The present invention relates to an insulator to be disposed in an armature core having a plurality of radially-formed salient poles. The insulator comprises a winding aligning portion having an approximately V shape (forming an angle of 60 degrees) and getting narrower from an outer side to an inner side in a radial direction of the armature core approximately at the middle between the salient poles to position a winding disposed at a first layer which is a most inner side in the radial direction of the armature core approximately at a middle between the salient poles. By this structure, it is possible to align the windings on the second layer and beyond, thereby preventing a dig-in and the like of the windings and hence preventing faulty insulation between the windings.

Conventional vehicular air blower incorporates a rotary electric machine to rotate a fan. The rotary electric machine has an armature including a stack-type armature core and windings wound on the armature core. The above-described armature is provided with an insulator on a surface of the armature core to insulate the armature core from the windings (refer to JP-2002-272045-A (Pgs. 4 through 6, FIG. 2) and JP-07-245896-A (Pgs. 4 through 6, FIG. 1) for example).
However, the above-described conventional insulator has the following disadvantages. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the disadvantages of the conventional insulator, and depicts winding patterns of the winding wound on the conventional insulator in varied winding patterns.
In the respective winding patterns in FIG. 11, a reference numeral 320 denotes a conventional insulator disposed in an armature core having a plurality of radially-formed salient poles. The insulator 320 has slots 321 formed at regular intervals. Further, the slot 321 has an arc portion 322 at an inner portion in a radial direction of the insulator 320. Multi-layered windings 314 are wound in distributed winding method and disposed in the slot 321.
In a winding pattern 1, a winding 314a on a first layer is wound to be in contact with an arc portion 322 on a center axis Lc′ of the slot 321. Then, windings 314b-1, 314b-2 on a second layer are wound to be in tight contacts with inner walls 321a, 321b of the slot 321 and the winding 314a on the first layer. In this case, windings 314c, 314d of a third layer and beyond are aligned regularly.
In a winding pattern 2, the winding 314a on the first layer is wound to be in contact with the arc portion 322 on the center axis Lc′ of the slot 321. Then, the first winding 314b-1 on the second layer is wound to be in tight contacts with the inner wall 321b of the slot 321 and the winding 314a on the first layer. Further, the second winding 314b-2 is wound to be in tight contacts with the winding 314a on the first layer and the first winding 314b-1 on the second layer. In this case, the second winding 314b-2 on the second layer and the inner wall 321a of the slot 321 form a clearance C2 therebetween. However, a width of the clearance C2 is smaller than a diameter of a second winding 314c-2 on the third layer when it is deformed, so that the winding 314c-2 do not enter in the clearance C2.
In a winding pattern 4, the winding 314a on the first layer is wound to be in contact with the arc portion 322 on the center axis Lc′ of the slot 321. Then, one winding 314b on the second layer and one winding 314c on the third layer are wound. Further, a second winding 314d-2 on the fourth layer is wound to be in tight contact with the winding 314c on the third layer and the first winding 314d-1 on the fourth layer. In this case, the second winding 314d-2 on the fourth layer and the inner wall 321a of the slot 321 form a clearance C4 therebetween. However, the width of the clearance C4 is larger than a diameter of the second winding 314b-2 on the second layer in its natural state, so that the winding 314b-2 does not dig into the clearance C4.
In a winding pattern 3, the winding 314a on the first layer is wound to be in contact with the arc portion 322 at a position diverted from the center axis Lc′ of the slot 321. Then, the second winding 314c-2 on the third layer is wound to be in tight contacts with the winding 314b-1 on the second layer and the first winding 314c-1 on the third layer. In this case, the second winding 314c-2 on the third layer and the inner wall 321a of the slot 321 form a clearance C3 therebetween. The width of the clearance C3 is larger than a diameter of the second winding 314b-2 on the second layer when it is deformed, so that the winding 314b-2 may dig into the clearance C3.
In short, the armature incorporating the insulator 320 having the above-described structure has a disadvantage that the windings 314 is not regularly wound in the slot 321 if the winding 314a on the first layer is wound in contact with the arc portion 322 at a position diverted from the center axis Lc′.
Thus, if the winding 314 is not regularly wound in the slot 321, the windings 314 may dig to be damaged as described above. Especially as in the winding pattern 3, the winding 314b-2 dug in the clearance C3 is pressed radially inward by other windings wound radially outer than the winding 314b-2. Then, the winding 314b-2 is strongly pressed into the clearance C3 and an insulation of the winding 314b-2 may be spoiled.
The present invention is achieved in view of the above-described issues and has an object to provide an insulator, an armature and a rotary electric machine capable of preventing insufficient insulation of the windings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an insulator, an armature and a rotary electric machine capable of having enough number of slots even if they are provided with a configuration capable of preventing insufficient insulation of the windings.
A still another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary electric machine capable of improving its durability relative to conventional ones.

Insulator, armature and rotary electric machine


There is provided a vertical take-off and landing aircraft including: a propulsion mechanism for generating lift and thrust; a power supply unit (e.g. an engine as a power source) for supplying power to the propulsion mechanism; a main frame for supporting the engine, a seat, and a landing undercarriage; a sub-frame for supporting the propulsion mechanism; a frame coupling unit for rotatably coupling the main frame and the sub-frame; and a control stick connected to the sub-frame, so that an occupant sitting on a seat operates a control stick thereby to move the sub-frame relative to the main frame so as to change the orientation of the propulsion mechanism.

A current typical example of vertical take-off and landing aircraft capable of generating lift without running on the ground is a helicopter. A helicopter has a large rotor, compared with its fuselage, and generates lift and thrust by rotating the rotor. There have also been known, though few in number of types, there is a fighter aircraft that perform vertical take-off and landing by changing the direction of the thrust derived from jet engines.
The fuselage of a helicopter has a relatively large size itself, and in addition, the helicopter is equipped with a main rotor larger in size than the fuselage and a tail rotor at the tail of the fuselage. Thus, if take-off, landing or attitude control is performed in a small space surrounded by obstacles such as buildings or trees, the main rotor or the tail rotor may come into contact with the obstacles. Accordingly, a large space needed for the take-off and landing.
A fighter aircraft capable of vertically taking off and landing uses a jet engine which emits a high temperature jet exhaust with a large amount of jet exhaust, and thus people cannot be close to the fighter aircraft when taking off and landing. In addition, small objects such as stones are blown off by the jet exhaust during take-off or landing, possibly damaging surrounding buildings or the like. Thus, also in the case of the fighter aircraft, a large space is needed for the take-off and landing.
In light of this, there has already been proposed a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft capable of safe take-off and landing even in a small space (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). The vertical take-off and landing aircraft disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 includes a ducted fans having a propeller type fans arranged within cylindrical ducts or nacelles.


A block copolymer composition AB is provided that has pendent groups —RZ extending from the A copolymer on at least 70 mol % of the A monomers, where R and Z are each an ionic species. The composition is included in a semipermeable membrane for use in a direct methanol fuel cell. Also described are articles of protective apparel comprising the composition which advantageously has barrier properties as well as superior water vapor transport properties.

Selectively permeable materials are useful in a broad range of applications, including for example, chemical and/or biological protective clothing, separation membranes, fuel cell membranes, medical equipment, such as filters and masks, as well as medical apparel. Of particular concern in providing materials adapted to these uses is the selectivity profile necessary to function as intended. For example, a material provided as protective clothing must not only inhibit passage of toxins through the protective membrane from the external environment to the internal side, the material must also allow the passage of water vapor from the internal side to the external environment. Since the absence of adequate transpiration of water causes discomfort at the least and dangerous overheating if prolonged, water vapor passage characteristics are of paramount importance in designing materials for use in applications such as those listed above.
Materials and articles of manufacture designed to be selectively permeable include those detailed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,468,574; 5,679,482; 5,840,387; 6,110,616; 6,395,383; 6,187,696; 5,824,405; 5,743,775; 5,740,551; 5,391,426; 5,273,814; 5,260,360; 5,024,594; 4,943,475; 4,515,761; 4,510,193; 4,469,744; 4,194,041; and 4,039,440.
However, there is still a need for a lightweight, low cost material that combines the characteristics of flexibility over a broad temperature range, high transport of air and water vapor and low transport of harmful chemicals.

Highly sulfonated block copolymer hydrogels and uses thereof

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A primary reciprocating engine is combined with a secondary turbine engine. The turbine engine utilizes the exhaust of the reciprocating engine as fuel, resulting in an increase in efficiency and reduction in emissions over a conventional reciprocating engine alone. The secondary turbine engine powers secondary functions of the reciprocating engine, such as relieving the back pressure at the exhaust ports, driving the turbocharger that pressurizes the air intake, and driving an electrical generator. Oxyhydrogen (HHO) used to ignite the reciprocating engine exhaust and complete combustion of the reciprocating engine fuel is obtained by disassociating distilled water into hydrogen and oxygen using the electricity from the electrical generator.

