All The Claims

1. A method for producing a replication master (10) having a surface with low roughness, comprising the steps of:
forming said master (10) such as to have a desired external surface shape which at least partially corresponds to a counterform of a surface of an object (18, 20) to be produced by replication;
treating said external surface of said master (10) to obtain a predetermined surface roughness value; and
coating at least a part of said master (10) with a smoothening layer (16),
wherein said smoothening layer (16) is made of a soluble material.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said smoothening layer (16) is applied by dip-coating or spin-coating said master (10) with a liquid smoothening material and hardening said smoothening material.
3. The method according to claim 1, which furthermore comprises the step of coating at least a part of said master (10) with a release layer.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said release layer is made of a soluble material.
5. The method according to claim 1, which furthermore comprises the step of coating at least one additional smoothening layer on top of or under said soluble smoothening layer (16).
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said additional smoothening layers is made of a non-soluble material.
7. The method according to claim 5, which furthermore comprises the step of coating a thin spacer layer, preferably a thin metallic spacer layer, between at least two adjacent smoothening layers.
8. A replication method for producing a smooth object (18, 20) having a low surface roughness, comprising the steps of:
producing a replication master (10) by a method according to claim 1 or claim 3;
coating at least a part of said master (10) with an object material such that the surface of said object (18, 20) corresponds to a counterform of said master (10); and
releasing said object (18, 20) from said master (10).
9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said releasing step comprises dissolving at least one of said smoothening layer (16) and said release layer on top of said master (10) by a solvent.
10. The method according to claim 8, which furthermore comprises the step of providing glue (20) to at least one of said object (18, 20) and an object support (12) and glueing them together before executing said releasing step.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the amount of said glue (20) is chosen such as to fill gaps between said object (18, 20) and said object support (12).
12. The method according to claim 8, wherein said object (18) is an optical device (18), e.g. a reflection or transmission monolayer, bilayer or multilayer.
13. The method according to claim 12, which furthermore comprises the step of characterizing said optical device (18) on top of said master (10) before executing said releasing step.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said characterization step comprises performing a profilometry or reflectometry measurement of said optical device (18).
15. The method according to claim 8, wherein said object (20) is a substrate (20a) for an optical device (18).
16. The method according to claim 15 and claim 10, wherein said object material and the material of said glue (20) are identical.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said object material and said glue (20) comprise epoxy resin.
18. The method according to claim 15, which furthermore comprises the step of coating at least a part of said master (10) with a protection layer on top of said smoothening layer (16) or release layer before applying said object material.
19. A replication master (10) for producing a smooth object (18, 20) having a low surface roughness, said master (10) having an external surface shape which at least partially corresponds to a counterform of a surface of said object (18, 20), wherein at least a part of said master (10) is coated with a smoothening layer (16), wherein said smoothening layer (16) is made of a soluble material.
20. The replication master (10) according to claim 19, which is furthermore at least partially coated with a release layer.
21. The replication master (10) according to claim 20, wherein said release layer is made of a soluble material.
22. The method according to claim 1, wherein said soluble material is a soluble polymer material.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said soluble polymer material is a PMMA photoresist.
24. The method according to claim 4, wherein said release layer is made of a soluble polymer material.
25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said release layer is made of a PMMA photoresist.
26. The replication master according to claim 19, wherein said soluble material is a soluble polymer material.
27. The replication master according to claim 26, wherein said soluble polymer material is a PMMA photoresist.
28. The replication master (10) according to claim 21, wherein said release layer is made of a soluble polymer material.
29. The replication master (10) according to claim 28, wherein said release layer is made of a PMMA photoresist.

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 continuously removing mercury from a supply of combustion gas, the method comprises:
introducing SO3 into the supply of combustion gas to oxidize at least a portion of elemental mercury within the supply of combustion gas into ionic mercury;
producing a turbulent flow of combustion gas to suspend particulate matter including fly ash contained in the supply of combustion gas;
absorbing a substantial portion of the mercury within the particulate matter;
filtering the supply of combustion gas to remove the particulate matter from the mercury; and
controlling the introduction of SO3 into the combustion gas based at least partially on at least one of an oxidation rate of mercury and an absorption rate of mercury.
2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising recirculating the particulate matter into the combustion gas after removing the particulate matter from the mercury.
