A multiphase composite system is made by binding hard particles, such as TiC particles, of various sizes with a mixture of titanium powder and aluminum, nickel, and titanium in a master alloy or as elemental materials to produce a composite system that has advantageous energy absorbing characteristics. The multiple phases of this composite system include an aggregate phase of hard particles bound with a matrix phase. The matrix phase has at least two phases with varying amounts of aluminum, nickel, and titanium. The matrix phase forms a bond with the hard particles and has varying degrees of hard and ductile phases. The composite system may be used alone or bonded to other materials such as bodies of titanium or ceramic in the manufacture of ballistic armor tiles.

This invention relates to alloy systems containing hard particles, such as particles of TiC.
Historically, TiC alloys have been formed by "cementing" very hard TiC powder (Vickers 3200) using binders made of nickel, molybdenum, niobium, and tungsten, with the binding elements typically constituting about 40 to 50% of the total weight of such an alloy.
Historically these TiC alloys are formed using powder metallurgy techniques from very fine particles, in particular, materials having a particle size under 20 microns, with a substantial portion being under 6 microns.
The hardness of such TiC alloys makes them attractive for use in ballistic armor and other applications, but the brittleness properties of such alloys is a drawback.
The metals historically used for binding in TiC alloys have relatively high densities, in particular, nickel at 8.9 g/cc, molybdenum at 10.22 g/cc, niobium at 8.57 g/cc, and tungsten at 19.3 g/cc. As a result, such composite TiC alloys have had a density of about 6 g/cc or higher. Materials of that high density are disadvantageous for ballistic armor, for which low weight is an important feature.
A new composite system described herein has superior properties, being not only hard, but also being much lighter in weight than 6 grams/cc and having better toughness characteristics than previously reported TiC alloys.
The composite systems described herein are formed from a hard powder as described herein, such as a TiC powder, combined with a green binder system of titanium sponge granules and/or other titanium powders and a binder system comprising titanium, nickel, and aluminum provided either as a master alloy or as elemental powders, which then are compressed and sintered. It is observed that the nickel forms lower melting point eutectoid-like structures when combined with the titanium of the green binder system.
Bodies of TiC composite systems described herein can bind with bodies of titanium or other materials, allowing for the production of layered composite armor structures. Such layered composite structures can have advantageous attachment configurations, and favorable weight, ductility, and ballistics properties.


An optical scanning device that optically scans a surface to be scanned in a main-scanning direction includes a light source; an optical deflector that has a reflective surface rotating on an axis of rotation of the reflective surface and deflects a light beam emitted from the light source; a scanning optical system that guides the light beam deflected by the optical deflector to the surface to be scanned; and a flow guide member that is provided near the optical deflector and turns back a flow of air generated by rotation of the reflective surface toward the reflective surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical scanning device and an image forming apparatus, and more specifically relates to an optical scanning device that scans a surface to be scanned with light and an image forming apparatus including the optical scanning device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus such as an optical printer, a digital copying machine, and an optical plotter includes an optical scanning device that scans a surface to be scanned with light modulated by image information to form a latent image on the surface based on the image information.
In the optical scanning device, a light beam emitted from a light source is deflected by a polygon mirror that rotates, for example (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-180972, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-267990, Japanese Patent No. 4007111, and Japanese Patent No. 3192271, for example).
Because a polygon mirror rotates at a speed as high as several ten thousands in revolutions per minute (rpm), continuous rotation heats a drive mechanism (especially a bearing unit included in the drive mechanism).
In general, a polygon mirror is provided to a rotor. Heat generated at the bearing unit supporting the rotating shaft of the rotor may be conducted to the polygon mirror via the rotating shaft, thereby raising the temperature of the polygon mirror by several tens of degrees in centigrade. Accordingly, the rotation of the polygon mirror causes a flow of hot air that blows to a scanning lens and the like.
Recently, the number of scanning lenses made by resin mold has been increasing due to cost reduction. A loss of a uniform temperature distribution across a resinous scanning lens due to the flow of hot air blown by the polygon mirror may cause a change in refractive index, thermal deformation, a change in posture, and the like, whereby the performance of image formation is deteriorated.
With the downsizing of an optical scanning device, the diameter of a polygon mirror used in the optical scanning device is also decreased, whereby reducing the number of mirror facets mounted on the polygon mirror to further require a higher rotation speed, resulting in disadvantage by an increase of heat generation.
Conventionally, an optical scanning device has been provided with a cooling fan that forcibly causes a flow of air, having been taken in from outside the optical scanning device, to blow a polygon mirror and the optical scanning device, whereby the polygon mirror and the optical scanning device have been cooled. However, an increase in the speed of an image forming process in recent years has increased an amount of heat generation to cause a cooling fan to be driven to rotate even faster. A fast rotation of the cooling fan has caused an inconvenience with an increase of electricity consumption and noise increase.

Flow guide for optical scanning device and image forming apparatus


The present invention is a dual-purpose mounting system for attaching removable hydrofoils along a rideable board. The dual-purpose mounting system reduces repetitive stress exerted on the hull of the rideable board by foil bending and torsion, therefore prolonging the hull life of the rideable board. The dual-purpose mounting system is a solid one-piece constructed foil strongbox having a mounting body that is installed into a surfboard hull. A mounting receptacle is positioned within the mounting body to receive a tuttle style hydrofoil mount through a first hydrofoil aperture at a mounting surface of the mounting body. A pair of second hydrofoil apertures traverses into the mounting surface to further facilitate attachment of a plate style hydrofoil. A plurality of fastener sleeves traverses into the mounting body opposite the mounting receptacle enable attachment of the mounting body to the surfboard hull.

A hydrofoil, or foil for short, is a fin-like structure used to direct fluid flow. Foils, fins, centerboards, skegs, and hydrodynamic keels can optimize lift, reduce drag, and stabilize a vessel hull or vehicle body (hereinafter generically referred to as "hulls") when mounted at a suitable angle of attack relative to the oncoming fluid. Foils also enhance drive and maneuverability in the fluid, acting in some ways like the friction of wheels on a solid surface. Here, a "fluid" may be either water or air.
Related fields include foils that vary the inherent fluid-dynamic characteristics of attached vessel hulls or vehicle bodies by deriving lift, altering trim, reducing turbulence, or diminishing wave resistance; in particular, removable fins and foils for surfboards, sailboards, and pleasure or sport vessels.
Foil mountings can be permanent or removable. For example, a foil can be permanently attached with fasteners or adhesive to an inner layer partially constructed hull, then both foil and hull can be overcoated or overwrapped with outer layers such as fiberglass and resin. Removable foils can be inserted and withdrawn from sockets built into the hull, and fixed in place with fasteners or the like. Removable foils allow a user to change the number, type, or position of foils, adapting the hull to different fluid-dynamic performance demands imposed either by different surrounding conditions, different users, or different types of use. They also allow a user to quickly replace a damaged foil, or remove foils for easier storage or transport.
These removal and replacement operations can take place on beaches and shores, or sometimes even in the water. In these settings, mountings that require few or no tools to remove and replace a foil are convenient. Many users will sacrifice convenience if the foils are likely to wholly or partially self-detach in strong or turbulent currents. On the other hand, some foils are intentionally made frangible so that a substantial impact causes them to break away rather than damage the hull or injure the user or a nearby person or animal.
Rigid mountings and rigid foils can be simple and rugged, but they affect maneuverability when rapid turns are desirable or when the flow direction of the ambient fluid may change suddenly. The fluid-pressure drop causes bubble formation in the turbulent water on the leeward side of the foil, and the resulting cavitation or "crabbing" increases drag and can cause loss of control of the board or other craft; if the foil leaves the water completely, stall occurs, and there is a loss of control similar to a land vehicle's hydroplaning in a water puddle. Multiple foils mounted rigidly at different angles aid in turning, but can create drag that reduces the speed of the craft while carving into the face of a wave or during straight-line travel. In a curve, a fin angled at a non-optimal orientation (not tangent to the curve) also increases drag. In addition, water leakage or shocks associated with repeated torsional stresses over time may cause strain damage to the foil mounting, or hull.
The present mounting options for hydrofoil mounts are not strong enough to withstand the extreme forces exerted by the foil in the surf. Additionally, they require too many installation steps and add weight without adding strength. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to introduce an apparatus that combines both a plate mount and tuttle mount in a one-piece mounting system. The mounting system is stronger and easier to install than each system installed individually.
The present invention is compatible with most hydrofoils on the market today. Some Foil companies sell foils with a "Deep Tuttle" mount that can be installed in a center Tuttle Box mount on the present invention. Other companies sell foils with a "Plate Mount" that can be installed into two US Box tracks mounted with 9 cm spacing using four plate mount screws and plates. The present invention is compatible with both types of systems and combines them both in a unit that is strong and easy to install.
Assembly of the present invention involves the following steps: A rectangular opening in the shape of the present invention is cut out of a surfboard or similar craft using a router. The present invention is glued into the board with a carbon base plate flush to the bottom laminate of the board; using thickened resin or a foaming adhesive such as Gorilla Glue. Once glued, the top of the present invention is sanded down to be flush with the top deck layer of the board. The installation area is then glassed over with several layers of fiberglass and/or carbon fiber with epoxy resin on both sides (both on the deck and the bottom of board). The openings for the Tuttle mount and the two plate mount tracks are cut out on the bottom and the two screw holes openings are cut out of the deck once the laminate has fully cured. Installed this way, the present invention provides a one-piece universal mount that is easier to install and stronger than other available installation options.


