A reaction unit containing a bottom part and a top part for pipetting a liquid, wherein the bottom part contains a reaction cavity with a permeable filter grid insert and the top part contains a reaction cavity which can be fixed on said bottom part and contains a cavity or covering for receiving a magnet.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject of the invention is a device and a procedure for isolating nucleic acids from the most different of starting materials containing nucleic acids, which both guarantees a very high quality of the isolated nucleic acids as well as allowing the isolation of quantitative yields.
2. Description of the Background Art
Under classical conditions the isolation of DNA from cells and tissues is carried out such that the starting materials containing the nucleic acids are digested under highly denaturing and reducing conditions, with in part the use of protein-degrading enzymes, the released nucleic acid fraction is purified in phenol/chloroform extraction stages and the nucleic acids are isolated by dialysis or ethanol precipitation from the aqueous phase (Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. und Maniatis, T., 1989, CSH, "Molecular Cloning").
These "classical procedures" for the isolation of nucleic acids from cells and especially from tissues are very time-consuming (in part longer than 48 h), require considerable apparative expenditure and moreover are not implementable under field conditions. In addition, such methods are hazardous to health, owing to the chemicals used in amounts that are not inconsiderable, such as phenol and chloroform.
Different alternative procedures for the isolation of nucleic acids from different biological starting materials allow the elaborate and health-damaging phenol/chloroform extraction of nucleic acids to be circumvented and a reduction in time expenditure to be achieved.
All of these procedures are based on a method for the preparative and analytical purification of DNA fragments from agarose gels developed and described for the first time by Vogelstein and Gillespie (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1979, 76, 615 619). The method combines the dissociation in a saturated solution of a chaotropic salt (NaI) of the agarose containing the bands of the DNA to be isolated with binding of the DNA to glass particles. The DNA fixed to the glass particles is then washed with a wash solution (20 mM Tris HCl [pH 7.2]; 200 mM NaCl; 2 mM EDTA; 50% v/v ethanol) and then separated from the support particles.
Until now, this method has undergone a series of modifications and is currently used in different procedures for the extraction and purification of nucleic acids from different sources (Marko, M. A., Chipperfield, R. und Bimboim, H. G., 1982, Anal. Biochem., 121, 382 387).
In addition, a plurality of reagent systems exists world-wide today, predominantly for the purification of DNA fragments from agarose gels and for the isolation of plasmid DNA from bacterial lysates, and also for the isolation of longer-chain nucleic acids (genomic DNA, cellular total RNA) from blood, tissues or cell cultures.
All these commercially available kits are based on the well-known principle of binding nucleic acids to mineral supports in the presence of solutions of different chaotropic salts, and use suspensions of finely-milled glass powder (e.g. Glasmilk, BIO 101, La Jolla, Calif.), diatomaceous earths (Sigma) or silica gels as support materials (Diagen, DE 41 39 664 A1).
A procedure for the isolation of nucleic acids which is practicable for a number of different applications is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809 (Boom). A procedure is described therein for the isolation of nucleic acids from starting materials containing nucleic acids, whereby the starting material is incubated with a chaotropic buffer and a DNA-binding solid phase. The chaotropic buffer carries out both the lysis of the starting material as well as the binding of the nucleic acids to the solid phase. The procedure is well suited for the isolation of nucleic acids from small amounts of sample, and finds practical use particularly in the area of the isolation of viral nucleic acids.
Specific modifications of these procedures concern the use of novel support materials which have applicative advantages for particular problems (WO-A 95/34569).
More recent patent applications disclose that so-called antichaotropic salts can be used very efficiently and successfully as components of lysis/binding buffer systems for the adsorption of nucleic acids to silicate materials known and used by the person skilled in the art (EP 1135479).
Also part of the background art is the U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,445 B1, in which a simple to use filtration and extraction device for a biological fluid is described, which makes a sample directly available to an analytic procedure. The device is capable of making a purged fluid directly available for analysis or for disposal, for which it is suited to the specific analyte of note. And it is capable of capturing particle-shaped materials and allows for a further treatment, i.e. an extraction of these particles directly with the device. As soon as it has been extracted once, the device makes a fluid containing the analyte of note available to an analytic procedure. The device comprises a bendable body with an open upper and an inner wall which defines an inner chamber. A closing, or rather sealing, mechanism is set up in such a way to seal off the open upper end of the body. A graded filter apparatus containing at least one filter is incorporated into the body by a support apparatus. The elastic body is set up in such a way that, when pushed together by a user's finger, a positive pressure is generated in the chamber, which is enough to cause a fluid to flow into the chamber through the filter apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,463, a device for separating magnetic particles from a stock composition is described. This device contains a longitudinally-stretched protective covering with an upper and a lower end, an inner space enclosed by the protective covering, which protrudes from its upper end to its lower end, an adjustable bar magnet which is arranged in the inner space, lengthwise to it.
A device for separating and cleaning a suspension with magnetic particles is described in the published international patent application WO2005/063831 A1. This device comprises a process area with mechanisms moving synchronously for the transport of magnetic microparticles in the x direction.
The analysis of the state of the art illustrates quite impressively that a plurality of possibilities exists to bind nucleic acids to solid support materials, in particular silicon-based mineral support materials, then to wash and to release once more the nucleic acids from the support material.
On the basis of the technologies described for the binding of nucleic acids onto solid support materials, there exists a plurality of commercially-available products which enable users to isolate nucleic acids from starting materials containing nucleic acids. Procedural solutions which are thereby increasingly interesting are those which permit nucleic acids to be automatically isolated and purified. This is accounted for by their reducing the considerable manual effort, or being able to implement high capacities of nucleic acid extraction. Taking account of these requirements, there are robot- or machine-based solutions for the isolation of nucleic acids. As a rule, this makes for very complex device configurations, which make the isolation of nucleic acids possible. In general, one can distinguish between two system configurations.
1. Automated procedures for the isolation of nucleic acids by the use of 96 Well filter plates to bind the nucleic acids.
2. Automated procedures for the isolation of nucleic acids by the use of magnetic particles to bind the nucleic acids.
The process of isolation of the nucleic acids is thereby implemented analogously to the manual procedure described. After lysis of the starting material takes place the binding of the nucleic acids to the particular solid support materials (filter plates or magnetic particles), and then the growing of the bound nucleic acids, drying of the support materials (removal of alcoholic components) and elution of the nucleic acids. The processing of the extraction in the case of use of filter plates is thereby carried out via vacuum or by means of pressure, or rather upon use of magnetic particles over a magnetic separation.
The task of the robot stations is, if possible, to automatically reproduce all the necessary procedural steps of a nucleic acid extraction. This is accomplished by complex pipetting steps by means of dispensation devices which must have the different buffer components to hand, vacuum stations for the filtration, or rather magnetic separators for use of magnetic particles, integration of complex centrifugal technology if appropriate. Heating units and shaking units are also preferably used to support the lysis processes.
However, there are only very few highly-specialized machines which enable the user to carry out the whole process of isolation of nucleic acids. In addition, these devices are often in no way universally applicable, but rather are only optimized for highly specialized application solutions. A further extreme disadvantage is the extremely high cost for the acquirement of such a machine. This is further exacerbated by what can be an extremely high rate of use of expendable materials, in particular pipette tips for the pipetting steps. Hence sometimes several hundred pipette tips can be required for certain uses for the isolation of nucleic acids by means of 96 Well filter plates.
Cost-effective systems are e.g. device solution which enable the user to isolate nucleic acids partially automatically by means of magnetic particles (e.g. KingFisher (trade name)). These devices have been specially developed for the isolation of nucleic acids and work according to a simple "walk-away" principle. The samples to be treated, as well as necessary buffer solutions for the binding, washing and elution steps, are carried over in reaction activities, such that the separation of the magnetic particles takes place over bar magnets which initiate the process of nucleic acid isolation by the contacting of the magnetic particles with the different buffer solutions. A new procedure is disclosed in EP1382675. Here, the process of isolation of nucleic acids is carried out by the use of a novel and extremely thin membrane. This membrane is a constituent of a filter cartridge. This filtration unit is a core part of an extraction device which carries out partial processes of the isolation of nucleic acids (binding, washing, elution) automatically. In this, a pre-lysed sample is introduced into the filtration unit by the user. The progress of the sample across the filter membrane can be carried out by vacuum. Subsequent wash solutions are automatically suspended and sucked across the membrane. The elution step takes place after addition of an elution buffer in the same form.
These latter device systems are much more cost-effective than the extraction robots already described.
But what is disadvantageous about these systems is the extremely small degree of automation. These systems only automate partial steps of procedures for the isolation of nucleic acids. The total progress of the sample pre-treatment, and in particular the sample lysis, is not carried out by means of these devices. The automated extraction is only carried out after lysis of the sample. In addition, the lysed sample is not once taken on automatically by the device, but rather must be manually introduced. The KingFisher system moreover requires time-consuming and labor-intensive steps in order to fill all buffer components into the reaction plastic intended for them.
The very low degree of automation therefore places a great limitation on the field of application of this device.
A further substantial problem in connection with an automation of procedures for the isolation and purification of nucleic acids, particularly those of complex starting materials (textiles, mousetail, plants, foodstuffs, stool samples etc.), consists in the separation of undissolved starting materials after lysis has been carried out. As a rule, up to now this could only be achieved by a centrifugation step for the pelleting of the undissolved components (further treatment with the supernatants), or rather by means of a centrifugation over a filter (further treatment with the filtrates). As the integration of such procedural steps is hardly possible with the established machines, automated purification of samples which are in this way problematic is impossible or only insufficiently achieved.

