An inflatable corner cushion for protecting a corner of an object is disclosed. The inflatable corner cushion may have two triangular, inflatable cushions. Each cushion may have two edges meeting to form a V-shape. The two edges may be sealed together along the V-shaped edges such that, when the chambers are at least partially inflated, a combination of the chambers forms a pocket for enclosing a corner of an object. An inflatable coner cushion may be placed on each corner of an object. The objects and cushion may then be placed in a shipping box. In such a condition, the pocket surrounds each corner such that they are protected from impacts from all directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging cushions and, more specifically, to air packaging cushions to protect and support a corner of an object.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, objects of all kinds are shipped through numerous shipping services, such as the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service (UPS), and Federal Express. Literally billions of dollars in merchandise are shipped each year.
During shipment, many objects are subject to vibration, static electricity, shaking and bumping, and may also be dropped or thrown, either intentionally or unintentionally. Without proper packaging, many of the objects may be damaged or destroyed, resulting in significant losses, consumer dissatisfaction, and inconvenience. In addition, when shipped objects are damaged, costly disputes can often arise between the receiving party, the sending party, and/or the shipping party. Properly protecting an object during shipment is critical to numerous businesses.
Conventional packaging incorporates a variety of materials to protect and insulate an object within a shipping box. One of these materials is xe2x80x9cbubble-pack.xe2x80x9d Bubble-pack consists of two layers of thin plastic material, such as polyethylene or vinyl formed with periodic bubbles between the layers.
Bubble-pack is bulky because it is produced in an inflated state and therefore expensive to ship and store. Furthermore, conventional bubble-pack provides limited protection in certain applications because of the fixed bubble diameter, height, and count in a given material area.
Another conventional packaging material employs preformed solid foam blocks made of, for example, polyurethane or polystyrene. These blocks limit the movement of the packaged object during travel. Unfortunately, they are bulky and expensive to ship and store. As these blocks are often shaped to conform to specific product, it is unlikely that they may be reused to ship other, even similar, products. Foam blocks are of fixed dimensions and, as a consequence, cannot be modified to suit a different product. Moreover, the blocks are often fragile and may be easily broken or fragmented during storage or usage, preventing reuse. Thus, foam blocks are often discarded after one use. In addition, the materials from which the blocks are made do not degrade rapidly and thus are not environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, when using conventional packaging, significant concerns arise in relation to the protection of narrow objects, such as picture frames or circuit boards (e.g., motherboards). Because they are narrow, many such objects are often inherently fragile. During shipment, the corners of such objects may receive the majority of any potentially damaging forces. As a consequence, it is critical to provide adequate protection to the corners of these objects. This protection must insulate a corner of an object from forces imposed from any direction (e.g., the top, bottom, or either side of the corner).
It would, therefore, be an advancement in the art to provide a packaging cushion for protecting the corners of a narrow object. It would further be an advancement in the art to provide such a packaging cushion that is durable, versatile, and reusable.
The present invention provides a reusable, inflatable corner cushion for protecting the corner of an object during shipment. The inflatable corner cushion may have two inflatable chambers. The inflatable chambers may, in one configuration, be triangular in shape. The chambers may be airtight such that they may contain a filler medium (e.g., air or foam).
In one implementation, each chamber may be formed from two gas-impervious composite laminate panels. The panels may be triangular and may be joined together by a heat seal along peripheral edges thereof.
In one embodiment, each chamber has two adjacent edges meeting to form a V-shape. A seal may join the V-shaped edges of each chamber such that, when each of the chambers is at least partially inflated with the filler medium, a combination of the chambers forms a pocket for enclosing a corner of an object. In such a condition, the chambers are positioned such the transverse axis of each chamber meets to form an acute angle, similar to an open-mouthed clam.
The pocket is well suited to protect a corner of a narrow object, such as picture frames or circuit boards. An inflatable corner cushion may be placed on each corner of the object being shipped. The cushions and the object may then be placed in a shipping box. In such a state, the pocket encloses the corner of the object such that it is insulated from impacts from any direction. Also, because of the fluid nature of the filler medium, the inflatable corner cushion rapidly redistributes and diffuses potentially damaging impacts. As an added benefit, in the course of properly protecting the corners of the shipped object, the object may thus be suspended, providing a buffer around the remainder of the object.
In one configuration, at least one of the chambers further comprises a conjoined segment. The conjoined segment is a union between opposing sides of a chamber and limits the size of the chamber when containing the filler medium. In one embodiment, the conjoined segment xe2x80x9cflattensxe2x80x9d the top edge of the inflatable corner cushion such that it better conforms to the shape of the shipping box.
The inflatable corner cushion may also have a transfer channel for communicating filler medium between the chambers. The transfer channel may include mating holes formed in each chamber, where the area surrounding each hole is sealed together. In an alternative embodiment, the channel simply may be a tube joining the two chambers. The transfer channel serves a number of purposes. For example, it enables an impact received at one chamber to be diffused and redistributed between both chambers, not just the chamber receiving the impact. The transfer channel further allows inflation and deflation of both chambers from a single entry point.
The inflatable corner cushion may also have a valve for selectively communicating the filler medium into and out of one of the chambers. The valve may be a self-closing and self-sealing flat valve, which may be formed from two, small plastic strips sealed together along the longitudinal peripheral edges, to form an air passageway. The passageway is coated with an adhesive that permits selective inflation and deflation of the chamber. In one embodiment, because of the transfer channel, a single valve may be used to inflate and deflate both chambers.
The inflatable corner cushion offers a number of advantages over other conventional corner packaging. The inflatable corner cushion may, for example, be shipped and stored in a deflated condition, thereby reducing the expense of shipment and storage. Because of the fluid nature of a filler medium contained within inflatable corner cushion, it rapidly absorbs and redistributes forces acting on the cushion, thereby protecting delicate items during shipment. When air is used as a filler medium, the vast majority of the volume of the inflatable corner cushion is a natural product, which does not threaten the environment. In addition, the inflatable corner cushion is durable, yet flexible, and thus can be reused many times to protect the same or similar items during shipment. In many cases, the materials used to make the inflatable corner cushion are less costly to recycle than the materials used to make conventional pre-formed foam blocks.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.


A lift control device for a roller shade has a side cover, a roller, a chain retaining wheel, a chain and a follower spool. The side cover has an axle and multiple inner teeth. The roller is rotatably mounted around and is eccentric to the axle. The roller has multiple teeth partially engaging with the inner teeth on the side cover and at least one stub. The chain retaining wheel has an eccentric hole to rotatably receive the roller. The follower spool is attached to the chain retaining wheel and engages with the roller to rotate with the roller. Accordingly, a shade blind connected to the follower spool is actuated in instant when the chain is drawn. The follower spool is kept from rotating even when a large force applied to the follower spool, and the safety of using the roller shade is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lift control device, and more particularly to a lift control device for a roller shade.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to FIG. 6, a conventional lift control device for a roller shade comprises a support rod (80), a spring (82), a roller cap (86) and a follower spool (89). The support rod (80) is adapted to connect to a frame of the roller shade through a bracket (not shown). The spring (82) is mounted around the support rod (80) and has two coiled portions (83). Each coiled portion (83) has a bent distal end (85), and a connecting lug (84) is formed between the coiled portions (83). The roller cap (86) is rotatably mounted on the support rod (80) and has a retaining opening (87) corresponding to the spring (82). The bent distal ends (85) on the coiled portions (83) abut one side of the retaining opening (87), and the connecting lug (84) between the coiled portions (83) abuts the other side of the retaining opening (87). A chain retaining wheel (not numbered) is mounted on one end of the roller cap (86), and a loop-shaped chain (88) is secured to the chain retaining wheel to rotate the chain retaining wheel when the chain (88) is drawn. The follower spool (89) is attached on the roller cap (86) to rotate with the roller cap (86). The follower spool (89) is adapted to connect to a roller tube (not shown) on which a shade blind is mounted. An elongated rib (not numbered) is formed on the inner wall of the follower spool (89) and is located between the connecting lug (84) and the distal ends (85) of the coiled portions (83). When the chain (88) is drawn, the roller cap (86) will be rotated so as to push either the connecting lug (84) or the distal ends (85) of the coiled portions (83). The elongated rib will be pushed by the connecting lug (84) or the distal ends (85), such that the follower spool (89) will rotate with the roller cap (86). Accordingly, the lifting or lowering of the shade blind can be controlled by means of drawing the chain (88) through the lift control device.
However, the conventional lift control device has the following shortcomings.
1. Because there is a gap defined between the elongated rib and the connecting lug (84) or the distal ends (85) of the coiled portions (83), the follower spool (89) cannot be actuated in the instant when the chain (88) is pulled. The shade blind of the roller shade cannot be lifted or lowered a slight distance by the conventional lift control device.
2. The movement of the follower spool (89) is limited by the friction of the coiled portions of the spring (82) between the support rod (80). When a force applied to the shade blind is larger than the friction provided by the spring (82), the shade blind will be forced to lower. More specifically, a large shade blind having a weight larger than the friction provided by the spring (82) will unintentionally lower due to the weight of the shade blind. Thus the safety of using the conventional lift control device is not enough. The conventional lift control device cannot be used in a roller shade with a large shade blind, and the use of the conventional lift control device is not versatile.
3. The resiliency of the spring (82) will be lost after a long time of use, and the useful life of the conventional lift control device is inconveniently short.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a lift control device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a lift control device for a roller shade that can make a shade blind of the roller shade lift or lower instantly when a chain is drawn.
The secondary objective of the invention is to provide a lift control device for a roller shade to make the use of the lift control versatile and to improve the safety of use the shade blind.


