A proximity switch having a test and an evaluation circuit contains a control circuit for generating pulses, an oscillator, a periodically activated damping circuit for the oscillator and a relay circuit. The test circuit, with the damping circuit and a control circuit, generates a pulse sequence required for the active testing only so long as the proximity switch is not damped by an outside element. The evaluation circuit carries a response current only as long as the test circuit also actively tests in its faultless condition.

A test and evaluation circuit of the above-mentioned kind is described in European Patent No. 0 060 992. Proximity sensing occurs when an external actuating element comes in proximity to the oscillator causing its oscillations to be damped. In the disclosed circuit, a test and evaluation circuit for determining the proper functioning of the proximity switch, which is provided as an element of a machine control, is described. The proximity switch can be switched between its two switching states, both when its oscillator is damped and undamped, by means of a control circuit. Thereby, a clocked output signal is generated at the output of the proximity switch, which signal is fed to an evaluation circuit connected to the proximity switch. As long as there is a clocked output signal, an enable signal is given by the proximity switch via its relay circuit monitoring the machine control. If the clocked output signal fails to arrive however, a blocking signal for the machine control is generated. In the control circuit of the proximity switch described therein, a square wave signal is generated continuously by means of an astable multivibrator. If the proximity switch is damped for an extended period of time by an external actuating element, thermal overload protection is required in order to protect electronic switching elements in the evaluation circuit. In addition, in the externally damped state of the proximity switch, its evaluation circuit is stressed by current. This current stress is of particular concern to the switching transistors as well as the primary side of a transformer located at the input of the relay circuit. The relay circuit contains two relays which are switched one after the other and are located in different current paths.
West German patent No. DE 33 42 710 discloses an inductive proximity switch with an RF oscillator stage, a switching stage, an amplifier stage and an output stage. Electric energy is fed to the proximity switch at its two terminal points through an evaluation unit. By means of a bridge rectifier which is inserted between the terminal points and the circuit components, the proximity switch can be operated independently of the polarity of the circuit supplying signal current. If the oscillator is damped externally, it is possible to provide a damping reduction of the oscillator by reversing the polarity of the signal current circuit, which, if the circuit components operate properly, results in a corresponding signal change at the output of the proximity switch. Similarly a functional test can be carried out by means of reversing the polarity of the signal current circuit if the oscillator is not damped externally. This leads to internal damping of the oscillator. For switching between interrogation operation which represents the normal current state, and test operation, certain requirements as to a supply, evaluation and monitoring circuit must be met. Such a circuit must make available the supply voltage. It must also carry out the periodic polarity reversal of the supply voltage in accordance with a pulse sequence. This pulse sequence which is used for the switching reversal, however, is generated by the evaluation and monitoring circuit.
Finally, a circuit arrangement for an inductive proximity switch is known from West German Patent No. DE 31 50 212, by means of which the functioning of the proximity switch can be checked regardless of the actual operating condition of the oscillator. The proximity switch comprises a high-frequency oscillator, a subsequent amplifier and a testing device with a test terminal. By addressing the test terminal with a test signal triggered via a push button, the oscillator, if not damped from the outside, can be damped, and, if damped, the oscillator can be relieved of damping. This reversal of the instantaneous oscillator state caused internally to the circuit by means of the push button causes a change of the output signal present at the proximity switch. Its evaluation provides information regarding the availability of the proximity switch. The function of the push button can be taken over by a circuit stage which responds automatically.
There is a need, however, to provide a test and evaluation circuit for a proximity switch which is improved over the aforementioned prior art, particularly of the type disclosed in European Patent No. 0 060 992, by means of which trouble-free operation of the proximity switch itself, and of the elements of the test and evaluation circuit, is monitored, whereby the reliability of the test and evaluation circuit and thereby, also the availability of the proximity switch is increased.

Oscillator damped test and evaluation circuit for a proximity switch


A modular terrain board is provided having a plurality of sections or terrain cell plugs which are held in place by a baseboard assembly having a corresponding plurality of cell receiving sections or cells formed therein. The terrain cell plugs can be easily removed to allow for quick and accurate reconfiguration of the terrain model. The terrain board has means for representing buildings, rivers, lakes, roads, and other topographical features.

The present invention relates to a modular terrain board used for training or educational purposes.
Simulated landscapes have been used for visual aids for training and educational purposes for many years. Until fairly recently, most simulated landscapes have been "permanent", i.e., incapable of being readily altered to simulate a new landscape or to make minor changes in the simulated landscape.
Although reconfigurable simulated landscapes have been made in the past they tended to have serious drawbacks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,211 (Dotsko) discloses a modular terrain board. The board features a multiplicity of panels joined together to form a simulated terrain or landscape. The panels are made of fiberglass or plaster and are held together by an adhesive. Panels are removed by pulling a packing string embedded in the adhesive thereby breaking the adhesive and allowing the panels to be replaced. U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,892 (Atencio) discloses an engineering table which can be used to simulate landscapes for surveying or other educational purposes. The table uses a wetted particulate substance, e.g. wet sand or oiled sawdust, to form the terrain. Buildings and other terrain features are simply placed on the simulated terrain at the appropriate location.
The problem with the Dotsko terrain board is that it uses an adhesive to join the panels. This adhesive takes a certain amount of time to dry thus making it difficult to change from one terrain scenario to another rapidly. Also, if several panels are to be removed, application of the adhesive itself is tedious and time consuming. Finally, if one wishes to change the orientation of structures the entire panel, or group of panels, must be replaced. An exact means for determining orientation of large structures or models is not provided. The Atencio apparatus is deficient because of the difficulty in simulating straight roads and other urban landscape features. Indeed, Atencio makes no mention of how to form roads or streets. Also once the terrain model is disassembled, reassembly of a given terrain scenario would be very difficult because although there is a grid underlying the structures to assist in placement, the grid is covered by the particulate medium once the terrain scenario is completed. Although there are scale means provided along the edges of the table, structures situated toward the middle of the the table will be difficult to place.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a reconfigurable simulated landscape for training and education purposes.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a simulated landscape which is quickly and easily reconfigured.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a terrain model board which has a plurality of sections or terrain cell plugs which are held in place by a baseboard assembly having a corresponding plurality of cell receiving sections or cells formed therein. The terrain cell plugs can be easily removed to allow for quick and accurate reconfiguration of the terrain model. The terrain board has means for representing buildings, rivers, lakes, roads, and other topographical features. Large buildings can be built in sections allowing for visual study of the building interior.
A variety of different environments can be simululated including urban, arctic, jungle, forest, and desert.


A high-speed, high-resolution superconducting counting A/D converter providing greatly increased conversion speeds with a low device count. The superconducting counting A/D converter includes a double-junction SQUID quantizer and a bidirectional binary counter having n stages of grounded four-junction SQUID flip-flops, where n is the number of bits of accuracy of the counter. The quantizer continuously tracks an analog signal, generating up-count and down-count voltage pulses of the same polarity on two different output lines for increasing and decreasing values of the analog current, respectively. The bidirectional binary counter algebraically counts the voltage pulses, increasing the binary count when up-count pulses are received and decreasing the binary count when downcount pulses are received.

This invention relates generally to analog-to-digital converters and, more particularly, to high-speed, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters employing superconducting Josephson junctions.
High-performance analog-to-digital (A/D) converters are required in a variety of commercial and military electronic devices. Two of the more important measures of an A/D converter's performance are its speed, as measured by the number of samples converted per second, and resolution, as measured by the smallest increment of change that can be detected in an analog signal. Superconducting technology is particularly well suited to performing high-speed, high-resolution A/D conversion because Josephson junctions, which are the basic switching elements utilized in superconducting electronic devices, possess a unique combination of speed, sensitivity, and periodic response characteristics.
The Josephson junction is a simple bistable switching device having a very thin insulating layer sandwiched between two superconducting electrodes. When current supplied to the Josephson junction is increased above the critical current of the junction, the device is switched from a superconducting zero-voltage state to a resistive voltage state. The resistive voltage state, in which the voltage drop across the device is equal to the energy gap of the superconductor material, is switched off by reducing the current supplied to the junction to about zero. Because this switching operation can occur in as little as a few picoseconds, the Josephson junction is truly a high speed switching device. In a superconducting A/D converter, one or more of the Josephson junctions are combined with one or more inductive loads to form a logic circuit called a SQUID, or Superconducting Quantum Interference Device.
The characteristics of the SQUID that provide the basis for superconducting A/D conversion can best be explained with reference to a single-junction SQUID. The single-junction SQUID, which is simply a Josephson junction connected across a inductance to form a superconducting loop, exhibits a periodic and multi-valued relationship between the current injected into the inductance and the magnetic flux in the loop. The magnetic flux in the loop increases by a small quantum whenever the current increases by a small and precisely repeatable increment. This quantum of flux gives rise to a small but measurable voltage pulse across the junction. When the current is decreased by a like increment, the magnetic flux in the loop decreases by the small quantum, and a corresponding voltage pulse of the opposite polarity is produced across the junction.
In order to convert a signal from analog to digital form using the single-junction SQUID, the analog signal is introduced into the SQUID as a varying current. Each time the current increases or decreases by a predetermined amount, a measurable voltage pulse is generated across the junction. In this manner, the SQUID functions as a quantizer, with the resultant pulses being detected and counted in one or more binary counters. The principle advantages of this superconducting counting A/D converter are its near perfect linearity and its high sensitivity and speed. The current increment or decrement, which determines the resolution of the device, can be made extremely small. This is because a single flux quantum is only 2.07.times.10.sup.-15 weber and the current increment or decrement is the flux quantum divided by the value of the inductance (measured in henries).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,060 to Phillips et al. discloses a superconducting counting A/D converter having a double-junction SQUID quantizer and a bidirectional binary counter comprised of n stages of double-junction SQUID flip-flops, where n is the number of bits of accuracy of the counter. The quantizer generates up-count and down-count voltage pulses of the same polarity on two different output lines, rather than voltage pulses of the opposite polarity on the same output line, as in the single-junction SQUID. The bidirectional binary counter algebraically counts the voltage pulses, increasing the binary count when up-count pulses are received and decreasing the binary count when down-count pulses are received. Superconducting logic circuitry, which includes numerous AND and OR gates, provides the carry and borrow functions of the counter.
Although the Phillips et al. A/D converter has certain advantages, it also has several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the additional logic circuitry reduces the speed and increases the device count of the A/D converter. An increased device count reduces the reliability of the A/D converter and also increases its cost. Accordingly, there has been a need for a superconducting analog-to-digital converter that does not require this additional logic circuitry. The present invention fulfills this need.

