The present invention provides a toner containing base particles formed by emulsifying or dispersing, in an aqueous medium, a toner composition liquid which is obtained by dissolving or dispersing, in an organic solvent, at least a binder resin soluble in the organic solvent and a colorant masterbatch containing a colorant and a colorant dispersion resin, wherein the colorant dispersion resin is a resin having sparing solubility defined below: where the “sparing solubility” means that when 4 parts by mass of the colorant dispersion resin are added to and mixed with 10 parts by mass of the organic solvent, the mixture becomes white turbid at 25° C. or becomes a transparent solution once at 25° C. and then becomes white turbid within 12 hours.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner capable of forming high quality images, for developing latent electrostatic images in electrophotography, electrostatic recording, electrostatic printing and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a toner which is excellent in chargeability while maintaining low temperature fixability, and heat resistant storage stability and which is also excellent in permeability (OHP permeability, etc.), a method for producing the same, and a developer using the toner.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electrophotographic apparatuses and electrostatic image recording apparatuses, an electric or magnetic latent image is visualized using a toner. For example, in electrophotography, a latent electrostatic image (latent image) is formed on a photoconductor, an electrostatic image (latent image) is formed on a photoconductor, and then the electrostatic image is developer using a toner to thereby form a toner image. Such a toner image is usually transferred onto a transfer material such as paper, and then fixed on the transfer material by a method such as heating. A toner for use in developing is typically colored particles containing a coolant, a charge controlling agent and other additives in a binder resin. The method of producing a toner is broadly classified into the pulverization method and the suspension polymerization method. In the pulverization method, a colorant, a charge controlling agent, an offset preventing agent and the like are melt-mixed in a thermoplastic resin, and the resulting composition is pulverized and classified to thereby producing a toner. According to the pulverization method, a toner which is excellent in properties to a certain degree can be produced, however, there is a limitation in selection of toner materials. For example, a toner composition obtained by melt-mixing needs to be pulverized and classified by a economically usable device. For this reason, the particle size distribution thereof tends to be wider, and to obtain a copy image having a high resolution and a high gray scale, for example, it is necessary to remove fine power particles having a particle diameter of 5 μm or smaller and coarse powder particles having a particle diameter of 20 μm or greater, and thus the pulverization method has a disadvantage in that the yield becomes very low. In addition, in the pulverization method, it is difficult to uniformly disperse a colorant, a charge controlling agent and the like in a thermoplastic resin. Further, the method has such a problem that a colorant is exposed on a surface of toner, and charges on the surface of the toner become nonuniform, thereby causing degradation in developing properties.
Recently, to overcome these problems in the pulverization method, there have been proposed and implemented toner production methods by a suspension polymerization method. However, such a known polymerization method, for example, a toner obtained by a suspension polymerization method, has a spherical shape and has a drawback in poor cleanability. A toner produced by the suspension polymerization method causes less untransferred toner and is unlikely to cause cleaning failure in a developing/transferring process using an image having low image-occupation-area ratio, however, in the case of a high image-occupation-area ratio, such as a photographic image, or when toner forming an untransferred image due to paper feeding failure or the like remains as untransferred toner and the untransferred toner accumulates, background smear of image occurs. Further, there is a probability that the untransferred toner contaminates a charging roller which contacts and charges the photoconductor, and the charging roller may not exhibit its inherent chargeability. Further, since a toner is polymerized in the production of the toner, in most cases, materials that have been conventionally used for toner cannot be used. Even when such conventional toner materials can be used, the resulting toner is influenced by additives such as a resin and a colorant contained therein, the particle size thereof may not be sufficiently controlled, and thus a toner produced by the suspension polymerization has low freedom degree concerning.
To solve the problems, there has been proposed a method in which resin particles obtained by an emulsification polymerization method are made associated with each other to obtain an indefinite shape toner (Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 2537503). However, in a toner obtained by an emulsification polymerization method, polyester resins, which exhibit excellent fixability and color suitability in kneading/pulverization method cannot be basically used, and the emulsification polymerization methods have drawbacks of their incapabilities of meeting the requirements of compactness of apparatus, high-speeding performance, and color suitability.
Then, the present applicant proposed a method of obtaining a toner by a dissolution suspension method, using, as a toner material, a polyester-modified resin obtained by reacting a polyester resin precursor which is excellent in transparency, mechanical strength and low temperature fixability (Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 3640918). With this, such a toner is obtained which can solve the above-mentioned problems, is usable in low temperature fixing system while maintaining high cleanability, excellent in offset resistance and capable of preventing smear on fixing devices and images. However, a toner produced by the dissolution suspension method of JP-B No. 3640918 has a difficulty in dissolving a colorant therein with uniformity and tends to cause localization of colorants (pigments) on toner particle surfaces and a difference of the colorant content in each toner, and thus nonuniformity of charges occurs, leading to degradation in charge stability when used for a long time. In addition, in the case of outputting a color image, slight degradation of developing ability and transferability causes degradation in color balance and gray scale. Further, a colorant in a toner is typically incompatible with resins, and thus it has disadvantages in that when a colorant is poorly dispersed, the toner causes scattering or reflection of transmitted light at its surface boundary, impairing the permeability to OHP and the like.
In the light of the circumstances described above, the present applicant proposed various methods for obtaining a toner by the dissolution suspension method. (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2007-94351, 2007-248746, 2007-94352, 2006-293304 2005-70187, 2007-248979, 2008-76453 and 2006-18018).
For example, as a method for obtaining a yellow toner which is excellent in offset resistance, chargeability, storage stability, color formability, tinting strength and heat resistance and has OHP-permeability, the following methods have been proposed: a method of controlling a shape factor using a binder resin and a colorant having a specific structure (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-94351), and a method of using a specific colorant which is masterbatch processed by kneading with a resin constituting a binder resin (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-248746). In addition, the present applicant proposed a method of controlling the shape factor of a toner using a colorant having a specific structure, and a dispersant made of an acryl-based polymer having N,N-substituted diamino group and an acidic group (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-94352). As a method of obtaining a toner in which the dispersibility of a colorant is improved, the present applicant proposed a method of using a dispersant in which the acid value and the amine value are specified (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-293304). As a method of obtaining a toner capable of maintaining cleanability, responding to low-temperature fixing systems, hand having excellent offset resistance without smearing fixing devices and images, the present applicant proposed a method of granulating toner materials in an aqueous medium containing resin fine particles and inorganic fine particles to thereby make the resin fine particles remain on surfaces of toner particles (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2005-70187). Also, as a method of obtaining a toner capable of obtaining high quality images while maintaining the uniformity of the composition, and charging stability but having less fogging and toner scattering, and having small particle diameters and a narrow particle size distribution, the present applicant proposed a method of increasing the volume average particle diameter of a water-in-oil emulsion type dispersion liquid formed in an aqueous medium (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-248979). Further, as a method of obtaining a toner capable of simultaneously achieving both low temperature fixability and offset resistance and forming high fine images, the present applicant proposed a method of specifying solubility parameters of two or more binder resins (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-76453). Furthermore, as a method of obtaining a toner ensuring the low temperature fixability, offset resistance and color reproducibility, the present applicant proposed a method of using a colorant which is obtainable by dispersing a pigment in resin components, employing a binder resin containing a crystalline polyester resin and a flashing method (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-18018).
With the methods described in JP-A Nos. 2007-94351, 2007-248746, 2007-94352, 2006-293304, 2005-70187, 2007-248979, 2008-76453, and 2006-18018, certain effects for solving the above problems are obtained, however, demands for more sophisticated improvement in chargeability and improvement in permeability (OHP etc.) arise, and it is desired to improve the dispersibility of colorants.
Note that as a method of obtaining a yellow toner excellent in chargeability of positive charge, there has been proposed a method of using an acrylic resin, a colorant and an amine compound in the dissolution suspension method (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2009-57399). In addition, as a method of obtaining a yellow toner, a method is proposed in which a dispersion containing a resin material, a colorant and an organic solvent is dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium by a dissolution suspension method, to prepare a dispersion liquid, and the dispersion liquid is uniformly formed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-203370).
However, it cannot be said that any of these proposals satisfactorily meet are adequately responsive to the demands for the dispersibility of colorants which are further improved in quality.
In granulation through the above mentioned polymerization method, not only water but also various materials such as a solvent, a surfactant, and a dispersion stabilizer, and thus the required technical level concerning the stability of conventional materials is further raised.
Particularly when toner particles are granulated, the dispersibility of a pigment and a releasing agent in a resin which has been dissolved or dispersed in a solvent greatly influences the fixing temperature range, color reproducibility range and developing properties of the resulting toner, and thus the dispersibility is one of the most important points in a toner production method through granulation of materials in an aqueous medium.
In particular, when Color Index No. PR122 (which may be abbreviated as PR122 hereinbelow) is used for a magenta toner and Color Index No. PY74 (which may be abbreviated as PY74 hereinbelow) is used for a yellow toner, the pigments are localized on the surface of toner because of the intrinsic properties of the pigments, causing a poor dispersed state.
As a result, there is such a problem that the dispersion state of the pigment in toner particles, i.e., the absorption spectrum intensity of the dispersion liquid is lowered as compared with favorably dispersed ones, and the resulting toner becomes inferior in the degree of pigmentation and the chromaticity to those expected.
As a countermeasure against the problem, it has been known that a pigment can be uniformly dispersed in toner using a pigment dispersant and thereby it is possible to produce a toner which is improved in the degree of pigmentation and the chromaticity (see Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 4079257 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2009-116313).
However, even when the problem is solved and the dispersibility of a colorant is improved depending on a pigment dispersant used, a resin contained in the toner may be considerably lowered in viscosity and in its melting point by adding the pigment dispersant, and the produced toner may be solidified in a container during transportation.
Further, Japanese Patent (JP-B) No. 4213067 discloses a toner in which a crystalline polyester resin is incorporated into a binder resin, and thereby both the heat resistant storage stability and the low temperature fixability are simultaneously achieved.
However, crystalline polyester resins are sparingly soluble in solvents, the pigment cannot be dispersed in a solvent, and thus it is difficult to improve the degree of pigmentation and the chromaticity of the resulting toner.
For this reason, it has been required to disperse such a pigment in a solvent without reducing the viscosity and melting point of a resin used and to design a toner having a high degree of pigmentation, a wide color reproducibility range and excellent in storage stability.

