Radiant plunger ink jet printer

by: Silverbrook, Kia;

This patent describes an ink jet printer which uses an electro-mechanical activation process for the ejection of ink. A plunger is constructed from soft magnetic material and positioned between the nozzle chamber and an ink chamber. An electric coil is located adjacent to the plunger and electrically connected to a nozzle activation signal wherein upon activation of the activation signal, the plunger is caused by the coil to move thereby causing the ejection of ink. The electric coil is located within a cavity defined by the plunger. The plunger has a series of fluid release slots allowing for the expulsion of fluid under pressure in the cavity. A torsional spring is also provided for assisting in the return of the plunger.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to ink jet printing and in particular discloses a radiant plunger ink jet printer.

The present invention further relates to the field of drop on demand ink jet printing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different types of printing have been invented, a large number of which are presently in use. The known forms of print have a variety of methods for marking the print media with a relevant marking media. Commonly used forms of printing include offset printing, laser printing and copying devices, dot matrix type impact printers, thermal paper printers, film recorders, thermal wax printers, dye sublimation printers and ink jet printers both of the drop on demand and continuous flow type. Each type of printer has its own advantages and problems when considering cost, speed, quality, reliability, simplicity of construction and operation etc.

In recent years, the field of ink jet printing, wherein each individual pixel of ink is derived from one or more ink nozzles has become increasingly popular primarily due to its inexpensive and versatile nature.

Many different techniques on ink jet printing have been invented. For a survey of the field, reference is made to an article by J Moore, "Non-Impact Printing: Introduction and Historical Perspective", Output Hard Copy Devices, Editors R Dubeck and S Sherr, pages 207 to 220 (1988).

Ink Jet printers themselves come in many different types. The utilization of a continuous stream ink in ink jet printing appears to date back to at least 1929 wherein U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,001 by Hansell discloses a simple form of continuous stream electrostatic ink jet printing.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,275 by Sweet also discloses a process of a continuous ink jet printing including the step wherein the ink jet stream is modulated by a high frequency electrostatic field so as to cause drop separation. This technique is still utilized by several manufacturers including Elmjet and Scitex (see also U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,437 by Sweet et al)

Piezoelectric ink jet printers are also one form of commonly utilized ink jet printing device. Piezoelectric systems are disclosed by Kyser et. al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 (1970) which utilizes a diaphragm mode of operation, by Zolten in U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,212 (1970) which discloses a squeeze mode of operation of a piezoelectric crystal, Stemme in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120 (1972) discloses a bend mode of piezoelectric operation, Howkins in U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,601 discloses a piezoelectric push mode actuation of the ink jet stream and Fischbeck in U.S. 4,584,590 which discloses a sheer mode type of piezoelectric transducer element.

Recently, thermal ink jet printing has become an extremely popular form of ink jet printing. The ink jet printing techniques include those disclosed by Endo et al in GB 2007162 (1979) and Vaught et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,728. Both the aforementioned references disclosed ink jet printing techniques rely upon the activation of an electrothermal actuator which results in the creation of a bubble in a constricted space, such as a nozzle, which thereby causes the ejection of ink from an aperture connected to the confined space onto a relevant print media. Printing devices utilizing the electro-thermal actuator are manufactured by manufacturers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard.

As can be seen from the foregoing, many different types of printing technologies are available. Ideally, a printing technology should have a number of desirable attributes. These include inexpensive construction and operation, high speed operation, safe and continuous long term operation etc. Each technology may have its own advantages and disadvantages in the areas of cost, speed, quality, reliability, power usage, simplicity of construction operation, durability and consumables.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative form of ink jet printing which relies upon an electromechanical activation process for the ejection of ink.

