The invention relates to a guiding device for guiding an oblong intermediate element while joining at least two decorative elements by means of this intermediate element.

A chemical extractant selected from solutions of K2SO4 and/or Na2SO4 can be used by contacting with untreated broiler litter to selectively and efficiently remove phosphorous from the broiler litter. The broiler litter and extractant solution mixture, after a suitable time, can be separated, such as by filtration. The resulting treated broiler litter is thus significantly lower in P content without being lower by an undesirable amount in more preferred minerals. The treated litter so obtained is suitable for crop soil augmentation. Further, phosphorous can be thereafter precipitated in the form of phytic acid. Since the precipitate is high in mineral content, it can be used for other purposes (e.g., plant food, etc.).

A recording paper cutting device enables cutting of a boundary between a first area of a recording paper and a second area of the recording paper placed at an upstream side of the first area, so that the first area is separately discharged from the second area after the first area is printed. The recording paper cutting device includes first and second cutting parts. The first cutting part of the second cutting parts moves in an approaching or departing direction so that the boundary is cut. The first cutting part includes a first cutting surface inclined by a first angle in the departing direction from the second cutting part and a second cutting surface that extends from the first cutting surface and is inclined by a second angle, which is smaller than the first angle, in the departing direction from the second cutting part.

The image recording method includes the following steps (a) to (c): (a) forming a barrier layer on a recording medium by using a solution which contains an acidic group-containing polymer in a nonaqueous medium;(b) forming an organic acid-containing layer on the barrier layer; and(c) forming an image by jetting an aqueous ink onto the organic acid-containing layer by an ink jet method.

An aqueous ink for ink jet containing a self-dispersible pigment, a compound represented by General Formula (I): where in General Formula (I) each R1 independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.

An aqueous ink for ink jet containing a self-dispersible pigment, an aromatic sulfinic acid or a salt thereof and an aromatic sulfonic acid or a salt thereof.

An aqueous ink containing a self-dispersible pigment for use in an ink jet recording method using a recording head that ejects an ink by an action of thermal energy. The aqueous ink contains a compound represented by General Formula (I): where in General Formula (I) R1's are independently of each other, a sulfonic acid group, a carboxylic acid group, a phosphoric acid group or a phosphonic acid group, R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1 to 5.

A reconfigurable bag is disclosed. The reconfigurable bag has a center expanding section and two bottom expanding sections, all of which may be moved between stored and open configurations. Opening one or more of the expanding sections changes the shape and configuration of the bag.

A method of decontaminating a room or space, comprising the steps of providing a cold-mist decontamination device capable of generating an atomized mist comprised of a decontaminant and water, inputting into an internal processor the parameters of the room or space and the concentration of the decontaminant in the decontamination solution, measuring the temperature and humidity in the room or space, and determining the maximum amount of the decontamination solution that can be introduced into the room or space in atomized form without condensing the decontaminant on surfaces within the room or space.

Hydrating an object bearing a latent fingerprint and then selectively drying the object leaving the fingerprint hydrated. The hydrated fingerprint is then coated with cyanoacrylate ester, preferably in a heat accelerated cyanoacrylate ester vacuum chamber. Hydrating is preferably accomplished by chilling the object below a dew point and then exposing the object to humidified air to condense a thin uniform layer of water over the object and latent fingerprint. Drying is preferably done with a vacuum. After drying reaches the preferred state, the CE is heated and coats the condensation-hydrated latent fingerprint. Preferably, the method is implemented in an automated system using one computer-controlled chamber for chilling, condensing, vacuum drying, and CE coating the latent fingerprint. The operator simply puts the object in the chamber, initiates the process by computer, and is prompted by the computer to remove the recovered latent print. Prints unrecoverable by prior art means are recovered.

An energetic composition with controlled detonation having at least a first organic material and a second material, where the second material is a porous material (micro-, meso-, or macroporous), having a pore ratio of at least 10% and preferably greater than 50%, and the first material is, at least partially, infiltrated into the pores of the second material. A mixture containing such a composition, and a method for manufacturing such a composition and such a mixture. Additionally, a method for fragmenting or expanding a microporous material at nanoscale.

A timepiece wrist terminal includes: a setting processing unit; a location information acquisition unit; a related information acquisition unit; a time difference calculation processing unit; and an output control unit. The setting processing unit acquires a first location. The location information acquisition unit acquires a second location that is different from the first location. The related information acquisition unit acquires information related to the first location. The related information acquisition unit also acquires information related to the second location. The time difference calculation processing unit generates differential information in accordance with the information related to the first location and the information related to the second location. The output control unit controls the output unit so as to display an object that represents the differential information, at least one of attributes of the object displayed being continuously varied in accordance with a differential amount representing the differential information.

