The invention is directed to a centrifugal contactor for solvent extraction systems. The centrifugal contactor is provided with an annular vertically oriented mixing chamber between the rotor housing and the rotor for mixing process liquids such as the aqueous and organic phases of the solvent extraction process used for nuclear fuel reprocessing. A set of stationary helically disposed vanes carried by the housing is in the lower region of the mixing chamber at a location below the process-liquid inlets for the purpose of urging the liquids in an upward direction toward the inlets and enhancing the mixing of the liquids and mass transfer between the liquids. The upper region of the mixing vessel above the inlets for the process liquids is also provided with a set helically disposed vanes carried by the housing for urging the process liquids in a downward direction when the liquid flow rates through the inlets are relatively high and the liquids contact the vane set in the upper region. The use of these opposing vane sets in the mixing zone maintains the liquid in the mixing zone at suitable levels.

The present invention relates generally to centrifugal contactors for separating liquids of different weight phases, and more particularly to such centrifugal contactors provided with vane sets in a mixing zone for the process liquids for enhancing the mixing of the liquids and for urging the liquid in the mixing zone toward the process liquid inlets.
Centrifugal contactors have been found to provide a highly satisfactory mechanism for separating liquids from one another based on different weight phases. The use of centrifugal contactors is particularly advantageous in operations where short residence times, small inventories and high separating force fields are beneficial. Typical employment of centrifugal contactors where success has been demonstrated is in areas including pharmaceuticals, processing of lubricating oils, treatment of liquid wastes and nuclear reactor fuel reprocessing. Centrifugal contactors are particularly desirable for the reprocessing of nuclear reactor fuels since in such instances short residences times, small inventories and high separating force fields are of high priority due to the high radiation fields in the process liquids as generated by fission products therein which damage the extraction solvents over extended periods of contact. Also, with small inventories criticality concerns with respect to the fissionable material in the process liquids are minimized and emulsification problems are significantly controlled by the large separating force applied to the process liquids in the centrifugal contactor.
In nuclear reactor fuel reprocessing operations, the centrifugal contactors can be utilized to separate uranium and plutonium values from fission products and other actinides undesirable for use nuclear reactor fuels. Typically, in a nuclear fuel reprocessing operation using centrifugal contactors, a cascade of several centrifugal contactors are employed with each centrifugal contactor comprising a housing containing a vertically oriented rotor. The process liquids comprise a heavy solvent or organic phase and a lighter aqueous phase which are introduced into the centrifugal contactors through separate conduits or inlets which are in registry with a mixing zone before the liquid mixture enters the rotor where centrifugal force is utilized to separate the heavy phase from the lighter phase by forcing the heavy phase to flow outwardly away from the rotational axis of the rotor and displace the lighter phase closer to the rotational axis of the rotor. These process streams are then individually collected at the upper end of the rotor at a location adjacent to the outer periphery thereof for the heavier liquid phase and at a location adjacent to the rotational axis of the rotor for the lighter liquid phase. During this introduction of the process liquids into the mixing zone, the two phases are introduced tangentially into a mixing zone to enhance mixing and mass transfer between the liquid phases so that a good mixture of the liquid phases enter the rotor through an opening in the base thereof due to pressure gradients developed by the rotation of the rotor. In nuclear reactor fuel reprocessing systems, the centrifugal contactors, which may employ the improvement provided by the present invention, are disposed in a multistage or cascade arrangement with each contactor having a diameter of 5.5 centimeters. A detailed description of the use of centrifugal contactors in a multistage nuclear reactor fuel reprocessing operation is set forth in a report entitled Developments in Centrifugal Contactor Technology, R. T. Jubin et al, ORNL/TM-10768, U.S. Government Printing Office, September 1988. This report is incorporated herein by reference.
While the present invention is particularly useful in centrifugal contactors such as those envisioned for the use of reprocessing nuclear fuels, it is to be understood that the present invention may be utilized in centrifugal contactors employed for the separation of other liquids such as those generally mentioned above.
It has been found that while the use of centrifugal contactors in a multistage system are desirable for continuous countercurrent liquid extraction processes, a problem can occur during the flow of the process liquids between the various centrifugal contactors in that at relatively high flow rates such as when the one of the centrifugal contactors in the system ceases to operate. When this condition is present the liquids tend to flood the process liquid mixing zone of one or more of the centrifugal contactors coupled thereto and the process liquids seep into the discharge collection plenums of the contactor and contaminate the discharge, single-phase, streams of liquids with a two phase solution so as to significantly detract from the operation of the centrifugal contactors in the cascade. Another problem may also occur when relatively low flow rates of process liquids are entering the mixing zone. In such instances the level of the process liquids in the mixing zone falls below a level at which proper mixing and sufficient mass transfer can be achieved in the liquids before they are discharged from the mixing zone into the separating zone within the rotor. Still another problem with low liquid levels in the mixing zone is that vortices form in the process liquids in the mixing zones and introduce cavitation in the process liquids which significantly reduces the efficiency of the mass transfer between the liquid phases and also introduces air into the liquid process stream which has a deleterious effect upon the liquid distribution and countercurrent flow of the process liquids. In view of these problems, it was found that in order to satisfactorily operate a multistage centrifugal contactor system, a relatively restricted and narrow range of flow rates for the process liquids was required so as to minimize some of the problems associated with excessive or relatively low flow rates of process liquids. Even with this restriction on the flow rates of process liquids the problems occurring when one or more centrifugal contactors in the cascade fail can not be readily compensated for or overcome.

Centrifugal contactor with liquid mixing and flow control vanes and method of mixing liquids of different phases

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A portable, light-weight confetti cannon for projecting confetti to heights of 30-40 feet in the air is used to create spectacular displays for rock concerts or stage shows. The cannon consists of a hollow barrel having a length of at least 3 feet and a length/diameter ratio of at least 20 having a CO.sub.2 cartridge radially mounted at its base. The cartridge is covered by an insulated grip. A valve is mounted between the cartridge and the barrel and has a cartridge puncturing mechanism which enables complete discharge of CO.sub.2 cartridge contents in less than three seconds.

This invention relates to a device for creating a spectacular visual effect for stage shows, rock concerts, and the like. More particularly, it relates to a light-weight, small, portable device capable of discharging an explosion of confetti to heights of forty feet or above in a sudden burst.
The success of stage spectaculars, such as rock concerts, large stage shows, and other "happenings" is often dependent in part upon the visual effects which are portrayed upon the stage. Performing groups and Las Vegas-type stage shows often spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to create visual extravaganzas in an effort to create an exciting atmosphere for performers. Lighting effects, lasers, water fountains, and spectacular scenery are often used.
The present invention provides a method of discharging large quantities of confetti high into the air in an explosive manner, creating a visually spectacular shower effect. The confetti, glitter, or other loose material may be propelled to a height of up to forty feet or more into the air, from where it descends slowly to create a remarkable effect. The present invention provides a light weight, portable cannon, which is reuseable and is capable of carrying its own self-contained explosion charge to propel the contents into the air. Because of the amount of material to be displayed and the height that it must be lifted, the device takes full advantage of and maximizes the efficiency of the available charge. In general, the device consists of an elongated tubular barrel which contains the objects to be discharged, with a disposable CO.sub.2 cartridge mounted in a grip member at one end thereof. The cartridge has a puncturing mechanism which enables a substantially instantaneous discharge of the contents of the cartridge (i.e., in less than about two seconds), thereby providing an explosive discharge to the contents of the tube.
In the past, apparatus for discharging large amounts of lightweight objects into the air for commercial settings have used large tanks of compressed air and have barrels with a relatively low length-to-diameter ratio. These devices are expensive and cumbersome, since they are not easily transported. After use, the entire compressed air tank must be refilled, thus requiring the use of an air compressor. In addition, it is more difficult to hide these bulky pieces of equipment in a scenery set.
Other known prior art devices have been used to propel confetti or coiled paper have generally been limited to use by individuals at parties, such as birthdays and New Years Eve celebrations. These devices have been employed to propel either long strips or small pieces of paper into the air, and are small, hand-held, inexpensive, and discarded after a one-time use. Examples of such devices are the explosive charge activated by a hand-pulled string, as in the Kliemant patent, U.S. Pat. No. 825,843, or by means of a lighted fuse as shown in the Craig patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,664,401. In Eisenberg, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,153,207, and Macchia, 1,441,809, the propelled media is forced into the air by blowing with a person's mouth into an orifice. Rutherford, U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,326 shows a similar product using bellows to discharge the product. Resch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,737 contemplates the use of a manually operated piston or a compressed gas cylinder to propel a cartridge of a coiled streamer from inside a barrel by directing a fluid stream through the center of the cartridge. The Resch patent differs from the device of the invention in that the invention comprises a cannon having a long barrel into which the material to be discharged is packed as a plug, and is discharged in an explosive manner when the contents of the CO.sub.2 cartridge are released.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a relatively small, portable, rechargeable cannon for explosively discharging lightweight objects into the air. It is another object of the invention to provide a propelling device whereby confetti can be loaded and packed into a barrel abutting a gas discharge orifice. It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that can instantaneously and suddenly discharge the contents of its gas cylinder charge into the barrel. Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a barrel having dimensions adequate to hold a relatively large amount of medium to be discharged, while providing the proper discharge characteristics to achieve a substantial vertical height upon explosion. These and other objects are accomplished by means of the invention, a preferred embodiment of which is disclosed herein.


