether abdominal or vaginal, involve lifting the prolapsed organ to restore it back to its correct anatomical position, and subsequently using sutures attached to ligaments and/or muscles to retain the organ in the correct position. Surgeons have also been known to place a layer of mesh below the prolapsed organ, and to subsequently suture corners or sides of the mesh to ligaments or muscles on the sidewalls of the pelvis. The suturing can be done via access through the abdomen or by access through the vaginal incision. Using sutures to support the mesh structure has disadvantages similar to those described above in conjunction with SUI procedures.
The device and method disclosed in patent application WO 02/38079 provides an improvement over the traditional pelvic floor repair surgery discussed above. WO 02/38079 discloses a specific mesh configuration for use in treating both cystocele and SUI that includes a basic mesh structure with two front and two rear supports that extend outwardly therefrom. The supports are thin strips of mesh that provide support to the prolapsed organ in place of sutures. In particular, WO 02/38079 describes using the instrument for treating SUI described in WO 96/06567 and 97/13465, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and the method described therein, to pass the mesh strips through the body. The described needles are used to pass the mesh strips from the vaginal incision up through the abdomen. One pass is made with a needle coupled to both the front and rear strips on one side, and then another pass is made for the front and rear strips on the other side. Thus, the front and rear strip on a given side are coupled to a needle together, and passed through the same channel out through the abdomen. As a result of both the front and back strips being attached at the same point, some additional stabilization is required to prevent forward movement of the basic structure, with suturing being the disclosed means by which to achieve this stabilization.
As with the traditional pelvic floor repair procedures, the procedure described in WO 02/38079 requires extensive, deep suturing skills in tight spaces, which are difficult to perform and time consuming. Sutures provide for only a “pin point” attachment of the mesh in place, and failures between the suture and the mesh are not uncommon. In addition, the single point of attachment of both mesh strips significantly limits the adjustability of urethral suspension versus bladder suspension. In particular, if tension free suspension of the urethra is achieved, further adjustment of the bladder suspension strips (rear strips) can adversely affect the urethral suspension, and vice versa. Finally, the vaginal approach of WO 02/38079 is disadvantageous in that suspension of the rear strip is limited to the same path as that of the front strip, as any other pathway would be potentially dangerous to vital organs and nerves via such a blind approach.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide an improved surgical system and method for pelvic floor repair.


Endoluminal prostheses are typically used to repair, replace, or otherwise correct a diseased or damaged blood vessel. A prosthesis may therefore be used to prevent or treat a wide variety of vascular ailments such as stenosis of the vessel, thrombosis, occlusion, or an aneurysm.
One type of well-known endoluminal prosthesis used in treatment and repair of diseases in various blood vessels is a stent. A stent is a generally longitudinal tubular device which is useful to open and support various lumens in the body. For example, stents may be used in the vascular system, urogenital tract and bile duct, as well as in a variety of other applications in the body. Endovascular stents have become widely used for the treatment of stenosis, strictures, and aneurysms in various blood vessels. These devices are implanted within the vessel to open and/or reinforce collapsing or partially occluded sections of the vessel.
Stents are generally open ended and are radially expandable between a generally unexpanded insertion diameter and an expanded implantation diameter which is greater than the unexpanded insertion diameter. Stents are often flexible in configuration, which allows them to be inserted through and conform to tortuous pathways in the blood vessel. The stent is generally inserted in a radially compressed state and expanded either through a self-expanding mechanism, or through the use of balloon catheters.
A graft is another type of endoluminal prosthesis which is used to repair and replace various body vessels. Whereas a stent provides structural support to hold a damaged vessel open, a graft provides an artificial lumen through which blood may flow. Grafts are typically tubular devices which may be formed of a variety of materials, including textile and non-textile materials. Grafts also generally have an unexpanded insertion diameter and an expanded implantation diameter which is greater than the unexpanded diameter.
It is known to combine a stent and a graft to form a composite endoluminal prosthesis. Such a composite medical device provides additional support for blood flow through weakened sections of a blood vessel. In endovascular applications the use of a stent/graft combination is important because the combination not only effectively allows the passage of blood therethrough, but also ensures the implant will remain open.
It is also known to provide delivery systems for delivering grafts, stents and composite stent/graft prostheses intralumenally. These delivery systems generally include catheters with the prosthesis removably mounted to the distal end of the catheter. Quite often a catheter, introducer sheath, or other similar retaining means, is disposed over the prosthesis to removably support the prosthesis on the catheter. Once the prosthesis is situated in the target site in the lumen, the catheter is removed from the prosthesis.
In treating an abdominal aortic aneurism, traditional open surgery or minimally invasive endovascular procedures may be employed. Traditional open surgery requires a large incision in the abdominal wall, from just below the breast bone to the top of the pubic bone. The muscles are then divided and the intestines and internal organs of the abdomen are pulled aside the aorta in the back of the abdominal cavity, just in front of the spinal column.
The aorta is clamped and the aneurysm is cut open to reveal any plaque and clotted blood inside. Degenerative tissue is then removed. An aortic graft is then sewn to the healthy aortic tissue above and below the weakened area so that, when finished, it functions as a bridge for the blood flow.
After the aortic graft has been sewn in place and all bleeding spots controlled, the aneurysm sack which has been opened along its length is sewn back up usually over the new graft. This prevents the new graft from rubbing against the intestines, which can damage the intestine wall. The entire procedure is fairly traumatic, is relatively high risk, and requires a long recovery period.
The endovascular procedure utilizes the endoluminal prostheses mentioned above to minimally invasively treat an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The endovascular procedure requires two small incisions in the groin. X-ray imaging typically guides the vascular graft, stent, or stent/graft through a blood vessel in the leg and into the aorta.
While minimally-invasive techniques have been an improvement over prior open surgical techniques, there is still need for improvement. A drawback of systems to deliver endoluminal prostheses is the inability to adjust or retrieve the graft or stent/graft once it has been deployed. Generally, deployment of the graft (or stent/graft) marks a point of no return; if the graft is determined to be in an inappropriate position, or the graft size is inadequate, it is not always easy or possible to cancel the procedure or reposition the stent/graft after passing this point.
Another drawback of a known delivery system for delivering stent/grafts is that the large diameter introducer catheters are needed to deliver such systems. A typical previously known stent/graft system may include a central delivery shaft having a diameter of 1.5-1.75 mm, a deployment balloon having a thickness of 0.5-0.75 mm, an anchoring stent with a thickness of 0.3-0.6 mm, a synthetic graft with a thickness of 0.25-0.5 mm, and a delivery sheath having a thickness of 0.5-0.75 mm. A stacking of these thicknesses results in a combined thickness of 4-7 mm, which must be inserted through a vascular system generally having a diameter in the range of 5-7 mm.
This creates apparent problems in the delivery and trauma which may occur with such a prosthesis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,055 to Spiridigliozzi et al. is directed to providing a solution to many of these problems with the delivery systems. The delivery system employed by Spiridigliozzi et al. entails separate delivery of a stent and graft in order to provide a reduced profile and smaller diameter of the system. There are still, however, drawbacks to the system. In particular, once a graft is delivered first before the stent, because there is no anchoring system prior to the stent's introduction, the graft may migrate in the vascular system. This may result in imprecise location and increased trauma to the area. As such, this system requires the use of the stent to lock the graft in place.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system for treating vascular defects and disorders, such as abdominal aortic aneurysms, that minimizes the overall profile of the prosthesis and delivery system and results in a more secure graft/vessel interface.


