A system and method for color changing lighting comprising a pre-programmed controller along with driver circuit, a single or combination of LEDs and an OFF/ON switch which is used for making selection of mode of operation as well as switching the system ON/OFF. Brightness is changed using pulse width modulation. The LED's are selectively activated by programmed variable pulse to generate desired color mixing effect. The resulting illumination may be controlled by a computer/micro-controller program to provide pre-designed complex patterns of light in virtually any environment.

LEDs are commonly used in lighting applications, and have in many areas superseded conventional lighting, including decorative elements, indicators etc. LEDs have various advantages: they are cost effective, easy to implement and typically consume very little power. Furthermore, LEDs may be employed to produce a lighting system with a varying color scheme, which is often desired for applications such as lamps, back light sources, traffic signals, display boards, illuminating switches and commercial lighting. LEDs provide the best option for these applications as they are easily available in basic colors Red, Green and Blue (RGB) and any other colors can be produced by manipulating the intensity of these basic colors RGB.
U.S. Patent publication number US 2004/0207334 discusses a system for a color changing bulb for the instrument panel of a vehicle, which is made as a bulb and directly installable in a bulb seat of the instrument panel. The color changing bulb includes a bulb housing defining a receiving space for receiving a light emitting diode and a circuit board. The LED includes three LED chips for generating red, blue and green light components. A controlling circuit is disposed on the circuit board and connected with the LED for driving the three-color LED chips to emit light. By use of a brightness adjustment switch on the instrument panel or a headlight switch, at least seven combinations of colors of light can variably emitted. This patent provides a memory unit to store or count the number of times the headlight switch is switched to create additional signal indicating which color the LED system should produce. This system is further using stabilizing unit and a digital cycle outputting unit, which makes it limited to only cyclic color changes and does not provide with an option for selecting a single color and the system can not be programmed for selecting flashing or steady state color mode.
In another US Patent publication, number US 2002/0047628, a system is discussed which is more complicated and requires a more complex infrastructure to control and use the system, making it both bulky and costly. This art is used in larger applications such as in decorating retail, commercial and residential places; thus limiting this system to outdoor environments. It is not cost-effective in smaller applications.
In another U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,482, a color display apparatus is disclosed in which each of the three color LED in the circuit are driven by transistor biasing. In this system, each transistor base is coupled to a respective latch resistor. As the three latches are connected to a single data bus, it becomes impossible to change the color of all the three LED's at a very high speed. Also, the biasing of the transistor was changed by simply changing the grounding resistor of the potential divider which may vary from piece to piece due to component tolerance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,038 to Mueller, et al. discloses a pulse width modulated current control for an LED lighting assembly, where each current-controlled unit is uniquely addressable and capable of receiving illumination color information on a computer lighting network. The light module is adapted to be conveniently interchanged with other light modules having programmable current and hence maximum light intensity, ratings. The pulse width modulated LED lighting assembly of this invention however necessitates the use of a computer controller to operate the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,774, also to Mueller, et al. discloses a similar pulse width modulated current control for an LED lighting assembly wherein each current-controlled unit is uniquely addressable and capable of receiving illumination color information on a computer lighting network. This patent anticipates the use of a manual control for an LED lighting assembly, however there is no method for manually programming an LED light source with such a method.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,626 to Lys, et al. discloses a light module, comprising an LED system for generating a range of colors within a color spectrum, a processor for controlling the amount of electrical current supplied to the plurality of light emitting diodes, so that a particular amount of current supplied thereto generates a corresponding color within the color spectrum, a housing within which the LED system is positioned, and a heat spreader plate in contact with the housing for dissipating heat from the housing; wherein the LED system includes a thermal connection to the heat spreader plate. This invention fails to provide for a manual, switched color or color array setting mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,868 to Lys, et al. discloses a light module having a plurality of light emitting diodes for generating light of a range of colors within a color spectrum, a processor for controlling the amount of electrical current supplied to each light emitting diode such that a particular amount of current supplied to the light module generates a corresponding color within the color spectrum, and a power module for providing electrical current from a power source to the light module, the power module including a connector for removably and replacably connecting the power module to the light module. However, this invention contemplates a computer controlled multicolored lighting network, rather than individual lighting units which may be programmed to multiple modes in a series by a manual switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,954 to Lys, et al. also relates to LED lighting assemblies, however this patent claims the use of a processor to control current through the LEDs, rather than a technique to control pre-programmed modes through a manual switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,659 to Mueller, et al. discloses a pulse width modulated current control for an LED lighting assembly, wherein each current-controlled unit is uniquely addressable and capable of receiving illumination color information on a computer lighting network. In a further embodiment, the invention includes a binary tree network configuration of lighting units (nodes). In another embodiment, the present invention comprises a heat dissipating housing, made out of a heat-conductive material, for housing the lighting assembly. The heat dissipating housing contains two stacked circuit boards holding respectively the power module and the light module. The light module is adapted to be conveniently interchanged with other light modules having programmable current, and hence maximum light intensity, ratings. Like the other background references, this invention doesn't contemplate an LED lighting assembly, wherein the ON/OFF switch is also the color control.
The above mentioned prior art does not provide choice of selection of cyclic or steady state color modes. Although several instances of the prior art have the capability of generating a variety of combinations, they lack the ability to make color changes without large, costly, complex controllers, and are not suitable for use in small applications. Furthermore, these arts do not provide any memory means to store a mode of operation and color or color combination when they are switched off, to restore a variety of predetermined settings at the time of the next restart.

Color control system for color changing lights


Provided herein is a method for determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture, including the steps of: infecting a cell culture arranged in a sample carrier with viruses, counting any infected areas of the cell culture by means of a transmitted light method, marking infected cells with fluorescence markers, counting infected areas of the cell culture by means of a fluorescence analysis method, and evaluating area by area the areas determined in both methods for determining the number of sites of infection.

The invention relates to a method for determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture.
For determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture, it is known to first grow a cell culture on a sample carrier. Suitable sample carriers are in particular titer plates and microtiter plates, wherein cell cultures are grown in the individual wells so that the cells can attach to the well bottom. Thereafter, the cells are infected with a viral liquid. The same is usually diluted, with viral liquids of different dilutions being added to different wells. After a predetermined period, which depends in particular on the type of virus, the viral liquid is removed, in particular pumped off. The viral liquid usually acts on the cell culture for several minutes to several hours. After removal of the viral liquid, a medium is usually supplied that is to prevent a diffusion of virus particles released at a later time. Such a medium, which is introduced in particular as a gel layer, is used to cover the cell culture. Thereafter, a longer period of typically several days of waiting occurs. During this period, the infected cells die and the viruses emerging therefrom spread into the adjacent cells. Thereby comparatively large areas are formed in which dead cells are no longer visible and are surrounded by zones with cells that are still alive but already infected. Here, sites of infection are defined as areas on the sample carrier in which an initial infection of the cells by the virus has taken place, wherein, starting from the respective site of infection, infected areas are formed in which the cells are already infected and/or have already been destroyed.
Using a transmitted light method, it is possible to count the destroyed areas or areas in which no living cells are left. Such counting is typically performed after taking a respective image by persons, by photography or microscopy. If necessary, the sample may be stained with a dye for an increase in contrast. A suitable, in particular unspecific dye, such as e.g. methylene blue, marks the living cells so that the areas, in which no living cells exist, are more clearly obvious to the viewer as holes.
Determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture by means of a transmitted light method in particular has the disadvantage that e.g. cells infected at a later time or cells reacting to the virus in a different way have not died yet and, as such, no corresponding hole can be seen using the transmitted light method. This also applies e.g. to cells that react more slowly, so that the corresponding holes are still very small and are therefore not visible or only with difficulty. It is another disadvantage of the transmitted light method that other voids that were not caused by the viruses, are detected as such voids and are erroneously included in the count. Such voids may e.g. areas in which the cells were washed away or in which contaminations exist. Washing away can occur e.g. when the viral liquids are added or when the gel is added. Further, the duration of the period which has to be waited prior to the transmitted light method being performed correspondingly, is difficult to determine and depends in particular on the type of the viruses. If the period is too short, the corresponding infected areas only have a small number of dead cells so that the corresponding holes or voids are difficult to discern. If the period is too long, individual areas grow to merge so that it is hard to determine, whether, originally, there was only one site of infection, or a plurality of sites of infection with a common infected area of the cell culture.
Further, for determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture, it is known to treat the cell culture with in particular virus-specific fluorescence makers that mark the infected cells. It is then possible to count the infected areas, since the corresponding areas fluoresce. However, this method has a disadvantage in that adjacent infected areas cannot be discerned from each other and can therefore only be detected erroneously as one original site of infection.

