A vehicle seat with a built-in cushion airbag device includes an inflator that produces gas by being activated; and a cushion airbag that is divided by a tether into a plurality of inflating portions including at least a rear-side inflating portion arranged on a seat lower side of a rear portion of a seat cushion, and a front-side inflating portion arranged to a seat front side of the rear-side inflating portion, and that inflates toward a seat upper side, with the front-side inflating portion becoming higher than the rear-side inflating portion, by the gas produced by the inflator being supplied.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a built-in cushion airbag device.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle seat described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-162546 (JP 2008-162546 A), a cushion airbag is provided on a seat lower side of a seat portion (seat cushion), and this cushion airbag is divided into a front-side inflating portion and a rear-side inflating portion. When the vehicle is involved in a frontal collision, the front-side inflating portion and the rear-side inflating portion inflate, such that the buttocks and thighs of a seated occupant are pushed upward toward a seat upper side. As a result, the seated occupant is inhibited from slipping forward toward the seat front side under a lap belt (a so-called submarine phenomenon), such that the waist of the seated occupant remains restrained by the lap belt. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-168599 (JP 2007-168599 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-320389 (JP 2007-320389 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-195202 (JP 2008-195202 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-239872 (JP 2001-239872 A), Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-016970 (JP 2012-016970 A), and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-079862 (JP 2002-079862 A) each describe a vehicle seat with a built-in cushion airbag device.
However, in the vehicle seat with a built-in cushion airbag device described above, the rear-side inflating portion inflates relatively large and pushes the buttocks of the seated occupant upward toward the seat upper side, so there is a tendency for a load placed on the neck of the seated occupant to increase. That is, when the buttocks of the seated occupant are pushed upward toward the seat upper side by the rear-side inflating portion, the upper body of the seated occupant tries to move toward the seat upper side, but the head of the seated occupant wants to stay in position due to inertial force. Therefore, the head of the seated occupant is displaced so as to fall toward the seat front side. As a result, the load placed on the neck of the seated occupant increases. Thus, the vehicle seat with a built-in cushion airbag device described above has room for improvement regarding this point.

Vehicle seat with built-in cushion airbag device


A blast machine having a table with a satellite table rotatably mounted thereon and a support rack upstanding from the satellite table and multiple attachment arms projecting outwardly from the support rack.

Abrasive rotating table blast wheel equipment has been utilized for many years in the treatment of various items by directing shot or small metal spheres at a high velocity to the items in order to remove any burrs or other imperfections created in the manufacturing process. The items to be treated include virtually anything made of metal from quite large items, such as motor vehicle parts, to smaller ones, such as gears and the like.
Generally, when items to be blasted are placed in the blasting machine, they are maintained in a stationary position throughout the blasting process. In order to insure that all surface area receives blasting treatment, the machine had to be stopped, the items turned over to expose the previously unexposed underside, the machine reactivated and the blasting process completed.
By this invention, a rotating table is pivotally mounted on a blast machine such that when the access doors of the machine are open, the table can be swung from the exterior of the machine to the interior of the machine and the access doors closed wherein the abrasive wheel apparatus is then activated. Multiple rotatable support assemblies are mounted on the upper surface of the table for the purpose of receiving items to be blasted.

Parts hangers for rotating table blast machine


The inventive concepts provide semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same in which the method includes forming a capacitor including a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer and a top electrode sequentially stacked on a substrate, and also where formation of the top electrode includes forming a first metal nitride layer on the dielectric layer, and forming a second metal nitride layer on the first metal nitride layer, in which the first metal nitride layer is disposed between the dielectric layer and the second metal nitride layer, and the first metal nitride layer is formed at a temperature lower than a temperature at which the second metal nitride layer is formed.

The inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the inventive concepts relate to semiconductor devices including capacitors and methods for manufacturing the same.
Capacitors having sufficient capacitances in a limited area have been needed as semiconductor devices have become increasingly highly integrated. The capacitance of a capacitor is directly proportional to a surface area of an electrode and a dielectric constant of a dielectric layer that comprises a capacitor, but is inversely proportional to an equivalent oxide thickness of the dielectric layer. Therefore, to increase the capacitance of a capacitor in a limited area, the surface area of the electrode may be increased by using a three-dimensional structure for the capacitor, by reducing the equivalent oxide thickness of the dielectric layer, and/or by using a material having a high dielectric constant as the dielectric layer.
To increase the surface area of the electrode, a height of a bottom electrode (or a storage electrode) may be increased, and/or an effective surface area of the bottom electrode may be increased using a hemi-spherical grain (HSG), and/or the bottom electrode may have a one cylindrical storage (OCS) shape to use both an inner surface area and an outer surface area of the OCS shape. In addition, materials having a high dielectric constant may be selected, for example a metal oxide layer (e.g., TiO2 or Ta2O5) and/or a ferroelectric having a perovskite (e.g., PbZrTiO3 (PZT), or BaSrTiO3 (BST)).

Method for manufacturing a capacitor for semiconductor devices


A textile with transparent light structure and heat-insulating construction and the method of manufacturing the same comprise a surface layer and an underlying layers the underlying layer and the surface layer have air layers and high shrinkage-rate yarns therein, and include non-transparent weft yarns and transparent yarns. By controlling the non-transparent yarn and the transparent yarn, the transparent light property can be obtained. Further, through the heat treatment, the multiple high shrinkage-percentage yarns thereto contract to make the surface layer and the underlying layer individually protruded. The air layers are just the heat insulating factor of the textile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a textile with transparent light structure and heat-insulating construction and the method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, it refers to a textile comprising a surface layer and an underlying layer. Through the multiple high shrinkage-rate yarns, an air layer is formed between the surface layer and the underlying layer, thus having the heat insulating effect. Further, the transparent and non-transparent weft yarns are adopted in the surface layer and underlying layer to facilitate the transparent light function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Accordingly, the upholstery textile has been ever increasingly tending to meet the social requirements of a comfortable and healthy life in recent years. As a result, the upholstery textile is trending to the development of functional features, especially the dominant trend in anti-radiance, light shielding, UV light shielding, and heat insulating. Additionally, with the concerns about the converging of function and trend, most of the foreign developed countries have adopted the combination of the designs in evolving the material and textile construction to facilitate the functionality of the upholstery textile, thus resulting in the increasing delicate, systematical, and aesthetic trends.
Light-shielding textile products are widely used nowadays, such as window curtain, sun canopy, sun umbrella, beach umbrella, and garden umbrella. Because of the advancing technology, the applications of the textile products are expanding in parallel with the soaring requirement of the sun-shading textile. From the need in improving the sun shading in the windows of house, the textile of sun curtain is indeed an economical choice. The dominant function of the sun curtain is to block the sunlight penetration, and if the accessory function of transparent light to offer the indoor illumination can be included, it would significantly advance the commercial value of sun-shielding curtain. Generally, sun curtain with light shielding only requires increasing the textile density, or dyeing into dark color, or even filling up the gap by coating process. However, in order to meet the adequate transparent light and heat-insulating functions at once, the textile construction would be obliged to be modified. From the previous sun curtain with a pure light shielding function to one with adequate transparent light and heat-insulating as well, it requires to consider the textile construction with blocking the direct sunlight from some specialized angles, but allowing the scattering light to penetrate.
As the disclosed light shielding textile in Japanese patent No. 09-000425, wherein the multiple construction textile is formed of the light-shielding yarn of thermoplastic synthetic fiber and non-light-shielding yarn of facile thermal deformation. In which, the surface is made of said non-light-shielding yarn with said light shielding yarn embedded there-under, which is heated and pressed into compact shape, and forms a light-shielding layer inside, thus constructing a textile with the function of light shielding.
As the improved structure of light-shielding screen in Taiwan patent No. 423534, wherein the screen is dominantly made of the flat weaving of warp yarn and weft yarn. Its characteristic is the rising warp of the light-shielding screen with a flat yarn wove on each adequate distance so as to advance the light shielding and ventilation. Wherein, said flat yarn is clad with an aluminum layer.
As the light-penetrable textile with incongruous direction and the method of manufacturing the same in the Japanese patent 2001-271246, wherein the permeable incident light is decreased from the vertical direction of the cloth while the transmittancy of the incident light from the inclinatory direction of warp yarn is prompted comparatively. Therefore, it can not only advance the light-shielding function of perspective, but also facilitate the transparent light effectively as well. Adopting the multi-layer construction textile of 3-7 layers, with warp yarn of luster cloth and weft yarn of light-shielding function, the interstice is formed by the designed construction so as to facilitate the effective penetration of the incident light from the comparatively inclinatory direction of the warp yarn.
3M had claimed for the U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,901 under the patent subject—UV protected syndiotactic polystyrene overlay films on Sep. 19, 2000, wherein said UV protected film can retain the robust dimensional stability under extreme environment with the manufactured syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) film of macromolecule capable of low moisture absorption, excellent thermal stability, and high transparency. When used in combination with a UV-blocking coating, the sPS film exhibits a degree of resistance to UV-induced discoloration and degradation that is substantially superior to unprotected sPS films or films based on sPS resins that are merely compounded with a UV absorber, and can be applied to signals and any outdoor UV protected applications.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,609, claimed on Nov. 5, 2002, shows color shifting film glitter, wherein the glitter, at least a portion of which comprises color shifting film. The glitter is useful in any of a variety of ways, including in loose form, attached to the surface of a substrate, or in a dispersible combination.
Further, as the Japanese patents No. 09-000425, and TW423534, wherein the main drawbacks are:    1. The light shielding yarn is used to produce the light shielding effect, and to advance the light-shielding rate the flatness of the yarn must be increased. However there are some difficulties in the spinning and weaving of the yarn with high flatness.    2. The post finishing method of heating and pressing the yarns to flat to achieve the advanced light shielding effect would easily cause the thermo-dissociation of textile and deterioration of the material.    3. The surface of flat yarn is covered with an aluminum layer to achieve the light shielding effect. However, this practice would prompt the cost and cause the weaving difficulty.    4. In order to meet the present consumers requirement on the light shielding textile product, it tends to contain both transparent light and heat-insulating characters. Therefore, the product with only transparent light character is out of date for the market demand.
Further, the main shortages in J.P. 2001-271246 are shown as following:    1. The structure of multiple layers with 3 to 7 layers is difficult to implement the weaving.    2. The spacing of the multiple-layer textile cannot be accurately controlled and friendly adjusted, which may affect the anisotropic effect.    3. The same structure with different types of yarn would result in large difference in anisotropic directions. Therefore, it limits the types of the yarn for the usage.    4. In order to enhance the light permeability of oblique transmission, it decreases the light shielding efficiency in the vertical direction.    5. It only has an anisotropic transparent light effect, but lacks of heat-insulating characteristic.
Finally, the main disadvantages in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,901, U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,209 are shown as the followings:    1. It only can be coated or adhered on the transparent surface, but not applied to sun canopy, garden umbrella, tent, or other outdoor-related textile products.    2. Thin film cannot be used as the design for the graph and the color.    3. Thin film cannot be used individually.
According to the afore-mentioned problems, to provide a novel textile with transparent light and heat-insulating construction and the method of manufacturing the same—which has always been the concern of the inventor for a long time not only can improve the difficulty in conventional weaving but also conquer the shortage of inevitably adopting special flat yarn or special post finishing. Besides, it can also arbitrarily control and adjust the light textile with heat insulating effect. Based on the engagement in the research, development, and practical sales experience in the related products of textile for many years, the idea of invention has been in embryo, and finally, a kind of construction of light textile with heat-insulating function and improved method of manufacturing the same have been figured out via the dedicated personal professional knowledge, study design, and seminars to conquer the above-mentioned problems.