In accordance with a first aspect there is provided an ink jet printing nozzle comprising a nozzle chamber having an ink ejection port at one end; a plunger constructed from soft magnetic material and positioned between the nozzle chamber and an ink chamber, which allows for the supply of ink to the nozzle chamber, and an electric coil located adjacent to the plunger and electrically connected to a nozzle activation signal wherein upon activation the plunger is caused to move from an ink loaded position to an ink ejection position and thereby causes the ejection of ink from the ink chamber through the ejection port. Further, the ink ejection nozzle comprises an armature plate constructed from soft magnetic material and the plunger is attracted to the armature plate on the activation of the coil. A cavity is defined by the plunger in which the electric coil is located, which has its dimensions reduced as a result of movement of the plunger, the plunger further having a series of fluid release slots in fluid communication with the cavity and the ink chamber, allowing for the expulsion of fluid under pressure in the formed cavity. Preferably, the ink jet printing nozzle comprises a resilient means for assisting in the return of the plunger from the ink ejection position to the ink loaded position after the ejection of ink from the ink ejection port. Advantageously, the resilient means comprises a torsional spring of an arcuate construction having a circumferential profile substantially the same as that of the plunger.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet printing nozzle constructed in accordance with the first aspect of the invention wherein the plunger has along one surface a series of slots. This surface forms the inner radial surface defining the cavity between the plunger and the electric coil. Further, the plunger has no fluid release slots in its top surface that defines the top wall of the cavity formed. Upon reduction of the cavity dimensions due to the downward movement of the plunger, induced by the electric coil, an ink flow through the slots into the nozzle chamber occurs assisting in the ejection of ink from the ink ejection port. Preferably, the slots have a substantially constant cross-sectional profile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred forms of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of a single ink jet nozzle in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating the operation of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top view of a single ink nozzle constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 provides a legend of the materials indicated in FIGS. 5 to 21; and

FIG. 5 to FIG. 21 illustrate sectional views of the manufacturing steps in one form of construction of an ink jet printhead nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, there is illustrated an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of a single ink jet nozzle 4 in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The nozzle 4 operates on the principle of electromechanical energy conversion and comprises a solenoid 11 which is connected electrically at a first end 12 to a magnetic plate 13 which is in turn connected to a current source eg. 14 utilised to activate the ink nozzle 4. The magnetic plate 13 can be constructed from electrically conductive iron.

A second magnetic plunger 15 is also provided, again being constructed from soft magnetic iron. Upon energising the solenoid 11, the plunger 15 is attracted to the fixed magnetic plate 13. The plunger thereby pushes against the ink within the nozzle 4 creating a high pressure zone in the nozzle chamber 17. This causes a movement of the ink in the nozzle chamber 17 and in a first design, subsequent ejection of an ink drop. A series of apertures eg. 20 is provided so that ink in the region of solenoid 11 is squirted out of the holes 20 in the top of the plunger 15 as it moves towards lower plate 13. This prevents ink trapped in the area of solenoid 11 from increasing the pressure on the plunger 15 and thereby increasing the magnetic forces needed to move the plunger 15.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a timing diagram 30 of the plunger current control signal. Initially, a solenoid current pulse 31 is activated for the movement of the plunger and ejection of a drop from the ink nozzle. After approximately 2 micro-seconds, the current to the solenoid is turned off. At the same time or at a slightly later time, a reverse current pulse 32 is applied having approximately half the magnitude of the forward current. As the plunger has a residual magnetism, the reverse current pulse 32 causes the plunger to move backwards towards its original position. A series of torsional springs 22, 23 (FIG. 1) also assists in the return of the plunger to its original position. The reverse current pulse 32 is turned off before the magnetism of the plunger 15 is reversed which would otherwise result in the plunger being attracted to the fixed plate 13 again. Returning to FIG. 1, the forced return of the plunger 15 to its quiescent position results in a low pressure in the chamber 17. This can cause ink to begin flowing from the outlet nozzle 24 inwards and also ingests air to the chamber 17. The forward velocity of the drop and the backward velocity of the ink in the chamber 17 are resolved by the ink drop breaking off around the nozzle 24. The ink drop then continues to travel toward the recording medium under its own momentum. The nozzle refills due to the surface tension of the ink at the nozzle tip 24. Shortly after the time of drop break off, a meniscus at the nozzle tip is formed with an approximately concave hemispherical surface. The surface tension will exert a net forward force on the ink which will result in nozzle refilling. The repetition rate of the nozzle 4 is therefore principally determined by the nozzle refill time which will be 100 microseconds, depending on the device geometry, ink surface tension and the volume of the ejected drop.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an important aspect of the operation of the electro-magnetically driven print nozzle will now be described. Upon a current flowing through the coil 11, the plate 15 becomes strongly attracted to the plate 13. The plate 15 experiences a downward force and begins movement towards the plate 13. This movement imparts a momentum to the ink within the nozzle chamber 17. The ink is subsequently ejected as hereinbefore described. Unfortunately, the movement of the plate 15 causes a build-up of pressure in the area 64 between the plate 15 and the coil 11. This build-up would normally result in a reduced effectiveness of the plate 15 in ejecting ink.

