An elongated drive string assembly includes a plurality of hollow sucker rods and connecting elements with an axis, connected together and between a drive head located at the surface of an oil well and a rotary pump located deep down in an oil well. Each hollow sucker rod has at least a first end including an internal female threaded surface engaging an external male threaded surface on a connecting element, such as a nipple. The first end also includes a torque shoulder, which engages a torque shoulder formed on the connecting element. The threads are frusto-conical, non-symmetrical threads with a differential diametral taper. The torque shoulders have a maximized mean diameter and cross-sectional area to resist storing reactive torque in the drive string. The nipple has a wall cross-section that increases towards the torque shoulders from each free end, to increase fatigue resistance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an elongated assembly of hollow, torque transmitting pumping rods, used to selectively rotate a rotary pump located deep down hole in an oil well from a drive head located at the surface of the oil well. A pumping rod assembly or sucker rod string is significantly distinguished in the art by the fact that such a string is not typically undergoing substantially free rotation like a drill pipe string, but rather is a true drive shaft that stores large amounts of reactive torque due to its large length, typically between 1,500 to 6,000 feet. The present invention comprises individual elements referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cHollow Sucker Rodxe2x80x9d with at least a first end having a female thread and a xe2x80x9cConnecting Elementxe2x80x9d which may be a separate xe2x80x9cNipple Connecting Elementxe2x80x9d with a pair of male threads or an integral male thread on a second, upset end of a Hollow Sucker Rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
Non-surging oil well extraction is normally achieved by means of pumping systems. The most common system uses an alternating pump located at the bottom of the well driven by a sucker rod string that connects the bottom of the well with the surface, where an alternating pumping machine to drive the string up and down is located. The sucker rods in the prior art, therefore, were designed originally to simply reciprocate up and down, and were are manufactured to API Specification 11B using solid steel bars with an upset end and a threaded end, each thread being of solid cylindrical section. The rods typically were connected one with the other by means of a cylindrical threaded coupling. More efficient pumping is performed when an oil extracting progressive cavity pump (PCP), or like rotary down hole pump is used. Among other advantages, PCP pumping of oil allows for higher oil extraction rates, reduced fatigue loads, reduction in wear on the inside of production tubing, and the ability to pump high viscosity and high solids component oils. PCP pumps are installed at the bottom of the well and driven from the surface by an electric motor connected to a speed-reducing gearbox by means of a string of torque transmitting rods. Traditionally standard API sucker rods are used to drive PCP pumps notwithstanding the fact that these rods have not been designed to transmit torsional loads. The transmission of torque by means of sucker rod strings presents the following disadvantages, i) low torque transmitting capacity, ii) high backspin iii) big stiffness differential between the connection and the rod body, all factors that enhance the possibility of fatigue failures. The reason for rupture on this type of conventional rod is failure due to fatigue in the junction zone of the head of the rod with the body of same due to the difference in structural rigidity between both partsxe2x80x94the body of the rod and the head of the rod.
For a given cross sectional area, torque transmission by a hollow rod with an annular cross section is more efficient than with a narrower, solid circular cross section. With the above mentioned concept in mind the prior art includes a hollow sucker rod that simply uses a standard API external cylindrical thread on a first end connector and an internal API thread on a second end connector, each connector being butt welded to a pipe body, which creates significant and abrupt change in section between the pipe body and each connection body. (See Grade D Hollow Sucker Rod, CPMEC Brochure, undated). The problem of sucker rod string backspin, and details of a drive head at the surface of an oil well and a rotary pump deep down hole in an oil well operation, which is the specific field of invention being addressed herein, can be found in Mills (U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,510), which is incorporated herein by reference.
Various thread and shoulder arrangements are discussed in the prior art with respect to joining together oil well drill pipe, well casing and tubing. See, for example, Pfeiffer et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4, 955,644); Carstenson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,079), Gandy (U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,400), Mithoff (U.S. Pat. No. 262,086), Blose (U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,225), Watts (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,418; 4,813,717; 4,750,761), Schock et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,004), and Hardy et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,628). The Watts patents imply that a pre-1986 API standard for strings of casing and tubing was a straight thread, with a turned down collar and that his improvement comprised a flush joint tubular connection with both tapered threads and a shoulder torque. Watts also refer to API standards for tubing and casing where triangular and buttress threads can be used with a torque shoulder. The 1990 patent to Pfeiffer et al, and the 1996 patent to Carstensen et al, in contrast, refer to a more current API standard (truncated triangular thread, connection using a torque shoulder) for strings of casing and tubing that appears to involve frusto-conical threads and shoulders. Carstensen et al at col 7, line 9+ include a discussion about how a particular conical gradient and length of a thread defines stress distribution results. Likewise, Pfeiffer et al at col 2, line 51+ say their threads are tapered and according to xe2x80x9cAPI standardsxe2x80x9d with their improvement essentially only having to do with transitional dimensions. Hence, the problem addressed by Pfeiffer is an assembly of drill pipe sections where it apparently was critical to use a compatible and standard non-differential thread according to API standards, and also with no incomplete threads and no torque shoulder specification. The main features of the Pfeiffer thread appear to be symmetrical, truncated triangle threads (between 4 and 6 threads per inch, 60xc2x0 flank angle) and a thread height that is the same for the male and female thread (between 1.42 and 3.75 mm). Also, there is identical nominal taper on male and female ends (between 0.125 and 0.25). Schock et al. illustrate a particular tool joint for drill pipe where the unexpected advantage for drill pipe applications derives from tapered threads that significantly must be very coarse (3xc2xd threads per inch) and have equal angle (75xc2x0) thread flanks and elliptical root surfaces.
However, the different problem of backspin inherent in the intermittent operation of a sucker rod string when driving a PCP pump is not apparently addressed in any of these references. The design of the invention was made with certain specific constraints and requirements in mind. First, the minimum diameter of the tubings on the inside of which the Hollow Rods must operate corresponds to API 2xe2x85x9exe2x80x3 tubing (inner diameter=62 mm) and API 3xc2xdxe2x80x3 tubing (inner diameter=74.2 mm). The oil extraction flow rate must be up to 500 cubic meters per day, maximum oil flow speed must be 4 meters per second. The above-mentioned values strongly restrict the geometry of the rods under design. Second, to ensure a Hollow Rod with a high yield torque so that maximum torque is transmitted to the PCP pump without damage to the Hollow Rod string. Third, to minimize and distribute stresses in the threaded sections. This requirement is met by using a particular conical thread, differential taper, low thread height and a conical bore in the sections under the threads. Fourth, the Hollow Sucker Rod must have good fatigue resistance. Fifth, to ensure low backspin, and high resistance to axial loads. Sixth, ease of make up and break out (assembly of mating threaded parts) must be ensured, and is by a tapered thread. Seventh, to ensure high resistance to unscrewing of the Hollow Sucker Rod due to backspin, or the counter-rotation of a sucker rod string when driving motor stops running and the pump acts as a motor. Eighth, to ensure high resistance to jump out of the Hollow Sucker Rod string (Hollow Rod parting at the threaded sections) by means of adequate thread profile and reverse angle on the torque shoulder. Ninth, to minimize head loss of the fluids that occasionally can be pumped on the inside of the Hollow Sucker Rod through the added advantage of a conical bore on the nipple. Tenth, to ensure connection sealabilty due to sealing at the torque shoulder, and also due to diametrical interference at the threads. Eleventh, a thread profile designed so as to optimize pipe wall thickness usage. Twelfth, to eliminate use of the welds due to susceptibility of welds to fatigue damage, sulphide stress cracking damage and also the higher costs of manufacturing.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of sucker pump rods and either separate threaded unions, or an integral union at the second end of each sucker rod, to activate PCP and like rotary type pumps, capable of transmitting greater torque than the solid pump rods described in the API 11B Norm and also possessing good fatigue resistance. Additionally, the present invention seeks to define a threaded union for hollow rods that is significantly different from, and incompatible with, the standard for sucker rod assemblies as defined in the API 11B Norm, yet still can easily be assembled. In fact the modified buttress thread is unique in that it is differential. For example, API Buttress Casing requires non-differential threads, with the taper for both a pipe and a coupling being 0.625 inches/inch of diameter. Likewise, API 8r casing and API 8r tubing both also require non-differential threads, with the taper for both a pipe and a coupling being 0.625 inches/inch of diameter. Still further, each of API Buttress Casing, API 8r casing and API 8r tubing do not employ any manner of torque shoulder.
A related object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of pump rods and unions with lesser tendency to uncoupling of the unions whenever xe2x80x9cbackspinxe2x80x9d occurs, whether by accident or when intentionally provoked by the deactivation of the pump drive. The present invention surprisingly and significantly decreases the stored torsional energy in a sucker rod string. The stored energy in the string is inversely proportional to the diameter of the rod, and is directly proportional to the applied torque and the length of the string.
Another object of the invention is to provide for an assembly of sucker rods which are hollow and configured with a bore to permit passage of tools (sensors for control of the well) and/or allow interior circulation of fluids (injection of solvents and/or rust inhibitors).
The present invention addresses the foregoing needs in the art by providing a new type of Hollow Sucker Rod consisting essentially of a pipe central section, with or without an upset, with at least one internal or female conical thread at a first end having a thread vanishing on the inside of the rod and a conical external torque shoulder. That first end is configured to engage a corresponding external or male thread that is differential and also to abut against a conical torque shoulder on either another rod with an externally threaded integral Connecting Element as its second end, or one of the shoulders between the external threads of a separate Nipple Connecting Element. If separate Nipple Connecting Elements are used, then the sucker rod second end is always the same as the first end. If separate Nipple Connecting Elements are not used, then the sucker rod second end is configured with an upset end having a male conical thread adapted to engage the first end of another Hollow Sucker Rod.
A Nipple Connecting Element consists essentially of a central cylindrical section with a pair of conical external torque shoulders. The torque shoulders have a maximized mean diameter and cross-sectional area to resist storing reactive torque in the drive string. The nipple preferably also has a wall section that increases towards the torque shoulders from each free end to increase fatigue resistance. In order to further optimize the stress distribution between the elements, a specific type of thread with a differential taper is used. The overall configuration ensures high shear strength, lowered stress concentration and a surprising resistance to storing reactive torque, which minimizes dangerous backspin when power to the sucker rod string is interrupted.
The Nipple Connecting Element member also has trapezoidal, non-symmetric male threads at each end or extreme, separated by a pair of shoulder engaging elements, but that male thread is differential as to the diametral taper of the female thread on at least the first end of a Hollow Sucker Rod. The threaded nipple and the rod can be joined with or without discontinuity of outer diameter. The ratio of the diameter of the union to the diameter of the rod may between 1 without discontinuity of diameters, to a maximum of 1.5. In this manner the mean value of the external diameter throughout the length of the string will always be greater to that of a solid rod with equivalent cross-sectional area mated to a conventional union means. Hence, for a given length of string and cross-sectional area, resistance to xe2x80x9cbackspinxe2x80x9d will be greater in an assembly according to the present invention. The dimensions of the nipple also may be defined with a conical inner bore proximate the length of each threaded extreme, to further enhance an homogenous distribution of tensions throughout the length of each thread and in the central body portion of the Nipple Connecting Element. In this way it is possible to obtain a desired ratio of diameters of the threaded ending of the nipple with respect to the internal diameter, and a ratio of outside diameter of the nipple with respect to the internal diameter and an additional ratio between the external diameter of the nipple and the diameter of each threaded extreme.
In a first object of the present invention, the essential characteristic of a Hollow Sucker Rod is at least a first end of a tubular element threaded with a conical female thread which is configured as a Modified Buttress or SEC thread and vanishes on the inside of the tubular element, in combination with a conical frontal surface at an angle between 75xc2x0 and 90xc2x0, known as a torque shoulder. The external diameter of the HSR 48xc3x976 External Flush and the HSR 42xc3x975 Upset embodiments comprise a tubular rod body element away from the ends being 48.8 mm or 42 mm and the external diameter of the tubular element in the upset end of a 42 mm rod being 50 mm. These dimensions are critical since sucker rods of that maximum diameter can fit within standard 2xe2x85x9e inch tubing (62 mm inside diameter). For 3xc2xd inch tubing (74.2 mm inside diameter) the HSR 48xc3x976 Upset, with a diameter at the upset end of 60.6 mm, can be used for maximum advantage. The thread shape is trapezoidal and non-symmetric, with a Diametrical taper in the threaded section. The Length of threads on at least the first end of the tubular element are incomplete due to vanishing of thread on the inside of the tubular element. There is an 83xc2x0 angle (Beta) of the conical surface in the torque shoulder as shown in FIG. 2A. There are radii at the inner and outer tips of the torque shoulder. At the end of the threaded section a short cylindrical section on the inside of the threaded area transitions the threaded area to the bore of the tubular element.
In a first object of the present invention, the essential characteristic of a Nipple Connecting Element is a differential thread engagement on either side of a central section that is externally cylindrical with a larger cross-sectional area in the vicinity of the torque shoulder for surprisingly improved fatigue resistance. At either side of this central section external torque shoulders are located to mate with a torque shoulder on a first end of a Hollow Sucker Rod. The mean diameter and total cross-sectional area of the torque shoulder is maximized, to allow maximum torque handling.
In addition, either end of the nipple externally threaded is conical so to create a larger cross-sectional area in the vicinity of the torque shoulder and thereby surprisingly improve fatigue resistance. To achieve this advantage a narrowing conical inner bore starts proximate the free end of each threaded extreme and thereby defines an increasing wall thickness cross-section towards the central section of the nipple. The external diameter of the central section of the nipple is 50 mm or 60.6 mm and that central section may have a pair of machined diametrically opposite flat surfaces, to be engaged by a wrench during connection make up. The thread is a Modified Buttress thread, which creates a differential due to slightly different amounts of diametral thread taper on the rod and on the nipple. The thread shape also is trapezoidal and non-symmetric. All threads on the nipple are complete. A pair of conical surface act as torque shoulders with a conical frontal surface at an angle between 75xc2x0 and 90xc2x0. There are radii at tips of the torque shoulder, both at an inner corner and an outer corner. Preferably, conical bores under each threaded section of the nipple are connected by a cylindrical bore to create a larger cross-sectional area in the immediate vicinity of the torque shoulder in order to surprisingly improve fatigue resistance.
The thread taper on the nipple and on the rod is slightly different (Differential Taper) to ensure optimal stress distribution. When the connection is made up the corresponding torque shoulders on the rod and on the nipple bear against each other so that a seal is obtained that precludes the seepage of pressurized fluids from the outside of the connection to the inside of said and vice-versa. This sealing effect is enhanced by the diametrical interference between the two mating threaded sections on the first end of the rod and on the nipple.
A better understanding of these and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention may be had be reference to the drawings and to the accompanying description, in which there are illustrated and described different embodiments of the invention. All of the embodiments are considered exemplary of parts of a preferred assembly embodiment, since any one of the illustrated male ends will successfully mate with any one of the illustrated female ends.