Textile with transparent light structure and heat-insulating construction and method of manufacturing the same


A multi-nozzle recording head has heating elements in a density in a range between 400 and 2400 dpi arranged on a substrate. Ink is fired out through a nozzle by a function of growth of air bubble generated in a recording liquid in each heating element. The multi-nozzle recording head has a dimension such as to cover a recording range of a recording medium which is conveyed by a conveyance belt to a position at which the nozzle surfaces of said recording head face said recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording device, and a copier, and, in particular, to an ink-jet recording device including a heating-type fixing device which carries out heating fixing of liquid used for recording by making adhesion thereof to a recording surface of a recording medium, and, to a copier employing such a type of an ink-jet recording device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink-jet recording device performing recording by firing ink and making it adhere to a recording surface of a recording medium is put into a practical use widely. In an ink-jet recording device, generally speaking, a recording head is provided which has an ink firing nozzle provision surface which fires ink to a recording surface of a recording medium.
Such a recording head fires an ink drop formed by a pressure of an electromechanical transformation device or a heating energy of a thermoelectrical transformation device controlled based on a driving control signal supplied according to image data, to a recording surface of a recording medium through the ink firing nozzle provision surface.
In the recording head, in order to attain improvement in the speed of recording speed, a so-called multi-nozzle type is used in which ink firing nozzles are arranged at a comparatively high-density, i.e., for example, 400 dpi through 600 dpi, or ink nozzles are provided throughout a recording range, for example, throughout the width of recording medium.
In such a long-sized recording head, since ink is fired out comparatively so much for a short time, an ink firing amount increases compared with a conventional recording head, and dryness thereof comes to take a time on the recording medium.
Moreover, since an ink adhering to the recording surface of the recording medium has a possibility of causing a blot of the ink resulting from mixture of various colors of the ink as the number of ink nozzles increases and recording speed becomes higher, it is necessary to fix the ink onto the record surface of the recording medium positively within a short time.
A heat fixing scheme by which the ink adhering to the recording surface of the recording medium is dried by heating has been known as an effective method for fixing ink on the recording surface of the recording medium. However, concerning the dryness of the ink on the recording medium in a condition in which a recording head has many ink firing nozzles arranged there and having a long dimension has not yet been studied enough.
The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-described situation, and, a first object of the present invention is to provide a page-printer-type ink-jet recording device having a long dimension in recording head and high density in nozzles such as to cover the entire printing width of a recording medium, and in which, a recording medium is carried by a carrying belt, and, thereby, an image formed thereon before dryness is prevented from being degraded, and, also, high-speed recording such as tens of sheets per minute, high definite and high quality image recording can be achieved.
An ink-jet recording device according to the present invention includes:
a multi-nozzle recording head having heating elements in a density in a range between 400 and 2400 dpi arranged on a substrate, wherein ink is fired out through each nozzle by a function of growth of air bubble generated in a recording liquid in each heating element,
wherein said multi-nozzle recording head has a long dimension so as to cover a printing range of a recording medium which is conveyed by a conveyance belt to a position at which the nozzle surface of said recording head face said recording medium.
Thereby, it is possible to prevent an image printed on the recording medium thereby from degraded even before the image has not been dried sufficiently.
The recording medium used there may preferably comprise a coating paper having a material coated on a base material such that the ink adhering thereto is easy to be absorbed thereinto
Thereby, the image printed is easy to be dried, and, thus, even the thus-obtained printed matters are stocked in a condition in which they are stacked on each other, each image on the printing surface can be prevented from penetrating to the rear surface or from being degraded
The ink-jet recording device may further include a recording medium heating unit for heating the recording medium and extending along a direction along which the nozzles of said recording head are arranged,
wherein the heating range of said heating unit covers a range wider than the printing range of the recording medium in which printing is performed by said recording head.
Thereby, the heating unit thus has a sufficient heating capability and, thus, can effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium.
The heating unit may preferably have a function of heating the printing surface of the recording medium not in contact with the recording medium.
Thereby, it is possible to prevent printed dots formed on the recording medium from deformed by the heating unit. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium without degrading the image quality.
The ink-jet recording device may further include a rear heating unit provided on the rear side of the recording medium, having a heating range extending along the direction along which the nozzles of said recording head are arranged, wider than the printing range of the recording medium.
Thereby, it is possible to further effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium.
The rear heating unit may preferably have a function of heating the recording medium in contact with the recording medium.
Thereby, it is possible to further effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium.
The heating unit may have a light source and an optical system condensing the light emitted by the light source.
Thereby, it is possible to momentarily heat the printing surface of the recording medium, and, thus, to effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium.
The heating unit may be a roller heating the printing surface of said recording medium in contact therewith, and having an ink-repellent material provided on the surface thereof.
Thereby, it is possible to effectively dry and fix the ink on the recording medium without degrading the image formed thereon by the ink.
An ink-jet copier according to the present invention includes:
a scanner part reading an image of an original; and
a recording part performing a recording operation by firing ink onto a printing surface of a recording medium based on image data supplied from said scanner part,
wherein the recording part comprises a plurality of recording heads for respective color components each having heating elements in a density in a range between 400 and 2400 dpi arranged on a substrate, wherein ink is fired out through a nozzle by a function of growth of air bubble generated in a recording liquid in each heating element which is driven according to the image data,
wherein said each recording head has a long dimension so as to cover a printing range of the recording medium which is conveyed by a conveyance belt to a position at which the nozzle surfaces of each recording head face the recording medium.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Providing a multi-aperture imaging device having a single-line array of optical channels arranged next to one another with and adjuster for channel-specifically changing a relative position between an image sensor region of a respective optical channel, the optics of the respective optical channel and a beam-deflecting device of the respective channel or for channel-specifically changing an optical characteristic of the optics of the respective optical channel or an optical characteristic of the beam-deflecting device relating to deflecting the optical path of the respective optical channel, and a storage having default values stored therein and/or a controller for converting sensor data to default values for channel-specifically controlling the adjusting device is used to reduce requirements to, for example, manufacturing tolerances of the multi-aperture imaging device and/or requirements to the multi-aperture imaging device as regards position and shape invariance relative to temperature variations such that the additional complexity entailed by this procedure is compensated again.

Conventional cameras comprise one imaging channel which images the entire object field or total field of view. Such cameras comprise adaptive components which allow the imaging system to be adapted and thus expand manufacturing tolerances and the temperature range of usage, and/or allow automatic focusing and optical image-stabilizing functions. Multi-aperture imaging systems consist of several imaging channels which each only capture part of the total field of view.