A. Field of the Invention
The invention is an apparatus and method to convert chemical energy in an exhaust or waste gas stream into electrical or mechanical power through the use of a turbine engine fueled by combustible gas and particulate matter in an exhaust or waste gas stream. In one application, the invention is an improved reciprocating internal combustion engine in which efficiency is improved and tailpipe emissions are reduced by use of a turbine engine fueled by the exhaust of the reciprocating engine. The invention is also a method of operating a reciprocating engine using a turbine engine fueled by the exhaust of the reciprocating engine. The invention is also a kit and method for adding the technology of the invention to a reciprocating engine. The apparatus and method of the invention have application beyond reciprocating engines and can apply to any apparatus that produces an exhaust or waste gas stream that contains chemical energy that can be released through combustion, such as chemical energy remaining in the exhaust from the combustion of fossil fuel in an electrical power generating station or chemical energy remaining in the exhaust of a refinery process or of a chemical production facility.
B. Statement of the Related Art
As used in this document, the term 'reciprocating internal combustion engine,' also referred to by the term 'reciprocating engine,' means any internal combustion engine and includes both spark-ignition engines, such as Otto cycle gasoline engines, and compression-ignition engines, such as diesel engines. Reciprocating engines are examples of heat engines, which are defined to be any engine that produces mechanical power by heating a working fluid by combustion of a fuel. The phrase "working fluid" means the gas being pressurized by heat. For both spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines the working fluid is air.
Conventional reciprocating internal combustion engines accept an air-fuel mixture into a cylinder and compress the mixture by reducing the volume within a cylinder with a piston. The piston is driven by a crankshaft propelled by a fly wheel that has enough kinetic energy to achieve the compression. Reciprocating engines typically require a separate source of power, such as electric motor, to start the process. Compression of the air-fuel mixture is followed by an ignition process. For a spark ignition engine, ignition is initiated by an electrical spark from a spark plug. For a diesel engine, ignition is initiated through compression.
For either a spark ignition engine or a diesel engine, the combusting fuel heats the compressed gases in the cylinder, which increases the pressure within the cylinder approximately in accordance with the ideal gas law PV=nRT0(V0/V)m, where m=k−1=0.4. The elevated pressure pushes on the piston and transfers energy to the flywheel. The energy from the flywheel used during the compression step is returned to the flywheel, since gas compression is a reversible process and the compressed air acts as a spring. The additional pressure from the elevated temperature adds more energy to the flywheel, in essence converting chemical energy into heat and then into mechanical motion.
Two limitations of reciprocating internal-combustion engines are efficiency and unwanted emissions of air contaminants. The primary limit of efficiency is a direct outcome of the limitation imposed by entropy. A simple efficiency upper limit is provided through the analysis of the Carnot cycle as follows:Efficiency=1−TL/TH where TL is the low temperature and TH is the high temperature of the cycle in degrees absolute. The low temperature can be approximated as the ambient air temperature (about 300 C) and the high temperature is limited by the tolerances of the material from which the engine is constructed (about 900 C). Inserting these temperature values in the Carnot efficiency upper limit formula results in an upper efficiency limit of about 66%.
A primary cause of unwanted emissions for reciprocating engines is due to the short time available for the fuel to combust. If the fuel does not have an adequate time to combust, the unburned fuel is ejected from the engine in the exhaust gas. The time allotted to burn the fuel is typically in conflict with the power produced, since longer combustion time can reduce emissions, but a faster speed of combustion usually translates into more power (power=torque×rpm).
A lot of effort has been focused on the problem of improving power and reducing emissions over the past 50 years. For example, controlling the oxygen/fuel ratio results in a lean or rich mixture. An excess of oxygen produces a 'lean' mixture with more rapid combustion and more power, but also creates an unwanted reaction between oxygen and nitrogen resulting in air contaminant emissions of nitrides, or NOX. Alternatively, not enough oxygen results in a 'rich' mixture and reduces the formation of nitrides but slows combustion, leaving un-combusted fuel in the exhaust gases. Present-day reciprocating internal-combustion engines strive to operate at the stoichiometric value for the oxygen/fuel ratio to maximize power while minimizing emissions of unburned or partially burned fuel by using electronic computer-operated control systems capable of sensing heat, oxygen, fuel flow and other functions of the engine.
A modern reciprocating internal-combustion engine may use turbocharger technology to increase power output. Turbochargers pressurize the air at the reciprocating engine intake using a compressor driven by the back pressure of the engine. The compressed air is then cooled and inserted into the air intake of the engine. A turbocharger can increase the differential pressure from air intake to exhaust by about 10 PSI to 20 PSI resulting in an increase in efficiency. To achieve this increased pressure differential, the pressure at the input reaches about 60 PSI with the exhaust pressure reaching about 40 PSI. Turbochargers are good at increasing efficiency but have little effect on emissions.
A modern reciprocating internal-combustion engine may use a catalytic converter located in the exhaust stream of the engine to complete the combustion process and reduce emissions. Catalytic converters are good at reducing emissions but increase the back pressure at the exhaust port of the reciprocating engine, resulting in a significant decrease in fuel efficiency. Further, catalytic converters can become extremely hot and become fire hazards.
A diesel engine may employ an afterburner for combusting the exhaust gas. By combusting at very high temperature, the afterburners oxidize soot from the partially-burned fuel to CO2. Afterburner systems reduce emissions but result in a loss of efficiency due to an increase in back pressure in the exhaust. Afterburner systems require an additional supply of liquid urea fuel and include the inconvenience of maintaining that fuel supply at all times.
The efficiency of diesel engines can be improved by injecting the fuel using smaller injectors and at increased pressure. This has the effect of misting the diesel fuel into smaller droplets, which reduces the time it takes for the droplets to be combusted.
Alternatively, much effort has gone into inserting oxyhydrogen gas (HHO) into the air intake of reciprocating internal-combustion engines to increase power and reduce emissions. HHO may be obtained through the electrolysis of water using electricity produced by the reciprocating engine. The past efforts to inject HHO have been without much commercial success. The inventor believes that the lack of commercial success of prior HHO systems is due in part to the complexity of burning a second fuel in engines that have been optimized for a single fuel. Engines are tuned to optimize air/fuel mixtures and do not automatically re-optimize themselves when hydrogen is included in the mix. A disadvantage of HHO injection into the air intake of a reciprocating engine is that hydrogen gas causes embrittlement in some metals, causing failure of the metal and creating reliability problems.
As described above, the related art as it applies to this invention is that of a compromise between efficiency and emissions. The prior art does not teach the Invention.


A single-use radiological imaging aid includes an adhesive-backed tape and a backer covering the adhesive. Both the tape and the backer include radiopaque indicia. The indicia on the tape may include locating and/or measurement markings to identify, locate and/or measure anatomical features in a radiological image. The indicia on the backer includes alphanumeric and/or graphic symbols which define a blocking field. When the backer is intact over the adhesive surface of the tape, the blocking field on the backer is in substantial registration with the indicia on the tape. The backer must be removed prior to use of the tape in a radiological image, or else the blocking field will obscure the indicia on the tape in a scanned image. This design ensures that the tape will be properly adhered to a patient's skin prior to imaging and will be used only once.

In the taking of medical x-rays, it is common to utilize a radiopaque marker on a portion of the patient's body being examined. One simple technique is to place the radiopaque marker on the patient's nipple when the x-ray is taken and the resulting mark on the x-ray film provides a point of reference from which actual measurements can be made to other parts of the body for surgical or other purposes. Other more complicated devices involving grids of radiopaque material carried by plastic sheets or lattice works of radiopaque rods have also been used in an effort to locate precisely the area of the body which is under investigation. Unquestionably, some of these devices have achieved some acceptance as aids in the preparation for specific surgical procedures. However, the available devices have tended to be expensive, complicated, and difficult to use. By way of example, one of the devices on the market involves a contoured carrier which is strapped to the patient's body and on which a movable radiopaque indicator slides. Thumb-screws are provided to lock the indicator in any desired position prior to the taking of the x-ray.
Another prior art device involves the placement of radiosensitive film under the patient's body and applying a carrier sheet on which grid lines of radiopaque material are disposed over a portion of the body. When the film is exposed to radiation passing through the carrier sheet and the patient's body, an image is developed in which the grid lines appear. Openings are provided in the device to permit the radiologist to make visible markings on the patient's body as points of reference. Both of the systems described are expensive, unwieldy and somewhat imprecise. Moreover, they are useful only for a few limited applications.
In addition, for hygienic reasons, it is important that such devices be sterile when applied to a patient's skin, be reliably adherable to the patient's skin, yet removable without leaving traces of adhesive or irritating the patient's skin, and be usable only one time on a patient.