A trim part has an airbag cover that opens in a hinged fashion. The trim part includes a retaining element that is connected on a first end to the airbag cover and on a second end to an anchor such that the retaining element has an excess length. At least one of the two ends is connected to a strip that includes webs that extend from the strip and that take up at least part of the excess length.

A generic trim part may include a retaining element that is secured by a first end on the airbag cover and by a second end on an anchor that is spaced apart from the airbag cover and that has an excess length between the airbag cover and the mentioned anchor, at least one of the two ends being connected to a strip which is orientated transversely relative to a loading direction of the retaining element and is secured on the airbag cover or on the anchor. Such a trim part is known for example from the publication DE 196 33 109 A1.
The strip is intended to provide a stable connection of the airbag cover to the anchor, which connection has sufficient loading capacity to withstand an opening thrust. The excess length of the retaining element is typically produced in that the retaining element in the form of a loop is guided by the anchor to the airbag cover. This is intended to allow the airbag cover, when the airbag is deployed, to be raised from a passage opening of the trim part before the retaining element tightens and then acts as hinge and forces a rotational movement of the opening airbag cover which is only then possible without being impeded. In the production of such trim parts according to the state of the art, the problem arises that the retaining element can jam or become damaged between the strip and the airbag cover or the anchor because of the required excess length when securing the strip connected to the retaining element on the airbag cover or on the anchor spaced apart from the airbag cover so that only a reduced excess length remains unintentionally and possibly without being noticed and subsequently, when an airbag is deployed, an opening movement of the airbag cover is impeded because of the excess length being too small.

Rebound strap for an airbag cover and method for producing a trim part


Disclosed herein is a technique for preserving an expected lifespan of a non-volatile memory that is communicably coupled with a computing device. According to some embodiments, the technique can be implemented by the computing device, and include (1) receiving metrics associated with the non-volatile memory, (2) for each application of a plurality of applications associated with the computing device: establishing, based on the metrics, a respective write budget for the application. According to some embodiments, the respective write budget for each application can be further based on a count of the plurality of applications. Additionally, the technique can further include (3) receiving, from an application of the plurality of applications, a write request directed to the non-volatile memory, and (4) in response to determining that the write request does not violate the respective write budget for the application: issuing the write request to the non-volatile memory.

Solid state drives (SSDs) are a type of storage device that share a similar physical footprint with (and provide similar functionality as) traditional magnetic-based hard disk drives (HDDs). Notably, standard SSDs—which utilize "flash" non-volatile memory—can provide various advantages over standard HDDs, such as considerably faster Input/Output (I/O) performance. For example, average I/O latency speeds provided by SSDs typically outperform those of HDDs because the I/O latency speeds of SSDs are less-affected when data is fragmented across the memory blocks of SSDs. This occurs because HDDs include a read head component that must be relocated each time data is read/written, which produces a latency bottleneck as the average contiguity of written data is reduced over time. Moreover, when fragmentation occurs within HDDs, it becomes necessary to perform resource-expensive defragmentation operations to improve or restore performance. In contrast, SSDs, which are not bridled by read head components, can preserve I/O performance even as data fragmentation levels increase. SSDs also provide the benefit of increased impact tolerance (as there are no moving parts), and, in general, virtually limitless form factor potential. These advantages—combined with the increased availability of SSDs at consumer-affordable prices—make SSDs a preferable choice for mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones.
Despite the foregoing benefits provided by SSDs, some drawbacks remain that have yet to be addressed, including a phenomenon commonly known as "SSD wear" that affects the overall lifespan of SSDs. In particular, and as is well-known, the memory blocks of the SSDs can only have data written into them a threshold number of times before their overall reliability begins to degrade. Unfortunately, the nature in which SSDs operate—as well as the manner in which they are being utilized—is contributing to ever-increasing average numbers of write requests that are issued to SSDs, thereby compromising their expected lifespans. For example, the average number of applications installed on computing devices is increasing over time, which directly contributes to increased numbers of write requests that are issued to the SSD of the computing device. Moreover, such write requests are typically multiplied in volume as a result of write amplification that occurs due to fact that SSDs require all pages within a given block to be completely erased before new data is written into one or more of the pages. In particular, when the existing data within a pending-erase page needs to be retained within the SSD, additional write commands are required to migrate the existing data to a new storage area within the SSD, thereby exacerbating these issues.
Accordingly, what is needed is an approach for preserving an expected lifespan of a non-volatile memory that is communicably coupled with a computing device.

Techniques for preserving an expected lifespan of a non-volatile memory


A holder for an oblong-shaped device is provided. The holder can be a docking station for a media device and a keyboard. The holder can include a mounting tray and a mounting bracket assembly arranged on the mounting tray. The mounting bracket assembly can be configured such that the oblong-shaped device is securable to the mounting tray in both (i) a first position where a longitudinal axis of the oblong-shaped device extends substantially horizontally, and (ii) a second position where the longitudinal axis of the oblong-shaped device extends substantially vertically while the mounting tray is kept in a substantially upright position.

Currently known holders for media devices do not allow a user an extensive amount of positional flexibility when used in a laptop-style position with a keyboard. For example, known holders only allow the media device to be securely held in either one of a landscape mode or a portrait mode. Moreover, known holders permit the media device to be positioned only in preset angled positions with respect to the keyboard. By providing such a limited amount of adjustability, known holders prevent users from finding a working position that provides a maximum amount of comfort thereby jeopardizing work efficiency.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a holder for a media device that can be readily adjusted by a user so as to be supportable in both a landscape mode and a portrait mode. The need for ease of adjustability in such a holder also extends to setting the angled position of the media device with respect to the keyboard.


An isolated type power supply includes a transformer, and a power switch and a current sense resistor serially connected to a primary coil of the transformer, and a protection apparatus and method monitor a control signal which is used to switch the power switch in normal operation, and trigger a signal to stop the power from switching when the control signal becomes greater than a threshold. This protection apparatus and method can more quickly detect short circuit of the current sense resistor, and prevent the isolated type power supply from overcurrent impact.

As shown in FIG. 1, in an isolated type power supply 10, a diode bridge 12 and a capacitor 14 are used to rectify and filter the alternating-current (AC) input voltage VAC to generate a direct-current (DC) input voltage Vin applied to a primary coil Lp of a transformer 18, a power switch 20 is serially connected to the primary coil Lp to switch the current Ip of the primary coil Lp by a control signal Vgate for power delivery to a secondary coil Ls of the transformer 18 to thereby generate an output voltage Vout at an output terminal, a current sense resistor Rcs is serially connected to the primary coil Lp to detect the current Ip, and a power controller 16 determines the duty of the power switch 20 according to the voltage Vcs established by the current sense resistor Rcs and the voltage Vcomp fed back from the output terminal Vout to generate the control signal Vgate to switch the power switch 20. When the current sense resistor Rcs becomes short circuit, the voltage Vcs becomes zero, and the duty of the power switch 20 will be set to its maximum, causing the current Ip rising steeply. The large current Ip will push the transformer 18 into saturation and may burn out the current sense resistor Rcs, the power switch 20 as well as the power controller 16. Therefore, there is need of detection for short circuit of the current sense resistor Rcs to turn off the power switch 20 for protecting the power supply 10.
Conventionally, the protection mechanism monitors the voltage Vcs and triggers a warning signal if the voltage Vcs is still lower than a reference voltage after a period of time in a pulse width modulation (PWM) cycle. If the warning signal has continuously appeared in several successive cycles, for example, eight successive cycles, the current sense resistor Rcs will be identified as being short circuit, and the isolated type power supply 10 will enter a protection mode. However, in the case where the input voltage Vin is high, the current Ip increases very steeply after the current sense resistor Rcs becomes short circuit, which may place the isolated type power supply 10 under overcurrent condition before the isolated type power supply 10 enters its protection mode.
Therefore, it is desired a protection apparatus and method for quick detection for short circuit of the current sense resistor of an isolated type power supply for protecting the isolated type power supply.

Protection apparatus and method for an isolated type power supply


The present invention discloses a process for the production of a fatty acid/L-carnitine derivative, whereby the educts are reacted in the presence of monochloroacetic acid.

The present invention discloses a process for the production of a fatty acid/L-carnitine derivative using monochloroacetic acid.
3-Hydroxy-4-trimethylammonio-butanoate (henceforth "L-carnitine") is a quaternary ammonium compound biosynthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine. In living cells, it is required for the transport of fatty acids from the cytosol into the mitochondria during the breakdown of lipids (or fats) for the generation of metabolic energy.
Fatty acid/L-carnitine derivatives like palmitoyl-L-carnitine are synthesised according to the state of the art by reacting the educts L-carnitine and the chloride of the fatty acid in the presence of gaseous HCl and a tri-halide acetic acid.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,816 discloses a reaction of n-pentadecanoic acid with thionyl chloride and a subsequent reaction with L-carnitine in trichloroacetic acid.
However, there is still a need to improve upon these processes of the state of the art. In this regard, it would be advantageous to substitute the tri-halide acetic acid with an acid that has a lower molecular weight and a lower prize (currently at 4,338 USD per tonne for trichloroacetic acid).

