Patents Represented by Law Firm Sixbey, Friedman & Leedom
  • Patent number: 6011277
    Abstract: A thin film field effect transistors and manufacturing method for the same are described. The channel region of the transistor is spoiled by an impurity such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. The photosensitivity of the channel region is reduced by the spoiling impurity and therefore the transistor is endowed with immunity to illumination incident thereupon which would otherwise impair the normal operation of the transistor. The spoiling impurity is not introduced into transistors which are located in order not to receive light rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6010924
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising at least two thin film transistors on a substrate having an insulating surface thereon, provided that the thin film transistors are isolated by oxidizing the outer periphery of the active layer of each of the thin film transistors to the bottom to provide an oxide insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Takemura, Hiroki Adachi
  • Patent number: 6010129
    Abstract: A sheet sorter includes a plurality of bins arranged in a vertical direction each of which receives a plurality of sheets discharged from an image recording apparatus and forms thereon a stack of sheets. A sheet transfer mechanism transfers the sheets discharged from the image recording apparatus, and an indexer receives the sheets from the sheet transfer mechanism and distributes the sheets to the respective bins through the sheet inlet ends. A sheet stack ejector mechanism ejects the stack of sheets on each of the bins beyond the sheet inlet end of the bin by a predetermined length, thereby giving a stapler access to the stack of sheets. The ejector mechanism includes a guide rail which extends in a vertical direction through the bins, and a sheet stack ejector member which is mounted on the guide rail to be movable up and down along the guide rail and is adapted to eject the stacks of sheets on the respective bins one by one toward the stapler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignees: Nisca Corporation, Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Mochizuki, Makoto Miyaki
  • Patent number: 6008078
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is manufactured by the use of a glass substrate which has previously been heated. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the previously heated glass substrate and then crystallized by heat. By virtue of the previous heating, shrink of the glass substrate after the crystallization process is reduced. Accordingly, internal stress is not generated in the crystallized semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device thus manufactured is superior in electrical property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hongyong Zhang
  • Patent number: 6008733
    Abstract: A plurality of air conditioning system control units are connected to each other through a communication line (20). Discharge resistors (R1, R2) are provided for discharging residual charges of the communication line (20). The control unit has a power superposition circuit (50) for applying a direct-current voltage and outputs an identification number signal from the power superposition circuit (50) to the communication line (20). The control unit further has a polarity select circuit (60) having a negative-polarity resistance characteristic that current increasingly flows as an applied voltage is lowered, and a voltage discriminating circuit (70) for detecting the terminal voltage of the polarity select circuit (60). When detecting the voltage of the communication line (20), the control unit determines whether its own control unit is a master unit or a slave unit according to output signals from the voltage discriminating circuit (70) and a polarity discriminating circuit (3C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Okano, Kouji Kamafusa, Hisatoshi Kawakami
  • Patent number: 6007807
    Abstract: A hybrid fusion cell comprising:a) a malignant B cell which expresses an idiotypic antibody; andb) a hybridoma which expresses an antibody which is capable of being internalized on a professional antigen presenting cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: GSF Forschungszentrum fur Umwelt und Gesundheit GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Mocikat, Horst Lindhofer, Stefan Thierfelder
  • Patent number: 6007444
    Abstract: A mechanical transmission (3; MT) is interposed between an input shaft (1) and an output shaft (2), and a hydrostatic transmission (4; HST) is disposed in parallel with the MT (3). Between the input shaft (1) and the input side of the MT, a third planetary gear set (15) is interposed for reducing input shaft rpm to reduced rpm corresponding to a predetermined reduction gear ratio. A fourth selectively-engageable clutch (13) for applying rotation at the reduced rpm in low to intermediate change gear ratio ranges and a fifth selectively-engageable clutch (14) for applying rotation at the input shaft rpm in a high change gear ratio range are provided, so that the number of modes of operation is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Kinokami
  • Patent number: 6008076
    Abstract: A thin film transistor and a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same. A silicon thin film formed on an insulating substrate is heated at 550 to 800.degree. C. so that it has crystallinity, and a thin film transistor is formed using the crystalline silicon film thus obtained. Thermal contraction of the insulating substrate is set in a range of 30 to 500 ppm in the heating process, so that the thin film transistor has high mobility, low threshold voltage and high off-resistance. Thermal contraction of the insulating substrate may be also set 100 ppm or less in a heating process after a patterning treatment in a thin film transistor producing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Semicoductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsufumi Codama, Yukio Yamauchi, Naoya Sakamoto, Takeshi Fukada
  • Patent number: 6006382
    Abstract: A bed frame insert for attachment to a conventional bed frame to allow a bed supported on the bed frame insert to be selectively positioned from a horizontal position to an inclined position. The bed frame insert includes a pair of side frame members for supporting the bed which are pivotably mountable to a first end of the conventional bed frame. The bed frame insert also includes a forward cross frame member extending between the pair of side frame members, a mattress restraining member positioned on the bed frame insert proximate to the first end of the conventional bed frame and at least two leg members adapted to incline the bed frame insert relative to the conventional bed frame by pivoting the bed frame insert. To accommodate beds of different widths, the forward cross frame member and the mattress restraining member may be transversely adjustable. The mattress restraining member acts to prevent longitudinal movement of the mattress when the bed frame is in an inclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Inventor: Jerome P. Smith
  • Patent number: 6007133
    Abstract: Tailgate arrangement of a body of a motor vehicle, with a body opening (3), a tailgate (4) which is assigned to the body opening (3) and which closes it, at least one, preferably two rear lamp units (7) assigned to the body opening (3), a peripheral attachment flange (8) being provided bordering the body opening (3) and the attachment flange having a peripheral sealing profile (9), which is optionally composed of several sections, mounted on it for sealing against a sealing flange on the tailgate (4). This tailgate arrangement is simplified in terms of production engineering and installation technique by the edge of the body opening (3) in the area of the rear lamp units (7) being formed by the rear lamp units (7) themselves, specifically the corresponding sections of the attachment flange (8) for the sealing profile (9) being formed on the rear lamp units (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Wagon Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Gunther Heim, Joachim Janz, Armin Klein