The present invention is related to a method for moving the position of a base view from an arbitrary GOP (Group Of Pictures) start position to implement an efficient encoding structure in multi-view video encoding. The existing multi-view video encoding method exhibits low encoding efficiency when correlation between the base view and a dependent view is low, since the base view is assumed to be fixed. Moreover, in case the view in a live broadcasting program desired by a producer changes from the base view to another, the user has to consume more bit streams and decoder complexity than those consumed when decoding is performed with respect to the base view. Therefore, to alleviate the drawbacks of the existing multi-view video encoding method, the present invention provides a method for designing syntax elements by which the base view can be moved, thereby supporting an efficient encoding structure.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to image encoding and decoding and more particularly, a method for changing a base view in multi-view video encoding and apparatus using the method.
Discussion of the Related Art
As broadcasting services provided in HD resolution are spread globally, more people are getting used to high resolution, high quality images, and many organizations are accelerating development of next-generation image devices. In addition to HDTVs, public attention to UHD (Ultra High Definition) TVs, which provide videos in a resolution more than four times the resolution of HDTV, is increasing; thus, demand for a technology capable of compressing images of higher resolution and higher quality is getting larger.
To implement image compression, various technologies can be employed, including: inter-prediction technology estimating pixel values in a current picture by using the pictures located temporally before and/or after the current picture, intra-prediction technology estimating pixel values of a current picture by using pixel information of the current picture, and entropy coding technology assigning short code words to frequently appearing symbols but longer code words to those symbols appearing in low frequency.
There are various kinds of image compression technologies, one of which provides constant network bandwidth in an operating environment constrained by limited hardware resources, not taking account of dynamic network environments. In order to deal with compression of image data in a network environment where bandwidth changes constantly, however, a new compression technology is highly required, and in this regard, a scalable video encoding/decoding method is an attractive solution.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Video encoding and decoding method and apparatus using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute

Industry-Academic Cooperation Group of Sejong University


This application relates to a systems and methods for enhanced dynamics processing of streaming audio by source separation and remixing for hearing assistance devices, according to one example. In one embodiment, an external streaming audio device processes sources isolated from an audio signal using source separation, and mixes the resulting signals back into the unprocessed audio signal to enhance individual sources while minimizing audible artifacts. Variations of the present system use source separation in a side chain to guide processing of a composite audio signal.

Hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, include electronic instruments worn in or around the ear that compensate for hearing losses by amplifying and processing sound. The electronic circuitry of the device is contained within a housing that is commonly either placed in the external ear canal and/or behind the ear. Transducers for converting sound to an electrical signal and vice-versa may be integrated into the housing or external to it.
Whether due to a conduction deficit or sensorineural damage, hearing loss in most patients occurs non-uniformly over the audio frequency range, most commonly at high frequencies. Hearing aids may be designed to compensate for such hearing deficits by amplifying received sound in a frequency-specific manner, thus acting as a kind of acoustic equalizer that compensates for the abnormal frequency response of the impaired ear. Adjusting a hearing aid's frequency specific amplification characteristics to achieve a desired level of compensation for an individual patient is referred to as fitting the hearing aid. One common way of fitting a hearing aid is to measure hearing loss, apply a fitting algorithm, and fine-tune the hearing aid parameters.
Hearing assistance devices also use a dynamic range adjustment, called dynamic range compression, which controls the level of sound sent to the ear of the patient to normalize the loudness of sound in specific frequency regions. The gain that is provided at a given frequency is controlled by the level of sound in that frequency region (the amount of frequency specificity is determined by the filters in the multiband compression design). When properly used, compression adjusts the level of a sound at a given frequency such that its loudness is similar to that for a normal hearing person without a hearing aid. There are other fining philosophies, but they all prescribe a certain gain for a certain input level at each frequency. It is well known that the application of the prescribed gain for a given input level is affected by time constants of the compressor. What is less well understood is that the prescription can break down when there are two or more simultaneous sounds in the same frequency region. The two sounds may be at two different levels, and therefore each should receive different gain for each to be perceived at their own necessary loudness. Because only one gain value can be prescribed by the hearing aid, however, at most one sound can receive the appropriate gain, providing the second sound with the less than desired sound level and resulting loudness.
This phenomenon is illustrated in the following figures. FIG. 1 shows the levels of two different sounds out of a filter centered at 1 kHz—in this example, the two sounds are two different speech samples. The samples are overlaid on FIG. 1 and one is in a thick dark line 1 and the second is in a thin line 2.
FIG. 2 shows the gains that would be applied to those two different sounds at 1 kHz if they were to be presented to a hypothetical multiband dynamic range compressor. Notice that the ideal gain for each speech sample is different. Again, the samples from the thick dark line 1 are shown in comparison to those of the thin line 2.
FIG. 3 shows the two gains from FIG. 1 represented by the thick dark line 1 and the thin line 2, but with a line of intermediate thickness 3 which shows the gain that is applied when the two sounds are mixed together before being sent to the multiband compressor. Notice that when the two sounds are mixed together, neither receives the exact gain that should be prescribed for each separately; in fact, there are times when the gain should be high for one speech sample, but it is low because the gain is controlled by the level of the mix of the two sounds, not the level of each sound individually. This can cause artificial envelope fluctuations in each sound, described as comodulation or cross modulation by Stone and Moore (Stone, M. A., and Moore, B. C. (2008). "Effects of spectro-temporal modulation changes produced by multi-channel compression on intelligibility in a competing-speech task," J Acoust Soc Am 123, 1063-1076.)
This could be particularly problematic with music and other acoustic sound mixes such as the soundtrack to a Dolby 5.1 movie, where signals of significantly different levels are mixed together with the goal of provided a specific aural experience. If the mix is sent to a compressor and improper gains are applied to the different sounds, then the auditory experience is negatively affected and is not the experience intended by the produce of the sound. In the case of music, the gain for each musical instrument is not correct, and the gain to one instrument might be quite different than it would be if the instrument were played in isolation. The impact is three-fold: the loudness of that instrument is not normal for the hearing aid listener (it may be too soft, for example), distortion to the temporal envelope of that instrument can occur, and interaural-level difference (ILD) cues for sound source localization and segregation can be distorted, making the perceived auditory image of that instrument fluctuate in a way that was not in the original recording.
Another example is when the accompanying instrumental tracks in a movie soundtrack have substantial energy then compression can overly reduce the overall level and distort the ILD of the simultaneous vocal tracks, diminishing the ability of the wearer to enjoy the mix of instrumental and vocal sound and even to hear and understand the vocal track. Thus, there is a need in the art for improved compression and mixing systems for hearing assistance devices and for external devices that stream audio to hearing assistance devices.

Enhanced dynamics processing of streaming audio by source separation and remixing


It is intended to provide a tape printer which enables to forcibly separate a platen roller and a print head along with an opening movement of a cover element in case the platen roller and the print head have adhered to each other because of a long-period storage of the tape printer with the platen roller and the print head being in contact. Accordingly, a cam pressing member and a cam receiver move a roller holder to a withdrawing position in which the platen roller and a thermal head are separated from each other when the cover element is opened, so that the cam pressing member and the cam receiver can be forcibly returned to the withdrawing position from a position in which the platen roller is in contact with the thermal head.

Conventionally, various kinds of tape printers which can print on a print tape of a long printing medium, displaying a text composed of characters inputted with input means such as a keyboard, have been suggested. In the tape printer, the print tape is generally supplied from a tape cassette in which the print tape and an ink ribbon are wound on each spool and housed in a predetermined-shape cassette.
In a tape cassette housing part of the tape printer, there are provided a print head for printing on the print tape and a platen roller for feeding the tape. In printing, the print tape is pressed against the print head by the platen roller to be printed the text thereon, and discharged as a printed tape. Herein, in order that the tape cassette is removed and re-installed for replacement, the print head and the platen roller need to be moved away from a pressing position of the print tape in order to release pressure exerted on the print tape by the print head and the platen roller. Accordingly, at least one of the print head and the platen roller is made movable, and a release member is provided to move the print head or the platen roller between the pressing position and a withdrawing position. Further, a cassette cover for covering the tape cassette installed in the tape cassette housing part is also provided. In printing, the cassette cover is closed to prevent entry of something extraneous from outside.
Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. H10(1998)-100494 discloses, as the release member described above, an engagement member which is provided in the cover element for moving a holder member (the platen roller) to the pressing position when the cover element is closed, and an elastic member for moving the holder member (the platen roller) to the withdrawing position when the cassette cover is opened.
However, in the tape printer of the above publication, there is a risk that, while the tape printer is stored for a long period with the platen roller and the print head being in contact, the platen roller and the print head have adhered to each other, and they can be no longer returned to the withdrawing position with a force of repulsion. If the repulsion of the elastic member is enhanced to solve the problem, the holder member and the like need to be strengthened, which increase costs.

Tape printer having platen roller and print head capable of being forcibly separated


A library apparatus includes a storage section having a lock hole in which a lock member provided on a cartridge is capable of being fitted, the storage section storing the cartridge in a locked state when the lock member is fitted in the lock hole, a holding portion that holds the cartridge and engages with the lock member, an arm that supports the holding portion at an end of the arm, the arm inserting and extracting the cartridge held by the holding portion into and from the storage section, a first motor that moves the arm in an insertion-extraction direction in which the cartridge is inserted and extracted, and a second motor that moves the holding portion so as to move the lock member to a position at which the lock member is released from the lock hole.

