A power failure detection unit in an AC-DC converter device detects power failure of a 3-phase AC power supply at the time of driving a motor, and generates a power failure detection signal in accordance with detection of power failure. A transmitter unit in the AC-DC converter device transmits the power failure detection signal using a cable, radio, or an optical fiber. A receiver unit in a DC-AC converter device receives the power failure detection signal transmitted from the transmitter unit.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor control device provided with power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-101474, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-209936, Japanese Patent No. 3,472,433, and Japanese Patent No. 3,616,759, for instance, there is proposed a motor control device provided with a power failure detection unit configured to detect AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor and to generate a power failure detection signal in accordance with detection of power failure, and a control unit configured to control the motor for stopping the motor in response to detection of power failure, as a motor control device provided with power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor. In this configuration, internal wiring is disposed between the output line of AC power supply and the power failure detection unit.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hei 10-271866, Japanese Patent No. 3,369,346, and Japanese Patent No. 4,154,679, for instance, there is proposed a motor control device provided with a power failure detection unit configured to detect AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor and to generate a power failure detection signal in accordance with detection of power failure, and a control unit configured to control the motor for retracting a driven body driven by the motor in response to detection of power failure, as a motor control device provided with power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor. In this configuration, internal wiring is disposed between the output line of AC power supply and the power failure detection unit, as well as the above configuration.
Furthermore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3,541,121, for instance, there is proposed a motor control device provided with a power failure detection unit configured to detect AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor and to generate a power failure detection signal in accordance with detection of power failure, and an electric power supply unit configured to supply electric power to a DC link unit configured to accumulate electric power for driving the motor in response to detection of power failure, as a motor control device provided with power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor. In this configuration, internal wiring is disposed between the output line of AC power supply and the power failure detection unit, as well as the above configuration.
When a plurality of motors are controlled in order to stop a motor or an retract a driven body driven by the motor in AC power supply failure at the time of driving the motor, a plurality of DC-AC converter devices corresponding to the respective motors are individually configured. Therefore, it would be necessary to provide a power failure detection unit and a control unit for each of the DC-AC converter devices, in other words, to use power failure detection units and control units respectively corresponding to DC-AC converter devices.
The power failure detection timings by power failure detection units may differ from each other by variation of components constituting each of the power failure detection units. Further, the power failure detection timings by power failure detection units may differ from each other by an influence of voltage drop in internal wiring disposed between the output line of AC power supply and a power failure detection unit. Furthermore, the power failure detection timings by power failure detection units may differ from each other by a difference in instantaneous power failure tolerance amount of a device, in which each of the power failure detection units is installed.
Therefore, control for power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor may be complicated in order to avoid adverse effects due to different power failure detection timings by power failure detection units on motor control.
Further, when electric power is supplied to a DC link unit, in addition to motor control for stop a motor or retracting a driven body driven by the motor in AC power supply failure at the time of driving the motor, it would be necessary to use both a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit and a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit.
The power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit may differ from the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit due to variation of components constituting each of the power failure detection units. Further, the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit may differ from the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit due to a difference in instantaneous power failure tolerance amount of a device, in which each of the power failure detection units is installed.
Adverse effects due to a difference between the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit and the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit may affect the motor control. For instance, although power failure is detected by a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit, power failure may not be detected by a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit. In this case, it is impossible to stop a motor or retract a driven body driven by the motor in AC power supply failure at the time of driving the motor.
As described above, control for power failure management in AC power supply failure at the time of driving a motor may be complicated in order to avoid adverse effects due to a difference between the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to a control unit and the power failure detection timing by a power failure detection unit with respect to an electric power supply unit on motor control. The aforementioned control may be further complicated, as the number of devices equipped with a power failure detection unit increases. This makes it difficult to extend a device such as a power failure management device.

Motor control device provided with power failure management


According to one embodiment, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a storage and a control unit. The storage stores transmission/reception conditions for a first ultrasound probe among a plurality of ultrasound probes. Upon receipt of a second switching instruction to switch a second ultrasound probe to the first ultrasound probe after a first switching instruction to switch the first ultrasound probe to the second ultrasound probe, the control unit applies the transmission/reception conditions stored in the storage to the first ultrasound probe when the time between the first switching instruction and the second switching instruction is less than a predetermined time.

The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus transmits ultrasound waves to the inside of subject's body through an ultrasound probe and receives reflected waves therefrom to acquire the biological information of the subject. Many types of ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses are configured such that a plurality of ultrasound probes are connected thereto. There are various shapes of ultrasound probes such as linear probes, sector probes, and convex probes. The transmission frequencies are determined with respect to each ultrasound probe. When the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is used, for example, a plurality of ultrasound probes are connected thereto, and an operator such as a doctor, a technician, or the like selects a desired one of the probes depending on the situation.
In this selection, the operator selects a desired ultrasound probe using an operation device such as a touch command screen (TCS), a button switch, or the like. Similarly, the operator performs ultrasound diagnosis while switching desired ultrasound probes using the operation device. Further, there is a known example in which each ultrasound probe is provided with a contact sensor, and the contact sensor detects that the operator comes in contact with the ultrasound probe.
When performing ultrasound diagnosis while switching ultrasound probes in this manner, the operator may erroneously select an unintended ultrasound probe. For example, depending on the body posture of the subject and the positional relationship of the subject, the operator, and the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, the operator may use the operation device without watching it carefully and select an unintended ultrasound probe by mistake. In addition, there may be cases that erroneous selection occurs due to simple misoperation as the soft keys or button switches of TCS are narrowly spaced. For example, depending on the examination position, the operator often hold an ultrasound probe on the right hand and extends the left hand to TCS at a distance to operate it. At this time, if the TCS has a flat operation surface without projections and recesses, the operator cannot view the operation surface well. Moreover, since the operator cannot feel the buttons, he/she easily make wrong button operation.
Generally, each time an ultrasound probe is selected, the transmission/reception conditions of the selected ultrasound probe are reset to predetermined initial transmission/reception conditions. Therefore, if an ultrasound probe is erroneously selected and a desired ultrasound probe is selected thereafter, the transmission/reception conditions are reset. In this case, the operator has to set up the transmission/reception conditions, resulting in an increase in the examination time and the operation work.

Ultrasound diagnosis apparatus and medical image processing method


According to the present invention, the kinetic conditions (i.e. temperature and time) related to how metal glass alloys are transformed are manipulated to alter the microstructure and the resulting properties of the subject alloys. Low temperature recovery, relaxation, crystallization, and recrystallization phenomena are used to shift the microstructure of amorphous or partially crystalline coatings in order to tailor and improve their properties for specific applications.

All metallic glasses are metastable materials which will transform into crystalline metal materials given enough activation energy. The kinetics of the transformation of a metallic glass to a crystalline material is governed by both temperature and time. In conventional TTT (Time-Temperature-Transformation) plots, the transformation often exhibits C-curve kinetics. At the peak transformation temperature, the devitrification is extremely rapid but as the temperature is reduced the devitrification occurs at increasingly slower rates, due to generally log-time dependence of the transformation. The peak transformation temperature is generally found using analytical techniques such as differential thermal analysis or differential scanning calorimetry.
If there is a desire is to transform a glass then the glass may be quickly heated to a temperature at or greater than the peak crystallization temperature causing the glass to devitrify into a nanocomposite microstructure. Depending on the composition of the glass/alloy, a specific microstructure may be formed which will yield a specific set of properties. This conventional type of transformation is well known. If a different set of properties is needed, then a new alloy is designed, processed into a glass and then the glass is devitrified.

Properties of amorphous/partially crystalline coatings


A dispenser for granular material in predetermined doses is provided, including an upper part forming a reservoir for storing the granular material, and a lower part forming a base supporting a metering device, the upper and lower parts of the dispenser being separated by a horizontal wall comprising a flow window, the metering device including a closure member that can move between an adjustable open position in which the granular material can flow through the flow window into a removable receptacle and a closed position in which the closure member closes off the flow window, the movement of the closure member between the passing position and the closed position is achieved by pulling on the receptacle, the receptacle being rendered temporarily secured to the closure member during movement between the two positions, and the movement of the closure member between the closed position and the passing position being achieved by pushing on the receptacle, the receptacle including means for forming a stop coming to bear against the closure member.

