The present invention provides a light-sensitive composition comprising specific photo-crosslinkable polymer compounds.. The light-sensitive composition of the present invention exhibits excellent wear resistance when it is photo-hardened, and hence it can give lithographic printing plates capable of producing a lot of printed matter in good quality when it is used for presensitized plates for use in making lithographic printing plates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light-sensitive composition suitable for producing a presensitized plate for use in making lithographic printing plates (hereinafter referred to as "PS plate(s).revreaction.), IC circuits, photomasks or the like and more particularly it relates to a negative working light-sensitive composition comprising a photo-crosslinkable polymer compound, which exhibits excellent wear resistance when it is photo-hardened.
2. Prior Art
Photo-crosslinkable materials which crosslink through addition cyclization reaction are well known and widely used as a main component of a light-sensitive composition, which is used for, for example, the manufacture of PS plates. Useful examples of such kind of photo-crosslinkable compounds include polymer compounds having maleimido groups in their side chains and polymer compounds having photodimerizable unsaturated double bonds adjacent to aromatic rings such as those having cinnamyl groups, cinnamylidene groups, chalcone groups and the like.
Negative working PS plates using those photo-crosslinkable polymer compounds can be classified into two types, i.e., the alkali-developable type PS plates whose unexposed potions are removed (or developed) with an aqueous alkaline developer and the solvent-developable type PS plates whose unexposed portions are removed (or developed) with an organic solvent type developer, and to which type PS plates belong depends on the properties of the photo-crosslinkable polymer compounds used therein. Recently, the former type has become of major interest from the viewpoint of safety in operation and health of operators.
As the method for making the photo-crosslinkable polymer compounds alkali-soluble, there have been known a method where the polymer compounds are prepared by copolymerizing low-molecular-weight-compounds having photo-crosslinkable groups and polymerizable unsaturated bonds with methacrylic acid or acrylic acid such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (hereinafter referred to as "J.P. KOKAI") No. 52-988 (=U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,041) and Japanese Patent Publication for Opposition Purpose (hereinafter referred to as "J.P. KOKOKU") No. Sho 49-28122 (=U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,470), a method where the polymer compounds are prepared by copolymerizing low-molecular-weight-compounds having photo-crosslinkable groups and polymerizable unsaturated bonds with maleic anhydride and hydrolyzing the resulted compounds such as disclosed in J.P. KOKOKU No. Sho 57-56485, a method where polymeric carboxylic acids are prepared from polymer compounds containing carboxylic acid anhydride moieties while introducing photo-crosslinkable groups thereinto through polymer reaction such as disclosed in J.P. KOKAI No. Sho 59-218440, a method where photo-crosslinkable groups are introduced into polyacrylic acids through polymer reaction such as disclosed in J.P. KOKAI No. Sho 48-74594 and the like.
However, light-sensitive compositions comprising photo-crosslinkable polymer compounds described above have a drawback that they have poor wear resistance when they are photo-hardened and hence they cannot exhibit sufficient printing durability when they are used in lithographic printing plates.


The invention features a compositions and methods for inducing an immune response to targeted cells. The compositions induce targeting of a cell by positioning carbohydrate epitopes on the surface of the cell by conjugation of the epitope to a pH-triggered membrane peptide (pHLIP®).

Conventional methods of cancer treatment are toxic and do not distinguish between normal and tumor tissues very well. As a result, such treatments often come with harmful side effects for patients. Recent studies in cancer immunotherapy have shown that boosting the immune system of patients with cancer can have a beneficial effect on the outcomes of cancer treatments, alone or in combination with conventional treatments.
Thus, a current challenge in the field of immunotherapy is to search for compositions and methods to activate the immune response in diseased tissues while avoiding deleterious side effects.