1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits and more particularly to modeling integrated circuits with multiple layers.
2. Description of Related Art
The full-wave electromagnetic solver has become an essential part in the design flow for radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) serving as both a design and a verification tool. A three-dimensional broadband full-wave solver based on the integral equation (IE) method with the pre-corrected Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) acceleration has been developed to fulfill these functions [1].
The multilayer Green's function evaluation is essential to the performance of an IE solver. Various approaches have been developed to accelerate the efficient computation of multilayer Green's functions, such as the discrete complex image method (DCIM) [2], the fast Hankel transform (FHT) [3], and the window function based method [4]. The DCIM has been widely employed and improved since its debut. Two-level DCIM [5] was developed to split the original path into two. By sampling the paths at different rates, the method improved the efficiency and accuracy comparing the original one-level algorithm. Generalized surface wave pole extraction was developed to extend the DCIM to general multilayer media [6].
For on-chip applications, the semiconductor process must first be examined. The vertical cross-section of the metallization layers of a typical four-metal-layer semiconductor process is shown in FIG. 2. In order to fill the IE matrix entries efficiently, a 3D Green's function database is deployed [1]. The database is populated with the value of the Green's function between several source points at z′ and observation points at z for various horizontal distances ρ. Even with the aid of such a database, the rapid evaluation of the Green's function for each matrix entry is critical. Note that the distance between the adjacent layers is only a few microns or less, which causes the spectral kernel of Green's functions to decay slowly. Consequently, number of sampling points has to be increased to accurately capture the whole spectrum, which will slow down the DCIM dramatically because the generalized pencil of function (GPOF) method [9] in the DCIM has computation time proportional to O(Ns3), Ns is the number of sampling points. For that reason, accelerating convergence of the spectral kernel is necessary before applying the GPOF.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods for evaluating Green's functions for modeling multilayer integrated circuits.


Along with the advancement in computing technology, users' expectations of computational capabilities are similarly increasing. Users are constantly seeking resources that can provide the ability to achieve a computational result quickly and appropriately. Attending to users' requests is complicated by the fact that user projects vary in terms of required processing power, memory allocation, software capabilities, rights licensing, etc. Recently, systems have been organized to include a plurality of virtual machines. Tasks can then be assigned to virtual machines based on the task requirements, the machines' capabilities and the system load. However, given the dynamic nature of assignments and the many components in these systems, monitoring the systems' performance is difficult.


This invention relates to a new and distinct selection of Lagerstroemia indica, a member of the Lythraceae or Loosestrife family. Lagerstroemia indica cultivar Monink was discovered in a group of seedlings which originated from seed of Lagerstroemia indica `Little Chief`, seed was sown November 1983. During the summer of 1987, this new cultivar was selected at Monrovia Nurser Company, 18331 East Foothill Boulevard, Azusa, Calif. My new plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings since 1987 at the above location in Azusa at Monrovia Nursery Company. The original seedlings displayed extreme variability, therefore the distinct phenotypic characteristics of my new selection that sets this plant apart from other Lagerstroemia indica plants would likely be lost through sexual reproduction. Therefore, sexual reproduction is prohibited and propagation is restricted to asexual reproduction by cuttings.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an apparatus for protecting an electrical device from overtemperature, having a temperature-dependent switch with a housing on whose base a first connected contact is provided, a second connecting contact provided on the housing, and a holder which carries the housing and has an external terminal connected to the second connecting contact.
2. Related Prior Art
An apparatus of the kind mentioned above is known from DE 38 17 080 C2.
The known apparatus comprises a holder made of plastic, in which a temperature-dependent switch with a two-part metal housing is arranged. The connecting contacts of the temperature-dependent switch are constituted on the one hand by the metal cover and on the other hand by the metal lower part, a bimetallic switching mechanism (known e.g. from DE-A-21 21 802) being arranged in the interior of the switch.
The known apparatus is slid onto connector lugs of an electric motor and itself has a connector lug which is accessible from outside.
The connector lug of the holder is connected to a thermal contact plate which, in the case of an apparatus placed on the electric motor, rests directly on the energizing winding. In the interior of the holder, the metal housing rests with its base on the contact plate, so that there is thermal contact with the electric motor, and electrical contact with the connector lug of the holder.
Pressing on the metal cover is a connecting spring which is joined to a connector lug of the electric motor but is no longer accessible from outside once the apparatus has been put in place. The second connector lug of the electric motor, and the connector lug of the holder, serve as external terminals of the electric motor equipped with the known apparatus.
With the arrangement described, the temperature-dependent switch is arranged in series with the electric motor between the two external terminals. If the temperature of the energizing winding increases above a defined value, the bimetallic switching mechanism then opens the electrical contact between the metal cover and metal lower part, so that an electrical voltage applied to the external terminals can no longer power the electric motor. This prevents the electric motor from heating up, during operation, above a defined temperature; i.e. it is protected from overtemperature.
For many applications the known apparatus is not suitable, since the holder used therein is on the one hand much too bulky to be mounted on small electrical household appliances, for example a coffee machine, an electric hotpot, or electrical hotplates. A further disadvantage of the known apparatus lies in the fact that it cannot track rapid temperature changes without delay, since heat is dissipated to the connector lugs via the metal cover and the metal lower part.
Rapid reaction to a temperature rise is, however, required specifically in the case of electric hotpots or hotplates, for example in order to prevent the hotpot, or a pot sitting on the hotplate, from boiling dry. Protection from boiling dry cannot be achieved by monitoring power consumption, since the amperage remains relatively constant regardless of whether or not water is still present; the temperature of the electrical device to be protected simply rises, rapidly and steeply, when the water has boiled off.
Apparatuses which protect household appliances from overtemperature are subject in general to particularly stringent demands in terms of electrical, mechanical, and thermal reliability, which are not met by the known apparatus.


