Author: claimsbot

1. The method of making a printed wiring board without the formation of slivers, comprising the steps of:
a. providing a substrate having a plurality of thin circuit lines thereon;
b. applying a solder mask over the circuit lines onto which a commoning layer is not to be applied;
c. applying a seed catalyst layer over the solder mask and over all surfaces of the substrate that are not covered by the solder mask;
d. applying a thin metal commoning layer of electroless copper on the substrate and on the circuit lines to a thickness sufficient to achieve electrical continuity;
e. applying a photoresist over the thin commoning layer;
f. removing the photoresist to expose only the portion of the commoning layer covering the circuit lines as well as the side walls of the circuit lines; and
g. electrodepositing a conforming layer of a metal more noble than copper over the exposed commoning layer, covering the top and extending down the sides of each circuit line, at least to the point at which the conforming layer of electroless copper is intersected by the more noble metal.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the more noble metal electrodeposited over the exposed commoning layer is selected from the group consisting of zinc, cadmium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, and alloys with each other and with tin and lead.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the more noble metal comprises an electrodeposit of gold over an electrodeposit of nickel.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the cross-sectional shape of the circuit lines and commoning layer thereon are in the form of a trapezoid or a rectangle.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the nickelgold forms a conforming layer on the top and the sides of the circuit trace and commoning layer onto which they are electroplated.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the photoresist is removed after deposition of the conforming layer, followed by removal of all of the exposed portions of the commoning layer.
7. The method according to claim 6 wherein one or more surface finish metallization layers may be added by patterning additional layers of photoresist before removal of the exposed commoning layer.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the thin circuit lines are deposited on the surface of the printed wiring board by the steps of:
a) adhering a copper foil to the surface of the printed wiring board, and
b) electrodepositing a layer of copper over the foil.
9. The method according to claim 8 further including forming a flash copper layer on the copper layer prior to electrodepositing said layer of copper.
10. The method according to claim 8 wherein unwanted portions of the copper foil are removed by etching prior to electrodepositing said layer of copper over the remaining foil.
11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the commoning layer is deposited to a thickness of between about 15\u03bc inches and about 200\u03bc inches on the substrate and the exposed circuit lines.
12. The method of manufacturing a printed wiring board having a circuitized metal electrodeposit on both sides thereof, comprising the steps of
a. forming at least one continuous metallization layer of copper on each side of a dielectric substrate;
b. creating circuit traces on each metallization layer by removing unwanted metal;
c. masking over any area of any circuit trace that does not require a selective layer of a more noble metal;
d. applying a seed catalyst layer over all masked and unmasked surfaces;
e. flash plating a commoning layer of copper to a thickness between about 15\u03bc inches and about 200\u03bc inches over the seed catalyst layer;
f. applying a photoresist film over the commoning layer;
g. removing the photoresist film to expose the commoning layer over circuit traces to be plated;
h. electrolytically plating a conforming layer of the more noble metal than that of the commoning layer over the exposed commoning layer, covering the top and extending down the sides of each circuit line, at least to the point at which the conforming layer is intersected by the more noble metal;
i. stripping the photoresist; and
j. removing the commoning layer between the circuit traces.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the seed catalyst is a tinpalladium catalyst.
14. The method according to claim 12 further including the step of roughening the surface of the mask before applying the seed catalyst.
15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the commoning layer is exposed over the circuit traces to be plated by exposing and developing the photoresist film with a laser beam or a collimated light source to create openings through the film to the commoning layer.
16. The method according to claim 12 wherein the more noble metal is selected from the group consisting of zinc, cadmium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, gold, silver, palladium, platinum, ruthenium, and alloys with each other and with tin and lead.
17. The method according to claim 12 wherein the circuit traces are formed by the additional step of electrodepositing a layer of copper on the created circuit traces prior to masking of the circuit traces.
18. The method according to claim 17 further including forming a flash copper layer over the circuit traces prior to electrodepositing the copper layer over the circuit traces.

