The present disclosure provides a method of making a nozzle chip including a step of forming an ejection orifice row by performing irradiation with light rays using a mask having ejection orifice row patterns that form an ejection orifice row pattern of one nozzle chip when the ejection orifice row patterns are connected to each other through a connection portion. The mask is configured such that, with respect to a direction in which ejection orifices of the ejection orifice row are arranged, an absolute value of off-axis telecentricity of one of the light rays with which an ejection orifice that is at the smallest distance from the connection portion is irradiated is less than an absolute value of off-axis telecentricity of one of the light rays with which an ejection orifice that is at the greatest distance from the connection portion is irradiated.

A nozzle chip is used, for example, in a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid from ejection orifices. Examples of a liquid ejection head include an ink jet recording head that performs recording by ejecting an ink toward a recording medium such as a sheet of paper. PTL 1 describes a method of making a nozzle chip of an ink jet recording head.
The method of making a nozzle chip described in PTL 1 will be briefly described. First, an element substrate, which includes energy generating elements that generate energy used to eject a liquid from ejection orifices, is prepared. Next, a positive photosensitive resin layer including an optical absorption agent is formed on the element substrate. Then, the positive photosensitive resin layer is exposed to light, and thereby a pattern having the shapes of flow paths is formed. Next, a negative photosensitive resin layer, which serves as an ejection orifice forming member, is formed so as to cover the pattern, and the negative photosensitive resin layer is exposed to i-line light (wavelength 365 nm), and thereby an ejection orifice row is formed. Lastly, the pattern is removed, and thereby liquid flow paths are formed.
When forming an ejection orifice row on a nozzle chip by using the method described in PTL 1, there are some cases where it is required to expose to light a pattern that is larger than a field angle size, which is the size of the largest area over which an exposure apparatus can perform exposure. In such cases, a manufacturing method called "fractionated exposure", which is described in PTL 2, may be used. With fractionated exposure, a pattern having a size larger than the field angle size is divided into portions smaller than the field angle size and arranged on a mask, and then exposure is performed. An ejection orifice row is formed by performing irradiation with light rays by using a mask having ejection orifice row patterns that form an ejection orifice row pattern of one nozzle chip when the ejection orifice patterns are connected to each other through a connection portion. A connection portion is usually a portion at which a nozzle chip is divided in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which ejection orifice rows are arranged, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle chip.


The present disclosure provides an anti-fogging material and a manufacturing method thereof. The anti-fogging material includes a crosslinked polymer obtained by curing an anti-fogging composition, wherein the anti-fogging composition includes an ionic compound, a hard compound with two or more acrylate functional groups at the terminus thereof, and a surface active compound.

A clear sight is very important in life. There are many conditions in the environment that produce temperature differences, which cause fogging. Fog causes problems such as reduced light penetration or decreased visual clarity. In addition to the inconvenience in general use, it further affects the safety of driving and work, which ranges from inconvenience to life to endangered life safety. For example, the fog generated by helmet lenses or automobile windshield affects the driver's sight; the fogging of the safety goggles of the engineers increases the risk of construction; the fogging of frozen food display windows and bathroom mirrors causes unclear vision; and the fog on agricultural greenhouse glass film condenses into water droplets, causing moisture to affect the quality of the product. Therefore, there is always a demand for anti-fogging products in the market.
Most of the anti-fogging coatings materials currently in the market use surfactant sprays as temporary anti-fogging coatings, which have short use times and are not resistant to wiping. Anti-fogging materials are mainly divided into two types, hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Hydrophobic materials have low surface tensions, which can prevent water droplets from rolling on the surface of the material and achieve an anti-fogging effect. However, when the anti-fogging effect is actually tested, the anti-fogging effect is found to be limited. A hydrophilic material has a large surface tension, which can flatten the water droplets into a water film, and its anti-fogging effect is better than that of the hydrophobic type. However, since the hydrophilic material is limited by the soft structure of the compound, it cannot resist external forces, and easily falls off due to friction. The present disclosure intends to solve such phenomenon by introducing a hard compound to improve the physical properties of the hydrophilic coatings.

Anti-fogging material and manufacturing method thereof

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A method wherein, when a multi-injection molded body made of at least a first and a second resins is molded, catching means are formed generally by pressing a part of the surface about an opening of a concave section formed in a first molded body made of the first resin to project interior side wall faces of the concave section inward, and injecting a second resin to mold a second molded body in the concave section. The multi-injection molded body thus formed has catching means in the concave section, so that the second molded body is tightly fixed to the first molded body.

Recently, cars, home electric appliances, cameras, containers, etc. have been required to become lighter in weight. As such, parts in machines, appliances, etc. have been changed from metals to plastics.
Parts made of plastics consist of a plurality of molded bodies (described as first molded body or bodies in the following description), and sealing parts (described as second molded body or bodies in the following description). Sealing parts are made of such elastic polymers as silicon gum, urethane gum, styrene-butadiene gum, etc., and are used in assembling sections between parts made of plastics so as to provide sealing, absorbing or nonskid capabilities for products manufactured therewith.
Conventionally, the second molded bodies are independently molded from the first molded bodies, then they are manually assembled into the first molded bodies. In such a method, there are disadvantages of lower assembling precision and increasing assembling steps. To solve these disadvantages, there was disclosed a method of multi-injection molding in Japanese Provisional Publication (Kokai) Gazette 60-52322 and Japanese Provisional Publication (Kokai) Gazette 63-104809. The method comprises the steps of molding a first molded body having a concave section on the surface thereof by injection molding, and injecting elastic polymer for forming a second molded body in the concave section. In this conventional method, multi-injection molded bodies consisting of the first molded body and the second molded body are molded in one injection molding step, so that assembling precision can be increased, and assembling steps can be reduced.
In the above conventional method, first molded bodies are molded by injection molding, and the walls of concave sections are formed approximately vertical from the bottom faces thereof, in order that one can pick products out from molding machines easily. But in the above method, second molded bodies, molded in concave sections of first molded bodies, can also be pulled out of the first molded bodies easily because there are provided no catching means on the side wall faces of the concave sections. In order to fix second molded bodies in concave sections of first molded bodies, as disclosed in the gazett No. 63-104809, reactive elastomer layers, primer layers, etc. are formed between inner bottom faces of concave sections of first molded bodies and bottom faces of second molded bodies to adhere them.

Method of molding a multi-injection molded body


A magnetic sheet polishing device including a scraper having a sliding surface and a downstream side surface that is nearly perpendicular or at an acute angle to the sliding surface to ensure that magnetic material powder spontaneously falls away from and does not adhere again to the magnetic material surface of the magnetic sheet after being scraped off by the scraper. Additionally, the scraper has a diagonal groove or a diagonal step formed in a side surface to check for wear of the sliding surface.

A magnetic sheet pack is used as a recording medium for electronic cameras or the like. Referring to FIG. 8, a magnetic sheet pack 01 comprises a flexible magnetic sheet 03 contained in a pack 02. In a production process for such a magnetic sheet pack 01, there is a step so-called "burnishing". In the burnishing work, the magnetic sheet is rotated and a scraper is contacted against the surface of magnetic material of the rotating magnetic sheet. This grinds off lumps of magnetic material powder projecting from the surface which are formed during coating of the magnetic material powder, thereby obtaining a smooth surface of a magnetic floppy disk.
A prior art burnishing work will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, A magnetic sheet 1 is rotated (in the direction indicated by an arrow A) by a rotational drive unit of a polishing device, and a sapphire chip as a scraper is attached to a base plate 3 at an end of a head carriage of the polishing device. The sapphire chip 2 has the same shape as a normal magnetic head, with a slightly curved sliding surface 2a, and both an angle .theta.1 between an upstream side surface 2b and a magnetic material surface 1a and an angle .theta.2 between a downstream side surface 2c and the magnetic material surface 1a are about 10 to 20 degrees.
When the sapphire chip 2 is moved in the radial direction of the magnetic sheet 1 while the magnetic sheet 1 is rotated, magnetic lumps projecting from the magnetic material surface 1a are ground off by the sapphire chip 2 to smooth the magnetic material surface 1a.
Magnetic tapes and sheets are normally processed by a calendar to obtain smooth surfaces, thus enabling short wavelength recording. It is the object of burnishing to remove small irregularities or discrete projections which are present even after calendering, thus reducing dropouts generated before punching and making the magnetic sheet less abrasive.
The prior art method shown in FIG. 9, however, has a problem in that scraped magnetic powder 4 accumulates on the downstream side surface 2c, and the accumulated magnetic powder 4 may attach again to the magnetic material surface 1a. The attached magnetic powder 4, after one turn of the magnetic sheet, comes in between the upstream side surface 2b and the magnetic sheet and strongly adheres to this part of the magnetic sheet. When the track including this part of the magnetic sheet is used for recording or reproduction, the magnetic head jumps up from the magnetic material surface 1a due to the presence of the stuck lump of magnetic powder 4, and poor contact of the head and a dropout will result.


A fluid dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a fluid container defining a fluid cavity. A manifold assembly is mounted over a container bunghole. A tube assembly including a fill tube extends into the fluid cavity. Keyed couplings are mounted on the manifold assembly. One of the couplings is in communication with the fill tube and another coupling is in communication with the cavity. A pressure relief valve is mounted adjacent the manifold assembly. Tamper evident assemblies are provided on the manifold assembly for determining if the fluid container has been opened.