Assembly of hollow torque transmitting sucker rods


There is provided a motor including: a rotating member rotating together with a shaft and including an extension part extended along an outer surface of the shaft; a fixed member including a shaft support part supporting the shaft and an extension part support part supporting the extension part; and an oil storage part disposed between a lower surface of the extension part and the fixed member to thereby provide an oil storage space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor and a recording disk driving device having the same, and more particularly, to a motor in which vibration characteristics are improved by increasing the strength of a fluid dynamic pressure bearing, and a recording disk driving device having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hard disk drive (HDD), one of various information storage devices, reads data stored in a disk or writes data to the disk using a read/write head.
The hard disk drive requires a disk driving device capable of driving the disk. As the disk driving device, a small-sized motor is used.
In the small-sized motor, a fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly has been used. A shaft, a rotating member of the fluid dynamic pressure bearing assembly, and a sleeve, a fixed member thereof include oil interposed therebetween, such that the shaft is supported by fluid pressure generated by the oil.
That is, in the motor, the oil is provided in a micro clearance between the sleeve and the shaft, and the fluid pressure supporting the shaft is generated by a dynamic pressure groove formed in the sleeve or the shaft.
Here, the center of gravity of the motor is generally positioned at an upper portion thereof, and fluid pressure from a dynamic pressure groove positioned at the upper portion of the motor is an important factor in determining the rotational characteristics of the motor.
However, in the case of the motor according to the related art, the fluid dynamic pressure supporting a shaft is the same at an upper portion and a lower portion of the shaft, such that a problem is generated in view of stable rotational characteristics. Therefore, vibrations are generated at the time of rotation of a rotating member, such that the performance of the motor may be inefficient.
In addition, when the rotating member of the motor rotates, a majority of the overall friction is caused by friction in a position in which the dynamic pressure groove is formed and power consumption for driving the motor is inevitably increased due to the friction.
In addition, when the amount of oil is reduced as compared to a normal level of oil due to various causes such as oil evaporation, oil leakage, and the like, the introduction of air bubbles from the outside and the friction between the rotating member and the fixed member further increase, such that it is difficult to secure floating force for rotation, thereby deteriorating the rotational characteristics of the rotating member.
Therefore, in the motor, research into technology for reducing friction, minimizing power consumption in the driving of the motor, securing a storage space for the oil, and implementing stable rotational characteristics has been urgently demanded.

Motor having oil storage part and recording disk driving device having the same


A door lock for a household electrical appliance has an electric door switch with two contact elements, a pusher and a pusher control element. The pusher presses against a first contact element that holds the door switch in one of the two switching states. When the pusher is displaced from a first pusher position to a second pusher position, the door switch transfers into the other of the two switching states. The pusher control element, which is movable relative to the pusher, moves from one of the two control positions to the other on closing of the door. The pusher control element has a control path where a first path section blocks the pusher against displacement from the first pusher position to the second pusher position and a second path section provides the pusher with space for a displacement from the first pusher position to the second pusher position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a door lock for a household electrical appliance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In modern households, there are various household electrical appliances that have a door lock to keep a door of the household appliance closed. Examples of such household electrical appliances are a washing machine, a washer dryer, a dishwasher and an electric cooker. Occasionally the door lock contains an electric door switch to be able to distinguish the state of the open door from the state of the closed door. Depending on the detection of the closed door state, a follow-up function can be activated in the household appliance. For example, an operating run of the household appliance can be started and/or a locking mechanism can be activated, which locks the door in its closed position, so that it cannot be opened. For their execution such follow-up functions require that the door was closed first. A door switch, which upon closing of the door is transferred from a first switching state to a second switching state, is a suitable means for detecting the closing of the door.


