All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pump comprising:
a pump casing having an axis and comprising a cover having a face surface and a body positioned about the axis, with an arcuate channel defined in the face surface of the cover and extending at least partially circumferentially about the axis;
an inlet opening extending through the cover and coupled to the arcuate channel; and
an impeller positioned between the face surface of the cover and the body,
wherein the arcuate channel has a first section and a second section, with the first section extending from the inlet opening and being continually sloped relative to the face surface of the cover, said first section having a length of about 40 to about 90 degrees, as measured circumferentially on the face surface of the cover about the axis, said first section including an inlet ramp, a main ramp, and a secondary ramp, with the secondary ramp being positioned between the main ramp and the inlet ramp, and the inlet ramp being positioned adjacent the inlet opening, wherein each ramp has a depth and a slope, with the depth of the inlet ramp being greater than the depth of the secondary ramp, and the depth of the secondary ramp being greater than the depth of the main ramp, and the slope of each ramp is different from the slope of the other ramps.
2. The pump of claim 1, wherein the secondary ramp has a slope of less than or equal to about 30 degrees relative to the face surface of the cover
3. The pump of claim 1, wherein the main ramp has a slope of less than or equal to about 15 degrees relative to the face surface of the cover.
4. The pump of claim 1, wherein the inlet ramp comprises about 10% of the first section, the secondary ramp comprises about 30% of the first section, and the main ramp comprises about 60% of the first section.
5. The pump of claim 1, wherein the secondary ramp has a length that is about half the length of the main ramp.
6. The pump of claim 1, wherein the secondary ramp has a depth of about 4 mm to about 8 mm where it meets the inlet ramp, and the main ramp has a depth of about 2 mm to about 6 mm where it meets the secondary ramp.
7. The pump of claim 1, wherein the depth of inlet ramp varies, the depth of the secondary ramp varies, and the depth of the main ramp varies, the slope of the main ramp is generally constant, and the slope of the secondary ramp is generally constant.
8. The pump of claim 1, wherein the channel has an at least partially arcuate cross-section.
9. The pump of claim 1, wherein the impeller includes an inner disk and a plurality of vanes extending outwardly from an outer periphery of the inner disk, with the vanes each having an end and a root, and the channel has a width substantially equal to the distance between the vane end and the vane root.
10. The pump of claim 1, further comprising a vent purge hole positioned in the channel and extending through the cover.
11. A cover for a pump casing comprising:
a disc-shaped member having a longitudinal axis and a face surface, with an arcuate channel defined in and extending around the face surface; and
an inlet opening extending through the member and coupled to the channel,
wherein the channel has a first section and a second section, with the first section extending from the inlet opening and being continually sloped relative to the face surface of the member, said first section having a length of about 40 to about 90 degrees, as measured circumferentially on the face surface of the member about the axis, said first section including an inlet ramp, a main ramp, and a secondary ramp, with the secondary ramp being positioned between the main ramp and the inlet ramp, and the inlet ramp being positioned adjacent the inlet opening, wherein each ramp has a depth and a slope, with the depth of the inlet ramp being greater than the depth of the secondary ramp, and the depth of the secondary ramp being greater than the depth of the main ramp, and the slope of each ramp is different from the slope of the other ramps.
12. The cover of claim 11, wherein the secondary ramp has a slope of less than or equal to about 30 degrees relative to the face surface of the member.
13. The cover of claim 11, wherein the main ramp has a slope of less than or equal to about 15 degrees relative to the face surface of the member.
14. The cover of claim 11, wherein the depth of inlet ramp varies, the depth of the secondary ramp varies, and the depth of the main ramp varies, the slope of the main ramp is generally constant, and the slope of the secondary ramp is generally constant.
15. The cover of claim 11, wherein the inlet ramp comprises about 10% of the first section, the secondary ramp comprises about 30% of the first section, and the main ramp comprises about 60% of the first section.
16. The cover of claim 11, wherein the secondary ramp has a length that is about half the length of the main ramp.
17. The cover of claim 11, wherein the secondary ramp has a depth of about 4 mm to about 8 mm where it meets the inlet ramp, and the main ramp has a depth of about 2 mm to about 6 mm where it meets the secondary ramp.
