A heat pipe structure, especially for cooling in a spacecraft, is equipped with a main heat pipe and at least one smaller diameter auxiliary heat pipe arranged so that the main and auxiliary pipes are in thermal contact with each other at the evaporator end of the main heat pipe. The condenser end of the auxiliary heat pipe, or pipes, is connected in a heat exchange manner with an auxiliary radiator or heat exchanger which is smaller than and thermally insulated from a main heat exchanger, the latter being in thermal contact with the condenser end of the main heat pipe. The auxiliary heat pipe, or pipes, super cools a bubble trap in the main heat pipe for removing of gas and/or vapor bubbles from the liquid flow path of the main heat pipe.

Heat pipes comprise at least one heat conveying pipe filled with a heat carrier, also referred to as medium. At least one flow channel for the liquid phase of the medium and one flow channel for the vapor phase of the medium are provided in the heat conveying pipe. Heat pipes are also equipped with features for removing bubbles from the liquid flow channel. Furthermore, at least one radiator or heat exchanger is connected to the heat pipe in a heat exchanging contact.
As mentioned, heat pipes for the transport of heat are known, especially from their use in space technology. These heat pipes operate by evaporating the medium at a heat receiving end of the heat pipe and then transporting the vapor to a heat discharging end of the heat pipe where the vapor is condensed again and returned to the evaporating end of the pipe. The medium is conventionally ammonia. As the vapor condenses at the heat discharging end of the pipe, the latent heat stored in the vapor is discharged to the surroundings of the spacecraft while the condensate being formed flows back to the heat receiving evaporating end of the pipe. The transport of the vapor from the evaporating end to the condensing end is a normal compression flow while the flow of the liquid from the condensing end to the evaporating end is a capillary flow. Different radii of curvature along the boundary surface between the liquid and the vapor at the evaporating end of the pipe on the one hand, and at the condensating end of the pipe on the other hand, and the capillary forces caused by these different radii, result in a pressure difference in the direction from the condensating end of the pipe toward the evaporating end of the pipe and this pressure difference maintains the required flow. The resulting flow velocity is established by the equilibrium between the pressure loss due to friction forces and the effective pressure difference of the capillary forces.
Modern high performance heat pipes are capable of transporting heat quantities within the range of about 1 kw over distances between 1 and about 20 m, even at relatively low temperature differences between the evaporating and condensating ends of the pipe.
Comparing these high performance heat pipes with other conventional heat pipes, the higher power of the high performance heat pipes is achieved, due to the fact that the transport of the liquid takes place in channels having differing dimensions. On the one hand, in the evaporating area of the pipe, a plurality of very small channels are provided which extend in the circumferential direction and which have capillary geometries in order to achieve large capillary driving forces. On the other hand, the guidance of the flow in the condenser area and return flow path of the pipe, there are only a few flow channels or even a single flow channel having a relatively large diameter. These few channels or the single channel are also referred to as "artery channels". In this manner friction caused pressure losses are minimized and a substantially larger fluid mass flow is achieved with the same capillary forces as are present in normal heat pipes. As a result of the substantially larger fluid mass flow, a substantially higher heat flow is also achieved.
However, a substantial problem is encountered in the operation of such high performance heat pipes in that the function of these high performance heat pipes is substantially adversely affected or may even be totally interrupted when bubbles are formed of the medium vapor or of gaseous non-condensable contaminations in the artery channels. These contaminations could have been present in the heat pipe already at the time of putting the heat pipe into service or these contaminations could have been generated, for example, by an operational overloading of the heat pipe, such as could occur by an overheating of the evaporator end when a short duration complete drying of the evaporator end of the heat pipe should occur. These bubbles can even interrupt the transport of the heat carrier fluid to the heat take-up or evaporator zone so that the heat take-up zone even dries further and thus the heat pipe becomes inoperative, in other words, ceases to function properly.
In a publication "Heat Pipe Design Handbook", Volume 1, by E & K Engineering, Inc., Towsen, Md., 21204, pages 147 to 153, and especially pages 149 and 152, two heat pipes are described with features for removing bubbles, and thus for avoiding blockage of the fluid flow by these gas bubbles. In one of the conventional heat pipes, the gas bubbles are removed by the arrangement of venting bores in the boundary wall between the artery and the vapor flow channel. In the other conventional construction the bubble removing feature includes a Venturi nozzle which is arranged in the transport channel for the vapor and which simultaneously functions as a jet pump for sucking off any gas bubbles that may be present in the artery.
A disadvantage of having venting bores in the boundary wall between the artery and the vapor channel, is seen in the fact that during the operation of the heat pipe, the pressure in the vapor channel is substantially higher than in the artery. As a result, it is necessary to interrupt the operation of the heat pipe for transferring gas bubbles from the artery into the vapor channel. However, during such interruption of the operation, the venting bores are covered by liquid bridges which block the passage of gas bubbles through these venting bores unless these liquid bridges are first evaporated. As a result, these interruptions of the operation of the heat pipe require a relatively long time duration for the gas bubble removal before the heat pipe can be returned to its normal operation.
The arrangement of a Venturi nozzle in the vapor channel has the following disadvantage. If there happens to be no gas bubble in the suction zone of the nozzle, a small quantity of heat carrier medium tends to collect in the suction pipe of the nozzle and this medium is taken out of the artery. If now a gas bubble appears in fact in front of the suction opening of the Venturi nozzle, it is necessary to first remove the liquid accumulated in the suction pipe before the bubble can be sucked out of the artery. As a result of this procedure, there is a substantial pressure loss in the flow through the suction pipe which correspondingly results in a substantial pressure loss in the Venturi pipe. Stated differently, this Venturi pipe must be constructed to have a relatively substantial reduction in its flow cross-sectional area. This requirement in turn leads to a substantial impairment of the vapor flow due to the pressure loss, whereby the working capacity of the heat pipe is respectively reduced.


The present invention belongs to the field of pharmaceutical industry and relates to a process for preparing dosage forms containing ezetimibe, comprising the steps of:    a) providing a composition comprising ezetimibe,    b) sieving a composition comprising a composition of step (a),    c) shear mixing of the composition after step (b), preferably the mixing of the composition is carried out by high shear mixing,    d) formulation into a dosage form.