Method for determining the number of sites of infection of a cell culture

PerkinElmer Cellular Technologies Germany GmbH


An apparatus for cutting aluminum siding or like articles includes a movable blade and a pair of fixed blades between which the movable blade is mounted to pivot. The fixed blades are each mounted on a rail that is rigidly connected to a flexible base member. An adjustment bolt is provided for exerting force between the rails. Force from the adjustment bolt causes the base member to deflect, thereby permitting the distance between the fixed blades to be varied. A second feature includes the provision of different sets of fixed blades, each configured to conform to a different type of siding. A novel movable blade is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices which are used to cut a piece of siding prior to its installation onto the exterior of a building. Specifically, this invention provides a universal siding cutter which can be used to safely and precisely cut several different types of siding.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Strip siding is widely used in the construction industry to provide a protective, attractive exterior surface to buildings. Siding strips are most commonly fabricated from aluminum or steel, although siding made from plastic is also available. Many different configurations of siding material are also available. For example, a "straight eight" length of siding gives the appearance of a straight shingle that is approximately eight inches long. The "double four" and "double five" types of siding are constructed so as to give the appearance of an upper and a lower shingle each having, respectively depending upon the siding type, four or five inches in width. Many other different configurations of siding are commercially available in addition to those discussed above.
During installation, it often becomes necessary to cut or trim individual lengths of siding to conform to the external dimensions of the building to which the siding is to be applied. Machines which have been previously developed for accomplishing this function are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,134,235 and 3,279,295.
Although such machines could effectively cut siding to a desired length, they often also deformed the siding during cutting, particularly in flanged areas or in the vertical step area between the two flat shingle portions in a double width piece of siding. Such deformation often had to be manually corrected after making each cut. Over the course of an entire project, this could become an expensive and time-consuming task for a siding contractor.
It is clear that there has existed a long and unfilled need in the prior art for an improved siding cutter that is adaptable to different types of siding and which will not deform the siding during cutting.


A voltage boost circuit includes a boost capacitor; a charge circuit for charging in the charging mode the boost capacitor to a supply voltage, the charging circuit including a charging MOS switch interconnected between the supply voltage and one terminal of the boost capacitor and a back gate isolation circuit connected to the back gate of the charging MOS switch and including a first switch for connecting the back gate to the supply voltage for reverse biasing the back gate in the charging mode and the second switch for connecting the back gate to the one terminal of the boost capacitor for reverse biasing the back gate in the boost mode to prevent charge loss from the boost capacitor; and a boost bias voltage and a boost switch for connecting the second terminal of the boost capacitor to the boost bias voltage in the boost mode.

This invention relates to a voltage boost circuit, and more particularly to a low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using such a voltage boost circuit.
Voltage sampling switch circuits such as used in analog to digital converters (ADC) are desired to conduct even when the input voltage is close to or exceeds the supply voltage. This is becoming more of a challenge as the demand increases for circuits that operate at ever lower supply voltages. Presently, there are no practical 12 bit ADC""s which operate at 1.6 volts although they are in demand. In one approach a transmission gate using a parallel PMOS, NMOS pair works well when the supply voltage is high but the conductance goes to zero about midband of the input when the supply voltage is in the 1.8 volt range. Another approach to the problem, Singer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,326, employs a boost capacitor which is charged to supply voltage in one mode then stacked on the analog input voltage to provide a fixed enhancement to the gate voltage of the sampling switch to maintain near constant conduction over the input range. One problem with this is that with positive supply voltage using an NMOS switch to connect the boost capacitor to the supply voltage another boost circuit is needed to keep the gate of this NMOS switch above the supply so that the boost capacitor can be sufficiently charged. This uses additional power and requires a clock to constantly recharge this additional boost circuit. In the situation of a positive supply voltage this problem can be alleviated by using a PMOS instead of an NMOS switch but then the back gate of the PMOS normally connected to the source terminal acts as a forward biased diode in the boost mode and quickly discharges the boost capacitor. Other circuits, Pierre Favrat et al., IJSSC March 1998, double the supply voltage to drive the gate. The problem with this is that the boosted voltage can in some conditions of input voltage exceed the maximum voltage rating of the MOS devices and so further adjustment is required to accommodate this. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,326 to Singer et al., issued Sep. 12, 2000, entitled Two Phase Boostrap CMOS Switch Drive Technique and Circuit. See also A High Efficiency CMOS Voltage Doubler (Pierre Favrat et al., IJSSC March 1998); a 10-bit 20-MS/s, 35 mw Pipeline A/D Converter (Cho et al., IEEE 1994 custom IC Conf.); and An Experimental 1.5v 64-Mb DRAM (Nakagome et al., IJSSC April 1991).
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved voltage boost circuit.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using such a voltage boost circuit.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an improved voltage boost circuit and low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using such a voltage boost circuit which operate over a wider supply voltage range.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an improved voltage boost circuit and low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using such a voltage boost circuit which do not require a continuous clock or additional boost circuitry.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such an improved voltage boost circuit and low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using such a voltage boost circuit which stacks the boost capacitor voltage on a fixed bias to ensure that the boosted voltage does not exceed a maximum safe voltage for the MOS devices.
The invention results from the realization that a high voltage boost circuit particularly useful in a low supply voltage sampling switch circuit which uses less power, does not require a continuous clock and operates over a wider range of voltages can be achieved by using a back gate isolation circuit for switching the back gate of a charging MOS switch to reverse bias it both during the charging and the boost modes to prevent charge loss of the capacitor during the boost mode.
This invention features a voltage boost circuit including a boost capacitor and a charging circuit for charging in the charging mode the boost capacitor to a supply voltage. The charging circuit includes a charging MOS switch interconnected between the supply voltage and one terminal of the boost capacitor. There is a boost bias voltage and a boost switch for connecting the second terminal of the boost capacitor to the boost bias voltage in the boost mode. The charging circuit also includes a back gate isolation circuit connected to the back gate of the charging MOS switch and includes a first switch for connecting the back gate to the supply voltage for reverse biasing the back gate in the charging mode and a second switch for connecting the back gate to the one terminal of the boost capacitor for reverse biasing the back gate in the boost mode to prevent charge loss from the boost capacitor.
In a preferred embodiment correct level driving signals are achieved by connecting the last stage of the driving circuit to one terminal of the boost capacitor to provide a driving voltage that is always equal to the largest voltage in the circuit. The supply voltage may be positive and the charging MOS switch may include a PMOS switch. The supply voltage may be negative and the charging MOS switch may include an NMOS switch. The first and second switches each may have their back gates connected to the back gate of the charging MOS switch.
This invention also features a low supply sampling switch circuit with a voltage boost circuit including a boost capacitor and a charging circuit for charging in a charge mode the boost capacitor to a supply voltage. The charging circuit includes a charging MOS switch interconnected between the supply voltage and one terminal of the boost capacitor. There is a boost bias voltage and a boost switch for connecting the second terminal of the boost capacitor to the boost bias voltage in the boost mode. The charging circuit also includes a back gate isolation circuit connected to the back gate of the PMOS switch and includes a first switch for connecting the back gate to the supply voltage for reverse biasing the back gate in the charging mode and a second switch for connecting the back gate to the terminal of the boost capacitor for reverse biasing the back gate in the boost mode to prevent charge loss from the boost capacitor. There is an MOS sampling switch and a boost switch for interconnecting in the boost mode the one terminal of the boost capacitor with the gate of the sampling switch for maintaining the sampling switch in the conducting state.
In a preferred embodiment the supply voltage may be positive, the charging MOS switch may be a PMOS switch and the MOS sampling switch may be an NMOS switch and the sampling switch may conduct even at higher input voltages. The supply voltage may be negative, the charging MOS switch may be an NMOS switch and the MOS sampling switch may be a PMOS switch and the sampling switch may conduct even at lower input voltages. The first and second switches may each have their back gates connected to the back gate of the charging MOS switch.

Voltage boost circuit and low supply voltage sampling switch circuit using same


A video sequence layout method, electronic device and storage medium are provided, and relate to fields of deep learning, virtual reality, cloud computing, video layout processing and the like. The method includes: acquiring a first video sequence, the first video sequence including a main sequence for describing a first posture of a human body and a subordinate sequence for describing a plurality of second postures of the human body; extracting the main sequence and the subordinate sequence from the first video sequence; and in a case that it is detected that a sequencing identification frame exists in the first video sequence, performing random mixed sequencing processing on video frames in the main sequence and the subordinate sequence based on the sequencing identification frame and taking a sequence combination obtained by the random mixed sequencing processing as a second video sequence.

