An amorphous oxide thin film containing amorphous oxide is exposed to an oxygen plasma generated by exciting an oxygen-containing gas in high frequency. The oxygen plasma is preferably generated under the condition that applied frequency is 1 kHz or more and 300 MHz or less and pressure is 5 Pa or more. The amorphous oxide thin film is preferably exposed by a sputtering method, ion-plating method, vacuum deposition method, sol-gel method or fine particle application method.

An object is to manufacture and provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region serves as an oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment for reducing impurities such as moisture (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed after an oxide insulating film serving as a protective film is formed in contact with an oxide semiconductor layer. Then, the impurities such as moisture, which exist not only in a source electrode layer, in a drain electrode layer, in a gate insulating layer, and in the oxide semiconductor layer but also at interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and upper and lower films which are in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, are reduced.

This invention provides a structure for gunpowder charge for charging gunpowders of different rates in combined fracturing perforation devices. The structure for gunpowder charge is convenient to mount and transport. In one embodiment, said structure for gunpowder charge comprises an inner gunpowder box located between adjacent perforating charges in the charge frame of a perforation device, and an outer gunpowder box attached to the outer wall of the charge frame, wherein said outer gunpowder box comprises one or two box units (2 or 4) with at least one claw at the inner side of said box unit, said claw can be locked into a groove or installation hole of the charge frame, and wherein said inner gunpowder box and said outer gunpowder box are charged with gunpowders of different burning rates.

The present invention provides a blanking apparatus comprising a plurality of blankers configured to respectively blank a plurality of beams with respect to a target position on an object, and a driving device configured to drive the plurality of blankers, wherein the driving device includes a change device configured to change relation between a combination of beams of the plurality of beams, and a target dose.

A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.

According to one embodiment, a solid state imaging device includes a sensor substrate having a plurality of pixels formed on an upper face, a microlens array substrate having a plurality of microlenses formed and a connection post with one end bonded to a region between the microlenses on the microlens array substrate and with the other end bonded to the upper face.

Disclosed is a photovoltaic device. The photovoltaic device includes: a substrate; a first electrode placed on the substrate; a second electrode which is placed opposite to the first electrode and which light is incident on; a first unit cell being placed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and including an intrinsic semiconductor layer including crystalline silicon grains making the surface of the intrinsic semiconductor layer toward the second electrode textured; and a second unit cell placed between the first unit cell and the second electrode.

A back electrode type solar cell in which a no-electrode-formed region where no electrode is placed is provided in a part of a peripheral portion of a back surface of the back electrode type solar cell such that a line connecting end portions of a plurality of electrodes to one another includes a partially inwardly recessed region and the no-electrode-formed region is located adjacent to each of an electrode for n-type and an electrode for p-type adjacent to each other, a solar cell module, a method of manufacturing a back electrode type solar cell with interconnection sheet, and a method of manufacturing a solar cell module are provided.

A photovoltaic cell comprises a top subcell having a first band gap; a middle subcell comprising a substrate and having a second band gap, wherein the substrate comprises a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; and a bottom subcell having a third band gap, wherein the top subcell is grown on the first side of the substrate and the bottom subcell is grown on the second side of the substrate, wherein the first band gap is larger than the second band gap and the second band gap is larger than the third band gap.

A photovoltaic device including a substrate; a first electrode placed on the substrate; a second electrode which is placed opposite to the first electrode and which light is incident on; a first unit cell being placed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and including an intrinsic semiconductor layer including crystalline silicon grains making the surface of the intrinsic semiconductor layer toward the second electrode textured; and a second unit cell placed between the first unit cell and the second electrode.

A multi-junction solar cell having a Ge or GaAs substrate, as well as a solar cell structure having several subcells deposited on the substrate, the substrate having peripheral side faces, and the solar cell structure having a peripheral circumferential surface, which runs spaced apart from the side faces. To prevent oxidation and penetration of moisture, the circumferential surface of the solar cell structure is coated with a protective, electrically insulating first coating under essential exclusion of the upper surface facing the rays, or that without encroaching on the solar cell structure, the side faces of the substrate are coated with a protective, electrically insulating second coating or that both the side faces of the substrate as well as the circumferential surface of the solar cell structure are coated with a third coating by essential exclusion of the upper surface facing the rays.

