The present invention defines a herbal composition for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and respiratory disorders and a process for preparing the same. The composition comprises:. Bryonia Ipecacuanha 100-75% Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-24%. The process for preparing the herbal composition comprises:. washing and cleaning the plant materials of Bryonia, Ipecacuanha and Drosera, PA1 surface sterilizing the said plant materials with sodium hypochlorite and drying, PA1 cutting the dried plant materials into small pieces individually, PA1 grinding and pulverizing the said plant materials separately, preferably of 1 mm particle size, PA1 extracting the said granulated plant materials separately in a polar solvent and evaporating the said solvent under vacuum to get the extracted materials in powder form, PA1 mixing at least two of the said extracted materials with the antimony potassium tartarate in the ratio 100-75:0-25 to prepare said desired herbal composition.

Excess smoking irritates the bronchial tube and lowers their resistance so that they become vulnerable. It leads to a condition called bronchitis. The inflammation of the mucus membrane lining the bronchiole and bronchial tube within the chest with breathing disorder affecting the expiratory function is the characteristic feature.
In most cases of bronchitis, the larynx, trachea and bronchia tubes are acutely inflamed. The tissues are swollen due to irritation. Large quantities of mucus are secreted and poured into the windpipe to protect the inflamed mucus membrane. The phlegm, when expelled is found to be viscid and purulent. There is usually a high fever, some difficulty in breathing and deep chest cough. Other symptoms are hoarseness and pain in the chest and loss of appetite. Breathing trouble continuous till the inflammation subsides and mucus is removed.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) features progressive chronic airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis, emphysema or both. The obstruction of airflow may be partly reversible and some patients may manifest bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
There are several Indian traditional medicines recommended for treatment. For instance Cofdry, Kolet and Zecuf The composition of these medicines are given below:
Cofdry Koflet Zecuf (10 ml (5 ml (10 ml contains) contains) contains) Curcuma longu -- 50 mg -- Tulsi 200 mg 100 mg 100 mg Yasthimadhu 50 mg 100 mg 60 mg Haridra -- -- 50 mg Shunthi -- -- 10 mg Vasaka 200 mg 200 mg 60 mg Brahati -- -- 20 mg Push kammool -- -- 20 mg Sugdha muricha -- -- 10 mg Vibhitaka -- 50 mg -- Viola odorata -- -- 20 mg Grita Kunari and -- -- 6 mg Pepermint salt Ocimum santum 200 mg -- -- Zingiber offiundi -- 25 mg -- Solanum xantho carpum 100 mg -- -- S. Irilobatum 50 mg -- -- Glycynhiya glabra 50 mg -- -- Alpinia chinensis 50 mg -- -- Cinnanomum zylanica 25 mg -- -- C. tanda 25 mg -- -- Piper longum 25 mg 20 mg -- Myristica fragrans 25 mg -- -- Cubeba officinalis 25 mg -- -- Cinnamomum canphora 10 mg -- -- Termindig bellerica -- 200 mg -- Pudina phool -- -- -- Mentha arvensi -- 3 mg -- Eucalyphis Oil -- 2 mg -- Syrup -- -- -- Navsagar (NH.sub.4 Cl.sub.2) -- 30 mg --
The above medicines are not effective against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and respiratory disorder.
The object of this invention is to provide a simple but effective composition for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and respiratory disorder.
To achieve the said objective this invention provides a process of preparing a herbal composition for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), bronchitis and respiratory disorders comprising:
washing and cleaning the plant materials of Bryocnia, Ipecacuanha and Drosera, PA1 surface sterilizing the said plant materials with sodium hypochlorite and drying, PA1 cutting the dried plant materials into small pieces individually, PA1 grinding and pulverizing the said plant materials separately, preferably of 1 mm particle size, PA1 extracting the said granulated plant materials separately in a polar solvent and evaporating the said solvent under vacuum to get the extracted materials in powder form, PA1 mixing at least two of the said extracted materials with the antimony potassium tartarate in the ratio 100-75:0-25 to prepare said desired herbal composition.
The solvent used are ketones, alcohols, esters, ethers, nitryles, amides, sulfoxides, substituted aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and substituted aromatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof preferrably acetone, benzene, dichloromethane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, ethylene dichloride, methanol, methyl acetate, methyl t-butyl ether, methyl formate, 2-propanol, toluene and xylene and mixture thereof.
The present invention also relates to a herbal composition A herbal composition for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and respiratory disorders comprising:
 Bryonia 100-75% Ipecacuanha Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-25%
The fruit and the roots of the plant material of the plant Bryonia are used. Only roots of the plant material of the plant Ipecacuanha and Drosera are used.
The antimony potassium tartrate used is of the formula C.sub.8 H.sub.4 K.sub.2 O.sub.12 Sb.sub.2 3H.sub.2 O having molecular weight 667.86
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 100-75% Ipecacuanha Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-25%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 90-80% Ipecacuanha Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 10-20%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartarate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 25% Ipecacuanha 25% Drosera 25% and Antimony potassium tartrate 25%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartarate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 35% Ipecacuanha 25% Drosera 30% and Antimony potassium tartrate 10%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartarate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia Ipecacuanha 100-75% and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-25%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartarate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 35% Ipecacuanha 45% and Antimony potassium tartrate 20%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 90-80% Ipecacuanha and Antimony potassium tartrate 10-20%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 40% Ipecacuanha 45% and Antimony potassium tartrate 15%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 100-75% Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-25%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the following proportion by wt.:
 Bryonia 35% Drosera 55% and Antimony potassium tartrate 10%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the proportion by wt.:
 Ipecacuanha 100-75% Drosera and Antimony potassium tartrate 0-25%
or
The said extracted materials used in the formation of composition with antimony potassium tartrate are in the proportion by wt.:
 Ipecacuanha 35% Drosera 45% and Antimony potassium tartrate 20%
The description of plants is given below for easy identification. It is important that the right species is identified correctly for this preparation.
Bryonia--(Kattuthumatikai)
Description of Plants
Perennial scabrid monecious tendrillar herb with slender angled stem; leaves depply, palmately five lobed, scabrid on both sides, hispid on the tlerves beneath and rounded at the apex; the male flowers yellow in small clusters on slender globosc; fruits ellipsoid or sub-globosc, yellow or yellow with green stripes; seeds while, ellipsoid.
Ipecacuanha--(Poaya)
Description of Plants
Half-shrubby perennial, roots several, scarcely branched, orange-brown. Leaves few, somewhat crowded at the upper part of the stem, opposite, shortly stalked, stipples large, united at the base, where are several ovoid glands, persistent, pressed to the stem, whitish, about as long as the petiole, deeply cut into four subulate aciniae, blade 24 inches long or more, oval, acute or blunt at the apex, entire and more or less wavy on the margin, thick, with a few hairs on the edge, dark green and nearly smooth above, paler, somewhat pubescent and with prominent veins beneath. Flowers small, sessile, about 10-20 together, in a dense head supported on a cylindrical, pubescent, purplish, axillary but apparently terminal peduncle. Surrounded by an involucre of four ovate, entire, downy, enequal bracts; a small acute pubescebt bract accompanies each flower. Calyx adherent, downy, the limb free, of 5 short, triangular-ovate, acute. Corolla funnel-shaped, hairy outside, stamens 5, inserted at about the middle of the tube, Ovary inferior, with a fleshy epigynous disck on the top, 2 celled. Fruit several in a small cluster at the end of the reflexed penduncle, fleshy, smooth, shining, deep purple-violet. Seed solitary in each pyrene.
Drosera--(Chitra)
Description of Plants
Erect herb; stems erect, slender, minutely glandular, leafy, 10-30 cm., often branching. Leaves alternate, half-moon-shaped, about 6 mm across, peltate, upper surface and margins beset with viscid, flandular hairs; radical leaves smaller, rosulate, soon disappearing. Flowers 2-sexual, regular, white, 6 mm.diam., in terminal, branching racemes. Calyx 5-parted; segments glandular, minutely toothed. Petals 5, entire. Stamens 5. Ovary free, ovoid, 1-celled; style 3; stigmas terminal, minutely gringed; ovules numerous. Capsule enclosed within the persistent calyx and corolla, 3-valved; seeds minute, attached to the valves.