Toner, method for producing the same, and developer


A method for controlling the cut register in a web-fed rotary press, includes registering an actual value measurement of a position of cut register marks on a printed material web by measuring positions of printing cut register marks on the printed material web, using the measured positions in control loops as actual values of positions of cuts for cut register control, and correcting a first set value of a cut register setting element assigned to the printing material web based on a mathematical model for an error contribution of a proportion of the path of the printing material web that is not registered by the actual value.

The invention relates to a method for controlling the cut register in a web-fed rotary press and a computer program for cut register control.
DE 199 36 291 A1 describes a method for determining the positions of cuts of part webs of a longitudinally cut printing material web in a web-fed rotary press, in which the part webs are combined into strands, these are each folded on a former and are finally crosscut by a knife cylinder. In a departure from the aforementioned document, here the cut individual web halves are designated part webs and the cut webs combined after the former are designated strands. The positions of the cuts determined are used to control the cut register, a dedicated control loop being provided for each part web and, in addition, an outer control loop for the already folded strand. The intention is to make it possible to keep the positions of the cuts of all the part webs of each folded strand at a desired value in each case.
Such a control system with a cascade structure is complicated and in particular requires a large number of sensors to register the actual values of the positions of the cut on the individual part webs and also on each folded strand. This is not only costly but as the number of sensors used rises, the probability of failure of the cut register control also increases, since failures of automated systems are generally caused to a predominant extent by sensor failures.
Furthermore, the position of the cut after the folding can be registered with conventional optical means only by using a mark on the respective outer part web of each strand. A displacement of the position of the cut of the inner part webs between the folding former and the knife cylinder can no longer be measured, for which reason the aforesaid cascade control system of the position of the cut of a strand is based on the assumption that a displacement of the position of the cut taking place after the folding has the same extent in all part webs of a folded strand.

Method for controlling the cut register in a web-fed rotary press


Current approaches to vehicular services lack capabilities and efficiencies. As described herein, various embodiments improve how information is shared among road side units, vehicles, road side unit repositories, and pedestrians. Further, new information is defined to enhance vehicular capabilities.

One of the emerging interne of things (Io)T applications is vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication that enables cars to exchange, among other messages, safety-related messages (e.g., warnings related to sudden stops, communications related to the presence of road hazards, etc.) and positioning-related messages (e.g., location information, driving direction information, speed information, etc.) to attain increased driving safety and efficiency. These types of messages, which may be referred to generally as safety messages, can be transported as non-IP data using Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) links. The Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) Short Message Protocol (WSMP) carries non-IP data that can be transmitted over IEEE 802.11 technology (hereafter referred to as 802.11), which is one form of DSRC links. FIG. 1 shows an example WAVE communication stack with the WSMP above the logical link control (LLC) layer. FIG. 1 is an example in which 802.11 is used. The WAVE Media Access Control (MAC) also supports transmission of IPv6 packets that are also located above the LLC layer in the stack. Both IPv6 packets and WSMP protocol data units (PDUs) may be considered data by the WAVE MAC and LLC layers, and hence may be part of the WAVE Data Plane. The Management Plane provides management functions such as, for example, time synchronization for channel coordination, processing service requests, and advertisements.
Infotainment is another example service that may be enabled by vehicular communications. Infotainment generally refers entertainment within a car, and may include, for example, music and video streaming, news, online gaming, web browsing, etc. As shown in FIG. 2, WAVE communication is expected to use the 5.9 GHz band with a total of 75 MHz bandwidth, over which several channels may be defined as shown in FIG. 2. Referring to the example channels shown in FIG. 2, Channel 178 is a control channel (CCH), and the each of the other channels is a service channel (SCH). In some cases, due to their importance, safety messages are allowed to be transmitted on both a CCH and a SCH. Otherwise IP packets are typically only allowed on a SCH. In some cases, IPv6 can be used for vehicular communications because it has enough "space" to accommodate the very large number of vehicles.


A V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine having 20 cylinders, having a counterclockwise or clockwise direction of rotation, comprising a crankshaft with a torsional vibration damper and a flywheel arranged on the crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft has crank throws forming a crank star, wherein in each case the piston rods of the two cylinders of a V-segment are connected to the same crank throw, wherein the crank throws C1 to C10 have one of the following angular sequences in the direction of rotation of the engine when seen from the side of the flywheel, with the crank throws numbered as C1 to C10 when starting from the side of the flywheel: (i) C1-C9-C4-C6-C3-C10-C2-C7-C5-C8, (ii) C1-C8-C5-C7-C2-C10-C3-C6-C4-C9, (iii) C1-C9-C5-C7-C3-C10-C2-C6-C4-C8, (iv) C1-C9-C7-C3-C6-C10-C2-C4-C8-C5, (v) C1-C7-C5-C8-C2-C10-C4-C6-C3-C9, (vi) C1-C9-C7-C3-C5-C10-C2-C4-C8-C6, (vii) C1-C6-C8-C4-C2-C10-C5-C3-C7-C9, (viii) C1-C5-C8-C4-C2-C10-C6-C3-C7-C9, (ix) C1-C8-C4-C6-C2-C10-C3-C7-C5-C9.

