Author: claimsbot

1. A vending machine comprising:
a tray comprising a dispensing door openable to dispense merchandise disposed in said tray, said dispensing door being connected to a sensor actuator;
a sensor comprising an actuatable element that causes an operation when actuated by said sensor actuator, said sensor comprising a holder; and
a biasing device that imparts a biasing force against said holder that compensates for relative movement between said actuatable element and said sensor actuator so as to maintain said actuatable element substantially at a predetermined spatial position with respect to said sensor actuator,
wherein when said tray is in an activating position, opening of said dispensing door causes said sensor actuator to actuate said actuatable element to cause said operation, and wherein said holder and said biasing device are mounted on a mounting bracket.
2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said biasing device maintains a substantially constant gap between said actuatable element and said sensor actuator in said activating position.
3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said holder is formed with a groove and a recess adjacent said groove, and wherein said biasing device is placed in said recess and said mounting bracket passes through said groove.
4. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said holder comprises a leading face that protects a portion of said sensor from impact applied against said leading face.

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 radiation sensitive resin composition comprising:
a first polymer having a group represented by a following formula (1); and
a radiation sensitive acid generator,
wherein in the formula (1),
n is an integer of 2 to 4,
X represents a single bond or a bivalent organic group,
A represents a (n+1) valent linking group, and
each Q independently represents a group that includes an alkali-dissociable group.
2. The radiation sensitive resin composition according to claim 1, wherein A in the formula (1) represents an alicyclic group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
3. The radiation sensitive resin composition according to claim 1, wherein Q in the formula (1) is a group represented by a following formula (2-1) or a following formula (2-2):
wherein in the formula (2-1),
each of R2 and R3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R4 represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R5 represents a fluorine atom or a monovalent organic group, wherein a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the hydrocarbon group represented by R2, R3 and R4 are substituted or unsubstituted, and a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the monovalent organic group represented by R5 are substituted or unsubstituted, and

wherein in the formula (2-2),
each of R6 and R7 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and
R8 represents a monovalent organic group.
4. The radiation sensitive resin composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of structural units having the group represented by the formula (1) with respect to entire structural units that constitute the first polymer is no less than 5 mol %.
5. The radiation sensitive resin composition according to claim 1, further comprising: a second polymer which is a base polymer and which has an acid-dissociable group.
6. A method for forming a pattern, comprising:
forming a resist film by applying the radiation sensitive resin composition according to claim 1 on a substrate;
exposing at least a part of the resist film by irradiating with a radioactive ray by liquid immersion lithography;
heating the exposed resist film; and
developing the heated resist film.
7. A polymer comprising:
a group represented by a following formula (1):
wherein in the formula (1),
n is an integer of 2 to 4,
X represents a single bond or a bivalent organic group,
A represents a (n+1) valent linking group, and
each Q independently represents a group that includes an alkali-dissociable group.
8. The polymer according to claim 7, wherein A in the formula (1) represents an alicyclic group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
9. The polymer according to claim 7, wherein Q in the formula (1) represents a group represented by a following formula (2-1) or a following formula (2-2):
wherein in the formula (2-1),
each of R2 and R3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R4 represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R5 represents a fluorine atom or a monovalent organic group, wherein a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the hydrocarbon group represented by R2, R3 and R4 are substituted or unsubstituted, and a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the monovalent organic group represented by R5 are substituted or unsubstituted, and

wherein in the formula (2-2),
each of R6 and R7 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and
R8 represents a monovalent organic group.
10. A compound represented by a following formula (0):
wherein in the formula (0),
n is an integer of 2 to 4,
X represents a single bond or a bivalent organic group,
A represents a (n+1) valent linking group,
each Q independently represents a group that includes an alkali-dissociable group, and
R1 represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group.
11. The compound according to claim 10, wherein A in the formula (0) represents an alicyclic group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.
12. The compound according to claim 10, wherein Q in the formula (0) represents a group represented by a following formula (2-1) or a following formula (2-2):
wherein in the formula (2-1),
each of R2 and R3 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R4 represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,
R5 represents a fluorine atom or a monovalent organic group, wherein a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the hydrocarbon group represented by R2, R3 and R4 are substituted or unsubstituted, and a part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the monovalent organic group represented by R5 are substituted or unsubstituted, and

wherein in the formula (2-2),
each of R6 and R7 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a chain hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and
R8 represents a monovalent organic group.