Herbal composition for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and respiratory disorders and a process for preparing the same


A laminated perpendicular magnetic recording medium has two recording layers (RL1 and RL2) that are separated and magnetically decoupled by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (SL). The SL has a thickness and composition to assure there is no antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic coupling between RL1 and RL2. Thus in the presence of the write field, RL1 and RL2 respond independently and become oriented with the direction of the write field. Each RL is an “exchange-spring” type magnetic recording layer formed of two ferromagnetic layers (MAG1 and MAG2) that have substantially perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and are ferromagnetically exchange-coupled by a nonmagnetic or weakly ferromagnetic coupling layer (CL). The medium takes advantage of lamination to attain higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) yet has improved writability as a result of each RL being an exchange-spring type RL.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to perpendicular magnetic recording media, and more particularly to a disk with laminated perpendicular magnetic recording layers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Perpendicular magnetic recording, wherein the recorded bits are stored in a perpendicular or out-of-plane orientation in the recording layer, is a promising path toward ultra-high recording densities in magnetic recording hard disk drives. A common type of perpendicular magnetic recording system is one that uses a "dual-layer" medium. This type of system is shown in FIG. 1 with a single write pole type of recording head. The dual-layer medium includes a perpendicular magnetic data recording layer (RL) formed on a "soft" or relatively low-coercivity magnetically permeable underlayer (SUL).
One type of material for the RL is a granular ferromagnetic cobalt alloy, such as a CoPtCr alloy, with a hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) crystalline structure having the c-axis oriented substantially out-of-plane or perpendicular to the RL. The granular cobalt alloy RL should also have a well-isolated fine-grain structure to produce a high-coercivity media and to reduce intergranular exchange coupling, which is responsible for high intrinsic media noise. Enhancement of grain segregation in the cobalt alloy RL can be achieved by the addition of oxides, including oxides of Si, Ta, Ti, Nb and B. These oxides tend to precipitate to the grain boundaries, and together with the elements of the cobalt alloy form nonmagnetic intergranular material.
The SUL serves as a flux return path for the field from the write pole to the return pole of the recording head. In FIG. 1, the RL is illustrated with perpendicularly recorded or magnetized regions, with adjacent regions having opposite magnetization directions, as represented by the arrows. The magnetic transitions between adjacent oppositely-directed magnetized regions are detectable by the read element or head as the recorded bits.
FIG. 2 is a schematic of a cross-section of a prior art perpendicular magnetic recording disk showing the write field H acting on the recording layer RL. The disk also includes the hard disk substrate, a seed or onset layer (OL) for growth of the SUL, an exchange break layer (EBL) to break the magnetic exchange coupling between the magnetically permeable films of the SUL and the RL and to facilitate epitaxial growth of the RL, and a protective overcoat (OC). As shown in FIG. 2, the RL is located inside the gap of the "apparent" recording head (ARH), which allows for significantly higher write fields compared to longitudinal or in-plane recording. The ARH comprises the write pole (FIG. 1) which is the real write head (RWH) above the disk, and a secondary write pole (SWP) beneath the RL. The SWP is facilitated by the SUL, which is decoupled from the RL by the EBL and produces a magnetic image of the RWH during the write process. This effectively brings the RL into the gap of the ARH and allows for a large write field H inside the RL.
Magnetic recording media that have RLs formed of granular ferromagnetic cobalt alloys, such as the cobalt alloys used for perpendicular recording, exhibit increasing intrinsic media noise with increasing linear recording density. Media noise arises from irregularities in the recorded magnetic transitions and results in random shifts of the readback signal peaks. High media noise leads to high bit error rates. Thus to obtain higher areal densities in magnetic recording disk drives, it is necessary to decrease the intrinsic media noise, i.e., increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), of the recording media. The media SNR is to first order proportional to 201 og (N1/2), where N is the number of magnetic grains per unit area in the media. Accordingly, increases in SNR can be accomplished by increasing N.
Improved media SNR can be achieved with "laminated" media. In laminated media, the single magnetic layer is replaced with a laminate of two or more separate magnetic layers that are spaced apart and magnetically decoupled by nonmagnetic spacer layers. This discovery was made for horizontal or longitudinal magnetic recording media by S. E. Lambert, et al., "Reduction of Media Noise in Thin Film Metal Media by Lamination", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 26, No. 5, September 1990, pp. 2706-2709, and patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,288. A laminated media structure with two perpendicular RLs separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (SL) is shown schematically in FIG. 3. The presence of two decoupled RLs doubles N, the number of grains per area, leading to the SNR improvement. Laminated media do exhibit improved bit error rate (BER), as expected based on the SNR increase, but they require a higher field from the write head than for media with single-layer RLs to achieve the improved BER.
The need for higher write fields is not limited to laminated media. Higher write fields are required for perpendicular media with single-layer RLs than for comparable horizontal media with single-layer RLs. This can be appreciated by reference to FIG. 2 which shows the write field H inside the RL being oriented nearly parallel to the surface normal, i.e., along the perpendicular easy axis of the RL grains, as shown by typical grain 1 with easy axis 2. The parallel alignment of the write field H and the RL easy axis has the disadvantage that relatively high write fields are necessary to reverse the magnetization because minimal torque is exerted onto the grain magnetization. For these reasons, a composite medium consisting of two ferromagnetically exchange-coupled magnetic layers has been proposed. Magnetic simulation of this composite medium shows that in the presence of a write field the magnetization of the upper magnetic layer will rotate first and assist in the reversal of the magnetization of the lower magnetic layer. This behavior, sometimes called the "exchange-spring" behavior, and various types of composite media are described by R. H. Victora et al., "Composite Media for Perpendicular Magnetic Recording", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 41 (2), 537-542, Feb. 2005; and J. P. Wang et al., "Composite media (dynamic tilted media) for magnetic recording", Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (14) Art. No. 142504, Apr. 4 2005. Pending application Ser. No. 11/231,516 filed Sep. 21, 2005, and assigned to the same assignee as this application, describes a perpendicular magnetic recording medium with an exchange-spring structure.
What is needed is a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that has high recording density and high SNR and yet is easy to write.

Perpendicular magnetic recording medium with laminated recording layers formed of exchange-coupled ferromagnetic layers

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


Methods and apparatus for making recommendations of content items to users of computer systems include compiling a database relating a list of items and corresponding explanations; receiving from a user, through a computer user interface, a request for a recommendation; extracting from the database a preliminary list of items related to the request; identifying distances between the extracted items based on the explanation corresponding to each item; and identifying a subset of the preliminary list to form a recommendation list having a limited number of recommendation results with a desired balance of both high relevancy and high diversity relative to each other.

1. Field of Invention
Aspects of embodiments relate to information processing. Some aspects of embodiments relate to computer-generated recommendations made on social networking web sites. Some aspects of embodiments include diversifying recommendation results obtained on such sites through the use of explanations.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Recommendations in social content sites such as del.icio.us, Yahoo! Movies, music sites, news sites, real estate sites, travel sites and others are becoming increasingly important, due to the ineffectiveness of searching based on content alone on those sites. Social content sites often employ tags to classify user content. Tags are text strings having some significance to those assigning and/or referring to them. Tags may be assigned both by content providers and content viewers. As a result, user content is somewhat inconsistently or imperfectly classified, giving rise to difficulties in searching for content by tag. Recommender systems identify content relevant to a user based on criteria related to tags and/or other information associating a user to content.

Diversifying recommendation results through explanation


A vehicle that is a motor home having a slide out body member that extends across an opening in the side wall of the vehicle body is disclosed. The slide out body member is capable of movement between a laterally expanded position during recreational use of the vehicle and a refracted position for travel of the vehicle on roads. The slide out body member has a primary wall portion covering at least a portion of the side wall of the vehicle body and end walls at each end of the primary wall portion extending back towards the vehicle body. The slide out body member also has a top and a bottom extending from the upper and lower edges of the primary wall portion back towards the vehicle body so that the space defined by the slide out body member opens into and forms part of the interior space of the vehicle body. The vehicle also includes a service connector in the form of a flexible conduit extending between the vehicle body and the associated service fittings in the vehicle slide out. It also includes a conduit organizer for guiding the flexible conduit to fold up and then unfold when the slide out body member is moved between the expanded and refracted positions.

The modification of vehicles to make them suitable for being lived in is known. For example caravans that are towed by powered vehicles such as a family car are well known. A caravan comprises a passive vehicle mounted on wheels that has an interior that has been adapted to be lived in. For example it might typically contain a kitchen and living area and optionally also a bathroom and toilet facility.
The caravan is towed by a car, typically the family car, to where it is required and then it is detached and set up as a place to live in. The presence of caravans in caravan parks near the seas is a ubiquitous feature of Australian society. It offers flexibility in the sense that the caravan can be towed to wherever it is required and it is not fixed to a single destination. Further it offers a living area with fairly comfortable amenities and is considerably cheaper than hotel or unit accommodation.
A development on the caravan has been the motor home. This comprises a vehicle that has an engine and a front seat for a driver and passenger and also driver's controls that enable it to be driven in the usual way like any other car. It also has an area behind the front seat that has been adapted to form a living space having considerable amenities. For example it might contain a bed, cupboards, a kitchen area, a storage area for clothes and the like, and a washing area often with a toilet and a basin. It thus provides a living area not unlike that of a caravan that is integral with the car as distinct from being a separate vehicle.
Motor homes are often preferred by couples because they are more compact than caravans and do not need to be hitched up and then unhitched all the time. One can simply get in a motor home and drive off. With the change in lifestyles that is occurring and with baby boomers starting to retire the uptake and usage of motor homes has increased markedly and this increase is predicted to continue.
A motor home is made by taking a light commercial van of a type tat is commercially available and is purchased off a show room floor and then fitting out the rear of the vehicle to create the living space. For example a light commercial Mercedes vehicle can conveniently be used, eg the Mercedes Benz Sprinter 313 CDI long wheel base van. The interior space of these vehicles is limited. Road regulations typically specify that the maximum width of a vehicle travelling on the roads is 2.5 m.
A constant challenge in designing motor homes is to utilize the limited space that is available in the best possible way thereby to provide a comfortable and functional living environment. While some development and improvement has taken place in this area over the years there is a continuing need to come up with further improvements to further improve utilization of the very limited space. This is particularly so as more and more affluent and discerning customers start using motor homes.
A particularly limited dimension in a motor home is the lateral width of the vehicle. Accordingly it would clearly be advantageous if the motor home could be adapted to be able to create a wider living area when the motor home was parked and transformed into their recreational or camping mode in a way that was trouble free, reliable and did not impose a requirement for additional drive systems which in turn used up more of the precious space within the vehicle body.