Process for the production of a fatty acid/carnitine derivative


The present technology relates to an encoding device and an encoding method, and a decoding device and a decoding method that are capable of reducing the calculation amount of orthogonal transform processing or inverse orthogonal transform processing. A DWT unit (91) performs a DWT of which the calculation amount is smaller than that of a KLT for residual information. KLT units (92-0 to 92-8) perform separable-type KLTs for a low-frequency component of the residual information that is acquired as a result of the DWT using bases of KLTs of the corresponding intra prediction modes. A coefficient acquired as a result of the KLT and a high-frequency component of the residual information that is acquired as a result of the DWT are losslessly encoded. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an image encoding device.

In an advanced video coding (AVC) mode, a mode dependent directional transform (MDDT) that improves intra prediction encoding is proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The MDDT is a technology for improving the encoding efficiency by using a Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT) in accordance with an intra prediction mode instead of using a conventional discrete cosine transform (DCT) when an orthogonal transformation is performed for a residual error between an intra-predicted image and an input image.
The KLT is such a transform that coefficients after the transform have no correlation and is a transform in which the dispersion of a first principal component is a maximum. More bits are assigned to a large coefficient of dispersion that is acquired by such a transform, and fewer bits are assigned to a small coefficient of the dispersion, whereby the encoding efficiency can be improved.
Further, as described in Patent Document 1, the residual error between an intra-predicted image and an input image depends on an intra prediction mode. Accordingly, in the MDDT, bases of the KLT are learned in accordance with an intra prediction mode in advance, and, by using a base of the KLT that differs in accordance with each intra prediction mode, the residual can be efficiently transformed.
However, the KLT has a calculation amount more than the DCT. Thus, in Patent Document 2, it is proposed to decrease the number of times of multiplication by performing not a non-separable type KLT that has generality but a separable-type KLT having a relatively small amount of calculation for the residual between an intra-predicted image and an input-image.

Encoding device, encoding method, decoding device, and decoding method


Device for releasing in case of emergency a security device for a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission (1) in which the parking lock of the automatic transmission (1) is released by actuating a towing device (2) accessible from outside the motor vehicle and the axial movement associated therewith of the operative connection (3) between the towing device (2) and the release device (10) on the automatic transmission (1). By a stop (12) of the towing device (2) the release device (10) remains activated until the stop (12) on the towing device is deactivated.

Automatic transmissions have a parking lock which with the introduction of a parking position is activated via a gear selector device. The parking lock usually consists of a parking lock gear situated upon a transmission output shaft and a parking pawl which meshes in the parking lock gear. The parking lock is actuated by means of the gear selector device usually electrically or via a Bowden cable.
EP 0 650 000 A1, e.g. thus shows a purely electrical system in which the parking lock is activated and deactivated by an electronic transmission control system, via a stepping motor and a rear-mounted encoder. In said purely electrical parking lock, the problem now appears in the practice that when the battery is discharged no more sufficient electrical energy is available in order to release the parking lock.
In addition to this, DE 196 43 304 describes a solution in which from the interior of the vehicle, via a manually operated device coupled with a braking pedal already available, a spring accumulator is released which brings the selector shaft to neutral position and thus releases the pawl of the parking lock.
In the already known solutions, the parking lock has to be released only from the interior of the vehicle. If the vehicle has to be moved without entering into the vehicle, the parking lock has to be releasable from outside the vehicle.

Device for releasing a security device for a vehicle with an automatic transmission in case of emergency


A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (800) includes an inflatable occupant protection device (802) and a vent opening (876) through which inflation fluid may flow. The vehicle occupant protection apparatus (800) also includes a retainer (910) to which the protection device (802) is secured. A vent member (890) is movable relative to the vent opening (876) for controlling a flow of inflation fluid through the vent opening (876). A tether (990) is movable in response to inflation of the protection device (802) beyond a predetermined distance for moving the vent member (824). A tether guide member (940) is located on the retainer (910) for guiding the tether (990).

It is known to provide air bag modules with vent openings through which inflation fluid may be discharged. When an occupant of a vehicle is positioned too close to the air bag module and is contacted by an inflating air bag, the vent openings enable some inflation fluid to be discharged from the air bag to atmosphere. The discharge of inflation fluid through the vent openings helps reduce the contact force between the inflating air bag and the occupant.
It is also known to associate a vent door with each vent opening of an air bag module. A tether connects the vent door to a portion of the air bag. When the air bag inflates to a predetermined location, the tether pulls the vent door to block a flow of inflation fluid through the vent opening. United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0051285 A1, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses an air bag module having a vent door that is closed by a tether.
The interaction of the occupant and the air bag may result in a sudden increase in the inflation fluid pressure within the air bag. The increased inflation fluid pressure tends to force the vent door open. When the vent door opens, the flow of inflation fluid from the air bag through the vent opening increases. If not impeded, the increased flow of inflation fluid through the vent opening may result in the pressure within the air bag becoming lower than desired for the air bag to restrain the occupant.
An inflatable vehicle occupant protection apparatus that permits the contact force between the inflating air bag and an occupant to be reduced without unduly lowering the pressure within the air bag is desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Air bag module with locking member for locking the position of a vent member


There is provided a detergent composition suitable for use in laundry or dish washing methods comprising: (a) a quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant; and (b) a hydrophobic organic peroxyacid bleaching system, capable of providing a hydrophobic organic peroxyacid compound.

The satisfactory removal of greasy soils/stains, that is soils/stains having a high proportion of triglycerides or fatty acids, is a challenge faced by the formulator of detergent compositions for use in laundry and dish washing methods. Surfactant components have traditionally been employed in detergent products to facilitate the removal of such greasy soils/stains. In particular, surfactant systems comprising cationic esters have been described for use in greasy soil/stain removal.
A particular challenge to the formulator of detergent compositions for use in a laundry washing method is the satisfactory removal of bleachable soils/stains such as tea, fruit juice and coloured vegetable soils from stained fabrics. It is known that stained fabrics have a tendency to present a `dingy` appearance after frequent washing. Bleaches are traditionally employed in detergents to remove the bleachable stains or soils, and also those responsible for the `dingy` appearance of the fabric. It is well established that peroxygen bleaches and bleaching systems, based on organic peroxyacids can provide stain and/or soil removal from fabrics. The organic peroxyacids are often obtained by the in situ perhydrolysis of organic peroxyacid bleach precursor compounds (bleach activators). To remove greasy stains/soils, which are of hydrophobic nature, hydrophobic organic peroxyacids can be employed in detergent products. Such organic peroxyacids generally comprise long chain (>7 carbon atoms) alkyl moieties. Hydrophobic bleaches are known to have a tendency to migrate rapidly to the surface of fabrics under wash conditions.
Bleaches which may be hydrophobic are disclosed for example in EP-A-0170386. It is stated that these bleaches may be used in compositions which incorporate different types of surfactant materials. Anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic and amphoteric surfactants are disclosed. Hydrophobic bleaching agents are also described in WO95/3226 as useful suds suppressants in detergent compositions containing high levels of surfactant.
Quaternary ammonium compounds are known cationic surfactants. For example in GB-A-2040990 alkoxylated nonionic and cationic surfactants and anionic surfactants are used in combination to produce detergents for fabric washing.
It has now been found that a problem with hydrophobic bleaches is that despite their tendency to migrate to the fabric surface, they do not necessarily interact fully with the stain or soil components. It has been found that the hydrophobic bleaches can be prevented from migration onto the greasy stains/soils by deposited `lime soaps` (formed by alkaline earth ions with fatty acids, present in the wash solution) on the fabric. Thereby, their bleaching performance can be diminished. This result in a lessening of the dingy soil cleaning performance of the hydrophobic bleach.
The Applicants have found that this problem can be ameliorated by use of a particular combination of cationic surfactant and bleach resulting in a surprising enhancement of the bleach efficacy of the hydrophobic organic peroxyacid bleaching system. Thereby, the overall cleaning performance of the detergent are improved.
Three mechanisms are believed to be responsible for this unexpected benefit. First, the cationic surfactant is capable of reducing `lime soap` deposition on the fabric surface, thereby facilitating the partition of the hydrophobic organic bleaches into the greasy stains/soils. Secondly, the cationic surfactant reduces the surface tension between the fabric and the wash solution. Thereby, the interaction with the greasy stains/soils on the fabric by the hydrophobic organic bleach agent will be facilitated. Thirdly, the cationic surfactant and the negatively charged hydrophobic organic peroxyacids, formed in the wash, can form a non-polar associated couple, which will partition rapidly into hydrophobic, greasy stains/soils on the fabric.
All documents cited in the present description are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.