A library apparatus is known as an external bulk storage that is used while being connected to a mainframe computer. A magnetic tape library apparatus is an example of a library apparatus.
Such a magnetic tape library apparatus generally includes storage units (magazines) which each store multiple magnetic tape cartridges that house magnetic tape media, a conveying mechanism that conveys the magnetic tape cartridges, and a magnetic tape drive that reads and writes data to and from the magnetic tape media.
The magazines in the magnetic tape library apparatus are individually operated and managed by an operator. Therefore, the magazines are structured such that they may be pulled out or detached from the magnetic tape library apparatus when the operator replaces the magnetic tape cartridges. However, the manner in which the magazines are handled differs depending on the operator, and there is a possibility that the magazines will be handled in a manner unexpected by the designer.
In addition, each magazine has openings through which the magnetic tape cartridges are inserted and extracted in a side surface thereof, and is therefore to be handled such that the openings do not face downward and the magnetic tape cartridges do not fall from the magazine. If the operator carries the magazine such that the openings face downward by mistake, there is a risk that the magnetic tape cartridges will fall from the magazine to the floor. In such a case, there is a possibility that the magnetic tape cartridges will be damaged and important data stored therein will be lost.
Accordingly, a technology for preventing the magnetic tape cartridges from falling from the magazine by providing a lock mechanism that locks the magnetic tape cartridges in the magazine has been proposed (see, for example, International Publication Pamphlet No. WO2006/103735 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-241238).
FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating a known lock member. FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a cell 81 that serves as a storage section in a magazine. FIG. 18A illustrates a locked state in which a cartridge 80 is locked in the magazine (cell 81).
A lock member 83 is provided on a side wall surface 81h of the cell 81. The lock member 83 is fixed to the side wall surface 81h of the cell 81 with a fixing portion 82 provided at an end of the lock member 83. The lock member 83 includes an arm portion 84 that has spring characteristics. An engagement portion 85 that engages with an engagement groove 80m formed in the cartridge 80 is provided at an end of the arm portion 84. When the engagement portion 85 engages with the engagement groove 80m, the cartridge 80 is locked in the magazine (cell 81).
FIG. 18B illustrates the manner in which the cartridge 80 is inserted into or extracted from the cell 81 in the direction indicated by arrow A (insertion-extraction direction). FIG. 18B illustrates an unlocked state in which the cartridge 80 is not locked in the magazine (cell 81).
When the cartridge 80 is inserted into the cell 81, the engagement portion 85 of the lock member 83 is pushed by the cartridge 80 and is moved outward through an opening 81k formed in the side wall surface 81h of the cell 81. Then, when the engagement portion 85 faces the engagement groove 80m, the engagement portion 85 is returned to the original position by the elastic force generated by the arm portion 84. Accordingly, the engagement portion 85 engages with the engagement groove 80m and the cartridge 80 is locked in the magazine (cell 81).
When the cartridge 80 is extracted from the cell 81, the cartridge 80 is pulled by a force larger than a frictional resistance (locking force) between the engagement portion 85 and the engagement groove 80m. Accordingly, the engagement portion 85 of the lock member 83 is pushed by the cartridge 80 and is moved outward through the opening 81k formed in the side wall surface 81h of the cell 81. Thus, the engagement portion 85 is disengaged from the engagement groove 80m and the cartridge 80 is released from the locked state.
With regard to the above-described lock member, it is desirable to effectively design the locking force of the lock member to ensure the reliability of the locked state. However, in practice, there are variations in the surface state of the cartridge, the shape of the engagement groove, the frictional resistance between the engagement portion and the engagement groove, etc., and high-level analyses are preferably performed to design the locking force.
Accordingly, the reliability of the locked state may be increased by increasing the locking force applied by the lock member. However, if the locking force is increased, a hand mechanism including a hand motor with a high inserting-and-extracting performance may be used to reliably release the cartridge from the locked state and extract the cartridge. Thus, although the above-described lock member seems to have a simple structure, the lock member is desirably precisely designed in consideration of the balance between the locking force and the inserting-and-extracting performance to ensure the reliability of the locking and unlocking operation.
In addition, recently, the storage capacity of a single magnetic tape cartridge has been rapidly increased. Therefore, the number of magnetic tape cartridges that are to be prepared to provide a certain storage capacity has been reduced. As a result, the sizes of the magazine and the magnetic tape library apparatus have been reduced.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for a small lock mechanism capable of reliably preventing cartridges from falling from a magazine. In addition, there has been a demand for an unlocking mechanism capable of releasing the cartridges from the locked state established by the lock mechanism without increasing the size of the library apparatus that has been reduced.

Library apparatus, cartridge, and hand mechanism


A coupling structure of an eccentric bush of a scroll compressor, comprising: an orbiting scroll; a rotary shaft provided with an eccentric part and transferring rotary power of a driving motor to the orbiting scroll; and an eccentric bush coupled between the orbiting scroll and the eccentric part of the rotary shaft, wherein an insertion hole provided with two plane contact portions having predetermined areas is formed at the eccentric bush, a cutting surface surface-contacting the plane contact portions of the eccentric bush is formed at the eccentric part of the rotary shaft, and the eccentric part is inserted into the insertion hole of the eccentric bush. Accordingly, damage to the eccentric bush or the rotary shaft can be prevented by dispersing the power applied to the rotary shaft and the eccentric bush.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scroll compressor, and more particularly, to a coupling structure of an eccentric bush of a scroll compressor capable of preventing damage to the eccentric bush or a rotary shaft by dispersing the power applied to the rotary shaft and the eccentric bush during the operation of the compressor.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a compressor converts electric energy into kinetic energy, and compresses a refrigerant by the kinetic energy. The compressor is the kernel of a freezing cycle system. According to a compression mechanism for compressing a refrigerant gas, there are various kinds of compressors such as a rotary compressor, a scroll compressor, a reciprocal compressor and the like. Such compressors are used in a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a showcase and the like.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of the scroll compressor.
As shown therein, the scroll compressor includes: a casing 10 provided with a suction pipe 11 and a discharge pipe 12; a main frame 20 and a sub-frame 30 fixedly coupled to the upper and lower portions inside the casing 10, respectively, with a certain interval; a fixed scroll 40 fixedly coupled to the casing 10 so as to be positioned at an upper side of the main frame 20; an orbiting scroll 50 positioned between the fixed scroll 40 and the main frame 20 so as to be orbitably interlocked with the fixed scroll 40; an Oldham ring 60 positioned between the fixed scroll 40 and the main frame 20, for preventing a self-rotation of the orbiting scroll 50; a driving motor (M) fixedly coupled to the casing 10 so as to be positioned between the main frame 20 and the sub-frame 30, for generating a driving force; a rotary shaft 70 for transferring the driving force of the driving motor (M) to the orbiting scroll 50; and a valve assembly 80 mounted on an upper surface of the fixed scroll 40.
The main frame 20 includes: a shaft insertion hole 22 formed at a frame body portion 21 of predetermined shape, into which the rotary shaft 70 is penetratingly inserted into; a boss insertion groove 23 communicating with the shaft insertion hole 22 having an inner diameter greater than that of the shaft insertion hole 22; and a bearing surface 24 formed at an upper surface of the frame body portion 21, by which the orbiting scroll 50 is supported.
The fixed scroll 40 includes: a body portion 41 having a predetermined shape; a wrap 42 formed in an involute curve shape of predetermined thickness and height at one surface of the body portion 41; a discharge hole 43 penetratingly formed at the center portion of the body portion 41; and a suction hole 44 formed at one side of the body portion 41.
The orbiting scroll 50 includes: a circular plate part 51 having certain thickness and area; a wrap 52 formed in an involute curve shape of certain thickness and height at one side of the circular plate part 51; a boss part 53 penetratingly formed at the center portion of the other side of the circular plate part 51 to a certain height; and a shaft insertion groove 54 formed inside the boss part 53 to a certain depth, into which part of the rotary shaft 70 is inserted. The orbiting scroll 50 is coupled between the fixed scroll 40 and the main frame 20 such that the wrap 52 of the orbiting scroll 50 is interlocked with the wrap 42 of the fixed scroll, the boss part 53 is inserted into the boss insertion groove 23 of the main frame 20, and one surface of the circular plate part 51 is supported by the bearing surface 24 of the main frame.
The rotary shaft 70 includes: a shaft part 71 having a certain length; an eccentric part 72 extending from one side of the shaft part 71 to a certain length so as to be eccentric from the center of the shaft part 71; and an oil path 73 penetratingly formed at the shaft part 71 and the eccentric part 72.
As for the rotary shaft 70, the shaft part 71 is coupled with the driving motor (M). One side of the shaft part 71 of the rotary shaft 70 is penetratingly inserted into the shaft insertion hole 22 of the main frame and the eccentric part 72 is inserted into the shaft insertion groove 54 of the orbiting scroll.
Then, an eccentric bush 90 in a predetermined shape is inserted into the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft, and a fixed bush 100 slidingly contacting the eccentric bush 90 is fixedly coupled with an inner wall of the shaft insertion groove 54 of the orbiting scroll.
The oil is filled at the lower part of the casing 10.
Undescribed reference numerals 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 are a stator, a rotor, a balance weight, an oil feeder and a high and low pressure separator, respectively.
An operation of the scroll compressor having such a construction will be described as follows.
If the power is applied to the scroll compressor, rotary power is generated from the driving motor (M) by the operation of the driving motor (M), and the rotary power of the driving motor (M) is transferred to the orbiting scroll 50 through the rotary shaft 70. As the rotary power of the rotary shaft 70 is transferred to the orbiting scroll 50, the orbiting scroll 50 coupled to the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft 70 orbits on the basis of a central axis of the rotary shaft 70. Prevented from its self-rotation by means of the Oldham ring 60, the orbiting scroll 50 orbits.
As the orbiting scroll 50 orbits, the wrap 52 of the orbiting scroll is interlocked with the wrap 42 of the fixed scroll. By the orbiting movement of the orbiting scroll, a plurality of compression pockets (P) formed by the wrap 52 of the orbiting scroll and the wrap 42 of the fixed scroll are moved into the center portion of the fixed scroll 40 and the orbiting scroll 50 and gradually contracted in volume.
The compression pockets suck, compress and discharge the gas through the discharge hole 43 of the fixed scroll.
The oil filled in the lower part of the casing 10 flows via the oil path 73 of the rotary shaft by the rotation of the rotary shaft 70 and is supplied to components where a sliding motion is generated.
Meanwhile, by the rotation of the rotary shaft 70, the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft moves in a circular motion by taking a distance eccentric from the center of the shaft part 71 of the rotary shaft as a rotating radius and the circular motion of the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft is transferred to the boss part 53 of the orbiting scroll, whereby the orbiting scroll 50 orbits. In addition, the eccentric bush 90 inserted into the eccentric part 72 not only prevents direct friction between the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft and the boss part 53 of the orbiting scroll but also keeps the rotation of the rotary shaft 70 stable.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a coupling structure of the conventional eccentric bush.
As shown therein, the coupling structure of the eccentric bush is as follows.
The eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft is constructed in such a manner that a cutting plane (F1) cut to have a certain plane is formed at one outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical shape with certain length and outer diameter. The center of the eccentric part 72 is eccentric from the center of the shaft part 71 with a certain distance.
The eccentric bush 90 includes a cylindrical body portion with certain length and outer diameter and an insertion hole 92 penetrated into the cylindrical body portion 91 in a longitudinal direction. The insertion hole 92 has an inner diameter corresponding to an outer diameter of the eccentric part 72, and has a plane portion (F2) having a certain width at its one inner circumferential surface. The center of the insertion hole 92 is positioned to be eccentric from that of the cylindrical body portion 91 with a certain distance. The area of the plane portion (F2) of the eccentric bush 90 is smaller than that of the cutting plane (F1) formed at the outer circumferential surface of the eccentric part of the rotary shaft.
The eccentric bush 90 is coupled with the rotary shaft 70 such that the eccentric part 72 is inserted into the insertion hole 92. The plane portion (F2) formed at one inner circumferential surface of insertion hole 92 of the eccentric bush and the cutting plane (F1) of the eccentric part maintain a predetermined interval therebetween, through which the oil is supplied.
In addition, the eccentric bush 90 coupled to the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion groove 54 formed at the boss part 53 of the orbiting scroll.
If rotary power of the driving motor (M) is transferred to the rotary shaft 70 and thus the shaft part 71 of the rotary shaft rotates, the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft moves in a circular motion and the circular motion of the eccentric part 72 is transferred to the orbiting scroll 50 through the eccentric bush 90, whereby the orbiting scroll 50 orbits.
However, in the coupling structure of the eccentric bush, as shown in FIG. 3, when the compressor operates or is stopped, the edge of the cutting plane (F1) of the eccentric part of the rotary shaft comes in contact with and bumps against the plane portion (F2) of the eccentric bush. As the eccentric part 72 of the rotary shaft bumps against the eccentric bush 90 repetitively, a crack is generated on the eccentric bush 90 since concentrated stress is repetitively applied to a specific portion of the eccentric bush 90 of relatively low intensity. The eccentric bush 90 is damaged in certain circumstances.