A. Field
This invention relates to a thread clamp, in particular for a weaving machine, as well as to a weaving machine using such thread clamp.
B. Related Art
More particularly, the invention relates to a thread clamp which at least consists of an actual clamp with at least two clamping parts between which a thread can be clamped, as well as of actuation means for moving said clamping parts in mutual respect between a closed position, whereby the clamping parts are pushed towards each other, and an open position whereby the clamping parts are situated located at a distance from each other.
It is known that such thread clamps can be used at different locations in a weaving machine. In particular, they are used for gripping weft threads, either for holding them at their place, or for braking and/or stopping them in their movement.
It is also known that such thread clamps can be actuated in different manners.
So, for example, electric actuating means can be used, whereby use is made of an electromagnet or a piezo-actuator for controlling the clamp, for which of course an electric wiring must be provided up to the thread clamp concerned, which often is viewed as disadvantageous, especially if such thread clamp is provided on a moving part, such as the sley of the weaving machine.
It is also known to apply pneumatic actuation means, whereby such thread clamp then is provided with a movable part which can be actuated by means of fluid (air) pressure.
With the known electric as well as the pneumatic embodiments, that is the electric drive and the pneumatic drive, respectively, the clamp is forced into one well-defined position, whereas the clamp, when switching off the actuation means, automatically is brought into the other position, by means of a return spring. The use of such return spring has various disadvantages. A first disadvantage consists in that it is rather difficult to mount a return spring which has a relatively large stroke and which does not vary too much in pre-tension, into a small built-in space, which return spring moreover, notwithstanding the relatively large displacement, does not buckle and also still has a long service life. A second disadvantage consists in that in certain applications, for example, when the thread clamp is mounted on a sley which is moving rapidly to and fro, it may occur that such return spring is excited automatically, for example, due to inertia forces, at moments when this is not desired. A third disadvantage consists in that mutual friction between the windings of the spring may occur, as well as between the spring and the surrounding housing, as a result of which the proper spring functioning can be disturbed. A fourth disadvantage consists in that, with high speeds, undesired effects can be created in such return spring, for example, as windings, so to speak, beat against each other and create undesired effects. A fifth disadvantage consists in that such return springs, due to their manifold movements, are subjected to intense wear and tear.
It is known to apply actuation means which are double-acting, for example, electromagnetic or pneumatic drives with which the thread clamp, by means of a controlled actuation, is forced into opened condition as well as into closed condition, without using passive readjustment means. This, however, has the disadvantage that a higher number of cables and compressed air conduits, respectively, have to be brought up to the thread clamps concerned, which in particular is a disadvantage with thread clamps which are mounted on a moving part.
The invention provides a thread clamp for a weaving machine which allows new constructional possibilities, control possibilities and combinations of controls, and is very efficient in its use and with which, depending on its form of embodiment, one or more of said disadvantages can be excluded or at least minimized.
To this aim, the invention in the first instance relates to a thread clamp for a weaving machine, which at least consists of an actual clamp with at least two clamping parts between which a thread can be clamped, as well as of actuation means for moving said clamping parts in mutual respect between at least two positions, a closed position, whereby the clamping parts are pushed towards each other, and an open position whereby the clamping parts are situated at a distance from each other, respectively, with as a characteristic that said actuation means comprise at least a pneumatically actuatable part for bringing the clamp into at least one of said two positions, which part also can be actuated by means of a negative pressure, more particularly vacuum.
By using a part which can be actuated by means of negative pressure, the advantage is obtained that new forms of constructions, as well as mounting possibilities are created. Another advantage consists in that a new actuation method is provided for, which, on one hand, enables an efficient control and, on the other hand, allows various new combinations with existing techniques.
Preferably, the thread clamp according to the invention comprises a pneumatically actuatable part which enables the actual clamp, on one hand, to be brought into at least one position by means of at least a negative pressure, and on the other hand, enables the clamp to be forced into the other position by means of at least another manner of actuation. Thereby, a control is offered which has the advantage that two control possibilities are obtained, to wit a control by means of negative pressure, more particularly vacuum, and a control by means of another manner of actuation.
Preferably, the pneumatically actuatable part is configurated such that the clamp is forced into opened condition by means of feeding the negative pressure, whereas the closed condition is brought about by means of the other manner of actuation. The pressure difference which can be created by means of a negative pressure, more particularly a vacuum, even if it should be possible to create an absolute vacuum, in different application thus is too small to provide for a good clamping force, and preferably the negative pressure, thus, as aforementioned, is used for performing the opening of the clamp, whereas for closing the clamp, an actuation then can be provided for in another manner.
For the aforementioned other manner of actuation, preferably use will be made of a medium which is at overpressure, for example, compressed air, such that, depending on the pressure of the available medium, thus larger forces can be generated.
In the most preferred form of embodiment, the actuatable part has a common actuation surface to which the negative pressure can be fed, and the overpressure can be exerted upon, respectively. By using a negative pressure as well as an overpressure, it is thus possible to create, with one of the same actuation surface, forces in two opposed directions and to effect movements of the actuatable part in two opposed directions.
In the aforementioned case, the thread clamp may have a single conduit for pneumatically actuating said actuatable part, which conduit is used in is common for actuating the clamp towards the closed condition as well as for actuating the clamp towards the open condition. An important advantage then consists in that only one operation conduit is necessary, in other words, only one pneumatic conduit, as a consequence of which the pneumatic circuit is considerably simplified, in particular at the location of the thread clamp itself. This advantage is particularly relevant when different thread clamps must be mounted next to each other or if such thread clamps must be mounted next to other parts, as then the small space available often poses a problem and imposes a limitation on the number pneumatic conduits locatable in the direct proximity of the thread clamp.
This is also particularly useful with thread clamps which are mounted on moving parts of a weaving machine, for example, on the sley, as then, thanks to the invention, the number of connecting conduits between the moving parts and the fixed control may remain limited.
In the most preferred form of embodiment, said actuation means are designed such that the movement of the actuatable part is performed exclusively pneumatical, with which it is meant that the movement of this part exclusively takes place under the influence of negative pressure and/or overpressure, realized by means of fluid, possibly, however, assisted by the gravity of certain parts, but surely not assisted by additional means for exerting a displacement force, such as return springs, electromagnetic drive means or the like.
Thanks to the fact that negative pressure is applied, as well as by combining this preferably with a control by means of overpressure, such additional means for exerting a displacement force in fact can completely be excluded, with the advantage that such thread clamp constructively can be realized in a particularly simple manner.
In a practical form of embodiment, said actuatable part consists of at least one small movable piston, the displacement of which controls the opening or closing of the clamp.
Preferably, this small movable piston has a piston surface which opens to a chamber in which an overpressure and negative pressure, respectively, can be created, which permits the small piston to be actuated from one side for performing the displacement thereof in one direction, as well as in the opposite direction, by creating either an overpressure or a negative pressure, more particularly vacuum, in the aforementioned chamber.
In the most preferred form of embodiment, the small piston substantially will consist of a small plunger, one extremity of which forms one of the aforementioned two parts of the actual clamp, whereas the other extremity functions as a piston surface. Hereby, a particularly compact construction of the thread clamp is enabled.
Of course, the invention also relates to weaving machines using at least one thread clamp as described in the aforegoing.
Important applications of such thread clamp on a weaving machine are as follows:                as a thread clamp at the inlet of the shed of the weaving machine;        as a thread clamp which cooperates with a main blower or auxiliary main blower;        as a thread clamp which cooperates with a main blower or auxiliary main blower which is attached on the sley of the weaving machine;        as a thread clamp at the end of the shed for holding the end of an inserted weft thread;        as a thread clamp on a moving part of the weaving machine, more particularly on the shed;        as a thread clamp which cooperates with a thread-preparing system.


Along with the improvement of laser beam performance (particularly, improvements in the technology for increasing the output of laser beams and the technology for shortening the wavelengths of laser beams), laser processing technology using lasers (e.g., using a laser as a light source for lithography in LSI manufacturing) has grown to be one of industries' core technologies. In addition to increasing the output of laser beams and improving the efficiency of laser beams, shortening of the wavelengths of laser beams is desired for implementing finer and more precise processing.
In recent years, nonlinear optical technology using high intensity attosecond light sources is developing (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). Such optical technology is targeted for a soft X-ray wavelength range.