1. A method of producing a multi-layer composite foil, said method comprising:
providing a cover layer comprising at least one sub-layer;
extruding a material including at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers with admixtures, polystyrene, polystyrene with admixtures, high-impact polystyrene, polyester, amorphous polyester copolymer so as to form at least two carrier layers;
arranging the at least two carrier layers under the cover layer to form the composite foil; and
ensuring that the composite foil has a tensile strength sufficient to achieve a maximum tensile force between 30 Newton and 280 Newton in a single-axis tensile testing procedure using the composite foil as a testing body, wherein said ensuring comprises performing the single-axis tensile testing procedure using the following sub-steps:
a) storing the test body according to type 1 B as set forth in ISO 527-2: 1996 Section 6 having a thickness corresponding to a desired thickness of the composite foil to be tested for 24 hours prior to the beginning of the testing at 23\xb0 C. and 50% relative air humidity;
b) clamping the previously-stored test body into a testing apparatus according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 5, wherein the longitudinal axis of the test body is parallel to the direction of extrusion or calendaring direction of the composite foil, and applying pre-stressing according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 9.2 and 9.5;
c) subsequently implementing the single-axis tensile testing procedure according to ISO 527-1:1996 at a constant testing speed of 800 mmmin and at a constant temperature of 80\xb0 C., wherein immediately prior to the beginning of said implementing of the single-axis tensile testing procedure, keeping the clamped test body in a climatic chamber temperature-controlled at 80\xb0 C. for a period of 10 minutes; and
d) recording tensile forces which occur during said implementing of the single-axis tensile testing procedure depending on a test time measured from a beginning of the testing procedure in a range of nominal stretch \u03b5t (according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 10.2) of between 0% and 100%.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two carrier layers have a thickness of between 100 \u03bcm and 1000 \u03bcm.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier layer includes amorphous polyester copolymer, and said ensuring comprises ensuring that the composite film has a tensile strength sufficient to achieve a maximum tensile force of between 65 Newton and 105 Newton using the single-axis tensile testing procedure.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the composite foil has a thickness of between 300 \u03bcm and 450 \u03bcm.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier layer includes at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers, polystyrene, and high impact polystyrene, and said ensuring comprises ensuring that the composite film has a tensile strength sufficient to achieve a maximum tensile force of between 50 Newton and 230 Newton using the single-axis tensile testing procedure.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said ensuring comprises ensuring that the composite film has a tensile strength sufficient to achieve a maximum tensile force of between 105 Newton and 180 Newton using the single-axis tensile testing procedure.
7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the composite foil has a thickness of between 600 \u03bcm and 800 \u03bcm.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the cover layer and the at least two carrier layers is formed to include at least one of UV-stabilizers, UV-absorbers, and pigments in a proportion by volume of between 0.1% and 10%.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two carrier layers includes additives for vicat reduction with a proportion of weight of between 1% and 70%.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two carrier layers includes polycaprolactone in a proportion of weight of between 0.5% and 15%.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two carrier layers includes amorphous polyester copolymer in a proportion of weight of between 30% and 70%.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two carrier layers includes recycled material from the ongoing production process such that the recycled material faces away from the cover layer.
13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying a primer layer to a side of the at least two carrier layers located opposite of the cover layer.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said providing the cover layer comprises extruding the cover layer together with the at least two carrier layers, and the cover layer includes polymethylmethacrylate or impact-modified polymethylmethacrylate.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composite foil has an overall thickness of between 500 \u03bcm and 800 \u03bcm.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a layer thickness in a range of from 3% and 4% of an overall thickness of the composite foil.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 10% and 15% of an overall thickness of the composite foil, and a second layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 75% and 85% of the overall thickness of the composite foil.
18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is a transparent scratch-resistant coating, and said arranging the at least two carrier layers under the cover layer comprises applying the cover layer to a top one of the at least two carrier layers by laminating the cover layer on the top one of the carrier layers or by thermal transfer printing the cover layer on the top one of the carrier layers.
19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the composite foil has an overall thickness of between 300 \u03bcm and 450 \u03bcm.
20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the cover layer has a layer thickness of between 1% and 3% of an overall thickness of the composite foil.