A circuit and method for expanding the pulse width of a signal based on the input signal""s pulse width. A circuit generates a delay equal to the pulse width of the input signal for both a SHIFT and OUT signal, which are out of phase with each other. The delay is generated when a capacitor applies voltage to two control transistors in both the SHIFT and OUT blocks, reducing gate control in these transistors and generating a delay in the falling edge of these signals such that the pulse width of the SHIFT signal is reduced and the pulse width of the OUT signal is increased. The capacitor is charged by a transistor activated by the SHIFT signal. The pulse-doubling system is self-converging: when the SHIFT signal""s pulse width is zero, the OUT signal""s pulse width is doubled, and the capacitor""s charging level is fixed since it is no longer charged by the transistor controlled by the SHIFT signal. The circuit may be modified so that the output signal""s pulse width is a known factor of multiplication wider than the input signal""s pulse width.

This invention relates to a circuit for generating a delay in a periodic pulse such that the pulse width is expanded by a chosen factor of multiplication.
The components of semiconductor devices are controlled by various signals. The pulse width of these signals is often quite important for the proper operation of the components and the semiconductor device.
For instance, in asynchronous SRAM devices the Edge Transition Detection (ETD) signal is often used as the internal clock of the device, allowing the device to operate internally in a synchronous manner. If the pulse width of the ETD signal is too wide or too narrow, the memory device will not be able to function properly.
Address transition detection (ATD) circuits are used to detect a change in user-supply address bits in memory devices. The pulse from the ATD circuit is often used to precharge the data path to and from the memory address for the transfer of data. If the ATD signal pulse width is too narrow, the pulse is insufficient to precharge the data path.
It would be desirable to be able to modulate the pulse width of a signal so the signal could be used to accurately serve as a device""s internal clock or detect an address transition and precharge a memory. Expanding a narrow pulse width would also be useful for measuring signals with narrow pulse widths.
The prior art has addressed controlling pulse widths. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,444 to McClure discusses controlling the width of an ETD pulse of a memory device by varying the logic state of one or more control signals of the memory device. By changing the combination of logic states of the control signals, the pulse width of the ETD signal may be varied to produce an optimal ETD pulse width.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,246 to Choi et al. discusses producing an ATD signal of sufficient width to stably operate an internal circuit. An input signal is delayed until its pulse width is of sufficient duration to prevent malfunction of a memory device.
The prior art discussed here discusses expanding pulse widths by determining the desired pulse width and then varying the input signal to produce the desired pulse width. The output pulse width is not dependent on the input pulse width. The prior art discussed here does not provide a mechanism for multiplying the width of the input signal by a known factor.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and system for expanding an input signal""s pulse width by a known factor.
The object is achieved by a circuit which generates a delay equal to the pulse width of the input signal for both a SHIFT and OUT signal, which are out of phase with each other. The delay is generated when a capacitor applies voltage to two control transistors in both the SHIFT and OUT blocks, reducing gate control in these transistors and generating a delay in the falling edge of these signals such that the pulse width of the SHIFT signal is reduced and the pulse width of the OUT signal is increased. The capacitor is charged by a transistor activated by the SHIFT signal. The pulse-doubling system is self-converging: when the SHIFT signal""s pulse width is zero, the OUT signal""s pulse width is doubled, and the capacitor""s charging level is fixed since it is no longer charged by the transistor controlled by the SHIFT signal. The circuit may be modified to provide greater pulse width expansion. This circuit may be employed in CMOS submicron technologies.

System and method for expanding a pulse width


An original image is displayed on a display screen. Here, when a sub-screen input mode is set, a sub-screen that is obtained by reducing an entire screen displayed on the display screen is displayed on an image display portion. The user uses an electronic pen to select an optional input area within the sub-screen. An area corresponding to the selected input area is displayed on the entire screen. At this timer, the reduced image of the entire screen is switched to an image of the input area on the sub-screen. Then, the user uses the electronic pen to perform an editing work on the sub-screen. The sub-screen is set within reach of the user, and editing on an area out of reach on the entire screen can be also performed on the sub-screen.

An information display apparatus is known, that a touch panel is provided on a front face of a large-sized liquid crystal display apparatus and the like to input data using an electronic pen etc., so as to be applicable to an electronic blackboard for a conference. Such an information display apparatus to which data can be input using a touch panel is assumed to be used in conference rooms with some space, and a height thereof is within a reach of a person and a width thereof is also in a range that does not hinder a person from moving.
However, as a size of an electronic display becomes larger, and a large-sized information display apparatus is installed in a large space, for example, in an auditorium of a college or in a conference hall in which an international conference is held, there is a problem that a user of the display apparatus can not reach an upper part thereof or that much labor is required for the user to move to an end of a display screen to input data.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-196739 discloses, as a system wherein drawing on a large display is easily performed and detailed display is clearly recognized, a technique that when performing pen input into an image displayed on a large screen or a small screen of a main display, the same contents are also input into an image displayed on the small screen of the main display or a sub-display.
However, the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-196739 does not disclose a method for specifying a detailed range where a user wants to input by a touch panel, thus a display area out of reach of the user can not be cut out and it is difficult to perform input into the area.

Information display apparatus, method for displaying information, program, and recording medium


Embodiments of the invention are related to systems and methods for a docking station that wirelessly connects to a mobile device, facilitates charging the mobile device, and enables the mobile device to interact with a virtual desktop infrastructure.

Many businesses maintain an extensive network of local computers for accessing end user applications and data. Historically these computers have been either laptops or desktops and in some circumstances terminal services on network terminals. With the advent of "Cloud Computing" many large enterprises have started deploying centralized servers that host virtual desktop infrastructure ("VDI") where an employee can remotely access his workspace from a thin client terminal or a local machine, commonly referred to as an "End Point". All the user's programs, applications, processes, and data are run and maintained securely on the VDI servers within the datacenter. Unfortunately, many companies still have to deploy an end point for every user accessing his workspace and it is expensive to purchase and maintain these computers for every employee. Bring Your Own Computer ("BYOC") is a solution many enterprises are investigating to help reduce this expense, however employees are often put-off by lugging a heavy computer to remote locations and dealing with complicated authentication protocols to connect to company servers. Additionally, administrators need to implement complex security measures to ensure their company's network and data are not put at risk by an infected/compromised BYOC computer. Accordingly, a solution is needed that will reduce companies' computing infrastructure costs and improve an employee's experience and access to his workspace.
In recent years, smartphones have changed the face of mobile computing. These devices are now powerful enough to run complex operating systems. Many of these devices support 3G, 4G and LTE cellular radio connections, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, near field communication ("NFC"), and digital cameras. Most importantly, the processors in many new smartphones are capable of efficiently running remote connection software to access VDI session(s) and the user's workspace. Tablet computers have many of the same capabilities and features of smartphones but possess larger screens. Together, the smartphone and tablet computer have redefined the meaning of "mobile device." Whilst mobile devices provide almost "anywhere" access to these enterprise services, the user experience is less than optimal due the small screen real estate and lack of physical input devices such as a keyboard and mouse.
Docking stations are well known in the art as means for connecting mobile computers to peripheral devices. A typical docking station has one port that connects directly to a mobile computer. The port allows the transfer of electricity to the mobile computer, powering the computer and charging its battery. Simultaneously, the docking station consolidates the signals from any of its other peripheral ports or connectors and sends them to the mobile computer via the connected port. The mobile computer is then able to access and/or control the peripheral connections and devices. A docking station would seem to be an ideal way to leverage the portability of a mobile device and provide robust functionality. However, there are limitations.
The typical docking station is designed for a laptop computer. Since different laptops have different connectors and power signaling specifications, a docking station is usually designed with a port to accommodate a specific make and model of a laptop computer. This limits the usefulness of the docking station because it cannot accommodate other non-like laptops. Moreover, the laptop must be carefully placed in the docking station to ensure that the laptop and docking station are properly connected.
To be sure, docking stations are available for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets but have limited functionality as compared to docking stations for laptops. Such docking stations usually provide power to the connected device, but limit connections to only certain other types of peripheral devices (e.g. speakers or headphones). Some docking stations only provide power, but require that the mobile device be plugged into the dock. Other docking stations charge a mobile device's battery via induction, but offer no connections to peripheral devices.
Unfortunately, due to the above-mentioned deficiencies with currently existing systems, a solution is needed to accommodate the ever increasing popularity and functionality of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile computing devices. A solution is needed to allow a docking station to provide interoperability, facilitate greater access to peripheral connections and devices, provide wireless means to charge a mobile device, and enable the mobile device to interact with a user's workspace.

System and method for mobile device docking station


A programmable clock divider having reset circuits configured to receive a DP count comprises a first flip-flop having a clock input, a first output, and one of the DP inputs configured to receive a clock signal, a plurality of flip-flops connected to form a ripple counter configured to each receive a DP input, a clock input, and a reset input to provide a first output coupled to the clock input of a subsequent flip-flop of the plurality of flip-flops, each subsequent flip-flop having its clock input coupled to the first output of the preceding flip-flop, a first reset circuit coupled to the flip-flops configured to provide an out signal in response to the flip-flops obtaining the DP count, and a second reset circuit configured to provide a reset signal to the reset input of the plurality of flip-flops in response to the out signal from the first reset circuit.