3. A method in accordance with claim 2 wherein recirculating the particulate matter further comprises controlling a mixing of a quantity of at least one sorbent with the particulate matter.
4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein producing a turbulent flow of combustion gas uniformly distributes the particulate matter including a quantity of at least one sorbent.
5. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising mixing a particulate matter including a quantity of at least one externally introduced sorbent with the turbulent flow of combustion gas to suspend the particulate matter.
6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein filtering the supply of combustion gas further comprises creating a fluidized bed of the particulate matter within an electrostatic fabric filter to filter the supply of combustion gas.
7. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising cooling the supply of combustion gas before producing the turbulent flow of combustion gas.
8. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising introducing at least one external sorbent into the turbulent flow of combustion gas.
9. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising exhausting a filtered combustion gas into the atmosphere.
10. A control system for controlling a continuous removal of mercury from a supply of combustion gas, said control system configured to:
adjust an injection rate of SO3 into the supply of combustion gas to oxidize at least a portion of elemental mercury within the supply of combustion gas into ionic mercury based on an absorption rate of mercury by a particulate matter suspended in the combustion gas.
11. A control system in accordance with claim 10 further configured to recirculate the particulate matter into the combustion gas after filtering the particulate matter within an electrostatic fabric filter.
12. A control system in accordance with claim 10 further configured to adjust a quantity of water injected into the supply of combustion gas to cool the supply of combustion gas.
13. A control system in accordance with claim 10 further configured to meter a quantity of sorbent within the particulate matter based on a level of mercury removal from the supply of combustion gas.
14. A system for continuously removing mercury from a supply of combustion gas, said system comprising:
a combustion gas conditioning system introducing a quantity of SO3 into the supply of combustion gas;
an electrostatic precipitator in communication with said combustion gas conditioning system, said electrostatic precipitator adjusting an emission of fly ash from said electrostatic precipitator to control a quantity of mercury absorption sites available downstream;
a cooling device in communication with said electrostatic precipitator, said cooling device cooling the supply of combustion gas as the supply of combustion gas flows through said cooling device;
a section producing a turbulent flow of combustion gas;
an injector controllably injecting a quantity of external sorbent into the turbulent flow of combustion gas, the turbulent flow of combustion gas uniformly distributing a particulate matter including the quantity of sorbent;
an electrostatic fabric filter positioned downstream of said injector, said electrostatic fabric filter filtering the particulate matter removed from the turbulent flow of combustion gas and removing the particulate matter and the quantity of sorbent from a quantity of mercury absorbed in the quantity of sorbent; and
a recirculating device providing communication between said electrostatic fabric filter and said injector, said recirculating device circulating the filtered particulate matter into said injector.

1. A cooling device for an internal combustion engine, comprising:
a coolant water passage formed in said internal combustion engine;
a radiator configured to cool coolant water;
a radiator circulation passage configured to allow coolant water discharged from said coolant water passage to pass through said radiator and return to said coolant water passage;
a bypass passage configured to allow coolant water discharged from said coolant water passage to return to said coolant water passage without passing through said radiator; and
a thermostat valve connected to said radiator circulation passage and said bypass passage,
said thermostat valve being switched in accordance with a temperature of coolant water flowing in said thermostat valve to either a closed state of interrupting coolant water from said radiator circulation passage and outputting coolant water from said bypass passage to said coolant water passage or an opened state of outputting coolant water from said radiator circulation passage and coolant water from said bypass passage to said coolant water passage,
said cooling device further comprising:
a pump configured to circulate coolant water;
a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of coolant water in said coolant water passage;
a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of coolant water in said radiator circulation passage; and
a diagnosis unit configured to estimate a temperature of coolant water in said radiator circulation passage based on a leakage flow rate, which is set as a flow rate flowing through said radiator circulation passage even when said thermostat valve is in the closed state, and an output of said first temperature sensor, and perform a failure diagnoses for said thermostat valve based on a difference between an estimated temperature and a detected temperature of said second temperature sensor,
said leakage flow rate during operation of said pump being set to be a larger value as compared to said leakage flow rate during stopping of said pump.