In a case where components such as side flaps and crotch portions are arranged on multiple webs which are being conveyed while being arranged side by side in the width direction of the webs, articles in various sizes can be handled easily by a web conveying step of conveying a front waistline web 11A and a back waistline web 11B the webs being arranged side by side in a width direction of the webs, a flap attaching step of attaching side flaps 30 onto the web 11 of the front waistline web 11A or the back waistline web, a web gap changing step of changing a gap between the front waistline web 11A and the back waistline web 11B by a web gap changing mechanism 500 and a crotch member attaching step of attaching a crotch member 20 between the front waistline web 11A and the back waistline web 11B, wherein the web gap changing step is performed between the flap attaching step and the crotch member attaching step.

An arc chute assembly includes a housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a pair of side walls coupled to the first wall. The walls configured to form an arc area. The housing further having a divider wall coupled to the first wall between the side walls. The divider wall configured to form a first sub-arc area, a second sub-arc area, and an arc plate area. The first sub-arc area and the second sub-arc area are configured to be in flow communication with the arc plate area. The arc chute assembly further comprises a support coupled to the first wall and the side walls, and an arc plate coupled to the support. The arc plate having a body extending between the side walls and over the divider wall.

A light emitting apparatus including: a plurality of light emitting elements; a drive circuit including a transistor and a capacitor having one end connected to a gate of the transistor; and a signal supply circuit for receiving a digital gradation signal and outputting an analog voltage signal to the drive circuit, including a computation circuit configured to correct the input digital gradation signal to generate a corrected digital gradation signal, in which the drive circuit is configured to conduct an auto-zero operation which reduce the gate-source voltage of the transistor to a threshold voltage by flowing the drain current to the capacitor, and the computation circuit is configured to generate the corrected digital gradation signal by multiplying a correction coefficient to the input digital gradation signal subtracted by a particular signal common to the plurality of light emitting elements.

An adhesive layer that bonds the back surface of a plate capable of attracting a wafer and the front surface of a cooling plate together that includes a main adhesive portion, which is made of a hardened matter of a fluid adhesive, and an outer peripheral adhesive portion, gas-supply-hole adhesive portions, lift-pin-hole adhesive portions, and terminal-hole adhesive portions made of a double-faced tape. The tape portions bond the outer peripheral edge on the back surface of the plate and the outer peripheral edge on the front surface of the cooling plate together, and the outer peripheral edges of the holes on the back surface of the plate and the outer peripheral edges of these holes on the front surface of the cooling plate together.

A process for manufacturing surgical needles from solid, cylindrical needle blanks. A plurality of needle blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a flat carrier strip. The carrier strip then indexes each needle blank to a grinding station where an orbital grinding means grinds the distal end of each needle blank into a taper point while the needle blanks are held fixed in the carrier strip.

A surgical needle has a top edge formed by two pressed faces located inside or outside of curvature from pressing a material blank made of austenitic stainless steel having fibrous texture and cutting edges formed on both sides of a base. The top edge is sharp at a needle point and the sharp needle point is constituted of fibrous texture formed at the surface layer of the material blank. Grinding marks extending crosswise formed on the face of the mold are transferred to the pressed faces. A mold constitutes plural faces forming projecting angles (angle between two intersecting faces is 180° or below, and the line at which the two faces intersect is made as a projecting line) along edges of the blocks made of two rectangular prisms, and constitutes a cavity by suitably contacting the edges of the blocks.

A process for progressively manufacturing cutting edge needles or wire members. Needle blanks or wire blanks are cut from a roll of wire and mounted to a carrier strip. The carrier strip and needles are moved through a succession of coining dies and at least one trimming die, wherein the first coining die is an open coining die and the one or more successive coining dies are closed coining dies. The needle blanks or wire members are optionally curved, heat treated and electrochemically treated resulting in cutting edge needles or wire members formed without a grinding step and without adversely affecting point ductility.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a needle attached suture and an apparatus therefor. A needle attached suture is obtained by inserting a suture into an insertion hole formed in the end of a needle N which is held by a needle retaining unit 16 and by swaging the end of the needle with the suture. The method and the apparatus have been developed to accurately position the end of the needle for swaging with the suture to stabilize the swaging strength between the suture and the needle. Before the swaging, the needle is held by the needle retaining unit 16, and the end of the needle N is pushed to a certain position by a rod 99 or its equivalent. Thereby, the end of the needle N relative to the needle retaining unit 16 is accurately positioned.