With the development of computer technology, technologies such as artificial intelligence, deep learning, virtual reality, cloud computing and so on are widely used in the life of users, playing an interactive role with users in various application scenarios such as live broadcasts, short videos, online trainings and the like. In these scenarios, a virtual character (2D or 3D) can be used for replacing a real character or the virtual character can be used for cooperating with a real character together to record videos.
Electronic devices like portable devices and mobile phone terminals etc. are more intelligent than before, and the parsing capabilities of chips are stronger, especially video information parsing, picture rendering, and the like are faster and clearer than before, so that users' requirement on video information is increasingly improved. Whether the recorded videos are diversified will directly influence the interactive experience of the users, and the diversification of the recorded videos can also enrich the video content.

Video sequence layout method, electronic device and storage medium

Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.


A backlight module and a liquid crystal display are provided. The backlight module includes a plastic frame. The sidewalls of the plastic frame have an adjustable length. Each sidewall having the adjustable length includes at least two separated member slidably connected together. The present invention may flexibly set the plastic frame according to the size of the liquid crystal display, and need not specially configure the molds to produce the plastic frames for the different sizes of the liquid crystal display, thereby not only reducing the cost, but also increasing the manufacture efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal displaying technology field, and more particularly to a backlight module and a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the continuous development of a liquid crystal displaying technology, the demand for the function of every component of the liquid crystal display becomes more and more high.
Please refer to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is an exploded schematic view of a partial structure of a liquid crystal display in the prior art. The liquid crystal display mainly comprises a liquid crystal panel 12, a backlight module providing the light source for the liquid crystal panel 12, and a front frame 11 used to fix the liquid crystal panel 12 to the backlight module. The backlight module includes a plastic frame 13, which is used to support the liquid crystal panel 12 and other components of the backlight module, such as an optical film, a light guide plate, a light bar, and so on.
At present, many different sizes of the liquid crystal displays appear in the market, therefore during the manufacture process of the backlight module, it needs to employ different dimensions of the moulds to produce different sizes of the plastic frames 13, thereby satisfying the different sizes of the liquid crystal displays. However, because the mould has a long manufacture cycle and a high price, it certainly results in the increase of the manufacture cost of the backlight module. Furthermore, once one sort of the liquid crystal displays is stopped producing, the mould used to produce the liquid crystal display will be eliminated, so that resulting in the waste of the resource.
Hence, it is necessary to solve the above problem existing in the prior art.

Backlight module and liquid crystal display

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.


Disclosed in the present invention are a method and device for relay transmission, and relay terminal apparatus, used to lower processing complexity of relay transmission. The method comprises: a relay terminal apparatus sends to a core network apparatus a bearer establishment request used to request for establishing an EPS bearer for a remote terminal apparatus; and the relay terminal apparatus receives a reconfiguration message sent by an access network apparatus, the reconfiguration message carrying configuration information of the EPS bearer established for the remote terminal apparatus, wherein the EPS bearer comprises a cellular data transmission channel between the access network apparatus and the relay terminal apparatus, and a D2D data transmission channel between the relay terminal apparatus and the remote terminal apparatus.

A Device-to-Device (D2D) technology enables neighboring terminal devices to transmit data by direct links within a close range, instead of forwarding data via an access network equipment. D2D communication and a cellular system may share licensed band resources to form a unified hybrid cellular-D2D network. In this hybrid network, a part of terminal devices can still work in a cellular communication mode, that is, communicate with other terminal devices through an access network equipment, and a part of terminal devices can work in a D2D communication mode, that is, directly transmit data with other terminal devices through direct links between the terminal devices and the other terminal devices.
Moreover, a D2D relay can be used to assist data transmission between an access network equipment and a terminal device. In this case, the D2D relay and the D2D terminal adopt a D2D communication mode, and the D2D relay and the access network equipment adopt a cellular communication mode. The D2D relay receives and forwards data in a half-duplex mode, and changes its mode during the receiving and forwarding process.
In the related technology, an Evolved Packet System (EPS) bearer is set up between a D2D relay and a cellular network, and a D2D terminal is invisible to the cellular network. In this case, the D2D relay needs to perform Internet Protocol (IP) Network (NET) traversal when relaying data transmitted between the D2D terminal and the cellular network, and the process is rather complex.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reducing the processing complexity of relay transmission

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A fixing device includes a rotary fuser member, a rotary pressure member, and a cleaning system. The rotary fuser member is subjected to heating. The rotary pressure member is opposite the fuser member. The fuser member and the pressure member are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip therebetween through which a recording medium is conveyed as the fuser member and the pressure member rotate together. The cleaning system cleans the pressure member, and includes a cleaning web, a web supply mechanism, and a controller. The cleaning web at least partially contacts the pressure member to wipe the pressure member. The cleaning web is mounted on the web supply mechanism to be released into contact with the pressure member. The controller is operatively connected with the web supply mechanism to control an amount of supply of the cleaning web.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cleaning system, a fixing device, and an image forming apparatus incorporating the same, and more particularly, to a fixing device that fixes a toner image in place on a recording medium with heat and pressure, a cleaning system for use in such a fixing device, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which employs a fixing device with a cleaning capability.
2. Background Art
In electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, such as photocopiers, facsimile machines, printers, plotters, or multifunctional machines incorporating several of those imaging functions, an image is formed by attracting toner particles to a photoconductive surface for subsequent transfer to a recording medium such as a sheet of paper. After transfer, the imaging process is followed by a fixing process using a fixing device, which permanently fixes the toner image in place on the recording medium.
Various types of fixing processes are known in the art, among which a pressure-assisted thermal fixing process is widely accepted. This type of fixing device employs a pair of generally cylindrical members, such as a looped belt and a roller, one having a heat source such as a halogen heater or the like for fusing toner ("fuser member") and the other being pressed against the heated one ("pressure member"), which together form a heated area of contact called a fixing nip through which a recording medium is passed to fix a toner image onto the medium under heat and pressure.
One problem associated with the pressure-assisted thermal fixing process is undesired transfer or offset of toner particles to a fuser member. Ideally, a toner image after fixing permanently adheres to a recording medium on which it is printed. However, toner offset often takes place, for example, due to improper heating at the fixing nip, where adhesion between the fuser member and the fused toner exceeds that between the recording medium and the fused toner, causing a small portion of toner to transfer from the recording medium to the fuser member.
Two types of toner offset are known: cold offset and hot offset. Cold offset occurs where insufficient heating at the fixing nip causes the toner image to fuse only superficially, leaving an inner portion of the toner layer in a loose, unfused state, which can partially crush up and eventually migrate to the fuser member. Such toner migration is typically accompanied by concomitant image defects in which the toner image, which is not completely fused or fixed, easily rubs off the printed surface being output. Hot offset, on the other hand, occurs where excessive heating at the fixing nip affects viscoelasticity of the toner image being fused, so that the toner exhibits a high adhesion to the fuser member surpassing a cohesive force of toner particles, resulting in partial migration of toner to the fuser member.
The problem described above, in particular, cold offset, is pronounced where printing is performed using specific, newly developed types of toner, including those formulated with extremely small particle sizes, or those with spherically shaped particles typically produced through polymerization, which are increasingly employed in modern electrophotographic printers to meet ever-increasing demands for high-quality imaging processes. Compared to those with varying sizes and aspherical shapes, the small-sized, spherically-shaped toner is susceptible to causing cold offset since it does not easily conduct heat, and therefore is difficult to fuse and melt, particularly when used to print on a rough, irregular surface of non-coated paper.
Not surprisingly, toner offset detracts from image quality due not only to a lack of toner migrating from the recording medium, but also to soiling of the resulting print with offset toner which, once transferred from a recording medium onto the fixing member, is again transferred to another recording medium that enters the fixing nip subsequent to the foregoing recording medium.
Various cleaning techniques have been proposed to keep the fuser member clean of toner particles and other contaminants, which employ a cleaning web, such as an elongated strip of unwoven fabric, to wipe the surface of the fuser member. In a typical configuration, the cleaning web is drawn from a replaceable supply roller and pulled by and wound on a takeup roller, with a tension roller elastically biased against the fuser member to form a cleaning nip therebetween, through which the web is passed to press against the fuser member.
For example, one such technique provides a web cleaning system that continuously cleans a fuser member with a cleaning web during operation of a fixing device. According to this method, the cleaning web is taken up by a takeup roller upon completion of each print job to constantly supply a new, unused sufficiently large area of the web to the cleaning nip. Such constant supply of new cleaning web prevents formation of a gap between the fuser member and the web, which, if created, would permit small spherical toner particles to escape from being wiped off at the cleaning nip.
Although capable of effectively cleaning the fuser member, this cleaning method results in wasteful use of the cleaning web, which is detrimental to environment. Also, accelerated consumption of the cleaning web requires frequent service for the cleaning system and thus eventually increases maintenance cost of the image forming apparatus.
Another technique proposes a control method for a web cleaning system which controls supply of a cleaning web to the cleaning nip. According to this method, the controller adjusts an amount by which the cleaning web is taken up depending on image density (i.e., a ratio of a toner-covered area to an entire image area) of a specific print job processed through the fixing nip. Although designed to prevent an unnecessary, superfluous supply of cleaning web upon processing of relatively light or low density images, however, such control does not work properly because the image density is not always proportional to the amount of toner offset to the fuser member.
Still another technique proposes a web cleaning system employing a cleaning web directed to a pressure member opposite a fuser member, which indirectly cleans the fuser member as the cleaning web wipes the pressure member which collects toner retransferred from the fuser member. According this method, providing the cleaning web to the pressure member, instead of the fuser member, prevents the cleaning web from damaging the surface of the fuser member facing the printed surface of a recording medium image, which would otherwise cause imaging defects, such as vertical straight lines appearing on the printed page.