The present invention relates to a fluid dispensing apparatus for storing, transporting and dispensing chemicals. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a fluid dispensing system for handling high purity chemicals.
Types of high purity chemicals include high purity solvents such as acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ether, methanol and trifluorothane.
In transporting and storing chemicals such as high purity solvents, it is important that the purity be maintained. It is also important that the solvents such as trifluorothane are not discharged into the atmosphere.

Fluid dispensing apparatus having tamper evident assemblies


The present invention relates to a heat sink (1), which is in thermal connection with at least one electronic component (4). The heat sink (1) has at least one chamber (2), which has at least one wall with at least one porous element (3a). Pressure producing means (7) are connected to the chamber (2), in order to cyclically modulate the air pressure P1 in the chamber (2). Thus, a “breathing” of air through the at least one porous element (3a) can be achieved and a cooling effect is obtained. Additionally, holes (8) can be provided to the chamber (2), which produce cyclic air jets (9) due to the fluctuating chamber air pressure P1. By providing an interaction of the air jets (9) with the air volume surrounding the at least one porous element (3a), the cooling of the at least one electronic component (4) can be optimized

The present invention relates to a porous heat sink for actively cooling electronic components. In particular the present invention relates to a heat sink, which can be used in an LED lamp, especially a retrofit LED lamp, to cool the electronic components operating the LED lamp.
A retrofit LED lamp is a lamp using one or more white or monochromatic LED(s) as lighting means, and which is provided with electrical and mechanical connection means in order to use the retrofit LED lamp as replacement for incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps, . . . .
Heat transfer from heat sources, like the electronic components of a LED lamp, can be divided into the following processes. First, heat is conducted from the heat source to a heat sink or an air interface. Then, heat diffusion from the heat sink surface to convective regions of the air takes place, and the heat is transported away by convections in the air. The temperature drop is determined by material properties, e.g. the heat conductivity, heat flux density and conduction length of the heat sink. The lower the flux density of the heat sink will be, the lower also the temperature drop and the corresponding cooling effect on the heat sources will be. In practice, the larger the surface of the heat sink is, and the more turbulent the air affecting the surface of the heat sink is, the better the cooling effect of the heat sink will be.


Optimum power tracking for distributed power sources may be provided by a family of power system architectures having distributed-input series-output (DISO) converters. The DISO converters may be controlled to achieve uniform input voltages across their respective distributed power sources while also tracking an optimum power point of the power system. Each DISO converter may be operably connected to a corresponding power source to form a power-processing channel. A controller may be operably connected to the plurality of DISO converters to control the operation thereof.

Certain issues can arise in conventional power and control architectures that employ multiple solar arrays. Distributed array voltages may fail to achieve uniform distribution when their array panels are not identical, such as their current-voltage (I-V) curves having approximately the same peak-power voltages that respectively deliver different peak-power ratings. Also, too many maximum power tracking (MPT) controllers may be employed dedicated to their respective array panels, leading to a high part count. Further, a simpler and common MPT controller may not be present that tolerates at least a power source failure while the non-identical power sources are independently sourcing their powers to a power system consisting of distributed power channels for processing their respective distributed power sources. Accordingly, an improved power system control architecture may be beneficial.

Maximum power tracking among distributed power sources


A cutting tool includes: a plurality of shaft parts having blades at respective one ends and projections at the other ends; a shaft-receiving part having cylindrical parts fitting to portions of the shaft parts; a guide part having projection-receiving parts extending in one direction, respectively; and stretchable elastic bodies positioned between the blades and the shaft-receiving part, wherein the projections are movably fitted to the respective projection-receiving parts.

Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) specifies the cross-cut method as the method for evaluating adhesion of a coating film on various industrial products.
The method evaluates adhesion between a substrate, such as plastics, glass, metal, etc., and a coating film formed thereon, by creating flaws in a lattice pattern on the coating film, attaching an adhesive tape thereon and then peeling off the adhesive tape from the substrate, and observing the condition of torn squares of the lattice pattern.
According to JIS, the cross-cut method is specified for a single-blade cutting tool and a multiple-blade cutting tool as a cutting tool (refer to Non-Patent Document 1, pp. 3-5.)    Non-Patent Document 1: Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) K5600-5-6 (1999)


A gas cracking apparatus adapted to simultaneously efficiently discharge gas heavier than air and gas lighter than air resulting from assimilations of malodorous gas and greenhouse gas. The main frame of the gas cracking apparatus includes a closed metallic circular tube or angular tube. This tube is provided at its superior portion with a superior vent and provided at its inferior portion with an inferior vent, and the tube is further provided with a gas inlet disposed between the superior vent and the inferior vent.

A gas such as a greenhouse gas and a stink gas, which exerts bad influence on an environment, is socially coming up as a serious problem. Conventionally, a biological deodorization method is known as a method for eliminating a stink generated when processing garbage, a stink derived from a food factory and a human waste treatment center, or a stink derived from a honey truck. As main stink components, there are hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methyl mercaptan and so forth. Also, a greenhouse gas, i.e., six kinds of gas, such as carbon dioxide, methane, dinitrogen monoxide, CFC substitute and so forth, is defined as a gas to be reduced in "Law About Promotion Of Global Warming Measure" established in 1998, and an emission reduction of the greenhouse gas is globally promoted. Nevertheless, conventionally, for example, as a method of eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) defined as the greenhouse gas, only two method are known: one method is to utilize photosynthesis of plants; and the other method is to lay a liquid containing carbon dioxide under the ground.
As a deodorization apparatus utilizing a biological gas decomposition method, an apparatus utilizing photosynthetic bacteria and/or other bacteria and so forth is a representative. The deodorization apparatus utilizing the photosynthetic bacteria has an arrangement wherein a bacteria bed material layer is formed of porous substances, bamboo charcoal substances and/or leaf mold substances and so forth, to which the photosynthetic bacteria activated by lights are adhered, and wherein either a greenhouse gas or a stink gas is made to pass through the bacteria bed material layer under a condition that the bacteria bed material layer is sufficiently illuminated with lights, to thereby eliminate either the greenhouse gas or the stink gas (see: Patent Document 1).
On the other hand, a gas decomposition apparatus utilizing bacteria has an arrangement wherein a bacteria bed material layer is formed of porous substances, bamboo charcoal substances and/or leaf mold substances and so forth, to which the bacteria are adhered, and wherein a gas containing either a greenhouse gas or a stink gas is made to pass through the bacteria bed material layer while feeding a nutrition solution to the bacteria bed material layer, to thereby eliminate the greenhouse gas or the stink gas. In every one of the aforesaid apparatuses, a hydrogen gas lighter than the air and a butane gas heavier than the air are created. Every one of the hydrogen gas and the butane gas is combustible.
Also, for example, as a biological greenhouse gas fixation/elimination apparatus utilizing a biological gas decomposition method, there is the one disclosed in JP-2000-032004 A. This conventional technique is depicted in FIG. 13 in a schematic cross-sectional view. The conventional gas decomposition apparatus comprises a substrate 101a having a recess formed in an upper surface thereof, a schizophycean-culturing-layer feeding pipe (photosynthetic-microorganism-culturing-layer feeding means) 101b for feeding a schizophycean-culturing-layer to the aforesaid recess, a schizophycean-culturing-layer exhausting pipe 101c opening at a bottom of the aforesaid recess, and a schizophycean-culturing-layer exhausting valve 101d for regulating a flow rate of the schizophycean-culturing-layer discharged from the schizophycean-culturing-layer exhausting pipe 101c, and is constituted as a construction-purpose cladding panel (roof cladding panel) having a carbon dioxide decomposition function (see: Patent Document 2).
Further, for example, there is the one disclosed in JP2001-062248 A. This conventional technique is depicted in FIG. 14 in a schematic cross-sectional view. The conventional gas decomposition apparatus has an arrangement wherein an exhaust-gas pH regulating means 214 for regulating a pH of an exhaust gas to fall in the range from pH5 to pH9 which microorganisms like, wherein an exhaust-gas temperature regulating means 216 for regulating a temperature of the exhaust gas to fall in the range from 40° C. to 50° C. which the microorganisms like, are provided in an exhaust-gas introduction pipe 218 in the vicinity of an introduction port 213 thereof, and wherein an organism treatment reaction means is provided in each of decomposition tanks 201 constructed in an exhaust-gas discharging side of the exhaust-gas introduction pipe 218, with the decomposition tanks 201 being arranged side by side in a given number. The exhaust-gas introduction pipe 218 branches so as to be connected to respective exhaust-gas spraying main pipes 220 passing through the decomposition tanks 201, with the exhaust-gas spraying main pipes 220 having exhaust-gas spraying branch pipes 221 in the respective decomposition tanks 201. In each of the decomposition tanks 201, air-injection pipes 224 are provided so as to be longitudinally extended to the bottom of the decomposition tank 201. The exhaust gas is sprayed in a synthetic soil of the organism treatment reaction means provided in each of the decomposition tanks 201, so that contamination substances are absorbed by the organism treatment reaction means. Then, the contamination substances thus absorbed are subjected to a decomposition treatment with the microorganisms.    Patent Document 1: JP-2004-195423 A    Patent Document 2: JP2000-320041 A    Patent Document 3: JP2001-062248 A


A method for generating CAD data appropriate for designing an evaporative pattern having a frame structure is provided. The method includes, allocating, generating joint shape data, and extracting rod body data. Rod data includes rod body data representing a shape of a rod body and terminal data representing a shape of a rod terminal disposed at an end of the rod body. In the allocating, a plurality of the rods is allocated so that the rod terminals overlap each other in a 3-dimensional space in computer. In the generating, the joint shape data is generated by merging the terminal data of the plurality of rod terminals overlapped. In the extracting, the rod body data is extracted from the rod data of the rods allocated in the 3-dimensional space. The joint shape data and the rod body data obtained by such processes correspond to the CAD data of the evaporative pattern.