Carbohydrate tethering at cell surfaces to induce immune response

University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees


A method and system for examining historical records of backup activity consolidated from a plurality of backup engines, utilizing a data processing system, is disclosed. In the first aspect, a method comprises the steps of reorganizing historical records of backup activity originating from a plurality of backup engines into unique visual representations to facilitate the speedy and reliable identification of backup activity failures. The method also includes sending prepared requests from BRG to RDB, and then receiving data from RDB. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of representing a uniquely high number of levels of data extraction relating to backup successes and failures. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of representing variations other than simply Failure or Success of backup activities, namely Partial failures. In another aspect, it is disclosed a method of combining summary level data (summarized by backup server) with subsequently lower levels of detail (summarized by backup client, and summarized by backup target) in a single report that provides the ability to expand and contract at will, by one or more clicks of the computer screen pointing engine(mouse pointer), which levels the are to be left visible. In another aspect, the system is disclosed for associating owners of computers being backed up, respective backup charges, and then rearranging data extracted from the RDB consisting of historical records of backup activity originating from the activity of a plurality of different backup engines, and constructing Billing Reports to reflect backup charges relating to said backup activities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to electronic/software backup and more particularly to simultaneous and seamless examination of such historical records of backup activity performed across a plurality of backup engines.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most backup engines in use today provide for the repeated, regular electronic transfer, over a network, of data from the point at which it is in regular use to a medium, such a magnetic tape, for the purposes of securing a fallback situation should damage occur to the original data. Included in the list of such software programs, are programs that work on relatively small amounts of data, sometimes on a one-computer-to-one-tape-drive basis, and others that work on very large amounts of data, with banks of tape drives that are used to back up data from potentially thousands of computers connected to a network. Mostly, these backup engines use what is known as a xe2x80x9cclient/serverxe2x80x9d model. In the context of backup, this means that there is one computer (the xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d) that controls and manages the actual backup activity, and other computers (the xe2x80x9cclientsxe2x80x9d) that get backed up by the xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d. In this scenario, the backup tape drives are usually connected directly to the backup xe2x80x9cserverxe2x80x9d. There is also usually more than one backup server, each of which is responsible for the backup of data of numerous clients.
A central function of the activity of backup is the ability to xe2x80x9crestorexe2x80x9d data in the case of damage to the data that is in use. The backup server computer too usually controls this restore process. Understandably, the time it takes to recover data, and the confidence that the data recovery process will succeed, are two critical aspects of the backup and restore function as a whole. Disk drive capacities and data volumes, and consequently the volumes of data to be backed up, have historically been increasing at a greater rate than the backup server speed, tape drive capacity and network bandwidth are increasing to handle it. Accordingly, new technologies have been added to help. Such new technologies include fiber-optic cables (for fast data transfer across the network), faster chips, tape drives that handle more tapes, faster tape drives, xe2x80x9cStorage Area Networksxe2x80x9d and so on.
The activity of backup has become more and more critical, as the importance of the data has increased. At the advent of the desktop xe2x80x9crevolutionxe2x80x9d, that is, when people first started using personal computers (PCs), almost every piece of important data was still stored on one, single computer, possibly a mainframe or a minicomputer. As the numbers and types of computers proliferated, particularly on the desktop, and the purpose for which these desktops were now being used, making the data on such computers increasingly valuable, many different products designed to backup data were created and put into the marketplace. Now, there are some 50 or more different backup products in use by organizations and private individuals. Generally, but not always, such backup engines (products) have a reputation for being difficult to use. When there is an exception to this, the backup engine often has other, perhaps related, limitations (e.g. the amount of data is can back up is small).
Not all backup engines perform the same function. Thus, it is frequently necessary to have two or more different types of backup engines in use within the same organization, especially in large organizations. Anecdotally, one company has as many as 17 different backup engines in use somewhere in their organization. This is referred to as fragmentation. In large organizations, is has become necessary to hire expensive expertise to manage such large backup and restore services. The more varied their backup engines, the more expensive this becomes. Also, for large organizations, it has become increasingly likely that scheduled backup activities will fail. Because of the extra complexity of running a variety of backup engines, and because of the shear number of backup activities that need to take place regularly, failed backups often go unnoticed in a sea of extraneous backup information. An additional problem is that beyond a certain number of hours, perhaps minutes, if identifying a failed backup takes too long, then it often becomes too late for meaningful corrective action to be taken. As a result, large organizations often take an expensive xe2x80x9cbest guessxe2x80x9d approach. Anecdotally, the level of confidence that large organizations live with regarding backup success is said to be about 80%. In other words, it is expected that no more that 4 out of 5 backups will be successful. Almost every large organization will relate experiences where data was lost because they mistakenly believed the data was been backed up.
Also, a problem that is of increasing significance is the fact that there is currently no practicable means of charging 3rd parties for backup services rendered, even though the sharp increase in organizations providing that service for pay is expected to continue.
In the marketplace today there are several backup reporting products available. Each works with only one backup engine. There are no known patents relating to any of the following backup reporting products.
1. Legato GEMS Reporter(trademark), which provides trend analysis and text-based failures analysis. This product works with Legato NetWorker. It is built to handle up to approximately 4 or 5 average-sized backup servers.
2. Veritas Advanced Reporter(trademark) 3.2 from Veritas is similar to GEMS Reporter.
3. SAMS Vantage(trademark) provides statistical reports from backup activity of Computer Associates ArcServeIT product.
No known prior art combines backup statistics from a plurality of backup engines with monetary values to produce billing reports.
No known prior art provides billing reports based on backup activity statistics.
No known prior art uses an association with owners of data to control the grouping of data within such a billing report.
No known prior art allows the association of backup data amount pro rated pricing to control the amounts appearing on such billing reports.
The present invention provides a method of visually representing historical records of backup activity across a plurality of backup engines, stored in a relational database, in such a way that key backup performance metrics are made obvious. In addition, said records are also organized and represented in such a way as to allow organizations to charge 3rd parties for backup services rendered to those 3rd parties.
Backup Engine
The term xe2x80x9cbackup enginexe2x80x9d is used throughout this document. It means any software program, or part of a program, designed to backup electronic data onto a data storage medium such as magnetic tape. Veritas Backup Exec(trademark) and IBM Tivoli(trademark) Storage Manager are two well-known examples. There are over fifty backup engines generally available in the market today, and new ones are being created regularly. Although this patent does not name each specifically, the term plurality of backup engines is meant to cover any combination of two or more such backup engines.
SQL
All of the SQL used throughout the preferred embodiment adheres to the industry-standard known as ANSI SQL, American National Standards Institute, Structured Query Language. IBM invented the original SQL language during the 1960s.
SQL Server
As a place to store historical records of backup activity, the invention makes extensive use of, and accordingly references in this document to, a software program known as Microsoft SQL Server (SQL Server). One or more databases can be stored in and managed by an installation of SQL Server. This embodiment uses one database, named xe2x80x9cbackupreportxe2x80x9d. The tables directly or indirectly pertaining to this embodiment are detailed in FIG. 5. See also patents [applied for simultaneously to this patent].
Using SQL Server is the preferred embodiment.
BRG
The term BRG, an acronym used in this document for xe2x80x9cBackup Report Graphical User Interfacexe2x80x9d, is used to represent the embodiment disclosed in this patent application.
RDB
The term RDB, an acronym for Relational Database, is used throughout this document to represent the underlying source of data for reports described in this embodiment. The RDB contains historical records relating to backup activity across a plurality of backup engines. In the preferred embodiment, the RDB resides in an implementation of Microsoft SQL Server(trademark) (described above).
Backup
The term Backup means the actual transfer of data that is in regular use, usually across a network, to a data storage medium, such as a magnetic tape, for the purposes of retrieval at a later date, should the data in regular use become damaged.
Backup Engine
The term Backup Engine means any software product or program that is used for the purposes of Backup described in the previous paragraph. For example, Legato NetWorker(trademark), Veritas BackupExec(trademark), BakBone NetVault(trademark).
BX
This term is used throughout this document to denote a software component that provides an interface to a plurality of backup engines. By interface, it is meant the ability to request and receive historical records of backup activity from those backup engines.
This invention provides:
1. A method of organizing and visually representing the data in such a way as to allow a person viewing the data to more quickly and reliably identify backup failures and successes.
2. A method of organizing and visually representing several (3, in this embodiment) additional levels of information to the user of the invention in accordance with an electronic request for information.
3. A method of organizing and visually representing historical records of backup activity originating from a plurality of backup engines in such a way as to enable a person viewing that representation to quickly and reliably identify trends in amounts of data being backed up by that plurality of backup engines.
4. A way to manage associations between owners of specific computers that get backed up, monetary charges for backups to such owners, and organization of such data in billing reports in such a way that the owners of computers being backed up can be billed for those services.
5. The invention combines backup statistics from a plurality of backup engines with monetary values to produce billing reports.
6. The invention provides billing reports based on backup activity statistics.
7. The invention uses an association with owners of data to control the grouping of data within such a billing report.
8. The invention allows the association of backup data amount pro rated pricing to control the amounts appearing on such billing reports.
Provides a means for including backup servers for subsequent examination by the invention.
Accordingly, a system and method in accordance with the present invention has significant utility over conventional backup activity examination.
Microsoft SQL Server was used in this embodiment. Other multi-purpose relational database servers such as Oracle(trademark), SQLAnyWhere(trademark), InterBase(trademark), FoxBase(trademark), Rbase(trademark), or Xbase(trademark), Dbase(trademark) could have been used. Any other database would be considered an alternative embodiment.
The preferred embodiment uses an industry-standard xe2x80x9cgrid-stylexe2x80x9d component known as XGrid(trademark) as a container for the Backup Failures report, but any one of several different grid-style components could have been used instead. It is indeed also possible to use a non-grid container that allows objects such as red and green squares to be created inside the container to implement the same essential method.
The preferred embodiment uses a product called ReportBuilder(trademark) Pro for Billing Reports. Alternative embodiments are possible. There are numerous software products like ReportBuilder on the market, any one of which could have been used to produce the same result using a different embodiment.

Method for visualizing data backup activity from a plurality of backup devices


A developing cartridge includes: a developing roller configured to rotate about an first axis extending in a first direction, the developing roller having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side in the first direction; a case including a first wall disposed at the first side of the developing roller and a second wall disposed at the second side of the developing roller; an arm configured to be supported by the first wall of the case and configured to swing between a first posture and a second posture about an second axis extending the first direction, the arm including a first protrusion projecting from the arm in the first direction.

The present disclosure relates to a developing cartridge and a process unit.
In an example of an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer and the like, a drum cartridge holding a photosensitive drum is provided to be detachable in a main body case and a developing cartridge holding a developing roller is mounted on the drum cartridge. The drum cartridge and the developing cartridge mounted thereon together form a process unit.
A pressing mechanism for pressing the developing roller to the photosensitive drum is provided in the main body case. An engaging part is pressed part) is formed to protrude from the side wall of the developing cartridge. The pressing mechanism includes a pair of holding bodies sandwiching the engaging part therebetween and a biasing spring biasing one side of the holding bodies. One of the holding bodies is biased by the biasing spring and the engaging part is pressed by the holding body, such that the developing roller is pressed to the photosensitive drum.
In order to separate the developing roller from the photosensitive drum, a cam is provided in a state where a circumferential surface thereof contacts the other side of the holding bodies. According to a rotating position of the cam, the other of the holding bodies is pressed to one of the holding bodies and the engaging part is pressed by the other of the holding bodies. Accordingly, the developing cartridge moves against a biasing force of the biasing spring to separate the developing roller from the photosensitive drum.
When the developing roller does not rotate, the developing roller is separated from the photosensitive drum, such that it is possible to prevent deformation of the developing roller or the photosensitive drum.


Compact exhaust mixer assemblies comprising a compact mixer and a trimmable open centerbody are provided. The trimmable center body allows for adjustments of the open centerbody after manufacturing and during production testing. The trimmable open centerbody may be used to compensate for production tolerances making it possible to obtain the desired core effective area for proper engine operation. The compact mixer may be either lobed or serrated. The compact exhaust mixer assemblies have a length of about half that of conventional exhaust mixer assemblies.

The present invention generally relates to exhaust mixers and, more particularly, to exhaust flow mixers for gas turbine engines that reduce the temperature and visibility of hot parts of the engine.
Exhaust can exit a turbine engine with a significant amount of swirl or rotation about the engine centerline. This swirl is usually removed with an exit guide vane to increase engine power before it is exhausted into the atmosphere. However, exit guide vanes are heavy, expensive, and may not work well at part power conditions.
The turbine exhaust can also be mixed with air from a bypass stream using a multi-lobed type of exhaust mixer. Mixing the exhaust with cooler air can reduce the noise level generated by gas turbine engines. Furthermore, in certain applications, the cooling of the exhaust air is important for blocking the visibility of the hot parts of the engine. While 100% efficiency of mixing is desirable to give a uniform temperature of the mixed exhaust and bypass stream, the mixers currently used have mixing efficiencies significantly below 100%.
There are many examples of multi-lobed mixers in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,002 describes a multi-lobed exhaust mixer for turbine engines having troughs and lobes, the trough and lobes having confronting pairs of flow surfaces which are twisted between their upstream and downstream ends. The multi-lobed mixer is designed to be used with a bullet centerbody. U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,854 describes a multi-lobed mixer where the lobes are shaped to block at least a portion of the hot inner surface of the mixer or hot parts of the exhaust portion of a turbine engine. The mixer of the '854 patent is also designed to be used with a bullet centerbody. While the multi-lobed mixers of the prior art show increased efficiency in the mixing of the exhaust and bypass streams to give a uniform temperature, they fall short of the goal of 100% efficiency, leaving room for further improvements.
As can be seen, there is a need for a mixer that mixes exhaust and bypass streams from a turbine engine with increased efficiency. Such an increased efficiency would result in a uniform temperature of the stream resulting from mixing engine exhaust with the bypass stream.