However, in a first design the plate 15 preferably includes a series of apertures eg. 20 which allow for the flow of ink from the area 64 back into the ink chamber and thereby allow a reduction in the pressure in area 64. This results in an increased effectiveness in the operation of the plate 15.

Preferably, the apertures 20 are of a teardrop shape increasing in width with increasing radial distance from a centre of the plunger. The aperture profile thereby provides minimal disturbance of the magnetic flux through the plunger while maintaining structural integrity of plunger 15.

After the plunger 15 has reached its end position, the current through coil 11 is reversed resulting in a repulsion of the two plates 13, 15. Additionally, the torsional spring eg. 23 acts to return the plate 15 to its initial position.

The use of a torsional spring eg. 23 has a number of substantial benefits including a compact layout. The construction of the torsional spring from the same material and same processing steps as that of the plate 15 simplifies the manufacturing process.

In an alternative design, the top surface of plate 15 does not include a series of apertures. Rather, the inner radial surface 25 (SEE FIG. 3) of plate 15 comprises slots of substantially constant cross-sectional profile in fluid communication between the nozzle chamber 17 and the area 64 between plate 15 and the solenoid 11. Upon activation of the coil 11, the plate 15 is attracted to the armature plate 13 and experiences a force directed towards plate 13. As a result of the movement, fluid in the area 64 is compressed and experiences a higher pressure than its surrounds. As a result, the flow of fluid takes place out of the slots in the inner radial surface 25 plate 15 into the nozzle chamber 17. The flow of fluid into chamber 17, in addition to the movement of the plate 15, causes the ejection of ink out of the ink nozzle port 24. Again, the movement of the plate 15 causes the torsional springs, for example 23, to be resiliently deformed. Upon completion of the movement of the plate 15, the coil 11 is deactivated and a slight reverse current is applied. The reverse current acts to repel the plate 15 from the armature plate 13. The torsional springs, for example 23, act as additional means to return the plate 15 to its initial or quiescent position.

Fabrication

Returning now to FIG. 1, the nozzle apparatus is constructed from the following main parts including a nozzle surface 40 having an aperture 24 which can be constructed from boron doped silicon 50. The radius of the aperture 24 of the nozzle is an important determinant of drop velocity and drop size.

Next, a CMOS silicon layer 42 is provided upon which is fabricated all the data storage and driving circuitry 41 necessary for the operation of the nozzle 4. In this layer a nozzle chamber 17 is also constructed. The nozzle chamber 17 should be wide enough so that viscous drag from the chamber walls does not significantly increase the force required of the plunger. It should also be deep enough so that any air ingested through the nozzle port 24 when the plunger returns to its quiescent state does not extend to the plunger device. If it does, the ingested bubble may form a cylindrical surface instead of a hemispherical surface resulting in the nozzle not refilling properly. A CMOS dielectric and insulating layer 44 containing various current paths for the current connection to the plunger device is also provided.

Next, a fixed plate of ferroelectric material is provided having two parts 13, 46. The two parts 13, 46 are electrically insulated from one another.

Next, a solenoid 11 is provided. This can comprise a spiral coil of deposited copper. Preferably a single spiral layer is utilised to avoid fabrication difficulty and copper is used for a low resistivity and high electro-migration resistance.

Next, a plunger 15 of ferromagnetic material is provided to maximise the magnetic force generated. The plunger 15 and fixed magnetic plate 13, 46 surround the solenoid 11 as a torus. Thus, little magnetic flux is lost and the flux is concentrated around the gap between the plunger 15 and the fixed plate 13, 46.

The gap between the fixed plate 13, 46 and the plunger 15 is one of the most important "parts" of the print nozzle 4. The size of the gap will strongly affect the magnetic force generated, and also limits the travel of the plunger 15. A small gap is desirable to achieve a strong magnetic force, but a large gap is desirable to allow longer plunger 15 travel, and therefore allow a smaller plunger radius to be utilised.

Next, the springs, e.g. 22, 23 for returning to the plunger 15 to its quiescent position after a drop has been ejected are provided. The springs, e.g. 22, 23 can be fabricated from the same material, and in the same processing steps, as the plunger 15. Preferably the springs, e.g. 22, 23 act as torsional springs in their interaction with the plunger 15.