The present invention relates to a dispenser of granular material in predetermined doses.
Material in the form of granules, such as dry pet food or washing powder, is usually metered and dispensed using a graduated cup with which a user scoops out granular material from an already-opened bag.
Metering is performed somewhat approximately because the cup can pick up an amount of granular material which is greater than or less than the required dose. The content of the cup then has to be adjusted either by tipping out some granular material or topping it up.
Furthermore, when it is a question of dispensing dry pet food, the user""s fingers come into contact with the pet food. This is greasy and often forces the user to wash his or her hands after this operation.
In addition, the action of the cup in the food causes the food to be churned around and become oxygenated and oxidized in the air.
This type of dispensing is therefore somewhat impractical, gives poor repeatability of doses of product for dispensing and is rather unhygienic.
The present invention therefore sets out to overcome these drawbacks by supplying a dispenser for granular material which is easy to handle.
Furthermore, the invention supplies a dispenser that allows predetermined doses to be dispensed with excellent repeatability.
Finally, the invention provides a dispenser which allows the product for dispensing to be stored under hygienic conditions.
According to the invention, the dispenser for granular material comprises:
an upper part forming a reservoir intended to store the granular material,
a lower part forming a base supporting a metering device, the upper and lower parts of the dispenser being separated by a horizontal wall comprising a flow window.
The metering device comprises:
a closure member that can move between an adjustable open position in which the granular material can flow through the flow window into a removable receptacle and a closed position in which the closure member closes off the flow window,
the movement of the closure member between the passing position and the closed position being achieved by pulling effected on the receptacle, said receptacle being rendered temporarily secured to the closure member during the movement between these two positions,
the movement of the closure member between the closed position and the passing position being achieved by a push effected on the receptacle, the receptacle being equipped with means forming a stop coming to bear against the closure member.
This dispenser is therefore particularly simple to use because its use requires just two handling operations to be performed. On the one hand, the user pulls on the receptacle to remove it from the dispenser, the receptacle being filled with a prescribed dose of granular material. On the other hand, having emptied the receptacle of its dose of granular material, the user pushes on the receptacle to put it back in position in the dispenser. This dispenser is therefore particularly easy to operate.
According to a first embodiment of the dispenser, the receptacle is equipped with at least one rack able to collaborate with at least one tab secured to the closure member supporting a tooth, the tab being able to move between a position in which it engages in each rack, thus securing the closure member and the receptacle, and a second position in which the tab becomes effaced against a ramp disconnecting the receptacle from the closure member.
Securing the receptacle and the closure member makes it possible, by pulling on the receptacle, to move the closure member from the open position in which the granular material flows into the receptacle through the flow window into the position in which the flow window is closed off by the closure member. Disconnection allows the receptacle to be released so that the dose with which it is filled can be emptied out.
Advantageously, the racks are situated on the longitudinal edges of the receptacle.
Advantageously, the receptacle is equipped with ribs sliding in slots formed on the horizontal wall.
According to a second embodiment of the dispenser, the receptacle is equipped with at least one rack complementing at least two toothed segments which are arranged on each of the flanks of the closure member parallel to the axis of movement thereof, the toothed segments being able to move between a position in which they protrude beyond the flanks of the closure member and mesh in the racks of the receptacle thus securing the closure member and the receptacle, and a second position in which the toothed segments retract into the closure member thus disconnecting the receptacle from the closure member.
Advantageously, two rigid rods are arranged inside the closure member more or less along its diagonals, each being able to move in rotation with respect to the point of intersection of the diagonals and kept apart by elastic means, each being equipped at one of its ends with a toothed segment and at the other of its ends, protruding beyond the closure member, with an unlocking stud capable of becoming effaced inside the closure member against a bearing surface so as, through a scissors effect, to cause the toothed segments to retract.
The rigid rods allow the closure member and the receptacle to be secured together reversibly through a scissors effect.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the rods are held apart by at least one leaf spring.
According to various features that the dispenser according to the invention might have:
the receptacle slides in a corridor formed in the lower part of the dispenser, the vertical walls of this corridor acting as a bearing surface for the ramps protruding beyond the closure member,
the closure member is equipped with lateral lugs that complement grooves formed in the lower part of the dispenser,
the closure member is equipped with a bearing arm extending at right angles to one of its flanks and able to come to bear against an adjustable surface.
In one embodiment of the adjustment of the position of the closure member, a flexible strip sliding in translation parallel to the direction of travel of the closure member has a stop against which the arm comes to bear.
The position of the closure member can thus be adjusted in an extremely simple way.
According to a first alternative form, the strip has a toothed edge in which a toothed wheel engages, rotation of the wheel causing translational movement of the strip.
According to a second alternative form of embodiment, the strip has a slider protruding from a slot formed in the wall of the reservoir and allowing it to be slid.
In a second embodiment of the adjustment of the position of the closure member, an endless screw, which can be turned by a knurled knob is arranged in the lower part of the dispenser, parallel to the axis of travel of the closure member, the endless screw taking a floating nut against which the bearing arm of the closure member butts.
Adjusting the position of the nut makes it possible to vary the position of the closure member with respect to the opening and therefore makes it possible to vary the dose of granular material that is to be withdrawn.
Advantageously, the end of the closure member facing the receptacle has an inclined plane and allows the granular material to be made to flow back toward the reservoir when the closure member is moved from the position of closure of the flow window to the position in which the flow window is open.
Advantageously, the receptacle is equipped with two bosses which come to bear against the closure member when a pushing action is exerted on the receptacle, so as to bring the closure member from the position of closure to the position in which the flow window is open at the end of the push, the bosses becoming housed in slots formed in the closure member.
The bosses with which the receptacle is equipped allow the closure member to be pushed back into the position in which the flow window is open.
Advantageously, a hopper having flanks which converge toward an opening, is arranged inside the reservoir.
The hopper, because of its converging shape, allows the granular material to all be discharged toward the flow window.
Advantageously, the side of the opening of the hopper or of the flow window is equipped with a rubber blade making it possible to prevent the granular material from becoming wedged between the closure member and the edge of the opening of the hopper.
For a good understanding thereof, the invention is described hereinafter depicting, by way of examples, several embodiments of the dispenser according to the invention.


A double-sided printed circuit board and a method for making the circuit board. The circuit board includes a metal support that functions as both a heat sink and a ground plane. The circuit board contains a dielectric having first and second conductive foil platings on opposing sides of the dielectric. Prior to bonding the first foil plating to the metal support with a conductive adhesive, a standard protective coating on the first foil plating, which typically remains on the foil plating in conventional practice, is removed in order to expose a bare surface of the first foil plating. The exposed bare surface of the first foil plating is then bonded to the metal support before any substantial oxidation or a build up of impurities on the first foil plating surface can occur.

Although conventional dielectrics used in manufacturing printed circuit boards, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are capable of tolerating high temperatures generated by high power and high wattage components, the generated heat must be dissipated in order to prevent the high temperatures from affecting the operation of the circuitry and possibly damaging the components or surrounding circuitry.
Initial attempts at solving this problem have resulted in designing pre-bonded metal-backed PTFE printed circuit boards. Metal-backed PTFE circuit boards began as a single-sided printed circuit board having a cladding or foil plating of conductive material, such as copper, on a front side of a dielectric and a metal backing or support on a backside of the dielectric. The metal backing was simply affixed to the backside of the dielectric material using a non-electrically conductive adhesive. The foil plating was patterned and etched to form printed wiring for securing electronic components, and the metal backing functioned as a heat sink.
Later attempts became more sophisticated and circuit boards were designed that incorporated electrically conductive or plated through holes (PTHs) that passed completely through the printed wire foil, the dielectric, and the metal backing, thus enabling the metal backing to function as a ground plane as well as a heat sink. Copper was the first metal used as a heat sink because of its compatibility with the plated through hole process. Aluminum was later used because of its ease in machining, lighter weight and lower cost. Aluminum now accounts for the majority of metal-backed PTFE circuit board designs, but the plating of aluminum backed PTFE circuit boards having plated through holes is generally a relatively expensive process.
A notorious problem associated with the pre-bonded metal-backed circuit board design is that the entire board must be processed as one assembly. Since the pre-bonded circuit board has plated through holes that extend completely through the thicknesses of the foil plating, the dielectric and the metal backing, these materials must first be bonded together before drilling holes in order to ensure that the plated through holes are correctly aligned. This construction method of the pre-bonded circuit board significantly limits the design options available to a design engineer because the dielectric and the printed wiring of the circuit board cannot be constructed independently from the metal backing. The metal backing must be permanently affixed to the dielectric during the initial construction of the circuit board, and thus be carried by the dielectric during the remainder of the circuit board construction procedure.
An alternative approach used to avoid the problems associated with pre-bonded circuit boards has been to build the circuit board separately from the metal backing as a double-sided board and then "sweat" the two together using solder paste. This attempted method, however, is very messy and the resulting bond is unreliable and tends to delaminate if subjected to vapor phase soldering and assembly.
A more recent attempt at designing a circuit board with a heat sink ground plane produces a double-sided PTFE circuit board having plated through holes extending through front and back foil platings on opposing sides of a dielectric. The back foil plating is coated in accordance with conventional procedure, and is configured to function as a ground plane. The coated back foil plating is then conductively bonded to a metal support or backing with a conductive adhesive. The conductive adhesive carries current to the metal support, or heat sink, in an attempt to eliminate the need for plated through holes in the heat sink.
While this design, at least in theory, appeared to provide a better alternative to some of the problems associated with prior attempts at designing a metal-backed circuit board, practical application of this design proved to create new problems. For example, in order to ensure the conductive quality of the foil plating used to form printed wiring, it is standard practice for all foil platings to be coated with a layer of protective material during production and prior to shipping. The coating is necessary in order to prevent a conductive foil plating, such as copper, from oxidizing or developing a film coating of impurities, thus becoming a less effective conductor than pure copper. The protective coating also functions to improve solderability of electronic components to the foil plating. The protective coating is typically a form of tin-lead that will melt when electronic components are soldered to the printed wiring of the circuit board.
As a result of the required protective coatings applied to the foil platings of circuit boards, the protective layer is positioned between the back foil plating and the conductive adhesive during the conductive bonding procedure. The presence of the protective coating being in contact with the conductive adhesive has negative effects on the quality of the finished circuit board. For example, the protective coating can melt, as it was designed to do, when exposed to heat, thus weakening or destroying the bond between the back foil plating and the metal support. Unfortunately, this exposure to heat occurs when the electronic components are being soldered to the front foil plating after the bonding procedure has been carried out. Furthermore, the protective coating can decrease the conductivity of the conductive bond by positioning a layer of less conductive material between the back foil plating and the metal support.
Commercially available plated dielectrics used in the production of circuit boards require the protective coatings in order to ensure the conductive quality of the platings, and the protective coatings cannot simply be removed without risking oxidation or the development of a film of impurities on the foil platings.