A method for selecting a location determination solution from a set of possible location determination solutions generated from filtered, unfiltered, and loosely filtered ranging signals. The solution is computed using a first algorithm and filtered ranging signals to obtain a filtered location determination solution. Additional location determination solutions are computed using a second algorithm with unfiltered ranging signals to obtain one or more unfiltered location determination solutions. Further additional location determination solutions may be computed using a third algorithm with loosely filtered ranging signals to obtain one or more loosely filtered location determination solutions. A final location determination solution is chosen from the set of filtered location determination solution, unfiltered location determination solutions, and loosely filtered location determination solutions via an optimizing metric, M.

In range-based location determination systems, time delay measurements of ranging signals from a plurality of sources are converted to range information associated with the source of each ranging signal. Ranges to different sources with known locations are combined to solve for the unknown user location via geometric techniques known, for example, as trilateration (triangulation). If delay of ranging signals cannot be known reliably (e.g. in asynchronous systems where the user clock is not synchronized to the network), location determination algorithms may treat user clock temporal bias as another unknown, to be solved for by the trilateration process, using an additional ranging measurement.
In location determination systems, measured user distances to a plurality of sources with known locations are combined to solve for the unknown user location via geometric techniques, for example: advanced forward link trilateration (AFLT). AFLT typically requires that the number of measurements available be at least equal to the number of unknown coordinates in the system, including the mobile spatial coordinates and time bias. Typically, multiple ranging signals from a given terrestrial source are available, due to a variety of factors such as antenna sectorization, antenna diversity at the source or receiver (spatial diversity), multiple transmissions of the ranging signal at the source (temporal diversity), and the existence of multi-path. As another example of this technique, multiple ranging signals from orbiting navigation satellites, such as GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo, may be used for location determination of a mobile user.
In prior art location estimation schemes, the ranging signal set is filtered to select a single measurement from each source that is deemed most accurate via a predetermined threshold. In addition, the filtered ranging signal set may be further filtered (i.e., with reduced ranging signal set dimensionality) to exclude single ranging signals from a given source where that single ranging signal is deemed insufficiently accurate or its source is deemed unreliable.
On the one hand, a priori ranging signal filtering can improve statistical confidence in the computed location determination solution due to the exclusion of what is deemed as unreliable ranging signals. However, in some cases, this a priori filtering can lead to accidental exclusion of good ranging signals which may ultimately degrade the accuracy of the location determination solution. In certain scenarios, retention of multiple ranging measurements from each signal source (i.e., using unfiltered ranging signals in the position determination algorithm) may result in improved position determination accuracy
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for selecting a location determination solution from a set of possible location determination solutions generated from filtered and unfiltered ranging signals to improve accuracy.

Method for improved location determination accuracy using filtered and unfiltered ranging signals


A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a non-ionomeric fluoropolymer having a formula:

This invention relates generally to golf balls, and more specifically, to a multi-layer golf ball and a composition therefore comprising at least one non-ionomeric fluoropolymer.
Solid core golf balls are well known in the art. Typically, the core is made from polybutadiene rubber material, which provides the primary source of resiliency for the golf ball. A known drawback of polybutadiene cores cross-linked with peroxide and/or zinc diacrylate is that this material is adversely affected by absorption of water vapor, which reduces the resiliency of the cores and degrades their properties. Thus, these cores must be covered quickly to maintain optimum ball properties. A cover that protects the core from the elements and repeated impacts from golf clubs is typically made from ionomer resins, balata, and urethane, among other materials. Ionomer covers, particularly hard ionomers, offer some protection against the absorption of water vapor. However, it is more difficult to control or impart spin to balls with hard covers. Conventional urethane covers provide better ball control but offer less resistance to water vapor than ionomer covers.
Prolonged exposure to high humidity and elevated temperature may be sufficient to allow water vapor to invade the cores of some commercially available golf balls. For example, at 38xc2x0 C. and 90% humidity over a sixty day period, significant amounts of moisture enter the cores and reduce the initial velocity of the balls by 1.8 ft/s to 4.0 ft/s or greater. The change in compression may be reduced by 5% or more. The absorbed water vapor also reduces the golf ball coefficient of restitution (xe2x80x9cCORxe2x80x9d). When a golf ball is subjected to prolonged storage and/or use under ambient conditions such as 25-35% RH, as well as conditions of high temperature and high humidity, the COR of the golf ball tends to decrease over time due to water vapor absorption.
Several prior patents have addressed the water vapor absorption problem. U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,488 discloses a golf ball having a water vapor barrier (xe2x80x9cWVBxe2x80x9d) layer disposed between a core and a cover. The WVB layer may comprise polyvinylidene chloride (xe2x80x9cPVDCxe2x80x9d) or vermiculite. It can also be formed by an in situ reaction between a barrier-forming material and the outer surface of the core. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,885,172 and 6,132,324 disclose, among other things, a golf ball with a polybutadiene or wound core having an ionomer inner cover and a relatively soft outer cover. The hard ionomer inner cover offers some resistance to water vapor absorption, while the soft outer cover provides desirable ball control. U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,389 discloses the application of a dispersed exfoliated layered filler in an elastomeric polymer based barrier coating mixture so as to reduce water vapor permeability in golf balls and other objects by at least 5-fold. Preferable fillers include layered silicates such as bentonite and vermiculite. U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,216 discloses a wounded golf ball having a liquid center surrounded by a thermoplastic core layer formed of a hydrophobic material that has a water vapor permeation rate of less than about 170 gxc2x7mil/100 in2xc2x724 h.
Prior art referenced above typically resort to the incorporation of a WVB material in an existing layer or a designated WVB layer to overcome the water vapor absorption problem in golf balls, escalating manufacturing cost and construction complexity. It is therefore desirable to provide cost-effective material compositions that have general characteristics suitable for golf ball constructions with concomitant WVB properties.
One particular class of polymers suitable for golf ball compositions of the present invention is fluoropolymers. Fluoropolymers are well known for their excellent resistance to outdoor weathering and ultraviolet irradiation, high degree of physical toughness, chemical inertness, water and gas impermeability, low moisture absorption, good abrasion resistance, non-tackiness, resistance to soiling, as well as a significant retention of these properties at both low and elevated temperatures. This rare combination is due to the strength of the C-F bond, one of the most stable bonds known. Other desirable properties of the fluoropolymers include high elongation, low coefficient of friction, low wear rate, good resistance to swell in solvents, low refractive index, and low dielectric constant. These desirable properties allow the fluoropolymers to be widely used as self-supporting layers or outer coatings on various substrates.
Disclosures of fluoropolymer applications in golf ball compositions, however, are limited. U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,140 describes a golf ball having a core and/or an intermediate layer comprising a functionalized fluoropolymer wherein the fluoropolymer may be an ionomeric perfluoropolymer that is sulfonated or carboxylated or a derivative thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,389 discloses amorphous tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene (xe2x80x9cTFE-HFPxe2x80x9d) dipolymers, and other copolymers containing TFE, HFP and a third monomer, useful as coatings for golf balls. U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,464 discloses a golf ball having a lubricating material on its surface for reducing the spin imparted by a striking golf club. The lubricating material may be fluoropolymer, and the coating thickness is less than about 0.010 inches.
There remains a need, however, for further development of golf ball compositions comprising fluoropolymers, particularly non-ionomeric fluoropolymers (xe2x80x9cNIFPxe2x80x9d), in multi-layer golf ball constructions.
The present invention is directed in general to golf ball, and particularly to golf ball compositions and constructions. Specifically, the invention is direct to a multi-layer golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a non-ionomeric fluoropolymer having a formula:
wherein X1 to X12 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, CH3, CF3, linear or branched alkyl group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl group, linear or branched alkoxy group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkoxy group, aromatic, or alicyclic; at least one of X1 to X4 comprises a fluorine; m ranges from 100 to 1 percent by weight of the NIFP; n ranges from 0 to 50 percent by weight of the NIFP; and o ranges from 0 to 35 percent by weight of the NIFP.
The NIFP may be a homopolymer, copolymer, or terpolymer comprising one or more non-ionomeric fluoromonomers. Suitable non-ionomeric fluoromonomers are partially fluorinated or perfluorinated ethylenic monomers and include, but are not limited to, fluorinated olefins of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, such as vinylidene fluoride, vinyl fluoride, hexafluoropropylene, pentafluoropropylene, tetrafluoropropylene, trifluoropropylene, difluoropropylene, tetrafluoroethylene, trifluoroethylene, 1,2-difluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, 1,2-dichlorodifluoroethylene, 1-chloro-1-fluoroethylene, and perfluorobutyl ethylene; fluorinated alkyl xcex1-olefins such as 3,3,3,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, 1-hydropentafluoropropene, 2-hydropentafluoropropene, and 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propene; fluorinated vinyl ethers of from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, such as perfluoro(methylvinylether), perfluoro(ethylvinylether) and perfluoro(propylvinylether); perfluorodioxoles of from about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, such as perfluoro(1,3-dioxole) and perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole); fluorinated dienes of from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, such as fluorinated derivatives of 1,4-butadiene and cis-isoprene, fluorinated acrylics including 1,1-dihydropentadecafluorooctylacrylate and 1,1-dihydropentadienefluorooctylacrylate; perfluoralkoxy; fluorosilicons; perfluorocyclics; and mixtures thereof. Preferred NIFP""s for the golf ball compositions of the present invention are vinylidene fluoride homopolymer, vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer.
In accordance with conventional fluoropolymer chemistry, the NIFP of the invention may further comprise cure site monomers; ionomeric fluoropolymers, chain transfer agents; peroxide curatives; amine curatives; bisphenol curatives; cross-linking agents; redox initiators; co-curing agents; dispersion fillers; density-modifying fillers; foaming agents; antioxidants; reinforcing agents; plasticizers; lubricants; processing aids; pigments and dyes; and mixtures thereof. The NIFP can also blend with a thermoplastic material to form the intermediate layer in golf balls. Suitable thermoplastic materials include without limitation polyesterester block copolymers, polyetherester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers, hydrogenated styrene-butadiene elastomers with functional groups attached, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyesters, metallocene polymers; styrene-propylene-diene rubbers; polybutadienes; chloroprene rubbers; acrylonitrile rubbers; acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers; ethylene/proprylene/diene terpolymers; polypropylene resins; epoxy; polyurea; styrene-ethylene block copolymers; maleic anhydride or succinate modified metallocene catalyzed ethylene copolymers; chlorinated polyethylenes; polysulfide rubbers; fluorocarbons; polymethylmethacrylate, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate layer comprises about 10% to about 75% by weight of the NIFP, about 0% to about 25% by weight of the thermoplastic material, and about 0% to about 50% by weight of a density-modifying filler.
Preferably, the NIFP-based intermediate layer has a flexural modulus between about 30,000 psi and about 150,000 psi, more preferably between about 55,000 psi and about 75,000 psi; a material hardness between about 25 and about 75 Shore D, more preferably between about 50 and about 70 Shore D; a thickness between about 0.005 inches and about 0.085 inches, more preferably between about 0.030 inches and about 0.060 inches; an outer diameter between about 1.500 inches and about 1.650 inches, more preferably between about 1.550 inches and about 1.640 inches. The intermediate layer may further comprise a density-reducing filler to adjust its specific gravity to between about 0.90 and about 1.50. In one embodiment, the intermediate layer is either an outer core layer or an inner cover layer.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the core comprises a center and at least one outer core layer. Optionally, the at least one outer core layer also comprises a NIFP. The center may be solid, hollow, liquid-filled, gel-filled, or gas-filled, while the outer core layer may be a wound layer. Preferably, the core has a compression of less than about 60 and a Shore D hardness of less than about 60.
In a further embodiment, the cover comprises an outer cover layer and at least one inner cover layer. Optionally, the at least one inner cover layer comprises a NIFP. Cover materials of the present invention are typically thermoplastic or thermosetting materials, used alone or blended with the optional NIFP. Suitable materials for forming the cover layers include, but are not limited to, partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins; epoxy; polyurethanes; balata; vinyl resins; polyolefins; polyureas; polyamides; acrylic resins and blends thereof; block copolymers; copoly(ether-amide); polyphenylene oxide resins and blends thereof, thermoplastic polyesters; and mixtures thereof.
