An intermediate cylinder comprising a main body, and a plurality of suction boxes formed in the main body at positions different with respect to a rotation axis of the main body. The intermediate cylinder further comprises a plurality of suction bores formed in the suction boxes so that they are open at an outer peripheral surface of the main body, an air suction source for generating suction force within the suction boxes, and a switching means for selectively switching connections between the plurality of suction boxes and the air suction source.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an intermediate cylinder for a sheet-fed press, and more particularly to an intermediate cylinder which is installed after a printing unit to adjust the traveling posture of a sheet being fed from the printing unit so that the sheet is stably conveyed. This invention also relates to a sheet-fed press with such an intermediate cylinder.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of perfecting presses have lately been proposed and put to practical use.
FIG. 9 illustrates a perfecting press of a type where one-color printing is performed on both sides of a sheet 4. This press includes a reverse-side printing unit 1 disposed on the upstream side of a sheet traveling path along which the sheet 4 is traveled, and an obverse-side printing unit 2 disposed on the downstream side of the sheet traveling path.
In addition to the reverse-side printing unit 1 and the obverse-side printing unit 2, the sheet-fed press further includes a sheet feeder 19, a feeder board section 20, two intermediate cylinders 3a, 3b installed between the reverse-side printing unit 1 and the obverse-side printing unit 2 to convey the sheet 4 to the downstream side, a paper discharge unit 21, and so on.
The paper discharge unit 21 is constructed of a sheet conveyor 22, a sheet stacker 23 provided under the downstream end of the sheet conveyor 22, and so on.
The sheet feeder 19 is provided with a paper feed table 30 on which sheets 4 to be printed are stacked, and is operative to feed the uppermost sheet 4 in accordance with consumption speed (mechanical speed) when printing is performed. The sheet 4 fed by the sheet feeder 19 is conveyed by the feeder board section 20 to a first guide cylinder 24 disposed in the introducing portion of the reverse-side printing unit 1.
The sheet 4 is delivered from the first guide cylinder 24 to a second guide cylinder 25 and to the press cylinder 5a of the reverse-side printing unit 1, in which printing is performed on the reverse side of the sheet 4. Subsequently, the sheet 4 is conveyed by first and second intermediate cylinders 3a, 3b and delivered to the press cylinder 5b of the obverse printing unit 2, in which printing is performed on the obverse side of the sheet 4.
As shown in FIG. 11, the printing unit 2 (or 1) includes an ink reservoir 31, an ink roller group 32, a plate cylinder 34 with a printing plate 33 wound thereon, a blanket cylinder 35, a press cylinder 5, a wetter 36, and so on. The ink 18 supplied to the ink reservoir 31 is kneaded to the desired degree through the ink roller group 32 and transferred to the printing plate 33. The ink 18 is further transferred as an image to the outer peripheral surface of the blanket cylinder 35.
At the same time, wetting water is supplied to the blanket cylinder 35 from the wetter 36. Thereafter, the image transferred to the blanket cylinder 35 is transferred to the surface of the sheet 4 being traveled through the gap between the blanket cylinder 35 and the press cylinder 5. In this way, a predetermined printing is completed.
In FIG. 9, while the single reverse-side printing unit 1 and the single obverse-side printing unit 2 are shown, there is also a multiple color press in which a plurality of reverse-side printing units 1 and/or obverse-side printing units 2 differing in ink color are juxtaposed along the sheet traveling direction. In either case, the number of printing units 1, 2 is determined according to circumstances.
The printed sheet 4 is conveyed from the press cylinder 5b of the second printing unit 2 to the sheet conveyor 22 of the paper discharge unit 21. And the printed sheet 4 is gripped and conveyed onto the sheet stacker 23 by a chain gripper provided in an endless chain 28 being driven by a paper discharge shaft 27, and is stacked on the paper discharge table 29 of the sheet stacker 23. Subsequently, if a fixed quantity of sheets are stacked, then they are removed from the paper discharge table 29,
After printing is performed on the reverse side of the sheet 4, the ink 18 on the reverse side is dried at the outer peripheral surface of the second intermediate cylinder 3b by the first drier 17 disposed near the intermediate cylinder 3b. After printing is performed on the obverse side of the sheet 4, the ink 18 on the obverse side is dried by the second drier 17 when the sheet 4 is being gripped and conveyed by the gripper of the endless chain 22 which travels along the outer peripheral surface of the paper discharge shaft 27 from the press cylinder 5b.
Most of the sheet-fed presses use ink that is dried and hardened by ultraviolet rays (UV). Therefore, UV driers for irradiating ultraviolet rays are often installed. However, it is desirable to install driers in accordance with the characteristics of ink used.
In the prior art sheet-fed press constructed as described above, the drying effect of the drier 17 is not sufficiently obtained at the second intermediate cylinder 3b which conveys the sheet 4 to the obverse-side printing unit 2 after printing is performed by the reverse-side printing unit 1. Because of this, poor drying such as uneven drying will occur, or the printing surface will be stained or scored.
The inventors have made various investigations and experiments and found that the above-described problems result mainly from flap of a sheet against an intermediate cylinder.
(1) The sheet 4 is conveyed with the front end gripped by the pawl member 26 of the intermediate cylinder 3. As shown in FIG. 10, means to control the posture of the sheet 4 is not present on the tail side of the sheet 4, and consequently, the sheet tail is free to move. Because of this, during conveyance, the sheet tail is separated from the surface (outer peripheral surface) of the intermediate cylinder 3 by the centrifugal force caused by rotation of the intermediate cylinder 3 and gravity. As a result, flap of the sheet 4 against the intermediate cylinder 3 is caused and the traveling posture of the sheet 4 becomes unstable.
(2) Because of the flap of the sheet 4 against the intermediate cylinder 3, the drying effect of the drier 17 is not sufficiently obtained and therefore there is a possibility that poor drying such as uneven drying will occur.
(3) If the sheet 4 is separated from the intermediate cylinder 3 because of centrifugal force, etc., the separated rear end portion will make contact with the drier 17, and consequently, the printing surface will be stained or scored.
(4) For the above-mentioned reasons, printing quality is considerably reduced and therefore there are cases where a great number of sheets are damaged.
In Japanese Utility Model Publication No. HEI 2-5951, there is disclosed a paper sending cylinder that sends a sheet to various cylinders on the downstream side while holding the sheet by suction. The paper sending cylinder is equipped with (1) an air tank provided in the cylinder end thereof, (2) a plurality of suction ducts held in fluid communication with the air tank and extending in the axial direction of the paper sending cylinder and provided so that they differ in phase in the circumferential direction, and (3) suction bores formed from the suction ducts to the outer peripheral surface of the paper sending cylinder. By actuating an external suction unit connected with the air tank, a sheet can be held on the outer peripheral surface of the paper sending cylinder by suction through the suction bores.
In the paper sending cylinder, shutter plates are inserted between the air tank and the suction ducts. A plurality of shutter plates are previously prepared. Each shutter plate has a through hole that is aligned with one of the suction ducts differing from one another. If a suitable shutter plate of the shutter plates is selected and used, a predetermined suction duct of the suction ducts provided so that they differ in phase in the circumferential direction can be selectively communicated with the air tank. In this way, the tail of the sheet can be held by suction through the suction bores formed at suitable positions in accordance with the size of the sheet.
In this technique, however, an operation of exchanging shutter plates must be performed each time a sheet of a different size is used. The shutter plate is inserted into a predetermined portion of the paper sending cylinder and is fastened with bolts. Thus, the exchanging operation is a troublesome operation involving time-consuming efforts.
The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-fed press and an intermediate cylinder for a sheet-fed press that are capable of easily changing the settings of the press even if a sheet of a different size is used. Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet-fed press and an intermediate cylinder for a sheet-fed press which are capable of preventing poor drying and the occurrence of stains and scores in the printing surface by suppressing flap of a sheet against the intermediate cylinder which is to be described later.
In accordance with a form of the present invention, there is provided an intermediate cylinder that is used in a sheet-fed press to convey a sheet. The intermediate cylinder comprises a main body, a plurality of suction boxes formed in the main body at positions different with respect to a rotation axis of the main body (at different circumferential positions of the main body), and a plurality of suction bores formed on the suction boxes so that they are open at the outer peripheral surface of the main body. The intermediate cylinder further comprises suction force generation means for generating suction force within the suction boxes, and switching means for selectively switching connections between the plurality of suction boxes and the suction force generation means.
In accordance with another form of the present invention, there is provided a sheet-fed press including the above-described intermediate cylinder.
It has been found that providing suction boxes in a portion of the intermediate cylinder is effective to prevent flap of the sheet against the intermediate cylinder.
According to the intermediate cylinder and the sheet-fed press of the present invention, the sheet is held on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate cylinder by suction, and consequently, flap of the sheet against the intermediate cylinder can be prevented. Therefore, in the case where the intermediate cylinder is disposed to face the drier, the drying effect of the drier is sufficiently obtained and poor drying such as uneven drying can be prevented. In addition, as contact between the sheet and drier is prevented, the printing surface can be prevented from being stained or scored.
Further in accordance with the present invention, connections between the suction boxes and the suction force generation means can be switched by the switching means, and the generation of suction force within the suction boxes disposed at different circumferential positions can be selected by the switching means. Therefore, to stably hold the sheet tail on the intermediate cylinder by suction, the operation of adjusting a position at which the sheet is held on the intermediate cylinder by suction can be easily performed by operation of the switching means.
In addition, it has been found that if a sheet-fed press is made by combining the above-described intermediate cylinder with the drier, the above-described problems can be greatly overcome. Moreover, it has been found that if the intermediate cylinder is provided with air jet means, the above-described problems can be more effectively overcome. The air jet means is operative to jet air so that the sheet delivered to the intermediate cylinder is stretched along the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate cylinder.
The above and many other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art upon making reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principle of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.