Multi-aperture imaging device having channel-specific adjustability

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


Computer operating systems are provided that allow for applications compatibility with different OS generations. Example operating systems are designed using an adapted COM (ACOM) component architecture with immutable interfaces and their specifications within same generation, allowing freedom of components programming code implementation. That includes: modular microkernel itself comprising an interface bus component, possibility for OS concurrently run microkernels of various generations, create new components by reusing (comprising/delegating or aggregating) other binary components; special marshalling mechanism reduces header size by allowing executable file to have a single system interface instance' address pointer for dynamic functions importing without need to recompile applications earlier executables in accordance with the latest versions of OS system libraries.

The majority of modern operating systems are well structured modular systems capable of development, extension and transfer to new hardware platforms. One of OS structuring options is distinguishing between a monolithic and a microkernel architecture.
A kernel is the central part of an operating system providing to applications a coordinated access to computer resources, such as processor time, memory, external hardware, and input and output peripherals. A kernel typically provides file system and network protocol services. A microkernel (μ-kernel) is an operating system kernel with a minimal set of functions.
Microkernels are conditionally divided into generations. Microkernels of various generations differ in terms of structure and solution.
At present there is a number of solutions describing an OS architecture.
A prior art solution describing a computer operating system (US2006282899A1, MICROSOFT CORP, published on 14 Dec. 2006) is known. A disadvantage of this solution is that there is no option of changing the elements of the kernel itself, only adding functions at the kernel and application level.
A prior art solution (U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,939A, LYNX REAL TRIME SYSTEMS INC, published on 13 Jun. 2000) describing a computer operating system comprising a multitude of various components is known. In the known solution, component comprises function import and export tables. A disadvantage of this solution is that it does not provide for interchangeability of any architecture components.
A number of solutions describing various OS architectures are known. Such solutions, for example, are disclosed in the following documents: US20100251265A1, US20090158299A1, US20080148277A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,247B1.
However, prior art OS architecture solutions have reduced functionality, in particular, none of them provides for simultaneous operation of microkernels of various generations.

Operating system architecture for microkernel generations support


A method and apparatus for installing an application on a computer are disclosed. Following receipt of a request to install an application, a software state, comprising the new application and several of the applications installed on the computer, is derived. Then, the method determines whether the software state can be implemented on the computer. If the software state cannot be implemented on the computer, then the method derives another software state. This is repeated until the derived software state can be implemented on the computer system, or until determining that no software state exists which can be implemented on the computer system.

This application relates generally to computers and, more particularly, to tracking the effects of different combinations of software application programs on a computer and selecting an optimal combination of software application programs.
Users have a variety of approaches to use in locating and installing software. For example, a user might visit a website of a software vendor or locate software through a search engine. Alternatively, software applications may be configured to automatically update when a new version becomes available. Also, a user might purchase a CD or flash memory disk used to install software.
Also known are methods of deleting unwanted software. Some undesirable software is automatically deleted by virus scanner programs. Other software could be manually deleted by a user, for example by using "uninstall" mechanisms provided by package management tools.
As users install more and more software, less memory and system resources are available for new software. Also, users tend to forget about software that they installed but fail to use, allowing their computers to become cluttered. An inefficiency may occur when a user finds some new software that she needs, but is unable to install it because not enough resources are available on her system. In this case, the user must either upgrade her machine or delete some of her software. In other cases, a user may install additional software that reduces overall system performance below an acceptable level. In such cases, it may be beneficial to remove some software to improve performance.

Reconfiguration of computer system to allow application installation

International Business Machines Corporation


According to the invention, compositions of Ni—Ti—Pt high temperature, high force, shape memory alloys are disclosed that have transition temperatures above 100° C.; have narrow hysteresis; and produce a high specific work output.

Nickel Titanium (NiTi) alloys are known in the prior art. They display excellent shape memory behavior and possess outstanding specific work output, along with other unusual properties such as superelastic behavior as disclosed in K. Otsuka and X. Ren, Prog. Maters, Sci. 50 (2005) 511, good damping behavior, and erosion and wear resistance. However, their practical usage range does not exceed approximately 60° C., which is the maximum martensite start temperature (Ms) observed in binary alloys. They are often marketed as "Nitinol", and are used as connectors, couplings, valves, seals, coatings, actuators, and in various medical and dental devices. Their Ni/Ti content ranges from approximately 48.5/51.5 atom % to approximately 51/49 atom %.
The unique behavior of NiTi and related shape memory alloys is based on the reversible temperature-dependent austenite-to-martensite phase transformation. They can easily be deformed from an initial shape to another while in their lower temperature form (martensite). Upon heating through the phase transformation to austenite, they revert back to their original shape. This reversible behavior is the basis for such properties as shape memory effect and superelasticity and is the foundation for many practical applications. In addition, a subset of the alloys that display shape memory behavior can recover their original shape even when a substantial opposing force is applied to the material. In this way, the alloy is capable of performing work and can act as a solid state actuator. NiTi, in particular, is capable of specific work output with equivalent or higher energy density than pneumatic actuators or D.C. motors, see C. Mavroidis, res Nondestr. Eval. 14 (2002) 1.
The reversible transformation of Ni—Ti shape memory alloys occurs over two slightly different temperature ranges: one range during heating and the other during cooling. These temperature ranges are characteristic of the specific alloy and dependent on alloy composition and processing history. When shape memory alloys are heated they will change from their martensite form to austenite. The temperature at which this transformation starts is the austenite start temperature (As) and the temperature at which this transformation from martensite to austenite is complete is called the austenite finish temperature (Af). When the alloy is cooled from high temperature, the transformation is reversed and the austenite will begin transforming to martensite at the martensite start temperature (Ms) and will be completely converted to martensite at the martensite finish temperature (Mf). Therefore, these transformation temperatures determine over what temperature range the shape memory and other effects can be observed. For NiTi, the maximum Ms temperature is observed in stoichiometric Ni-50 at, % Ti and Ti-rich NiTi alloys and is about 60° C., as disclosed in Otsuka and Ren, Prog. Mater. Sci. 50 (2005) 511.
The temperature range for the martensite-to-austenite transformation that takes place on heating is somewhat higher than that for the reverse transformation on cooling. The difference between the transition temperatures on heating and cooling is referred to as the hysteresis and is usually defined as the difference between the Af and Ms temperatures. For NiTi alloys, this difference is on the order of 20° C.-30° C. (Otsuka and Ren, Prog. Mater. Sci. 50 (2005) 511). When developing shape memory alloys for actuator applications where active control of the material is desired, or for applications involving a quick response time, the hysteresis should be as narrow as possible.
Thus, while the unique behavior of NiTi is widely exploited in applications near room temperature, the uses for a material with properties similar to Ni—Ti, but capable of:
1. being used at elevated temperatures (greater than 100° C.),
2. having low hysteresis, and
3. high specific work output
would open up new applications for shape memory alloys, particularly in the aerospace, automotive, automation and controls, appliance, energy, chemical processing, heating and ventilation, safety and security, and electronics (MEMS devices) industries.
Alloying additions to NiTi are well known and are primarily used to affect changes in the transformation temperatures of the resulting material: either to increase or decrease the transformation temperatures or change the width of the hysteresis. For example, Fe or Co substituted for Ni; or Al, Mn, V, or Cr substituted for Ti will severely decrease the transformation temperatures of the resulting ternary alloys. Cu has relatively little effect on the transformation temperatures but it can significantly reduce the hysteresis. Nb, on the other hand, broadens the hysteresis. There is also a group of alloying additions (Pd, Pt, Au, Hf, and Zr) that can raise the transformation temperatures of NiTi. Current proposed alloying schemes involve either substitution of a precious metal for Ni, e.g., (Ni,Pd)Ti, (Ni,Pt)Ti, (Ni,Au)Ti as described by Lindquist, in "Structure and Transformation Behavior of Martensitic Ti—(Ni,Pd) and Ti—(Ni,Pt) Alloys", Thesis, University of Illinois, 1978 and Wu, "Interstitial Ordering and Martensitic Transformation of Titanium-Nickel-Gold Alloys", Thesis, University of Illinois 1986), or substitution of a reactive element like Hf or Zr for Ti, e.g., Ni(Ti,Hf) and Ni(Ti,Zr), (as claimed by AbuJudom, II et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,504). However, the available literature does not report data for an alloy that exhibits a high transformation temperature with narrow hysteresis and demonstrated high work output.
Ni—Pt—Ti (20/30/50 atom %) alloys (R. Noebe, et al., SPIE Conf. Proc. Vol. 5761, (2005), pp. 364-375) have a high transition temperature but do not have sufficient work output to be used as acceptable actuators. Of the high-temperature ternary NiTi-based systems, useful work characteristics have only been verified in Ni(Ti,Hf) thin films by Rasmussen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,913 and Patent Pub. No. US2002/01 8971 9A1). However, these Ni(Ti,Hf) alloys can only be used in applications requiring repeated actuation at temperatures up to about 100° C. because their wide hysteresis results in an Mf near or below 100° C. There is little chance of increasing their use temperature (transformation temperature) by further increasing the Hf level due to microstructural limitations. The wide hysteresis of the Ni(Ti,Hf) alloys also makes them unsuitable for applications where active control is involved. To our knowledge, work measurements have not been made public on any of the other potential high-temperature NiTi-based systems.
Methods for processing high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMA) have also been described in the literature. Tuominen, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,663 claimed a series of (Ni,Pd)Ti—B alloys for increased fabricability. Goldberg et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,364) have claimed a method for manufacturing and heat treating (Ni,Pd)Ti, Ni(Ti,Zr) and Ni(Ti,Hf) alloys for improved shape recovery characteristics. A patent has also been applied for the method of producing (Ni,Pd)Ti thin films by magnetron sputtering (Rasmussen et al., US patent Pub. No. 2003/0168334). None of these references discuss shape recovery for alloys under load or provide any other indication of the work output for any of the materials discussed.
Lindquist ("Structure and Transformation Behavior of Martensitic Ti—(Ni,Pd) and Ti—(Ni,Pt) Alloys," Thesis, University of Illinois, 1978) reported the effect of Pt additions on the transformation temperature of "stoichiometric alloys" of (Ni+Pt):Ti. These alloys contain exactly 50 atom percent Ti. Lindquist studied Pt contents ranging from 0 to 30 atom % and demonstrated a significant increase in transformation temperatures when the Pt content was between 10 and 30 atom %. Lindquist found that alloys with 20 atom % Pt were capable of unconstrained shape memory behavior but made no attempt to measure the shape recovery of the material against any biasing force so no indication of the potential work output for the material was determined. Johnson et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,795) described a method for making HTSMA thin films using multiple sputtering targets where the goal was to create an alloy that has a 1:1 atomic ratio of (Ni+X):Ti or Ni:(Ti+Y) where X is an element from the right side of the periodic table such as Pd, Pt, Au, or Cu and Y is an element from the left side of the periodic table such as Hf or Zr. However, no alloys were actually produced nor were any properties reported.
Thus, a viable shape memory alloy for high temperature applications, particularly for actuator-related functions, has yet to be developed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High work output NI-TI-PT high temperature shape memory alloys and associated processing methods

