Author: claimsbot

1. A storage-volume fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders; the system comprising
a pump for supplying high-pressure fuel to a storage volume, and
a number of injectors supplied by said storage volume to inject the high-pressure fuel into corresponding cylinders of the engine at a corresponding injection cycle, said pump comprising
at least one reciprocating pumping member with a compression stroke, and
control means for controlling the pressure of the fuel supplied by the pump to the storage volume;
characterized in that said control means comprise at least one bypass solenoid valve controlled by a chopper unit to generate multiple deliveries for a compression stroke of said pumping member.
2. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said chopper unit controls said solenoid valve by pulse width modulation (PWM) as a function of operating conditions of the engine, so that each delivery of said pump is limited to a variable portion of said compression stroke.
3. An injection system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said chopper unit commands said pulse width modulation also as a function of the instantaneous position and speed of said pumping member at a frequency equal to the number of desired deliveries multiplied by the frequency of the compression strokes of said pumping member.
4. An injection system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said chopper unit commands at least one delivery for each injection cycle into the cylinders of the engine.
5. An injection system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said injection cycle comprises at least one main injection and a supplementary injection; characterized in that at least said delivery corresponding to each injection cycle is performed during at least said main injection.
6. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pump comprises at least two pumping members, each having a compression chamber communicating with said storage volume by a delivery line; characterized in that each pumping member is integrated with a corresponding bypass solenoid valve located at the relative compression chamber.
7. An injection system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that each of said bypass solenoid valves communicates with the compression chamber of the corresponding pumping member between a corresponding intake valve and a corresponding delivery valve.
8. An injection system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that each of said bypass solenoid valves is located along an intake line, and communicates directly with the compression chamber of the relative pumping member.
9. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pump comprises at least two pumping members, each having a compression chamber communicating with said storage volume by a delivery line; characterized in that said bypass solenoid valve is common to said pumping members and located along said delivery line.
10. An injection system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that said delivery line also has a non-return valve.
11. An injection system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said pumping members are coaxial and opposite, and are activated by a common cam.
12. An injection system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said pumping members are parallel, and are activated by two coaxial cams.
13. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pump is controlled by cam means operated by an ordinary drive shaft of the engine via a motion transmission device.
14. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pump has a number of pumping members equal to half the number of the cylinders of the engine; characterized in that said pump is operated with a transmission ratio of 0.5 between the shaft of the pump and the drive shaft.
15. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine has four cylinders, and said pump has three pumping members; characterized in that said pump is operated with a transmission ratio of 0.75 between the shaft of the pump and the drive shaft.
16. An injection system as claimed in claim 13 for a four-stroke engine, wherein said motion transmission device operates at least an ordinary camshaft at a speed equal to half the speed of said drive shaft; characterized in that said pump comprises a number of pumping members equal to half the number of cylinders of the engine; said pumping members being operated by cams fitted to said camshaft.
17. An injection system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pump is operated by cam means operated at a speed independent of that of the ordinary drive shaft; said bypass solenoid valve being controlled by said chopper unit under the control of a position sensor of said pumping member.
18. A high-pressure pump for feeding fuel to a storage volume for supplying a number of fuel injectors, said pump comprising
at least one reciprocating pumping member with a compression stroke;
and said pumping member having a compression chamber communicating with a delivery line;
characterized in that said pumping member is integrated with a corresponding bypass solenoid valve located at said compression chamber.
19. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that said bypass solenoid valve is coaxial with said pumping member.
20. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 19, and comprising two alternately operated pumping members; characterized in that said pump is integrated with two bypass solenoid valves, each coaxial with a corresponding pumping member.
21. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said pumping members are coaxial and opposite, and are operated by a common cam.
22. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said pumping members are parallel, and are operated by two coaxial cams.
23. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that a chopper unit is provided to control said bypass solenoid valve to generate multiple deliveries at each compression stroke of said pumping member.
24. A high-pressure pump as claimed in claim 22, characterized in that said chopper unit controls said solenoid valve by pulse width modulation (PWM) as a function of operating conditions of the engine, so that each delivery of said pump is limited to a variable portion of said compression stroke.
25. A method of controlling the fuel pressure in a storage volume for at least one fuel injector of an internal combustion engine, wherein said fuel is supplied to said storage volume by at least one reciprocating pumping member with a compression stroke; said pumping member having a bypass solenoid valve; the method being characterized by comprising the steps of:
defining an optimum pressure value of the fuel in said storage volume as a function of operating conditions of the engine;
operating said bypass solenoid valve to generate multiple deliveries for a compression stroke of said pumping member; and
controlling the duration of each of said deliveries, to keep the pressure of the fuel in said storage volume substantially constant during operation of said injector.
26. An injection system as claimed in claim 14 for a four-stroke engine, wherein said motion transmission device operates at least an ordinary camshaft at a speed equal to half the speed of said drive shaft; characterized in that said pump comprises a number of pumping members equal to half the number of cylinders of the engine; said pumping members being operated by cams fitted to said camshaft.