Sheet-fed press and intermediate cylinder for sheet-fed press


A method for segmenting a first object from a bounding object within a digital image identifies pixels between first and second endpoint pixels. A volume of interest is defined spanning at least a portion of the object. Pixels within the volume of interest are partitioned into a first subset of pixels that are neither the first object nor bounding object pixels and second subset of pixels that are not contained in the first subset. A spatially varying two-phase segmentation process segments the first object from the bounding object within the second subset of pixels according to the location of each subject pixel within the second subset relative to pixels in the first subset of pixels. The first object segmentation is refined according to the subject pixel location relative to the segmented bounding object and to the first subset of pixels. A segmented image is formed according to the refined segmentation.

Identification of potentially cancerous lesions in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies is a common task of radiologists. An aspect of this task relates to measurement of lesion volume and density, both important in assessing the temporal response of a tumor to treatment.
RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) is a set of published rules that define when cancer patients improve ("respond"), stay the same ("stable") or worsen ("progression") during treatments. Typically, a uni-dimensional measurement, RECIST criteria, which relates to the longest diameter of the tumor, is used as a type of surrogate for 3D volume measurement. These linear measurements, obtained from manual radiologist mark-up, are of some value but are generally not sufficient for accurately tracking the volume change of irregularly shaped tumors. A more accurate volumetric measurement requires the radiologist to manually segment the tumor. This process is a tedious, time-consuming task and is often poorly suited to the overall workflow requirements of the radiologist. In addition, the results of manual segmentation can be highly dependent upon the observer and are often not reproducible. Therefore, there is a need to automate the manual tasks performed by the radiologist in order to improve the workflow and to resolve inter- and intra-observer variability.
Unenhanced CT images are generally insufficient for detection of lesions because there is very little difference in attenuation values between the lesion and parenchyma, or surrounding tissue, in the liver. Lesion-to-liver contrast can be greatly improved by the use of contrast agents. Routinely, multiphase (precontrast, arterial, portal, and delayed), contrast-enhanced series are performed to facilitate the detection and characterization of liver lesions.
Once detected, segmentation of liver lesions is a challenging task because of the large variability of intensity values, in Hounsfield units (HU), between the lesion and parenchyma in the liver. The perceived density of the lesion and parenchyma are dependent upon factors such as the tumor type, contrast agent, contrast timing, and patient physiology. Compared to the surrounding parenchyma, lesions can be either hyperdense (brighter, at a higher intensity value) or hypodense (darker, at a lower intensity value).
A number of methods have been proposed for automating the process of segmenting liver lesions in CT images. A number of proposed techniques utilize a combination of a classification step, utilizing a priori information, followed by a deformable surface evolution technique, such as the active contour model. Constrained, seeded, region-growing techniques are also another common method used for segmenting liver lesions. Typically, features are generated from a number of seed points, and the initial region is iteratively grown by incorporating neighboring voxels that have similar features. The resulting tumor segmentation is often refined further by applying a postprocessing step to the binary segmentation results via morphological operations.
While existing methods for liver lesion segmentation have achieved a measure of success, there remains considerable room for improvement. One persistent problem, due to the properties of the parenchyma and surrounding tissues within and outside of the liver, relates to leakage, a segmentation phenomenon in which the boundaries of an identified lesion may not be clearly distinguishable from nearby tissues, causing the segmentation algorithm to mistakenly categorize non-lesion tissue as belonging to the lesion.
Thus, it is seen that there is a need for segmentation techniques that allow more accurate identification of the lesion boundaries in 3-D volume images.


A combination scratcher-centralizer for use in installing casing in wellbores comprising a single piece of coiled wire or rod having a first hub part for tightly engaging the casing, a radially expanded centralizer and scratcher portion forming a helical wrap of said wire and a second hub part slidable on the casing and formed by a helical wrap of said wire. The first hub part includes serrations and/or a plurality of retaining screws provided so that the first hub part may be secured to the casing in a predetermined position to allow the expanded centralizer coil or wrap portion to undergo some elastic axial excursion during its scratching and scraping operation upon installation in a wellbore. The constricted hub part may be held in a radially expanded position during installation by a retainer engageable with spaced apart portions of the wraps of the hub part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a combination wellbore scratcher and casing centralizer for use with wellbore casings to scratch or clean the wellbore wall free of drilling mud filtercake and to centralize the casing prior to cementing the wellbore annulus.
2. Background
When installing casing in wellbores for oil and gas wells, for example, it is common practice to employ devices known as wellbore scratchers which may comprise plural segments of relatively stiff, flexible wire rope or cable connected to a collar which is disposed around the casing. Other types of scratchers include those with plural wire whiskers which extend radially from a support collar, also disposed on the casing. These "scratchers" are adapted to remove drilling mud filtercake from the wellbore wall during installation of the casing so that a better cement bond is obtained between the wellbore cement and the earth formation when the cementing operation is carried out.
Separate devices known as centralizers are usually used when installing wellbore casings. A common type of centralizer is a collar comprised of longitudinally and radially extending bands or leaf spring like elements. When installed on the wellbore casing at spaced apart points, these devices are operable to centralize the casing in the wellbore to aid in providing uniform wall thickness of the cement which is eventually pumped into the annulus between the casing and the earth formation. Accordingly, plural and different types of devices are usually installed at spaced apart points on a wellbore casing as it is installed in a wellbore to accomplish the centralization and the wellbore wall cleaning or scratching operation. These separate operations which are not always effectively carried out with prior art apparatus are, with the present invention, carried out with a single, unique device which performs dual functions more effectively than many types of prior art devices.

Combination scratcher-centralizer for wellbore casings


A Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuit according to the present invention includes a boost converter which outputs a predetermined voltage according to control of a switch. The switch is coupled to a resistor and a capacitor which, by forming a current detector, detect the current flowing through an inductor of the boost converter. The output voltage of the boost converter is divided by resistors, and the voltage difference between the divided voltage and a reference voltage is amplified by an error amplifier. The output voltage of the error amplifier and a reverse sawtooth waveform provided from an oscillator are input in a multiplier so as to be multiplied by a gain, and output voltages of the multiplier and of the current detector are provided to a switching driver. The switching driver turns off the switch when the output voltages of the current detector and of the multiplier are equal, and turns on the switch when the state of the reference clock signal is changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power factor correction (PFC) circuit, and more particularly to a PFC circuit using reverse sawtooth waves and controlling slope of the current.
2. Description of the Related Art
A continuous current mode (CCM) control method is commonly used in conventional PFC circuits. Among the different types of CCM control methods for improving the power factor are a peak current control method, a variable hysteresis control method, and an average current control method. Each of these methods has the advantage of being able to obtain a high power factor.
However, the above different types of CCM control methods have serious drawbacks. That is, in the peak current control method, because of the occurrence of external inductor current distortion and dead angle distortion, and the need to maintain a maximum duty at below 50%, control by precise correction is not possible. Also, with the variable hysteresis control method, when input voltage decreases, there is a significant increase in frequencies to control the inductor current. Therefore, the frequency control is limited according to the input voltage. Finally, in the average current control method, very complicated processes are used in trying to obtain a power factor of 1.00, or unity.

Power factor correction circuit using reverse sawtooth waves


An air bed has side-by-side air mattresses confined within the perimeter of a rectangular border. The border has a plurality of border walls each located within a fabric case. The case accommodates upper and lower foam members of different density. The upper foam member has a density so as to be sufficiently resilient reducing discomfort to a resting person. The lower foam member has a density so as to be sufficiently rigid to retain the air mattresses within the perimeter of the border. Velcro fasteners are used to normally join the border walls. The bed is equipped with a cover having a releasable fastener so that the cover may be readily removed from the air mattresses and border.