The United States of America as represented by the Administration of NASA


A lockable container (1) for receiving items includes elements for generating a random code when the container is locked, elements for transferring the code to a person locking the container, and a memory for storing the code. The container further includes elements (2) for unlocking the container to a first stage, in which the contents of the container can be viewed by a user but not removed from the container, and elements for transferring the code to the user when the container is unlocked at the first stage. The container can then be unlocked to a second stage (3), in which the user can remove the contents of the container and the code is removed from the memory.

With the increasing use of internet and mail order shopping and the reduction of people who are at home during the working day, the problem of not being able to deliver a parcel or letter first time is increasing. This has a negative impact on the environment, as re-arranging delivery requires more transport of parcels. Also increasing is the number of people buying items directly from other individuals or traders in other countries, where proof of delivery can be very important.
Where a recipient of a delivery is present when a delivery is made, the recipient can check the goods delivered and provide a signature to confirm receipt of the correct goods in a satisfactory condition.
Containers are available which allow a recipient to accept a delivery without being present. GB 2394509 discloses a secure delivery box that has a keypad that requires a security code to be entered before it can be opened. The box can provide proof of delivery in the form of a printed slip or a signal sent from the box. EP1138232 discloses a similar arrangement in which a lockable box displays a delivery code when the box is opened. GB 2358428 discloses a key for opening a secure container that can only be used once to deliver an item. GB 2365606 discloses a storage system that transmits a code to a carrier for gaining access to a delivery box. The code is variable and is generated for each delivery. The carrier uses the code to open the delivery box. GB 2375137 discloses a delivery box having a printer. When a delivery is made and the box closed, the printer generates a code that is used as a proof of delivery notice. GB 1234948 discloses a delivery box that has a window allowing a recipient to view the contents of the box.
A problem with these known devices is that, even though they provide a code or slip that purports to prove delivery, this can be abused by an unscrupulous delivery person. Such a person could deliver incomplete goods, damaged goods, the wrong goods, or no goods at all. The delivery box will still generate a code that shows a delivery was made, and if the recipient does not receive the correct delivery then they would need to show that the delivery company was at fault. Even where there has been a genuine error in the delivery, the recipient must go through time consuming negotiations with the delivery company to ensure that they have received the correct goods. Furthermore, the known devices are susceptible to abuse by an unscrupulous recipient. An unscrupulous recipient could claim that delivery had not been made when, in fact, it had, or report the item as damaged. These solutions trust both the carrier and the recipient, and in some case require additional infrastructure to implement.
There is a need for a secure device that can provide proof of delivery without the recipient of the delivery being present, yet leave the recipient with the advantages of signing for the delivery in person, for example ensuring the package has been delivered and is not damaged before accepting the delivery. Furthermore, the design of the device must be such that the cost to the recipient of installing the device outweighs the inconvenience and cost of having the parcel or letter re-delivered or collecting it from the carrier. Ideally, the device would not require any additional infrastructure on the part of the carrier, as this would increase the cost of delivery. For privacy and security, the solution should provide privacy for the recipient by obscuring the contents of a delivery container, but allow the recipient to view the contents before accepting delivery.


A method generates a sampling clock signal in a communication block of a memory device having a plurality of communication blocks which are distributed in the memory device. The method includes receiving an input clock signal in the communication block, generating, only in response to the input clock signal, a local clock signal having a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the input clock signal, and generating the sampling clock signal based on the local clock signal.

In present computer systems, a main memory accessible in both read and write operations (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) is typically implemented by using one or more memory modules which each comprise a plurality of memory devices each implemented on a single semiconductor chip. In particular, these memory devices or memory chips may be, for example, double data rate type (DDR-type). For operating the memory, data communication is not only between a memory controller and the memory modules, but also between the different memory devices of a memory module. For this purpose, the memory devices are provided with a plurality of communication blocks for receiving data from other memory devices or the memory controller and transmitting data to other memory devices or the memory controller. In order to achieve a high data bandwidth for the operation of the memory, high speed serial communication links are used for the data transfer.
In the memory device, the communication blocks are typically positioned at different locations (i.e., the communication blocks are distributed in the memory device). Therefore, clock signals are distributed in the memory device so as to allow for generating the required sampling clock signals for receiving and transmitting data.
FIG. 9 illustrates an on-chip clock distribution network of a conventional memory device. As illustrated, the memory device comprises a plurality of communication blocks 112, 113, 114, 115 which are distributed in the memory device (i.e., positioned at different locations on the semiconductor chip of the memory device). Further, the memory device comprises a main clock generating unit 110 which receives an external reference clock CLK_IO and further external clock signals CLK_RS, CLK_RP for distribution in the memory device. The reference clock signal CLK_IO is typically received from a memory controller or an external clock source. The clock signals CLK_RS and CLK_RP are typically received from other memory devices.
Each of the communication blocks comprises a receiver and a transmitter. In particular, a first communication block 112 comprises a primary transmitter RP and a secondary receiver RS. A second communication block 113 comprises a primary receiver RP and a secondary transmitter TS. Similarly, a third communication block 114 comprises a secondary receiver RS and a primary transmitter TP, and a fourth communication block comprises a primary transmitter TP and a secondary receiver RS.
In the communication blocks 113 and 115, the primary receiver RP receives data from the memory controller or from a previous memory device in a daisy-chain configuration. The secondary transmitter TS transmits data to a next memory device of the daisy-chain configuration. In the communication blocks 112 and 114, the secondary receiver RS receives data from the next memory device of the daisy-chain configuration and the primary transmitter TP transmits data to the previous memory device of the daisy-chain configuration or to the memory controller.
Each of the communication blocks 112, 113, 114, 115 comprises two local clock generating units 120, one for the receiver RP, RS and the other for the transmitter TP, TS. The local clock generating units 120 generate a sampling clock signal SCLK for the receiver RP, RS or for the transmitter TP, TS.
The clock distribution as illustrated in FIG. 10 is based on a master delay-locked loop (MDLL) in the main clock generating unit 110 and slave delay line (SDLL) 122 in each of the local clock generating units 120.
The MDLL comprises a delay chain which receives as its input signal the reference clock signal CLK_IO and generates a delayed output signal. The MDLL further comprises a phase detector which compares the delayed output signal of the delay chain with the reference clock signal and generates an internal control signal so as to adjust the delay of the delay chain. On the basis of the internal delay control signal, a control signal CS is generated which is distributed to each of the local clock generating units 120. The SDLLs 122 in the local clock generating units 120 comprise a delay chain which is configured substantially identical to the delay chain of the MDLL in the main clock generating unit 110 and are adjusted by the control signal CS to provide a delay which substantially corresponds to the delay of the MDLL in the main clock generating unit 110.
To the SDLLs 122 of the local clock generating units 120, a corresponding input clock signal is supplied which is delayed by a SDLL 122 so as to provide a local clock signal having a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the input clock signal of the SDLL. In case of the primary receivers RP, the input clock signal of the corresponding SDLL 122 is formed by the clock signal CLK_RP. In case of the secondary receivers RS, the input clock signal of the corresponding SDLL 122 is formed by the clock signal CLK_RS. In case of the primary and secondary transmitters TP, TS, the input clock signal of the corresponding SDLL 122 is formed by an internal clock signal CLK_IN. A multiplexer 116 selects the internal clock signal CLK_IN of the memory device from the reference clock signal CLK_IO and from the externally supplied clock signal CLK_RP. Output clock signals CLK_TP and CLK_TS are generated on the basis of an output signal of a main clock generating unit 110 so as to have a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the reference clock signal CLK_IO.
Each of the local clock generating units 120 further comprises a phase interpolator 124 so as to generate the sampling clock signal SCLK for the corresponding receiver RS or transmitter TP on the basis of the local clock signal provided by the SDLL 122. Therefore the SDLL 122 is configured to provide at least two local clock signals as output signals of its delay chain, each of the local clock signals having a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the input clock signal of the SDLL 122. By interpolating these at least two local clock signals, the phase relationship of the sampling clock signal SCLK with respect to the input clock signal of the SDLL can be adjusted in response to a corresponding phase control signal CT1-CT8 of the phase interpolator 124. Similarly, the output clock signals CLK_TP and CLK_TS are generated on the basis of a local output clock signal of the MDLL in the main clock generating unit 110 by phase interpolation in response to control signals CT9 and CT10, respectively, via phase interpolators 118.
With the above-described conventional approach for locally generating sampling clock signals in the communication blocks of the memory device there exist, however, problems as to a complex distribution of both clock and control signals. In particular, not only the clock signals CLK_IN, CLK_RS, and CLK_RP have to be distributed within the memory device, but also the control signal CS. This may cause problems with respect to disturbances due to insufficient isolation between lines on the semiconductor chip or may result in a poor signal quality, in particular when the clock and control signals have to be distributed over long distances on the semiconductor chip of the memory device.
In view of the above, there is a need for the present invention.

