Author: claimsbot

1. A nonwoven fabric substrate for a clothes dryer fabric softener sheet, said nonwoven fabric substrate being formed from substantially continuous filaments having a denier within the range of 2 to 12 denier per filament, said filaments including matrix filaments formed of polyester homopolymer and binder filaments formed a polyester copolymer, and a multiplicity of bonds throughout the fabric at locations where the binder filaments contact other filaments, said bonds integrating the filaments into a coherent nonwoven fabric with a grab tensile strength of at least 6 pounds per inch in the machine direction and 3.5 pounds per inch in the cross-direction, said fabric having a basis weight of no more than 0.50 ounces per square yard and a thickness of from about 0.1 80mm to about 0.200 mm.
2. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 1, wherein the grab tensile strength is at least 7 pounds per inch in the machine direction and at least 4.5 pounds per inch in the cross direction.
3. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 2, wherein the thickness is from about 0.190 mm to about 0.195 mm.
4. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven fabric basis weight is 0.48 ounce per square yard.
5. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 1, wherein the filaments have a denier per filament of 5 to 7.
6. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 1, wherein the filament have a trilobal cross-section.
7. The nonwoven fabric substrate of claim 1, in which the fabric is formed from 80% to 95% by weight polyethylene terephthalate homopolymer matrix filaments and 5% to 20% by weight polyethylene isophthalate copolymer binder filaments.
8. A nonwoven fabric substrate for a clothes dryer fabric softener sheet, said nonwoven fabric substrate being formed from substantially continuous filaments having a trilobal cross-section and a denier within the range of 5 to 7 denier per filament, said filaments including 80% to 95% by weight polyethylene terephthalate homopolymer matrix filaments and 5% to 20% by weight polyethylene isophthalate copolymer binder filaments, and a multiplicity of bonds throughout the fabric at locations where the binder filaments contact other filaments, said bonds integrating the filaments into a coherent nonwoven fabric with a grab tensile strength of at least 7 pounds per inch in the machine direction and 4.5 pounds per inch in the cross-direction, said fabric having a basis weight of from about 0.46 to 0.50 ounces per square yard and a thickness of from about 0.190mm to about 0.195 mm.
9. A process for producing a nonwoven fabric substrate for a clothes dryer fabric softener sheet, said process comprising extruding substantially continuous filaments, drawing the filaments to a denier within the range of 2 to 12 denier per filament, randomly depositing the filaments on a collection surface for form a filamentary web with a basis weight of no more than 0.50 ounce per square yard, consolidating the web of filaments in a steam consolidator at a surface temperature of less than 100 degrees C to maintain a fabric thickness of from about 0.180 mm to about 0.200 mm, and directing the consolidated nonwoven web through a hot air bonder and forming a multiplicity of bonds throughout the fabric at locations, the bonds imparting to the nonwoven fabric a tensile strength of at least 6 pounds per inch in the machine direction and 3.5 pounds per inch in the cross-direction.
10. A process according to claim 9, wherein the surface temperature of the steam consolidator drum is less than 95 degrees C.
11. A process according to claim 10, wherein said step of consolidating the web of filaments in a steam consolidator includes operating the consolidator at a chest steam flow of less than 12,000 pounds per hour and a drum pressure less than 12 pounds per square inch.
12. A process according to claim 9, wherein the step of extruding substantially continuous filaments comprises extruding a first plurality of polyethylene terephthalate homopolymer matrix filaments from a first set of spinneret orifices and extruding a second plurality of polyethylene isopolymer binder filaments from a second set of spinneret orifices, and wherein the step of forming a multiplicity of bonds comprises forming bonds through out the web at locations where the binder filaments contact other filaments.

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 non-volatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell transistor and peripheral transistor on the same substrate, comprising:
a metal suicide layer formed on at least one diffusion layer of the memory cell transistor, at least one diffusion layer of the peripheral transistor and on a gate electrode of the peripheral transistor; and
a self aligned contact structure providing an electrical connection to the at least one diffusion layer of the memory cell transistor.
2. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein:
the gate electrode of the peripheral transistor and a floating gate electrode of the memory cell transistor are formed from the same material.
3. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further including:
a gate insulating film formed under the gate of the peripheral transistor and floating gate insulating film under a floating gate electrode of the memory cell transistor wherein the gate insulating film is thicker than the floating gate insulating film.
4. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein:
the self aligned contact structure includes a conductive plug and the conductive plug includes a conductive plug portion at least partially overlapping a memory cell gate electrode of the memory cell transistor.
5. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further including:
an element separation region disposed between the peripheral transistor and the memory cell transistor.
6. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein:
the metal silicide layer includes cobalt.
7. A method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having a memory cell transistor and a peripheral transistor on the same substrate, comprising the steps of:
forming a metal silicide layer on at least one diffusion layer of the memory cell transistor and at least one diffusion layer of the peripheral transistor at essentially the same time; and
forming a self aligned contact to provide an electrical connection to the at least one diffusion layer of the memory cell transistor.
8. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7, wherein:
forming a contact hole to provide an electrical connection to the at least one diffusion layer of the peripheral transistor, the contact hole being formed at essentially the same time as the self aligned contact.
9. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7, wherein:
the memory cell transistor includes a floating gate and a memory cell transistor control gate and the self aligned contact includes a conductive plug including a conductive plug portion at least partially overlapping the memory cell transistor control gate.
10. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 9, further including:
Forming a side wall insulating film on a side of the memory cell transistor control gate.
11. A method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device having a memory cell transistor and a peripheral transistor on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:
forming an element separation region on the semiconductor substrate;
forming a first gate oxide film in a memory cell transistor region and a peripheral transistor region;
forming a peripheral transistor gate electrode and a memory cell transistor floating gate electrode;
forming an inter-electrode insulating film over the floating gate electrode;
forming a memory cell transistor control gate electrode over the inter-electrode insulating film;
forming a first nitride film over the memory cell transistor control gate electrode;
forming a peripheral diffusion electrode for the peripheral transistor and a memory cell diffusion electrode for the memory cell transistor;
forming a second nitride film as side walls on the side faces of the memory cell transistor control gate electrode;
forming metal silicide layers on the peripheral transistor gate electrode and peripheral transistor diffusion electrode;
sequentially forming a third nitride film and an interlayer insulating film over the memory cell transistor region and peripheral transistor region; and
removing portions of the interlayer insulating film and the third nitride film that are over the memory cell diffusion electrode to open a memory cell contact hole.
12. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 11, wherein:
forming the peripheral transistor gate electrode and the memory cell transistor floating gate includes forming a first polycrystalline silicon film over the surface and patterning the first polycrystalline silicon film so as to separate the peripheral transistor region from the memory cell transistor region.
13. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12, wherein:
the steps of forming the interlayer electrode insulating film, forming the memory cell transistor control gate electrode, and forming the first nitride film include
forming the inter-electrode insulating film, a second polycrystalline silicon film, and the first nitride film in that order on the semiconductor substrate; and
etching the first nitride film, second polycrystalline film, and inter-electrode insulating film to form the memory cell transistor control gate electrode.
14. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13, wherein:
forming the memory cell transistor floating gate electrode includes etching the first polycrystalline silicon film in the memory cell transistor region in the step of etching the first nitride film, second polycrystalline film, and inter-electrode insulating film.
15. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 14, wherein:
the second polycrystalline silicon film contains an impurity.
16. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 15, wherein:
forming the peripheral diffusion electrode and the memory cell diffusion electrode includes a heat treatment.
17. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 16, wherein:
forming the peripheral transistor gate electrode includes etching the first polycrystalline film in the peripheral transistor region separately from etching the first polycrystalline film in the memory cell transistor region.
18. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 17, wherein:
removing portions of the interlayer insulating film and the third nitride layer includes removing portions of the interlayer insulating film and the third nitride layer over the peripheral transistor diffusion electrode to open a peripheral contact hole.
19. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 18, further including the step of:
forming a second gate oxide film on the first gate oxide film in the peripheral transistor region while substantially leaving the first gate oxide film in the memory cell region.
20. The method of manufacturing a non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 11, wherein:
the non-volatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory.