An evaporative pattern casting is a kind of casting method, and may be called a lost-foam casting or a full mold casting. This method may be generally described as below. First, a pattern is made of an evaporative material which evaporates by heat of a molten metal. The pattern is called an evaporative pattern. Next, a sand mold is made by burying the evaporative pattern therein. The molten metal is poured into a cavity of the sand mold. Here, the 'cavity' means a space which is occupied by the evaporative pattern in the sand mold. When the molten metal is poured into the cavity, the evaporative pattern evaporates by the heat of the molten metal, and the space which is occupied by the evaporative pattern is filled with the molten metal. When the sand mold is broken down after the molten metal is cooled and solidified, a casted structure perfectly having the same shape as that of the evaporative pattern is obtained. As the evaporative material, foam polystyrene or wax is typically used.
The evaporative pattern is designed by using a computer aided design (CAD). In general, the CAD is used for designing various structures. An efficient CAD technique using the characteristics of a design subject may be proposed. For example, the patent document 1 discloses a CAD technique appropriate for designing an iron rod unit.

Method of generating CAD data for evaporative pattern having frame structure


This invention is directed to an aqueous composition and methods for clean lipid deposits on contact lenses. In particular, a combination of non-ionic surfactants, branched and/or straight poly(ethylene oxide-propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymers having HLB value greater than or equal to 18, with an additional straight poly(ethylene oxide-propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymers having HLB value less than or equal to 15, has been found to improve the lipid cleaning properties of an aqueous composition for contact lenses and prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, yeast and molds without adversely affecting the comfort or safety in terms of the level of toxicity to eye tissue.

Contact lenses are used by an increasing number of people as means of correcting vision and/or compensating for eye abnormalities. Worldwide, about 100 million people use contact lenses. In the U.S. alone, 34 million people wear contact lenses (http://www.medicalpost.com/mpcontent/article.jsp?content=/content/EXTRACT/RAWART/3836/02B.html). However, contact lenses must usually be inserted and removed daily with scrupulous cleaning and disinfection between each wearing that requires solutions and containers.
During wear and normal handling of contact lenses, microorganisms as well as biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, etc., can adhere to the contact lenses and contaminate the storage containers/solution. Furthermore, a tear film that contains proteins, lipids, and even microorganisms covers the surface of the eye. Any of these components found in the tear film, on the external surface of the eye or the surrounding skin, can be carried into the storage containers/solution for the contact lens. Then, the microorganisms that multiplied in the storage containers/solution can transfer to the eyes via contact lenses and become a pathogen that may cause eye infection, resulting in impaired vision and blindness. Various solutions have been developed to clean these deposits and disinfect the microorganisms.
A "daily cleaner" comprised with various kinds of surfactants and disinfectants is recommended for daily use to remove most deposits and debris on contact lenses. In an approach to prevent protein deposits, contact lens solutions containing chemical agents such as cationic polymers were developed to prevent proteins from adhering to the contact lens surface of rigid gas permeable (RGP) and soft contacts lenses.
Solutions that wet the lenses before insertion in the eye are required for both the hard and soft types of contact lenses, although their formulations have tended to differ based on their different properties. After the contact lenses are inserted in the eye, ophthalmic solutions for rewetting, lubricating, and/or enhancing the comfort of the contact lens wearer are sometimes applied to the eye by means of a drop dispenser. Isotonic solutions for improving the comfort of wearing soft contact lenses by being added directly to the contact lens in the eye typically contain viscosity enhancing agents, lubricants, surfactants, buffers, preservatives, and salts.
Multipurpose solutions are popular because of the convenience of a single solution for cleaning, disinfecting and conditioning contact lenses immediately prior to insertion of the lens in the eye. Multipurpose solutions are also designed for use as a wetting agent, without rinsing, meaning that the solution must be ophthalmically safe for eye contact. This limits, to some extent, the type and concentration of both cleaning agents and biocides that can be employed in the solution as a preservative or disinfectant tends to be irritating to the eye. Additionally, the surface active agents must not inhibit the wetting or conditioning function of the solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,352 (Riedhammer et al.) discloses compositions for cleaning and conditioning contact lenses, where the primary cleaning agent is a specific class of polyethyleneoxy-polypropyleneoxy block copolymer adduct of ethylene diamine (also known as poloxamine). This patent describes compositions which are sufficiently nonirritating that a contact lens treated with the solution can be inserted directly in the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,865 (Winterton et al.) discloses a conditioning solution for contact lenses that comprises a combination of a poloxamine and a poloxamer surfactant each having an HLB (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) of seven or below. This patent describes a solution forming a uniform hydrophilic film on a lens surface for which proteins have very little affinity for a prophylactic effect to the lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,189 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,396 (Zhang et al.) disclose a composition for cleaning and wetting contact lenses comprising (i) a non-amine polyethyleneoxy-containing compound having an HLB of at least about 18, (ii) a surface active agent having cleaning activity for contact lens deposits that may have an HLB less than 18, and (iii) a wetting agent. An ethoxylated glucose derivative such as glucam can be employed as the wetting agent, also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,327 to Ellis et al. In another approach, Tyloxapol is employed as a conventional surface active agent in a multipurpose solution, which agent has cleaning activity for contact-lens deposits and has an HLB less than 18.
There has been a constant need for ophthalmic solutions with better lipid cleaning properties. The deposits from cellular debris, protein, and lipid accumulated over time can adsorb to the surface of contact lenses and irritate the eyes. Particularly, lipid deposits can reduce the transparency and impair the performance of the contact lenses. Lipid deposits on RGP or silicone hydrogel lenses during wear generate a hydrophobic surface that is not easily rewetted with currently used types and concentrations of surfactants in the lens care compositions.
There is, therefore, a need for a composition with improved lipid cleaning properties while maintaining or increasing the biocidal efficacy of the product without adversely affecting comfort or safety in terms of the level of toxicity to eye tissue. It would also be desirable to have a composition that can be utilized as an eye drop, an eyewash solution, a contact lens care solution or a cleaning solution, a storing solution, a disinfectant, a cleaning-storing solution, and a cleaning disinfecting-storing solution. The invention answers these needs.

Composition and method for cleaning lipid deposits on contact lenses


A transducer (700) of great sensitivity is disclosed which incorporates a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) cell (738) exposed to the flow of a electrically conductive fluid (712) within a channel (704). Flexible diaphragms (722) form the ends of the channel (704) and deflect with the fluid motion. The deflection is sensed by strain gauges (724) and the signals from the MHD cell and strain gauges are processed. In addition, an MHD power generator is contemplated which generates power from a moving electrically conductive fluid, such as sea water in geophysical motion. A strong magnetic field is established normal the direction of fluid flow. Electrodes are positioned normal to both the magnetic field and fluid flow to complete a circuit to transfer the power generated by the movement of the electrically conductive fluid through the magnetic field.