This invention relates to certain novel formulations of turf additives that act in such a manner as to permit proper amounts of moisture to contact root systems in order to reduce dry spots within highly managed turf areas and/or lawns. It is theorized that the accumulation of humic acid (and other natural byproduct deleterious compounds) at the topsoil surface in most cultivated grassy areas including sandy soils (such as, in particular, golf greens, pastures, lawns, and the like), as well as other non-grassy sandy areas in which such humic acid accumulation poses water repellency problems (such as beaches), results in the production of an effective organic waxy coating on the soil and/or sand components. Such a coating is hydrophobic in nature and thus dries out the soil itself. The inventive formulation thus permits removal of such accumulated humic acid (and other compounds) from the topsoil to the level necessary to provide effective moisture penetration for sustained grass growth therein (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9credistributesxe2x80x9d). Methods of providing such beneficial removal of bumic substances from target sandy soils are also contemplated within this invention, as well as specific test hydrophobic sand formulations.
Localized dry spots are a distinct problem within highly managed turf areas and/or lawns, in particular those with sandy soils, primarily for aesthetic reasons. Such dry spots are the result of the development of areas of varying degrees of water repellency within and at the surface of the target soil. Plant water usage is critical to sustained plant growth; however, the existence of such localized dry spots creates a problem with nonuniformity of water supply to treated grasses over time. Basically, in times of high stress and/or easy water evaporation (e.g., higher temperatures, low humidity), such water repellency areas will exhibit higher water loss than others. As a result, the plant life present within the target lawn or green will not receive uniform, and, at times, vastly different levels of, water supply. As time passes, the difference in the amount of water supplied to discrete areas of the target lawn or green may become more disparate. Thus, the possibility for localized dry spots to materialize within sandy soils is relatively high over a sustained length of time (e.g., from 6 to 18 months on average from genesis to being empirically noticed), and, again, most times the existence of such dry spots is unknown to the lawn or green caretaker until materialization (since the presence of such water repellency areas may exist anywhere within the topsoil, from the surface to as low as about 2 inches below, the area of greatest concentration of grass root systems).
Also, hydrophobicity of sand creates certain problems with regard to pooling water after raining (as one example) which in turn causes unsightly areas either within highly sandy yards, ballparks, or beaches, or to provide water penetration in dry sandy conditions in order to possibly sustain plant-life therein (such as arid desert-like areas). Reduction in such water repellency would thus be helpful in maintaining, at least, better aesthetics for such sandy areas, as well as the possibility for permitting or promoting the growth of sustained plant life in such dry, barren areas.
Without intending to be bound to any particular scientific theory, it is believed that such water repellency areas within sandy soils are the result of the presence of humic substances and their attachment to soil components, particularly in large accumulations at the topsoil surface. Humus is degraded plant and animal matter (by microbial organisms) and is basically the organic portion of soil that comprises the necessary nutrients to sustain plant growth and life therein. One byproduct of such humus (again produced through a naturally occurring process within the soil) is humic acid (simply the acidic form of humus, basically a mix of various different materials). Humic acid and other like substances, although necessary for the sustenance of plant life as it provides the aforementioned nutrients to root systems, unfortunately also appears to create problems within sandy soils, most particularly the creation of a waxy organic, water-repellent coating upon binding to and with soil components (for instance, and without limitation, sand). If such a coating is permitted to accumulate over a long period of time, such as the aforementioned 6 to 18 month period, and particularly at the topsoil surface, the coating becomes highly water repellent in nature and uniform plant water use is difficult to achieve, as mentioned previously. In theory, and, again, without intending to be bound to such theory, it is believed that such a coating is formed by the amphiphylic humic acid (or other like humic substance) adhering, by its hydrophilic portion, to the hydrophilic sites within the sandy soil, permitting the highly hydrophobic ends to extend (similar in nature to a micelle). Such a coating is thus hydrophobic in nature and, when present as a thorough coating over such surface portions, again, tends to either drive water away or facilitate water loss by preventing moisture from passing through to the subterranean roots of any plants therein. If the water remains at the surface, evaporation is also facilitated as it cannot easily penetrate within the soil. Such a problem exists, as noted above, not only within greens, but also within lawns and pastures (as merely some examples of such trouble areas). In order to provide a uniform appearance in lawns and greens, it has been a requirement either to water consistently in very large amounts (which is wasteful and possibly damaging to the plants themselves) or to water selected trouble areas by hand on a continuous basis (which is labor-intensive and possibly wasteful in terms of water consumption). Furthermore, it is generally too late to know of trouble water repellent areas within such lawns or greens until they become apparent empirically. For pastures, pools of water develop sporadically on occasion due to this problem; the standard method of remedying this problem is to dig up the earth and wait for the humic substances to be consumed as nutrients (over a relatively long period of time) by the root systems therein. Such a procedure thus leaves an aesthetically displeasing result and is not always reliable for reducing water repellency therein. Thus, it has been found that there exists a need to provide a simple method and/or formulation for reducing such a humic acid water repellency effect at the soil surface without creating detrimental effects to the surface plant life.
In the past, the best methods of reducing the amount and presence of localized dry spots have basically involved the introduction of certain surfactants to the soil for the transport of water through the surface coating, preferably in tandem with compounds that decrease the surface tension of the waxy coating to permit penetration of the active surfactant components themselves in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,023 to Ogawa et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,957 to Bowey et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,268 to Taguchi et al. Such a method has been problematic to a certain extent due to the cost associated with some silicon-based surfactants, biodegradability issues of most viable surfactants, as well as foaming problems when water is present, and/or the difficulty in removal of degraded coating components after surfactant treatment. Also, this specific surfactant-only treatment does not remove the waxy coating to an appreciable degree from the target topsoil surface.
Another manner of reducing such dry spot problems has been increasing watering itself. However, such a method is labor intensive and, in many areas where water is not plentiful, use for aesthetic purposes (e.g., lawns, greens, and the like), is preferably kept at a minimum as compared to other more important purposes (e.g., drinking water). Such an issue also contributes to the aforementioned development of water repellency areas over long periods of time because of the inability of the caretaker to continuously supply moisture to target lawns, greens, etc., to the levels needed to best ensure uniformity of watering is accomplished. Other possible attempts at alleviating such a problem exist, albeit as an aim at removing contaminants (e.g., oils, fuels, etc.) from the target soils for improving plant growth therein (U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,896 to Jahnke et al. and WO01/26832 to Lubrizol Corporation). Such a method does not provide the same degree humic substance removal, however, needed to provide the reliability of treatment for localized dry spot reduction. Also, another option has been the tearing up of the topsoil itself to physically breakdown the humic acid accumulation. Unfortunately, such a procedure is also labor intensive and invariably disturbs the plant life to too great an extent in order to properly manage uniform growth of target plants and grasses. Furthermore, once the plant life has begun to grow in such a scenario, humic acid begins to accumulate anyway, such that unless physically altering the topsoil is undertaken, the same problem of plant life loss (and thus the development of dry spots within the lawn or garden) would result without further effective moisture penetration. Thus, there remains a need for a simplified, chemical remedy to this waxy coating of humic acid (and other like substances) within lawns, greens, and the like. To date, other than those specific procedures noted above, such a remedy has not been provided with the aim at reducing such unwanted humic substance topsoil surface accumulation in order to provide sustained uniform water supply over the entire target green and/or lawn. Further previous attempts at remedying such localized dry spot water repellency problems include treatment of golf greens with sodium hydroxide. Such a treatment does in fact remove the hydrophobic coating; however, it is also highly phytotoxic to grass and thus is an unacceptable method from a commercial perspective.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide an improved method of lowering topsoil surface tension by chemically reacting (or possibly complexing) with the hydrophobic portion of such humic acid coatings, thereby permitting moisture to penetrate such a coating and not only pass to the root systems of target plants therein but also possibly transporting the surface-accumulated humic substances into the soil for root consumption of the nutrients provided by such substances. A simple, safe formulation permitting such a method is also an object of this invention. Additionally, a test hydrophobic sand formulation is also an object of this invention in order to permit reliable laboratory analysis of the effectiveness of certain formulations to provide the aforementioned desired reaction with hydrophobic portions of humic acid coatings.
Accordingly, this invention concerns a soil additive formulation and/or method of treating sandy areas, soils, or areas including both sand and soil (such as lawns, greens, pastures, beaches, dry desert-like areas, and the like), wherein said soil additive formulation is non-phytotoxic and exhibits a humic acid removal capacity under the hydrophobic sand humic acid removal test of at least 150 ppm. Such a formulation comprises, preferably, at least one humic acid redistribution compound selected from the group consisting of at least one C2-60 (or possibly higher) alkyl, alkenyl, and/or alkaryl succinic anhydride or acid (the anhydride will convert to its acid form upon dissolution in water) mono-cation or di-cation salt resulting from the reaction with either a metal or amine functional neutralization salt, at least one C4-60 (or possibly higher) branched or unbranched diacid mono- or di-cation salt resulting from the reaction with either a metal or amine functional neutralization salt, at least one polycarboxylic acid derivative salt, and any mixtures thereof, and from 0-99% by weight of at least one compound that actively lowers the surface tension of humic acid waxy coatings from hydrophobic sand particles. Such a formulation may also comprise a copolymer exhibiting both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions for reaction with the hydrophobic portions of such hydrophobic sand particles in order to further provide hydrophilic extensions therefrom to facilitate the reaction between the bound humic acid and the aforementioned humic acid removal compound. Furthermore, an inventive synthetic hydrophobic sand formulation exhibiting a penetration period of at least 9 seconds for a drop of 2 molar ethanol under a minimal ethanol drop test is also encompassed within this invention. Lastly, a method for reducing localized dry spot formation within lawns or greens comprising the application of a soil additive formulation to a target lawn or green, wherein said soil additive formulation exhibits a humic acid removal capacity under certain conditions of at least 150 ppm from a sample of the aforementioned synthetic hydrophobic sand formulation is additionally encompassed by this invention. Again, to date, nothing within the pertinent prior art teaches or fairly suggests such specific inventions.
Such a composition and method of treating sandy areas may thus be utilized for the redistribution of humic substances in sandy areas alone. In such a manner, the sandy area (if it a beach, for example) may be modified to permit water penetration therein, to prevent unsightly water pools, for example, after raining, or to dry desert-like areas in order to permit water penetration to sustain root systems of plant-life which would not grow otherwise.
The term xe2x80x9csyntheticxe2x80x9d as it applies to the inventive hydrophobic sand above, is intended to indicate that such sand is manipulated via a synthetic route to provide such a high level of hydrophobicity through chemical treatment of sand itself. It is not intended to mean a sand formulation that has been produced in total by hand. Of course, sand, being silicon dioxide, is available naturally, but it generally exhibits very low, if any hydrophobicity levels. Thus, the term xe2x80x9csyntheticxe2x80x9d is, again, intended to show that the hydrophobic properties thereof are chemically provided by hand and not in nature.
The inventive formulation may either be applied in liquid form, pellet form, or granular form to the selected treated area.
The inventive formulation, in terms of composition, thus requires at least one humic substance (in particular, humic acid) redistribution compound. In effect, such a compound or mix of compounds reacts with the hydrophobic portions of the humic acid (the portion of the humic acid not attached to the hydrophilic sand and/or soil particles) present at the target topsoil surface. Upon binding thereto, the redistribution compound provides sites for strong water adhesion. Such adhered water droplets will be pulled into the sand and/or soil by further adhesion by other particles or through cohesion with other water droplets). The binding energy of the water droplets to the redistribution compound is greater than that of the humic acid to the sand and/or soil, thereby permitting release of the humic acid for transport into the target soil for consumption as nutrients by the root systems of the plants therein. Thus, the humic acid redistribution is effectuated sufficiently to allow for greater amounts of moisture to penetrate the topsoil as well as effectively permitting transport of humic substance nutrients to the target roots, all for increased plant growth and reduction of water repellent areas.