21. The method according to claims 18, wherein a first layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 25% and 35% of an overall thickness of the composite foil, and a second layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 65% and 70% of the overall thickness of the composite foil.
22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer is a transparent scratch-resistant coating, and said arranging the at least two carrier layers under the cover layer comprises applying the cover layer to a top one of the at least two carrier layers by printing the cover layer on the top one of the carrier layers or by lacquering the cover layer on the top one of the carrier layers.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the composite foil has an overall thickness of between 300 \u03bcm and 450 \u03bcm.
24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the cover layer has a layer thickness of between 1% and 3% of an overall thickness of the composite foil.
25. The method according to claim 22, wherein a first layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 25% and 35% of an overall thickness of the composite foil, and a second layer of the at least two carrier layers has a thickness of between 65% and 70% of the overall thickness of the composite foil.
26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying a primer layer to a side of the at least two carrier layers located opposite of the cover layer, the at least two carrier layers includes an outer layer facing the primer layer, the outer layer including amorphous polyester copolymer with an anti-blocking additive.
27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cover layer comprises a plurality of sub-layers, further comprising laminating the cover layer as a finished pre-product onto the at least two carrier layers.
28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the cover layer comprises four sub-layers, wherein the first sub-layer is a transparent scratch-resistant coating with at least one of a UV-stabilizer and a UV-absorber, the second sub-layer is a transparent overlay foil consisting of an amorphous polyester copolymer with at least one of a UV-stabilizer and a UV-absorber, the third sub-layer is a decorative layer, and the fourth sub-layer is a primer layer.
29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the composite foil has an overall thickness of between 300 \u03bcm and 450 \u03bcm.
30. The method according to claims 27, wherein the cover layer has a thickness of between 33% and 37% of an overall thickness of the composite foil.
31. The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying at least one of a decorative layer, a color cover layer, and a one primer layer, to a side of the at least two carrier layers located opposite the cover layer.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the cover layer includes a transparent scratch-resistant coating with at least one of a UV-stabilizer and a UV-absorbers.
33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the at least two carrier layers have a total thickness of at least 95% of an overall thickness of the composite foil.
34. The method according to claim 31, wherein a first layer of the at least two carrier layers is at least one of chemically matted and mechanically matted.
35. The method according to claim 31, further comprising applying at least one of the decorative layer and the color cover layer to the at least two carrier layers by at least one of copper intaglio printing, flexographic printing, screen printing, and offset printing.
36. The method according to claim 31, wherein at least one of the at least two carrier layers is transparent.
37. A method of producing an item of coated furniture, said method comprising:
providing a piece of furniture;
producing a multi-layer composite foil by:
providing a cover layer comprising at least one sub-layer;
extruding a material including at least one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymers with admixtures, polystyrene, polystyrene with admixtures, high-impact polystyrene, polyester, amorphous polyester copolymer so as to form at least two carrier layers;
arranging the at least two carrier layers under the cover layer to form the multi-layer composite foil; and
ensuring that the multi-layer composite foil has a tensile strength sufficient to achieve a maximum tensile force between 30 Newton and 280 Newton in a single-axis tensile testing procedure using the composite foil as a testing body, wherein said ensuring comprises performing the single-axis tensile testing procedure using the following sub-steps:
a) storing the test body according to type 1 B as set forth in ISO 527-2: 1996 Section 6 having a thickness corresponding to a desired thickness of the composite foil to be tested for 24 hours prior to the beginning of the testing at 23\xb0 C. and 50% relative air humidity;
b) clamping the previously-stored test body into a testing apparatus according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 5, wherein the longitudinal axis of the test body is parallel to the direction of extrusion or calendaring direction of the composite foil, and applying pre-stressing according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 9.2 and 9.5;
c) subsequently implementing the single-axis tensile testing procedure according to ISO 527-1:1996 at a constant testing speed of 800 mmmin and at a constant temperature of 80\xb0 C., wherein immediately prior to the beginning of said implementing of the single-axis tensile testing procedure, keeping the clamped test body in a climatic chamber temperature-controlled at 80\xb0 C. for a period of 10 minutes; and
d) recording tensile forces which occur during said implementing of the single-axis tensile testing procedure depending on a test time measured from a beginning of the testing procedure in a range of nominal stretch \u03b5t (according to ISO 527-1:1996 Section 10.2) of between 0% and 100%; and
applying the multi-layer composite foil on to the piece of furniture so as to produce the item of coated furniture, said applying comprising thermoshaping the composite foil around corners, edges, and recesses of the piece of furniture by heating the composite foil.