The present invention is directed to various magnetohydrodynamic applications. In one aspect, a magnetohydrodynamic fluid transducer is contemplated for sensing perturbations in a electrically conducted fluid. The transducer uses not only a magnetohydrodynamic sensor, but also a fluid displacement sensor, such as a strain gauge, to measure the perturbation in a fluid. This has significant advantages in sensing acceleration rates, and from that the velocity and displacement of a body. In a second aspect, the techniques can be employed for power generation at ambient temperatures from the flow of an electrically conductive fluid, such as seawater.
One example of the employment of a magnetohydrodynamic sensing device would be in seismology. In the prior art, a variety of seismological sensing apparatus have been proposed for monitoring various forms of disturbances or shock waves. The shock waves may be generated in response to earthquakes, tests of nuclear warheads, or from other conventional sources such as the hydraulic vibrators or conventional explosions employed in the oil industry to locate subsurface oil deposits. When an earthquake occurs, a sudden release of accumulated strain results in the propagation of a number of different types of seismological waves. Geophones have previously been employed to measure various parameters associated with earthquakes, such as the velocity of subsurface movement of waves, the rate of change of velocity, and the duration of the event. Shear waves, or S-waves, are the primary signal generated by an earthquake. When an extreme disturbance occurs in a homogeneous environment, a spherical front is generated, and a P-wave results. Such a wave is characterized by alternating compression and rarefaction through the subsurface of the earth, somewhat similar to the structure of sound waves in air. Nuclear blasts in conjunction with underground tests primarily radiate P-waves.
At the interface of the earth with air, Rayleigh waves are generated. Such waves are associated with both earthquakes and underground nuclear tests. Love waves are generated primarily from earthquakes, and are 10 generally transverse to the direction of travel of Rayleigh waves. A wide variety of other complex wave forms resulting from reflection and refraction effects are also known in seismology. A useful discussion of waves, along with recitation of the possibility of monitoring such waves for purposes of policing a total test ban treaty is discussed in Scientific American, Vol. 247, No. 4, pages 47-57, October, 1982.
In the prior art, a variety of geophones and/or seismometers have been proposed. Essentially known prior art devices include a rigid, generally conically shaped outer casing or enclosure housing an internal element of some form for sensing vibration. A variety of different sensors and/or transducers have been proposed to originate an electrical signal corresponding to seismological vibration. For example, Hayes in U.S. Pat. No. 1,980,993, discloses a sealed chamber in which pneumatic pressure results in the generation of an electrical signal in response to seismological vibration. Bound in U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,909 employs an internal piezoelectric element sensitive to soil stresses for generating a seismological responsive signal. Massa in U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,772 proposes a geophone in which a bilaminar piezoelectric element is suspended across an interior within the geophone housing for sensing vibrations and producing a proportional electrical signal.
The seismometer proposed by Baltosser in U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,370 contemplates the use of an electromagnetic sensor system interiorly of the casing for producing vibration sensing. Ording in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,712,124 and 2,759,552 also discloses electromagnetic means for generating a proportional electrical signal. Sanderson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,270 senses vibration in response to the differential conductivity within a fluid medium as a gaseous bubble confined within a fluid chamber moves 10 about in response to sudden seismological vibration. Other than less relevant art known to me includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,683,867 and 3,474,405.
Seismological sensing technology relates generally to the broader science of perturbation monitoring. Physically shock resistant but sensitive motion sensors somewhat similar to a geophone are of necessity in a wide variety of applications. Thus, velocity meters, accelerometers, and servo motion sensors commonly find usage within geophones, impact gauges, stethoscopes, inertial sensors, inertial guidance systems, vibration measuring systems, hydrophonic sensing instrumentation and the like.
A basic magnetohydrodynamic sensor embodies the capability of being useful in the three major modes of motion sensing (those being displacement meter, velocity meter, and accelerometer), either by direct transducer design or by servo design.
Displacement meters are motion sensors whose natural period of vibration is larger than the period of frequency of perturbation being measured. Such instruments indicate the actual linear displacement magnitude of the perturbation. Velocity meters are motion sensors whose signal output in response to perturbations is in direct proportion to the perturbation behavior characteristics. Such instruments indicate the velocity of the motion being measured. Accelerometers are motion sensors which normally have natural periods of vibration which are shorter in duration than the frequency of incoming perturbations. Such sensors produce signal logic capable of measuring the acceleration of incoming measured perturbations. Velocity meters may be converted into accelerometers by the use of well known differentiator circuits. In the practice of seismology, an earthquake measuring instrumentation platform will commonly have all three types of motion sensors in use so that displacement, velocity, and acceleration can be logged concurrently.
Servo-motion sensors are designed to reduce the influence of mechanical losses during perturbation such as friction and "sloshing" of the working fluid medium inside of the sensors. By utilizing a small segment of electricity produced by the initial flow of the fluid within the device, the sensor mechanism has the capacity to utilize this electricity to trigger a counter-current which stops the flow of the fluid in the tube. In some cases, one can more accurately determine the actual amount of electrical current it takes to stop the flow of the fluid than one can accurately measure the direct flow of the fluid within the tube.
In the trade, velocity meters, accelerometers, and servo-motion sensors commonly find usage in such applications as geophones, seismometers, impact gauges, stethoscopes, inertial sensors as components of mutual guidance systems and various vehicle or vessel-steering or transverse-control systems, rotational motion measuring instruments, vibration measuring instruments, hydrophonic acoustical instruments, and other uses and applications. Servo-sensors are omni-positional and work in the absence of gravitational field, which makes them particularly useful in space.
Many of the sensors described above require some power source. Unfortunately, many applications for these sensors are in remote areas where no external power source is available. While batteries and the like can be used to power the device for a period of time, the period is clearly limited and requires replacement of the power source periodically to maintain the usefulness of the device.

Magnetohydrodynamic fluid apparatus and method

American Fuel Cell and Coated Fabrics Company


Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating relationship recommendations. One of the methods includes: determining, by a computing device, parameter entities that comprise event entities associated with node entities; constructing, by the computing device, a knowledge graph based on relationships between the parameter entities and predetermined operator entities; extracting, by the computing device, a newly added relationship from the knowledge graph based on an inference rule; and providing, by the computing device, a relationship recommendation corresponding to the newly added relationship.

As ALIPAY services develop, a security environment of ALIPAY is constantly changing, and manually generating a feature relationship in conventional technologies becomes inefficient.
Currently, in the existing technologies, the feature relationship is usually recommended by using the following methods: manual search, selection, and determining, but this solution depends on manpower, and brute-force search consumes too many resources.
A heuristic search algorithm is used to perform search, and then selection is performed by using a certain evaluation model. However, in the solution, service knowledge is not introduced, search space is still large, and it is difficult to find a valid feature relationship.

Feature relationship recommendation method, apparatus, computing device, and storage medium


A flight processor that calculates a 4-dimensional trajectory having a sequence of two or more position, time and cost (x, y, z, t, c) tuples that minimize a defined cost. Some embodiments generate cost-optimized trajectories with simple or complex constraints and bounds such as fixed AGL altitude; minimum AGL altitude; maximum AGL altitude; minimum MSL; maximum MSL; avoidance of restricted airspace; adherence to non-restricted airspace such as easements; adherence to ground-based guideways, if applicable; and the constraint to maintain adequate radio frequency signal-to-noise needed for communications to the ground station or backhaul systems. Constraint-enabled minimization of trajectory cost may leverage the aircraft's energy model; current atmospheric data (most notably wind vector data along the trajectory path); continuous-time and/or event-based risk models and fault trees; blacklisted and white-listed geo-fence boundaries; defined easements; and known or estimated RF signal-to-noise (SNR) minimum values needed for one or two-way communications.

Cost and energy-optimized aviation flight planning for manned aircraft is a well-understood domain, typically leveraging aircraft energy consumption models, weight, wind, power settings and control surface configuration to compute an optimized flight consisting of climbout, enroute and descent phases—sometimes constrained by waypoints—to a final destination. Enroute energy optimization in manned flight is typically performed using constant mean-sea-level (MSL) flight segments wherein wind vectors and atmospheric conditions are forecast or sensed along published or dynamically specified airways. Cost minimization calculations may be performed using a variety of known algorithms, for example Dijkstra, Fast Marching, ordered upwind, shooting, co-location and other special case numerical methods that may be optimized and constrained using various meshing strategies and cost inputs/manipulations for the needed calculations.
Small Unmanned Aircraft frequently fly at much lower altitudes and airspeeds in the earth's boundary layer wherein wind vector components can grossly overpower the flight vehicle, cause reduced or negative ground speeds, and impose significant mission risk on operators. Battery or fuel reserves must be able to accommodate frequent and unexpected contingencies, especially for autonomous or beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) flight in which unanticipated wind may negate the feasibility of reaching the desired destination. In addition, more energy is expended for each unit of battery or fuel weight being carried, therefore significant optimization tradeoffs must be made. This is frequently known in aviation as the fuel loading problem. Small unmanned aircraft typically fly shorter distances based on available energy reserves and fly at lower altitudes to accommodate sensor proximity and resolution requirements and satisfy airspace regulations. Given these characteristics, many UAS operational paradigms favor a constant above-ground-level (AGL) flight pattern when not taking off or landing. Prior art on which the present claims are based include a published UC Berkeley PhD thesis (Liu, Z. (2017). Unmanned aircraft systems flight planning: System development and feasibility study (Order No. 10641917). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ University of California; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2031548923)) wherein a trajectory is cost-energy-optimized in a 3-D mesh for constant, low-altitude AGL flight cognizant of restricted areas, obstacles, and a UAS energy consumption and expenditure model. This prior art introduces a simplistic cost function based solely on energy consumption and the vehicle's available energy. The invention disclosed herein adds to a computing apparatus ("flight processor apparatus") constraint-related optimizations and thresholds not only to energy-related cost functions, but also to simple and complex cost functions that may optimize or constraint-optimize a trajectory based on fuel costs, arrival time, and/or risk.
United States Patent Application Publication US 2016/0140851 by Levy et al. published on May 19, 2016 with the title "Systems and Methods for Drone Navigation," and is incorporated herein by reference. Publication US 2016/0140851 describes a method for navigation of a drone through a geographical air space, comprising: identifying a drone within or in proximity to a geographical air space; receiving flight data representing a certain flight path through the geographical air space; evaluating the flight data based on a flight risk map to determine the flight risk through the geographical air space, wherein the flight risk map includes zones, each zone being associated with a certain flight safety score; and one or more of: approving the certain flight path when the flight risk of the drone is within an acceptable risk threshold, blocking the certain flight path when the flight risk of the drone is outside the acceptable risk threshold, and obtaining external control of navigation of the drone to navigate the drone through at least one zone having the acceptable risk threshold.
United States Patent Application Publication US 2017/0278405 by Yakan published on Sep. 28, 2017 with the title "Drone Traffic Engineering," and is incorporated herein by reference. Publication US 2017/0278405 describes a method that includes receiving a request for a flight path for a drone, the request including information indicative of a source location within a geographical area and a destination location within the geographical area, modeling the geographical area including a plurality of geographical regions as a data network including a plurality of nodes, determining a network data path from a source node of the plurality of nodes corresponding to the source location to a destination node of the plurality of nodes corresponding to the destination location, determining a flight path for the drone based on the network data path, and transmitting data indicative of the flight path for the drone.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,783,293 to Srivastava, et al. issued on Oct. 10, 2017 with the title "Unmanned aerial vehicle platform," and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 9,783,293 describes a device that receives a request for a flight path of UAV from a first location to a second location in a region, and determines, based on credentials associated with the UAV, whether the UAV is authenticated for utilizing the device and a network. The device determines, when the UAV is authenticated, capability information for the UAV based on the request and component information associated with the UAV. The device calculates the flight path from the first location to the second location based on the capability information and one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, or regulatory information associated with the region. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path based on one or more of the weather information, the air traffic information, the obstacle information, or the regulatory information associated with the region, and provides the flight path instructions to the UAV.
Chinese Patent Application Publication CN106919181A (according to Google translation) was filed on Oct. 20, 2016 with the title "Unmanned aerial vehicle obstacle avoidance method," and is incorporated herein by reference. CN106919181A (according to Google translation) describes an unmanned aerial vehicle obstacle avoidance method, which includes the steps of planning an initial flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle; detecting position and speed information of an obstacle within a certain distance of the unmanned aerial vehicle by using a sensor in the flying process of the unmanned aerial vehicle; calculating whether collision occurs or not in flight according to the initial path by adopting a collision detection algorithm; working out a collision avoidance path by using a policy iteration algorithm according to a collision region information predicted by the collision detection algorithm and a destination of the unmanned aerial vehicle; correcting the collision avoidance path by using a backtracking method, and preventing the unmanned aerial vehicle from being caught in a local obstacle trap; and performing differential flattening processing on the corrected collision avoidance path according to dynamic performance characteristics of the unmanned aerial vehicle. According to the method provided, flight envelope restriction requirements of the unmanned aerial vehicle in reality are met, a common problem of local obstacle traps in the path planning algorithm is effectively avoided, and multiple obstacles can be avoided in real time under the premise of meeting the dynamic performance.
Therefore, a need exists for a flight-planning processor (used in a strategic or tactical flight planning or analysis process) to be able to compute various cost-optimization trajectories that simultaneously meet the flight vehicle's risk tolerance levels; stay within the vehicle's energy storage or output capabilities; adhere to restricted airspace constraints; accommodate minimum sensor requirements; factor in topography; adhere to ground routes (guideways, such as roads, wires and other ground features), when needed; guarantee sufficient one-way or two-way electromagnetic communications, when required; and most importantly, maximize the benefits and minimize the burdens of, highly variable wind vector patterns as they affect ground-constrained or cost-optimized free-space trajectories in a 4-dimensional (4-D) continuum.