Compact mixer with trimmable open centerbody


The invention relates to a device (11) and a method for producing transformer cores (12), the device comprising a retaining system (19) having a stacking table (18) for collecting sheets of metal (16) from which a transformer core (12) is constructed and having at least two positioning aids for the sheets, the stacking table forming a positioning surface (26) for the positioning aids and being equipped with the positioning aids, the stacking table and the positioning aids being realized such that a free positioning and a location-independent fastening of the positioning aids within the positioning surface is possible, the device having a positioning system (25) by means of which the positioning aids can be disposed on and/or be removed from the stacking table.

The installations known from the state of the art for producing transformer cores are constructed according to a progress sequence in such a manner that sheets of metal for transformers first are cut from sheet-metal strips by means of a cutting device. The sheet-metal strips are stored on a steel-strip roll which is held by a reel head of a reel. The reel can have a plurality of reel heads having steel-strip rolls so that different sheet-metal strips of the cutting device can be supplied as required. The sheet-metal strips can be exchanged at or supplied to the cutting device manually or via a conveyor belt, for example; however, the exchange of the sheet-metal strip and/or the steel-strip roll requires much time.
The sheets of metal cut in the cutting device can have different geometries since a transformer core is often constructed from sheets of metal of different shapes. The sheets of metal can be guided away from the cutting device by a conveyor belt and be stored and/or stacked for further processing. The transformer core is constructed from the sheets of metal on a so-called stacking table. On the stacking table, threading bolts and/or sheet-metal abutments are mounted in a fixed manner as positioning aids and the sheets of metal are constructed and/or stacked on the threading bolts and/or sheet-metal abutments to construct the transformer core. In order to be able to locate the sheets of metal, at least two positioning aids are always required. The sheets of metal in particular have bores and/or cutouts in which the threading bolts can engage. The sheets of metal are stacked on threading bolts and/or stacked along the sheet-metal abutments and thus accurately positioned in relation to one another. Sheets of metal can generally be stacked manually but also in an automated manner. It is essential that a sufficient number of different sheets of metal is made available at all times for constructing the transformer core so as to avoid standstills, for example.
Since the stacking table is always constructed for a transformer core having a position of the positioning aids displaceable in guide rails, a stacking table can always only be used after retrofitting the positioning aids for producing one kind of transformer core. If different kinds of transformer cores are to be produced using one installation, a correspondingly large number of stacking tables is required for core shapes outside of the displacement ranges of the positioning aids which have to be held available.