Detergent composition comprising a cationic surfactant and a hydrophobic peroxyacid bleaching system


A shielded gate transistor device may include one or more shield electrodes formed in a semiconductor substrate at a first level and one or more gate electrodes formed in the semiconductor substrate at a second level that is different from the first level. One or more portions of the one or more gate electrodes overlap one or more portions of the one or more shield electrodes. At least a portion of the gate electrodes is oriented non-parallel to the one or more shield electrodes. The shield electrodes are electrically insulated from the semiconductor substrate and the one or more gate electrodes are electrically insulated from the substrate and shield electrodes.

Shielded gate transistors are preferred for certain applications over conventional transistors, such as conventional trench MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors) because they provide several advantageous characteristics. Shielded gate trench transistors (SGTs) exhibit reduced gate-to-drain capacitance Cgd, reduced on-resistance RDSon, and increased breakdown voltage of the transistor. For conventional trench MOSFETs, the placement of many trenches in a channel, while decreasing the on-resistance, also increased the overall gate-to-drain capacitance. The introduction of the shielded gate trench MOSFET structure remedies this issue by shielding the gate from the electric field in the drift region, thereby substantially reducing the gate-to-drain capacitance. The shielded gate trench MOSFET structure also provides the added benefit of higher impurity carrier concentration in the drift region for the device's breakdown voltage and hence lower on-resistance.
Shielded gate trench MOSFET devices are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,833 to Baliga.
The improved performance characteristics of the shielded gate trench MOSFET make the technology an excellent choice for power switching applications such as the switching converter commonly referred to as a synchronous buck converter (a type of DC-DC converter in which the output voltage is "stepped-down" compared to an input voltage). The shielded gate trench MOSFET is particularly suitable for the high-side switch in a synchronous buck converter. However, for the low-side switch which operates as a synchronous rectifier, excessive charge during the reverse recovery of the body diode results in increased power dissipation and reduced converter efficiency.
SGT with shielded gate at source potential has advantages of low RDSon. The shield electrodes beneath the gate electrodes reduce gate-drain capacitance.
In a conventional SGT design, the shield electrodes and gate electrodes are formed in a self-aligned process that uses a single mask to form a set of trenches that are used for both the gate electrodes and the shield electrodes. However, the structural requirements of the shield electrodes and the gate electrodes are different. For example, because the shield electrode is at source potential, the shield electrode must be electrically insulated from the semiconductor layer in which the trench is formed. A thick oxide is typically used between epitaxial layer and the shield electrode to sustain breakdown. There is also a mesa between adjacent shield electrodes. When devices are scaled down problems can arise with the mesas getting too close together leaving insufficient room for the thick oxide.
It is within this context that embodiments of the present invention arise.

Two-dimensional shielded gate transistor device and method of manufacture

Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated


A needle assembly for an airless spray gun is provided with a needle which is centerless ground and electropolished to greatly increase life. Further life enhancements are gained by use of a plastic needle bushing in the needle clamp and provision of a specific length to diameter geometry for the needle yields enhanced life as well.

Airless spray guns have been sold and used for many years. Typical of such spray guns is the Silver Gun.TM. airless spray gun sold by Graco Inc., the assignee of the instant invention. The instruction form for that product, publication no. 307-046 is hereby incorporated by reference. The needle assembly in such guns is desirably designed for a long life and corrosion resistance and includes a ball seal and a ball retainer. The ball retainer has a needle attached via a set screw and the other end of the needle is retained by a needle clamp which also has a set screw.
A packing housing is located on the needle intermediate the two ends. A spring is contained between a packing retainer and the ball retainer. Because of the geometry of where the trigger of such spray guns contacts the needle, non-axial forces are imposed on the needle, and the needle can be prone to breakage prior to the seal or ball wearing out.


A method of removing silicon from a waste hydrochloric acid pickling solution is disclosed which comprises stirring the waste solution long enough to form a sludge having a particle size such that the sludge can be separated by a conventional means such as filtration through a filter of at least 0.1 .mu.m in pore diameter, centrifugation or sedimentation. The stirring period can be greatly reduced by adding to the waste pickling solution sludge recovered from an aged waste hydrochloric acid pickling solution or a carbonaceous material such as carbon black having hydrophilic groups on the surface. The sludge is also useful as a filter medium in filtration of the waste pickling solution to remove silicon. The present method can decrease the silicon content to 0.01% or less in terms of converted SiO.sub.2 /Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 weight ratio.

This invention relates to a method of removing silicon from waste hydrochloric acid pickling solutions which are formed during the pickling of steel stock such as steel plate, steel shapes, and steel rods.
As shown in Table 1, waste hydrochloric acid pickling solutions for steel stock (hereinunder referred to simply as "waste pickling solutions") generally contain a large quantity (100-200 g/l) of iron. It is possible to recover this iron and use it for the manufacture of ferric oxide for ferrite.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Composition of waste pickling solution Fe Si Al Mn ______________________________________ 100-200 g/l 30-120 mg/l 30-60 mg/l 400-700 mg/l ______________________________________
Methods for manufacturing ferric oxide from such a waste pickling solution include the roasting method, the neutralizing method, and other methods, but industrially, the roasting method is generally employed because it can recover hydrochloric acid and can also produce high-purity ferric oxide.
Table 2 shows the composition of ferric oxide which is obtained by roasting of waste pickling solution without refining of the solution. It can be seen that in addition to Fe, this ferric oxide contains metallic impurities such as Si, Al, and Mn.
Table 3 shows JIS K1462 quality specifications for "Iron oxide (III) for Ferrite". Class 1 ferric oxide in this table is the highest quality. It can be seen from this table that the quality of ferric oxide for ferrite is primarily determined by the content of SiO.sub.2. It can also be seen that except for SiO.sub.2, the ranges given in Table 2 for impurities satisfy the JIS requirements for Class 1 ferric oxide given in Table 3. The SiO.sub.2 in ferric oxide which is manufactured from a waste pickling solution comes from the waste pickling solution when the roasting method is used, and it comes from the waste pickling solution and from a neutralizing agent when the neutralizing method is used. Accordingly, in order to obtain high-quality ferric oxide which satisfies the requirements for JIS Class 1 ferric oxide, it is necessary to reduce the content of silicon in the waste pickling solution as much as possible.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Composition of ferric oxide made by roasting of raw waste pickling solution (wt. %) Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 SiO.sub.2 Al Mn ______________________________________ .gtoreq.98.5 0.03-0.07 0.01-0.02 0.2-0.3 ______________________________________
TABLE 3 ______________________________________ Composition of ferric oxide according to JIS K1462 (wt. %) Class Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 SiO.sub.2 Al Mn Ca ______________________________________ 1 .gtoreq.99.0 .ltoreq.0.01 .ltoreq.0.02 .ltoreq.0.30 .ltoreq.0.01 2 .gtoreq.98.8 .ltoreq.0.06 .ltoreq.0.02 .ltoreq.0.30 .ltoreq.0.02 3 .gtoreq.98.5 .ltoreq.0.30 .ltoreq.0.05 .ltoreq.0.30 .ltoreq.0.04 ______________________________________
Silicon exists in a waste pickling solution in the form of silicic acid (SiO.sub.2.nH.sub.2 O). Various methods have been proposed for removing silicon from waste pickling solutions, and some of these methods have been put into practice.
For example, Japanese Published Examined Patent Application No. 61-289 (1986) discloses a method of reducing the silicon content of a waste pickling solution by ultrafiltration. However, as most of the silicic acid in a waste pickling solution immediately after pickling has a small particle diameter on the order of 20.ANG., only a small amount of silicic acid can be removed by ultrafiltration, and the efficiency of removal is poor.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 59-111930 (1984) discloses a method for reducing the amount of silicic acid in a waste pickling solution by contacting the waste pickling solution with silica gel and adsorbing the silicic acid on the silica gel. However, only a small amount of silicic acid is actually adsorbed by the silica gel, so the efficiency of removal is poor. Furthermore, it is difficult to reuse the silica gel, so processing costs are high.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 59-169902 (1984) discloses a method for reducing the silica content of a waste pickling solution in which the waste pickling solution is concentrated by being contacted with a high-temperature oxygen-containing gas, soluble silicic acid in the waste pickling solution in molecular or ionic form is made insoluble, and then filtration is performed. However, this method requires a concentrating apparatus and other large equipment, so equipment costs are high and operation is complicated.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 58-151335 (1983) discloses a method for removing silicon by adding a high polymer coagulant to a waste pickling solution. The silicic acid in the solution is made to coagulate and is then removed by filtration. However, the silicic acid in a waste pickling solution is extremely fine at first, so little coagulation can be expected. Furthermore, the polymer coagulant can produce an adverse effect because it covers the surface of active silicic acid particles, so the spontaneous coagulation of the silicic acid which will be described below in detail may be impeded.
Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 60-122087 (1985) discloses a method in which a surfactant is added to a waste pickling solution, and silicic acid is then removed by filtration. Although the surface of silicic acid in a waste pickling solution is initially hydrophilic, when it is covered with a surfactant, it becomes hydrophobic and easier to coagulate. On the other hand, if too much surfactant is present, the surface again becomes hydrophilic and defloculation occurs, so it is necessary to add the appropriate amount of a surfactant in order to maintain a state of coagulation. However, the waste pickling solution already contains a surfactant which was added at the time of pickling of steel stock in order to prevent excessive pickling, so it is difficult to control the amount of surfactant which is added to the solution. Furthermore, just as in the case in which a polymer coagulant is added, the addition of a surfactant reduces the activity of the surface of the silicic acid in the waste pickling solution which would normally make the particles of silicic acid join to one another. Therefore, spontaneous coagulation is impeded, and the silicic acid remains in the form of minute particles which are nearly impossible to separate by filtration.

