An ion mobility spectrometer is described having an ion filter in the form of multiple parallel ion channels defined by conductive layers separated by non-conductive layers. A time-varying electric potential applied to the conductive layers allows the filter to selectively admit ion species. The device may be used without a drift gas flow. Microfabrication techniques are described for producing microscale spectrometers, as are various uses of the spectrometer.

Ion mobility spectrometry is a versatile technique used to detect presence of molecular species in a gas sample. The technique has particular application in detection of explosives, drugs, and chemical agents in a sample, although it is not limited to these applications. Portable detectors are commonly used for security screening, and in the defense industry. However, conventional portable devices are still nonetheless relatively large.
Ion mobility spectrometry relies on the differential movement of different ion species through an electric field to a detector; by appropriate selection of the parameters of the electric field, ions having differing properties will reach the detector at differing times, if at all. Differential mobility of ion species may or may not be exploited. Time of flight (TOF) ion mobility spectrometry measures the time taken by ions when subject to an electric field to travel along a drift tube to a detector against a drift gas flow. By varying the electric field ions of different characteristics will reach the detector differently (if at all), and the composition of a sample can be analysed. This form of spectrometry relies on the length of the drift tube for its resolution; the longer the drift tube, the more powerful the detector. This restricts the possible miniaturisation of such spectrometers, since there is a limit to the lower size of the drift tube which may effectively be used. Further, given that relatively high electric field strengths are necessary, the restriction on drift tube length also results in the need to use relatively high voltages in the device, which may be potentially hazardous to the operator and further restricts the possibility of miniaturisation of the device.
A variation on TOF ion mobility spectrometry is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,789,745, which makes use of a moving electrical potential to move ions against a drift gas flow towards a detector. A plurality of spaced electrodes are alternately pulsed to generate a moving potential well, which carries selected ions along with it. This device is unsuited to miniaturisation due to, among other reasons, the need for a pump to produce the drift gas flow.
Field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is a derivative of time of flight ion mobility spectrometry (TOFIMS), which potentially offers a smaller form factor; however, existing designs use moving gas flows and high voltages, which are undesirable for microchip implementations. Scaling is further hindered by molecular diffusion, an effect that becomes significant in the micron regime. Background information relating to FAIMs can be found in L. A. Buryakov et al. Int. J. Mass. Spectrom. Ion Process. 128 (1993) 143; and E. V. Krylov et al. Int. J. Mass. Spectrom. Ion Process. 225 (2003) 39-51; hereby incorporated by reference.
Conventional FAIMS operates by drawing air at atmospheric pressure into a reaction region where the constituents of the sample are ionized. Chemical agents in vapour-phase compounds form ion clusters when they are exposed to their parent ions. The mobility of the ion clusters is mainly a function of shape and weight. The ions are blown between two metal electrodes, one with a low-voltage DC bias and the other with a periodic high-voltage pulse waveform, to a detector plate where they collide and a current is registered. Ions are quickly driven toward one electrode during the pulse phase and slowly driven toward the opposite electrode between pulses. Some ions impact an electrode before reaching the detector plate; other ions with the appropriate differential mobility reach the end, making this device a sort of differential mobility ion filter. A plot of the current generated versus DC bias provides a characteristic differential ion mobility spectrum. The intensity of the peaks in the spectrum, which corresponds to the amount of charge, indicates the relative concentration of the agent.
While this arrangement offers the possibility for greater miniaturisation than conventional TOFIMS, the need to generate a gas flow requires the presence of a pump, diaphragm or similar, which using present technology limits the lower size of such a device. Representative examples of such devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,495,823 and 6,512,224.
It would be of benefit to provide miniaturised ion mobility spectrometers for use in sensing techniques; not only would these be suitable for covert use or for large scale distribution, the smaller size will allow use of lower voltages in the device. Devices with no or fewer moving parts than conventional devices would also be of benefit, in that they would be more robust than conventional sensors, and so suitable for deployment in high-traffic areas or in harsh environments.
The present inventors have developed a new form of ion mobility spectroscopy in which, broadly speaking, ions are moved back and forth between conducting electrodes and are gradually separated, generally according to their mobility. In embodiments this does not require a drift gas flow for its operation. We will describe how an electric field is used to cause ions to move toward the detector, while a selective tunable ion gate can be used to permit selected ions to reach the detector, and to prevent other ions from doing so. This allows for a solid state construction which does not require a gas pump or similar, so allowing for greater miniaturisation of the device than would otherwise be possible, as well as a more robust construction. In addition, the tunable ion gates may be used in combination with other spectrometers, such as those which use a drift gas flow. Devices of this type are suitable for miniaturisation.
The system as a whole can be reduced in size and cost, since no pump is necessary and the electronics may be reduced in size. Size reduction permits smaller gap sizes between electrodes and hence lower voltages, leading to smaller, more integrated electronics, more precise and controllable waveforms, and improved performance in terms of power usage and resolution. The spectrum of detected ions can provide information on multiple analytes simultaneously, since the ion filter is readily retunable simply by altering the electric field properties. Detection of additional analytes may be incorporated by altering the software controlling the filter and subsequent analysis, so making the system highly customisable.
Other advantages of the present invention include the reduction of false positives by adjustment of multiple parameters over time, which again may be achieved with software control. Many detectors may be networked together to combine outputs, to reduce the deleterious effects of local interferents and increase classification confidence, as well as to make the system as a whole more robust.
Finally, the present invention is highly sensitive, allowing detection at trace levels, and rapid. With a reduced distance between ioniser and detector the time for which ions must exist to be detected is reduced, so allowing detection of short-lived ions. The system may be operated at low voltages, and at low power, allowing for longer operational use in a range of environments.