Programmable clock dividers or frequency dividers of various conventional configurations have been used in numerous applications though out the art of digital circuitry. One of the more commonly desired characteristics of digital circuitry is high speed operation. High speed phase-locked loops (PLLs) are considered to be a basic element of digital design and are widely employed in radio, telecommunications, computers and other electronic applications. PLLs can be used to demodulate a signal, recover a signal from a noisy communication channel, generate a stable frequency at multiples of an input frequency (frequency synthesis), or distribute precisely timed clock pulses in digital logic circuits such as microprocessors. Since a single integrated circuit can provide a complete phase-locked-loop building block, the technique is widely used in modern electronic devices, with output frequencies from a fraction of a hertz up to many gigahertz.
In general, a clock divider is basically a counter. Flip-flops are commonly used to keep track of the number of clock pulses applied to the counter. Although other types of flip-flops can be uses, D flip-flops are basic building blocks of sequential logic circuits, and are often used to construct counters. D flip-flops have a D (data) input and a clock (CLK) input and outputs Q and Q_bar. Counters are sequential logic devices that are activated or triggered by an external timing pulse or clock signal. A counter can be constructed to operate as a synchronous circuit or an asynchronous circuit. With synchronous counters, all the data bits change synchronously with the application of a clock signal. Whereas an asynchronous counter is independent of the input clock so the data bits change state at different times one after the other.
Consequently, synchronous counters tend to consume much more power than asynchronous counters. A type of asynchronous counter is a ripple counter. In a ripple counter, only the first flip-flop is clocked by the clock signal. All subsequent flip-flops are clocked by the output of the preceding flip-flop which enables the output clock pulses to ripple through each of the flip-flops. Ripple counters can be used for frequency divider, time measurement, frequency measurement, distance measurement and also for generating square waveforms.
Counters are sequential logic devices that follow a predetermined sequence of counting states that are triggered by an external clock signal. The number of states or counting sequences through which a particular counter advances before returning back to its original starting state is call the modulus (MOD). The modulus is the number of states a counter counts and is the dividing number of the counter. The MOD of a ripple counter or asynchronous counter is 2n if n is the number of flip-flops being used in the counter. For example, a 4-bit counter has four flip flops and a range of counts from binary 0000 to 1111 (24-1). A ripple counter may count up or count down depending on designer preference. Asynchronous counters like the ripple counter are slower than synchronous counters because of the propagation delay in the transmission of the pulses from flip-flop to flip-flop. However, synchronous counters consume much more power than their asynchronous counterparts.
A challenge with ripple counters occurs when the counter reaches the count limit, the ripple counter has to be reset and loaded with another count value with minimum delays. Accordingly, there is a need for a ripple counter that minimizes delays to reset and initiate a load count for another operation that overcomes delays and disadvantages of current ripple counters.

Method and apparatus for operating programmable clock divider using reset paths


The present disclosure relates to display panel, display device and method for manufacturing display panel. A display panel is provided that comprises: a display substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the display substrate having a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area including at least a first portion and a second portion located on two opposite sides of the display area; a first connection terminal located at the first portion and located on the first surface; a first connection hole located at the first portion, the first connection hole at least penetrating the display substrate; a second connection terminal located at the second portion and located on the first surface; a second connection hole located at the second portion, and the second connection hole at least penetrating the display substrate; a chip on film (COF) located on a second surface of the display substrate, the chip on film including third connection terminals; and conductive materials respectively disposed in the first connection hole and the second connection hole; wherein the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the display substrate are electrically connected to the respective third connection terminals through the conductive materials located in the first connection hole and the second connection hole, respectively; and wherein orthographic projections of the first connection hole and the second connection hole on the display substrate is located within an orthographic projection of an outer edge of the chip on film on the display substrate.

With the continuous development of display technology, display panels are increasingly used in display products. Display products with narrow bezels (e.g., cell phones (especially full-screen phones) or wearable devices (e.g., smart watches)) attract a large number of consumers because they enable users to have a better viewing experience.
Currently, pad bending process is the only solution for implementing a display panel with a narrow bezel. However, the display panel manufactured by the pad bending process has many problems, and there may be a display failure phenomenon caused by cracks in the inorganic insulating layer. In addition, the conventional pad bending technology also increases process difficulty and manufacturing cost, and production efficiency is low. In addition, the formation of the pad bending region P requires increased space, and the display product produced by the pad bending process has a low utilization ratio of the substrate.
On the other hand, high-resolution (high PPI) display panels have gradually become a developing trend of the display industry because of their good visual effects. However, the higher the resolution is, the more connection terminals (also simply referred to as terminals) that are required to be set in the display panel. In such a case, it becomes a challenge to achieve a narrower bezel design.
Therefore, there is a need for a display product having a high resolution and having a narrow bezel and a method for manufacturing the same.

Display panel, display device and method for manufacturing display panel

Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


This disclosure relates to the prevention and treatment of Influenza, and more particularly Influenza A Virus Subtype H1N1, with the use of a pharmaceutical composition comprising one or more digestive enzymes, such as pancreatic enzymes and porcine pancreatic enzymes. The disclosure further relates to the use of an individual's fecal chymotrypsin level as an indicator, e.g., biomarker of whether an individual may be more susceptible to Influenza, e.g., Influenza A Subtype H1N1, and/or whether an individual will benefit from administration of the described pharmaceutical compositions. Use of the compositions as sanitizers, antiseptics, disinfectants, and detergents, e.g., to reduce or eradicate influenza virus present on living or inanimate surfaces is also contemplated.