Method of removing silicon from waste hydrochloric acid pickling solutions for steel stock


Embodiments of the subject technology provide for receiving real-time drilling data comprising different drilling parameters measured during a drilling operation. The subject technology calculates a kick detection parameter based at least in part on the different drilling parameters. The subject technology detects an occurrence of a kick during the drilling operation when the kick detection parameter deviates from a trend formed by previously calculated kick detection parameters. Further, the subject technology activates an alarm during the drilling operation in response to detected occurrence of the kick to facilitate preventing a blowout.

Formation kick ("kick") is the undesired flow of formation fluid into a wellbore when wellbore hydrostatic pressure is less than a formation pore pressure. If the kick is not detected and controlled in time, a blowout accident can occur.
In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.

Robust early kick detection using real time drilling


It is an object to provide a wireless base station and a terminal equipment capable of shortening the processing time by not requiring the detection of the spatial correlation coefficient, which is required in general technology, and simplifying the selection process for terminal equipments to be connected to each other in a wireless base station that performs spatial multiplexing transmission to a plurality of terminal equipments and a terminal equipment responding for spatial multiplexing transmission.

Recently, the request for implementing high capacity and high speed in wireless communication has been rapidly increased, and thus researches for methods of improving the use efficiency of limited frequency resources have been actively performed. As one of the methods, a method of using a spatial region has attracted attention.
One of the technologies using the spatial region is an adaptive array antenna (adaptive antenna). By using this technology, a desired wave signal is received with a high intensity while suppressing an interference wave signal by adjusting the amplitudes and phases of wave signals using weighting coefficients (hereinafter, referred to as weights) which are multipliers for received signals, whereby the co-channel interference is reduced, and accordingly, the system capacity can be improved.
In addition, a different technology using the spatial region is a spatial multiplexing technology which uses physical channels having the same frequency and the same sign at the same time by using spatial orthogonality in a propagation channel for transmitting different data series to different terminal equipments.
The spatial multiplexing technology is disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, etc. In a spatial multiplexing wireless base station and a terminal equipment which use this technology, a spatial multiplexing transmission can be performed in a case where a spatial correlation coefficient between terminal equipments is less than a predetermined value, whereby the throughput and the number of simultaneous users of the wireless communication system can be improved.    Non-Patent Document 1: T. Ohgane et al, "A study on a channel allocation sc heme with an adaptive array in SDMA," IEEE 47th VTC, Page. 725-729, vol. 2(1997)

Wireless base station and terminal equipment

Abstract: A terminal equipment 12 includes an interference cancellation capability information data maintaining section 20 that maintains interference cancellation capability information data indicating the interference cancellation capability of the terminal equipment 12 and signals the interference cancellation capability information data to a wireless base station 1. The wireless base station 1 includes a control signal extracting unit 3 and a spatial multiplexing controller 4, and the spatial multiplexing controller 4 selects one or more terminal equipments 12 for spatial multiplexing connection on the basis of the interference cancellation capability information data extracted from a reception signal from the terminal equipment 12.


The invention relates to a flexible hose line, in particular, a high-pressure hose line which is subjected to a pressurized forming process, preferably for variable levels of pressure. Said flexible hose line consists of several layers, at least one of which is configured as a reinforcing layer. The hose line is characterised by an inner layer (1) with a profile which can be elastically stressed in at least the longitudinal direction of the hose. Said inner layer is the only layer whose length can be modified. The hose line is also characterized by a reinforcing layer (3) which is configured to absorb the tensile forces acting on the hose in the longitudinal direction, by a compensation zone (2) which is located between the inner layer (1) and the reinforcing layer (3) and which compensates the movement of these two layers in relation to one another and acts as a radial support for the inner layer (1) on the reinforcing layer (3); and by connecting areas (9) for connecting the inner layer (1) to the reinforcing layer (3). Said areas are used to define the variable length of the inner layer (1) as a predetermined utilization length, determined by the length of the reinforcing layer (3) between the connecting areas (9).

The invention pertains to a flexible hose line, in particular, a high-pressure hose line which is subjected to a pressurized forming process, preferably for variable levels of pressure, and a process for manufacturing such hose lines according to the preamble of claims 1 and 12.
A flexible hose line for high-pressure media is known from DE 197 28 383 A1. This flexible hose line comprises an annular or screw-thread shaped corrugated metal hose, it is connected to a tubular connecting element, and it has a protective sleeve made of elastic, pliable material surrounding the outer sides of the hose line and the connecting element. In the region of the terminal corrugations adjacent to the connecting element, the protective sleeve features depressions that are directed radially inwards and that engage the valleys of the corrugations of the metal hose.
With such a solution, the transition region between the metal hose and the connecting element can be designed to accept a load.
The problem of the invention is to develop a hose line that can be exposed to high pressures and, in particular, that can withstand variable levels of pressure over a comparatively long period.
This problem is solved according to the invention by an inner layer that features a profile piece that can be elastically stressed at least in the longitudinal direction of the hose and that is the only layer that can be changed in length, by a reinforcing layer that is designed to absorb tensile forces acting in the longitudinal direction of the hose, by a compensation zone that is arranged between the inner layer and the reinforcing layer and that is used to compensate for relative movement between these layers and to support the inner layer in the radial direction on the reinforcing layer, and by connecting areas between the inner layer and the reinforcing layer, which are used to define the variable length of the inner layer as a predetermined useful length determined by the length of the reinforcing layer between the connecting areas.
The invention is associated with the advantage that a hose line with a large degree of flexibility can be exposed to high levels of pressure, in particular, to variable levels of pressure of large amplitudes. Such a possibility results from the large flexibility of the inner layer which is made less pressure-dependent by the reinforcing layer in connection with the compensation zone.
The application of pressure leads to shape and position changes of the inner layer that are limited by the reinforcing layer. This produces both a force acting against the axial expansion of the inner layer and also simultaneously a reaction force directed radially inwards and transmitted by the compensation zone. In this way, the compensation zone is used for the largely uniform reception and distribution of forces originating from the inner layer.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the profile piece of the inner layer is designed to be similar to a corrugated tube. The inner layer can also be a corrugated tube that can change in length for only small material stresses.
In another embodiment of the invention, the inner layer is formed by an element that can be pretensioned elastically in the axial direction and that is a component of the hose line in the pretensioned state. The pretensioning is advantageously chosen such that a certain pretensioning remains even for the largest possible pressure amplitudes in order to keep material fatigue low even for long use and high pulse-switching rates.
For special applications, e.g., the use of the hose line for media with an effect on the environment, the inner layer can be designed to have a high degree of gas impermeability, which is preferably achieved by making the inner layer out of a metallic material.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing layer is formed from a mesh, in which the threads of the mesh feature an axial orientation and the preferred mesh angle xcex1, relative to the hose longitudinal axis, does not exceed 50xc2x0 and is advantageously within the range of 35xc2x0 to 45xc2x0.
In order to distribute the forces originating from the inner layer uniformly into the support body formed by the inner layer, the compensation zone, the reinforcing layer, and the connecting areas, the compensation zone is preferably formed from an elastomer, a thermoplastic elastomer, or a thermoplastic. Another favorable distribution of the forces introduced into the entire system is achieved by sinking the compensation zone into the profile piece of the inner layer or filling up the profile piece with the compensation zone at least in the connecting areas.
A method according to the invention for manufacturing a flexible hose line is realized in that the inner layer and/or the reinforcing layer are provided with a compensation zone bonded to each layer, in that the inner layer and the reinforcing layer are brought into the required position relative to each other through relative movement, and in that the inner layers are connected to the reinforcing layer in the region of the hose line fittings.
In an advantageous execution of the method, the inner layer is pretensioned in the longitudinal direction of the hose line before the inner layer and the reinforcing layer are connected in the region of the hose fittings.
A force-fit and/or positive-fit connection between the inner layer and the reinforcing layer can be produced advantageously through radial forces on the component surrounding the reinforcing layer.

Flexible hose line, in particular, high pressure hose line which is subjected to a pressurized forming process


Disclosed is a system for driving a spherical wheel that includes a rotating sphere having a plurality of magnetic modules and a fixed body. The fixed body has coil modules that generate a magnetic field by current and partially enclose the rotating sphere so that a portion of the rotating sphere is exposed. A support wheel disposed between the rotating sphere and the fixed body is configured to maintain a substantially constant distance between the rotating sphere and the fixed body and rotatably support the rotating sphere. A sensor provided in at least one of the rotating sphere and the fixed body is configured to measure a rotational speed and a position of the rotating sphere, and a control device is configured to receive driving signals, the rotational velocity and the position measured by the sensor and to transmit a control signal supplying a current to the coil module.