The number of possible firing sequences, or possible crank configurations, has already been largely described in the relevant literature for internal combustion engines with small number of cylinders, i.e. up to six cylinders for inline engines, and up to 12 cylinders for V-type engines. With increasing number of cylinders, the number of possible combinations of firing sequences or crank stars grows disproportionately, however, while the vibration dynamics of the crankshaft and of the entire engine become much more complex at the same time. Therefore, the selection of a suitable crank star and firing sequence for multi-cylinder internal combustion engines requires a deep understanding of both the mechanics and the vibration dynamics as well as of the gas cycle dynamics. The systematic evaluation therefore requires computer-assisted simulation and optimizing methods.
There exist already a couple of patents on firing sequences. U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,389 deals with the effects of firing sequences on the air path in internal combustion engines having a plurality of cylinders. U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,193 deals with the firing sequences of a 12 cylinder internal combustion engine in V90° configuration. EP 1 793 104 B9 shows a number of advantageous firing sequences for a 15-cylinder internal combustion engine in inline configuration.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a V-type 20 cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine with advantageous properties regarding the above-mentioned criteria.
This object is achieved in a first aspect by a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine having 20 cylinders, having a counter-clockwise or clockwise direction of rotation, comprising a crankshaft, a torsional vibration damper and a flywheel arranged on the crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft has 10 crank throws forming a crank star, wherein in each case the piston rods of the two cylinders of a V-segment are connected to the same crank throw, wherein the crank throws C1 to C10 have one of the following angular sequences in the direction of rotation of the engine when seen from the side of the flywheel, with the crank throws numbered as C1 to C10 when starting from the side of the flywheel:
i) C1, C9, C4, C6, C3, C10, C2, C7, C5, C8
ii) C1, C8, C5, C7, C2, C10, C3, C6, C4, C9
iii) C1, C9, C5, C7, C3, C10, C2, C6, C4, C8
iv) C1, C9, C7, C3, C6, C10, C2, C4, C8, C5
v) C1, C7, C5, C8, C2, C10, C4, C6, C3, C9
vi) C1, C9, C7, C3, C5, C10, C2, C4, C8, C6
vii) C1, C6, C8, C4, C2, C10, C5, C3, C7, C9
viii) C1, C5, C8, C4, C2, C10, C6, C3, C7, C9
ix) C1, C8, C4, C6, C2, C10, C3, C7, C5, C9. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention form the subject of the dependent claims.
The first aspect of the present invention relates to the configuration of the crank star of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, i.e. to the arrangement of the crank throws along the crankshaft.
According to the first aspect, the present invention comprises a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine having 20 cylinders, having a counter-clockwise or clockwise direction of rotation, comprising a crankshaft, a torsional vibration damper and a flywheel arranged on the crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft has 10 crank throws forming a crank star, wherein in each case the piston rods of the two cylinders of a V-segment are connected to the same crank throw, wherein the crank throws C1 to C10 have one of the following angular sequences in the direction of rotation of the engine when seen from the side of the flywheel, with the crank throws numbered as C1 to C10 when starting from the side of the flywheel:
i) C1, C9, C4, C6, C3, C10, C2, C7, C5, C8
ii) C1, C8, C5, C7, C2, C10, C3, C6, C4, C9
iii) C1, C9, C5, C7, C3, C10, C2, C6, C4, C8
iv) C1, C9, C7, C3, C6, C10, C2, C4, C8, C5
v) C1, C7, C5, C8, C2, C10, C4, C6, C3, C9
vi) C1, C9, C7, C3, C5, C10, C2, C4, C8, C6
vii) C1, C6, C8, C4, C2, C10, C5, C3, C7, C9
viii) C1, C5, C8, C4, C2, C10, C6, C3, C7, C9
ix) C1, C8, C4, C6, C2, C10, C3, C7, C5, C9.
Four-stroke internal combustion engines in a V configuration having 20 cylinders having such crank stars are not known from the prior art. The inventors of the present invention have taken into account that the design of the crank star and in particular the order of the individual crank throws along the crankshaft also have a substantial influence on the vibration dynamics of the crankshaft and of the engine. The inventors have determined, on the basis of a computer-assisted simulation and optimizing method and by a systematic evaluation of the mechanics and vibration dynamics relevant to the selection of a suitable crank star, those crank stars which have particularly good properties with respect to the vibration properties.
Independently of the configuration of the crank star of the four-stroke internal combustion engine according to the first aspect, i.e. to the arrangement of the crank throws along the crankshaft, the present invention relates in a second aspect to the firing sequences of a V-type 20 cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine.
In the second aspect, the present invention deals with optimized firing sequences for a V-type 20 cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine. Since the optimum firing sequences depend on the direction of rotation of the four-stroke internal combustion engine, this first aspect comprises two variations.
In a first variant of the second aspect, the present invention comprises a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine with 20 cylinders, having a counter-clockwise direction of rotation, comprising a firing sequence controller that fires the cylinders A1 to A10 and B1 to B10 in at least one of the following firing sequences, wherein the direction of rotation and the cylinder numbering is defined in accordance with DIN ISO 1204:
a) A1-A5-B2-A4-B6-B3-A6-B9-B1-A9-B8-B4-A8-B10-A2-A10-B7-A3-A7-B5
b) A1-B4-B2-A4-B6-B3-A6-B9-B1-A9-B8-A5-A8-B10-A2-A10-B7-A3-A7-B5
c) A1-A6-B2-A4-B5-B3-A5-B9-B1-A9-B8-B4-A8-B10-A2-A10-B7-A3-A7-B6
d) A1-B4-B2-A4-B5-B3-A5-B9-B1-A9-B8-A6-A8-B10-A2-A10-B7-A3-A7-B6
e) A1-A9-B5-A3-A5-B4-A2-A4-B1-A6-B7-B3-A7-B10-B2-A10-B8-B6-A8-B9
f) A1-A9-B6-A3-A6-B4-A2-A4-B1-A5-B7-B3-A7-B10-B2-A10-B8-B5-A8-B9
g) A1-A8-B2-A6-B3-A10-B5-A7-B1-A9-B4-B6-A4-B10-A2-B7-A3-B9-A5-B8
h) A1-A8-B2-A7-B3-A10-B4-A6-B1-A9-B5-B7-A5-B10-A2-B6-A3-B9-A4-B8
i) A1-B6-A4-B10-A3-B7-A2-B8-B1-A8-B4-A9-B3-A6-B2-A10-B5-A7-A5-B9
j) A1-B6-A3-B10-A4-B8-A2-A8-B1-A7-B3-A9-B4-A6-B2-A10-B5-B7-A5-B9
k) A1-B7-A5-B10-A3-B6-A2-B8-B1-A8-B5-A9-B3-A7-B2-A10-B4-A6-A4-B9
l) A1-A6-B2-B10-A2-A10-B7-B9-A7-A9-B8-B4-A8-A4-B5-B3-A5-A3-B1-B6
m) A1-A5-B2-B10-A2-A10-B7-B9-A7-A9-B8-B4-A8-A4-B6-B3-A6-A3-B1-B5
In a second variant of the second aspect, the present invention comprises a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine with 20 cylinders, having a clockwise direction of rotation, comprising a firing sequence controller that fires the cylinders A1 to A10 and B1 to B10 in at least one of the following firing sequences, wherein the direction of rotation and the cylinder numbering is defined in accordance with DIN ISO 1204:
B1-B5-A2-B4-A6-A3-B6-A9-A1-B9-A8-A4-B8-A10-B2-B10-A7-B3-B7-A5
B1-A4-A2-B4-A6-A3-B6-A9-A1-B9-A8-B5-B8-A10-B2-B10-A7-B3-B7-A5
B1-B6-A2-B4-A5-A3-B5-A9-A1-B9-A8-A4-B8-A10-B2-B10-A7-B3-B7-A6
B1-A4-A2-B4-A5-A3-B5-A9-A1-B9-A8-B6-B8-A10-B2-B10-A7-B3-B7-A6
B1-B9-A5-B3-B5-A4-B2-B4-A1-B6-A7-A3-B7-A10-A2-B10-A8-A6-B8-A9
B1-B9-A6-B3-B6-A4-B2-B4-A1-B5-A7-A3-B7-A10-A2-B10-A8-A5-B8-A9
B1-B8-A2-B6-A3-B10-A5-B7-A1-B9-A4-A6-B4-A10-B2-A7-B3-A9-B5-A8
B1-B8-A2-B7-A3-B10-A4-B6-A1-B9-A5-A7-B5-A10-B2-A6-B3-A9-B4-A8
B1-A6-B4-A10-B3-A7-B2-A8-A1-B8-A4-B9-A3-B6-A2-B10-A5-B7-B5-A9
B1-A6-B3-A10-B4-A8-B2-B8-A1-B7-A3-B9-A4-B6-A2-B10-A5-A7-B5-A9
B1-A7-B5-A10-B3-A6-B2-A8-A1-B8-A5-B9-A3-B7-A2-B10-A4-B6-B4-A9
B1-B6-A2-A10-B2-B10-A7-A9-B7-B9-A8-A4-B8-B4-A5-A3-B5-B3-A1-A6
B1-B5-A2-A10-B2-B10-A7-A9-B7-B9-A8-A4-B8-B4-A6-A3-B6-B3-A1-A5
The inventors of the present invention have arrived at these firing sequences on the basis of a computer-assisted simulation and optimization procedure, including a systematic evaluation of structural vibrations and gas cycle dynamics relevant to the selection of a suitable firing sequence for V20 internal combustion engines. The claimed firing sequences have particularly advantageous properties with respect to torsional vibrations of the crankshaft, gas cycle dynamics, load on the crankshaft main bearings and engine operational vibrations.
The fatigue strength and thus the service life of the engine are increased by the reduced load on the crankshaft and on the crankshaft bearings as well as by the reduction of engine operational vibrations. The construction effort for the engine and for the connection to further components can furthermore be reduced. In possible applications, due to the small torsion load on the crankshaft due to the optimized firing sequences, inexpensive crankshaft materials may be used. The reduction in the torsional vibrations can furthermore permit the use of a compact torsional vibration damper of a simple design. These aspects represent a substantial cost advantage in mass production.
In the four-stroke internal combustion engines in a V configuration having 20 cylinders of the second aspect of the present invention, the crankshaft has crank throws at which the connecting rods of the cylinders engage. Preferably, the connecting rods of the two cylinders of a V-segment of the four-stroke internal combustion engine share a common crank. The crank throws of the crankshaft, in their orientation along the crankshaft axis, form a so-called crank star.
The optimized firing sequences in accordance with the second aspect and the optimized crank stars in accordance with the first aspect form independently from each other the subject matter of the present invention.
However, in a preferred embodiment, the first and the second aspect are combined. In particular, the four-stroke internal combustion engines of the present invention are preferably operated with a crank star configured in accordance with the first aspect and with a firing sequence in accordance with the second aspect.
The following combinations of the crank stars and firing sequences discussed above are particularly preferred, both for V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine having a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction of rotation:
crank star i), firing sequence h
crank star ii), firing sequence i
crank star iii), firing sequence g
crank star iv), one of the firing sequences a, b and m
crank star v), firing sequence j
crank star vi), one of the firing sequences c, d and l
crank star vii), firing sequence e
crank star viii), firing sequence f
crank star ix), firing sequence k
The inventors of the present invention have recognized that particularly good results can be achieved by these combinations of the crank star and firing sequence.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention, which can be used both with a four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the first aspect, and with a four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the second aspect, and with a combination of these aspects, will be explained in more detail in the following.
In embodiments of the present invention, the V angle of the four-stroke internal combustion engine can be chosen to be between 40° and 80°, more preferably between 50° and 70°, more preferably between 55° and 65°, most preferably at 60°. The inventors of the present invention have recognized that the V angle also has an influence on the above-named aspects to be optimized. There is furthermore a certain interaction between the firing sequences or crank stars and the V angle. In the present embodiment, the V angle is not optimized with respect to the firing behavior of the 20 cylinder engine, as it does not allow equidistant firing sequences. However, the V-angle is chosen such that it can be used for a whole range of engines having different numbers of cylinders, in order to keep production costs low.
The crankshaft has 10 crank throws at which the connecting rods of the cylinders engage, with the connecting rods of the two cylinders of a V-segment of the four-stroke internal combustion engine each sharing a common crank throw. The crank throws form a crank star.
In a preferred embodiment, a simple crank star is used for the engines of the present invention, i.e. a crank star where all the crank throws have a different angular position. This is contrary to conventional engine design, which makes use of a symmetric crankshaft formed by two symmetric halves. While such symmetric crankshafts have advantages with respect to free moments of accelerated masses, the inventors of the present invention have found that a simple or asymmetric crank star will be more advantageous if all aspects of the optimization are taken into account.