Superconducting analog-to-digital converter with grounded four-junction squid bidirectional counter


An toilet bowl flushing attachment is disclosed. The attachment has a central or main body section. Extending integrally and angularly from one side of the main body section is a first water deflecting fin. A second water deflecting fin extends integrally and angularly from an opposite side of the main body section. A channel-shaped bracket for mounting the attachment on the toilet bowl rim extends integrally and upwardly from a central portion of the main body at a top edge thereof. The bracket is dimensioned to snugly receive the rim within its channel defined by a base and a pair of parallel leg members so that the boy and the pair of fins extend into the bowl. The detachment may be detachably secured to the rim merely by the frictional engagement with the bracket, by suction cups attached to the bracket and pressed against the rim, or it may be permanently secured to the rim by discs glued to the bracket and the rim. The attachment is molded in one piece and composed of polymeric material. The bowl may be may be disinfected by tablets mounted on a deflecting fin.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to toilet bowl flushing enhancers, and more particularly to an attachment which is mountable on the rim of a toilet bowl and extends into the bowl. The attachment is configured to increase the swirling action of the flushing water which is introduced into the bowl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of toilet flushing systems are present in the prior art. In these known systems, water is released from water tanks, flows down into the bowls, and is discharged from holes under the rims. These holes are designed to impart a swirling movement of the water to remove any deposits from the inside surfaces of the bowls and to drive the water and waste material therein to the center of the bowls and downwardly into the sanitary discharge piping. However, these known toilet arrangements seldomly effect cleaning and discharge by a single flush due to insufficient swirling action and water velocity, and thus usually require inefficient and wasteful second, and sometimes third, flushings.
Exemplary flushing systems utilized in the prior art are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,987 to Means et al sets forth a flexible water distributor which is compressively held in a downwardly open flush rim of a toilet bowl. The distributor is provided with angled slits and radial openings to force flushing water in a partially horizontal direction to permit the water to flow directly against the bowl inner wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,167 to Ament discloses a toilet having a configuration to generate vortex water flushing action including structure within the rim for receiving a metered amount of water from the tank and directing it through a pair of angled passages of different sizes and into the rim cavity in opposite directions. The water is angularly discharged from the rim and into the bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,224 to Carmichael illustrates a toilet bowl attachment for male users for preventing urine splashing and reducing noise. The attachment includes a ceramic dish having a concave shape compatible with the swirling flushing water. The dish is positioned within the bowl adjacent the rim and is removably held therein by a counterbalance positioned outside the bowl and connected to the dish by monofilament line draped over the rim.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,129 to Gajewski shows a toilet flushing system positioned in the tank, wherein the system includes a pair of separately operable units arranged at different heights to control the amount of flushing water dispensed as a function of the type of waste to be discharged from the bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,840 to Masters et al illustrates another toilet bowl attachment for male users to channel or guide urine into a pan or bowl comprising a polymeric, substantially semi-circular channel member which is open at one or both ends. The attachment is provided with flange and other securing means adjacent an open end to position it in an angled or tilting manner on the rim or top surface of the pan.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved toilet bowl flushing attachment which addresses both the problems of ease of use, portability, and effectiveness in construction, and in this respect, the present invention fulfills this need.


Described is a technique for viewing a document page on a small display such as a mobile phone or PDA. The page can come from a scanned document (bitmap image) or an electronic document (text and graphics data plus metadata). The page with text and graphics is segmented into regions. For each region, a scale-distortion function is constructed based on image analysis. During interactive viewing of the document, as the user navigates by moving the viewport around the page, the zoom factor will be automatically adjusted by optimizing the scale-distortion functions of the regions in the viewport.

Mobile phones and PDAs are used by numerous people around the world. As these devices become more powerful, they can be platforms for many types of applications. Currently, substantial industry efforts focus on developing methodologies for viewing document pages on a mobile phone, PDA, or a device with a small display.
It is challenging to view and navigate a document effectively on a small display. Typically, the user must manually scroll around and zoom in and out; for example, using applications such as the Adobe Reader 7 for Symbian OS, described in Adobe Reader 7 for Symbian OS, available from Adobe Corp. (2007). However, the viewing process is quite tedious because the user needs to press the scroll and zoom buttons many times. With the Adobe Reader, each zoom operation requires 3 button presses because it is accessed through a menu. To zoom to a user specified scale (e.g. 80%, 125%), it takes 8 or 9 button presses to navigate the menu and enter the scale value on the keypad.
While the user can view the document using a fixed scale that is suitable for comfortable reading of the document's body text, this makes navigation more time consuming when the user has to read text that is larger than the body text (e.g. title and heading text). The reason is that less of the larger text is shown on the display, and more scroll operations are required to move through the larger text.
Thus, the conventional industry approaches are deficient in their ability to facilitate efficient display of information on small information displays for easy viewing and navigation by the user.

System and method for content based automatic zooming for document viewing on small displays


Exemplary embodiments are directed to a safety module for connection to an automation device or automation system which is provided for control of safety critical and non-safety critical processes and/or plant components. The module includes a communication board that includes a processing unit which is connected via an input/output bus slave and an external input/output bus connected to a central processing unit, and one or more secure processing units arranged on one or more circuit boards having safety oriented input/output circuits for safety oriented functions. A serial communication master is connected via communication links to at least one of the circuit boards so that the at least one circuit board receives messages sent by the communication board, transmits safety oriented messages from and/or to the processing unit of the communication board via one of the secure processing units.

Automation systems for controlling a technical process or a technical plant, are known to specify control of safety critical process or plant components separately from non-safety critical components. The modules specified for this purpose such as safety oriented controllers and safe input/output modules connected thereto, also called I/O safety modules, are disclosed, for example, in DE 10 2004061 013 A1. The input/output modules described therein have additionally, apart from control interfaces, means for monitoring the redundantly designed field device access modules integrated in the input/output modules, wherein the field device access module is connected to the monitoring means by means of one of the control interfaces and the monitoring means communicates with a controller via further control interfaces. The field device access modules are designed, for example, as standard modules for detecting process data.
Further safe input/output modules are described in EP 1 703 346 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,319,406 B2. The safety modules operating as input/output units, shown there, have no further non safety oriented communication board for transmitting secure and non-secure data from/to a central processing unit. Thus, a simple option for defining a standard interface for secure and non-secure input/output modules is missing in the above mentioned systems.
It is also often difficult to separate the safety critical functions unambiguously from the non-safety critical functions.
The secure input/output modules described above are not suitable for application in modularly constructed control systems as described, for example, in DE 102004056363 A1 or, respectively, can only be integrated into an existing modularly constructed control system by means of an additional hardware and development expenditure.


A temperature compensating valve assembly comprising a bimetallic spring, an O-ring, a body and a cap. The cap has at least one nib to provide compression on the bimetallic spring. The bimetallic spring is retained between the cap and the body, and the bimetallic spring forms a seal with the O-ring in the temperature compensating valve assembly's closed position.