Cots and beds using air mattresses to provide yieldable body supports are known in the art. For example, Young et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,322 and Swenson et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,784 disclose air bed assemblies having a pair of pneumatic bladders confined within an outer perimeter of four longitudinally extending foam rubber blocks. The air bladders and blocks are enclosed within a cover. These air bed assemblies do not have a border which uses top and bottom foam members of different density whereby the bottom member is sufficiently rigid to confine the air bladders within the perimeter of the border and the top member is sufficiently resilient to comfortably support a resting body.
Savenije in U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,378 discloses an air mattress assembly having edge strips of foam material extending around an air chamber. A top layer of foam material is secured to the edge strips to enclose the air chamber. The air bed of Savenije, however, suffers from the disadvantage that the resiliency and comfort of its edge strips is limited so as to sufficiently confine the air chamber within its perimeter.


A head rail for a mini blind system is disclosed. The mini blind system includes a plurality of pivotable slats supported on flexible ladders that are connected to basket assemblies mounted in the head rail. The head rail includes a pair of sidewalls and a bottom wall. The bottom wall includes flat wall portions and a recessed channel which strengthens the head rail and allows for full pivotable movement of the uppermost mini blind slats. The head rail further includes cross-shaped apertures extending through the recessed channel and configured for locating and receiving the basket assemblies of the present invention. The head rail apertures, as well as the bottom openings on the basket assemblies, include unobstructed cut-out portions which facilitate pivoting of the slats to a position which is very close to a vertical position.

Mini blinds have been known and used for many years for the selective admission of light into a room and for privacy. Typically, mini blinds are installed at a window opening and include a plurality of slats that can be pivoted between an open horizontal position and a closed nearly vertical position.
A conventional mini blind includes a head rail mounted to head rail supports positioned near the top of the window opening. The head rail generally has a U-shaped cross-section with an open interior for receiving the various components that control the pivotable slats. The head rail also includes a number of apertures for access to the various control components, e.g. flexible ladders, basket assemblies, and drawcord assemblies.
The flexible ladders which support the pivotable slats are usually connected to the basket assemblies through appropriate apertures in the bottom of the head rail. Additionally, access holes are provided for the pullcord which raises and lowers the bottom rail and the slats, and for the rotating wand used to control the tilter bar which with the basket assemblies. The basket assemblies, in turn, facilitate control of the flexible ladders which allow the slats to pivot between the open and closed positions.
The basket assemblies generally include a framework which rests within the open interior of the head rail and a rotator element to which the flexible ladders are attached. The ladders each have two flexible strings which are suspended from this rotating element with the strings being connected over opposed sides of the rotating element. Thus, when the rotator element is rotated in one direction., one string will be lowered while the other string is raised, and the opposite result is achieved when the element is rotated in the opposite direction. Each ladder also includes a plurality of cross links connected between the two strings. The slats are positioned over these cross links along the length of the ladders. When the rotator elements are rotated, the slats are pivoted as one end of each cross link is pulled upwards while the other end of each cross link is lowered.
To ensure that each ladder and its respective cross links are pivoted the same amount, a tilter bar extends through each rotator element. The tilter bar is connected to a gearbox at one end of the head rail which, in turn, is connected through an appropriate aperture in the head rail to the rotating wand. Thus, a person may rotate the tilter bar by rotating the wand and pivot the slats to a position that allows total privacy or the desired amount of light to pass through the mini blind.
Usually, a pullcord is also employed with a mini blind so the user may raise or lower the slats in the window opening. Generally, the pullcord enters the head rail through an opening equipped with a locking mechanism, extends along the interior of the head rail, and includes a cord that passes out of the head rail at each socket. Each cord passes through axially aligned apertures in the slats and is connected to a bottom rail below the slats. By pulling on the pullcord, the bottom rail will be raised, thereby raising the slats. The locking mechanism is positioned in the pullcord aperture so the pullcord may be locked and the bottom rail suspended at any point between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position.
In current mini blind systems, problems exist with both the head rail and the baskets. Current head rails have a flat bottom wall. The open design does not resist bending, especially when the head rail extends over a long span. Additionally, during manufacture of a mini blind with this type of head rail, it is difficult to determine when the baskets are accurately located over the cord and ladder apertures. Consequently, the basket installer must often make time consuming adjustments to basket position after the baskets are initially installed into the open portion of the head rail. Also, the flat bottom wall can interfere with the pivotal movement of the uppermost slat towards a fully closed position (i.e., vertical). For instance, the top edge of the uppermost slat may contact the bottom wall of the head rail restricting further pivotal motion of the slats and leaving small spaces between the lower slats through which excess light may filter. It would be advantageous to have a head rail designed to alleviate these problems.
Additionally, full closure of the slats is also inhibited by the design of the ladder apertures and cord apertures in both the bottom wall of the head rail and the basket assemblies. Typically, the lower wall of the head rail includes three openings beneath each basket assembly. Ladder strings are threaded through the outermost apertures, while the drawcord extends through the center aperture. The basket has matching apertures which are aligned with the three head rail apertures when the basket is installed. Since the support strings of the ladder go through apertures separated by a central drawcord aperture, the strings cannot move close enough to one another in the fully closed position to fully pivot the cross links and pivotable slats to a vertical position. It would be advantageous to design both the basket and the head rail so the ladder strings could move sufficiently close to one another that full closure is accomplished.


A trigger controller for an electric power tool including a motor and a pull-trigger movable along a path having a foremost home position comprises a mechanical switch and a solid-state switch connected in series to the motor, wherein the mechanical switch includes a first moving contact, and the controller includes a second moving contact wherein the first and second moving contacts are movable to operate the mechanical and solid-state switches respectively at different predetermined travelling positions of the pull-trigger from the home position such that the two switches are caused to be initially closed at different times.

The present invention relates to trigger control for an electric power tool.
The speed of electric power tools is often controlled by means of a pull-trigger, which is used to switch on and off the motor as well as to adjust the motor speed/torque. The pull-trigger invariably incorporates an electrical switch for control, which is either a mechanical switch or a solid-state switch.
The invention seeks to provide an improved trigger controller.
According to the invention, there is provided a trigger controller for an electric power tool which is powered by a power source and includes an electric motor and a pull-trigger movable along a path for controlling the motor. The pull-trigger has a foremost home position and a predetermined full travelling distance from the home position. The controller comprising:
a mechanical switching device and a solid-state switching device connected in series between the motor and the power source, the mechanical switching device including a first moving contact mechanically associated with the pull-trigger for movement thereby,
control unit including an integrated circuit connected to the solid-state switching device for generating an adjustable control signal to turn on and off the solid-state switching device for delivering an electric current from the power source via the mechanical switching device to the motor, the current having an adjustable rms value, and
an output selector including a plurality of resistors interconnected in series and a second moving contact connectable selectively to junctions of the resistors and connected to the control unit for adjusting the control signal to operate the solid-state switching device, the second moving contact being mechanically associated with the pull-trigger for movement thereby,
the first and second moving contacts being movable by the pull-trigger to operate the mechanical and solid-state switching devices respectively at different first and second predetermined travelling positions of the pull-trigger from the home position, such that the two switching devices are caused to be initially closed at different times.
In a first embodiment, the second travelling position is downstream of the first travelling position such that the solid-state switching device is initiaily closed after the mechanical switching device.
In a second embodiment, the second travelling position is upstream of the first travelling position such that the solid-state switching device is caused to be initially closed before the mechanical switching device.
Preferably, the first and second travelling positions are different from each other by a distance substantially in the range from 1.1% to 8.1% of the full travelling distance along the path.
More preferably, the first and second travelling positions are different from each other by a distance substantially in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm of the full travelling distance along the path.
It is preferred that the first travelling position is substantially in the range from 16.7% to 61.3% of the full travelling distance from the home position along the path.
It is further preferred that the first travelling position is substantially in the range of 1.5 mm to 3.8 mm from the home position along the path.
Preferably, the first travelling position is substantially in the range from 16.7% to 61.3% of the full travelling distance from the home position along the path.
Preferably, the second moving contact is mounted on the pull-trigger for movement thereby.
It is preferred that the trigger controller includes a brake switch connected in parallel with the motor for regenerative braking, the brake switch including a moving contact mechanically associated with the pull-trigger for movement thereby.
It is further preferred that the moving contact is movable by the pull-trigger to open the brake switch at a predetermined position of the pull-trigger between the home position and the first travelling position.
It is preferred that the trigger controller includes a bypass switch connected in parallel with the mechanical and solid-state switching devices for providing a direct path from the power source to the motor, the bypass switch including a moving contact mechanically associated with the pull-trigger for movement thereby.
It is further preferred that the moving contact is movable by the pull-trigger to close the bypass switch at a predetermined position of the pull-trigger adjacent a rearmost end position thereof along the path.
More preferably, the predetermined position is substantially in the range from 5.5 mm to 7.0 mm measured from the home position.
It is preferred that the moving contact is movable by the pull-trigger to close the bypass switch after the solid-state switching device has been turned continuously on by the control unit.
It is preferred that the bypass switch and the mechanical switching device share a common moving contact that is movable by the pull-trigger to close the bypass switch after the solid-state switching device has been turned continuously on by the control unit and then to open the mechanical switching device.
The invention also provides an electric power tool which includes an electric motor and a pull-trigger movable along a path, having a foremost home position and a predetermined full travelling distance from the home position, for operating the motor, and includes, the aforesaid trigger controller.
Preferably, the electric power tool is an electric hand drill.
The invention further provides an electric power tool which includes an electric motor and a pull-trigger movable along a path, having a foremost home position and a predetermined full travelling distance from the home position, for operating the motor, and includes the aforesaid trigger controller, wherein the full travelling distance of the pull-trigger is substantially in the range from 6.2 mm to 9.0 mm.