Cleaning system, fixing device, and image forming apparatus incorporating same


An animal waste collection device includes an elongated shaft including a first end and an opposed second end, a handle assembly connected to the first end of the shaft, and a collection bucket assembly connected to the second end of the shaft. The handle assembly is operatively connected to the collection bucket assembly to collect animal waste within the collection bucket assembly and release the animal waste from the collection bucket assembly.

The act of walking a dog or other pet is a pleasure enjoyed by many pet owners. The ability to get outside and experience nature and the surroundings is a simple joy. There are also the great health benefits associated with exercise for both the dog and the human walker.
However, one additional task associated with walking of a dog is the cleaning up of droppings. This act is not only the responsible thing to do, but it is the sanitary thing to do as well. To accomplish this task, one must carry a bag and/or a small shovel with them as the dog or pet is being walked. No matter the process used, it is a messy, smelly situation that no one enjoys. It also requires bending over to perform the task, which many, such as the elderly or disabled, are incapable of doing. Finally, it requires direct handling of the droppings as well as the bag into which they are placed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which one can quickly and effectively retrieve dog or pet droppings from yards or lawn areas without the mess, fuss, and smell.


The invention relates to a method, a tool and a punch (1) for joining a sunken punch to one or more metal plates (2, 3). According to said method, in a single step, the plate or plates are deep-drawn into a deep-draw opening (5) of a female mould or then possibly crushed so that the displaced material fixes and joins the punch (1) to the plate or plates in a positive fit. The punch (1) may present further possibilities for engagement for creating a connection to other components.

The invention concerns a method, a pressing tool, and a punch, a pressing tool according to the categorizing portion of claim 4, and a punch according to the categorizing portion of claim 11. Connecting structural parts to a plate in accordance with this type of method involves non-detachable mounting of additional structural parts to a plate consisting preferably of relatively thin sheet metal, but even of plastic material or other deformable and crushable materials. The structural parts may be elements projecting from the plane of the sheet metal, such as nuts, threaded bolts, hook couplings and the like, or other plates which are to be connected to said plate. An important element of this connection is the xe2x80x9csunken punchxe2x80x9d which remains in the plate after connection as a sort of riveting work piece.
In a known method, tool, or punch (DE-Patent 30 03 908 U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,073), a stud bolt comprising both a thread and a punch is pressed, using a punching and riveting procedure, with the punch into a plate, wherein surface parts are punched through an opening of a female mould located opposite to the punch, and the edge areas of the punch openings are displaced. The punch is hollow and its cutting edge punches a corresponding plate part, while surface parts of the plate located outside of this punching-out area are flanged by the female mould. An opposing punch is disposed in the female mould, comprising a central spreading body through which the cutting ring of the punch is forced apart, i.e. widened in a further step thereby engaging behind the collar of the deep-drawn hole of the plate. Irrespective of the fact that the required female mould tool, comprising a spreading body, is technically demanding and is subjected to considerable wear, there is the disadvantage that the punch must consist of relatively soft material to be widened after punching the plate, and to subsequently be able to flow, in the female mould opening, below the deep-drawn edge. In accordance with the punch part, the threaded bolt part of this stud bolt is also of relatively soft material with all associated disadvantages. One main disadvantage is that, to effect mounting, the plate has to be penetrated thereby not only resulting in loss of rigidity but also generating non-sealed locations. The punch material must have a minimum rigidity in order to carry out the punching process which is contradictory to the material softness required for forming.
Another conventional method and tool categorizing the invention (WO 93/10925 A) comprise a sunken punch having a inwardly directed bulge at its side facing the plate, the bulge forming a cutting edge to effect flow of the sunken punch during the deep drawing process. The material constituting the sunken punch is sufficiently soft that the plate is not broken through. Depending on material hardness, a connection point of this kind is relatively malleable such that only unsatisfactory fulfillment of a major advantage of the sunken punchxe2x80x94namely, prevention of a pressxe2x80x94button character of such a connection pointxe2x80x94is effected.
In contrast thereto, the method, pressing device or punch in accordance with the invention having the features of the independent claims have the advantage that a highly rigid connection between plate and structural parts is produced with neither leakage nor weaknesses due to openings in a plate. Through deep-drawing, the plate material is sectionally thinned and moved in the deep-drawing direction in response to approximately 20% of the overall necessary force. The remaining 80% is increasingly required for the subsequent crushing process between the end face of the punch and bottom of the female mould opening, wherein the deep-drawn material first flows in a radially outward direction and then, due to the unyielding walls of the female mould opening, towards the punch thereby surrounding same in a form-fitting, rivet-like manner. Deformation of the punch is possible at the end of this crushing process due to the associated larger applied forces. All this is carried out in only one step. It is decisive that the punch serves as deep-drawing tool and also as xe2x80x9csunken, lost, or dead rivetxe2x80x9d. In order to ensure uniform quality, the material of the punch must be significantly harder than the plate material such that either only the plate material flows while the punch shape remains unchanged, or that the flowing process starts only near the end of the crushing process when the forces are large. In any case, a uniform quality is guaranteed for the individual connecting points produced according to the method.
The pressing device in accordance with the invention most advantageously elevates the edge region of the bottom of the deep draw opening. In contrast thereto, conventional pressing devices (DE Publication 4404 659) have a deep-drawing opening whose bottom has a peripheral depression. Material is thereby pushed into this depression during the pressing procedure thereby producing a push-button-like hook engagement with corresponding material accumulation serving to strengthen the hook engagement. In contrast thereto and in accordance with the invention, the peripheral elevation causes material to be displaced precisely in this area from the bottom of the deep-drawn, flat parts of the plate in a radial direction about the punch towards the top, thereby improving the hook engagement, and most importantly, effecting a rigid form-fit connection to the sunken punch which, in accordance with the invention, remains in the penetration opening.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the inventive method (per se known through DE Publication 35 32 900) the female mould is pot shaped and has a non-changing opening volume in the pressing direction and transverse thereto, to unyieldingly restrict the crushing process of the displaced material in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Appropriate design of the female mould opening to effect favorable material flow can thus achieve particularly high rigidity for the connection. In a method categorizing the invention (WO 93/10925 A), the female mould has flexible walls forming a collar and only the bottom of the mould is inflexible. The flexibility of the walls substantially influences the quality of the connection point, since insufficient flow of plate material occurs. However, the female mould can be fashioned in various ways; in further variations, e.g. having rigid cylindrical side walls or in the form of a pot having an adjustable bottom.
In an advantageous embodiment of the pressing device in accordance with the invention, the deep draw opening is a cylindrical bottom hole or tapers slightly in the pressing direction, with non-yielding side walls.
In accordance with an additional advantageous embodiment of the invention a sunken punch is provided which is part of the pressing plunger and is disposed between the plunger and the plate for deep-drawing the plate into the deep draw opening of the female mould for integration at this location.
In accordance with a further associated embodiment of the invention, the peripheral elevation has the same or a larger inner diameter than the punch diameter thereby preventing production of a bottle neck between the upper side of the elevation and the lower side of the punch which would impair material flow.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the press plunger comprises a central blind bore in its end for guiding the sunken punch. Such a central blind bore is known per se (DE Patent 30 03 908), wherein during fitting of the sunken punch, the press plunger can be supported on a shoulder or end face of the punch and a threaded bolt or the like can project into the blind bore.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the press plunger is guided in a clamping member which comprises supply openings for the sunken punch (per se known: DE Publication 44 04 659) to load a further sunken punch during the return stroke and before a renewed pressing stroke in preparation for a new connection point. This clamping member can simultaneously clamp the plate on the female mould before pressing the press plunger and punch into the plate surface. Automatic loading of the tool for the sunken punch can be effected via such a supply opening.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the plunger stroke is limited such that separation of the plate is avoided and the deep-drawn planar parts are still crushed. Such stroke definition is no problem for a pressing tool.
In accordance with an embodiment, the punch in accordance with the invention comprises one radial recess into which material can be displaced and engage during crushing, which can be formed as an annular groove or peripheral recess.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention of this type, two parallel annular grooves are provided in the punch having a minimum separation to avoid its breaking during crushing. In particular the high pressure required for the crushing process generates separating forces within the annular groove due to the displaced plate material which could lead to tearing off. The resulting xe2x80x9cbreaking pointxe2x80x9d is matched to the punch material and to the female mould shape, wherein the annular grooves may also be omitted in the blank to achieve such a xe2x80x9cbreaking pointxe2x80x9d.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention of this type, the transitions on the radial surface area and/or on the end face of the punch facing the pressing direction are rounded. Such rounding of the transitions improves flow of the displaced, crushed material.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the punch serves as connecting means with other structural parts and is provided with a corresponding connection engagement means. Such an engagement means may be either a pin projecting beyond the plate after installation on which an outer thread, an engaging annular groove or the like may be disposed, or a threaded bore, hook groove or the like on the punch or magnetic or other engagement means. In accordance with the invention, in addition to a connecting means comprising such an engagement possibility, further plates may also be connected to the plate as described above. It is decisive that the punch remains as a sunken tool in the pressing opening.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the radial surface area of the punch is formed as a rotation-preventing prism such that the displaced material prevents rotation of the punch in the opening receiving same.
An embodiment of the inventive method and of the punch is shown in a highly simplified manner in the drawing and further explained below.