Gas springs are widely used to partly or totally counterbalance the engine compartment hoods, trunk lids, rear windows and tailgates of passenger cars, station wagons, and vans to facilitate opening them and to hold them open at a nearly or fully open position. It is well-known that the force outputs of gas springs vary considerably with the temperature of the gas—at low temperatures the gas spring produces a force that can be very much lower than the force produced at high temperatures. It is necessary, therefore, to design a gas spring so that it produces a sufficient force to hold open the hood, tailgate or the like (hereinafter referred to as the "load") at a suitably selected low temperature. Ordinarily, gas springs are designed to provide a force of from about one to about five pounds over the load in the hold-open position of the load at the low temperature. At high temperatures, the hold-open force may increase by as much as 50 pounds, which means that the force required to move the load toward closed from the hold-open position (the "handle load") can be more than 50 pounds.
In addition to the problem of wide variations in the handle load as a function of temperature, the counterbalancing force exerted by the gas spring on the load at all positions of the load between closed and open varies widely with temperature. In cold weather, the gas spring force exerts a considerably lower counterbalancing force on the load than at high temperatures. Depending on the geometry of the gas spring/load system, the user may have to exert a relatively large force on the load during part or all of the movement of the load from closed to fully open in cold weather. In hot weather the gas spring force may move the load from closed to open without the intervention of the user under a relatively high opening force and at a relatively high speed, which can sometimes be disconcerting to an unwary user or can damage the load if there is an obstruction that prevents the load from fully opening.
Gas springs have an inherent problem when used to lift or hold open any flap, gate or hatch across the wide range of temperatures experienced in a normal operating environment. Due to the proportional effect of decreased temperature decreasing gas pressure in a known volume, at cold temperatures gas springs provide a reduced lift or extension force.
To offset this effect, a temperature compensating valve assembly (TCV assembly) is assembled into the gas spring body. The temperature compensating valve separates the gas chamber of the gas spring into two separate pressure chambers. When the valve is closed, for example at temperatures above 4° C., the gas spring functions only using a main pressure chamber. The gas spring provides output force based on the mass of gas and volume contained within the main pressure chamber.
At cold temperatures, for example below 4° C., the valve opens, allowing the gas spring to operate and provide an output force based on the volume of gas in the main pressure chamber and an additional volume. The additional volume is contained in a secondary pressure chamber. The secondary pressure chamber provides an increase in output force due to the inverse proportionality of pressure and volume.
A previously developed TCV assembly is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B which is constructed of machined aluminum. Three O-rings 1, 2, 3 are used in the assembly. The O-ring 1 seals the valve in the gas spring tube body to provide separation for the two pressure chambers. Another O-ring 2 seals the valve spring in the "closed" position 200. Finally, the third O-ring 3 provides compression of the valve spring and prevents noise and rattling in the "open" position 300.
A bimetallic valve spring 4 is used to actuate the valve at a specific temperature range. The spring is disk-shaped, and seals the valve at temperatures above 4° C. by pressing against an O-ring 2 seal. Below 4° C., the spring disengages the O-ring 2 seal and allows gas to pass through the valve. The bimetallic spring 4 is held in place by means of a compression O-ring 3 that is retained by cold forming a lip on the valve body. Different types of bimetallic springs 4 may be used. The temperature at which the different bimetallic springs 4 respond may be lower or higher than 4° C.
The TCV assembly of FIGS. 1A and 1B is composed of a one-piece machined aluminum assembly that holds the bimetallic spring in place and is sealed after manufacturing. It is difficult to perform maintenance after manufacturing. And it is also difficult to replace the bimetallic spring should it need replacing. There are also too many components, including three O-rings in the TCV Assembly, making manufacture complex and expensive.
There is a need to improve the functional characteristics of the TCV assembly. There is a need to reduce the number of components needed to construct the TCV assembly and to reduce the complexity of the assembly. There is also a need to improve the materials used to make the TCV assembly stronger and to improve the construction method. There is also a need for a TCV assembly that is easy to perform maintenance on.


A locking device for attaching to a rod extending from a merchandizing display. The locking device comprises a block having an elongate slot formed therein. The slot has end openings at the ends of the block and an elongate side opening along one side of the block, whereby the elongate portion of a rod on the merchandizing display can be received longitudinally within the slot through the side opening in the side of the block. Cover means are provided for covering and closing the side opening of the slot in the one side of the block, whereby when the rod is received in the slot, the block can slide back and forth along the rod but cannot be removed from the bent end of the rod. A locking mechanism is also provided for releasable locking the cover in place covering and closing the opening of the slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pegboard type racks for displaying merchandise and more particularly to improved locking devices for attaching to the pegs for securely holding merchandise on the pegs until the locking device is released by a sales clerk.
2. State of the Art
It is well known to display merchandise by placing the merchandise on cards that are hung on pegs or rods extending outwardly from a pegboard. Displaying of merchandise in such a manner is desirable in that it enables the customer to observe the merchandise and select from items of interest prior to actually purchasing the item. However, merchandise so displayed is subject to pilfering, and store owners have had to avoid such displays with shoplift prone items.
A search of the prior art found that there had been many attempts at modifying pegboard display racks to reducing the pilfering of merchandise therefrom. Various elaborate schemes for securing merchandise to a display rack are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,408; 3,481,482; 3,827,569; 3,850,300; 3,934,727; 4,026,415; and 4,474,300. In addition, a device for locking a helmet to a bar of a motorcycle or bicycle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,271, and a device for locking to the prongs of electrical plugs is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,733,416. A device for locking a pair of snow skis together is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,409.
The prior art fails to show a simple locking device that can be attached to the peg or rod to prevent removal of an item from a pegboard type display. It would be highly desirable to have such a simple locking device that can quickly be unlocked by the clerk to remove an item from the peg or rod when it is to be sold, with the locking device readily relocked on the peg or rod to deter unwanted pilfering of items from the peg or rod.
3. Objectives
A principal objective of the invention is therefore to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive locking device that can be attached to a single peg or rod of a pegboard type display to prevent unwanted removal of an item from the peg or rod.
A particular objective of the present invention is to provide such a locking device that can be quickly and easily removed from the peg or rod by a sales clerk when an item is to be sold and then just as quickly and easily replaced on the peg or rod to deter pilfering of items from the peg or rod when the clerk is not present.

Locking device for rods extending from merchandizing displays


It is provided that a method for producing a biaxially oriented polyester film that can be used for industrial and packaging applications. A method for producing a biaxially oriented polyester film, comprising: a step of feeding a polyester resin into an extruder, a step of extruding the molten polyester resin from an extruder to obtain a molten resin sheet at 250 to 310° C., a step of attaching the molten resin sheet closely to a cooling roll by an electrostatic application method to obtain an unstretched sheet, and a step of biaxially stretching the unstretched sheet, wherein the polyester resin fulfills the following (A) to (C): (A) the polyester resin comprises a polyethylene furandicarboxylate resin composed of a furandicarboxylic acid and ethylene glycol; (B) an intrinsic viscosity of the polyester resin is 0.50 dL/g or more; (C) a melt specific resistance value at 250° C. of the polyester resin is 3.0×107 Ω·cm or less.

Polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), which are thermoplastic resins excellent in heat resistance and mechanical properties, have been used in a very wide variety of fields such as plastic films, electronics, energy, packaging materials, and automobiles. Among plastic films, biaxially stretched PET films have been used widely for industrial and packaging fields because of their excellent balance between cost and mechanical characteristic strength, heat resistance, dimensional stability, chemical resistance, optical characteristics, etc.
In the field of industrial films, biaxially stretched PET films can be used as functional films for flat panel displays (FPD) such as liquid crystal displays and plasma displays because of their excellent transparency. Furthermore, PET films to which hydrolysis resistance is imparted have been used as films for solar cell back sheets and also used for various purposes as functional films and base films.
In the field of packaging films, biaxially stretched PET films have been used for applications such as foodstuff packaging, shrink labels for bottles, and gas barrier films. Especially, films excellent in gas barrier properties have been used as packaging materials required to have air-tightness for foodstuff, pharmaceutical products, electronic parts, and so on, or as gas shielding materials, and. there has been a growing demand for such films in recent years.
On the other hand, resins having biodegradability and resins produced from biomass-derived raw materials have drawn attention as environmentally friendly-type or environmentally sustainable-type materials. From the above-mentioned viewpoint, many investigations have been carried out for the purpose of providing renewable polymers for replacing petroleum derivatives such as PET. Furandicarboxylic acids (FDCAs) have been proposed as compounds being similar in chemical natures such as solubility in hot water and stability against acidic reagents, to terephthalic acid, which forms the backbone of PET and has a planar structure. Specifically, there have been proposed furan-based materials resulting from polycondensation of FDCAs with diols (Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).
The only physical property of these polymers disclosed is their melting point and their mechanical strength is not specified. Therefore, it has been unclear whether or not thermoplastic resin compositions having a furandicarboxylate unit can be used in the fields of industrial and packaging films.
Regarding thermoplastic resin compositions having several types of furandicarboxylate units, typified by polybutylene furandicarboxylate (PBF), polymer compounds having a specified degree of polymerization and being usable for such applications as electric and electronic parts have been proposed (Patent Document 2). Furthermore, polyesters having specified reduced viscosity and terminal acid values and being excellent in mechanical strength have been proposed (Patent Documents 3 and 4).
However, the hot press-molded products of PBF disclosed in Patent Document 2 have low transparency and therefore are limited for use in the fields of industrial and packaging films. Regarding the mechanical. properties of 200 μm-thick sheet products having a polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF) structure disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, both breaking elongation and breaking strength are low and it was inconceivable to use such sheet products in the fields of industrial and packaging films.
Uniaxially stretched films produced from sheets obtained from PEF derivatives or blends of PEF derivatives and copolymerized polyesters or the like have been investigated (Patent Documents 5 and 6).
Patent Document 5 discloses that as compared with a sheet made of a thermoplastic resin composition having a furandicarboxylate unit, a film obtained by uniaxially stretching the sheet at a ratio of 5 to 16 times has improved breaking elongation, depending on the kinds of the materials blended and the blending ratio. However, no significant improvement in breaking elongation is confirmed unless cyclohexanedimethanol-copolymerized PET, which is widely known to improve breaking elongation, is blended. It must be said that the effect derived from the blending ratio is limited and such films have not been used so far in the fields of industrial and packaging films.
Patent Document 6 discloses a PEF film uniaxially stretched about 1.6 times by using rolling rolls. Although the disclosed film is a plastic film excellent in gas barrier properties, this merely indicates the advantages of barrier properties derived from the chemical structure of PEF. Its mechanical strength, which is important for packaging materials, is not made clear, so that the film has not been used so far in the field of gas barrier film for packaging having a furandicarboxylate unit.
In Patent Document 7, only the improvement in the characteristics of a biaxially stretched polyester film containing a furandicarboxylic acid and a film having a heat-sealability has been investigated.