Simultaneously cost-optimized and policy-compliant trajectory generation for unmanned aircraft


A method for the cationic polymerization of unsaturated biological oils (e.g., vegetable oils and animal oils) based on the cationic reaction of double bonds initiated by superacids is provided. The process occurs under very mild reaction conditions (about 70-110° C. and atmospheric pressure) and with short reaction times. The polymerized oils have a viscosity about 10 to 200 times higher than the initial oil and relatively high unsaturation (only about 10-30% lower than that of initial oils).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a novel process for the direct cationic polymerization of biological oils, such as vegetable oils, to higher molecular weight products. Particularly, this invention relates to the cationic polymerization of biological oils, such as castor oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, tung oil, and fish oil, and to copolymerization of these oils with other biological oils and/or other olefins. Polymerized biological oils can be used for preparation of polyols and other chemical species by introducing hydroxyl and other functional groups to ultimately produce elastomers, rubbers, and plastics from renewable resources.
2. Description of Related Art
The natural environment is being overwhelmed by non-biodegradable, petroleum-based polymeric materials. In recent years, there has been an interest in cheap, biodegradable polymeric materials made from readily available, inexpensive natural sources, such as fats and biological oils. See generally Larock, U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,315; U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/095007. The development of polymeric materials from biological oils, such as vegetable and fish oils, could dramatically expand and diversify the market for biological oils, while also improving the environment and reducing dependence on petroleum products.
Biological oils are triglycerides comprised of fatty acids. For example, soybean oil is comprised of three main unsaturated fatty acids: oleic acid, linoleic acid (also called linolic acid), and linolenic acid. The approximate composition of some common biological oils is set forth the following table. It will be appreciated that the composition may vary somewhat, depending on the source of the biological oil.
TABLE 1Fatty Acid Content of Common Biological OilsMid-OleicCanolaSunflowerSoybeanLinseedSunflowerCornFatty Acid ProfileoiloiloiloiloiloilLauric C12:00.02Myristic C14:00.040.090.050.030.06Myristoleic C14:1Palmitic C16:04.094.1110.885.485.5910.81Palmitoleic C16:10.210.050.070.060.060.11Heptadecanoic C17:00.050.040.090.050.050.09Heptadecanoic C17:10.090.040.040.040.010.03Stearic C18:01.863.794.183.524.461.85Oleic C18:156.1157.1522.6918.8822.1827.25Linoleic C18:221.0131.4052.4116.1064.2256.96Arachidic C20:00.600.250.2184.108.40.206Eicosenoic C20:11.700.210.300.140.190.20Linolenic C18:37.890.316.0653.730.420.65Heneicosanoic C21:00.010.010.020.02Eicosadienoic C20:20.060.02Behenic C22:00.170.460.140.040.410.03Erucic C22:10.12Total C18:160.8558.6424.9520.1423.1528.19Total C16:1, C20:1, C22:1,2.080.260.318.104.22.168C24:1Total C18:221.3331.7952.7216.2164.8057.52Total C20:2, C22:20.060.000.020.000.000.00Total C18:38.460.336.2353.920.440.69Total C20:30.050.000.000.000.000.00Total Saturated Fatty Acids6.788.6915.609.2710.8513.10
Currently, the polymerization of some unsaturated biological oils (linseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc.) is largely carried out on industrial scale by two routes: thermal polymerization process (heat bodied oils) and air blown oil process.
Thermal polymerization of biological oils is carried out by simple heating the oils, under nitrogen, at very high temperatures (usually about 290-330° C.) for several hours, in the absence of any catalyst or initiator. Due to the high temperature, thermal polymerization of the double bonds in the unsaturated fatty acids of the oils takes place. The resulting products are called bodied oils. They have much higher viscosity than the initial oil and lower iodine value (a lower double bond content) as compared with the initial oil. Typically, the iodine value is about 65 for bodied soybean oil, and about 100 for bodied linseed oil. This process is applied industrially, especially for linseed oil. Unfortunately, the process has a high energy consumption due to the high temperatures needed. In addition, the thermal polymerization process takes a relatively long time, and the thermal degradation of the oil results in the formation of volatile low molecular weight compounds which are eliminated continuously by steam stripping under vacuum. The yield in final thermally polymerized oil is about 80-85% against the quantity of initial oils.
Air blown oils are obtained by bubbling air through the liquid biological oils (linseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, etc.) in the presence or in the absence of radical initiators, at about 100-110° C., for a relatively long time (30-50 hours). The viscosity of oil increases substantially, probably due to radical polymerization involving oxidative coupling through the allylic hydrogens and the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty acids in the oils. As a result, the iodine value of the air blown oil is much lower than the initial iodine value of the oil (e.g., about 80 for air blown soybean oil). In addition, an oxidative-degradative process of the oil takes place, resulting in the formation of various functional groups containing oxygen, such as aldehydes, ketones, hydroxyl, carboxyl, hydroperoxide, etc. The average molecular weight of the air blown oil is also relatively low, with the maximum being about 1300-1400 g/mol.
It also is known to cationically polymerize fatty acids (or their esters, mainly methyl esters) to obtain dimeric acids and trimeric acids in the presence of cationic catalysts. The majority of industrial processes used to synthesize dimeric and trimeric acids employ acidic activated clays (activated bentonites from the group of montmorillonite which is an acidic aluminium silicate, or magnesium silicate, 3-5% against oil) as catalysts in the presence of water at high temperatures (230-240° C.) over several hours (4 to 7 hours). The catalyst is filtered and reused, and the unreacted fatty acids are distilled, leaving behind about 50-60% dimer (C36) and trimer fatty acids (C54). Concerning the cationic polymerization of fatty acids with acidic clays, there is a large number of patents, such as Goebel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,761; Goebel, U.S. Pat. No. 2,664,429; Barrett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,219; Barrett et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,220; Myers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,121; Fischer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,681; Conroy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,822; Milks et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,124; Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,444,220; Turner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,320; Bermann, GB1353783; Hayes, GB2172597; and DiFranco, WO 00/50528.
For the polymerization of fatty acids and of methyl esters of fatty acids, there are some processes that use Lewis acids as catalysts, mainly boron trifluoride (BF3) or boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BF3*Et2O). More specifically, Turner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,743 describes a process in which methyl soyate was polymerized at 20-25° C. in the presence of BF3 over three hours. The resulting polymeric product contained 25-33% monomer, 18-22% dimer, and 49-53% trimer and higher polymers. The polymerization of fatty acids and fatty acids esters with strong Lewis acids is also described in the scientific literature. See Croston et al., Polymerization of Drying Oils: Catalytic Polymerization of Fatty Acids and Esters with Boron Trifluoride and Hydrogen Fluoride, Journal American Oil Chemists Society, 331-333 (1952). Those researchers used 2% BF3 as a catalyst at 150-200° C. Ghodssi et al., Cationic Polymerization of Oleic Acid and its Derivatives. Study of Dimers, Bulletin de la Societe Chimique de France, 4 1461-1466 (1970) describes the cationic polymerization of methyl oleate at 20-30° C. with the formation of dimers and higher oligomers.
The cationic polymerization of biological oils by using boron trifluoride (BF3) as the catalyst is described in two patents. In Uloth et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,919, soybean oil was polymerized at 130° C. in the presence of 2.8% BF3 as catalyst. A viscous product was obtained, with viscosity about five times higher than the initial viscosity of soybean oil. Under similar conditions, cottonseed oil was polymerized over six hours at 130° C. in the presence of 4% BF3 as catalyst. A polymerized product was obtained with a viscosity of about 10 times higher than the initial viscosity of oil. In Eichwald, U.S. Pat. No. 2,160,572, soybean oil was polymerized at 70° C. with 2% boron trifluoride over 50 hours. Another group lead by Professor Richard Larock has investigated the cationic copolymerization of natural oils (soybean oil, fish oil, tung oil, etc.) with some vinyl monomers, including styrene, divinyl benzene, norbornene, dicyclopentadiene, in the presence of BF3.Et2O (4-5%). Polymerization results in solid copolymers as generally set forth in Larock et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,315 and Larock et al., U.S. Published Patent Application 2002/095007.
The present invention is directed to an improved process for the cationic polymerization of biological oils. In contrast to the use of the Lewis acid boron trifluoride (BF3) as the catalyst, the present invention employs a superacid as the catalyst, with tetrafluoroboric acid (HBF4), triflic acid (CF3SO3H), and hexafluoroantimonic acid (HSbF6) being especially preferred. The present invention provides superior and unexpected results, including short reaction times, much higher viscosity of the products, and milder reaction conditions. The biological oils are polymerized to higher molecular weight products consisting of monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers, higher oligomers and polymers.