18. The cover of claim 11, wherein the channel has an at least partially arcuate cross-section.
19. The cover of claim 18, wherein the channel has flat side walls that are perpendicular to the face surface of the member, and an arcuate bottom wall.
20. The cover of claim 18, wherein the cross-section of the channel is at least partially semi-circular.
21. The cover of claim 11, further comprising a vent purge hole positioned in the channel and extending through the member.
22. The cover of claim 21, wherein the vent purge hole is positioned at about 90 to 180 degrees from the inlet opening, when measured circumferentially about the longitudinal axis.

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 method for producing a compound of the formula (1) by separating its epimers contained therein:
which comprises subjecting a solution containing an alkyl (3R,5S)-7-2-cyclopropyl-4-(4-fluorophenyl)quinolin-3-yl-3,5-dihydroxy-6-heptenoate of the formula (1) (wherein R is a C1-4 alkyl group) to liquid chromatography treatment using uncoated silica gel as the packing material.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the chromatography treatment, a mixed solvent comprising hexaneisopropyl alcohol is used as an eluent.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of hexaneisopropyl alcohol in the mixed solvent is from 991 to 5050 in a volume ratio.
4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the uncoated silica gel as the packing material has an average particle diameter of from 0.1 \u03bcm to 10 mm and an average pore diameter of from 1 nm to 100 \u03bcm.
5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the chromatography treatment is a treatment employing a simulated moving bed apparatus.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein either component of the eluent is added to a distillate of the extract and raffinate recovered in the chromatography treatment, to adjust the compositional ratio of the distillate to the compositional ratio of the eluent before use, and the distillate so adjusted, is reused.
7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein R in the compound of the formula (1) is an ethyl group.

1. An umbrella comprising:
a central shaft including a stationary hub disposed on an upper portion of said central shaft, and including a hand grip attached to a lower portion of said central shaft for being held by a user,
a runner slidably engaged onto said central shaft for coupling to a whale bone device,
a tubular member slidably engaged onto said central shaft for moving up and down along said central shaft, and including a lower portion, and including an upper portion secured to said runner for allowing said tubular member to be moved in concert with said runner, said runner being movable toward said stationary hub for allowing said whale bone device to be folded to a compact folding position, and said runner being movable away from said stationary hub for allowing said whale bone device to be opened to an open working position,
a handle attached to said lower portion of said tubular member for allowing said tubular member and said runner to be moved up and down along said central shaft with said handle, and
means for controlling said handle to move along said central shaft in order to selectively fold said whale bone device to the compact folding position or to open said whale bone device to the open working position.
2. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular member includes a first anchor orifice and a second anchor orifice formed in said tubular member, and said central shaft includes an anchor member engaged into said central shaft and having a catch extended out of said central shaft for selectively engaging into either of said first or said second anchor orifices of said tubular member and for anchoring said tubular member and said runner to said central shaft at different locations.
3. The umbrella as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central shaft includes an opening formed therein, said catch of said anchor member is extended out through said opening of said central shaft.
4. The umbrella as claimed in claim 2, wherein said central shaft includes an aperture formed therein, and said anchor member includes an end portion engaged into said aperture of said central shaft for anchoring said anchor member to said central shaft.
5. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein a coupler is secured to said lower portion of said tubular member and moved in concert with said tubular member, and secured to said handle for securing to said handle to said lower portion of said tubular member.
6. The umbrella as claimed in claim 5, wherein said coupler includes at least one slot formed therein, and said tubular member includes at least one ear extended therefrom for engaging with said at least one slot of said coupler and for securing said coupler to said tubular member.
7. The umbrella as claimed in claim 5, wherein said coupler includes an inner thread formed therein, and said handle includes an outer thread for engaging with said inner thread of said coupler and for securing said handle to said coupler.
8. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular member includes at least one ear extended from said upper portion of said tubular member for engaging with said runner and for securing said runner to said tubular member.
9. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tubular member includes at least one protrusion extended from said upper portion of said tubular member for engaging with said runner and for securing said runner to said tubular member.