Device and method for producing transformer cores


A fluid conditioning system designed to be installed between the well perforation and the intake of a pump used to effect artificial lift is used to filter and chemically treat production fluids. The fluid conditioning system is an apparatus that provides scale inhibitors and/or other chemical treatments into the production stream. In some embodiments, the fluid conditioning system may be a part of the production stream filter wherein the filtering material is comprised of a porous medium that contains and supports the treatment chemical. In other embodiments, the chemical treatment may be accomplished by the gradual dissolution of a solid phase chemical. The treating chemical may be recharged or replenished by various downhole reservoirs or feeding means. In yet other embodiments, the treating chemical may be replenished from the surface by means of a capillary tube. In certain other embodiments, the apparatus may be retrievable from the surface thereby permitting recharge or replenishment of the chemical in the apparatus on an as-needed basis. The filtration apparatus may incorporate a bypass valve that allows fluid to by-pass the filter as sand or other particulate matter fills up or blocks the filter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to oil and gas well production technology. More particularly, it relates to the in situ treatment of fluids produced by an artificial lift oil well to inhibit the formation of scale inside and outside of production tubing, pumps, valves, and the like and to reduce the amount of solids that enter the pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical oil well produces not only oil, but also gas and water, often in significant quantity. The fluids often transport solids, such as sand, as well as other potentially damaging fluids and gases, from the reservoir into the production tubing and casing, and up the production tubing to the surface. Equipment on the surface may be used to separate these production components. The oil is recovered; the gas, depending on its composition, may be filtered, treated and piped to a collection facility or flared off; the water may be re-injected into another formation or, in the case of offshore production platforms, treated to prevent environmental contamination and then discharged overboard; and the solids are separated and disposed of.
The oil and water produced by oil and gas wells often contains significant quantities of dissolved minerals. Frequently, the water is saturated with these minerals—i.e., the water contains the maximum concentration of the dissolved minerals possible at a given temperature and pressure. Changes in temperature and/or pressure which occur as the fluid is pumped from the production zone through the well to the treatment equipment on the surface can cause the minerals to come out of solution ("precipitate") and become deposited on the interior and exterior surfaces of the production tubing, pumps, valves, chokes and other equipment. The deposit is known as "scale" and it can significantly reduce the diameter and hence the capacity of production tubing. In extreme cases, the pipe or tubing can become completely obstructed, shutting down production. Even in less severe cases, where the fluid is not saturated, scale can build up on the interior and exterior of any exposed surface.
Certain dissolved minerals in water are known as "hardness ions" —divalent cations that include calcium (Ca+2), magnesium (Mg+2) and ferrous (Fe+1) ions. Hardness ions develop from dissolved minerals, bicarbonate, carbonate, sulfate and chloride. Heating water containing bicarbonate salts can cause the precipitation of a calcium carbonate solid. Raising the pH can allow the Mg+2 and Fe+2 ions to precipitate as Fe(OH)2 and Mg(OH)2. Excess sodium carbonate can precipitate Ca+2 as CaCO3.
Precipitation is the formation of an insoluble material in a solution. Precipitation may occur by a chemical reaction of two or more ions in solution or by changing the temperature of a saturated solution. There are many examples of this important phenomenon in drilling fluids. Precipitation occurs in the reaction between calcium cations and carbonate anions to form insoluble calcium carbonate: Ca+2+CO3−2→CaCO3.
Scale is a mineral salt deposit or coating formed on the surface of metal, rock or other material. Scale may be caused by a precipitation resulting from a chemical reaction with the surface on which it forms, precipitation caused by chemical reactions, a change in pressure or temperature, or a change in the composition of a solution. The term "scale" is also applied to a corrosion product. Typical scales are calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, strontium sulfate, iron sulfide, iron oxides, iron carbonate, the various silicates and phosphates and oxides, or any of a number of compounds insoluble or slightly soluble in water.
Scale may be deposited on wellbore tubulars, down hole equipment, and related components as the saturation of produced water is affected by changing temperature and pressure conditions in the production conduit. In severe conditions, scale creates a significant restriction, or even a plug, in the production tubing. Scale build-up in the artificial lift pump can lead to failure of the pump due to blocked flow passages and broken shafts. Scale removal is a common well-intervention operation. A wide range of mechanical, chemical and scale inhibitor treatment options are available to effect scale removal.
Scale can also occur in tubing, the gravel pack, the perforations or the formation itself. Scale deposition occurs when the solution equilibrium of the water is disturbed by pressure and temperature changes, dissolved gases or incompatibility between mixing waters. Scale deposits are the most common and most troublesome damage problems in the oil field and can occur in both production and injection wells.
All waters used in well operations can be potential sources of scale, including water used in waterflood operations and filtrate from completion, workover or treating fluids. Therefore, reduction of scale deposition is directly related to reducing the amount of bad water that is produced.
Carbonate scale is usually granular and sometimes very porous. A carbonate scale can be easily identified by dropping it in a solution of hydrochloric acid where bubbles of carbon dioxide will be observed effervescing from the surface of the scale. Sulphate scales are harder and more dense. A sulphate deposit is brittle and does not effervesce when dropped in acid. Silica scales resemble porcelain—they are very brittle, not soluble in acid, but dissolve slowly in alkali.
Scale removal is a common well-intervention operation involving a wide variety of mechanical scale-inhibitor treatments and chemical options. Mechanical removal may be done by means of a pig or by abrasive jetting that cuts scale but leaves the tubing intact. Scale-inhibition treatments involve squeezing a chemical inhibitor into a water-producing zone for subsequent commingling with produced fluids, preventing further scale precipitation. Chemical removal is performed with different solvents according to the type of scale:                Carbonate scales such as calcium carbonate or calcite [CaCO3] can be readily dissolved with hydrochloric acid [HCl] at temperatures less than 250° F. [121° C.].        Sulfate scales such as gypsum [CaSO4.2H2O] or anhydrite [CaSO4] can be readily dissolved using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The dissolution of barytine [BaSO4] or strontianite [SrSO4] is much more difficult.        Chloride scales such as sodium chloride [NaCl] are easily dissolved with fresh water or weak acidic solutions, including HCl or acetic acid.        Iron scales such as iron sulfide [FeS] or iron oxide [Fe2O3] can be dissolved using HCl with sequestering or reducing agents to avoid precipitation of by-products, for example iron hydroxides and elemental sulfur.        Silica scales such as crystallized deposits of chalcedony or amorphous opal normally associated with steamflood projects can be dissolved with hydrofluoric acid [HF].
Calcium scales such as calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate and calcium oxalate are insoluble in water. However, all three are soluble in a Sodium Bisulfate acid solution. Calcium scale can be removed with an acid wash using a 5-15% solution of Sodium Bisulfate (SBS). SBS can also be used during a shut down to remove scale by re-circulating it throughout areas of the process where needed. The concentration of SBS solutions and the re-circulation time depend on the amount of scale that needs to be removed. SBS can be a substitute for sulfamic acid in calcium scale removal situations.
Zinc sulfide (ZnS) is another one of the oil field scales that plagues production. Although it does not seem to be common, according to field experience and published literature, it causes a significant flow/production problem when it does occur, just as all other scales adversely affect wells. Other scales, such as barium sulfate and strontium sulfate, also cause production problems but are much harder than ZnS.
Although chemical solvents have been used on these harder scales, the results are often disappointing. While mechanical scale removal has been used successfully on barium and strontium sulfate scales with excellent success, it had not been used on ZnS scale. It was conceivable that the softer scale may not respond to the same process that removed harder scales.
In certain cases, scale may be an environmental or health hazard. The State of Louisiana, Department of Environmental Quality has issued a notification concerning a potential health hazard associated with handling pipe used in oil and gas production that may be contaminated with radioactive scale from naturally-occurring radioactive materials (NORM). The concern is the possible inhalation and/or ingestion of scale particles contaminated with radium-226 and possibly other radioactive material that may become airborne during welding, cutting or reaming pipe that contains radioactive scale. The State of Louisiana is using the term Technologically Enhanced Natural Radiation (TENR) for this material that is a subset of the NORM group.
An inhibitor is a chemical agent added to a fluid system to retard or prevent an undesirable reaction that occurs within the fluid or with the materials present in the surrounding environment. A range of inhibitors is commonly used in the production and servicing of oil and gas wells, such as corrosion inhibitors used in acidizing treatments to prevent damage to wellbore components and inhibitors used during production to control the effect of hydrogen sulfide [H2S]
A scale inhibitor is a chemical agent added to a fluid system to retard or prevent an undesirable reaction that occurs within the fluid or with the materials present in the surrounding environment. A range of inhibitors is commonly used in the production and servicing of oil and gas wells, such as corrosion inhibitors used in acidizing treatments to prevent damage to wellbore components and inhibitors used during production to control the effect of hydrogen sulfide [H2S]
A sequestering agent (or chelation agent) is a chemical whose molecular structure can envelop and hold a certain type of ion in a stable and soluble complex. Divalent cations, such as hardness ions, form stable and soluble complex structures with several types of sequestering chemicals. When held inside the complex, the ions have a limited ability to react with other ions, clays or polymers. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a well-known sequestering agent for the hardness ions, such as Ca+2, and is the reagent solution used in the hardness test protocol published by API. Polyphosphates can also sequester hardness ions. Sequestering is not the same as precipitation because sequestering does not form a solid. For calcium carbonate deposits, glycolic and citric acids and ammonium salts and blends incorporating EDTA are used as chelants.
A scale-inhibitor squeeze is a type of inhibition treatment used to control or prevent scale deposition. In a scale-inhibitor squeeze, the inhibitor is pumped into a water-producing zone. The inhibitor is attached to the formation matrix by chemical adsorption or by temperature-activated precipitation and returns with the produced fluid at sufficiently high concentrations to avoid scale precipitation. Some chemicals used in scale-inhibitor squeezes are phosphonated carboxylic acids or various polymers.
Some scale-inhibitor systems integrate scale inhibitors and fracture treatments into one step, which guarantees that the entire well is treated with scale inhibitor. In this type of treatment, a high-efficiency scale inhibitor is pumped into the matrix surrounding the fracture face during leakoff. It adsorbs to the matrix during pumping until the fracture begins to produce water. As water passes through the inhibitor-adsorbed zone, it dissolves sufficient inhibitor to prevent scale deposition. The inhibitor is better placed than in a conventional scale-inhibitor squeeze, which reduces the re-treatment cost and improves production.
Some well treatment systems continuously inject the treating chemical in the well using a metering pump. The chemicals are either injected below the pump using a capillary line or injected into the well annulus. When chemicals are injected into the well annulus the chemicals build up in the well bore until the pump pulls them down the wellbore and into the pump intake.
Due to the time that it takes for the chemicals to reach the pump, changes in chemical mix or injection rates are very slow to affect the fluids entering the pump. If the pump intake is above the electric motor in an Electric Submersible Pump, ESP installation, the chemicals do not protect the motor or the casing below the pump intake.
In capillary injection systems, the location of the chemical injection can be determined when the system is installed by terminating the capillary tube below the pump intake/motor combination in an ESP completion. The capillary injection tube provides continuous treatment of the fluids and the time delay for adjustments to the blend of chemicals and/or treatment rate can be minimized.
Sand produced with the fluids can cause damage to pumping systems. Abrasion resistant pumps with engineered ceramic bearings and coated flow passages have been developed to improve pump life in wells that produce sand, but sand will eventually wear out even these special sand-tolerant pumps.
One practice for removing sand from the fluid is by installing a liquid and sand separator between the casing perforations and the pump intake. These systems deposit the separated sand into the well's rat hole or into tubing hung from the bottom of the separator as a trap. Wilson discloses a means for removal of sand separated with a downhole sand separator in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,788.
Gravel packing is a sand-control method used to prevent the production of formation sand. It involves the placement of selected gravel across the production interval to prevent the production of formation fines or sand. Any gap or interruption in the pack coverage may permit undesirable sand or fines to enter the producing system.
In gravel pack operations, a steel screen is placed in the wellbore and the surrounding annulus is then packed with prepared gravel of a specific size that is designed to prevent the passage of formation sand. The primary objective is to stabilize the formation while causing minimal impairment to well productivity.
Wire-wrapped screen is one type of screen used in sand control applications to support the gravel pack. The profiled wire is wrapped and welded in place on a perforated liner. Wire-wrapped screen is available in a range of sizes and specifications, including outside diameter, material type and the geometry and dimension of the screen slots. The space between each wire wrap must be small enough to retain the gravel placed behind the screen, yet minimize any restriction of production.
A sand filter as described by Stanley in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,958 is used to filter the sand out of the fluid prior to entering the pump intake. This style of intake filter has been installed in numerous wells and is effective for removal of solids, but once the filter is full of sand, fluid flow through the filter is restricted and a large pressure drop occurs. As the pressure drop increases, the rate of sand accumulation increases causing the rate of pressure drop to increase until eventually the fluid flow across the filter ceases. When fluid flow to the pump ceases, the pump will cavitate and eventually fail.

Method and apparatus for downhole artificial lift system protection


A method of making planarized metallization on a semiconductor substrate employing selective deposition.