Method for producing polyester film having furandicarboxylate unit


A connector includes first and second engagable components for mounting on an implement and a handle. The first component has a boss formed with an internal socket and an outer peripheral surface surrounding the socket, and the second component includes an insert member, a sleeve member which is independent of the insert member, and parts for interengaging the insert and sleeve members when the insert member is received in the sleeve member. The insert member has an insert portion engagable within an opening in the end of the handle and a spigot portion adapted to fit within the internal socket of the boss. The sleeve member has a first portion engagable with the external surface of the end of the handle, and a second portion engagable with the outer peripheral surface of the first component.

This invention relates to a connector for connecting an implement to a handle and/or shaft.
It is often desirable that a connector for connecting a handle and/or shaft to an implement should be detachable. Not only can this facilitate packaging and storage, but it enables a supplier to keep a stock of similar handles/shafts which may be supplied for use with a variety of different implements, according to demand. Also, a user may then require only a single handle/shaft which may be used interchangably with a whole range of different implements. Detachable connectors often therefore comprise two engagable components, one component for mounting on a handle/shaft and the other for mounting on the implement.
In one common form of connector, the component for mounting on the handle/shaft comprises an externally threaded spigot which may be screwed into an integrally threaded socket on a second component for mounting on the implement. For cheapness and ease of manufacture, the components are often formed from plastics.
While such connectors are very suitable for implements which have only comparatively light use, it is sometimes found, particularly with cleaning implements which undergo heavy industrial use, that the connectors can fail. With time, the engagement between the threaded spigot and the socket may loosen, or the weight of the implement, or the heavy use to which it is subjected, may result in the threaded spigot bending or even snapping. This may be particularly liable to occur if the handle/shaft is to be used interchangeably with a whole range of implements, since the repeated connection and disconnecting can cause rapid failure of conventional screwed connectors.
The present invention seeks to overcome this problem.
According to the present invention, there is provided a connector comprising first and second engagable components for mounting on an implement and a handle and/or shaft, respectively, the first component having a boss formed with an internal socket and an outer peripheral surface surrounding the socket, and the second component comprising an insert member, a sleeve member which is independent of the insert member, and means for interengaging the insert and sleeve members when the insert member is received in the sleeve member, the insert member having an insert portion engagable within an opening in the end of the handle and/or shaft and a spigot portion adapted to fit within the internal socket of the boss, the sleeve member having a first portion engagable with the external surface of the end of the handle and/or shaft, and a second portion engagable with the outer peripheral surface of the first component.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Disclosed are system, method and computer program product for remote administration of mobile devices. The system includes an administration server that receives a request to perform a remote administrative task on a mobile device. The server selects a function that performs the requested remote administrative task. The server identifies one or more management protocols that perform the selected function, wherein different protocols use different mechanisms to perform the same function. The server determines if the mobile device supports one or more of the identified protocols. When the mobile device supports two or more different management protocols, the server selects a protocol with the highest priority for performing the selected function. The server then executes the selected management protocol to perform the selected function that performs the requested remote administrative task on the mobile device.

The growth in popularity of mobile communication devices, such as smart phones, tablets, laptops and the like, has reached very high levels in the past decade. Since the use of the mobile devices is so widespread, there are now new malicious software programs (i.e., malware) that specifically target mobile devices. These programs usually aim to steal confidential information by acquiring control over mobile devices, which is often done via use of the malicious software that receives privileges of a super-user, allowing unauthorized remote access to the mobile device, or steal money by sending unauthorized paid messages or making calls to the phone numbers registered to the perpetrators. According to the data collected by Kaspersky Lab, the number of malicious software programs that are oriented towards mobile devices has grew more than six times in the year 2011 alone.
In addition, due to their portable nature, mobile devices are vulnerable to theft and loss, which increases the risk of an attacker to gain access the information stored on the device.
At the same time, there has been an increased tendency by employees to use mobile devices, such as notebooks and smartphones, to access corporate network. For instance, many companies favor the concept known as "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD), which allows the employees to use their own mobile devices for work in the corporate intranet. Obviously, the increased use of mobile devices for access to the corporate information, coupled with the increase of threats to mobile devices caused by malware and potential loss of mobile devices by employees, creates additional information security risks to the company.
To address security concerns, mobile devices usually support various management protocols that allow remote management of such devices by administrative servers. The management protocols typically used to perform various administrative tasks, such as, for instance, establishing security policies on the device, such as setting a certain length and complexity requirements for password for accessing functionality of the mobile device, specifying the number of attempts of entering an incorrect password before the device is blocked or disabled, setting up rules for blocking or disabling devices in case an unauthorized access to the device is detected. In addition, management protocol may be used to remotely disable the device and/or delete all confidential and personal information from the device's memory in case the device is lost or stolen.
The management protocols supported by a mobile device usually depend on the device's operating system. For instance, Apple's iPhone operating system iOS version 4.0 and higher supports Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) and Mobile Device Management (iOS MDM) protocols. However, these protocols support different sets of functions. For instance, the EAS protocol has a function of establishing a limit on how long the e-mail messages can be kept for synchronization and a function for encoding the device, neither of which exist in the iOS MDM protocol. Meanwhile, the iOS MDM protocol has functions for remote blocking of the device and resetting of the password, which are absent in the EAS protocol. The Table 1 below shows the comparison of available functions in both aforementioned protocols.
TABLE 1IOSFunctionsMDMEASThe requirement of using password for the device++Setting a minimal length for the password++Setting a maximal number of attempts to enter an++incorrect passwordThe requirement of using both letters and numbers in++the passwordSetting the amount of time for inactivity++Forbiddance of using a simple password++Setting a number of days for the password use (password++expiration in days)Activation of history of the passwords' entry++Setting a minimal number of complex symbols in the++passwordThe requirement of manual synchronization while in++roaming modeThe permission request for camera use++The permission request for the use of web browser++Setting the length of time the e-mail messages can be+kept for synchronizationThe requirement for encoding the device+The remote deletion of device data (wipe)++The remote locking of the device+The password reset+Setting the restriction on applications'+installationsSetting the restriction on capturing screen shots+Setting the restriction on voice dialing in the blocked+modeSetting the restriction on in-application purchases+Setting the restriction on the number of the encrypted+backups created in the iTunesSetting the restriction on the use of certain audio-+recordings in the iTunesThe permission request to give ratings to movies, TV+programs, and applicationsSetting the restriction on changing of the security+preferences in the web browser "Safari"Setting the restriction on the use of "YouTube"+Setting the restriction on the use of "iTunes" store+Setting the restriction on the use of "The Apps Store"+Collecting information on the installed applications+Collecting information on the profile installed with+expiry datesCollecting information on the installed network+Collecting information on the device++/−Collecting information on the configuration and profile+Automatic detection of the "Exchange" server+Symbol "+" indicates that a function is present, and symbol "+/−" indicates that function is optional
Although EAS and iOS MDM protocols support many different functions, these protocols also have many functions in common. For example, both protocols set a maximal number of attempts to enter an incorrect password and set a minimal number of complex symbols in the password on mobile device. However, different protocols may use different mechanisms to perform the same functions by, e.g., requiring different number of message exchanges or encryption of exchanged data. As such, one protocol may be more efficient or secure then another protocol in performing certain functions, while another protocol may be more effective in performing other functions. When a mobile device supports several protocols, the administrative server or the device selects one of the protocols for performing all of the functions supported by this protocol. However, it is desirable to selectively choose one protocol for performing some functions and another protocol for performing other functions

System and method for performing administrative tasks on mobile devices


The disclosed spinning nozzle member for manufacturing a cylindrical cartridge carbon filter comprises a nozzle body, a synthetic resin spinning part, a flowing air providing part, and a carbon spinning part, thereby enabling the cylindrical cartridge carbon filter to be continuously produced since a separate operation for filling a space between a core and an outer cover with carbon after the core and the outer cover are separately formed is not required.