High blood or plasma cholesterol levels or hypercholesterolemia represent a common disease pattern preliminary in the well situated countries of the western hemisphere. Cholesterol may cause a "hardening of the arteries" so that arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or even blocked with the consequence that provision of oxygen to the organs is constrained. Hypercholesterolemia has been implicated in atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke and is one of several conditions that may lead to coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 600,000 deaths per year. The risk group includes the overweight, smokers, those with a poor diet (e.g. one rich in saturated fats), those who take inadequate exercise and suffering from stress. For such risk individuals, as well as those tested and found to have unduly high plasma cholesterol levels, a variety of treatments have been proposed, e.g. changes in diet and habits, increased exercise, etc. However, such treatments are not always easy to enforce and there exist a need for improved medicinal treatments which are effective at reducing plasma cholesterol levels.
In above mentioned cases, ezetimibe can be prescribed, since it is indicated mainly for primary hypercholesterolemia (administered alone or in combination with an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor), homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (administered with atorvastatin or simvastatin) and homozygous sitosterolemia [PDR prescribing information for Zetia®]. Ezetimibe is sold under the brand name Zetia®, which is marketed by Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals. Zetia® is available as a tablet for oral administration containing 10 mg of ezetimibe. The inactive ingredients of Zetia® are reported to be croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, and sodium lauryl sulfate. The recommended dose is 10 mg once daily, administered with or without food according to the Zetia® label.
Ezetimibe, a white crystalline powder disclosed in EP 0 720 599, is reported to be freely to very soluble in ethanol, methanol, and acetone, and practically insoluble in water. Further it is reported to have a melting point of about 163° C. and to be stable at ambient temperature. The mechanism of action of ezetimibe on absorption and resorption inhibition of cholesterol involves increased excretions of cholesterol and its intestinally generated metabolites with the faeces. This effect results in lowered body cholesterol levels, increased cholesterol synthesis, and decreased triglyceride synthesis. The increased cholesterol synthesis initially provides for the maintenance of cholesterol levels in the circulation, levels that eventually decline as the inhibition of cholesterol absorption and resorption continues. The overall effect of drug action is the lowering of cholesterol levels in the circulation and tissues of the body.
Other commonly used compounds for the treatment or prevention of high cholesterol levels in individuals are the statins, such as fluvastatin, simvastatin, and lovastatin. Among the group of statins, particularly simvastatin exhibited good results in the treatment of conditions characterized by high cholesterol levels. Methods for its preparation are disclosed in e.g. in EP 0 033 538, EP 0 351 918, and EP 0 299 656. Simvastatin exerts a cholesterol reducing effect by inhibiting the conversion of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A (HMG-CoA) to mevalonate, an early step in the biosynthetic pathway of cholesterol. Additionally, simvastatin reduces the amount of very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides (TG) and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and is thus capable to counteract diseases like atherosclerosis. Simvastatin is marketed worldwide and sold under the trade name ZOCOR®. ZOCOR® tablets contain simvastatin, anhydrous lactose, microcrystalline cellulose (fillers), pregelatinized maize starch (disintegrant), magnesium stearate (lubricant), butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), citric acid monohydrate and ascorbic acid (antioxidants).
In order to provide improved medication combination products, such as a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin, were considered. Such a combination is marketed, for example, in the USA under the trade name VYTORIN®. The commercially available VYTORIN® tablets contain ezetimibe, simvastatin, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose (fillers), hydroxylpropyl methylcellulose (binder), croscarmellose sodium (disintegrant), magnesium stearate (lubricant), butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), citric acid monohydrate and propyl gallate (antioxidants). For the time being, combinations comprising 10 mg of ezetimibe each and 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg simvastatin, respectively, are commercially available. Such a combination medicament has been proven to be effective in the treatment and/or prevention of atherosclerosis and related conditions.
When a solid dosage form with a poorly soluble drug (e.g. ezetimibe) is taken orally, the drug must dissolve in aqueous gastrointestinal fluids in, e.g., patient's stomach, before it can exert a therapeutic effect. A recurring problem with solid oral dosage forms comprising poorly water soluble drugs (e.g. ezetimibe) is that the rate of dissolution of the drug limits its biological availability.
Known methods for preparing formulations containing ezetimibe mostly use wet granulation, which is the method of choice for the preparation of ezetimibe/simvastatin combinations.
EP 1 849 459 discloses compositions containing ezetimibe with improved solubility of ezetimibe and increased bioavailability, methods of their preparation, and method of treatment using the same. An ezetimibe composition according to this document may be prepared, for example, by co-milling ezetimibe with at least one hydrophilic excipient.
WO 2008/101723 discloses a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one cholesterol absorption inhibitor such as ezetimibe with improved dissolution rate and exhibiting a high bioavailability in amorphous form and at least one hydrophilic polymer. In one embodiment, the amorphous cholesterol absorption inhibitor is finely dispersed in the hydrophilic polymer by means of spray-drying.
WO 2006/134604 describes stable antihyperlipoproteinemic combinations of solid oral pharmaceutical formulations containing ezetimibe, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, disintegrants and glidants. During manufacture, a milling step in order to achieve the desired particle size distribution is carried out. However, in such milling steps often agglomerates of the particles are formed. This can negatively influence the properties of the formulations.
WO 2007/003365 describes stable pharmaceutical compositions containing simvastatin and/or ezetimibe and their preparation. Some embodiments disclose the mixing of a part of the ingredients in a high shear mixer and granulation, followed by a drying- and sieving-step of the obtained granules.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,982 B2 discloses a pharmaceutical composition comprised of a cholesterol absorption inhibitor and an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, one or more anti-oxidants, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate and lactose.
However, despite the above described methods and preparations of formulations containing ezetimibe, there is a need for an improved process for the preparation of a dosage form containing ezetimibe, in particular with regard to a dissolution profile that allows for a good effectivity and with regard to an improved processability.

Process for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition comprising ezetimibe

Abstract: The present invention also relates to dosage forms containing ezetimibe and ezetimibe and simvastatin, which have been prepared according to the process according to the invention.


The present invention provides a dispenser for dispensing pre-cut sheets from a roll or a web material to a user in need of the web material. The dispenser contains a product identification sensor in communication with a control circuit. This product identification sensor detects and identifies information about the roll of the web material placed in the holder and relays this information to the control circuit. The control circuit adjusts dispensing parameters for the actuator roller in dispensing a sheet of the web material from the dispenser.