The present invention further directs to a two-piece golf ball comprising a core and a cover. Preferably, the cover comprises a NIFP as described herein, such as vinylidene fluoride homopolymer, vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, or vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene/tetrafluoroethylene terpolymer. A thermoplastic or thermosetting material may be blended with the NIFP to form the cover, including partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins; epoxy; polyurethanes comprising polyols and polyisocyanates; balata; vinyl resins; polyolefins; polyureas; polyamides; acrylic resins and blends thereof, block copolymers; copoly(ether-amide); polyphenylene oxide resins and blends thereof; thermoplastic polyesters; blends and alloys including polycarbonate with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyvinyl chloride with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; blends of thermoplastic rubbers with polyethylene and propylene; and mixtures thereof. Other conventional additives for golf ball cover may be incorporated herein. Such additives include without limitation antioxidants; catalysts; colorants including pigments and dyes; hindered amine light stabilizers; optical brighteners; UV absorbers; fillers; metals; plasticizers; surfactants; viscosity modifiers; compatibility agents; dispersing agents; foaming agents; reinforcement agents; release agents; and mixtures thereof. Optionally, the core of the two-piece golf ball may comprise a center and at least one outer core layer.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a three-piece golf ball comprises a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover. At least one of the intermediate layer or the cover comprises a NIFP having a water absorption of less than about 0.07%. Preferably, the core has a compression of less than about 60, and the intermediate layer has a material hardness greater than that of the cover by at least about 10 Shore D.
The following terms that are used in this application are defined in terms of the enumerated ASTM tests: Specific Gravity ASTM D-297, Flexural Modulus ASTM D-790, Shore D Hardness ASTM D-2240, and Shore C Hardness ASTM D-2240. The ASTM D-297 test was carried out in lab conditions where the temperature was controlled to 20-23xc2x0 C.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cpointsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccompression pointsxe2x80x9d refer to the compression scale or the compression scale based on the ATTI Engineering Compression Tester. This scale, which is well known to those working in this field, is used in determining the relative compression of a core or ball.
As used herein, xe2x80x9cCORxe2x80x9d refers to Coefficient of Restitution, which is obtained by dividing a ball""s rebound velocity by its initial (i.e., incoming) velocity. This test is performed by firing the samples out of an air cannon at a vertical steel plate over a range of test velocities (from 75 to 150 ft/s). A golf ball having a high COR dissipates a smaller fraction of its total energy when colliding with the plate and rebounding therefrom than does a ball with a lower COR. Unless otherwise noted, the COR values reported herein are the values determined at an incoming velocity of 125 ft/s.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cfluoropolymerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfluorinated polymerxe2x80x9d is defined as any themoplastic and/or elastomeric homopolymer, copolymer, terpolymer, or mixture thereof, having at least one fluorine in at least one of the monomer repeat units in the polymer.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cfluoromonomerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfluorinated monomerxe2x80x9d refer to compounds containing an ethylinic group that may be free-radically polymerized and that contain at least one fluorine atom, fluoroalkyl group, or fluoroalkoxy group attached to the ethylinic group that undergoes polymerization.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccopolymerxe2x80x9d refers to a polymer which is formed from two or more monomers, wherein the monomers are not identical.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cterpolymerxe2x80x9d refers to a polymer which is formed from three monomers, wherein the monomers are not identical.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cfillersxe2x80x9d includes any compound or composition that can be used to vary the density and other properties of the subject golf ball cores.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cpphxe2x80x9d in connection with a batch formulation refers parts by weight of the constituent per hundred parts of the base composition (e.g., elastomer).
The term xe2x80x9cabout,xe2x80x9d as used herein in connection with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, should be understood to refer to all such numbers, including all numbers in a range.
The golf balls of the present invention may comprise any of a variety of constructions, such as a two-piece, three-piece, multi-layer, or wound ball having a variety of cores, intermediate layers, covers, and coatings. The covers and cores of the present invention include structures comprising one or more layers. Cores may include a single, unitary layer, comprising the entire core from the center of the core to its outer periphery, or may contain a center surrounded by at least one outer core layer. The center, the innermost portion of the core, is preferably solid, but may be hollow or liquid-, gel-, or gas-filled. The outer core layer may also be a wound layer formed of a tensioned elastomeric material. Cover layers of the present invention may also contain one or more layers, such as a double cover comprising an inner and outer cover layer. Optionally, an intermediate layer disposed between the core and cover may be incorporated. The intermediate layer, if present, may comprise one or more layers, and are sometimes referred to in the art, and, thus, herein as well, as inner cover layers, outer core layers, or mantle layers.
Any of the core, cover, or the intermediate layer components may be formed of or include a NIFP, but preferably, at least one of the outer core layer, intermediate layer, inner cover layer, or outer cover layer comprises a NIFP.
The NIFP may be a homopolymer, a copolymer, a terpolymer, or a mixture thereof that comprises at least one non-ionomeric fluoromonomer. Preferably, the NIFP of the present invention has a formula:
wherein X1 to X12 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, CH3, CF3, linear or branched alkyl group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl group, linear or branched alkoxy group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkoxy group, aromatic, or alicyclic; at least one of X1 to X4 comprises a fluorine; m ranges from 100 to 1 percent by weight of the NIFP; n ranges from 0 to 50 percent by weight of the NIFP; and o ranges from 0 to 35 percent by weight of the NIFP.
Non-ionomeric fluoromonomers of the present invention typically are partially fluorinated and perfluorinated ethylenic monomers. Examples of such fluoromonomers include, but are not limited to, partially fluorinated and perfluorinated olefins of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms such as vinylidene fluoride (xe2x80x9cVDFxe2x80x9d); vinyl fluoride (xe2x80x9cVFxe2x80x9d), hexafluoropropylene (xe2x80x9cHFPxe2x80x9d); pentafluoropropylene (xe2x80x9cPFPxe2x80x9d); tetrafluoropropylene; trifluoropropylene (xe2x80x9cTFPxe2x80x9d); difluoropropylene; tetrafluoroethylene (xe2x80x9cTFExe2x80x9d); trifluoroethylene; 1,2-difluoroethylene; chlorotrifluoroethylene (xe2x80x9cCTFExe2x80x9d); 1,2-dichlorodifluoroethylene; 1-chloro-1-fluoroethylene; perfluorobutyl ethylene (xe2x80x9cPFBExe2x80x9d); fluorinated alkyl xcex1-olefins such as 3,3,3,4,4-pentafluoro-1-butene; 3,3,3-trifluoropropene; 1-hydropentafluoropropene; 2-hydropentafluoropropene; 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propene; fluorinated vinyl ethers of from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms such as perfluoro(methylvinylether) (xe2x80x9cPMVExe2x80x9d); perfluoro(ethylvinylether) (xe2x80x9cPEVExe2x80x9d); perfluoro(propylvinylether) (xe2x80x9cPPVExe2x80x9d); perfluorodioxoles of from about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms such as perfluoro(1,3-dioxole) and perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole) (xe2x80x9cPDDxe2x80x9d); partially fluorinated and perfluorinated dienes of from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms such as fluorinated derivatives of 1,4-butadiene and cis-isoprene; perfluoralkoxy (xe2x80x9cPFAxe2x80x9d); fluorosilicons; perfluorocyclics; fluorinated acrylics such as 1,1-dihydropentadecafluorooctylacrylate and 1,1-dihydropentadienefluorooctylacrylate; and mixtures thereof. Other suitable fluoromonomers for the invention are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,177,196; 5,981,673; 5,654,373; 5,426,165; 4,138,426; and 4,452,998, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The non-inonomeric fluoromonomers enlisted above may be polymerized alone to form a NIFP homopolymer if the fluoromonomer can be homopolymerized. Alternatively, the non-ionomeric fluoromonomer may be polymerized with one or more other fluoromonomers or other fluorine-free monomers to form a copolymer, or terpolymer. Suitable fluorine-free monomers include without limitation substituted and unsubstituted olefins of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms such as ethylene and propylene and isobutylene; vinyl esters of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms such as vinyl acetate and vinylpropionate; dienes of from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms such as 1,4-butadiene and cis-isoprene; and mixtures thereof. A preferred NIFP homopolymer for the invention is polyvinylidene fluoride (xe2x80x9cPVDFxe2x80x9d), a preferred NIFP copolymer is VDF-HFP copolymer, and a preferred NIFP terpolymer is VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymer.
The NIFP""s of this invention may include any cure site monomers and their halogenated derivatives commonly used in fluoropolymers, including but not limited to the non-ionomeric fluoromonomers listed above and derivatives thereof, as well as brominated and iodinated olefins such as 4-bromotetrafluorobutene-1, bromotrifluoroethylene, 4-iodotetrafluorobutene-1, and iodotrifluoroethylene. The NIFP may further be blended with ionomeric fluoropolymers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,300,445 and 5,962,140, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Other additives may also be added to the NIFP to enhance processability or various physical properties, such as tensile strength, flexural modulus, or water resistance. As known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such additives include without limitation chain transfer agents, peroxide curatives, amine curatives, bisphenol curatives, cross-linking agents, redox initiators, co-curing agents, dispersion fillers, density-modifying fillers, foaming agents, antioxidants, reinforcing agents, plasticizers, lubricants, processing aids, pigments and dyes, and mixtures thereof.
Most of the above mentioned NIFP""s are commercially available or can be prepared by methods well known in the art. For example, Atofina Chemicals, Inc. supplies VDF homopolymers under the trademark of Kynar(copyright) PVDF, VDF-HFP copolymers under the trademarks of Kynar Flex(copyright) and Kynar SuperFlex(copyright), fluorinated acrylic copolymers under the trademark of Foraperle(copyright), and CTFE homopolymers under the trademark of Voltalef(copyright). E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company produces TFE homopolymers under the trademark of Teflon(copyright) PTFE, TFE-PPVE copolymers under the trademark of Teflon(copyright) NXT, ethylene-TFE copolymer under the trademark of Tefzel(copyright) ETFE, TFE-HFP copolymers under the trademark of Teflon(copyright) FEP, fluoroelastomers such as VDF-HFP copolymers under the trademark of Viton(copyright), PFA copolymers under the trademark of Teflon(copyright) PFA, perfluorocyclopolymers under the trademark of Teflon(copyright) AF, and perfluoroelastomers under the trademark of Kalrez(copyright). 3M provides VDF-HFP copolymers and VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymers under the trademark of Dyneon(copyright). Ausimont supplies VDF homopolymers under the trademark of Hylar(copyright), VDF-HFP copolymers and VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymers under the trademark of Tecnoflon(copyright), ethylene-CTFE copolymers under the trademark of Halar(copyright), modified ethylene-CTFE under the trademark of Vatar(copyright), TFE-PFA copolymers and PFA homopolymers under the trademark of Hyflon(copyright), and TFE homopolymers under the trademarks of Algoflon(copyright) and Polymist(copyright). Daikin Industries, Ltd. produces VDF homopolymers under the trademark of Neoflon(copyright) PVDF, VDF-HFP copolymers and VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymers under the trademark of Dai-El(copyright), TFE homopolymers under the trademark of Polyflon(copyright) PTFE, TFE-PAVE copolymers under the trademark of Neoflon(copyright) PFA, TFE-HFP copolymers under the trademark of Neoflon(copyright) FEP, and CTFE homopolymers under the trademark of Neoflon(copyright) PCTFE. Asahi Glass Company manufactures ethylene-TFE copolymers, TFE homopolymers, and PFA homopolymers under the trademark of Fluon(copyright), FEVE alternating copolymers under the trademark of Lumiflon(copyright), propylene-TFE alternating copolymers under the trademark of Aflas(copyright), and amorphous perfluorocyclopolymers under the trademark of Cytop(copyright). Other commercial NIFP""s include TFE-based fluoropolymers the trademarks of Lubriflon(copyright) and Valflon(copyright) available from Dixon Resine. Preferably the NIFP""s for the present invention are VDF homopolymers and VDF-HFP copolymers available from Atofina Chemicals, Inc. under the trademark of Kynar Flex(copyright). Specific examples and their properties are listed in Table I below.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate layer is formed from a composition comprising at least one NIFP described above and a thermoplastic material. Suitable thermoplastic materials for use in the intermediate layer composition include, but are not limited to, polyesterester block copolymers, polyetherester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers, hydrogenated styrene-butadiene elastomers with functional groups such as maleic anhydride or sulfonic acid attached, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyesters, polymers formed using a metallocene catalyst (xe2x80x9cmetallocene polymersxe2x80x9d); styrene-propylene-diene rubbers; polybutadienes; chloroprene rubbers; acrylonitrile rubbers; acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers; EPDM; polypropylene resins; epoxy; polyureas; styrene-ethylene block copolymers; maleic anhydride or succinate modified metallocene catalyzed ethylene copolymers; chlorinated polyethylenes; polysulfide rubbers; fluorocarbons such as hexafluoroacetone; polymethylmethacrylate (xe2x80x9cPMMAxe2x80x9d), and blends thereof Any of these materials having one or more acidic or ionic moieties may be partially or fully neutralized, preferably by at least about 40%, more preferably by at least about 70%, and most preferably by about 100%.
