Author: claimsbot

1. An adjustable dumbbell, comprising:
(a) a handle including a grip;
(b) a plurality of weights, wherein each weight comprises:
(i) a pair of carriers;
(ii) at least one interconnecting member extending between the carriers and joining the carriers together in longitudinally spaced apart relationship with the carriers and interconnecting member(s) of each weight being separate and distinct from the carriers and interconnecting member(s) of the other weights and from the handle, wherein the carriers of different weights are longitudinally spaced apart at progressively greater distances to allow the carriers to be disposed in a nested and stacked arrangement with respect to one another; and
(iii) a weight plate removably attached to each carrier.
2. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a tongue or tang that is narrower than the weight plate such that the weight plate when mounted on the tongue or tang extends laterally beyond the tongue or tang.
3. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 2, wherein the weight frame includes an upwardly facing, U-shaped channel, and each tongue or tang is carried adjacent each end of the channel.
4. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 3, wherein each tongue or tang is bent up from a bottom wall of the U-shaped channel.
5. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 1, wherein the carrier is larger than the weight plate such that the weight plate lies wholly within a peripheral cuter edge of the carrier, and wherein the carrier includes a recess or cavity in which the weight plate is inserted.
6. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 5, wherein the carrier is formed of plastic.
7. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 5, further including a pair of interconnecting members extending between and joining the carriers of the weight frame.
8. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 7, wherein the carriers include downwardly facing shoulders on each side of the carrier, and wherein the interconnecting members extend between and unite the shoulders on each side of the pair of carriers with one interconnecting member extending between and uniting the shoulders on one side of the carriers and the other interconnecting member extending between and uniting the shoulders on the other side of the carriers.
9. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 8, wherein the carriers of adjacent weights are at progressively greater distances from one another, and the shoulders of adjacent weights are at progressively lower elevations, to permit a plurality of weights to be nested together.
10. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 8, wherein the selector comprises a pin insertable beneath the interconnecting members of a desired weight such that the dumbbell when lifted will carry with it the desired weight and all other weights whose interconnecting members lie above the interconnecting members of the desired weight.
11. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:
(a) a handle;
(b) a plurality of weights that can be nested together forming a nested first stack of weight plates and a nested second stack of weight plates, the first and second stacks of weight plates being separated by a gap that is large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the handle therebetween;
(c) a selector movable by the user between different positions to allow a desired number of weight plates from each of the first and second stacks to be coupled to either end of the handle when the handle portion is located in the gap between the first and second stacks and the selector is manipulated by the user; and
(d) wherein each weight comprises:
(i) a weight frame that includes at least one vertically extending carrier; and
(ii) a weight plate having a central hole, wherein the weight plate is removably secured to the carrier of the weight frame; and
(iii) wherein the carrier includes a cylindrical hub received in the central hole of the weight plate such that the weight plate is concentrically received around the cylindrical hub of the carrier when the weight plate is removably secured to the carrier.
12. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 11, further including a clamping member for clamping the weight plate to the carrier.
13. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 12, wherein the clamping member comprises a protruding portion surrounded by a peripheral rim portion, wherein the protruding portion is received inside the central hole of the weight plate with the peripheral rim portion of the clamping member engaging against a face of the weight plate.
14. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 13, further including an attachment member for clamping the clamping member against the cylindrical hub to retain the weight plate between the peripheral rim portion of the clamping member and portions of the carrier surrounding the cylindrical hub.
15. The Selectorized dumbbell of claim 14, wherein the attachment member comprises a threaded fastener.
16. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 12, wherein the clamping member comprises a flat washer with the washer being abutted against a face of the weight plate with a peripheral rim portion of the washer engaging against the face of the weight plate.
17. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 16, further including an attachment member for clamping the clamping member against the cylindrical hub to retain the weight plate between the peripheral rim portion of the washer and portions of the carrier surrounding the cylindrical hub.
18. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:
(a) a handle;
(b) a plurality of weights that can be nested together forming a nested first stack of weight plates and a nested second stack of weight plates, the first and second stacks of weight plates being separated by a gap that is large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the handle therebetween;
(c) a selector movable by the user between different positions to allow a desired number of weight plates from each of the first and second stacks to be coupled to either end of the handle when the handle portion is located in the gap between the first and second stacks and the selector is manipulated by the user; and
(d) wherein each weight comprises;
(i) a weight frame that includes at least one vertically extending carrier;
(ii) at least one commodity weight which comprises a cast iron weight plate of the type having a central hole that can be slipped onto a bar of a non-selectorized barbell or dumbbell;
(iii) a fastener for removably holding the commodity weight to the carrier on the weight frame to allow the commodity weight to be used on the selectorized dumbbell.
19. The selectorized dumbbell of claim 18, wherein the weight frame includes a pair of vertically extending carriers spaced apart from one another, and wherein a commodity weight is removably secured by a fastener to each carrier.
20. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:
(a) a handle:
(b) a plurality of weights that can nested together forming a nested first stack of weight plates and a nested second stack of weight plates, the first and second stacks of weight plates being separated by a gap that is large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the handle therebetween;
(c) a selector movable by the user between different positions to allow a desired number of weight plates from each of the first and second stacks to be coupled to either end of the handle when the handle portion is located in the gap between the first and second stacks and the selector is manipulated by the user; and
(d) wherein each weight comprises:
(i) a weight frame; and
(ii) at least one commodity weight which comprises a cast iron weight plate of the type having a central hole that can be slipped onto a bar of a non-selectorized barbell or dumbbell; and
(iii) a fastener for removably holding the commodity weight on the weight frame to allow the commodity weight to be used on the selectorized dumbbell, wherein the fastener comprises a tie for tying the commodity weight to the weight frame.
21. A selectorized dumbbell, which comprises:
(a) a handle;
(b) a plurality of weights that can be nested together forming a nested first stack of weight plates and a nested second stack of weight plates, the first and second stacks of weight plates being separated by a gap that is large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the handle the therebetween;
(c) a selector movable by the user between different positions to allow a desired number of weight plates from each of the first and second stacks to be coupled to either end of the handle when the handle portion is located in the gap between the first and second stacks and the selector is manipulated by the user; and
(d) wherein each weight comprises:
(i) a weight frame that includes a portion that coacts with the selector to determine if the weight is coupled to the selector or not;
(ii) a carrier on one end of the weight frame, wherein the carrier has a vertically projecting portion that extends substantially vertically beyond the selector coacting portion of the weight frame; and
(iii) a weight plate removably secured to the vertically projecting portion of the carrier.
22. A method of providing a selectorized dumbbell to a user located in a destination remote from a manufacturer of the dumbbell, which comprises:
(a) manufacturing a selectorized dumbbell having a handle, a selector, and a plurality of weight frames for providing a plurality of weights that can be nested together forming a nested first stack of weight plates and a nested second stack of weight plates, the first and second stacks of weight plates being separated by a gap that is large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the handle therebetween, each weight frame having at least one carrier for securing to the weight frame a commodity weight of the type comprising a cast iron weight plate having a central hole therethrough with the commodity weight being of the type that can be slipped onto a bar of a non-selectorized barbell or dumbbell; and
(b) completing the weights of the non-selectorized dumbbell by removably attaching commodity weights of the type described above to the carriers provided on the respective weight frames.
23. The method of claim 22, further including the steps of;
(a) shipping the selectorized dumbbell following the manufacturing step from the manufacturer to the destination with the weight carriers being empty of the commodity weights;
(b) obtaining commodity weights and completing the weights by removably attaching the commodity weights to the carriers at the destination, whereby the cost of shipping from the manufacturer’s location to the destination is reduced by not having to ship the commodity weights from the manufacturer’s location to the destination.

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 dispenser cap assembly for mounting on a container having an opening formed therein, the dispenser cap assembly comprising:
an outer shell;
an inner sleeve received by the outer shell; and
a plug structure received by the opening of the container and the inner sleeve and cooperating with the inner sleeve to selectively allow egress of the contents of the container through the inner sleeve and outer shell.
2. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 1, wherein the outer shell is at least partially transparent so that the inner sleeve is viewable therethrough.
3. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 1, wherein the outer shell has a top wall which is one of substantially flat and slightly concave to allow the top wall to rest on a flat surface and support the container in a vertically upside down position when the cap assembly is mounted on the container.
4. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 1, wherein the inner sleeve includes a top wall, an inner wall, a middle wall disposed concentrically about the inner wall and an outer wall disposed concentrically about the middle wall, the inner wall, middle wall and outer wall extending perpendicularly in the same direction from the top wall of the inner sleeve, the top wall of the inner sleeve having an opening formed through the thickness thereof which selectively receives at least a portion of the plug structure.
5. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the middle wall of the inner sleeve includes threads which cooperate with threads formed on the container, and wherein the outer wall of the inner sleeve is dimensioned to be closely received by the outer shell.
6. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 4, wherein each of the top walls of the inner sleeve and outer shell is slightly concave and includes an opening formed through the thickness thereof, and wherein the top wall of the inner sleeve includes an upstanding boss surrounding the opening formed therein, the boss having a protruding peripheral rim which is received by the opening formed in the top wall of the outer sleeve.
7. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 4, wherein the inner sleeve includes at least one flange formed on a peripheral lower edge of the outer wall of the inner sleeve and extending radially outwardly therefrom over at least a portion of a periphery thereof, and wherein the outer shell includes an outer wall extending perpendicularly from the top wall of the outer shell, the outer wall having at least one cutout formed therein over at least a portion of the circumference thereof and receiving the at least one flange of the inner sleeve, the inner sleeve being closely received by the outer shell and being suspended therein so that the respective outer walls and top walls of the outer shell and inner sleeve are spaced apart slightly from each other to avoid a wetting phenomenon.
8. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 7, wherein the outer shell is formed with at least one radially inwardly extending rib disposed in proximity to the at least one cutout, and a shoulder spaced apart from the at least one rib and at least partially defining the at least one cutout to capture therebetween the at least one flange of the inner sleeve to help secure the inner sleeve to the outer shell.
9. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 1, wherein the plug structure includes an outer sidewall, an inner closed plug disposed radially inwardly of the outer sidewall, and at least one rib extending between the outer sidewall of the plug structure and the inner closed plug to support the inner closed plug in a spaced apart relationship to the outer sidewall, the outer sidewall of the plug structure and the inner closed plug defining therebetween an open area to allow egress of the contents of the container to pass therethrough, the inner closed plug being selectively in contact with a portion of the top wall of the inner sleeve defining the opening therein to selectively allow egress of the contents of the container to pass through the opening in the top wall of the inner sleeve.
10. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 9, wherein the inner closed plug has a truncated conical shape.
11. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 9, wherein the inner closed plug has a truncated conical shape and includes a sidewall, a top portion and a beveled edge interposed between the sidewall of the plug and the top portion of the plug.
12. A dispenser cap assembly as defined by claim 9, wherein the plug structure is dimensioned to be closely received by the opening of the container such that the outer sidewall of the plug structure engages a portion of the container defining the container opening to form a first seal therewith; wherein the inner wall of the inner sleeve engages the outer sidewall of the plug structure to form a second seal therewith; and wherein the inner closed plug of the plug structure selectively engages the top wall portion of the inner sleeve defining the opening in the top wall to selectively form a third seal therewith.

We claim:

1. A method for forming a pattern in a photoresist material, comprising:
positioning a filter member in a light path of an illumination device, the filter member comprising a plurality of regions and a filtering material disposed over the plurality of regions, the filtering material having a variable characteristic that is independently adjustable for each region to enhance the uniformity of the intensity of the light;
providing a mask in the light path, the mask having a pattern; and
illuminating, according to the pattern, portions of a photoresist material with light from the illumination device having a variation in intensity of 0.5% or less, the light passing through the filter member and the mask.