Such a humic acid redistribution compound may be of any type that provides the above-discussed humic acid redistribution and transport via water movement. Preferably, and without limitation, such a redistribution compound may be chosen from three different classes of salts or weak polymeric acids, namely succinic anhydride (or acid) mono- and di-cation salts resulting from reactions with a metal or amine functional neutralization salt, such as hydroxy, alkoxy or C1-C60 alkyl, alkenyl, and/or alkylaryl succinic acid mono- and di-cation salts resulting from reaction with a metal or amine functional neutralization salt; C4-C60 branched or unbranched diacid salts, and polycarboxylic acid derivative salts.
Non-limiting, preferred compounds for this purpose include alkenyl succinic anhydride di-cation salts, in particular such compounds as octenyl succinic anhydride and tetrapropenyl succininc anhydride di potassium salts, available from Milliken and Company under the tradenames SYNFAC(copyright) 8515 and SYNFAC(copyright) 8510, respectively. Examples of non-limiting preferred diacid salts within this invention include potassium sebacate, potassium adipate, and other dicarboxylic acid mono-metal, di-metal, or amine functional mono- or di-cation salts including such basic compounds as oxalic, malonic, succinic, glutaric, tartaric acid, and malic acids, having metal or amine counter ions of any corresponding valence metal or neutralizing amine, such as, without limitation, Na, Li, K, Mg, Ca, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, ammonia, and/or monoalkyl, dialkyl, and/or trialkyl amines. Such a compound (or compounds) is one that can be easily prepared by those skilled in the art by neutralizing a selected dicarboxylic acid with a selected base to form the desired salt or amine. Examples of preferred, non-limiting, polycarboxylic acid salts include solutions of maleic copolymer salts, water soluble polymeric polyelectrolytes, and other sodium salt-based anionic polymers, available from Milliken and Company under the tradename INVIGORATE(copyright) (a formulation previously utilized for the purpose of agglomerating fine soil particles into larger particles thus creating greater pore space therebetween as well to agglomerate clay or organic fines). Each of these classes of humic acid redistribution compounds provides the requisite humic acid removal and transport discussed previously. As noted below, such compounds effectively remove such unwanted topsoil substances from synthetic hydrophobic sand and thus are effective as compounds utilized by themselves for such purpose when applied to target lawns and/or greens (as one preferred embodiment). The humic acid redistribution compound may thus be comprised of all of the soil (and/or turf) additive formulation, but such a formulation preferably comprises from 1-99% by weight of such a redistribution compound; more preferably from about 10-90% by weight; more preferably from about 15-75% by weight. For the succinic anhydride-type salts, the amount may be even more preferably from about 50-75% by weight of the formulation, still more preferably from about 60-72%, and most preferably between about 65-72%. For the maleic copolymer alternative compounds, the amount may be even more preferably from about 10-25% by weight of the entire formulation, still more preferably from about 12-20%, and most preferably between about 17-19%. In such an instance, however, a large amount of the maleic copolymer-containing formulation will be water, from about 40-60% by weight, more preferably from about 40-50%, in order to permit uniform dispersion for effective application to the target lawn and/or green.
However, in order to best ensure initial penetration of such removal compounds within the target topsoil areas (which may or may not be thoroughly coated with humic substance waxy coatings), it is preferable to include at least one compound within the formulation for the lowering of the surface tension at the topsoil surface which is also compatible with the aforementioned required humic acid removal compound. Such a compound can be an alkoxylated (preferably ethoxylated) alcohol (surfactant), such as a branched or unbranched C6-C60 alcohol alkoxylate (preferably, again, ethoxylate) (for utilization with the aforementioned succinic anhydride salts and long-chain acid salts), or alkoxylated (preferably ethoxylated) C8-C40 fatty acid (for utilization in combination with the aforementioned maleic copolymer-containing formulations). Such compounds may be branched or unbranched in configuration. Examples of preferred types of alcohol alkoxylates for this purpose include C6-60 alkyl,alkenyl or alkylaryl EO/PO surfactants, linear or branched, and secondary or primary hydroxyl in type, including mixtures of surfactants comprising from 99 to 1% by weight of at least one surfactant selected from polyalkylene oxide compounds with the general formula:
R3xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(C2H4O)c(C3H6O)dR3
wherein c is 0 to 500; d is 0 to 500, and R3 is H, or an alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms; wherein the polyalkylene oxide has a molecular weight in the range of 300 to 51,000; and a second optional different surfactant comprising a compound of the general formula
R4xe2x80x94O(CH2CH2O)x(CHR5CH2O)yR6
wherein x is from 1 to 50; y is 0-50: R4 is a branched or linear alkyl, alkenyl, aryl or an aryl group optionally having an alkyl group substituent, the alkyl group having up to 60 carbon atoms; R5 is selected from H and alkyl groups having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms; and R6 is selected from H and alkyl groups having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms. Suitable secondary surfactants also include carboxylic and dicarboxylic esters of the general formula:
xe2x80x83R4COa(CH2CH2O)x(CHR5CH2O)yCObR6
wherein x is from 1 to 50; y is 1-50, a is from 1 to 2, b is from 1 to 2: R4 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having up to 60 carbons or an aryl group optionally having an alkyl group substituent, the alkyl group having up to 60 carbon atoms; R5 is selected from H and alkyl groups having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms; and R6 is selected from H and alkyl groups having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms.
The surface tension of such a surface-active compound (or compounds) should in effect be below the general level of such a humic substance waxy coating, thus less than about 30 dynes/m2. As non-limiting examples for this purpose, tridecyl alcohol (8 EO), and coconut fatty acid (9 EO), are preferred. The amount of such a component within the inventive formulation is, as above, different for each type, depending on the type of humic acid removal compound present therein. Thus, for the succinic anhydride and long chain salt types, the amount of such an additive should range from about 1-20%, more preferably from about 5-15%, and most preferably from about 7-10%, all by weight of the entire formulation. For the remaining type of humic acid removal compounds, the amount of such an alkoxylated fatty acid ranges from about 1-25%, more preferably from about 10-20%, and most preferably from about 16-20%, all by weight of the entire formulation. Such an alkoxylated fatty acid is essentially required upon the presence of such maleic copolymer type components, if such a type of removal compound is actually present therein.
Another optional compound for introduction within the inventive formulation is a polyoxyalkylenated copolymer additive comprising at least two different alkylene oxide monomers, such as, without limitation, but preferably, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, may be added, particularly with the highly preferred aforementioned succinic acid salts and/or long chain salts, for facilitation of the binding of the redistribution compounds to the target humic acid deposits through such copolymer groups. In essence, without intending on being bound to any scientific theory, it is believed that the more hydrophobic portions (propylene oxide, or PO, monomers, for example) bind to the hydrophobic ends of the humic acid, and the more hydrophilic portions (ethylene oxide, or EO, for example) bind readily to the salt removal compounds. In such a manner, the binding energy of the humic acid to the soil and/or sand is overcome by the pull of water droplets on the entire complex of salt-copolymer-humic acid such that transport to within the soil is accomplished and the humic acid can thus be more readily removed from the topsoil surface. Again, such a copolymer component is not necessary for proper functioning of the inventive formulation in every instance, although its presence may be desired in an effort to reduce the amount of humic acid removal compounds (which may be expensive or difficult to find in large quantities) within the soil (and/or turf) additive formulation and still provide an effective manner of reducing localized dry spots within the target lawn and/or green. Such a copolymer may thus be of any length and molecular weight with a preferred molecular weight of between 1000 and 5000, more preferably from about 2000 to about 3500, and most preferably from about 2750 to about 3250. Such a copolymer is available from BASF under the family of tradenames of PLURONIC(copyright). If present, such copolymer should be present in an amount of from about 1 to about 85% by weight of the entire formulation, more preferably from about 20 to about 80%, and most preferably from about 55 to about 75%.
Such an inventive formulation is one example of a soil additive that provides the desired topsoil humic acid removal that is necessary to effectuate the reduction in dry spot formation within vegetative areas. As discussed above, the aim of this invention is to lower the surface tension of humic acid accumulations on topsoil by reacting with the hydrophobic extensions of such an acid coating. This result is analogous to certain laboratory analyses involving the removal of humic acid from a synthetic hydrophobic humic-acid coated sand formulation. In order to best develop and test the effectiveness of such a novel soil additive formulation, it was necessary to develop the aforementioned novel synthetic hydrophobic sand since no such sand is available commercially. As noted below in greater detail, the basic premise in producing such novel sand is to attach large amounts of humic acid thereto in order to provide a highly hydrophobic sand. Such a sand formulation can be utilized for more than just this analysis of humic acid removal, as low water uptake can help in terms of less water-laden sandbox components, better flowing hourglass sand, and countless other end-uses. For this invention, the humic acid-treated sand exhibits a very high hydrophobicity in terms of adding drops of various concentrations of ethanol to the target sand surface (when flattened as a level surface) and determining the molar concentration of methanol required to permit penetration of the ethanol into the sand itself within a ten second interval. Again, as measured below, such an inventive sand must exhibit a penetration time of at least 9 seconds for a drop (e.g., about 40 {circle around (3)}L) of 2M ethanol (based on pure 200 proof ethanol). Upon producing this test sand, then, a proper laboratory analysis of the humic acid removal capability of the inventive soil additive formulation can be undertaken. Such a method of analyzing humic acid removal from such synthetic hydrophobic sand basically entails, for our purposes, the analyses of water-removed humic acid from hydrophobic (humic acid-coated) sand particles, as discussed in greater detail below.
The inventive formulations may include any other standard components for lawn, garden, or other vegetation treatment, including, further wetting agents, colorants (for aesthetic purposes or for application identification), perfumes, water, electrolytes, fertilizer, pesticides, and the like.
Initially, the production of a suitable hydrophobic sand formulation was necessary to properly analyze the ability of the particular soil additive formulations for sufficient removal of humic acid coatings applied thereto. As noted above, such an hydrophobic sand formulation is novel as to its synthetic nature and its resultant reproducible hydrophobicity as measured by an ethanol drop test. Thus, such a novel hydrophobic sand formulation was produced and tested as follows:
First, humic acid sodium salt was converted to acid form by treating with a molar amount of 1N hydrochloric acid followed by coating target sand with such humic acid. Thus, humic acid sodium salt (purchased from Aldrich Chemical) was mixed with 1N hydrochloric acid (36% acid diluted with Deionized water). Using 1 liter of such 1N HCl, 100 grams of Humic Acid sodium salt was added and allowed to stir 16 hours. After stirring, the solution was filtered through a Whatman #2 filter paper and washed with excess deionized water three times to remove excess HCl. The residual humic acid was then dried in an 80xc2x0 C. oven for 12 hours (or until dry). The resultant humic acid material was then ground with a mortar and pestle to a fine powder consistency.
Sand, a GA-45 washed top dressing sand for golf greens, available from Golf Agronomics, was then treated with such humic acid. Using 20 grams of the treated humic acid from above, it was combined with 250 grams reagent methanol and 250 grams deionized water. The solution was then agitated for two hours to insure full dissolution of the powder. Once dissolved, 500 grams of the sand was added thereto and the mixture was allowed to tumble for at least 4 hours to insure full coating by the humic acid. Subsequently, the sand was then filtered through Whatman #2 filter paper to remove excess solvents and then placed in an 80xc2x0 C. oven to dry for at least 16 hours. The treated sand was then removed from the oven and washed 3 times with deionized water through a Whatman #2 filter. The filtered sand was then placed in the same oven for another 16 hours or until dry.
The sand was then characterized by a minimum ethanol drop method. First, ethanol standards were made for use in the MED(Minimum Ethanol Drop) test through the production of 1M, 2M, 3M, and 4M solutions of ethanol using absolute 200 proof ethanol. A 15 mm petri dish with one eighth of an inch of the test sand was used for the MED test. Ten drops of distilled water were placed on top of the test sand and a stopwatch was used to record the penetration time. After five minutes, the drops were removed. Ten drops of the one molar ethanol were then placed on the sand and timed (an average of two minutes and 10 seconds). Ten drops of the two molar ethanol were then tested in the same manner (an average of nine seconds). This test required that the drops that last an average of ten seconds be given the numerical value of the molar solution tested. Thus, the produced novel synthetic hydrophobic sand formulation exhibited a MED for 2M ethanol of at least 9 seconds.
Soil additive formulations were then produced for measurement in terms of humic acid removal from this test novel synthetic hydrophobic sand (all percentages listed below are byweight of the entire formulation):