Device and procedure for automated isolation and purification of nucleic acids from complex starting materials of the users choice

AJ Cyberton Gesellschaft fuer Laborautomationssysteme Mbh


A semi-conducting liquid crystalline material exhibiting anisotropic conduction properties. The material comprises a radical salt of a disc-like mesogen and a dopant which is an oxidizing or a reducing agent. Not more than 0.5 moles of dopant per mole of mesogen are present.

Conventional thermotropic liquid crystals are electrical insulators. Electronically conducting liquid crystals have been recognised as potentially valuable entities combining the properties of a semi-conductor with those of a liquid crystal. Attempts to prepare such a material have met with limited success. Mesogens containing a metal atom exhibit very low isotropic conductivity and charge transfer complexes of mesogen molecules exhibit lower conductivity in the liquid crystalline phase than in the solid phase. Drenth et al (Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas, 106, (1987) 534) reported that doping a hexa alkoxytriphenylene mesogen with 0.7 moles of iodine per mole of mesogen increases the conductivity but that the doped product exhibits isotropic ionic conduction properties.


Two part cyanoacrylate/cationically curable adhesive systems, are provided.

1. Field
Two part cyanoacrylate/cationically curable adhesive systems are provided.
2. Brief Discussion of Related Technology
Curable compositions such as cyanoacrylate adhesives are well recognized for their excellent ability to rapidly bond a wide range of substrates, generally in a number of minutes and depending on the particular substrate, often in a number of seconds.
Polymerization of cyanoacrylates is initiated by nucleophiles found under normal atmospheric conditions on most surfaces. The initiation by surface chemistry means that sufficient initiating species are available when two surfaces are in close contact with a small layer of cyanoacrylate between the two surfaces. Under these conditions a strong bond is obtained in a short period of time. Thus, in essence the cyanoacrylate often functions as an instant adhesive.
Cyanoacrylate adhesive performance, particularly durability, oftentimes becomes suspect when exposed to elevated temperature conditions and/or high relative humidity conditions. To combat these application-dependent shortcomings, a host of additives have been identified for inclusion in cyanoacrylate adhesive formulations. Improvements would still be seen as beneficial.
Cationically curable compositions generally are well known, a chief example among them being epoxy compositions which are widely used. Epoxy compositions once cured are known to form robust bonds between substrates made from many different types of materials. However, epoxy compositions, whether in one part or two parts, do not have anywhere near the same rapid fixture time shown by cyanoacrylates, and may tend to show poor performance properties on substrates constructed from certain materials in particular plastic substrates, such as polycarbonate ("PC"), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer ("ABS"), polymethylmethacrylate ("PMMA"), and polyvinyl chloride ("PVC"), to name a few.
It is also known to use oxetanes (the four membered counterpart to epoxies or oxiranes) in photoinduced cationic cure systems. See J. V. Crivello et al., "Photoinduced Cationic Ring-Opening Frontal Polymerizations of Oxetanes and Oxiranes", J. Polym. Sci.: Part A: Polym. Chem., 42, 1630-46 (2004); U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0092428.
It would be desirable to provide an adhesive system having both the features of an instant adhesive, such as in terms of the fast fixture times and ability to bond a wide range of substrates such as metals and plastics observed with cyanoacrylates, together with the robust bond strength seen with epoxy compositions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Two-part, cyanoacrylate /cationically curable adhesive systems


A hardened DVI transmitter includes a differential driver to convert a ground-up DVI signal into a balanced DVI signal. The balanced DVI signal is transmitted to a DVI compliant cable, through one or more transformers. Transformers effectively remove direct current interference from sources such as lightning. A hardened DVI receiver receives the balanced DVI signal, from the DVI compliant cable, through one or more complimentary transformers. The balanced DVI signal is then converted back to a ground-up DVI signal. By this method, DVI compliant signals may be sent through DVI cables longer than ten meters, and survive interference from lightning.

The Digital Visual Interface (DVI) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) have become very popular digital interfaces in the consumer electronics arena for high definition video and audio with personal computers and in-home theater systems. Due to the off-the-shelf availability of hardware and software that support these interfaces, DVI and HDMI present the opportunity to provide the aircraft industry and the war-fighter with high-quality high-definition video capabilities today.
The signaling format, cable/connector system specifications, and the resulting off-the-shelf cable assemblies for DVI and HDMI were designed to meet the electromagnetic interference (EMI) requirements stated in Part 15 of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Rules and Regulations for digital devices, as well as those applicable under the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) Directive.
The EMI requirements for defense/aerospace equipment are much more severe than those applicable under FCC Part 15 and the EMC Directive. For example, defense/aerospace emissions requirements, such as those called out in MIL-STD-461 E and DO-160E, in addition to being one or two orders of magnitude more stringent, often extend to frequencies below 2 MHz and always require peak detection, compared to a low frequency bound of 30 MHz and the allowance for quasi-peak and average detection found in the non-defense/aerospace sector radiated emissions requirements. Radiated radio-frequency (RF) susceptibility requirements for defense/aerospace equipment are typically at the 200 V/m level, with requirements as high as 8 kV/m in the 1 to 2 GHz band for Army helicopter equipment. Non-defense/aerospace equipment is typically tested at 5 to 10 V/m per standards applicable to the EMC Directive for consumer electronics.
Defense/aerospace equipment is often also subjected to connector pin injected transients with open circuit voltages and currents typically in the ranges of 600 volts and 25 amperes, respectively, and cable or ground injected transients with amplitudes typically in the range of 600 to 1000 Amperes per DO-160E for civil aircraft equipment approval testing. These "indirect effects" transients are representative of the environment produced on the aircraft wires and cables when lightning strikes the aircraft vicinity. Since the equipment on defense/aerospace platforms is often necessary for safe flight and/or mission accomplishment, damage and/or upset from an occasional transient is often an unacceptable consequence.
Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for transmitting with a DVI interface in a defense/aerospace environment.


Coronary sinus ring apparatus, including an elongated body for deployment in a coronary sinus, an aperture in a long side of the body, at least a partial lumen extending from one end of the elongated body to at least the aperture, and a guide within the elongated body positioned and shaped to guide an element inserted along the lumen to the aperture. Apparatus for treating a heart, including a delivery tube sized for and adapted for insertion into a body, a sharp tip adapted to be pushed through cardiac muscle, an elongate tensioning element, and a foldable anchor adapted to couple the elongate tension element to cardiac muscle tissue, wherein the delivery tube encloses one or both of the elongate tensioning element and the foldable anchor. Related apparatus is also described.