In a preferred embodiment, the crank throws are arranged on the crank star with an intermediate angle of n*36°±5°, preferably of n*36°±3°, more preferably of n*36°±1°, wherein n is a different integer between 1 and 9 for each crank star. The crank throws are therefore arranged equidistantly or at least quasi-equidistantly on the crankshaft.
The present invention preferably uses firing sequences where the angular distances between to firings are not too far away from each other. This is easier to accomplish with an asymmetric crank shaft, which therefore allows to improve the regularity of the firing intervals.
In a preferred embodiment, the firing sequences have an angular firing distance for two cylinders of the same bank between 26° and 46°, preferably between 31° and 41°, most preferably at 36°. The firing sequences have, for the counter-clockwise direction of rotation, an angular firing distance for a firing of a cylinder of the A-bank followed by a firing of a cylinder of the B-bank of between 38° and 58°, preferably between 43° and 53°, most preferably at 48° and/or for a firing of a cylinder of the B-bank followed by a firing of a cylinder of the A-bank of between 14° and 34°, preferably between 19° and 29°, most preferably at 24°.
For the clockwise direction of rotation, the firing sequences preferably have an angular firing distance for a firing of a cylinder of the B-bank followed by a firing of a cylinder of the A-bank of between 38° and 58°, preferably between 43° and 53°, most preferably at 48°, and/or for a firing of a cylinder of the A-bank followed by a firing of a cylinder of the B-bank of between 14° and 34°, preferably between 19° and 29°, most preferably at 24°.
The four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the invention preferably has a torsional vibration damper which damps the torsional vibrations of the crankshaft. Because an engine according to the present invention will have lower torsional vibrations, the required power loss of the torsional vibration damper can equally be reduced with respect to known four-stroke internal combustion engines.
The power loss of the torsional vibration damper preferably amounts to less than 3 per mil of the maximum engine power; further preferably to less than 2 per mil; further preferably to less than 1.5 per mil; and further preferably to less than 1 per mil of the maximum engine power. It is additionally possible due to the required power loss of the torsional vibration damper reduced in accordance with the invention to use favorable and technically less complex vibration dampers.
Due to the reduction of the power loss of the torsional vibration damper, the present invention makes it possible to use technically less complex vibration dampers.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a viscous damper is used. Such a damper is substantially less expensive than a leaf spring damper. The use of a leaf spring damper remains of course possible for engines of the present invention depending on the application purpose.
The four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the invention has a crankshaft and a flywheel arranged on the crankshaft. The power take-off preferably takes place at the side of the flywheel, which is typically connected directly or via a coupling to a shaft which drives a load. The torsional vibration damper is preferably arranged at the free side of the crankshaft disposed opposite the flywheel. The torsional vibration damper is particularly preferably arranged outside the engine casing.
Four-stroke internal combustion engines in accordance with the present invention can be used in a plurality of different configurations and dimensions.
In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the displacement volume per cylinder is between 1 l and 20 l, preferably between 1.5 l and 15 l, more preferably between 2 l and 9 l.
In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the maximum engine power per liter displacement volume is between 10 kW and 100 kW, preferably between 20 kW and 70 kW.
In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the engine has an operating speed range of between 600 and 2100 rpm. The speed range of a specific four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the invention actually used for an application can make up a part range of this speed range.
In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the engine has an engine controller programmed to run the engine at a constant nominal operating speed, wherein the constant nominal operating speed preferably can be adapted based on engine conditions and/or load conditions, and/or wherein the constant nominal operating speed preferably is from an operating speed range between 600 and 2100 rpm.
In particular, the engine is preferably controlled such that the engine again reaches the nominal engine speed after brief load changes which allow the actual engine speed to deviate from the nominal engine speed. In a possible embodiment, the nominal engine speed can be kept constant. The nominal engine speed is in particular kept constant over time periods which are long with respect to the typical load changes. In accordance with the invention, the engine control can, however, be designed such that the nominal engine speed can be adapted to changing engine conditions and/or load conditions.
The engine in accordance with the invention can, however, also be operated using any desired other engine control principles.
In possible embodiments of the present invention, the engine is operable with a gaseous and/or with a liquid fuel, wherein the engine can preferably be operated with at least one of the following fuels: gas, diesel, gasoline.
The engine in accordance with the invention can be a gas engine. In this case, the engine is operable with a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen, natural gas, biogas and/or liquefied gas.
Alternatively or additionally, the engine can also be operable with a liquid fuel. The engine can, for example, be operable with diesel and/or gasoline.
In a possible embodiment, the engine in accordance with the invention can only be operable only with a gaseous fuel or only with a liquid fuel. Alternatively, an operation with both a gaseous fuel and with a liquid fuel is possible.
In possible embodiments of the present invention, the engine has a direct injection system and/or a high pressure injection system. Such injection systems are particularly preferably used with an engine which is operable with liquid fuel.
In possible embodiments of the present invention, the engine can be operated with a Diesel or an Otto combustion process.
In possible embodiments of the present invention, the engine controller is programmed to operate the engine with a homogeneous charge and/or stratified charge combustion method. In possible applications, one out of several available combustion methods can be used in dependence on the engine conditions and/or load conditions.
In a possible embodiment of the present invention, the engine is a suction engine. Alternatively, the engine may be equipped with a boosting system with one or several stages. The engine can in particular have one or more turbochargers and/or compressors.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, all cylinders of one cylinder bank have a common intake manifold and/or a common exhaust manifold, wherein the exhaust manifolds are preferably arranged with respect to the V-angle on the inside and the intake manifolds are arranged with respect to the V-angle on the outside.
The engine of the present invention can be used in a multitude of different applications:
In a possible application, the engine is used as a power unit in a heavy duty and/or mining and/or earth moving and/or transport and/or cargo and/or load handling machine, preferably for an excavator and/or a dumper truck.
In a possible application, the engine is used to run a generator and/or a hydraulic pump, the generator and/or the hydraulic pump preferably operating one or more drives of an undercarriage and/or working equipment, preferably of a heavy duty and/or mining and/or earth moving and/or transport and/or cargo and/or load handling machine, preferably for an excavator and/or an dumper truck.
In a possible application, the engine is coupled directly or via a mechanical gear train to an undercarriage and/or working equipment, preferably of a heavy duty and/or mining and/or earth moving and/or transport and/or cargo and/or load handling machine, preferably for an excavator and/or a dumper truck.
In a possible application, the engine is used as the main power unit for a ship. In this case, the crankshaft preferably drives the propeller of the ship. The shaft of the propeller can be connected to the flywheel of the engine directly or via a clutch and/or a transmission.
In a possible application, the engine is used as the main power unit for a train. In this case, the engine preferably drives a generator. The rail vehicle can in particular be operated diesel electrically. Alternatively, the drive can take place via a transmission which is preferably connected to the engine by means of a clutch and/or a torque converter.
In a possible application, the engine is used as a power unit in military equipment. The engine can in particular be used in an armored vehicle and/or in a rocket carrier and/or in a speedboat and/or in a submarine.
The engine in accordance with the invention can furthermore be used as a drive for fluid transport and/or for gas and/or fuel production and/or treatment. For example, the engine can be used as the drive of a pump and/or of an oil and/or gas extraction machine, of an oil and/or gas transporting machine and/or of an oil and/or gas processing machine.
In a possible application, the engine is used as a power unit for power generation, an in particular drives a generator. The engine can be used for stationary or mobile power generation.
In a possible application, the engine is used as a power unit for a mobile and/or stationary machine.
In a possible application, the load can be connected to the crankshaft in a torsionally rigid manner. Alternatively, the load can, however, also be connected to the crankshaft via a torsionally flexible coupling. Such a torsionally flexible coupling absorbs torsional vibrations to a certain extent and thus reduces the transmission of still present torsional vibrations of the crankshaft to the driven load.
The present invention further comprises a machine comprising a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine as described above. The engine of the present invention may in particular be used to drive the machine or a piece of working equipment of the machine.
In particular, the machine may be a stationary or a mobile machine.
The machine in accordance with the invention is in particular one of the above-named applications. The machine in accordance with the invention can, for example, be a heavy duty and/or mining and/or earth moving and/or transport and/or cargo and/or load handling machine, and/or a ship and/or a train and/or a military and/or fluid transport and/or gas and/or oil production and/or treatment machine and/or a power generator. Preferably, the machine is an excavator and/or a dumper truck.
The present invention further comprises a firing sequence controller or a software for a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine with 20 cylinders, in particular for a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine as described above, the firing sequence controller or software implementing at least one of the firing sequences provided above with respect to the second aspect. In the firing sequence controller of the present invention, the firing sequence may be predefined by the constructional design of the engine, for example by a firing sequence controller driven mechanically via a camshaft. Preferably, the firing sequence controller comprises an electronic controller programmed to control the engine with one of the inventive firing sequences.
The present invention further comprises a method for operating a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine with 20 cylinders, in particular a V-type 4-stroke internal combustion engine as described above, wherein the engine is operated with at least one out of the firing sequences provided above with respect to the second aspect.
The design of a four-stroke reciprocating internal combustion engine having 20 cylinders in accordance with the invention is shown schematically in FIGS. 1 to 3.