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 computer-implemented data processing system, comprising:
a parametric model having parameters that are determined by minimizing an objective function which includes a sum of a convex loss and an L1 norm of the parameters; and
an optimization component for finding a parameter vector that globally minimizes the objective function for a plurality of iterations over an orthant on which the objective function is differentiable such that, at each iteration, a search direction is computed by approximately minimizing a quadratic function that models the objective function over the orthant containing a previous point and by using curvature information based on the convex loss alone; and
a processor that executes computer-executable instructions associated with at least one of the parametric model or the optimization component.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimization component trains the parameters of the parametric model, which is a machine learning model, to minimize the objective function.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the parametric model is associated with natural language processing.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimization component performs a line search at each of multiple iterations that projects search points onto a selected orthant.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimization component stops a line search based on a decrease in function value relative to a directional derivative in a direction of actual movement.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimization component optimizes the objective function approximately over a constrained region of space for each iteration.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the quadratic function comprises a limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) quadratic function.
8. A computer-implemented method of processing a parametric model, comprising acts of:
selecting an orthant that includes a current point in which direction a parametric vector representing steepest descent is pointed;
computing a limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) quadratic approximation that is valid for the orthant;
computing a minimum of the L-BFGS quadratic approximation;
restricting a search to the orthant; and
utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of selecting, computing, or restricting.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising iteratively selecting the orthant, computing the L-BFGS quadratic approximation, computing a minimum of the L-BFGS quadratic approximation and restricting the search until convergence.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising computing the L-BFGS quadratic approximation using an inverse Hessian matrix.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating the Hessian matrix based on the loss component alone.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising searching in a direction in which the L-BFGS quadratic approximation is a minimum.
13. The method of claim 8, further comprising projecting search points back onto the selected orthant.
14. The method of claim 8, further comprising stopping the search, which is a line search, based on a decrease in function value relative to a direction of actual movement.
15. The method of claim 8, further comprising minimizing the quadratic approximation over a constrained region of space that is differentiable.
16. A computer-implemented method of processing a parametric model, comprising acts of:
selecting an orthant having a set of points of a sign pattern;
minimizing a convex function over the orthant;
modeling second-order behavior of the convex function based on a loss component;
constraining a search direction to match the sign pattern of the set of points;
projecting each search point back to the orthant; and
utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of selecting, minimizing, modeling, constraining, or projecting.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising employing a pseudo gradient of the convex function.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising finding a vector of steepest descent.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting the orthant based on the vector.