Recently, an in-wheel motor where a wheel is directly connected with a motor so as to drive a wheel directly has become most noticeable. However, the in-wheel motor as well as a conventional wheel driving type has one degree of freedom (DOF). Accordingly, the in-wheel motor cannot move a vehicle in all directions.
To solve such a problem, a spherical linkage or spherical wheel is applied to a wheel of the vehicle. However, a vehicle or driving apparatus using a spherical linkage or a spherical wheel (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,899 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002-0153205) is hard to control or to achieve three degrees of freedom movement. Further, it is disclosed that the spherical wheel is driven by a magnetic force generated by a magnet and a coil (e.g., Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0093523 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,441), but it is challenging to set a constant position of the magnet because the wheel of the vehicle rotates in any direction.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it can contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


In a provider network, a developer console generates web pages defining a developer portal for transmission to web browsers. An application architecture modeling service analyzes developer interactions with services executing on the provider network to allow the developer to create an application. From the developer interactions (e.g., API calls, click stream data), the application architecture modeling service dynamically determines a model of the architecture of the application and updates the model as the developer continues to further interact with the developer services. The web pages generated by the developer console are encoded to contain graphical images of the application's model including hyperlinks. When displayed on the developer's browser, a graphical depiction of the application's architecture is rendered and hyperlinks associated with the individual resources shown in the graphical depiction can be accessed to allow the developer quick access to development tools specific to each such resource.

Public cloud service providers offer hardware and software systems within their provider networks for use by their customers. Customers can request resources within the provider network to be created and launched for the customers. Examples of resources may include storage resources, processing resources, streaming resources, etc. Many customers use the provider network to host applications created by the customer, and the service provider may offer numerous application development tools which are usable by developers to create the applications that execute on the provider's network. A developer (a person that creates an application) may access the development tools through a developer's portal which may be a graphical user interface rendered in, for example, a browser on the developer's workstation to create the various resources for a given application, edit the resources of the application, test the application, etc.
The development tools may include numerous services that can be used by developers to create any of variety of resources. For example, a table creation tool may allow the developer to create a particular table, give it a name, and specify its structure (e.g., the type of data it is to contain and how the data is structured in the table). A developer may create numerous tables for a given application and may create other resources as well, such as software environments in which customized code is executed when needed as triggered by a developer-specified event. Data to be stored in the tables may be from a data stream and another development tool may permit the developer to create the data streams and specify the type and an amount of data to be included in the stream. Some service providers may offer numerous development tools for use by the developers and such tools may be accessible through nested drop-down menus or other navigable user interface mechanisms provided in the developer portal.


Mat-faced cementitious board including: (a) a cementitious core; (b) a fibrous mat having an inner first surface facing at least one face of the cementitious core, and an outer second surface, wherein the inner first surface and the outer second surface are opposed; (c) a hydrophobic, non-setting coating resulting from applying to the outer second surface of the fibrous mat a layer of hydrophobic finish composition including: (i) about 50 to about 80 weight % non-setting, inorganic filler having a mean particle diameter of about 12 microns to about 35 microns, (ii) about 20% to about 50 weight % an aqueous dispersion of a film-forming polymer, (iii) 0% to about 30 weight % additional water; (iv) an absence of fly ash, (v) an absence of pozzolanic material, (vi) an absence of hydraulic cement, (vii) an absence of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, and (viii) an absence of calcium sulfate anhydrite.

In construction applications it is important to protect building components from water intrusion and moisture related damage. Cementitious articles, such as gypsum board and cement board, are useful in a variety of applications, some of which require a degree of water resistance. Thus, for such applications, it is often desirable to use a cementitious article faced with a glass or polymer-based fiber mat instead of paper. It also is advantageous to use additives in the cementitious core that improve the water resistance of the core material itself. However, to improve water resistance the mat-faced gypsum board or cement board comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of gypsum-based core and fibrous mat is provided with a coating of hydrophobic finish. The fiber mat has an inner surface facing at least one face of the gypsum-based core and an outer surface opposite the inner surface. The hydrophobic finish faces the outer surface of the mat.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0148806 to Dubey and Peng discloses a cementitious board system which is reinforced on its opposed surfaces by a glass fiber mesh scrim. For example, the major components of the hydrophobic finish are Portland cement and Class C fly ash to promote bonding of finish materials, film-forming polymer and preferably silane compound for water resistance.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0011207 to Dubey discloses a fast setting lightweight cementitious composition for construction of cement board or panels. The cementitious composition includes 35-60 wt % cementitious reactive powder (also termed Portland cement-based binder), 2-10 wt % expanded and chemically coated perlite filler, 20-40 wt % water, entrained air, for example 10-50 vol %, on a wet (water included) basis, entrained air, and optional additives such as water reducing agents, chemical set-accelerators, and chemical set-retarders. These compositions optionally contain 0-25 wt % secondary fillers, for example 10-25 wt % secondary fillers. Typical filler includes one or more of expanded clay, shale aggregate, and pumice. The cementitious reactive powder used is typically either pure Portland cement or a mixture of Portland cement and a suitable pozzolanic material such as fly ash or blast furnace slag. The cementitious reactive powder optionally contains one or more of gypsum (land plaster) and high alumina cement (HAC) added in small dosages to influence setting and hydration characteristics of the binder.
Other methods of manufacture of cement boards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,788 to Clear, which discloses a method and apparatus for producing fabric reinforced tile backerboard panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,909 to Galer et al. describes in further detail, in column 4, a cementitious composition used in a cementitious backerboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,335 to Galer discloses a modified method for producing a fabric reinforced cementitious backerboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,004 to Ensminger et al. describes a reinforced cementitious panel in which the reinforcement wraps the edges and is embedded in the core mix.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0261954 to Dubey et al discusses the process of applying fly ash-based coating.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0264461 to Peng et al discloses hydrophobic finish compositions and cementitious articles made with the hydrophobic finish compositions. In some embodiments, the article is a mat-faced cementitious board comprising: a cementitious core having a waterproof panel surface reinforced with inorganic mineral fibers. These waterproof panels have many uses, such as, tile backerboard in wet or dry areas of buildings, exterior weather barrier panel for use as exterior sheathing, interior wall and ceiling, and roof cover board having water durability and low surface absorption. The hydrophobic cementitious finish includes fly ash, film-forming polymer, preferably silane compound (e.g., alkyl alkoxysilane), an extended flow time retention agent including either one or more carboxylic acids, salts of carboxylic acids, or mixtures thereof, and other optional additives, for example defoaming agents. Preferably the non-woven glass fiber mat is pre-coated. The cementitious core on a dry basis may be gypsum-based, Portland cement-based, or based on another cement. The film-forming polymer of the hydrophobic finish composition is acrylic polymers and copolymers, styrene-butadiene rubber copolymers, copolymers of styrene and acrylic, copolymers of vinyl acetate and ethylene, copolymers of vinyl chloride and ethylene, copolymers of vinyl acetate and vinyl ester of versatic acid, copolymers of vinyl laurate and ethylene, terpolymers of vinyl acetate, ethylene and methylmethacrylate, terpolymers of vinyl acetate, ethylene and vinyl laurate, terpolymers of vinyl acetate, ethylene and vinyl ester of versatic acid, and any combination thereof, wherein the film-forming polymer is in an amount from about 5% to about 25% by weight of the wet finish. Thus, to achieve the resistance or tolerance to high humidity and high moisture environments, a hydrophobic coating is used on one side of the cementitious board, which yields a tile backerboard. Hydrophobic coatings in US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0264461 to Peng et al use fly ash as filler. Because fly ash is a pozzolanic material that sets, the coating formulation requires continuous mixing which is associated with high maintenance, high delay, and low consistency.
There is a need for coatings that do not include fly ash or other setting compositions.

Fly ash-free coating formulation for fibrous mat tile backerboard


A system, switch device, and method of operating a switch device are provided. An illustrative system is disclosed to include a first router block configured to receive a first type of Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) packet, a second router block configured to receive a second type of RDMA packet, and a gateway positioned between the first router block and the second router block. The gateway may be configured to translate the first type of RDMA packet received from the first router block for transmission as the second type of RDMA packet by the second router block.

RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) is a protocol that enables one host computer to directly access the memory of another host computer without involving either host computer's operating system. RDMA enables access to remote memory over a distributed computing network. RDMA is currently available for use over InfiniBand (IB) networks. When used in connection with an IB network, RDMA is simply called RDMA.
RDMA is also available for use over Ethernet networks. When used in connection with an Ethernet network, RDMA may be referred to as RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE).
In many network deployments, these different types of RDMA networks (e.g., IB networks and Ethernet networks) are not connected. A lack of a connection or RDMA interoperability between network types means that a host computer in one network cannot connect to a host computer in the other network for purposes of conducting RDMA.