Provided is a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a main body including a cord reel around which a power cord is wound and a cord reel button for operating the cord reel.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a vacuum cleaner.
2. Background
In general, vacuum cleaners are apparatuses, which suck air containing foreign substances such as dusts using a vacuum pressure generated by a motor mounted within a main body to filter the foreign substances in the main body.
Vacuum cleaners come into wide use in people's homes due to their convenience of use. Specifically, vacuum cleaners are increasingly in demand because of a need to clean felt carpets or sofas. The vacuum cleaners may be classified into a canister type vacuum cleaner in which a suction nozzle that is a suction hole is separated from a main body to connect the suction nozzle to the main body using an extension tube and an upright type vacuum cleaner in which a suction nozzle is integrated with a main body.
The upright type vacuum cleaner includes a main body in which a motor for generating a suction force is disposed, a suction nozzle for sucking air containing foreign substances from a floor by the suction force of the motor, and a dust collection unit for filtering the foreign substances from the sucked air. Also, a hook ring for winding and storing a power cord for applying a power the motor is disposed in the main body.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.


A method or a machine determines minimum (s) and maximum (S) inventory control levels (s, S) for inventory items based upon a demand history of the inventory items, such as demand inter-arrival times (IA) and demand requisition sizes (RS). An expected cost is computed including two or more inventory item cost components of expected cost of ordering, expected cost of carrying inventory, or expected cost of outstanding backorders for the inventory control levels (s, S), directly from frequency statistics of different demand IA and demand RS on an inventory item basis. An optimal inventory control level (s, S) of an inventory item is searched that minimizes the cost of ordering, carrying inventory, and/or backorders, based upon the generated expected cost.

1. Field
The embodiments of the invention relate to computing inventory control levels of one or more items in a population of items.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inventory management system for a single site typically manages each item using two control levels: an item's reorder point (ROP), which determines when to order the item, and a requisitioning objective (RO), which determines how much of the item to order. An order is placed when assets on-hand plus on-order decrease to or below the ROP, and the difference between the RO and the current assets is the quantity ordered. If this comparison is made continuously, the inventory control system is known as a continuous review (s, S) policy, where s is the ROP and S is the RO. It is well known that when managing items at a single site, with a positive (or positive plus linear) cost to replenish stock, that an (s, S) policy is optimal. See Scarf, H. "The Optimality of (s, S) Policies in the Dynamic Inventory Problem," Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences, Chapter 13, Stanford University Press, 1960; Axsäter, S. Inventory Control, 2nd edition, Springer, New York, 2006, p 140; and Zipkin, P. Foundations of Inventory Management, McGraw Hill, Boston, 2000, pp. 395-401. In the case where there is no cost to replenish, an S or (S−1, S) policy is optimal. A case where there is only a positive cost to replenish stock can be considered.
Although the (s, S) policy is optimal, it is computationally intensive to find the optimal values of s and S, and simpler methods are often used. In practice, the RO is often the ROP plus a nominal order quantity, Q, which is often a Wilson Lot-size formula (EOQ) ("economic order quantity")—this is known as (s, Q) or (R, Q) policy—see Axsäter, pp. 140-142. Thus Q is the quantity ordered if assets drop exactly to the ROP. The ROP is an estimate of lead-time demand (LTD) plus a safety level that protects against variability in LTD. An (s, Q) policy works well in the case of unit or constant demand sizes, where the inventory position decreases exactly to the ROP and triggers a replenishment order. In the case of variable customer demand sizes, sometimes known as "lumpy demand", a demand may be large enough to reduce the inventory position from above the ROP to below the ROP by more than Q units. In this case an (s, nQ) policy is sometimes used, where the replenishment order size is the smallest multiple of Q that restores the inventory position to a value above s—see Zipkin, p. 227.
For each type of policy, it is then necessary to find optimal, or at least reasonable values of s and S, or s and Q for each item. Optimality is defined with respect to metrics for customer service, inventory investment, and replenishment cost. Customer service is typically measured in terms of expected (average) backorders, customer wait time, or service level. Inventory investment is typically measured as the average value of inventory on hand, or average value of the inventory position. Replenishment cost is typically measured in terms of the number of replenishment actions per unit time, multiplied by a cost to place a replenishment request. Typically the objective function for the optimization is the sum of terms for (1) expected costs to order replenishment per unit time, (2) expected inventory value, and (3) expected backorders, multiplied by a backorder penalty factor—see Zipkin, p. 213.
Expected costs of inventory and of backorders are computed from the probability distribution of on hand inventory, where negative values denote backordered units. The probability distribution for on-hand inventory is computed from the probability distribution of the inventory position and the probability distribution of leadtime demand. For unit or constant demand sizes, the inventory position is uniformly distributed. For variable demand sizes the distribution of the inventory position is uniform for the (s, nQ) policy with certain restrictions on the demand size distribution—see Zipkin, p. 230, but for the (s, S) policy the inventory position probabilities are not uniform and are computed via renewal equations involving the probabilities for demand sizes—see Sahin, I. "On the Stationary Analysis of Continuous Review (s, S) Inventory Systems," Operations Research, Vol. 27, 1979, pp 717-729; Zheng, Y. and Federgruen (Z-F), A. "Finding Optimal (s, S) Policies is About as Simple as Evaluating a Single Policy", Operations Research, Vol. 39, 1991, pp. 654-665; and Zheng, Y. and Federgruen, "Errata: Finding Optimal (s, S) Policies is about as Simple as Evaluating a Single Policy," Operations Research, Vol. 40, 1992, p. 192. For (s, Q), (s, nQ) and (s, S) policies, a leadtime demand distribution is typically assumed (e.g., Poisson, negative binomial, Normal, Gamma, Weibull), and its mean and variance are estimated—see Axsäter, pp. 140-145. An alternative is to estimate the leadtime demand probabilities via bootstrapping—see Fricker, R., and Goodhart, C., "Applying a Bootstrap Approach for Setting Reorder Points in Military Supply Systems," Naval Research Logistics, vol. 47, no. 6 (2000): 459-478.
In summary, in the case of (s, Q) or (s, nQ) policies, expected replenishment costs per unit time are typically computed using the theoretical probability distribution for demand sizes and the assumed Q—see Zipkin, p. 229. For (s, S) policies, expected replenishment costs are computed from the renewal density, derived from the theoretical probability distribution of demand sizes, as well as from s and S—see Sahin and Zheng. In addition, expected cost of holding inventory and expected cost of backorders could be computed from the theoretical probability distribution of on hand inventory, where negative values for on hand inventory denote backordered units. Therefore, a related method for determining optimal inventory control levels (s, S) assumes theoretical probabilities, including for leadtime demands, and assumes an average demand size. In other words, the related method assumes probability distributions, which requires estimating all of the parameters (number of demands in a leadtime, time of (mean) demand, size of demand (requisition size)) to yield assumed probability distributions. However, this introduces errors in both the estimating of parameters and the assumed probability distributions.
Optimization methods—see Zipkin, pp. 223-224 and Zheng—are then applied to the cost function to solve for the values of s and Q, or values of s and S for each item that minimize overall expected costs.
The state of the system typically changes over time as demand patterns for individual items experience fluctuations or trends. This is typically treated by periodically updating the mean and variance estimates for the assumed probability distribution of leadtime demands, re-computing the expected costs, and re-running the optimization.
A limitation of the (s, nQ) policy is that it is not the optimal form of policy, so for populations of items with certain characteristics, the use of such a policy will result in excessive inventory, inferior customer service, and excessive replenishment workload.
A limitation of the approach described earlier for optimizing inventory levels under an (s, S) policy is that for a population of items in which the demand sizes vary over a wide range, the computation of items' inventory position probabilities may be impractical, based on computational resources required.
A limitation of the (s, S) inventory levels computation described earlier is that, for items in certain populations, computationally tractable theoretical distributions do not fit actual distributions of leadtime demand well. This leads to an inaccurate assessment for the costs of backorders and inventory, and therefore results in inventory levels that produce excessive inventory, inferior customer service, and excessive replenishment workload.
A limitation of the (s, S) inventory levels computation described earlier is that, for items in certain populations, parameter estimates for theoretical distributions are subject to errors as large as 100 to 200 percent.
A limitation of the bootstrapping approach for developing a probability distribution of leadtime demand is that for large item populations, it is impractical, based on computational resources required.
A limitation of the (s, S) inventory levels computation described earlier is that, for large populations of items, the computation of the cost function is impractical, based on computational resources required.
A limitation of the (s, S) inventory levels computation described earlier is that the cost function penalizes only expected units backordered, not expected requisitions backordered. This results in a significant imbalance in customer service and investment across items with small and large demand sizes, leading to excessive inventory for items with large demand sizes and inferior customer service for items with small demand sizes.
A limitation of the (s, S) inventory levels computation described earlier is that the optimization algorithm may invest heavily in inventory for a small number of items, resulting in inferior customer service for the majority of items in the population.