A method for opearation of femto base station (BS) is provided. The method includes: transmitting the first low duty operation (LDO) pattern information, which includes length information of an available interval (AI) where the femto BS is activated and length information of an unavailable interval (UAI) where the femto BS is inactivated, to user equipment (UE) and operating based on the first LDO pattern where the first LDO cycle, a sequence of the AI and the UAI, is repeatedly arranged. The first LDO pattern information further including a superframe offset as information for leading a start point of the first LDO cycle.

In an institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.16 task group that chooses the next-generation wireless interface standards and a nonprofit worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) forum that provides service and network standards for a broadband wireless connection system based on IEEE 802.16, standardization has been being achieved for a wireless connection system supporting a femto-cell to enhance efficiency of the system and improve quality of service (QoS) under an indoor environment. The WiMAX forum defines a femto base station (BS) as a low-power inexpensive base station connected to an Internet protocol (IP) network through a fixed wireless link or a local broadband wired link.
FIG. 1 shows a network structure including a femto-cell system. The femto BS is connected to the IP network spread in a home or an office, and accesses a core network of a mobile communication system through the IP network, thereby providing mobile communication service. That is, the femto BS may be connected to the core network of the mobile communication system through a digital subscriber line (DSL). A user of the mobile communication system may receive the service in the outdoors through the existing macro-cell, but receive the service in the indoors through the femto-cell. The femto-cell improves indoor coverage of the mobile communication system by making up for that the service of the existing macro-cell becomes deteriorated in a building, and provides the service intended for the a specific user, thereby providing voice and data service of high quality. Further, the femto-cell can provide a new service not given in the macro-cell, and the spread of the femto-cell may cause fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) to be accelerated and an industrial-based cost to be reduced.
In a mobile wireless access system supporting the femto-cell, the femto BS has a power off state, an initialization state and an operational state. The power off state refers to a state before the femto BS is powered on or a state that the femto BS is powered off from the initialization state or the operational state. That is, the power off state refers to that no more service is given to user equipment (UE). The initialization state refers to an entry state once the femto BS starts receiving power, in which an initial system parameter acquisition, physical(PHY)/medium access control (MAC) layer parameter decision, topology acquisition or the like wireless interface setting is performed, and time and frequency synchronization using a global positioning system (GPS), a wired interface, IEEE 1588 or the like is performed.
If the femto BS successfully accesses a network, the femto BS enters the operational state. In the case that one or more UEs access coverage of the femto BS and receive service, the femto BS enters a normal operation mode and serves as a BS. Also, the femto BS supports a low duty operation (LDO) mode to decrease interference with neighbor cells. The femto BS, which enters the LDO mode, alternates between an availability interval (AI) and an unavailability interval (UAI). The femto BS entering the AI operates in an active mode. On the other hand, the femto BS entering the UAI does not transmit and receive any information with the UE through an air interface to minimize the interference.
The femto BS of the normal operation mode can enter the LDO mode when all the UE that belong to the femto BS are in a sleep mode or an idle mode or when no UE belongs to the femto BS. The femto BSs, which enter the LDO mode, may be different in the AI and the UAI from one another in accordance with conditions of the BS. That is, the femto BSs in the LDO mode may have different patterns of the AI and the UAI according to the BSs.
The above related arts refer to an entry condition of the femto BS from the operational state into the normal operation mode and the LDO mode and an operation method for the LDO mode. However, since the above related art is nothing but mention about general technology, there are further needed detailed descriptions about a switching condition of the operation state to be considered in the practical femto BS, a determining method for an LDO cycle as a basis of the operation of the LDO mode, etc.

Method for operation of femto base station based on radio access system

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A nanofocusing system includes a dielectric waveguide having two opposing ends; and a metal-dielectric-metal layered waveguide having two opposing ends optically aligned at one end with one end of the dielectric waveguide, wherein the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide tapers in at least one dimension from the aligned end of the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide towards the opposing end, wherein light travelling through the dielectric waveguide is funneled into the dielectric layer of the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide, squeezed by the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide taper, and exits the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide as nanofocused light.