10. The umbrella as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle includes a chamber formed therein and includes a compartment formed in said handle and communicating with said chamber of said handle, and said controlling means includes a follower slidably engaged in said chamber of said handle, and includes a knob extended from said follower and slidably engaged through said tubular member and slidably engaged into said compartment of said handle for being selectively depressed by the user.
11. The umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein said handle includes a hub extended therefrom, and said compartment of said handle is formed in said hub of said handle.
12. The umbrella as claimed in claim 11, wherein said handle includes a sleeve engaged onto an outer peripheral portion of said handle and flush with said hub of said handle.
13. The umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein said follower includes a space formed therein for slidably receiving said tubular member.
14. The umbrella as claimed in claim 13, wherein said follower includes two flaps, and said space is formed between said flaps for slidably receiving said tubular member.
15. The umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein a spring member is engaged with said follower for biasing said knob of said follower to engage into said compartment of said handle.
16. The umbrella as claimed in claim 10, wherein said controlling means includes a casing engaged into said chamber of said handle and anchored to said handle.
17. The umbrella as claimed in claim 16, wherein said casing includes at least one ring member extended therefrom and having a hole formed in said at least one ring member and aligned with a bore of said handle for receiving said tubular member and for anchoring said casing to said handle.

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 silicon thin film solar cell comprising:
a substrate;
a first electrode positioned on the substrate;
at least one photoelectric conversion unit on the first electrode; and
a back reflection layer reflecting an incident light back towards the at least one photoelectric conversion unit, the back reflection layer including a first reflection layer formed of a material having an absorption coefficient equal to or less than 400 cm\u22121 with respect to light having a wavelength equal to or greater than 700 nm.
2. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 1, wherein the first reflection layer is formed of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (\u03bcc-SiOx: H).
3. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 2, wherein the at least one photoelectric conversion unit includes a first photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first electrode and a second photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first photoelectric conversion unit.
4. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 3, further comprising a middle reflection layer positioned between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit.
5. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 4, wherein the middle reflection layer is formed using one of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (\u03bcc-SiOx: H) and aluminum (Al)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO: Al).
6. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 2, wherein the at least one photoelectric conversion unit includes a first photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first electrode, a second photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first photoelectric conversion unit, and a third photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the second photoelectric conversion unit.
7. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 6, further comprising at least one middle reflection layer positioned between the first and second photoelectric conversion units, between the second and third photoelectric conversion units, or each of between the first and second photoelectric conversion units and between the second and third photoelectric conversion units.
8. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 7, wherein the at least one middle reflection layer is formed using one of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (\u03bcc-SiOx: H) and Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO: Al).
9. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 2, wherein the back reflection layer further includes a second reflection layer formed of a material having an absorption coefficient equal to or greater than 400 cm\u22121 with respect to light having a wavelength equal to or greater than 700 nm.
10. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, wherein an electrical conductivity of the second reflection layer is greater than an electrical conductivity of the first reflection layer.
11. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, wherein the second reflection layer is formed of Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO: Al).
12. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, wherein the second reflection layer is positioned on the first reflection layer.
13. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, wherein the at least one photoelectric conversion unit includes a first photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first electrode and a second photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first photoelectric conversion unit.
14. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 13, further comprising a middle reflection layer positioned between the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit.
15. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 14, wherein the middle reflection layer is formed using one of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (\u03bcc-SiOx: H) and Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO: Al).
16. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, wherein the at least one photoelectric conversion unit includes a first photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first electrode, a second photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the first photoelectric conversion unit, and a third photoelectric conversion unit positioned on the second photoelectric conversion unit.
17. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 16, further comprising at least one middle reflection layer is positioned between the first and second photoelectric conversion units, between second and third photoelectric conversion units, or each of between the first and second photoelectric conversion units and between the second and third photoelectric conversion units.
18. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 17, wherein the at least one middle reflection layer is formed using one of hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon oxide (\u03bcc-SiOx: H) and Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO: Al).
19. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 2, further comprising a second electrode on the first reflection layer.
20. The silicon thin film solar cell of claim 9, further comprising a second electrode on the second reflection layer.