Method and computer system for setting inventory control levels from demand inter-arrival time, demand size statistics


A security device for a door frame for a fastening in a cavity a door frame cavity behind a strike plate. The device comprises a short length of flat bar to be fastened directly to an internal portion of a door frame at the height of a latch bolt receptacle so that a relatively large area of a surface of the bar provides a solid buttress support contact for the latch bolt when in the latch bolt receptacle, the bar thereby serving as a high strength, adjustable latch bolt keeper. Fasteners and holes in the bar provides for connections to the door frame, the cover-plate-and-strike, and to a safety chain as may be required.

The present invention relates to a device for simultaneously reinforcing a door frame and serving as an engagement surface for the bolt (e.g. latch bolt or dead bolt) of a door.
Conventional strike plates and dead bolt keepers provide a narrow latching or engagement surface which will often bend or tear when a closed door is subjected to an attack force. When the strike plate bends or tears, very little additional force on the door may be required to cause the latch bolt or dead bolt to come loose from the receptacle in the door frame located behind the strike, thereby enabling the door to be opened.
Patents of general background interest describing reinforcing means for keepers or strike plates include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,533,396 issued Dec. 12, 1950 of Payne, 4,186,954 issued Feb. 5, 1980 of Detlefs and 4,211,422 issued Jul. 8, 1980 of Hansen. The keepers and lock strike plate assemblies of these devices require special, relatively complicated constructions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,994 of Vorves issued Jan. 25, 1983 describes and illustrates a strike plate support comprising a U-shaped, two-piece connection which bolts into a door frame, to circumscribe the upper, lower and outer peripheries of the receptacle for the door latch or bolt. A strike plate fits over this device and is secured to the door frame by normal wood screws. The device illustrated in this patent, in operation produces significant bending stresses on the door latch or bolt. Also, the hinge pin which joins elements forming the "U" is a point at which the unit may structurally fail is subjected to high impact forces.
Another reference of background interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,530 issued Jun. 10, 1975 of Fabrici which describes and illustrates a bolt guard for a door in the form of, for example, a U-shaped plate which wraps around and sits on a door frame, and is anchored thereto. In another reference of interest, French Patent of Addition No. 56295 of Ghione granted Jul. 16, 1952, a leaf spring is mounted on the exterior of a box type lock catch, to reinforce that catch.
Other patents of general background interest are Canadian Patent No. 1,119,640 issued Mar. 9, 1982, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,767,245 issued Oct. 23, 1973, 4,195,780 issued Apr. 1, 1980, 4,237,712 issued Dec. 9, 1980 of Cramer, 3,809,418 issued May, 1974 of Canfield, 3,936,085 issued Feb. 3, 1976 of Long, and 4,195,870 issued Apr. 1, 1980 of Percoco, U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 263,675 issued Apr. 6, 1982 of Vorves, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,489,968 issued Dec. 25, 1984 of Easley, 2,814,193 issued Nov. 26, 1957 of Roethel, 4,673,204 issued Jun. 16, 1987 of Allenbaugh and 4,474,394 issued Oct. 2, 1984. Many of the strike plate support assemblies of these patents have reinforcement means extending in a direction perpendicular to the door frame surface and hence perpendicular to the direction in which an attacking force to the door might be applied.

Balanced latch bolt keeper support system


A three-port Josephson memory cell has one input port (a data line) and two output ports (first and second sense lines). The memory cell receives a write enable pulse on a write line to store a bit of data from the data line as circulating supercurrent. The memory cell also receives a first read enable pulse on a first read line to enable assertion of the stored data onto the first sense line, and receives a second read enable pulse on a second read line to enable assertion of the stored data onto the second sense line. To provide non-destructive readout and wide margins, the memory cell includes a write gate responsive to the write enable pulse for storing current from the data line, a first read gate responsive to the stored current and the first read enable pulse, a second read gate responsive to the stored current and the second read enable pulse, a first buffer gate responsive to the first read gate for asserting a data output signal on the first sense line, and a second buffer gate responsive to the second read gate for asserting a data output signal on the second sense line. In the preferred construction, the current is stored in two storage loops. One storage loop includes a control current path for the first read gate, and the other storage loop includes the control current path for the second read gate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superconducting digital computer, and more particularly to a Josephson memory cell. Specifically, the invention relates to a three-port Josephson memory cell having one input port and two output ports.
2. Background of the Invention
High-speed digital computers currently employ transistor logic and memory circuits. Advances in photolithographic techniques have permitted the size of the transistor logic circuits to be shrunk to a sufficiently small size that the size of the circuits is now limited by power dissipation. Therefore, alternative computing technologies are being investigated that offer a substantial improvement in the "speed-power" product of a logic gate.
One promising computing technology is based on the ability of a superconducting and tunneling junction, known as a "Josephson junction", to switch from a superconducting state to a resistive state. A Josephson junction can change state in as little as six picoseconds. A logic gate employing a Josephson junction can consume no more than a few microwatts. Moreover, a memory cell employing a Josephson junction can store data represented by a quantized circulating supercurrent, and the data can be stored indefinitely without any power consumption.
Josephson technology has improved considerably over the last few years due to the development of niobium multilayer planarization technology. Refractory materials are used for all layers of a Josephson integrated circuit in order to enhance stability. The Josephson junction consists of six nanometers of aluminum oxide between niobium metal layers. Resistors are provided by an 80 nanometer layer of molybdenum. The processing steps are similar to the metallization steps during the manufacture of conventional silicon integrated circuits, although processing temperatures should be maintained below 160.degree. celsius to prevent damage to the Josephson junction. Further details on the niobium multilayer planarization process and the construction of Josephson logic gates and memory cells is found in Fujimaki, "Josephson Modified Variable Threshold Logic Gates for Use in Ultra-High-Speed LSI," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 36, No. 2, February 1989, IEEE, New York, N.Y., pp. 433-446; Yoshifusa Wada, "Josephson Memory Technology," Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 77, No. 8, August 1989, IEEE, New York, N.Y., pp. 1194-1207; Nagasawa et al., "570 -ps 13-mW Josephson 1-k bit NDRO RAM," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 24, No. 5, October 1989, IEEE, New York, N.Y., pp. 1363-1371; and Kotani et al., "A Subnanosecond Clock Josephson 4-bit Processor," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol 25, No. 1, February 1990, IEEE, New York, N.Y., pp. 117-124, which are all incorporated herein by reference.
One limitation of Josephson technology is reduced operating margins in comparison to transistor technology. A transistor logic gate is typically a voltage-controlled device that has a wide operating margin. The input threshold voltage for a transistor logic gate, for example, is not expected to vary by more than a few percent of the power supply voltage. In contrast, a Josephson gate is a current-controlled device, and the threshold of the Josephson gate is proportional to the "critical current" of the Josephson junction. The "critical current" of the Josephson junction is an exponential function of the width of the junction. Consequently, the threshold of the Josephson gate is highly sensitive to process parameters affecting the width of the Josephson junction.
At present, operating margins limit the yield of Josephson memory chips. Typically, a Josephson memory cell has a flux storage loop including a "write gate" that is opened during a write operation to change the flux in the loop. The Josephson memory cell also has a sense gate that is responsive to the stored flux during a read operation. The two gates ensure a non-destructive read-out of the data stored in the cell. Such a two-gate memory cell has low operating margins due to a "half select" problem. The half-select problem refers to the fact that a cell in an array is selected by coincidentally applying currents in a row and a column. While the cell to be selected senses two units of current, all the other cells in that particular row and column will sense one unit of current and become half-selected.
One approach to increasing the operating margin of a Josephson memory cell is to add a buffer gate to the cell. It is also possible to solve the half-select problem by adding only a single buffer gate, as described in Perng-Fei Yuh, "A buffered Nondestructive-Readout Josephson Memory Cell With Three Gates," IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 27, No. 2, March 1991, IEEE, New York, N.Y., pp 2876-2878.
It is believed that a reduced instruction set architecture (RISC) is preferred for a Josephson digital computer, because a large and fast machine could be constructed from a small number of different kinds of moderately complex chips. It is further believed that a dual read port/single write port register file would be an important component of such a RISC computer. Such a dual read port/single write port register file would permit simultaneous and independent access to two register source operands. A large register file would reduce the frequency of cache access cycles, and a dual read port would save cycles otherwise required for register fetch operations if the register file were to have only a single read port.
All known Josephson memory cells have only one port for read-out. A dual read port/single write port register file could be made of such cells by fabricating two identical single read port/single write port memory arrays, and connecting in parallel the write address and the write data input ports of the two arrays. Such a construction, however, would require twice the area and power consumption of a single read port/single write port register file.

Three-port Josephson memory cell for superconducting digital computer


A refrigerator and a device for ice discharging are disclosed. The device for ice discharging includes a case having an ice introduction opening and an ice discharge opening (312); a rotation member (320) rotatable in the case to transfer ice that is held in a predetermined amount to be discharged; and a discharge adjustment part (340) spaced apart a predetermined space from the rotation member (320) to adjust the number of the ices transferred by the rotation member, such that a fixed amount of the ice is substantially discharged. The refrigerator includes the device for ice discharging therein.

