Author: claimsbot

1. An alkaline battery separator comprising a fiber sheet comprising more than 75 mass percentage of hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers having a fiber diameter of 9 \u03bcm or more, based upon 100% total weight of constituent fibers of the fiber sheet, wherein a part of said hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers is comprised of fibers having a tensile strength of at least 5 gd.
2. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein said fiber sheet contains fibers having a tensile strength of 5 gd or more and fusible fibers, as said hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers having a fiber diameter of at least 9 \u03bcm.
3. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 2, wherein the mass ratio of non-fusible fibers having a tensile strength of at least 5 gd and said fusible fibers is 10:90 to 50:50.
4. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein the maximum pore diameter of said fiber sheet is less than 50 \u03bcm.
5. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein a 5% modulus strength with respect to at least a direction of said fiber sheet is at least 60 N5 cm width.
6. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein pores having a pore diameter of at least 30 \u03bcm or less in said fiber sheet accounts for at least 95% of the whole of pores.
7. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein an air permeability of said fiber sheet is at least 4 cmsec.
8. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein an electrical resistance of said fiber sheet is less than 5 m\u03a9\xb7100 cm2sheet.
9. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein polyethylene fibers whose surface consists substantially of a polyethylene resin account for at least 60 mass % of said hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers which are the major component of said fiber sheet.
10. The alkaline battery separator according to claim 1, wherein said fiber sheet is a non-woven fabric.
11. A process for producing an alkaline battery separator comprising a fiber sheet comprising more than 75 mass percentage of hydrophilicity-imparted polyolefin fibers having a fiber diameter of at least 9 \u03bcm, comprising steps of: forming a fiber sheet from polyolefin fibers which have a fiber diameter of at least 9 \u03bcm, said polyolefin fibers containing polyolefin fibers having a fiber diameter of at least 9 \u03bcm and a tensile strength of at least 5 gd; and then imparting a hydrophilic property to the resulting fiber sheet.

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 transmission comprising:
an input member;
an output member;
a transmission housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall extending between the first and second walls;
a first, second, and third planetary gear set disposed within the transmission housing, wherein the second planetary gear set is adjacent the first wall, the third planetary gear set is adjacent second wall, and the first planetary gear set is between the second and third planetary gear sets, each planetary gear set having a sun gear member, a ring gear member, and a planet carrier member supporting a plurality of planet gears, wherein the output member is continuously interconnected with the ring gear member of the third planetary gear set, wherein the input member is continuously interconnected with the sun gear member of the second planetary gear set, wherein the sun gear member of the first planetary gear set is permanently coupled to the transmission housing, wherein the planet carrier member of the second planetary gear set is permanently coupled to the planet carrier member of the third planetary gear set, and;
wherein the transmission housing has a first area defined radially inward from an outer periphery of the planetary gear sets and axially bounded by the first wall and the second planetary gear set, a second area defined radially inward from the outer periphery of the planetary gear sets and axially bounded by the first and second planetary gear sets, a third area defined radially inward from the outer periphery of the planetary gear sets and axially bounded by the first and third planetary gear sets, a fourth area defined radially inward from the outer periphery of the planetary gear sets and axially bounded by the third planetary gear set and the second wall, and a fifth area defined radially inward from the third wall and radially outward from the outer periphery of the planetary gear sets and axially bounded by the first wall and the second wall;
a first clutch selectively engageable to interconnect the input member and the sun gear member of the second planetary gear set with the planet carrier member of the first planetary gear set;
a second clutch selectively engageable to interconnect the input member and the sun gear member of the second planetary gear set with the ring gear member of the second planetary gear set;
a third clutch selectively engageable to interconnect the planet carrier member of the first planetary gear set with the sun gear member of the third planetary gear set;
a fourth clutch selectively engageable to interconnect the ring gear member of the first planetary gear set with the sun gear member of the third planetary gear set;
a fifth clutch selectively engageable to interconnect the ring gear member of the first planetary gear set with the ring gear member of the second planetary gear set;
a brake selectively engageable to interconnect the planet carrier member of the third planetary gear set to the transmission housing;
wherein the first clutch is disposed in one of the first, third and fifth areas, the second clutch is disposed in one of the first, second and fifth areas, the third clutch is disposed in one of the second, third and fifth areas, the fourth clutch is disposed in one of the second, third and fifth areas, the fifth clutch is disposed in one of the first, second, third and fifth areas, and the brake is disposed in one of the third, fourth and fifth areas; and
wherein the clutches and the brake are selectively engageable to establish at least eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio between the input member and the output member.
2. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the first clutch is disposed in the first area, the second clutch is disposed in the first area, the third clutch is disposed in the second area, the fourth clutch is disposed in the second area, the fifth clutch is disposed in the second area, and the brake is disposed in the third area.
3. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the first clutch is disposed within the first area.
4. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the first clutch is disposed within the third area.
5. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the first clutch is disposed within the fifth area.
6. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the second clutch is disposed within the first area.
7. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the second clutch is disposed within the second area.
8. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the second clutch is disposed within the fifth area.
9. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the third clutch is disposed within the second area.
10. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the third clutch is disposed within the third area.
11. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the third clutch is disposed within the fifth area.
12. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fourth clutch is disposed within the second area.
13. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fourth clutch is disposed within the third area.
14. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fourth clutch is disposed within the fifth area.
15. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fifth clutch is disposed within the first area.
16. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fifth clutch is disposed within the second area.
17. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fifth clutch is disposed within the third area.
18. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the fifth clutch is disposed within the fifth area.
19. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the brake is disposed within the third area.
20. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the brake is disposed within the fourth area.
21. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the brake is disposed within the fifth area.
22. The transmission of claim 1 wherein the first planetary gear set has a first plurality of pinions and a second plurality of pinions rotatably supported by the planet carrier member wherein the first plurality of pinions intermeshes with the sun gear member and the second plurality of pinions intermeshes with the ring gear member.