E. N. Economou, "Surface Plasmons in Thin Films," Phys. Rev. 182:539 (1969); A. Taflove, "Computational Electromagnetics: The Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method," Boston, Mass.: Artech House (1995); Veronis and Fan, "Bends and Splitters in Metal-Dielectric-Metal Subwavelength Plasmonic Waveguides," Appl. Phys. Lett. 87:131102 (2005); Pile and Gramotnev, "Adiabatic and Nonadiabatic Nanofocusing of Plasmons by Tapered Gap Plasmon Waveguides," Appl. Phys. Lett. 89:041111 (2006); and Heras, et al., "Direct Measurement of Frequency and Polarization Dependences of Cross-Phase Modulation in Fibers From High-Resolution Optical Spectra," Opt. Lett. 31:14 (2006), are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The ability to squeeze light to be ultra small is critical to high density optical interconnection, sensitive modulators, optical data storage, compact sensors, manipulation of nanostructures, sharper microscopy, and optical lithography in semiconductor industry. The extremely high light intensity resulting from the ultra small spot will greatly increase the nonlinear effect and can be used to make ultra small and ultra fast electric-optic or all-optic modulators. Recent progress in plasmonics offers new insight into this topic. (E. Ozbay, "Plasmonics: Merging Photonics and Electronics at Nanoscale Dimensions," Science 311:189 (2006); Barnes et al., "Surface Plasmon Subwavelength Optics," Nature (London) 424:824 (2003), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety).
Currently, there are two approaches to squeeze light into a subwavelength scale using plasmon-based media. The first one is based on the small mode size that is supported by plasmon-based media in which light can be squeezed into a subwavelength aperture or propagated in a subwavelength waveguide. Directly coupling light into a deep subwavelength circular or square aperture has been tried and shown to have very low efficiency. As a result, more recent work has focused on transmitting light through deep subwavelength slits or coupling light into waveguides with deep subwavelength dimension only in one direction.
Extraordinary optical transmission was first observed through arrays of subwavelength holes. Each hole has a diameter (150 nm) slightly smaller than the diffraction limit of light (λ=326 nm) (Ebbesen et al., "Extraordinary Optical Transmission Through Sub-Wavelength Hole Arrays," Nature (London) 391:667 (1998), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). The transmission through the aperture can be enhanced by fabricating periodic grooves surrounding the apertures (García-Vidal et al., "Multiple Paths to Enhance Optical Transmission through a Single Subwavelength Slit," Phys. Rev. Lett. 90:213901 (2003), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety).
Following the same principle, beaming light from a single subwavelength aperture was reported (Lezec et al., "Beaming Light from a Subwavelength Aperture," Science 297:820 (2002), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). Two types of apertures were used in this work: a circular aperture with diameter 250 nm, which is slightly smaller than the diffraction limit for visible light and a slit aperture with deep subwavelength dimension in one direction, 40 nm, but in another dimension 4400 nm. If another deep subwavelength confinement by metal is applied, a cutoff frequency will be imposed and the transmission is extremely small. Resonant optical antennas considerably shorter than one-half the wavelength were shown to enhance field in the antenna feed gap and lead to white-light supercontinuum generation (Muhlschlegel et al, "Resonant Optical Antennas," Science 308:1607 (2005), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). However, the low coupling efficiency and side lobes constitute significant drawbacks for practical applications.
Light propagation along a chain of gold particles with dimensions 100×100×40 nm3 deposited on an ITO substrate was observed in the visible light regime (λ=633 nm) (Krenn et al., "Squeezing the Optical Near-Field Zone by Plasmon Coupling of Metallic Nanoparticles," Phys. Rev. Lett. 82:2590 (1999), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). Yin et al. (Yin et al., "Subwavelength Focusing and Guiding of Surface Plasmons," Nano Lett. 5:1399 (2005), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety), demonstrated light (λ=532 nm) guiding along a silver strip with a cross section of 250×50 nm2. There is also a report on very low-loss light propagation (˜100 μm) along triangular 0.6 μm wide and 1 μm deep gold grooves at a telecom wavelength (Bozhevolnyi et al., "Channel Plasmon-Polariton Guiding by Subwavelength Metal Grooves," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95:046802 (2005), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). Numerical simulation of a nanowire taper (M. I. Stockman, "Nanofocusing of Optical Energy in Tapered Plasmonic Waveguides," Phys. Rev. Lett. 93:137404 (2004), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) and experimental demonstration of a planar taper (Verhagen et al., "Nanofocusing in Laterally Tapered Plasmonic Waveguides," Opt. Express 16: 45 (2008), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) were recently reported, where photons are converted into surface plasmon polaritons and propagate along the surface of a tapered nanowire or waveguide. However, how to efficiently couple light into such a chain, groove, and tapers, as well as how to decrease surface scattering are problems remaining unsolved.
The other approach to squeeze light subwavelength is based on negative refraction by plasmon-based media. Negative refraction can be employed to amplify and restore evanescent waves, which carry the fine information of the object, making super imaging resolution (Shin and Fan, "All-Angle Negative Refraction for Surface Plasmon Waves Using a Metal-Dielectric-Metal Structure," Phys. Rev. Lett. 96:073907 (2006); Lu et al., "Three-Dimensional Subwavelength Imaging by a Photonic-Crystal Flat Lens Using Negative Refraction at Microwave Frequencies," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95:153901 (2005), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety). Sub-diffraction-limited optical imaging was obtained with a silver superlens by negative refraction with resolution of λ/6 (λ=365 nm). However, subwavelength images themselves require subwavelength objects (Fang et al., "Sub-Diffraction-Limited Optical Imaging with a Silver Superlens," Science 308:534 (2005), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety).
On the other hand, efficient light coupling from dielectric waveguides into plasmonic waveguides was numerically investigated in recent work. The key issue is to match the effective transmission cross section (determined by impedance and mode profile) of the plasmonic waveguides. It has been shown that the effective transmission cross section of a metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguide is surprisingly much larger than the geometrical dimension of the dielectrics between metal slabs. This helps the transmission cross section match between a dielectric waveguide and MDM waveguide. The reason for this is still not completely clear. The light transmission enhancement on nanoscale antennas or by periodic textures may partially explain the high transmission (Muhlschlegel et al., "Resonant Optical Antennas," Science 308:1607 (2005); Lezec et al., "Beaming Light from a Subwavelength Aperture," Science 297:820 (2002); Gay et al., "The Optical Response of Nanostructured Surfaces and the Composite Diffracted Evanescent Wave Model," Nature Phys. 2:262 (2006); Weeber et al., "Optical Near-Field Distributions of Surface Plasmon Waveguide Modes," Phys. Rev. B 68:115401 (2003), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety). Two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations were performed (Veronis and Fan, "Theoretical Investigation of Compact Couplers Between Dielectric Slab Waveguides and Two-Dimensional Metal-Dielectric-Metal Plasmonic Waveguides," Opt. Express 15:1211 (2007), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety) for light direct coupling from a dielectric waveguide into an MDM waveguide with efficiency 68% (including propagation loss). The two-dimensional (2D) simulations promise to be valid for plasmonic waveguides with large dimensions in the third direction.
These research results are exciting and indeed constitute breakthroughs towards deep subwavelength photonics. However, they either provide deep subwavelength dimension only in one direction, or need the assistance of periodic textures, or require very complicated coupling configurations.

Methods for three-dimensional nanofocusing of light and systems thereof


The invention provides a method of removing solid carbon dioxide from cryogenic equipment, including the steps of: (a) introducing a stream including ethane to the cryogenic equipment to convert solid carbon dioxide to liquid form whereby a mixture of liquid ethane and liquid carbon dioxide is formed; and (b) removing the mixture of liquid ethane and liquid carbon dioxide from the cryogenic equipment. In particular, the method can be used in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant wherein cryogenic equipment contains LNG, and the method includes the steps of: (a′) removing the LNG from the cryogenic equipment; (a) introducing a stream including ethane to convert solid carbon dioxide to liquid form whereby a mixture of liquid ethane and liquid carbon dioxide is formed; and (b) removing the mixture of liquid ethane and liquid carbon dioxide from the cryogenic equipment. The result is an effective cleaning method for fouled LNG equipment.

Natural gas contains a wide range of species which are capable of forming solids during the cryogenic process of producing LNG known as liquefaction. One of the species that causes considerable problems to LNG producers is carbon dioxide. In a conventional LNG facility, pretreatment of the natural gas is conducted to decrease the carbon dioxide content to between 50 and 125 ppm prior to the natural gas entering the liquefaction process.
On average, carbon dioxide compositions in a natural gas feed stream can range between 0.5% and 30% mol and can be as high as 70% mol in commercially viable reservoirs like Natuna, Indonesia. Carbon dioxide is typically removed using chemical reactions such as reversible absorption processes with amine solvents. These are expensive and complex processes and commonly encounter operational problems such as foaming, corrosion, blocked filters and amine degradation. Losses of amine, water and hydrocarbons are commonly encountered. These processes also consume significant amounts of energy to regenerate and pump the solvent.
LNG refrigeration systems are expensive because so much refrigeration is needed to liquefy natural gas. A typical natural gas stream enters a LNG plant at pressures from about 40 bar to about 76 bar and temperatures from about 20° C. to about 40° C. Natural gas, which is predominantly methane, cannot be liquefied by simply increasing the pressure, as is the case with heavier hydrocarbons used for energy purposes. The critical temperature of methane is −82.5° C. This means that methane can only be liquefied below that temperature regardless of the pressure applied. Since natural gas is a mixture of gases, it liquefies over a range of temperatures. The critical temperature of natural gas is typically between about −85° C. and −62° C. Natural gas compositions at atmospheric pressure will typically liquefy in the temperature range between about −165° C. and −155° C. Since refrigeration equipment represents such a significant part of the LNG facility cost, cleaning of this equipment is important.
In conventional LNG plants, the natural gas is typically cooled in one or more heat exchangers. If insufficient carbon dioxide is removed prior to the natural gas entering the heat exchangers, carbon dioxide precipitates as a solid and accumulates on the cold surfaces of the heat exchangers and other plant equipment eventually rendering these items inoperable. When fouling has reached a critical level, the vessel must be taken off-line for the carbon dioxide solids to be removed. This can be achieved by warming-up the affected equipment. However, this causes considerable downtime and energy-loss for the plant. Alternatively, the solid carbon dioxide may be removed mechanically. In such a case of mechanical defouling of equipment, the vessel, baffles and/or pipework may be damaged, which only encourages further fouling in the next production cycle. Moreover, solids condensing on metal surfaces form an insulating film reducing the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger.
There is a need for a simpler, more economical process for the removal of solid carbon dioxide that has fouled plant equipment under cryogenic conditions.


A precision baking system includes a baking vessel that defines a vertical direction. The baking vessel includes a base wall and at least one sidewall. An aperture is formed in one of the base wall and the sidewall. The precision baking system also includes a temperature probe. The temperature probe includes a tip and a temperature sensor within the tip. The temperature probe is sized to extend through the aperture such that the tip of the temperature probe is spaced from the base wall and the sidewall of the baking vessel when the temperature probe is fully inserted into the baking vessel through the aperture.

Traditionally, when preparing baked goods, a user will estimate when the baked goods are done based on cooking temperature and time. In some instances, the user may apply additional methods to see if the baked goods are done, such as inserting a sharp object, e.g., a toothpick, into the baked goods to visually inspect how much of the baked goods sticks to the toothpick. A user may sometimes also use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the baked goods.
Relying on cooking temperature and time alone can be inaccurate. For example, different cooking appliances may vary in the precision and accuracy with which cooking temperatures can be set and/or measured. Also, measuring cooking temperature only indirectly measures the temperature of the baked goods. Applying additional methods such as the toothpick test or instant read thermometer can be inefficient. For example, opening an oven door while the baking operation is ongoing in order to insert, e.g., the toothpick or thermometer, allows heat from the cooking chamber to escape. Also, reaching into the cooking chamber in such methods may lead to inadvertently touching a hot surface of the cooking chamber or a hot cooking rack.
Accordingly, a baking system with features for accurate and efficient assessment of the doneness of baked goods prepared with the system would be useful.