Refrigerators are electric appliances to cool or freeze foodstuff in a refrigeration compartment and a freeze compartment by an evaporator and a heat-exchanger constituting a refrigeration cycle for supplying cool air or cold air.
Rather than the function of preserving foodstuff at a lower temperature, such refrigerators can make ice by using cold air at a temperature lower than a freezing temperature of water supplied to the freeze compartment. The ice may be dispensed in a state of an ice cube as it is or in a state of being crushed.
This ice dispensing function is performed by an icemaker exposed to cold air of the freeze compartment and an ice discharging device. The icemaker makes ice by using the cold air of the freeze compartment and the ice discharging device allows the ice made by the icemaker to discharge the ice in an ice cube shape or crushed shape selectively.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional ice discharging device. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional ice discharging device includes a case 10, an ice crushing unit 30, a motor 21, a shaft 22 and a transfer member 23. Ice supplied by an ice maker (not shown) is held in the case 10. The ice crushing unit 20 discharges the ice of the case 10 in ice cube or crushed shapes. The motor 21 drives the ice crushing unit 30 and the transfer member 23 is formed on the shaft 22 to transfer the ice of the case 10 to the ice crushing unit 30. The transfer member 23 has spiral wings having a predetermined section and it is formed along the circumference of the shaft 22.
An ice introduction opening 11 is provided at an upper portion of the case 10 and ice is introduced in the case 10 from an icemaker (not shown) through the opening 11. An ice discharge opening 12 is provided at a lower portion of the case 10 and the ice is discharged outside the case 10 through the ice discharge opening 12.
In such the conventional ice discharging device, the ice introduced through the ice introduction opening 11 is transferred toward the ice discharge opening 12 by the transfer member 23 rotating together with the rotation of the shaft 22. As a result, the ice may be discharged as it is (in this case, in an ice cube shape), or the ice is crushed by the ice crushing unit 30 and discharged (in this case, in a crushed ice shape).
FIGS. 2 and 3 are front views of the conventional ice discharging device illustrating the cases of discharging ice cube or crushed ice, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2, if a user wishes crushed ice from the ice discharging device, the ice inside the case 10 is transferred to the ice discharge opening 12 by the transfer member 23 (see FIG. 1) and at this time a shutter 33 that is able to close some or entire portion of the ice discharge opening 12 is operated by a shutter driving unit 34 to close some portion of the ice discharge opening 12.
Hence, the transferred ice is not discharged through the ice discharge opening 12 and a rotary blade 32 of the ice crushing unit 30 rotates in a clockwise direction to move the ice toward a fixed blade 31. Hence, the ice is crushed by the interaction between the fixed blade 31 and the rotary blade 32 and the crushed ice is discharged through the ice discharge opening 12.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, if a user wishes an ice cube from the conventional ice discharging device, the ice inside the case 10 is transferred to the ice discharge opening 12 and the shutter driving unit 34 drives the shutter 33 to open the ice discharge opening 12 completely. Hence, the rotary blade 32 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction to push the ice with its no-blade portion and thus the ice cube is discharged through the ice discharge opening 12.

Refrigerator and apparatus for ice discharging therein


The present invention provides a new vinyl chloride polymer coating material which can be top-coated with acid-catalyzed coating compositions at low curing temperatures without compromising the adhesion of the coating to the metal substrate and without inhibiting the cure of subsequently applied coating. In accordance with the present invention, a new plastisol coating composition comprises a finely-divided vinyl chloride polymer together with a plasticizer and from about 0.5 to about 5 percent by weight of a composition of an adhesion promoter which is a non-gelled condensation product of. a) a polymerized fatty acid; and PA1 b) a mixture of amines being present in a concentration to produce a final amine value that ranges up to about 225, said mixture being comprised of a polyalkylene polyamine and an N-aminoalkylpiperazine.. In addition, the present invention provides a new and improved adhesion promoter for use in the aforesaid vinyl chloride polymer coating composition. This adhesion promoter is comprised of the condensation product of a polymeric fatty acid and an amine mixture of a polyalkylene polyamine and an N-aminoalkylpiperazine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the bonding of metallic materials and for the production of coatings on metallic materials with a polyvinyl chloride plastisol having improved adhesion and paintability at baking temperatures of 90.degree. C. and up, which plastisol contains, as an adhesion- and paintability-improving additive, a condensation product of a polymerized fatty acid, and a polyalkylene polyamine together with an N-aminoalkylpiperazine.
Polyvinyl chloride and its copolymers have long been known to possess resistance to deterioration caused by the action of aggressive media and they are, therefore, widely used to impart corrosion resistance to metallic surfaces, to bond thin sheet metal structures and to seal welds, especially on preprimed metal in the automotive field.
Such coatings are applied to the surface of the material to be protected mainly in the form of a plasticized vinyl chloride polymer (plastisol) by spread coating, roller coating, spray coating or the like. In one widely used form, a plastisol coating material is prepared by combining a plasticizer or mixture of plasticizers, a polyvinyl chloride, formable into a paste and distinguished in particular by a definite swelling capacity in the plasticizer, one or more fillers, stabilizers and, optionally, pigments and PVC processing aids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The formulation of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating materials, their preparation and methods of applying them are described in great detail in Krekeler Wick, Kunststoff-Handbuch ("Plastics Handbook"), 1963, Vol. II, Part 1, pp. 396 et. seq.
The adhesion of the plastisol to the material to which it is applied is an important criterion for its performance. This is particularly true when the plastisol is used as a coating on preprimed metal parts. Poor adhesion of this PVC protective coating to either bare or preprimed metal reduces the efficiency of the protective coating. It also increases the likelihood of penetration by aggressive media. Water, for example, can readily seep in between the coating and the primed metal and degrade the integrity of the system. The poorer the adhesion of the protective film to the metal, the greater the likelihood that this will occur. An additional advantage of the plastisol of this invention is the inherent flexibility of the cured plastisol when compared to competitive systems such as acrylics.
The paintability of plastisols applied to materials such as metallic surfaces at low-bake temperatures is important in the automotive industry which applies top coatings to plastisols that are cured by acid catalysis at low-bake temperatures. The basicity of the adhesion promoter should not, therefore, interfere with such paint systems
Thus, there has been a need for plastisols which make it possible to produce high-strength bonds between a wide variety of materials, especially metallic materials, and to apply acid-cured top coatings to these materials especially at low-bake temperatures. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,520, polyaminoamides having a certain imidazoline content and made from a polymerized mixture of fatty acids with a high content of trimeric and higher polymeric fatty acids and an excess of polyalkylene polyamines, are used as adhesion promoters in an amount from 0.5 to 5 weight percent, based on the plastisol mass.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,746, heterocyclic amines of the formula ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or an aminoalkyl group, --R'--NH.sub.2, in which R' is a saturated aliphatic chain, form adhesion promoters when condensed with polymerized fatty acids. However, when such promoters were used at relatively low cure temperatures, for example below 140.degree. C., the adhesive properties of the plastisols were found to be below acceptable commercial levels as described in Table III.
These polyaminoamides effectuate a definite improvement in adhesive strength. When used in low concentrations, however, and at low baking temperatures, they leave room for further improvement with respect to adhesion, thermal stability, elongation at rupture and paintability of the cured PVC plastisol.

Adhesion and paintability improvements in PVC plastisols at low bake temperatures


Provided are indole alkaloid compounds of formula I, for example, pubescine, and the use of such compounds and compositions thereof to promote (e.g., enhance) melanogenesis and pigmentation.