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 for reestablishing connection information on a switch connected to plural servers in a computer network, comprising:
identifying, at the switch, information to be transferred through the switch between a client and a first server;
determining an absence of connection information on the switch used to transfer the information between the client and the first server through the switch; and
responding to the determining by reconstructing the connection information on the switch using connection information extracted from an information packet passing through the switch from at least one of the plural servers during a communication associated with the information.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to be transferred through the switch is information included in the information packet from the at least one of the plural servers.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information to be transferred through the switch is information included in a first information packet transferred to the switch from the client, and the connection information is reconstructed on the switch using a second information packet sent by the at least one server to the switch in response to the first information packet.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising:
determining a group membership of the computer network, wherein the group membership includes the plural servers that are active in the computer network.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the group membership of the computer network is determined at predetermined time intervals.
6. The method of claim 4, comprising:
allocating, by the plural servers, a computer network connection address space among the plural servers.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the computer network connection address space is allocated among the plural servers based upon a connection load of each of the plural servers.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plural servers notifies the switch of a dispersal algorithm be used by the switch for allocating computer network connection address space of the plural servers.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein upon determining an absence of connection information on the switch, the information is transferred to a victim server using the dispersal algorithm.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dispersal algorithm is a predetermined matching function which is known to the plural servers and which is stored at the switch.
11. The method of claim 10, comprising:
storing the information in a computer memory of the victim server; and
forwarding the information packet from the victim server to the at least one server.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the information packet is forwarded through the switch from the victim server to the at least one server, and wherein the information packet contains the address of the at least one server.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection information is a connection tuple of the information packet.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the responding comprises:
extracting, by the switch, the connection tuple from the information packet on the switch.
15. A system for reestablishing connection information in a switch of a computer network, comprising:
plural servers;
a switch, connected to each of the plurality of servers, for identifying information transferred through the switch between a client and a first server, for determining an absence of connection information on the switch used to transfer the information from the client to the first server through the switch, and for responding to the determination of the absence of connection information by reconstructing the connection information on the switch using connection information extracted from an information packet passing through the switch from at least one of the plurality of servers during a communication associated with the information.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information to be transferred through the switch is information included in the information packet from the at least one of the plural servers.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information to be transferred through the switch is information included in a first information packet transferred to the switch from the client, and the connection information is reconstructed on the switch using a second information packet sent by the at least one server to the switch in response to the first information packet.
18. The system of claim 15, wherein the switch and the plurality of servers determine a group membership of the computer network, and wherein the group membership includes the switch and the plurality of servers that are active in the computer network.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the group membership of the computer network is determined at predetermined time intervals.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of servers allocate a computer network connection address space among the plurality of servers.
21. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the plural servers notifies the switch of a dispersal algorithm to be used by the switch for allocating computer network connection address space of the plurality of servers.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the dispersal algorithm is a predetermined matching function which is known to be plurality of servers and which is stored at the switch.
23. The system of claim 15, wherein the connection information is a connection tuple of the information packet.