Generating a sampling clock signal in a communication block of a memory device


A plastic case suitable for housing objects, such as a video cassette, and manufactured by assembling a sandwich of heat-sealable members including a non-heat sealable stiffener member and then moving the assembly to a heat-sealing machine to permanently seal the parts together. To prevent movement of the stiffener member and mis-alignment with the heat-sealable members, one of the heat-sealable members adjacent the stiffener member is provided with a recessed region into which portions of the stiffener member can be pushed and there held in place by an interfering fit until the assembly is permanently sealed together.

Plastic packages such as video cases have been manufactured for many years. The typical process consists of thermoforming a relatively rigid thermoplastic sheet, such a polyvinyl chloride (PVC), to form opposed inner contoured surfaces configured to receive and hold the video cassette or other object when the case is closed by folding about its spine, then covering the back side of the rigid sheet with a cardboard stiffener, an opaque relatively flexible PVC sheet, and a clear relatively flexible PVC sheet, followed by heat-sealing together the sandwich so formed so as to seal the cardboard stiffener between the rigid PVC and the flexible opaque PVC sheets and the latter to each other and to the clear PVC sheet around three sides so that advertising material for the contents of the case can be inserted through the unsealed fourth side and thus be visible to prospective customers and users of the video cassette. Typically, for PVC, the relatively rigid sheet has a thickness between about 0.008 and 0.030 inches (in.), and the relatively flexible sheets have thicknesses ranging between about 0.003 and 0.020 in. The term "rigid" or "relatively rigid" is a term of art meaning a sheet thickness that will hold its shape when thermoformed, is usually but not always thicker than the flexible sheet or relatively flexible sheets, but still has sufficient flexibility to allow the case to bend easily around its spine and thus easily open and close. However, this degree of flexibility is insufficient to stiffen the case sides, which in use are not supposed to bend. Hence, it is common practice to insert a stiffener member in the case sides to stiffen the latter. Typically, the stiffener member is made of a non-heat-sealable material such as, for example, inexpensive cardboard about 0.018 to 0.120 in. thick, with score lines or slits defining a center spine to allow the flat sides of the stiffener member to bend around the score lines or slits when the case is closed.
The trend for many years has been to reduce the manufacturing cost of such cases. The major expense is labor, and a major way to reduce labor costs is to increase production. Thus, it is common to use so-called turntable machines in the sandwich assembly process, during which at stations situated around the turntable the case elements, including the thermoformed rigid member, the stiffener member, and the two flexible sheets, are assembled and at a final station the assembled sandwiched elements are heat-sealed together as described above.
By rotating the turntable faster, production rate can be increased, but I have found that the main bottleneck to increasing turntable speed is not the heat-sealing time nor the ability of the production personnel to keep up with the rotating table, but rather the ability to maintain the stiffener member in its proper position aligned with the rigid and flexible members when subjected to the increased centrifugal forces while the turntable is rotating at its faster speed from station to station before the assembly is heat-sealed. Various tricks have been used to fix the position of the stiffener member in the pre-sealed assembly, such as by using pins or adhesives to hold the stiffener member to the rigid member, but these measures have introduced additional steps in the manufacturing process with the result that only minor increases in production rates have resulted.


A method for preventing condensation on a surface of a domestic refrigeration device and a corresponding domestic refrigeration device having a refrigerated chamber, a refrigerant line, and a refrigerant circulation system structured to transfer heat energy from the refrigerated chamber into the refrigerant circulation system via the refrigerant line. The refrigerant line may include a heat-emitting section in heat-conducting contact with a trim strip of the refrigeration device running below the refrigerated chamber.

The present invention relates to a refrigeration device having a refrigerant circulation system connected by a refrigerant line to a refrigerant compressor, a condenser and an evaporator for the transfer of heat energy from a refrigerated chamber of the refrigeration device into the refrigerant circulation system, and a heat-emitting section of the refrigerant line which is in heat-conducting contact with at least one trim strip which forms a contact surface for a door seal.
DE 25 48 764 A1 describes a device for preventing the formation of condensation on the surface of a refrigerator or freezer, wherein the cabinet consists of an inner container, foam insulation and an outer casing which is essentially made up of sidewalls. To prevent condensation, the contact surfaces of the door seal are heated by running a pipe inserted into the high-pressure section of the refrigerating unit along the side of the contact surface facing the foam. From the accompanying drawing it can be seen that the pipe is run inside the foam insulation and parallel to the contact surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,348 discloses a refrigeration device having a metal cabinet with a left and right sidewall, and a top wall connecting the sidewalls. The cabinet is made from a metal sheet, the front edges of which are bent inward at right angles and then folded over through 180° to form contact surfaces for a seal. An edge section adjacent to the fold is bent inward in a U-shaped manner to form a clamp mounting for the edges of an inner box. At the bottom of the U-shaped bend, a hollow channel remains in which a refrigerant pipe of the warm side of the refrigerant circulation is run to prevent condensation water on the contact surfaces. After folding of the cabinet, the refrigerant pipe is installed in the hollow channel and then the inner box is mounted. The cavity formed between outer cabinet and inner box is finally filled with foam insulation.
A similar arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,062. There too, the refrigerant pipe is run along the contact surfaces in a fold in the outer cabinet to prevent condensation water on the contact surfaces for a door seal of the refrigeration device. After the mounting of an inner container, a cavity formed between outer cabinet and inner container is filled with foam insulation. The refrigerant pipe is run completely along the two lateral and the upper contact surface of the freezer compartment, the lower contact surface being implemented without refrigerant pipe.
Also in the generic U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,017, to prevent condensation water on the contact surfaces for a door seal, a refrigerant pipe is provided which extends along the two lateral and the upper contact surface of the freezer compartment. However, in contrast to the above described prior art, the refrigerant pipe is not loosely inserted or clamped in the fold of the outer cabinet prior to foaming, but fixed by means of a separate holder. For this purpose, the holder is clamped to the refrigerant pipe and then the holder is clamped in the fold together with the section of the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe fixed by means of the holder is then embedded in foam.

Refrigeration device with a holder for a section of a refrigerant line


The present invention discloses that a bacterium having a genome that is genetically engineered to be at least 10% smaller than the genome of its native parent strain has better transformation competence. Specific E. coli strains, having significantly reduced genome sizes, are disclosed which are highly transformation competent. A medium and methodology is taught which enables transformation efficiencies to be increased further.