Finally, all surfaces are coated with passivation layers, which may be silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4), diamond like carbon (DLC), or other chemically inert, highly impermeable layer. The passivation layers are especially important for device lifetime, as the active device will be immersed in the ink.

One form of detailed manufacturing process which can be used to fabricate monolithic ink jet print heads operating in accordance with the principles taught by the present embodiment can proceed utilizing the following steps:

1. Using a double sided polished wafer deposit 3 microns of epitaxial silicon heavily doped with boron 50.

2. Deposit 10 microns of epitaxial silicon 42, either p-type or n-type, depending upon the CMOS process used.

3. Complete a 0.5 micron, one poly, 2 metal CMOS process. This step is shown at 41 in FIG. 5.

For clarity, these diagrams may not be to scale, and may not represent a cross section though any single plane of the nozzle. FIG. 4 is a key to representations of various materials in these manufacturing diagrams, and those of other cross referenced ink jet configurations.

4. Etch the CMOS oxide layers 41 down to silicon or aluminum using Mask 1. This mask defines the nozzle chamber, the edges of the print heads chips, and the vias for the contacts from the aluminum electrodes to the two halves of the split fixed magnetic plate.

5. Plasma etch the silicon 42 down to the boron doped buried layer 50, using oxide from step 4 as a mask. This etch does not substantially etch the aluminum. This step is shown in FIG. 6.

6. Deposit a seed layer of cobalt nickel iron alloy. CoNiFe is chosen due to a high saturation flux density of 2 Tesla, and a low coercivity. [Osaka, Tetsuya et al, A soft magnetic CoNiFe film with high saturation magnetic flux density, Nature 392, 796-798 (1998)].

7. Spin on 4 microns of resist 51, expose with Mask 2, and develop. This mask defines the split fixed magnetic plate, for which the resist acts as an electroplating mold. This step is shown in FIG. 7.

8. Electroplate 3 microns of CoNiFe 52. This step is shown in FIG. 8.

9. Strip the resist 51 and etch the exposed seed layer. This step is shown in FIG. 9.

10. Deposit 0.1 microns of silicon nitride (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4).

11. Etch the nitride layer using Mask 3. This mask defines the contact vias from each end of the solenoid coil to the two halves of the split fixed magnetic plate.

12. Deposit a seed layer of copper. Copper is used for its low resistivity (which results in higher efficiency) and its high electromigration resistance, which increases reliability at high current densities.

13. Spin on 5 microns of resist 53, expose with Mask 4, and develop. This mask defines the solenoid spiral coil and the spring posts, for which the resist acts as an electroplating mold. This step is shown in FIG. 10.

14. Electroplate 4 microns of copper 54.









15. Strip the resist 53 and etch the exposed copper seed layer. This step is shown in FIG. 11.

16. Wafer probe. All electrical connections are complete at this point, bond pads are accessible, and the chips are not yet separated.

17. Deposit 0.1 microns of silicon nitride.

18. Deposit 1 micron of sacrificial material 56. This layer 56 determines the magnetic gap.

19. Etch the sacrificial material 56 using Mask 5. This mask defines the spring posts. This step is shown in FIG. 12.

20. Deposit a seed layer of CoNiFe.

21. Spin on 4.5 microns of resist 57, expose with Mask 6, and develop. This mask defines the walls of the magnetic plunger, plus the spring posts. The resist forms an electroplating mold for these parts. This step is shown in FIG. 13.

22. Electroplate 4 microns of CoNiFe 58. This step is shown in FIG. 14.

23. Deposit a seed layer of CoNiFe.

24. Spin on 4 microns of resist 59, expose with Mask 7, and develop. This mask defines the roof of the magnetic plunger, the springs, and the spring posts. The resist forms an electroplating mold for these parts. This step is shown in FIG. 15.

25. Electroplate 3 microns of CoNiFe 60. This step is shown in FIG. 16.

26. Mount the wafer on a glass blank 61 and back-etch the wafer using KOH, with no mask. This etch thins the wafer and stops at the buried boron doped silicon layer 50. This step is shown in FIG. 17.

27. Plasma back-etch the boron doped silicon layer 50 to a depth of (approx.) 1 micron using Mask 8. This mask defines the nozzle rim 62. This step is shown in FIG. 18.