A display device includes: a zoom ratio determining unit configured to determine whether a zoom ratio different from a current zoom ratio is set for a first image; a data type determining unit configured to determine a type of the first image; state determining unit configured to determine an operating state of the display device; a display item acquiring unit configured to acquire an item to be displayed in a second image that indicates information on the display device in accordance with the type that has been determined and the operating state that has been determined; and a position adjusting unit configured to adjust a display position of the second image in accordance with the zoom ratio that is different from the current zoom ratio set for the first image, in response to the zoom ratio determining unit determining that the zoom ratio is set.

Systems, devices and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment of one such method, a method of decoding received command signals, the method comprises decoding the received command signals in combination with a signal provided to a memory address node at a first clock edge of a clock signal to generate a plurality of memory control signals. The received command signals, in combination with the signal provided to the memory address node at the first clock edge of the clock signal, represent a memory command. Furthermore, the signal provided to the memory address node at a second clock edge of the clock signal is not decoded in combination with the received command signals. The memory command may be a reduced power command and/or a no operation command.

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for generating a codeword, and a method and an apparatus for recovering a codeword. An encoder calculates the number of punctured symbol nodes among symbol nodes included in a codeword, punctures symbol nodes located at even or odd number positions among the symbol nodes included in the codeword, calculates the number of symbol nodes which need to be additionally punctured on the basis of the calculated number of the symbol nodes to be punctured, classifies the symbol nodes, which need to be additionally punctured, into one or more punctured node groups on the basis of the calculated number of symbol nodes which need to be punctured, determines the locations on the codeword where the one or more punctured node groups are to be arranged, and punctures the symbol nodes included in the codeword which belong to the punctured node groups according to the determined locations. A transmission unit transmits the codeword.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a device for communication according to a specific communication protocol is provided. The communication device includes a processor for generating and processing frames based on frame formats defined by the communication protocol. The processor generates a beacon frame so that information on a collision avoidance scheme supported by the device of a plurality kinds of information specified based on the communication protocol is omitted. Further, the processor processes a connection request frame transmitted from other device to extract information on a collision avoidance scheme supported by the other device, and controls communication with the other device based on comparison of the extracted information on the collision avoidance scheme with the information on the collision avoidance scheme supported by the device.

This invention is about a structure for supporting clothes to be decolorized and for aiding in the process of decoloration, to a method of forming the same, and to a method of using the same to decolorize clothes. It includes manufacturing a semi-finished product for supporting clothes and manufacturing the supporting structure as well as a the method of decolorizing clothes using the supporting structure to have various decolorizing textures and styles.

A method of making a basket-like or other decorative article from pine needles comprising the steps of twisting and arranging pine needles, stitching the pine needles with a sewing needle and thread, so as to form a surface or wall, forming a basket-like object, the outer and inner surfaces of which are sealed with a protective coating, such as varnish.

A method and apparatus for reconditioning wood wine barrels. An open wine barrel is placed on a barrel rotator stand and positioned into a planer-cutter apparatus. Cutting parameters are set, and a horizontal screw advances the cutter into the barrel, cutting a swath the length of the barrel stave. The cutting process is repeated through the number of passes required. The barrel is dried, placed on a toasting rotator stand, and positioned under a toaster so that the toaster elements are inside the barrel. An expansion mechanism places the toaster elements adjacent the barrel interior surface, and the barrel ends are closed. After toasting, the expansion assembly is retracted and the barrel is removed. The barrel heads are run through a planer, dried, and sanded, and placed in a head toaster. The head toaster doors swing closed placing the heads adjacent oscillating firebars.

A system and method of constructing a substantially decorative article without the need for fasteners. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the decorative article is a woven basket. One or more retainers are provided to retain the material used to construct the outer surface of the decorative article. Each retainer is provided with a channel for receiving one end of the material used to construct the surface of the decorative article. The channels are able to retain the ends of the material used to construct the surface of the decorative article without the need for fasteners. If the material used to construct the surface of the decorative article is sufficiently rigid, the decorative article will be self-supporting. If the material used to construct the surface of the decorative article is not sufficiently self-supporting, supports may be located between the retainers. The channels may be oriented at an angle, or may be provided with a texture, to assist in retaining the material used to construct the surface of the decorative article.