The principles of the present invention relate to dynamically determining directions of freedom for control points used to represent graphical objects such as text. A computing system identifies a first function that represents a first constraint, solutions to the first function indicating compliance with the first constraint. The computing system calculates, based on the location of a control point and the identified first function, that the control point does not comply with the first constraint. The computing system automatically determines a first direction of freedom in which the control point can be moved to comply with the first constraint such that movement of the control point in the first direction of freedom has a reduced likelihood of causing non-compliance with other constraints.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to manipulating control data used to generate outlines of graphical objects. More specifically, the present invention relates to dynamically determining directions of freedom for control points used to represent graphical objects such as text.
2. Background and Related Art
Computing technology has transformed the way we work and play. Computing systems now take a wide variety of forms including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet PCs, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and the like. Even household devices (such as refrigerators, ovens, sewing machines, security systems, and the like) have varying levels of processing capability and thus may be considered computing systems. As time moves forward, processing capability may be incorporated into a number of devices that traditionally did not have processing capability. Accordingly, the diversity of computing systems may likely increase.
Almost all computing systems that interface with human beings use a display to convey information. In many cases, the appeal of the display is considered an important attribute of the computing system. Historically, textual information (e.g., Latin-based characters) was displayed in cells of a Cathode Ray Tube ("CRT") display device. Each cell was divided into a grid of equally sized grid positions wherein each grid position could be turned on or off. For example, each cell of a CRT could be an 8×8 grid resulting in 64 possible grid positions per cell.
Each character of a character set was stored as a memory image (a bit-map) in the hardware of the CRT display device (e.g., in the video adapter). A memory image included a number of binary values (e.g., 64 binary values for displaying a character on an 8×8 grid), where each binary value corresponded to a specified grid position. One value (e.g., binary "1") represented that a corresponding grid position was to be "on" when the character was displayed and another value (e.g., a binary "0") represented that a corresponding grid position was to be "off" when the character was displayed. Upon receiving binary data (e.g., a bit-map) representing a character, the CRT would "turn on" grid positions corresponding to a binary 1 and would "turn off" grid positions corresponding to a binary 0 to display the character.
To somewhat reduce the computing system resources needed to store bit-maps, some operating systems have used proportional bit-maps (e.g., stored on disk) that vary in cell size depending on the character that is to be displayed. For example, in a proportional bit-map character set, the cell for the letter "i" could be more narrow (e.g., width of 3 grid positions or pixels) than the cell for the letter "h" (e.g., width of 6 grid positions or pixels).
However, storing characters as bit-maps (either fixed or proportional) can still consume significant computing system resources. Since a computing system may need to display and print characters of a font (typically 256 or more different characters) at a variety of different sizes, storage of a significant number of different sized bit-maps may be required. For example, it may desirable to have a word processor display and print characters of a font in sizes ranging from 4 pt to 72 pt. Thus, a computing system running the word processor would potentially have to store 68 (72 minus 4) different sizes of bit-maps for displaying the font at different sizes.
Further, since printers typically have different (and for the most part higher) resolution than displays, the computing system would potentially also have to store a corresponding 68 (72 minus 4) different sizes of bit-maps for printing the font at different sizes. For example, a bitmap of an 8×5 grid (requiring 40 bits of storage) may be used to display a character at a specified size, while a bit-map of a 50×30 grid (requiring 1500 bits of storage) is used to print the character at the specified size.
The storage requirement problems associated with bit-map fonts is further compounded when a computing device is to display and print characters from different fonts. That is, the computing device may need to store bit-maps for representing a variety of different fonts at a variety of different sizes. Thus, in the above example, configuring the word processor to use 50 different fonts could result in well over 5,000 different sets of bit-maps (e.g., (68+68)*50). Since many character sets include 256 or more characters, this could easily result over 1 million individual bit-maps (e.g., 5,000*256). Storing bit-maps for underlined, bold, and/or italicized versions of each font can further increase the storage requirements. Further, producing a large number of bitmaps by hand is extremely time consuming.
Accordingly, even more recently, graphics primitives have been used to describe characters of a font. For example, a set of control points and instructions for connecting the points (e.g., connect with a straight line, an arc, a bezier, etc.) can be used to define the outline of a character in an arbitrary grid space (e.g., an arbitrary grid space greater than the highest resolution of a pixelated device). Often, characters will be defined for display at higher resolutions and then mathematically scaled down when the characters are to be rendered at lower resolutions. Thus, only one representation of a character (per font) need be stored.
To scale a character down the location of control points can be divided by a scaling factor. For example, to scale a character down by a scaling factor of 10, the coordinates of each control point defining the character (at the higher resolution) can be divided by 10. It may be that control points defining a character for display on a 100×100 grid are to be scaled down for display on a 10×10 grid. Thus, a control point at grid position (50, 30) can be scaled down to a control point at grid position (5, 3), a control point at grid position (70, 70) can be scaled down to a control point at grid position (7, 7), etc. Accordingly, a smaller outline representing the character may be calculated and there is a reduced need for storing a number of different sizes of bit-maps for the character.
The smaller outline can then be analyzed to identify grid locations that are to be turned on and to identify grid locations that are to be turned off (a process often referred to as "scan conversion"). One scan conversion algorithm determines if the center of a grid position is inside or outside the smaller outline. When the center of a grid position is inside the smaller outline the grid position is turned on. On the other hand, when the center of a grid position is outside the smaller outline the grid position is turned off.
Also, when rendering a character, portions of the character may be required to conform to one or more constraints. A constraint may be expressed as an algorithm defining one or more dependent parameters in terms of one or more independent parameters. Constraints for one control point can be expressed in terms of the location of other control points or locations on a grid (e.g., a capitalization line). For example, the position of a first control point can be expressed in terms of the position of a second control point such that the first control point is a fixed distance from the second control point. Thus, when the second control point is moved, a corresponding move of the first control point may be required so that the first control point conforms to the fixed distance constraint.
Due, in part, to the wide variety of different artistic and technical features in different fonts, constraints are often tailored to individual fonts. To satisfy a constraint, dependent parameters of a control point will often have to give way. Generally, a dependent parameter of a control point will give way in a predetermined direction (which may be referred to as a "freedom vector"). After a control point is moved, the control point can be checked to determine if it still conforms to any constraints placed on the control point. Checking a control point can include taking a scalar measurement in a specified direction (which may be referred to as the "projection vector"). For example, referring back to the above example of a first and second control point, the first control point may need to be moved along a freedom vector until the distance between the first and second control points, measured along a corresponding projection vector, equals the fixed distance.
At times, a control point can be subject to more than one constraint. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, control point 106 is to conform to two constraints. A first constraint indicates that the distance between control point 106 and edge 101 in the direction of projection vector 103 is to equal distance constraint 107. A second constraint indicates that the distance between control point 106 and edge 102 in the direction of projection vector 104 is to equal constraint distance 108. If control point 109 is moved (e.g., to conform with an independent constraint), control point 106 is also required to be moved such that control point 106 still complies with the fist and second constraints. Typically, control point 106 will be moved along freedom vectors that correspond to each of the two constraints.
Accordingly, inappropriate selection of freedom vectors can result in the inability to comply with constraints. For example, if control point 109 is moved in a vertical direction, it would be difficult for control point 106 to comply with distance constraint 107 if the freedom vector corresponding to distance constraint 107 is in a horizontal direction (i.e., parallel to the X-axis).
Further complications can arise when a control point is to comply with a plurality of constraints. For example, when there are two constraints on a control point, a freedom vector corresponding to the second applied constraint must be set in a direction perpendicular to a projection vector corresponding to the first applied constraint. Failure to set the freedom vector corresponding to the second applied constraint perpendicular to the projection vector corresponding to the first applied constraint can result in compliance with the first applied constraint being undone. For example, any movement on the Y-axis subsequent to moving control point 106 to comply with distance constraint 107 would undo the compliance with distance constraint 107. Thus, the freedom vector for distance constraint 108 (when applied after distance constraint 107) would have to be solely in the X direction (or horizontal).
Further, movement along diagonal freedom vectors can result in numerical errors (e.g., due to rounding) in the rendering process. For example, determining a freedom vector for distance constraint 108 prior to determining a freedom vector for distance constraint 107 would result in a diagonal freedom vector (perpendicular to projection vector 104). Moving along a diagonal freedom vector to comply with distance constraint 107 carries an increased risk that X or Y value for the resulting location of control point 106 will include a fractional grid location value.
To implement constraints for a font, character outlines can be supplemented with rules (often referred to as "hints") expressed in terms of formal languages, such as, for example, TrueType®. For example, the outline of a character can be supplemented with TrueType® instructions that indicate the width of a vertical stroke (e.g., of an 'H') is to be a fixed distance. Hinting has typically been a manual process performed by a human typographer. That is, a human typographer views a character subject to a number of constraints and supplements the outline of the character with computer-executable instructions (e.g., TrueType® instructions) that indicate how to render the character in a manner that complies with the one or more constraints. When the character is to be rendered, a computing system processes the computer-executable instructions and renders the character in accordance with the rules implemented in the computer-executable instructions.
Manual hinting is advantageous since a human typographer can typically recognize, by viewing a character, if the character is appropriately rendered. Alternately, the human typographer can perform an iterative process where hints are added, viewed, and changed repeatedly until a desired rendering is obtained. That is, a human typographer can determine when a character does or does not comply with constraints and can change hints until compliance is obtained. For example, a human typographer can identify that the edges of the vertical stroke of a "T" are not parallel and add (or change) hints so that the edges are parallel. However, manual hinting can consume a considerable amount of time. For example, it may take weeks or even months for a trained typographer to hint a single font.
Automated hinting, as performed by a computing system, is difficult to implement since a computing system has no inherent understanding of freedom vectors or how to select freedom vectors that increase the likelihood of complying with constraints. For example, given a set of control points representing a character, a computing system may have no way to determine an appropriate order for applying multiple constraints to a control point. Thus, a computing system may generate freedom vectors that cause compliance with a previously applied constraint to be undone or may generate freedom vectors with a higher likelihood of causing numerical errors (e.g., diagonal freedom vectors). Therefore, what would be advantageous are mechanisms for dynamically determining directions of freedom used to move control points for compliance with constraints.