Circuit board having a bonded metal support


Representation of an array in dynamically-typed program code at runtime is provided. Program code is accessed at runtime. An instruction for adding, updating or deleting one or more elements for an array is detected within the code. The array is associated with a first kind of element comprising a first representation and packing format. A second kind of element is determined based on at least one of the instruction or the one or more elements, the second kind of element comprising at least one of a second representation or packing format. A determination is made that the first and second kind of elements are not consistent, based on an inconsistency between the first and second representation formats or packing formats. The array is converted so that the first and second kind of elements are consistent. One or more array elements are added, updated or deleted based on the instruction.

Many statically typed languages like C and C++ store double-precision floating-point values (or "double values") in memory in a compact and efficient "raw" format, for example, with each double value occupying 64 bits of memory (e.g., using the IEEE 754 64-bit format). Because the types of values and therefore their representation are known when a program is compiled in these languages, the compiler can generate efficient code that loads, stores and manipulates double values in memory. In a dynamically-typed language (e.g., JavaScript), the type of a value is often not known until runtime. This makes it difficult for a language implementation to use the simple and efficient "raw" storage format for double values.

Representation and conversion of dynamically-typed arrays


A vehicle trunk lid is provided with a lid which can cover on the vehicle trunk. Hinges are provided below the trunk lid for connecting to the side boards of the trunk, while respective hydraulic bars are provided below the two sides of the trunk, including side bars and several horizontal bars, such that the trunk may have a private space for storage purposes, and can be locked up. The support frame can bear and hold large freight.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle trunk lid, and particularly to one that can be installed on the trunk of a pickup truck, so as to prevent the freight in the trunk from being exposed to the rain, and to increase the utility of the trunk.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle is an extremely convenient traffic instrument. Take a pickup truck for example, it not only can carry five persons, but also can carry freight in the trunk. However, as the general pickup trucks have an open trunk, the user must prepare a tent for contingent use. In comparison with the trunk of an automobile, the pickup truck is rather inconvenient in use. Besides, when carrying freight in the rain, the freight would easily get wet, let along the exposed freight is easily stolen, and the arrangement of the freight might be disorder in sight. There exists a need in improvement.
In view of the above, the inventor has researched and developed the improvements for the prior art, as disclosed herein.


Provided are a magnesium-based alloy and a manufacturing method thereof. In the method, a magnesium alloy is melted into liquid phase, and an alkaline earth metal oxide is added into a molten magnesium alloy. The alkaline earth metal oxide is exhausted through surface reduction reaction between the melt and the alkaline earth metal oxide. Alkaline earth metal produced by the exhaustion reacts with Mg and/or other alloying elements in the magnesium alloy so that an intermetallic compound is formed. The magnesium prepared by the method is excellent in fluidity and hot-tearing resistance. To this end, the alkaline earth metal oxide added is CaO, and the added amount of CaO is 1.4 to 1.7 times the target weight of Ca to be contained in the final Mg alloy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnesium-based alloy with superior fluidity and hot-tearing resistance, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, since magnesium alloy or magnesium is the lightest element among commercially available metals and is excellent in specific strength and specific stiffness, it is being expected as a light structure material.
Magnesium with a specific gravity of 1.7 is not only the lightest element among commercially available metals, but its specific strength and specific stiffness are also superior to those of iron and aluminum. In addition, excellent mechanical properties can be obtained when manufacturing magnesium products by a die casting process. Therefore, magnesium is currently being applied to various fields, such as portable electronic components, aircrafts and sporting goods, etc., with mainly focusing on the field of automobile components. When magnesium alloys are applied to the automobile components, 30% of a weight reduction can be achieved.
Typical magnesium alloys among the currently available commercial magnesium alloys for die casting applications are magnesium (Mg)-aluminum (Al) based alloys such as AZ91D, AM50 and AM60. Properties required for magnesium alloy are corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance as well as castability suitable for die casting. Moreover, when considering competitiveness against steel and aluminum, development of magnesium alloys excluding high-priced additive elements is required in terms of cost.
Magnesium alloys which have been developed based on the above requirements are disadvantageous in cost in the case where an addition ratio of a rare earth element (RE) is increased. On the other hand, when adding alkaline earth metals (e.g., calcium (Ca) and strontium (Sr)) into magnesium alloys, there is a problem that the magnesium alloys have poor castability such as decrease in melt fluidity, hot tear cracks, and die soldering. The price of calcium is about $200/kg, causing the manufacturing cost of magnesium alloy to be increased.
Furthermore, in the case where alkaline earth metal (Ca or Sr) is directly added into magnesium or magnesium alloy, a portion of the alkaline earth metal is dissolved in the magnesium alloy. Therefore, in order to improve physical properties of the magnesium alloy, addition of more than a certain fraction of the alkaline earth metal is required. For example, Ca should be added in an amount of 1.34 wt % or more (0.8 wt % or more in a non-equilibrium state) in order to be undissolved in a magnesium matrix and to form an intermetallic compound with magnesium or other alloying elements, wherein the intermetallic compound affects physical properties of an alloy.

Magnesium-based alloy with superior fluidity and hot-tearing resistance and manufacturing method thereof

Korea Institute of Industrial Technology


An immersion nozzle used for measuring a level of molten metal, wherein a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion which are made of carbon are imbedded in a pair of slots which are provided on the surface of the immersion nozzle separately from each other and along the longitudinal direction in such a way that the first and second conductive portions form integral parts of the surface of the immersion nozzle.

Continuous casting is a process in which molten metal is cooled and made to solidify in order to continuously supply a molded piece in a predetermined shape.
FIG. 1 shows a continuous casting machine used for continuous casting process. The continuous casting machine includes a ladle vessel 510, a long nozzle 520, a tundish 530, a plurality of immersion nozzles 150 and a plurality of molds 540. FIG. 1 shows a single immersion nozzle and a single mold alone.
Molten metal, for example molten steel, fed to the ladle vessel 510 is delivered through the long nozzle 520 to the tundish 530. Molten metal stored in the tundish 530 is infused through the plurality of immersion nozzles 150 to the plurality of molds 540. The molds are water-cooled and the infused molten metal is cooled and made to solidify so that a metal piece, for example, a slab is continuously formed.
Keeping a level of molten metal in a mold of the continuous casting machine constant is important in improving product quality. Accordingly, various devices and methods have been developed to measure a level of molten metal in a mold.
A method in which an electrode is used as a path of electromagnetic wave when a level of molten metal in a mold is measured through propagation time of electromagnetic wave has been developed (JP3107183B). In this method, electrodes are inserted into the molten metal and a level displacement of the molten metal is measured using a difference in propagation time of a transmitted signal, which depends on the level displacement. More specifically, a first electrode and a second electrode are inserted into the molten metal which is electrically conductive. A first pseudo random signal is transmitted to the first electrode. A first product is obtained by multiplying the first pseudo random signal by a second pseudo random signal having the same pattern as that of the first pseudo random signal and a frequency which is slight different from that of the first pseudo random signal. A second product is obtained by multiplying a signal obtained from the second electrode by the second pseudo random signal. Then, a level displacement of the molten metal is calculated based on a time difference between a time interval of points of maximum correlation values in time pattern of the first product and a time interval of points of maximum correlation values in time pattern of the second product.
The reason that in the method described in JP3107183B electrodes are used as a path of propagation of electromagnetic wave is below. A common method in which a transmission antenna sends electromagnetic wave to the surface of the molten metal in the mold and a reception antenna receives electromagnetic wave reflected on the surface is affected by multipath reflection and cannot carry out a high accuracy measurement. Further, an antenna of a sufficiently large size can hardly be installed because of small spaces around the mold.
FIG. 2 illustrates the method for measuring a level of molten metal described in JP3107183B. In order to measure a level of molten metal (molten steel) 600 from the initial state, two electrodes 550A and 550B of length of approximately from 300 to 400 millimeters have to be inserted into the molten metal. When a metal having a melting point lower than that of the molten metal is used for the electrodes 550A and 550B, the electrodes 550A and 550B in contact with the molten metal 600 will dissolve and disappear. Accordingly, a level of the molten metal can be measured when the level of the molten metal is moving upward while it cannot be measured when it is moving down. When a metal having a melting point higher than the molten metal is used for the electrodes 550A and 550B, the electrodes 550A and 550B will be taken off by the metal (steel) 600 which has solidified after being cooled in the mold. In either case, the electrodes 550A and 550B have to be installed for each measurement. Since a space between the tundish 530 and the mold 540 are small, the two electrodes 550A and 550B have to be installed before the tundish 530 moves to a position above the mold 540. Thus, the installation requires time and labor consuming operation.
A method in which the tundish is used as a path of transmission of electromagnetic wave in place of an electrode has been developed (JP9-178533A). However, this method also employs another electrode, and therefore the above-described problem will not be solved.
Thus, an apparatus for measuring a level of molten metal using electromagnetic waves which allows high-accuracy measurement of a level of molten metal without the requirement for time and labor consuming operation has not been developed.