This invention relates to the provision of conductive paths between devices and a metallization layer or between metallization layers of integrated circuits, and to a process for forming such conductive paths or electrically conductive plugs by the selective deposition of tungsten.
In an integrated circuit, the devices and elements formed in the substrate are interconnected with metallic (e.g. aluminum) leads which are typically formed by sequential deposition, masking and etching, generally referred to as metallization. Such metallization usually provides for a layer of metallization on top of a layer of insulating oxide or glass and the insulating oxide on which the metal is deposited generally includes openings or windows for the formation of metallized contacts to silicon or polysilicon, or metallized vias to another layer of metallization.
Tungsten is employed for various purposes in manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits. For example, in making such integrated circuits and other solid state devices, the tungsten serves to wire the electrical contacts required between an overlying conductive layer and an underlying region separated therefrom by a layer of dielectric material. The overlying layer is typically a metal and the underlying region is typically a doped semiconductor region, salicide, or another metal layer. The contact between the overlying and underlying materials is through the conductive filled openings or windows commonly referred to as "vias" (when the wiring is of metal to metal) or "contacts" (when the wiring is to source-drain, salicide, or polysilicon).
It is known to provide for conductive filled contact and via openings to allow for openings of reduced size and to allow for greater device densities.
One approach to filling such openings is described in Saia et al, "Plasma Etching Methods for the Formation of Planarized Tungsten Plugs Used in Multilevel VLSI Metallizations", J. Electrochem. Soc.: SOLID-STATE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 135, No. 4, pp. 936-940 (April, 1988) and is illustrated and described hereinafter in the description of FIGS. 1A to 1D.
Another approach to filling such openings is described in Farb, PCT International Publication Number WO 88/04831 published June 30, 1988 and is illustrated and described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 2A-2G.
Yet another approach to filling such openings is disclosed in Shoji Madokoro, Japanese patent publication Kokai No. 63-764563, Apr. 6, 1988, (Application Ser. No. 61-219644 filed Sept. 19, 1986) entitled "Manufacture of Multilayer Interconnection" and is illustrated and described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3A-3D.
Various problems exist with such prior art techniques particularly when filling multiple apertures of varying depths primarily because the various depths are filled to overflowing and have to be etched back to provide a planar surface. All of such techniques generally require additional expensive and time-consuming steps of deposition; masking and etching steps to remove "nail heads" or overflow of material; or such techniques must align critical contacts more than once, or rely on uniform sidewall nucleation in a selective mode, etc.

Method for selectively filling contacts or vias or various depths with CVD tungsten


The invention refers to a disconnector pole (214) for a gas insulated switchgear and a disconnector unit comprising at least two of the aforementioned disconnector poles (214). Moreover, the invention refers to a gas insulated switchgear comprising at least one aforementioned disconnector pole (214) or at least one aforementioned disconnector unit and/or a circuit breaker. The disconnector pole (214) is movable between two contact positions. Moreover, the disconnector pole (214) comprises a metallic contact device (218, 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B, 222A, 222B) to be connected to contacts in the two contact positions. The metallic contact device (218, 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B, 222A, 222B) comprises an outer surface (256). The disconnector pole (214) also comprises at least one metallic housing (219), wherein at least 50% of the entire outer surface (256) of the metallic contact device (218, 220A, 220B, 221A, 221B, 222A, 222B) is arranged in the metallic housing (219).

A switchgear serves as an interface in an electrical supply and an electrical load. A known switchgear for medium voltage, for example 1 kV to 52 kV and/or high voltage, for example 52 kV to 1,200 kV is usually a gas insulated switchgear (GIS). The known GIS comprises a cable compartment, a busbar compartment, a gas exhaust duct, a low voltage compartment and a gas insulated tank.
The cable compartment is a part of the known GIS in which, for example, underground electric cables are connected to the known GIS. The cable compartment is also used to connect electrical loads such as generators, transformers and other loads to each other. Moreover, the cable compartment may comprise current transformers and voltage transformers.
The busbar compartment of the known GIS comprises busbars. A busbar is typically a copper or aluminum electrical conductor which is used to connect the known GIS to other electrical equipment such as generators, transformers and electrical loads. The busbar is arranged, for example, in a gas insulated tank or is insulated by using a solid insulation covering or encapsulating the busbar.
The gas exhaust duct of the known GIS comprises an exhaust path for the removal of hazardous and hot gases generated in case of any fault or abnormal condition within the known GIS. The exhaust path is connected to the outside environment using ducts.
The low voltage compartment of the known GIS comprises control equipment such as relays, auxiliary switches and actuators typically operating at low voltages (less than 1 kV).
The gas insulated tank of the known GIS comprises a circuit breaker and a disconnector unit, for example for one phase, for two phases or for three phases. The circuit breaker is connected to a first electric conductor guided into the gas insulated tank. The disconnector unit is used for connecting or disconnecting the circuit breaker to a second electrical conductor such as a busbar guided to the busbar compartment or the cable compartment in no-load-conditions only. The disconnector unit is used for electrical isolation and grounding during service and maintenance of the GIS. The disconnector unit may comprise three disconnector poles which are movable between two or three contact positions in which they are connected or disconnected to (i) the busbar, (ii) ground or (iii) are disconnected from both. A current path may be provided from the first electric conductor to the second electric conductor by the circuit breaker and the disconnector unit. The circuit breaker and the disconnector unit are connected in series. The circuit breaker is operated to break the current during a normal load condition as well as during a failure in a voltage network in which the known GIS is used. The failure may be a high surge current due to a short circuit or due to lightning strike to the voltage network.
Each disconnector pole of the disconnector unit may be moved between two contact positions or three contact positions, namely a first contact position which is the connected-position (ON), a second contact position which is the disconnected-position (OFF) and a third contact position which is the EARTH-position (EARTH). It is known to arrange three disconnector poles of the disconnector unit in the gas insulated tank. Each disconnector pole corresponds to a phase of a power supply and comprises a polymeric housing, wherein the polymeric housing comprises metal contact units in the form of fingers.
Typically, the disconnector unit known from the prior art involves a polymeric cage in which metallic contact fingers (or copper/aluminium conductors) of all the three phases are arranged or connected suitably. The polymeric cage does not only provide the adequate insulation to avoid discharge among various components, but also provides mechanical support for the metallic contact fingers. In some cases, the polymeric cage is also used to transfer a rotational movement from the mechanism to the metallic contact fingers. However, this kind of disconnector unit has two main disadvantages. First, the polymeric cage increases the electric field in the gas insulating gap between the metallic contact fingers and the polymeric cage, which itself may cause the initiation of a discharge. In order to compensate this, more polymer is used and a creepage length is increased. Second, the polymeric cage is expensive and complex to produce since the production requires moulding dies. Mouldung dies are made for a specific dimension and are not modular. It adds mass to the kinematic chain or to moving elements which need to be moved by a manual/motor operation. Hence, it adds a higher torque requirement. There is also always a possibility of deterioration of a polymeric component by local partial discharges, whose number increases more with additional polymer.
The gas insulating tank of the known GIS comprises an insulating fluid in the form of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) or other gases in specific applications. The use of SF6 allows for a compact design of the known GIS since SF6 has good properties with respect to dielectric performance and thermal performance, in particular preventing and dealing with unwanted electric discharges, for example arcs, as well as heat dissipation in the known GIS. However, SF6 is a fluorinated gas with a high global warming potential. Therefore, it is not desirable to use SF6. However, it is still desirable to keep the compactness of a GIS comprising SF6, even if other insulation fluids are used.
With respect to the prior art, we refer to U.S. Pat. No. 9,466,955 B2, US 2014/0104758 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,577,412 B2.
For the reasons laid out further above, it is desirable to obtain a compact GIS which enhances the dielectric performance of the disconnector unit. Moreover, it is desirable to reduce the usage of a gas with a high global warming potential such as SF6 or to eliminate the usage of a gas with a high global warming potential.

Disconnector pole for gas insulated switchgear


A standing valve retrieval tool for coupling to a standing valve to allow removal of the standing valve with a tap type puller or a fishing tool. The tool comprises a coupler having a first end and a second end, the first end removably connected to a standing valve within a downhole pump barrel and the second end oriented towards a movable downhole assembly also located within the downhole pump barrel above the standing valve. The coupler has a threaded opening extending within the second end for optionally receiving a tap type puller connector to remove the standing valve and a laterally projecting collar located along the second end for optionally receiving a fishing tool connector to remove the standing valve. The coupler also includes drainage openings extending through the second end for draining debris within the fluid to prevent the threaded opening from becoming plugged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an oil well tubing assembly and more specifically it relates to a standing valve retrieval tool for efficiently coupling to a standing valve to allow removal of the standing valve with a tap type puller or a fishing tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Standing valves in oil well assemblies have been in use for years and are typically comprised of a fixed ball-and-seat valve at the lower end of the working barrel of a sucker rod pump. The standing valves works with a movable travelling valve within the barrel to allow fluid, such as oil, to enter the barrel during an upstroke of the travelling valve and to prevent the fluid from exiting through the lower end of the barrel, but force the fluid upwards through the barrel during a down stroke of the travelling valve.
Occasionally, it becomes necessary to remove and check the standing valve; however because of current ineffective attachments used to connect to the standing valve and pull the standing valve up through the barrel for inspection, the removal process can often be difficult and time consuming. If the standing valve cannot be removed via the threadable attachments because of threaded holes being plugged, threads damaged, etc., the operator must generally pull the barrel out of the well that is full of fluid which can lead to a substantial loss of fluid and time. Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved standing valve retrieval tool for efficiently coupling to a standing valve to allow removal of the standing valve with a tap type puller or a fishing tool.