A typical human heart 10, depicted in cross sectional long axis view in FIG. 1, is a muscular organ that pumps deoxygenated blood through the lungs to oxygenate the blood and pumps the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body by rhythmic contractions of four chambers.
After having circulated in the body, deoxygenated blood from the body enters the right atrium 12 through the vena cava 14. Right atrium 12 contracts, pumping the blood through a tricuspid valve 16 into the right ventricle 18. Right ventricle 18 contracts, pumping the blood through the pulmonary valve 20 into the pulmonary artery 22 which divides into two branches, one for each lung. The blood is oxygenated while passing through the lungs and reenters the heart to the left atrium 24.
Left atrium 24 contracts, pumping the oxygenated blood through the mitral valve 26 into the left ventricle 28. Left ventricle 28 contracts, pumping the oxygenated blood through the aortic valve 30 into the aorta 32. From aorta 32, the oxygenated blood is distributed to the rest of the body.
Mitral valve 26, depicted in FIG. 2A (top view) and in FIG. 2B (cross sectional long axis view) is defined by an approximately circular mitral annulus 34 that defines a mitral valve orifice 36. Attached to the periphery of mitral annulus 34 is an anterior leaflet 38 and a smaller posterior leaflet 40, leaflets 38 and 40 joined at commissures 41.
The typical area of mitral valve orifice 36 in a healthy adult is between 4 and 6 cm2 while the typical total surface area of leaflets 38 and 40 is approximately 12 cm2. Consequently and as depicted in FIG. 2B, during ventricular systole leaflets 38 and 40 curve downwards into left ventricle 28 and coapt to accommodate the excess leaflet surface area, producing a coaptation surface 42 that constitutes a seal. The typical depth of coaptation surface 42 in a healthy heart 10 of an adult is approximately 7-8 mm.
Anterior leaflet 38 and posterior leaflet 40 are connected to papillary muscles 44 of left ventricle 28 by chordae 46.
During atrial systole, left atrium 24 contracts to pump blood into left ventricle 28 through mitral valve 26. The blood flows through mitral valve orifice 36, pushing leaflets 38 and 40 into left ventricle 28 with little resistance.
During ventricular systole, left ventricle 28 contracts to pump blood into aorta 32 through aortic valve 30. Mitral annulus 34 contracts pushing leaflets 38 and 40 inwards and downwards, reducing the area of mitral valve orifice 36 by about 20% to 30% and increasing the depth of coaptation surface 42. The pressure of blood in left ventricle 28 pushes against the ventricular surfaces of leaflets 38 and 40, tightly pressing leaflets 38 and 40 together at coaptation surface 42 so that a tight leak-proof seal is formed. To prevent prolapse of leaflets 38 and 40 into left atrium 24, papillary muscles 44 contract, pulling the edges and body of leaflets 38 and 40 into left ventricle 28 through chordae 46.
An effective seal of mitral valve 26 is dependent on a sufficient degree of coaptation, in terms of depth, area and continuity of coaptation surface 42. If coaptation surface 42 is insufficient or non-existent, there is mitral valve insufficiency, that is, regurgitation of blood from left ventricle 28 into left atrium 24. Mitral valve insufficiency leads to many complications including arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac palpitations, chest pain, congestive heart failure, fainting, fatigue, low cardiac output, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, pulmonary edema, shortness of breath, and sudden death.
There are a number of pathologies that lead to a mitral valve insufficiency including collagen vascular disease, ischemic mitral regurgitation, myxomatous degeneration of leaflets 38 and 40 and rheumatic heart disease as well as physical anomalies that allow leaflet prolapse (e.g., elongated or ruptured chordae 46, weak papillary muscles 44) or prevent coaptation (e.g., short chordae 46, small leaflets 38 and 40).
In ischemic mitral regurgitation (resulting, e.g., from myocardial ischemia or infarction), and other myocardial disease (e.g. Dilated cardiomyopathy) leaflets 38 and 40 and chordae 46 have normal structure and the mitral valve insufficiency results from altered geometry of left ventricle 28. As a result of ischemia, portions of the heart walls necrose. During healing, the necrotic tissue is replaced with disorganized tissue leading to remodeling of the heart which reduces coaptation through distortion/dilation of mitral annulus 34 and outwards sagging of the outer wall of left ventricle 28 which displaces papillary muscles 44.
In FIGS. 3A (top view) and 3B (cross sectional long axis view), the reduction of coaptation and incomplete closure of a mitral valve 26 during ventricular systole resulting from ischemia is depicted for an ischemic heart 50 that has undergone remodeling and suffers from ischemic mitral regurgitation. In FIG. 3B is shown how a wall of left ventricle 28 sags outwards, distorting mitral annulus 34 and displacing papillary muscles 44 outwards which, through chordae 46, pulls leaflets 38 and 40 apart and into left ventricle 28, reducing coaptation.
Initially, ischemic mitral regurgitation is a minor problem, typically leading only to shortness of breath during physical exercise due to the fact that a small fraction of blood pumped by left ventricle 28 is pumped into left atrium 24 and not through aortic valve 30, reducing heart capacity. To compensate for the reduced capacity, left ventricle 28 contracts harder and remodeling continues. Ultimately leaflet coaptation is nonexistent as leaflets 38 and 40 are pulled further and further apart, leading to more blood regurgitation, further increasing the load on left ventricle 28, and further remodeling. Ultimately, the left side of the heart fails.
Apart from humans, mammals that suffer from mitral valve insufficiency include horses, cats, dogs, cows, sheep and pigs.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,185, 6,183,512 and 6,250,308 and United States Patent applications published as US 2002/065554, US 2003/0033009, US 2004/0138745 or US 2005/0038509 describe ways of treating mitral dysfunction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,893 describes valve to myocardium tension members.
It has been proposed to change the shape of a left ventricle 28 and/or to support the walls of a left ventricle 28 to improve the functioning of a mitral valve 26, see for example, the U.S. Patent Application published as US 2006/0281968, U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,152 (as well as products of Paracor Medical, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif., USA) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,077,214, 6,332,893 and 6,723,038 (as well as products of Myocor, Inc., Maple Grove, Minn., USA such as Coapsys®).
In "RING plus STRING": Papillary muscle repositioning as an adjunctive repair technique for ischemic mitral regurgitation" by Langer, F and Schafers, H-J in J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007; 133; 247-249 is taught implantation of an undersized annuloplasty ring together with deployment of a suture passing through the left ventricle 28 from the head of the posterior papillary muscle 44 to the midseptal fibrous annulus through the aortic wall underneath the commissures of two aortic valve 30 leaflets. While the heart beats and under observation of an imaging device, the suture is tensioned so as to pull the papillary muscle 44 towards the aortic wall until a desired degree of mitral valve leaflet coaptation is observed. The method leads to an increased tension applied to papillary muscle 44, which may stretch and elongate, affecting the angle at which papillary muscle 44 pulls leaflet 38.

Elongated body for deployment in a heart


The well screen two step coupled connector and method includes providing a well screen with a then walled tubular pin having a constant diameter channel and three pin sections of successively increasing diameter. The end of the pin has an annular surface and an angled recess is provided between the intermediate and innermost pin sections, while non-inclined external threads are formed on the end and intermediate pin sections. A tubular open ended coupling is provided having a passage divided into two coupling sections by an inwardly projecting divider. Each coupling section is configured to receive the end and intermediate pin sections and includes non-inclined threads to mate with the pin section threads. The coupling includes an angled wall adjacent the divider to provide a seal with the annular angled surface at the end of the pin and an angled projection which fits within and forms a seal with the angled recess in the pin.

Oil and gas wells often include lengths of tubular screen material at the lower section of the production tubing string to filter sand and other debris from the oil or gas produced. Often several lengths of screen are coupled to each other and to the tubing string. These couplings conventionally include tapered, interference type threads, and are formed with chrome and nickel alloy steels. This interference fit causes make-up problems and thread galling. With tapered, interference threads, it is difficult to achieve the initial coupling by hand, and the use of rig tongs is required. When it becomes necessary to remove and reinstall the coupling, interference threads tend to bind and tear.
In the past, non-tapered non-interference threads have been used in the direct coupling of high strength, heavy walled well casing sections for use in extremely long casing strings for deep, critical high pressure environments. These applications involve large diameter, thick walled tubing sections which are either directly threaded together or joined by a thin walled coupling member as exemplified by couplings developed by Hydril. Such couplings have not been considered to be feasible for small diameter, thin walled tubing such as that used in well screen section couplings.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved well screen coupled connection which includes a two step coupled joint with non-tapered, non-interference threads.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved well screen coupled connection with non-tapered, non-interference threads and positive metal-to-metal seals formed on the thin walled, small diameter coupling pins for well screen sections.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved well screen section and coupling combination to facilitate suspension of a well screen section over a well head during manual coupling thereof with another well screen section.
These and other objects of the present invention are obtained by providing a well screen two step coupled connector and method which includes a well screen with a thin walled tubular pin having a constant diameter channel and three pin sections of successively increasing diameter. The end of the pin has an annular angled surface and an angled recess is provided between the intermediate and innermost pin sections, while non-inclined external threads are formed on the end and intermediate pin sections. A tubular open ended coupling is provided having a passage divided into two coupling sections by an inwardly projecting divider. Each coupling section is configured to receive the end and intermediate pin sections and includes non-inclined threads to mate with the pin section threads. The coupling includes an angled wall adjacent the divider to provide a seal with the annular angled surface at the end of the pin and an angled projection which fits within and forms a seal with the angled recess in the pin.

Well screen two step coupled connector structure


The present invention provides a surface light source panel having superior brightness and uniformity of light. According to the present invention, diffused reflection sections are formed onto a transparent resin substrate by the printing of ink. Since the density of the diffused reflection sections and the area ratio thereof with respect to the transparent resin substrate, and also the containing ratio of additives in the ink are specified, the surface light source panel displays superior brightness and uniformity of light even when the substrate is a single plate which has ben laminated in a conventional panel. Moreover, although the surface light source panel of the present invention is provided with a light source at one end thereof, since the portion of the largest area ratio of the diffused reflection sections is arranged at a position deflected to the side of a reflecting part at the other end of the panel, the brightness and uniformity of the light can be more secured.

The present invention generally relates to a surface light source panel adapted to guide and illuminate an incident light from a light source provided at an end of the panel for use in various kinds of illuminating devices such as an illumination signboard, display panel or backlight of liquid crystal display, etc., and more particularly to a surface light source panel representing improved brightness and uniformity of light.
Generally, in the surface light source panel of the type referred to above, it is relatively bright in the vicinity of the light source at an end portion of the panel, but, the incident light is difficult to be guided well to a position of the panel far from the light source. Therefore, it has been regarded extremely difficult to realize a surface light source panel having uniformity in brightness. Many ideas intended for improvement have been proposed, though.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application Nos. 60-87387, 60-181780, 62-902, etc. have been proposed to laminate transparent resin substrates to constitute a surface light source panel, each of which substrate is provided with a means for generating a diffused or irregular reflection so that the light guiding efficiency of the panel can be secured. Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 57-128383 has disclosed a surface light source panel in which sections for generating diffused or irregular reflection are formed on a transparent resin substrate by, e.g., the coating of the paint of white family in such a manner that the area ratio of the sections becomes sequentially larger from a position of the light source at an end portion of the substrate, whereby the light guiding efficiency of the panel is improved. Furthermore, it has been proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 60-205576 to improve the light guiding efficiency of a surface light source panel so that a totally uniform section in which diffused reflection is produced is provided in a transparent resin substrate by a coating of a white ink containing glass beads.
The light guiding efficiency of the surface light source panel may possibly be improved to some extent by these proposals as mentioned above. However, any of the proposed surface light source panels is hardly said to be practical in terms of the brightness and uniformity of light. Especially, the difference is conspicuous when comparing a signboard using any one of the proposed surface light source panels with an illumination signboard which has many fluorescent lamps, etc. provided at the back thereof. The signboard using the proposed surface light source panel tends to be illuminated only in the vicinity of the light source, since the light guiding efficiency of the panel is not sufficient. The maximum brightness is generally 300 nit (cd/m.sup.2) or so in the case of the illumination by a light source at one end portion of the panel. Consequently, the signboard using the conventionally-proposed surface light source panel has a level of brightness that gives a considerably dark impression as compared with the backlighting illumination signboard. The brightness of the surface light source panel has been thus recognized to be such as referred to above, at the most.
Although the brightness and the uniformity of light by the surface light source panel are required depending on the useful purpose and the like, the improvement should be urgent so that the surface light source panel is able to be widely used in various ways.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In a laser-operated detecting device, the light source of a laser beam applied to a specimen under test is a tunable laser whose wavelength can be continuously tuned in a certain range. The detecting device is realized as a high speed liquid chromatography fluorescence detector, a high speed liquid chromatography Raman detector, a laser Raman spectroscopic measuring device, a coherent anti-Stokes Raman measuring device, or a microscopic Raman measuring device.