Coupling structure of eccentric bush of scroll compressor


Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, one of a criminal activity and a fraudulent activity event, an intrusion event and a fire event and residual objects may be predicted and located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages.

Database systems and search and retrieval from such databases are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,139 to Jain et al. describes a visual image database search engine which allows for different schema. A schema is a specific collection of primitives to be processed and a corresponding feature vector is used for similarity scoring. In particular, a system and method for content-based search and retrieval of visual objects computes a distance between two feature vectors in a comparison process to generate a similarity score.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,995 to Gallivan describes a system and method for efficiently generating cluster groupings in a multi-dimensional concept space. A plurality of terms is extracted from documents of a collection of stored, unstructured documents. A concept space is built over the collection and terms correlated between documents such that a vector may be mapped for each correlated term. Referring to FIG. 14 of the '995 patent, a cluster is populated with documents having vector differences falling within a predetermined variance such that a view may be generated of overlapping clusters.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,372 to Boysworth describes an improved regression-based qualitative analysis algorithm when a mixture, not in a library of spectra, and being an "unknown" is subjected to regression analysis of "peaks" in a residual error computed between an estimated spectrum and a measured spectrum. The process is repeated using information from a retro-regression.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,236,971 to Shatdal et al. describes a method and system for deriving data through interpolation in a database system. A parallel database system has plural processing units capable of performing interpolation of data in parallel.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,053 to Cha et al. describes an indexing system and method for nearest neighbor searches in high dimensional databases using vectors representing objects in n-dimensional space and local polar coordinates for vectors such that a query data vector is requested to find "k" nearest neighbors to the query vector of the vectors in the n-dimensional space.
Haining, "Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis in a Geographic Information System," The Statistician 47, Part 3, 457-469 (1998) describes a software system involving the exploratory spatial data analysis features of the ARC/INFO geographical information system and identifies spatial patterns of geographic locations.
With respect to crime analysis in the twentieth century, two of the most important scientific developments include fingerprint and DNA analysis. Fingerprint analysis has resulted, for example, in the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System or AFIS, and DNA analysis has resulted, for example, at the federal level, in the development of the CODIS database of DNA profiles which are relevant to crime scene investigation and offender profiling and matching. Over the years, fuzzy logic, artificial intelligence, neural networks, data mining, linkage analysis, geographic and time of incident graphical analysis and even Bayesian networks have been used to identify patterns in different types of crimes (arson, burglary, murder, sexual assault among others) and to study these crime types by performing linkage analysis among, modus operandi or MO, crime signatures (e.g., always taking a trophy), ritual, and intentional deception by the offender. There has been a dialog in the literature between those advocating a Hercule Poirot human inference model versus a more scientific-based model for criminal profiling, especially profiling serial offenders (individuals or groups of individuals). David J. Icove et al., in his article "Application of Pattern Recognition in Arson Investigation." Fire Technology, pp. 35-41, 1975 highlights a study conducted with the Prince George's County Fire Department, in which there is discussed the application of pattern recognition methods to the development of techniques for aiding an arson investigator in determining trends in incendiary and suspicious fires. Dr. Trove further developed an algorithm for crime pattern recognition at the University of Tennessee and published "Principles of incendiary Crime Analysis," June. 1979, in which Dr. Icove discusses a model called an arson pattern recognition system (ARPS) for arson-fraud crimes which comprises 1) detection 2) prediction and 3) prevention. The model involves the investigation of an intentional incendiary event and adding object data to a database to continuously improve prevention and prediction of individual arsonists and groups of arsonists. Further work by Dr. Icove is discussed in his publications: "Automated Crime Profiling," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, pp. 27-30, 1986 and his "Motive-Based Offender Profiles of Arson and Fire-Related Crimes," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, pp. 17-23, 1987. In particular, the 1986 automated crime profiling article suggests a system depicted in FIG. 22 (PRIOR ART). 1) Violent crime incidents are reported and via 2) media reports, 3) crime scene processing and 4) VICAP crime reports and 5) violent crime research data are used to build 6) an artificial intelligence system. The artificial intelligence system outputs 7) crime scene profiles and 8) strategic and training implications which are then input to 1) violent crime incident investigation. Trove claims that 1) useless investigative paths may be eliminated, 2) similar profiles, case studies and the like may be preserved and recalled, 3) complex criminal network problems may be displayed. 4) decision rules accelerate processing time, 5) the expert system will output useful information based on the knowledge base, and 6) complex criminal problems may be solved, The arson study included data such as day of week, time of day, full/new moon and so arson crimes of juvenile offenders were identified. Also, in 1986, "Criminal Profiling from Crime Scene Analysis," Douglas et al., Behavioral Sciences and the Law, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 401-421, suggests in FIG. 1 thereof a criminal profiling process which involves "Decision Process Models" as element 2 of a complex feedback process similar to that of FIG. 22 (PRIOR ART) of Icove, but an emphasis is placed more on the human criminal profiler than on the use of an intelligent pattern recognition modeling. Anne Davies in her article. "Rapists' Behavior: A Three Aspect Model as a Basis for Analysis and the Identification of Serial Crime," Forensic Science International, 55, 1992. pp. 173-194, suggests a behavioral model broken into three "aspects" which are modus operandi, sexual and personal gratification and attitude and intimacy. These, in turn, are broken down into twenty-three attributes ranging from choice of time and location under modus operandi to use of "compliments" under attitude and intimacy. Most recently, referring to FIG. 23 (PRIOR ART), Craig Bennell et al., in "the Impact of Data Degradation and Sample Size on the Performance of Two Similarity Coefficients used in Behavioral Linkage Analysis," Forensic Science International, 199, 2010, pp. 85-92, (received 17 Jun. 2009 and prior art to the extent of the 17 Jun. 2009 version or public use earlier than 25 Jun. 2009) shows a more detailed behavioral hierarchy at four levels and comprising thirty-six attributes at its deepest level from a blitz attack under control behaviors to steals personal items under theft behaviors, the behaviors further including escape behaviors and sexual behaviors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later published: "A Report of Essential Findings from a Study of Serial Arsonists," Allen D. Sapp et al. (including Dr. Icove), 1994 (113 pages). In this detailed study of criminal arson activity patterns, findings include attributes of serial arsonists such as age, gender, race, physical attributes, marital status, marital history, education, occupation, military record, intelligence quotient and sexual preference. Moreover, the life history of subjects resulted in findings such as criminal history, institutional history, medical history, psychological history including suicide attempts, work history, social and family histories and the like. Motives were characterized as vandalism, revenge, excitement, crime concealment, profit and so on. Numerous tables provide details such as the quantitative result that, of 39 cases studied of serial arsonists, 28.2% of these arsonists were classified as "menial laborer" and 23.1% were classified as "skilled laborer." U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,704 issued Jul. 14, 1998, to Rossmo, describes "An Expert System Method of Performing Crime Site Analysis." Rossmo suggests utilizing the Manhattan distance as one means of ascertaining a probable location of a criminal and showing probability of the criminal being at the location.
Other systems and database technologies are known which incorporate multivariate statistical analysis and, in particular, principal component analysis, from patent and non-patent literature and other technologies which utilize a geographic information system (GIS).