Novel non-symmetric, partially fluorinated compositions and method of manufacture which are useful as lubricants or as additives to lubricant formulations involving the molecular structure:

xe2x80x9cNot Applicablexe2x80x9d
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lubricants. In particular, it describes non-symmetric, partially fluorinated lubricants and additives, which are soluble in lubricating oils and impart anti-wear and friction-reducing benefits to lubricant formulations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two of the most important functions of a lubricant are to reduce friction and to reduce wear on moving parts. Full-film lubrication, where moving parts are always separated by a film of lubricant such that the parts never make contact, is an ideal that cannot always be achieved in practice. Design constraints, together with high load, slow speed, lubricant starvation, or low viscosity of the lubricant, may preclude full-film lubrication and increase the severity of contact. These conditions are often unavoidable during normal operation of machinery, and particularly severe during startup and shutdown.
In cases where full-film lubrication cannot be ensured at all times, anti-wear agents and friction modifiers are usually employed to modify the surfaces to be lubricated. Such anti-wear agents modify these surfaces through adsorption or chemical reaction to form a new surface that can reduce friction and resist wear. Many kinds of anti-wear agents are known. Some of the most widely used and relied upon are the zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs), which find application in many different types of lubricants. Although these compounds have been used for many years in passenger car motor oil, their use is currently restricted (0.1% P vs. 0.12% allowed in the previous GF-1 specification) because the phosphorus from ZDDP poisons catalytic converters, leading to increased emissions. It is anticipated that the future use of ZDDP may be reduced even more than the current level. Anti-wear agents, which can be used in place of ZDDP or in addition to it, are therefore of great interest.
Use of fluorinated and partly-fluorinated materials, as lubricants are known. One limitation of the fluorinated and partly-fluorinated materials previously known is their very low solubility in conventional lubricant base fluids such as natural and synthetic hydrocarbons and esters. Although solid additives may be used in lubricants, they pose several problems. For example, it is known that solid polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can be dispersed in lubricant fluids to reduce friction and wear. However, effectiveness of such a dispersed lubricant depends on maintaining the solid PTFE particles in stable dispersion. Achieving an indefinitely stable dispersion is a challenge, particularly in a formulated lubricant, which may contain detergents, dispersants, or surfactants that may destabilize the PTFE dispersion. Particles of a dispersed solid may flocculate over time in use. Such flocculated particle may then plug or restrict flow of the lubricant in the equipment and result in lubricant starvation in critical locations. The use of soluble additives instead of dispersed solid additives eliminates this problem.
Unfortunately, in the case of PTFE, there is no equivalent material that is soluble in common mineral oil base fluid. Other fluorinated materials have been developed as lubricants, including some liquid highly fluorinated materials such as perfluoropolyethers, but even these liquid highly-fluorinated materials are insoluble in common mineral oil base fluids.
Finally, highly fluorinated materials are significantly more expensive than common lubricant base fluids, making it impractical to use highly fluorinated materials themselves as base fluids except in certain specialized uses where lower cost base fluids are not acceptable.
In the prior art, the terms xe2x80x9cpartly-fluorinatedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cpartially fluorinatedxe2x80x9d can be confusing since they may be used interchangeably, or either one or both terms may used to refer generically to many different types of organic compounds having some but not all of the hydrogen replaced by fluorine substituents. Thus the terms as used in the prior art do not necessarily adequately describe the structure of the molecule in regard to placement of the fluorine substituents.
As used herein the term partly-fluorinated means that both end groups of a molecule are fluorinated to some extent. Partly-fluorinated materials, particularly esters and ethers, have been disclosed as lubricants for magnetic media, for example, Japanese Patent 259482, Japanese Patent 08259501, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,578,387; 5,391,814 and 5,510,513.
Japanese Patent 01122026 teaches use of fluorine containing dibasic acid esters derived from diacids up to C8 as lubricants for magnetic media. This publication, as does PCT publication, US/92/08331, teaches that the acid structure from which the diester is formed may have double bonds present. The molecular structures taught by each of these publications may also have fluorine atoms present in each of the end group.
Partly-fluorinated adipic acid diesters, Rf(CH2)xO2C(CH2)4CO2(CH2)xRf, have been disclosed as lubricating coatings by Russian patent SU 449925. Bowers et al (Lubr. Eng., July-August, 1956, pages 245-253) studied the boundary lubricating properties of several similar esters. The compounds disclosed in this publication have fluorine present in each of the diester groups that is the fluorination is symmetric. These partly-fluorinated esters have very low solubility in conventional lubricant base fluids and are therefore, of limited utility as additives in such base fluids.
Japanese Patent 2604186 discloses 1,2,3,4-butane-tetracarboxylic acid tetraesters with partly-fluorinated alcohols, but since all four ester groups are derived from fluorinated alcohols, these esters, too, are symmetric. Other examples of the teaching of symmetrically fluorinated molecular structures include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,203,856; 5,066,856 and 4,039,301 and in JP08258482 and JP08259501.
Fluorine-containing tri-carbonyl compounds, including some esters, are disclosed as lubricant additives in Japanese patent JP 07242584, and partial fluoroesters of polycarboxylic acids, in which the acid functional groups are not completely esterified was taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,533.
In view of the above description of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluorinated lubricant additive which can serve as an anti-wear agent and friction reducer that is compatible with conventional lubricant base fluids and which overcomes the cost and solubility limitations of highly fluorinated solid and liquid materials. This object has been achieved in non-symmetric, partially fluorinated compositions and compounds of the present invention.
Thus, the present invention provides a composition for use as a lubricant or an additive to a lubricant formulation comprising an organic molecular structure wherein said structure is a non-symmetric, partially fluorinated structure having backbone formed from alkyl groups, aromatic groups or mixtures of alkyl and aromatic groups, at least two functional linkages joining end groups to the backbone and end groups, wherein at least one end group is wholly or partially fluorinated and at least one other end group contains only atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, phosphorous and chlorine.
The functional linkages of the present invention contain atoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous. Preferred functional linkages include carboxylic esters, thioesters, sulfonic esters, ureas, thioureas, amides, phosphates, thiophosphates, imines, amines, ethers, thioethers, urethanes, thiourethanes, sulfoxides, and sulfones.
The present invention also provides a process for synthesizing the present composition comprising the steps of:
a) forming a reaction mixture containing components A and B which when reacted form functional linkages wherein A is a mixture of two or more compounds containing at least one reactive functional group selected either from the group consisting of alcohol, mercaptan and amine or from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid chloride, carboxylic ester, nitrile, sulfonyl halide, isocyanate, isothiocyanate, aldehyde, ketone, alkyl halide, phosphoryl halide, thiophosphoryl halide, phosphoric anhydride, and thiophosphoryl anhydride, and further wherein at least one of said compounds of said mixture is a partially fluorinated compound and at least one other of said compound of said mixture is a non-fluorinated compound; and wherein B is a compound containing at least two reactive functional groups which are the same or different and are capable of reacting with the reactive functional groups present in A and said reactive functional groups of B are selected either from the group consisting of alcohol, mercaptan and amine or from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid chloride, carboxylic ester, nitrile, sulfonyl halide, isocyanate, isothiocyanate, aldehyde, ketone, alkyl halide, phosphoryl halide, thiophosphoryl halide, phosphoric anhydride, and thiophosphoryl anhydride; with the proviso: (i) that when the functional groups of either A or B are alcohols, then the functional groups of B or A, respectively, are selected from the group consisting of (ii) that when the functional groups of either A or B are mercaptans, then the functional groups of B or A, respectively, are selected from the group consisting of acid halide, isocyanate and alkyl halide; and (iii) that when the functional groups of either A or B are amines, then the functional groups of B or A, respectively, are selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid chloride, carboxylic ester, isocyanate, aldehyde and ketone; and
b. reacting the mixture to form the functional linkages, and
c. recovering a non-symmetric, partially fluorinated composition having a molecular structure:
xe2x80x83R1fxe2x80x94Fxe2x80x2xe2x80x94R2xe2x80x94Fxe2x80x3xe2x80x94R3h
Where: R1f represents a wholly or partially fluorinated C1 to C40 organic residue end group; Fxe2x80x2 and Fxe2x80x3 represent functional linkages which are either alike or different and are selected from the group consisting of carboxylic esters, thioesters, sulfonic esters, ureas, thioureas, amides, phosphates, thiophosphates, imines, amines, ethers, thioethers, urethanes, thiourethanes, sulfoxides, sulfones, and mixtures thereof; R2 represents the hydrocarbon backbone selected from the group consisting of a C1 to C30 alkyl, cycloalkyl, and aromatic group and mixtures thereof; and R3h represents a non-fluorinated C1 to C40 organic residue end group.
The preferred structures for component A useful in the present invention include the following, where X represents an xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94SH, xe2x80x94NH2 or xe2x80x94NHRxe2x80x2 group:
F(CF2)xCH2X; H(CF2)xCH2X, wherein x is 1 to about 20; mixtures of the telomers of F(CF2CF2)xCH2CH2X, wherein x is 1 to about 10 and preferably having an average x of from about 3.5 to about 3.9; mixtures of the telomers of F(CF2CF2)x(CH2CH2O)yH, wherein x is 1 to about 10 and y is 1 to 20 and preferably having an average x of about 3.9 and an average y of about 8, and of the telomers of F(CF(CF3)CF2O)xCF(CF3)CH2X, wherein x is 1 to about 12 and preferably having an average x of about 6.7.
The preferred structures for component B useful in the present invention include the difunctional carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid chloride, carboxylic ester, nitrile, sulfonyl halide, isocyanate, isothiocyanate, aldehyde, ketone, alkyl halide, phosphoryl halide, thiophosphoryl halide, phosphoric anhydride, and thiophosphoryl anhydride.
Diacids useful in the present invention include those having from about 4 to 24 carbons, the corresponding acid anhydrides and dimer acids having up to 36 carbons. Acid halides, sulfonyl halides, isocyanates, isothiocyanates, phosphoryl halides and thiophosphoryl halides having structures corresponding to these diacids are also useful in the present invention. Although the preferred structures of the compounds of the present invention are the structures having like functional groups, structures may have mixed functional groups, for example, carboxylic acid/sufonyl halide, carbonyl/carboxylic acid or other combinations.
The present invention includes a lubricant composition comprising a base fluid mixed with the non-symmetric, partially fluorinated compounds of the present invention.