This invention relates to a detector with a titanium sapphire laser as a pumping light source the laser beam of which can be continuously changed in wavelength.
There have been proposed a variety of detecting or measuring devices based on an optical method for instance in the field of analysis.
Examples of the detecting or measuring devices are a high speed liquid chromatography fluorescence detector, and a variety of Raman measuring devices. These detecting or measuring devices have been widely employed as means for quantitatively analyzing biological specimens such as physiological active substances with high accuracy, means for studying the structures of biological substances, means for analyzing the crystalline configurations of solid substances, and so forth for instance in the field of medicine or in the field of biochemistry.
It is practically essential for the above-described detecting or measuring devices based on the optical method to have an exciting light source which is capable of emitting a light beam whose wavelength matches the responsive wavelength band of a component under test. Most of the commercially available lasers are so designed as to emit laser beams having wavelengths which are inherent in them, respectively. Examples of such lasers are an Ar laser (488, 515 nm), He-Ne laser (633 nm) and copper vapor laser (511 nm) provided as gas lasers, and a YAG laser (1064 nm) and a semiconductor laser (780, 830, 1300, 1550 nm) provided as solid lasers.
However, these lasers are not always practical in use. The Ar, He-Ne, copper vapor and YAG lasers are discrete or discontinuous as was described above. Hence, if, in the case where any one of these lasers is employed as a light source, the response wavelength of a component under test is different from the wavelength of the laser beam, then the component cannot be tested. Even if it could be tested, the test would be considerably low in sensitivity. The same thing can be said to a semiconductor laser whose wavelength can be changed in a range of several nanometers (nm).
A dye laser is variable in oscillation wavelength, and its wavelength can be matched with the response wavelength band of a component under test. However, the dye laser is disadvantageous in that the dye is deteriorated by light during operation, so that the laser oscillation output is varied; that is, the dye laser is unstable in operation, and furthermore the dye laser is relatively short in service life, and its maintenance is rather difficult.
Frequently, the absorption spectrum of a specimen is different from the wavelength of the laser. Accordingly, in the case where such a laser beam source discrete in oscillation wavelength is employed for a detecting device such as a high speed liquid chromatography fluorescence detector, it would be difficult to perform even an analysis of the order of pico-grams. Therefore when it is forced to perform the analysis with high sensitivity, analysis, intricate operations must be carried out; for instance in measurement of a fluorescent spectrum, the specimen must be made fluorescent by chemical treatment. Even if the specimen is made fluorescent, it is difficult to give a high sensitivity analysis of the order of "femto (10.sup.-15) grams" to it. From the spectrum of the output light of an Xe lamp, light is obtained in a wide range of from about 220 nm to about 1000 nm; however, the light is weaker than the laser beam, and accordingly it is difficult to perform a high sensitivity quantitative analysis with the output light of the Xe lamp.
In the case of a Raman measuring device incorporating such a laser, it is difficult to stably and readily measure the Raman spectrum of a specimen under test at all times.
Thus, the conventional devices suffer from various problems.


An apparatus for inspecting a container includes a first light source for generating light energy of a first character and directing the light energy onto a predetermined portion of a container under inspection, and a second light source for generating light energy of a second character different from the first character and directing such light energy onto the same predetermined portion of the container under inspection. An area array light sensor is disposed to receive a two-dimensional image of the portion of the container illuminated by the first and second light sources. The first and second light sources are sequentially and alternately strobed, and first and second two-dimensional images of the container portion under inspection are downloaded from the sensor. Commercial variations that affect optical properties of the containers are identified by comparing the first and second two-dimensional images from the respective light sources scanned from the sensor. The sensor preferably includes facility for scanning two-dimensional images in sequential frames, and the first and second images are obtained by scanning sequential frames from the sensor during which the first and second light sources are alternately strobed.

In the manufacture of containers such as glass bottles and jugs, various types of anomalies can occur in the sidewalls, heels, bottoms, shoulders, necks and/or finishes of the containers. These anomalies, termed "commercial variations" in the art, can affect commercial acceptability of the containers. It has been proposed to employ electro-optical inspection techniques for detecting commercial variations that affect the optical properties of the containers. The basic principle is that a light source is positioned to direct light energy onto the container, and a camera is positioned to receive an image of the portion(s) of the container illuminated by the light source. The light source may be of uniform intensity, or may be configured to have an intensity that varies across one dimension of the light source. Commercial variations in the portion of the container illuminated by the light source are detected as a function of light intensity in the image of the illuminated container received and stored at the camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,228, assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses an apparatus for inspecting the sealing surface of a container finish, which includes a light source positioned to direct light energy onto the container sealing surface as the container is held in stationary position and rotated about its central axis. A camera, which includes a linear array or matrix (area) array of light sensitive elements, is positioned and oriented with respect to the container axis of rotation to receive light energy reflected from the sealing surface, with the camera having an effective field of view limited to an angular portion less than the entire circumference of the container sealing surface. The camera array is scanned at increments of container rotation to develop information indicative of intensity of light at each array element as a function of such increments, and commercial variations at the container sealing surface are detected as a function of such information. The apparatus so disclosed is well adapted to detect commercial variations that affect reflectivity of the container sealing surface, such as line-over-finish variations, blisters, stones and a dirty container finish.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,987, also assigned to the assignee hereof, discloses an apparatus for inspecting the sealing surface area of a container, which includes a light source positioned to direct a narrow beam of light energy at an acute angle onto the sealing surface area of a container as the container is rotated about its central axis. A light sensor is disposed to receive the narrow beam of light energy reflected from the sealing surface area, and provides an output signal that varies as a function of position of incidence of the reflected light beam on the sensor. That is, the reflected light beam is incident on the sensor at a position that varies with height or level of the sealing surface with respect to the light source and sensor, and the sensor is characterized by providing an electrical output signal that varies as a function of position of incidence of the reflected light beam on the sensor. Variations in height at the sealing surface area are detected as a function of the sensor output signal. In one embodiment, light source/sensor pairs are disposed on diametrically opposed sides of the container axis, and warp, dip and/or cock at the sealing surface of the container is detected as a combined function of variations in position of incidence of the reflected light beams on the sensors as the container rotates.
Copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/856,829, also assigned to the assignee hereof, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,195 discloses a method and apparatus for inspecting the sealing surface of a container. In one embodiment, first and second light sources direct light energy onto the sealing surface of a container from differing angles with respect to the container axis and the nominal plane of the sealing surface. Light energy reflected by the sealing surface area of the container from the first and second light sources is directed onto an area array sensor in such a way that the sensor effectively views the container sealing surface area from two differing angles corresponding to the angles of illumination from the light sources. The differing light sources are of differing structure or nature for illuminating the sealing surface with light having differing properties as well as differing illumination angles for detecting differing physical and/or dimensional characteristics of the container sealing surface. The light sources are alternately energized, and the area array sensor is scanned to develop sequential two-dimensional images indicative of differing sealing surface characteristics. Inaccuracies can arise associated both with container movement between sequential frame scans and ambient light incident on the area array sensor during each image frame. When the subject matter of this copending application is implemented at the so-called cold end of the container manufacturing process, at which the container is held in stationary position and rotated about its central axis, the container will not only undergo finite rotation between sequential frame scans, but also may wobble laterally between sequential frame scans. Likewise, when implemented at the so-called hot end of the manufacturing process, at which a container is moved in a direction transverse to its axis beneath the inspection apparatus, the container sealing surface (or other area being inspected) will move a finite distance between sequential frame scans. It is important in obtaining reliable inspection information to minimize the effects of both container movement and ambient light during the inspection operation. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for container inspection in which one or both of these objectives are accomplished.