A manually-operated utility cart for carrying a removable basket. The cart has a basket support adapted to move in a vertical path to raise and lower the removable basket between desired vertical positions. The basket support is moved by means of a gear mechanism that includes generally vertical racks attached to the basket support and pinions that engage the racks and which are mounted on a horizontal shaft supported on an upright frame. The gear mechanism is manually operated by the operator using a crank arm or other similar mechanism. The basket is provided with a door on one side that can be pivoted downwardly for better access to the contents of the basket.

The invention relates to manually-operated utility carts of the type adapted to carry a portable receptacle such as a basket. More particularly, the invention relates to a utility cart that includes a lift mechanism so that the basket may be raised and lowered to position it at a convenient height.
The invention has particular utility for persons who need to transport various loads, but who have difficulty doing so due to age related functional limitations or other difficulties that adversely affect their mobility.
For example, persons with such functional limitations may find it difficult to carry a load of items in a basket to and from a laundry area. Once at the site, they may have difficulty loading the laundry from a basket into a washing machine, transferring the laundered load to a dryer arid then transferring the dried load back to the basket. Other examples of situations where transporting various loads can present difficulties are (1) transporting groceries and other items in a store and (2) transporting letters and packages in a mailroom.
Part of the problem involves the lifting and lowering of the basket between vertical positions that are convenient to a washing machine on the one hand and a dryer on the other. The positions that are most convenient vary from one appliance to another. Where strength and flexibility are reduced due to functional limitations, it is particularly difficult to lift a basket that is full of laundry, particularly when the laundry is wet.
The utility cart of the present invention resolves many of the difficulties referred to above and affords other features and advantages heretofore not obtainable.


An optoelectronic transmission and reception device includes an optical transmitter inserted into a silicon wafer as a laser chip composed of III/V compound semiconductor material, an optical receiver inserted into the silicon wafer as a reception diode chip composed of III/V compound semiconductor material or which is monolithically integrated into the silicon wafer as a metal-semiconductor diode. A coupling optics for connection to an optical fiber is monolithically integrated into the silicon wafer, as is a controller that includes a drive circuit for the transmitter and a pre-amplifier circuit for the receiver, a wavelength selective beam splitter and light wave guides for light guidance. The device is particularly useful as a bi-directional transmission and reception module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to an optoelectronic transmitter and receiver device which, in particular, includes an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, a wavelength selective beam splitter, coupling optics having a connection to an optical fiber, and a controller that encompasses a drive circuit for the optical transmitter and a pre-amplifier circuit for the optical receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Constructing light wave guide components with optical and optoelectronic transmission and reception functions is relatively involved since the vastly different functions to be performed by such components require different materials which must be joined in a hybrid structure. This is particularly true of bi-directional transmission and reception units, or modules, that are the key components for broad band subscriber terminals. This technology will only enjoy desirable, broad utilization when such a transducer can be manufactured cost effectively.
Efforts have already been made to build such transmitter and receiver devices at an optimal low cost. As a result, a so-called free beam module is currently being developed. This involved a mounting technique having very many separate parts made of the greatest variety of materials. In addition, efforts have been undertaken to overcome this problem with multichip units having optical and optoelectronic chips composed of III/V compound semiconductors.


A management system that manages a use status of a plurality of devices that are connected a plurality of power supply systems provided in a facility to be used, includes a plurality of reporting apparatuses attached to the devices, and a management apparatus, wherein each of the reporting apparatuses includes a first output unit which outputs device identification information required to identify a corresponding one of the devices when the corresponding one attached to the reporting apparatus is connected with one of the power supply systems, and the management apparatus includes a collecting unit which collects the device identification information output from the first output unit in association with system identification information required to identify one of the power supply systems to which the corresponding one of the devices is connected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management system which enables managing, e.g., a current location within a facility or managing allocation of an appropriate power supply in regard to a device used in the facility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of devices are carried into an operating room in an operating department as needed, and they are connected with an outlet to be used. These devices are replaced with equivalent devices as required when, e.g., an inconvenience occurs, or unplanned devices may be used in accordance with needs during an operation. Further, a need for urgently borrowing a device that has been already carried into another operating room may arise. An ME engineer performs an operation of managing these devices, but always grasping where each device is present is difficult. Therefore, there is a concern that a location of a device is unknown when required and an urgent measure cannot be rapidly taken.
A medical information recording system that records medical information, e.g., patient biomedical information during an operation, behavior information of, e.g., an operator, images during an operation, or operating information of various medical devices in chronological order is known (see, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-280455). When this technology is utilized, it is possible to know that a device is used in an operation. However, a location concerning a device that is placed in an operating room but is not working cannot be managed.
Further, in order to avoid a problem, e.g., a shutdown of an electrical device due to activation of a breaker, a management operation of allocating an appropriate power supply system to each electrical device is required, but this is carried out based on a judgment by the ME engineer.
As explained above, in facilities, e.g., a hospital, management of locations of devices that are moved to many places or management of allocating a power supply to each electrical device is substantially manually carried out, and a burden imposed on a manager is large, and accurate management is difficult.

Management system for managing a use status of a device


A PTC device is provided which is capable of surely functioning as the PTC device even in a wiring through which a large current flows. A combined PTC device (10, 10′) is composed of two PTC devices each containing a lamellar PTC element (12, 12′) which is composed of a polymeric PTC material and a pair of electrodes (14, 16; and 14′, 16′) which are arranged apart from each other on one side of the PTC element. The electrodes (14, 16) of one PTC device are respectively opposite to the electrodes (14′, 16′) of the other PTC device, and terminals (20, 21) are arranged between the respective opposite electrodes. The respective opposite electrodes and the terminal between them are electrically connected with each other.

It is well known that currently in an automobile using a normal engine as a power source, safety protection devices each in a fuse-form are necessarily installed in series, for safety in case of emergencies, in circuits for signal lines deployed in an automobiles to transmit signals such as radio operation commands, wiper operation commands, window opening and closing commands, turn signal commands, light switching commands and the like.
In the same way, similar safety protection devices should be installed from the standpoint of safety in an automobile using both a motor and an engine as power sources. Further, a wiring system for transmitting large power for driving the motor, which is to be the driving source, is also installed in the automobile using both the motor and the engine as the power sources. In such a wiring system which transmits such a large power, leakage currents are generated from time to time, which sometimes get into other wiring systems in their proximities.


A wheel carrier for the steered wheel of a motor vehicle with a tire-inflating system, the wheel carrier comprising a shield with an eye at the top and bottom for receiving a kingpin, an axle tube which supports wheel bearings, a wheel hub supported on the wheel bearings, a steering arm, an air duct leading through the wheel carrier into a chamber formed between the axle tube and wheel hub, the chamber being sealed off on both sides, wherein the steering arm is flanged to a sprue with a fitting surface, wherein an air chamber is formed in the fitting surface, and is connected to the chamber by an air duct and is further connected to a tube communicating to the outside of the sprue.

The present invention relates to a wheel carrier for the steered wheel of a motor vehicle having a tire-inflating system, the wheel carrier comprising a shield with an eye at the top and bottom for receiving a kingpin, an axle tube which bears wheel bearings, and a steering arm, an air duct leading through the shield and the axle tube into a chamber which is formed between the wheel bearing and is sealed off on both sides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,027 discloses a wheel carrier in which a separate air-supplying ring is provided on the wheel carrier. The air-supplying ring causes the air to be directly connected to the rotating wheel hub and, as a result, the seals which are required for initiating the rotation are of a large diameter and lie well to the outside, with the result that they are exposed without protection to environmental effects (for example, when driving in muddy water). It would be better if the ducting were in the axle tube but this is difficult to accomplish because of the cross sections which are necessary for sufficient air throughput.
In addition, it is difficult for an air-supplying ring to be accommodated if there is a steering axle on the wheel carrier, which in that case also has a steering arm; it is particularly difficult if the wheel carrier furthermore has to carry the brake calliper of a disk brake. Overall, there is a space problem which is made even more difficult by the exterior supply of the air to the wheel carrier not being able to take place on the lower side thereof, for safety reasons.
It is, therefore, a principle object of the invention to solve the above-mentioned space problems in such a manner that the air is guided in the wheel carrier with a minimal outlay on construction and manufacture.