A method for operating a vehicle drive-train having a continuously power-branched transmission with secondary coupling. In the open operating condition of reversing clutches of a reversing gear unit, torque applied in the area of a drive output can be supported by a range group in the area of a variator. In the event of a command to interrupt the power flow between a drive engine and the drive output, it is checked whether the vehicle is on an inclined surface and if the result of that inquiry is positive, the power flow between the drive engine and the transmission is interrupted at the latest when the rotational speed of the drive output is reduced to zero by opening the reversing clutches, while the active connection between the drive output and the variator is maintained by way of the range group.

Embodiment of the inventive subject matter include an apparatus comprising a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a transistor. The first switch is coupled to a first voltage device and the transistor to selectively electrically connect the first voltage device to the transistor to provide a first charge to the transistor. The second switch is coupled to a second voltage device and the transistor to selectively electrically connect the second voltage device to the transistor to remove charge from the transistor. The third switch is coupled to the third voltage device and the transistor to selectively couple the third voltage device to the transistor to provide a second charge to the transistor.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present invention includes a positive electrode containing olivine-structured Fe or a Mn-containing phosphorus compound as a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode containing a titanium-containing metal oxide capable of inserting and extracting lithium ions as a negative electrode active material; a nonwoven fabric separator, which contains an electrically insulating fiber and is bonded to a surface of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and a nonaqueous electrolyte. In a thickness direction of the nonwoven fabric separator, a density of the fiber on a side having contact with the positive electrode is high, and a density of the fiber on a side having contact with the negative electrode is low.

The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery separator that achieves an excellent rate characteristic by having a tensile creep compliance J satisfying at least one of the following three conditions in a case where stress of 30 MPa is applied for t seconds: (i) when t=300 seconds, J=4.5 GPa−1 to 14.0 GPa−1, (ii) when t=1800 seconds, J=9.0 GPa−1 to 25.0 GPa−1, (iii) when t=600 seconds, J=12.0 GPa−5 to 32.0 GPa−1.

A secondary battery includes a case composed of a metal containing aluminum as a main component, a stacked electrode assembly arranged in the case, a negative electrode current collector electrically connecting negative electrodes of the stacked electrode assembly to a negative electrode terminal, a positive electrode current collector electrically connecting positive electrodes of the stacked electrode assembly to a positive electrode terminal, a first metal plate arranged between the case and the stacked electrode assembly, and a spacer arranged between the case and the first metal plate, the spacer being composed of an insulating material. The positive electrodes are electrically connected to the case or a second metal plate arranged on the first metal plate with an insulating member provided between the first metal plate and the insulating member. The negative electrode current collector is in contact with the first metal plate to establish electrical connection between the negative electrode current collector and the first metal plate.

A secondary battery is disclosed. In one aspect, the secondary battery includes a case accommodating an electrode assembly, a cap plate sealing an opening of the case, an electrode terminal electrically connected to the electrode assembly and disposed over the cap, and an insulating member provided between the cap plate and the electrode terminal and configured to insulate the electrode terminal from the cap plate. The battery also includes a connection tab disposed over the electrode terminal, and a safety device having a portion positioned under the connection tab and electrically connected to the electrode terminal via the connection tab. The safety device has at least one of electric conductivity and thermal conductivity greater than that of the connection tab, and at least a part of the safety device is seated on the insulating member.

The object of the present invention is to provide a positive electrode active material usable for a lithium ion battery capable of high charge/discharge cycle performance and high discharge capacity. The positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery has a layered structure and comprises at least nickel, cobalt and manganese. Further, the positive electrode active material satisfies requirements (1) to (3) below: (1) a primary particle size of 0.1 μm to 1 μm, and a 50% cumulative particle size D50 of 1 μm to 10 μm, (2) a ratio (D90/D10) of volume-based 90% cumulative particle size D50 to volume-based 10% cumulative particle size D10 of 2 to 6, and (3) a lithium carbonate content in a residual alkali on particle surfaces of 0.1% by mass to 0.8% by mass as measured by neutralization titration.

The positive electrode as an embodiment includes a positive electrode current collector mainly composed of aluminum, a positive electrode mixture layer containing a lithium-containing transition metal oxide and disposed above the positive electrode current collector, and a protective layer disposed between the positive electrode current collector and the positive electrode mixture layer. The protective layer contains inorganic particles, an electro-conductive material, and a binding material; is mainly composed of the inorganic particles; and is disposed on the positive electrode current collector to cover the positive electrode current collector in approximately the entire area where the positive electrode mixture layer is disposed and at least a part of the exposed portion of the positive electrode current collector where the positive electrode mixture layer is not disposed on the surface of the positive electrode current collector.