Inspection of containers employing a single area array sensor and alternately strobed light sources


Aqueous dispersions of particles stabilized by a basic dispersant are rendered suitable for particle encapsulation or coating processes by polymerization from the aqueous phase by treatment with certain ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acids.

a. Coating Processes
The coating, or encapsulation, of pigments with a polymer has frequently been proposed for paint formulations or colorants for molding compositions. The polymer coating can serve several functions including assisting in preventing agglomeration of the particles upon settling or drying and/or facilitating breaking up any agglomerates that do form; facilitating incorporation of the particles into the final coating or molding; binding together pigments of different colors to produce a single desired coating and avoid segmentation of the pigments; and, in the case of reflective pigments such as titanium dioxide, providing a distance between the particles to minimize localized regions of high pigment concentration and thereby maximize hiding power per unit weight of pigment.
These proposals include Newman in U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,893 who discloses pigment particles coated with a polymer which is polymerized in situ by stabilizing pigment particles of less than 1.5 microns, mostly between 0.01 and 0.5 microns, in an aqueous medium in which an emulsion polymerization is carried out to form the polymer coating.
Osmond, et al , in U S. Pat. No. 3,544,500 disclose a complex process for encapsulating solid particles, e.g., pigments. The process involves first adsorbing a polymer on the surface of the particles and providing a stabilizer having an anchor group which becomes associated with the adsorbed polymer on the surface and a pendant hydrophilic component solvated by the aqueous phase and so provides a stabilizing sheath around the particles. The pretreated particles can then be subjected to aqueous emulsion polymerization of a monomer in an aqueous phase to effect the encapsulation. The polymer to be adsorbed on the surface is soluble in an aqueous medium containing the particles and a modification is effected to make the polymer insoluble The patentees disclose at column 3, lines 67 et seq., that the polymer to be adsorbed should contain strong polar groups to promote adsorption on the surface of the particles. At column 2, lines 1, et seq., the patentees state:
"The particles may be dispersed in a solution of the polymer and stabilizer in the liquid but preferably they are dispersed in a solution of the polymer in the liquid, the stabilizer being added after dispersion of the particles. In the second stage of the preparatory treatment the nature of the solution is modified so that the adsorbed polymer is no longer soluble in the liquid continuous phase but the chain-like hydrophilic component of the stabilizing compound remains solvated by it. As a result of the modification of the solution the anchor component of the stabilizer becomes associated with the now insoluble polymer absorbed on the disperse particles whilst the other chain-like component remains solvated by the liquid forming the continuous phase and provides a stabilizing sheath around the particles. The stabilizer may be added before the modification of the solution or at the same time as the modification takes place." PA1 "In general, because of the need to modify the solution containing the stabilizer, the stabilizer will be a non-ionic one providing a steric stabilizing sheath around the particles. Optionally such nonionic stabilizers may be supplemented by ionic types . . . and these ionic types are preferably added after that [preparatory] stage." PA1 Clarke, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,880 disclose allegedly stable dispersions and the preparation of same. Particulate solids are said to be dispersed in a liquid with a polymer comprising one chain-like lipophilic pendant component which is capable of being solvated in a lipophilic liquid and at least one nonionic chain-like component which is solvated by a hydrophilic liquid to effect what the patentees refer to as an entropic stabilization (Column 2, lines 15 to 33). The polymer may comprise as the hydrophilic component non-ionic chain-like components with a molecular weight of 350-5000 and the lipophilic component is sufficiently long to provide a barrier 12 Angstroms in thickness around the particles.
The patentees further state at column 3, lines 31, et seq., that:
Schofield in U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,389 describes dispersible inorganic pigment compositions in which the surface of the finely divided inorganic pigment particles is coated with a substance rendering the surface hydrophobic ("hydrophobing agent"), said substance preferably being an amphiphile containing one or more hydrophobic chains of carbon atoms interrupted by O, N or S atoms, and one or more hydrophilic groups such as amino groups, quaternary ammonium groups, carboxylic groups, etc wherein the hydrophilic group or groups anchors the hydrophobic chain to the pigment surface and a layer of a thermoplastic polymer evenly covers and adheres to the hydrophobic chain
Solc in U.S. Pat. No 4,421,660 discloses aqueous dispersions of polymer coated particles, including titanium dioxide pigment particles, produced by first emulsifying polymerizable monomers with a chemical dispersant and/or surfactant and then polymerizing the monomer and coating on the particles with the particles resulting from the polymerization. The patentee discloses the use of high shear conditions, e.g., produced by an ultrasonic probe, to effect a colloidal dispersion of particles. Typically, the dispersion of solid particles is permitted to stand overnight after which the top layer of colloidal dispersed pigment is decanted and used in an emulsion polymerization. The encapsulated particles are particularly intended for applications requiring a colloidal size particulate having magnetic properties. The percent solids contents of the encapsulated particles set forth in the examples were too low without concentration for practical use in the manufacture of water-based paint.
Farrar, et al., in U.S. Pat No. 4,507,422 describe aqueous dispersions of pigments containing as a dispersing agent a water soluble polymer having a polydispersity of below 1.5 (i e., a narrow molecular weight range) and a molecular weight in the range of about 1000 to 5000. The preferred polymers and polymers of acrylic acid (or copolymers) with 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane
Martin in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,401 describes finely divided water insoluble particles free of ionic charges and states that the particles are given a generally uniform polymeric encapsulation. The patent states that such materials are obtained by mixing in an aqueous reaction medium a water insoluble monomer polymerizable to form a generally water insoluble polymer free of ionic charges in the presence of a nonionic surface active stabilizing agent, thereafter polymerizing the monomer using a redox polymerization initiating system which is free of ionic groups and does not decompose to release ionic groups in the reaction medium. The patent also states that naturally agglomerated particulate materials are effectively dispersed in situ during polymerization thereby eliminating the need for preliminary grinding and/or dispersion treatments. The patentee emphasizes that the medium be substantially free from anionic or cationic surface active or dispersing agent. The non-ionic stabilizing agent is said to have sufficient hydrophilic-lipophilic power to possess good emulsifying action and have an HLB of at least about 13. The patentee broadly discloses alkylphenyl and derivatives thereof as lipophilic components and ethylene oxide chains as hydrophilic groups, i.e., from about 10 to up to 200 or more --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)-- groups. Nonylphenol ethoxylates are the only agents used in the examples.
Solc in U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,200 describes the encapsulation of organic pigment solids in a hydrophobic polymer made by dispersing the monomer in an aqueous colloidal dispersion of the organic particles followed by emulsion polymerization
Gibson, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,073 disclose stable aqueous film-forming dispersions. The dispersions are said to be stable to harsh processing such as ball-milling and sand grinding which are sometimes necessary for the incorporation of certain pigments. See column 6, lines 8 to 18. The patentees do not disclose encapsulating particulate solids. Rather, the disclosure pertains to dispersions of particles of film-forming polymer such as alkyd resin in the presence of a stabilizing compound having an HLB value of at least 8 and whose lipophilic portion comprises at least one ethylenic double bond.
Daniel, et al., in European Patent Application 38730 disclose fine iron oxide (Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4) particles (less than 0.01 microns) emulsified in an anionic agent (e.g., C.sub.12 H.sub.25 OSO.sub.3 Na) and non-ionic surfactant, e.g., ethoxylated adduct of nonylphenol having 30 ethylene oxide units.
Many of these proposals recite the use of unsaturated carboxylic acids such as maleic acid, methacrylic acid and acrylic acid as possible monomers for the coating.
In copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 109,326 and 319,415, filed Oct. 19, 1987, and Mar. 6, 1989, respectively, by Hoy, et al , both entitled Micro Composite Systems and Processes for Making Same, coating processes which are suitable for coating finely divided particles in aqueous dispersions, are disclosed Hoy, et al., use amphiphilic polymers having certain lipophilic and hydrophilic properties to enhance encapsulation efficiencies.
b. Encapsulation Efficiencies
In many instances, the particles which are intended to be coated or encapsulated, e.g., titanium dioxide, are manufactured in a non-agglomerated form. When dried, these particles often agglomerate. Hence, when the particles are to be coated, the agglomerates must be broken up which adds to processing costs and may require additional equipment. Especially for latex paint formulations, particles such as titanium dioxide pigments are available from the manufacturer in stabilized, aqueous dispersions to avoid the need to incur the costs associated with redispersing the particles. Normally, a basic stabilizer is used because of its chemical and pH compatibility with most latex paint formulations.
The use of stabilized aqueous dispersions in coating or encapsulation processes has met with difficulties since these stabilizers tend to reduce the "Encapsulation Efficiency" in the coating process. "Encapsulation Efficiency" is the weight percent of the hydrophobic polymer that coats the particulate solids. The following formula can be used to calculate Encapsulation Efficiency: ##EQU1## Hence, polymer that nucleates to form polymer-only particles reduces the Encapsulation Efficiency
In processes such as disclosed by Solc in U.S. Pat. No 4,421,660, relatively low Encapsulation Efficiencies are typically obtained due to the use of surfactant that readily forms micelles in amounts far in excess of the critical micelle concentration. Hence, the use of stabilized aqueous dispersions of the particles may not result in further undue reductions in Encapsulation Efficiencies. However, in processes which strive toward achieving high Encapsulation Efficiencies, the loss in Encapsulation Efficiencies caused by the stabilizer in the aqueous dispersion is generally unacceptable.
While the stabilizer used in making the stable aqueous dispersion of particles may be changed to one more compatible with the coating or encapsulation processes, this would require reformulations on the part of the particle manufacturer. Moreover, unless the manufacturer maintains separate lines of products, conventional users of stabilized aqueous dispersions may have to reformulate to use an aqueous dispersion made for coating or encapsulation processes. Another approach is to treat the stabilized aqueous dispersion prior to coating such that the stabilizer does not unduly adversely affect the Encapsulation Efficiency. For such a treatment to be practical, it must not only be effective but also be inexpensive and easily accomplished.

Method for enhancing encapsulation efficiency in coating particles in aqueous dispersions

Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Company Inc.