The widths of pulses in an incoming pulse train are monitored by successively measuring the duration of the pulses in the pulse train and enabling a timing device when the duration of any of the pulses is more than a preselected magnitude. The timing device is reset and restarted when the duration of any of the pulses is greater than the preselected magnitude. An output signal, indicative of an acceptable condition, is produced when the timing device indicates the expiration of a predetermined time delay. An output signal, indicative of a non-acceptable condition, is produced when the duration of a pulse in the incoming pulse train exceeds the preselected magnitude. This invention encompasses both the pulse width monitoring method and circuits which perform this method.

This invention relates to electronic pulse width monitors and, more particularly, to such monitors which provide an output signal indicative of whether successive voltage pulses occurring over a predetermined time period have a duration which is less than a preselected duration.
AC electric power systems are usually connected in parallel to increase total system rating or in certain cases such as airborne power systems, to increase reliability. One well-known type of aircraft electric power system is the DC link variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) system. Such systems include a plurality of power pole switching elements which synthesize an AC output by switching current from a pair of DC link conductors in a fixed switching pattern, which may be generated by a microprocessor or other digital circuit When these systems are to be operated in parallel with each other or with another source such as a ground power cart, each of the power sources must be synchronized. Since DC link VSCF systems are clock-based, a master clock signal is used to synchronize each of the system channels
The clock provides a single digital signal used to synchronize each channel. No break power transfer (NBPT) is a special application of a parallel system which allows momentary paralleling with another power source. The other source is typically an auxiliary power unit (APU) or a ground power unit (GPU). For NBPT, the master clock should be able to track the frequency of the external source. The master clock system includes a phased locked loop with selectable inputs from the APU, GPU, or a crystal frequency reference counted down to 400 Hz.
During NBPT, there is a transient due to mismatched phase angles and magnitudes of the two system voltages about to be momentarily paralleled. Severe transients and tripping of the VSCF system could result if excessive phase error exists prior to NBPT. To minimize such transients, it is necessary to ensure proper phase angle matching prior to paralleling. A phase detector is used to provide an error signal that is representative of the phase error between the VSCF system and the selected reference input.
One type of phase detector, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,704 issued July 18, 1989, provides a phase error signal in the form of a pulse train, with the widths of the individual pulses being proportional to the phase error. A circuit is needed to monitor the widths of the pulses in the phase error signal and to provide an indication if the phase error exceeds a preset value to prevent NBPT.

Circuit and method for monitoring voltage pulse widths


Techniques perform storage management. In accordance with such techniques, in response to determining that there is an abnormal process in a process group of an application, and a first size of storage space occupied by the abnormal process exceeds a first threshold, an abnormal process is terminated. A second size of storage space occupied by other processes than the abnormal process in the process group after the abnormal process is terminated is determined. In response to the second size exceeding a second threshold, at least one process in the process group to reduce the second size is terminated, where the at least one process is different from the abnormal process.

In a storage system, when a plurality of processes of an application occupy too much storage space, a certain loss to a storage device may be caused. For purpose of protecting the storage device, normally, part of the processes are terminated or canceled to reduce the loss. Generally, a computing device may obtain a total size of storage space occupied by a process group of the application, and then terminate or cancel part of the processes based on the total size of storage space occupied by the process group. However, in this manner, only loss to the storage device due to a too large size of total storage space occupied by a group of processes may be avoided, and an impact of an individual process on the storage device cannot be measured.

Method, device and computer program product for storage management


Assemblies and methods for processing a workpiece in a ram-driven press employ an active tool contained by a housing that is interchangeable with a passive forming tool assembly in a mounting assembly of the press. The active tool includes a microprocessor and a functional head coupled to the microprocessor. Some assemblies including the active tool include a switch for activating the functional head; the switch may be mounted to the housing such that, when the housing is mounted in the mounting assembly of the press, the switch is triggered by movement of the housing in response to the ram stroke of the press.

Ram-driven presses, for example, punch presses, are well known in the art. Punch presses are typically configured to hold a plurality of tools for forming a variety of shapes and sizes of indentations and/or holes in sheet workpieces, for example, sheet metal. Tools of this sort commonly include a punch and die; when a punch and corresponding die are mounted in a press and located in a working position of the press, beneath the ram (in some cases, coupled directly to the ram), the punch is driven, according to a pre-programmed ram stroke, to form an indentation or a hole through a sheet workpiece which has been located between the punch and die.
Product designs, which incorporate components formed from sheet workpieces, often require that a number of different types of holes be formed through each of the workpieces, so punch presses for processing these workpieces commonly employ a plurality of the tools mounted therein for each workpiece. In these cases, the press may be programmed to automatically move the appropriate tools, for a particular workpiece, into and out from the working position of the press, in sequence, for example, via rotation of a turret, in a turret-type press, or via manipulation of a multi-tool in a single station press, or by selection and replacement of tools, out from, and back into a tool magazine of a press, which may alternately be performed manually. Components formed from the sheet workpieces can often include, in addition to the aforementioned holes, one or more value-adding features, for example, an informational marking, that could be formed when each workpiece is still in sheet form, prior to the next stage of fabrication. Alternately, or additionally, the design specifications for these components can call for some kind of inspection of the sheet workpieces prior to the next stage of fabrication in order to characterize the workpieces and/or ensure a quality of the components formed therefrom. However, additional features and/or added inspection, if not handled in a most efficient manner, can significantly add to the cost of the components. Thus, there is a need for new assemblies and methods which can facilitate a streamlined and efficient approach to processing sheet workpieces.

Assemblies and methods for processing workpieces in ram-driven presses


A differential assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a differential case rotatably supported in an axle housing and forming an inner cavity housing a differential gear mechanism. The differential gear mechanism includes at least one pinion mate gear rotatably supported by a pinion shaft extending through radial bores in the differential case. The pinion mate gear has a back face adapted to cooperate with a complementary pinion seat surface through a thrust washer disposed therebetween. The differential case further includes at least one lubrication passage formed within the differential case adjacent to the radial bore receiving the pinion shaft. The lubrication passage provides fluid communication path for the lubricating oil from an oil reservoir in an axle housing to a space between the pinion seat surface of the differential case and the thrust washer of the pinion mate gear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to differential assemblies and, more particularly, to a differential case provided with lubrication passages for lubrication and cooling of pinion gears and the differential assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, differential assemblies well known in the prior art, are arranged in a power transmission system of a motor vehicle to allow a pair of output shafts operatively coupled to an input axle shaft to rotate at different speeds, thereby allowing vehicle wheels associated with each output axle shaft to maintain traction with the road while the vehicle is turning. Such a device essentially distributes the torque provided by the input shaft between the output axle shafts.
The typical automotive differential assembly is driven through a pinion shaft that is secured to a differential case. A plurality of pinion mate gears are mounted on the pinion shaft for rotation thereon. A spherical thrust washer adjacent to the differential case receives load from the pinion mate gear when the pinion mate gear rotates. The pinion mate gear rotates when there are different speeds between the driving axles as when cornering or when one wheel is on ice and is called differential action. When there is no differential action, the pinion mate gears do not rotate. The pinion mate gears drive side gears which are connected to the output axle shafts for driving the vehicle. Generally, the differential assembly is driven by a pinion on a propeller shaft which engages a ring gear on the differential case. As the differential case is rotated, the side gears are also rotated which in turn drives the output axle shafts for driving the vehicle. Generally this design of the differential assembly operates satisfactorily. However, one of the drawbacks of this design is when the spider gear rotates on the spider shaft at extreme speeds, due to a lack of sufficient lubrication, the excessive friction between the differential case and the pinion mate gear causes excessive wear and heat generation of a differential mechanism and occasional failure of the differential assembly.
Accordingly, it is the intent of this invention to overcome these shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention provides an improved differential assembly having a differential case provided with lubrication passages for lubrication and cooling of pinion mate gears and the differential assembly.
The differential assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the differential case rotatably supported within an axle housing and forming an inner cavity housing a differential gear mechanism rotatably supported in the differential case. The differential gear mechanism includes at least one pinion mate gear rotatably supported by a pinion shaft. The pinion shaft is secured to the differential case by extending through radial bores in the differential case. The pinion mate gear has a back face adapted to cooperate with a complementary pinion seat surface through a thrust washer disposed therebetween.
In order to provide efficient lubrication of the pinion mate gear, at least one lubrication passage is formed within the differential case adjacent to the radial bore receiving the pinion shaft. The lubrication passage provides fluid communication path for the lubricating oil from an oil reservoir in an axle housing to a space between the pinion seat surface of the differential case and the thrust washer of the pinion mate gear. The lubrication passage includes at least one inlet port provided on an outer peripheral surface of the differential case and spaced from the radial bore, and an outlet port open into the space between the pinion seat surface and the pinion mate gear and spaced from the radial bore.