Non-symmetric, partially fluorinated lubricant additives

Abstract: where R1f represents a wholly or partially fluorinated organic residue end group, Fxe2x80x2 and Fxe2x80x3 represent functional linkages which may be alike or different, R2 represents the backbone and R3h represents a non-fluorinated organic residue end group. Such compositions are produced by reacting a mixture of alcohols, mercaptans or amines containing at least one partially fluorinated compound and at least one non-fluorinated compound in the mixture, thus producing the R1f and the R3h residues, with a difunctional organic compound (e.g., diacid, dinitrile, disulfonyl halide, diisocyanate, diisothiocyanate, diphosphoryl halide or dithiophosphoryl halide).


Provided is a reception apparatus for outputting service information in an appropriate area at a suitable time so that the service information distributed has consumer attraction and a communication system in which the reception apparatus is used. A reception apparatus 100 has a reception unit 30 configured to receive service information including a display time condition transmitted from a narrow area base station 200 and identifier information of a wide area base station 300 transmitted from the wide area base station 300, a memory unit 40 configured to store the service information and the identifier information, a display unit 50 configured to display the service information, and a control unit 10, after storing the service information received by the reception unit 30 and the identifier information of the wide area base station 300 received by the reception unit 30 in the memory unit 40 in association with each other, configured to control the display unit 50 to display service information satisfying the display time condition among the service information stored in the memory unit 40 when the reception unit 30 re-receives the identifier information of the wide area base station 300 associated with the service information.

There are conventionally suggested various information distribution systems in which, when a reception apparatus, such as a mobile phone, enters a specific area within the reach of radio waves from a particular base station, the base station provides a service such as distributing service information unique to the specific area to the reception apparatus. For example, there is suggested a terminal apparatus for extracting information unique to a base station (base station ID) from identifier information transmitted from the base station in wireless communication with the mobile phone and automatically receives area information corresponding to the base station ID with an embedded information storage unit (see Patent Document 1). The terminal apparatus described in Patent Document 1 prestores information on each area in an internal medium or the like and, when it detects the base station ID transmitted from the base station in the area, provides a user with the information on the area corresponding to the base station ID.
In addition, there is also suggested a communication terminal capable of obtaining location information and obtaining area information corresponding to the location by communicating with an external source (see Patent Document 2). According to Patent Document 2, a mobile terminal such as the mobile phone, being located in a particular area, can provide a user with information suitable for the area by receiving information such as guide information from the external source. The terminal apparatus described in Patent Document 2 can specify its location to a high accuracy by a GPS (Global Positioning System) communication or by measuring a distance from a base station installed at a fixed location.
By appropriate applications of those techniques, it is possible to provide a user of a communication terminal which has entered a particular area with service information specific to the area by distributing service information unique to the area through wireless communication from an apparatus such as a base station or the like. Recently, techniques specialized for communications in a narrow area, such as gap fillers and femtocells, have been developed. Therefore, applications of the above techniques to services for a narrow area allows for a detailed service such as distribution of information unique to the area from an apparatus in the area to the terminal having entered the narrow area.
Various information may be considered as the service information used for these techniques. For example, if the area for distribution of the service information is small like a shop, the service information may be information on limited items or recommended items of the shop or information on a date of a sale or an event. Hereinafter, information distributed in a narrow area and related to a service provided to consumers in the narrow area is referred to as "service information."

Reception apparatus and communication system


A smokestack including an elongated tube means having an open bottom end for receiving smoke emanating from a campfire and an open top end for releasing the smoke into the atmosphere, and a base for supporting the tube means with its open bottom end directly above the campfire and defining openings that provide physical and visual access thereto. The elongated tube comprises a top tube section defining the open top end and a plurality of longitudinally distributed lower tube sections, each including a support surface for demountably supporting a directly upwardly adjacent tube section. Retained by one of the lower tube sections is a cooking grate disposed directly adjacent to an upper end thereof and a door providing access to the grate is retained by another of the tube sections supported by the one tube section.

This invention relates generally to a smokestack, and more particularly, to a portable smokestack specifically suited for use with campfires.
Campers throughout the world commonly build wood fires that are used for both heating and cooking. Typically, a campfire is built either on the ground or in a rudimentary fireplace constructed of loose rocks found in the immediate area. Although providing essential needs of campers, the open campfire often exhibits highly undesirable traits. For example, wind blown smoke emanating from an open campfire frequently causes discomfort to a camper's eyes and lungs. In addition, wind blown sparks emitted from an open campfire can provide a serious fire hazard to both the camper and surrounding environment.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an apparatus that will reduce the disadvantages inherently present in connection with the use of open campfires.