1. A foot pad structure for mounting to a receiving portion of an electronic system, the receiving portion having a base wall, a surrounding wall and a first through hole, the surrounding wall being outward extended from the base wall, and the first through hole being extended through the receiving portion, the foot pad structure comprising:
a retaining member being mounted to the receiving portion and being provided with a second through hole communicable with the first through hole; and
an elastic pad member being a hollow member having a top opening, the elastic pad member being fitted around the retaining member via the top opening, and an elastic compressible portion being formed below the top opening, the compressible portion being protruded beyond the receiving portion when the retaining member is mounted to the receiving portion, and an air chamber communicable with the second through hole being formed in the compressible portion.
2. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base wall inside the surrounding wall is provided with at least one position limiting hole, and the retaining member is correspondingly provided on an upper end surface with at least one upward protruded retaining pin for inserting into the position limiting hole, the retaining pin being heat molten to become deformed for filling up the position limiting hole, whereby when the molten retaining pin is cooled and set again, the retaining member is firmly held to the receiving portion.
3. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the position limiting hole has a neck portion and a flared portion, and the retaining pin being extended through the neck portion, so that the heated and molten retaining pin fills up the flared portion of the position limiting hole.
4. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first through hole is extended through the base wall in a thickness direction thereof, and the second through hole is extended through between the upper end surface and a lower end surface of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole.
5. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first through hole is extended through the surrounding wall in a thickness direction thereof, and the second through hole comprising a transverse through hole and a vertical through hole, the transverse through hole being transversely extended between two opposite sidewall surfaces at an upper end of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole, the vertical through hole being longitudinally extended between the transverse through hole and a lower end of the retaining member, and the air chamber being communicable with external environment via the first through hole and the transverse and vertical through holes of the second through hole.
6. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining member is externally provided around a sidewall with a locating recess, and the elastic pad member is provided along an inner periphery of the top opening with a radially inward protruded locating portion for engaging with the locating recess on the retaining member.
7. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first through hole has an end located on the inner wall surface and another end bent toward to locate on the connecting wall surface, and wherein the second through hole comprising a transverse through hole and a vertical through hole, the transverse through hole being transversely extended between two opposite sidewall surfaces at an upper end of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole, the vertical through hole being longitudinally extended between the transverse through hole and a lower end of the retaining member, and the air chamber being communicable with external environment via the first through hole and the transverse and vertical through holes of the second through hole.
8. A foot pad structure for mounting to a receiving portion provided of an electronic system, the receiving portion having a base wall and a surrounding wall, and the surrounding wall being outward extended from the base wall and being provided on an inner wall surface thereof with an longitudinally extended groove, the foot pad structure comprising:
a retaining member being mounted to the receiving portion and being provided with a second through hole communicable with the groove; and
an elastic pad member being a hollow member having a top opening, the elastic pad member being fitted around the retaining member via the top opening, and an elastic compressible portion being located below the top opening, the compressible portion being protruded beyond the receiving portion when the retaining member is mounted to the receiving portion, and an air chamber communicable with the second through hole being formed in the compressible portion.
9. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the base wall inside the surrounding wall is provided with at least one position limiting hole, and the retaining member is correspondingly provided on an upper end surface with at least one upward protruded retaining pin for inserting into the position limiting hole, the retaining pin being heat molten to become deformed for filling up the position limiting hole, whereby when the molten retaining pin is cooled and set again, the retaining member is firmly held to the receiving portion.
10. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position limiting hole has a neck portion and a flared portion, and the retaining pin being extended through the neck portion, so that the heated and molten retaining pin fills up the flared portion of the position limiting hole.
11. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second through hole comprising a transverse through hole and a vertical through hole, the transverse through hole being transversely extended between two opposite sidewall surfaces at an upper end of the retaining member to communicate with the groove, the vertical through hole being longitudinally extended between the transverse through hole and a lower end of the retaining member, and the air chamber being communicable with external environment via the groove and the transverse and vertical through holes of the second through hole.
12. The foot pad structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the retaining member is externally provided around a sidewall with a locating recess, and the elastic pad member is provided along an inner periphery of the top opening with a radially inward protruded locating portion for engaging with the locating recess on the retaining member.
13. An electronic system, comprising:
a housing;
a receiving portion provided on a bottom of the housing, comprising:
a base wall;
a surrounding wall being downward extended from the base wall; and
a first through hole being extended through the receiving portion; and