A method for threshing and pneumatic separation of tobacco leaves, including: 1) transporting a mixture of the tobacco slices and stems from a primary threshing set into primary pneumatic separation unit for sorting out tobacco slices, and transporting a remaining mixture into a secondary threshing set; 2) transporting the mixture from the secondary threshing set into a secondary pneumatic separation unit for sorting out the tobacco slices and qualified stems, and transferring a remaining mixture to a tertiary threshing set; 3) transporting the mixture from the tertiary threshing set into a tertiary pneumatic separation unit for sorting out the tobacco slices and the qualified stems, and transferring a remaining mixture into a quaternary threshing set; 4) transporting the mixture from the quaternary threshing set into a quaternary pneumatic separation unit for sorting out the tobacco slices and the qualified stems, and returning a remaining mixture to the quaternary threshing set.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for threshing and pneumatic separation of tobacco leaves.
Description of the Related Art
Conventional technologies of threshing and pneumatic separation of tobacco leaves lead to dramatic temperature drop and moisture loss of material, leads to the reduction of the ratio of larger slice size as well as of medium slice size and the increasing of the broken rate. The remaining stems after each separating step sequentially pass through all of the series threshing machines and the pneumatic separators before discharging in concentration, resulting reducing the availability of the stems, and the span of the pipes of the airborne devices is so wide that it is prone to bring up the poor transportation stability and the phenomenon of caulking, not to mention high energy consumption and big noise with the fan.

Method for threshing and pneumatic separation of tobacco leaves


In a delivery pipe for pulverized coal fines from a coal mill to a combustion chamber, a device for diffusing unevenly distributed coal flow evenly across the pipe. In a first form, the invention comprises a plurality of static, lateral, linear diffuser elements comprising rows of protrusions or teeth spaced laterally across the coal flow path in the pipe, preferably in a staggered and overlapping relationship. In a second form, the diffuser elements are rotatably mounted across the coal flow path in the pipe, and may be rotated at different speeds and in different directions. The diffuser elements spaced across the coal flow path in the pipe may be supplemented by peripherally-mounted diffuser elements at the inlet of that portion of the pipe or housing to provide an angled pre-diffusion of the coal flow from the sides of the pipe toward the lateral elements extending across the interior of the pipe.

Coal-fired combustion chambers of the type used in power-generating plants burn dust-like coal fines which are ground or pulverized by an on-site coal mill. It is critical to deliver even, distributed flows of coal fines to the multiple burners in the combustion chamber to prevent "rich" areas in the combustion chamber which produce LOI (loss on ignition) particles; "lean" areas which promote NOX formation; elliptical fireballs, which create uneven heating and fireball impingement on the boiler tube "water walls"; coal falling out of suspension in the delivery pipes, causing spontaneous combustion fires and risk of explosion; and, fireball backup in "light flow" burners, which can seriously damage them.
One prior art device which attempts to provide evenly distributed flows of coal among multiple pipe branches on the way to the burners is the "riffle box", typically a series of alternately-angled plates or bars placed at each branching of the pipes in an attempt to redistribute the heavy and light coal flows or "ropes" which often develop across the delivery pipe. Schematic examples of riffles boxes are shown in FIG. 1.
Riffle boxes have generally been found to be unsuccessful in creating evenly distributed flows of coal in the downstream pipe branches. A significant improvement over riffle box type devices is found in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/987,646, co-owned with the present application. That application discloses a device which causes heavy and light flows of coal distributed across a pipe to converge upon one another, preferably upstream of the riffle box, causing them to implode and be evenly distributed across the width of the pipe. This device has been found to be particularly useful for round, large-diameter delivery pipes. It is, however, somewhat difficult to fit to rectangular conduits because it requires upstream and downstream rectangular-to-round adapters.


A complex diffraction device, which is excellent in designability, easy in setting the diffraction angle, adaptable to size increase, and easy to handle by adding a diffraction function resulting from an uneven pattern to the diffraction device comprising a liquid crystalline layer where the helical orientation of the smectic liquid crystal phase having a helical structure is maintained.