Dynamically determining directions of freedom for control points used to represent graphical objects


A method of identifying and detecting remote objects by transmitting wave energy and receiving wave energy reflected from the object. Separate signal parameters pertaining to the wave energy received are processed forming a measured signature of the object. The measured signature is compared with a number of prestored signatures having the same signal parameters relating to known objects of interest. A recording is made of which prestored signatures correspond to the measured signature within predetermined tolerances. Subsequent transmission and reception of wave energy is used for updating the separate parameters and the measured signature. The updated measured signature is compared with the recorded prestored signatures for updated recording of a smaller number of prestored signatures corresponding to the updated measured signature within the predetermined tolerances.

This invention is primarily directed to an improved radar for detecting and identifying remote objects or targets by means of electromagnetic wave energy. The method and principles to be described may also be applied, however, to other types of wave energy, such as ultrasonic waves in sonar systems.
As in known radar systems the present method involves the utilization of various processing techniques for extracting useful information from the return signal or waves reflected from the target.
The radar system described here provides optimum detection and identification of targets while minimizing the effect of background clutter and the impairments caused by the propagation of the electromagnetic waves through space.
This is achieved utilizing a set of new concepts for signal processing, the applicability of which is made feasible by the development of new technology for generating microwaves and in particular digital signal processing.

Method of detection and identification of one or more remote objects


A leno cloth is prepared, which comprises at least ground warp threads 1, leno warp threads 3 and weft threads 2, and in which the weft threads 2 and the ground warp threads 1 are arranged essentially interspace free. The weft threads are bound-off by means of the leno warp threads 3, which comprise a clearly lower titer relative to the ground warp threads 1, with such a lower tension relative to the ground warp threads, so that the crossings of the leno warp threads 3 with the ground warp threads 1 that are present due to the binding are arranged in a plane parallel to the plane of the maximum thickness of the weft threads. The leno warp threads 3 comprise a higher working-in or take-up into the woven cloth than the ground warp threads 1. According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for the production of a leno cloth as well as a loom for the carrying out of the method for the production of a leno cloth are described.