Immersion nozzle used for measuring level of molten metal and apparatus for measuring level of molten metal


A variable-speed driving system for 3-phase induction motor by potential-dividing D.C. power from a D.C. power supply into two D.C. powers, converting these two D.C. powers into 3-phase A.C. powers by means of series-connecting 3-phase inverters and delivering the 3-phasse A.C. powers to respective windings of the 3-phase induction motor. In order to equalize the output powers of the series-connected 3-phase inverters, circuits are provided which are operative in accordance with the voltage difference between the voltages input to said 3-phase inverters so as to control the modulation factors of the 3-phase inverters in the variable voltage/variable frequency mode and to control the voltages input to the 3-phase inverters in the constant voltage/variable frequency mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable-speed driving system for driving a 3-phase induction motor mounted on an electric car.
2. Description of the Relates Art
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a variable-speed driving system disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-23589. Referring to this Figure, 3-phase-inverters 6 and 7 are series-connected to a DC power supply 1 of, for example, 750 V, through a breaker 2 and a filter reactor 3. A filter capacitor 4 is connected to the input side of the inverter 6 in parallel therewith. Similarly, a filter capacitor 5 is connected to the input side of the inverter 7 in parallel therewith. Primary windings 81 and 82 of a 3-phase induction motor 8 are connected to the outputs of the inverters 6 and 7, respectively. As the breaker 2 is turned on, the filter capacitors 4 and 5 are charged with voltages which are obtained by dividing the DC voltage of the DC power supply at a ratio of 1:1. The 3-phase inverters 6 and 7 convert the divided D.C. voltage into 3-phase A.C. voltages and apply these voltages to the corresponding primary windings 81 and 82 of the 3-phase induction motor 8. A rotating magnetic flux formed by the current in the primary winding 81 and a rotating magnetic flux formed by the current in the primary winding 82 are magnetically combined so as to form a composite rotating magnetic flux. A rotor (not shown) of the 3-phase induction motor 8 is rotated by torque generated by the inter-action between the composite rotating magnetic flux and secondary current which is induced in a secondary circuit (not shown) of the motor.
In FIG. 1, a character I represents the current flowing in the filter reactor 3, E.sub.c1 represents the voltage between both terminals of the filter capacitor 4, E.sub.c2 represents the voltage between both terminals of the filter capacitor 5, I.sub.1 and I.sub.2 represent respective D.C. currents flowing into the 3-phase inverters 6 and 7, P.sub.1 represents the output of the 3-phase inverter 6 and P.sub.2 represents the output of the 3-phase inverter 7. It is assumed here that a condition P.sub.1 >P.sub.2 exists due to unbalance of characteristics between two 3-phase inverters 6 and 7 and the unbalance of impedance between to primary windings 81 and 82. Neglecting the internal losses of the 3-phase inverters 6 and 7, the following two conditions are met in the initial state of the motor. EQU P.sub.1 =E.sub.c1 .times.I.sub.1 >P.sub.2 =E.sub.c2 .times.I.sub.2( 1) EQU P.sub.1 +P.sub.2 =(E.sub.c1 +E.sub.c2).times.1 (2)
If the condition E.sub.c1 =E.sub.c2 is met in the initial state, the following conditions are derived from the formulae (1) and (2). EQU I.sub.1 >I>I.sub.2
Therefore, the voltage E.sub.c2 across the filter capacitor 5 increases while the voltage E.sub.c1 across the filter capacitor 4 decreases. The decrease in the voltage E.sub.c1 and increase in the voltage E.sub.c2 continue till the condition of I.sub.1 =I.sub.2 =I is obtained, and a balance is attained when the following condition is met. EQU P.sub.1 =E.sub.c1 .times.I>E.sub.c2 .times.I=P.sub.2
This causes an unbalance between the D.C. voltages applied to the 3-phase inverters 6 and 7, resulting in an unbalance between the outputs of the 3-phase inverters 6 and 7.
Thus, in the conventional variable-speed driving system, unbalance between the outputs of the 3-phase inverters 6 and 7 is often caused by various reasons such as difference in the characteristics of components such as switching devices (not shown) in the parallel 3-phase inverters 6, 7 and unbalance of impedance between two primary windings of the 3-phase induction motor 8. This unbalance of the outputs often causes accidents such as breakdown of the components of the 3-phase inverters.


A wall control unit for a movable barrier operator sends baseband signals over a wire connection to a head unit of a movable barrier operator to command the movable barrier to perform barrier operator functions. The wall control unit has a wall control unit port for connection to the wire connection. A first switch sends a barrier command signal to the head unit commanding the head unit to open or close a movable barrier. A second switch commands the head unit to provide energization to a light source. An infrared detector causes a command signal to be sent to the head unit to control the illumination state of the light source.

The invention relates in general to movable barrier operators and in particular to movable barrier operators such as garage door operators or gate operators which include passive infrared detectors associated with them for detecting the presence of a person or other high temperature object for controlling a function of the movable barrier operator such as illumination.
It has been known to use pyroelectric infrared detectors or passive infrared (PIR) detectors for the detection of a person in a particular vicinity. For instance, it is well known that pyroelectric infrared detectors can be used in combination with illumination lamps, carriage lamps, spot lamps and the like to form a low cost home security system. The pyroelectric infrared detector typically has a plurality of segments. One or more of the segments may be actuated by infrared radiation focused thereon by a Fresnel lens positioned in front of the PIR detector. The pyroelectric detector provides an output signal when a change occurs in the potential level between one element and another element in the array. Such an infrared detected voltage change indicates that a warm object radiating infrared radiation, typically a person, is moving with respect to the detector. The detectors to provide output signals upon receiving infrared radiation in about the ten micron wavelength range. The micron infrared radiation is generated by a body having a temperature of about 90xc2x0 F., around the temperature of a human body (98.6xc2x0 F.).
It is also known that garage door operators or movable barrier operators can include a passive infrared detector associated with the head unit of the garage door operator. The passive infrared detector, however, needed some type of aiming or alignment mechanism associated with it so that it could be thermally responsive to at least part of the garage interior. The detectors were connected so that upon receiving infrared energy from a moving thermal source, they would cause a light associated with the garage door operator to be illuminated.
It was known in the past to use timers associated with such systems so that if there were no further thermal signal, the light would be shut off after a predetermined period. Such units were expensive as the passive infrared detector had to be built into the head unit of the garage door operator. Also, the prior PIR detectors were fragile. During mounting of the head unit to the ceiling of the garage a collision with the aiming device associated with the passive infrared detector might damage them. The ability to aim the detection reliably was deficient, sometimes leaving blank or dead spots in the infrared coverage.
Still other operators using pivoting head infrared detectors required that the detector be retrofitted into the middle of the output circuit of a conventional garage door operator. This would have to have been done by garage door operator service personnel as it would likely involve cutting traces on a printed circuit board or the like. Unauthorized alteration of the circuit board by a consumer might entail loss of warranty coverage of the garage door operator or even cause safety problems.
What is needed then is a passive infrared detector for controlling illumination from a garage door operator which could be quickly and easily retrofitted to existing garage door operators with a minimum of trouble and without voiding the warranty.
A passive infrared detector for a garage door operator includes a passive infrared detector section connected to a comparator for generating a signal when a moving thermal or infrared source signal is detected by the passive infrared detector. The signal is fed to a microcontroller. Both the infrared detector and the comparator and the microcontroller are contained in a wall control unit. The wall control unit has a plurality of switches which would normally be used to control the functioning of the garage door operator and are connected in conventional fashion thereto.
The PIR detector is included with the switches for opening the garage door, closing the garage door and causing a lamp to be illuminated. The microcontroller also is connected to an illumination detection circuit, which might typically comprise a cadmium sulphide (CdS) element which is responsive to visible light. The CdS element supplies an illumination signal to an ambient light comparator which in turn supplies an illuminator level signal to the microcontroller. The microcontroller also controls a setpoint signal fed to the comparator. The setpoint signal may be adjusted by the microcontroller according to the desired trip point for the ambient illumination level.
The microcontroller also communicates over the lines carrying the normal wall control switch signals with a microcontroller in a head unit of the garage door operator. The wall control microcontroller can interrogate the garage door operator head unit with a request for information. If the garage door operator head unit is a conventional unit, no reply will come back and the wall control microcontroller will assume that a conventional garage door operator head is being employed. In the event that a signal comes back in the form of a data frame which includes a flag that is related to whether the light has been commanded to turn on, the microcontroller can then respond and determine in regard to the status of the infrared detector and the ambient light whether the light should stay on or be turned off.
In the event that a conventional garage door operator head is used, the microcontroller can, in effect, create a feedback loop with the head unit by sending a light toggling signal to the microcontroller in the head unit commanding it to change the light state. If the light turns on, the increase in illumination is detected by the cadmium sulphide sensor and so signaled to the microcontroller head allowing the light to stay on. If, in the alternative, the light is turned off and the drop in light output is detected by the cadmium sulphide detector, the wall control microcontroller then retoggles the light, switching it back on to cause the light to stay on for a full time period allotted to it, usually two-and-one-half to four-and-one-half minutes.
It is a principal aspect of the present invention to provide a quickly and easily retrofitted passive infrared detector for controlling the illumination of a garage door operator through conventional signaling channels.
It is another aspect of the instant invention to provide a garage door operator having a passive infrared detector which passive_infrared detector_can control a variety of garage door operators.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art upon a perusal of the following specification and claims in light of the accompanying drawings.