This invention relates to a complex diffraction device, which is applicable to various fields, such as optics, optoelectronics, optical information recording, and liquid crystal display devices and to various uses such as those of security and design, and can be produced so as to have a large area and handled easily.
Diffraction devices or holograms, a type thereof, utilizing a photo-diffraction phenomenon have various functions such as a lens function, a spectrum function, a branching/multiplexing function, and an optical intensity distribution conversion. Due to these functions, they have been widely used in spectroscopic devices, hologram scanners of bar-cord readers and optical pickups of compact disks. Moreover, they have also been used for the purpose of preventing credit cards or various notes from being counterfeited, by utilizing the difficulty in counterfeit and designability of the holograms as well.
The diffraction devices are classified according to the shapes thereof into amplitude type diffraction devices and phase type diffraction devices. The amplitude type diffraction devices are those in which a light is allowed to pass through non-light-transmitting parts with a uniform thickness, such as long thin wires, periodically arranged so as to obtain diffracted light. The phase type diffraction devices are further classified into those in which periodic grooves are formed on a surface of a substrate which does not absorb light and refractive index modulation type devices in which regions where the refractive index is periodically varied are formed in a layer with a uniform thickness. Unlike the amplitude type diffraction devices, the phase type diffraction devices can be enhanced in diffraction efficiency because of the absence of a region which does not transmit light. Examples of the phase type diffraction devices each having grooves on its surface are those obtained by forming grooves on a surface of a glass, metal, or plastic. Examples of the refractive index type diffraction device are holograms made using gelatin dichromate or photo polymers.
The helical structure of a smectic liquid crystal is also known to function as one of the refractive index type diffraction devices as described in, for example, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 21, page 224, (1982).
In the above-mentioned use of preventing credit cards or notes from being counterfeited, a hologram is produced by embossing a thermoplastic film so as to form grooves. However, in the case of seeking more enhanced designability and anti-counterfeit properties, there is a limit for such a hologram. If a light made incident on a diffraction device can be diffracted in a plurality of directions or angles therefrom, the device can be expected to find more extensive uses.
The object of the present invention is to provide a complex diffraction device which has a refractive index modulation type diffraction function using the helical structure of a liquid crystalline phase in combination with a diffraction function using grooves formed on its surface, resulting in enhanced designability, and is easy to set diffraction angles and to handle, and adaptable to size increase.
The diffraction device according to the present invention is characterized in that a diffraction function originating from an uneven pattern is imparted to a diffraction device comprising a liquid crystal layer where the helical orientation of a smectic liquid crystalline phase having a helical structure is maintained.
The diffraction device according to the present invention has two types of diffraction functions one of which is obtained from the fixed helical orientation of the smectic liquid crystalline phase and the other of which is obtained from an uneven pattern formed on the surface thereof.
The smectic liquid crystalline phase of the liquid crystal layer used in the present invention denotes a liquid crystalline phase wherein the liquid crystalline molecules form a smectic layer structure which is one-dimensionally crystal and two-dimensionally liquid.
Examples of the smectic liquid crystalline phase are smectic A phase, smectic B phase, smectic C phase, smectic E phase, smectic F phase, smectic G phase, smectic H phase, smectic I phase, smectic J phase, smectic K phase, and smectic L phase. Among these, preferred are those wherein liquid crystalline molecules are aligned in tilting relation to a normal direction of the smectic liquid crystal layer, such as smectic C phase, smectic I phase, smectic F phase, smectic J phase, smectic G phase, smectic K phase, and smectic H phase.
Alternatively, in the present invention, there may be suitably used liquid crystalline phases exhibiting optical activity and ferroelectricity such as chiral smectic C phase (SmC*) chiral smectic I phase (SmI*), and chiral smectic F phase (SmF*), liquid crystalline phases exhibiting optical activity and antiferroelectricity such as chiral smectic CA phase (SmCA*), chiral smectic IA phase (SmIA*), and chiral smectic FA phase (SmFA*), and liquid crystalline phases exhibiting optical activity and ferrielectricity such as chiral smectic Cxcex3 phase (Sm Cxcex3*), chiral smectic Ixcex3 phase (Sm Ixcex3*), and chiral smectic Fxcex3 phase (Sm Fxcex3*).
Further alternatively, there may be suitably used those which are chiral and exhibit a smectic phase having a helical structure as described in J. Matter. Chem. Vol. 6, page 1231 published in 1996 or J. Matter. Chem. Vol. 7, page 1307 published in 1997.
However, with the objective of easy synthesis of liquid crystalline materials, easy orientation of the helical structure in the smectic liquid crystalline phase, easy variation of the helical pitches, and stability of the helical structure, the most preferred is chiral smectic C phase or chiral smectic CA phase.
The term xe2x80x9chelical structure in the smectic liquid crystalline phasexe2x80x9d used herein denotes a structure wherein the longitudinal axes of the liquid crystalline molecules tilt at a certain angle from the vertical direction of each smectic layer, and the tilt directions twist little by little from one layer to another. The center axis of the helix in this helical structure is referred to as xe2x80x9chelical axisxe2x80x9d, while the length in the helical axis direction for one helical turn is referred to as xe2x80x9chelical pitchxe2x80x9d.
When a light is allowed to pass through a liquid crystal layer comprising a helical-structured smectic liquid crystalline phase, the diffraction direction of the light depends on the helical axes direction of the liquid crystalline phase. For example, in the case where the helical axes are parallel to the liquid crystal layer, a light made incident vertically thereto is diffracted to the helical axes direction. No particular limitation is imposed on the helical axes direction of the liquid crystal layer forming the complex diffraction device of the present invention. Therefore, the helical axes direction may be properly selected such that the desired characteristics can be exhibited. For example, the helical axes direction may be parallel to or tilted with respect to the liquid crystal layer surface. Furthermore, the tilt angle may be varied discretely or continuously. Moreover, the helical axes direction may be microscopically determined by the domain and may be macroscopically directed to various directions or to the same direction. The helical structure is not necessarily formed entirely in the liquid crystal layer and thus may be formed on the surface area or interior of the liquid crystal layer, or a part thereof.
The helical pitch in the liquid crystal layer is usually from 0.1 to 20 xcexcm, preferably 0.2 to 15 xcexcm, and more preferably 0.3 to 10 xcexcm. The helical pitches may be constant in the liquid crystal layer, but may be varied depending on positions therein. The variation may be continuously or discretely. The helical pitches can be properly adjusted in a conventional manner, for example, by adjusting the orientation conditions such as temperature, the optical purity of the optically active portion, and the blend ratio of the optical active materials. The helical pitches correspond to the grating pitches. When a light is allowed to be made incident to the helical structure, a diffraction at angles corresponding to the helical pitches occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to properly adjust the helical pitches in order to obtain the desired diffraction angle.
In the complex diffraction device according to the present invention, the liquid crystal layer having diffractivity originating from its helical structure is provided on its surface with an uneven pattern. The pattern may be in any shape as long as it can exhibit a diffraction resulting therefrom. For example, it may have a rectangular groove-, corrugate-, saw tooth- or step-like shape formed on a flat surface at the same interval. Alternatively, the pattern may be the combination of two or more types of these uneven patterns. Further alternatively, the pattern may be designed by mixing a portion having an uneven pattern and a portion which is free thereof, or forming a region where the light is diffracted in different directions such that markings, patterns or logos emerge by diffraction.
Since the period or intervals of the uneven pattern corresponds to the grating pitches, the desired angle of diffraction can be obtained by adjusting properly the period or intervals.
The complex diffraction device may be those obtained by forming a layer having an uneven pattern and then laminating the layer on the liquid crystal layer, or by forming an uneven pattern directly thereon. In the latter case, the uneven pattern may be formed on one side or both sides of the liquid crystal layer surfaces.
In the present invention, the diffraction direction and/or angle of the liquid crystal layer may be the same as or different from those resulting from the uneven pattern. However, when consideration is given to the effects or designability of the complex diffraction device, it is preferred that the direction and/or angle of the diffraction resulting from the helical structure are partially different from those resulting from the uneven pattern.
In the liquid crystal layer forming the inventive complex diffraction device, the helical structure of the smectic liquid crystalline phase must be maintained. xe2x80x9cMaintaining the helical structurexe2x80x9d means that the change in the helical structure with time does not occur under the conditions where the liquid crystal layer is functioned as the complex diffraction device. One of the methods of maintaining the helical structure is to sandwich the liquid crystal layer with a pair of alignment substrates. In this method, if either one of the substrates are removed, there is a possibility that the helical structure can not be maintained in a stable state.
Another method is to fix the helical structure of the liquid crystalline phase. This method is preferred to the above-mentioned method in terms of easy production of the liquid crystal layer, heat-resistance, and practical use.
The methods of fixing the helical structure in the liquid crystalline phase are roughly classified into a glass fixing method and a polymerization fixing method. The glass fixing method is that in which the helical structure is fixed by transferring the smectic liquid crystalline phase to a glass state. Eligible liquid crystalline materials for this method are those, hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cliquid crystalline material Axe2x80x9d, which can form the smectic liquid crystalline phase having a helical structure and can be in a glass state by cooling. The polymerization fixing method is that in which the smectic liquid crystalline phase having a helical structure is fixed by polymerizing or cross-linking liquid crystalline molecules. Eligible liquid crystalline materials for this method are those, hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cliquid crystalline material Bxe2x80x9d, which can form the smectic liquid crystalline phase having a helical structure and can be polymerized or cross-linked with light, electron beam, or heat.
More specific examples of eligible liquid crystalline materials for the liquid crystal layer are any of low-molecular weight liquid crystals and liquid crystalline polymers which are capable of forming the helical-structured smectic liquid crystalline phase. The liquid crystals only need to be those exhibiting the desired liquid crystallinity and orientation and may be a mixture of a single or plurality types of low molecule weight- and/or liquid crystalline polymer materials and a single or plurality types of low molecule weight- and/or non-liquid crystalline polymer materials.
Eligible low molecular weight liquid crystals are Schiff base compounds, biphenyl compounds, terphenyl compounds, ester compounds, thioester compounds, stillbene compounds, tolan compounds, azoxy compounds, phenyl cyclohexane compounds, pyrimidine compounds, cyclohexylcyclohexane compounds, and mixtures thereof.
The liquid crystalline polymers can be classified into main chain type- and side chain type-liquid crystalline polymers. Both of them are eligible for the liquid crystalline materials forming the liquid crystal layer of the present invention.
Examples of the main chain type liquid crystalline polymer are polyester-, polyamide-, polycarbonate-, polyimide-, polyurethane-, polybenzoimidazole-, polybenzoxazole-, polybenzothiazole-, polyazomethine-, polyesteramide-, polyestercarbonate-, and polyesterimide-based liquid crystalline polymers. Among these, particularly preferred are semi-aromatic polyester-based liquid crystalline polymers wherein mesogen providing liquid crystallinity is alternately bonded to a flexible chain, such as polymethylene, polyethyleneoxide, and polysiloxane and wholly aromatic polyester-based liquid crystals which are free of flexible chain.
Examples of the side chain type liquid crystalline polymers are those having a straight- or cyclic-main chain and a mesogen at each side, such as polyacrylate-, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl-, polysiloxane-, polyether-, polymalonate-, and polyester-based liquid crystals. Among these, particularly preferred are those wherein a mesogen providing liquid crystallinity is bonded to the main-chain via a spacer comprised of a flexible chain and those having a molecular structure wherein the main chain and the side chain both have a mesogen.
The liquid crystalline material referred herein includes those obtained by blending a chiral dopant with or introducing an optically active unit to the above-described low molecular weight and/or liquid crystalline polymers. For example, such liquid crystalline materials can be obtained by blending a chiral dopant with or introducing an optically active unit to a liquid crystalline material exhibiting smectic C phase, smectic I phase, or smectic F phase. The resulting liquid crystalline material exhibits a chiral smectic liquid crystalline phase which is easy to be aligned in a helical structure, like chiral smectic C phase, chiral smectic I phase, or chiral smectic F phase.
As described above, the helical pitch and diffraction angle of the inventive complex diffraction device can be adjusted by properly adjusting the amount of the chiral dopant, the introducing ratio of the optically active unit, the optical purity, and the temperature conditions under which a smectic liquid crystalline phase is formed. Whether a helical structure is a right-handed helix or a left-handed helix depends on the chilarlity of the chiral dopant or optically active groups to be used. Therefore, either of the helical structure having a right-handed helix or a left-handed helix can be obtained by selecting the chilarlity.
Among the above-described liquid crystalline materials, suitable for the liquid crystalline material A are the liquid crystalline polymers. Suitable for the liquid crystalline material B are those having a functional group responding to light, electron beam, or heat. Examples of such a functional group are vinyl, acryl, methacryl, vinylether, cinnamoyl, aryl, acetylenyl, crotonyl, aziridinyl, epoxy, isocyanate, thioisocyanate, amino, hydroxyl, mercapto, carboxyl, acyl, halocarbonyl, aldehyde, sulfonic acid, and silanol groups. Among these, preferred are acryl, methacryl, vinyl, vinylether, cinnamoyl, epoxy, and aziridinyl groups. Particularly preferred are acryl, methacryl, vinyl, vinylether, cinnamoyl, and epoxy groups.
These functional groups only needs to be contained in the liquid crystalline material and thus may be contained in the liquid crystalline material, non-liquid crystalline material, or one or more additives hereinafter described. In the case where the functional groups are contained in each of two or more types of materials, these functional groups may be the same or different. Furthermore, in the case where two or more functional groups are contained in one of the materials, they may be the same or different.
If necessary, when producing the liquid crystal layer of the inventive complex device, additives such as surfactants, polymerization initiators, polymerization inhibitors, sensitizers, stabilizers, catalysts, dyes, pigments, ultraviolet absorbers, and adhesion improvers may be blended in an amount of 50 percent by mass or less, preferably 30 percent by mass or less, and more preferably 10 percent by mass or less, based on the total mass.
The liquid crystal layer of the inventive complex device can be produced by developing the liquid crystalline material, if necessary, together with the additives and maintaining a helical structure.
No particular limitation is imposed on two interfaces on both sides of the liquid crystalline material upon developing, which interfaces, therefore, may be gaseous phase-, liquid phase- or solid phase-interfaces and not need to be the same. However, with the objective of easy production of the liquid crystal layer, it is recommended to employ two interfaces both of which are solid or one of which is solid and the other of which is gaseous.
Examples of the gaseous phase interface are air- and nitrogen-interface. Examples of the liquid phase interface are-water, organic solvents, liquefied metals, other liquid crystals, and melted polymeric compounds. Examples of the solid phase interface are plastic film substrates comprised of polyimide, polyamideimide, polyamide, polyetherimide, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone, polyketone sulfide, polyethersulfone, polysulfone, polyphenylenesulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyallylate, acrylic resins, methacrylic resins, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly-4-methylpentene-1 resin, and cellulose-based plastics such as triacetyl cellulose, epoxy resins, polyphenol resins, and liquid crystalline polymers; metal substrates such as aluminum, iron and copper; glass substrates such as blue glass sheet, alkaline glass, non-alkaline glass, borosilicate glass, flint glass and quarts glass; ceramic substrates; and various semi-conductor substrates such as silicon wafers. Eligible solid phase interfaces are also those obtained by forming a film which may be an organic film comprised of polyimide, polyamide, or polyvinyl alcohol, an obliquely deposited film of silicon dioxide or the like, or a transparent electrode of ITO (indium-tin oxide), or obtaining by depositing or sputtering a metal film of gold, aluminum or copper, on the above-described substrates. Furthermore, another eligible solid phase interfaces are thin film transistors (TFT) of amorphous silicon.
These various substrates may be subjected to an alignment treatment if necessary. In the case of using such substrates, the direction of the helical axes in the resulting liquid crystal layer can be settled in one direction which is determined by the direction of the alignment of the substrates. Depending on the type of liquid crystalline material and solid phase interface and the method of aligning, the direction of the helical axes does not always coincide with the alignment direction of the substrates and may be shifted therefrom. The complex diffraction device of the present invention even if containing such a liquid crystal layer can still perform the effects of the complex diffraction device. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is possible to obtain a complex diffraction device wherein the direction of the helical axes is fixed in one pattern, by altering the aligning direction partially. In the case of using such a method, it is possible to obtain a complex diffraction device which can exhibit a complex diffraction effect caused by the smectic liquid crystal having a helical structure as well as a diffraction effect resulting from the diffraction pattern, for example, by arranging the pattern of regions wherein the helical axes directions are different periodically to an extent that the interference of light occurs.
In the case of not subjecting the substrates to an alignment treatment, the resulting liquid crystal layer possibly assumes a multi-domain layer wherein the helical axes directions in each domain are random. However, even such a liquid crystalline phase can provide the resulting device with the effects as the complex diffraction device.
No particular limitation is imposed on the alignment treatment subjected to the various substrates. Examples of the alignment treatment are rubbing, oblique depositing, microgrooving, polymer film drawing, LB (Langmuir-Blodgett) filming, transferring, photo irradiating (photo isomerization, photo polymerization, and photo decomposition), and peeling methods. Particularly with the objective of simplified production process, preferred are rubbing and photo irradiation methods.
Furthermore, even in the case of using the various substrates as the solid phase interfaces, which have not been subjected to an alignment treatment, it is possible to obtain the liquid crystal layer with the helical axes directions regulated in a certain direction, by applying magnetic or electric field or shear stress to the liquid crystalline material developed between the interfaces; fluidizing or drawing the liquid crystalline material; or subjecting the same to temperature gradient.
No particular limitation is imposed on the method of developing the liquid crystalline material between the above-described interfaces. Therefore, any suitable methods known in the field can be employed. For example, in the case of developing the liquid crystalline material between two substrates, the liquid crystalline material is injected into a cell formed with these substrates. Alternatively, there may be employed a method in which the liquid crystalline material is laminated with the substrates.
In the case of using one substrate and a gaseous interface, the liquid crystalline material can be developed by coating it directly on the substrate or dissolving it in a suitable solvent before coating. In the present invention, with the objective of simplified production processes, it is preferred to coat the liquid crystal after being dissolved in a solvent.
A suitable solvent for this purpose can be selected in accordance with the type of liquid crystalline material and the composition thereof. Generally, the examples of the solvent are halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform, dichloromethane, carbon tetrachloride, dichloroethane, tetrachloroethane, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, chlorobenzene, and ortho-dichlorobenzene, phenols such as phenol and parachlprophenol, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, methoxybenzene, and 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol and tert-butylalcohol, glycols such as glycerin, ethylene glycol, and triethylene glycol, glycol ethers such as ethylene glycol monomethylether, diethylene glycol dimethylether, ethyl cellosolve and butyl cellosolve, acetone, methylethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, 2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, pyridine, triethylamine, tetrahydrofuran, diemthylformamide, dimethylacetoamide, dimethylsulfoxide, acetonitrile, butyronitrile, carbon disulfied, and mixtures thereof. If necessary, surfactants or the like may be added to the solvent so as to adjust the surface tension and improve the coatability.
It is necessary to adjust the concentration of the liquid crystalline material in the solution depending on the type of liquid crystalline material, solubility thereof, and the film thickness of the final liquid crystal layer. However, it is within the range of usually 3 to 50 percent by mass, and preferably 5 to 30 percent by mass.
No particular limitation is imposed on the method of coating the solution. There may be used spin-coat, roll-coat, print, dip, curtain-coat, wire bar coat, doctor blade, knife coat, die coat, gravure coat, micro gravure coat, offset gravure coat, lip coat, and spray coat methods. After coating, the solvent may be dried out if necessary.
After the liquid crystalline material which can exhibit the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase is developed between the various interfaces by the above-described method so as to be formed into a uniform layer, the inventive complex diffraction device can be obtained by forming the liquid crystalline material so as to assume the helical orientation in the desired helical-structured smectic liquid crystalline phase. No particular limitation is imposed on the method of forming the liquid crystalline material so as to assume the helical orientation in the smectic liquid crystalline phase. There may be suitably employed a method depending on the type of liquid crystalline material. For example, in the case of developing the liquid crystalline material at a temperature at which the material can be formed so as to assume the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase, the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase may be obtained at the same time. The developed liquid crystalline material is once heated at a temperature higher than that at which the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase appears, such that a smectic A phase, a chiral nematic phase or an isotropic phase appears, and after a certain period of time it is oriented so as to assume the helical structure by cooling to a temperature at which a smectic liquid crystalline phase appears.
After the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase appears in the liquid crystal layer by any of the above-described methods, the helical structure of the smectic liquid crystalline phase is fixed by any suitable method selected depending on the type and composition of liquid crystalline material. In order to fix the helical structure, it is preferred to use the above-described glass fixing method or polymerization fixing method.
In the case of using the glass fixing method, the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase which appears at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature of the liquid crystalline material A is fixed by cooling the liquid crystal layer to a temperature at which the liquid crystalline material A is in a glass state. The cooling may be natural cooling or forced cooling.
In the case of using the polymerization fixing method, the helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase which appears when the liquid crystalline material B is in a liquid crystalline state is fixed by polymerizing or cross-linking the liquid crystalline material B. The method of polymerizing or cross-linking may be thermal polymerization, photo polymerization, radiation polymerization of xcex3 ray or the like, electron beam polymerization, polycondensation, or polyaddition. Among these, preferred are photo polymerization and electron beam polymerization because they are easy to control.
The liquid crystal layer fixed by the foregoing method is free from disorder in orientation even after removing the substrate and can be used as a complex diffraction device wherein the helical orientation is fixed. The film thickness of the resulting liquid crystal layer is within the range of generally 0.1 to 100 xcexcm, preferably 0.2 to 50 xcexcm, and more preferably 0.3 to 20 xcexcm, with the objective of orientability and productivity.
In the present invention, the liquid crystal layer described above is provided with a diffraction function originating form the uneven patterns and recesses formed thereon. The diffraction function may be provided on the liquid crystal layer with the substrate or after removing the substrate. Alternatively, the resulting liquid crystal layer is transferred to another substrate and an uneven pattern is formed on the layer with the substrate. Further alternatively, a plurality of the liquid crystal layers having the same or different diffraction properties are laminated, and the diffraction function originating from an uneven pattern is provided thereon.
Examples of the substrate are plastic substrates formed from polyimide, polyamideimide, polyamide, polyetherimide, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone, polyketone sulfide, polyether sulfone, polysulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyallylate, acrylic resins, methacrylic resins, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly-4-methylpentene-1 resin and cellulose-based plastics such as triacetyl cellulose, epoxy resins, and polyphenol resins; glass substrates; ceramic substrates; papers; and metal substrates. Furthermore, eligible substrates are optical elements such as polarizing plates, retardation plates, and reflecting plates, scattering films, and various liquid crystalline films such as nematic films and cholesteric films.
No particular limitation is imposed on the method of providing an uneven pattern. There may be employed a method in which another layer having a diffraction function originating from an uneven pattern is laminated over the liquid crystal layer of the present invention or a method in which a diffraction pattern is provided by forming an uneven pattern directly on the surface of the liquid crystal layer. Examples of the layer having a diffraction function are plastic films or glass substrates having a diffraction function.
The method of forming an uneven pattern may be exemplified by a method in which projections and recesses are formed on the liquid crystal surface with an etching technique, or an embossing processing in which a mold having a form of diffraction gratings hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cembossed platexe2x80x9d is pressed on the liquid crystal layer with a press machine or in which a film having a form of diffraction gratings hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cembossed filmxe2x80x9d is laminated over the liquid crystal layer using a laminate machine or the like so as to transfer the diffraction gratings on the liquid crystal layer. In the present invention, it is preferred to provide a diffraction function originating from an uneven pattern by subjecting the liquid crystal layer surface to the embossing processing.
No particular limitation is imposed on the embossed plate and film. Most of the embossed plates are structures formed from metals or resins and having diffraction gratings. The embossed film may be a film obtained by forming diffraction gratings on a surface of a free-standing film or a laminate of a self-supportive film and a layer with diffraction gratings.
After the embossing processing, mostly the embossed plate or film is peeled off from the film or substrate containing the liquid crystal layer. However, in the case of using the embossed film, it is possible to use the liquid crystal layer with the film pressed as a laminate.
At a temperature at which the embossing processing is carried out, the liquid crystal layer must have a fluidity within a suitable range. The temperature for the embossing processing can not be determined with certainty since it depends on the thermal characteristics of the liquid crystal layer such as the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the degree of cross-linking, the substrate of the liquid crystal layer, the type of embossed plate or film, or the method of embossing transfer. However, the embossing processing is carried out from room temperature to 300xc2x0 C., preferably room temperature to 200xc2x0 C. That is, it is requisites that the disorder in the helical orientation state of the liquid crystal layer hardly occurs at the temperature of the embossing transfer during the period thereof without losing the effects achieved by the present invention after the embossing transfer. It is also requisites to be able to effect the embossing processing efficiently if selecting proper conditions for the embossing transfer and obtain an emboss-processed liquid crystal layer with the effects of the present invention.
Although it is extremely difficult to describe such a temperature range quantitatively and is impossible to specify it with a single physical quantity, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the liquid crystal layer after the orientation may be used as an index. In the case of using a liquid crystalline polymer or oligomer as the liquid crystalline material used in the present invention, the glass transition temperature exists inmost of the polymers or oligomers. When the fluidity of such polymers or oligomers is measured with increasing the temperature thereof, it is known that the fluidity is gradually increased from a poor state resulting from the glass fixing once the temperature reaches around the glass transition temperature. Therefore, in the case of using a polymer or oligomer wherein the glass transition temperature exists, the embossing processing can be applied to the liquid crystal layer whose glass transition temperature is within range of from room temperature to 200xc2x0 C. after the orientation. If the glass transition temperature is room temperature or less, the fluidity upon the embossing processing becomes too high and thus orientation disorder is prone to occur. If the glass transition temperature is in excess of 200xc2x0 C., it becomes difficult to effect the emboss processing in the usual manner adequately to provide the effects achieved by the present invention.
The resulting emboss-processed liquid crystal layer may be put in use as it is, but may be further cured by light irradiation or thermal cross-linking with the objective of reliability in terms of temperature, humidity, and solvents, and mechanical strength. In the case of using a light cross-linkable liquid crystalline composition and fixing it by the method for the liquid crystalline material B, there may be used a method in which after the orientation is fixed to a certain extent by light irradiation once after the orientation is formed, the diffraction grating is formed, followed by another light irradiation so as to cure the liquid crystal layer.
The complex diffraction device of the present invention may be provided on its surface with a protective layer formed of the above-mentioned transparent plastic film of a hard coat layer for the purpose of protecting the surface, increasing the strength, and enhancing the environmental reliability.
The complex diffraction device can be used in various purposes, for example, as light pickups of CDs, DVDs or magneto-optical disks, or optical elements for improving the viewing angle or the brightness of liquid crystal displays; designable films utilizing rainbow coloration caused by diffraction; optical information recording devices; anti-counterfeit security films for credit cards or notes; and combiner for head-up displays.
The complex diffraction device of the present invention comprises a liquid crystal layer with the helical orientation of a helical structured smectic liquid crystalline phase maintained, and is further provided with a diffraction function resulting from an uneven pattern formed on the layer. Therefore, the inventive device has an effect of diffraction in a plurality of directions or angles. Furthermore, the inventive device can be built in another optical system because it is adaptable to large size, and is light, low in manufacturing cost, and easy to handle. Therefore, the inventive device is applicable to optics, optoelectronics, optical information recording, and liquid crystal display devices, and to various uses such as those of security and design, and is highly valuable in the industry.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the following examples but is not limited thereto.
In the following examples, the measurement of inherent viscosity, the determination of liquid crystal series, and the measurement of film thickness are conducted in accordance with the following methods.
(1) Measurement of Inherent Viscosity
Measured in a mixed solvent of phenol and tetrachloroethane in a weight ratio of 60/40 at a temperature of 30xc2x0 C. using a Ubbelohde""s viscometer
(2) Determination of Liquid Crystalline Phase
Determined by DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) analysis using Perkin Elmer DSC-7 and observation through an optical microscope, BH2 polarizing microscope manufactured by Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
(3) Measurement of Film Thickness
Measured using a surface texture analysis system Dektak 3030ST manufactured by ULVAC Inc. Also used a method of obtaining the film thickness from the interference wave measurement with a ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared spectrophotometer V-570 manufactured by JASCO Corporation and data from index of refraction.