Differential case with lubrication passages


A semiconductor device has a bonding pad configured to be bonded to a bonding member, a test pad configured to contact with a test probe at a test, and an internal circuit electrically connected to the bonding pad and the test pad. The bonding pad overlaps with the internal circuit in a direction vertical to a surface of a semiconductor chip. The test pad does not overlap with the internal circuit in the direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a bonding pad. In particular, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a bonding pad and a test pad.
2. Description of the Related Art
For semiconductor chips, particularly for semiconductor chips which are required to have high reliability, tests of non-defective or defective chips are implemented to all the products in order to secure the reliability in recent years. Then, only the non-defective products are shipped. Such a test is generally carried out by using a "bonding pad" for connecting a peripheral region of a semiconductor chip with an external electrode. The bonding pad is electrically connected to the external electrode through a wire bonding, flip chip bonding and the like.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing around a bonding pad of a conventional semiconductor chip having a multi-layer structure. A metal layer 31 is formed on a surface of the semiconductor chip. A cover layer 6 is formed to cover the metal layer 31. The cover layer 6 has an aperture through which the metal layer 31 is exposed. The metal layer 31 exposed in the aperture configures a bonding pad 10.
In addition, a metal layer 32 is provided below the metal layer 31 through an interlayer insulating layer. The metal layer 31 and the metal layer 32 are connected with a plurality of through holes 7 in order to prevent separation of the metal layer 31 at the testing time and the bonding time.
The metal layers 33, 34 and 35 are further formed under an area inner than the area where the bonding pad 10 is formed (in the left-side in FIG. 1). Thus, the semiconductor chip has a multi-layer structure. An internal circuit 4 such as an input/output circuit is formed by the metal layers and the like.
FIG. 2 shows a configuration around the bonding pad 10 more in detail. The bonding pad 10 is formed by the metal layer 31. At the bonding, an alloy layer 701 is formed on a bonding surface of a bonding ball 702. The bonding ball 702 is used for bonding the bonding pad 10 to a bonding wire material. When the bonding ball 702 is made of gold (Au) and the metal layer 31 is made of aluminum (Al), the alloy layer 701 is made of alloy of Au and Al in order to improve adhesion. In this case, aluminum contained in the metal layer 31 moves to the alloy layer 701 due to a high temperature process such as an annealing, which causes a void 703 to occur at the boundary between the alloy layer 701 and the metal layer 31 as shown in FIG. 2. The void 703 thus generated can cause deterioration of conjugate properties between the bonding ball 702 and the bonding pad 10.
In order to prevent the occurrence of the void 703, an Au layer 801 (or an Au layer and a barrier metal layer) can be formed on the surface of the metal layer 31 constituting the bonding pad 10, as shown in FIG. 3A. However, since the bonding pad 10 is used also for the testing as mentioned above, a test probe 802 is brought into contact with the Au layer 801 at the testing as shown in FIG. 3A. Here, the test probe 802 has needle-shape and is made of conductive material which is at least harder than Au. Therefore, gold scraped away from the Au layer 801 adheres to the needlepoint of the test probe 802 as shown in FIG. 3B. Thus, it is necessary to clean the needlepoint frequently to remove the attached gold, which reduces throughput. Moreover, the frequent cleaning abrades and thicken the needlepoint, which reduces life of the test probe 802. Furthermore, the AU adhered to the test probe 802 tends to reduce accuracy of the test.
Furthermore, even in the case when the Au layer 801 is provided, a stylus pressure of the test probe 802 at the measuring can cause a crack in the Au layer 801. In this case, aluminum of the metal layer 31 can move through the crack in the Au layer 801 and hence a void is generated. The void thus generated can cause deterioration of conjugate properties.
As described above, when the bonding pad 10 is shared in the bonding and in the testing, the test probe 802 is brought into contact with the bonding pad 10 as shown in FIG. 4A. In this case, the test probe 802 scratches the surface of the bonding pad 10 and hence the trace of the pad occurs. Moreover, when the test probe pressure is increased in order to ascertain the electric connection, not only the bonding pad 10 but also the plurality of through holes 7 formed below the metal layer 31 may be broken as shown in FIG. 4B. Therefore, according to the conventional technique as shown in FIG. 1, the internal circuit 4 can not be made under the bonding pad 10 in order to avoid the break of the internal circuit 4 at the time of the testing.
Also, the damage on the surface of the bonding pad 10 due to the contact of the test probe 802 deteriorates bonding strength of a wire bonding or a bump bonding which is formed in a packaging process. Particularly, in recent years, the pitch between the pads and the pad size decrease in accordance with the miniaturization of the semiconductor chip. For instance, a bonding pad 10 shown in FIG. 5 has the size of X=about 60 μm and Y=about 60 μm. The test probe can contact the bonding pad 10 in an area having the size of x=15-20 μm and y=30-50 μm as a contact area. When the area of the bonding pad 10 is sufficiently larger than the contact area, the bonding is secured by the other area than the contact area even if a bad connection occurs in the contact area. However, the area of the bonding pad 10 itself becomes small, the other area also becomes small. In this way, the miniaturizing of the bonding pad 10 causes insufficient bonding properties.
Moreover, as the pad size becomes small, the width of interconnection for electrically connecting the bonding pad 10 and the internal circuit becomes small. Since power supply ability is proportional to the width of the interconnection, the reduction of the width of the interconnection causes reduction of the power supply ability. In order to handle this problem, a bonding pad 10 may be formed with two metal layers which are connected with each other via through holes, and interconnections can be provided for both of the two metal layers in order to improve the power supply ability. However, such through holes can be destroyed due to the pressure of the test probe, which reduces the power supply ability of the lower metal layer.
As described above, according to the conventional technique, the head of the test probe is brought into contact with the bonding pad 10 in a wafer testing as the final of wafer processes, which results in the above-mentioned problems. That is to say, the bonding pad 10 being shared in the bonding and in the testing causes the above-mentioned problems.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-P2002-329742) discloses a technique to solve these problems. According to this technique, a "test pad" is provided in addition to a "bonding pad" in order to prevent the occurrence of probe traces on the bonding pad at the time of the testing. That is, the bonding pad and the test pad are provided separately in order to improve the bonding properties of the bonding pad. In this case, however, it is necessary to reserve areas for both of the bonding pad and the test pad, which causes increase of the chip size and the cost.


A technique for performing background suppression in photodiode detectors is disclosed. A first detector measures the light emitted by the source to be measured and the background light, while a second detector simultaneously measures the background light only. The value measured by the second detector is subtracted from the value measured by the first detector, and the difference represents the portion of the first detector's measured value which is attributable to the source to be measured.

Photodiode detectors are widely used to detect and measure low level light signals. A common use of these photodiode detectors is as laser power meters.
When measuring the light from a source to be measured. photodiode detectors also measure the ambient background light. This results in readings which are higher than the light level emitted by the source to be measured. Moreover, since the background light level is not known, it is impossible to determine which portion of the measured light was emitted by the source to measured and which is measured background light. This problem can be alleviated by taking the measurements in a darkened room, but requiring a darkened room has the obvious disadvantage of severely limiting where the measurement can be made.
Another way of alleviating this problem is background subtraction. In background subtraction, a first measurement is made of only the background light, and the detector is zeroed at the measured light level. Then a second measurement is made of the light from the source to be measured and the background light, and since the detector is zeroed at the background level, the detector's output represents the light level of the source to be measured.
Background subtraction, however, requires that two measurements be taken in order to determine the light level of the source to be measured. Moreover, if the background level changes between the first measurement and the second measurement, the detector will provide inaccurate readings since the detector will be zeroed at the background level measured during the first measurement rather than at the actual background level present during the second measurement. The background level can change between the first and second measurement either because of changes in the background or because the detector is moved to a new location with a different background.


A peritoneal dialysis fluid characterized by the addition of 0.1 to 30 g/L of albumin. The peritoneal dialysis fluid reduces the occurrence of peritonitis during peritoneal dialysis.