Method for determining acceptability of sensor locations used to perform a seismic survey. In one implementation, the method includes obtaining a first set of reference data, generating a first output trace from a second set of reference data estimated from the first set of reference data at a plurality of planned sensor locations, generating a second output trace from a third set of reference data estimated at a plurality of actual sensor locations and comparing the second output trace with the first output trace to determine whether the variation between the second output trace and the first output trace is less than a predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
Implementations of various technologies described herein generally relate to seismic data acquisition, particularly the assessment of the impact of sensor locations on output trace quality.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
In a typical seismic survey, a plurality of seismic sources, such as explosives, vibrators, airguns or the like, may be sequentially activated at or near the surface of the earth to generate energy which may propagate into and through the earth. The seismic waves may be reflected back by geological formations within the earth. The resultant seismic wavefield may be sampled by a plurality of seismic sensors, such as geophones, hydrophones and the like. Each sensor may be configured to acquire seismic data at the sensor's location, normally in the form of a record or trace representing the value of some characteristic of the seismic wavefield against time. The acquired seismic data may be transmitted wirelessly or over electrical or optical cables to a recorder system. The recorder system may then store, analyze, and/or transmit the data. This data may be used to detect the possible presence of hydrocarbons, changes in the subsurface and the like.
Seismic data contains noise signals as well as the desired seismic reflection signals. Noise may interfere with the interpretation of the seismic signals and degrade the quality of the subsurface images obtained by processing the recorded seismic data. It may therefore be desirable to suppress or attenuate the noise that may be present in the recorded seismic data before processing the data. One method of noise attenuation that may be used in seismic acquisition is the process of analog group-forming. In this process, sensors may be hard-wired into groups or arrays of sensors. Each sensor array may produce an output trace that is the normalized sum (arithmetic average) of all traces acquired by the sensors in that array. However, high frequency components of some seismic events (for example, seismic events arising from dipped, non-horizontal reflectors) may be erroneously attenuated, while the low frequency components of ground-roll noise may not be attenuated.
Recently, single sensor acquisition (also known as point receiver recording) of seismic data has become possible. In single sensor acquisition, the sensors are not hard-wired into groups; rather, individual data traces recorded by each sensor may be recorded for processing. It may still be desirable to sum traces acquired by more than one sensor, but now the summation may be performed during the processing stage by summing any combination of the individual, digitized traces. Hence, this process may commonly be referred to as digital group-forming (DGF). Single sensor acquisition may allow the use of DGF for improved noise attenuation and signal preservation.
Typically, DGF includes the application of a multi-dimensional filter that may require regular sampling of the seismic data. Regular sampling in this context may include spatial sampling of seismic data at locations arranged on a regular grid such as a grid that is rectangular, square, hexagonal or the like. However in an actual seismic survey, the sensor locations may be spatially irregular and not on a regular grid due to obstacles, terrain and the like. Therefore, filters designed with regular theoretical data may produce output traces with distortion and noise leakage when applied to actual, irregularly sampled seismic data. It may be desirable to have a method to measure the quality of the output traces to determine if the actual, irregular sensor arrangement used in the seismic survey is producing acceptable results or introducing noise, aliasing and other errors.

Determining acceptability of sensor locations used to perform a seismic survey


An apparatus for and a method of determining a twist of clothes being washed in a washer, wherein a sensing signal indicative of the twist of clothes is analyzed, to determine whether the clothes twist signal is a meaningful signal or a noise, so that when the clothes twist signal is the meaningful signal, an operation in a clothes untwisting mode is carried out for minimizing a damage of the clothes. The apparatus includes a clothes twist sensing unit for sensing a torque occurring at a drive shaft due to the distribution of impact applied to an agitator and generating a clothes twist signal according to the sensed torque, a correlation coefficient operating unit for converting the clothes twist signal into a digital signal indicative of a state value of the clothes twist signal, analyzing the state value of the clothes twist signal, and operating a correlation coefficient to be used for determining whether the clothes twist signal is a meaningful signal or a noise, based on the analysis, and a microprocessor for performing a control for executing a clothes untwisting mode, when the clothes twist signal is the meaningful signal, from the correlation coefficient outputted from the correlation coefficient operating unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washer, and more particularly to an apparatus for and a method of determining a twist of clothes being washed in a washer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general washers, a clothes twist signal indicative of a twist of clothes being washed is obtained, based on an experimental measurement. Using such a clothes twist signal, a clothes untwisting mode is carried out, to reduce a phenomenon that clothes become twisted. Otherwise, washers have conventionally used an agitator having a construction changed for reducing the clothes twist phenomenon.
Where clothes are distributed in a washer without a twist, as shown in FIG. 1, an agitator receives uniform impact from the clothes being washed when it is rotated by a rotation force of a motor.
However, when the clothes are twisted, as shown in FIG. 2, the impact applied to the agitator by the clothes becomes higher locally at a portion of the agitator coming into contact with the twisted portion of the clothes. As a result, the twisted cloths of the clothes may be damaged. Furthermore, the washed degree of clothes becomes lowered, because the twisted cloths are hardly washed.
For solving this problem, conventional washers generate a clothes twist signal by sensing a twist of clothes according to the quantity of clothes, the kind of clothes, and a water flow sensing signal when operations in a washing mode and a rinsing mode are carried out. However, it is impossible to determine whether the generated clothes twist signal is a meaningful signal or a noise, because the clothes twist signal has a complexity. As a result, cloths of the clothes may be damaged when operations in the washing mode and the rinsing mode are continued under a condition that the clothes has been twisted, due to an erroneous determination for the clothes twist signal. Moreover, there is a problem that the washing degree is degraded at the twisted portion of clothes.

Apparatus for and method of determining twist of clothes being washed in washer


Monoclonal antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, that bind to ERG, and more specifically, to an epitope formed by amino acids 42-66 of ERG3 are disclosed. The monoclonal antibodies can be non-human antibodies (e.g., rabbit or mouse) or humanized monoclonal antibodies having the CDR regions derived from those non-human antibodies. In other embodiments, the monoclonal antibodies are chimeric, having the light and heavy chain variable regions of a non-human ERG antibody. Methods of using the antibodies to detect ERG, or fusion proteins comprising all or part of an ERG polypeptide, such as an ERG polypeptide encoded by a TMPRSS2/ERG, SLC45A3/ERG, or NDRG1/ERG fusion transcript, are also provided, including methods of detecting ERG or ERG fusion events in a clinical setting. The antibodies can also be used to inhibit the activity of ERG or fusion proteins comprising all or part of an ERG polypeptide, such as an ERG polypeptide encoded by a TMPRSS2/ERG, SLC45A3/ERG, or NDRG1/ERG fusion transcript and to treat malignancies associated with overexpression of ERG or an ERG fusion event, such as prostate cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, acute myeloid leukemia, acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia, endothelial cancer, and colon cancer.

The ETS-related gene (ERG) proto-oncogene is overexpressed in 60-70% of prostate tumors as a result of recurring gene fusions involving TMPRSS2 and the ETS family of genes (Petrovics et al., 2005; Tomlins et al., 2005; reviewed in Kumar-Sinha et al., 2008). Emerging studies on human prostate cancer specimens and various experimental models underscore the causative oncogenic function of ERG in prostate cancer (Klezovitch et al., 2008; Tomlins et al., 2008; Sun et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2008). Numerous reports highlighted both diagnostic and prognostic features of the genomic activation of ERG revealing that about half the prostate tumors harbor the most common gene fusion that takes place between the androgen receptor-regulated TMPRSS2 gene promoter and ERG protein coding sequence (reviewed in Kumar-Sinha et al., 2008). Fusion between the TMPRSS2 gene promoter and ERG results in the overexpression of N-terminally truncated or full-length forms of ERG (Klezovitch et al., 2008; Sun et al., 2008). Fusion events between erg and other androgen inducible promoter sequences, such as SLC45A3 (Han et al., 2008) and NDRG1 (Pflueger et al., 2009), have also been identified in prostate cancer.
Poor disease outcome for patients with tumors harboring duplications of TMPRSS2/ERG fusions or chromosomal losses (Edel) associated with the fusion event has been highlighted (Attard et al., 2008; FitzGerald et al., 2008; Mehra et al., 2008) Current diagnosis of prostate cancer is based on a variety of histological features, including architectural growth pattern, loss of basal cells, nuclear atypia, amphophilic cytoplasm, intraluminal blue mucin, pink amorphous secretion, and mitotic figures (Egevad, 2008). If some of these features are not apparent, it can be difficult for pathologists to diagnose prostate cancer, especially in the case of prostate needle biopsies with very limited tumor content (Mostofi et al., 1992; Mostofi et al., 1993). Molecular markers are now being used to aid diagnosis. For example, prostate cancer diagnosis can include basal cell staining of benign glands for specific cytokeratin or p63 (CK903, p63) and tumor cell associated alpha-methyl acyl-CoA-Racemase (AMACR or P504S) (Luo et al., 2002; Rubin et al., 2002). However, these molecular markers have marked limitations in routine diagnosis. Expression of AMACR is found in a variety of other non-malignant lesions, including up to 21% of benign prostatic glands, 58% of nephrogenic adenomas and approximately 18% of cases of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (Beach et al., 2002; Gupta et al., 2004; Jiang et al., 2001; Yang et al., 2002) New data evaluating ERG over expression and TMPRSS2/ERG genomic rearrangement are providing highly promising new strategies in prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis (Furusato et al., 2008; Saramaki et al., 2008).
EWS-ERG fusions have been described in a small subset of Ewing's sarcoma, whereas ERG overexpression without fusion was highlighted in acute myeloid leukemia and acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (Marcucci et al., 2005; Baldus et al., 2006). ERG overexpression has also been linked to megakaryoblastic leukemia (Rainis et el. 2005). Other studies suggest that increased ERG expression plays a role in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-like neuropathy in Down Syndrome (Shim et al., 2003; Ng et al. 2010).
The structure of the human ERG gene includes at least 17 exons spanning approximately 300 kilobases of genomic sequence and generating at least nine separate transcripts. (Owczarek et al., 2004). The ERGJ-ERG5 isoforms encode five separate polypeptides that can bind the ETS site and act as transcriptional activators. (Owczarek et al., 2004). Of these five isoforms, ERG3 is the longest, encoding a 479 amino acid polypeptide (SEQ ID NO: 1; Accession No. NP_891548.1). The ERG6-ERG9 isoforms represent alternative splice forms with a different 5′ exon from other ERG isoforms. While ERG7 and ERG8 have open reading frames, ERG6 encodes multiple stop codons, suggesting that this ERG transcript does not code for a functional protein. (Owczarek et al., 2004). The ERG9 transcript does not contain a putative start codon or a consensus polyadenylation signal suggesting that it might also be a non-coding transcript. (Owczarek et al., 2004).
Although, the ERG proto-oncogene was initially characterized more than twenty years ago (Rao et al., 1987a; Rao et al., 1987b; Reddy et al., 1987), currently there is no available antibody for detecting ERG in clinical specimens. The ERG protein belongs to a highly homologous group of proteins, the ETS (E-twenty six specific, E26 transformation specific) multi-gene family of transcription factors, which are conserved throughout the metazoans (Turner and Watson, 2008). ETS proteins contain a winged helix-turn-helix DNA binding domain and a pointed (SAM) domain implicated in protein-protein interaction. The high degree of homology between members of this family presents a significant obstacle for raising an antibody against a specific member of this protein family.
Although polyclonal ERG antibodies are commercially available, these antibodies exhibit low affinity for endogenous levels of the ERG protein and high levels of non-specific staining that limit their usefulness, for example, in immunohistochemistry testing. As such, the commercially available polyclonal ERG antibodies are not suitable for detecting ERG proteins in clinical settings (e.g., in a tissue biopsy).