27. An injection system as claimed in claim 15 for a four-stroke engine, wherein said motion transmission device operates at least an ordinary camshaft at a speed equal to half the speed of said drive shaft; characterized in that said pump comprises a number of pumping members equal to half the number of cylinders of the engine; said pumping members being operated by cams fitted to said camshaft.
28. An injection system as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said chopper unit commands at least one delivery for each injection cycle into the cylinders of the engine.

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 airbag device comprising:
an inflator;
an airbag having an attachment hole for the inflator, the airbag being accommodated in a folded state around the inflator;
a gas rectifying member that guides gas from the inflator, the gas rectifying member being disposed between the inflator and the accommodated airbag;
a cushion ring disposed near the attachment hole inside the airbag; and
a base plate for fixing the airbag, the base plate being disposed to oppose the cushion ring,
wherein the gas rectifying member, during airbag assembly, includes a retained portion retained, together with the airbag, between the cushion ring and the base plate, and a free-standing tubular gas-flow guide portion standing upright from the retained portion,
wherein the retained portion and the gas-flow guide portion are formed as a single part from a base fabric,
wherein the retained portion of the gas rectifying member is provided at the center of the base fabric, and
wherein the tubular gas-flow guide portion of the gas rectifying member comprises mechanically connected side edges of radial cutout portions provided on the outside of the retained portion.
2. The airbag device according to claim 1,
wherein the side edges of the cutout portions are sewn.
3. The airbag device according to claim 2,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion, when gas is released from the inflator, can expand to a larger size than the inner periphery of the airbag in a folded state prior to the gas being released from the inflator.
4. The airbag device according to claim 2,
wherein the base fabric constituting the gas rectifying member is a silicone coated base fabric.
5. The airbag device according to claim 2,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion expands from one end at the retained portion toward the other end.
6. The airbag device according to claim 1,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion, when gas is released from the inflator, can expand to a larger size than the inner periphery of the airbag in a folded state prior to the gas being released from the inflator.
7. The airbag device according to claim 6,
wherein the base fabric constituting the gas rectifying member is a silicone coated base fabric.
8. The airbag device according to claim 6,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion expands from one end at the retained portion toward the other end.
9. The airbag device according to claim 1,
wherein the base fabric constituting the gas rectifying member is a silicone coated base fabric.
10. The airbag device according to claim 9,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion expands from one end at the retained portion toward the other end.
11. The airbag device according to claim 1,
wherein the gas rectifying member is formed such that the tubular gas-flow guide portion expands from one end at the retained portion toward the other end.
12. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular gas-flow guide portion is in a four-sided shape.
13. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular gas-flow guide portion is in a polygonal shape.
14. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the tubular gas-flow guide portion is in a cylindrical shape.

1. A method for refreshing a programmed programmable conductor memory cell which includes at least a programmable conductor memory element formed on a substrate, the method comprising:
applying a voltage to the programmed memory element to thereby induce a leakage current of approximately between 1 and 100 picoamps through the memory element and the substrate.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of applying a voltage to the programmed memory element comprises applying a voltage in the range of approximately 0 V to about 5.5 V.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage is applied continuously.
4. A programmable conductor memory cell comprising:
a substrate comprising:
a first well of a first conductivity type in electrical contact with the second electrode, and
a second well of a second conductivity type formed surrounding the first well, the second well having a depth of less than about 4000 \u212b,
wherein a remaining thickness of the substrate surrounding the second well is of the first conductivity type; and
a programmable conductor memory element formed in electrical contact with the substrate,
wherein the substrate is formed such that when the memory element is in a programmed state, application of a potential difference between the memory element and the substrate induces a leakage current through the memory element and through the substrate.
5. The memory cell according to claim 4, wherein
the memory element includes a first electrode and a second electrode; and
application of a potential difference between the first electrode of the memory element and the substrate when the memory element is in a programmed state induces a leakage current which flows from the first electrode through the memory element, through the first well, through the second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
6. The programmable conductor memory cell according to claim 5, wherein the first conductivity type is n-type, the second conductivity type is p-type, the first electrode is an anode, and the second electrode is a cathode.
7. The memory cell according to claim 5, further comprising:
an access transistor formed on the substrate, wherein the first well serves as a drain of the access transistor; and
a voltage source connected to the first electrode,
wherein when the memory element is in a programmed state, application of a voltage from the voltage source to the first electrode enables the leakage current to flow from the first electrode through the memory element, through the first well, through the second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
8. An array of programmable conductor memory cells, comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of memory cells formed on the substrate and arranged in rows and columns, wherein each row of memory cells is connected along a respective bit line and each column of memory cells is connected along a respective word line, wherein each memory cell comprises a programmable conductor memory element formed in electrical contact with the substrate,
wherein the substrate is formed such that when at least one of the memory elements in the array is in a programmed state, application of a potential difference between each of the at least one programmed memory element and the substrate induces a leakage current through each of the at least one programmed memory element and through the substrate; and
a cell plate forming a common electrode to each memory element in the array.
9. The array according to claim 8, further comprising:
a voltage source connected to the common anode, wherein application of a voltage from the voltage source to the cell plate induces a leakage current to flow through each of the at least one programmed memory element in the array and through the substrate.
