Author: claimsbot

1. A device for melting polymeric material, comprising:
a barrel having an upstream end and a downstream end;
a first material source;
a second material source;
a screw having at least a first plasticizing zone extending along a first length of an exterior portion of the screw for plasticizing material from the first material source to convey a first melt toward the downstream end, and a second plasticizing zone extending along a second length of the exterior portion of the screw for plasticizing material from the second material source to convey a second melt toward the downstream end, such that the first length and the second length are non-overlapping portions of the screw;
separation means extending at least along the exterior portion of the screw between the first length and the second length for separating the first melt from the second melt; and
an accumulation space for receiving the first melt and the second melt, each melt separately conveyed from the respective plasticizing zone.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one opening in the barrel for independently introducing the first material and the second material into the respective first plasticizing zone and the second plasticizing zone.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation means further comprises:
a conduit through which the first melt flows from the first plasticizing zone to the accumulation space in the barrel.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein:
each of the first melt and the second melt flows through at least one non-return valve into the accumulation space in the barrel.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein:
each of the first melt and the second melt enter the accumulation space in the barrel at one or more respective openings; each such opening formed at a different location in the accumulation space.
6. The device of claim 5 wherein:
one or more of the respective openings is formed proximate a downstream end of the accumulation space and another one or more of the respective openings is formed proximate an upstream end of the accumulation space.
7. The device of claim 5 further comprising:
a connection between one or more of the respective openings of one of the first melt and the second melt.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises:
movement means for moving along a longitudinal axis of the barrel; and
the screw further comprises an elongated tip;
such that the movement means causes the elongated tip to be in close proximity with an exit orifice of the barrel so that material conveyed through the elongated tip displaces material in the accumulation space toward an upstream end of the accumulation space.
9. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one controlled-rate pellet feeder for controlling the rate of plasticizing of one of the first zone and the second zone with respect to the other zone.
10. The device of claim 3 further comprising:
a variable restriction in the conduit for controlling the rate of plasticizing of one of the first zone and the second zone with respect to the other zone.
11. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
a backflow channel situated within at least one of the screw and barrel for controlling the rate of plasticizing of one of the first zone and the second zone with respect to the other zone.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the first zone is formed with at least a first flight on the exterior of the screw; and
the second zone is formed with at least a second flight on the exterior of the screw;
such that the at least one first flight and the at least one second flight are configured for greater sensitivity to the loss of flow due to back pressure than the other zone for controlling the rate of plasticizing of one of the first zone and the second zone with respect to the other zone.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the first zone is maintained at a first temperature; and
the second zone is maintained at a second temperature; such that one of the first temperature and the second temperature are varied with respect to the other temperature for controlling the rate of plasticizing of one of the first zone and the second zone with respect to the other zone.
14. An injection molding machine comprising:
a first material source;
a second material source;
a screw having at least a first plasticizing zone extending along a first length of an exterior portion of the screw for plasticizing material from the first material source to output a first melt into a first accumulation space, and a second plasticizing zone extending along a second length of the exterior portion of the screw for plasticizing material from the second material source to output a second melt into a second accumulation space; and
a moveable barrier for separating the first accumulation space and the second accumulation space.
15. An injection molding machine as in claim 14 further comprising:
moving means for moving the screw along a longitudinal axis such that the moveable barrier forces the first melt and the second melt from the respective accumulation spaces.
16. A method of producing molded objects with a composite structure comprising a core layer and a skin layer comprising the following steps:
rotating a screw having a longitudinal axis: (1) to melt first material in a first plasticizing zone extending along a first length of an exterior portion of the screw and to cause melted first material to flow through a conduit and a first non-return valve into an accumulation space in front of the screw; and (2) to simultaneously melt second material in a second plasticizing zone extending along a second length of the exterior portion of the screw to cause melted second material to flow through a second non-return valve into the accumulation space in front of the screw such that one of the first material and the second material form substantially toward the rear and outer periphery of the accumulation space thereby forming a composite shot, the composite shot forcing the screw back along the longitudinal axis; and
injecting the composite shot into a mold.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
supporting a patient’s body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore; and
rotating the member about its longitudinal axis while the member is inside the bore, so that the patient’s body is rotated about the body’s longitudinal axis while in the bore of the MR scanner.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the member is supported in the bore on a mechanism that supports the member for rotation about the longitudinal axis.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
4. A method, comprising:
supporting a patient’s body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis and a recess on one end substantially underneath the patient’s head and neck and including a surgical head-holder supporting the patient’s head above or within the recess; and
positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
6. A method, comprising:
supporting a patient’s body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore; and
canting the member about a point along its longitudinal axis while the member is inside the bore, so that the head or feet of a patient may be raised or lowered with respect to one another while in the bore of the MR scanner.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the member is supported in the bore on a mechanism that supports the member for canting.
8. The method according to claim 7 further including canting the member using a hydraulically driven component.
9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
10. A method, comprising:
supporting a patient’s body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore; and
attaching first and second stirrups to the elongate member on one end and putting the feet of the patient in the stirrups.
11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
12. A method, comprising:
keeping two or more different members for supporting a patient’s body during a medical procedure conducted in conjunction with an MR scanner, wherein each member is adapted to be detachably inserted into a bore of the MR scanner, and wherein each member provides for a different patient support functionality;
selecting one of the different members for use in a medical procedure;
positioning a patient’s body on the selected member; and
engaging the member with the MR scanner such that the member is disposed at least in part in a bore of the scanner.
13. Apparatus, comprising:
an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient’s body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
a mechanism inside a bore of a MR scanner adapted to support and rotate the member about its longitudinal axis, so that the patient’s body is rotated about the body’s longitudinal axis while in the bore of the MR scanner.
14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism.
15. Apparatus, comprising:
an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient’s body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis and a recess on one end substantially underneath the patient’s head and neck and including a surgical head-holder supporting the patient’s head above or within the recess; and
the elongate member supported at least in part within a bore of a MR scanner.
16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
17. Apparatus, comprising:
an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient’s body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
the member positioned inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore; and
a mechanism adapted to cant the member about a point along its longitudinal axis, so that the head or feet of a patient may be raised or lowered with respect to one another while in the bore of the MR scanner.
18. Apparatus according to claim 17 further including a hydraulically driven component adapted to drive the mechanism.
19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.
20. Apparatus, comprising:
an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient’s body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;
positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient’s body is inside the bore; and
first and second stirrups attached to the elongate member on one end.
21. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.