Leno cloths consisting of ground warp threads, leno warp threads and weft threads are known; similarly methods and looms for the production thereof.
From DE 100 04 376 A1, a method for the production of a leno ground cloth and a loom for carrying it out are known. This method is realized by means of a loom, in which per se known half healds or heddles with lifting healds or heddles according to DE 197 508 04 C1 in combination with at least two heald frames are used as shedding arrangements. In that regard, the production of the leno ground cloth is achieved in that at least two heald frames are equipped with a plurality of first lifting heddles for half heddles, and the other heald frame is equipped with the same plurality of lifting heddles for the half heddles. In the production of such a leno ground cloth, the warp tension of both the so-called standing or stationary thread warp as well as the leno thread warp plays an important role. In this known method, it is provided that the desired or nominal warp tension of the standing or stationary thread warp is approximately twice as large as the desired or nominal warp tension of the leno thread warp. Thereby, a leno cloth with a relatively high resistance to slipping or shifting is achieved. In this known method or in the loom for carrying out the method, it has been recognized as disadvantageous, however, that the service life of the half heddles with the lifting heddles is not sufficient. Moreover it is disadvantageous, that the two shaft frames equipped with the half and lifting heddles in a typical manner require a shed forming machine or shedding machine, which is costly, because the complexity or expenditure of the shedding machine in the loom is relatively independent of the number of the heald frames or shafts.
Moreover, a loom for the production of a leno cloth is known from DE 101 285 38 A1, in which the drive for the shedding arrangements, into which the stationary warp threads and the leno warp threads are pulled, and in which they are guided, is derived from the drive of the loom itself. In this known loom, a so-called leno needle reed and a stationary needle reed are utilized as shedding arrangements. Each needle reed has a plurality of needles, at the free ends of which at least one eye for guiding through the respective leno warp thread or the respective stationary warp thread is provided. The needles of each needle reed are separated by flat rods, in order to ensure that respectively one leno warp thread can jump over only one needle of the stationary reed in the production of the leno binding. In this known loom, the leno and the stationary warp threads are prepared or provided from at least one ground warp beam and are supplied to the shedding arrangements over at least one backrest beam. Therefore, the leno warp threads and the stationary warp threads comprise one and the same warp tension. The variety or diversity of the patterns for such leno cloths is limited in so far as qualitative differences between the leno warp threads and the stationary warp threads, especially relating to the fineness of the warp yarns or the threads, are largely excluded.
According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a leno cloth with novel functional characteristics, especially for use as a floor covering.
Among other things, velour, loop-type or smooth textiles are utilized for floor coverings. Various production methods are known for the production of these floor coverings. Thus it is known to produce velour and loop carpets on complicated and costly velvet and double carpet looms. With regard to the further known so-called tufting carpets and methods for the production thereof, a substrate or carrier layer, for example a fleece or a woven cloth in the form of a pile layer, is introduced, and namely normally through working-in or take-up of yarn loops, whereby the surface can be embodied as velour or in the form of loops. In order to bond or strengthen the worked-in loops, these are subsequently bonded with the substrate or carrier material through a binder agent. That means, that several process stages are necessary for the production of tufting carpets. These production methods are, among other reasons, so complicated or costly, because floor coverings must comprise basically different functional characteristics on the top side and bottom side thereof. Particular demands are made especially on the surface structure, the treading or stepping comfort, and the robustness of the top side. On the bottom side of the floor coverings, above all other things, such characteristics are especially important, which come into play in cooperation with the respective underlying floor or ground. For example, among those are slip resistance, and adhesiveness. Furthermore, certain demands are made on the floor covering overall, such as, for example, a certain stiffness and slipping or shifting resistance as well as a desired surface unit weight.
Woven cloths, especially the leno cloths considered here, which comprise different characteristics on their top side than on their bottom side are also designated as so-called "double face" fabrics or cloths. These different characteristics can, on the one hand, relate to physical characteristics as with the floor coverings, but they can, however, also comprise aesthetic aspects with respect to patterning and color intensity on the front and/or the back side of the cloth.

Leno cloth as well as method and weaving machine for production thereof


An extension for trailer for increasing the cargo-carrying capacity of a trailer. The extension for trailer includes a generally A-shaped frame with a pair of straight arm members oriented in a generally V-shaped configuration and a cross member extending between the arm members. Inner ends of the arm members is coupled to a bottom of a trailer. Outer ends of the arm members come together at a coupler. The coupler is adapted for mounting on a ball hitch of a towing vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer attachments and more particularly pertains to a new extension for trailer for increasing the cargo-carrying capacity of a trailer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trailer attachments is known in the prior art. More specifically, trailer attachments heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,596; U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,514; U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,182; U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,631; U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,206; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 376,564.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new extension for trailer. The inventive device includes a generally A-shaped frame with a pair of straight arm members oriented in a generally V-shaped configuration and a cross member extending between the arm members. Inner ends of the arm members is coupled to a bottom of a trailer. Outer ends of the arm members come together at a coupler. The coupler is adapted for mounting on a ball hitch of a towing vehicle.
In these respects, the extension for trailer according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the cargo-carrying capacity of a trailer.


A sampling device includes a pig-retaining pipe, a plurality of pipes extensions, a plurality of pipe couplings, a winch and support jig, a sample spout, a bottom cap, a pig, and a cable. A storage tank holds product-fuel, water, sludge, and a hard volume. The sampling device is used to collect and sample contents of the storage tank. The sampling device is assembled with the pig attached to a bottom cap coupled to the pig-retaining pipe. The sampling device is inserted into the storage tank to the desired depth. Contents of the storage tank enter into the sampling device through openings in the pig-retaining pipe. The winch is used to pull the cable upwards and draw the pig up through the sampling device. As the pig is pulled upwards, contents exit through the sample spout. The contents are stored in a container that is sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Storage tanks are containers that can be used to store liquid and gas. Storage tanks come in varying sizes and configurations. In the United States, aboveground storage tanks are generally cylindrical in shape, are perpendicular to the ground, and have either a fixed roof configuration or floating roof configuration. A fixed roof tank is meant for liquids with very high flash points, (e.g. product-fuel, water, bitumen etc.) Cone roofs, dome roofs, and roofs are usual. These are insulated to heat certain materials. Often heat is provided by steam coils within the tanks.
Floating roof tanks have a floating roof (or deck) installed in the inner diameter of the tank with the surface area floating on the liquid in the tank. An External Floating Roof (EFR) configuration occurs when the tank has an open top, whereas a floating roof inside a tank with a permanent fixed roof is said to have an Internal Floating Roof (IFR) configuration. IFRs are generally used for liquids with low flash-points (e.g. gasoline or ethanol). One example of a IFR is a cone roof tank with a floating roof inside which travels up and down along the liquid level. Floating roofs are supported with deck legs or cables. EFRs are generally used for liquids with medium flash-points such as naphtha, kerosene, diesel, and crude oil.
Storage tank maintenance is an important aspect for those operating refineries as well as in other industries. Tank failure can lead to many undesirable effects such as endangering human lives, adverse effect on the environment, and interruption of the operator's business. As a result, companies have a need for a consistent and reliable approach for assessing tank integrity as well as maintaining regulatory compliance.
One of the major problems with storage tanks is that over time, tanks become contaminated due to condensation, temperature changes, and the product itself. A thick layer of sludge typically develops at the bottom of the tank. This phenomenon is often referred to as "stratification". These solids are settled in suspension and are treated as hazardous waste. They often contain various types of heavy metal contaminants, carbon, and sometimes chemical pollutants. Sludge contaminated by chemical pollutants of heavy metals requires complex treatment. These undesirables reduce the amount of product output and potentially jeopardize tank integrity. Thus, it is imperative to find an effective way to remove these undesirables without interrupting plant operations while retaining as much product as possible.
One of the ways to solve this contamination problem is to prevent the buildup sludge and other undesirables by expelling them from the storage tank. Currently, tank operators clean their tanks on a routine basis with incomplete knowledge of the contents of their tank. This method has its shortcomings because the operator is unaware of any sludge accumulation until after the tank has been cleaned. As such, a shortcoming exists since the amount of sludge and undesirables cannot be determined until cleaning. A solution that overcomes these shortcomings is desired.