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material for a sodium secondary battery, and a method for preparing the same. The positive electrode active material for the sodium secondary battery according to the present invention is structurally more stable by replacing a part of the transition metal with Li, and accordingly, the thermal stability and life characteristics of the sodium battery including the positive electrode active material are greatly improved.

A carbon material for a non-aqueous secondary battery containing a graphite capable of occluding and releasing lithium ions, and having a cumulative pore volume at pore diameters in a range of 0.01 μm to 1 μm of 0.08 mL/g or more, a roundness, as determined by flow-type particle image analysis, of 0.88 or greater, and a pore diameter to particle diameter ratio (PD/d50 (%)) of 1.8 or less, the ratio being given by equation (1A): PD/d50 (%)=mode pore diameter (PD) in a pore diameter range of 0.01 μm to 1 μm in a pore distribution determined by mercury intrusion/volume-based average particle diameter (d50)×100 is provided.

A lithium ion secondary battery including: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion; and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, wherein the positive electrode active material includes a Mn-based spinel-type composite oxide and an additional active material, and the content of the Mn-based spinel-type composite oxide based on the whole of the positive electrode active material is 60% by mass or less, and the negative electrode active material includes a first graphite particle containing natural graphite and a second graphite particle containing artificial graphite, and the content of the second graphite particle based on the sum total of the first graphite particle and the second graphite particle is in the range of 1 to 30% by mass.

Provided is a positive electrode active material that can be used to fabricate a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having excellent output characteristics not only in an environment at normal temperature but also in all temperature environments from extremely low to high temperatures. A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries, the positive electrode active material includes a boron compound and lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide of general formula (1) having a layered hexagonal crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide includes secondary particles composed of agglomerated primary particles. The boron compound is present on at least part of the surface of the primary particles, and contains lithium. Li1+sNixCoyMnzMotMwO2 (1)

Set forth herein are garnet material compositions, e.g., lithium-stuffed garnets and lithium-stuffed garnets doped with alumina, which are suitable for use as electrolytes and catholytes in solid state battery applications. Also set forth herein are lithium-stuffed garnet thin films having fine grains therein. Disclosed herein are novel and inventive methods of making and using lithium-stuffed garnets as catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes for all solid state lithium rechargeable batteries. Also disclosed herein are novel electrochemical devices which incorporate these garnet catholytes, electrolytes and/or anolytes. Also set forth herein are methods for preparing novel structures, including dense thin (

A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell includes: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material which contains as a primary component, a lithium composite oxide in which the rate of nickel to the total number of moles of metal elements other than lithium is 50 percent by mole or more; a negative electrode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The non-aqueous electrolyte contains lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide and a fluorinated chain carboxylic acid ester represented by the following formula, R1 and R2 each represent H, F, or CH3-xFx (x represents 1, 2, or 3) and may be equivalent to or different from each other. R3 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and may contain F.

The described technology relates to an electrolyte solution comprising a sulfur dioxide-based ionic liquid electrolyte, and a sodium-sulfur dioxide (Na—SO2) secondary battery having same, one purpose of the described technology being to enhance the storage characteristics of sulfur dioxide gas in an electrolyte solution. The sodium-sulfur dioxide secondary battery includes a negative electrode which is formed from an inorganic material and which contains sodium. The battery also includes a positive electrode which is formed from a carbon material and a sulfur dioxide-based inorganic electrolyte solution. Here, the electrolyte solution contains a sulfur dioxide-based ionic liquid electrolyte prepared by injecting SO2 gas in an ionic liquid.

A lithium secondary battery includes: a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and an electrolyte disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, wherein the negative electrode includes a silicon composite including silicon, a silicon oxide of the formula SiOx wherein 0

A lithium secondary battery includes a case, a jelly roll housed in the case, the jelly roll including a plurality of electrode plates and a separation film disposed between the plurality of electrode plates, and a heat conduction plate disposed on both sides of the jelly roll and housed in the case together with the jelly roll.

A heat-recovering oven system based on temperature gradient comprises: multiple chambers arranged in a sequence, the chambers configured for operating at various temperatures according to a temperature gradient arrangement that spans the sequence; a conveyor configured for transporting product through the multiple chambers in the sequence for heat treatment according to the temperature gradient arrangement; and multiple temperature-segregated heat exchanger systems, each heat exchanger system including a heat exchanger, a conduit to at least one of the chambers based on its temperature in the temperature gradient arrangement, and a return conduit from the at least one chamber to the heat exchanger.