a foot pad structure, comprising:
a retaining member being mounted to the receiving portion and being provided with a second through hole communicable with the first through hole; and
an elastic pad member being a hollow member having a top opening, the elastic pad member being fitted around the retaining member via the top opening, and an elastic compressible portion being located below the top opening, the compressible portion being protruded beyond the receiving portion when the retaining member is mounted to the receiving portion, and an air chamber being formed in the compressible portion.
14. The electronic system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the base wall inside the surrounding wall is provided with at least one position limiting hole, and the retaining member is correspondingly provided on an upper end surface with at least one upward protruded retaining pin for inserting into the position limiting hole, the retaining pin being heat molten to become deformed for filling up the position limiting hole, whereby when the molten retaining pin is cooled and set again, the retaining member is firmly held to the receiving portion.
15. The electronic system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the position limiting hole has a neck portion and a flared portion, and the retaining pin being extended through the neck portion, so that the heated and molten retaining pin fills up the flared portion of the position limiting hole.
16. The electronic system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first through hole is extended through the base wall in a thickness direction thereof, and the second through hole is extended through between the upper end surface and a lower end surface of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole.
17. The electronic system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first through hole is extended through the surrounding wall in a thickness direction thereof, and the second through hole comprising a transverse through hole and a vertical through hole, the transverse through hole being transversely extended between two opposite sidewall surfaces at an upper end of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole, the vertical through hole being longitudinally extended between the transverse through hole and a lower end of the retaining member, and the air chamber being communicable with external environment via the first through hole and the transverse and vertical through holes of the second through hole.
18. The electronic system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the retaining member is externally provided around a sidewall with a locating recess, and the elastic pad member is provided along an inner periphery of the top opening with a radially inward protruded locating portion for engaging with the locating recess on the retaining member.
19. The electronic system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first through hole has an end located on the inner wall surface and another end bent toward to locate on the connecting wall surface, and wherein the second through hole comprising a transverse through hole and a vertical through hole, the transverse through hole being transversely extended between two opposite sidewall surfaces at an upper end of the retaining member to communicate with the first through hole, the vertical through hole being longitudinally extended between the transverse through hole and a lower end of the retaining member, and the air chamber being communicable with external environment via the first through hole and the transverse and vertical through holes of the second through hole.

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. An orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly, comprising:
a guide block including a mounting bracket,
a cutting block comprising:
a base plate,
a pair of curved arms extending posteriorly from the base plate, each curved arm including a posterior surface and a cutting guide defined in the posterior surface, and
a tab that is pivotal between (i) a first position in which the tab is engaged with the mounting bracket to secure the guide block to the cutting block, and (ii) a second position in which the tab is disengaged from the mounting bracket such that the guide block is removable from the cutting block,

a stem trial positioned proximal to the base plate of the cutting block, and
an offset tool having a proximal end coupled to the stem trial, a distal end coupled to the cutting block, and a shaft of the offset tool extending through a cylindrical passageway defined in the guide block, wherein: (i) the proximal end defines a first axis and the distal end defines a second axis extending parallel to the first axis, and (ii) the proximal end of the offset tool is configured to pivot relative to the distal end.
2. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide block includes a locking mechanism configured to secure the guide block to the shaft of the offset tool.
3. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 2, wherein:
the shaft of the offset tool includes a plurality of slots, each slot corresponding to a predetermined reaming depth, and
the locking mechanism of the guide block includes a locking pin that is moveable between (i) a first position in which the locking pin is positioned in one of the plurality of slots to secure the guide block to the shaft of the offset tool, and (ii) a second position in which the locking pin is disengaged from the plurality of slots such that the guide block is removable from the shaft.
4. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 1, wherein the offset tool includes a locking mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the distal end relative to the proximal end.
5. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 4, wherein:
the shaft of the offset tool is a first shaft including the proximal end of the offset tool,
the offset tool includes a connecting body extending between the first shaft and a second shaft including the distal end of the offset tool, and
the locking mechanism includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the first shaft, the threaded rod being moveable along the first axis between (i) a first position in which the threaded rod is spaced apart from the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is permitted, and (ii) a second position in the threaded rod is engaged with the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is prevented.
6. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 5, further comprising a handle and a connecting rod pivotally coupled to the handle, wherein the handle includes a plurality of internal threads that engage a plurality of external threads formed on the distal end of the first shaft, and the connecting rod having a driver head configured to be engaged with a distal end of the threaded rod.
7. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 1, further comprising an indicator to indicate a position of the proximal end relative to the distal end of the offset tool.
8. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cannulated reamer sized to receive a shaft of the offset tool.
9. An orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly, comprising:
a guide block including a mounting bracket and a locking mechanism,
a cutting block comprising:
a base plate, and
a pair of curved arms extending posteriorly from the base plate, each curved arm including a posterior surface and a cutting guide defined in the posterior surface,