There are a number of dispensers known in the art for dispensing and cutting sheets of paper toweling or other similar materials. These dispensers are generally divided into two types of dispensers. The first type is a dispenser which the user needs to physically contact the dispenser to dispense a sheet of the material from the dispenser. Generally, the first type of dispenser is typically one which has a lever or push bar that the user contacts and manipulates to dispense the sheet of the web material. The second type of dispenser is a "sanitary" or "no-touch" dispenser. "Sanitary" or "no-touch" dispensers allow a user to obtain a sheet of the web material by only touching the web material extending from the dispenser or by activating an electronic sensor to advance the web material. There is no need for a user to touch any part of the dispenser in order to obtain a sheet from the dispenser of the second type.
Currently available sanitary or no-touch dispensers are operated either manually or electronically. In manual sanitary or no-touch dispensers, the process of dispensing and cutting the web material is carried out automatically by a user pulling on the free "tail" end of the web material that extends from a dispensing slot in the dispenser. In a typical configuration, the web material is engaged against a rough friction-enhancing surface of a feed drum and the action of pulling the web tail causes the drum to rotate. The drum often includes a drive mechanism and, after the initial pull on the web tail by a user, the drum is driven a predetermined rotational degree to dispense a metered amount of the web material, which is referred to as a "sheet" or a "sheet of the web material". A cam driven cutting mechanism may be provided in the rotating drum that pivots out of a slot in the drum to automatically cut the web at the proper length. This type of dispenser typically includes a stored energy mechanism, such as an eccentric cam, that is spring loaded during the initial rotation of the feed drum. This mechanism generally provides energy to aid in cutting the sheet from the web material, which is generally in roll form, and causes the drum to continue to rotate after the web has been cut to form the sheet. The dispensing action of the dispenser cuts the sheet from the roll of the web material. This action causes an additional length of the web material to be fed out of the dispensing slot as the tail for the next dispensing sequence. As a result, the user only touches the tail end of the web material during dispensing of a sheet of the web material.
Although effective, the conventional manual or mechanical sanitary dispensers utilizing automatic mechanical cutting and feeding mechanisms can be relatively difficult for some users, such as young children and elderly adults, to use. For some users, these manual or mechanical dispensers present an inordinate amount of resistance to pulling to obtain a sheet of the web material from the dispenser. This may be particularly true when the initial pulling action by the user also provides the force needed to load the potential energy spring of the automatic tail feeding mechanism. Further, the high resistance to pulling created by loading of the potential energy in the spring mechanism also means it is necessary for the web materials being dispensed from the dispensers to have a relatively high tensile strength. If the tensile strength of the web material is too low, the web will tend to tear during dispensing, which may cause the dispenser to jam. As a result, the next user will not be able to use the dispenser in a hands free mode to retrieve a sheet of the web material from the dispenser. Additionally, the torn pieces, or tabs, of the sheet material are often dropped on the floor presenting an undesired and unsightly mess on the washroom floor. Lower tensile products are desirable as they are generally softer and are more absorbent than higher tensile products.
Advances have been made in the art relating to purely electronic sanitary web material dispensers. With such dispensers, the unit is typically activated upon detection of motion of a user's arm or hand. A motor is subsequently energized through a control circuit and power source to drive a feed roll and thus dispense a measured length of the web material. This type of electronic dispenser requires the user to tear off the sheet of the web material from the dispenser. To do so, the user then grabs the exposed web material and pulls the web material at some angle to the dispenser cover causing a sheet to be separated from the web material on a cutting edge or serrated tear bar. The cycle is repeated for the next user.
Dispensers have become more specialized and are being designed by manufacturers to dispense a particular product. As a result, the dispenser's operation, including speed of operation, is optimized for that particular product or suite of products. If a different product, for example a product of a different product manufacturer, is inserted into the dispenser, the dispenser may not function properly. For example, the product may become jammed in the dispenser or the cutter blade in the dispenser will not properly cut the product being dispensed. This can be a problem for the manufacturer of the dispenser, since the dispenser will be perceived as a low quality dispenser when the product does not dispense properly; or it could be a problem for the manufacturer that manufactured the product being dispensed, the product could be perceived as being inferior.
There is a need in the art for an electronic pre-cut sheet dispenser that will effectively modify the dispensing parameters based on the rolled material placed in the dispenser and/or based on the actions of the user requiring a sheet of material from the dispenser.

Electronic pre-cut sheet dispenser with dispensing adjustments


A user interface for designing tests to be run against a piece of software. The user interface provides an environment in which test specifications including scenarios, business flow modules, flow lists, and steps and actions may be presented, created and modified. The user interface may be dynamically updated with data from a repository to update the presented information. Changes to code associated with the scenarios, business flow modules, flow lists, and steps and actions may be dynamically communicated back to a repository to update the code without a need to repackage an application associated with the code. The test specifications may be specified in a generic format, such as an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format that meets a schema.

Testing is a normal part of the software development process. Software under development is commonly tested by providing various types of input to the software and observing the software's behavior. A person may provide the input. For example, in an interactive application, such as a web application, a person could test the application by manually providing various types of input to the software through a browser. However, in many cases, the process of providing input is automated.
Developing automated test specifications and scenarios can be a cumbersome task because of the tools used to create the test specifications and the knowledge requirements. As such, developers often create the test specifications as they may have detailed knowledge about how the code works, and thus may be able to devise appropriate tests for the code. This makes it difficult for non-developers or less-technically inclined individuals to develop tests without assistance of developers. In addition, the tools that are designed for non-developers are limited.

Systems and methods for providing a test automation framework having a unified user interface

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


A mortar mount adapter is configured to fit in a towing hitch system mounted on a land vehicle. The towing hitch system absorbs and disperses recoil force from the mortar. The adapter is disposed in one of a trailer hitch receiver, a gooseneck hitch socket, and a fifth wheel hitch. The adapter includes a socket for the ball of a mortar tube and a shank extending from the socket wherein the socket and the shank are symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis of the adapter.

The invention relates in general to mortar munition systems, and in particular to vehicle-mounted mortar munition systems.
Mortar munition systems have long been known in warfare. In general, a mortar system includes four basic components: the ammunition or projectile, a barrel or tube, a bipod that supports the tube, and a base plate that disperses the recoil force. The projectile is usually loaded into the muzzle of the tube. Firing the mortar includes using chemical combustion to propel the projectile out of the tube. Some mortars use a projectile with the propelling charge incorporated in the projectile. Other mortars use a propelling charge that is placed in the tube prior to inserting the projectile in the tube.
Recoil force is generated when a round, such as a projectile, is fired from the mortar tube. The base plate receives the recoil force from the tube and disperses the recoil force over an area. Dispersing the recoil force decreases the force per unit area. Recoil force dispersion is important for both mounted and dismounted mortar systems. If the base plate did not disperse the recoil force, an undesirable point loading would result. In a mounted system, point loading may destroy the vehicle to which the mortar is mounted, or may pierce or otherwise damage the vehicle. In a mounted system, if the recoil force is not dispersed, the recoil energy must be absorbed by a recoil system. In a dismounted system, point loading may eventually bury the mortar underground.
Mortar munition systems provide a range of capabilities including providing light at night, providing smoke screens for defense, and launching high explosive projectiles for offense. Mortar tubes are often shorter than artillery tubes. Advancements in technology have enabled mortar weapons to become more easily transportable, thereby allowing infantry to use less artillery. In some cases, a mortar, for example, a 60 mm mortar, may be fired from a multi-use land vehicle having a cargo bed. The multi-use land vehicle may not be a dedicated mortar firing platform, because it is used for purposes other than firing mortars. Thus, a permanently mounted mortar system is not desirable on such a vehicle. Examples of multi-use land vehicles are the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), jeeps, and pickup trucks.
To fire a mortar from a multi-use land vehicle's cargo bed, a standard mortar base plate has been used, along with sandbags or tires to help absorb the recoil force and minimize damage to the land vehicle's cargo bed. Problems with the use of sandbags and tires include, among others, their availability and weight and the lack of a stable firing platform. The lack of a stable firing platform is unsafe and greatly decreases the accuracy of the mortar projectiles.
A need exists for a mortar mount for a multi-use land vehicle that is easily installed or retrofitted, is stable and does not interfere with other uses of the land vehicle.

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army


A bi-component continuous filament has a sheath-core arrangement including a first polymer component forming a sheath and including a polyamide, a polyolefin, or a polyester; a second polymer component forming a core and including a polyamide, a polyolefin, or a polyester; and a binding agent adhering the first polymer component to the second polymer component along a length of the filament such that the filament has a generally uniform cross-sectional shape along the length. The binding agent preferably includes a polyolefin modified by an acid anhydride. Articles made from such bi-component continuous filaments include, for example, bulk continuous filament (BCF) fibers and floor coverings, such as mats, rugs, and carpets.

The present invention generally relates to the manufacture of bi-component continuous filaments and articles made therefrom, including yarns and fabrics, and end-use applications thereof, preferably including floor coverings such as mats, rugs, and carpets. The present invention also is disclosed in patent application 201721011143 filed in India on Mar. 29, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Continuous filaments are well known in the textile industry. A continuous filament generally comprises a polymer material that is extruded as a long fiber. Such fibers can be twisted together and heat set to form strands of yarn. In turn, the yarn can be texturized for increasing bulkiness and for better wear resistance, and often such yarn is used in carpet as an alternative to carpets made using spun yarn comprised of staple fibers. Indeed, such bulked continuous filaments used in carpets sometimes are referenced as "BCF fibers", and advances in technology both have resulted in the ability to create filament looks that were impractical in the past, and have made filament production faster and more economical than before Styles previously made using only spun yarn now are made using BCF fibers.
Various types of continuous filaments have been developed over the years and have been employed for a variety of uses based on the polymers used. Early examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,378 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,487, each of which has been assigned to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. A bi-component continuous filament is a continuous filament made by extruding two different components that together form the long fiber; the two components generally comprise two different polymer materials that are extruded together. Some existing bi-component filaments have been designed by employing a sheath-core arrangement, in which a lower melting temperature polymer is used in forming a sheath component and a higher melting temperature polymer is used in forming a core component of the bi-component continuous filament. Bi-component continuous filaments made in this manner have been used in nonwoven webs to thermally bond the webs together.
Some existing yarns made from bi-component continuous filaments consist of a raw white (i.e., color-free) polymer component that has a fine count in texturized polyester pre-oriented yarn, which is typically made by spinning polyester chips of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polymer components of bi-component continuous filaments also can be dyed at some point after the bi-component continuous filament has been spun.
Unfortunately, many articles made from bi-component continuous filaments and yarns thereof undergo delamination over time, a degradation in which the polymer components begin to separate from one another. This especially occurs when high levels of wear and tear are involved, affecting integrity and long-term durability of such articles.
It is believed that one or more needs exist for improvement in the field of making bi-component continuous filaments and articles made therefrom, and for durable, resilient and/or color-fast bi-component continuous filaments and articles made therefrom that are capable of use across a wide range of articles including textile products, and particularly, floor coverings. These, and other needs, are believed to be addressed by one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Manufacture of bi-component continuous filaments and articles made therefrom


A data storage system configured to deduplicate and store sets of data is presented. The system comprises a computer readable storage device configured to store a plurality of sets of data for a plurality of hosts, wherein each sets of data of the plurality of sets of data corresponding to each host of the plurality of hosts is encrypted with one or more different encryption keys, and wherein at least one of the plurality of sets of data contains deduplicated data. The system also comprises a key translator configured to create at least one translation key based, at least in part, on the one or more different encryption keys and the deduplicated data, and wherein the at least one translation key is configured to translate from a first encryption key to a second encryption key of the one or more different encryption keys.

The present invention relates generally to storing data in a storage system. In particular, the invention relates to storing encrypted and deduplicated data.
A common feature found in storage controllers and appliance's today is data deduplication. There is ever increasing demand to store more user data with the same physical capacity, this reduces the overall cost of ownership of the storage system. Data deduplication works by identifying repeated data patterns and instead of storing the user data, it will create a reference to the duplicate data that is stored elsewhere in the system. It maybe that the existing duplicate is within the same volume, another volume (either in the same pool or another pool) within the storage system, or a volume used by another host. Use cases for data duplication are such as, a virtual machine boot operating system image that is used by multiple hosts, in this case the host operating system may well be the same version and therefore it'll be a waste to store N copies of that data. The granularity of deduplication can differ between storage products typically it will be small such as 8K bytes and the scope of the deduplication will be at a volume or storage pool level.
As the demand to store more data increases, systems ever increasingly need to be available online, therefore data security is ever increasingly becoming more important. To satisfy this demand, end-to-end encryption is employed to protect against data falling into the wrong hands due to hacking, storage devices being relocated or misplaced, man-in-the-middle attacks etc. Data may be encrypted at the application and written through the storage controller to the backend storage

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of identifying radioactive components in a source comprising (a) obtaining a gamma-ray spectrum from the source; (b) identifying peaks in the gamma-ray spectrum; (c) determining an array of peak energies and peak intensities from the identified peaks; (d) identifying an initial source component based on a comparison of the peak energies with a database of spectral data for radioactive isotopes of interest; (e) estimating a contribution of the initial source component to the peak intensities; (f) modifying the array of peak energies and peak intensities by subtracting the estimated contribution of the initial source component; and (g) identifying a further source component based on a comparison of the modified array of peak energies with the database of spectral data. Thus a method for identifying radioactive components in a source is provided which does not rely on comparing template spectra with an observed spectrum.

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for radioactive isotope identification, and in particular to identifying radioactive isotopes from their gamma-ray emission spectra.
Different risks are associated with different radioactive sources. Because of this it is often important to be able to identify the nature of a source of gamma-rays (i.e. which radioactive isotope(s) which are present). Device for doing this are generally known as radioactive-isotope identifying devices (RIDs). RIDs may be hand-held scanning devices, or larger fixed devices, such as portal monitors for people or vehicles to pass through.
RIDs are useful in a number of situations. For example, they can be used to monitor legitimate uses of radioactive material and to maintain an awareness of isotopes present in an environment where radioactive material is used. This can be important, for example, in medical and industrial applications. RIDs can also be used as general scanning devices to identify "orphaned" or other unknown radioactive sources in an environment. Furthermore, an ever increasingly important area of use for RIDs is in policing the illegitimate trafficking of nuclear materials.
Policing illegitimate trafficking of nuclear materials is one of the most challenging areas for isotope identification. This is because it often requires large numbers of people and cargos to be scanned quickly (for example as they pass through a facility such as a port, or other border crossing, at normal speed), but with a high degree of reliably. Not only is there the clear desire to be able to reliably correctly identify undesirable radioactive isotopes, e.g. plutonium, passing through a facility, it is also important that legitimate sources of radiation are not wrongly identified as undesirable sources. This is because false-alarms arising from the kind of mis-identification at border crossings, for example, can be very costly, both financially in terms of lost operation time while the alarm is investigated, and in terms of the degree of inconvenience to people passing through the facility.
However, it can be difficult to avoid false-alarms because many legitimate sources of naturally occurring gamma-ray radiation may be present where undesirable sources of radiation are being sought. For example, sanitary ware, roofing tiles, cat litter and scouring pads, which are all common sources of naturally occurring radiation, frequently pass through border crossings in the course of normal trade. What is more, some legitimate sources of radiation have features in their gamma-ray emission spectra which are similar to those in some undesirable sources. For example, radioactive isotopes of iodine (for medical use) and barium (for industrial use) both emit gamma-rays at energies which are similar to gamma-rays from weapons grade plutonium. Not only does this mean that innocent cargos may give rise to false-alarms, it also means that those involved in illegitimate trafficking of nuclear materials could seek to mask weapons grade plutonium by hiding it among a cargo of medical iodine, for example. Because of this, there is a desire for RIDs to be as accurate and reliable as possible.
RIDs typically comprise a gamma-ray spectrometer component and a processor component. The gamma-ray spectrometer component is for obtaining gamma-ray emission spectra from objects under investigation. The processor component is for determining the most likely source of the gamma-rays (i.e. the radioactive isotopes present) on the basis of characteristics of the spectra obtained.
One class of RID currently in use is based on high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors, for example the Detective-EX-100® RID from the ORTEC Corporation. Another class is based on room temperature semiconductor detectors, such as cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe or CZT), for example the Interceptor™ RID from the Thermo Electron Corporation. Both types of spectrometer are able to provide high-resolution gamma-ray spectra (which is key to reliable isotope identification). Another class of RID comprises those based on scintillation spectrometers.
Each of these classes of RID have advantages and drawbacks. For example, HPGe and CZT detectors are able to provide high resolution spectra which allows similar source spectra to be distinguished. However, HPGe and CZT detectors are also typically small volume devices. This makes them difficult to implement in large RIDs of the kind required by some applications, e.g. for quickly scanning lorries passing through a port. HPGe detectors also require cooling. This adds to their weight, cost and complexity, and can make it difficult to implement and support them in portable hand-held applications. Scintillation-body based spectrometers, on the other hand, are relatively cheap and easy to implement on both small (e.g. portable hand-held RIDs) and large (e.g. vehicle portal monitor RIDs) scales, but have relatively low intrinsic spectral resolution and relatively low signal-to-noise ratios. Because of this, HPGe and CZT-based spectrometers have generally been seen as preferable to scintillation-body based spectrometers for use in RIDs.
Once a gamma-ray spectrum has been obtained using the spectrometer component of the RID, the spectrum is analysed by the processor component of the RID to identify what isotope(s) are the most likely source(s) of the observed spectrum. To some extent this process is independent of which class of spectrometer is employed in the spectrometer component of the RID.
One way of analysing the measured gamma-ray spectrum is by a full spectrum analysis. According to this approach, the processor component of the RID cycles through a collection of "templates" (i.e. pre-computed gamma-ray signatures for nuclear materials expected to be encountered) and compares them with the observed spectrum, for example using a correlation function. Identification is made by choosing the template, or linear combination of templates, which best matches the observed spectrum.
There are, however, a number of drawbacks with this approach. Firstly, it is computationally intensive. This can be especially problematic in portable hand-held devices where processing capability is more restricted than in larger fixed installations. Secondly, the templates can only accurately reflect the gamma-ray signatures from particular isotopes under given laboratory conditions. The gamma-ray signature from a source "in the real world" is likely to be different to that seen in the laboratory. This is because the recorded spectrum will be affected by scattering and absorption within materials surrounding the source, and also will be affected by the specific geometry of the source being investigated, and its orientation with respect to the RID. These effects are generally energy dependent. This means the recorded spectrum for a given isotope will not normally properly match the stored laboratory-conditions template for that isotope. For example, the template for a given isotope may include two emission lines of similar intensity, one at a relatively low energy, and one at a relatively high energy. If this isotope is in a person's hand luggage, it is likely that both lines would be seen with similar intensities, and the isotope could properly be identified from this. However, if the isotope is carried through a portal monitor hidden in a cargo of concrete, the low energy line would be adsorbed more than the high energy line and the recorded spectrum would not match the template. This makes it more difficult to properly identify the isotope and so can lead to mis-identification. For example, it means relatively loose constraints must be used for making a positive identification of an isotope (e.g. a relatively low correlation coefficient between the recorded spectrum and the template). This leads to increased likelihood of false-positive alarms. Accordingly, this kind of full spectrum analysis is inflexible because it cannot take proper account of how the gamma-ray signatures from a source are modified by the environment in which they are measured.
An alternative approach for identifying isotopes from a gamma-ray spectrum is the so-called single multi-component analysis method [1]. In this method, the starting point is again the computation of a range of template spectra for isotopes expected to be encountered in the application at hand. The most likely source composition is then determined from a principle component analysis of the recorded gamma-ray emission spectrum from the source. Multiple templates are provided for each potential radio-nuclide. The multiple templates correspond to the different predicted signatures from each isotope for a range of different shielding materials and geometries. For example, one template might correspond to unshielded plutonium, while another might correspond to plutonium shielded by 2 metres of concrete. This approach can help to address some of the problems which arise from the same radioactive source isotope giving rise to different recorded gamma-ray spectra in different situations.
However, relying on multiple templates for each isotope in this way increases further still the computational power required to implement the method in a reasonable time (for example in the time taken for a person to walk past a detector). Furthermore, the method still necessarily employs a finite number of templates to model what is in effect an infinite number of different shielding and geometry arrangements. This means it is still not possible to fully account for all of the different ways in which a recorded gamma-ray spectrum can be affected by the environment. Accordingly, ambiguities in isotope identification can still arise.
There is therefore a need for a method of identifying isotopes which is less computationally intensive than known methods, and which is also less prone to false identifications (false alarms) caused by environmental effects modifying the observed spectra so that isotope identification can be made with a greater degree of confidence.


An off-line terminal, located at an airline boarding gate processes composite tickets bearing a magnetic stripe. Processing includes: authenticating, verifying, recording, canceling, bursting into component sections and sorting. Operations are controlled, logged and interrelated in accordance with ticket content and operating programs. Structurally, a processing computer cooperates with magnetic stripe transducers, a printer, a burster, signal lamps and a plurality of document-direction gates to select and control the path of individual ticket components. An additional magnetic sensor for ticket components (e.g. boarding passes) enables control of passenger movements after initial clearance with ticket processing.

The present invention relates to document processing systems and specifically to a ticket system, as for processing transportation tickets and boarding passes with attendant passenger control.
Traditional airline tickets comprise multiple-sheet bundles, each sheet for a flight leg and bearing various data, as passenger name, flight number, departure and destination locations, flight time and so on. Such traditional ticket sheets as conventionally used are susceptible to misuse, yet impose substantial inconvenience to passengers and require considerable attention by airline personnel. Recognizing the problem, government agencies and private groups have sponsored development efforts to enhance airport security while reducing passenger inconvenience. Among other suggestions, an improved ticket has been suggested, formed of card stock for ease of processing, bearing a magnetic stripe and including a boarding pass. It also has been proposed that data regarding the passenger, the airline, the flight number and so on be printed on the sheet and recorded on the magnetic stripe. The magnetic stripe also could be encoded with data relating to the passenger's location and the status of the passenger's baggage. While such a ticket format offers various possibilities, a need exists for an economical ticket-processing unit capable of rapidly, easily and accurately processing the ticket sheets while enabling enhanced airport security with relative passenger convenience.
In general, the present invention comprises a ticket-processing system for processing composite, separable (severable) sheets or documents, as for example, sheets including an airline passenger ticket and a boarding pass, which sheets bear a magnetic stripe to facilitate control and processing. Within the system, sheets are moved along select paths as for magnetic transducing and related operations of printing, bursting, canceling and sorting. A range of selective operations enables the use of a single unit to effectively process tickets at a point of entry as a boarding gate. Other operations include rejection, special processing and boarding-pass monitoring.


Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for wireless communications, wherein distinct port partitions are assigned to processing entities on a user equipment device. Doing so provides the processing entities with concurrent access to the single PDN connection.

I. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communications and, more particularly, to sharing of an IP address for a packet data network (PDN) connection among multiple processing entities on a wireless terminal.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, data, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communications with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., bandwidth and transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems.
Generally, a wireless multiple-access communication system can simultaneously support communications for multiple wireless terminals. Each terminal communicates with one or more base stations via transmissions on the forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from the base stations to the terminals, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from the terminals to the base stations. This communication link may be established via a single-input single-output, multiple-input single-output or a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system.
In addition to carrying audio transmissions, one use of a wireless terminal is to send and receive data carried via a packet data network (PDN). Generally, an Access Point Name (APN) is used to identify an PDN for a mobile data user to communicate with. In addition to identifying the PDN, the APN may also be used to define the type of service. Examples of such connection-based services include a connection to wireless application protocol (WAP) server, messaging services (MMS), or an IMS service (e.g., VoIP, video telephony or text messaging) provided by a particular PDN. An APN is used in 3GPP data access networks, e.g. general packet radio service (GPRS), evolved packet core (EPC).
Typically, a wireless terminal is assigned an IP address to use for data packets sent to/from the wireless terminal via the PDN connection. In some cases, however, the wireless terminal may include multiple processing entities, e.g., a modem processor and an application processor, each of which may execute applications which request network connections over the PDN via an independent transport control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) stack. Further, the wireless terminal may itself share the PDN connection with other devices (commonly referred to as tethering). In such cases, applications running on different IP stacks may need concurrent access to the same PDN connection.

Simultaneous packet data network (PDN) access


The present invention provides a stand for albums, scrapbooks and the like which is simple and compact causing no trouble to a user. Means for fixing an attaching portion of a stand capable to bend through a fold line to a back cover of an album, a scrapbook or the like and connecting the back cover and the support leg with a strip to adjust a bending angle of the support leg are adapted. Means for providing one end of a strip between a core material and a cloth material at a bottom line of a support leg and providing another end of the strip between a core material and an end paper at a bottom border of a back cover are applied.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stand structure which enables an album, a scrapbook and the like to be self-sustaining and be decoration such as a photo stand by attaching a support leg to a back of the album, the scrapbook and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been already articles such as an album, a photo mount and a file, to which a stand is attached for a purpose to display a photograph decoratively as an alternative to a conventional photo stand. For example, an album disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Open Gazette No. S59-14218 is composed of a mount and a cover shielding front and back surfaces of the mount around. In this album, a triangular stand is to be formed by folding suitable parts of the cover. However, the cover of the album is hard chartaceous and therefore becomes unstable when placed on an uneven ground contacting surface such as a laced mat. This problem arises from a fact that a stand contacts a ground on a plane. Accordingly, a preferred placing way is to let a stand up on a line or a point. Further, each support leg disclosed in a photo box and an account book in Japanese Open Gazette for Utility Model No. S57-34477 and Japanese Utility Model Gazette No. S 30-12111 respectively has a similar structure and naturally has the same problem. In addition, these two inventions are inconvenient to carry or store, for the support leg thereof become bulky when folded down.
On the other hand, a stand for a pocket album in Japanese Patent Gazette No. H4-31879 and an album with a stand in Japanese Open Gazette for Utility Model No. S61-200264 are both not handy for a user since the stand thereof has to be put together by the user.
A stand structure as explained above has not been suggested so far as to an album that is comprised of conventional front and back covers and binder inserts, or a scrapbook.

Stand for albums, scrapbooks and the like


A method includes the steps of: preparing a lead frame including a plurality of die pads, and preparing a plurality of semiconductor chips; disposing each of the semiconductor chips on a respective one of the die pads; forming a sealing resin to cover the die pads and the semiconductor chips; and attaching a heat dissipation plate to the die pads by pressing the heat dissipation plate against the die pads via a resin sheet which is an adhesive layer after the sealing resin is formed.

Conventionally, various kinds of semiconductor devices are known. For instance, there exists a semiconductor device called an IPM (Intelligent Power Module). This type of semiconductor device includes semiconductor chips, die pads, a heat dissipation plate, a bonding layer and a sealing resin. The semiconductor chips are disposed on the die pads, respectively. The die pads are bonded to the heat dissipation plate via the bonding layer. The sealing resin covers the semiconductor chips, the die pads, the heat dissipation plate and the bonding layer. Such a semiconductor device called IPM is disclosed in e.g. Patent Document 1.
Conventionally, to manufacture a semiconductor device of this type, the die pads and the heat dissipation plate are bonded together before or at the same time as the sealing resin is formed. In bonding each die pad to a heat dissipation plate, the die pad is pressed against the heat dissipation plate by using a relatively thin pin. When only a portion of the die pad is pressed with a pin, the force is exerted only to the portion of the die pad, so that the die pad may tilt with respect to the heat dissipation plate. Further, when a pin is not used, the die pad may move in the process of forming the sealing resin, which may lead to problems such as cutting of the wires. To avoid such a problem, the die pad needs to be fixed with a pin. To prevent the die pad from tilting with respect to the heat dissipation plate, a plurality of portions of the die pad need to be pressed with pins. To press a plurality of portions of the die pad with pins, the die pad needs to have spaces for the pins, which hinders size reduction of the semiconductor device.
In the above-described semiconductor device, the distance between the die pads and the heat dissipation plate is set to a certain value. Positioning each of the die pads with respect to the heat dissipation plate so that the distance between the die pad and the heat dissipation plate is the predetermined value requires a high level of technique and is not easy.
Conventionally, various kinds of semiconductor devices are known. For instance, there exists a semiconductor device called an IPM (Intelligent Power Module). This type of semiconductor device includes semiconductor chips, die pads, terminals, a heat dissipation plate, a bonding layer and a sealing resin. The semiconductor chips are disposed on the die pads, respectively. The die pads are bonded to the heat dissipation plate via the bonding layer. The sealing resin covers the semiconductor chips, the die pads, the heat dissipation plate and the bonding layer. The terminals are connected to the die pads, respectively, and project from the sealing resin. The terminals are arranged in parallel to each other.
When the semiconductor device is used, a large potential difference is generated between the terminals. Further, it is necessary to prevent dielectric breakdown and the resulting current flow from occurring between adjacent terminals during the use of the semiconductor device. Thus, a high withstand voltage needs to be secured between adjacent terminals. For instance, in the semiconductor device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the withstand voltage between terminals is made high by fitting an insulating tube to each terminal. However, in the semiconductor device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the end of each terminal is not covered by an insulating tube. When the end of each terminal is not covered by the insulating tube, dielectric breakdown may occur in a space between the ends of the terminals and current may flow in the space. To prevent this, a considerably large distance needs to be secured between the ends of the terminals. This is not suitable for size reduction of the semiconductor device.
Conventionally, various kinds of semiconductor devices are known. For instance, there exists a semiconductor device called an IPM (Intelligent Power Module). This type of semiconductor device includes semiconductor chips, die pads, terminals, a heat dissipation plate, a bonding layer and a sealing resin. The semiconductor chips are disposed on the die pads, respectively. The die pads are bonded to the heat dissipation plate via the bonding layer. The sealing resin covers the semiconductor chips, the die pads, the heat dissipation plate and the bonding layer. The terminals are connected to the die pads, respectively, and project from the sealing resin. The terminals are arranged in parallel to each other. This type of semiconductor device is described in Patent Document 2.
In the state in which the semiconductor device is mounted, the heat dissipation plate of the semiconductor device is held in contact with a heat dissipating member having a high thermal conductivity. There is a demand for a technique for quickly transmitting the heat generated at the semiconductor chips of a semiconductor device to a heat dissipating member.
Conventionally, various kinds of semiconductor devices are known. An example of a semiconductor device is disclosed in Patent Document 3. The semiconductor device disclosed in this document includes semiconductor chips, a die pad and a molding resin. The semiconductor chips are disposed on the die pad. The molding resin covers the semiconductor chips and the die pad. In this semiconductor device, the semiconductor chips are disposed on a same surface of the die pad. Thus, the position of each semiconductor chip on the die pad is restricted by arrangement of other semiconductor chips. For instance, the semiconductor chips need to be arranged as spaced apart from each other by a certain distance as viewed in the thickness direction of the die pad. This type of semiconductor device has room for improvement in size reduction.
FIG. 95 shows an example of conventional semiconductor device (see e.g. Patent Document 4). The semiconductor device 900 illustrated in the figure includes a semiconductor element 904 mounted on an island 901 made of a metal. From the island 901A extends a lead 902. The semiconductor element 904 is connected to a lead 903 via a wire 905. The entireties of the semiconductor element 904 and the island 901 and part of each lead 902, 903 are covered by a sealing resin 906. The semiconductor device 900 is mounted on a non-illustrated circuit board and operates in accordance with the function of the semiconductor element 904.
In recent years, an IPM (Intelligent Power Module) has become widely used as a semiconductor device for converting inputted current into current of desired specifications and outputting the current. When the semiconductor device 900 is designed as an IPM, the semiconductor device incorporates, as a semiconductor element 904, a control element such as a power MOSFET or an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) and a driver element for driving and controlling the control element. Since the control element considerably heats up due to current flow, the heat dissipation performance of the semiconductor device 900 needs to be enhanced. Further, when the control element and the driver element are not properly arranged, the size of the semiconductor device 900 becomes large.
Conventionally, a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor element is resin-molded is widely used (see e.g. Patent Document 3). FIG. 123 shows an example of such a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device 90 shown in FIG. 123 includes a pair of terminal leads 91, 92, a semiconductor element 93, an insulating resin sheet 94, a metal member 95 made of a metal, wires 96, and a sealing resin 97 protecting these members. The terminal lead 91 is made by e.g. working a lead frame made of copper and includes a die pad 911. The semiconductor element 93 is mounted on the front surface of the die pad 911 and electrically connected to the terminal leads 91 and 92 via wires 96. The semiconductor element 93 is actuated by applying current to the terminal leads 91, 92. At that time, the semiconductor element 93 heats up. The metal member 95 is provided to efficiently dissipate heat generated by the semiconductor element 93 to the outside. The resin sheet 94 bonds the reverse surface of the die pad 911 and the front surface of the metal member 95. The resin sheet 94 is made of an epoxy resin containing a filler for enhancing the thermal conduction.
To bond the die pad 911 and the metal member 95 by using the resin sheet 94, pressing is performed in e.g. a hot environment. According to this manufacturing process, pressure is applied to the resin sheet 94 in the thickness direction. When the pressure application is uneven, the resin sheet 94 may be deformed into an undesired shape, as shown in FIG. 124. In the example shown in FIG. 124, the die pad 911 is also deformed to come into contact with the metal member 95 due to the pressure. Since the die pad 911 is electrically connected to the terminal lead 91, contact of the die pad 911 and the metal member 95 may result in the formation of an unintentional current path when the semiconductor device 90 is incorporated in a circuit.
Even when the situation shown in FIG. 124 does not occur, reduction of the thickness of the resin sheet 94 makes it difficult to maintain the insulation between the metal member 95 and the die pad 911, and the semiconductor device 90 may not be able to secure the withstand voltage. Further, the pressure may make the distribution of the filler in the resin sheet 94 uneven. In such a case, the heat dissipation performance of the resin sheet 94 may vary depending on positions.
In this way, although the provision of the metal member 95 is effective for enhancing the heat dissipation performance of the semiconductor device 90, it may degrade the reliability of the device.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


The present invention provides a polymerization method for acrylic latex without emulsifier, in which a reaction system is formed from 40˜60 wt % of pure water and 2˜9 wt % of carboxylic acid monomers with carbon-carbon double bond polymerizable functional groups (A), and 40˜50 wt % of methyl methacrylate or acrylate monomers (B), and 0.2˜2.0 wt % of inorganic alkaline solution is first used to adjust the pH value of the reaction system to within a pH range of 9.0˜13.0, then 0.2˜1.0 wt % of peroxide sulfates are used as initiators, and emulsification polymerization is carried out. At the end of the reaction, organic amine compounds are used to adjust the pH value of the obtained aqueous resin latex to within the pH range 7.0˜9.5. Particle diameters of the manufactured aqueous resin latex are approximately 100˜30 nm, uniformly distributed and have excellent outward appearance. Moreover, acid value is low at 3.5˜6.5 mgKOH/g, and Its specific gravity is approximately 1.07, slightly greater than that of water; storage stability is excellent, with good permeability that facilitates construction. Moreover, water resisting property as a dry film coating is good, tensile strength is excellent, and provides superior abrasion performance.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polymerization method for aqueous acrylic latex, and more particularly to a polymerization method for acrylic latex without emulsifier which enables providing a water dispersible acrylic latex that is environmentally friendly and non-polluting, in which particle diameters of the resin latex are small and uniformly distributed with excellent outward appearance; its specific gravity is slightly greater than water, and has low acid value, superior storage stability, with good permeability that facilitates construction. Moreover, water resisting property as a dry film coating is good, tensile strength is excellent, and provides superior abrasion performance.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, preparation of acrylic latex comprises acrylic acid monomers in an aqueous solution, upon which emulsification polymerization reaction is carried out using low molecular weight emulsifiers, and under the effect of emulsifiers, mechanical stirring and an initiator causes the monomers in the water or other solvent to disperse and form an emulsion for free radical polymerization to be carried out thereon. However, if manufacture of a solid polymer is required, a multiple step procedure involving emulsion breaking, washing, dehydration, drying must be carried out, resulting in high production cost. Moreover, impurities, such as emulsifiers, in the obtained polymer product are difficult to clean out, and affect electrical properties, and thus unsuitable for use.
When drying the obtained emulsion, the emulsifiers easily exude out from within the polymer, thereby contaminating the surface of the acrylic latex and reducing the bonding strength thereof between other materials, and thus not suitable for use.
In order to solve the problem brought about by participation of the emulsifier in the emulsification polymerization reaction, patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-206907) describes using non-ionic surface active agents, including polyethylene glycol octyl phenyl ether, polyethylene glycol nonyl phenyl ether, and polyethylene glycol decyl phenyl ether, to synthesize acrylic latex. And although facilitating in preventing environmental pollution, however, such environmental hormone compounds are harmful to the human body, and thus limits use thereof.
In general, when carrying out emulsification polymerization, solubility of the monomers in aqueous phase is relatively small, thus the monomer droplets do not easily migrate to micelles, and organic solvents such as acetone or isopropyl alcohol must be added to assist solubilization. Some people have tried adding co-emulsifiers, and stirring at high speed to cause the monomers to disperse in the water and become micron sized monomer droplets to serve as the primary polymerization site. Such so-called fine emulsion polymerization is used to solve the problem of the difficulty in dissolving the monomers.
The aforementioned fine emulsion polymerization method provides a relatively good solution to the problem of the difficulty in dissolving the monomers, while some people use solvent-soluble initiators to initiate direct polymerization of the monomers in the monomer droplets. The process of the monomer droplets migrating to micelles is not necessary, and the droplets are able to directly form cores, thereby avoiding the problem of indissolubility of the monomers.
Some people use a compound emulsifier composed of ionic surface active agents and long chain aliphatic alcohols or long chain alkanes to cause monomers in a fine emulsion to form stable nanometer droplets (30˜500 nm). Because the ionic surface active agents and the compound emulsifiers produce osmotic pressure that neutralizes the pressure difference between large and small monomer droplets, and reduces monomer diffusion between different sized droplets, thus, stability of the small droplets is greatly increased, thereby enabling the fine emulsion to obtain sufficient dynamic stability. Accordingly, water and solvent, surface active agents and adjuvants are able to spontaneously form thermodynamically stable emulsion.
However, during the polymerization process, variations in the water, solvent, emulsifier and adjuvant emulsifier of the system composition, or polymerization reaction temperature, hydrophilic or oleophilic groups can cause the surface active agent molecules in the solution and the produced micelles to mutually transform into three types of structures including oil in water O/W, water in oil W/O and bicontinue B.C, and form polymer microemulsion with small average particle diameter, low surface tension, greatly strengthened wettability and permeability and better stability.
Patent documentation 2 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 07-331208) points out that in the presence of a polymeric emulsifier composed of reactive emulsifiers (A), and styrenes and/or alkyl (meth)acrylates (B) and acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid anionic monomers (C) as the primary constituents, emulsifying tackifier resin enables obtaining tackifier resin latex; and polymer emulsion containing acrylic esters and/or latex for adhesive use enables obtaining aqueous adhesive constituents.
However, the aforementioned reactive emulsifier (A) refers to use proportion of carbon-carbon double bonded surface active agents having hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic groups in-molecule reaching as high as 10˜50 wt % of the composed monomer composition. Moreover, the tackifier resin must participate in the reaction.
Hence, the trend for avoiding the problems brought about participation of the emulsifier in the reaction lies in the emulsion polymerization process adding no emulsifier whatsoever or only the addition of a trace amount of emulsifier (concentration of which is less than the critical micelle concentration CMC) during the reaction process or a portion of the obtained polymers being provided with polymeric emulsifier characteristics. This being non-soap emulsion polymerization without the addition of conventional emulsifiers, enabling obtaining a clean surface, and monodispersed latex particles, while at the same time avoiding the use of emulsifiers which affect the environment.
In addition, patent documentation 1 points out that when synthesizing acrylic latex, water-soluble tackifying resin is used without the use of emulsifiers to carry out emulsion polymerization, thereby enabling the freezing stability of acrylic latex to be increased, as well as enabling reuse when thawed after freezing, thus completely satisfying such physical properties using a one-time synthesis. Although achieving the effectiveness of shortening the procedure, however, because the tackifying resin used is water-soluble, the obtained latex film is deficient in water resistance, and thus not suitable for coating purposes.
In order to solve the problem of water resistance, measures should be taken regarding stability of the latex colloidal particles related to the amount of electrolyte and other low molecules contained in the latex film. The stability of the latex colloidal particles is primarily determined by surface-active oligomers, and the larger the surface charge concentration of the latex colloidal particles, the better the stability. Surface stability of the colloidal particles is still determined by hydrophilicity of the particle surfaces of the latex colloidal particles, and the greater the hydrophilicity, the better the stability. Accordingly, because polarity of the latex colloidal particles causes interaction between the particle surfaces and the aqueous phase interface and reduces Gibbs free energy at the interface, thus, an increase in particle stability of the latex colloidal particles results.
Hence, the issues of the present invention urgently awaiting to be solved are avoiding the problems of contamination brought about by using non-ionic surface active agents and coemulsifiers resolving the difficulty in dissolving monomers, and implements non-soap emulsion polymerization without the addition of conventional emulsifiers, which increases stability of small droplets during emulsification, while surface active oligomers increase the stability of the latex colloidal particles. Moreover, latex monodispersed particles are obtained with clean surfaces, while at the same time avoiding the use of emulsifiers which affect the environment,

Polymerization method for acrylic latex without emulisifier


An apparatus for applying a tire dressing fluid to a tire surface is provided. The apparatus includes a tire engagement arm having an applicator manifold and leveling pad. The applicator manifold has an opening for receiving a tire dressing fluid and a plurality of openings for dispensing the tire dressing fluid directly onto the tire surface. The leveling pad is provided for engaging the tire surface and spreading the tire dressing fluid over the tire surface. A method for applying a tire dressing fluid onto a tire surface is provided.

Automated vehicle washing facilities are fairly common. People utilizing automated vehicle washing facilities often desire to have a dressing fluid applied to the tires of their vehicle to provide the tires with a shiny appearance. The dressing fluid can be applied manually. In general, after the vehicle and tires have been cleaned, a worker at the automated vehicle washing facility manually applies the dressing fluid to the vehicle tires. In certain facilities, the worker will dip a sponge into a container of the dressing fluid, and then wipe the sponge over the sidewalls of the vehicle tires.
There have been attempts to automate the application of dressing fluid to vehicle tires. Exemplary approaches are described by U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,225 to Bowman and U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2001/0037765 to Gorra.

Apparatus and method for applying a tire dressing fluid to a tire surface


A system and method are disclosed for design of a suite of multispectral (MS) sensors and processing of enhanced data streams produced by the sensors for autonomous aircraft flight. The onboard suite of MS sensors is specifically configured to sense and use a MS variety of sensor-tuned objects, either strategically placed objects and/or surveyed and sensor significant existing objects to determine a position and verify position accuracy. The received MS sensor data enables an autonomous aircraft object identification and positioning system to correlate MS sensor data output with a-priori information stored onboard to determine and verify position and trajectory of the autonomous aircraft. Once position and trajectory are known, the object identification and positioning system commands the autonomous aircraft flight management system and autopilot control of the autonomous aircraft.

Traditionally, a human pilot must maintain a visual reference with a landing environment before safely and legally operating an aircraft below a specific visibility-based published minimum altitude. The human pilot must be able to visually acquire the runway, approach lighting system (ALS), or another associated visual reference before descending below the published minimum altitude for the specific approach to the specific runway. The human pilot uses visual reference with the landing runway to make a safe landing. From experience, the pilot may visually determine a range from the runway as well as if the aircraft is on centerline and glideslope. This experienced "eye" for maneuvering relative to a target object allows the human pilot to visually interpret a plurality of inputs and make decisions based on those visual inputs.
Synthetic vision systems (SVS) may enable a human pilot to safely land an aircraft without outside visual reference to a landing environment. For generating imagery to a human pilot, such SVS may receive information from a database or receive actual real time imagery from a sensor camera mounted externally on the aircraft.
Data received by the SVS sensor must be processed and formatted for human consumption. Such processing may require extensive processing power as well as filtering of some information in order to display accurately to the human pilot. Traditional sensor system design is driven by the need to produce "natural looking" images to pilots, requiring the complex and often information-occluding task of forming visually pleasant imagery.
Infrastructure within the National Airspace System (NAS) has been traditionally configured for human consumption. The ALS is illuminated for human eyes, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) information transmits localizer and glideslope for human display, radio towers have flashing lights to visually alert the human pilot. All are examples of expensive and maintenance consuming human oriented visual and radio frequency infrastructure elements designed for human consumption.
Therefore, a need remains for a system and related method for configuring a multispectral (MS) sensor suite onboard an autonomous aircraft specifically designed for sensing of, and positioning relative to, a variety of sensor tuned objects strategically placed or surveyed to aid an autonomous aircraft in positioning and trajectory verification and control.

Autonomous aircraft sensor-based positioning and navigation system using markers