1. A straddle type vehicle comprising:
a drive power source for generating driving force;
a shift shaft rotated by the driving force of the drive power source;
a power transmitting mechanism connecting the shift shaft to a clutch and to a shifter, the power transmitting mechanism adapted to move the clutch between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the power transmitting mechanism also adapted to cause movement of the shifter in a shift operation when a shift stage is changed;
the clutch being connected to an engine;
an engine speed detecting device adapted to detect an engine speed of the engine; and
an engine control device adapted to controlling an output of the engine;
wherein the engine control device, when a detected engine speed reaches or exceeds a preset value in an up-shift operation, executes an engine output reducing process in which an output of the engine is reduced to be less than an output given when the detected engine speed does not reach the preset value.
2. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine comprises a combustion chamber in which fuel is supplied and an ignition device disposed in the combustion chamber and adapted to ignite fuel in the combustion chamber, the engine output reducing process being adapted to inhibit one or more ignition cycles of the ignition device.
3. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine control device is adapted to be capable of performing a normal output control that controls the ignition device to ignite every preset cycle, and the engine output reducing process is adapted to prohibit ignition of the ignition device in at least one cycle.
4. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine control device executes an engine output recovering process adapted to gradually increase the output of the engine after executing the engine output reducing process.
5. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the engine comprises a combustion chamber in which fuel is supplied and an ignition device that is adapted to ignite fuel in the combustion chamber, and the engine output reducing process is a process adapted to inhibit ignition by the ignition device, and the engine output recovering process is a process adapted to recover ignition by the ignition device step by step.
6. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:
the engine control device is constructed to be capable of performing a normal output control that controls the ignition device to make the igniting operation every preset cycle,
the engine output reducing process is a process for prohibiting the ignition device from making the igniting operation in m cycles of n cycles where n is greater than 2, and
the engine output recovering process is a process for decreasing the number of the ignition operation prohibiting times of the ignition device in the n cycles from the m times to zero times.
7. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
the shifter is a gear type shifter having a plurality of shiftable gears, and
an execution time of the engine output reducing process is set every gearshift stage toward which an up-shift operation of the shifter is made.
8. The straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the execution time of the engine output reducing process is longer as a gearshift stage toward which the gearshift of the shifter is made is lower.
9. A method for using a single actuator to control clutch movement and shifting movement, the method comprising:
rotating a shaft in a first direction to disengage a clutch;
further rotating the shaft in the first direction to move a shifter from a first position to a second position;
rotating the shaft in a second direction to engage the clutch; and
reducing an engine speed of an engine connected to the clutch, wherein the engine speed is reduced to a speed lower than a predetermined engine speed before the clutch is fully reengaged.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising detecting the engine speed prior to reducing the engine speed and reducing the engine speed only if the detected engine speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined engine speed.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising recovering the engine speed gradually after the clutch is engaged.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the engine comprises an internal combustion engine.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the internal combustion engine comprises an ignition source and reducing the engine speed comprises inhibiting one or more ignitions of the ignition source.

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 keyboard comprising:
a first keyboard segment, the first keyboard segment including keys;
a second keyboard segment, the second keyboard segment including keys;
a joint coupling the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment, the joint including a socket and a ball retained therein and allowing the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment to pivot relative to one another; and
a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism locking the joint and thereby restricting the pivoting of the first keyboard segment relative to the second keyboard segment, wherein the socket retains the ball in both locked and unlocked positions of the locking mechanism, the ball being affixed to one of the keyboard segments.
2. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the first keyboard segment contains a recess and the locking mechanism includes a lever, the lever positioned either in or out of the recess in the first keyboard segment when the pivoting of the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment is either locked or unlocked by the locking mechanism.
3. The keyboard of claim 2, wherein:
the lever is pivotally mounted on a pin mounted in the first keyboard segment or the second keyboard segment.
4. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a bearing element and a cam, the cam being connected to the bearing element, movement of the cam causing movement of the bearing element.
5. The keyboard of claim 4, wherein:
the bearing element engaging the ball in a locked position to lock the first segment relative to the second segment.
6. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the joint is a ball-and-socket joint.
7. The keyboard of claim 2, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a biasing element and a cam, the biasing element biasing the cam and lever.
8. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the ball is spherical.
9. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the ball is hemispherical.
10. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the socket element is affixed to one of the keyboard segments.
11. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises:
a cam, operable to frictionally engage the ball and socket.
12. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a clutch.
13. The keyboard of claim 12, wherein:
the movable bearing element has a hemispherical surface.
14. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce pronation of a user’s wrists.
15. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce ulnar deviation of a user’s wrists.
16. The keyboard of claim 1, wherein:
the joint is adapted to allow pivoting of the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment in both horizontal and vertical directions.
17. A keyboard comprising:
a first keyboard segment, the first keyboard segment including keys;
a second keyboard segment, the second keyboard segment including keys;
a third keyboard segment, the third keyboard segment including keys;
a hinge coupling the second keyboard segment and the third keyboard segment;
a joint coupling the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment, the joint including a socket and a ball retained therein and allowing the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment to pivot relative to one another; and
a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism locking the joint and thereby restricting the pivoting of the first keyboard segment relative to the second keyboard segment, the locking mechanism including a lever movable from a locking position to an unlocking position wherein the socket retains the ball in both locked and unlocked positions of the locking mechanism, the ball being affixed to one of the keyboard segments.
18. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a bearing element and a cam, the cam being connected to the bearing element, movement of the cam causing movement of the bearing element.
19. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the joint includes a bearing element, the bearing element engaging the ball in the locked position to lock the first segment relative to the second segment.
20. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the joint is a ball-and-socket joint.
21. The keyboard of claim 18, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a biasing element, the biasing element biasing the cam and lever.
22. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the ball is spherical.
23. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the ball is hemispherical.
24. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the socket element is affixed to one of the keyboard segments.
25. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises:
a cam, operable to frictionally engage the ball and socket.
26. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a movable bearing element.
27. The keyboard of claim 26, wherein:
the movable bearing element has a hemispherical surface.
28. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce pronation of a user’s wrists.
29. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce ulnar deviation of a user’s wrists.
30. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein:
the joint is adapted to allow pivoting of the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment in both horizontal and vertical directions.
31. A keyboard comprising:
a first keyboard segment, the first keyboard segment including keys;
a second keyboard segment, the second keyboard segment including keys; and
a joint coupling the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment, the joint including a socket and a ball retained therein and allowing the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment to pivot relative to one another; and
a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism locking the joint and thereby restricting the pivoting of the first keyboard segment relative to the second keyboard segment, wherein the socket retains the ball in both locked and unlocked positions of the locking mechanism, the ball being affixed to one of the keyboard segments,
the ball and socket being frictionally coupled when the locking mechanism is in a locked position, the ball and socket being urged towards one another when the locking mechanism is in a locked position the socket maintaining substantially the same shape when the locking mechanism is in either a locked or unlocked position.
32. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a movable bearing element, the movable bearing element having a hemispherical surface.
33. The keyboard of claim 32, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a lever movable from a locking position to an unlocking position.
34. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a cam.
35. The keyboard of claim 34, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a movable bearing element, and a cam, the cam connected to the bearing element, movement of the cam causing movement of the bearing element.
36. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a movable bearing element, the bearing element engaging the ball in a locked position to lock the first segment relative to the second segment.
37. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the joint is a ball-and-socket joint.
38. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the locking mechanism includes a biasing element.
39. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the ball is spherical.
40. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the ball is hemispherical.
41. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the socket element is affixed to one of the keyboard segments.
42. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce pronation of a user’s wrists.
43. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment are positionable relative to one another to reduce ulnar deviation of a user’s wrists.
44. The keyboard of claim 31, wherein:
the joint is adapted to allow pivoting of the first keyboard segment and the second keyboard segment in both horizontal and vertical directions.
45. A method of adjusting a keyboard having first and second segments coupled by a joint, comprising:
providing a locking mechanism including a user-operable lever the lever sized to fit at least partially in a recess in one of the segments when the lever is in a locked position to allow a user to rain access to the lever;
unlocking the locking mechanism by pivoting the lever away from the recess;
moving the first and second segments in at least one plane; and
locking the locking mechanism by pivoting the lever to thereby lock a position of the
first keyboard segment relative to the second keyboard segment.
46. The method of claim 45, wherein:
the first and second segments are moved in two planes.