Suitable thermoplastic polyetheresters include Hytrel(copyright) 3078, G3548W and G4078W from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Suitable thermoplastic polyetheramides include Pebax(copyright) 2533, 1205 and 4033 from Atofina Chemicals, Inc. Suitable thermoplastic ionomer resins include any number of olefinic based ionomers such as Surlyn(copyright) and Iotek(copyright). Suitable dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers include Santoprene(copyright), Sarlink(copyright), Vyram(copyright), Dytron(copyright), and VistaFlex(copyright). Examples of suitable functionalized hydrogenated styrene-butadiene elastomers having functional groups such as maleic anhydride or sulfonic acid, include Kraton(copyright) FG-1901x and FG-1921x from Shell Corporation. Examples of suitable thermoplastic polyurethanes include Estane(copyright) 58133, 58134 and 58144 from B. F. Goodrich Company. Suitable metallocene-catalyzed polymers include those commercially available from Sentinel Products. Suitable thermoplastic polyesters include poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene terepthalate), and poly(trimethylene terepthalate). Preferably the thermoplastic material of the intermediate layer composition is a polyetherester block copolymer, with Hytrel(copyright) 3078 being a particularly preferred polyetherester block copolymer.
In accordance to the present invention, the NIFP homopolymers, copolymers and terpolymers described herein may be used in forming any golf ball component layers such as outer core layers and intermediate layers, as well as in covers, including inner and outer cover layers. The intermediate layers of the present invention are formed from an intermediate layer composition comprising up to 100% by weight of a NIFP. In one embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate layer is formed from a composition of about 1% to about 99% by weight of a NIFP, about 0% to about 75% by weight of a thermoplastic as describe above, and about 0% to about 50% by weight of a density-modifying filler such as zinc oxide. In another embodiment, the intermediate layer is formed from a composition of about 10% to about 75% by weight of a NIFP, about 0% to about 25% by weight of a thermoplastic, and about 5% to about 40% by weight of zinc oxide. Most preferably, the intermediate layer of the present invention comprises about 100% of a NIFP.
It is preferred that the NIFP used in the intermediate layers of the present invention has a flexural modulus of greater than about 10,000 psi, more preferably between about 30,000 psi and about 150,000 psi and, most preferably, between about 55,000 psi and about 75,000 psi. This is particularly desirable when the intermediate layer is an inner cover layer for a golf ball with a double-cover construction. Additionally, it is preferred that the NIFP has a Shore D hardness of between about 25 and about 75 and, more preferably, between about 50 and about 70. NIFP""s of this nature include Kynar Flex(copyright) Series 2750 and 2800 from Atofina Chemicals, Inc.
The intermediate layers employed in the golf balls of the present invention preferably have a thickness from about 0.005 inches to about 0.125 inches, more preferably about 0.005 inches to about 0.085 inches, and most preferably about 0.030 inches to about 0.060 inches. The outer diameter of the intermediate layers is preferably between about 1.500 inches and about 1.650 inches, more preferably between about 1.550 inches and about 1.640 inches.
The compositions of the present invention may also include fillers to adjust the density and/or specific gravity of the intermediate layer to a range of from about 0.90 to about 3.00. To increase the density of the NIFP (typically about 1.80 for Kynar Flex(copyright) PVDF), suitable fillers are generally inorganic, and include numerous metals or metal oxides and salts such as tungsten, tungsten carbide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, calcium oxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, barium carbonate, zinc carbonate, as well as clay, an array of silicas, regrind (recycled core material typically ground to about 30 mesh particle), high-Mooney-viscosity rubber regrind, and mixtures thereof. Alternatively, fillers having a specific gravity less than that of the NIFP may be used to reduce the specific gravity of the intermediate layer Such density-reducing fillers include foaming agents, blowing agents, micro balloons, cellular foams and other materials having a relatively large void volume. Typically, such fillers have a specific gravity less than 1.00. Fillers may also include various polymers, ceramics, and glass microspheres that are solid or hollow, and filled or unfilled, all of which are readily selected by one of ordinary skill in the art. The preferred range of specific gravity for golf ball intermediate layers of the present invention is from about 0.90 to about 1.50, more preferably from about 1.20 to about 1.30. The specific gravity of the golf ball depends upon the size of the finished ball and the size and specific gravity of the core, the intermediate layer(s), and the cover.
The NIFP-based compositions for the intermediate layers of the present invention may be extruded as thin threads and wound about a solid core or a liquid-filled core to form a wound intermediate layer. Preferably the intermediate layer is compression or injection molded about the core. Alternatively, pre-formed intermediate layer half shells are adhered onto the core using an adhesive. For proper adhesion, the adhesives include, but are not limited to, silane coupling agents; two-part adhesive of poly(VDF-HFP) and ketenes; polytetrafluoroethylene; fluoroethylene-propylene; high molecular weight polyethylene and polypropylene; perfluoroacrylate; PVDF; VDF-HFP-TFE terpolymer; polychlorotrifluoroethylene; epichlorohydrin rubber with organic phosphonium; and mixtures thereof. The inner adhesion side of the intermediate layers may be treated to improve wettability by using any suitable conventional processes such as flame treatment, corona treatment, or chemical treatment. These processes tend to convert the surface of the NIFP intermediate layers from a relatively low energy surface to a high energy, partially oxidized surface, which in turn improves adhesion.
The golf ball cover of the present invention is preferably tough, cut-resistant, and selected from conventional materials used as golf ball covers based on the desired performance characteristics. The cover may comprise one or more layers including an outer cover layer and at least one inner cover layer. These layers may comprise thermoplastic and/or thermosetting materials include, without limitation, partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins; epoxy; polyurethanes comprising polyols and polyisocyanates; balata; vinyl resins; polyolefins; polyureas; polyamides such as poly(hexamethylene adipamide) and poly(caprolactam); acrylic resins and blends thereof; block copolymers such as styrene-butadiene rubber and isoprene- or ethylene-butylene rubber; copoly(ether-amide) such as Pebax(copyright); polyphenylene oxide resins and blends thereof such as Noryl(copyright); thermoplastic polyesters such as Hytrel(copyright) and Lomod(copyright); blends and alloys including polycarbonate with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyvinyl chloride with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; blends of thermoplastic rubbers with polyethylene and propylene; and mixtures thereof. Conventional additives for the cover layer compositions include, but are not limited to, antioxidants; catalysts; colorants including pigments and dyes; hindered amine light stabilizers; optical brighteners; UV absorbers; fillers; metals; plasticizers; surfactants; viscosity modifiers; compatibility agents; dispersing agents; foaming agents; reinforcement agents; release agents; and mixtures thereof. Such additives may be incorporated in any amounts that will achieve their desired purpose.
To minimize water vapor adsorption into the golf ball, it is desirable that the cover of the golf balls has water vapor barrier property. While many WVB materials disclosed in prior art may be incorporated into the cover, it is preferred that the WVB material for golf ball covers of the present invention is a NIFP as described above. A compatibilizer may be needed to blend the NIFP with the cover materials mentioned above. Examples of the compatibilizer are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,669, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The cover may comprise a single cover layer, or an outer cover layer and at least one inner cover layer. In one embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the cover layers is formed from a composition of about 1% to about 99% by weight of a NIFP, about 10% to about 50% by weight of a thermoplastic or thermosetting material such as an partially or fully neutralized ionomer resin or a polyurethane, and about 0% to about 15% by weight of a compatibilizer. Preferably, the cover of the present invention comprises about 100% of a NIFP.
Partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins for the golf ball covers include copolymers or terpolymers of ethylene and an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid with an optional softening comonomer such as acrylate or methacrylate. The carboxylic acid groups in these ionomers include acrylic, methacrylic, crotonic, maleic, fumaric or itaconic acid partially or fully neutralized by a cation such as lithium, sodium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, barium, lead, tin, aluminum, or a combination thereof, with lithium, sodium and zinc being preferred. Specific ionomers preferably include ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid, ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/n-butyl acrylate, ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate, and ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/methyl acrylate, commercially available as Surlyn(copyright) from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and as Ioteck(copyright) from Exxon.
Suitable polyurethanes for golf ball covers of the present invention include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,392,002, 6,371,870 and 6,210,294, incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and generally comprise the reaction product of at least one polyisocyanate, polyol, and at least one curing agent. Any polyisocyanate available to one of ordinary skill in the art may be used in accordance with the invention, preferably including, but is not limited to, 4,4xe2x80x2-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (xe2x80x9cMDIxe2x80x9d); polymeric MDI; carbodiimide-modified liquid MDI; 4,4xe2x80x2-dicyclohexylmethane diusocyanate (xe2x80x9cH12MDIxe2x80x9d); p-phenylene diisocyanate (xe2x80x9cPPDIxe2x80x9d); m-phenylene diusocyanate (xe2x80x9cMPDIxe2x80x9d); toluene diisocyanate (xe2x80x9cTDIxe2x80x9d); or a mixture thereof. It is well understood in the art that the hardness of polyurethane is correlated to the percent of unreacted NCO groups in the polyisocyanate. Preferably, the at least one polyisocyanate has less than about 14% unreacted NCO groups, more preferably less than about 7.5%, and more preferably less than about 7.0%.