28. Plasma back-etch through the boron doped layer using Mask 9. This mask defines the nozzle, and the edge of the chips. At this stage, the chips are separate, but are still mounted on the glass blank. This step is shown in FIG. 19.

29. Detach the chips from the glass blank. Strip all adhesive, resist, sacrificial, and exposed seed layers. This step is shown in FIG. 20.

30. Mount the printheads in their packaging, which may be a molded plastic former incorporating ink channels which supply different colors of ink to the appropriate regions of the front surface of the wafer.

31. Connect the print heads to their interconnect systems.

32. Hydrophobize the front surface of the printheads.

33. Fill the completed print heads with ink 63 and test them. A filled nozzle is shown in FIG. 21.

It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiment without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.

The presently disclosed ink jet printing technology is potentially suited to a wide range of printing systems including: color and monochrome office printers, short run digital printers, high speed digital printers, offset press supplemental printers, low cost scanning printers, high speed pagewidth printers, notebook computers with in-built pagewidth printers, portable color and monochrome printers, color and monochrome copiers, color and monochrome facsimile machines, combined printer, facsimile and copying machines, label printers, large format plotters, photograph copiers, printers for digital photographic `minilabs`, video printers, PHOTO CD (PHOTO CD is a registered trade mark of the Eastman Kodak Company) printers, portable printers for PDAs, wallpaper printers, indoor sign printers, billboard printers, fabric printers, camera printers and fault tolerant commercial printer arrays.

Ink Jet Technologies

The embodiments of the invention use an ink jet printer type device. Of course many different devices could be used. However presently popular ink jet printing technologies are unlikely to be suitable.

The most significant problem with thermal ink jet is power consumption. This is approximately 100 times that required for high speed, and stems from the energy-inefficient means of drop ejection. This involves the rapid boiling of water to produce a vapor bubble which expels the ink. Water has a very high heat capacity, and must be superheated in thermal ink jet applications. This leads to an efficiency of around 0.02%, from electricity input to drop momentum (and increased surface area) out.

The most significant problem with piezoelectric ink jet is size and cost. Piezoelectric crystals have a very small deflection at reasonable drive voltages, and therefore require a large area for each nozzle. Also, each piezoelectric actuator must be connected to its drive circuit on a separate substrate. This is not a significant problem at the current limit of around 300 nozzles per printhead, but is a major impediment to the fabrication of pagewidth printheads with 19,200 nozzles.

Ideally, the ink jet technologies used meet the stringent requirements of in-camera digital color printing and other high quality, high speed, low cost printing applications. To meet the requirements of digital photography, new ink jet technologies have been created. The target features include:

low power (less than 10 Watts)

high resolution capability (1,600 dpi or more)

photographic quality output

low manufacturing cost

small size (pagewidth times minimum cross section)

high speed (<2 seconds per page).

All of these features can be met or exceeded by the ink jet systems described below with differing levels of difficulty. Forty-five different ink jet technologies have been developed by the Assignee to give a wide range of choices for high volume manufacture. These technologies form part of separate applications assigned to the present Assignee as set out in the table under the heading Cross References to Related Applications.

The ink jet designs shown here are suitable for a wide range of digital printing systems, from battery powered one-time use digital cameras, through to desktop and network printers, and through to commercial printing systems.

For ease of manufacture using standard process equipment, the printhead is designed to be a monolithic 0.5 micron CMOS chip with MEMS post processing. For color photographic applications, the printhead is 100 mm long, with a width which depends upon the ink jet type. The smallest printhead designed is IJ38, which is 0.35 mm wide, giving a chip area of 35 square mm. The printheads each contain 19,200 nozzles plus data and control circuitry.

Ink is supplied to the back of the printhead by injection molded plastic ink channels. The molding requires 50 micron features, which can be created using a lithographically micromachined insert in a standard injection molding tool. Ink flows through holes etched through the wafer to the nozzle chambers fabricated on the front surface of the wafer. The printhead is connected to the camera circuitry by tape automated bonding.

Tables of Drop-on-Demand Ink Jets

The present invention is useful in the field of digital printing, in particular, ink jet printing.

Eleven important characteristics of the fundamental operation of individual ink jet nozzles have been identified. These characteristics are largely orthogonal, and so can be elucidated as an eleven dimensional matrix. Most of the eleven axes of this matrix include entries developed by the present assignee.