In the event of renal failure, it becomes difficult to excrete the final nitrogen metabolites and the like from the human body and they accumulate within the body to cause dysfunction to various organs. For this reason, a medical treatment by artificial dialysis is conducted in order to excrete the accumulated metabolites outside the body. Artificial dialysis is roughly classified into haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
The aim of haemodialysis is to excrete excess water, unwanted solutes, small molecular weight substances like urea and creatinine and other uremic substances in order to correct their levels. Therefore, the usual procedure is that blood is withdrawn from a patient and is passed through a dialyser outside the body using a dialysis fluid. Recently a dialysis fluid mainly containing sodium bicarbonate which is an alkaline agent is used. This haemodialysis treatment is capable of being combined with blood absorption or plasma separation procedures, which is frequently adopted. This treatment has an advantage that it can be applied to patients for a long term period, whereas it has such defects that use of the dialysis apparatus requires a great deal of cost, that patients must have a surgical procedure to provide blood access for blood extracorporeal circulation, that its application is limited to patients who have cardiopulmonary functions strong enough to endure extracorporeal circulation, and so on.
On the other hand, peritoneal dialysis is a method for exchanging solutes and water in capillary vessels of a patient's peritoneal with hypertonic solution which is injected within the peritoneal cavity. The principle of this method is diffusion of solutes which are transferred according to the concentration gradient and water migration due to the osmotic differences. Azotemia, and imbalance of water and electrolytes are corrected by this principle. This method has many advantages such that no special apparatus is commonly required and it gives less influence on the hemodynamics because extracorporeal circulation of the patient's blood is not necessary, and further the peritoneal dialysis is similar to the physiological function of the kidney.
Peritoneal dialyses are usually classified as Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis(CAPD), Intermittent Peritoneal Dialysis (IPD) or Continuous Cyclic Peritoneal Dialysis(CCPD).
The dialysis fluid used for peritoneal dialysis is an aqueous solution which comprises an osmotic agent such as glucose and the like, electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and organic acid salts such as sodium lactate. These peritoneal dialysis fluids are determined according to the components so as to control the levels of electrolytes or acid-base equilibrium, remove the waste materials and efficiently carry out ultrafiltration.
However, peritoneal dialysis fluids have heretofore been maintained at acidic pH, 4.5 to 5.5, for their compositional stability and their osmotic pressure has been rendered hypertonic for dialyzing effects, that is the osmotic pressure ratio to physiological saline is about 1.1 to 1.6. Clinically, dialysis fluids which are unsuitable for the human body are intraperitoneally injected in large amounts, for instance about 10 L/human/day and pooled in the peritoneal cavity for several hours, for instance 2 to 24 hours. Accordingly, there is a defect that patients who are subjected to dialysis tend to suffer peritonitis, etc., accompanied by clinical symptoms such as stomach ache, and finally peritoneal sclerosis, etc. (Wakabayashi, Y. and Kawaguchi, Y.; "Peritoneal Dialysis and Sclerosing Encapsulating Peritonitis", Igaku No Ayumi (Progress in Medical Science), 183, 363-367, 1997). Occurrence of peritoneal sclerosis decreases the degree of effectiveness of dialysis, which makes it difficult for patients suffering kidney diseases to use peritoneal dialysis for a long term period. Further there are defects that plasma proteins are lost and the period of dialysis is very long and so on.
Under these circumstances, the present invention has been made and, therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a peritoneal dialysis fluid that can suppress the occurrence of peritonitis.


A current transformer (5) having a plurality of primary and secondary windings, comprising a top Strain measuring system of wind turbine blades (11) during the performance of static tests that comprises an equipment for measuring the strain at multiple locations in mono-mode optical fibers (5, 7, 9) using Rayleigh scattered light, that includes an OBR interrogator (23), an interface device (25) and an Acquisition System (27), said mono-mode optical fibers (5, 7, 9) being attached to the blade (11) subjected to said tests for obtaining high spatial resolution measurements of the blade strain during said tests. Said optical fibers (5, 7, 9) may be placed whether in a longitudinal direction or in a non-longitudinal direction or in a non-linear shape in given blade sections and may be bonded whether to the outer skin (31) of the blade (11), or into grooves (51, 53) in the outer skin (31) of the blade (11) or embedded between two structural laminates (33, 35) of the blade (11).

Current wind turbine blade certification requires performing several static tests on the blade to confirm the blade capability to withstand the expected loads, particularly static strength tests to check the blade behaviour under extreme design loads, fatigue tests to check the blade's ability to withstand the operating loads for its design life and other tests in order to characterize physical properties of the blade such as weight, centre of gravity or natural modes and frequencies.
These tests are usually carried out in a test bench in which the blade is bolted to a rigid structure and then static or dynamic loads are applied to the blade by means of different methods.
Current test systems rely on a set of strain gauges to determine the strain distribution along blades. With the increasing size of blades, the amount of necessary gauges is rapidly growing, which implies larger efforts to adequately estimate the aforementioned distribution. With two to four electrical wires per gauge, cabling volume, complexity and vulnerability to electro-magnetic interference become significant and disturbing. Additionally, the discrete nature of this kind of measurements implies loss of information in case of non-linear behaviour in the area between two strain gauges.
This invention is intended to the solution of said problems.

Wind turbine blades strain measuring system during static tests


Provided is a pigment dispersant for improving the dispersibility of an azo pigment for a water-insoluble solvent. More specifically, provided is a polyester, including at least one unit represented by one of the following formula (1) and the following formula (2):

A polymer dispersant in which a site having an affinity for an azo pigment as a coloring agent and an oligomer or polymer having affinities for a solvent and a binding resin are covalently bonded to each other has been conventionally used as means for improving the pigment dispersibility of a toner having the azo pigment and the binding resin in an electrophotographic recording method (see Patent Literature 1). In addition, an example in which a comb polymer dispersant having an acidic or basic site known as Solsperse (registered trademark) is used has been disclosed (see Patent Literature 2). Meanwhile, an example in which a polymer dispersant obtained by bonding a chromophore having a molecular weight smaller than 95% of the molecular weight of an azo pigment to a side chain or terminal of a water-soluble polymer is used as a dispersant for the azo pigment in an inkjet recording method has been disclosed (Patent Literature 3).
However, the dispersibility of the pigment dispersant described in Patent Literature 2 or Patent Literature 3 is not sufficient because the adsorptivity of the dispersant for the azo pigment is insufficient. In addition, a water-soluble polymer is used in the pigment dispersant described in Patent Literature 1, and hence the dispersibility of the pigment for a water-insoluble solvent used as a dispersion medium is not sufficient. Further, the dispersant involves, for example, the following problem. The pigment exudes when the pigment undergoes the process of performing a treatment in an aqueous medium upon, for example, polymerization of the toner.

Polyester, pigment composition, and toner

Abstract: in the formula (1) and the formula (2): R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a phenyl group; R2 to R6 each represent a hydrogen atom, a COOR7 group, or a CONR8R9 group, provided that at least one of the R2 to R6 represents the COOR7 group or the CONR8R9 group; and the R7 to R9 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.


Computer-implemented systems and methods predict behavior of sprays based on receiving a selection of one or more variables affecting spray. Relative amounts of the droplets forming the spray are grouped into various droplet size classes, where each droplet size class represents a range of droplet sizes. The relative amounts of the spray in the classes is visually depicted on a computer display according to a distribution of droplets, a volume of spray falling within the droplet size classes, a chart depicting relative amounts of the spray as a function of droplet size, or according to a spray quality based on environmental factors.

Due to increasing concern about pest control costs and environmental pollution associated with agricultural sprays, application of such sprays requires precision and care. Considerable research on spray drift has been conducted, but it remains a major problem associated with many agricultural spray applications. Even when test data, for instance characterizing the drift potential or leaf coverage of an agricultural spray, are available, this information is difficult to communicate to individuals in systematic and easily understandable terms. Typically, spray patterns of agricultural sprays, such as pesticides, must be tested in order to provide individuals with desired result data; or where previously analyzed results are available, the information is required to be added to a custom presentation or report for the individual. In addition, spray patterns are affected by the type of nozzle used to deliver the spray, and nozzles must be tested or nozzle analysis results are required to be added to custom presentations. Further, other variables affecting spray such as environmental factors may not be available. Conducting these processes is time-consuming, test results may be incomplete due to unavailable information, and the results may not be delivered in a timely manner.

Methods and systems for analyzing and visualizing spray patterns


A catalytic hydrocracking process which minimizes the fouling of the process unit with 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds by means of hydrogenating and converting at least a portion of the recycle hydrocarbon liquid containing trace quantities of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds in a 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compound conversion zone containing a zeolite hydrogenation catalyst having pore openings in the range from about 8 to about 15 Angstroms, a hydrogenation component and an intercalated clay component at hydrogenation conditions to selectively reduce the concentration of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds.