Method and apparatus for predicting object properties and events using similarity-based information retrieval and modeling

University of Tennessee Research Foundation


A method for controlling operations of a measuring machine is provided. The method includes the steps of: clearing faults when there are the faults occur in a measuring machine; sending a restart instruction via a control card to the measuring machine for controlling the movable arm to return to an initial position in relation to an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis directions; sending a move instruction comprising information of a final position to the control card; executing the move instruction; calculating a current position of the movable arm according to a count tracked by a raster ruler; determining whether the movable arm locates at the final position of the measuring machine according to the count; and controlling the movable arm to move along the measuring machine by executing a next move instruction, if the movable arm locates at the final position. A related system is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for controlling operations of a measuring machine.
2. Description of Related Art
Product quality is an important factor in improving the competitiveness of an enterprise. To assure and improve product's quality, manufacturers usually measure the product's prototype before the product is mass-produced. With the advancement of computer technology, computers have been introduced to the prototype's measuring process. An accuracy of measuring the prototype has been greatly improved. A measuring machine, such as a three-dimensional measuring machine or a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) controlled by a computer, has been used for measuring profile and dimensions of the prototype. During the measuring process, the prototype is placed on a measuring area of the CMM, the measuring machine includes a movable arm with a charge coupled device to collect images of the prototype. The collected images are used for measuring the profile and dimension of the prototype.
However, the movable arm conventionally used by the measuring machine can not move accurately along a designated path, thus causing time loss to have engineers to repeat the measuring process of the prototype, and further affecting an accuracy of the dimensions of the prototype has been reduced. Additionally, conventional measuring processes does not check a state of the measuring machine before the measuring machine begins to obtain the dimensions of the prototype, thus a safety environment of the measuring machine cannot be ensured while the measuring machine is operating.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for controlling operations of a measuring machine, which can accurately control the movable arm to move along a designated path, and check states of the measuring machine before the measuring machine begins to operate, so as to improve a precision when a measuring a product prototype and ensure a safety while the measuring machine is operating.

System and method for controlling operations of a measuring machine

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A satellite in orbit around a planetary body includes a bus and a drag flap coupled to the bus. The drag flap is used to increase the drag torque applied to the satellite. The bus may house sensors and actuators, such as a star tracker, a gyroscope, a reaction wheel, and a global position system (GPS) receiver to monitor the attitude of the satellite in response to the applied drag torque. The measurements from the sensors and actuators may be used to determine the drag torque applied to the satellite. An estimate of the atmospheric density may be then be determined based on the drag torque. Compared to conventional approaches, the satellite and methods described herein estimates the atmospheric density at comparable, if not better, resolution and bandwidth. The atmospheric density estimates may also be acquired in real-time using a cheaper, lighter, and smaller satellite.

The current push towards the commercialization of space has expanded the utilization of satellites deployed in low Earth orbit (LEO). As more satellites are deployed in this space, accurate orbital forecasting is becoming increasingly important. In particular, the position and orbit of each satellite should be tracked and/or predicted with greater accuracy in order to ensure safe usage of this space, especially as commercial constellations of hundreds or thousands of small satellites in LEO become more common. The accuracy of orbital forecasting, however, is dependent, in part, on accurate predictions of LEO perturbations. Typically, one of the largest contributors to orbital propagation error in low orbits is atmospheric drag, which can vary significantly with altitude, latitude, and solar activity.

Methods and apparatus for in-situ measurements of atmospheric density


A key chain with decorative function which has a miniature photo frame connected to its one end and in a size similar to that suitable for the usual decorative plate of a key chain, and on back of the photo frame, a clamp is provided to allow the key ring of the key chain to snap in and thereby form a support permitting the photo frame to uprightly or crossly stand on a table or desk top as a decoration. Pictures preferred by the user may be inserted into the photo frame through a movable clear sheet at the front of the frame. When the key ring is detached from the clamp, the key chain is served as a general key chain.

There are diversiform key chains available in the present market, however, none of them is designed to permit the decorative plate thereof to be uprightly or crossly placed on a table top. The object of this invention is to provide a clamp fixed on the back of the decorative plate of a key chain to receive the key ring thereof, so that the key ring may serve as a support to make the plate uprightly or crossly stand on a table top for decorative purpose. The plate may be designed to be a miniature photo frame so that the user may insert or change different pictures therein based on personal preference. When the key ring is detached from the clamp on the back of the decorative plate connected to the key chain at the opposite end thereof, the user may use it as a general key ring.

2nd Fl., No. 10, Lane 88, Sec. 2, Pa Te Rd.


A method for minimizing call drops during a serving cell change is disclosed. A first measurement report message is received from a user equipment (UE) requesting to change an active set of the UE. A second measurement report message is received from the UE indicating a change of a best cell and requesting a change of a serving cell to a target cell. The second measurement report message is processed before the first measurement report message is completely processed.

Electronic devices (cellular telephones, wireless modems, computers, digital music players, Global Positioning System units, Personal Digital Assistants, gaming devices, etc.) have become a part of everyday life. Small computing devices are now placed in everything from automobiles to housing locks. The complexity of electronic devices has increased dramatically in the last few years. For example, many electronic devices have one or more processors that help control the device, as well as a number of digital circuits to support the processor and other parts of the device.
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, data and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting simultaneous communication of multiple wireless communication devices with one or more base stations.
When moving, a mobile device may perform a handoff, i.e., transitioning from communication with a first base station to a second base station. This may involve various signaling between the mobile device and network devices. However, in certain circumstances, signaling used for handoff may not be received or processed correctly, causing dropped calls. Therefore, benefits may be realized by minimizing call drops during a serving cell change.

Minimizing call drops during a serving cell change


An optical fiber cable (20) includes a core (22) which includes a plurality of bundles (31, 31 ) of optical fiber (24) and a yarn-like strength member system (35) which is wrapped with an oscillated or unidirectional lay about the optical fibers. The strength member system also provides impact resistance for the fibers. A jacket (40) which may include a flame-resistant plastic material encloses the core with the outer diameter of the jacket being substantially less than that of typical optical fiber cables. Portions of the strength member system contact an inner surface of the jacket, an outer surface of which is the outer surface of the cable.

The use of communication cables which include a plurality of optical fibers is rapidly expanding. An optical fiber cable may comprise a plurality of glass fibers each of which is protected by at least one layer of a coating material. The optical fibers may be assembled into units in which the fibers are held together by binder ribbons to provide a core. In one manufacturer's line of cables, the core is enclosed by a plastic tube and a plastic jacket.
Many different design optical fiber cables are available commercially. There are cables which include metallic shields, non-metallic or metallic longitudinally extending strength members and those which include grease-like filling material or superabsorbent polymer waterblocking materials. A typical optical fiber cable which is used between central offices has an outer diameter which is on the order of about 0.5 inch.
Although the commercially available optical fiber cables fulfill specific needs, there is a demand for a simplistic optical fiber cable which may be used as a utility cable and which need not include some of the provisions included in the cables discussed hereinabove. For example, there is a need for a cable which may be used to restore service around a damage location in a communication line.
During the service life of an optical fiber cable, the cable may become damaged. This may occur, for example, through unintentional contact by various kinds of excavation equipment, by lightning or by repeated attack by animals such as gophers, for example. Such damage may be partial in which case one or several optical fibers may be interrupted, or the damage may be total, such as a complete cable cut, for example.
In any case, it becomes necessary to restore service as quickly as possible. This may be done through an expedited temporary arrangement while more work is under way to replace the damaged cable. Typically, the replacement is an equivalent or a cable having enhanced features.
A temporary arrangement must be one which is easily installed and which is low in cost. Elements of the arrangement which must include a cable must be capable of being packaged in a carrying case which is portable and, desirably, in one which may be carried by an individual from a vehicle to a field location at which a disruption to service has occurred.
The sought after cable of the temporary arrangement for restoring service which has been interrupted because of damage to an existing cable should be one which is simplistic in design yet is one which is capable of providing service at least on a temporary basis. It should be light in weight so as to render it portable and capable of being carried easily to damage locations. Also, inasmuch as it may be used on a temporary basis and may be discarded after such use, it should be one which is relatively low in cost. It should be flexible so that it may be installed easily without the need for mechanized installation equipment. And of course, because it includes optical fibers, it must be one which includes strength members so that the optical fibers are not overstressed.
Accordingly, what is sought after and what seemingly is not available in the art is a lightweight, small, low-cost optical fiber cable which has sufficient strength to allow it to be installed without damage to the optical fiber therein. The sought after cable should be very flexible and smaller in outer diameter and lighter in weight than typical optical fiber cables.