1. An integrated circuit package, comprising:
a packaging substrate; and
a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device embedded in the packaging substrate.
2. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, in which a material in the packaging substrate surrounding the MEMS device comprises a low-stress laminate material.
3. The integrated circuit package of claim 2, in which the low-stress laminate material is a resin.
4. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, further comprising an embedded die in which the MEMS device is at least partially embedded, the embedded die being embedded in the packaging substrate.
5. The integrated circuit package of claim 4, further comprising a hermetic seal surrounding the MEMS device, the hermetic seal having a surface opposing a support surface of the packaging substrate that supports a surface mounted die.
6. The integrated circuit package of claim 5, in which the hermetic seal comprises at least one of a nitride, an oxide, and a polymer.
7. The integrated circuit package of claim 5, further comprising interconnect standoffs coupled to the embedded die, the interconnect standoffs reducing stress on the MEMS device.
8. The integrated circuit package of claim 7, in which a distance between the surface of the hermetic seal and the support surface of the packaging substrate corresponds to a length of the interconnect standoffs.
9. The integrated circuit package of claim 8, in which the distance is approximately 30-80 micrometers.
10. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, further comprising at least one surface die mounted on the packaging substrate and coupled to the MEMS device.
11. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, in which the MEMS device is at least one of a switch, a surface acoustic wave filter, and a thin film bulk acoustic resonator.
12. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, in which the integrated circuit package is integrated into at least one of a cell phone, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and a fixed location data unit
13. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit (IC) package, the method comprising embedding a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device in a packaging substrate.
14. The method of claim 13, in which embedding the MEMS device comprises:
drilling a cavity in a core;
placing an IC including the MEMS devices in the cavity; and
surrounding the IC with a low-stress material.
15. The method of claim 14, in which embedding the MEMS device comprises embedding the MEMS device at a distance below a support surface of the packaging substrate that supports a surface mounted die determined, in part, by a height of a hermetic seal on the MEMS device.
16. The method of claim 15, in which embedding the MEMS device comprises embedding the MEMS device such that the distance the support surface of the hermetic seal on the MEMS device and the support surface of the packaging substrate is approximately 30-80 micrometers.
17. An integrated circuit package, comprising:
a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device embedded in a packaging substrate; and
means for reducing stress on the MEMS device.
18. The integrated circuit package of claim 17, in which the stress reducing means comprises means for distancing the MEMS device from a support surface of the packaging substrate.
19. The integrated circuit package of claim 18, in which a distance between the MEMS device and the support surface of the packaging substrate is approximately 30-80 micrometers.
20. The integrated circuit package of claim 17, in which the integrated circuit package is integrated into at least one of a cell phone, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and a fixed location data unit

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A visual presenting apparatus comprising:
a base;
a support column which is mounted via a pivot shaft on the base so as to be pivotable in a front-rear direction;
a friction braking mechanism which applies a predetermined frictional load to the pivot shaft over a whole range of pivotal movement of the support column;
a power assist mechanism which applies a spring force to the support column thereby to urge the support column rearward;
a video camera head which is mounted on a distal end of the support column and disposed over a document placed on an installation surface of the base, thereby imaging the document, wherein:
the support column mounted on the base is pivotable between a forwardly-tilted position where the support column stands at a forward tilt angle relative to the base and a folded position where the support column is laid rearward along the base;
the power assist mechanism is operatively coupled with the support column when the support column is tilted forward from an upright position where the support column stands substantially upright on the base; and
the power assist mechanism being released from the operatively coupled state with the support column when the support column is tilted rearward from the upright position.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the power assist mechanism includes a twisted spring having two ends and a hook strip;
one of the ends of the twisted spring is fixed to the base and the other end of the twisted spring is engaged with the hook strip; and
the hook strip is retained in engagement with the twisted spring when the support column is tilted forward beyond the upright position, and the hook strip is disengaged from the twisted spring when the support column is tilted rearward beyond the upright position.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a first bearing plate and a second bearing plate, wherein:
the pivot shaft has two ends and the twisted spring is attached to one of the ends of the pivot shaft, and said one end of the pivot shaft is supported by the first bearing plate fixed to the base and the other end of the pivot shaft is supported by the second bearing plate fixed to the base; and
the friction braking mechanism includes a washer fixed to said other end of the pivot shaft and a disc spring which is attached to the pivot shaft to press the washer against the second bearing plate.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clicking mechanism which retains the support column at the upright position.