Method, tool and punch for joining components to a plate


Pliers are provided. Pliers include an upper handle, a lower handle, an upper jaw coupled to the upper handle, and a lower jaw coupled to the lower handle. In general, the upper jaw includes workpiece engagement surface, such a first set of teeth configured to engage a workpiece, and the lower jaw includes a workpiece engagement surface, such as a second set of teeth and a third set of teeth. The lower jaw opposes the upper jaw such that the first set of teeth faces the second set of teeth and the third set of teeth. At least a section of the workpiece engagement surface of the lower jaw is movably coupled to the lower jaw such that it moves relative to the lower as torque is applied to a workpiece, thereby increasing torque applied to the workpiece.

The present invention relates generally to the field of pliers. The present invention relates specifically to pliers with a torque increasing jaw design. Pliers typically include two plier members connected through a pivot that allows the upper handle to move a lower jaw and a lower handle to move an upper jaw about the pivot. Locking pliers generally have a similar pivot to grip a workpiece but include a further locking mechanism to keep the jaws a fixed distance from one another.

Locking pliers with movable torque-increasing jaw section


A hydropyrolysis process comprises feeding both (i) hydrogen and (ii) a biomass-containing feedstock or a biomass-derived feedstock, to a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel. The process comprises producing a CO2-containing vapor stream and at least one liquid product. A CO2 product, separated from the CO2-containing vapor stream, is advantageously used for at least one inertization function of the hydropyrolysis process. Representative inertization functions include operation of solids transport equipment, blanketing of liquid containers, drying of biomass-containing feedstock or biomass-derived feedstock, conveying or separating solids, and combinations thereof. Importantly, CO2 products utilized for these inertization functions may be obtained predominantly, if not completely (depending on the nature of the feedstock), from renewable carbon in biomass.

Biomass refers to biological material derived from living or deceased organisms and includes lignocellulosic materials (e.g., wood), vegetable oils, carbohydrates (e.g., sugars), aquatic materials (e.g., algae, aquatic plants, and seaweed), and animal by-products and wastes (e.g., offal, fats, and sewage sludge). In the conventional pyrolysis of biomass, typically fast pyrolysis carried out in an inert atmosphere, a dense, acidic, reactive liquid bio-oil product is obtained, which contains water, oils, and char formed during the process. Much of the oxygen present in biomass ultimately resides in the bio-oil, thereby increasing its chemical reactivity.
Characteristic total acid numbers (TAN) of conventional bio-oil are in the range of 100-200, rendering it highly corrosive. Moreover, this product tends to undergo polymerization, is generally incompatible with petroleum hydrocarbons due to water miscibility and very high oxygen content (on the order of about 40% by weight), and has a low heating value. The unstable bio-oils of conventional pyrolysis tend to thicken over time and can also react to a point where hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases form. As a result, transportation and utilization of this product are problematic. Also, it is difficult to upgrade this product to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, due to the retrograde reactions that typically occur in conventional pyrolysis processes, including fast pyrolysis. Dilution with methanol or other alcohols has been shown to reduce the activity and viscosity of the formed bio-oils, but this approach is not considered practical or economically viable, due to the large amounts of unrecoverable alcohol that are required to stabilize pyrolysis liquids. The removal of char, generated by conventional pyrolysis, from the liquid pyrolysis product while it is still in the vapor phase presents an additional technical challenge. Significant amounts of oxygen and free radicals in the pyrolysis vapors remain highly reactive and form a pitch-like material upon contact with char particles on the surface of a filter or other solid separator. Consequently, devices used to separate char from the hot pyrolysis vapors can become quickly plugged, due to the reactions of char and pyrolysis vapor constituents that occur on and within the layer of char on the surfaces of such devices, as well as within the pores of porous filter elements. Finally, it is noted that the upgrading of pyrolysis oils, using conventional hydroconversion processes, consumes large quantities of H2, and extreme process conditions, including high hydrogen pressures needed to meet product quality requirements, make such processes uneconomical. The reactions are inherently out of balance in that, due to the high pressures required, too much water is created while too much H2 is consumed. In addition, conventional hydroconversion reactors can rapidly develop high pressure differentials, due to reactive coke precursors present in the pyrolysis oils or from coke produced as a result of catalysis.
More recently, the use of hydrogen in biomass pyrolysis (i.e., hydropyrolysis) has been disclosed. For example, hydropyrolysis processes taught in U.S. Pat. No. 8,492,600 have been found to overcome a number of the drawbacks of conventional fast pyrolysis processes, including those described above, and have led to a number of other processing advantages. Despite these and other improvements, the art of hydropyrolysis is continually seeking further advancements in terms of process economics, as well as the overall carbon footprint associated with the production of biofuel end products, e.g., based on a lifecycle assessment of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such advancements are of significant importance in establishing competitiveness, in terms of both cost and product quality, with conventional petroleum refining processes.

Use of carbon dioxide generated by hydropyrolysis for process inertization


An equalizer applies a window function to input blocks of data. A first finite filter multiplies each of the windowed input blocks of data with a first set of finite filter coefficients to provide respective first adjusted output blocks of data. This multiplication does not result in a full solution to ghosts. A second finite filter multiplies each of the windowed input blocks of data with a second set of finite filter coefficients to provide respective second adjusted output blocks of data. This multiplication also does not result in a full solution to ghosts. An adder performs an addition based upon corresponding ones of the first and second adjusted output blocks of data. A controller controls the window function and the first and second sets of equalizer coefficients so that, as a result of the addition, a substantially full solution to ghosts is obtained.