Cationic polymerization of biological oils with superacid catalysts


An apparatus having a rectifier topology for use on a three-phase electrical system is disclosed. The apparatus includes an input filter at each phase, a rectifier set at each phase in power communication with and downstream of each respective input filter, and a separate and independent booster section at each phase in power communication with and downstream of each respective rectifier set. Each booster section comprises two switches, thereby providing a six-switch three-level discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) boost rectifier.

The present disclosure relates generally to ac/dc converters, particularly to rectifier topologies, and more particularly to discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) boost rectifiers and methods of modulation the same.
There are several topologies and control methods to realize medium to high power front end converters. In general, it is desirable for these rectifiers to operate at a high power factor (PF) and with a low total harmonic distortion (THD), especially when the converter is connected to the electrical grid of a utility. Typical applications for these converters include: UPSs (Uninterruptible Power Supplies), frequency converters and drives. A well known topology is the Two Switch Three Level DCM (Discontinuous-Conduction-Mode) Boost Rectifier. This topology is quite popular in three phase transformerless UPSs for its excellent performance/cost ratio. With just two active switches in the booster section it is possible to reach very good PF and THD on the overall load range. Also, the efficiency of the converter is very high (typically 98%) with respect to more complex and expensive active IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) rectifiers. The modulation strategy for the switches has an important influence on the overall behavior of the rectifier, in particular on the input THD and on the stress on the IGBTs (peak current, blocking voltage, and losses, for example). Several modulation strategies have been proposed and are currently used in industrial products. However, to reduce the THD possible with the existing art, one has to consider alternative topologies or additional passive filters. Existing alternative topologies have other drawbacks, such as stress on the IGBT's, and whereas additional passive filters may improve the THD, they do so on just a limited load range, and introduce potential resonance when a generator is used in place of the grid.
Accordingly, and to further the technical arts relating to DCM Boost Rectifiers, it would be advantageous to have a new topology allowing a clean input to be obtained without sacrificing other important quality aspects, in particular efficiency, and to determine an optimal modulation strategy that minimizes a desired cost function.

AC/DC converter and method of modulation thereof


In a method of controlling an accessory device by a mobile computing device, upon being communicatively coupled with the accessory device, the mobile computing device communicates with the accessory device using an accessory communication protocol to receive accessory information, and protocol configuration data associated with a specific application executable on the accessory device. The mobile computing device reconfigures the accessory communication protocol based on the protocol configuration data to obtain a reconfigured accessory communication protocol, and then communicates with the accessory device using the reconfigured accessory communication protocol to control execution of basic functionality and the specific application on the accessory device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory device, and more particularly to communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory device using a reconfigurable accessory communication protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile computing devices, such as smart phones, have become popular, and often include web browsers, word processors, email applications, maps, telephone services, games, audio applications, video applications, etc. Moreover, accessory devices have also been created for use with mobile computing devices. Such accessory devices can communicate with a mobile computing device using one or more connectors and/or ports, and can be controlled by the mobile computing device to interact with users.
Generally, a mobile computing device may communicate with an accessory device to execute basic control functions of the accessory device, such as power control and data retrieve, using an accessory communication protocol provided by the mobile computing device. However, such an accessory communication protocol may not be supported by the accessory device to execute some specific applications. In order for the mobile computing device to control execution of the specific applications on the accessory device, it is necessary for the mobile computing device to modify the accessory communication protocol or download one or more specific application protocols/accessory communication protocols to be supported by the mobile computing device and the accessory device, thereby resulting in inconvenience during use.
Therefore, there is still room for improvements in the above techniques.

Communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory device using a reconfigurable accessory communication protocol


A new and distinct cultivar of Leucophyllum plant named ‘MSWNRascon’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; relatively short internodes; freely branching habit; obovate to spatulate-shaped leaves covered with dense silvery pubescence; freely flowering habit with flowers densely clustered; relatively large bright purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucophyllum plant, botanically known as Leucophyllum x hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'MSWNRascon'.
The new Leucophyllum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cochise, Ariz. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform and freely flowering Leucophyllum plants with attractive flower coloration.
The new Leucophyllum plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2011, in Cochise, Ariz. of Leucophyllum x hybrida 'Convent', not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Leucophyllum x hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Leucophyllum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Cochise, Ariz. in July, 2012.
Asexual reproduction of the new Leucophyllum plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Glendale, Ariz. since Sep. 20, 2018, has shown that the unique features of this new Leucophyllum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A load-handling parallel arm clamp structure for a lift truck comprises a slide guide frame having respective upper and lower pairs of elongate, parallel, vertically-spaced transverse slide guides with load-arm supporting slide members longitudinally movable thereon alternatively toward or away from one another in a mutually overlapping longitudinal relationship. Each slide member at least partially surrounds the respective slide guide upon which it is mounted, and each slide guide in turn at least partially surrounds a respective piston and cylinder assembly for moving the slides relative to the guides. The upper and lower pairs of guides are separated by a wide, unobstructed central vertical space through which the operator can view in a forward direction, such space being unoccupied by any view-impeding piston and cylinder assemblies due to their placement inside the guides. A compact fluid manifold and valve arrangement for controlling the piston and cylinder assemblies, together with the space-saving cylinder-enclosing slide guides, minimize the thickness of the entire assembly in the forward direction to maximize load-carrying capacity compatibly with the high degree of operator visibility provided.