A self-inking stamp with overhead inking, with a lower component for placement on the surface to be stamped, with a swivel mechanism for a print platen support arranged in the lower component for swiveling reciprocal movement of a print platen support between a stamp pad and a support frame, and with an actuator upper component mounted for slideable movement against the bias of a spring relative to the lower component, the upper component straddling the lower component and connected by its lateral parts to the lower component by a print platen support swivel axle guided in elongated openings of the lower component, whereby the actuator upper component is provided with a substantially U-shaped body portion and a hood part of transparent material pivotally connected therewith and covering an oblique text receiving plate at the upper transverse member of the body portion and the open fron section of the body portion, and whereby the lower component in a direction away from the stamp pad receptacle at its front section forms an opening in a downward direction, the opening being covered by a transparent wall member extending upwardly from the support frame which is connected with the lower component by a resilient snap connection.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a self-inking stamp with overhead inking, with a lower component for placement on the surface to be stamped, with a swivel mechanism for a print platen support arranged in the lower component for reciprocal movement by simultaneous swivelling between a stamp pad and a support frame, and with an actuator upper component mounted for slideable movement against the bias of a spring relative to the lower component, the upper component straddling the lower component and connected by its lateral parts to the lower component by a print platen support swivel axle guided in elongated openings of the lower component.
2. The Prior Art
Such self-inking stamps are known, for instance, from EP 0,459,969 A1. In those stamps the actuator upper component is structured substantially like a hood which is provided with front and rear openings for allowing access to a stamp pad exchangeably insertable into a horizontal shaft of the lower component of the stamp.
It is an object of the invention by a novel construction of the actuator upper component and of the lower component not only to simplify the insertion of the stamp pad, especially in case of an exchange, while preventing any possibility of soiling, but also to provide an overall improvement in the operation of the stamp.
In a stamp of the kind referred to above this is accomplished, in accordance with the invention, by the actuator upper component being provided with a substantially U-shaped body portion and a hood portion of transparent material pivotally connected therewith which covers an oblique text receiving surface at the upper transverse member of the body portion and the open front section of the body portion and by the lower component remote from its stamp pad receptacle being provided with a downwardly facing opening, the opening being covered by a transparent wall member which is extending upwardly from the support frame which may be connected to the lower component by a resilient spring connection.
This construction simplifies an exchange of stamp pads by horizontal insertion or removal into or from the receiving shaft of the lower component because this can be done simply by upwardly pivoting the transparent hood which covers the stamp pad at its front section and protects it against unintentional displacement. At the same time, the operation of the stamp is improved as a result of an enlarged handling surface at the upper component and of a substantially uninterrupted transparent front section of the stamp which simplifies the positioning of the stamp.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the pivotal hood is pivotally connected to the upper component in the area of the rear section thereof and extends from its connection to front section of the upper component across the apex thereof.
The releasable snap connection of the support frame with the lower component simplifies mounting of the print platen support by inserting it into guide slots in the lower component, before the support frame is connected for the first time.