10. The array according to claim 8, wherein
each memory element in the array includes a first electrode and a second electrode; and
the substrate includes
a first well of a first conductivity type for each memory cell, each first well being in electrical contact with the second electrode of the respective memory element of the corresponding memory cell, and
a common second well of a second conductivity type formed surrounding each of the respective first wells, the second well having a depth of less than about 4000 \u212b,
a remaining thickness of the substrate surrounding the common second well is of the first conductivity type; and
application of a potential difference between the first electrode of each of the at least one programmed memory element and the substrate induces a leakage current which flows from the first electrode through each respective programmed memory element, through the corresponding first well, through the second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
11. The array according to claim 10, wherein the first conductivity type is n-type, the second conductivity type is p-type, the first electrode of each memory element is an anode formed as a common cell plate to each memory element in the array, and the second electrode of each memory element is a cathode.
12. The array according to claim 10, wherein
the first electrode of each memory element in the array is a common electrode formed as a cell plate for each memory element in the array,
each memory cell further comprises a respective access transistor formed on the substrate, such that the respective first well serves as a drain of the access transistor,
a voltage source connected to the common first electrode, and
application of a voltage from the voltage source to the common first electrode enables the leakage current to flow from the common first electrode through each of the at least one programmed memory element, through the corresponding first well, through the second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
13. The array according to claim 8, wherein
each memory element in the array includes a first electrode and a second electrode; and
the substrate includes
a first well of a first conductivity type for each memory cell, each first well being in electrical contact with the second electrode of the respective memory element of the corresponding memory cell, and
for each first well, a second well of a second conductivity type surrounding the respective first well, each second well having a depth of less than about 4000 \u212b,
a remaining thickness of the substrate surrounding each of the second wells is of the first conductivity type; and
application of a potential difference between the first electrode of each of the at least one programmed memory element and the substrate induces a leakage current which flows from the first electrode through each respective programmed memory element, through the corresponding first well, through the corresponding second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
14. The array according to claim 13, wherein the first conductivity type is n-type, the second conductivity type is p-type, the first electrode of each memory element is an anode formed as a common cell plate to each memory element in the array, and the second electrode of each memory element is a cathode.
15. The array according to claim 13, wherein
the first electrode of each memory element in the array is a common electrode formed as a cell plate for each memory element in the array,
each memory cell further comprises a respective access transistor formed on the substrate, such that the respective first well serves as a drain of the access transistor,
a voltage source connected to the common first electrode, and
application of a voltage from the voltage source to the common first electrode enables the leakage current to flow from the common first electrode through each of the at least one programmed memory element, through the corresponding first well, through the second well, and then through the remaining thickness of the substrate.
16. A processing system, comprising:
a processor for receiving and processing data;
at least one memory array for exchanging data with the processor; and
a memory controller for managing memory access requests from the processor to the at least one memory array,
wherein each of the at least one memory array includes:
a substrate;
a plurality of memory cells formed on the substrate and arranged in rows and columns, wherein each row of memory cells is connected along a respective bit line and each column of memory cells is connected along a respective word line, wherein each memory cell comprises a programmable conductor memory element formed in electrical contact with the substrate,
wherein the substrate is formed such that when at least one of the memory elements in the array is in a programmed state, application of a potential difference between each of the at least one programmed memory element and the substrate induces a leakage current through each of the at least one programmed memory element and through the substrate; and
a cell plate forming a common electrode to each memory element in the respective array.
17. The processing system according to claim 8, wherein each of the at least one array further comprises:
a voltage source connected to the common anode, wherein application of a voltage from the voltage source to the cell plate induces a leakage current to flow through each of the at least one programmed memory element in the respective array and through the substrate.

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 stage device comprising:
a base;
a stage movable portion being movable along a surface of the base;
an interferometer configured to measure a position of the stage movable portion using measurement light;
at least one of a piping element and a wiring element connected to the stage movable portion;
an auxiliary member, including a plurality of members connected with each other along an axial direction of the at least one of the piping element and the wiring element, for guiding a bend of the at least one of the piping element and the wiring element; and
a plurality of heat insulating sheets configured to be supported by the plurality of members of the auxiliary member, the plurality of heat insulating sheets being provided between a space through which the measurement light of the interferometer passes, and the at least one of the piping element and the wiring element.
2. A stage device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the heat insulating sheets have a thermal conductivity of at most 0.1 Wm\xb7\xb0 C.
3. A stage device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat insulating sheets have a thermal conductivity of at most one half of a thermal conductivity of the auxiliary member.
4. A stage device according to claim 1, further comprising a plane motor for driving the stage movable portion.
5. A stage device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a surrounding member covering the auxiliary member and the plurality of the heat insulating sheets; and
an exhausting system configured to exhaust an inside space of the surrounding member.
6. An exposure apparatus comprising:
a stage device as recited in claim 1, which is configured to position at least one of a substrate and an original.
7. A method of manufacturing a microdevice, said method comprising:
a step of exposing a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus as recited in claim 6; and
a step of developing the exposed substrate to manufacture a microdevice.