The present invention is directed to an equalizer that substantially eliminates signal ghosts of up to and including 100% ghosts and, more particularly, to a multipath equalizer with optimum noise enhancement.
Ghosts are produced at a receiver usually because a signal arrives at the receiver through different transmission paths. For example, in a system having a single transmitter, the multipath transmission of a signal may occur because of signal reflection. That is, the receiver receives a transmitted signal and one or more reflections (i.e., ghosts) of the transmitted signal. As another example, the multipath transmission of a signal may occur in a system having plural transmitters that transmit the same signal to a receiver using the same carrier frequency. A network which supports this type of transmission is typically referred to as a single frequency network. Because a ghost results from the multipath transmission of a signal, a ghost is often referred to as multipath interference.
A variety of systems have been devised to deal with the problems caused by ghosts. For example, spread spectrum systems deal very adequately with the problem of a 100% ghost by spreading the transmitted data over a substantial bandwidth. Accordingly, even though a 100% ghost means that some information may be lost, the data can still be recovered because of the high probability that it was spread over frequencies that were not lost because of the ghost. Unfortunately, the data rate associated with spread spectrum systems is typically too low for many applications.
It is also known to transmit data as a data vector. A matched filter in a receiver correlates the received data with reference vectors corresponding to the possible data vectors that can be transmitted. A match indicates the transmitted data. Unfortunately, the data rate typically associated with the use of matched filters is still too low for many applications.
When high data rates are required, equalizers are often used in a receiver in order to reduce ghosts of a main signal. An example of a time domain equalizer is a FIR filter. A FIR filter convolves its response with a received signal in order to recover data and eliminate any ghosts of the data. The coefficients applied by the FIR filter asymptotically decrease toward zero for ghosts that are less than 100%. However, for 100% ghosts, the coefficients applied by the FIR filter do not asymptotically decrease toward zero so that a FIR filter becomes infinitely long if a 100% ghost is to be eliminated, making the FIR filter impractical to eliminate a 100% ghost.
A frequency domain equalizer typically includes a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) which is applied to the received signal. A multiplier multiplies the frequency domain output of the FFT by a compensation vector. An inverse FFT is applied to the multiplication results in order to transform the multiplication results to the time domain. The compensation vector is arranged to cancel the ghost in the received signal leaving only the main signal. However, information in the received main signal is lost at certain frequencies so that the output of the inverse FFT becomes only an approximation of the transmitted data.
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/158,730 filed Sep. 22, 1998 discloses a vector domain equalizer which effectively eliminates ghosts up to 100% by distributing the transmitted data in both time and frequency so that the vectors are essentially random in the time and frequency domains. Accordingly, in a heavily ghosted channel, all data can be recovered with small noise enhancement, and any enhanced noise that does exist is near white. However, the number of calculations performed by the transform in the receiver to recover the data is large.
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/283,877 filed Apr. 1, 1999 discloses a single path equalizer which effectively eliminates ghosts up to 100% and which uses fewer calculations. This equalizer includes a pre-processor, a finite filter, and a post-processor. The pre-processor multiplies a data input block received from the channel by coefficients b in order to modulate the received main signal and its ghost so that the ghost is less than the received main signal. The finite filter applies coefficients a in order to eliminate the ghost from the multiplication results. The post-processor applies coefficients c to the output of the finite filter in order to reverse the effects of the modulation imposed by the pre-processor. Also, the post-processor applies a window function to the output of the finite filter. This single path equalizer somewhat enhances noise picked up in the channel.
U.S. application Ser. No. 09/425,522 filed Oct. 22, 1999 discloses a dual parallel path equalizer having a pre-processor, a finite filter, and a post-processor in each path. The pre-processors multiply a data input block received from the channel by corresponding coefficients b1 and b2 in order to modulate the received main signal and its ghost so that the ghost is less than the received main signal. The finite filters apply corresponding coefficients a1 and a2 in order to eliminate the ghost from the multiplication results. The post-processors apply corresponding coefficients c1 and c2 to the outputs of the finite filters in order to reverse the effects of the modulations imposed by the pre-processors. Each of the outputs of the post-processors is a solution to the problem of a ghost. That is, substantially no ghost is present in the output from each of the post-processors. The outputs of the post-processors are added in order to substantially minimize enhancement of noise, thus producing better signal to noise performance as compared to a single path equalizer.
The present invention is directed to an equalizer and to a controller for controlling the equalizer so that the equalizer has less hardware than past equalizers and so that the equalizer converges onto an output in which ghosts up to 100% are substantially eliminated.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of equalizing a signal comprises the following steps: a) processing each of a plurality of input blocks of data to provide first output blocks of data, wherein the processing of step a) includes a first complex multiplication of each of the input blocks of data by a first set of equalizer coefficients, wherein step a) is not a full solution to ghosts; b) processing each of the plurality of input blocks of data to provide second output blocks of data, wherein the processing of step b) includes a second complex multiplication of each of the input blocks of data by a second set of equalizer coefficients, wherein step b) is not a full solution to ghosts; c) adding corresponding ones of the first and second adjusted output blocks of data; and, d) controlling the first and second sets of equalizer coefficients so that, as a result of the addition performed according to step c), a substantially full solution to ghosts is obtained.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an equalizer is arranged to substantially eliminate a ghost of a received main signal and to reduce noise enhancement. The equalizer comprises first and second processing paths, an adder, and a controller. The first processing path is arranged to process the received main signal and the ghost in order to produce a first processed main signal and a first processed ghost. The first processing path includes a first complex multiplier that multiplies the received main signal and the ghost by a first set of equalizer coefficients, and the first processing path does not substantially eliminate the ghost. The second processing path is arranged to process the received main signal and the ghost in order to produce a second processed main signal and a second processed ghost. The second processing path includes a second complex multiplier that multiplies the received main signal and the ghost by a second set of equalizer coefficients, and the second processing path does not substantially eliminate the ghost. The adder is arranged to add the first and second processed main signals and the first and second processed ghosts. The controller is arranged to control the first and second sets of equalizer coefficients so that, as a result of the addition executed by the adder, a substantially full solution to ghosts is obtained.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an equalizer is arranged to equalize a signal. The signal comprises a block of data and a ghost. The equalizer comprises n finite filters, an adder, and n controllers. The n finite filters are arranged to apply n sets of equalizer coefficients to the input block of data and the ghost in order to provide respective n adjusted blocks of data and n adjusted non-zero ghosts. The adder is arranged to perform an addition based upon outputs of the n finite filters. Each of the n controllers is arranged to control a set of equalizer coefficients applied by a corresponding one of the n finite filters so that, as a result of the addition performed by the adder, the n sets of adjusted non-zero ghosts are substantially eliminated, and n is an integer greater than 1.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided to equalize a signal. The signal comprises a series of input blocks of data. The method comprises at least the following steps: a) applying a window function to each of the input blocks of data to provide corresponding windowed input blocks of data; b) performing a multiplication based upon each of the windowed input blocks of data and a first set of finite filter coefficients, wherein step b) is not a full solution to ghosts; c) performing a multiplication based upon each of the windowed input blocks of data and a second set of finite filter coefficients, wherein step c) is not a full solution to ghosts; d) performing an addition based upon results from steps b) and c); and, e) controlling the window function and the first and second sets of finite filter coefficients so that, as a result of the addition performed according to step d), a substantially full solution to ghosts is obtained.

Multipath ghost eliminating equalizer with optimum noise enhancement


Apparatuses and methods for measuring stress or strain in a conductive material without physical contact with the material are provided. The device comprises an inductor circuit configured to induce an alternating current into the material along a first path; and a detector configured to detect a signal representative of the stress in the material along the first path when current is induced in the material.

Non-destructive inspection of materials using eddy currents are known. Such methods may be used to detect flaws such as cracks in components. Some methods make use of flat spiral-shaped induction coils to detect the presence of residual stresses in a material. However, these methods do not allow for either the direction or magnitude of strain or stress in a component to be resolved.
Improvement in non-contact stress/strain measurement methods is therefore desirable, for these and other reasons.


An original drain is removed from a pool gutter by cutting the joint where the drain tube joins the drain pipe. The remainder of the drain pipe is contained in a portion of the original drain tube. The replacement drain tube is inserted and bonded into the interior of the remaining drain pipe. A liquid flow path and reinforced joint are defined by the hopper of the replacement drain, original and replacement drain tubes, and the drain pipe. The top of the hopper of the replacement drain is tilted to about the slope of the gutter.

Commercial pools often have gutters. Eventually, pools, including gutters, require resurfacing. The resurfacing tends to cover old material and increase the height of the gutters. To keep the top of a gutter drain flush with the increased height of the gutter, pool resurfacers have devised a few techniques. One technique entails cutting a top portion of the installed drain structure and embedding it in the new surface material. This leaves a gap between top portion and the remainder of the drain structure. Even if the gap is cemented, over time, leaks develop at the gap.
A more drastic technique entails excavating down to the pipe to which the drain is attached. Then, the entire drain structure and a portion of the pipe is cut and removed. Then the cut pipe is extended with a coupler and a new gutter drain is installed at the correct height for the gutter. Problems with this approach are increased time and cost, for which a customer may be reluctant to pay. Additionally, the excavation may lead to collateral damage to nearby tiles and other structures.
A method and system are needed to efficiently replace gutter drains, without gaps and without excavation. The invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems and solving one or more of the needs as set forth above.


A system and method for performing a time domain reflectometry measurement. The system includes a coherent interleaved sampling timebase, a sampling strobe generator for generating one or more sampling strobes in accordance with the coherent interleaved sampling timebase, a time domain reflectometry sampling strobe generator for generating one or more time domain reflectometry strobes in accordance with one or more of the generated sampling strobes; and a sampling module for sampling a time domain reflectometry signal in accordance with one or more of the one or more generated sampling strobes and one or more of the one or more generated time domain reflectometry strobes. The system further includes an analog to digital converter for analog to digital converting the samples of the time domain reflectometry signal and a memory for storing the converted samples of the time domain reflectometry signal.

A TDR system measures the reflections of an incident waveform from impedance discontinuities in the system under test. Typical TDR systems could be sonar to detect underwater objects, ultrasound to detect objects inside the body and as described in this invention, voltage steps to detect discontinuities in electrical systems. A TDR pulse in a TDR system is typically a fast rising voltage step that repeats at a regular rate so an internal timebase can sample the reflections from the discontinuities.
TDR systems typically use a sequential sampling timebase to sample the TDR voltage step. A sequential sampling timebase samples the TDR waveform by delaying a sampling strobe from the trigger generated by the TDR voltage step. These delay circuits are inherently nonlinear and subject to large time jitter. The record length of a sequential sampling timebase is typically less than 10,000 samples independent of the sampling rate. As you increase the sampling rate, the record length stays the same so the time period of the record decreases.
Therefore it would be beneficial to provide an improved method and apparatus that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification and the drawings.