The field of art to which this invention pertains is the hydrocracking of a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock having a propensity to form 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds without excessively fouling the processing unit. The 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds are considered to be refractory in a hydrocracking process, are thereby highly resistant to conversion in a hydrocracking reaction zone and are therefore undesirable components in the feed or recycle to a hydrocracking reaction zone. More specifically, the invention relates to a catalytic hydrocracking process which comprises: (a) contacting a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock having a propensity to form 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds and a liquid recycle stream in a hydrocracking zone with added hydrogen and a metal promoted hydrocracking catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure sufficient to gain a substantial conversion to lower boiling products; (b) partially condensing the hydrocarbon effluent from the hydrocracking zone and separating the same into a lower boiling hydrocarbon product stream and an unconverted hydrocarbon stream boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and comprising trace quantities of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds; (c) introducing at least a portion of the unconverted hydrocarbon stream boiling above about 400.degree. F. (204.degree. C.) and comprising trace quantities of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds into a 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compound conversion zone containing a zeolitic hydrogenation catalyst having pore openings in the range from about 8 to about 15 Angstroms (10.sup.-10 meters), a hydrogenation component and an intercalated clay component operated at conditions to selectively reduce the concentration of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds; (d) condensing at least a portion of the resulting effluent from the conversion zone to produce a liquid stream comprising hydrogenated hydrocarbonaceous compounds and having a reduced concentration of 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compounds compared to the unconverted hydrocarbon stream introduced into the 11.sup.+ ring heavy polynuclear aromatic compound conversion zone; and (e) recycling at least a portion of the liquid stream comprising hydrogenated hydrocarbonaceous compounds recovered in step (d) to the hydrocracking zone in step (a) as at least a portion of the liquid recycle stream.

Process for refractory compound conversion in a hydrocracker recycle liquid


An embodiment includes extracting statistical data associated with invocation of an application programming interface (API) from a log and using the statistical data to calculate a performance value and generate an aggregate dataset that combines the performance value with performance values associated with other invocations of the API. The embodiment includes calculating metric values for performance values for respective time intervals of a time period and calculating mean and standard deviation values of the metric values for the time period. The embodiment includes selecting the API as a candidate API and detecting a Customer Impacting Event (CIE) by applying a machine learning algorithm using monitored values associated with the candidate API during a time frame defined by a rolling window. The embodiment also includes automatically initiating a selected alert from among a plurality of alert options based at least in part on the monitored values associated with the CIE.

Cloud computing allows business enterprises to quickly deploy Information Technology (IT) software and hardware computing resources and applications to service their customers without setting up and maintaining costly data centers or running and maintaining complex software applications. Instead, the business enterprises can focus on their core business and leave the operation and maintenance of the computing resources to the cloud computing providers. Cloud consumers may receive computing services from a cloud provider's data centers that include pools of computing resources such as servers, data storage, networks, and software applications. The cloud provider may offer these resources to the cloud consumers as on-demand and fee-based services. Cloud computing services are typically delivered to the consumers through a combination of private and public networks, such as company intranets and the Internet.

Automated selection of performance monitors

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A security policy deployment method and apparatus are provided, and the method includes: when a lifecycle state of a virtualized network function VNF changes, generating, by a management network element, a security policy of the VNF, where the security policy of the VNF is used to perform access control on the VNF; and sending, by the management network element, the security policy of the VNF to a control device. The management network element is a network element configured to perform lifecycle management on the VNF. By using the method or apparatus provided in embodiments of this application, the security policy of the VNF can be adjusted in time when the lifecycle state of the VNF changes, thereby greatly reducing a possibility that a bug occurs in the security policy of the VNF because the VNF changes.

A conventional network system is a system that interconnects a plurality of network devices with different geographic locations and independent functions to share resources or transfer information. After deployment, network devices included in the conventional network system and a network connection relationship between the network devices are relatively fixed. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to adjust a network service (NS) provided by the conventional network system.
For ease of NS adjustment based on an actual requirement, increasingly more users start to use a network functions virtualization (NFV) technology and a network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI) to build a network system. In the network system built by using the NFV technology, a virtualized network function manager (VNFM) may create, adjust, or terminate a corresponding virtualized network function (VNF) based on an NS that needs to be implemented by the network system, and a network functions virtualization orchestrator (NFVO) may rearrange a VNF to implement NS adjustment.
To ensure secure and stable running of a network system, a corresponding security policy needs to be configured for a network device in the conventional network system, and the network device may perform access control based on the security policy. The network devices included in the conventional network and the network connection relationship between the network devices are relatively fixed. Therefore, when a security policy is configured for a network device in the conventional network system, a skilled person may consider designing a corresponding security policy for each network device based on a network device type and a network device connection relationship in planning and design stages of the network system. Then a skilled person manually delivers the security policies to corresponding network devices when each network device is installed and deployed, so as to implement security policy configuration of the network devices.
In the network system built by using the NFV technology, a corresponding security policy also needs to be configured for each VNF and NS. However, in the network system built by using the NFV technology, each VNF has a specific lifecycle. In a lifecycle management process, it is determined that the VNF may continually change. For example, a component included in the VNF, a connection relationship between components included in the VNF, and a connection relationship between VNFs may continually change in the lifecycle management process.
If a skilled person manually configures, in a security policy configuration manner in the conventional network system, a security policy for a VNF in the network system built by using the NFV technology, the skilled person probably cannot find a change of the VNF in time, or the skilled person probably cannot adjust the security policy of the VNF in time after the VNF changes. Consequently, a bug occurs in the security policy of the VNF, and security of the network system is affected.

Security policy deployment method and apparatus


Air-driven, low-frequency sound generator with a positive feedback system, comprising, as a sound emitter, an open resonator (11) for the generation of standing gas-borne sound waves which produce a varying gas pressure inside the resonator; and feeder (10) with a tube (14) for the supply of pressure gas to the resonator and a back and forth movable springing valve slide (15) whose position remains unaffected by the pressure gas and which regulates the gas flow from the tube while creating a modulated flow of pressure to the resonator. The tube is surrounded by a surge tank (13), connected to the pressure gas source, and the valve slide is arranged as a piston movable inside the tube and is set to regulate a connecting opening (20) between the surge tank and the inside of the tube. This opening is situated at one end surface (19) of the piston and said end surface is being exposed to the inside of the resonator by means of the one end of the tube communicating therewith.

The invention relates to an air-driven low-frequency sound generator provided with a system for positive feedback.
A low-frequency sound generator with a positive feedback system is described in EP, A, No. 0 006 833, comprising, as a sound emitter, an open resonator for generating standing gas-borne sound waves which produce a varying gas pressure in the resonator; and a feeder having a pipe for the supply of pressure gas to the resonator and a movable resilient valve slide whose position remains unaffected by the pressure gas and which regulates the gas flow from the pipe while creating a modulated flow of pressure gas to the resonator. Thus the valve slide is connected to a sound-actuated diaphragm mounted inside the resonator. The valve slide is a sleeve-type slide which is axially and displaceably guided inside or outside of the pipe. The pipe is connected to a pressure gas source and the purpose of the valve slide is to control an opening in the pipe-wall for the supply of pressure gas.
The basic principle for the operation of the above described low-frequency generator is: when the sound pressure inside the resonator is higher than the surrounding atmospheric pressure, the valve slide will move in such a direction to free the opening and air having a higher pressure than the sound pressure will then be fed into the resonator. Accordingly, when the sound pressure inside the resonator is lower than the surrounding atmospheric pressure, the valve slide will be forced to move in the opposite direction with the result that the opening is closed.

Air-driven low-frequency sound generator with positive feedback system


A device and method may include, in a display device, emitting visible light in a humanly imperceptible manner and sensing said light to verify operation of the display device.

The light emitting diodes (LED) inside a light display device must be tested periodically to ensure that the lights adhere to certain standards. In one example, LEDs in a light display device used in an emergency situation must be tested annually to ensure that all the LEDs are functional.
Currently, the most common way to test a light display device is for a user to flash on and off the lights and to visually check that all the LEDs are functional and/or synchronized. However, this method is time consuming as it requires manual testing and observation. Additionally, the testing of the LEDs inside the devices is disruptive and distracting to others, such as patients and staff at a hospital. As a result, there is a desire to check the proper functioning of the LEDs without causing a disruption.


An exercising device includes a ball, and a rod extended through the ball. Thus, the ball has a periphery formed with two through holes each having a peripheral wall formed with a pressing lip which presses the rod closely after the ball is inflated to form a sealing effect to seal the chamber of the ball to maintain the air in the chamber of the ball, so that the ball is sealed on the rod exactly without incurring air leakage. In addition, the manufacturer only needs to form two through holes in the periphery of the ball without having to form a hollow channel which is extended through the whole diameter of the ball, thereby facilitating fabrication of the ball, and thereby decreasing costs of fabrication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercising device and, more particularly, to an exercising device having combination of a ball and a rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional exercising device in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 10 comprises a ball 70 made of rubber material. Thus, a user can use the exercising device by placing his body on the ball 70 so as to massage or stretch his body by the ball 70, thereby achieving the exercising and massaging effects.
Another conventional exercising device comprises a ball having an inside formed with a hollow channel which is extended through the whole diameter of the ball, and a rod extended through the hollow channel of the ball. Thus, a user can use the exercising device by holding the rod with his two hands and by placing his body on the ball so as to massage or stretch his body by the ball, thereby achieving the exercising and massaging effects. However, the manufacturer needs to form a hollow channel which is extended through the whole diameter of the ball, thereby causing inconvenience in fabrication of the ball, and thereby increasing costs of fabrication.

Exercising device having combination of ball and rod


The present disclosure provides a method for evaluating cross-cell coverage, which includes: finding, according to a neighboring cell configuration table of a cell in a base station, a cell with a number of configured neighboring cells that is larger than a number threshold for configured neighboring cells; designating the found cell as an original cell; carrying out a processing to obtain the cross-cell coverage evaluation parameters of the original cell; and determining the original cell i provides and/or suffers from cross-cell coverage when the cross-cell coverage evaluation parameter of the original cell exceeds respective cross-cell coverage evaluation thresholds. The present disclosure further provides an apparatus for evaluating cross-cell evaluation, which is capable of determining whether or not a cell provides cross-cell coverage to make parameters of a wireless network adjusted timely and limit the coverage of the wireless network in a supposed one.

In a narrow sense, wireless network optimization refers to finding a cause of degradation of network quality through a parameter analysis and a hardware check of an currently operating network, performing a parameter modification, a network structure adjustment and a device configuration adjustment, etc., thereby greatly benefiting from the existing network resources, guaranteeing high-quality operation of a system and achieving a highest profit with a lowest investment.
In a general sense, wireless network optimization includes various aspects ranging from determination of network size, network capacity and capacity expansion scheme, to site location selection and network construction, and further to network parameter configuration. Each step performed during the wireless network optimization may be associated with network quality and affect development of the network. Typically, a network optimization can be divided into the following three stages:
(1) determining the capacity of the wireless network and the requirements on the capacity expansion of the wireless network;
(2) selecting a location for a site and constructing the site according to the geographic features of the region in which the wireless network is located;
(3) configuring parameters for the wireless network.
The stages (1) and (2) constitute a wireless network planning stage mainly for planning the specific distribution of network architecture, and the stage (3) is a wireless network configuration stage for implementing a wireless coverage. Each of the three stages is highly important. In the case that requirements on engineering quality are met in the stages (1) and (2), the stage (3) becomes particularly important.
During the process of existing wireless network optimization, from someone's viewpoint, the further a base station covers, the larger the signal-receiving area is. Therefore, in order to meet the requirements on wireless coverage, parameters such as antenna height and transmission power of base station, generally intend to be larger than normal, which though meets the coverage requirements, brings an immeasurable negative effect.
Taking a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network as an example, the coverage distance of a base station is determined by such factors as the location of the base station and the density of sites. The coverage distance should be proper, neither too long nor too short. However, in order to meet the requirements on wireless coverage, a base station covers a distance actually much further than it is supposed to, and thus a mobile terminal far away from the base station can receive from the base station a signal with strength higher than a strength threshold of the mobile terminal signals. At this time, the mobile terminal sends a pilot measurement report, in which the phase of the cell with respect to the newly detected base station is carried, to its serving base station. Then, according to the phase of the cell with respect to the newly detected base station sent by the mobile station, the serving base station calculates a pseudo random code (PN) of the cell in which the new base station is located by dividing the phase by 64, wherein PN indicates an identifier of a cell in CDMA network, and a cell is associated with a PN. Then, the base station conducts a search in the neighboring cell configuration table to find a neighboring cell corresponding to the calculated PN, and establishes new channel resource for the mobile terminal in the neighboring cell. The neighboring cell configuration table is created based on distances between cells and the direction angles of cells. Specifically, the distances between cells should be as short as possible, and neighboring cells are preferred. Also, the direction angles of cells should be opposite to each other, that is, cells should have as many overlapping coverage areas as possible, so that a mobile terminal moving in a cell can receive a signal from another cell easily. Generally, a base station may enable a mobile terminal to handover to a new cell by sending cell handover indication information to the mobile terminal. However, if the newly detected cell is a cross-cell-coverage cell (i.e., a cell which has a larger coverage area than it is supposed to), and the active set cell which is serving the mobile terminal does not configure the newly detected cell, but configures another cell which has a same PN as that of the newly detected cell as a neighboring cell, the mobile terminal may detect a signal from the base station in newly detected cell, however, the serving base station will determine the target cell for handover add as the another cell having the same PN, leading to an error handover add and thus a call drop of the mobile terminal which severely affects user experience. The term "handover add" means, a serving base station establishes two-channel resources for a mobile terminal moving to the boundary of its serving cell, which are the channel resources of the serving cell and the channel resources of the cell to be hand over, respectively.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the cross-cell coverage of a cell, it can be seen from FIG. 1 that a mobile terminal initiates a call through a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) 4 and detects, during the communication, a signal from a cell of a BTS1, which provides cross-cell coverage and thus is not configured as a neighboring cell by the BTS4. After detecting the signal from the cell of the BTS1, the mobile terminal sends a pilot measurement report to the BTS4. The BTS4 finds, through calculation, that the PN of the cell of the BTS1 is PN2, and then conducts a search in the neighboring cell configuration table of the cell to find that the PN of the cell of a BTS3 is also PN2. Accordingly, the BTS4 incorrectly establishes new channel resources for the mobile terminal in the cell of the BTS3, while the signal actually detected by the mobile terminal is one from the cell of the BTS1. As a result, an error handover performed by the BTS4 causes a call drop of the mobile terminal.
In view of the above, it remains a problem needing an urgent solution how to effectively avoid the cross-cell coverage of a cell.

Method and apparatus for evaluating cross-cell coverage


A gasket inserted into a gasket groove is formed of a gasket main body part positioned in the middle part thereof and first/second end face projection parts each formed in a tapered shape, projecting from corresponding ones of the ends of the gasket main body part. Each of pressure-contact surfaces of the gasket main body part is formed as an arc-shaped surface having a convex shape projecting toward a corresponding one of the inner side surfaces of the gasket groove. The rate of the sum of the sectional areas of the first/second end face projection parts to the whole sectional area of the gasket is 30% or less, and the rate of the curvature radius of each of the tip end surfaces of the respective first/second end face projection parts to the maximum width dimension of the gasket main body part is 15% or less.

This invention relates to a sealing structure using a gasket which is used for, for example, the joint part between an engine and an intake manifold mounted on a vehicle.
As this type of the sealing structure using the gasket, one is suggested which is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-040673. In this sealing structure of JP 2013-040673 (A), a gasket as a main body has a gasket main body part whose first end is brought into tight contact with the groove bottom surface of the installation groove formed in a first member, and whose second end is brought into tight contact with a second member, a pair of first and second side surface lips which is brought into tight contact with the groove side surfaces of the installation groove in a part close to the groove bottom part of the installation groove, and has a pair of third and fourth side surface lips which is brought into tight contact with the groove side surfaces of the installation groove in a part close to the groove opening part of the installation groove.
In a case where the gasket width dimension in the first and second side surface lips is defined as W1, the gasket width dimension in the third and fourth side surface lips is defined as W2, the groove width dimension of the installation groove in the position where the first and second surfaces lips are brought into tight contact with the installation groove is defined as W3, and the groove width dimension of the installation groove in the position where the third and fourth side surface lips are brought into tight contact with the installation groove is defined as W4, each of the dimensions is set so as to satisfy the relations of W3<W4 and W1<W2.


A fluid transfer device (10) includes a vial holder (23) configured to hold a vial (22). An actuator (40) is coupled to the vial holder (23) and can rotate the vial (22) between upright and inverted positions. A pump (positive or negative pressure) can pump contents out of the vial (22). Before pumping of the contents the actuator (40) rotates the vial (22) to the inverted position and after pumping of the contents the actuator (40) rotates the vial (22) to the upright position.

When preparing and administering drugs care has be taken to minimize or preferably eliminate the risk of exposing people, such as medical and pharmacological personnel, to toxic substances. Transferring a liquid medicinal substance from a vial to a bag or syringe requires care to keep the substance free of contamination and to ensure that no toxic or non-desirable substances leak to the ambient.

Aran Research Development and Prototypes Ltd.


A medical puncture needle includes: a distal end portion including a needle point; and a rod-like main body portion continuous with the distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a blade surface. The blade surface includes: a first blade surface portion on a front side of the distal end portion, the first blade surface portion being inclined with respect to a center axis of the main body portion and extending to the needle point, and a second blade surface portion on a back side of the distal end portion. When a virtual plane including the center axis of the main body portion is established, the second blade surface portion comprises a curved surface in which an angle with respect to the virtual plane in a cross section orthogonal to the center axis direction gradually increases toward the needle point side in the center axis direction.

The present disclosure relates to a medical puncture needle and a method for manufacturing the puncture needle.
Conventionally, there is a known medical puncture needle such as a blood collection needle or an indwelling needle for infusion, which includes, at a distal end portion, a blade surface inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the puncture needle in order to alleviate pain when puncturing the human body with the puncture needle.
JP 2014-004249 A discloses a puncture needle of this type having a blade surface shape called a "back-cut bevel point" (hereinafter referred to simply as "back-cut type"). A puncture needle having a back-cut type blade surface disclosed in JP 2014-004249 A is superior in rectilinearity, and thus, is used to puncture a target site at a relatively deep position in the body from the body surface such as puncture into an artery or puncture into a central vein.

Medical puncture needle and method for manufacturing puncture needle