A tip portion of a needle main body having an edge point includes a first slant surface slanted at 10-18 degrees with respect to the axis of the needle main body, a pair of second slant surfaces slanted at 16-23 degrees, and a pair of third slant surfaces slanted at 19-27 degrees. The ratios of the lengths of the first, second, and third slant surfaces are set to be 40-50%, 5-15%, and 35-55%. At the time of forming the second slant surfaces and the third slant surfaces, a grinding wheel or the needle main body is turned relative to the other in a horizontal plane so that the direction of axis of the grinding wheel and the direction of axis of the needle main body are in a twisted or distorted relationship from a substantially orthogonal relationship such that the radial outer sides of the second and the third slant surfaces are included downwardly.

A process for manufacturing a surgical needle incorporates at least one pressing operation which, preferably, in conjunction with a trimming and/or etching process, ultimately forms the sharpened needle end. The grinding operation in the preferred process does not produce the primary sharpened edges of the needle, but, rather is incorporated, in one instance, to reduce excess needle material prior to the pressing operation. Consequently, the amount of flash material generated during pressing is substantially reduced. This feature desirably enhances the subsequent trimming and etching operations, and produces a needle which is extremely sharp, durable and exhibits an improved retention of sharpness over periods of prolonged use.

A process for manufacturing a surgical needle incorporates at least one pressing operation which, preferably, in conjunction with a trimming and/or etching process, ultimately forms the sharpened needle end. The grinding operation in the preferred process does not produce the primary sharpened edges of the needle, but, rather is incorporated, in one instance, to reduce excess needle material prior to the pressing operation. Consequently, the amount of flash material generated during pressing is substantially reduced. This feature desirably enhances the subsequent trimming and etching operations, and produces a needle which is extremely sharp, durable and exhibits an improved retention of sharpness over periods of prolonged use.

A process of a pixel electrode of a direct-sight type of reflection type liquid-crystal display device is simplified. A pixel electrode 120 of a reflection type liquid-crystal display device is formed of an aluminum film which is formed by sputtering. In forming the aluminum film, moisture is intentionally contained in atmosphere, and also a sample is heated. With this process, aluminum grains grow so that irregularities of μm order is formed on the surface of the aluminum film. The aluminum film thus formed allows the incident light to be irregularly reflected so that it is in a visually white muddy state. This is suitable to the pixel electrode for the reflection type liquid-crystal display device.

A touch apparatus, a transparent scan electrode, a geometric electrode structure and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The transparent scan electrode structure comprises a first transparent scan electrode, a second transparent scan electrode and an isolative layer. The first transparent scan electrode comprises a first resistance region and a second resistance region. A resistance value of the second resistance region is higher than that of the first resistance region. The isolative layer is disposed between the first transparent scan electrode and the second transparent scan electrode.

There are provided an apparatus and a method for manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible which can prevent the deterioration of the inner surface property in the manufacturing process of a vitreous silica crucible. The apparatus includes a mold defining an outer shape of a vitreous silica crucible, and an arc discharge unit having electrodes and a power-supply unit, wherein each of the electrodes includes a tip end directed to the mold, the other end opposite to the tip end, and a bent portion provided between the tip end and the other end.

A yttria sintered body is provided which includes yttria as a principal ingredient and 5 to 40 vol. % silicon nitride, and which exhibits enhanced corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

A metallic protecting cover is formed from two axially split members, i.e. a first protecting cover member secured to a mounting eye, and a second protecting cover member having an overall length shorter than that of each of first and second cylinders and having a predetermined gap between itself and the second cylinder. The second protecting cover member is press-fitted into the first protecting cover member secured to the mounting eye to integrate the first and second protecting cover members into the protecting cover. Accordingly, the lower end of the second cylinder can be caulked in a state where the second protecting cover member has been temporarily assembled to the second cylinder. Thus, it is possible to ensure the required strength of the protecting cover and to increase the degree of freedom in assembly process.

A method of creating a bend in a construction component for use in a transportation vehicle. The method comprises providing a plurality of cuts in the construction component so as to create a region of increased flexibility in the construction component. The method further comprises bending the construction component in the region of increased flexibility so as to cause the construction component to acquire a bent shape, and then rigidifying the construction component in the region of increased flexibility so as to cause said construction component to maintain the acquired bent shape.

Method and device for preparing a paste by blending or mixing materials, in particular for making aluminum production electrodes. The method includes the following operations: a) introducing the materials to be blended or mixed into a vat (31) having an inner surface extending along a substantially horizontal axis of revolution (X), b) rotating the vat (31) about the axis of revolution (X) and urging the materials via centrifugation against the inner surface of the vat (31), and c) locally dislodging the centrifuged materials from the inner surface by rotating the vat (31) and causing same to fall onto a crumbling tool (40).