Bacteria have been used to produce a wide range of commercial products. For example, many Streptomyces strains and Bacillus strains have been used to produce antibiotics; Pseudomonas denitrificans and many Propionibacterium strains have been used to produce vitamin B12; some other bacteria have been used to produce vitamin Riboflavin; Brevibacterium flavum and Corynebacterium glutamicum have been used to produce lysine and glutamic acid, respectively, as food additives; other bacteria have been used to produce other amino acids used as food additives; Alcaligenes eutrophas has been used to produce biodegradable microbial plastics; and many Acetobacter and Gluconobacter strains have been used to produce vinegar. More recently, it has become common for bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), to be genetically engineered and used as host cells for the production of biological reagents, such as proteins and nucleic acids, in laboratory as well as industrial settings. The pharmaceutical industry supports several examples of successful products which are human proteins which are manufactured in E. coli cultures cultivated in a fermenter.
It is not an uncommon occurrence for normal bacterial proteins to adversely affect the production or the purification of a desired protein product from an engineered bacteria. For example, when E. coli bacteria are used as host cells to generate in large quantity of a desired product encoded by a gene that is introduced into the host cells by a plasmid, certain normal E. coli gene products can interfere with the introduction and maintenance of plasmid DNA. More significantly, because of the economies of bacterial culture in making proteins in bacteria, often the cost of purification of a recombinant protein can be more than the cost of production, and some of the natural proteins produced by the bacterial host are sensitive purification problems. Many bacterial strains produce toxins that must be purified away from the target protein being produced and some strains can produce, by coincidence, native proteins that are close in size to the target protein, thereby making size separation not available for the purification process.
Also, however, the genome of a bacteria used in a fermenter to produce a recombinant protein includes many unnecessary genes. A bacteria living in a natural environment has many condition responsive genes to provide mechanisms for surviving difficult environmental conditions of temperature, stress or lack of food source. Bacteria living in a fermentation tank do not have these problems and hence do not require these condition responsive, genes. The bacterial host spends metabolic energy each multiplication cycle replicating these genes. Thus the unnecessary genes and the unneeded proteins, produced by a bacterial host used for production of recombinant protein, simply represent lack of efficiencies in the system that could be improved upon.
It is not terribly difficult to make deletions in the genome of a microorganism. One can perform random deletion studies in organisms by simply deleting genomic regions to study what traits of the organism are lost by the deleted genes. It is more difficult, however, to make targeted deletions of specific regions of genomic DNA and more difficult still if one of the objectives of the method is to leave no inserted DNA, here termed a "scar," behind in the organism after the deletion. If regions of inserted DNA, i.e. scars, are left behind after a genomic deletion procedure, those regions can be the locations for unwanted recombination events that could excise from the genome regions that are desirable or engender genome rearrangements. Since in building a series of multiple deletions, scars left behind in previous steps could become artifactual targets for succeeding steps of deletion. This is especially so when the method is used repeatedly to generate a series of deletions from the genome. In other words, the organism becomes by the deletion process genetically unstable if inserted DNA is left behind.
Another attribute of interest in bacterial strains of laboratory and industrial use is what is referred to as transformation competence. It is desirable to introduce exogenous DNA into bacteria in culture so that the bacteria will then stably maintain and reproduce the introduced DNA. Bacterial strains vary in their ability to take up and maintain foreign DNA. This characteristic is their transformation competence.
Certain treatments and culture conditions can affect transformation competence. In general, E. coli cells grown in normal growth medium, unlike certain bacilli, do not take up exogenous DNA. It was discovered by Mandel and Higa (J Mol Biol 53: 159-162 (1970)) that treatment of E. coli with calcium chloride allowed E. coli to take up DNA from bacteriophage lambda. Cohen et al (Proc Nat Acad Sci 69: 2110 (1972)) observed that E. coli could be transformed by this method with plasmid DNA. The state of E. coli induced by this treatment, in which they become able to take up DNA became known as "transformation competence" and the cells as "transformation competent cells" or more simply, as "competent cell". Under the Mandel and Higa conditions, the yield of transformants is typically in the region of 105 to 106 transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA.
Since the early observations of Mandel and Higa, many variations of the procedure have been tried in attempts to increase the efficiency of the procedure, in order to maximize the number of transformants per unit input of DNA, and to improve the reproducibility of the procedure notably by Hanahan and coworkers (J Mol Biol 166: 557-580). The method of Hanahan is used widely to induce competence. Typically, the yield of transformants using the described method is 105 to 108 transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA.
Generally, researchers have found that the transformation efficiency of competent cells is very variable and it has proven difficult to achieve reproducible results (discussed by Hengen, P. N., Trends in Biochemical Sciences 19:426-427 (1994) and Trends in Biochemical Sciences 21:75-76 (1996)). It has been found that growth at lower than normal temperature (18° C. to 32° C.) produces higher competence (U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,797 and Inoue H et al, Gene 96:23-28 (1990). There is a need for procedures that reproducibly produce competent cells with high transformation efficiency.
Transformation competence is a variable from strain to strain of bacterial hosts. Hanahan found that strain MM294 transformed readily, and developed a derivative strain, DH1, from which many of the strains in use today have been derived. Introduction of the deoR mutation (in strain DH5) appeared to increase the transformation efficiency (Hanahan Methods in Enzymology 204:63-113 (1991) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,348) though the molecular mechanism of the improvement is still unknown. DH5 has been used extensively for transformation. Commercial strains have also been derived from strain MM294, via strain JM109 and strain AG1. Strain AG1 contains one or more additional uncharacterized mutations that increases transformation efficiency (Bullock et al, Biotechniques 5:376 (1987)). The commonly used strain DH10b, which also contains the deoR mutation, was 30 times better than DH1 in transformation with 66 kb plasmid DNA. Its pedigree is different from DH1 and DH5, though they share common ancestors. All of the commonly used strains have undergone numerous mutational and recombinational treatments) and are very distant from wild-type E. coli (Bachman, B Derivation and Genotypes of Some Mutants and Derivatives of E. coli K12, Vol 2, chapter 133, 2460-2488, in: Escherichia coli and Salmonella, Neidhardt, F, editor, 2nd Edition, ASM Press, Washington (1996)). There is a need for better characterized strains for transformation work that are nearer to wild-type.
One of the most effective methods of introducing DNA into E. coli consists of subjecting the cells to an electric field while they are suspended in a defined medium of low ionic strength containing the DNA it is desired to introduce. This process is known as "electroporation". The transformation efficiency, that is the number of cells that are stably transformed by a unit measure of DNA, may be higher than in competent cells produced by other methods. A high and reproducible efficiency of transformation is desirable because it facilitates or in some cases makes possible cloning of rare and valuable DNA molecules, particularly those available in only small amounts. In particular electroporation is the preferred process for preparing cells for use in cloning bacterial artificial chromosomes ("BACs") and other large DNA vectors commonly used in genomic DNA sequencing.
In order to be competent for transformation using the electroporation method, known as "electroporation competent" or "electro-competent", the E. coli cells need to be grown under certain specific conditions and subjected to certain specific treatments. Methods for inducing electroporation competence are described in Dower et al (Nucleic Acid Research 16:6127-6145 (1988)), Calvin and Hanahan (J Bacteriol 170:2796-2801 (1988)) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,140 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,800. These publications also discuss the many factors that affect the competence and transformation efficiency of E. coli.
However, the methods described in the literature for preparing electroporation competent cells are not ideal. The efficiency of transformation is variable depending upon the strain of bacteria used, the conditions used to grow the bacteria and the conditions used to expose the bacteria to the electric field. In particular, only two growth media have been disclosed for the preparation of competent cells: Luria-Bertani broth, commonly known as 'LB broth' (Miller J H (1972) Experiments in Molecular Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York) and SOB medium, described by Hanahan (J Mol Biol 166: 557-580). The composition of LB (per liter of medium) is Bacto Tryptone 10 g, Bacto Yeast Extract 5 g and sodium chloride 10 g. The composition of SOB (per liter of medium) is Tryptone 20 g, Yeast Extract 5 g, sodium chloride 0.5 g, magnesium sulphate 2.4 g and potassium chloride 0.126 g. Neither medium has any additional carbon source, such as glucose or other carbohydrate, or glycerol, or additional pH buffering component such as phosphate or non-metabolisable compounds such as MOPS or Tris. The amino acid compounds in the tryptone and yeast extract serve as both nitrogen and carbon sources.
The stage of the growth cycle at which cells are harvested has been described as critical to success, and there is a narrow window in the cell concentration at harvest, above which, or below which, the transformation efficiency drops off rapidly (Calvin and Hanawalt (1988); Dower et al (1988), supra). In LB medium, the optimal stage of the growth cycle occurs at a cell concentration corresponding to an optical density of 0.6. This is a relatively low cell density, since E. coli can grow to cell densities many times higher than this under appropriate fermentation conditions, well known to those trained in the art of fermentation. As a result, the process of preparing electroporation competent cells is wasteful of expensive growth media, fermentor capacity and time, and operator time, compared with a process that could use cells grown to higher cell densities. It also requires more expensive downstream processing equipment and time, since the competent cells need to be recovered from larger volumes of dilute suspension. There is a need for better methods for preparing electroporation competent cells, in particular it would be economically beneficial to have a process in which cells can be grown to much higher cell densities without losing transformation efficiency.
As further evidence of the difficulties scientists face in making competent cells, a market has developed for pre-prepared, frozen competent E. coli cells that exhibit a higher, more consistent and reproducible efficiency of transformation. In producing commercial competent cells, manufacturers have resorted to several conditions to improve their processes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,797 discloses an improved process operating at temperatures between 18° C. and 32° C., but nevertheless, cells need to be harvested at low cell concentrations. U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,184, U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,965 and WO 0022147 disclose the addition of sorbitol or other sugars to improve the transformation efficiency. WO 0109362 discloses a procedure to select variant bacteria that are more tolerant of the killing effect of the high field electrical pulse used in the electroporation procedure.


Apparatus for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing, comprising:                a process chamber for receiving on a build surface of a build plate a bath of powdered material which can be solidified;        a support for supporting on a supporting surface thereof said build plate in relation to a surface level of said bath of powdered material, wherein said build plate is removably connectable to said supporting surface;        a solidifying device for solidifying a selective part of said material by emitting electromagnetic radiation; and        a build plate takeover device comprising an actuating element for placing said build plate onto said supporting surface of said support for producing said object and removing said build plate from said supporting surface of said support. Method for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing.