Each of a plurality of brushes is tilted relative to an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to a rotational axis of an armature and is placed on one axial side of a brush holder, at which an interior of a yoke housing is located. A radial inner end part of each brush has a slide contact surface, which is generally parallel to the rotational axis of the armature and slidably contacts an outer peripheral surface of a commutator. At least a portion of the slide contact surface of each brush is axially disposed outside of an opening of the yoke housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric motor, which includes brushes that slidably contact a commutator.
2. Description of Related Art
In one type of previously known electric motor, brushes slidably contact a commutator, which is fixed to a rotatable shaft to rotate integrally therewith. Electric power is supplied to the commutator through the brushes.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-523708A (corresponding to US 2002/0149283A1) discloses one such motor. In this motor, a commutator is placed axially outward of a yoke housing, which is configured into a cup shaped body. Brushes, which slidably contact the commutator, are held by a brush holder at outside of the yoke housing. Furthermore, in this motor, an electronic control unit (ECU) is placed in parallel with the commutator and the brush holder at a location, which is on one axial side of the yoke housing in the direction of the axis of the rotatable shaft that projects from the yoke housing. In this way, the axial length of the yoke housing is made shorter than the yoke housing of the other type of motor, which receives the commutator and the brush holder in the yoke housing.
In the case of the motor of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-523708A (corresponding to US 2002/0149283A1), at the time of installing the brushes to the brush holder, the installation locations of the brushes on the brush holder are located outside of the yoke housing, i.e., are located at the gear housing side, and thereby the brushes are installed to the brush holder from the gear housing side. Because of this construction, after the installation of the yoke housing and the brush holder, the entire assembly, to which the yoke housing and the brush holder are installed, needs to be inverted such that the yoke housing bottom side is placed at the lower side of the assembly, and the brush holder side is placed at the upper side of the assembly. Thereafter, the brushes are installed to the brush holder, which is now placed at the upper side of the assembly. This results in the tedious assembling process.
In contrast, in the case of the motor, in which the brush holder is entirely received in the yoke housing, the brushes can be installed to the brush holder from the yoke housing side. Therefore, it is not required to invert the brush holder. However, in the case of this type of motor, the brush holder is entirely received in the yoke housing. Thereby, the entire axial length of the yoke housing is disadvantageously lengthened. Thus, it has been demanded to address such a disadvantage.


To provide a novel JAK3 inhibitor that is useful as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent for rejection and graft versus host disease (GvHD) in organ transplantation, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, Behcet's disease, type I diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, urticaria, eczema, psoriasis, allergic conjunctivitis, uveitis, cancer, leukemia and the like. The pyridine-3-carboxyamide derivative represented by the general formula (1):

Protein kinase JAK (Janus kinase) is a protein-tyrosine phosphorylation enzyme present in the cytoplasm that regulates functions involved in the growth and survival of cells in the lymphohematopoietic system. JAK is activated by stimulation via a cytokine receptor, and induces the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues of STAT (signal transducers actuators of transcription) protein. The phosphorylated STATs dimerize and translocate from the cytoplasm to the nucleus where they bind to specific DNA sequences leading to the transcriptional activation of genes (Gene, 285, 1-24, 2002).
The JAK family is known to be composed of four members: JAK1, JAK2, JAK 3 and Tyk2. While Jak1, Jak2 and Tyk2 are expressed relatively ubiquitously, the expression of Jak3 is localized. JAK3 is constantly expressed in NK cells, thymic cells, mast cells, platelet cells etc., whereas in T cells and B cells its expression is induced following the activation of the cells. JAK3 is specifically associated with the γc chain of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor and is activated by each cytokine stimulation via each receptor of IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-13, IL-15 and IL-21 (Curr. Pharm. Design., 10, 1767-1784, 2004). It is demonstrated that JAK3 is also involved in IL-2 production from T cells and T cell activation by associating with the T cell receptor/CD3 complex (J. Immunol., 163, 5411-5417, 1999; J. Biol. Chem., 276, 25378-25385, 2001). Furthermore, in some patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), the reduced expression of the JAK3 protein due to JAK3 gene mutation can be noted, and in patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disease (XSCID), gene defect in the γc chain has been reported suggesting that the blockage of JAK3-related signal transduction may inhibit the immune system (Nature, 377, 65-68, 1995; Science 266, 1042-1045, 1994). Furthermore, it is reported that in JAK3-deficient mice, the onset of streptozotocin-induced autoimmune diabetes mellitus can be suppressed (Curr. Pharm. Design., 10, 1767-1784, 2004).
Since JAK3 is expressed in many lymphatic cells, involved in the activation and propagation of T cells, and has been implicated in autoimmune diseases of model animals, as described above, it is expected to provide a selective target for drug discovery and the development of an agent for specifically inhibiting JAK3 has been sought after.
On the other hand, a study on gene-deficient mice suggested that JAK3 is involved in degranulation and release of chemical mediators induced by IgE/antigen stimulation, JAK3 is also promising as a target for drug discovery intended to inhibit allergic reactions associated with mast cells (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 257, 807-813, 1999).
Accordingly, it is expected that inhibition of JAK3 could lead to the prevention and treatment of rejection and graft versus host disease (GvHD) in organ transplantation, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, Behcet's disease, type I diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, urticaria, eczema, psoriasis, allergic conjunctivitis, uveitis, cancer, leukemia and the like.
Under these circumstances, low molecular weight inhibitors for JAK3 intended for pharmaceuticals have been reported. For example, a pyrrolo-pyrimidine derivative (WO2000/142246; Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 17, 1250-1253, 2007), a pyrrolo-pyridine derivative (WO2007/007919), an indolone derivative (Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 13, 3105-3110, 2003), a purine derivative (WO2006/108103), a benzoxazole derivative (WO2008/031594 pamphlet), a quinazoline derivative (WO2000/010981), a quinoline derivative (WO2005/075429), a highly-fused ring compound (WO2007/145957; Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 17, 326-31, 2007), a pyrimidine derivative (WO2008/009458; WO2006/133426) and the like.
Also, there is a report on a pyridine derivative having a JAK3 inhibitory activity (WO2007/062459), which describes the following the general formula:
[see the description for definition of symbols]
However, the pyridine derivative described in this reference is different from the pyridine derivative of the present invention in the type and in the position of bonding of functional group, and the 50% inhibition concentration for the JAK3 inhibitory activity described in the Example is about 20 μM (see the description of the present invention on pages 49 to 50). There are no further reports on JAK3 inhibitors of the pyridine type, and thus pyridine derivatives having an excellent JAK3 inhibitory activity are still in great need.