The invention relates to a method for diagnosing a kidney disease state. The method comprises the steps of administering to a patient a composition comprising a conjugate or complex of the general formula V-L-D where the group V comprises a vitamin receptor binding ligand that binds to kidney proximal tubule cells and the group D comprises a diagnostic marker, and diagnosing the kidney disease state. The invention also relates to a method for treating a kidney disease state. The method comprises the steps of administering to a patient suffering from the disease state an effective amount of a composition comprising a conjugate or complex of the general formula V-L-D where the group V comprises a vitamin receptor binding ligand that binds to kidney proximal tubule cells and the group D comprises an antigen, a cytotoxin, or a cell growth inhibitor, and eliminating the disease state.

Diseases affecting kidney function are prevalent. For example, polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a prevalent inherited disease. Adult PKD is an autosomal dominant disorder affecting approximately 600,000 people in the United States and 12.5 million world-wide. Infants can also present with autosomal recessive PKD which is rapidly developing and which can lead to renal insufficiency in the neonate. PKD and other kidney disease states (e.g., Dent's disease and nephrocytinosis) affect and manifest abnormal growth of kidney proximal tubule cells. PKD results in the proliferation of kidney epithelial cells and the formation of PKD renal cysts. The kidneys can become enlarged and symptoms including pain, bleeding, and kidney stones can occur. Associated problems include liver cysts, abdominal aneurysm, intracranial aneurysm, and renal insufficiency. It has been suggested that cellular processes associated with signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, and cell-cycle control are involved in cyst formation in PKD.
The folate receptor is a 38 KD GPI-anchored protein that binds the vitamin folic acid with high affinity (<1 nM). Following receptor binding, rapid endocytosis delivers a substantial fraction of the vitamins into the cell, where they are unloaded in an endosomal compartment at low pH. Importantly, covalent conjugation of small molecules, proteins, and even liposomes to folic acid does not block the vitamin's ability to bind the folate receptor, and therefore, folate-drug conjugates can readily be delivered to and can enter cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Because most cells use an unrelated reduced folate carrier to acquire the necessary folic acid, expression of the folate receptor is restricted to a few cell types, and normal tissues typically express low or nondetectable levels of the folate receptor. Folate receptors are overexpressed in proximal tubule cells.
The invention is based on the manifestation of abnormal proliferation of kidney proximal tubule cells in PKD and other kidney disease states that exhibit abnormal proximal tubule cell proliferation. These kidney disease states can be treated with ligands that bind to receptors overexpressed on proximal tubule cells wherein the ligands are complexed with an antigen, a cytotoxin, or a cell growth inhibitor for use in the treatment of the kidney disease states. These kidney disease states, including PKD, can also be diagnosed by using ligands that bind to receptors overexpressed on proximal tubule cells wherein the ligands are complexed with a diagnostic marker.

Methods and compositions for treating and diagnosing kidney disease


Described herein is a system and method for providing a conversation session with an artificial intelligence entity in a user interface. Once the conversation session with the artificial intelligence entity has been initiated, other individuals and/or artificial intelligence entities may be invited to join the conversation. In addition, other users may view the interactions between the individuals and the artificial intelligence entities without participating in the conversation. Although the other users are not participating in the conversation, the user interface enables these users to provide comments about the interactions. These comments may be used to train the artificial intelligence entities.

Today, conversational chat programs are becoming more and more popular. These conversational chat programs, sometimes referred to as "chatbots" allow users to carry on conversations with a virtual entity. In some instances, the chatbot may be used to answer a series of questions in a step-by-step manner. However, current chatbots have limited conversational abilities and cannot accurately predict a user's intention. Additionally, some users may not know how to best interact with a chatbot and as such, may be hesitant to interact with one.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that embodiments have been described. Also, although relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background.

Artificial intelligence entity interaction platform


A semiconductor memory device comprises a first to a fourth semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type which are formed in a fifth semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type in such a manner that they are isolated from one another, memory cells each of which includes a first MOS transistor formed on the first semiconductor layer, a second and a third MOS transistor which are formed on the second and third semiconductor layers, respectively, a first metal wiring layer which connects the gate of the first MOS transistor to the source or drain of at least one of the second and third MOS transistors, and a first contact plug which connects the fourth semiconductor layer to the first metal wiring layer. The first wiring layer is in the lowest layer of the metal wiring lines connected to the gate of the first MOS transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory device. For example, this invention relates to a semiconductor memory device including a MOS transistor having a floating gate and a control gate.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent rapid advances in the field of large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), the affect of plasma damage caused in manufacturing processes on semiconductor elements is becoming more serious. This problem is particularly serious in LSIs using a large number of multilayer wiring lines, because many contact opening processes are carried out.
To overcome this problem, a method of using a protective diode in a one-chip microcomputer having a logic circuit, a semiconductor memory, an MCU, and others embedded to a single chip to cause charges contributive to plasma damage to escape to the semiconductor substrate has been disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-332202.
In recent years, a flash memory combining the features of the NOR flash memory and the NAND flash memory has been proposed in, for example, Wei-Hua Liu, "A 2-Transistor Source-select (2TS) Flash EEPROM for 1.8-V-Only Application," Non-Volatile Semiconductor Memory Workshop 4.1, 1997. A flash memory of this type has memory cells, each including two MOS transistors. In such a memory cell, one MOS transistor functioning as a nonvolatile memory section has a structure including a control gate and a floating gate and is connected to a bit line. The other MOS transistor, which is connected to a source line, is used to select a memory cell.
As described above, in the conventional LSI, an approach of using a protective diode to avoid plasma damage has been proposed. In the case of LSI with a flash memory including memory cells, each having two MOS transistors as described in the reference, sufficient operating reliability has not been achieved by the conventional method of avoiding plasma damage, because of the use of a positive voltage and a negative voltage in operation and the necessity of guaranteeing that the memory cells can be rewritten more than a hundred thousand times.

Semiconductor memory device with a stacked gate including a floating gate and a control gate


After a user device unsuccessfully attempts to establish upstream communication with a central network equipment downstream frequency to which it has tuned, an identifier corresponding to the tuned-to downstream frequency is removed from a cache of the user device. The frequency identifier stored in the cache typically corresponds to a frequency to which the user device has previously successfully tuned. The frequency identifier is removed from the cache after a predetermined attempt period, which may be determined by the number of attempts to establish communication that are made after previous unsuccessful attempts.

Network interface user devices, such as, for example, cable modems, are one way that multiple services operators ("MSO") have been meeting the demand for increased bandwidth capabilities in delivering information over networks from a central location, such as a head end, to users, such as residential and commercial end-users. To facilitate such information delivery, standards have been developed that allow equipment from different manufacturers to operate, or 'talk,' with one another. The predominant standard used in the cable modem industry is known as Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, or ("DOCSIS"), for use in delivering digital data, such as internet information, to users over the existing coaxial lines of the Community Antenna Television system ("CATV"), which has been delivering cable television programming to users at least since the 1960's.
As the DOCSIS standard evolves, more features are added that increase reliability, user-friendliness and performance. Thus, the growth of DOCSIS devices for obtaining broadband service has grown as well. Societies in which use of broadband services is growing rapidly tend to be mobile, i.e., people relocated often. People in these societies who subscribe to broadband services often own their equipment for interfacing with broadband networks, and therefore often prefer to take their broadband interface devices, such as cable modems, for example, with them when they relocate their residence of business location. Another common scenario occurs when a broadband customer who has a rented/leased user device/modem cancels service and the MSO redeploys the same device to another location when installing broadband service for another customer at another location.
When a subscriber or MSO relocates a user device, different central network equipment, such as, for example, a cable modem termination system ("CMTS"), may serve the new location than served the previous location—even if the MSO is the same. Alternatively, the same CMTS may serve two different locations using the same downstream channel frequency, but still not provide upstream connectivity over the same upstream channels that were provisioned for the old location. In summary, although downstream traffic at the downstream CMTS frequency used by the previous CMTS may be present at the second location of the user device, there may not be an upstream connection between the new location and the CMTS/blade that serves the new location.
Thus, when a user connects a device at the new location, the device may recognize the previous location's downstream frequency, based on an identifier associated therewith which may be stored in its memory cache, and tune (also referred to as lock) to said frequency. This can occur under the common scenario where a CMTS downstream channel signal can be received at different locations on the network. However, although a downstream signal may be received at multiple network locations, upstream channels provisioned and associated with a given downstream channel frequency may not always be physically connected from all locations on the network to the CMTS producing the given downstream channel.
Therefore, since there may be no upstream connection between the new location and the previous CMTS that are linked with the tuned-to frequency, the registration process does not complete because upstream communication transmission between the modem at the new location and the previous CMTS cannot be established. Since registration is not completed, the user device continues to scan for downstream frequencies that can be locked and that correspond to a CMTS that can receive the user device's upstream transmissions.
As this scanning process progresses, the user device typically periodically attempts to lock with frequencies stored in its cache memory if scanning for present downstream frequencies does not result in a lock. However, since the frequency identifier for the frequency used at the old location is still stored in the cache, the user device may repeatedly attempt to lock and establish communication with the CMTS generating the tuned-to frequency.
Therefore, time is wasted as the user device attempts to complete registration with the CMTS to which it cannot connect. Each time the user devices locks to a downstream frequency, it seeks to establish communication with the CMTS providing that downstream channel. However, if the locked-to downstream channel does not correspond to a CMTS with which the user device can communicate, then the time spent attempting to establish communication with the CMTS producing the downstream frequency to which the user device is locked it fruitless, and therefore wasted.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method for eliminating the wasted time associated with repeatedly locking a user device to a downstream channel frequency not corresponding to a CMTS with which the user device can establish communication.