According to a first aspect the invention relates to an apparatus for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing.
According to a second aspect the invention relates to a method of producing an object by means of additive manufacturing on a build surface of a build plate, using an apparatus according to the first aspect.
3D printing or additive manufacturing refers to any of various processes for manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The three-dimensional object may be produced by selectively solidifying, in a layer-like fashion, a powder, paper or sheet material to produce a three-dimensional, 3D, object. In particular, a computer controlled additive manufacturing apparatus may be used which sequentially sinters a plurality of layers to build the desired object in a layer-by-layer fashion.
One of the challenges in the manufacturing of three dimensional objects, in particular in additive manufacturing of metal objects, is achieving a desired accuracy of the manufactured object. According to prior art practice, an object is manufactured on a build plate, wherein the object is joined to the build plate through solidification of material used to build the object, wherein the build plate is removably connectable to a supporting surface of a support for supporting the build plate during manufacturing of the object. A drawback of this practice is a relative large variation in force required to separate the object from the build plate.

Apparatus for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing and method of using the apparatus


An electrical winding fault detection system wherein turn-to-turn and other winding faults in a polyphase alternating current machine are identified through processing of measured machine winding current flow changes, i.e., through identification of changes in electrical balance conditions in the machine. This disclosed processing includes scaling or normalization of measured operating currents using current measurements made while the machine is known to be in fault-free normal operating condition and altering the normalization by a relationship between average current flow in the fault-free condition and average current flow in the monitored changing load condition. Machine operation from a balanced energization source is preferred for successful use of the system; it is therefore especially suited to multiple phased machines operated from electronically derived alternating current energy. The invention is disclosed primarily in terms of a motor-operated machine; however, application to generator (i.e., alternator), machines and transformers having balanced loads is also contemplated.

Incipient electrical insulation failure in a polyphase alternating current electrical machine produces a slight change in the electrical behavior of the machine. For example, at the earliest stage of insulation failure on higher-voltage machines, insulation breakdown produces small, added-energy dissipations within the machine stator structure. These dissipations are detectable but usually escape notice without the aid of sophisticated monitoring equipment at the machine's electrical terminals (e.g., equipment as disclosed herein) or elsewhere. Furthermore, the occurrence of early stage faults of this nature accelerates the insulation degradation process through causing increased machine losses and the production of higher insulation temperatures. It is therefore desirable to detect such faults before maturity into a more significant fault occurs. In this regard, it is known for example that insulation life in a machine decreases by fifty percent for every ten degree centigrade rise in machine temperature under some conditions. The detection of such faults in large polyphase machines which are embedded into capital equipment systems, motors such as are used in a steel rolling mill, the motors used in mining equipment or motors used for ship propulsion, is especially desirable in view of the cost of such equipment and the significant economic impact occurring with a surprise equipment failure.
An ultimate consequence of such evolving machine insulation failures is the occurrence of a "bolted" or low-impedance turn short. At this advanced stage of failure, several prior art fault-detection approaches possess the capability to reliably detect an anomaly. A turn short creates a consistent change in the electrical behavior of the machine across the entire spectrum of its operation, including alteration of one or more of the machine phase impedances at the fundamental frequency of its energy source. To detect a bolted turn short in a wye-connected machine, for example, one need only examine each machine phase with respect to each other phase in terms of deviations in the line-neutral voltage. A system of this type has been disclosed by M. A. Cash, T. G. Habetler, G. B. Kliman, in "Insulation Failure Prediction in Induction Machines Using Line-Neutral Voltages," Conference Record of the Annual IEEE-IAS Meeting, Oct. 1997, pp. 208-212. A bolted turn short may also be detected through impedance changes as has been described by R. Maier, in "Protection of Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Utilizing Instantaneous Power and Phase Information," IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 28, no. 2, March/April 1992, pp. 376-380.
Turn fault detection based on both machine current and voltage change has also been accomplished in the art as is disclosed by G. B. Kliman, W. J. Premerlani, R. A. Koegl, D. Hoeweler, in "A New Approach to On-Line Turn Fault Detection in AC Motors," Conference Record of the IEEE-IAS Annual Meeting, 1996, pp. 687-693, and also by J. Sottile, Jr., J. L. Kohler, in "An On-Line Method to Detect Incipient Failure of Turn Insulation in Random-Wound Motors," IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, vol. 8, no. 4, December 1993, pp. 762-768. That the combination of current and voltage change may be used for detection of bolted turn shorts in a machine has also been disclosed in the same Kliman et al., vol. 8, no. 4, December 1993, pp. 762-768 publication. Detection success depends, of course, on the severity of fault in each of these instances. Generally speaking most prior art fault detection arrangements depend on both voltage and current change detection. Each of these two papers discloses a somewhat-complex sequence component based detection arrangement, an arrangement requiring considerable signal processing capability.
A turn fault in one phase of a polyphase electrical machine changes the electrical impedance of each machine phase as a result of electrical and magnetic coupling within the machine. The effect of a fault in one phase differs between the machine phases, however; this reveals not only fault presence, but also provides information as to fault severity and locale. To actually monitor phase impedance is nevertheless a considerable task, a process often requiring digital signal processing. The effects of a turn fault are found however to be more readily observed. In many circumstances, it in fact suffices for fault detection to observe either machine phase currents or phase voltages; thus, observation of both currents and voltages is not necessary.
For example, in our U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,664 "Method and Apparatus for Turn Fault Detection in Multi-Phase AC Motors" filed in the names of Gerald Burt Kliman, Thomas Gerard Habetler and Marcus Alex Cash (herein the Kliman et al. application) filed in October 1997 by General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y., there is disclosed a phase-voltage-based fault detection system. This application, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, claims the benefit of a United States provisional application, Ser. No. 60/048,904, filed Jun. 6, 1997 and employs a fault detection algorithm based on line to neutral voltage sensing in a polyphase electrical machine.
Reliable monitoring of the phase currents for turn fault detection depends upon consistency of balance in the source of machine excitation in the case of a motor machine and consistency of balance in the machine load in the case of use with a generator machine. An electronic inverter energy source can provide this consistency-of-source-balance for a motor machine. Such an electronic inverter can also provide a source of variable electrical frequency energy and thus variable operating speed for the energized motor. Of course, monitored machine phase currents also depend upon mechanical load applied to the motor; however, each phase equally reflects this variable.
The only other source of change in balance in motor phase currents is internal to the machine and moreover does not depend on its wye or delta internal configuration. Given this preferred inverter excitation, a change in machine phase current balance is attributable to either a mechanical issue, such as rotor eccentricities, or an electrical fault, e.g., a fault of the type herein considered. In the present invention use of motor current changes, the effect of rotor eccentricities is suppressed by averaging. On average, for example, rotor eccentricity will affect each phase to the same degree in an asynchronous machine. In a synchronous machine system, calibration can eliminate the effect of rotor eccentricity.
The present invention therefore concerns early detection of electrical winding faults in multiple phased alternating current electrical machines, such as motor or generator, (i.e., alternator) machines, through use of line current sensing and electrical balance change detection.

Detecting polyphase machine faults via current deviation

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


A seat assembly (22) for a chairlift or the like in which there is a transversely-extending hollow extruded body (31, 32, 33, 61, 62) having a length dimension sufficient to support a passenger thereon. A pair of side assemblies (34, 63) are mounted to opposite ends of the extruded hollow body, and an elongated transversely-extending securement rod (46, 47, 64) is coupled to both the side members (34, 63) and extends through the hollow body to sandwich the sides against the intermediate hollow body and secure the body members (31, 32, 33, 61, 62) together as a unit. The same system is used for forming the seat (23), as well as the seat back (24). Cushion attachment and tensioning recesses (81, 86, 91, 96) or pockets are provided in the extruded seat and seat back bodies which allow capture of enlarged edges (84, 88, 92, 98) of seat cushion material (85, 89) to effect attachment and tensioning.

In the aerial tramway industry, and particularly in connection with chairlifts, bench-type seat assemblies are widely employed. These seats have heretofore been formed by tubular frame members with metal sheets or panels secured to the frame members. Cushion material is mounted over the panels. Typically, both the seat and seat back are formed by mounting an aluminum panels over tubing and thereafter securing various types of cushioning material to the panels. In some instances fiberglass or other non-metallic panels are mounted to the tubing.
The chairlift seat cushions are secured to the seat assemblies in a variety of manners, including screw-type fasteners, rivets and even bungee-cord assemblies, which stretch the cushioning over the seat and seat back.
The construction of chairlift seat assemblies, accordingly, is somewhat tedious and costly. Moreover, the adverse weather conditions, high passenger use and passenger abuse of the seat assemblies cause the cushioning material to have to be replaced frequently. Still further, while the front side of the chairlift seat has a clean appearance, the back and underneath sides of prior art chairlift chairs, which are conventionally seen by skiers, often have a very cluttered and unappealing appearance with sharp and sometimes dangerous edges and fasteners.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a chairlift seat assembly method for forming the same which overcomes the above-noted deficiencies in prior art seat assemblies.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chairlift seating assembly which is durable, is high in strength, has cushion material which is easily attached and has a desirable appearance from all sides.


A signal processing unit (C1, C2, C3) for processing a light reception signal from an imaging element (12) at different magnifications is provided in a light receiving unit (102) in a displacement sensor (1). This sensor (1) measures a displacement by using light receiving amount data generated by the signal processing unit (C1) for each detection processing by a light projecting unit (101) and the light receiving unit (102), and further adjusts sensitivity for next detection processing. In sensitivity adjustment processing, when a peak value in the light receiving amount data generated by the signal processing unit (C1) approximates to 0, a peak value extracted by the signal processing unit (C2) to which higher magnification is applied is employed. Alternatively, when a peak value in the light receiving amount data generated by the signal processing unit (C1) is saturated, a peak value extracted by the signal processing unit (C3) to which 1-fold magnification is applied is employed.