A recording head is configured to write and read data sectors to and from a recording medium, such as a heat-assisted recording medium. A read channel is coupled to the recording head. Phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitry of the read channel is configured to detect a change in a phase error at a location of the data sector. The phase error change may be indicative of a mode-hop that occurred while writing the data sector to the medium. The PLL circuitry is configured to determine a phase offset using the phase error. A controller is configured to effect re-reading of the data sector location using the phase offset to recover the data sector location.

An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

An information recording method of the present disclosure is an information recording method for recording information on a write-once information recording medium, including one or more recording layers, each of the recording layers being spiral-shaped on which a land track and a groove track are alternately repeated as recording tracks, each of the recording tracks being divided into blocks, each of the blocks being a minimum unit in which recording is performed. The information recording method includes: recording the information on the information recording medium in a unit of each of the blocks; and controlling recording on the information recording medium. In the control step, switching is performed whether to perform recording in a block to be recorded in which the information is to be recorded next among the blocks based on recording conditions of the recording tracks adjacent on both sides of the block to be recorded.

A main pole has a front end face including a first end face portion and a second end face portion. A plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. A surrounding layer has a first surrounding layer end face and a second surrounding layer end face located on opposite sides of the first end face portion in the track width direction. A gap film has a first gap film end face and a second gap film end face located on opposite sides of the near-field light generating surface in the track width direction. Each of the first and second gap film end faces includes a portion located between the first and second surrounding layer end faces, but does not include any portion interposed between the first surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion or between the second surrounding layer end face and the first end face portion.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR head. The HAMR head includes a main pole, a waveguide and a NFT disposed between the main pole and the waveguide. The NFT includes an antenna, and a portion of the antenna is disposed at a media facing surface. By increasing the volume of the antenna extending from the MFS, the temperature of the NFT during operation is reduced.

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to contact at the disk by the recording head in a hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a direct current is applied to an element in a HAMR head. An alternating current is then applied to the element over top of the direct current to cause the HAMR head to dither. By monitoring the head signal at the dither frequency, a touchdown or contact of a NFT on a disk may be detected based upon variations in the produced signal.

Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting defective sectors on a recording medium, the method including calculating a servo gain for each servo sector of a track of a recording medium of a storage device; determining whether the servo gain of each servo sector exceeds a threshold value; and upon determining that the servo gain of a servo sector exceeds the threshold value, determining data sectors included in the servo sector to be defective sectors.

In a case where (i) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P1max) or a longest space (S1max) in a first pit row is defined as a first reflectance and (ii) a reflectance calculated from a reflected light amount obtained from a longest pit (P2max) or a longest space (S2max) in the second pit row is defined as a second reflectance, the first pit row is formed such that the first reflectance becomes substantially identical with the second reflectance.

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus is described. The HAMR write apparatus is coupled with a laser that provides energy. The HAMR writer has a media-facing surface (MFS) and a laser-facing surface. The HAMR write apparatus includes a free-standing reflector and at least one waveguide. The free-standing reflector resides on the laser-facing surface and has a concave reflective surface oriented to receive the energy from the laser. The waveguide(s) are optically coupled with the free-standing reflector and direct energy from the laser toward the MFS.

During field operation of a heat-assisted magnetic recording data storage device, a laser adjustment procedure is performed. The laser adjustment procedure involves writing on a recording medium at least three tracks. If a bit error rate of a middle tracks has increased, the laser current is swept while recording test tracks to determine a new laser current that results in a minimum bit error rate. The new laser current is used for subsequent write operations.

An optical-information recording/reproducing apparatus of the present invention is capable of carrying out position detection of a reproduction image even if reproduction image data with incomplete alignment marks (markers) is obtained. A relative correlation value is calculated from a first correlation value retained by a first correlation-value retaining unit and a second correlation value retained by a second correlation-value retaining unit, and pass/fail of a position detection result of the marker is judged according to the relative correlation value. The pass/fail of the position detection result is judged by mutually comparing the detection positions of the markers judged as passes by the relative correlation-value judgement, the positions of the markers judged as fail by the relative correlation-value judgement or the mutual position judgement is complemented, and the position of two-dimensional data is detected based on the pass-judged markers and the complemented markers.

The present technology relates to a recording control apparatus, a recording control method, a drive controlling controller, a drive controlling method, a recording medium, and a program capable of reading information more reliably. A manager generates DMSs as management information for managing user data areas and spare areas of an optical disc. Further, the manager records the generated DMS in a DMA area of DS0 of the optical disc, and, in addition, records the generated DMS in a DMA mirror area of the DS1 surface of the optical disc. As described above, since DMSs as management information are recorded in the different areas of the optical disc, even if DMS cannot be read from one area, DMS can be read from the other area. The present technology is applicable to a recording and reproducing apparatus.