Movable barrier operator having passive infrared detector


(Problem)

Conventionally, for instance, a general solenoid valve is composed as shown in FIG. 14.
That is, as shown in FIG. 14, a solenoid valve 200 is provided with a control unit 204 comprising a valve element 202.
Moreover, the control unit 204 of this solenoid valve 200 is provided with an electromagnetic coil 208 through which a driving portion 206 is passed as shown in FIG. 14.
In addition, the electromagnetic coil 208 is provided with a bobbin 220 where the winding wire is rolled, and as to surround the periphery of the bobbin 220, it is molded with a molding resin 212. In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, the electromagnetic coil 208 is provided in a magnetic frame 214, and fixed to the driving portion 206 by the magnetic frame 214.
That is, the driving portion 206 is inserted in a driving portion inserting through hole 218 formed at the center section of a base plate portion 216 of the magnetic frame 214 and a driving portion inserting through hole 222 of the bobbin 220. In addition, into a bolt inserting through hole 226 formed at the upper part of an attracting member 224 of the driving portion 206, a fastening bolt 232 is screwed together, through a bolt inserting through hole 230 formed at the center section of an upper plate portion 228 of the magnetic frame 214.
As a result, an electromagnetic coil 208 is inserted in the driving portion 206 and is fixed, so that a control unit 204 of the solenoid valve 200 is composed.
In addition, the driving portion 206 is provided with a plunger casing 234, and a plunger 236 in which the valve element 202 is fixed that can be moved upwardly and downwardly in this plunger casing 234. In addition, between the attracting member 224 and the plunger 236, the plunger 236 is urged downwardly, that is, an urging spring 240 that urges the valve element 202 in the direction of the valve seat 238 is disposed.
As for such solenoid valve 200, by applying an electric current to the electromagnetic coil 208, the plunger 236 is moved in the directions of the attracting member 224 against the urging spring 240. As a result, the valve element 202 connected with the plunger 236 is separated from the valve seat 238, so that a valve port 242 is opened.
Moreover, by interrupting the application of the electric current to the electromagnetic coil 208, the plunger 236 is moved in the direction that separates from the attracting member 224 by the urging force of the urging spring 240. As a result, the valve element 202 connected with the plunger 236 abuts a valve seat 238, and the valve port 242 is closed.
Moreover, when the alternating current is applied to the electromagnetic coil 208, the magnetic flux is generated. Consequently, the plunger 236 is moved in the direction of the attracting member 224 against the urging spring 240. As a result, the state that the plunger 236 and the attracting member 224 abut each other, that is, the state that the valve element 202 is separated from the valve seat 238 and the valve port 242 is opened is maintained.
Conventionally, for the generation of the eddy current, in an annular groove 246 for the coil installation which is formed to a lower end surface 244 that faces to the plunger 236 of the attracting member 224, an annular shading off coil 248 (shading off ring) is installed.
In this case, the electromagnetic coil 208 which is used to drive the solenoid valve 200, power consumption is different in each power-supply voltage. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare it by the winding specification that does not exceed the temperature rise tolerance limit of electromagnetic coil 208.
Moreover, in the conventional solenoid valve 200, after the plunger 236 is attracted in the direction of the attracting member 224, it is necessary to keep the application of the electric current to electromagnetic coil 208. As a result, it is a fact to consume useless power.
By the way, in Patent Document 1 (JP 3777265, B), in order to attach the plunger which is integral to the valve element to a core and to hold attachment, a solenoid valve that controls electric current thrown to a coil is proposed. In this solenoid valve, the attraction is improved when the plunger is attached, and the electric current thrown to hold attachment is made a low current and unnecessary electricity consumption is reduced.
For that purpose, the solenoid valve drive control device 300 of this Patent Document 1, comprising, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 15, a full-wave rectifier circuit portion 302 that converts the ac power supply into the dc power supply, and a power supply smooth portion 304 that takes out the voltage more than the definite value from the power-supply voltage which is made direct current by the full-wave rectifier circuit portion 302 and smoothes it. Moreover, a comparison operation portion 308 that controls the application of the electric current and the interruption of the application of the electric current to a solenoid (electromagnetic coil) 306, and a driver element portion 310 to which the application of the electric current and interruption of the application of the electric current to the electromagnetic coil 306 are operated by outputting of a comparison operation portion 308.
In addition, it comprises, in order to flow the electric current about twice as a minimum holding current necessary to make the core (attracting member) attach the plunger by them into electromagnetic coil 306, and an attaching electric current indication portion 312 that indicates the electric current application time to the comparison operation portion 308. Moreover, in order to flow the electric current necessary for holding attachment of the plunger and the core to the electromagnetic coil 306, an attachment holding current indication portion 314, in which instruction of time of the application of the electric current and interruption of the application of the electric current to the electromagnetic coil 306 is indicated to the comparison operation portion 308.
That is, by the dc power supply by the full-wave rectifier circuit portion 302, an electric current, which is necessary to make the plunger to be attached to the core, is flowed in the electromagnetic coil 306. As a result, the plunger is attached to the excited core.
In addition, the application of the electric current and interruption of the application of the electric current to the electromagnetic coil 306 by a driver element portion 310 are controlled on the basis of the output from the comparison operation portion 308. As a result, holding attachment is performed by the electric current about twice as a minimum holding current necessary for being flowed when attachment is held.
In that case, the electric current application time, for which the electric current necessary for the first attachment is flowed to the electromagnetic coil 306, is decided by the attaching electric current indication portion 312. Moreover, the and the time of application of the electric current and interruption of the application of the electric current, for which the electric current necessary for holding attachment after it is attached are applied and interrupted, is decided by the attachment holding current instruction portion 314.
As a result, the electric current applied to the electromagnetic coil 306 can be increased to the maximum. Consequently, when the plunger is attached and is held to the core, the electric current that flows to the electromagnetic coil 306 becomes a low current and unnecessary electricity consumption can be reduced.
However, in the solenoid valve drive control device 300 of Patent Document 1, as shown in the drawing, the shading off coil (shading off ring) is installed in the core (attracting member). Therefore, power-factor worsens by inserting the shading off coil. As a result, moreover, the predetermined attraction is not obtained by the temperature rise of the electromagnetic coil by the application of the electric current. Consequently, the winding wire of the electromagnetic coil should be extra rolled, and it becomes a factor that the cost increases.
Moreover, in the solenoid valve drive control device 300 of Patent Document 1, after the plunger is attracted in the direction of the attracting member, a minimum holding current should keep being applied to the electromagnetic coil. As a result, useless power is consumed.
On the other hand, in Patent Document 2 (JP4911847, B), the air conditioning machine comprising the solenoid valve controller is disclosed.
That is, the solenoid valve controller 400 of Patent Document 2 comprises, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. 16, a positive characteristic temperature coefficient element 404, which is connected with a valve coil 402 of the four-way switching solenoid valve, and a relay 406 as the first switching device, which is connected with the positive characteristic temperature coefficient element 404.
Moreover, a diode D1 in which the cathode is connected with the valve coil 402, and a transistor Q1 as the second switching device in which collector is connected with anode of the diode D1 are provided.
In addition, a control unit 408, in which a control signal is output to the relay 406 and a control signal is output to the base of a transistor Q1 through a resistance R1, is provided.
Moreover, to the other end of relay 406, direct current high voltage (DC280V) from a power unit 410 for the inverter for the inverter circuit where the compressor of the air conditioning machine is driven is applied. In addition, to the emitter of transistor Q1, direct current low voltage (DC16V) from a power unit 412 for the control of the inverter circuit of the air conditioning machine is applied.
As a result, the relay 406 as the first switching device and the transistor Q1 as the second switching device are switched.
Consequently, direct current high voltage (DC280V) is supplied from the power unit 410 for the inverter to drive the compressor of the air conditioning machine. Moreover, direct current low voltage (DC 16V) is supplied from the power unit 412 for the control of the air conditioning machine. Therefore, the solenoid valve mechanical power source need not be separately prepared, and the cost can be reduced.
However, as for this construction, the power unit 410 for the inverter to drive the compressor of the air conditioning machine and the power unit 412 for the control of the air conditioning machine are necessary. Therefore, it can be insistently used for only the air conditioning machine, and it is not possible to use it for other usages generally.
After the plunger is attracted in the direction of the attracting member, a minimum holding current should keep being applied to the electromagnetic coil. As a result, useless power is consumed.
Therefore, the instant applicant, in Patent Document 3 (JP, 2014-105722, A), the solenoid valve drive control device is proposed. That is, in this solenoid valve driving control device, in an open valve drive period (A) for opening a valve port formed to the valve seat, after applying direct current high voltage (Va) to the solenoid, it is composed that a direct current low voltage (Vb) is applied for holding period (B) to hold the state of an open valve. Furthermore, when the supply voltage to the solenoid is switched from the open valve drive period (A) to the holding period (B), the voltage is decreased from direct current high voltage (Va) toward direct current low voltage (Vb) in the constant gradient. In such a way, the solenoid valve drive control device in which the voltage reduction device is provided is proposed.
As a result, the winding wire of the solenoid (electromagnetic coil) need not be extra rolled. Therefore, the member and number of processing are decreased, so that the cost can be reduced.
Moreover, after the plunger is attracted in the direction of the attracting member, a minimum holding current should keep being applied to the electromagnetic coil. However, the electric current is extremely low, and useless power never be consumed. Moreover, the phenomenon, in which the plunger is disengaged, is not be generated.
By the way, as for such a solenoid valve, the coiled body case is enlarged. Therefore, power that is required for attracting the plunger is also increased. In addition, when the coiled body case is large, the stray capacity of the coil is increased. As a result, big inrush current flows to the stray capacity at the superimposed voltage to the coil.
Moreover, when the inrush current is generated, the noise that originates in inrush current is occurred. It might not be able to meet EMC standard (Electromagnetic Compatibility) concerning the EMI measurement of a general standard among related standards.)