This invention relates to improvements in lift truck load-handling attachments having parallel load-handling arms (i.e. clamp arms, laterally-movable forks or other load-engaging implements), mounted on transverse slide members for opening and closing and thereby forcibly engaging the sides of loads. Such load-handling arms typically exert relatively high inward lateral force on a load by closing forcibly against the opposite exterior sides thereof to engage and lift it. In some cases the arms may also exert lateral force in an outward direction by opening forcibly against interior opposed surfaces of a load.
Prior load-handling devices of this type, referred to hereafter generally as load "clamps," are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,746,630, 2,782,065, 4,185,944 and 4,279,564, and by clamps manufactured by Kaup & Co. GmbH of Germany. All such load clamps have had certain characteristics in common to enable them to function properly. First, the slide members, and the slide guides upon which the slide members are movably mounted, have always been capable of withstanding large load moments, particularly moments about vertical axes in reaction to the lateral clamping force and, in some cases, moments about longitudinal axes where the load arms are forks and the lateral clamping force is concentrated adjacent the lower extremity of the slide assembly. These large load moments have required an extremely strong and rigid guide and slide assembly, most commonly provided by respective upper and lower pairs of guides and slides. Moreover, because the range of load widths is extremely large, a correspondingly large range of extensibility and retractability of the slide members has been required to enable the load arms to accommodate the different load widths. This in turn has required that the elongate slide members, the slide guides upon which they are mounted, and the piston and cylinder assemblies which move the slide members, all be of significant length, with the slide members longitudinally movable alternatively toward or away from one another in a mutually-overlapping longitudinal relationship. Furthermore, the forward protrusion of the slide members must be minimized so that the load can be carried by a counterbalanced lift truck at the smallest possible forward distance from the truck's front axle, in order to maximize the load-carrying capacity of the counter-balanced truck.
Several of the foregoing requirements of load clamps differ significantly from those of fork-positioning devices which also mount on lift trucks and move the forks alternately toward or away from each other laterally, as shown for example in Japanese patent publications 57-56694, 51-74355, and 51-129069, Russian patent publication 1011-496, and German patent 2929712. None of these fork-positioners is required to impose a high lateral clamping force on a load, nor to provide the range of extensibility and retractability required of a load clamp. Rather, such fork positioners normally move the forks laterally only when the forks are unloaded, so as to position them properly for engaging the bottom of a load, requiring little force and no resistance to the load moments mentioned previously. Moreover, the range of lateral fork positioning movements is relatively small compared to that of a load clamp, eliminating the need for long guides and piston and cylinder assemblies, as well as slide members which move toward or away from each other in a mutually-overlapping longitudinal relationship.
Both load clamps and fork positioners share a common need for enabling the lift truck operator to see the tips of the lower portions of the load-handling arms at varying elevations of the load-handling device, so that the operator can properly position the arms for engagement of a load. The primary visibility needs occur when the lower portions of the load-handling arms are at approximately 1450 millimeters above the ground (highway trailer height), at 1200 millimeters height (the normal interface between the upper and lower portions of a two-tiered load), and at ground level. However, because the foregoing two elevated positions require visibility through the vertical midsection of the load-handling device, it has been virtually impossible to effectively satisfy such visibility needs where load clamps are concerned because of the large slide, slide guide and piston and cylinder assemblies which must be provided to satisfy the high strength and range of motion requirements of load clamps. Space constraints have always required that the vertical midsections of such clamps be occupied by opposed piston and cylinder assemblies and/or other slide structure. Usually, a collection of separate hydraulic conduits (two per piston and cylinder assembly) also occupy the vertical midsection area. It has not been possible to create the extra space in a load clamp necessary to provide a vertical midsection free of obstruction without increasing the vertical height of the clamp to the point where the operator cannot see over the top of the clamp to the tips of the lower portions of the load arms when the clamp is lowered to the ground.
The foregoing visibility problem is not so severe where fork positioners are concerned, because the reduced loading and range of lateral motion of a fork positioner do not require that the slides and piston and cylinder assemblies be particularly large or vertically offset from each other in longitudinally-overlapping relationship, as is required with a load clamp. Accordingly it is much easier to create an unobstructed vertical midsection in a fork positioner than in a load clamp.
Another type of forklift truck load-handling device which has laterally openable and closable load-handling arms is a container handler such as that shown in European patent publication 055874. However such a device engages the load from its top rather than on its sides, so that the slides, guides and piston and cylinder assemblies are arranged in a horizontal plane instead of a vertical plane as in a load clamp. Accordingly such a device does not have visibility needs, or strength and protrusion requirements for the slides and guides, comparable to those of a load clamp.

Lift truck parallel arm clamp for compatibly maximizing operator visibility and load-carrying capacity


A diagnostic test kit for detecting the presence or absence of an enzyme (e.g., leukocyte esterase) within a test sample is provided. The test kit comprises a substrate that is capable of being cleaved in the presence of the enzyme to release a nucleophilic aromatic compound. The kit also comprises a lateral flow device that comprises a chromatographic medium. The chromatographic medium defines a detection zone within which is contained a first reagent (e.g., diazonium ion) that is capable of reacting with the nucleophilic aromatic compound to form a second reagent (e.g., aromatic azo compound). The second reagent exhibits a color that is different than the color of the first reagent. The lateral flow device also includes an absorbent material located adjacent to the chromatographic medium, the absorbent material receiving the test sample after flowing through the chromatographic medium.

One of the most common bacterial infections is that of the urinary tract. Patients who need rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) include premature newborn infants, prepubertal girls and young boys, sexually active women, elderly males and females, pre-operative patients, patients with chronic disease, patients with neurological disorders, patients with genitourinary congenital disorders including urethral valves and reflux, patients with sickle cell disease, patients with renal disease and polycystic kidney disease, patients having undergone renal transplantation and pregnant patients. The diagnosis of UTI in the elderly and in infants, in particular, is difficult because of different signs and symptoms and the inability to communicate.
One technique for diagnosing UTI involves measuring the level of pyuria (the presence of leukocytes in the urine). Leukocytes are normally present in urine, and careful studies have established that the threshold limit for pathological pyuria is about 1×104 leukocytes per milliliter of uncentrifuged urine. Pyuria correlates closely with acute symptomatic infection, and its presence may thus warrant further study of urine specimens in which microorganism counts are less than accepted threshold levels. Several methods have been developed for assessment of pyuria. One such method involves the detection of leukocyte esterase, which is an enzyme released by white blood cells. For example, dipsticks based on leukocyte esterase have been developed that contain an area predisposed with reagents. The test sample is spotted onto the area so that the enzyme reacts with the reagents, thereby inducing a color change. Unfortunately, such test methods generally require that a controlled reading window. However, it is not always feasible to carefully monitor testing, particularly in consumer-based applications.
As such, a need currently exists for an improved technique for detecting an enzyme in a test sample.


A display device including a controller configured to control the source driver and the gate driver based on a control mode for displaying the frame image on the display portion, wherein: in the basic control mode, the controller is configured to display the frame image on the display portion by causing the gate driver to progressively scan all of the N gate signal lines within a predetermined time period, in the low-power control mode, the controller is configured to display a sub-frame image on the display portion by causing the gate driver to scan W gate signal lines within the predetermined time period, and to perform interlaced scanning of the plurality of gate signal lines every K lines, the control mode is configured to shift from the basic control mode to the low-power control mode by way of the first shift control mode.

A liquid crystal display device is one example of display devices that are used as high-definition color monitors for computers and other information devices, and as television receivers. A liquid crystal display device fundamentally includes a display portion in which liquid crystals are sandwiched between two substrates at least one of which is made of transparent glass or the like. In addition, a liquid crystal display device includes a driver for selectively applying voltages to pixel electrodes formed on the substrate of the display portion. Pixels of the respective pixel electrodes are controlled based on the voltage application by the driver.
The display portion generally includes a plurality of gate signal lines, a plurality of source signal lines, and a plurality of pixel electrodes. The gate signal lines, for example, respectively extend in a horizontal direction (main scanning direction), and are aligned in a vertical direction (sub scanning direction). The source signal lines, for example, respectively extend in the vertical direction (sub scanning direction), and are aligned in the horizontal direction (main scanning direction). A plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) and a plurality of the pixel electrodes are disposed in a matrix at intersection points of the gate signal lines and the source signal lines.
A gate driver outputs voltages (gate signals) to the gate signal lines for turning the TFTs on and off. A source driver outputs voltages (source signals) based on an input image signal to the pixel electrodes via the source signal lines to thereby control transmittance of liquid crystals provided corresponding to the pixel electrodes to values according to the source signals.
A display device smoothly displays images on a display portion by successively switching frame images to be displayed on the display portion, for example, based on image signals input from outside. Conventionally, there is a known display device that determines whether an image to be displayed on a display portion is a still picture or a moving picture, and switches between interlaced scanning and progressive scanning of gate signal lines based on a result of the determination. A display device disclosed in a prior art prevents deterioration of image qualities by progressively scanning gate signal lines when an image to be displayed on a display portion is a moving picture, and attempts to reduce power consumption by interlaced scanning of the gate signal lines when the image is a still picture (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-064964).
Unfortunately, with the device disclosed in the prior art, when the method of scanning the gate signal lines is switched between interlaced scanning and progressive scanning too quickly, a power-supply voltage changes due to load changes and an influence of a leakage of voltages held in pixels, and thus brightness changes. Therefore, it becomes difficult to smoothly switch images to be displayed on the display portion, which may possibly result in excessive deterioration in image qualities.

Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.


A tailgate latch for vehicles having a bell crank that cooperates with a rotary arm of a key cylinder is provided. The bell crank has a slot formed at a middle section thereof for receiving a round pin formed at a middle section of a latch plate, by which the bell crank and the latch plate are cooperatively operated, such that a return position of the bell crank is restricted by the slot and the round pin, and wherein the latch plate is further removably hitched with a striker that is mounted at a body of a vehicle.