Any polyol available to one of ordinary skill in the art is suitable for use according to the invention, having saturated or unsaturated bonds, or substituted or unsubstituted aromatic and cyclic groups in the hydrocarbon chain. Exemplary polyols include, but are not limited to, polyether polyols, polyester polyols, polycaprolactone polyols, and polycarbonate polyols. Suitable polyether polyols include, but are not limited to, polytetramethylene ether glycol (xe2x80x9cPTMEGxe2x80x9d), polyethylene propylene glycol, polyoxypropylene glycol, and mixtures thereof. Suitable polyester polyols include, but are not limited to, polyethylene adipate glycol; polybutylene adipate glycol; polyethylene propylene adipate glycol; o-phthalate-1,6-hexanediol; poly(hexamethylene adipate) glycol; and mixtures thereof. Suitable polycaprolactone polyols include, but are not limited to, 1,6-hexanediol-initiated polycaprolactone, diethylene glycol initiated polycaprolactone, trimethylol propane initiated polycaprolactone, neopentyl glycol initiated polycaprolactone, 1,4-butanediol-initiated polycaprolactone, PTMEG-initiated polycaprolactone, and mixtures thereof. Suitable polycarbonates include, but are not limited to, polyphthalate carbonate and poly(hexamethylene carbonate) glycol. Preferably, the polyol of the present invention includes PTMEG.
The curing agent may be an amine, a hydroxyl-terminated curative, or a mixture thereof. Suitable amine curing agents are primary or secondary amines include, but are not limited to, 4,4xe2x80x2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane; 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane; 3,5-dimehtylthio-2,4(2,6)-toluenediamine; 3,5-diethyl-2,4(2,6)-toluenediamine; N,Nxe2x80x2-dialkyldiamine diphenyl methane; 4,4xe2x80x2-diamino-3,3xe2x80x2-diethyl-5,5xe2x80x2-dimethyl diphenylmethane; 2,2xe2x80x2, 3,3xe2x80x2-tetrachloro diamino diphenylmethane; trimethylene-glycol-di-p-aminobenzoate; polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate; 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline); 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline) (xe2x80x9cMCDEAxe2x80x9d); p,pxe2x80x2-methylene dianiline (xe2x80x9cMDAxe2x80x9d); m-phenylenediamine (xe2x80x9cMPDAxe2x80x9d); 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline) (xe2x80x9cMOCAxe2x80x9d); 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2,6-diethylaniline) (xe2x80x9cMDEAxe2x80x9d); 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis-(2,3-dichloroaniline) (xe2x80x9cMDCAxe2x80x9d); isomers thereof and mixtures thereof. Suitable hydroxyl-terminated curatives are diols, triols, and tetraols that include, but are not limited to, ethylene glycol; diethylene glycol; polyethylene glycol; propylene glycol; polypropylene glycol; polytetramethylene ether glycol; 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy) benzene; 1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] benzene; 1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] ethoxy} benzene; 1,3-propane glycol; 1,4-butanediol; 1,5-pentanediol; 1,6-hexanediol; resorcinol-di-(xcex2-hydroxyethyl) ether; hydroquinone-di-(xcex2-hydroxyethyl) ether; and mixtures thereof. Both amine and hydroxyl-terminated curatives can include one or more saturated, unsaturated, halogen, aromatic, cyclic groups. Preferably, the curing agent for the polyurethane cover compositions includes 4,4xe2x80x2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane (Clearlink(copyright) 1000); 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane (Clearlink(copyright) 3000); 3,5-dimehtylthio-2,4(2,6)-toluenediamine (Ethacure(copyright) 300); 3,5-diethyl-2,4(2,6)-toluenediamine; 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy) benzene; 1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] benzene; 1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] ethoxy} benzene; 1,4-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, saturated (xe2x80x9caliphaticxe2x80x9d) polyurethanes are used to form cover layers, preferably the outer cover layer. The thermoset polyurethanes may be castable, reaction injection moldable, sprayable, or applied in a laminate form or by any technical known in the art. The thermoplastic polyurethanes may be processed using any number of compression or injection techniques. The cover layers preferably have a Shore D hardness of less than about 72, preferably about 40 to about 72, more preferably about 50 to about 70 and most preferably about 55 to about 65.
It is understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that the NIFP-based compositions described above for forming intermediate layers in golf ball may also be used, in part or in full, to form any of the cover layers in accordance with the present invention. Furthermore, golf ball coating layers may also comprise one or more of the NIFP""s disclosed herein.
The multi-layer golf ball of the invention may have an overall diameter of any size. Although the USGA specifications limit the minimum size of a competition golf ball to 1.680 inches in diameter or more, there is no specification as to the maximum diameter. Moreover, golf balls of any size can be used for recreational play. The preferred diameter of the present golf balls is from about 1.680 inches to about 1.800 inches. The more preferred diameter is from about 1.680 inches to about 1.760 inches. The most preferred diameter is about 1.680 inches to about 1.740 inches. In another alternative embodiment, the golf balls of the present invention have an overall maximum compression of about 90, preferably about 75 to about 85, more preferably about 80 to about 85 and most preferably about 82.
A representative solid core composition in accordance with the present invention comprises an elastomeric polymer (xe2x80x9cbase rubberxe2x80x9d), a crosslinking agent, and a free radical initiator. The base rubber typically includes natural or synthetic elastomers such as natural rubbers; balata; gutta-percha; synthetic polyisoprenes; styrene-butadiene rubbers; styrene-propylene-diene rubbers; chloroprene rubbers; acrylonitrile rubbers; acrylonitrile-butadiene rubbers; ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers (xe2x80x9cEPDMxe2x80x9d); metallocene rubbers, and mixtures thereof. The elastomeric composition may also comprise polypropylene resins; partially or fully neutralized ionomer resins; polyamides; polyesters; urethanes; polyureas; thermosetting or thermoplastic elastomers such as Pebax(copyright) (AtoFina), Hytrel(copyright) (DuPont) and Kraton(copyright) (Shell Chemical); styrene-ethylene block copolymers; maleic anhydride or succinate modified metallocene catalyzed ethylene copolymers; chlorinated polyethylenes; polysulfide rubbers; fluorocarbons; and mixtures thereof.
Preferably, the base rubber comprises at least about 40 pph by weight of at least one polybutadiene synthesized with cobalt, nickel, neodymium, and/or lithium catalysts. The polybutadiene preferably has a cis-1,4 content of at least about 90%, more preferably at least about 95%. Also preferably, the polybutadiene has a Mooney viscosity of at least about 30, a molecular weight of at least about 150,000 and a polydispersity of less than about 4.0. The base rubber may comprise a blend of two or more polybutadiene rubbers having different weight percentages, catalysts, molecular weights, Mooney viscosity, polydispersity, filler contents, crosslinking agent contents, or cis- and trans-isomer contents.
The cross-linking agent may be formed from salts of xcex1,xcex2-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids having about 3 to about 8 carbon atoms, such as methacrylic, acrylic, cinnamic, crotonic, formanic and maleic acids. Other cross-linking agents include unsaturated vinyl compounds. More preferably, the cross-linking agent is a mono-(meth)acrylic acid or di-(meth)acrylic acid metal salt, wherein the cation is zinc, sodium, magnesium, or mixtures thereof. Even more preferably, the cross-linking agent is zinc diacrylate (xe2x80x9cZDAxe2x80x9d), zinc dimethacrylate (xe2x80x9cZDMAxe2x80x9d), or mixtures thereof. Of the common acrylate cross-linkers, ZDA has generally been found to produce golf balls with greater initial velocity than ZDMA, therefore, the former is most preferred. The crosslinking agent may be present in an amount from about 0 to about 70 pph of the base rubber. Base rubbers having little or no ZDA has low water vapor transmission rates. They are less prone to moisture absorption and related deterioration in playability and performance because of the low permeability. On the other hand, high levels of ZDA (greater than about 40 pph) provide desirable increases in initial velocity and COR to the base rubber.
Suitable free radical initiators are typically a peroxide, preferably an organic peroxide, and include without limitation dicumyl peroxide; n-butyl-4,4-di(t-butylperoxy)-valerate; 1,1-bis(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane; xcex1,xcex1xe2x80x2-bis(t-butylperoxy)-diisopropylbenzene; 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)hexane; di-t-butyl peroxide; di-t-amyl peroxide; di(2-t-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide; lauryl peroxide; benzoyl peroxide; t-butyl hydroperoxide; and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the peroxide initiator is dicumyl peroxide. The free radical initiator, at between about 70% and about 100% activity, is preferably added in an amount ranging between about 0.05 and about 15.0 pph by weight of the base rubber. More preferably, the amount of the initiator added ranges between about 0.1 and about 5.0 pph, and most preferably between about 0.25 and about 1.50 pph. The initiator may alternatively or additionally be one or more of electron beams; gamma radiation; infrared radiation; ultra-violet radiation; X-ray radiation; or any other high-energy radiation source capable of generating free radicals. Additives for the free radical initiators include free radical scavangers, scorch retarders, stable free radicals, sulfur-based curing agents with optional accelerators, and mixtures thereof.
The polybutadiene rubber may be mixed with a cis-to-trans catalyst and an optional accelerator during molding to increase resilience and/or decrease compression of the golf ball cores formed therefrom. Suitable materials for the cis-to-trans catalyst and accelerator are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,291,592 and 6,162,135, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Other core additives well known to the skilled artisan include fillers to adjust the density and/or specific gravity of the core, antioxidants to prevent the breakdown of the base rubber, processing aids, processing oils, plasticizers, dyes and pigments.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to an improved multi-layer golf ball which comprises a core, a cover, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover. Preferably, the core has a compression ranging from about 10 to about 100. The core preferably has a diameter of about 1.00 inch to about 1.65 inches, more preferably about 1.25 inches to about 1.60 inches, and most preferably about 1.40 inches to about 1.58 inches. The cover is formed of one or more layers including inner and outer cover layers. It is preferred that a finished golf ball made with such a core has a COR of greater than about 0.75, more preferably about 0.78 to about 0.85 and most preferably about 0.79 to about 0.82.
Manufacturing of the golf balls of the present invention may utilize any conventional processes employed in the golf ball art. For example, the solid cores can be either injection or compression molded. The intermediate layer is subsequently cast, melt extruded, injection molded, compression molded, heat shrink-wrapped, or spin-coated about the core. It is important that the intermediate layer material be able to sustain the temperatures applied during the application of the cover layer. The cover layer or layers are then injection or compression molded or cast about the intermediate layer. The intermediate layers and the cover layers may also be molded around any solid core by a reaction product injection molding process as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,392,002 and 6,371,870, which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by express reference hereto.
The invention, with respect to golf ball compositions comprising non-ionomeric fluoropolymers will now be described in more detail with respect to the following non-limiting examples:

Golf balls comprising non-ionomeric fluoropolymer

Abstract: wherein X1 to X12 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, CH3, CF3, linear or branched alkyl group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl group, linear or branched alkoxy group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkoxy group, aromatic, or alicyclic; at least one of X1 to X4 comprises a fluorine; m ranges from 100 to 1 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; n ranges from 0 to 50 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; and o ranges from 0 to 35 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer.


Various implementations include wearable audio devices with counter-bore port features for maintaining a cover on the port. In certain cases, the wearable audio device includes a port that is integrated into the device frame and acoustically couples one or more acoustic cavities to a distinct volume. The device frame has a counter-bore feature proximate to the port for positioning a metal mesh.

Wearable audio devices in various form factors (e.g., headphones, earphones/earbuds, audio eyeglasses and other head-worn audio devices) have acoustic cavities with one or more ports. Covering these ports helps to prevent external particulate and moisture from entering the acoustic cavities. However, the ports should be covered in such a way as to minimize impact on acoustic output. This can be particularly challenging in smaller-scale applications such as in earbuds or audio eyeglasses.

Wearable audio device with counter-bore port feature


A system (12) for providing an adjusted image (228) of a scene (10) from a blurred captured image (14) includes a control system (26) that provides the adjusted image (228). The control system (26) can create a downsampled blurred image (236) from the captured image (14), deblur the downsampled blurred image (236) to create a downsampled deblurred image (238), and upsample the downsampled deblurred image (238) to create the adjusted image (228). With this design, because the deblurring is performed on the downsampled blurred image (236), the computational and memory costs are substantially less than if this task is performed on the original captured image (14). Further, the control system (26) can create the adjusted image (228) using a joint bilateral filter that combines information from the blurred captured image (14) and the downsampled deblurred image (238).

Cameras are commonly used to capture an image of a scene that includes one or more objects. Unfortunately, some of the captured images are blurred. For example, movement of the camera and/or movement of the objects in the scene during the exposure time of the camera can cause blurring in the captured image.
Currently, many deblurring methods exist for reducing motion blur in the blurred image. A typical deblurring method commonly performs two tasks, namely estimation of blur point spread function ("PSF") and image deconvolution. Unfortunately, both of these tasks involve heavy computational and memory cost.

Method and device for image deblurring using joint bilateral filtering


An etch back air gap (EBAG) process is provided. The EBAG process includes forming an initial structure that includes a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate and a liner disposed to line a trench defined in the dielectric layer. The process further includes impregnating a metallic interconnect material with dopant materials, filling a remainder of the trench with the impregnated metallic interconnect materials to form an intermediate structure and drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure. The drive-out annealing of the intermediate structure serves to drive the dopant materials out of the impregnated metallic interconnect materials and thereby forms a chemical- and plasma-attack immune material.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and, more specifically, to a self-forming barrier for use in air gap formation.
In semiconductor device manufacturing, integrated circuits (ICs) often use copper for interconnections in metallization layers. Such use of copper allows for the development of smaller metal components, reduced energy usage and higher-performance processors. To reduce interconnect resistively/capacitance (R/C) in smaller scale semiconductor devices, air gaps have been designed into such devices to reduce capacitance.

Self-forming barrier for use in air gap formation


A supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine includes a supporting or guiding layer having a supporting or guiding surface formed with a plurality of outlet openings for applying a throttled air flow therethrough to a respective sheet. A covering plate is spaced away from the supporting or guiding surface, and at least two intermediate layers are formed with a plurality of openings and disposed between the supporting or guiding surface and the covering plate. The covering plate is connected via a plurality of inlet openings to at least one blast air source. A respective opening formed in one of the intermediate layers is connected to two respective openings formed in the other of the intermediate layers, and an opening formed in the other intermediate layer is connected to two respective openings formed in the one intermediate layer, between one of the respective inlet openings and one of the respective outlet openings associated therewith.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine, particularly a printing press.
It has become known heretofore to provide pneumatically actuatable guide elements for producing an air cushion between respective sheets and guide elements, for contact-free transport of sheets in printing presses. Such an air cushion prevents the respective sheets from coming into contact with the guide elements.
There are a great number of regions in the printing press wherein pneumatically actuated guiding devices are employed. Such regions are, for example supporting rods for sheets or sheet piles in the feeder or delivery, the upper side of the pregripper, separator shoes, guide elements in the pocket or wedge region of cylinders, smoothing and decurling devices, guide elements on the circumference of cylinders of the reversing or turning device or on the circumference of sheet transport cylinders, and so forth.
A method of generating throttled blast or blown air for supporting bodies is known from International Application No. WO 01/14752 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,572. In that method, a throttling or restricting segment or distance is provided between a blast or blown air outlet and a blast or blown air inlet. Therefore, a passageway for blast or blown air is formed in a plane between an outlet surface and a cover surface. The passageway has outer walls whereon ribs are disposed for producing swirling of the blast or blown air.
Such throttling or restricting segmentes or distances, however, can be produced only with a great deal of expenditure. Therefore, the cost/benefit ratio is economically disadvantageous.
German Patent DE 44 06 739 C2, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,124, discloses the production of throttled negative pressure or vacuum for holding a flat element. In that regard, a throttle segment or distance for suction air is formed between a supporting surface facing towards the flat element and a throttling surface located at a distance therefrom. That is done by placing intermediate layers on top of one another, with apertures formed in the layers. In that regard, a plurality of small apertures in one intermediate layer are brought into coincidence with a respectively large aperture formed in another intermediate layer. In that configuration, a plurality of inlet openings are connected simultaneously to a plurality of outlet openings.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a supporting or guiding device for bearing or guiding sheets in a sheet processing machine, in particular a printing press, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and with which throttled blast or blown air is made available.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine. The device comprises a first layer having a supporting or guiding surface formed with a plurality of outlet openings for applying a throttled air flow therethrough to a respective sheet. A covering plate is spaced away from the supporting or guiding surface. At least two intermediate layers, respectively formed with a plurality of openings, are disposed between the supporting or guiding surface and the covering plate. The covering plate is connected via a plurality of inlet openings to at least one blast air source. A respective opening formed in one of the intermediate layers is connected to two respective openings formed in the other of the intermediate layers, and an opening formed in the other intermediate layer is connected to two respective openings formed in the one intermediate layer, between one of the respective inlet openings and one of the respective outlet openings associated therewith.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the supporting or guiding device further includes a further layer disposed between the one intermediate layer and the other intermediate layer.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the further layer is formed with openings disposed in a region of a throttle segment located between the respective inlet opening and the respective outlet opening.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the supporting or guiding device further includes yet a further intermediate layer, respectively disposed between the supporting and guiding surface and the one intermediate layer, and between the covering and the other intermediate layer.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the further intermediate layers are respectively formed with openings disposed in a region of the throttle segment.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, in addition to the intermediate layers, there is provided a relatively large plurality of further intermediate layers.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine. The device comprises a first layer having a supporting or guiding surface formed with a plurality of outlet openings for applying a throttled air flow therethrough to a respective sheet. A covering plate is spaced away from the supporting or guiding surface. At least two intermediate layers, respectively formed with a plurality of openings, are disposed between the supporting or guiding surface and the covering plate. The covering plate is connected via a plurality of inlet openings to at least one blast air source. A further layer is disposed between the at least two intermediate layers, between the respective inlet opening and the respective outlet opening associated therewith. The openings formed in one of the at least two intermediate layers is located opposite the openings formed in the other of the at least two intermediate layers, and respective lands between respective openings formed in the one intermediate layer are disposed opposite respective lands formed in the other intermediate layer.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the further layer has a greater thickness than the at least two intermediate layers.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the further layer is formed with openings respectively disposed in a region of the lands of the one intermediate layer and the lands of the other intermediate layer.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the further layer is formed with openings having a smaller passthrough than the openings formed in the intermediate layers.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the sheet processing machine is a printing press.
An advantage of the invention is, for one, the low overall height of the guiding or supporting device, and the cost-effective capability of producing the same. This is because the throttle segment can be formed simply of sheetmetal provided with a plurality of openings or apertures, which can be produced cost-effectively by simple punching or stamping.
It is furthermore beneficial, for example, to provide different paths for the blast or blown air within a throttle segment or section due to the disposition of a plurality of layers.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine, in particular a printing press, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Supporting or guiding device for sheets in a sheet processing machine, particularly a printing press


Reliability of a power supply is assessed, such as for example considering one or more of the following: whether a host device is experiencing fast acceleration; whether a portable power supply has sufficient energy to meet current needs; whether a battery or removable memory cover is in place; and whether a software failure within the host device is imminent. In dependence on the assessed reliability, there is a selection made between a first mode and a second mode for operating a mass memory. The first mode comprises better data retention than the second mode for the case that the power supply is interrupted, and the second mode comprises faster data transfer than the first mode for the case that the power supply is not interrupted. In one embodiment the first and second mode buffers write data utilizing respective non-volatile (flash) and volatile (DRAM) memory.