Digestive enzymes are enzymes that can break down one or more components of foods, e.g., carbohydrates, lipids/fats, proteins, cellulose, nucleic acids, etc., and thereby assist in digestion and uptake of nutrients. Certain digestive enzymes are produced by the salivary glands, glands in the stomach, the pancreas, and glands in the small intestines. For example, digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas and secreted into the stomach and small intestine aid in digestion. Other digestive enzymes are produced by plants, fungi, or microorganisms (e.g., papain, bromelain).
Digestive enzymes have been administered to mammals to treat enzyme deficiencies caused by conditions affecting the pancreas, such as pancreatitis and pancreatic enzyme deficiency. Pancreatic enzymes administered to humans are commonly of porcine origin. Manufacturers of enzyme preparations have also used enteric coatings for lipase compositions in individuals with cystic fibrosis who require administration of lipases. The preparations for lipase delivery have used enteric coatings containing, for example, hypromellose phthalate, dimethicone 1000, and dibutyl phthalate.
Certain methods for coating sensitive bioactive substances such as enzymes have been described, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No, RE40,059; 6,835,397; 6,797,291; 6,616,954; 6,312,741; 6,251,478; 6,153,236; 6,013,286, and 5,190,775, and Ser. No. 12/386,051, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
Influenza A (H1N1) virus is a subtype of influenza virus A and the most common cause of influenza (flu) in humans. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans and cause a small fraction of all influenza-like illness and a large fraction of all seasonal influenza. H1N1 strains caused roughly half of all human flu infections in 2006. Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (avian influenza).
In June 2009, WHO declared that flu due to a new strain of swine-origin H1N1 was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. This strain is commonly called "swine flu" by the public media.
Influenza A virus strains are categorized according to two proteins found on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). All influenza A viruses contain hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, but the structure of these proteins differ from strain to strain due to rapid genetic mutation in the viral genome. Influenza A virus strains are assigned an H number and an N number based on which forms of these two proteins the strain contains. There are 16 H and 9 N subtypes known in birds, but only H 1, 2 and 3, and N 1 and 2 are commonly found in humans.
The Spanish flu, also known as La Gripe Española, or La Pesadilla, was an unusually severe and deadly strain of avian influenza, a viral infectious disease, that killed some 50 million to 100 million people worldwide over about a year in 1918 and 1919. It is thought to be one of the most deadly pandemics in human history. Tt was caused by the H1N1 type of influenza virus. It is postulated that the Spanish flu caused an unusual number of deaths because it may have caused a cytokine storm in the body. The recent epidemic of bird flu, also an Influenza A virus, had a similar effect. The Spanish flu virus infected lung cells, leading to overstimulation of the immune system via release of cytokines into the lung tissue. This leads to extensive leukocyte migration towards the lungs, causing destruction of lung tissue and secretion of liquid into the organ, making it difficult for the patient to breathe. In contrast to other pandemics, which mostly kill the old and the very young, the 1918 pandemic killed unusual numbers of young adults, which may have been due to their healthy immune systems being able to mount a very strong and damaging response to the infection.
The more recent Russian flu was a 1977-1978 flu epidemic caused by strain Influenza A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1). It infected mostly children and young adults under 23 because a similar strain was prevalent in 1947-57, causing most adults to have substantial immunity. Some have called it a flu pandemic, but because it only affected the young it is not considered a true pandemic. The virus was included in the 1978-1979 influenza vaccine.
In the 2009 flu pandemic, the virus isolated from patients in the United States was found to be made up of genetic elements from four different flu viruses—North American Mexican influenza, North American avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza virus typically found in Asia and Europe. This strain appears to be a result of reassortment of human influenza and swine influenza viruses, in all four different strains of subtype H1N1.
Preliminary genetic characterization found that the hemagglutinin (HA) gene was similar to that of swine flu viruses present in U.S. pigs since 1999, but the neuraminidase (NA) and matrix protein (M) genes resembled versions present in European swine flu isolates. The six genes from American swine flu are themselves mixtures of swine flu, bird flu, and human flu viruses. While viruses with this genetic makeup had not previously been found to be circulating in humans or pigs, there is no formal national surveillance system to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs in the U.S.
On Jun. 11, 2009, the WHO declared an H1N1 pandemic, moving the alert level to phase 6, marking the first global pandemic since 1968.
Communicable diseases are currently the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide, disproportionately affecting resource-poor settings. Pandemic influenzas add to already unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality from diarrhea, malaria, pneumonia, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, in addition to causing high maternal and neonatal death rates. A few key conditions cause 90% of deaths from communicable diseases: pneumonia (3.9 million deaths per year); diarrhoeal diseases (1.8 million); and malaria (1.2 million). Malnutrition is a significant contributing factor to this mortality. During a pandemic, these illnesses are likely to increase in resource-poor settings where chronically strained health systems would face even higher patient volumes, severe resource constraints, and absenteeism of critical staff.
The current prophylactic means for preventing the flu is by Injectable Inactivated Vaccine or Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine. Commonly called the "flu shot", the Injectable Inactivated Vaccine method employs an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions. Alternately, the nasal-spray flu vaccine—a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.
Typically each vaccine contains three influenza viruses-one A (H3N2) virus, one A (H1N1) virus, and one B virus. The viruses in the vaccine change each year based on international surveillance and scientists' estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.
Annual influenza vaccination is the most effective method for preventing influenza virus infection and its complications. Influenza vaccine can be administered to any person aged >6 months (who does not have contraindications to vaccination) to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) can be used for any person aged >6 months, including those with high-risk conditions. Live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAW) may be used for healthy, nonpregnant persons aged 2-49 years. If vaccine supply is limited, priority for vaccination is typically assigned to persons in specific groups and of specific ages who are, or are contacts of, persons at higher risk for influenza complications. Because the safety or effectiveness of LAIV has not been established in persons with underlying medical conditions that confer a higher risk for influenza complications, these persons should only be vaccinated with TIV. Influenza viruses undergo frequent antigenic change (i.e., antigenic drift), and persons recommended for vaccination must receive an annual vaccination against the influenza viruses forecasted to be in circulation. Although vaccination coverage has increased in recent years for many groups targeted for routine vaccination, coverage remains low among most of these groups.
Antiviral medications are an adjunct to vaccination and are effective when administered as treatment and when used for chemoprophylaxis after an exposure to influenza virus. Oseltamivir and zanamivir are the only antiviral medications recommended for use in the United States. Amantadine or rimantidine should not be used for the treatment or prevention of influenza in the United States until evidence of susceptibility to these antiviral medications has been reestablished among circulating influenza A viruses.
The efficacy (i.e., prevention of illness among vaccinated persons in controlled trials) and effectiveness (i.e., prevention of illness in vaccinated populations) of influenza vaccines depend in part on the age and immunocompetence of the vaccine recipient, the degree of similarity between the viruses in the vaccine and those in circulation, and the outcome being measured. Influenza vaccine efficacy and effectiveness studies have used multiple possible outcome measures, including the prevention of medically attended acute respiratory illness (MAARI), prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza virus illness, prevention of influenza or pneumonia-associated hospitalizations or deaths, or prevention of seroconversion to circulating influenza virus strains.
Efficacy or effectiveness for more specific outcomes such as laboratory-confirmed influenza typically will be higher than for less specific outcomes such as MAARI because the causes of MAARI include infections with other pathogens that influenza vaccination would not be expected to prevent. Observational studies that compare less-specific outcomes among vaccinated populations to those among unvaccinated populations are subject to biases that are difficult to control for during analyses. For example, an observational study that determines that influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality might be biased if healthier persons in the study are more likely to be vaccinated. Randomized controlled trials that measure laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections as the outcome are the most persuasive evidence of vaccine efficacy, but such trials cannot be conducted ethically among groups recommended to receive vaccine annually.
Both LAIV and TIV contain strains of influenza viruses that are antigenically equivalent to the annually recommended strains: one influenza A (H3N2) virus, one influenza A (H1N1) virus, and one influenza B virus. Each year, one or more virus strains in the vaccine might be changed on the basis of global surveillance for influenza viruses and the emergence and spread of new strains. All three vaccine virus strains were changed for the recommended vaccine for the 2008-09 influenza season, compared with the 2007-08 season.
During the preparation of TIV, the vaccine viruses are made noninfectious (i.e., inactivated or killed). Only subvirion and purified surface antigen preparations of TIV (often referred to as "split" and subunit vaccines, respectively) are available in the United States. TIV contains killed viruses and thus cannot cause influenza. LAIV contains live, attenuated viruses that have the potential to cause mild signs or symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, fever or sore throat. LAIV is administered intranasally by sprayer, whereas TIV is administered intramuscularly by injection. LAW is licensed for use among nonpregnant persons aged 2-49 years; safety has not been established in persons with underlying medical conditions that confer a higher risk of influenza complications. TIV is licensed for use among persons aged >6 months, including those who are healthy and those with chronic medical conditions. LAW is generally regarded as more efficacious and effective than TIV.
In many populations, there remains a need for alternatives to TIV and LAW, and a need for adjunctive prophylactic or therapeutic regimens for the prevention and/or treatment of Influenza.
Pregnant Women and Neonates—
Pregnant women have protective levels of anti-influenza antibodies after vaccination. Passive transfer of anti-influenza antibodies that might provide protection from vaccinated women to neonates has been reported. A retrospective, clinic-based study conducted during 1998-2003 documented a non-significant trend towards fewer episodes of MAARI during one influenza season among vaccinated pregnant women compared with unvaccinated pregnant women and substantially fewer episodes of MAARI during the peak influenza season. However, a retrospective study conducted during 1997-2002 that used clinical records data did not indicate a reduction in ILI among vaccinated pregnant women or their infants. In another study conducted during 1995-2001, medical visits for respiratory illness among the infants were not substantially reduced. However, studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness among pregnant women have not included specific outcomes such as laboratory-confirmed influenza in women or their infants.
Elderly Population—
Adults aged >65 years typically have a diminished immune response to influenza vaccination compared with young healthy adults, suggesting that immunity might be of shorter duration (although still extending through one influenza season). However, a review of the published literature concluded that no clear evidence existed that immunity declined more rapidly in the elderly. Infections among the vaccinated elderly might be associated with an age-related reduction in ability to respond to vaccination rather than reduced duration of immunity. The only randomized controlled trial among community-dwelling persons aged >60 years reported a vaccine efficacy of 58% against influenza respiratory illness during a season when the vaccine strains were considered to be well-matched to circulating strains, but indicated that efficacy was lower among those aged >70 years. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing MAARI among the elderly in nursing homes has been estimated at 20%-40%, and reported outbreaks among well-vaccinated nursing home populations have suggested that vaccination might not have any significant effectiveness when circulating strains are drifted from vaccine strains. In contrast, some studies have indicated that vaccination can be up to 80% effective in preventing influenza-related death. Among elderly persons not living in nursing homes or similar chronic-care facilities, influenza vaccine is 27%-70% effective in preventing hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza. Influenza vaccination reduces the frequency of secondary complications and reduces the risk for influenza-related hospitalization and death among community-dwelling adults aged >65 years with and without high-risk medical conditions (e.g., heart disease and diabetes). However, studies demonstrating large reductions in hospitalizations and deaths among the vaccinated elderly have been conducted using medical record databases and have not measured reductions in laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. These studies have been challenged because of concerns that they have not adequately controlled for differences in the propensity for healthier persons to be more likely than less healthy persons to receive vaccination.
HIV Compromised Individuals—
TIV produces adequate antibody concentrations against influenza among vaccinated HIV-infected persons who have minimal AIDS-related symptoms and normal or near-normal CD4+ T-lymphocyte cell counts. Among persons who have advanced HIV disease and low CD4+ T-lymphocyte cell counts, TIV might not induce protective antibody titers; a second dose of vaccine does not improve the immune response in these persons. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial determined that TIV was highly effective in preventing symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection among HIV-infected persons with a mean of 400 CD4+ T-lymphocyte cells/mm3; however, a limited number of persons with CD4+ T-lymphocyte cell counts of <200 were included in that study. A nonrandomized study of HIV-infected persons determined that influenza vaccination was most effective among persons with >100 CD4+ cells and among those with <30,000 viral copies of HIV type-1/mL.
Transplant Recipients—
On the basis of certain small studies, immunogenicity for persons with solid organ transplants varies according to transplant type. Among persons with kidney or heart transplants, the proportion that developed seroprotective antibody concentrations was similar or slightly reduced compared with healthy persons. However, a study among persons with liver transplants indicated reduced immunologic responses to influenza vaccination, especially if vaccination occurred within the 4 months after the transplant procedure.
Other Medical Conditions—
persons with underlying medical conditions including asthma, reactive airways disease, or other chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems; metabolic diseases such as diabetes, renal dysfunction, and hemoglobinopathies; or known or suspected immunodeficiency diseases or immunosuppressed states should not be vaccinated with LAIV. In addition children or adolescents receiving aspirin or other salicylates should not be vaccinated with a LAIV because of the association of Reye syndrome and salicylates with wild-type influenza virus infection. Individuals with acute febrile illness should not be vaccinated with TIV or LAIV.
Pediatric Chronic Medical Conditions—
Among children with high-risk medical conditions, one study of 52 children aged 6 months-3 years reported fever among 27% and irritability and insomnia among 25% (113); and a study among 33 children aged 6-18 months reported that one child had irritability and one had a fever and seizure after vaccination. No placebo comparison group was used in these studies.
Hypersensitivity and Allergic Reactions—