Wheel carrier for motor vehicle with a tire-inflating system


Data from a monitoring system is analyzed for monitoring characteristics of a dynamic system. Characteristic data in respect of a dynamic system is monitored and provided with at least one known normal state. Characteristic data is received from a monitoring system and confirmation information from an operator when the dynamic system is in a known normal state. A normality model is derived including comprising data indicative of known normal states in response to received characteristic data and confirmation information. Future characteristic data is predicted from the normality model a difference function is provided indicating an acceptable difference between predicted and received characteristic data. Predicted characteristic data is compared with received characteristic data in conjunction with the difference function and an abnormality signal is produced if the difference exceeds the difference function.

This application is the US national phase of international application PCT/GB2004/001070 filed 12 Mar. 2004 which designated the U.S. and claims benefit of GB 0307406.9, dated 31 Mar. 2003, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to systems and methods for the analysis of data from a monitoring system for monitoring a dynamic system.
2. Related Art
Diagnosing abnormal behaviour of a system (e.g. a technical system, environmental conditions, vital signs, etc) is similar to a physician's diagnosis based on observing symptoms of a patient. Medical doctors are capable of interpreting symptoms and making a diagnosis based on data obtained from observing a patient. Even if the observed symptoms are not sufficient to determine the cause of an illness, medical doctors can often determine that a symptom or measurement is not normal because they know from experience what is normal in a patient and what is not.
In order to replicate such an intelligent diagnosis process in an automated Condition Monitoring System (CMS), the CMS must know "what is normal" and "what is not normal". Known CMSs use signatures to achieve that goal. A signature is a limited amount of data that represents a certain feature of the environment that is monitored by a sensor. A signature, for example, can be as simple as a temperature value or as complex as the Fourier transform of a current observed over a certain time. A diagnosis based on signature analysis can be realised by the following steps:
1. Signature acquisition
2. Comparison of an incoming signature with reference signatures.
3. Deciding if the incoming signature is normal or abnormal.
4. Interpreting the signature in order to make a proper diagnosis.
CMSs usually comprise steps 1-3, while step 4 generally involves the intervention of a domain expert after an alarm has been raised by a CMS.
Most of the incoming signatures are usually tainted with noise, which makes their recognition difficult. Therefore, in addition to all available classified signatures (reference signatures) the signature database must also contain tolerance levels for each signature. Tolerance levels are required to avoid false alarms. The information from the signature database is used to classify sensor data into three different states. If the system recognises the incoming signature as a class member of its database it can be directly classified as either normal or abnormal, and raise an alarm if the signature is considered to be abnormal. If the system does not recognise the incoming signature to be within the tolerance level of any reference signature, then it will be considered as unknown and possibly abnormal. In this case the system will also raise an alarm. Based on the signature that caused an alarm to be raised, a domain expert will be able make a diagnosis and determine if the signature actually indicates an abnormal state, and if intervention is required.
Detecting Abnormal Conditions in Sensor Data
In order to detect abnormal states in any environment automatically, the use of sensors is required. There are many different types of sensors, which can have different degrees of reliability. For example, in a refinery the use of chemical sensors can detect gas leakage, whereas in a power station electrical sensors may be used to detect dangerously high voltage. Some common types of sensor include mechanical sensors, temperature sensors, magnetic and electro-magnetic field sensors, laser sensors, infrared sensors, ultraviolet sensors, radiation sensors and acoustic sensors.
Sensor data is in general observed in the time domain and the frequency domain. Amplitude, mean, range, interference noise and standard deviation are commonly used functions for analytical analysis of sensor data. They can be analysed individually or combined in a multi-dimensional approach.
When a sensor system is designed, several factors influence the choice of sensors, for example, linearity, resolution, spectral pass band, accuracy, response time, signal noise ratio, etc. All these factors have also to be taken into consideration for the specification of threshold and tolerance levels. FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate an example of a condition monitoring process that comprises obtaining a signature from a sensor, pre-processing it and applying a transformation for finally classifying the signature.
Simple CMSs detect abnormal conditions by comparing the incoming sensor data against thresholds, which are usually statistically characteristic values like mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, etc (see FIG. 5).
A more complex detection mechanism compares incoming signatures against reference signatures. The comparison can be computed by different techniques depending on the complexity of the problem. A simple example is to subtract the incoming signature from a reference signature stored in a database. The difference between the two signals is called the error and the amplitude of this error will define if the two signals are close or not. The mean square error can also be computed for getting a better estimation of this error. FIG. 6 illustrates this approach.
A simple way of determining if an error signal indicates an abnormal condition is to use thresholds. A more complex evaluation of an error signal would be based on the computation of several characteristics of the error signal, which are than compared against threshold values. Threshold values for evaluating error signals have to be carefully chosen in order to maximise the precision of the detection. FIG. 7 illustrates how the levels of upper and lower thresholds may be chosen in order to allow an alarm to be triggered when a signal outside a "normal" range occurs. The precision will depend on the choice of these levels as well as on the quality of the sensors used and the quality of the data acquisition system.
Known condition monitoring systems use condition libraries against which sensor data is matched. For example, the article "HISS—A new approach to intelligent supervision" (Kai Michels, Proceedings of the Joint 9th IFSA World Congress and 20th NAFIPS International Conference (Vancouver, 25-28 July), IEEE Piscataway, 2001 (ISBN: 0-78037079-1), pp. 1110-1115) provides a solution for detecting leaks in gas pipelines by using audio sensors. The sound recorded by an audio sensor is matched against a library of sounds indicating leakage and sounds indicating normal environmental sounds. If a sound recorded by the sensor is closer to a sound indicating leakage than to a normal sound the monitoring software raises an alarm. Further, it is possible to use artificial intelligence technology to carry out pattern recognition and decide what conditions should raise alarms in order to monitor the state of a system. An example of this is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,550 (Vinberg et al), which relates to a method and apparatus for such state monitoring whereby a system is educated, during an initial "learning phase", to identify recognisable "common modes" of a monitored system, which are clusters of commonly occurring states of that system. During a later "monitoring phase" the state monitoring system continuously monitors the system by comparing state vectors of the system with the recognised common modes previously identified by pattern recognition during the learning period, and raises an alarm whenever a state vector appears that does not lie within one of the recognised common modes. Also during the monitoring phase the system is able to update its degree of learning in the following manner. A human manager or automated management tool may study alarm messages, and even inspect the managed system, and if it is determined that an alarm message was raised in respect of a common situation that should be included among the common modes for future monitoring, the system is able to add the relevant new state to the existing set of common modes.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,142 relates to an apparatus for monitoring system condition, the apparatus including a predicting section which is said to generate a data vector whose parameter is said to be determined by timeseries data of the system and which is said to obtain a prediction value of the timeseries data of a predetermined time future by means of chaotic inference based on the behaviour of an attractor generated in a reconstruction space by an embedding operation of the data vector. The system appears then to make short-term predictions based on an assumption that the behaviour of the system is chaotic, and judge whether the observed system is in a normal or an abnormal condition.
It will be evident that condition monitoring in known systems can generally only be usefully applied if normal and abnormal conditions of the monitored system are known and can be specified. That means CMSs are not suitable for use in ill-defined domains or domains where abnormal conditions have not been observed before, are not likely to be observed and cannot be created or predicted easily. An example would be the failure of an expensive piece of machinery. It is very desirable to predict failure well in advance in order to schedule maintenance in time. Failure may be devastating such that it is not possible to drive the monitored machine into failure mode in order to record failure conditions. There may be only vague and uncertain knowledge about thresholds of monitored signals and this knowledge may not be sufficient to describe failure sufficiently. Another example is monitoring care-dependent patients in their homes. It is paramount that the necessity of intervention by care personnel is detected with high accuracy, e.g. if the person fails to get up at the usual time of day or has fallen down. However, it is also important that false alarms are avoided or the monitoring system would not be trusted anymore and may even be switched off. It is therefore important that the monitoring system adapts to the monitored patient and learns what normal behaviour for that person means. For both examples it is easy to see that a single sensor is generally not sufficient. Generally, but not exclusively, a multitude of sensors is required thus creating a multi-dimensional sensor data space. Information from individual sensors may be suitably combined in order to enable decisions to be made about abnormal situations. This will be referred to as "sensor data fusion".
For the examples discussed above and for similar complex scenarios we face the problem of setting up a CMS properly because it is often difficult or impossible to define normal and abnormal conditions in a high-dimensional sensor data space. If an exhaustive number of examples of normal and abnormal situations were available, a supervised learning algorithm could be used to create a classifier set which could be used by the CMS. However, in scenarios such as those considered above, only examples of normal situations may be available and thus normal learning procedure cannot be used.
One of the main problems in deploying a sensor based CMS is to establish normal and abnormal conditions for a multitude of sensors monitored by the CMS. If abnormal conditions or failure states are not known or are ill-defined, a CMS requiring such information cannot be used. Embodiments of the present invention address the problems encountered when deploying a CMS under such conditions.