2. A method for making a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
positioning a filter member in a light path of an illumination device, the filter member comprising a plurality of regions, each region being independently formed with a filtering material, a variable characteristic of the filtering material being independently manipulated to enhance uniformity in intensity of light from the illumination device;
providing a mask in the light path, the mask having a pattern;
forming a photoresist layer on the semiconductor device; and
illuminating portions of the photoresist layer with the light from the illumination device according to the pattern, the light passing through the filter member and the mask to illuminate the photoresist layer.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the light from the illumination device varies in intensity by 0.5% or less over the portions of the photoresist layer that are illuminated.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises forming a device layer on the semiconductor wafer.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein forming a photoresist layer comprises forming a photoresist layer over the device layer.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein forming the photoresist layer comprises forming the photoresist layer over a substrate of the semiconductor device.
7. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing a portion of the photoresist layer according to the pattern.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising removing a portion of a device layer under the photoresist layer according to the pattern.
9. A method for forming a filter member for use in an apparatus for patterning a photoresist material, the method comprising:
forming a filtering material over a substrate;
defining a plurality of regions of the filter member, each region having a portion of the filtering material; and
for each region of the filter member, removing a portion of the filtering material so that, when the filter member is used in the apparatus, light that passes through the filter member and illuminates the photoresist material has an intensity that varies by 0.5% or less.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the filtering material comprises chromium oxide.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein, after a portion of the filtering material has been removed, at least 90% of light is transmitted by each region of the filter member.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein removing a portion of the filtering material comprises removing a portion of the filtering material in each region to expose a portion of the substrate, a relative size of the filtering material which is removed determining the proportion of light transmitted through the region.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein removing a portion of the filtering material comprises decreasing a thickness of the filtering material in each region, the thickness of the filtering material determining the proportion of light transmitted through the region.
14. A method of forming a filter member for use in an apparatus for patterning a photoresist material, the method comprising:
defining a plurality of regions on a substrate;
forming at least two electrodes in contact with each region; and
forming a filtering material over the substrate, wherein an absorptivity characteristic of the filtering material for the wavelength region of interest depends on a magnitude of an electric field within the filtering material, the electric field being provided by application of a potential difference between the two electrodes so that, when the filter member is used in the apparatus, light that passes through the filter member and illuminates the photoresist material has an intensity that varies by 0.5% or less.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the at least two electrodes is commonly used by at least two regions.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the filtering material comprises a material with a band gap that depends on the magnitude of the electric field in the filtering material.
17. A method of forming a pattern in a photoresist material, the apparatus comprising:
illuminating a portion of the photoresist material according to a pattern; and
positioning a filter member in a path of the light, the filter member comprising a plurality of regions and a filtering material disposed over the plurality of regions and extending to a border of the filter member, the filtering material having a variable characteristic that is independently adjustable for each region to enhance the uniformity of the intensity of the light.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the filtering material comprises a UV light-absorbent material and the variable characteristic of the filtering material comprises a thickness of the UV light absorbent material.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the filtering material comprises chromium oxide.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the thickness of the filtering material is varied in each region by etching the filtering material for a variable period of time.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein the variable characteristic comprises an electrical state of the filtering material, the electrical state of the filtering material comprises a magnitude of an electrical field in the filtering material.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein the filtering member further comprises at least two electrodes in contact with the filtering material of the region for each of the plurality of regions.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the filtering member further comprises a substrate, the filtering material being formed over the substrate and the at least two electrodes being formed in the substrate and under the filtering material.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the filtering member further comprises a substrate, the filtering material being formed over the substrate and the at least two electrodes being formed adjacent to the filtering material and over 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. An image input apparatus having a light source that illuminates an original, a first photodiode array that reads reflective light from a monochromatic original illuminated by the light source, and second, third and fourth photodiode arrays that read reflective light from a color original illuminated by the light source, comprising:
a first control section that effects, when the monochromatic original is read, a control to output a charge photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the first photodiode array and a control not to accumulate charges photoelectrically converted by the second, third and fourth photodiode arrays; and
a second control section that effects, when the color original is read, a control to output charges photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the second, third and fourth photodiode arrays and a control not to accumulate a charge photoelectrically converted by the first photodiode array.
2. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second control sections independently control a first shift gate for transferring a charge from the first photodiode array to a first analog shift register, a second shift gate for transferring a charge from the second photodiode array to a second analog shift register, a third shift gate for transferring a charge from the third photodiode array to a third analog shift register, and a fourth shift gate for transferring a charge from the fourth photodiode array to a fourth analog shift register.
3. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control section effects a control to apply cyclic pulses to a first shift gate that transfers a charge from the first photodiode array to a first analog shift register, and a control to apply a predetermine voltage to a second shift gate for transferring a shift gate for transferring a charge from the third photodiode array to a third analog shift register, and a fourth shift gate for transferring a charge from the fourth photodiode array to a fourth analog shift register.
4. The image input apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second control section effects a control to apply cyclic pulses to a second shift gate for transferring a charge from the second photodiode array to a second analog shift register, a third shift gate for transferring a charge from the third photodiode array to a third analog shift register, and a fourth shift gate for transferring a charge from the fourth photodiode array to a fourth analog shift register, and a control to apply a predetermine voltage to a first shift gate for transferring a charge from the first photodiode array to a first analog shift register.
5. The image input apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined voltage is controlled at a level at which the charge moves from the photodiode array to the analog shift register.
6. An image input apparatus having a light source that illuminates an original, a first photodiode array that reads reflective light from a monochromatic original illuminated by the light source, second, third and fourth photodiode arrays that read reflective light from a color original illuminated by the light source, a first analog shift register to which a charge photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the first photodiode array is transferred via a first shift gate, and second, third and fourth analog shift registers to which charges photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the second, third and fourth photodiode arrays are transferred via second, third and fourth shift gates, comprising:
a first charge removal section that removes the charge transferred to the first analog shift register;
a second charge removal section that removes the charge transferred to the second analog shift register;
a third charge removal section that removes the charge transferred to the third analog shift register;
a fourth charge removal section that removes the charge transferred to the fourth analog shift register; and
a control section that independently controls the first shift gate and the second, third and fourth shift gates, and independently controls the first charge removal section and the second, third and fourth charge removal sections.
7. The image input apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control section effects, when the monochromatic original is read, a control to apply cyclic pulses to the first shift gate, and a control to apply a predetermined voltage to the second, third and fourth shift gates and to remove the charges by the second, third and fourth charge removal sections, and
the control section effects, when the color original is read, a control to apply cyclic pulses to the second, third and fourth shift gates and a control to apply a predetermined voltage to the first shift gate and to remove the charge by the first charge removal section.
8. The image input apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control section effects, when the reading by the image input apparatus is stopped or the image input apparatus is in a standby state, a control to apply a predetermined voltage to all control signals that control the first, second, third and fourth shift gates,
a control to apply a predetermined voltage to all control signals that control the first, second, third and fourth analog shift registers, and
a control to apply a predetermined voltage to all control signals that control the first, second, third and fourth charge removal sections.
9. An output control method for controlling output of charges which are photoelectrically converted by a first photodiode array that reads reflective light from a monochromatic original illuminated by a light source, and by second, third and fourth photodiode arrays that read reflective light from a color original illuminated by the light source, comprising:
effecting, when the monochromatic original is read, a control to output a charge photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the first photodiode array and a control not to accumulate charges photoelectrically converted by the second, third and fourth photodiode arrays; and
effecting, when the color original is read, a control to output charges photoelectrically converted and accumulated by the second, third and fourth photodiode arrays and a control not to accumulate a charge photoelectrically converted by the first photodiode array.
10. The image input apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined voltage is controlled at a level at which the charge moves from the photodiode array to the analog shift register.