Immediate and presumably allergic reactions (e.g., hives, angioedema, allergic asthma, and systemic anaphylaxis) occur rarely after influenza vaccination. These reactions probably result from hypersensitivity to certain vaccine components; the majority of reactions probably are caused by residual egg protein. Although influenza vaccines contain only a limited quantity of egg protein, this protein can induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions among persons who have severe egg allergy. Manufacturers use a variety of different compounds to inactivate influenza viruses and add antibiotics to prevent bacterial contamination. Persons who have experienced hives or swelling of the lips or tongue, or who have experienced acute respiratory distress or who collapse after eating eggs, must consult a physician for appropriate evaluation to help determine if vaccine should be administered. Persons who have documented immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity to eggs, including those who have had occupational asthma related to egg exposure or other allergic responses to egg protein, also might be at increased risk for allergic reactions to influenza vaccine, and consultation with a physician before vaccination must be considered. Hypersensitivity reactions to other vaccine components can occur but are rare. Although exposure to vaccines containing thimerosal can lead to hypersensitivity, the majority of patients do not have reactions to thimerosal when it is administered as a component of vaccines, even when patch or intradermal tests for thimerosal indicate hypersensitivity. When reported, hypersensitivity to thimerosal typically has consisted of local delayed hypersensitivity reactions.
Guillain-Barré Syndrome—
The annual incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is 10-20 cases per 1 million adults. Substantial evidence exists that multiple infectious illnesses, most notably Campylobacter jejuni gastrointestinal infections and upper respiratory tract infections, are associated with GBS. The 1976 swine influenza vaccine was associated with an increased frequency of GBS, estimated at one additional case of GBS per 100,000 persons vaccinated. The risk for influenza vaccine-associated GBS was higher among persons aged >25 years than among persons aged <25 years. However, obtaining strong epidemiologic evidence for a possible small increase in risk for a rare condition with multiple causes is difficult, and no evidence exists for a consistent causal relation between subsequent vaccines prepared from other influenza viruses and GBS.
None of the studies conducted using influenza vaccines other than the 1976 swine influenza vaccine have demonstrated a substantial increase in GBS associated with influenza vaccines. During three of four influenza seasons studied during 1977-1991, the overall relative risk estimates for GBS after influenza vaccination were not statistically significant in any of these studies. However, in a study of the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, the overall relative risk for GBS was 1.7 (CI=1.0-2.8; p=0.04) during the 6 weeks after vaccination, representing approximately one additional case of GBS per 1 million persons vaccinated; the combined number of GBS cases peaked 2 weeks after vaccination. Results of a study that examined health-care data from Ontario, Canada, during 1992-2004 demonstrated a small but statistically significant temporal association between receiving influenza vaccination and subsequent hospital admission for GBS. However, no increase in cases of GBS at the population level was reported after introduction of a mass public influenza vaccination program in Ontario beginning in 2000. Data from VAERS have documented decreased reporting of GBS occurring after vaccination across age groups over time, despite overall increased reporting of other, non-GBS conditions occurring after administration of influenza vaccine. Cases of GBS after influenza virus infection have been reported, but no other epidemiologic studies have documented such an association. Recently published data from the United Kingdom's General Practice Research Database (GPRD) found influenza vaccine to be protective against GBS, although it is unclear if this was associated with protection against influenza or confounding because of a "healthy vaccine" (e.g., healthier persons might be more likely to be vaccinated and are lower risk for GBS). A separate GPRD analysis found no association between vaccination and GBS over a 9 year period; only three cases of GBS occurred within 6 weeks after influenza vaccine.
It is not known if GBS is a side effect of influenza vaccines other than 1976 swine influenza vaccine; the estimated risk for GBS (on the basis of the few studies that have demonstrated an association between vaccination and GBS) is low (i.e., approximately one additional case per 1 million persons vaccinated). It has been deemed by the CDC and others that the potential benefits of influenza vaccination in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death substantially outweigh these estimates of risk for vaccine-associated GBS. No evidence indicates that the case fatality ratio for GBS differs among vaccinated persons and those not vaccinated
The incidence of GBS among the general population is low, but persons with a history of GBS have a substantially greater likelihood of subsequently experiencing GBS when injected with TIV influenza vaccine than persons without such a history. Thus, the likelihood of coincidentally experiencing GBS after influenza vaccination is expected to be greater among persons with a history of GBS than among persons with no history of this syndrome. Whether influenza vaccination specifically might increase the risk for recurrence of GBS is unknown. However, avoiding vaccinating persons who are not at high risk for severe influenza complications and who are known to have experienced GBS within 6 weeks after a previous influenza vaccination is often taken as a prudent as a precaution. As an alternative, physicians use influenza antiviral chemoprophylaxis for these persons. Although data are limited, the established benefits of influenza vaccination might outweigh the risks for many persons who have a history of GBS and who are also at high risk for severe complications from influenza.
Viral Shedding—
Available data indicates that both children and adults vaccinated with LAIV can shed vaccine viruses after vaccination, although in lower amounts than occur typically with shedding of wild-type influenza viruses. In rare instances, shed vaccine viruses can be transmitted from vaccine recipients to unvaccinated persons. However, serious illnesses have not been reported among unvaccinated persons who have been infected inadvertently with vaccine viruses.
One study of children aged 8-36 months in a child care center assessed transmissibility of vaccine viruses from 98 vaccinated to 99 unvaccinated subjects; 80% of vaccine recipients shed one or more virus strains (mean duration: 7.6 days). One influenza type B vaccine strain isolate was recovered from a placebo recipient and was confirmed to be vaccine-type virus. The type B isolate retained the cold-adapted, temperature-sensitive, attenuated phenotype, and it possessed the same genetic sequence as a virus shed from a vaccine recipient who was in the same play group. The placebo recipient from whom the influenza type B vaccine strain was isolated had symptoms of a mild upper respiratory illness but did not experience any serious clinical events. The estimated probability of acquiring vaccine virus after close contact with a single LAIV recipient in this child care population was 0.6%-2.4%.
Studies assessing whether vaccine viruses are shed have been based on viral cultures or PCR detection of vaccine viruses in nasal aspirates from persons who have received LAIV. One study of 20 healthy vaccinated adults aged 18-49 years demonstrated that the majority of shedding occurred within the first 3 days after vaccination, although the vaccine virus was detected in one subject on day 7 after vaccine receipt. Duration or type of symptoms associated with receipt of LAIV did not correlate with detection of vaccine viruses in nasal aspirates. Another study in 14 healthy adults aged 18-49 years indicated that 50% of these adults had viral antigen detected by direct immunofluorescence or rapid antigen tests within 7 days of vaccination. The majority of samples with detectable virus were collected on day 2 or 3. Vaccine strain virus was detected from nasal secretions in one (2%) of 57 HIV-infected adults who received LAIV, none of 54 HIV-negative participants (256), and three (13%) of 23 HIV-infected children compared with seven (28%) of 25 children who were not HIV-infected. No participants in these studies had detectable virus beyond 10 days after receipt of LAIV. The possibility of person-to-person transmission of vaccine viruses was not assessed in these studies.
LAIV Side Effects—
In a subset of healthy children aged 60-71 months from one clinical trial (233), certain signs and symptoms were reported more often after the first dose among LAIV recipients (n=214) than among placebo recipients (n=95), including runny nose (48% and 44%, respectively); headache (18% and 12%, respectively); vomiting (5% and 3%, respectively); and myalgias (6% and 4%, respectively). However, these differences were not statistically significant. In other trials, signs and symptoms reported after LAIV administration have included runny nose or nasal congestion (20%-75%), headache (2%-46%), fever (0-26%), vomiting (3%-13%), abdominal pain (2%), and myalgias (0-21%). These symptoms were associated more often with the first dose and were self-limited.
In a randomized trial published in 2007, LAIV and TIV were compared among children aged 6-59 months. Children with medically diagnosed or treated wheezing within 42 days before enrollment, or a history of severe asthma, were excluded from this study. Among children aged 24-59 months who received LAIV, the rate of medically significant wheezing, using a pre-specified definition, was not greater compared with those who received TIV; wheezing was observed more frequently among younger LAW recipients in this study. In a previous randomized placebo-controlled safety trial among children aged 12 months-17 years without a history of asthma by parental report, an elevated risk for asthma events (RR=4.06, CI=1.29-17.86) was documented among 728 children aged 18-35 months who received LAIV. Of the 16 children with asthma-related events in this study, seven had a history of asthma on the basis of subsequent medical record review. None required hospitalization, and elevated risks for asthma were not observed in other age groups.
Among adults aged 19-49, runny nose or nasal congestion (28%-78%), headache (16%-44%), and sore throat (15%-27%) have been reported more often among vaccine recipients than placebo recipients. In one clinical trial among a subset of healthy adults aged 18-49 years, signs and symptoms reported more frequently among LAW recipients (n=2,548) than placebo recipients (n=1,290) within 7 days after each dose included cough (14% and 11%, respectively); runny nose (45% and 27%, respectively); sore throat (28% and 17%, respectively); chills (9% and 6%, respectively); and tiredness/weakness (26% and 22%, respectively).
There are additional reasons why it would be useful to have alternative or adjunctive prophylactic and/or therapeutic options for the prevention and/or treatment of Influenza, as discussed below.
Challenging Prediction of Virus Strains—
Manufacturing trivalent influenza virus vaccines is a challenging process that takes 6-8 months to complete. This manufacturing timeframe requires that influenza vaccine strains for influenza vaccines used in the United States must be selected in February of each year by the FDA to allow time for manufacturers to prepare vaccines for the next influenza season. Vaccine strain selections are based on global viral surveillance data that is used to identify trends in antigenic changes among circulating influenza viruses and the availability of suitable vaccine virus candidates.
Vaccination can provide reduced but substantial cross-protection against drifted strains in some seasons, including reductions in severe outcomes such as hospitalization. Usually one or more circulating viruses with antigenic changes compared with the vaccine strains are identified in each influenza season. However, assessment of the clinical effectiveness of influenza vaccines cannot be determined solely by laboratory evaluation of the degree of antigenic match between vaccine and circulating strains. In some influenza seasons, circulating influenza viruses with significant antigenic differences predominate and, compared with seasons when vaccine and circulating strains are well-matched, reductions in vaccine effectiveness are sometimes observed. However, even during years when vaccine strains were not antigenically well matched to circulating strains, substantial protection has been observed against severe outcomes, presumably because of vaccine-induced cross-reacting antibodies. For example, in one study conducted during an influenza season (2003-04) when the predominant circulating strain was an influenza A (H3N2) virus that was antigenically different from that season's vaccine strain, effectiveness among persons aged 50-64 years against laboratory-confirmed influenza illness was 60% among healthy persons and 48% among persons with medical conditions that increase risk for influenza complications. An interim, within-season analysis during the 2007-08 influenza season indicated that vaccine effectiveness was 44% overall, 54% among healthy persons aged 5-49 years, and 58% against influenza A, despite the finding that viruses circulating in the study area were predominately a drifted influenza A H3N2 and a influenza B strain from a different lineage compared with vaccine strains. Among children, both TIV and LAW provide protection against infection even in seasons when vaccines and circulating strains are not well matched. Vaccine effectiveness against ILI was 49%-69% in two observational studies, and 49% against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza in a case-control study conducted among young children during the 2003-04 influenza season, when a drifted influenza A H3N2 strain predominated, based on viral surveillance data. However, the FDA admits that continued improvements in collecting representative circulating viruses and use surveillance data to forecast antigenic drift are needed. Shortening manufacturing time to increase the time to identify good vaccine candidate strains from among the most recent circulating strains also is also important. Data from multiple seasons and collected in a consistent manner are needed to better understand vaccine effectiveness during seasons when circulating and vaccine virus strains are not well-matched.
Vaccine Coverage—
vaccination coverage of the population is influenced by a multitude of factors including vaccine supply delays and shortages, changes in influenza vaccination recommendations and target groups for vaccination, reimbursement rates for vaccine and vaccine administration, and other factors related to vaccination coverage among adults and children. Production issues coupled with the requirement to forecast appropriate influenza types and antigens have caused severe shortfalls in vaccine availability, for example in the years 2004-05 an American company, Chiron, had their operating license suspended by British officials following problems at their manufacturing plant in Liverpool, England. Due to contamination in a batch of vaccines intended for American market they were unable to supply their flu vaccine, Fluvirin. Fluvirin made up approximately 50% of America's expected demand for the winter flu season.
Because of the inherent risk factors and the reluctance of individuals to accept those risks, many at risk groups have very low vaccination coverage. For example vaccine coverage among pregnant women has not increased significantly during the preceding decade. Only 12% and 13% of pregnant women participating in the 2006 and 2007 NHIS reported vaccination during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, respectively, excluding pregnant women who reported diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and other selected high-risk conditions. In a study of influenza vaccine acceptance by pregnant women, 71% of those who were offered the vaccine chose to be vaccinated. However, a 1999 survey of obstetricians and gynecologists determined that only 39% administered influenza vaccine to obstetric patients in their practices, although 86% agreed that pregnant women's risk for influenza-related morbidity and mortality increases during the last two trimesters.
Drug Resistance—
Viral neuraminidase is an enzyme on the surface of influenza viruses that enables the virus to be released from the host cell. Drugs that inhibit neuraminidase are often used to treat influenza. Neuraminidase has been targeted in structure-based enzyme inhibitor design programmes that have resulted in the production of two drugs, zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Administration of neuraminidase inhibitors is a treatment that limits the severity and spread of viral infections. Neuraminidase inhibitors are useful for combating influenza infection: zanamivir, administered by inhalation; oseltamivir, administered orally; and under research is peramivir administered parenterally, that is through intravenous or intramuscular injection.
On Feb. 27, 2005, a 14-year-old Vietnamese girl was documented to be carrying an H5N1 influenza virus strain that was resistant to the drug oseltamivir. The drug is used to treat patients that have contracted influenza. However, the Vietnamese girl who had received a prophylaxis dose (75 mg once a day) was found to be non-responsive to the medication. In growing fears of a global avian flu pandemic, scientists began to look for a cause of resistance to the Tamiflu medication. The cause was determined to be a histidine-to-tryosine (amino acid) substitution at position 274 in its neuraminidase protein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and compositions for the prevention and treatment of influenza