  • Patent number: 6006918
    Abstract: A collapsible storage container has four walls hingedly connected with depending L-shaped hooks. The walls are moveable between a container configuration in which the L-shaped hooks captively engage a pallet which forms the base of an enclosure defined by the walls and a collapsed configuration in which the walls overlay one another in a substantially parallel arrangement. A roof is connected by hinges to one of the walls and is moveable between a closed position in which lugs engage an opposite wall and a storage position in which the roof is substantially parallel to the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Inventor: Michael John Hart
  • Patent number: 6007558
    Abstract: A blood clot filter which is collapsible toward a central longitudinal axis into a collapsed configuration for insertion into a blood vessel and which is radially expandable outwardly from the longitudinal axis to an expanded configuration for contact with the inner wall of the blood vessel at two longitudinal spaced locations. A first plurality of spaced, elongate arms, in the expanded configuration of the filter, curve outwardly away from the longitudinal axis toward the leading end of the filter to form a first filter basket and to center a hub at the trailing end of the filter within the vessel. A second plurality of spaced elongate legs angle outwardly away from the longitudinal axis toward the leading edge of the filter in the expanded configuration thereof to form a second filter basket opening toward the leading end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Nitinol Medical Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian C. Ravenscroft, Stephen J. Kleshinski
  • Patent number: 6007117
    Abstract: A motor vehicle door lock or the like for a door or hatch of a motor vehicle which can be closed from the outside, preferably via a closing cylinder, with a lock mechanism which, among other elements, has an actuating lever (1), a force application element (4) which moves actuating lever (1), and an intermediate element (5) which is moved away from the closing cylinder or the like, the force application element (4) and intermediate element (5) being made as gear wheels with gear rims (6, 7) which are transmission-coupled to one another. A trip-free mechanism is easily integrated by the gear rim of one of the gear wheels having a gap (8) and thus the intermediate element (5) is able to continue to be turned in idle when this gap (8) is reached without the force application element (4) itself continuing to turn along with it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Joerg Spindler
  • Patent number: 6006711
    Abstract: A spark plug and an engine valve member are integrally combined in the same structure by forming an ignition gap between a first electrode rod which is the center electrode incorporated in an engine valve body and a second electrode portion which is the grounding electrode formed to be integral with or incorporated in the engine valve body. The resulting structure has the features of both a spark plug and an engine valve and is advantageously compact and applicable to gasoline engines in general.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Nittan Valve Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Watanabe, Shoji Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6008101
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a technique of separately forming thin-film transistors disposed in a peripheral circuit area and those disposed in a pixel area in accordance with characteristics required therefor in a manufacturing process of semiconductor devices to constitute a liquid crystal display device. In an annealing step by laser light illumination, laser light is selectively applied to a semiconductor thin-film by partially masking it. For example, to illuminate the peripheral circuit area and the pixel area with laser light under different conditions in manufacture of an active matrix liquid crystal display device, laser light is applied at necessary illumination energy densities by using a mask. In this manner, a crystalline silicon film having a necessary degree of crystallinity in a selective manner can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka, Naoaki Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6005196
    Abstract: The triggered wildlife guard is formed from first and second body sections hinged together to pivot between an open and a closed position. In the closed position, the first and second body sections latch together to form a hollow body open at a first end and having a top wall at a second end which defines a conductor opening. A spring assembly biases the first and second body sections toward the closed position, and a releasable trigger extends between the first and second body sections to hold them in the open position until the trigger is released. A wire stop formed on the first and second body sections bridges a gap therebetween in the open position to retain a bushing lead wire in the conductor opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Central Moloney, Inc.
    Inventor: Jim R. Spillyards
  • Patent number: 6004831
    Abstract: A thin-film semiconductor device or integrated circuit comprising an insulating substrate, TFTs (thin-film transistors) formed on the substrate, and multilayer conductive interconnections. The circuit has a first metallization layer becoming gate electrodes and gate interconnections. The surface of the first metallization layer is oxidized by anodic oxidation to form an insulating coating on the surface of the first metallization layer. A second metallization layer becoming source and drain electrodes or conductive interconnections is then formed on the insulating coating directly or via an interlayer insulator. An improvement in the production yield and improved reliability are accomplished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuhiko Takemura, Akira Mase, Hideki Uochi
  • Patent number: 6003828
    Abstract: To prevent tilting or bending of a large mask frame holder and at the same time to prevent distortion when the mask holding frame is attached to a support base by ball plungers in three of the four corner areas of a mask holding frame that engage V groove bodies which face the ball plungers on the surface of the base, compression springs are provided in those three corners which pre-stress the mask holding frame toward the support base while a compression spring is provided between the remaining corner area of the mask holding frame and the base which acts in a direction pressing the mask holding frame away from the support base, thereby preventing the mask holding frame from bending or tilting. As an alternative, in each of the three pre-stressed corner areas of the mask holding frame, instead of a compression spring, an elastic attachment component in the form of a bracket with spring-like legs mounted to the supporting component can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1999
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kawahashi, Hiromi Kai
  • Patent number: D417984
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Dan-Foam A/S
    Inventor: Tore Sand
  • Patent number: D418501
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: SCM Microsystems GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Neifer