A cylindrical cartridge carbon filter is commonly used to remove foreign objects, such as dust, from a substance to be filtered, such as water or air, and is formed to have a cylindrical shape.
Such a cylindrical cartridge carbon filter may be manufactured by a method of manufacturing a cylindrical depth filter having improved filtration performance such as that disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0602164 (titled "METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CYLINDRICAL DEPTH FILTER HAVING IMPROVED FILTRATION PERFORMANCE") described below. A spinning nozzle assembly for manufacturing a cylindrical cartridge filter such as that disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0572045 (titled "SPINNING NOZZLE ASSEMBLY FOR MANUFACTURING CYLINDRICAL CARTRIDGE FILTER") may be applied in the method.
However, a conventional spinning nozzle member for manufacturing a cylindrical cartridge carbon filter uses a method of simply melting a synthetic resin and spinning the melted synthetic resin. Thus, when carbon is added to the melted synthetic resin to improve foreign object filtering performance, after a core and an outer cover are respectively and independently formed by such a spinning method, there is no choice but to place the core inside the outer cover, and then, to fill a space between the outer cover and the core with carbon. Thus, there are limitations, in that a cylindrical cartridge carbon filter is impossible to continuously manufacture and manufacturing efficiency of the cylindrical cartridge carbon filter is thus relatively low.

Spinning nozzle member for manufacturing cylindrical cartridge carbon filter, cylindrical cartridge carbon filter manufacturing apparatus including spinning nozzle member for manufacturing cylindrical cartridge carbon filter, and cylindrical cartridge carbon filter manufactured by using spinning nozzle member for manufacturing cylindrical cartridge carbon filter


A device for measuring a matter flux, including: at least one first light source to emit a first light beam having a measurement wavelength corresponding to the absorption wavelength of an element of interest of the matter flux; an optical connector; and a light sensor to receive, via the optical connector: an attenuated beam resulting from a transmission of the first light beam through the matter flux; and a non-attenuated beam resulting from a transmission of the first light beam without passing through the matter flux. The light sensor is one-dimensional and the optical connector is positioned relative to the light sensor so that the center of the optical connector is aligned with the center of the light sensor, the non-attenuated beam is spectrally directed towards a first part of the light sensor and the attenuated beam is spectrally directed towards a second part of the light sensor.

Here below in this document, we shall strive more particularly to describe the problems and issues that exist in the field of molecular beam epitaxy and were faced by the inventor. The invention is of course not limited to this particular field of application but is of interest for any technique for the measurement of matter fluxes having to face proximate or similar problems.
Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is a technique that consists in producing one or more matter fluxes (atom fluxes and/or molecule fluxes) directed towards a pre-selected substrate, such as a gallium arsenide wafer for example, to achieve an epitaxial growth of thin layers based on one or more chemical elements of interest (typically aluminum, gallium, arsenic, etc.). This technique enables a set of thin layers to be grown in a controlled manner on the substrate, typically at a rate of one atom layer per second.
A molecular beam epitaxy frame generally comprises a vacuum deposition chamber in which atom fluxes are emitted from one or more atom flux sources (typically effusion cells), each flux source being directed towards the substrate so that the emitted atom fluxes condense uniformly on it.
In order to control the growth of the thin films on the substrate, the atom flux evaporating from the effusion cells needs to be controlled. To this end the epitaxy frame has, for each effusion cell, a mechanical shutter that can take two positions: a shut position in which it shuts off the flux of atoms coming from the effusion cell and an open position in which it lets through the flux of atoms coming from the effusion cell.
However, the opening of the shutters transiently and uncontrolledly creates an excess matter flux of unknown amplitude. This transient phenomenon is a cause of fluctuation in the matter flux during deposition.
In academic research, spectroscopy currently offers the possibility of performing non-destructive and real-time measurements to estimate the thickness of the thin layers deposited on the substrate, and therefore to control the growth of the stack of thin layers. made. These non-destructive measurements are based on a spectroscopic analysis of the absorption of light by the atoms present in the matter flux evaporated in the vacuum chamber during the deposition. This analysis is based on the Beer-Lambert law which establishes a link of proportionality between the rate of absorption of a light beam of known wavelength passing through the matter flux, the density of atoms of this matter flux, as well as the thickness of the matter flux crossed. Since this last-named quantity being relatively stable over time, the absorption rate is often considered to be based mainly on the density of material contained in the flux.
A known solution for measuring a matter flux consists in using a device for measurement by absorption spectroscopy (also called a spectrophotometer) that relies on a transmission assembly and the generation of a measurement light beam, the wavelength of which corresponds to the absorption wavelength of the element of interest. Generally, the wavelength of the measurement beam is chosen to match the wavelength at which the absorption of light by the matter is the maximum. To this end, the device comprises, for an element of interest in the matter flux to be measured (for example gallium), a hollow cathode lamp based on said element. The measuring device further comprises a one-dimensional or 1D light sensor (a sensor having one measurement dimension) sensitive to a predetermined spectral band and suitable for spectral analysis. The hollow cathode lamp, the epitaxy frame and the light sensor are arranged to allow analysis by transmission of light through the matter flux to be observed.
However, the light intensity emitted by a hollow cathode lamp fluctuates significantly over time (deposition by epitaxy can last several hours), making the spectral measurements imprecise. This phenomenon is another cause of instability of the measurements during the deposition.
In order to take account of this instability of the light intensity of hollow cathode lamps, one solution could be to have a two-dimensional or 2D sensor (a sensor having two dimensions pf measurement). This solution would include the generation of a double beam: a first beam—called a measurement beam—that would pass through the matter flux contained in the deposition chamber and a second beam—called a reference beam—that would not pass through the matter flux and would arrive directly on the light sensor. Each of the measurement and reference beams would then be detected using the two-dimensional sensor so as to independently measure the light intensity of each beam and produce the transmission spectrum corresponding to the matter flux analyzed.
This solution is relatively costly to implement since it would require the use of a two-dimensional sensor in the measuring device (spectrophotometer), and therefore the use of a much more costly spectrophotometer.
One way to do away with a costly two-dimensional sensor could consist in equipping the measuring device with two one-dimensional light sensors, the first sensor being dedicated to measuring the light intensity of the measurement beam, the second sensor being dedicated to measuring the light intensity of the reference beam. The matter flux could then be measured independently of the fluctuations of intensity of the hollow cathode lamps with the received measurement and reference beams being taken into account respectively by the first and second sensors. In order to take account of any measurement drifts linked to the temperature variation of the two sensors, an additional reference light source would be necessary in order to continuously normalize the sensitivity levels of the two light sensors.
But here again, such a configuration would be particularly costly to implement since it would require the use of two light sensors (for example two spectrophotometers).
It would therefore appear particularly advantageous to be able to have available a technique for measuring a matter flux that would integrate a single one-dimensional sensor while enabling a measurement of a measurement signal and of a reference signal.

Device for measuring a flux of matter by absorption of light, and corresponding measuring method

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE


Disclosed is an operation method of a base station antenna system, which includes receiving signals from at least two antennas to which a mono-pulse scheme has been applied; operating sum channel weight vectors for increasing a gain of signals incident to a specific direction and difference channel weight vectors for causing a gain of signals incident to a specific direction to be zero; applying the sum channel weight vectors and the difference channel weight vectors to the received signals, and outputting predetermined signals; and obtaining beam patterns of a sum channel and a difference channel, to which the weight vectors have been applied, by means of a direction of interest, calculating a mono-pulse ratio by means of the beam patterns, and estimating the direction of a mobile station by means of the mono-pulse ratio, and output of the sum channel and output of the difference channel to which the weight vectors have been applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly to a system and method which have applied a mono-pulse scheme to a base station antenna with a circular array structure for estimating the direction of a mobile station.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, an antenna facilitates communication by a terminal by implementing conversion between electrical signals expressed by voltage and electric current and electromagnetic signals expressed by electric field and magnetic field. A wireless communication system for performing communication by employing the antenna as described above performs the communication through the air instead of via wire line. In other words, an antenna transmits and receives electromagnetic signals within its special boundaries, and performs an inter-conversion with electrical signals.
A wireless communication system includes a plurality of base stations for providing service to service areas with predetermined sizes, and a plurality of mobile stations for receiving the service from the base station. The wireless communication system exchanges data between the base station and the mobile station by means of the antenna. The base station divides and uses its own service area, i.e. a cell, according to a transitional plan, etc., in order to reduce interference and to delay increasing the base station's service area containing large traffic flow. For example, the base station uses a service area divided into sectors at an angle of 120°, 60° or 45°. Hereinafter, a wireless communication system in which each two of six antennas are assigned to each of three 120° sectors will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an antenna structure with three sectors in a base station of a general wireless communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the wireless communication system uses six antennas as illustrated in FIG. 1 in order to divide an entire cell into three sectors. That is, the cell of the base station is divided with an angle of 120° so as to generate three sectors, i.e. a first sector 100, a second sector 130 and a third sector 160. Each of the sectors uses two antennas and the antenna is a directional antenna. The first sector 100 includes two directional antennas 101 and 103. The directional antennas 101 and 103 represent antennas designed to have directivity and comprise wireless antennas for forming a beam only in a specific azimuth angle. Typically, the directional antenna has a reflector attached to a rear portion of an isotropic antenna, thereby causing electromagnetic waves to propagate only in a constant direction. The first sector 100 has the same structure as those of the second sector 130 and the third sector 160, and performs the same operation as those of the second sector 130 and the third sector 160. As a result, the antenna system with three sectors divides an entire cell into three sectors, provides separate directional antennas in each sector, and communicates with mobile stations.
However, when the base station antenna as described above is used, it is impossible to estimate or find out the location of a mobile station existing in a cell of the base station.
When a service area changes according to movement of a mobile station, the base station performs handover in order to continuously maintain the current communication channel. If handover is performed between sectors of the same base station, the base station and the mobile station perform the handover while exchanging information between themselves. The base station understands a sector, through which the base station communicates with the mobile station, by means of the inter-sector handover method as described above. Further, when the handover method as described above is used, information is exchanged between the mobile station and the base station. However, much time is required during handover due to the information exchange as described above.
The wireless communication system designs the structure of the base station sector. However, the directivity of the directional antenna in each sector has been fixed according to the initially designed structure of the sector. Therefore, it is impossible to freely adjust the directivity of the antenna. In addition, the base station using the antenna cannot freely adjust beam patterns of the antenna for sectoring.
In each sector of the wireless communication system, two antennas are horizontally installed at a distance greater than several wavelengths apart from each other in order to perform independent reception. Therefore, it is possible to obtain space diversity. However, the base station antenna must have a size designed to accommodate the intervals between the antennas.