An effective lubricant for cold working of metals is provided by a combination of a water soluble copolymer of styrene with maleic anhydride, maleic acid, and/or an ammonium or substituted ammonium maleate salt with an ethoxylated alcohol, preferably an alcohol with at least 40 carbon atoms before ethoxylation and about 50% of its mass in the polyoxyethylene block in the molecule.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to concentrate compositions suitable for dilution with water to produce aqueous based compositions that are useful for lubricating the surfaces of metals, especially steel, before and during cold forming operations, particularly cold drawing operations. The metal surfaces may or may not have other surface layers such as phosphate conversion coatings, anodized coatings, or the like underlying the lubricant coating produced on the surface by using this invention. The invention also relates to the lubricating compositions ready for immediate use and to cold working processes utilizing such compositions.
2. Statement of Related Art
A very wide variety of materials have been taught in the art for lubricating metals before cold working. The composition believed to be most commonly used now commercially combines alkali metal and alkaline earth metal soaps, particularly stearates including zinc stearate. These soap containing compositions of the prior art give excellent lubricating performance, but generate dusts which can annoying to users with less than optimal ventilation systems. There has consequently been an incentive to find other lubricating compositions that will give lubricating performance at least as good as that of the prior art soap based compositions and generate less dust during use. Some teachings along this line believed to be those most nearly pertinent to the present invention are reviewed below.
Published Japanese Application No. 63-301297 according to an abstract thereof teaches an emulsion type metal rolling oil composition containing a lubricating oil component selected from animal and vegetable oils and fats, mineral oils, and fatty acid esters along with another component which may be a copolymer of styrene and maleic acid.
Published Japanese Application No. 63-008489 according to an abstract thereof teaches an aqueous lubricant for the cold forming of metal. The lubricant contains an acrylate based heat curing resin, wax, and surfactant. The resin is a polymer of at least four monomers, of which two may be styrene and maleic acid or its salts, the others being acrylates.
Published Japanese Application No. 60-099200 according to an abstract thereof teaches a two step process for preparing metals for cold forming. In the first step a mixture of water soluble thermoplastic resin and a melamine adduct of cyanuric or isocyanuric acid is applied to the metal surface and dried. The thermoplastic resin may be a copolymer of maleic acid and styrene. In a second step a conventional lubricating soap, oil, or solid lubricant is applied.
Published Japanese Application No. 59-149995 according to an abstract thereof teaches a lubricating composition for metal working comprising wax, fatty acid, amine or amine derivatives, an alkali soluble resin, and an extreme pressure additive. The wax may be a paraffin or polyolefin wax and the alkali soluble resin may be a styrene-maleic acid resin.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,490 and 4,416,132 according to abstracts thereof teach lubricant compositions for forming cans from untinned steel. One such composition comprises terpene-phenol resin, esterified styrene-maleic anhydride, synthetic polymethylene wax, unsaturated fatty acid, amines, potassium hydroxide, and solid lubricants.
Published Japanese Application No. 52-065748 according to an abstract thereof teaches metal lubricating oils made by adding a styrene copolymer, which may be a polymer with maleic anhydride acid or ester, to a conventional composition such as mineral oil or fat.
Published Soviet Patent application No. 433,201 according to an abstract thereof teaches a lubricant composition for cold working metals that comprises sodium soap, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, free fatty acid, water, and mineral oil.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,657,123, 3,645,897, 3,629,112, and 3,527,726 according to abstracts thereof all teach lubricating compositions containing amine salts of partial esters of styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers with alcohols, which may be alkoxylated alcohols.
Published European Patent Application No. 267,558 teaches metalworking lubricants containing a water soluble thermoplastic polymer, the polymer containing some hydrophobic groups, combined with an ethoxylated alcohol. Although the broadest teachings of this reference are to any water soluble polymer containing hydrophobic groups in which at least some of the segments include at least two hydrophobic groups, the only examples of the polymers taught are polyurethanes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,731,190, 4,654,155, and 4,636,321 all teach various metal working lubricant compositions including alkoxylated alcohols.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,197 teaches as metal working lubricants aqueous emulsions of copolymers of (i) alpha-olefins and (ii) esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids with ethoxylated alcohols.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,486 of Mar. 9, 1971 to Rosenberg et al. teaches a general scheme of lubricating metal for cold working involving a "permanent" coating of a resinous lubricant which is temporarily softened by an overlay coating of liquid containing a plasticizer for resinous coating when greater lubricity is needed. The preferred resinous composition is alkali soluble acrylic and/or methacrylic acid polymer, mixed with a relatively minor amount of styrene-maleic acid copolymer. This may be softened when desired with mineral oil, lard, ethylene glycol, or the like.