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.


A magazine grip attachment for ammunition magazines to aid in extraction of magazines from ammunition pouches comprising a sleeve of resilient material molded in the general shape of a magazine yet with a smaller inner circumference than the circumference of a magazine so as to require the band to stretch over the magazine. The top of the band has an even slightly smaller inner circumference than the lower part of the band. Extending from the top of the band is a handle designed to allow a finger to wrap around the handle and extract the magazine. Also provided are recessed areas and four diagonal force distribution beams to constrict the invention and allow it to grip a magazine more snugly when the handle is pulled. The invention is also used in combination with a magazine pouch to deaden noise by biasing the magazines against the pouch and each other.

The use of detachable loops to aid in the removal of ammunition magazines from a storage compartment is known in the prior art. Likewise, the use of handle attachments or extensions to carry ammunition magazines and other objects is also known. These attachments, while suitable for their individual purposes, are not as suitable for the purpose of this invention, namely extraction of ammunition magazines from ammunition pouches worn on the user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,937 to Andrea; U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,962 to Musgrave; U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,527 to Jennings, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,991 to Stadelmann; U.S. Pat. No. 2,205,967 to Wise; U.S. Pat. No. 1,797,951 to Gaidos; U.S. Pat. No. 1,596,076 to Clancy; U.S. Pat. No. 1,245,499 to Orme And U.S. Pat. No. D-33,384 to Thorn are all illustrative of the prior art.


A thermal insulating packer fluid contains water and/or brine, a crosslinkable viscosifying polymer, a crosslinking agent and an optional set retarder. The composition is capable of inhibiting unwanted heat loss from production tubing or uncontrolled heat transfer to outer annuli. The viscosity of the composition is such as to reduce the convection flow velocity within the annulus.

Undesired heat loss from production tubing as well as uncontrolled heat transfer to outer annuli can be detrimental to the mechanical integrity of outer annuli, cause productivity losses from the well due to deposition of paraffin and asphaltene materials, accelerate the formation of gas hydrates, and destabilize the permafrost in arctic type regions.
Early methods into controlling heat loss and enhancing oil recovery were focused on steam injection operations. For applications where the packer annulus was gas-filled, wellbore heat losses from refluxing annuli were found to be three to six times higher than anticipated for insulated tubing and only 30 to 40 percent less had the injection tubing not have been insulated.
Silicate foams were among the first insulating packer fluids. Such foams were employed in steam injection applications wherein a solution of sodium silicate was placed in a packed-off annulus, and then steam was injected down the tubing. The hot tubing caused the silicate solution to boil, leaving a coating of insulating material, silicate foam of ¼ to ½ inch thick, on the hot tubing surf ace. Silicate solution that remained in the annulus after steaming for several hours was removed from the annulus by displacing it with water which was removed by gas-lifting or swabbing. The foam insulator exhibited thermal conductivity of about 0.017 Btu/(hr·ft·° F.). However, difficulties were encountered in boiling off the solutions to form the foam. "Hot spots" were also observed to develop adjacent to the uninsulated couplings.
To prevent thermal refluxing, an insulating fluid that filled the entire annulus was chosen as an alternative to the gas filled annulus. Such fluids avoided unwanted heat loss as a result of reduced thermal conduction and/or convection. Oils, such as gelatinous oil based fluids exhibited relatively low thermal conductivity (0.08 Btu/(hr·ft·° F.). For instance, the relative thermal conductivity of this type of fluid was approximately 13 percent that of water. However, environmental restrictions limited the application of such oils. Furthermore, the long-term incompatibility with various elastomers presented concerns.
As an alternative to chemical methods, vacuum insulated tubing was proposed to solve the problem of paraffin deposition in the production tubing. While insulated tubing proved to be an effective method for wellbore insulation, actual heat losses were significant. Heat loss through couplings and other internal structures such as centralizers and valves were seen to account for up to 50 percent of the total heat loss. To fully achieve the potential of insulated tubing, selected rubber-insulated couplings were tested along with a thermal pipe coating. Although improved thermal performance was obtained, maintaining the annulus dry over a long period was difficult, and, heat loss through refluxing could still occur because of damaged and scraped coating, and downhole centralizers, valves and gauges. Furthermore, the cost of vacuum insulated tubing can be prohibitive for many projects.
It was found that such problems could be controlled effectively by the use of specially designed aqueous-based (oil-free) insulating packer fluids. Such fluids were found to secure the insulation of the wellbore and to reduce the amount of heat transfer from the production tubing to the surrounding wellbore, internal annuli, and riser. Conventional packer fluids, such as clear brines under natural convection, were found to transfer heat by a factor of 10 to 20 over molecular conduction. Free convection is fluid motion caused by the variation of fluid density with temperature. Increasing fluid viscosity decreases fluid motion, and correspondingly, decreases free annular convection.
Thus, the desired rheological profile for an insulating fluid began to include high viscosity properties at low shear rate in order to reduce the free fluid convection caused by temperature differential. Additionally, a low viscosity at high shear rate is desired to facilitate the placement of the insulating fluid at the desired location. Specific rheological properties were selected based on the specific well application.
Exemplary of such aqueous based insulating fluids are the non-crosslinked insulating fluids disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,489,270, herein incorporated by reference. Such aqueous based insulating fluids proved to be solids-free, non-damaging, environmentally friendly, and highly insulating. Their fluid viscosity made it easy to blend and pump them into the annulus; their fluid density being controlled by the amount and type of dissolved salt needed to provide positive control of the wellbore pressure without the risk of solid settling and separation.
Such fluids, when added either into an annulus or riser, effectively reduced undesired heat loss from the production tubing, or heat transfer to outer annuli. In some cases, heat loss from the produced fluids due to conduction and convection can be reduced by more than 90% when compared with conventional packer fluids. Fluids having improved insulation properties have been sought.

Methods of using crosslinkable compositions


A protection system for an integrated circuit is disclosed. A detection system detects an overvoltage condition and provides an overvoltage condition signal to indicate a condition in which overvoltage protection may be desired. In response to the overvoltage condition signal, one or more variable resistance devices in the system, such as power devices of associated driver circuitry, are controlled to limit the voltage across such devices.