Solenoid valve drive control device and solenoid valve comprising solenoid valve drive control device

Abstract: (Problem)

Abstract: The invention is to provide to a solenoid valve drive control device, in which though the magnetic path is normally composed (i.e. the plunger is attached to the attracting member), it is never determined by mistake as the dropout, and it is never entered into the reabsorption mode of the plunger.

Abstract: (Resolution Approach)

Abstract: The invention is a solenoid valve drive control device of the invention, in which by controlling of the zero cross timing generation device 72, after application of the electric current to the solenoid 66 is started at zero cross timing by the switching device 68, when the current value that flows to the solenoid 66 detected by the electric current sensing device 78 reaches the circuit protection electric current value Ic (αA), a stabilization mode that repeats the ON-OFF cycle plural times (four times of the total in the Embodiment of FIG. 4), in which application of the electric current to the solenoid 66 is interrupted by the switching means 84, is operated (see A5-A8 in FIG. 4).


In a pair of glasses comprising at least a sight piece (2) and two side members (4) which are joined to the sight piece (2) or to a frame (3) that is allocated to the sight piece, pivotably about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis (14), it is provided that the side members (4) are pivotable by 180xc2x0 towards the inside of the sight piece (2).

The invention relates to a pair of glasses comprising at least a sight piece and two side members which are joined to the sight piece or to a frame that is allocated to the sight piece, pivotably about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis.
When glasses are no longer worn, the side members may be folded, conventionally saving space. Hinges enable the side members to be folded. When folded, the side members must be in alignment with each other, resting nearly in parallel and directly on the sight piece. The glasses then have a compact structure and may be carried in cases or the like. Customarily, a certain distance is left between the side members and the sight piece, meaning that the side members do not rest directly on the sight piece. This problem becomes especially obvious when the frame and the side members are comparatively strongly curved. Space is wasted by this distance between side members and sight piece, which may be troublesome when the glasses are carried. Because of this distance, the folded side members are not sufficiently protected by the strong frame when the glasses are carried around.
It is an object of the invention to embody a pair of glasses with side members of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that the side members, when folded, rest alongside the sight piece.
According to the invention, this object is attained in that the side members are pivotable by 180xc2x0 towards the inside of the sight piece.
The space required by such a folded pair of glasses is decidedly reduced by this design, even if the frame is strongly curved for optimal fitting a wearer""s head. No longer standing as far away from the sight piece, the side members are better protected by the stable frame.
In keeping with another embodiment of the invention, provision is by advantage made for the sight piece and the side members to be curved, with the radius of curvature of the side members at least approximately corresponding to the radius of curvature of the sight piece.
The two nearly identical radii enable the side members, when folded, to rest alongside and close to the sight piece and confer optimal fitting properties to the glasses.
Provision is further made for the side members to be mounted pivotably on the sight piece in such a way that their distance from the sight piece changes upon folding.
In this way the side members, when folded, will rest one on top of the other in parallel.
In keeping with an advantageous embodiment, the bearing is formed by a pin reaching into a hole, with the head of the pin projecting over the diameter of the hole.
This design helps attain manufacture at a low cost and reliable functioning of the bearing.
Provision is further made for the head of the pin to be divided by a slit.
Pressing together the two halves of the head helps put into practice simple assembly and detachment of the side members and the sight piece.
By advantage, the pin and the side members form a single piece.
Few components are required for the manufacture of glasses according to the invention. Manufacture at a low cost is feasible.


A method for making porous lead dioxide electrodes having a relatively large active surface area and long service life is disclosed. The electrodes employ a grid which is coated first with a thin layer of nickel and then with a thin layer of lead. A paste containing a halogenated lead compound is applied over the lead and successively reduced and oxidized to form an active mass of porous lead dioxide. The finished porous lead dioxide electrode is suitable for use in storage batteries.

An electrode is a device adapted to pass electric current into and out of an electrochemical cell of an accumulator. Each electrode has an active mass of material, which provides a surface for receiving or donating electrons. The trend in electrode design today is towards electrodes having a porous active mass which presents a larger surface area per unit weight of active mass, resulting in reduced weight and volume requirements for the electrodes overall.
A known method for making lead electrodes involves covering a metallic grid with an active mass of lead containing polytetrafluoroethylene dispersed as a colloid in the active mass. In that process, polytetrafluoroethylene is mixed with water to form an aqueous suspension. The suspension is subsequently mixed with powdered lead oxide to form a paste containing from about 20% to about 40% water by weight. The paste is converted to the active mass of the electrode.
However, the electrodes produced by that previously known method have a relatively small active surface area. Also, the active mass forms only a weak electrical connection with the metallic grid.
Therefore, there is a need for making lead electrodes with a porous active mass, which has a large active surface area and which strengthens the electrical connection between the active mass and a grid. Such a porous lead electrode would lead to electrochemical cells and accumulators which produce more power per unit of weight and also present very low electrical resistance. Accordingly, an accumulator constructed with such electrodes could withstand relatively large surges in power demand and would be useful for powering electric hoists, electric cars, electric trucks and starter motors for internal combustion engines. Accumulators employing such electrodes would also weigh less because they are capable of producing more energy for a given weight.
There exists a need for making porous lead electrodes using simpler technology and producing less waste to pollute the environment than previously known processes. Ideally, such a process would also be suitable for automation so that workers would encounter less exposure to toxic materials such as lead metal.


A single user fantasy game, including a database of VFGMs, each having strategies and player rankings supplied by or for certain human remote GMs, together with a database of real-world athlete/participants. A draft is launched, with the user and at least selected VFGMs as participants. In that draft, the user and the VFGMs make selections of athlete/participants according to predetermined draft rules. Those selections made by the user and by the VFGMs are then saved as respective teams in a team database. Once the teams are selected, the performance of the teams is determined, using a database of real-world performances/statistics, for the athlete/participants in the database of athlete/participants, from a particular time period and according to a set of fantasy game scoring rules. A winner is determined from among the user and the VFGMs, based on the performance of the teams for the particular time period.