According to one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of ports adapted for connecting to external devices and a switching processor. The switching processor includes a packet processor which includes a look-up interface, fetch and refresh logic (LIFRL) module and a packet processor logic (PPL) module adapted to operate in parallel, an internal look-up table cache including a plurality of look-up entries, each relating to a traffic flow which has been or is anticipated to be received by the switching processor, and a traffic manager module including a buffer memory which is connected to the plurality of ports. The LIFRL module is adapted for accessing the internal look-up table cache, the PPL module is adapted for communicating with the traffic manager module and the buffer memory, and the LIFRL module is adapted for communicating with one or more external look-up tables.

The present invention relates to data center infrastructure, and more particularly, this invention relates to high speed look-up using look-up rules cached based on flow heuristics.
Every network packet processor for Layer-2 and/or Layer-3 switches requires one or more look-up tables in order to discover a set of operations to be performed on the packets received from other devices in the network. Look-up tables hold specific information, such as IPv4 Routing Tables, IPv6 Routing Tables, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Tables, Media Access Control (MAC) Tables, Access Control List (ACL) Tables, Host Specific Routes Tables, etc. Scaling of such look-up tables is critical in order to allow for the scaling of packet processor chipsets used in devices which rely on these look-up tables. Larger Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM) banks may solve the problem of scaling the number of look-up entries or the size of the look-up table. However, one problem with this approach is that line rate look-up is complex to solve.
As the packet processor bandwidth increases, the look-up speed should increase similarly. For example, an Ethernet packet processor with 960 Gbps of switching bandwidth should have a successful look-up speed of 1440 Million successful searches per second (MSPS). As the packet processor adds more new features, the search process adds more numbers of parameters or tuples for the search, and thus the search becomes more complex. Switching processors, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) have limits of on-chip look-up memories. As the look-up table size increases, the chip size, complexity, and size also needs to increase. Therefore, most of the highly scaled up switching ASICs provide external expansion of look-up tables. This necessitates more high speed TCAMs with wider and faster interface connectivity. However, this adds significant cost to the overall device employing the switching ASIC and also complicates board designs using such switching ASICs.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a solution which enables high speed look-up without requiring extensive increases in the computing capacity of switching processors or more high speed TCAMs.

Caching of look-up rules based on flow heuristics to enable high speed look-up

Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


An internal mixer has two rotors operated at either the same speed or different speeds. In two communicating cylindrical closed spaces which are round in cross section, two rotors connected with two output shafts of a speed reducer are juxtaposed in a non-engaged state, to transmit the driving power from the prime mover to the speed reducer, thus turning the two rotors in opposite directions. In this internal mixer, the two rotors are usable both at the same speed and at different speeds because of the use of the speed reducer having two output shafts whose speed of revolution is changeable between the same speed and different speeds. In one embodiment, the speeds of revolution of the output shafts are changed by a slidable clutch and in another embodiment, the speeds of revolution are changed by a movable stepped gear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal mixer for mixing rubber, plastics, etc. with various kinds of additives, and more particularly to an internal mixer having two rotors which can be operated both at the same speed and at different speeds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This type of internal mixer in conventional use is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
In the internal mixer shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (a drawing taken along the arrow A in FIG. 3), a mixing chamber 33, together with a floating weight 31 and a drop door 32, forms communicating cylindrical closed spaces which are round in cross section; within this mixing chamber 33 are juxtaposed two rotors 38 and 39, in a non-engaged condition, which are connected with two output shafts 35 and 36 of a speed reducer 34 through a coupling 37. As a means for driving the rotors, driving power from a prime mover 40 such as a motor is transmitted to an input shaft 41 of the speed reducer 34 through a coupling 42, thus turning these two rotors 38 and 39 in opposite directions of rotation. The rotors 38 and 39 are provided with long blades 38a and 39a and short blades 38b and 39b, that is, with two blades each. These blades 38a, 38b, 39a and 39b spirally extend around the shafts of the rotors 38 and 39; these long blades 38a and 39a are curved in the opposite direction of the short blades 38b and 39b. The floating weight 31 forming a part of the upper part of the mixing chamber 33 is installed on a piston shaft 43, and vertically movably inserted in a hopper 44. The drop door 32 forming a part of the lower side of the mixing chamber 33 is designed to be opened and closed so that a mixed compound can be taken out of the mixing chamber. A numeral 45 refers to a charging port for charging a specific amount of materials to be charged plus the additives into the hopper 44.
Next, the operation of the internal mixer of the above-described constitution will be explained. A specific amount of materials, such as rubber, plastics, etc., and various additives, are charged into the hopper 44 from the charging port 45, and forced into the mixing chamber 33 by a push of the floating weight 31. Then, with the mixing chamber 33 closed, the driving power of the prime mover 40 is transmitted to the speed reducer 34 to turn the rotors 38 and 39 in opposite directions. In the mixing chamber 33, the materials to be mixed flow in the direction of the axis of the rotors 38 and 39 while being sheared at a tip clearance between the tips of the blades of the rotors 38 and 39 and the inner wall of the mixing chamber 33, thus performing so-called micro dispersion that the additives are dispersed into the materials to be mixed. Since the rotor 38 and the other rotor 39 rotate in opposite directions, the materials being mixed flow between the right and left mixing chambers. The materials being mixed, as shown at B in FIG. 4, gradually flow while swirling largely on the whole within the mixing chamber, with the additives being macro-dispersed for uniform mixing into the materials under mixing. When mixing in the mixing chamber 33 is finished, the drop door 32 located in the lower part of the mixing chamber 33 is opened to discharge the mixed compound out of the machine, thus completing one cycle of mixing operation.
The internal mixer comes in two types: one is the engaged type where two rotors are juxtaposed in an engaged condition, and the other is the non-engaged type where the two rotors are juxtaposed in a non-engaged condition and rotate at different speeds, for the purpose of improving the micro and macro dispersion functions by periodically changing the phases of the blades of she two rotors 38 and 39. However, if the two rotors 38 and 39 are rotated at different speeds, there takes place a difference in a mixing energy to be added to the materials to be mixed in the right and left mixing chambers, resulting in inactive flow of the materials between the right and left mixing chambers and accordingly in insufficient macro dispersion. In this case, the mixed compound will become of nonuniform quality. To cope with this sort of problem, there has been disclosed (refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 2-33871) an internal mixer with two rotors arranged in specific phases and driven at the same speed. According to this internal mixer, as the two rotors rotate at the same speed, there will occur no difference in the mixing energy to be added to the materials in the right and left mixing chambers, resulting in active flow of the materials between the right and left chambers and sufficient macro dispersion of the additives into one materials.
In the prior-art non-engaged type of internal mixer described above, when the two rotors are rotated at the same speed in an attempt to activate material flow between the right and left mixing chambers, an excellent mixing result is gained as compared with rotor operation at different speeds on an average. However, rotor operation at different speeds is in some cases relatively superior, depending on the materials to be mixed, in the respect of material flow characteristics and the speed of feed of the materials into the mixing chambers after a charge. It will become necessary to experimentally test the suitability of the same or different speeds of the two rotors to the mixing of materials. Therefore, the two rotors have to be driven at the same speed or at different speeds according to the materials to be mixed, and, inefficiently, gears of the speed reducer or the speed reducer itself must be changed every time the rotor speed is changed. It has been a practice to employ two types of mixers according to materials to be mixed: one with two rotors driven at the same speed and the other with two rotors driven at different speeds. However, it has been necessary to produce a mixed compound on small lots in order to produce several types of mixed compounds in small quantities. For this purpose, it is desired that there be adopted one mixer equipped with two rotors which can be driven both at the same speed and at different speeds according to a difference in the type of materials to be mixed. To meet this, it is supposed to use two sets of motors for a single mixer. In the mixer, two rotors of this mixer are connected to the output shaft of the speed reducer coupled with each of the two motors, so that the two rotors of the single mixer can be operated both at the same speed and at different speeds by changing the speed of one of the motors. In this case, the mixer has the following problem that the adoption of the two motors and two speed reducers will increase cost and moreover it is difficult to electrically exactly match up the speeds of the two motors, resulting in a phase shift.