Abstract: or its salt or a solvate thereof.


The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for preventing and/or treating a pediatric epilepsy or epilepsy-related syndrome comprising the phenyl carbamate compound as an active ingredient, and a use of the phenyl carbamate compound for preventing and/or treating pediatric epilepsy or pediatric epilepsy-related syndromes.

Epilepsy and its related syndromes may be classified according to whether the associated seizures are partial or generalized, and whether the etiology is idiopathic or symptomatic/cryptogenic. Several important pediatric syndromes can be further grouped according to age of onset and prognosis. Epilepsy is one of the most common and disabling neurologic disorders in childhood. These may be divided into the epileptic encephalopathies of infancy and early childhood, febrile convulsions, and benign partial and generalized syndromes of later childhood and adolescence.
At present, the International League Against Epilepsy classification of epilepsy syndromes according to presumed localization (partial, generalized, undetermined) and etiology (idiopathic, cryptogenic, symptomatic). In clinical practice, it is often useful to conceptualize epilepsy syndromes according to their usual age at presentation, which greatly facilitates syndrome identification in new patients and recognizes the age-related expression of many childhood epilepsies. Definitional problems exist for many pediatric epilepsy syndromes, particularly the epileptic encephalopathies of early infancy, the benign epilepsies of infancy and childhood, the myoclonic epilepsies of infancy and early childhood, and the idiopathic generalized epilepsies of childhood and adolescence. (Epilepsia. 1996; 37 Suppl 1:S26-40).
TABLE 1Epilepsy syndromes according to usual age at onsetPeriodEpilepsy classificationNeonatal periodBenign neonatal convulsionsBenign neonatal familial convulsionsMiscellaneous neonatal seizuresInfancyFebrile seizuresEarly infantile epileptic encephalopathyEarly myoclonic encephalopathyInfantile spasmWest syndromesSevere myoclonic epilepsy of infancyBenign myoclonic epilepsy of infancyBenign partial epilepsy of infancyBenign infantile familial convulsionSymptomatic/cryptogenic partial epilepsiesEarly childhoodEpilepsy with myoclonic absences(toddler and preschoolLennox-Gastaut syndromeage)Epilepsy with myoclonic-astatic seizures(Doosesyndrome)Acquired epileptic aphasia(Landaw-Kleffner syndrome)Epilepsy with continuous spike-waveduring low-wave sleepEpilepsy with gastric seizures andhypothalamic hamartomaSymptomatic/cryptogenic partial epilepsiesChildhood (School age), Childhood absence epilepsyadolescence and youngadulthood
Some childhood-onset epilepsy syndromes are well defined and easily recognizable. These include benign rolandic, various syndromes with absence, the Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS), and continuous spike-wave inslow sleep. Others have somewhat vague characteristics including the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Some are still very difficult to define including benign occipital epilepsy and myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.
The term benign epilepsy is used to refer to a group of pediatric epileptic disorders in which remission and lack of significant neurologic sequalae are expected in the vast majority of patients. These disorders are idiopathic, occur in otherwise healthy children, and have (with rare exceptions) a strong genetic component. They include generalized epilepsies and partial epilepsies. These epilepsies are presented according to the age of onset, starting from the neonatal period. Although the prognosis of neonatal convulsions remains poor, benign neonatal convulsions are differentiated by their generally good prognosis. Two syndromes in which no metabolic, hypoxic-ischemic, or structural etiology is apparent are benign familial neonatal convulsions and benign idiopathic neonatal convulsions. (Regarding the former syndrome, some authors prefer to identify it by the term familial neonatal convulsions, dispensing with the adjective benign.) These include generalized, as well as partial, epilepsies. The generalized epilepsies discussed are limited to childhood absence epilepsy, which is also called pyknolepsy, and juvenile absence epilepsy, also known as epilepsy with nonpyknoleptic absences or epilepsy with spanioleptic absences. The benign partial epilepsies include benign partial epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes, benign occipital epilepsy, and benign epilepsy with affective symptoms.
In addition, presentation of variability of features as well as recent genetic findings and correlations have led to an expansion of the syndrome to include Benign Myoclonic Epilepsy (BME), Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy Borderland (SMEB), Severe Infantile Multifocal Epilepsy (SIMFE), and Intractable Childhood Epilepsy with Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures (ICE-GTC), Dravet syndrome (Ds), also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), is a rare and catastrophic form of intractable epilepsy that begins in infancy. Initial seizures are most often prolonged events and in the second year of life other seizure types begin to emerge. Development remains on track initially, with plateaus and a progressive decline typically beginning in the second year of life. Individuals with Dravet syndrome face a higher incidence of SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy) and have associated conditions, which also need to be properly treated and managed. SIMFE presents in infancy but the neuro-developmental regression occurs between ages 3 and 6 years instead of between ages 2 and 4 years in the Dravet syndrome.
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) also known as Lennox syndrome, is a difficult-to-treat form of childhood-onset epilepsy that most often appears between the second and sixth year of life, and is characterized by frequent seizures and different seizure types; it is often accompanied by developmental delay and psychological and behavioral problems. As a general rule, the age of seizure onset in LGS patients is between the ages of two and six; however, this does not exclude the possibility that seizures can begin before age two, or after age six. The syndrome shows clear parallels to West syndrome, enough to suggest a connection. West syndrome or West's Syndrome is an uncommon to rare epileptic disorder in infants. Other names for it are Generalized Flexion Epilepsy, Infantile Epileptic Encephalopathy, Infantile Myoclonic Encephalopathy, jackknife convulsions, Massive Myoclonia and Salaam spasms. The term infantile spasms can be used to describe the specific seizure manifestation in the syndrome, but is also used as a synonym for the syndrome itself. West syndrome in modern usage is the triad of infantile spasms, a pathognomonic EEG pattern (called hypsarrhythmia), and developmental regression. Compared with other forms of epilepsy, Pediatric epilepsy is difficult to treat. It is very important that the condition is diagnosed as early as possible and that treatment begins straight away. However, there is no guarantee that therapy will work even in this case. There is to clarify a need for improved medication.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Phenyl carbamate compounds for use in preventing or treating pediatric epilepsy and epilepsy-related syndromes


According to one embodiment, a display device including a first substrate including an organic film, a first recess and a second recess formed in the organic film, and a first projection having the organic film, a second substrate, and a sealing member located in a second area around a first area, and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate together, wherein the first substrate includes a mounting portion, the first recess and the second recess extend in the second area, a first leading end portion of the first recess is separated from a second leading end portion of the second recess, and the first projection, the first recess and the second recess overlap the sealing member.