Time domain reflectometry in a coherent interleaved sampling timebase


A manually operable press comprises a manually pivotable actuating lever for effecting a forward press stroke and a return stroke of a press slide. A mechanical return stroke interlock inhibits a return movement of the press before the press slide has come to a lower end position of the press stroke. A cam plate within said return stroke interlock is connected for being pivoted together with the actuating lever. The cam plate has a groove-shaped guide cam provided with a plurality of lock protrusions. A spring-biased lock pin runs along the guide cam and is adapted to run freely along the guide ram in an operational direction but is inhibited by the lock protrusions within the guide cam from running in a direction opposite the operational direction. An opening each is provided in the guide cam at the lock protrusions. Unlocking pins are provided in each of the openings. The pins are adapted to be actuated from outside the press for bringing the lock pin out of engagement with the lock protrusions thus allowing the lock pin to run in the opposite direction when the unlocking pins are actuated.

The present invention is related to the field of manually operable presses. More specifically, the invention is related to manually operable presses comprising a manually pivotable actuating lever for effecting a forward press stroke and a return stroke of a press slide or ram, a mechanical return stroke interlock inhibiting a return movement of the press before the press slide has come to a lower end position. Still more specifically, the invention is related to such a press also having a cam plate within the return stroke interlock connected for being pivoted together with the actuating lever, the cam plate having a groove-shaped guide cam provided with a plurality of lock protrusions, a spring-biased lock pin running along the guide cam and being adapted to run freely along the guide ram in an operational direction but being inhibited by the lock protrusions within the guide cam from running in a direction opposite the operational direction.
A manually operable press of the kind specified at the outset is disclosed in European patent specification 0 622 175 B1.
Manually operable presses of this kind are mainly used in piecework production lines where the workers are paid according to the number of the processed workpieces. Manually operable presses require to exert a force which increases towards the end of the press stroke. Workers using manually operable presses, therefore, tend to execute the work or press stroke only incompletely and to initiate the relaxation or reverse stroke already prior to having reached the intended lower dead position or end position of the press slide. As a consequence, when the press operation has not been exactly completed, the workpieces must be thrown away or at least have a minor quality.
In order to avoid such consequences, the prior art press according to the European patent specification mentioned above, has a mechanical return stroke lock comprising a cam plate with a groove-shaped control cam and a spring-biased lock pin engaging same. The control cam consists of several sections, two of them extending in a peripheral direction, whereas the third section essentially extends radially and inwardly and a fourth section extending radially outwardly and, along the periphery, back to the first section. Between the first and the second section, there is a lock protrusion which can be surmounted by the lock pin only in a direction from the first towards the second section.
The lock pin itself is spring-biased in an axial direction and is journalled within a sliding block which, in turn, is configured to be moved in a radial direction under the action of a spring.
In the course of the work stroke of the press, the lock pin first runs on the groove bottom from the first to the second section. As soon as the second section has been reached, the worker cannot move the actuating lever again back and upwardly because the lock pin will then come to rest against the lock protrusion which inhibits a further movement of the cam plate being connected for a rotation together with the actuating lever. Only during a further movement of the cam plate along the operational direction and, hence, a movement of the actuating lever downwardly, the rest pin comes into the third cam section and is there moved radially and outwardly together with the sliding block. Only now a return stroke is possible during which the lock pin runs along the fourth cam section in a peripheral direction and radially outwardly, until it again reaches the first cam section.
By doing so, it is guaranteed that the press stroke is first executed completely before the return stroke may be initiated.
However, due to faulty alignment of the workpieces to be pressed together and/or due to wrong workpiece tolerances, it may happen once in a while that the press stroke cannot be executed completely because the lower end position of the press stroke cannot be reached due to the dimensions and/or the orientations of the workpieces with respect to one another. In order to enable discharging of such faulty workpieces, the control cam of the prior art press comprises an arcuate slot being accessible from the outside making the second and the third section of the control cam accessible. If the press is jammed as described before, the lock pin may be pushed back in an axial direction from outside by introducing a thin device through the slot, thus making it possible to rotate the control cam back from that position and letting the lock pin run along the control cam in a direction opposite the operational direction.
Although this prior art press provides an efficient return stroke lock also enabling to unlock same in an emergency situation, this prior art return stroke lock nevertheless comprises a number of disadvantages in connection with the unlocking in an emergency situation.
First, it is disadvantageous to provide a relatively large slot in the groove bottom of the control cam because dirt may penetrate into the return stroke lock, in particular into the control cam. Therefore, it may happen that the control cam will be repleted with dirt, chips etc. over longer periods of time so that at the end the lock pin will be able to surmount the lock protrusion also in a direction opposite the operational direction.
A second disadvantage consists in the fact that unlocking the lock pin by means of a thin device is relatively complicated. For example It happens all the time that the device will slip off the lock pin before the latter has surmounted the lock protrusion so that the unlocking operation must be repeated several times before it is successful. This is of particular disadvantage when the device and/or the lock pin are covered with oil or another lubricant. Such time-consuming unlocking operations, further, do not make sense, in particular in connection with piecework production lines.
Still another significant disadvantage of the prior art unlocking system becomes apparent in a situation where a worker has come between the press ram and the workpiece to be processed with his finger, his hand or a piece of skin and the skin is then jammed and injured during the execution of the press stroke which may result in severe injuries. In particular in such an emergency situation, the unlocking system in the prior art press is very disadvantageous because one has found that the worker in most cases does not have enough patience to carefully locate the lock pin within the slot by means of the thin device in order to unlock same. In most cases the worker will be so nervous and impatient that he will tear his hand out of the press, thus making the injuries still worse.
Bearing the above in mind, it is an object underlying the present invention to improve a press of the kind specified at the outset such that the return stroke lock on the one hand has a very simple design and, on the other hand, may be unlocked quite easily.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a manually operable press comprising a manually pivotable actuating lever for effecting a forward press stroke and a return stroke of a press slide or ram, a mechanical return stroke lock inhibiting a return movement of the press before the press slide has come to a lower end position of the press stroke, a cam plate within the return stroke interlock, connected for being pivoted together with the actuating lever, the cam plate having a groove-shaped guide cam provided with a plurality of lock protrusions, a spring-biased lock pin running along the guide cam and being adapted to run freely along the guide ram in an operational direction but being inhibited by the lock protrusions within the guide cam from running in a direction opposite the operational direction, an opening each provided in the guide cam at the lock protrusions, unlocking pins provided in each of the openings, the pins being adapted to be actuated from outside the press for bringing the lock pin out of engagement with the lock protrusions, thus allowing the lock pin to run in the opposite direction when the unlocking pins are actuated.
First of all, the invention has the advantage that an unlocking pin projects outwardly from the cam plate, whereby the unlocking pin is accessible at any time and needs not to be introduced first. By providing the unlocking pin in the area of the lock protrusion, it will exactly come into contact with the lock pin when the latter comes to rest on the lock protrusion.
The inventors of the present application have found that a slot-shaped opening within the groove bottom of the control cam is not mandatory. Instead, it is sufficient to provide a bore in the area of the lock protrusion receiving the unlocking pin, because if one of the malfunction or emergency situations occur, as have been described above, the lock pin is resting against the lock protrusion anyway because the operator of the press instinctively moves the actuating lever backwards, i.e. upwardly. This becomes apparent by an impingement during the movement of the actuating lever, upon which the operator only needs to press the unlocking pin inwardly so that the lock pin is contacted in any case and it must not be expected that the unlocking pin will slide away from the lock pin.
If the opening is just a circular opening tightly receiving the unlocking pin, a further advantage of this design is that no dirt can penetrate into the guide cam because the latter is no more accessible from the outside when the opening is entirely closed by the unlocking pin received therein.
In this connection it is particularly preferred when the unlocking pin is spring-biased.
This measure has the advantage that the unlocking pin will automatically return into its initial position when it is released by the operator, after the lock pin has surmounted the lock protrusion in a direction opposite the operational direction.
Moreover, it is preferred when the unlocking pin extends parallel to the lock pin.
This has the advantage that the lowermost force is required to push the lock pin axially out of the control cam.
Still more specifically, it is preferred when the unlocking pin is interconnected with an emergency actuator button which, preferably, is arranged axially displaceable on the cam plate and, still more preferably, is captivated on a guide sleeve being attached to the cam plate from outside which, particularly, is provided with a collar associated to a shoulder on the emergency actuator button.
These measures have the advantage that although only a relatively thin unlocking pin may project into the control cam, the unlocking pin, from the exterior, however, is connected with a relatively large emergency actuator button being large enough so that the operator in a malfunction situation or an emergency situation may simply push thereon uncontrolled. Considering that most conventional manually operable presses are provided with a return spring pulling the press slide upwardly, particular advantages become apparent in situations where body members are jammed within the press. The operator, being shocked by such a situation, will immediately let the actuating lever go, whereupon the press ram will move upwardly a little bit until the lock pin impinges on the next lock protrusion. The operator may then press the emergency actuator button with his free hand, whereupon the entire return movement of the press ram in an upward direction is effected under the action of the return spring, i.e. automatically.
There is a particular advantage with the emergency actuator button if the control cam has a plurality of lock protrusions because then all of the corresponding unlocking pins may be actuated by one and the same emergency actuator button effecting that all of the unlocking pins are simultaneously inserted into the control cam.
Arranging the emergency actuator button on a guide sleeve having a collar has a plurality of design advantages. In particular when the emergency actuator button has a central opening through which fastener elements become accessible, which fastener elements are provided for attaching the guide sleeve to the cam plate, a particularly simple assembly of the manual emergency unlocking system becomes possible also in connection with already existing presses even if those are provided with the slot in the groove bottom of the control cam mentioned above.
This is because the unlocking pins may be mounted on the emergency actuator button in a correct position relative to one another, whereupon the guide sleeve may be inserted through the emergency actuator button and then be attached to the cam plate. By providing mounting bores, e.g. for corresponding bolts, it is guaranteed that the unlocking pins extend into the slot exactly in the area of the lock protrusions.
The central opening is then covered by means of a cover plate so that also in the case of such add-on solutions for existing presses, one has the advantage that any penetration of dirt into the area of the control cam is avoided because the emergency actuator button entirely covers still open areas of the slot.
Generally speaking it is still preferred when there is a compression spring provided between the emergency actuator button and the cam plate, the compression spring pushing the emergency actuator button against the collar of the guide sleeve.
This measure, too, has advantages with regard to the particular design because it is no more necessary to provide each and every unlocking pin with its own return spring. Instead, the return action is effected by the compression spring moving the emergency actuator button away from the cam plate.
Further advantages will become apparent from the description and the enclosed drawing.
It goes without saying that the features mentioned before and those that will be explained hereinafter, may not only be used in the particularly given combination, but also in other combinations or alone without leaving the scope of the present invention.