British Telecommunications public limited company


Various systems, processes, and techniques may be used to achieve beverage dispensing. In particular implementations, a beverage dispensing system may include a housing, a water inlet, a dispensing faucet, and a tray. The housing may include a base and at least one vertically extending wall that defines an inner cavity at least at the top of the housing. The water inlet and the dispensing faucet may be coupled to the housing. The tray may be adapted to couple to the housing and be suspended in the inner cavity. The tray may have walls and a lower surface that define a cavity adapted to hold a beverage concentrate container, the lower surface being slanted relative to the base of the housing when the tray is coupled to the housing. The lower surface may have an connector fitting adapted to receive a beverage concentrate conduit.

Food service establishments (e.g., restaurants or convenience stores) often make non-carbonated beverages (e.g., tea or fruit juice) by using dispensing systems that mix beverage concentrates, usually in the form of a syrup, with water. Dispensing systems that use bag-in-box concentrate (or just concentrate in a flexible bag) typically store the concentrate at a remote location. The concentrate is brought to the dispensing machine via pumps in the dispensing system and long conduits. In a few dispensing mechanisms, the bag is "on-board," meaning within the dispenser housing. There are a number of ways in which to store on-board bags, but, in changing out the bags when they were depleted or when a flavor change was desired, leakage can cause a mess. Moreover, in prior art on-board bag systems, access was often a problem. Tools or wall removal was required for obtaining access to the bags. Not only is access a problem in such systems, that is access to the concentrate, but the location and member which supported such concentrate also presented problems in getting access to other elements of the beverage dispensing system.

Beverage dispensing system having electric pumps and a removable tray for holding concentrate bags


Embodiments of the invention relate to an axial locking system for a row of blades in a turbine engine. While achieving the desired axial restraint, the system is configured to allow remote manipulation of the locking system. For example, a locking system provided on the upstream side of a row of blades can be accessed from the downstream side of the blades. Such a system can provide significant cost savings during the installation and removal of the blades. In one embodiment, the axial locking system can include a plate with a rotatable cam. Cooperating with the disc, the cam can be rotated to bring the radially outer end of the plate into locking engagement with the turbine blades. The cam can be manipulated from the other side of the disc by a tool extending through a passage formed between the disc and the blade root.

The turbine section of a turbine engine is enclosed within an outer casing. A blade ring or vane carrier is disposed within the outer casing. One or more rows of stationary airfoils, known as vanes, can be attached to and extend radially inward from the inner periphery of the vane carrier. Depending on the engine, there may be a single vane carrier hosting every row of vanes, or there can be multiple vane carriers with each hosting at least one row of vanes.
The rows of vanes alternate with rows of rotating airfoils, commonly referred to as blades. Each row of blades is formed by a plurality of blades provided on a rotor disc such that the blades are arrayed about the periphery of the rotor disc. The individual blades include an airfoil, a platform and a root. The blade root is held in a slot provided in the disc. While the blades are held circumferentially and radially by their engagement with the slot and with the adjacent blades, such engagements do not sufficiently restrain the blades in the axial direction. Accordingly, some turbine engines include a locking system to axially retain the blades.
FIG. 1 shows a known system 10 for axially locking a blade 11. More specifically, the system 10 includes a plate 12. The plate 12 has a radially outer end 14 and a radially inner end 16. At its radially outer end 14, the plate 12 engages a slot 18 provided in the platform 20 of the blade 11. The plate 12 is secured near its radially inner end 16 to the rotor disc 22 by a bolt 23. Such locking hardware is provided on the axial upstream side 24 and the axial downstream side 26 of the disc 22 so as to substantially restrict movement of the blade 11 in the axial direction. A plurality of plates 12 can be provided about each side 24, 26 of the disc to axially restrain the entire row of blades 11.
Though successful in achieving the desired axial restraint, the prior locking hardware 10 can hinder the installation and/or removal of one or more blades 11 from the disc 22. For example, turbine inspections have revealed damage to only the last row turbine blades in some instances. The locking hardware 10 on the axial downstream side 26 of the disc 22 can be accessed and removed through the engine exhaust (not shown); however, the locking hardware 10 on the axial upstream side 24 of the disc 22 is not readily accessible. In order to remove the axial upstream locking hardware 10 and the blades 11 themselves, the outer casing (not shown) and the vane carrier (not shown) surrounding the last row of blades must be removed to gain access to the axial upstream locking hardware 10, particularly the bolt 23.
The removal of the outer casing and the vane carrier can require, among other things, the mobilization of a crane, special tooling, and work crews for additional work shifts. The expenses associated with such an undertaking can be considerable. Moreover, such a project can result in extended outages, and some service contracts can provide for significant liquidated damages or other penalties for extended outages. Thus, there is a need for an turbine blade axial locking system that can facilitate the installation and removal of turbine blades.

Remotely accessible locking system for turbine blades


A trailer-mounted trench burner apparatus comprises a blower source, a carrier pipe supported by roller assemblies on the trailer for movement between a rearward extended position in flow communication with the blower source and a forward retracted position on the trailer, and left and right manifolds pivotally mounted to a rear end of the carrier pipe. The manifolds fold to a storage position extending alongside the carrier pipe and unfold to a usage position extending laterally in opposite direction from the carrier pipe. The manifolds include nozzles for discharging air along an edge of an incineration trench to form an air curtain over the trench and circulate air within the trench. The trailer-mounted trench burner apparatus is designed for fast set-up at, and fast removal from, an incineration site.

The present invention is directed to the disposal of waste and more particularly to a transportable manifold apparatus for generating a curtain of high-velocity air over and into a waste combustion trench or chamber.
The disposal of waste such as trees, brush, yard waste, etc. is a major concern of the municipal, commercial and private sectors. Various types of recycling equipment and techniques are in use or have been proposed to dispose of such waste, all with varying degrees of success.
One method is to transport the waste to a landfill and bury the waste. However, landfill sites are becoming scarce and those remaining are cost prohibitive especially in rapidly growing urban areas. In addition, even if suitable sites can be found, they are often at a distance that makes transportation costs prohibitive. Since vegetation waste makes up approximately 40% of the bulk typically buried in landfills, most large cities require that the waste be separated from conventional garbage for purposes of mulch and compost manufacture in an effort to recycle the waste.
Each year there are tens of thousands of acres of land cleared of trees, brush, etc. for development and millions of tons of yard waste (small branches, leaves, grass, etc.) produced. Reducing the amount of such waste being buried or mulched would significantly reduce the pressure on the existing landfills and delay the need for opening new landfill sites. In addition, landfills are a relatively inefficient method of recycling. Being simply buried at one site, the economic potential of the waste material is never fulfilled. Also, solid waste landfills are diminishing rapidly and permits for new sites are difficult to secure.
Another waste material that presents challenges with regard to disposal is animal carcasses. In the past, diseased animal carcasses were usually buried and forgotten. Little was known about the agents that caused the deadly diseases which have wiped out many herds of cattle and entire chicken farms. It has been discovered that certain pathogens can survive for over fifty years in the soil where they have been buried along with animal carcasses that perished from the disease.
One alternative to landfills has been to incinerate the waste material. With regard to wood and vegetation wastes, this produces an ash residue which is extremely high in natural nutrients beneficial for plant growth. When the ash is mixed with compost and varying amounts of soil, a range of products from high-grade potting soil to top soil are developed. Open burning of the vegetation waste on site is the simplest and most cost effective way of incinerating the waste material. However, due to the many environmental limitations imposed by federal, state, and local jurisdictions, open burning is not always feasible or possible. With regard to the disposal of animal carcasses, the only known practical approach to the elimination of diseased carcasses is high temperature incineration.
Some open pit incineration has been made possible through the use of air curtain incinerators such as the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,258. In an open pit incinerator, the waste is loaded into a fire pit or trench through an opening and then ignited. High velocity air from a manifold positioned along the opening is then blown over and into the trench. The air flow pattern is intended to over-oxygenate the fire for more complete combustion and to provide a rotating mass of air that acts as a barrier or curtain to reduce the emission of smoke and ash from the fire. At many landfill sites, incineration trenches are dug at various locations on the site to reduce the amount of waste to be buried. It is also commonplace to dig and use incineration trenches at land clearing sites to reduce waste and generate soil nutrients, at forest service operation sites to reduce fuel for forest fires and clean post-fire debris, at wood products manufacturing sites to reduce waste, and at disaster sites to facilitate clean-up from a storm or flood or dispose of diseased animal carcasses.
Because road and highway transport of waste materials is costly, and in the case of diseased animals is undesirable for many reasons, the capability to provide an on-site incineration trench and means for generating an air curtain at the trench is beneficial. The aforementioned device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,258 provides a transportable trench burner comprising a trailer subassembly 10 carrying a blower source and a manifold subassembly 20 which can be assembled in the form of a T-shaped conduit extending from the blower source. The manifold subassembly is in individual pieces that must be fully disassembled from each other and stored on the trailer subassembly for transport. U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,712 discloses a generally similar trailer-mounted trench burner wherein an air curtain nozzle 1 must be disconnected from an air supply conduit 2 and stored atop the air supply conduit for transport. These trailer-mounted trench burners of the prior art are time consuming to assemble and disassemble, and require considerable trailer space to carry the disassembled parts. Moreover, hardware for securing the assembly connections is susceptible to being lost and must then be replaced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,113, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a portable incineration apparatus that provides an air curtain for reducing the emission of smoke and ash and to provide for more complete combustion of the waste materials. The apparatus provides a box having four walls with a top opening and a bottom opening. The inside of the walls are lined with a layer of a refractory material to form a combustion chamber. The incinerator also includes a source of high velocity air that is in air transfer communication with a manifold assembly to direct an effective sheet or curtain of high velocity air across the top of the opening and down into the combustion chamber. The panels that make up the side walls of the apparatus weigh up to 1200 pounds each and are constructed of refractory materials rated to withstand temperatures to 2800xc2x0 F. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,113 provides an xe2x80x9call in onexe2x80x9d solution that avoids the need for digging a trench. Although useful, this approach adds to the cost and overall size of the apparatus.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively compact trailer-mounted trench burner that may be set up for use or compacted for transport and storage very quickly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a trailer-mounted trench burner that requires minimal tools and hardware to set up or take down.
It is another object of the present invention to provide improved methods of setting up and taking down a trench burner.
In furtherance of these and other objects, a trailer-mounted trench burner apparatus formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a trailer; a blower source supported by the trailer for providing high-velocity airflow; and a foldable airflow delivery system extendable from and retractable to the trailer on rollers. The airflow delivery system includes an elongated carrier pipe extending in a lengthwise direction of the trailer and being mounted on the trailer by roller assemblies for movement between a forward retracted position and a rearward extended position, and left and right manifolds pivotally mounted to the carrier pipe for folding movement between a storage position wherein each manifold extends alongside the carrier pipe and a usage position wherein each manifold extends in a lateral direction from the carrier pipe. The carrier pipe includes an entrance port that aligns with the blower source when the carrier pipe is extended, thereby placing the carrier pipe in flow communication with the blower source. Each manifold includes a flow deflector arranged to receive airflow from the carrier pipe when the particular manifold is unfolded out to its usage position and redirect the airflow laterally for discharge through output nozzles spaced along an air curtain axis defined by the manifolds.
The invention also encompasses novel methods for setting up an incineration trench and a trench burner apparatus and for removing a trench burner apparatus from an operating location at an incineration trench. The set up method generally comprises the steps of towing the present trench burner apparatus near to a desired trench location, arranging the airflow delivery system of the apparatus in flow communication with the blower source, unfolding the airflow delivery system to define an air curtain axis, and digging the incineration trench in edgewise adjacency to the air curtain axis. The removal method generally comprises the steps of folding the airflow delivery system, moving the airflow delivery system out of flow communication with the blower source into a retracted position on the trailer, and towing the trench burner apparatus away from the incineration trench.