This application claims priority of Korea patent Application No. 2000-70375, filed on Nov. 24, 2000.
The present invention relates to a tailgate latch for vehicles, and more particularly to a tailgate latch for vehicles constructed in simple structure for reduction in the number of parts and assembling processes, thereby decreasing manufacturing cost, improving operational reliability and easing key manipulation.
Generally, a door of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as door) is equipped with a door latch for maintaining a closed state and for releasing the closed state to enable the door to be opened. Leisure and sports vehicles such as sports utility vehicles (SUV) and the like are also mounted with latches to their rear doors of tailgates.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a latch at a tailgate is equipped with a base plate 10 formed with a bend piece 11 and stoppers 12 and 13, a housing 20 disposed underneath the base plate 10 for providing an inlet to a striker 21 and for protecting latch parts and for mounting a latch to the tailgate, a bell crank 30 for rotatably being mounted on the base plate 10 via a rivet 40 and formed with a round pin 31 and a press pin 32, a return spring 41 mounted on the rivet 40 while respectively secured at both ends thereof to the bend piece 11 of the base plate 10 and to the bell crank 30 for pushing the bell crank 30 toward the stopper 12, a latch plate 50 rotatably formed at the base plate 10 via a rivet 42 while constructed with an upper piece 51, a middle piece 52 and a lower piece 53 where the middle piece 52 is defined by a round pin 54 pressed by the press piece 32 of the bell crank 30 and the lower piece 53 is formed with a bend 55, a return spring 43 having both ends each connected to the bend piece 55 of the latch plate 50 and to inner wall surface of the housing and pulling the latch plate 50 toward a direction where the upper piece 51 is brought into contact with the stopper 13, a key cylinder 60 connected to the round pin 31 of the bell crank 30 and formed with a rotary arm 61 for supplying an action force, an actuator 70 mounted at the base plate 10 and formed with a rotary piece 71 for rotary action with supplied power, and a rod 72 for connecting the rotary piece 71 of the actuator 70 with the upper piece 51 of the latch plate 50.
When a key is inserted into the key cylinder 60 and to be rotated, the rotary arm 61 is rotated to clockwise rotate the bell crank 30 and the press piece 32 presses the round pin 54 at the latch plate 50, such that the latch plate 50 is counterclockwise rotated to be introduced through a downward opening of the housing 20, where the striker 21 hitched at the latch plate 50 is released from restriction to open the tailgate.
Successively, when the key is pulled out of the key cylinder 60, the latch plate 50 is clockwise rotated by the return spring 43 to return to an original position while the bell crank 30 is also returned to its original position by action where the round pin 54 of the latch plate 50 pushes the press piece 32 and simultaneously by action of the return spring 41 at the bell crank 30.
Meanwhile, the actuator 70 is operated by switch manipulation of a driver, where, when a switch is turned on, the rotary piece 71 at the actuator 70 is rotated counterclockwise to pull the rod 72, whereby the latch plate 50 is rotated counterclockwise as pressed by the bell crank 30 to release the restricted state of the striker 21, thereby operating the tailgate, where return action of the latch plate 50 is made to occur by way of the return spring 43 as described above.
However, there is a problem in the tailgate latch thus described according to the prior art in that the stoppers 12 and 13 are respectively formed at the base plate 10 for restricting the return position of the bell crank 30 and the latch plate 50 and the bend piece 11 is formed for disposition of the return spring 41 at the bell crank 30, complicating shapes of the base plate 10 while, even though the stoppers 12 and 13 are respectively covered by cushioning rubber covers 14 for alleviating shock when the bell crank 30 and the latch plate 50 are returned, and the bell crank 30 is automatically returned by the return of the latch plate 50 during return operation, the return spring 41 is additionally used to increase the number of parts, thereby increasing the number of assembling process and manufacturing cost.
There is another problem in that the return operation of the bell crank 30 is not properly realized due to decreased durability strength of the return spring 41 at the bell crank 30, thereby resulting in a poor return operation of the latch plate 50 and abnormal operation of the latch.
There is still another problem in that reaction force of the return spring 41 at the bell crank 30 is generated in addition to that of the return spring 43 at the latch plate 50, thereby calling for more power for manipulating the key.
The present invention is disclosed to solve the aforementioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a tailgate latch for vehicles constructed free of bend piece and stoppers for bell crank to simplify the shape of a base plate, thereby reducing the number of rubber covers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tailgate latch for vehicles constructed free of return spring to reduce the number of overall parts and the number of assembling process and manufacturing cost, thereby eliminating abnormal operation of latch due to improper operation of return spring for bell crank.
There is still another object of the present invention to provide a tailgate latch for vehicles constructed free of return spring for bell crank to reduce a key manipulating force.
In accordance with one object of the present invention there is provided a tailgate latch for vehicles, the latch comprising:
a bell crank having a slot; and
a latch plate having a pin movably inserted in the slot and formed to be releasably coupled to a striker mounted at a body of the vehicle, wherein the latch further comprising:
a base plate;
a bell crank rotatably mounted to the base plate;
a return spring for returning the latch plate to its original position;
a key cylinder having a rotary arm for rotating the bell crank; and
an actuator having a rotary piece connected to the latch plate via a rod for rotating the latch plate.


A latent image is formed on a photoreceptor. Each of a plurality of toner carriers carries toner of a single color to be transferred onto the photoreceptor to make the latent image visible. Each of the toner carriers is fixed at a predetermined distance from a surface of the photoreceptor. A first bias supplier supplies a first bias required to transfer the toner to the photoreceptor to one of the toner carriers which is subjected to a developing operation. A second bias supplier supplies a second bias which is not enough to transfer the toner to the photoreceptor to the other toner carriers which are not subjected to the developing operation.

The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus on a non-contact developing system.
During the developing process in an image forming apparatus using electrophotography, a photoreceptor such as a photosensitive drum or a photosensitive belt is rotated at a fixed speed in a predetermined direction first and uniformly charged by a charging unit disposed around the photoreceptor. Then the photoreceptor is exposed to a light beam from an exposure unit and scanned, whereby an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor. Further, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoreceptor is developed by developing units (developing devices) disposed around the photoreceptor.
The developing unit is provided with a developing roller (toner carrier) for carrying toner to a developing position opposite to the photoreceptor. The toner from the developing roller is made to stick to the photoreceptor, so that the electrostatic latent image is reduced to a visible image. In the case of a color image forming apparatus, a series of charging, exposure and developing steps is successively repeated on a color basis (e.g., Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and K (black)).
A related-art color image forming apparatus is provided with developing rollers for carrying four colors of YMCK in the respective developing units and when these colors are developed, there has been employed a system of moving the developing roller for an applicable color up to a predetermined position to make the developing roller contact or adjoin a photoreceptor. In other words, the operation of moving the developing roller has been needed at each step of developing the applicable color. In case where four color developing rollers are disposed around the axis of rotation on the photoreceptor, for example, the designated developing rollers have been swung one after another to make such a developing roller contact or adjoin the photoreceptor.
However, the aforesaid related-art color image forming apparatus requires a precision transfer mechanism for moving the developing rollers, space and time therefor. Consequently, the adoption of the system of moving the developing rollers on a color basis has constituted obstacles to reducing the cost and size as well as increasing the operating speed of such an apparatus.
As a method of solving the foregoing problems, it is conceivable to fixedly place the four color developing rollers at the predetermined positions around the photoreceptor by adopting a non-contact developing system in order not to necessitate moving the developing rollers. However, there are the following problems for making this method effectual.
A developing gap on the non-contact developing system is provided between developing rollers and a photoreceptor so as to carry out development. However, in case where the gap is too large, neat development is unavailable because toner is insufficiently transferred from the developing roller to the photoreceptor, whereas in case where the gap is too small, the toner is cause to transfer from the developing roller not in operation and there occurs a phenomenon of color mixture. Consequently, the problem is that high-quality development is difficult to carry out on the system.
As four of the developing units are needed to be disposed around the photoreceptor on the system above, the mounting angles of the developing units differ from each other and it is needed to contrive to prevent toner from being left over in a toner container in each developing unit. Moreover, as each developing roller is installed close to the photoreceptor, the developing devices must be arranged so that the photoreceptor is protected from being damaged when they are removed and replaced.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a color image forming apparatus on a non-contact developing system, capable of preventing toner in color being not developed from transferring to a photoreceptor even though the gap between developing rollers and the photoreceptor is decreased, using toner without waste and making developing devices removable and replaceable with safety.
In order to accomplish the object above, according to the invention, there is provided a color image forming apparatus, comprising:
a photoreceptor, on which a latent image is formed;
a plurality of toner carriers, each carries toner of a single color to be transferred onto the photoreceptor to make the latent image visible, each of the toner carriers fixed at a predetermined distance from a surface of the photoreceptor;
a first bias supplier, which supplies a first bias required to transfer the toner to the photoreceptor to one of the toner carriers which is subjected to a developing operation; and
a second bias supplier, which supplies a second bias which is not enough to transfer the toner to the photoreceptor to the other toner carriers which are not subjected to the developing operation.
In such an apparatus, even though the distance between the photoreceptor and the toner carriers is decreased, toner color being not developed is prevented from mixing with what is being developed, so that high-quality printing can be done.
Preferably, the first bias includes an AC component and a DC component, and the second bias is the DC component of the first bias.
In order to accomplish the object above, according to the invention, there is also provided a color image forming apparatus, comprising:
a photoreceptor, on which a latent image is formed;
a plurality of toner carriers, each carries toner of a single color to be transferred onto the photoreceptor to make the latent image visible, each of the toner carriers fixed at a predetermined distance from a surface of the photoreceptor;
a first bias supplier, which supplies a first bias having at least one first absolute value required to transfer the toner to the photoreceptor to one of the toner carriers which is subjected to a developing operation; and
a second bias supplier, which supplies a second bias having a second absolute value less than the first absolute value to the other toner carriers which are not subjected to the developing operation.
Preferably, the first bias includes an AC component and a DC component having the first absolute value.
Preferably, a plurality of first absolute values are provided according to colors of the toner.
In the above configurations, it is preferable that the toner is stored in a toner container disposed above each of the toner carriers. In this case, even in the system of disposing the toner carriers around the photoreceptor, the toner is never left in the toner containers without being supplied to the photoreceptor, so that the toner can be used up without waste.
In the above configurations, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises: a plurality of developing devices, each including at least one of the toner carriers, each of the developing devices disposed at an installing position and movable from the installing position in a first direction; and a guide member, which guides each developing device such that a distance between the surface of the photoreceptor and each toner carrier is enlarged in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, in accordance with a movement of each developing device in the first direction.
Accordingly, the developing devices can be safely removed and replaced without damaging the photoreceptor.
In the above configurations, it is preferable that the photoreceptor is at least one of a plurality of photoreceptors provided in the apparatus.
According to the invention, it is thus possible to realize a high-quality color image forming apparatus on a non-contact developing system and to provide such a color image forming apparatus as is higher in operating speed and lower in cost and size than what utilizes the related-art developing-roller moving system.