The following tables form the axes of an eleven dimensional table of ink jet types.

Actuator mechanism (18 types)

Basic operation mode (7 types)

Auxiliary mechanism (8 types)

Actuator amplification or modification method (17 types)

Actuator motion (19 types)

Nozzle refill method (4 types)

Method of restricting back-flow through inlet (10 types)

Nozzle clearing method (9 types)

Nozzle plate construction (9 types)

Drop ejection direction (5 types)

Ink type (7 types)

The complete eleven dimensional table represented by these axes contains 36.9 billion possible configurations of ink jet nozzle. While not all of the possible combinations result in a viable ink jet technology, many million configurations are viable. It is clearly impractical to elucidate all of the possible configurations. Instead, certain ink jet types have been investigated in detail. These are designated IJ01 to IJ145 which matches the docket numbers in the table under the heading Cross References to Related Applications.

Other ink jet configurations can readily be derived from these forty-five examples by substituting alternative configurations along one or more of the 11 axes. Most of the IJ01 to IJ45 examples can be made into ink jet printheads with characteristics superior to any currently available ink jet technology.

Where there are prior art examples known to the inventor, one or more of these examples are listed in the examples column of the tables below. The IJ01 to IJ45 series are also listed in the examples column. In some cases, a print technology may be listed more than once in a table, where it shares characteristics with more than one entry.

Suitable applications for the ink jet technologies include: Home printers, Office network printers, Short run digital printers, Commercial print systems, Fabric printers, Pocket printers, Internet WWW printers, Video printers, Medical imaging, Wide format printers, Notebook PC printers, Fax machines, Industrial printing systems, Photocopiers, Photographic minilabs etc.

The information associated with the aforementioned 11 dimensional matrix are set out in the following tables.