The present invention is a method and material for using a sorbent material to capture and stabilize mercury. The method for using sorbent material to capture and stabilize mercury contains the following steps. First, the sorbent material is provided. The sorbent material, in one embodiment, is nano-particles. In a preferred embodiment, the nano-particles are unstabilized nano-Se. Next, the sorbent material is exposed to mercury in an environment. As a result, the sorbent material captures and stabilizes mercury from the environment. In the preferred embodiment, the environment is an indoor space in which a fluorescent has broken.

There is provided in one aspect a nozzle boot arrangement for supporting a nozzle of a fuel dispensing unit, the nozzle including a spout and a base portion including a grip. The arrangement includes a nozzle boot including means for supporting the nozzle at the base portion thereof, and a section for receiving at least a portion of the spout. The arrangement also includes a stopper provided at said receiving section and formed separately from said nozzle boot. The stopper is arranged to cooperate with the spout to prevent the nozzle from falling about from the nozzle boot arrangement by rotation of the nozzle about said supporting means. According to further aspects, there is provided a fuel dispensing unit, a nozzle boot module and method of manufacturing a nozzle boot arrangement.

A processing system according to embodiments has an article supplier which supplies an article; a first conveyor which conveys an object to be processed; a workbench which is provided on the downstream side of the first conveyor and places thereon the object to be processed, conveyed by the first conveyor; a robot which takes out the article from the article supplier and subjects the object to be processed, placed on the workbench, to an operation using the article according to a previously instructed operation movement; and a second conveyor which is provided on the downstream side of the workbench and conveys the object to be processed, which has been subjected to the operation by the robot.

A device for accommodating objects, in particular for use in an airplane, comprises at least one panel. The panel has at least one outer edge which is provided with a rim in order to form a shock-absorbing edge. The rim comprises plastic that is integrally molded onto the outer edge of the panel. The device can be an airplane trolley, folding trolley, container or galley.

The invention relates to CO2 capturing binder with an amortized environmental cost, the method of manufacture thereof by means of selecting, purifying and optimizing the carbide lime paste for use as a cementing material, and aggregates for the manufacture of lime paints and slurries, stuccos, mortars and concretes having multiple applications in the construction industry, in architectural restoration, in public works and land conditioning, object of the present invention. It is basically characterized in that the raw material is the residue in the form of sludge generated in the industrial manufacture of acetylene (C2H2) from calcium carbide (CaC2) the fundamental component of which is calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) in highly reactive nanometric formations treated in a specific manner according to the invention.

The method includes subjecting the pozzolans in crushed state to a high energetic mechanical processing by grinding in a grinding equipment, whereby the pozzolan particles receive mechanical impulses, and the grinding is carried out for a predetermined time resulting in a compressive strength of a 2 inch side cube of mortar having 80% Portland cement and 20% natural pozzolan in a ratio of 1:2.75 to standard sand and in addition water required to obtain a flow of the mortar according to American standard ASTM C 109, which has been properly compacted under vibration and hardened at +20° C. in sealed condition, which after 28 days is ≧75% of the compressive strength of a 2 inch side cube, treated as the cube, of a mortar having a ratio of Portland cement:sand of 1:2.75 and water corresponding to 48.5% of the weight of Portland cement.

An object of this invention is to provide a cellulose ester film which satisfies the requirement 0.95

A solar cell module manufacturing device is disclosed. The device includes a wire supply portion, a correction portion, and a cutting portion. The supply portion includes a bobbin and wiring material on the bobbin. The correction portion corrects curvature of the wiring material. The correction portion comprises a first pulley that comes in contact with the wiring material which is drawn from the bobbin. The first pulley comprises at a periphery thereof a first groove. The first groove comprises a first basal surface and a pair of first inclined surfaces which are arranged on both sides of the first basal surface. An inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined surface relative to the first basal surface being less than or equal to an inclination angle θ2 of the wiring material which is drawn from the supply portion relative to the first basal surface.

A method of manufacturing a stator coil for an electric rotating machine includes the steps of: (1) forming substantially planar electric wires each of which includes in-slot portions to be received in slots of a stator core and turn portions to be located outside the slots to connect adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions; (2) rolling each of the planar electric wires through plastic deformation into a spiral or circular-arc shape; and (3) assembling the rolled electric wires together to form the stator coil. Further, in the rolling step, each of the planar electric wires is rolled by deforming each of the turn portions of the electric wire while restricting movement of at least one of the in-slot portions of the electric wire which is located closer to a rolling start end of the electric wire than the turn portion is.

Apparatus and methods for filament crimping. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a body and a filament crimp element. The filament crimp element comprises a first set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a first set of features and a second set of cavities disposed at a spacing which creates a second set of features. The first and second set cavities are substantially opposite one another. The first set of features are adapted to be placed at least partially within the second set of cavities and the second set of features are adapted to be placed at least partially within the first set of cavities. Methods and apparatus for the manufacture of the device are also disclosed. In addition, methods for automated placement and manufacture of assemblies using the crimp elements are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a corrugated plastic composite spring for a vehicle suspension and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the same. The apparatus includes a corrugated extrusion part, a braiding part, and a pultrusion part. The corrugated extrusion part forms a preform having a hollow corrugated structure. The braiding part weaves a three-dimensional woven fabric on the preform. The pultrusion part impregnates the three-dimensional woven fabric with thermosetting resin.

A braided carbon nanotube thread includes at least three carbon nanotube filaments braided into a thread. The carbon nanotube filaments include a plurality of carbon nanotubes, each of the carbon nanotubes having a length L. The carbon nanotube filaments are braided such that the carbon nanotube thread has at least 8 intersections per the length L of each carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotube thread has a tensile strength greater than the tensile strength of the constituent carbon nanotube filaments.

A tubular fibrous architecture is disclosed. According to one aspect, the tubular fibrous architecture includes a closed tubular part in at least one of its ends or bottom. The closed tubular part includes an architecture in which a textile material, such as a thread, roving, ribbon or bundle of threads, is continuously output from the bottom. Each textile material that is output from the bottom is continuously wound about the tubular part. All of the textile materials at the junction between the bottom and the remainder of the tubular part are continuous and there is a continuous geometric transition between the bottom architecture and the architecture of the remainder of the tubular part such that the textile materials in the tubular part cross over. A method of making such a tubular fibrous architecture is also disclosed.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measureable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measurable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measureable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

A method of fabricating a mechanical member for aircraft, including a plurality of operations of braiding and depositing layers of braided reinforcing fibers on a mandrel (11) by using braiding machine. Each operation comprises braiding a braided layer and depositing it by moving the mandrel (11) along a central axis of the braiding machine. Each of the various superposed braided layers comprises both longitudinal fibers (12, 12G) that are parallel to a main direction of the mandrel (11), and interlacing fibers that are inclined. At least one operation is configured to form and deposit a braided layer having, in at least one cross-section of the member, a density of longitudinal fibers that differs depending on whether consideration is given to one angular region (S1) or another angular region (S2) of the same extent around the center of gravity (G) of the mandrel (11) in the section under consideration.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measurable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

Vascular treatment and methods include a plurality of self-expanding bulbs and a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Joints between woven structures and hypotubes include solder. Woven structures include patterns of radiopaque filaments measureable under x-ray. Structures are heat treated to include at least shapes at different temperatures. A catheter includes a hypotube including interspersed patterns of longitudinally spaced rows of kerfs. Heat treating systems include a detachable flange. Laser cutting systems include a fluid flow system.

The protective sleeve for a motor component of the present invention is obtained by braiding multifilament yarns made of synthetic fibers into a cylindrical braided cord of at least 24 strands. The multifilament yarns have a single-yarn fineness of at least 15 dtex but less than 30 dtex and the yarn total fineness of a single braid unit of the braided cord is in the range of 800 to 1500 dtex. This protective sleeve has good covering properties and few voids. Therefore, a protective sleeve for a motor component is provided that has high partial discharge characteristics (electrical insulation performance) and good electrical insulation properties even when a step of washing away the raw yarn oil solution applied to the filaments was omitted.

An exhaust connection coupler and a method for manufacturing a braid cover incorporated therein are provided. The method of manufacturing comprises the steps of providing a tubular sleeve formed of braided wire filaments and forming at least one end of the sleeve into shape using a forming die such that the at least one end of the cover includes a circumferential neck portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of a body portion of the cover. In the method, the sleeve may be pressed between male and female forming dies in order to create the cover's desired shape, which can include a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the cover's neck portion and meeting the cover's body portion at a corner.