Several publications and patent documents are referenced in this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this disclosure pertains. The disclosure of each of these publications and documents is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Melanin is a dark pigment found in plants and animals that protects against ultraviolet radiation and provides decoration in the skin, eyes, hair, and fur of animals (reviewed in Riley, P. A., 1997, Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol 11:1235-39). There are two different types of melanin: brown/black eumelanin and yellow/red pheomelanin. Melanocytes are cells of the epidermis specialized to produce melanin. A sophisticated intercellular signaling system determines whether an individual melanocyte will produce melanin or pheomelanin (reviewed in Brilliant, M. H. and Barsh, G. S., 1998, in The System: 217-29, Oxford University, J. J. et al., eds)).
Melanocytes synthesize melanin inside of specialized organelles called melanosomes (reviewed in Orlow, S. J., 1998, in The Pigmentary System: Physiology and 97-106, Oxford University, New York (Nordlund, J. J. eds.)). Melanosomes are formed by the fusion of two types of vesicles. One type of vesicle, called a premelanosome, apparently derives directly from either the smooth endoplasmic reticulum or the trans-Golgi network. The other type of vesicle derives from the network. Each of these types of vesicles contributes proteins to the melanosome necessary for its function.
Defects in the production of melanin result in pigmentation deficiencies such as albinism. Genetic analysis of abnormally pigmented strains of mice has identified more than 60 genes necessary for the normal production of melanin (reviewed in Silvers, W. K., 1979, The Coat Colors of Mice: A Model for Mammalian Gene Action and Interaction, Springer-Verlag, Basel). One of these genes encodes the enzyme tyrosinase. Tyrosinase protein is a multi-functional enzyme that catalyzes several steps in the production of melanin; tyrosinase activities include the rate-limiting steps of converting tyrosine to (DOPA), and DOPA to dopaquinone (reviewed in Lerner, A. B., and Fitzpatrick, T. B., 1950, Physiol. Rev. 30: 91-126), as well as the oxidation of 5,6-dihydroxyindole to 5,6-indolequinone (Korner and Pawelek, 1982, Science 217: 1163-1165). Both humans and mice lacking tyrosinase activity suffer a severe form of albinism.
Two tyrosinase-related proteins (TRP-1, encoded by the mouse brown gene, and TRP-2, encoded by the mouse slaty gene) also are important for melanogenesis (reviewed in Hearing, V. J., 1993, Am. J. Hum. Genet. 52: 1-7). Each of the TRP proteins shares about 40% sequence identity with tyrosinase and with each other. Each of these three enzymes (tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2) is predicted to contain one transmembrane domain. Together, they form a high molecular weight complex associated with the melanosomal membrane (Orlow, S. J., 1994, 103: 196-201).
Another protein that is important for the production of melanin is the P protein. In mice, it is the product of the pink-eye dilution (p) gene. In humans, it is the product of the P gene. p-null mice produce significantly less melanin than wild-type mice (Silvers, supra). A wild-type human P gene, but not a mutant human P gene, can complement the hypopigmented phenotype of p-null mouse melanocytes (Sviderskaya, E. V., et 1997, J. Invest Dermatol. 108: 30-34). P protein is apparently needed for the production of eumelanin, but not of pheomelanin (Lamoreux, M. L., 1995, Pigment. Cell. Res. 8: 263-70).
Tyrosinase positive oculocutaneous albinism (Ty-pos OCA) or type 2 oculocutaneous albinism (OCA2) is the most common form of albinism worldwide. It results from mutations at the pink-eyed dilution gene (P) (King, R A. (1995) Scriver, C R. (eds) The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease, McGraw-Hill, New York. pp 4353-4392; Ramsay, M. et al (1992) Am. J. Hum. Genet. 51:879-84; Rinchik, E. M. et al. (1993) Nature 361: 72-76. Affected individuals have hypopigmented skin, hair and eyes (Manga P. et al. (1999) J. Dermatol. 26: 738-47), and are thus at increased risk of developing UV-induced carcinomas JG. (1989) Clin. Genet. 36 43-52).
Other conditions that can and may be prevented or treated by increased melanin levels in a subject, include conditions where the skin is more sensitive to the deleterious effects of light, such as porphyrias, polymorphous light eruptions, and the like.
Various studies are directed to methods and compositions for increasing melanogenesis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,440, for example, is directed to increasing melanin synthesis in melanocytes and increasing pigmentation by administration of certain diacylglycerol compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,001 is directed to increasing pigmentation in mammalian skin via administration of certain DNA fragments. U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,359 is directed to increasing levels of melanin in melanocytes by administration of lysosomotropic agents. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,750,229 and 6,995,804 are directed to the identification of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) pathway and nitric oxide synthesis modulators, respectively, and their use in modulating pigmentation levels.
Additionally, a wide variety of natural products are known to alter the melanin synthesis in melanocytes. A number of alkaloids, in particular indole alkaloids, are known to decrease the melanin synthesis in melanocytes. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,110,448, 6,096,295, 5,989,576, 5,919,436 and 5,879,665, all by the patentee in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,359, describe yohimbine, an indole alkaloid, as skin-lightening agent. However, so far none of these indole alkaloids have been reported to be useful in increasing melanin synthesis.
Despite the development of the noted compositions and methods for promoting skin darkening and melanogenesis, there remains a need in the art for the development of less toxic, safer alternatives to the agents and techniques that are presently available. It is accordingly toward the satisfaction of that need that the present invention is directed.

Indole alkaloid compounds as melanogenesis promoters and uses thereof

Abstract: Also provided are plant extracts containing a compound of formula I, for example, pubescine, and the use of such a plant extract to promote (e.g., enhance) melanogenesis and pigmentation. The compound or plant extract may be prepared as pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions, and may be used for the prevention and treatment of conditions that are related to aberrant melanogenesis activity.


A georeferenced trajectory estimation system for vehicles receives trajectory data generated by a plurality of vehicle sensors and fixed reference points of previously generated maps and aligns geometry data for a geographic region and trajectory data from the received data from different map builds. The trajectory data from respective map builds is aligned with fixed reference points of previously generated maps to generate a map of the geographic region. The received map data may include submap or spatially indexed data that is used to provide estimates of where a vehicle in an unmapped area is located by generating a series of pose estimates relating back to a fixed reference point in a previously mapped area. The resulting map expands the coverage of the existing map such that old and new map data is in a common consistent reference frame whereby the map may be built incrementally while ensuring global consistency.

Autonomous vehicle technology typically relies on the fusion of sensor data to enable a computational control system of the autonomous vehicle to perform perception, prediction, motion planning, and vehicle control operations. A key aspect to autonomous vehicle systems is the continuous determination of the autonomous vehicle's state, which can include the vehicle's position, orientation, trajectory, velocity, etc. with respect to the world around it (e.g., in a common and/or local reference frame). These operations are referred to as localization operations, or the determination of the vehicle's pose. Various methods of localization require the use of a sensor suite, which can comprise any number and type of sensors, such as radar, LIDAR, cameras, sonar, infrared, satellite positioning systems, and inertial measurement unit sensors. Accurate localization can also be aided by preconstructed localization maps that contain detailed prior data of a geographical region in which the autonomous vehicle operates.
The generation of high fidelity localization maps from georeferenced trajectories over a series of time does not in general result in maps that are globally consistent. Graph-based maps—in which smaller components (or submaps) are defined in separate (but relatable) reference frames—may be sufficient for many tasks onboard an autonomous vehicle; however, the absence of global consistency across the trajectories used to generate the maps hinders many offline users that require or prefer global consistency for correctly consuming map data.

Log trajectory estimation for globally consistent maps


An inclinometer using a forward speed, a yaw angle rate, a forward acceleration and external altitude information in order to calculate an inclination angle. The inclinometer performs an automatic calibration of an accelerometer bias. The inclinometer may also perform an automatic calibration of an accelerometer position offset. The external altitude information is not required to be continuous.

1. Field of the Application
The present disclosure relates generally to dead reckoning systems and more particularly to a dead reckoning altimeter apparatus using a speedometer and a forward-looking accelerometer for measuring changes in altitude. The present disclosure also relates particularly to an inclinometer apparatus using a speedometer and a forward-looking accelerometer for measuring inclination angle.
2. Description of the Background Art
Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one's current position based upon a previously determined position and advancing that position based upon measured speed, direction and/or acceleration. The DR begins with an initial known position, or fix. The fix can be determined using ranging, triangulation or map matching. It is common to use radio signals for ranging from the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) for establishing an initial position fix from which to start dead reckoning.
Dead reckoning speed can be measured by many methods. Before modern instrumentation, DR speed was determined aboard ship by throwing a wood float, called a log, overboard and counting the knots on a line tied to the float that passed a sailor's hand in a sandglass measured time as the ship moved forward through the water. More modern ships use engine rpm, automatic logs for measuring water speed, or bottom looking Doppler sonar. Road vehicles typically measure speed by measuring revolution rates of their wheels. Road vehicles can also use engine rpm and Doppler sonar or radar for speed measurement. The horizontal direction can be measured with a magnetic or flux gate compass. Dead reckoning direction can also be determined by integrating the rate of change of angles sensed by an angular rate sensor. An angular rate sensor is sometimes referred to as a gyro. Inertial systems that integrate directional linear accelerations can be used for dead reckoning, especially for aircraft.
Even with the advancement of the convenience and accuracy of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), there continues to be a need for dead reckoning for cases when continuous GNSS fixes cannot be obtained or are noisy. Further, global navigation satellite system positioning tends to be less accurate and noisier for altitude and vertical heading angles than for horizontal positions and horizontal heading angles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A sock includes pockets for storing small items. A first pocket is disposed on the calf portion of a sock, defining a cavity and an opening, and having a fold adjacent to the opening to releasably retain items in the cavity. A second pocket is disposed between the first pocket and the sock, defining the second cavity and an opening. In a preferred embodiment, the two pockets are formed by attaching a folded pouch to the calf portion of a sock.

When jogging or exercising, people tend to wear athletic clothing, such as shorts and tee-shirts, which are generally not provided with practical pockets. When jogging through a park, for example, a person would want to carry his house keys with him, and in a public gym, a person may be hesitant to leave keys or valuables in a locker. Even if shorts are provided with pockets, the normal motions of a person jogging or exercising are likely to cause keys, coins, or a wallet to fall out of the pocket and become lost.
There may also be many other times a sock with a pocket may be convenient, and the invention is not limited to any particular use. For example, the sock of the present invention could be used under ordinary clothing to conceal valuables, much as one would wear a money belt.
It is an object of the present invention to circumvent these problems, by providing means for storing small items securely in a sock.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sock having pocket means which may be easily manufactured.
Another object of the invention is to provide a secure yet inexpensive pocket means that may be used with any type of garment.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.