    CROSS-
    REFERENCED     U.S. Pat. application
    AUSTRALIAN     (CLAIMING RIGHT OF PRIORITY
    PROVISIONAL    FROM AUSTRALIAN
    Pat. No.       PROVISIONAL APPLICATION)     DOCKET No.
    PO7991         09/113,060                   ART01
    PO8505         09/113,070                   ART02
    PO7988         09/113,073                   ART03
    PO9395         09/112,748                   ART04
    PO8017         09/112,747                   ART06
    PO8014         09/112,776                   ART07
    PO8025         09/112,750                   ART08
    PO8032         09/112,746                   ART09
    PO7999         09/112,743                   ART10
    PO7998         09/112,742                   ART11
    PO8031         09/112,741                   ART12
    PO8030         09/112,740                   ART13
    PO7997         09/112,739                   ART15
    PO7979         09/113,053                   ART16
    PO8015         09/112,738                   ART17
    PO7978         09/113,067                   ART18
    PO7982         09/113,063                   ART19
    PO7989         09/113,069                   ART20
    PO8019         09/112,744                   ART21
    PO7980         09/113,058                   ART22
    PO8018         09/112,777                   ART24
    PO7938         09/113,224                   ART25
    PO8016         09/112,804                   ART26
    PO8024         09/112,805                   ART27
    PO7940         09/113,072                   ART28
    PO7939         09/112,785                   ART29
    PO8501         09/112,797                   ART30
    PO8500         09/112,796                   ART31
    PO7987         09/113,071                   ART32
    PO8022         09/112,824                   ART33
    PO8497         09/113,090                   ART34
    PO8020         09/112,823                   ART38
    PO8023         09/113,222                   ART39
    PO8504         09/112,786                   ART42
    PO8000         09/113,051                   ART43
    PO7977         09/112,782                   ART44
    PO7934         09/113,056                   ART45
    PO7990         09/113,059                   ART46
    PO8499         09/113,091                   ART47
    PO8502         09/112,753                   ART48
    PO7981         09/113,055                   ART50
    PO7986         09/113,057                   ART51
    PO7983         09/113,054                   ART52
    PO8026         09/112,752                   ART53
    PO8027         09/112,759                   ART54
    PO8028         09/112,757                   ART56
    PO9394         09/112,758                   ART57
    PO9396         09/113,107                   ART58
    PO9397         09/112,829                   ART59
    PO9398         09/112,792                   ART60
    PO9399         09/112,791                   ART61
    PO9400         09/112,790                   ART62
    PO9401         09/112,789                   ART63
    PO9402         09/112,788                   ART64
    PO9403         09/112,795                   ART65
    PO9405         09/112,749                   ART66
    PP0959         09/112,784                   ART68
    PP1397         09/112,783                   ART69
    PP2370         09/112,781                   DOT01
    PP2371         09/113,052                   DOT02
    PO8003         09/112,834                   Fluid01
    PO8005         09/113,103                   Fluid02
    PO9404         09/113,101                   Fluid03
    PO8066         09/112,751                   IJ01
    PO8072         09/112,787                   IJ02
    PO8040         09/112,802                   IJ03
    PO8071         09/112,803                   I304
    PO8047         09/113,097                   I305
    PO8035         09/113,099                   I306
    PO8044         09/113,084                   IJ07
    PO8063         09/113,066                   IJ08
    PO8057         09/112,778                   IJ09
    PO8056         09/112,779                   IJ10
    PO8069         09/113,077                   IJ11
    PO8049         09/113,061                   IJ12
    PO8036         09/112,818                   IJ13
    PO8048         09/112,816                   IJ14
    PO8070         09/112,772                   IJ15
    PO8067         09/112,819                   IJ16
    PO8001         09/112,815                   IJ17
    PO8038         09/113,096                   IJ18
    PO8033         09/113,068                   IJ19
    PO8002         09/113,095                   IJ20
    PO8068         09/112,808                   IJ21
    PO8062         09/112,809                   IJ22
    PO8034         09/112,780                   IJ23
    PO8039         09/113,083                   IJ24
    PO8041         09/113,121                   IJ25
    PO8004         09/113,122                   IJ26
    PO8037         09/112,793                   IJ27
    PO8043         09/112,794                   IJ28
    PO8042         09/113,128                   IJ29
    PO8064         09/113,127                   IJ30
    PO9389         09/112,756                   IJ31
    PO9391         09/112,755                   IJ32
    PP0888         09/112,754                   IJ33
    PP0891         09/112,811                   IJ34
    PP0890         09/112,812                   IJ35
    PP0873         09/112,813                   IJ36
    PP0993         09/112,814                   IJ37
    PP0890         09/112,764                   IJ38
    PP1398         09/112,765                   IJ39
    PP2592         09/112,767                   IJ40
    PP2593         09/112,768                   IJ41
    PP3991         09/112,807                   IJ42
    PP3987         09/112,806                   IJ43
    PP3985         09/112,820                   IJ44
    PP3983         09/112,821                   IJ45
    PO7935         09/112,822                   IJM01
    PO7936         09/112,825                   IJM02
    PO7937         09/112,826                   IJM03
    PO8061         09/112,827                   IJM04
    PO8054         09/112,828                   IJM05
    PO8065         09/113,111                   IJM06
    PO8055         09/113,108                   IJM07
    PO8053         09/113,109                   IJM08
    PO8078         09/113,123                   IJM09
    PO7933         09/113,114                   IJM10
    PO7950         09/113,115                   IJM11
    PO7949         09/113,129                   IJM12
    PO8060         09/113,124                   IJM13
    PO8059         09/113,125                   IJM14
    PO8073         09/113,126                   IJM15
    PO8076         09/113,119                   IJM16
    PO8075         09/113,120                   IJM17
    PO8079         09/113,221                   IJM18
    PO8050         09/113,116                   IJM19
    PO8052         09/113,118                   IJM20
    PO7948         09/113,117                   IJM21
    PO7951         09/113,113                   IJM22
    PO8074         09/113,130                   IJM23
    PO7941         09/113,110                   IJM24
    PO8077         09/113,112                   IJM25
    PO8058         09/113,087                   IJM26
    PO8051         09/113,074                   IJM27
    PO8045         09/113,089                   IJM28
    PO7952         09/113,088                   IJM29
    PO8046         09/112,771                   IJM30
    PO9390         09/112,769                   IJM31
    PO9392         09/112,770                   IJM32
    PP0889         09/112,798                   IJM35
    PP0887         09/112,801                   IJM36
    PP0882         09/112,800                   IJM37
    PP0874         09/112,799                   IJM38
    PP1396         09/113,098                   IJM39
    PP3989         09/112,833                   IJM40
    PP2591         09/112,832                   IJM41
    PP3990         09/112,831                   IJM42
    PP3986         09/112,830                   IJM43
    PP3984         09/112,836                   IJM44
    PP3982         09/112,835                   IJM45
    PP0895         09/113,102                   IR01
    PP0870         09/113,106                   IR02
    PP0869         09/113,105                   IR04
    PP0887         09/113,104                   IR05
    PP0885         09/112,810                   IR06
    PP0884         09/112,766                   IR10
    PP0886         09/113,085                   IR12
    PP0871         09/113,086                   IR13
    PP0876         09/113,094                   IR14
    PP0877         09/112,760                   IR16
    PP0878         09/112,773                   IR17
    PP0879         09/112,774                   IR18
    PP0883         09/112,775                   IR19
    PP0880         09/112,745                   IR20
    PP0881         09/113,092                   IR21
    PO8006         09/113,100                   MEMS02
    PO8007         09/113,093                   MEMS03
    PO8008         09/113,062                   MEMS04
    PO8010         09/113,064                   MEMS05
    PO8011         09/113,082                   MEMS06
    PO7947         09/113,081                   MEMS07
    PO7944         09/113,080                   MEMS09
    PO7946         09/113,079                   MEMS10
    PO9393         09/113,065                   MEMS11
    PP0875         09/113,078                   MEMS12
    PP0894         09/113,075                   MEMS13