If a control section fails to detect a connectable device by Inquiry/Page_Scan before an OFF timer times out, the control section halts the Inquiry/Page_Scan. The control section keeps this state until time-out of an ON timer. Upon time-out of the ON timer, the control section starts Inquiry/Page. The control section issues a request for a role switch to the connectable device detected by Inquiry/Page. Upon acceptance of the request, the control section effects a master/slave role switch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus that is used as a terminal in a communication network, such as a piconet according to Bluetooth technology, wherein one of a plurality of terminals acts as a master and the other(s) as slave(s), thereby executing communication between the terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Bluetooth, in a state in which a connectable device is not found, a standby operation by Inquiry/Page_Scan is executed. If the Inquiry/Page_Scan is always executed, however, a current consumption would increase.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-37545, for instance, discloses a technique that is available in order to overcome this drawback. According to this technique of Japanese KOKAI 2003-37545, if an interrupt due to reception of an incoming signal or a key operation does not occur during a predetermined time period, a short-distance wireless function is turned off, thereby reducing power consumption.
The technique of Japanese KOKAI 2003-37545, however, completely disables the short-distance wireless function. In this case, the standby operation is also disabled. Consequently, even if a connectable device is present nearby, this connectable device cannot be detected.
Under the circumstances, there is a demand for a technique that makes it possible to carry out a search for a connectable device, while reducing power consumption that is needed for the search operation.