Manually operable press having an emergency unlocking button

Gebr. Schmidt Fabrik fur Feinmechanik GmbH and Co. KG


The present invention is a hydrokinetic turbine consisting of a multi-stage suction-producing engine for converting the kinetic energy of canal or river flow into mechanical energy to power an electrical generator. It can be described as a ducted rotary hydro-craft, which has a buoyant body of fiberglass, ABS plastic, or other suitable material, comprising a concentric funnel and nozzle which enclose a torpedo-shaped hydrofoil structure at their center. A rotor or propeller attached to the torpedo-shaped internal structure drives an electrical generator. These ducts create suction forces that pull water through the rotor by creating an extreme low pressure zone behind the rotor, and this force combined with the direct pressure of canal flow onto the face of the rotor, produces an augmented volume of power.

a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of prime mover hydro turbines, specifically describing a means of generating significant amounts of electrical power from man-made canals and other slow natural waterways such as rivers, tidal basins, etc., by manipulating flowing current through, over, and around a buoyant, shaped structure. Dynamic flow through a rotor is accomplished by creating a suction vortex behind the rotor that draws increased pressurized flow through the turbine.
b) Description of the Related Art
Hydropower devices are many, from waterwheels to modern reaction turbines, to the newer hydrokinetic devices which are presently being developed to take advantage of tidal, estuary, river, or canal flow. Recent historical realities are causing us to focusing new attention on the various untapped power resources of the planet so that we might capture an increasing portion of our power needs from renewable resources.
Many of the numerous patented inventions in this class are designed to use ducting and venturi structures to accelerate water through a turbine to increase the kinetic energy density of slow flowing water. Some of these inventions are symmetrical in that they are intended to capture energy from flow in both directions, as in estuary or tidal currents. Some also are intended to be mounted in large banks of identical turbines so that they can capture useful amounts of power from the Gulf Stream or other such meandering undersea currents.
As far back as 1867, Rowe patented a "Water Wheel" U.S. Pat. No. 61,362 which is substantially similar to the prior art in that it places a funnel-like structure within a floating, shaped box so that the flow is concentrated onto paddles in a constricted area at the exit port. This invention is extremely advanced for its time, and it is the first prior art from which modern inventions of this class derive.
There are only a very small number of inventions of this class that attempt to create suction to augment the power factor. Inventions such as Lamont's U.S. Pat. No. 7,147,428, and Parker's U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,009 in particular, do employ suction forces to increase turbine output. Lamont's Hydro Turbine places a converging ring around the downstream output of a turbine-containing tube to lower the back pressure behind the rotor. Mouton's inventions U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,219,303, 4,095,918, 4,166,596, and 3,986,787 all use a form of diffuser-augmented turbine with concatenated nozzles or venturis to accelerate or focus flow, and his duct's outside surfaces are diverging, in contrast to Lamont's converging flow at the exit port. This opposite orientation of these important functional elements illustrates the hydrodynamic debate amongst inventors as to the correct design requirements for reintegrating flow into the mainstream after it leaves the turbine housing.
Finney's Superventuri Power Source, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,320, describes a multi-stage suction turbine with internally angular elements similar to the present invention. While there are some conceptual similarities with the present invention, there are many more dissimilarities, such as his placement of a blade for capturing energy in the flow path of the last downstream element, while the present invention uses the last downstream element to suck flow out of the first element and thereby induce flow past the rotor, rather than directing manipulated flow onto a blade structure. Finney also does not make use of the outside surfaces of his elements to manipulate or act upon flow, and merely makes them straight as in a tube. It is clear that Finney's invention is not intended for use in water flows, as there is no design element inherent in his device for capturing an incompressible, high-density fluid such as water.
Hesh's U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,408, a Portable water-powered electric generator contains one similar element to the present invention that is not contained in any of the other prior art, and that is a flask-shaped structure behind a constricted port which roughly corresponds to the torpedo-shaped structure at the center of the present invention's shaped bodies. However, Hesh ascribes no function to this element in his patent, and merely describes it as a means for containing a dynamo. It has no other stated purpose, nor does it share any similar function to any component of the present invention.
Salls' Hydrokinetic Generator U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,768B1, is a submersible scoop-like structure with a hollow, tapered inner chamber to funnel flowing water through a turbine. This prior art employs a tapered outer hull to increase flow velocity past the hull with the intent to create lower pressure behind the hull, so that increased flow through the inside of the hull and through the turbine is accomplished. Although Salls' hull can be described as converging/diverging, and common to much prior art of this class, a primary difference in function is that Salls did not consider a secondary hull behind the first to further manipulate flow or to use focused suction forces, as the present invention does.
Parker's U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,009 is the only discovered prior art that uses artificial structures to create a rotary nappe, and alone shares this similarity to the present invention. A nappe is the suction gap created by water flowing over a weir. When a weir is closed to the outside atmosphere, the lowered pressure created by the accelerated flow over the weir sucks water if it is closed to the atmosphere, or sucks air if it is open. Parker places a shroud ring ahead of a torpedo-shaped structure, and natural flow of sufficient velocity causes a suction nappe to be formed on the outer surface of the torpedo structure. There are several distinct differences compared to the present invention. First, Parker's forward structure takes the shape not of a funnel, as in the present invention, but an inverted funnel. His assumption seems to be that the suction nappe will draw sufficient flow through the rather small port of the inlet of his shroud ring to generate useful energy.
Two elements are shared by both the present invention and Parker's device, and that is the use of a torpedo-shaped structure to hold a nappe, and the use of some form of ducting structure ahead of the torpedo to direct flow. However, the two inventions differ substantially in that the present invention employs a funnel and nozzle of differential shape and function to self-create the suction nappe, uses a Kaplan-style hydro propeller on a larger portion of the torpedo, and employs a second stage of ducting and suction to entrain and control flow through a multi-stage, multi-functional conduit. Although the two inventions share the concept of creating a suction nappe, the nappes are produced by different methods, different means, and with a combination of different elements. Parker makes no attempt, for example, to use any of his own means to produce velocity of flow sufficient to produce a nappe, and so his device is dependent upon nature to produce flow of sufficient velocity to build the nappe. The present invention employs a funnel and a nozzle around the torpedo concentrically to produce an artificial flow environment around the torpedo such that the flow velocity required to build and maintain a powerful nappe, is inherent in the invention itself, and in fact is the primary purpose of the present invention's nozzle.
Mouton's River Turbine, U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,787, most closely physically resembles the present invention and a description of the significant differences to the present invention, with a commentary on the technical problems of Mouton's patent, which the present invention overcomes and solves, constitutes a significant portion of the Detailed Description of the Invention below.