A conventional displacement sensor includes a light projecting unit including a light emitting element such as a laser diode and a light receiving unit including a light receiving element such as a PSD, a CCD, and a CMOS, and repeatedly performs processing for emitting light to an object to be detected from the light projecting unit and receiving reflected light from the object to be detected (this process being referred to as "detection processing" herein) and processing for measuring a displacement of the object by using light receiving amount data generated by the light receiving unit. Triangulation which uses a position in a light receiving element on which reflected light is incident is often adopted as a measurement method. However, in addition thereto, a TOF (Time of Flight) method which uses a length of time from light projection to light reception, a phase difference ranging method which makes use of a phase difference between the projected light and the received reflected light, a PN code ranging method in which light subjected to intensity modulation with a PN code is projected and measurement using a result of correlation operation between that light and reflected light is conducted, and the like are available.
In addition, some conventional displacement sensors, being provided in a path where an object to be detected moves, have a function to adjust detection sensitivity in accordance with a state of reception of reflected light while it repeats detection processing and measurement processing. Patent Literature 1 (PTL 1) is exemplified as a literature showing that conventional example.
In the displacement sensor described in PTL 1, a laser diode is introduced as a light emitting element and a CCD is introduced as a light receiving element. An image signal output from the CCD is processed by an amplifier circuit or an AD conversion circuit and used for measurement processing.
This PTL 1 describes adjustment of a parameter (gain of the amplifier circuit, a time period and intensity of light emission from the laser diode, a shutter time of the CCD) for determining sensitivity for detection processing based on a calculated ratio between a peak value of a light receiving amount that appeared in an image (specifically, an average value of maximum values of density along horizontal lines) and an optimal value for that peak value.
In addition, according to the description in PTL 1, in the case where the peak value of the light receiving amount in the image has reached a saturation level, the peak value is estimated by calculation and a ratio of an optimal value for the peak value to an estimated value of the peak value is used to perform sensitivity adjustment processing, and in the case where the peak value is insufficient, sensitivity is reset to an initial state.


A lock nut is useable for setting a bearing to preload or endplay. A plurality of preload markings are circumferentially spaced apart on the nut. The distance between the preload marking corresponding to a preselected amount of preload applied or reduced on said bearing when the nut is (i) tightened to apply a preload force to said bearing or (ii) loosened to reduce a preload force on said bearing, respectively. A plurality of endplay markings are also circumferentially spaced apart on the nut. The distance between the endplay markings, corresponding to a preselected amount of endplay increased or reduced in said bearing when the nut is (i) tightened to reduce endplay on the bearing or (ii) loosened to increase endplay in said bearing. The use of endplay and preload markings enables setting of a bearing on an axle or spindle to either an endplay setting or a preload setting by adjusting the rotation of the lock nut according to the endplay markings or the preload markings, respectively.

Lock nuts are often utilized to retain a wheel or hub assembly, including axle bearings, on a shaft. Such lock nuts may be connected to a shaft to lock the assembly in place. For example, such systems are often utilized on motor vehicles, such as truck axles and wheel ends. Typically, a lock nut will be engageable with a locking or retaining member or keeper which inhibits movement of the nut relative to the shaft. The locking member may include a protruding portion which extends into a slot or receiving portion of a shaft. The locking member may also engage the nut such that there is little or no movement between the nut and shaft. After the nut is installed as specified for its particular application, the nut is locked to this specified position. Such a lock nut is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,303,367, 7,389,579 and 3,762,455.
Lock nuts may be used to maintain the wheel hub assembly and bearings therein at a particular state, namely, either a preload condition or an endplay condition. Preload exists when an axial compressive force is maintained on the bearings causing an axial compression and resultant compressive deflection of the bearings. Endplay exists when the bearing is not maintained in an axially compressed position via a force, but rather the bearing is allowed to move or "play" in the axial direction. The point where there is zero endplay and zero preload may also be obtained.
Various means have been devised to simplify the adjustment of axle bearings, specifically, truck axle bearings. It is generally accepted that in some bearing installations, for example, axle bearings, the life of the bearing will be optimized if they are set to a preload where the adjustment is made for a slight axial compressive deflection, for example, about 0.003 inches (where this amount is the compressive deflection of the two bearings combined), which is often referred to as "a three thousandths preload". Typical prior art methods of creating these preloads are obtained by applying specified torques to the bearing assembly, for example, by tightening the nut that retains the bearings. However, for several reasons, it is typically extremely difficult to achieve such preload settings under actual in-field conditions, such as in a mechanic shop. For example, the assembly of a heavy truck wheel onto a wheel hub assembly is a relatively cumbersome procedure that hinders the mechanic. Moreover, the wheel hub assembly typically includes at least one inner seal, usually a lip type of seal, which can impose a resistive drag torque component to the preload torque, particularly when the seal is new.
One means of adjusting bearing preload by means of an applied torque is described in the literature provided by the Stemco Company, of Longview, Tex. (for example, Stemco form 571-2970) and further in instructions provided by Stemco (for example, Stemco part number 09-571-0006). These instructions are typically packaged with Stemco's axle spindle nuts. The accuracy of this and other prior art preloading methods is limited because they rely on the relationship between assembly torque and axial preload of the bearings, which will vary with variations in torsional resistance or friction of the nut against the face of the bearing, and will also vary with variations in torsional resistance or friction of the nut against the spindle thread, the nut against the bearing face, and the aforementioned lip seal present in the assembly.
Other systems exist for preloading bearings. In particular, such systems permit the mechanic to monitor the preload during the preloading procedure to more accurately determine the actual preload provided. One such system offered by Temper Axle Corporation of Fonda N.Y. USA and sold under the designation Doctor Preload includes an apparatus for providing a preload to a bearing within a wheel hub assembly. The apparatus uses a frame supporting a member to allow the frame to move relative to the member and in an axial direction, a plurality of extensions extending from the frame towards a wheel hub assembly contact at least one of a wheel hub or a bearing of the wheel hub assembly when the member is attached to said threaded shaft. An adjustment mechanism is configured to move the frame and extensions axially towards the wheel hub assembly to apply a preload to a bearing within the wheel hub assembly. The extensions may be configured to contact the bearing of said wheel hub assembly. Such an adjustment mechanism may incorporate an automated adjustment mechanism configured to automatically regulate the preload supplied to the bearing. Such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 10,436,247, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In some axle bearings, instead of preload, it is desired or specified to set the bearings to a particular endplay, which is essentially the opposite of a preload, where no compressive force is maintained on the bearing so that axial movement or play in the bearings exists. In one example of setting a bearing and wheel assembly to endplay, a user may tighten a nut holding a bearing on a shaft to a particular torque to achieve a desired initial preload on the bearing of the wheel hub assembly and then such nut may be loosened to a particular position to achieve a desired endplay. Such a nut could be turned a particular portion of a rotation, e.g., loosened half a turn. Such an adjustment is a particularly inexact procedure given that wheel nut adjustment is desired to have precision of 0.001 of an inch while the degree of rotation of a nut as described is relatively inexact. The loosening of the nut will create an endplay in the bearing and the wheel hub assembly. The amount of endplay depends upon the particular bearing and wheel hub assembly. Typical desired endplay measurement are typically specified to be less than 0.005 inches, preferably less than 0.004 inches, more preferably less than 0.003 inches, and even more preferably less than 0.002 inches. The most preferred desired endplay measurement achieved in accordance with the present invention is about 0.001 inches, and up to 0.001-0.005 inches.
Excessive endplay may, in some situations, result in premature failure of the wheel hub assembly and bearings therein. Recent studies have indicated that a wheel hub endplay of 0.005 inches will reduce the life of bearings and a wheel hub assembly by 40% of its baseline. See Understanding The Impact of Wide Base Single Tines on Axle and Wheel-End Systems, Meritor White Papers, October, 2011. Moreover, too little endplay, which could result from excessively preloading the bearing and torqueing the retaining nut, may also lead to premature bearing failure. By utilizing an endplay measuring tool during such a wheel hub assembly and bearing setting to measure and set endplay at a desired amount, such as 0.001 inches. Such an endplay measurement tool is available from Temper Axle Corporation of Fonda, N.Y., USA.
So, in some instances, bearings and thus wheel hubs are specified to set to a particular final preload setting, while in other instances, bearings and wheel hubs may be specified to set to a particular final endplay setting. In addition, when bearings are set to endplay, they may also be initially preloaded during the installation process before the retaining lock nut is loosened to obtain a final endplay setting. In either situation, final endplay or preload setting, the wheel hub assemblies are held together using a lock nut, which helps maintain the bearings in either the final preload or endplay setting. Thus, the final locked position of the nut may affect the actual preload or endplay on the hub assembly and bearings.
Therefore, a need exists for a lock nut which can be used in setting wheel hub assemblies including those having a spacer therein, for obtaining and maintaining the wheel hub assembly and bearings either at a desired endplay or alternatively a desired preload, and for providing more accurate and repeatable procedures for setting and adjusting such wheel hub assemblies.