DNA sequence encoding N-acetyl-galactosamine-transferase

Neck towel and adjustable clasp

Somatostatin receptors

Clear impact-resistant syndiotactic polypropylene

Thin layer ablation apparatus

Dual chamber water filter

Baby blanket

Nitrogen detection

Tissue anchoring system and method

Dual-wavelength x-ray monochromator

Sliding exhaust brake system

Weapon stabilization system

1-(2-Aryl-4,5-disubstituted-1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmethyl)-1H-imidazoles and 1H-1,2,4-triazoles

Outdoor enclosure with heated desiccant

Clothes hanger

Mower deck bumper

Fishing hooking device

Method for preparing microemulsions

Process for decoking catalysts

Dispenser

Optical device, system and method

Lock for sliding doors

Pest bait station

Light distribution device

Actuator and actuator system

Article transferring apparatus

Portable foldable splint

Towable "V" rake agricultural machine

Impact-resisting composites

Soybean cultivar 40064423

Flexible chain conveyor

Fuel system

Process for concentrating fluids

High temperature diesel deposit tester

Depth-resolved fluorescence instrument

Ion-channel forming peptides

Simultaneous production of higher chloromethanes

Automatic trimming machine

Intraocular lens

Snap fastening device

Motor vehicle gearbox

Multiple unit cigarette package

Gravity particle separator

Laterally supported flexible sign

Thermosensitive recording sheet

Motor control system

Seal press

Automatic reversal mechanism

Solar thermal propulsion unit

Expandable tire building former

Magnetic blanket for horses

Arrangement for moving an object

Polysaccharides and preparation thereof

Froth flotation

Selective hydrogenation of olefins

Security and deployment assembly

Modular nuclear fuel assembly design

Naso-gastric tube retainer

Fluid flow reversing apparatus

Motor vehicle wiper

Decoupled integrated circuit package

Flash memory device

Stacker bundler shuttle system

Lithography process

Isothiazole and isoxazole sulphoxides

Electronic voting machine

Fast circuit switching system

Environmentally stable monolithic Mach-Zehnder device

Screw

Device in clearing saws

Non-aqueous electrochemical cell

Aqueous coating composition

Ribbed clothlike nonwoven fabric

Phosphorus-containing copolyamides and fibers thereof

Pulse width modulation operation circuit

Medical garment

Sulfonium salt compounds

Stabilized throttle control system

Three dimensional space viewing device

Pharmaceutically active morpholinol

Unitary key holder

Optical fiber strain relief device

Oscillator circuit

Plastic orientation measurement instrument

Brake pressure control valve

Thread wound golf ball

Focused image tremble correcting device

Inter-LAN connection method using ISDN

Catalyst patterning for nanowire devices

Water filtration assembly

Wearable display

Preparation of star polymers

Multiple pouch bagging apparatus

Workpiece feeding-ejection mechanism

Hollow fiber separatory device

Electromechanical preparation of photoengraving cylinders

Display hook system

4-Aminoaliphatic-2,3,5,6-[dibenzobicyclo[5.1.0]octanes] and salts thereof

Movement detector

Catalyzed fluorination of chlorocarbons