Gateway for remote direct memory access over converged ethernet


Transaction services include providing, to a computer system of an entity via a first user interface, a transaction service template having data fields configured to specify items and identifiers of physical locations in which each of the items resides. The transaction services also include receiving the transaction service template including entries presented in the data fields, the transaction service template mapping the items to corresponding physical locations. Transaction services further include providing a second user interface to an end user device, the second user interface including a portion of the data fields of the transaction service template. In response to a transaction request that includes one of the items, the transaction services also include populating an identifier of a corresponding physical location of the item in the transaction request within the second user interface as a transaction response.

Exemplary embodiments relate generally to communications, and more particularly, to providing transaction services to customers.
Today, many people utilize mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, smartphones, handheld devices, personal digital assistants (PDA), handsets, etc. The portability of these devices renders them quite useful in remote locations, or away from home. There are currently an ever-increasing number of applications created for these devices to assist customers in a number of useful activities ranging from online banking to social networking.
In many shopping malls and outlets, shoppers have a hard time locating items in-store and may not have desired access to item pricing and sale information. Most store aisles have static signs generally listing categories of items; however, in many instances a shopper needs to walk around discerning in which aisle a product may be found or seek the assistance of a store clerk. Likewise, store clerks are often too busy to fully assist customers in locating items, particularly during peak or busy shopping periods.

Method, system, and computer program product for providing transaction services


A light windproof umbrella is provided with a center post including a top ferrule, an upper grommet, an intermediate sliding ring, and a sliding runner under the sliding ring; ribs each having one end pivotably secured to the grommet and the other end being open; main joints each formed at a portion of the rib proximate to the other end of the rib; auxiliary joints each formed at a portion of the rib between the main joint and the grommet; stretchers each having one end pivotably secured to the sliding ring and the other end moveably secured to the rib; struts each having one end pivotably secured to the sliding runner and the other end pivotably secured to the auxiliary joint; a lower canopy; and an upper canopy in a partial covering relationship to the lower canopy.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to windproof umbrellas and more particularly to a light windproof umbrella.
2. Description of Related Art
Umbrellas are widely used personal articles. It is often that wind will catch an umbrella user unaware and exert a force against an inner surface of a canopy of the umbrella so as to cause the canopy to invert from its normal operable position to an upward convex position.
Windproof umbrellas are thus developed for windy weather. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,980,262 discloses a windproof umbrella comprising a center post 10 comprising an upper grommet 11, an intermediate fixed ring 12, and a lower sliding runner 13; a plurality of ribs 20 each having one end 21 pivotably secured to the grommet 11 and another open end 22; a plurality of main joints 51 each formed at a portion of the rib 20 proximate to the other end 22; a plurality of stretchers 30 each having one end 31 pivotably secured to the ring 12 and the other end 32 slidably and pivotally secured to the main joint 51; a plurality of auxiliary joints 61 each formed at a portion of the stretcher 30; and a plurality of struts 40 each having an one end 41 pivotably secured to the runner 13 and another end 42 moveably secured to the auxiliary joint 61; a lower canopy 70 fastened in covering relationship on the ribs 20; and an upper canopy 80 having a center secured to the grommet 11 and an outer peripheral edge positioned over a portion of the lower canopy 70 in covering relationship to all of the main joints 51, wherein wind caught beneath the canopies 70, 80 applies pressure to the canopies 70, 80 to cause a portion of the upper canopy 80 to lift away from a portion of the lower canopy 70 to form a plurality pairs of communicating inner and outer vent holes 71, 81 with the other ends 32 of the stretchers 30 sliding away from the center post 10, each pair of the inner and outer vent holes 71, 81 being defined by the portions of the upper and lower canopies 70, 80, the adjacent ribs 20, and the adjacent main joints 51.
However, a number of drawbacks have been found in the prior art windproof umbrella. In detail, diameters of the stretchers 30, the struts 40 and the ribs 20 are required to be equal so that the umbrella can withstand the force exerted thereon by strong wind. This inevitably can increase the weight of the umbrella greatly, resulting in a decrease of portability of the umbrella. Further, a person has to exert a great force to grasp the center post 10 in windy weather. This can quickly exhaust the strength of the person holding the umbrella. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.


A method for charging aluminum batteries includes performing a first charging procedure for the aluminum battery until the voltage of the aluminum battery reaches a set value. The first charging procedure at least includes a first constant-current charging using a first constant current to charge an aluminum battery in a first stage. The range of the first constant current is from 5 C to 100 C, and C (C-rate) refers to a unit of the capacity of the aluminum battery. When the voltage of the aluminum battery reaches the set value, a first constant-voltage charging uses a first constant voltage to charge the aluminum battery. According to the charging current provided by the first constant voltage to the aluminum battery or the charge time for the aluminum battery charged by the first constant voltage, a determination is made to stop the charging process on the aluminum battery.

With the development of electric vehicles, the research on secondary batteries has become more and more important. The requirements on secondary batteries in the market for electric vehicles not only involve energy conservation and carbon reduction but that they can be fully charged in a short time. As a result, how to effectively charge a secondary battery quickly has become an important issue today. Currently, conventional secondary batteries include lead-acid batteries, Nickel-cadmium batteries, NiMH batteries, Nickel-zinc batteries, lithium batteries, Carbon-zinc batteries, and so on.
Due to the limitations of the physical or chemical properties of conventional secondary batteries, conventional secondary batteries are currently capable of receiving charging currents ranging from about 0.1 C to about 1 C. If users attempt to charge these conventional secondary batteries with a larger current (over 1 C), it may damage these conventional secondary batteries. Then, the batteries may fail due to excessive chemical reactions caused by the large charging current in the battery. Additionally, the large charging current hardly increases the capacity of the secondary batteries yet it can easily reduce the life cycle of the secondary batteries. Therefore, users often face situations wherein the secondary batteries cannot become fully charged. Because of the limitations of the chemical and physical characteristics of conventional secondary batteries, it is difficult to increase the charging current very much, and charge time is hardly reduced. As a result, in order to solve problems wherein the conventional secondary battery cannot be quickly charged and the battery cannot be fully charged, the present disclosure proposes a method and device for charging aluminum batteries.

Method and device for charging aluminum battery

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Coloring matters and filters for plasma display panels, which can effectively screen the neon emission radiated from plasma display panels. Squarylium compounds represented by the following formula (I):

The present invention relates to squarylium compounds, and filters for plasma display panels employing them. Particularly, it relates to filters for plasma display panels, which are characterized by having a layer containing a specific squarylium compound and which are capable of effectively screening neon emission radiated from plasma display panels.
In recent years, plasma display panels have been used as display panels of various electronic appliances including large size wall-hung TVs, and their demands have increased, and it is expected that their number will continuously increase in future.
In a plasma display, a gas mixture of xenon and neon is excited by electric discharge to radiate vacuum ultraviolet rays, and emission of three primary colors is obtained by utilizing emission of red, blue and green by the respective phosphors under excitation with the vacuum ultraviolet rays. At that time, so-called neon orange light having a center wavelength of about 600 nm will be emitted when neon atoms once excited, will return to the ground state (Journal of Institute of Image Information and Television Engineers, Vol. 51, NO. 4, P.459-463 (1997)). Therefore, the plasma display has a drawback that an orange color will be mixed to a red color, whereby a bright red color is hardly obtainable.
For example, JP-A-10-204304 discloses squarylium compounds which have only OH groups as substituents on the benzene rings. However, these compound have absorption at a wavelength departing from the wavelength region of the neon orange light, and they were inadequate to screen the neon orange light.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter for a plasma display panel, which is capable of effectively screening neon emission. Particularly, it is intended to provide a filter for a plasma display panel excellent in light resistance.
The present inventors have conducted various studies and have found that the above objects can be accomplished by using a compound containing a specific squarylium compound having hydroxyl groups.
Namely, the first gist of the present invention resides in a squarylium compound represented by the following formula (I), and a filter for a plasma display panel, characterized by having a layer containing such a compound, on a transparent substrate.
[in the formula (I), R is a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may have a substituent, an alkoxy group which may have a substituent, or an alkenyl group which may have a substituent, m is an integer of from 1 to 4, and n is an integer of from 1 to 4.]
The squarylium compound represented by the above formula (I) is characterized in that it has OH groups together with other specific substituents on the benzene rings, whereby, as compared with a compound having only OH groups as substituents on the benzene rings, the absorption maximum is shifted towards the long wavelength side, and it has the absorption maximum in the vicinity of 600 nm (particularly from 580 to 600 nm) which is the wavelength of the neon emission, whereby the neon emission can effectively be screened, and it is possible to obtain an excellent filter for a plasma display panel.
Further, the present inventors have conducted various studies and have found it possible to substantially improve the light resistance of a filter for a plasma display panel by laminating an ultraviolet absorbing layer with a layer containing a specific squarylium compound having hydroxyl groups.
Namely, the second gist of the present invention resides in a filter for a plasma display panel, characterized in that a layer containing an ultraviolet absorber is further laminated on a layer containing a squarylium compound represented by the following formula
[in the formula (Ixe2x80x2), R is a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may have a substituent, an alkoxy group which may have a substituent, or an alkenyl group which may have a substituent, mxe2x80x2 is an integer of from 1 to 4, and nxe2x80x2 is an integer of from 0 to 4.]
Further, the present inventors have found it possible to obtain a filter for a plasma display panel, having a better performance, by further providing a near infrared screening layer, an electromagnetic wave screening layer, an antireflection layer or a glare-preventing (non-glare) layer, in addition to the layer containing a squarylium compound, in the filter for a plasma display panel thus obtained.
Further, still another gist of the present invention relates to a plasma display panel device having such a filter for a plasma display panel on a screen of a plasma display panel.