In the field of orthodontics, it is known to adhere orthodontic appliances, such as brackets, buccal tubes and the like, directly to teeth. Typically, this is accomplished by chemically bonding an appliance to a tooth surface using an adhesive. If desired, the bonding surface area of the appliance may be roughened in order to increase the surface area of the appliance in contact with the adhesive, thereby enhancing the chemical bond. Direct bonding also may be accomplished by using a metal appliance having undercuts for forming a mechanical bond with the adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,854 to Schmitt teaches a metal injection molded orthodontic bracket including a plurality of raised posts extending bucco-lingually from a tooth abutting surface. Each post includes a root section having a base integrally formed with the tooth abutting surface and an apex section bucco-lingually extending from the root section. The apex section terminates in a sharp, continuous parameter edge that was originally smaller in all directions than the root section. However, in accordance with the Schmitt patent, further cold working of the parameter edges occurs such that each edge is worked at ambient temperatures into a mushroom-shaped button having a worked edge larger in all directions than its associated root section and an eave capable of mechanically bonding with an adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,059 to Kanno features a metal orthodontic bracket which has a base surface provided with a plurality of orthogonal grooves formed by a cutting machine having a plurality of rotatable thin circular cutter blades. The grooves so produced have small fins or flashes at their edges resulting from cutting operations of cutter blades scraping metal matrix at high speed. These small fins are pressed down into the inside of the grooves to form undercuts for the adhesive to provide mechanical bonding of the base to the tooth surface.
Although mechanical bonding provides some advantages over traditional bonding methods, the brackets taught by Schmitt and Kanno have several limitations. For example, both brackets are made of metal and therefore, lack the aesthetic qualities found in plastic or ceramic orthodontic appliances. Furthermore, the mechanical bonding surfaces of the Schmitt and Kanno brackets are formed by cold working the metal at ambient temperature. This cold working process also distorts the metal microstructure of the raised posts used for mechanical bonding.
In addition, the methods used to form the mechanical bonding surfaces are relatively complex and expensive. The Schmitt patent requires the use of a hydraulically activated metal coining die array to cold work the posts, with one die for each post, and with each die having a partially spherical concave mushroom forming cavity in the tip. Such die arrays are difficult to make, expensive to manufacture, and difficult to use. Kanno teaches the use of a cutting machine to form the posts in the bracket base, which leads to a significant amount of wasted metal. Also, the raised posts of the Schmitt bracket must be originally molded with an apex section narrower than the root section in order to remove the metallic bracket from the mold without significant risk of peg breakage. This tapering results in less metal being available at the apex to form the mushroom-shaped button and corresponding eave required for mechanical bonding. Furthermore, the extremely fine fins or flashes of the Kanno bracket formed by the cutting process must be pressed downward in order to form the mechanical bonding surfaces and are subject to stress and fracture in this process.
In the related patents and applications referred to above, the bracket bases are formed of plastic having arrays of pegs projecting from their bases, with the outer ends or tips of the pegs having mushroom shaped heads that present overhangs which facilitate mechanical bonding of the bases to the surfaces of teeth with adhesive. The heads are formed by heat softening the peg tips and, while softened, applying a force to the tips in a direction toward the base, deforming the tips into mushroom-shaped heads.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved method of deforming peg tips of projections on orthodontic appliance bases into mushroom-shaped heads without the need to use heated platens to soften the projections to facilitate their deformation or to use expensive cold working coining dies in order to make an orthodontic appliance capable of being mechanically bonded to a tooth, in which the appliance is made of an aesthetically pleasing material.