This invention relates to games or tournaments based on sports, television shows or other real world events, and specifically to fantasy games wherein the user/fantasy player selects real-world athletes, actors, topics, industries or event participants and, according to certain rules and point systems, compare the performance of their fantasy teams based on real-life results.
To win a fantasy game, a user will do the best job of predicting future performance and drafting or managing his or her team based on those predictions. Fantasy leagues are known to fans of major sports and other events. Included are fans of professional football, professional basketball, professional hockey, major league baseball, auto racing, television shows such as American Idol, and industries such as movies and fashion. Typically in the prior art, a "draft-style" league is created having a plurality of participating team general managers. The managers gather, either in a physical location or online, at a previously agreed date and time before the start of the corresponding season, show or event, to draft "players" (hereinafter referred to as "athlete/participants") for their fantasy teams. The rules can vary from fantasy league to fantasy league, but in general, each participating team general manager is permitted to draft a certain number of athlete/participants to create a roster. For example, a typical fantasy football team roster might have two quarterbacks, six running backs, six receivers, two kickers, two defenses and two special teams. As another example, typical American Idol league would involve selecting a roster that would include the top finishers in the American Idol competition from among the Hollywood finalists.
Often, however, such gatherings can be difficult to schedule, as the schedules of eight, ten or twelve users to participate in such a draft can be difficult to coordinate, and it can be difficult to find a suitable time to conduct a draft when all the users who are team general managers are available. In order to combat this scheduling problem, sometimes fantasy leagues have the users create a list of players before the draft so that, if a particular user is not able to attend the draft, at least that user will be able to receive some picks, based on the list that user determined before the draft.
Many such users or team general managers consider the draft the most fun part of fantasy sports, as the most challenging part of the game can be selecting the players to be on the roster. Often, users get discouraged if they are randomly assigned a draft position they consider disadvantageous. Often, such leagues end early because many of the users quit or lose interest, leaving the league with limited competition and ruining the experience for others in the league. The use of a predetermined list, the assignment of an unfavorable draft position, or the loss of users during the game, as described above, can substantially reduce the fun of the game or tournament.
This invention relates to improvements to fantasy leagues to make them more interesting, and to solutions to some of the problems raised or not solved by conventional fantasy leagues.


Apparatus for stop flow membrane probe analysis which apparatus is especially suitable for on-line analysis, the apparatus necessarily including five parts. The first part is a reservoir for containing an extractant. The second part is a flow control unit, being a pump or valve, the flow control unit connected to the reservoir, the flow control unit being of the type that can be turned on and off. The third part is a flow through membrane probe, the flow through membrane probe being connected to the flow control unit. The fourth part is a detector, the detector being connected to the flow through membrane probe. The fifth part is a switch for turning the flow control unit on and off so that the apparatus can be used for stop flow analysis. Preferably, the detector is also connected with the reservoir so that the extractant flowing through the probe and detector can be. recycled back to the reservoir. The probe is immersed into a process stream. A component of interest of the process stream permeates across the membrane into the extractant to be detected by the detector.

Membranes have been widely used in chemical analysis. Cortes and Davis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,521, used membranes to determine components of interest in latex serum. Stevens, Jewett and Bredeweg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,004 used membranes to suppress an Ion Chromatography eluent. Morabito, Melcher, Hiller and McCabe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,042 used membranes in a Gas Chromatography system. Stevens, Frawley, Swart, Harris, Diedering, Nicholson and Rothman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,161, used membranes to add reagent to a Flow Injection Analysis carrier stream. Melcher and Burr, U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,821, used membranes in a phenol analyzer. Melcher and Cortes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,476 described a Liquid Chromatography system employing a membrane, the membrane partitioning a sample from a flowing stream of an extractant, a component of interest permeating across the membrane from the sample into the extractant. Melcher and Cortes also described that the flow of the extractant could be stopped to increase the concentration of the component of interest in the extractant. Yalvac, Melcher and Bredeweg, PCT International Publication Number WO 92/15012, used membranes to determine organic acids. Flow through membrane probes are known in the art of membrane chemical analysis.
The apparatus used in membrane chemical analysis systems typically includes a number of valves. However, when a membrane chemical analysis system is used to analyze a chemical process stream and is installed in the process area, i.e., on-line analysis, then the valves can require more maintenance than is desired especially if the valves are multiport valves. It would be an advance in the art of membrane chemical analyzers if the number and complexity of the valves used could be reduced.


An electronic device that may process a security packet is provided. The electronic device includes a first processor configured to transmit a security context and a second processor configured to process a packet to which security is applied using the security context.

Internet Protocol (IP) security is technology in which the IP, which is a network layer, provides security. The IP security includes protocols such as an Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) that together supports an authentication header that allows authentication of a data transmitter and data encoding and authentication of a transmitter. The IP security provides a tunnel mode that provides a security tunnel between security gateways and a transport mode that provides a security tunnel between termination hosts.
The IP security may be applied to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. In this case, messages of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for setting the VoIP call may be processed according to the IP security. Typically, when a commercialized Long Term Evolution (LTE) system provides the VoIP service, a terminal uses a plurality of TCP/IP stacks. Each TCP/IP stack may be controlled by different processors. In this case, when IP security is applied, a TCP/IP stack maintains and manages a context of the IP security. Accordingly, because another TCP/IP stack may not process an IP security packet, when transmitting a specific SIP message to which IP security is applied, a TCP/IP stack that manages the IP security context should be woken up. Even in a signaling procedure that may be processed by another TCP/IP stack, because the other TCP/IP stack does not have the IP security context, the other TCP/IP may not process the signaling procedure.
As described above, as a TCP/IP stack manages an IP security context, a message or a packet to which IP security is applied may be processed only by a corresponding TCP/IP stack. When a processor that controls the TCP/IP stack that manages the IP security context is always activated, problems are unlikely to occur. However, when the TCP/IP stack that manages the IP security context is in an idle state according to a predetermined condition, even if another TCP/IP stack is activated, the TCP/IP stack should finish an idle state.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Apparatus and method for processing security packet in electronic device


The document relates to a method of performing subsurface imaging of embedded structures underneath a substrate surface, using an atomic force microscopy system. The system comprises a probe with a probe tip, and a sensor for sensing a position of the probe tip. The method comprises the steps of: positioning the probe tip relative to the substrate: applying a first acoustic input signal to the substrate; applying a second acoustic input signal to the substrate; detecting an output signal from the substrate in response to the first and second acoustic input signal; and analyzing the output signal. The first acoustic input signal comprises a first signal component and a second signal component, the first signal component comprising a frequency below 250 megahertz and the second signal component either including a frequency below 2.5 megahertz or a frequency such as to provide a difference frequency of at most 2.5 megahertz with the first signal component, such as to enable analysis of an induced stress field in the substrate; and wherein the second acoustic input signal comprises a third signal component having a frequency above 1 gigahertz, such that the return signal includes a scattered fraction of the second acoustic input signal scattered from the embedded structures. This enables to perform imaging a various depths in one pass, across a large range of depths.

Developments in the semiconductor industry are typically governed by Moore's law which predicts that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles every two years. As will be appreciated, this poses significant technological challenges whenever technological boundaries constituted by physical laws are encountered and need to be overcome to meet the industry demands for even smaller and smaller integrated circuits.
A new type of structures that is presently on the rise are the three dimensional NAND or 3D NAND type memory structures. The term NAND, in this context, is not an abbreviation or acronym, but refers to the logical operation NAND or in other words NOT(AND( . . . , . . . )). 3D NAND devices consist of hundreds of stacked device layers having a total thickness of a few micrometers. In order to enable monitoring and inspection of alignment, overlay and/or product metrology during and after manufacturing of such devices, a subsurface imaging technology is to be applied that allows to visualize even nanometer structures buried deeply (several micrometers) below the surface of the device.
Acoustic type atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been proposed as a suitable technology to perform subsurface imaging on semiconductor structures. These methods typically apply an ultrasound signal to a sample or sometimes to the probe, while scanning the sample in contact mode (ultrasonic atomic force microscopy (UAFM)). As a result of the applied ultrasound signal, the interaction between the probe and the surface contains a component that is dependent on the elastic properties of the sample. Due to the fact that buried structures underneath a sample alter the local contact elasticity between the probe tip and the surface, the application of the ultrasound signal and proper analysis of the probes deflection (i.e. via the output signal) allows to visualize subsurface structures. In particular, the detection of subsurface structures by means of ultrasonic AFM is based on resonance frequency shifts of a cantilever that are due to contact stiffness changes. Such resonance shift is detected by measuring the amplitude or phase change at a single frequency.
A disadvantage of the abovementioned ultrasonic atomic force microscopy methods for subsurface imaging, is that although they work well for performing all kinds of imaging, monitoring and inspection at shallow depths, they are unable to do so at greater depths. In particular during manufacturing of semiconductor elements, there is a desire to monitor or check for overlay error between layers at various depths of the device manufactured.

Method of and atomic force microscopy system for performing subsurface imaging

Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO


A single drive shaft simulator and method is disclosed that allows up to four independent actions to be imposed on a test specimen such as an artificial joint specimen. These motions about mutually orthogonal axes are provided, and a constant compressive force and/or dynamic force may also be applied. The mechanical simulator is simple, accurate, and robust. The simulator assures synchronous movement where amplitude and profiles of the motion can be independently adjusted.