A board connector according to an embodiment of the invention includes a connector main body 1 that includes a connector housing 10 and terminals and a metal fitting 20 that is press-fitted into the connector housing. The metal fitting is provided with a bottom plate 20A that extends over an entire width of the connector housing in a left-to-right direction. The bottom plate is provided with a pair of first left and right vertical wall-like press-fitting portions 21 that correspond to left and right sides of the connector housing, a pair of second left and right transverse wall-like press-fitting portions 22 that correspond to bottom surfaces of left and right ends of the connector housing, first soldering portions 23 that are located at outer sides of the first and second left and right press-fitting portions in a left-to-right direction, and second soldering portions 24 that are located at inner sides of the first and second left and right press-fitting portions in a left-to-right direction. Further, first press-fitted portions 11 are provided in the left and right sides of the connector housing so as to press-fit the first press-fitting portions of the metal fitting, and second press-fitted portions 22 are provided in the bottom surfaces of the left and right ends of the connector housing so as to press-fit the second press-fitting portions of the metal fitting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board connector that is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a board connector is mounted in a connector housing having a hood portion by inserting terminals into the connector housing. In the board connector, connection ends of the terminals between the terminals and terminals of a counterpart connector protrude to the hood portion, and connection ends of the terminals between the terminals and a printed circuit board are bent in an L shape so as to protrude the connection ends to a side opposite to the hood portion. In this case, the connector housing is used to hold the terminals, maintain a fitting state between the board connector and the counterpart connector, and to fix the board connector to the printed circuit board. Further, the terminals are used to be electrically connected to the terminals of the counterpart connector, to fix the board connector to the printed circuit board by soldering between the terminals and the printed circuit board, and to be electrically connected to a circuit of the printed circuit board.
This type of board connector fixes terminals protruding from a wall surface of the connector housing to the outside to the printed circuit board by means of soldering, but in this case, the support is insufficient. Accordingly, a means for fixing the connector housing to the printed circuit board is generally provided.
As an example of the board connector according to the related art, a board connector shown in FIG. 4 is known (for example, Patent Document 1).
A board connector 100 shown in FIG. 4 has a connector housing 110 and a plurality of terminals 115 that are disposed in the connector housing 110. A metal coating film 120 is provided on a bottom surface of the connector housing 110 and functions as a fixing means for soldering so as to fix the board connector 100 to a printed circuit board (not shown).
The connector housing 110 is formed in substantially a rectangular shape using a synthetic resin, and has its front surface that is provided with a fitting recess 110A into which a counterpart connector is fitted. Each of the terminals 115 is formed of a conductive material, and has one end that is provided with a contact portion 115a and the other end that is provided with a soldering portion 115b. The contact portion 115a is located in the fitting recess of the connector housing and comes into contact with the counterpart connector, and the soldering portion 115b protrudes from a rear surface of the connector housing 110 and soldered on the printed circuit board.
In order to mount the board connector 100 having the above-described structure in the printed circuit board, the soldering portions 115b of the terminals 115 and the metal coating film 120 overlap pads (not shown) that are formed on the printed circuit board. Then, a reflow process is performed to melt soldering paste (not shown) applied to the pads in advance so as to solder the soldering portions 115b of the terminals 115 and the metal coating film 120 to the pads of the printed circuit board.
As such, if the connector housing 110 is directly soldered on the printed circuit board, external force applied to the terminals 115 can be dispersed into the terminals 115 and the connector housing 110. For this reason, it is possible to improve mounting strength of the terminals 115 to the printed circuit board, which achieves secure electrical connection between the terminals 115 and the printed circuit board.
Further, as examples of different types of board connectors, board connectors that are disclosed in Patent Documents 2, 3, and 4 have been known. In these board connectors, L-shaped metal fittings are individually press-fitted into left and right ends of a connector housing that constitutes a connector main body, and each of the metal fittings is soldered on the printed circuit board, such that the connector main body is fixed on the printed circuit board.
Meanwhile, according to a technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 that corresponds to a structure shown in FIG. 4, when a metal coating film 120 is provided on a bottom surface of the connector housing 110 and soldered on the printed circuit board, shearing force is applied to the soldering portions in a board surface direction due to the difference in thermal expansion between the printed circuit board and the connector housing 110, or force is applied to the soldering portion in a film removing direction because of warpage of the printed circuit board due to the thermal change over time, which may cause solder cracks.
Further, according to technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 2, 3, and 4, when the L-shaped metal fittings are individually press-fitted into the left and right ends of the connector housing and are soldered on the printed circuit board, if the length of the board connector in a left-to-right direction is increased, it is not possible to prevent warping of the connector housing. As a result, excessively strong force may be easily applied to a soldering portion of the connector terminal to the printed circuit board or connection portions between the terminals in the board connector.
Patent Document 1:JP-UM-A-6-84680
Patent Document 2:JP-A-2005-166491
Patent Document 3:JP-A-2005-294163
Patent Document 4:JP-A-2005-302523


A method and apparatus for manufacturing an exhaust pipe assembly which are capable of decreasing a temperature difference between a seam-welded outer and inner surface at the time of seam welding. The apparatus comprises an outer circumferential electrode wheel abutted on an outer circumference of a mounting ring, a pressing means pressing the outer circumferential electrode wheel to the mounting ring, an inner circumferential electrode wheel abutted on an inner circumference of a pipe making up an exhaust pipe assembly, a transformer serving as a voltage supply means for supplying a predetermined voltage to the outer and inner circumferential electrode wheels and, and a controller for controlling voltage of the transformer. Thickness T1 of the outer circumferential electrode wheel is larger than thickness T2 of the inner circumferential electrode wheel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an exhaust pipe assembly and an apparatus used for the method, and more particularly, to an apparatus for fixing a mounting ring to the exhaust pipe assembly by seam welding.
2. Description of the Related Art
An exhaust pipe assembly used for a vehicle such as a two-wheeled motor vehicle, comprises a plurality of (e.g., four) exhaust pipes, which are each formed by fixing a mounting ring to a first end of a pipe and inserting a mounting flange from a second end of the pipe. Each exhaust pipe is mounted with its first end communicated with an engine, and all the exhaust pipes converge on, for example, a single pipe at their second ends to be connected with a muffler or silencer.
For example, a MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding or TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is employed for a method of fixing the mounting ring to the first end of the pipe. However, when the mounting ring is fixed to the first end of the pipe by means of MIG welding or TIG welding, a welding bead B protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the exhaust pipe as shown in FIG. 7, so that the welding bead B behaves as resistance against an engine exhaust emitted through the exhaust pipe assembly. Such resistance against engine exhaust causes decrease in exhaust efficiency, eventually leading to the decrease in power of engine.
To address such problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-97022, for example, discloses a method for fixing a mounting ring to a first end of a pipe by seam welding. As shown in FIG. 8, a seam welding apparatus 100 according to the JP2000-97022 comprises an outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 abutted on an outer circumferential surface of a mounting ring a, a pressing means 102 for pressing the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 to the mounting ring a, an inner circumferential electrode wheel 103 abutted on an inner circumferential surface of a pipe b making up an exhaust tube, a transformer 104 serving as a voltage supply means for supplying a predetermined voltage to the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103, and a controller 105 controlling the voltage of the transformer 104. The outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103 are rotatably provided with a predetermined axis-to axis distance D kept therebetween.
At first, an outer circumferential portion of the first end of the pipe b is inserted into the mounting ring a, so that the pipe b with the mounting ring a is arranged in between the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103. Then, the pressing means 102 is allowed to press the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 toward the mounting ring a, and under that condition, the voltage supply means supplies a voltage to the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103. At the same time, both the inner and outer circumferential electrode wheels 101 and 103 are rotated in cooperation with each other to thereby perform the seam welding along entire circumferences. In this way, the mounting ring a is fixed to the first end of the pipe b.
According to the conventional seam welding apparatus 100 in FIG. 8, the diameter of the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103 is allowed to be smaller than that of the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 so that the mounting ring a can be fixed to the pipe b having a smaller diameter with the axis-to-axis distance D between the outer and inner circumferential electrode wheels 101 and 103 being kept constant.
However, when the welding according to the JP 2000-97022 was performed and then a welding surface after the seam welding was observed, it was found that the outer surface (seam-welded outer surface) W1 of the exhaust pipe melted more than the inner surface (seam-welded inner surface) W2 of the exhaust pipe. Thus, it is recognized that there was a difference in welding temperature between the seam-welded outer surface W1 and the seam-welded inner surface W2, as illustrated in FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C. This temperature difference causes locations of nuggets and coronas made by the seam welding to be displaced from the boundary between the pipe and the mounting ring toward the mounting ring. Furthermore, coronas are displaced even more toward the mounting ring because the thickness of the mounting ring is large, so that there is a problem that a sufficient welding strength is not able to be obtained.
The term "nugget" used herein means a welded region that has been subjected to weld solidification in a resistance welding process. Also, the term "corona" means a ring-like region formed around a nugget by a solid-phase welding in a resistance welding process.
The above welding temperature difference is considered to be attributable to an area of contact between the mounting ring a and the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 being smaller than that of the pipe b and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103, as shown in FIG. 10. More specifically, an amount of the current flowing per unit area is greater between the mounting ring a and the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 than between the pipe b and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103, so that an amount of heat generation by resistance between the mounting ring a and the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 is also greater between the mounting ring a and the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101, and for this reason, the seam-welded outer surface W1 is considered to have melted more seriously than the seam-welded inner surface W2.
Therefore, in order to form a corona in the boundary between the mounting ring a and the pipe b. it is imperative to boost a voltage to be supplied to the outer circumferential electrode wheel 101 and the inner circumferential electrode wheel 103, i.e., to raise a welding temperature by increasing the current. To achieve this, however, it is not desirable to use a thick mounting ring from a viewpoint of efficiency. In addition, in the case of using materials whose surfaces are easy to melt, maintenance of electrodes becomes necessary, and thus it is not desirable.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing for fixing a mounting ring to an exhaust pipe assembly