The present invention provides an NC machine tool which permits a check for the run-out of a spindle thereof at any time. The NC machine tool includes deflection detecting means (22) provided on a base within a machining area, and run-out diagnosing means (8) for conducting a diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle by calculating the amount of the run-out of the spindle on the basis of a deflection detected by the deflection detecting means (22) and comparing the calculated run-out amount with a predetermined tolerance. A test tool is attached to the spindle and rotated about an axis thereof, and the deflection of an outer circumferential surface of the test tool is detected by the deflection detecting means (22). On the basis of the deflection thus detected, the run-out diagnosing means (8) conducts a diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle. The diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle can be achieved through a simple and easy operation by moving the test tool into a detection area of the deflection detecting means (22).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an NC machine tool which has a spindle for rotating a tool held thereby and is adapted to numerically control a relative movement between the spindle and a workpiece and to conduct a diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The run-out of a spindle of a machine tool directly affects machining accuracies associated with the position, inner diameter and roundness of a machined hole. Therefore, the machine tool is inspected for the run-out of the spindle and conditioned so that the run-out of the spindle falls within a predetermined standard tolerance before delivery thereof from a machine tool maker to a user.
A typical method for the pre-delivery inspection is such that a cylindrical test tool having an outer circumferential surface finished with a high level of accuracy or a test tool having a spherical ball fixed to a shaft thereof is fitted in a taper hole of the spindle and rotated about an axis thereof, and the amount of a deflection of the outer circumferential surface of the test tool is measured, on the basis of which the run-out of the test tool is determined. Another known method for the inspection is such that a small-diameter parabolic mirror is attached to the center of a spindle nose, and a light beam from a microscope disposed with its optical axis substantially aligned with the center axis of the spindle is reflected on the parabolic mirror and projected onto a film through the microscope for imaging, and the run-out of the center axis of the spindle is determined on the basis of the result of the imaging.
A device for the pre-delivery inspection is provided separately from the NC machine tool. Where the run-out of the spindle is measured on a user side, the user has to provide such an inspection device on the user side.
As the NC machine tool is used for machining, the run-out of the spindle is gradually aggravated from an initial level observed at the delivery due to the aging of a bearing which supports the spindle. Therefore, it is preferred to regularly inspect the spindle for the run-out for prevention of a machining failure and a malfunction of the machine tool. With a recent tendency toward the speed-up of the machining, the rotation speed of the spindle has been increased to several hundreds thousand rpm (minxe2x88x921). Therefore, it is preferred to determine a static run-out observed when the spindle is rotated at a lower rotation speed as well as a dynamic run-out observed when the spindle is rotated at a higher rotation speed.
However, great costs are generally required for production of the inspection device on the user side, so that it is very difficult to prepare a special-purpose inspection device as described above on the user side.
A typical method for the determination of the run-out of the spindle on the user side is such that a test tool as described above is fixed to the spindle, and the run-out of the test tool is measured with the use of an indicator such as a dial gage while the spindle is slowly rotated with a probe of the indicator pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the test tool.
However, the indicator such as the dial gage has a measuring accuracy of about 2 xcexcm to 10 xcexcm, and is undoubtedly unsatisfactory as a run-out detector. Even if the regular inspection is conducted with the use of the indicator, there is virtually no change in the detected run-out. Therefore, the user refrains from the troublesome inspection operation, and tends to neglect to conduct the regular inspection. In most cases, the user inspects the spindle for the run-out after occurrence of a machining failure to find the cause of the machining failure.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide an NC machine tool which allows for a check for the run-out of a spindle thereof at any time.
In accordance with the present invention to solve the aforesaid problems, there is provided an NC machine tool which has a spindle for rotating a tool held thereby and is adapted to numerically control a relative movement between the spindle and a workpiece, the NC machine tool comprising: deflection detecting means provided on a base within a machining area for detecting a deflection of an outer circumferential surface of a test tool attached to the spindle when the test tool is rotated about an axis thereof; and run-out diagnosing means for conducting a diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle by calculating the amount of the run-out of the spindle on the basis of the deflection detected by the deflection detecting means and comparing the calculated run-out amount with a predetermined tolerance.
In accordance with the present invention, the test tool attached to the spindle is manually or automatically moved so that the outer circumferential surface thereof is located within a detection area of the deflection detecting means. Then, the test tool is rotated about the axis thereof, and the deflection of the outer circumferential surface thereof is detected by the deflection detecting means provided on the base within the machining area. Subsequently, the run-out diagnosing means calculates the amount of the run-out of the spindle on the basis of the detected deflection, and compares the calculated run-out amount with the predetermined tolerance for the diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle.
In the present invention, the diagnosis on the run-out of the spindle can be achieved through a very simple and easy operation by moving the test tool attached to the spindle so that the outer circumferential surface thereof is located within the detection area of the deflection detecting means. Therefore, a user of the NC machine tool can easily perform a regular run-out diagnosing operation in a daily work at any time. By thus performing the regular run-out diagnosing operation, a machining failure and a malfunction of the machine tool can be prevented.
The deflection detecting means comprises a main body having an insertion hole for receiving the test tool, and a non-contact type deflection detecting sensor fixed to the main body with a detecting portion thereof projecting in the insertion hole. The main body is fixed to the base, and the deflection of the test tool is detected by the non-contact type deflection detecting sensor with the test tool inserted in the insertion hole of the main body.
Since the deflection of the test tool is detected with the test tool inserted in the insertion hole of the main body, the test tool can exactly and properly be positioned with respect to the deflection detecting sensor simply by inserting the test tool into the insertion hole. Therefore, the positioning of the test tool can easily be achieved by manually moving the test tool. Further, the deflection of the test tool can be detected with a high level of accuracy by exactly positioning the test tool.
The deflection detecting means may include at least two non-contact type deflection detecting sensors disposed with deflection detecting directions thereof being perpendicular to each other.
The spindle runs out of its rotation center axis not only evenly but also eccentrically in one direction. In such a case, if a single deflection detecting sensor for the detection of the deflection of the test tool is located in a position where the deflection is smaller, the deflection of the test tool (i.e., the run-out of the spindle) cannot accurately be detected. With the aforesaid arrangement, the at least two deflection detecting sensors are disposed with the detecting directions thereof being perpendicular to each other, so that even the eccentric run-out of the spindle can assuredly be detected by either one of the deflection detecting sensors. Thus, the run-out of the spindle can accurately be detected.
The deflection detecting means may include two pairs of non-contact type deflection detecting sensors disposed in diametrically opposite relation with deflection detecting directions of one pair of non-contact type deflection detecting sensors being perpendicular to deflection detecting directions of the other pair of non-contact type deflection detecting sensors.
With this arrangement, the two pairs of non-contact type deflection detecting sensors disposed in diametrically opposite relation with the deflection detecting directions of the one pair being perpendicular to the deflection detecting directions of the other pair, so that the run-out of the spindle can more accurately be detected.
The run-out diagnosing means may be adapted to conduct a diagnosis on a static run-out observed when the spindle is rotated at a lower rotation speed and on a dynamic run-out observed when the spindle is rotated at a higher rotation speed.
As described above, the spindle is rotated at several hundreds thousand rpm (minxe2x88x921) for the speed-up of the machining. Therefore, it is preferred to determine the static run-out of the spindle rotated at the lower rotation speed as well as the dynamic run-out of the spindle rotated at the higher rotation speed. With the aforesaid arrangement, the diagnosis is conducted on the static run-out of the spindle rotated at the lower rotation speed and on the dynamic run-out of the spindle rotated at the higher rotation speed, so that the spindle run-out diagnosing operation can be performed in a suitable manner for the higher-speed machining. The term xe2x80x9clower rotation speedxe2x80x9d herein means a rotation speed up to 100 minxe2x88x921 and, for stable measurement of the deflection, the lower rotation speed is preferably not higher than 100 xe2x88x921. The term xe2x80x9chigher rotation speedxe2x80x9d herein means a rotation speed higher than the lower rotation speed. The higher rotation speed is preferably the highest possible rotation speed, as long as data can properly be sampled by a controller. More preferably, the higher rotation speed is a rotation speed closer to a natural frequency of the spindle to provide stricter measuring conditions.