The present invention relates generally to overvoltage protection and, more particularly, to a system and method to protect an integrated circuit from overvoltage conditions.
Numerous types of electronic devices for a myriad of applications employ electrical circuits implemented as one or more integrated circuits (ICs). For example, ICs are configured to achieve desired functions, for example, control of associated devices, digital-to-analog (D/A) or analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion, mixed signal analysis, etc.
Typically, an integrated circuit is designed to tolerate a specified maximum operating power supply voltage. The maximum voltage is usually higher than the nominal operating voltage by about 10% or less. Under some transient conditions, however, the voltages that can appear on the supply pins of the IC are much greater than this maximum operating voltage, known as an overvoltage condition. An overvoltage condition can cause damage to the IC, such as if voltage applied to one or more associated components exceeds the breakdown voltage of such components. For example, IC components of a power driver, such as are used to modulate large currents necessary to drive mechanical devices (e.g., motors), are susceptible to damage due to overvoltage conditions.
One solution is to employ a shunt regulator to limit the voltage during an overvoltage condition. However, a shunt regulator usually requires a large device to handle high current and provide desired high power dissipation. Such a device tends to require a large amount of die area on the IC. It also has been determined that transients can damage the shunt regulator itself, which damage can, in turn, cause damage to the IC.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention relates generally to overvoltage protection. One aspect of the present invention provides a protection system for an integrated circuit, such as can be configured to control operation of one or more motors. The integrated circuit includes an input terminal that receives an input supply voltage. A detection system detects an overvoltage condition at the input terminal or at other parts of the integrated circuit and provides an overvoltage condition signal to indicate a condition in which overvoltage protection may be desired. In response to the overvoltage condition signal, one or more variable resistance devices in the system, such as power devices of associated driver circuitry, are controlled to limit the voltage across such devices. For example, where the variable resistance devices are power transistors, such transistors can be turned on by associated controls to limit the voltage across the transistors. This can effectively increase the input voltage at which breakdown of the transistors usually occurs.
In accordance with a particular aspect, the overvoltage protection system can include a driver having at least one pair of high-side and low-side power devices electrically coupled in series between the input terminal and ground potential. A node interconnecting the pair of power devices can be coupled to a terminal that is operative to provide power to an associated phase of a motor, such as spindle motor, a voice coil motor, or other motor system. To help protect each of the power devices in circumstances of an overvoltage condition, an overvoltage control system can be connected to each of the high-side and low-side power devices to control each of the respective devices in a mode more tolerant to an overvoltage condition. Such control can be based on the overvoltage condition signal as well as a voltage potential across the respective high-side and low-side power devices.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method to protect an integrated circuit. The method, which can be implemented relative to a driver of the integrated circuit, includes detecting a condition in which overvoltage protection is desired. In response to detecting the condition, at least one of the first and second active devices (e.g., power transistors of the driver) are operated in a mode that limits a voltage potential across the respective power devices so as to be more tolerant to the detected overvoltage condition.
The following description and the annexed drawings set forth certain illustrative aspects of the invention. These aspects are indicative, however, of a few ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

System and method for overvoltage protection of an integrated circuit


A method of texturing a substrate or superstrate support material is provided, in which a thin textured film (32) is applied to the surface of the support material such as glass sheet (11). The dipping process is performed by loading a sheet (50) of the support material (11) into a frame (51) which provides a small number of small area contact points (52, 53) at which the sheet (50) is supported and lowering the frame (51) into texturing solution (59) comprising a mixture (59) of Sol-Gel (61) and texturing particles (62) comprising SiO2 monospheres. The sheet is then withdrawn from the texturing solution and the resultant film allowed to dry. The film is then sintered and the resulting film provides a textured surface suitable for the formation of a photovoltaic device.

In the field of photovoltaic device manufacture, it has been long recognised that significant improvements in device efficiency are obtained if light can be internally reflected within the device such that its path length through the active region of the device is extended.
Techniques for extending the path length of light in the active region of the device are generally known as light trapping and usually involve texturing of the device surface.
In bulk material devices, the surface of the semiconductor material is directly textured by use of selective etching agents that etch certain crystal planes more rapidly than others, causing an angular or pyramidal surface profile.
It was generally thought that surface texturing would not be effective in thin film devices because traditional surface texturing is on a scale greater than film thickness of recent thin film devices, and because device film thicknesses are approaching the wavelength of light.
However, it has been found that surface texturing can be very effective in thin film devices provided that the scale of the texturing is less than the average film thickness but larger than the wavelength of light in the semiconductor material.
One effective method of achieving surface texturing on this scale is to texture the substrate before forming the semiconductor film in which the device is to be formed.
Texturing of the substrate can be by abrasion or etching but one effective method of texturing the substrate is by forming a textured film on the surface. The only effective methods previously identified for obtaining a uniform thin texture coating are spinning and chemical vapour deposition. These methods apply the textured film only to the surface of the substrate onto which the semiconductor layer will be deposited. It has always been considered that texturing the other surface of the substrate, which is to be exposed in use, would be detrimental to long term performance due to dust trapping and less effective cleaning when exposed to rain.
However, it has been found that with texturing of in the order of 1 μm or below, the problem of dirt accumulation is not sufficiently significant to present a performance problem.
Texturing the exposed surface also reduces specular reflection which enhances appearance, particularly if variations exist in glass flatness over the area of a panel (eg, up to 1 mz), or between adjacent panels. Reduced reflection also reduces glare, which could be an aviation hazard when large installations or large numbers of small installations are located in an area under a flight path.
a Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.b Any description of prior art documents herein is not an admission that the documents form part of the common general knowledge of the relevant art in Australia.c Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia before the priority date of each claim of this application.


A link member is rotatably supported by a lifting plate. When the lifting plate moves upward and downward, the movement of the link member is guided by a guide portion provided on a link guide hole. Before sheet feeding starts, the movement of the link member is regulated by a holding portion provided on a lower end of the guide portion so as to hold the lifting plate in a standby position against a biasing force of a feed spring. When the sheet is fed, a feed cam rotating integrally with a feed roller presses the link member to release the link member from being locked by the holding portion of the link guide hole to thereby make the link member movable along the guide portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an arrangement for lifting a sheet supporting member having sheets stacked thereon so as to press the sheets against a feed roller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, among image forming apparatuses such as a copy machine, a printer, a facsimile machine and the like, widely used types of image forming apparatus feed a sheet from a sheet feeding apparatus to an image forming portion to form an image. Here, the sheet feeding apparatus generally has a sheet cassette serving as a sheet storage portion and being attachable to and detachable from the body of the apparatus, and automatically feeds a sheet stored in the sheet cassette to the image forming portion.
For example, there is known sheet cassette arranged to be able to lift and lower a sheet supporting member which has sheets stacked thereon and when the sheets are fed, is lifted to press the stacked sheets against a feed roller. When the sheets are fed, the feed roller rotates to feed the sheets pressed by the sheet supporting member to the image forming portion, one by one from the uppermost sheet.
Such a sheet feeding apparatus has a cam provided coaxially with the feed roller so as to lift and lower the sheet supporting member. When the apparatus is in a standby state and is not feeding a sheet, the sheet supporting member is forced down to a certain position by the cam, whereby the sheets are easily set and replaced. In the course of feeding out the sheets, the cam presses down the sheet supporting member, whereby a feed force by the feed roller is not applied to the sheets to be fed out. This can improve sheet separability in a separation unit such as a separation pad.
The sheet feeding apparatus of such a configuration requires one vertical reciprocating motion of the sheet supporting member for each rotation of a drive shaft, which imposes a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the size (outermost diameter) of the cam. For example, in a case in which the sheet supporting member is provided rotatably in a vertical direction, a reduction in size of the cam reduces a rotational angle of the sheet supporting member, thereby reducing the spacing between the feed roller and the sheet supporting member.
Such a reduction in the spacing between the feed roller and the sheet supporting member reduces the number of sheets to be stacked on the sheet supporting member. Then, the user has to frequently replenish sheets, thereby causing a problem of poor operability. Since there is a trade-off between the size of the cam and the rotational angle of the sheet supporting member, it is difficult to reduce the size of the cam.
As the conventional sheet feeding apparatus for the purpose of reduction in size of the cam and noise thereof, there has been proposed an arrangement of providing a lever member serving as a link member between the cam and the sheet supporting member for performing rotation. According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-105790, first and second arm portions are disposed in a lever member disposed in the apparatus body, wherein the first arm portion is in sliding contact with a cam fixed to a drive shaft of a feed roller and the second arm portion is in sliding contact with the front end portion of the sheet supporting member. According to U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0101837 as another arrangement, an end portion of the lever member rotatably provided in the apparatus body is locked to the sheet supporting member and an intermediate portion of the lever member is in sliding contact with the cam fixed to the drive shaft of the feed roller.
Such conventional sheet feeding apparatuses can reduce the size of the cam, but has a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the entire size of the sheet feeding apparatus under the constraints of fulcrum placement of a lever member abutting against the cam and serving as a link member so as to transmit a force to the sheet supporting member. For example, the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-105790 is such that the second arm portion of the lever member is in sliding contact with the front end of the sheet supporting member so as to move the sheet supporting member against a biasing force of a feed spring. Thus, the second arm portion has a smooth relatively long arcuate shape. In a case in which the second arm portion has such a shape, the second arm portion swings on the underside of the separation unit, whereby it is necessary to provide a space for the second arm portion to swing. Thus, the above arrangement can reduce the outermost diameter of the cam, but may increase the entire size of the sheet feeding apparatus.
The arrangement disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0101837 requires an end portion of the lever member to be locked to the sheet supporting member and an intermediate portion thereof to be in sliding contact with the cam. This arrangement imposes constraints on the place where the turning fulcrum of the lever member can be positioned between the rotational trajectory of the cam and the rotational trajectory of the sheet supporting member. Further, the turning fulcrum of the lever member is projected toward a downstream side surface of the feed roller, whereby this arrangement can reduce the outermost diameter of the cam, but may increase the entire size of the sheet feeding apparatus. An increase in the entire size of sheet feeding apparatus increases the entire size of the image forming apparatus housing the sheet feeding apparatus, whereby this arrangement imposes a problem of enlarging the installation place of the image forming apparatus.

Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus