Patents Issued in March 22, 2001
  • Publication number: 20010000048
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
  • Publication number: 20010000049
    Abstract: Widening a partial load operation range of an exhaust gas recovery type combined cycle plant in which a gas turbine and steam turbine are combined and further improving heat efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Masaki Kataoka, Motoaki Utamura, Takaaki Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20010000050
    Abstract: An air conditioner capable of conducting a natural circulation operation by circulating refrigerant through an evaporator and a condenser located at a higher position than the evaporator, which are connected with pipes, wherein the air conditioner has means for obtaining an air conditioning load quantity to an outdoor air temperature in a temperature range, means for obtaining an air conditioning ability quantity to an outdoor air temperature in a temperature range in a case of using a predetermined mount of refrigerant, means for obtaining the maximum outdoor air temperature capable of conducting air conditioning at the time when an air conditioning load quantity produced from the means for obtaining an air conditioning load quantity substantially coincides with an air conditioning ability quantity from the means for determining an amount of refrigerant, as an amount to be charged, in which a maximum outdoor air temperature capable of conducting air conditioning among the obtained maximum outdoor air tempera
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Takashi Okazaki, Akihiro Matsushita, Yoshihiro Sumida
  • Publication number: 20010000051
    Abstract: A ball nut has at least one internal bearing race with a first end and second end, and at least one recirculating crossover passage for connecting the first end with the second end of the bearing race to form a continuous recirculating path for a plurality of ball bearings. A method for producing a ball nut includes the steps of forming at least a portion of the ball nut body with a helix passage for receiving a plurality of ball bearings, forming a crossover passage in communication with the helix passage for returning the plurality of ball bearings to an opposite end of the helix passage, and assembling the ball nut body portions to position the helix passage and operable orientation with respect to the crossover passage to define at least one raceway having a single recirculating rotational path for receiving the plurality of ball bearings. The ball nut body can be formed by being drawn, coined, metal injection molded, roll formed, through rolled, stamped and/or overmolded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Harry C. Buchanan, Yaomin Dong, Frederick M. Goerz
  • Publication number: 20010000052
    Abstract: A small watercraft includes expanded storage capacity so as to accommodate more of the type of articles that rider's typically what to carry on the watercraft. Such articles include, for example, towels, water skis, tow ropes, etc. At least one of the storage compartments on the watercraft is formed by an opening on an upper deck section. A container is affixed to the deck below the opening and has an upper end defined by a flange that extends from walls of the container. The flange is attached to an interior wall of the upper deck section so that the container and the corresponding upper deck section form a storage compartment. The upper end of the container, however, has a larger area than the opening in the deck so as to maximize the storage space within the compartment without weakening the deck and minimizing the area through which water can enter the hull.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Hisato Yamada, Kenichi Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20010000053
    Abstract: Chip stack type semiconductor package and method for fabricating the same, the package including a lower chip having a center pad formation surface defined at a bottom thereof, an upper chip stacked on the lower chip by being adhered to a top surface of the lower chip having no center pad formed thereon and having a center pad formation surface defined at a top surface thereof, both surface adhesive insulating tapes attached on regions spaced from, and positioned left and right sides of respective center pads formed in the center pad formation surfaces of the lower chip and the upper chip, leads having inner lead portions inside of a molded body of an encapsulation resin and outer lead portions exposed outside of the molded body and both end portions of the leads attached to the both surface adhesive insulating tapes attached on left and right sides of the center pads of the upper chip and to the both surface adhesive insulating tapes attached on left and right sides of the center pads of the lower chip oppos
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Hee Joong Suh, Bog Kyou Lee
  • Publication number: 20010000054
    Abstract: The ink jet recording apparatus of this invention comprises a means 67 for heating a record material to a predetermined temperature range at the position of recording, a recording head 41 for ejecting ink 46 from an ink ejection orifice 49 toward the record material to perform recording, the ink containing a substance having thickening properties when undergoing heat, and/or a substance having a cloud point for the heat; a means 69 for measuring the duration for which the recording head resides at the position of recording; and means for controlling the duration of residence in accordance with the properties of the ink to prevent the ejection function being impaired owing to the heating of the surroundings of the ink ejection orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Maeda, Isao Kimura, Masako Shimomura, Hidemi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20010000055
    Abstract: Disclosed are the following: a wide format thermal printer for printing a multicolor graphic product on a printing sheet; a vacuum workbed for supporting a sheet material for performing work operations, such as cutting, printing or plotting, thereon; a replaceable donor sheet assembly, which includes a memory, for use with a thermal printer; methods and apparatus for improved thermal printing, including methods and apparatus for conserving donor sheet and reducing the amount of time required to print a multicolor graphic product; a thermal printhead including a memory; and methods and apparatus for the alignment of a sheet material for printing or performing other work operations on the sheet material. The wide format thermal printer can include provision for the automatic loading of cassettes of donor sheet from a cassette storage rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Charles M. Hevenor, Howard H. Plude, William J. Tortora, Edward M. Oscarson, Kenneth O. Wood
  • Publication number: 20010000056
    Abstract: A projection type liquid crystal display device using liquid crystal display elements, which has a light source; illumination optics having a function of irradiating a plane to be irradiated with light emitted by the light source; and liquid crystal display elements modulating light; projection optics for projecting light exiting from the liquid crystal display elements; wherein the illumination optics include at least an elliptic mirror and a spherical mirror, and the illumination optics include further a first lens array and a second lens array, in which a plurality of lenses are arranged perpendicularly to an optical axis, from the light source side; and a condenser lens for irradiating the liquid crystal display elements with light after exit from the second lens array with a high efficiency. In this way it is possible to realize a bright projection type liquid crystal display device having a small size and a good image quality performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventors: Takashi Kakuda, Masaharu Deguchi, Futoshi Yamasaki, Takesuke Maruyama, Naohiro Konuma, Yutaka Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20010000057
    Abstract: A “pick-and-place” apparatus has a first pivoted lever driven in alternating directions of pivoting, the drive shaft of which is mounted centrally between a first location and a second location. In the end positions, which delimit the pivoting range, the pivoted lever always faces towards one location or the other location. A second pivoted lever is mounted at the end of the first lever and driven in the opposite direction thereto and with a predetermined gear ratio thereto, for example, resulting from a fixed toothed wheel by means of a toothed belt and a further toothed wheel. The chip gripper is connected to the end of the second lever. The gear ratio and the lengths of the two levers are matched to each other such that in both end positions, the two levers are in an extended position with respect to one another and the chip gripper is over the one location or the other location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Publication date: March 22, 2001
    Inventor: Samuel Schindler