NC machine tool having spindle run-out diagnosing function

Intelligent Manufacturing Systems International


This invention relates to use protein-polymer conjugates described in the specification to treat various diseases, including disease is idiopaic myelofibrsis, polycythaemia vera, and essential thromobocythaemia.

Advance in cell biology and recombinant protein technologies has led to the development of protein therapeutics.
Yet, major hurdles still exist. Most proteins are susceptible to proteolytic degradation and therefore have a short half-life in the circulating system. Other disadvantages include low water solubility and inducement of neutralizing antibodies.
Attachment of a polymer, e.g., polyethylene glycol (PEG), to a protein hinders access of proteolytic enzymes to the protein backbone, resulting in enhanced protein stability. In addition, it also improves water solubility and minimizes immuogenicity. There is a need for effective methods of attaching a polymer to a protein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Therapeutic use of interferon-polymer conjugates


The invention concerns a cushion or cushioning comprising, a cover an outer covering layer, a middle foam layer and an inner mesh layer. The cushion also includes an electric circuit connected to an electric generator, the circuit being made from conductive ink deposited on a support layer. The circuit extends opposite the complex; a block of elastically compressible padding, the support layer being formed either by the inner layer, or by an additional mesh layer interposed between the inner layer and the block.

It is known to produce a cushioning or cushion for a motor vehicle seat, the cushioning or cushion comprising consecutively:    a cover for lining the block, the cover being comprised of a plurality of formats associated with each other, at least one of the formats being in the form of a complex comprising, associated with each other, in sequence:    an outer covering layer,    a middle foam layer,    an inner mesh layer,    an electric circuit intended to be connected to an electric generator, the circuit being made from conductive ink deposited on a support layer, the circuit extending opposite the complex,    a block of elastically compressible padding.
In the embodiments of prior art, the cushions thus defined can have at least one of the following disadvantages:    the presence of the support layer—for example in the form of a thermoplastic film or non-woven—can contribute to stiffening the cushioning or cushion and therefore to altering the sinking comfort thereof,    the support layer, when it is sealed, as it is the case for a thermoplastic film, is detrimental to the hygrothermal comfort of the cushioning or cushion,    the support layer can, in particular when it is in a non-woven form, substantially absorb the ink in the thickness thereof, via the "blotting" effect, which can be detrimental to the characteristics of the electric circuit.
The invention has for purpose to overcome these disadvantages.
To this effect, and according to a first aspect, the invention proposes a cushioning or cushion for a motor vehicle seat, the cushioning or cushion comprising consecutively:    a cover for lining the block, the cover being comprised of a plurality of formats associated with each other, at least one of the formats being in the form of a complex comprising, an electric circuit intended to be connected to an electric generator, the circuit being made from conductive ink deposited on a support layer, the circuit extending opposite the complex,    a block of elastically compressible padding,    the support layer being formed:    either by the inner layer,    or by an additional mesh layer interposed between the inner layer and the block.
Recall here (in reference to the work "Le dictionnaire des textiles—Maggy Baum and Chantal Boyeldieu—les editions de l′industrie textile—2002) the definition of a mesh:    "Constituent and fundamental element of a textile surface that comprises a more or less loose network of intertwined yarns of a yarn loop passing through another. Basic unit of textiles fashioned in knitting, crochet, lace, wave, netting. Each mesh encloses one or several yarn loops joined in different ways to one another according to the technique used. By modifying the characteristics of the mesh, new patterns, other reliefs are obtained or created. Parts of the mesh: any mesh is comprised of:    a head: upper portion forming the half-circle of the needle loop;    two wings or legs: narrow portions of the mesh (lateral portions) that connect the head and the feet;    two feet: curved lower portion of the mesh."    Note: These various portions are shown in FIG. 3 presented hereinafter.
With the arrangement proposed:    the support layer, through the mesh nature thereof, is highly expandable; the ink also being expandable, the support layer does not contribute to stiffening the cushioning or cushion,    the support layer, through the porous nature thereof, is not detrimental to the hygrothermal comfort of the cushioning or cushion,    the support layer, in particular when the mesh thereof is sufficiently dense, substantially does not absorb the ink in its thickness, which makes it possible to have reliable electric circuits.
According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a seat provided with such a cushioning or cushion.


A condenser coil for a refrigerated beverage and food service merchandiser includes a plurality of parallel fins or V-shaped fins between adjacent tubes. In order to reduce the likelihood of fouling by the bridging of fibers therebetween, the spacing of the fins is maintained at a distance of 0.4 to 0.8 inches apart. In one embodiment, the coil includes a plurality of flat multichannel tubes, with no fins therebetween, and the spacing between the multichannel tubes is maintained in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 inches. In one embodiment, the coil includes at least one serpentine shaped, multichannel tubes, with no fins therebetween, and the spacing between flat, parallel segments of the multichannel tubes is maintained in the range of 0.4 to 0.8 inches.