Squarylium compounds, filters for plasma display panels employing them, and plasma display panel devices

Abstract: [in the formula (I), R is a halogen atom, an alkyl group which may have a substituent, an alkoxy group which may have a substituent, or an alkenyl group which may have a substituent, m is an integer of from 1 to 4, and n is an integer of from 0 to 4], and filters for plasma display panels, made by laminating layers containing these compounds with layers containing ultraviolet absorbers and, if necessary, providing additionally near infrared screening layers, antireflection layers and/or non-glare layers.


A frame-differencing based method for coding and decoding color video data suitable for real-time, software-only based decompression and playback in low-end personal computers wherein the computational demands required of a computer microprocessor to implement the method are readily met by microprocessors such as an Intel 80386SX microprocessor running at 16 Mhz. Frame-to-frame differences are detected in a manner analogous to human perception of luminance data, rather than by the differences in the actual numerical video data. This permits greater compression of data without added computational complexity to the decompression process. Image analysis techniques are employed to ameliorate the appearance of the video. A lossless coding method that unifies two separate compressed data entities is used to obtain a greater amount of compression and simultaneously to reduce the computational complexity of the decompression process.

1. Technical Field:
The invention relates to the storage and playback in real-time of digitized video signals on a digital computer, and more particularly relates to a method of data compression and decompression that supports real-time reconstruction, and display of digitized video signals on a minimal personal computer system. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a method for real-time video decompression and playback with a computational load readily carried by the central processing unit (CPU) of low-end personal computers (e.g. a computer based upon an Intel 80386SX processor running at 16 mhz) without hardware modification of the computer.
2. Description of the Related Art:
A video signal is a sequence of images or frames, which are displayed at a given frame rate (e.g., 15 to 30 frames-per-second) to simulate the appearance of motion to a human observer. In a personal computer system, each frame of digitized video includes a digital representation of each pixel in the frame. A frame may have in excess of one half a million pixels. If full frames were replaced at a frame rate in excess of 15 frames-per second, a computer would be required to recover from storage and write to video memory over seven million bytes of data each second. Few current auxiliary data storage devices have the bandwidth required to pass such levels of data. Further, storage of only a few full frames of digitized video would fill most storage devices. In low-end personal computers, the CPU handles rewriting of the video memory buffer. Rewriting of the entire buffer every one fifteenth of a second would represent an excessive load on the CPU.
In a Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color video system, color values for each of the three color components may be specified for each pixel. One to three bytes (respectively 8-bit, 16-bit and 24-bit RGB) may be used to specify color for each pixel in the frame. Conversion charts from 16 and 24 bit RGB to 8-bit RGB exist and save processing and storage space. Further, conversion charts from 8, 16 or 24-bit color representations to an 8-bit index that is used as an address to a color lookup table (or palette) can also be performed. In compressed digital video, each value or byte is used as an address into a color lookup table or palette. Typically a palette contains 256 or fewer color values selected out of a set of 2.sup.24 colors. For instance, an RGB 784 palette specifies 7 levels of red, 8 of green and 4 of blue, for a total of 224 possible color values. Thus there are values that compressed and palettized color video data does not assume. The reserved values are typically used to provide gray scale tones for monochrome video systems.
Full frame storage and recovery is rarely, if ever, used for video playback on computer systems. Digital video generation on digital computers can be achieved by using frame differencing techniques to compress the data for storage and passage to and from storage. In general terms, frame differencing codes only such information that differs from one frame to the next. In reconstruction of a frame, the old frame residing in display memory is rewritten only to the extent changed. Since few of the pixels typically change from frame to frame, frame differencing techniques save considerable storage space and substantially reduce the bandwidth demands on auxiliary storage devices. However, such techniques require processor involvement to decompress video signal data to rewrite the changed portions of the frame. Typically, and in low end personal computers almost certainly, processor involvement takes the form of the CPU decompressing the data stream from the auxiliary storage device and writing the changed sections of the frame stored in the video buffer.
A frame compressed by a frame-differencing algorithm consists of two separate entities. One is a mechanism to denote the addresses (or locations) in the frame of the pixels that differed from the previous frame. The second entity denotes the values of the pixels that changed (i.e., the new information). A binary bit map has typically been used to mark the pixels of a frame which differed from the previous one and which did not differ. Such a map is an M.times.N array of "1's" and "0's" corresponding to the M.times.N array of pixels in a frame. The values of the pixels which changed then follow in a sequential list.
Data so compressed reduce the amount of consumed storage, thus allowing the video data to be stored in storage devices that have low sustained read rates such as compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) and read/write (R/W) optical storage devices. The CPU burden of reading the video data from storage and writing it to the video buffer of display adaptors such as the Extended Graphics Array (XGA) and Super Video Graphics Array (SVGA) is also reduced. Frame-differencing video decompression algorithms can be implemented in low-end personal computers with addition of programming only, because they offer a reasonable amount of data compression while simultaneously providing a data format of low computational complexity for real-time decompression and display.
Frame to frame differences have been detected by comparison of the actual numerical values of corresponding pixels in each frame. While conceptually straightforward, the technique responds to changes from frame to frame which are beyond human perception, resulting in unnecessary demands on the computer's CPU. Literal frame to frame comparison of values of each pixel, without analysis of areas of pixels, results in a process that is susceptible to noise. For example, the RGB value for a pixel may be changed by electrical interference. The pixels adjacent to the changed pixel exhibit no change. Prior techniques would preserve the error and load the CPU with the time consuming task of writing the change to the display buffer.
Additional reduction in the amount of storage consumed by compressed data, the ability to store compressed video data in storage devices that have low bandwidths, and reduction in the computational load required of the central processor are all desirable.

System and method for frame-differencing video compression/decompression using perceptually-constant information and image analysis

International Business Machines Corporation


According to the invention, there is provided a tapered roller bearing in which, where D represents a larger end diameter of the tapered roller and L represents a roller length thereof, the roller length L is 18 mm or smaller, and a ratio of the large end diameter and the roller length of the tapered roller which is expressed by D/L is in the range of 0.55 to 0.9. In addition, respective raceway surfaces of the outer ring and the inner ring and rolling contact surfaces of the tapered rollers are crowned, and a total crowning amount is set to be 50 μm or larger, an outer ring crowning rate is set to be 40% or larger, and a roller crowning rate is set to be 20% or smaller.

The present invention relates to a tapered roller bearing which is preferably used in an automotive pinion shaft supporting apparatus as in a differential and a transaxle and in a transmission of a vehicle or the like, and an automotive pinion shaft supporting apparatus which uses the tapered roller bearing.
In recent years, there has been increasing a demand for improvement in fuel economy of motor vehicles, and in association with the demand, there is expressed a desire to reduce the running torque of tapered roller bearings which are used to support rotational shafts of transmissions and differentials installed on those motor vehicles.
In these situations, as a method of reducing the running torque of a tapered roller bearing, there is a method of reducing the rolling friction of a tapered roller bearing by crowning rolling contact surfaces of tapered rollers and raceway surfaces of inner and outer rings.
As the method like this, as is described in Patent Document No. 1 below, there is proposed, for example, a method in which raceway surfaces are crowned in an arc-shape fashion so as to realize a reduction in running torque, or, as is described in Patent Document No. 2 below, there is also proposed a method in which rolling contact surfaces of rollers and raceway surfaces which are brought into contact therewith are crowned to a shape which approximates to a logarithmic curve.
In the conventional examples, the performance of the tapered roller bearing was attempted to be enhanced by specifying the shape of the crown imparted to the raceway surface or the rolling contact surface by a numerical value. However, there had been no attempt to grasp the crown as quantity so as to specify the crowning amount so imparted to thereby reduce the running torque of the tapered roller bearing.
Patent Document No. 1: JP-A-2003-130059
Patent Document No. 2: JP-A-2001-65574
Incidentally, as is described above, the running torque of the tapered roller bearing can be reduced by crowning the rolling contact surfaces or the raceway surfaces, however, in association with such a treatment, a drawback is caused that a contact pressure between the rolling contact surfaces and the raceway surfaces is increased, on the contrary, and therefore, there is caused a risk that the life of the tapered roller is reduced. In the case of, in particular, a tapered roller bearing whose main dimensions are small, since the roller length of a tapered roller is short, there was a case where the reduction in bearing life in association with the increase in crowning amount was remarkable.

Tapered roller bearing and automotive pinion shaft supporting apparatus utilizing same tapered roller bearing