Methods comprise (a) sequentially transferring, from a part supply structure to a part staging structure, a first predetermined selection of parts; (b) sequentially transferring, from the part staging structure to a first manufacturing kit holder, the first predetermined selection of parts to define a first kitted holder; (c) concurrently with (b), sequentially transferring, from the part supply structure to the part staging structure, a second predetermined selection of parts; and (d) subsequent to (b), sequentially transferring, from the part staging structure to a second manufacturing kit holder, the second predetermined selection of parts to define a second kitted holder. Systems comprise a part supply structure; a part staging structure; a first robotic transfer device; a plurality of manufacturing kit holders; a second robotic transfer device; and a holder positioning structure.

Part kits are often used in manufacturing environments, such as to present in a meaningful way a set of parts to a manufacturing technician at a manufacturing work station. Preparation of such kits, however, can be time consuming, may be subject to human error, and may present physical challenges for technicians due to the repetitive movement required to kit a set of parts.

Methods and systems for kitting parts for manufacturing processes


A vacuum extraction system is provided for extracting contaminants from rotating electrical devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the vacuum extraction system extracts conductive dust from the current collection system of a synchronous generator with a static excitation system. As the brushes (24) of the static excitation system wear against the collector rings (26), they produce conductive dust, which if permitted to accumulate, may cause electrical shorts and arcing and severe damage to the rotating electrical device. Methods and systems consistent with the vacuum extraction system of the present invention extract conductive dust from a rotating electrical device through vacuum passages (50, 62, 67, 72, 77) in the rotating electrical device into a removable dust capture media (46) to prevent dust accumulation and possible electrical damage. The vacuum passages of the vacuum extraction system may comprise, for example, nozzles (50), through-holes (62) in a brush (60), grooves (67) in a brush (65), through-holes (72) in a brush holder (70), or grooves (77) in a brush holder (75).

The present invention relates to systems and methods for extracting contaminants from rotating electrical devices, and more particularly to systems and methods for vacuum extracting brush contaminants from synchronous generators.
Rotating electrical devices such as generators and motors often utilize wearable, conductive components referred to as brushes to transfer electricity from rotating parts to stationary parts. One example of such a rotating electrical device is the type of synchronous generator used in the power generation industry.
In the power generation industry, synchronous generators are used to convert rotary mechanical energy supplied by a power source such as a steam or combustion turbine or a nuclear reactor into electrical energy. Such synchronous generators generally comprise two main sections: a rotor and a stator. The rotor is typically wound with conductors called field windings. The field windings are made up of straight sections that run the length of the rotor and end sections that connect the straight sections into one long conductor. The stator is also typically wound with conductors called stator windings.
When rotary mechanical energy causes the rotor of the synchronous generator to spin, the field windings turn inside of the stator windings. If the field windings are supplied with an excitation current, the field windings produce a magnetic flux that induces an electric current in the stator windings as they turn inside of the stator windings.
One conventional method for supplying excitation current to field windings is called static excitation. In static excitation systems, a current collection system is used to transfer excitation current from an exciter to the field windings on the spinning rotor. The current collection system includes a set collector rings and a set of corresponding brushes. The collector rings are mounted to the circumference of the rotor and are electrically connected to the field windings. The brushes, which are generally made of a wearable, conductive material such as carbon or graphite, are held in sliding contact with corresponding collector rings to form a sliding, electrical connection to the field windings on the spinning rotor.
A significant disadvantage of such static excitation systems is that the brushes they utilize wear over time as they slide against the collector rings and must periodically be replaced. In addition, as the brushes wear, they produce a conductive dust as a contaminant byproduct, which if permitted to accumulate may cause electrical shorts or arcing. Such electrical shorts or arcing can cause severe damage to electrical devices.
In the power generation industry, in order to prevent damage from electrical shorts or arcing, equipment operators are required to frequently inspect and clean the current collection systems of generators. This daily inspection and cleaning is tedious and time consuming. It also exposes equipment operators to dangerous high-voltage conditions in and around the current collection system.
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a vacuum extraction system that automatically extracts contamination produced by wearable brushes or other wearable components in rotating electrical devices. The vacuum extraction system substantially reduces the frequency with which inspections and cleanings are required, which reduces the operating costs of the rotating electrical devices. By reducing the frequency with which inspection and cleanings are required, the vacuum extraction system also reduces the frequency with which operators are exposed to dangerous high-voltage conditions. In addition, the vacuum extraction system produces increased air flow in and around the current collection system, which cools and extends the life of the components of the current collection system.
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention provide a dust extraction system for extracting contamination from rotating electrical devices. Consistent with one embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum extraction system is provided for extracting dust from a current collection system. The vacuum extraction system comprises a brush holder assembly comprising a brush holder for holding a brush in sliding contact with a collector ring, a vacuum passage for extracting air and contaminants from said current collection system, a dust capture media in vacuum connection with said vacuum passage for capturing contaminants from said air, and a vacuum source in vacuum connection with said dust capture media for supplying vacuum to said vacuum extraction system. Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of extracting contaminants is provided from a current collection system utilizing a brush in sliding contact with a collector ring. The method comprises the steps of providing a vacuum passage proximate the contact area between said brush and said collector ring, connecting said vacuum passage to a dust capture media via a vacuum connection, connecting said dust capture media to a vacuum source for providing a vacuum at said vacuum passage, and extracting said contaminants away from said contact area via said vacuum into said dust capture media.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention a synchronous generator utilizing an excitation current from an exciter is provided. The generator comprises a stator having stator windings; a rotor rotatable within said stator and having field windings for inducing a current in said stator windings; a current collection system for transferring said excitation current from said exciter to said field windings; a vacuum extraction system for extracting dust from said current collection system, said vacuum extraction system comprising a brush holder assembly that comprises a brush holder for holding a brush in sliding, contact with a collector ring, a vacuum passage for extracting air and contaminants from said current collection system, a dust capture media in vacuum connection with said vacuum passage for capturing contaminants from said air, and a vacuum source in vacuum connection with said dust capture media for supplying vacuum to said vacuum extraction system.

System and method for extracting contaminants from rotating electrical devices