This invention relates generally to refrigerated beverage and food service merchandisers and, more particularly, to a foul resistant condenser coil therefor.
It is long been the practice to sell soda and other soft drinks by way of vending machines or coin operated refrigerated containers for dispensing single bottles of beverages. These machines are generally stand alone machines that are plugged into standard outlets and include their own individual refrigeration circuit with both evaporator and condenser coils.
This self serve approach has now been expanded to include other types of "plug in" beverage and food merchandisers that are located in convenience stores, delicatessens, supermarkets and other retail establishments.
In such stores, cold beverages, such as soft drinks, beer, wine coolers, etc. are commonly displayed in refrigerated merchandisers for self-service purchase by customers. Conventional merchandisers of this type usually comprise a refrigerated, insulated enclosure defining a refrigerated product display cabinet and having one or more glass doors. The beverage product, typically in cans or bottles, single or in six-packs, is stored on shelves within the refrigerated display cabinet. To purchase a beverage, the customer opens one of the doors and reaches into the refrigerated cabinet to retrieve the desired product from the shelf.
Beverage merchandisers of this type necessarily include a refrigeration system for providing the cooled environment within the refrigerated display cabinet. Such refrigeration systems include an evaporator coil housed within the insulated enclosure defining the refrigerated display cabinet and a condenser coil and compressor housed in a compartment separate from and exteriorly of the insulated enclosure. Cold liquid refrigerant is circulated through the evaporator coil to cool the air within the refrigerated display cabinet. As a result of heat transfer between the air and the refrigerant passing in heat exchange relationship in the evaporator coil, the liquid refrigerant evaporates and leaves the evaporator coil as a vapor. The vapor phase refrigerant is then compressed in the compressor coil to a high pressure, as well as being heated to a higher temperature as a result of the compression process. The hot, high pressure vapor is then circulated through the condenser coil wherein it passes in heat exchange relationship with ambient air drawn or blown across through the condenser coil by a fan disposed in operative association with the condenser coil. As a result, the refrigerant is cooled and condensed back to the liquid phase and then passed through an expansion device which reduces both the pressure and the temperature of the liquid refrigerant before it is circulated back to the evaporator coil.
In conventional practice, the condenser coil comprises a plurality of tubes with fins extending across the flow path of the ambient air stream being drawn or blown through the condenser coil. A fan, disposed in operative association with the condenser coil, passes ambient air from the local environment through the condenser coil. U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,966 discloses a refrigerated glass door merchandiser having a condenser coil with staggered rows of finned tubes and an associated fan disposed upstream of the condenser coil that blows air across the condenser tubes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,754 discloses a refrigerated glass door merchandiser having a condenser coil with in-line finned tube rows and an associated fan disposed downstream of the condenser that draws air across the condenser tubes.
One problem that occurs with such self-contained merchandisers is that they are often in area that is heavily trafficked by people that tend to track in debris and dirt from the outside. This, in turn, tends to expose the condenser coil, which is necessarily exposed to the flow of air in the immediate vicinity, to be susceptible to airside fouling. With such fouling, the accumulation of dust, dirt and oils impede refrigeration performance. As the condenser coil fouls, the compressor refrigerant pressure rises, which leads to system inefficiencies and possibly compressor failure. Further, such products are often used in locations where periodic cleaning is not likely to occur.
The usual structure for such a condenser coil is a tube and fin design wherein a plurality of serpentine tubes with refrigerant flowing therein are surrounded by orthogonally extending fins over which the cooling air is made to flow by way of a fan. Generally, the greater the tube and fin densities, the more efficient the performance of the coil in cooling the refrigerant. However, the greater the tube and fin densities, the more susceptible it is to being fouled by the accumulation of dirt and fiber.
This problem has been addressed in one form by the elimination of fins and relying on conventional tubes as set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/421,575, assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference. A further approach has been to selectively stagger the successive rows of tubes in relation to the direction of airflow as described in U.S Patent Application No. (PCT/US03/12468), Continuation In Part Application of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/376,486 filed on Apr. 30, 2002, assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.

Foul-resistant condenser using microchannel tubing


A security device for preventing or inhibiting unauthorized separation of a first part (e.g., a cable filter device) from a second part (e.g., a cable signal source) includes a connector having first and second connector parts which are freely rotatable with respect to each other, the first connector part including a male threaded end for removable connection to the first part and the second connector part including a female connector end for removable connection to the second part. A cylindrical sheath extends in covering relation to the first and second connector parts and is freely rotatable with respect thereto. In the attached condition, the first and second connector parts are accessible for attachment and removal only with a specially configured tool.

The present invention generally relates to tamper-proof security devices, and more particularly relates to a security device which may be attached to any two parts to inhibit unauthorized detachment of the parts from each other. In the embodiment shown and described herein, the security device is configured to attach to a cable connector or cable filter device to prevent or substantially inhibit the unauthorized removal thereof from the cable signal source.
Cable filter devices (also referred to as "cable traps") are well known and are used by cable companies to block the transmission of unauthorized communication transmission signals (e.g., television channels) from a cable signal source to the customer's television set. The cable filter device includes the channel blocking electronics, typically located on a printed circuit board, positioned within a cylindrical housing having F-connectors at either end to detachably connect to mating F-connectors at the signal source and the cable leading to the television set. F-connectors are threaded connectors which are standard sized coax cable connecting elements within at least the U.S. market. As such, cable filter devices are easily attached and removed from the mating F-connectors at the source and cable leading to the television set. Unauthorized, illegal removal of the cable filter device has unfortunately been a common problem resulting in loss of revenue by the cable provider.


A camera phone mount having an end wall, an outer wall, an inner wall and an open end that form a cavity that receives a vertical support arm. Attached to the outer surface of the inner wall is an elongated mounting plate. A reusable adhesive pad is attached to an inner surface of the elongated mounting plate.

The present invention is directed to a phone camera mount and more particularly to a phone camera mount having a reusable adhesive pad. The adhesive pad is fashioned from a polyurethane gel or similar plastic that has an adhesive surface that, when it becomes dull or soiled, can be repeatedly restored by washing it with mild hand soap and water.
With the advent of phone cameras a variety of applications for use have arisen. One such example includes use of a phone camera with a slit lamp as an examination tool for eye practitioners. While phone cameras provide greater ease and convenience for use with a slit lamp, the problem of mounting the phone camera to the slit lamp still remains. Rigid mounts must be phone model specific and with the number of smartphone designs in use they are impractical and rapidly become obsolete. Also, conventional camera phones have limited macro capabilities for near objects and require additional optical aids for improved focus and magnification issues. Another deficiency in the prior art is that all other camera mounts for camera phones presented to date have only allowed the phone to be mounted to the slit lamp ocular thus limiting the photos to that limited field of view.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a device that addresses these deficiencies.
Presented is a reusable adhesive mount for a camera phone that is infinitely flexible and not only accommodates all current phone designs and camera lens positions, but will readily accept the inevitable changes in future phone designs and dimensions. Also presented is a mounting system that allows the camera to be mounted to the ocular but also provides a stable mount using an accessory external arm for direct external photos and videos that can also incorporate the slit beam. This addition greatly enlarges the range of external photos and videos to include the full face, both eyes simultaneously and all ocular tissues. The ocular mount, with its alignment light shield can be employed on any optical device that has a suitable ocular or concentric adjacent surface that will accept the ring clamp for mounting. Such devices would include YAG lasers, surgical assistant scopes attached to surgical microscopes, lensometers, pathology microscopes, binoculars and telescopes.
Also, the external camera mount camera support arm can be modified to allow it to be attached to a bicycle handlebar or stem so that any smartphone can be positioned for viewing while riding. This adaptation permits the use of various bicycle Apps for monitoring the rider's health parameters and for observing maps and trip statistics provided by a variety of available Apps using GPS data. The secure friction mount allows the smartphone and attached adhesive pad to be instantaneously removed from the hardware when leaving the bicycle.


In a storage tank for storing a liquid reducing agent, a sensor for outputting a signal related to a concentration and a remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent based on a heat transfer characteristic between two points at a distance from each other is disposed. In a control unit which contains a built-in computer, it is determined that a vehicle state is stable when a stop time for which a vehicle is continuously in a stationary state reaches a predetermined determination time, the concentration of the liquid reducing agent is calculated based on the signal from the sensor when the vehicle state is stable, and the remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent is determined based on the signal from the sensor irrespective of the vehicle state, in response to a measurement trigger output every predetermined time after a start of an engine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of ensuring a high detection accuracy of both a concentration and a remaining amount of a liquid reducing agent when a moving vehicle mounts thereon a sensor that outputs a signal related to the concentration and the remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent based on a heat transfer characteristics between two points distant apart from each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a catalyst purifying system for removing nitrogen oxides (NOx) included in engine exhaust emission, there is proposed an exhaust emission purifying apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-27627 (JP-A-2000-27627). In this exhaust emission purifying apparatus, a reduction catalytic converter is disposed in an exhaust system of an engine and the reducing agent is injection-supplied to an exhaust emission at a position on an upstream side of the reduction catalytic converter thereby catalytically reduction-reacting NOx in the exhaust emission with the reducing agent to purify and turn NOx into harmless components. The reducing agent is stored in a liquid state at room temperature in a storage tank and is injection-supplied from an injection nozzle with a required amount depending on an operating state of the engine. For the reduction reaction, ammonia with satisfactory reactivity with NOx is used. As the reducing agent, a urea aqueous solution, which hydrolyze due to heat of exhaust emission and water vapor to easily generate ammonia, an ammonia aqueous solution, and other reducing agent aqueous solutions (hereinafter, referred to as "liquid reducing agents") are used.
However, in the above conventional exhaust emission purifying apparatus, when reduction reaction efficiency is changed as the concentration of the liquid reducing agent is varied and if the engine operation is continued without acknowledging this change, NOx reduction efficiency is decreased and the required NOx purifying performance may not be obtained. Especially, NOx may be emitted in a large amount if the engine operation is continued while a mixture ratio between the reducing agent and water both constituting the liquid reducing agent is inappropriate, a different kind of aqueous solution or water is mixed, or a remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent becomes insufficient.
Therefore, provision of a sensor for detecting a concentration and a remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent based on a heat transfer characteristic between two points distant apart from each other is conceivable. However, when this sensor is mounted on a moving vehicle such as an automobile, the following problem might occur. Namely, because a vehicle body constantly vibrates due to undulations of a road surface during driving of the mobile vehicle, the liquid reducing agent can be moved to cause a phenomenon of convection in the storage tank. When the convection of the liquid reducing agent occurs, the heat transfer characteristics through the agent which behaves as a heat transfer medium changes, and thus, the accuracy in detection of the concentration which is more sensitive to the change in the heat transfer characteristics than the remaining amount of the liquid reducing agent must decrease significantly.

Apparatus for detecting concentration and remaining amount of liquid reducing agent