a stem trial positioned proximal to the base plate of the cutting block, and
an offset tool comprising:
a proximal end coupled to the stem trial,
a distal end coupled to the cutting block, wherein: (i) the proximal end defines a first axis and the distal end defines a second axis extending parallel to the first axis, and (ii) the proximal end of the offset tool is configured to pivot relative to the distal end, and
a shaft including a plurality of slots, each slot corresponding to a predetermined reaming depth, wherein the locking mechanism of the guide block includes a locking pin that is moveable between (i) a first position in which the locking pin is positioned in one of the plurality of slots to secure the guide block to the shaft of the offset tool, and (ii) a second position in which the locking pin is disengaged from the plurality of slots such that the guide block is removable from the shaft.
10. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 9, wherein the cutting block includes a tab that is pivotal between (i) a first position in which the tab is engaged with the mounting bracket to secure the guide block to the cutting block, and (ii) a second position in which the tab is disengaged from the mounting bracket such that the guide block is removable from the cutting block.
11. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 9, wherein the offset tool includes a locking mechanism configured to prevent rotation of the distal end relative to the proximal end.
12. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 11, wherein:
the shaft of the offset tool is a first shaft including the proximal end of the offset tool,
the offset tool includes a connecting body extending between the first shaft and a second shaft including the distal end of the offset tool, and
the locking mechanism of the offset tool includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the first shaft, the threaded rod being moveable along the first axis between (i) a first position in which the threaded rod is spaced apart from the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is permitted, and (ii) a second position in the threaded rod is engaged with the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is prevented.
13. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 12, further comprising a handle and a connecting rod pivotally coupled to the handle, wherein the handle includes a plurality of internal threads that engage a plurality of external threads formed on the distal end of the first shaft, and the connecting rod having a driver head configured to be engaged with a distal end of the threaded rod.
14. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 9, further comprising an indicator to indicate a position of the proximal end relative to the distal end of the offset tool.
15. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 9, further comprising a cannulated reamer sized to receive a shaft of the offset tool.
16. An orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly, comprising:
a guide block including a mounting bracket,
a cutting block comprising:
a base plate, and
a pair of curved arms extending posteriorly from the base plate, each curved arm including a posterior surface and a cutting guide defined in the posterior surface,

a stem trial positioned proximal to the base plate of the cutting block,
an offset tool comprising:
a proximal end coupled to the stem trial,
a distal end coupled to the cutting block, wherein: (i) the proximal end defines a first axis and the distal end defines a second axis extending parallel to the first axis, and (ii) the proximal end of the offset tool is configured to pivot relative to the distal end, and
a shaft extending through a cylindrical passageway defined in the guide block, wherein (i) the shaft of the offset tool is a first shaft including the proximal end of the offset tool, and (ii) the offset tool includes a connecting body extending between the first shaft and a second shaft including the distal end of the offset tool,

a locking mechanism configured to secure the guide block to the shaft of the offset tool and prevent rotation of the distal end relative to the proximal end, wherein the locking mechanism includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the first shaft and being moveable along the first axis between (i) a first position in which the threaded rod is spaced apart from the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is permitted, and (ii) a second position in the threaded rod is engaged with the connecting body such that relative movement between the first shaft and the second shaft is prevented, and
a handle comprising:
a plurality of internal threads that engage a plurality of external threads formed on the distal end of the first shaft, and
a connecting rod pivotally coupled to the handle, wherein the connecting rod having a driver head configured to be engaged with a distal end of the threaded rod.
17. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 16, wherein the cutting block includes a tab that is pivotal between (i) a first position in which the tab is engaged with the mounting bracket to secure the guide block to the cutting block, and (ii) a second position in which the tab is disengaged from the mounting bracket such that the guide block is removable from the cutting block.
18. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 17, wherein:
the shaft of the offset tool includes a plurality of slots, each slot corresponding to a predetermined reaming depth, and
the locking mechanism of the guide block includes a locking pin that is moveable between (i) a first position in which the locking pin is positioned in one of the plurality of slots to secure the guide block to the shaft of the offset tool, and (ii) a second position in which the locking pin is disengaged from the plurality of slots such that the guide block is removable from the shaft.
19. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 16, further comprising an indicator to indicate a position of the proximal end relative to the distal end of the offset tool.
20. The orthopaedic surgical instrument assembly of claim 16, further comprising a cannulated reamer sized to receive a shaft of the offset tool.