Base station antenna system and method for estimating mobile station direction in wireless communication system


An aromatic diamino-diol (such as 4,6-diaminoresorcinol) is made by reducing an aromatic halo-dinitro-diol (such as 2-halo-4,6-dinitroresorcinol) with molecular hydrogen in an aqueous mixture containing a noble metal hydrogenation catalyst, an aqueous solvent and about 2 moles of hydrogen halide per mole of aromatic halo-dinitro-diol, plus an additional quantity sufficient to provide a 0.75 to 4 molar solution of the hydrogen halide.

This invention relates to the art of synthesizing diaminobenzenediols and related compounds.
Metal catalyzed hydrogenation of halo-dinitro-dihydroxy benzenes such as 2-halo-4,6-dinitroresorcinol is known to be useful for synthesizing diaminobenzenediols, such as 4,6-diaminoresorcinol. See Lysenko, High Purity Process for the Preparation of 4,6-Diamino-1,3-benzenediol, U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,244 (Aug. 23, 1988) which is incorporated herein by reference. During hydrogenation, the nitro groups are converted to amine groups, and the halogen is removed from the aromatic ring as hydrogen halide.
At high pH, the selectivity of the reaction is diminished. The patent of Liu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,265 (Mar.19, 1991), which is incorporated herein by reference, shows that the reduction can be carried out in an aqueous solution that contains an acid that is weaker than a hydrogen halide but is strong enough to protonate and protect the aminophenol. That process is advantageous because it uses an aqueous solvent, but it has other drawbacks. It produces an aqueous waste stream that contains both hydrogen halide ions (from the halogen that is removed during hydrogenation) and other ions (such as phosphate ions) from the protective acid. Such mixed waste streams are more difficult to purify or recycle than streams containing a single ion.
What is needed is a method to reduce the halo-dinitro-benzenediol compound to an aromatic diaminodiol rapidly with high selectivity without putting a mixture of different ions into the waste stream.

Process for reducing aromatic halo-dinitro-diols in the presence of hydrogen halide


A transmitter (11) emits a single wavelength optical signal and transmits this as a wavelength channel (13) in a compound multiplex signal through the WDM network. The receiver (12) selects the single wavelength optical signal (21) from the compound multiplex signal using a band-pass filter. A wavelength fit detector (15) determines a feedback signal by correlating variations of the amplitude of the received signal with variations of the traffic density. This feedback signal is then returned to the transmitter (11) via a back channel (16) and serves to tune the wavelength of the single wavelength optical signal.

Optical wavelength division multiplex systems (WDM) use multiple laser beams on different wavelengths to transmit simultaneously multiple data channels over a common optical fiber. On the receiving side the channels are separated by wavelength filters. The narrower the filter pass-bands, the more channels can be placed. For correct operation, the laser wavelength of a particular transmitter must fit to the pass band of the wavelength selector at the receiver side.
The requirement, that laser wavelength and filter pass-band must not diverge from each other is challenging with decreased filter bandwidth. Nevertheless, in existing systems, there is no means to actively control the wavelength fit between laser and filter. Conversely, lasers are offline tuned to the absolute wavelength values as defined by the ITU wavelength grid. The laser wavelength is tuned offline by temperature under control of an optical spectrum analyzer. Later in the field, i.e. during normal operation, the established temperature set point is kept constant.
Optical burst mode by its nature cannot guarantee constant optical power in the laser. Dense traffic yields high average power, sparse traffic results in low average power. The traffic density can change at any time scale, ranging from milliseconds to hours or years. Most optical packet sources react to power changes with small wavelength deviations. The filter pass-bands must thus be made large enough to absorb the remaining tolerances. Moreover, this strategy requires a high degree of long term stability of the laser device itself as well as its driving circuitry with respect to ageing and environmental changes.
Semiconductor laser devices are in principle tunable. However, this inherent tunability of a laser cannot be used today, because there is no simple feedback available regarding the actual wavelength. The indirect control by temperature and laser current is technically usable only for a fix set point. Even the tunability of laser power (required in TDMA burst mode) is critical, as the laser power influences the wavelength at constant temperature.
In general, WDM lasers are temperature controlled by a thermo-electrical cooler (TEC) under control of a thermistor. However, between the active zone of a laser chip and the basement remains a small temperature difference, which is outside of the control loop. Even with ideal temperature control of the basement, this temperature difference (and thus the wavelength) of the active laser zone is power dependent. If power changes, the wavelength will change too, certainly with some delay. FIG. 3 shows the measured thermal wavelength transient of a temperature stabilized DFB laser when switched between zero and nominal power. The transient starts within the first micro second, but it settles only after tens of milliseconds (logarithmic time scale!). In translation to the above mentioned burst mode traffic dependence, the left side of FIG. 3 corresponds to a sparse flow of short packets (<1 μs). The right side corresponds to a 100% occupied channel. Transitions between both operating conditions can take place at any time and last for undetermined period. State-of-the-art temperature controllers are by 6 or 7 decades to slow to compensate this effect. Nevertheless, the wavelength shift (0.5 nm) is, even if not compensated, still in range of a 200 GHz ITU wavelength grid with 1.6 nm channel spacing.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the wavelength control of a laser in a WDM system.


The invention relates to a starch-based polymer dispersion, which contains a copolymer of starch with monomers. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of said dispersion and its use as a surface sizing additive for paper and as a wet- and dry-strengthener for paper which is added to the wet end of the paper machine.