Method for fast reinstallation of deployed devices


In an apparatus having data installed therein, the apparatus includes a data storage part for storing a (n+1)th-order file obtained by bundling an nth-order file and (n+1)th data corresponding to an (n+1)th function level into one file, wherein n is an integer, an identifier storage part for storing an identifier indicating a function level of data to be installed in the apparatus, and a controller for detecting the function level based on the identifier stored in the identifier storage part, de-bundling the (n+1)th-order file stored in the data storage unit as many as times corresponding to the function level, and applying the de-bundled data to the apparatus.

In many cases of developing a transmission apparatus having a plurality of transmission line interfaces, the development is performed via a plurality of cycles to achieve functions required by a user, within a period that meets a delivery requested by the user. In the development, functions of the transmission line interface supported by the transmission apparatus are added in each development cycle, and the resultant transmission apparatus is released. For this purpose, units having transmission line interface functions are configured so as to be compatible when they are installed in transmission apparatuses. Furthermore, to achieve high flexibility in design, functions are expanded by changing program data in each unit without changing hardware. More specifically, for the above purpose, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like is used. Hereinafter, a transmission apparatus having program data or the like installed therein will be simply referred to as a transmission apparatus.
In some cases, regarding the plurality of functions of the transmission line interface, transmission apparatuses are released such that their functions are improved or added phase by phase depending on a delivery specified by users. In the following discussion, it is assumed that four levels of functions A0, A1, A2, and A3 are provided via four phases as follows:                A0=basic functions;        A1=A0+additional functions (a1);        A2=A1+additional functions (a2); and        A3=A2+additional functions (a3).When the development the transmission apparatus is completed for all levels A0 to A3, there are transmission apparatuses of four grades (function levels) of A0, A1, A2, and A3 on the network.
In this situation, if it becomes necessary to unify the functions of the transmission apparatuses on the network to A3, then transmission apparatuses with functions of A0, A1, or A2 have to be upgraded to A3. More specifically, transmission apparatuses having functions of A0 are upgraded to have additional functions (a1, a2, and a3), transmission apparatuses having functions of A1 are upgraded to have additional functions (a2 and a3), and transmission apparatuses having functions of A2 are upgraded to have additional functions (a3).
As described above, the transmission apparatuses being operated on the network have a plurality of grades. In many cases, the upgrading is performed by changing the program data of the FPGA or the DSP disposed in each of the units to be upgraded or by changing the program data installed in the control unit that controls each of the units to be upgraded. However, because the transmission apparatuses on the network are different in grade, it is necessary to update the program data (firmware) differently depending on the transmission apparatuses, and thus the updating needs a complicated process.
As one of techniques to upgrade software, it has been proposed by Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-334636 to produce a difference file indicating the difference between an upgraded file and an upgrade file thereby to minimize the time needed to update the software depending on a system environment.
Note that the term "grade" is used to describe the function level realized.
Also note that the term "unit" is used to describe a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) implementing one of individual functions such as a transmission line interface function, a control function, etc.

Apparatus having data installed and method of upgrading data


A method and solution for eluting one of antimony(V) and a mixture of antimony(III) and antimony(V) from an ion exchange resin, comprises contacting the resin with an eluting solution comprising thiourea having a concentration of at least 0.002 M and hydrochloric acid having a concentration of at least 3 M. The method can be used for electrolytes in an industrial electrorefining process, by the further steps of contacting the electrolyte with an ion exchange resin to adsorb the antimony from the electrolyte and separating the resin from the electrolyte, before contacting the resin with the eluting solution comprising thiourea and hydrochloric acid. The method and solution address the difficulties of removing antimony(V), and allow for increased reuse of the resins.

Electrorefining is a well-known industrial process for producing metals with a very high purity level. For example, in a copper electrorefining process, unrefined impure copper anodes are hung vertically between pure metal cathode starter sheets in an electrolytic cell filled with an aqueous solution of copper sulphate and sulphuric acid, which is known as the electrolyte. An electrical current is passed through the electrolytic cell and copper gradually dissolves from the anode into the electrolyte and then plates onto the cathode. Provided that they meet specific purity and morphology standards, the copper cathodes are shipped and sold to various manufacturers of copper products.
For economic reasons, the electrolyte is recycled and reused as many times as possible. However, one of the known problems is that the electrolyte becomes gradually contaminated with impurities contained in the anode. Antimony is one such impurity which is particularly harmful to the electrolytic process. In copper electrorefining processes, antimony tends to co-deposit on the copper cathodes, thus reducing their purity and commercial value. Therefore, industrial copper electrorefineries must keep the antimony concentrations below certain limits to prevent antimony from contaminating the copper cathodes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,559,216 and 5,366,715 describe methods for removing antimony from copper electrolytes in an electrorefining process. These methods involve contacting the electrolyte with an ion exchange resin having aminophosphonic groups (—NH—CH2—PO3H2), such as Duolite™ C-467 manufactured by Rohm and Haas (USA), and UR-3300 and MX-2 manufactured by Unitika (Japan), to remove the antimony present in the electrolyte.
After the antimony ions have been adsorbed on the resin and the resin has been separated from the electrolyte and washed, it becomes necessary to desorb the antimony from the resin (a procedure known in industry as "elution") so that the resin may be reused and the antimony may be recovered or disposed of.
Current industrial practice is to desorb or elute the antimony ions from the resin by using a concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution, which can be subsequently recovered by distillation. After the ion exchange resin has been eluted, the resin can be reused to adsorb more antimony ions from the copper electrolyte and the recovered hydrochloric acid can be reused to elute further antimony ions from the resin.
The main drawback of this ion exchange method is that the resin becomes inactive or "poisoned" after a number of repetitions of the adsorption and elution steps. As shown in the article "A Study of the Ion Exchange Removal of Antimony(III) and Antimony(V) from Copper Electrodes" by P. A. Riveros, J. E. Dutrizac and R. Lastra, published in the Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, Volume 47, Number 3, pages 307-315, 2008, the poisoning of the ion exchange resin is caused by the gradual accumulation of antimony(V) in the resin phase. This accumulation occurs because the elution rate of antimony(V) with hydrochloric acid is much slower than the elution rate of antimony(III). As a result, the eluted resin that is recycled to adsorption usually contains small amounts of antimony(V). After each adsorption/elution cycle, the concentration of antimony(V) in the resin phase increases gradually, causing a decrease in the resin loading capacity and, eventually, the formation of antimony-bearing compounds in the pores of the resin and on the resin surface.
Extending the elution time until all the antimony(V) has been desorbed is impractical and costly because it would tie up a significant amount of the resin in the elution step, leading to an increase in resin inventory, the plant size and the associated capital and operating costs. In addition, the volume of hydrochloric acid solution required for the elution would increase proportionally, as well as the size and energy consumption of the hydrochloric acid distillation equipment.
Some electrorefineries attempt to reactivate the poisoned ion exchange resin by periodically washing the resin with sodium hydroxide (NaOH). However, this method only causes the resin beads to swell, thereby breaking off any superficial layers of antimony-containing precipitates. Some resin beads break because of the swelling, thereby exposing fresh surfaces on which antimony can be adsorbed. However, sodium hydroxide is not an effective eluting agent for either antimony(III) or antimony(V) and, therefore, this treatment only causes a short-lived reactivation. A further drawback to this proposed approach is that subjecting the ion exchange resin to repeated contacts with acid and alkaline media significantly weakens the resin's structure and shortens its useful life.
What is therefore needed is a cost effective method for increasing the elution rate of antimony(V) from aminophosphonic resins to fully restore their capacity within a suitable period of time so that the accumulation of antimony(V) in the resin is eliminated and therefore the need for periodic replacement of the resin can be significantly reduced or avoided entirely.

Method to remove antimony from copper electrolytes

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as Represented by the Minister of Natural Resources