Interferometric modulators are spatial light modulators typically used in display applications. These modulators use interference effects to control the intensity and the color of the light seen by a viewer. One example of such a modulator is the iMoD™. The iMoD employs a cavity having at least one movable or deflectable wall. As the wall, typically comprised at least partly of metal, moves towards a front surface of the cavity, interference occurs that affects the color of light viewed at the front surface. The front surface is typically the surface where the image seen by the viewer appears, as the iMoD is a direct-view device.
The front surface is transparent, as it is the portion of the device through which the viewer views the image. Manufacture of an interferometric modulator is somewhat similar to other types of devices manufactured on glass, such as liquid crystal devices (LCD). However, due to the unique nature of the device, packaging of the device has some other considerations.
Interferometric modulators are microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. While they use a glass substrate like LCDs, they also have moving parts and must have room to move while remaining protected. Similarly, while they are MEMS devices, they are manufactured on a substrate that has different processing considerations than most MEMS devices.
There are some degrees of freedom available to interferometric modulators not available to either LCDs or many MEMS devices. Unlike LCDs, interferometric modulators do not have material injected into the package, such as the liquid crystalline material is into LCD display panels. Unlike many MEMS devices, interferometric modulators do not have parts that rub against one another, alleviating concerns about internal particle generation.


1. Field
This relates to a dryer, and more particularly, to a dryer having enhanced dehumidifying power.
2. Background
In a laundry treating apparatus having a drying function such as a washer or dryer, once washing and dehydration are completed, hot air may be supplied into the drum to evaporate moisture from the laundry, thereby drying the laundry. Such a dryer may include a drum rotatably provided within a cabinet, a drive motor to drive the drum, a blower fan to blow air into the drum, and a heating device to heat air conveyed into the drum. The heating device may use, for example, high-temperature electric resistance heat generated using electric resistance, or combustion heat generated by combusting gas.