2. The cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said leakage flow rate for a large flow rate of said pump or a large physical quantity related to a flow rate of said pump is set to be a larger value as compared to said leakage flow rate for a small flow rate of said pump or a small physical quantity related to the flow rate of said pump.
3. The cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said diagnosis unit determines that said thermostat valve is failed when a ratio of time with a detected temperature of said second temperature sensor higher than said estimated temperature is higher than a predetermined value.
4. The cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said pump is an electric water pump driven by an electric motor.
5. The cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 4, wherein said physical quantity includes at least one of a rotation speed of said electric water pump, a rotation speed of said internal combustion engine, a intake amount of said internal combustion engine, and a load of an air-conditioning heater.
6. The cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein said pump is a mechanical water pump driven by said internal combustion engine, and
said physical quantity is a rotation speed of said internal combustion engine.
7. A failure diagnosis method for a cooling device for an internal combustion engine,
said cooling device including:
a coolant water passage formed in said internal combustion engine;
a radiator configured to cool coolant water;
a radiator circulation passage configured to allow coolant water discharged from said coolant water passage to pass through said radiator and return to said coolant water passage;
a bypass passage configured to allow coolant water discharged from said coolant water passage to return to said coolant water passage without passing through said radiator; and
a thermostat valve connected to said radiator circulation passage and said bypass passage,
said thermostat valve being switched in accordance with a temperature of coolant water flowing in said thermostat valve to either a closed state of interrupting coolant water from said radiator circulation passage and outputting coolant water from said bypass passage to said coolant water passage or to an opened state of outputting coolant water from said radiator circulation passage and coolant water from said bypass passage to said coolant water passage,
said cooling device further comprising:
a pump configured to circulate coolant water;
a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of coolant water in said coolant water passage; and
a second temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of coolant water in said radiator circulation passage,
said failure diagnosis method comprising the steps of:
setting a leakage flow rate flowing through said radiator circulation passage even when said thermostat valve is in the closed state;
estimating a temperature of coolant water in said radiator circulation passage based on said set leakage flow rate and an output of said first temperature sensor; and
performing a failure diagnosis for said thermostat valve based on a difference between the estimated temperature and a detected temperature of said second temperature sensor,
in said step of setting, said leakage flow rate during operation of said pump is set to be a larger value as compared to said leakage flow rate during stopping of said pump.
8. The failure diagnosis method for a cooling device for an internal combustion engine according to claim 7, wherein in said step of setting, said leakage flow rate for a large flow rate of said pump or a large physical quantity related to a flow rate of said pump is further set to be a larger value as compared to said leakage flow rate for a small flow rate of said pump or a small physical quantity related to the flow rate of said pump.

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 developing device, comprising:
a developing agent housing chamber which houses a non-magnetic one component developing agent, and which extends in a vertical direction, and has an aperture, in a lower portion thereof, that is in opposition to an image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image;
a developing roller which is provided in the aperture and whose peripheral surface is partly exposed from the aperture to form a developing portion with the image carrier, and which carries the non-magnetic one component developing agent on the surface of the developing roller and transports the developing agent by rotation from the developing agent housing chamber to the developing portion, in order to develop on the developing portion, the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier;
a regulating blade, which is disposed higher than the center of rotation of the developing roller and is disposed to contact the surface of the developing roller in the vicinity of the aperture on an upstream side of the developing portion, in a transport direction of the developing roller, and which regulates a thickness of the non-magnetic one component developing agent transported on the developing roller;
a supply roller which is disposed within the developing agent housing chamber to pressure-contact the developing roller on the upstream side with respect to the regulating blade in the transport direction of the developing roller, and which supplies the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber to the surface of the developing roller;
an agitator which is disposed higher than the developing roller, the regulating blade, and the supply roller, and which agitates the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber; and
a developing agent ingress prevention member disposed higher than the supply roller, and lower than the agitator, wherein
a side surface or edge portion of the developing agent ingress prevention member in the vicinity of the developing roller is higher than the topmost point of the supply roller, and lower than the lowermost point of a regulating nip formed by the contact of the developing roller and the regulating blade, and
the closest distance from the supply roller to a bottom surface of the developing agent ingress prevention member is greater than 0mm and less than 5mm.
2. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the developing agent ingress prevention member is supported cantilevered from an opposing side wall.
3. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a top surface of the developing agent ingress prevention member is sloping so that the side near the developing roller is lower.
4. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a projection surface in a vertical direction of the developing agent ingress prevention member overlaps less than half the area of a projection surface in a vertical direction of the supply roller.
5. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply roller is configured such that a metal core is covered by an elastic member.
6. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein undulations are provided on the surface of the supply roller.
7. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the supply roller has pores.
8. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a peripheral speed of rotation of the supply roller is faster than 80mms.
9. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a developing agent agitation member disposed above the developing agent ingress prevention member to extend in a direction of an axis of the supply roller.
10. The developing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface roughness of the developing roller Ra is 0.8 or greater and 1.2 or less.
11. A process unit in an image forming apparatus having a latent image carrier that carries a latent image and a developing device that develops the latent image on the latent image carrier, the process unit comprising at least the latent image carrier and developing device held in a supporting member to be inserted into and removed from a main body of the image forming apparatus, wherein the developing device comprises:
a developing agent housing chamber which houses a non-magnetic one component developing agent, and which extends in a vertical direction, and has an aperture, in a lower portion thereof, that is in opposition to an image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image;
a developing roller which is provided in the aperture and whose peripheral surface is partly exposed from the aperture to form a developing portion with the image carrier, and which carries the non-magnetic one component developing agent on the surface of the developing roller and transports the developing agent by rotation from the developing agent housing chamber to the developing portion, in order to develop on the developing portion, the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier;
a regulating blade, which is disposed higher than the center of rotation of the developing roller and is disposed to contact the surface of the developing roller in the vicinity of the aperture on an upstream side of the developing portion, in a transport direction of the developing roller, and which regulates a thickness of the non-magnetic one component developing agent transported on the developing roller;
a supply roller which is disposed within the developing agent housing chamber to pressure-contact the developing roller on the upstream side with respect to the regulating blade in the transport direction of the developing roller, and which supplies the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber to the surface of the developing roller;
an agitator which is disposed higher than the developing roller, the regulating blade, and the supply roller, and which agitates the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber; and
a developing agent ingress prevention member disposed higher than the supply roller, and lower than the agitator, wherein
a side surface or edge portion of the developing agent ingress prevention member in the vicinity of the developing roller is higher than the topmost point of the supply roller, and lower than the lowermost point of a regulating nip formed by the contact of the developing roller and the regulating blade, wherein
the closest distance from the supply roller to a bottom surface of the developing agent ingress prevention member is greater than 0mm and less than 5mm.
12. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a latent image carrier that carries a latent image; and
a developing device that develops a latent image on the latent image carrier, wherein the developing device comprises:
a developing agent housing chamber which houses a non-magnetic one component developing agent, and which extends in a vertical direction, and has an aperture, in a lower portion thereof, that is in opposition to an image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image;
a developing roller which is provided in the aperture and whose peripheral surface is partly exposed from the aperture to form a developing portion with the image carrier, and which carries the non-magnetic one component developing agent on the surface of the developing roller and transports the developing agent by rotation from the developing agent housing chamber to the developing portion, in order to develop on the developing portion, the electrostatic latent image of the image carrier;
a regulating blade, which is disposed higher than the center of rotation of the developing roller and is disposed to contact the surface of the developing roller in the vicinity of the aperture on an upstream side of the developing portion, in a transport direction of the developing roller, and which regulates a thickness of the non-magnetic one component developing agent transported on the developing roller;
a supply roller which is disposed within the developing agent housing chamber to pressure-contact the developing roller on the upstream side with respect to the regulating blade in the transport direction of the developing roller, and which supplies the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber to the surface of the developing roller;
an agitator which is disposed higher than the developing roller, the regulating blade, and the supply roller, and which agitates the non-magnetic one component developing agent within the developing agent housing chamber; and
a developing agent ingress prevention member disposed higher than the supply roller, and lower than the agitator, wherein
a side surface or edge portion of the developing agent ingress prevention member in the vicinity of the developing roller is higher than the topmost point of the supply roller, and lower than the lowermost point of a regulating nip formed by the contact of the developing roller and the regulating blade, wherein
the closest distance from the supply roller to a bottom surface of the developing agent ingress prevention member is greater than 0mm and less than 5mm.