1-91. (canceled)
92. A method for switching a power bipolar semiconductor device which includes both an n-type emittercollector region, and also a p-type base contact region, on both first and second surfaces of a p-type semiconductor die, comprising:
during the ON state, driving base current into one of the base contact regions; and
during transition to the OFF state,
temporarily shorting the base contact region on the first surface to the emittercollector region on the first surface, while also shorting the base contact region on the second surface to the emittercollector region on the second surface, and thereafter
floating at least the base contact region on the first surface;
wherein the base contact region on the first surface is not connected to the base contact region on the second surface;
whereby currents of both polarities are controllably switched between the emittercollector regions on opposite surfaces.
93. The method of claim 92, wherein the semiconductor die is silicon.
94. The method of claim 92, further comprising the preliminary step, in the ON state, of conducting current as a diode, before the step of flowing base current.
95. A method for switching a power bipolar semiconductor device which includes both first-conductivity-type emittercollector regions and also second-conductivity-type base contact regions on both opposed surfaces of a semiconductor die, comprising the actions of:
beginning turn-off by temporarily connecting the base contact and emittercollector regions on the first surface together, while separately connecting the base contact and emittercollector regions on the second surface together, without connecting the base contact region on the first surface to the base contact region on the second surface; and then
floating one, but not both, of the base contact regions;
whereby the total time required for turn-off is reduced.
96. The method of claim 95, wherein the semiconductor die is silicon.
97. The method of claim 95, further comprising, during the ON state, applying base current to one of the base contact regions.
98. The method of claim 97, wherein said step of applying base current supplies base current to the base contact region.
99. The method of claim 97, wherein the step of applying base current draws current from the base contact region.
100. The method of claim 95, further comprising the preliminary step, in the ON state, of conducting current as a diode, before the step of flowing base current.
101. A method for switching a power bipolar semiconductor device which includes both a p-type emittercollector region, and also an n-type base contact region, on both first and second surfaces of an n-type semiconductor die, comprising:
during the ON state, driving one of the base contact regions toward a voltage lower than the nearest emittercollector region; and
during transition to the OFF state,
temporarily shorting the base contact region on the first surface to the emittercollector region on the first surface, while also shorting the base contact region on the second surface to the emittercollector region on the second surface, and thereafter
floating the base contact region on the first surface, but not the base contact region on the second surface;
whereby currents of both polarities are controllably switched between the emittercollector regions on opposite surfaces.
102. The method of claim 101, wherein the semiconductor die is silicon.
103. The method of claim 101, wherein said driving step draws current from the base contact region.
104. The method of claim 101, further comprising the preliminary step, in the ON state, of conducting current as a diode, before the step of flowing base current.

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 electronic system comprising:
a first power supply having a first voltage level;
a second power supply having a second voltage level lower than said first voltage level;
a first load connected to be powered by said first power supply;
a first voltage monitor circuit connected to said first power supply to be powered by said first power supply and to sense said first power supply, said first voltage monitor circuit generating a first output signal indicating whether said first voltage level of said first power supply is within predetermined limits;
a second voltage monitor circuit connected to said first power supply to be powered by said first power supply, connected to said second power supply to sense said second power supply, said second voltage monitor circuit generating a second output signal indicating whether said second voltage level of said second power supply is within predetermined limits;
a second load;
a power switch connected to said second power supply, said first voltage monitor circuit and said second load, said power switch having a closed state connecting said second power supply to said second load if said first output signal indicates said first voltage level of said first power supply is within said predetermined limits and having an open state isolating said second power supply from said second load if said first output signal indicates said first voltage level of said first power supply not is within said predetermined limits.
2. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein:
said first load includes input and output circuits.
3. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein:
said first load includes analog circuits.
4. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein:
said second load includes digital memory.
5. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein:
said second load includes digital logic circuits.
6. The electronic system of claim 5, wherein:
said first voltage circuit generating a reset signal if said first voltage level of said first power supply not is within predetermined limits; and
said digital logic circuits are connected to said first voltage monitor circuit to reset upon receiving said reset signal from said first voltage monitor circuit.