The invention relates to starch-based polymer dispersion, which contains a co-polymer of starch with monomers. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of said dispersion and its use in paper manufacture, particularly as a surface sizing additive for paper and as a wet- and dry-strengthener for paper which is added to the wet end of a paper machine. The term paper as used in this invention refers to both paper and paperboard, which are prepared by using either a wood-containing or a chemically processed fibre or a recycled fibre or a mixture thereof. These papers include fine papers, LWC papers, SC papers and newsprint papers, packing boards and folding boxboards.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,017 (Standard Brands Inc.) discloses an aqueous polymeric dispersion, which is produced by co-polymerization of at least one vinyl monomer in an aqueous solution of a thinned/degraded starch derivative. The starch derivatives used were diethylaminoethyl, acetyl, cyanoethyl or carbamoethyl derivatives. Such derivatives are just slightly ionic at neutral pH values, and in papermaking processes, best functioning is achieved only at low pH values (pH less than 6) in which they are partly ionized. Nowadays, most papermaking processes are neutral, and, consequently, polymers should also act at pH values in the range from 6 to 9, preferably from 7 to 8.5. The degree of substitution of the starch used in the above mentioned patent and having the above mentioned substituents should be at least 0.05. Before polymerization, starch is degraded/thinned enzymatically to a preferable intrinsic viscosity value ranging from 0.12 to 0.28 dl/g. Ce(IV) salts have been used as a polymerization catalyst (initiator).
Patent DE 37 02 712 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,212; BASF AG) describes the preparation of polymer dispersions from starches having an intrinsic viscosity of from 0.04 to 0.12 dl/g. Also the starches used in this patent are enzymatically highly degraded before the polymerization. In the examples, slightly cationic commercial starches have been used which have a maximum degree of substitution (DS) of 0.07. As monomers, in patent DE 3,702,712 it was used from 40 to 140 parts by weight, based on the total polymer, of a monomer mixture containing from 20 to 65% by weight of acrytonitrile or methacrylonitrile, from 80 to 35% by weight of acrylic acid esters and from 0 to 10% by weight of other co-polymerizable monomers. Peroxides were used as catalysts.
It is an object of this invention to provide dispersions which have a novel composition and an improved reactivity in comparison with the prior known dispersions, and a good retention and adherence to paper fibres. The dispersions according to the invention can be used as an additive in paper surface sizing and as a wet- and dry-strengthener for paper which is added to the wet end of a paper machine. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of said dispersions.
In surface sizing, different kinds of polymers are generally added to the surface-sized starch in order to improve printability. These polymers can be copolymers of styrene with maleic acid, various acrylates etc. In these cases, the effect of the expensive polymers added will not be totally utilized, while the polymers are not completely inter-miscible with starch (thermodynamic solubility coefficients differ too much from each other), and thus they do not form a completely inter-miscible polymeric network (interpenetrating network) while drying.
It is one object of the present invention to produce polymer particles which have a surface structure similar to that of the used surface sizing starch, and, consequently, these two achieve a completely interpenetrating network. This is achieved by using as a polymer intermediate and a starting batch the same starch as or a starch chemically similar to the starch in the surface sizing agent itself. Then the particles formed during the polymerization remain in the starch film and are not separated during drying. If the starch is enzymatically degraded before the polymerization, other means are needed than only the starch itself for stabilizing the polymer, for example an emulsifier or water soluble monomers. In that case, the surface structure of the polymer is no longer similar to that of the surface sizing starch.
A copolymer suitable to be added into the pulp on a paper machine can be prepared by customizing for each paper machine a starch derivative having a cationic value and other properties suitable for the wet end system of the machine. Also herein, the guiding principle is that the surface structure of the polymer particles is as similar as possible as the molecular structure (molecular weight, cationic value, branching etc.) of the starch or the starch-based strengthener used at the wet end. Then the polymers are not separated from the starch matrix while drying but form a completely interpenetrating network.
Unlike in the two processes mentioned above, in the present invention it is possible to produce copolymers by using non-degraded or only slightly oxidized (e.g. peroxide- or hypochlorite-oxidized) starch. For example, the starch can be potato starch, corn starch, barley starch, wheat starch or tapioca starch, of which the potato starch and corn starch are preferable. The starch is not enzymatically degraded before the polymerization, and thus it has an intrinsic viscosity of at least 1.0 dl/g, preferably from 1.5 to 15 dl/g, and most preferably from 3 to 15 dl/g.
The polymer dispersion according to the invention is stable, and its viscosity does not increase too much during any preparation step. By using the oxidized starch, the carboxylic groups formed in the oxidation can also be utilized in the stabilization of the polymer. Because of the higher molecular weight of starch, it stabilizes the particle also sterically. Furthermore, the ionic groups formed in the oxidation and cationization stabilize the particle, and thus the water-soluble monomers are not necessary for the stabilization of the particle in the polymerization. In the enzymatic treatment of the starch, such stabilizing groups are not formed and the steric stabilization is disappeared as well, and then it is necessary to use emulsifiers, which are generally known to impair sizing. At the same time, the strength properties of the paper are drastically impaired.
During the preparation of the polymer dispersions according to the invention, the starch is preferably cationized by a suitable cationizing chemical depending on the intended use so that in surface sizing applications the DS values are in the range from 0.01 to 1.0, preferably from 0.01 to 0.08, and in pulp sizing applications in the range from 0.05 to 1.0, preferably from 0.08 to 1.0, and more preferably from 0.1 to 0.5. However, a native or anionized starch can be used as well.
If the starch is cationized, suitable cationizing chemicals include cationizing chemicals containing quaternary nitrogen, for example 1,3-epoxy or 1,3-hydrochloride derivatives. 2,3-Epoxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride is a preferable cationizing chemical. Cationizing is performed when the starch is in soluble form in an alkaline aqueous solution (pH greater than 7, preferably from 9 to 11). Then the aqueous starch solution has a solids content of under 50%, preferably from 10 to 35%, and a temperature of over 60xc2x0 C., preferably from 75 to 90xc2x0 C. The oxidation and cationization of the natural starch can also be performed simultaneously, but it is preferred that the oxidation is performed before the cationization, because the cationization preferably occurs at higher temperatures than at which the oxidation has to be performed at first because of the gelatinization of native starch.
We have discovered that the best results in co-polymerization are achieved when, unlike in the prior known processes, a starch having a higher molecular weight (i.e. a higher intrinsic viscosity) is used together with a suitable degree of substitution achieved by cationic and/or anionic substituents, and a suitable monomer composition. In the present invention, a suitable monomer composition provides the copolymer to be formed with a good film forming capacity at the minimum film forming temperature (MFT) ranging fromxe2x88x9250 to 200xc2x0 C., preferably from 0 to 100xc2x0 C., more preferably from 0 to 70xc2x0 C., even more preferably from 10 to 50xc2x0 C., and most preferably from 20 to 50xc2x0 C. Most preferably, a mixture is used containing at least two or more polymerizable monomers, of which at least one monomer is a vinyl monomer. It should be noted that the degree of cationization or an ionization of the starch affects the film forming temperature of the polymer, for example, the higher the cationicity of the starch, the lower the film forming temperature of the polymer dispersion. The starch is preferably added at the beginning of the polymerization, but a portion of it can be added later during a step known as the propagation step of the polymerization.
The monomers used can be, for example, styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, acrylates, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate etc. A monomer mixture is preferable in which at least one of the two monomers is a hydrophobic monomer, such as styrene.
Therefore, the invention relates to a polymer dispersion which consists of the following components, based on the solids content of the product:
a) from 5 to 50%, preferably from 5 to 40% of starch with a degree of substitution (DS) relative to the cationic or anionic substituents from 0.01 to 1 and an intrinsic viscosity, when cationized and/or anionized, of  greater than 1.0 dl/g,
b) from 50 to 95%, preferably from 60 to 95%, of a monomer mixture containing at least one vinyl monomer, the film forming temperature of the polymer, which comprises these components, being from xe2x88x9250 to 200xc2x0 C., preferably from 0 to 100xc2x0 C., and more preferably from 0 to 70xc2x0 C., and
c) water.
The substituents by which the degree of substitution mentioned above is achieved are preferably cationic, and the starch can further contain additional anionic substituents. The degree of substitution defined above can correspondingly be achieved by anionic substituents, and the starch can further contain cationic substituents.
The degree of substitution, particularly the degree of cationicity, of the starch in the polymer dispersion described above is from 0.04 to 1.0, and the intrinsic viscosity is from 1.5 to 1 5 dl/g. A preferable monomer mixture consists of from 40 to 70% of acrylates and from 30 to 60% of styrene.
The invention also relates to a polymer dispersion which consists of from 5 to 50%, preferably from 5 to 40% of starch, from 0 to 19% of acrylonitrile, from 10 to 60% of acrylates and from 10 to 60% of styrene, based on the solids content of the product, and water.
A preferable polymer dispersion according to the invention consists of from 15 to 40%, preferably from 15 to 35%, of starch, from 5 to 19% of acrylonitrile, from 20 to 50% of acrylates and from 20 to 40% of styrene, based on the solids content of the product, and water.
A particularly preferable polymer dispersion according to the invention contains, based on the solids content of the product, 20% of a starch with a degree of substitution of about 0.05 and an intrinsic viscosity of from 3 to 15 dl/g, 19% of acrylonitrile, 30% of acrylates, preferably butyl acrylate and/or 2-ethylhexylacrylate, 31% of styrene, and water.
An aqueous polymer dispersion, which is ready for use, can have, for example, a solids content of from 10 to 60%, preferably from 20 to 50%, more preferably from 25 to 40%, and most preferably from 25 to 35%.
In the process according to the invention, in order to prepare a polymer dispersion mentioned above, a monomer mixture comprising at least one vinyl monomer is copolymerized in an aqueous solution of a starch, and the polymer thus formed has a film forming temperature of from xe2x88x920 to 200xc2x0 C., preferably from 0 to 70xc2x0 C. The polymerization of the monomers onto the starch can also be performed by the sequential steps of adding each monomer type separately to the reaction mixture and allowing it to be polymerized onto the starch before the addition of the next monomer.
One advantage of the invention is that during the polymerization the viscosity is not increased too much, even if the molecular weight is high. In addition, it has been contemplated that when the degree of substitution of the ionic groups onto the starch is slightly higher and the molecular weight of the starch is high, it has been possible to reduce the amount of acrylonitrile in particular, even below 19%. In this case, it has been discovered that the polymerization evidently proceeds by a mechanism known as the precipitation polymerization. In this mechanism, hydrophobic groups are bound onto the starch molecules, which are completely dissolved in water, and these groups try to detach from the water phase. This causes the precipitation of the chains into initial particles. This stage is called the first polymerization step. Then the initiation occurs in an aqueous solution.
The initiators used can be initiators known per se, for example ammonium or potassium persulfate or peroxides, preferably copper sulfate-hydrogen peroxide redox pair. The polymerization temperature is from 70 to 90xc2x0 C., preferably from 75 to 80xc2x0 C., and the pH is below 7, preferably from pH 3 to 5. The addition of the starch is from 2 to 200%, preferably from 10 to 100%, more preferably from 10 to 60%, and most preferably from 10 to 50%, based on the amount of the dry monomer mixture.
The second polymerization step starts when the polymer embryos formed grow and the amount of monomer which is diffused into the growing initial particles is increased. This step is known as the propagation step of the polymerization. The coagulation of the particles is continued until the ionic groups start to stabilize the formed particles. This stabilization in accordance with the DLVO theory results in a stabilized amount of particles and a particle size which is set at an energetically stable range in a way known in colloidal chemistry. The initial particles thus formed act as initial particles for the growing polymer particles. In this case, the mechanism is functioning even without any surface-active agents. In the patent DE 3,702,712, surface-active agents are required as well, which proves that in that case the polymerization proceeds according to the classical Harkins"" model (W. D. Harkins, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 69 (1947) 1428), in which the monomers are first situated in micelles, wherein the initiation starts.
The third polymerization step starts when the free monomer has been lined and it is only present in particles. This is known as the termination step. By now the amount, diameter, and surface charges of the polymer particles have been formed.
By using the process according to the invention a copolymer with high strength is provided having a novel composition and branches of suitable length of a synthetic polymer which are polymerized at a suitable distance from each other. Surprisingly, also the amount of the formed homopolymer is quite small.
By using this polymerization method, paper with a good adhesion and cohesive strength is achieved. In addition to that, in the paper making process, the polymer has a good retention and adherence to fibres, and it improves the initial wet strength, which property is especially required by new, fast-speed xe2x80x98gap formerxe2x80x99 machines containing e.g. shoe presses. Another clearly observed feature is that polymers made by this procedure make the paper machine cylinders less dirty than most of the other synthetic polymers. In this invention, the surface structure of the polymer is assumed to be such that it enables the formation of hydrogen bonds between the particles and the fibre, but it is, however, easier to be removed from the surface of machinery parts by washing.
Both in the paper pulp and surface sizing applications the polymer has been found to be so fully compatible with the pulp or surface sizing starch used that while the polymer is drying, no separation occurs. Then the paper strengths are at their best.
In surface sizing applications, about from 1 to 10% of polymer is generally used, based on the amount of surface sizing starch. Then the mixture of starch and polymer is normally added to the paper surface by using a size press. Especially in fine paper applications, a more even printability is achieved when the polymer is totally admixed with the surface sizing starch. The ink-jet properties of paper are improved as well, i.e. the paper has a better suitability for colour ink-jet printing. The adherence of polymer to paper fibre can be further improved by slightly increasing the degree of cationicity of starch used in polymer stabilization.
In the following examples, starch 1 is a peroxide-oxidized potato starch having an intrinsic viscosity of 9 dl/g, starch 2 is a hypochlorite-oxidized potato starch having an intrinsic viscosity of 1,5 dl/g, and starch 3 is a hypochlorite-oxidized potato starch having an intrinsic viscosity of 9 dl/g. The solids content of all starches is 82%.