This application relates to a simulator, particularly an apparatus and method of simulating or evaluating joint implants or artificial joints, for example, knee, spine, hip, and ankle joints, under simulated loading conditions. More particularly, the application relates to a mechanical simulator that is simple, accurate, and robust. However, features of the apparatus and method may be applicable to related uses that encounter the same or similar issues.
Artificial joints are prevalent and under continuous development and improvement. Just as important is the ability to test or simulate the artificial joint or implant under conditions that impose various loads representative of end use of the implant.
Commercially available simulators are relatively complex. For example, these units are typically servo-hydraulic units. However, these simulators are very expensive. Moreover, the servo-hydraulic simulators suffer drawbacks associated with their design. For example, the servo controls are electronic in nature and the lack of synchronous operation over an extended period of time can adversely impact test results. That is, separate servo controls are typically provided for separate motion of different axes. Trying to coordinate the separate motions over a large number of cycles (on the order of one to ten million cycles, for example) leads to the problem of the separate motions becoming out of synchronization.
As a result of the synchronization issue, or in an attempt to simplify and reduce the cost of the simulator, these known servo-hydraulic simulators often approximate the results of tests on specimens by adding the results from one set of motions to the other. For example, an implant may be exposed to cycling along one axis such as ten million cycles and then on a second axis in which the specimen has undergone another ten million cycles. The individual results are then mathematically superimposed in an effort to estimate the combined effects of the individual evaluations.
Still another issue with known simulators is that they are not as robust or rugged as desired. Multiple input sources are more prone to problems and not as desired as a single drive shaft.
Accordingly a need exists in the industry for a simulator that is accurate, robust, and versatile. The simulator must be able to provide a number of different types of motion, and able to maintain the desired synchronous movement even after an extended number of cycles. The ability to vary the different types of motion, e.g., vary the aspect ratio, is also a desired feature. There is also the need to expose the test specimen to static, compression, and dynamic forces while allowing motions about three orthogonal axes in a saline or bovine serum that approximates the end use of an implant, which may include the ability to vary the temperature at which the specimen is subjected. Further, the cost of the simulator must be reasonable in order to gain acceptance in the industry.

Simulator for evaluating artifical joint specimens and associated method


An iron-type golf club head is assembled from a front component (4) made of a metal material having a specific gravity ρ1, a rear component (5) made of a fiber reinforced resin having a specific gravity ρ2 lower than the specific gravity ρ1, a toe-side component (6) made of a metal material having a specific gravity ρ3 higher than the specific gravity ρ1, and a heel-side component (7) made of a metal material having a specific gravity ρ4 higher than the specific gravity ρ1.

The present invention relates to an iron-type golf club head, more particularly to a hybrid golf club head assembled from components made of at least two kind of metal materials and a fiber reinforced resin.
Heretofore, in order to lower or adjust the position of the center of gravity and increase the moment of inertia of an iron-type golf club head, there have been widely employed a technique to insert a weight member in a lower part of the club head.
For example, in the Japanese published unexamined application No. 10-314349, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the sole (s) of the head (i) is provided with a hollow, and a weight member KO made of a tungsten alloy is placed in the hollow, and the opening of the hollow is closed by a metallic alloy plate.
In the US Patent application publication US 2007-281796-A1, as shown in FIG. 6(B), a plurality of weight members are inserted in the toe (t), heel (h) and sole (s) of the head.
In these techniques, in order to insert the weight members KO, their maximum sizes are limited, and thereby the increase in the moment of inertia and the lowering of the position of the center of gravity are limited.
Further, when making the weight members KO and forming the holes or hollows into which the weight members KO are inserted, high dimensional accuracy is required, therefore, the production efficiency is not good.


A roll feed apparatus of the type including a pair of rolls for clamping a workpiece therebetween and for intermittently feeding the workpiece, comprises a differential gear, operatively connected to at least one of the rolls, for rotating the roll(s). A mechanical feeding mechanism is connected to the deferential gear for outputting a rotational output thereof to the differential gear for effecting the intermittent feeding. Fine adjustment of the intermittent feeding is effected by an adjustment arrangement which includes a servomotor, also connected to the differential gear, for outputting a rotational output thereof to the differential gear, a rotational angle sensor for sensing a rotational angle of the servomotor to output a rotational angle signal representing the rotational angle sensed, reference position providing element for providing a reference position signal representing a reference position of the workpiece, and servomotor controller for comparing the rotational angle signal with the reference position signal to produce a signal representing the difference therebetween for controlling the servomotor to correct the difference.

The present invention relates to a roll feed which may be used for feeding works to presses or the like.
The roll feed is a machine which holds a work between a pair of vertically aligned rolls, and feeds the work into dies of a press, for example, by intermittently rotating the rollers. Conventional roll intermittent rotation mechanisms, include a mechanical intermittent rotation mechanism, utilizing crank movement or other movement of the press, and an electrical intermittent rotation mechanism using a servomotor.
The mechanical intermittent rotation mechanism includes a one-way clutch type mechanism, a cam indexing type mechanism, etc. The one-way clutch type mechanism intermittently rotates rollers by a crank shaft through a drive rod and an oscillating lever whereas the cam indexing type mechanism intermittently drives the rollers by both a rotation cam, provided to the crank shaft, and an associated cam follower mounted on the roll side.
In the electrical intermittent rotation mechanism, there is a roll drive mechanism which intermittently rotates rollers by a servomotor. The rotation angle of the rollers is detected by an encoder or a pulse generator. By counting the number of pulses, the length of works fed is measured, and the results are fed back to the servomotor.
Recent presses require processing at a higher speed and a high accuracy. This requires high speed and high reliability for roll feeding. Other than high seed stability and high reliability, flexibility is required to meet and satisfy various other requirements, for example, in the case where works are to be fed at a high speed so as to synchronize to markings on works, and in the case where the roll feed is used for feeding works in secondary working in a high speed line.
In spite of these requirements, the conventional mechanical roll drive mechanism is difficult to control. More specifically, it is difficult to change the length of feed, feed speed and feed time although it is excellent in both high speed stability and reliability. On the other hand, the electrical roll drive mechanism is excellent in controllability but is inferior to the mechanical one in high speed feeding, stability, and reliability.

Roll feed apparatus for intermittently feeding a workpiece


The use of a supported noble metal catalyst obtainable by applying a sparingly soluble noble metal compound to a support from solution or suspension, and subsequently treating thermally, for preparing olefinically unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

The present invention relates to the use of a supported noble metal catalyst for preparing olefinically unsaturated carbonyl compounds from olefinically unsaturated alcohols by oxidative dehydrogenation, and to corresponding supported noble metal is catalysts.
More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of supported noble metal catalysts obtainable by a particular process for preparing 3-methylbut-2-en-1-al from 3-methylbut-3-en-1-ol.
The preparation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds by oxidative dehydrogenation over suitable catalysts is known to those skilled in the art and has been described many times in the literature.
DE-B-20 20 865 accordingly describes a process for preparing alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, wherein the dehydrogenation catalysts used, according to the description, may be alloys and metal compounds, specifically some metal oxides of the transition group elements. It is additionally stated in this document that the catalysts can be used in pure form, such as in the form of mixed catalysts with or without support substance. Particularly suitable catalysts mentioned are zinc oxide, cadmium oxide and manganese oxide, and also mixed catalysts composed of the metals Cu, Ag and/or Zn. Regarding the preparation of the catalyst, there is no further information in this document.
EP-A 881 206 describes a process for continuous industrial preparation of unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes in a tube bundle reactor. Preferred catalysts mentioned for this process are supported silver catalysts which consist of spheres of an inert support material coated with 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on the amount of the support, of a layer of metallic silver in the form of a smooth, abrasion-resistant shell. In addition, a particular ratio of the greatest diameter of the coated catalyst spheres to the internal diameter of the reaction tube should preferably be observed.
DE-A 27 15 209 discloses a process for preparing 3-alkylbuten-1-als, wherein a catalyst with a total layer thickness of 5 to 35 mm and 2 or more layers of silver and/or copper crystals is used. The production of the catalyst with a plurality of layers is of the noble metal is relatively complex.
EP-A 357 292 discloses a process for preparing ethylene oxide. The catalysts used in this process are silver catalysts, wherein the silver has been applied to a porous heat-resistant support with a particular specific BET surface area. According to the information in this document, the silver can be applied to the support as a suspension of silver or silver oxide in a liquid medium, for example water, or by impregnation of the support with a solution of a silver compound. Subsequently, this silver compound is reduced to elemental silver by thermal treatment. There is no information in this document regarding a possible use of the supported silver catalysts thus prepared for preparing ethylenically unsaturated carbonyl compounds.
3-Methylbut-2-en-1-al, also known by the trivial name prenal, is an important precursor for citral, which is in turn an important product for a multitude of chemical syntheses. The catalysts described in the literature for preparation of prenal (3-methylbut-2-en-1-al) are produced by relatively complex processes and under production conditions which are in need of improvement overall. It would therefore be desirable to obtain supported noble metal catalysts for the synthesis of prenal from isoprenol (3-methylbut-3-en-1-ol), which are obtainable in a simple manner and which can also be controlled with regard to their selectivity simply by additions of compounds which act as promoters.

Use of a supported catalyst containing precious metal for oxidative dehydrogenation