This invention relates in general to apparatus for fusing toner images to toner image carrying supports through the application of heat and pressure. More particularly, this invention relates to fuser apparatus including a sensor for sensing the temperature of a heated fuser member and for producing a signal representative of the temperature of the member which is used to maintain the temperature of the fuser apparatus within predetermined limits and to indicate a jam condition when a sudden large drop in temperature is sensed.
Electrographic copiers produce copies having toner images which are permanently fixed to supports such as copy sheets by well-known fusing techniques. In one such technique, a copy sheet carrying a toner image is contacted by a heated fuser member such as a roller or belt to permanently fuse the toner image to the copy sheet through the application of heat and pressure. The fuser member may be heated by means of an internal or an external heat source. In either case, the temperature of the fuser member is maintained within predetermined limits by sensing the temperature of the heated member and providing a feedback to control the heat source.
Thus, sensors for sensing the temperature of a heated fuser roller may be provided in contact with the fuser roller as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,466 for "Xerographic Fixing Device", issued Dec. 13, 1966, patentees G. A. Aser et al (see, for example FIG. 6, element 825; column 6, lines 56-68); U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,791, for "Xerographic Roller Fuser Drive Apparatus", issued June 13, 1967, patentees J. R. Cassano et al (see, for example, FIG. 2, element THS-2; column 5, lines 66-72); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,096 for "Temperature Control Circuit", issued June 20, 1967, patentee T. Bernous. Contact temperature sensors, although useful in controlling the temperature of the fuser roller, may cause damage to the fuser roller surface especially where the surface is of an elastomeric material. Copy sheets which wrap around the fuser roller may engage the sensor resulting in damage to the sensor and jamming of sheets in the fuser.
Temperature sensors for heated fuser rollers may also be spaced a distance from the fusing surface thus obviating the difficulties of sensors which contact the fuser surface. Such sensors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,562 for "Heat Roller Type Fixing Apparatus", issued Oct. 27, 1981, patentees N. Kamogawa et al (see, for example, FIGS. 1 and 2, column 1, lines 62-66); Research Disclosure No. 1370, entitled "Electrophotographic Fuser Apparatus", dated September 1975 (see, for example, FIG. 3 element 79 and description thereof); U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,106 for "Process Heating Control System", issued Feb. 13, 1968, patentee J. H. Troll (see, for example, FIG. 2, element 6, column 2, line 54 et seq.); U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,191, for "Infrared Temperature Sensor and Control for Use With Heated Moving Bodies", issued June 26, 1973, patentees R. R. Poole et al (see, for example, FIG. 6, element 51, column 4, line 52 et seq.). The latter two patents disclose temperature sensors for measuring infrared radiation from a heated roller. Instead of sensing temperature at the fuser roller surface, the temperature of the fuser core may be sensed to provide temperature control temperature of the fusing roller. Such core sensing controls are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,990 for "Temperature Sensing and Control of a Fusing Roll", issued Sept. 6, 1977, patentee W. E. White (see, for example, FIGS. 1 and 2, element 5, column 4, line 22 et seq.) and Research Disclosure No. 19642 entitled "Temperature Control of Fuser Roller" published August 1980. Where the fuser includes a heater element positioned over a copy sheet path, a sensor may be positioned on the other side of the path to detect temperature variation due to the passage of the copy sheet between the radiation source and the sensor such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 76/22675 published June 11, 1976 entitled "Fixing Device for Electronic Copying Machine" (see for example FIG. 1).
During the fusing process there is a tendency for a fused copy sheet to adhere to the fuser roller due to the stickiness of the toner material. Efforts to minimize sticking of copy sheets to fuser rollers include making the surface of the fuser roller of a material which has good release properties, such as silicone elastomer or polytetrafluoroethylene. Silicon release oil may also be applied to the fuser roller surface to enhance the release properties thereof. Since, however, there is still a possibility of a copy sheet adhering to the fuser roller, in commercial copiers a detector is provided in the copy sheet path near the exit nip of the rollers to detect whether or not a copy sheet has advanced past the nip. Such a detector for example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,509 entitled "Roller Fuser Apparatus In Which Copy Sheet Jams are Minimized," issued July 5, 1983, by W. A. Cavagnaro (see for example FIG. 2 element 70, column 5 lines 47-50 and column 6 line 15 et seq).
Thus, the control of the temperature of a heated fuser member and the detection of paper jams in fuser apparatus are desirable in present day copiers to minimize down time of the equipment due to malfunctions. With higher speed machines, there is also a trend to more complex operational and diagnostic functions. This, it would be desirable to provide copier controls which would simplify the control function while providing efficient and rapid system response to a machine malfunction such as a copy sheet sticking to a fuser roller. It would also be desirable to provide controls for a fuser roller which do not interfere with the fuser components and which do not contribute to fuser roller damage or degradation.


Wireless communication networks support communications between mobile communication devices. Such mobile communication devices are often referred to as subscriber units (SUs) and, in some cases, portable subscriber units (PSUs) or mobile subscriber units (MSUs). In some wireless communication networks, for example, land mobile radio (LMR) and trunked radio networks, the subscriber units can communicate with each other in talk groups. A talk group is a group of subscriber units, created by an administrator, in which each subscriber unit in the talk group may participate in a group call. Group calls may be initiated and managed, for example, at a call controller, a call center, a control head, or a server.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.


Computing devices are conventionally configured in a variety of specific ways to support different user interactions with the computing device tailored for particular settings. The computing device, for instance, may be configured to support mobile usage and therefore is optimized for that usage, such as by including a battery, portable size, and user interface configured for interaction by one or more hands of a user. Likewise, the computing device may be configured for non-mobile applications, such as a traditional desktop PC that has a relatively large size and includes devices that are configured to aid user interaction in a desktop setting, such as keyboards and cursor-control devices.
Computing devices are now available that support use in a variety of settings and consequently may support interaction in a variety of usage scenarios. Examples of such computing devices may include tablets and other configurations that include significant computational resources that enable these devices suitable to perform a variety of different interactions. However, conventional techniques typically limited a user to user interactions that were tailored for a single setting and corresponding usage scenario, and thus could limit interaction with the device when used in other settings.


Electronic card connectors of electronic devices are installed directly on a circuit board in the early, so a housing of the electronic device must be removed firstly to place an electronic card in the electronic card connector. While electronic card connectors of some electronic devices, such as mobile phones, are installed under batteries, in this case, the housing and the battery of the mobile phone all need to be removed sequentially, and then the electronic card can be placed in the electronic card connector, said removing and placing will bring a lot of trouble to consumers.
In order to comply with the development trend of simplifying electronic device, a drawer card connector appears recently, it usually includes an insulation body, multiple conductive terminals positioned at the insulation body, and a covering housing masking the insulation body. The insulation body and the covering housing coordinate with each other so as to form an accommodating space therebetween, and a sliding holder is accommodated in the accommodating space. An exiting mechanism is fixed on the insulation body for sliding the sliding holder forward and backward in the accommodating space. The exiting mechanism further includes a pop-up element, a pivoting element and a pushing rod, wherein, the pop-up element and the pivoting element are located at back of the insulation body, and at least part of the pop-up element exposes in the accommodating space and presses against the sliding holder elastically. The pivoting element has an actuating portion and a pushing portion, the pushing rod extends forward and backward at a side of the insulation body, a back end of the pushing rod presses against the pushing portion, a leading end of the pushing rod is extended to the front of the accommodating space.
The electronic device has an accommodating cavity defined at a side thereof, and the accommodating cavity has an opening communicating with outside, the drawer card connector is installed in the accommodating cavity, the electronic card can be placed in the drawer card connector without removing the housing of the electronic device. Just need pushing the leading end of the pushing rod with a tool that firstly enters into the opening, and the leading end of the pushing rod drives the back end of the pushing rod to press against the pushing portion backward, and then the pushing portion drives the actuating portion to rotate and thereby press against the sliding holder forward. Meanwhile, the pop-up element applies a forward thrust to the sliding holder, thereby the sliding holder exits outward, and then the electronic card can be put in the sliding holder, finally the sliding holder is pressed backward into the accommodating space, and the sliding holder can be positioned therein.
Though the exiting function of the drawer card connector is easy, which can overcome the removing and placing problem of the conventional electronic card connector, but it doesn't comply with the development trend of miniaturization and low cost for electronic devices nowadays, that is because the exiting mechanism includes three separate elements, the pop-up element, the pivoting element and the pushing rod, which are disposed at back of and a side of the insulation body respectively, and occupy much space of the insulation body, thereby prevent miniaturization progress of the drawer card connector. In addition, the processes of manufacturing and assembly are complex, which increase the cost of manufacturing, thereby fail to achieve the goal of low cost.
Hence, it is desired to provide a new card connector to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks.


During the processing of semiconductor wafers, wafer misalignment and wafer movement after placement on a wafer holder (e.g., susceptor) can cause the wafer to be outside the holder's wafer pocket, which is designed to hold the wafer in the correct position as the wafer is rotated. If a wafer is not fully seated in the pocket, the resulting temperature gradients across the wafer can make it unusable. Thus, it is of great importance to detect whether wafers are being processed while they are misplaced or out-of-pocket, in order to take corrective action before the wafer and/or equipment are damaged. In addition, due to the extremely harsh environment inside the process chamber, simplicity and resistance to interference are both highly desirable characteristics, especially with regard to those components of a wafer detection system which are located in the process chamber. Also, reducing the cost of wafer fabrication machines is a major concern in an industry where fabrication processes are machine intensive.
In attempts to solve these problems, the prior art employs sensors for detecting whether a wafer sits flat or inclined within a susceptor pocket. Many of the prior art detection systems employ optical sensors which are subject to interference from the intense and varying light produced by the process chamber heat lamps. Also, the prior art systems are unnecessarily complex and expensive. In addition, conventional detection system components are subjected to the harsh environment, which consequently further increases replacement costs as compared with a simpler system.
Accordingly, a simpler, more accurate, and less expensive wafer placement detection system is needed.