Recently, display devices of various forms have been proposed. A display device has a display panel composed of a plurality of layers. If an impact, etc., is applied to the display panel, layers having low adhesion strength among the layers constituting the display panel may be detached in some cases.


Evaluation of tree production capacity by a non-destructive method using a tree crown structure measurement device or using an image capture device with a fisheye lens mounted, for isolated trees or for trees existing at intervals, is enabled without requiring a large amount of time.

In the past, various methods have been studied for non-destructive estimation of the leaf areas of tree, which is one index of tree production capacity; one of these is a method in which the total tree leaf area is estimated by measuring light transmitted by tree leaves using an optical tree structure measurement device. Here, an optical tree structure measurement device is placed in positions below isolated trees or below a plurality of trees existing at intervals, light transmitted by tree leaves is measured, and the data obtained is used to estimate the total leaf area of tree to evaluate tree production capacity.
The following references disclose using a Plant Canopy Analyzer (PCA, a product name) as an optical tree structure measurement device to estimate the leaf area of trees.
Non-patent Reference 1
Takayuki Nakano, "Application of Plant Canopy Analyzer for Mature Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Bush" (Japanese Journal of Crop Science, 69(3): 419-423 (2000))
Non-patent Reference 2
J. S. Broadhead et al, "Comparison of method for leaf area in tree rows", Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 115:151-161 (2003))
In Non-patent Reference 1, a Plant Canopy Analyzer is applied to diagnosis of the leaf area of rows of tea bushes which constitute an isolated plant canopy. During measurements, the PCA is directed toward the bush center portion, a view cap with an aperture of 90° was mounted in order to regulate the field in the azimuthal direction (horizontal direction), and a field-regulating filter is mounted in order to regulate the field in the zenith angle direction from 0° to 60°. In this method, estimating leaf area, calculations are performed assuming a uniform population and in the case of tea bushes the quantity of branches is large compared with leaf groups, so the leaf area index is over-evaluated, thus making use in leaf area estimation difficult.
In Non-patent Reference 2, a Plant Canopy Analyzer was applied to estimation of the leaf area density (ratio of the area of leaves per unit volume) for rows of trees (Croton megalocarpus, Melia volkensil) in a savanna in Kenya, and assuming the cross-section of tree rows to be elliptical and using the estimated optical path lengths, the leaf area density was calculated based on a method of calculation for isolated trees. Using this method, the correlation between calculation results and actually measured leaf area densities is low, and consequently the zenith angle distribution of inclination angles for individual leaves is newly measured, and the correlation between calculation results obtained from a model based on this and measured values is heightened. However, because a new model is added, considerable time and effort are required to measure the inclination angles of individual leaves, and so this cannot be said to be a practical method.
A PCA (Plant Canopy Analyzer: U.S. LI-COR model LAI-2000) is a representative optical tree structure measurement device currently in use. As shown in FIG. 1, this device comprises a lens system including a fisheye lens which captures light within an incident angle range of 148° at the tip end, a reflecting mirror, a filter and a detector. In the detector, photosensitive elements of silicon are disposed in a concentric circular array, so as to detect light with five different zenith angles. Data obtained in measurements by the detector is processed and control of data transfer to a computer is executed.
The PCA is generally used for measurements of plant canopies, which have a radial-direction spreading of three or more times the height z of the population and which have a uniform leaf area distribution and a uniform height according to the azimuthal directions with a cross-sectional shape such as that shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the optical path length S(θ) at the zenith angle θ, at which the transmissivity of a population is measured on the earth's surface, is estimated using the following equation.S(θ)=z/cos θ
However, in the case of an isolated plant canopy (a single isolated tree or similar) for which the assumption of the above equation is not adapted, in general there are a need for measurement of transmitted light with the sensor at the base of the trunk and oriented toward the outside of the plant canopy and also a need for measurement of optical path length at zenith angle θ at the measurement point. Because the shape of an isolated plant canopy and the leaf area are not uniform but variable depending on the azimuthal direction, it is necessary to make measurements in approximately four azimuthal directions, and consequently length measurements must be performed in a total of 20 cases (five optical path lengths×four compass directions). Further, because the sensor is directed outward of the plant canopy, the middle upper portion of the population is not subjected to measurements. Also, because what is obtained in this method is the leaf area density (the leaf area per unit volume of tree), measurements for the volume of the plant canopy must be performed as another step in order to calculate the total leaf area.
The inventor measured transmitted light for tree of 33 citrus trees using a PCA and, assuming a plant population with a substantially uniform leaf area distribution and height with azimuthal direction as described above, estimated tree leaf areas. As a result, the relation between the leaf area index (the ratio of the leaf area per unit area) as measured by a PCA and the tree crown leaf area index (the ratio of the leaf area to the area of the tree crown projected onto the ground) is shown in FIG. 3, where the correlation is low (r=0.418) with considerable dispersion regardless of the magnitude of the leaf area density. Conceivable reasons for this low correlation between the leaf area index measured by PCA and the tree crown leaf area index include the fact that the citrus trees measured are not a tree canopy having uniform height, for which a PCA is originally intended.
A conventional method of tree crown leaf area estimation using an optical tree crown structure measurement device cannot be applied to trees having only old leaves (leaves which have lasted through winter) with low leave area densities, and measurement is often difficult, and there has also been such a problem that the ratio of new leaves (newly developed leaves which have not lasted through winter) to old leaves cannot be evaluated. Further, when estimating the tree crown leaf area of trees which are isolated or which exist at intervals and do not constitute a tree group with uniform height, much time is required for estimation, and inevitably there is only low correlation between the leaf area index obtained as a result of measurement and the tree crown leaf area index. Hence it has been sought to execute estimation without requiring much time, to heighten the correlation between the leaf area index obtained as a result of measurement and the tree crown leaf area index and to reduce required expenses.

Method for evaluating tree production capacity, image capture device for evaluating tree production capacity, and program for evaluating tree production capacity

Abstract: A semi-spheroid of revolution model is established as a representation of the outer shape of a tree, an optical tree structure measurement device is placed at a position apart from the main trunk by a prescribed distance, the intensity of light passing through tree leaves and the intensity of light not passing through tree leaves are measured, the optical path length of light incident on the tree is calculated using the semi-spheroid model and the total tree leaf area is determined from the measured light intensities and optical path length. The total tree leaf area is also determined by placing an image capture device with a fisheye lens mounted in place of an optical tree structure measurement device and performing data processing of image data acquired by image capturing.