Polymer dispersion and method to produce the same


A truck bed liner with rail protection which protects the horizontal top rail of a vertical cargo bed wall. The rail protector is integral with an upright surface of the liner and includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a connecting portion. The upper portion extends away from the cargo bed and is spaced from the top rail. The lower portion is generally horizontal and extends outwardly and is substantially flush with the top rail. A vertically extending connecting portion connects the upper and lower portions and provides increased warpage resistance to the invention. A resilient load-bearing foam member, or a reinforcing plate oriented over a stake pocket and with securing means, is positioned inward of the vertically extending connecting portion and assists in maintaining the lower portion of the rail protector away from the top rail to reduce scuffing and damage to the top rail.

During recent years, pickup trucks have gained popularity as a form of family transportation as they are able to transport both passengers and cargo. If the truck is being used to carry cargo, truck bed liners are often installed to protect the metal surfaces of the truck bed from scratches and dents which may lead to rust and which affect the aesthetic appearance of the bed. Some liners, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,098, protect only the floor of the truck bed; some, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,863, protect only the side walls of the bed; and most protect the floor, the end wall, both side walls, and the tailgate. Various materials such as wood (U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,508), vinyl (U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,439), and plastic (U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,507), are used in the manufacture of truck bed liners, and some, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,508, 4,893,862, 4,944,612 and 4,986,590, are multi-piece liners, while most have a unibody construction. The most common truck bed liner is made of a plastic material formed for a custom fit of various makes and models of pickup trucks.
In addition to protectively covering the interior of the truck cargo bed, many truck cargo bed liners also employ generally horizontal flanges which overlay the top rails of the vertical walls of the truck cargo bed. These protective flanges, which are usually extensions of the various upright surfaces of the liner, serve to prevent damage to the truck bed rails which take the form of chips, scratches or dents. This damage often occurs when, for example, heavy objects being lifted and placed into the truck are set on these rails and then tumbled into the cargo bed.
While functioning to help protect the truck bed rails from avoidable and excessive damage, existing truck bed liner flanges suffer from several serious shortcomings including scuffing of the truck and warpage. Although bed liners often improve the aesthetic appearance of a truck, there are occasions when removal of the cargo bed liner is desired or necessitated. On such occasions, vehicle owners often discover to their dismay that the flanges which overlay the top rails have actually scratched and scuffed the very surfaces for which the flanges were specifically designed to protect. This type of scuffing along the top rails is especially undesirable for a variety of reasons. While truck cargo beds are typically expected to be damaged through normal usage, and therefore some scuffing of the cargo bed interior by the liner is not overly devastating, unsightly damage to the top rails suggests the trucks have been subject to improper treatment and may translate to lower truck resale values. Furthermore, the fact that many persons perceive the top rails as being outside the cargo bed and not subject to damage from use makes scuffing along these top rails all the more noticeable. Moreover, the scuffing of the top rail makes the top rail more susceptible to corrosion which is readily visible by casual observers.
Because vibrations and other normal operating motions of the vehicle cause the liner to move relative to the cargo bed, undesirable scuffing of the top rail inevitably occurs each place where the liner flange contacts and rubs against the top rail. The presence of foreign particles at the contact points between the liner and the top rail only compounds the scuffing damage to the rail. Despite this fact, cargo bed liners which utilize horizontal flanges that overlay the top rail wherein substantially the entire width of the top rail is contacted by the flange are well known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,040 discloses a liner flange flush with the top surface of the truck bed wall. This configuration subjects virtually the entire area of the top surface to scuffing. In addition to overlaying and being flush with the top rail, other liner flanges, for instance as shown overlaying a top rail of a cargo bed side wall in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,775 and a top rail of a tailgate in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,503, hook over the top rail and terminate with a downward projecting lip against the outer surface of the truck wall. These designs not only can scuff the entire top rail, but also scratch the vehicle's finish where the lip contacts the outer panels of the truck. This damage is even more noticeable and unacceptable than damage merely to the top rail.
Other models of liner flanges which overlay and protect the top rail exist that do not contact substantially all of the top rail. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,229 and 4,750,776 each disclose horizontal liner flanges which are generally spaced apart from the top rails which they protect. Each flange terminates in a downwardly extending lip which abuts the top rail. U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,749 discloses a horizontal liner flange, overlaying the inner portion of a truck bed top rail, which includes a recess of a height less than the thickness of the liner to receive double sided tape and which terminates with a downwardly extending lip contacting the top rail. While these liner flange designs reduce the contact areas between the top rail and the liner and thereby decrease the area susceptible to scuffing, they create a different problem as an undesirable side effect. These designs ensure that very deep scratches and scuffs, although in a more isolated location than some other flanges, will result in the top rail. This effect occurs because the portion of the top rail contacting the liner flange lip bears the entire load applied to the liner flange. A broader area of contact is lacking to aid in dissipating the loading forces applied and thereby lessen the severity of the scratches.
In addition to the shortcoming of causing scuffing, truck bed liner flanges also tend to warp over time. When first purchased and installed in cargo beds, most existing horizontal liner flanges fit neatly against the truck top rails and contribute to the sleek appearance of the vehicle. However, repeated exposure to the elements or hot weather frequently causes the flanges to eventually warp and become wavy or undulating, resulting in relatively large gaps or spaces appearing between the liner flanges and the top rails of the vehicle. Besides detracting from the overall appearance of the vehicle, these gaps also allow more contaminants such as dirt or salt to enter between the truck bed liner and cargo bed, thereby increasing the likelihood of both scuffing damage and corrosion occurring in the truck cargo bed.


An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system that may incorporate a battery subsystem including at least one battery for generating electrical power, and a UPS subsystem including at least one power module. At least one first bus system may couple the battery subsystem to the UPS subsystem to supply electrical power to the UPS subsystem. An input and output (I/O) subsystem is in communication with an output of the UPS subsystem for generating an output signal. At least one second bus system may be used for coupling the output of the UPS subsystem to the I/O subsystem. At least one of the first and second bus systems may include a pair of parallel coupled, independent busses, and may further have a tie bar for enabling the pair of busses to be reconfigured as a single bus.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In an uninterruptible power supply ("UPS") system, presently available systems typically make use of connections between a utility power source, battery source or subsystem, and UPS power module(s) or subsystem that provides a single power output to a connected load. This results in a system that can be viewed as having "single" points of failure. By this it is meant that a failure at a single point along any one of the busses connecting the system components or subsystems may cause a failure of the entire system.
Accordingly, a more flexible system with greater safeguards against failure would be highly desirable. This is especially so in applications where the UPS system is responsible for maintaining continuous power to electronic components or subsystems that are critical to a business or other form of organization.

Adaptive and modular UPS system and method