Computer readable memory is in wide and varying use among portable devices such as for example mobile terminals, navigation systems, portable media players, and smartphones which incorporate many of those functions into a single handheld device. One memory technology utilized by many specific implementations of these portable devices is a memory card such as a removable memory module card MMC and/or an embedded memory module card eMMC, which is a trademark of the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA). As used herein, removable memory card or module means removable from a host device by an end user without dis-assembling the host device. Memory module cards, whether removable or embedded, are referred to herein as MMCs. Operation of MMCs is largely but not entirely directed by published standards such as the MMC System Specification v4.1 and 4.2, such as to meet advertised interface speeds of 52 MB/sec at an interface voltage of 1.8v or 3.3v.
A problem exists in such MMC devices in that the continuous electrical power supply from the host portable device into which they are integrated might be interrupted, such as for example if the device were physically dropped and the battery dislodged due to the impact. This has led to strict requirements for the MMC device itself so as to withstand data corruption despite a sudden loss of electrical power. Meeting these requirements has resulted in the performance of the MMC component being degraded somewhat; there is an engineering tradeoff between memory speed and data reliability in this instance where power supply might be interrupted. This is because the internal operations of the MMC are limited so as to assure the required data reliability under the above conditions of power loss.
Current solutions to assure the above data reliability for mobile device mass memory consider that power supply can be lost at any moment, as in the above dislodged battery scenario. In many implementations this means that data storage and buffering inside the MMC component itself is implemented using non-volatile memory technology (by example, NAND logic in at least eMMCs). A performance degradation arises because non-volatile memory technology typically has much lower performance (by example, write speeds for data) than volatile memories such as dynamic random access DRAM memory technologies.
There are some prior approaches to address the problem of data loss from a dislodged battery. US Patent Publication 2010/0122023 describes that if it is determined that a device is in a free fall situation data is transferred from the random access memory RAM using a non-volatile RAM, similar to that noted above. US Patent Publication 2007/020528 describes that a memory write from a first memory for non-critical data to a second memory for critical data is prevented if the host device is in free fall. US Patent Publication 2005/0279165 describes that a data transfer stop instruction is issued if it is determined that the device is in free fall.
Embodiments of the invention detailed below are directed to improving performance/speed of the MMC, and as such may be utilized in conjunction with the above solutions for preventing data loss in the event of complete power interruption. The below embodiments are exemplary and non-limiting, and the broader teachings herein are not limited only to specifically MMC memory but to any type of mass memory implemented in a device which has different modes of performance and which is subject to interruption of continuous electrical power.

Method and apparatus to boost mass memory performance given power supply availability


An inventory receptacle can include a body that includes a plurality of walls arranged to at least partially bound a storage volume. A computer-readable identifier connected with the body may be associated with an electronically-stored record about items registered as being present in the storage volume. A cover may be detachably coupled with the body so as to at least partially bound the storage volume in an arrangement that blocks access to the computer-readable identifier and to the storage volume. The cover may be configured for detachment from the body so as to allow access to the computer-readable identifier and the storage volume.

Many modern inventory fulfillment systems consolidate, ship, and otherwise handle a large volume of inventory items. Often times, reductions in shipping time and/or other advantages may be obtained by maintaining stocks of inventory at various locations that are geographically near to the end-users that submit orders for fulfillment. However, costs of building, organizing, and/or otherwise establishing operational repositories of inventory that can be effectively used for fulfillment of orders near end-users in many situations may be prohibitive.

Pre-packed shipment transformable to inventory receptacle for distributor


A method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste comprising a pump assembly that is connected to a holding tank and to a liquid container; the pump assembly being mounted on a wall and elevated above the holding tank; the pump assembly including a flexible hose detachably mounted on one end to said pump assembly and which is adapted to be connected at a second end to an aperture in the container, the aperture in the container being connected to a suction mechanism extending to the bottom of the container to permit the pump assembly to drain substantially all of the liquid waste from the liquid container and into the holding tank.

In automotive garages, waste oil is routinely removed from automobile crankcases and transferred to a waste oil drain assembly which normally includes a funnel to catch the oil connected to a drum. After the drum is filled, the oil or other liquid contained in the drum must eventually be transferred to another container. Thus, a variety of fluid pumps or devices having transfer means for fluids are known. These pumps or devices include pumping systems that have a variety of different operating mechanisms and connecting pieces that may be used to transfer fluid, such as the hazardous waste materials accumulated in automotive garages, from one container to another. For example, Wemple U.S. Pat. No. 1,851,338 and Hill U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,862 illustrate devices that transfer fluid from a large drum to another container by use of a pump. However, these devices each require contact with the liquid during its removal and transfer from one container to the other.
Other fluid transfer apparatus' include devices that require dismantling of the drum prior to fluid transfer or that further involve numerous component parts that elevate the manufacturing cost due to their relatively complex construction. However, along with these structural shortcomings, there are additional problems associated with their use, including a time-consuming and difficult assembly and operating process, all at elevated operational expense. Moreover, the combination of environmental concerns and the risks involved in handling certain fluids, such as hazardous and flammable materials, has induced the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety Health Administration to create and enact stringent regulations that control the handling and disposal of liquid wastes, including those wastes found in automotive garages.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste from drums or other containers to EPA and OSHA approved holding tanks.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste that includes an apparatus having a pump assembly that is accessibly mounted to the wall of a garage or other structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste that includes a pump assembly that may be mounted to the interior of any automotive garage or other structure and which may be attached to any standard holding tank.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste including a wall-mounted pump assembly elevated above a holding tank so that the liquid moves by gravity to the holding tank and minimal effort is required to transfer the liquid.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste in which there is no contact with the liquid being transferred by the operator of the apparatus.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste in which the risk of a fire involving a flammable liquid is minimal.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste from a drum wherein the liquid may be transferred to the holding tank without removal of the drum lid.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste wherein the apparatus has space-saving capabilities in that the pump assembly is wall mounted and is attached to a holding tank that is preferably located outside of the building housing the pump assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for evacuating and transferring liquid waste that provides a fast and inexpensive method of liquid transfer from one container to another.

Liquid waste evacuation and transfer system


A cargo carrier suspension for installation on a cargo carrier having a seat and wheels, skis or rollers on which the seat rides, the cargo carrier suspension comprising: a leaf spring connectable on a cargo carrier between the seat and the wheels, skis or rollers, and a clamping device for engagement on the leaf spring and adjustable to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring.

The invention relates to a cargo carrier suspension and, in particular, to a cargo carrier suspension having an adjustment for suspension resistance.
Suspensions are provided on cargo carriers such as bicycle trailers or strollers. The suspension provides a smoother ride for the occupant or load. Sometimes, the suspension includes a means for resistance adjustment.
A cargo carrier suspension has been invented. The suspension acts between the cargo support area, for example the seat, and the transport means on which the carrier rides such as, for example, wheels, rollers, skis etc.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cargo carrier suspension for installation on a cargo carrier having a cargo support and a transport means on which the cargo support rides, the cargo carrier suspension comprising: a leaf spring connectable on a cargo carrier between the seat and the transport means; and a clamping device for engagement on the leaf spring and adjustable to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring.
In accordance with another broad aspect, there is provided a cargo carrier comprising: a cargo support; a transport means on which the cargo support is supported to ride; a suspension for damping vibration between the transport means and the cargo support, the suspension including a leaf spring connected to act between the cargo support and the transport means and a clamping device for engagement on the leaf spring and adjustable to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring.
The suspension acts between the cargo support and the transport means to damp vibration from the transport means to the cargo support. The cargo support can be, for example, a floor or a seat. The cargo support can be rigid or flexible, as formed of fabric. However, if the cargo support is flexible it includes a rigid member, such as a support frame, onto which the suspension is connectable. As an example, the cargo support can be rigid and the suspension connectable directly thereto, the cargo support can include a support frame to which the suspension is connectable or the cargoxe2x80x94support can be mounted in a frame for the cargo carrier and the suspension is connectable between the cargo carrier frame and the transport means. The transport means can be any apparatus on which the seat can ride. As an example, transport means can include wheels, skis and rollers.
The suspension is connectable to the cargo carrier in any way such as, for example, by forming integral therewith, by welding or fusing or by fasteners such as clamps, bolts, screws, straps or rivets.
The leaf spring can be formed of spring steel or other materials having resilient, spring properties such as, for example, polymers or metals. The leaf spring can include one leaf or a plurality of leaves forming a spring pack.
The clamping device is selected to be engageable on, and adjustable to select the degree of flexibility of, the leaf spring. In one embodiment, the clamping device acts to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring by controlling its free flexing length. In another embodiment, the clamping device acts to select the degree of flexibility of the leaf spring by controlling the stiffness of the spring, for example, as determined by the number of leaves acting in the spring pack or the frictional engagement of the plurality of springs in the spring pack. The clamp can be engageable on the leaf spring in various ways such as, for example, by bolting thereon, by engagement of a pin in a detent or by spring biasing.