An image capturing device includes a housing defining an aperture, a first lens module arranged inside the housing, a second lens module arranged inside the housing, and a light reflection assembly aligned with the aperture. The first lens module and the second lens module are positioned at opposite sides of the aperture. The light reflection assembly includes a reflecting mirror. The light reflection assembly is rotatable between a first position where the reflecting mirror reflects light from the aperture towards the first lens module and a second position where the reflecting mirror reflects light from the aperture towards the second lens module.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to imaging technologies and, particularly, to an image capturing device having multiple image capturing modes and an electronic device using the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With ongoing developments in imaging and multimedia technology, image capturing devices have become widely used in some kinds of consumer electronic devices, such as cellular phones, laptops, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc. In addition, there is a growing demand for developing more image capturing devices with multiple functions, such as image capturing devices having multiple image capturing modes with different functions.
Therefore, an image capturing device with multiple image capturing modes and an electronic device using the same are needed.

Image capturing device with multiple image capturing modes and electronic device using same


A fastening pin, or peg is partially inserted into an aligned aperture and attached thereto by a webbed flashing. In a one-step assembly operation, the pin is driven further into the aperture as the flashing is broken and driven through an aligned aperture of a second component.

The present invention relates to fastening constructions, and more specifically to a technique for manufacturing a fastener and a component having a hole for receiving the fastener, and a technique for assembling the fastener to the component.
In the container industry, many types of fasteners are used in the assembly of containers, including the attachment of container lids and handles. In one arrangement for connecting a handle to a container, the container is provided with a lug having a hole therethrough and the handle has a pair of mating apertured legs for receiving a bolt, clip, pin or some other form of fastener that permits the handle to pivot. In assembly, the handle legs are positioned straddling the lug with the holes aligned, and the fastener is then inserted, often times by force, through the legs and the lug. The fastener is secured in position by a locking mechanism, thereby hinging the handle to the container.
In one manufacturing technique, handles and fasteners of this nature made of plastic are formed together in a single unit with the handles and fasteners attached by flashing around the periphery of each individual piece. By breaking the pieces away from the flashing, the handles and fasteners are detached into separate pieces. Because fasteners are often lost in assembly, extra fasteners are formed, resulting in an increase in production costs. When the handle is attached to a container, the fastener, separated from the handle is inserted through the handle legs and the container lug with the components held in aligned position.
A need exists for an improved technique which will simplify the assembly of container lids or handles or other such components.

Frangible fastening construction for handles and method of fastening


A round ride configured to provide lateral flight or movement of the passenger vehicle. The ride includes a vehicle support or boom arm that includes a four-bar linkage with: a base link affixed to the rotating hub; a crank or driver link rotating about a pivotal connection with this base link by a rotary actuator; a vehicle support link pivotally connected at one end to the crank or driver link to move with this link and at a second or outboard end to a coupler that supports the vehicle; and a follower or connector link pivotally connected at its ends to the base link and vehicle support link. As the crank or driver link is rotated, the guest compartment moves along a motion profile defining irregular vertical movement (not simply a preset arc) and providing lateral movement, which changes the ride dynamics including changing vehicle velocity with varying vehicle radii.

1. Field of the Description
The present description relates, in general, to amusement park rides and other entertainment rides such as round rides, and, more particularly, to amusement or theme park round rides configured to position a vehicle at numerous radii through movement of a coupler (or vehicle coupling point) on an end of a support arm through an irregular motion profile. The support arm is attached at an opposite end to a central hub that is rotated about a central or rotation axis at one or more speeds.
2. Relevant Background
Amusement and theme parks are popular worldwide with hundreds of millions of people visiting the parks each year. Park operators continuously seek new designs for rides that attract and continue to entertain park visitors. Many parks include round rides that include vehicles or gondolas mounted on support arms extending outward from a centrally located structure that is rotated by a drive assembly. The passengers or riders sit in the vehicles (or guest/rider compartments) and are rotated by the drive assembly, which spins the hub structure about its central axis.
In some of these rides, the passengers may operate an interactive device, such as a joystick in the vehicle, to make the support arm and their attached vehicle gradually move upward or downward within a limited, preset range such as by pivoting the support arm at its connection to the central hub. Some rides also allow the passengers to control the pitch of their vehicle.
Even with these added features, it is difficult to provide a round ride that attracts repeat riders because the ride experience is repetitive and predictable. For example, the support arm typically has a fixed length, and the vehicle is rigidly or pivotally mounted at a fixed location on the support aim. As a result, the radius at which the vehicle rotates about the central hub or rotation assembly does not vary much throughout the ride. This results in a motion profile with a generally fixed or constant radius and a fixed vertical path (e.g., the passenger may be able to use a joystick to move their vehicle up and down in a predefined arc). The available round rides have a limited and very predictable set of ride dynamics, such as centripetal force applied to the vehicle and vehicle speed, which are unchanging or vary only within a small range. These rides may be thought of as single degree-of-freedom (DOF) rides with a single user or rider input.
There remains a need for new round rides that improve the ride experience such as by providing a larger range of ride dynamics, e.g., bigger range of vehicle speeds, while retaining the benefits of a rotating structure or round ride including a small footprint, simple control systems, and relatively low construction and maintenance costs. For example, it may be desirable to provide a round ride with each vehicle having a motion profile that includes lateral movement (or "lateral flight") in relation to the center of the rotating hub.


A network adapter includes a host interface configured to communicate with a host, a network interface configured to communicate with a communication network, and packet processing circuitry. The packet processing circuitry is configured to receive a packet from the host via the host interface, or from the communication network via the network interface, to receive an indication of a network time used for synchronizing network elements in the communication network, to match the packet to a rule, the rule including a condition and an action, and to perform the action in response to the packet meeting the condition, wherein one or more of (i) the condition in the rule and (ii) the action in the rule, depend on the network time.

Various techniques for processing packets in network adapters are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,397,960 describes methods for steering packets, including receiving a packet and determining parameters to be used in steering the packet to a specific destination, in one or more initial steering stages, based on one or more packet specific attributes. The methods further include determining an identity of the specific destination of the packet in one or more subsequent steering stages, governed by the parameters determined in the one or more initial stages and one or more packet specific attributes, and forwarding the packet to the determined specific destination.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,027,601 describes techniques for flow-based packet modification. In some embodiments a communication apparatus includes a host interface, which is configured to be connected to a peripheral component bus, and a network interface, which is configured to be connected to a network. Packet processing circuitry is coupled between the host interface and the network interface and is configured to receive from a first interface, selected from among the host interface and the network interface, a data packet comprising a header containing multiple fields having respective values, to identify, responsively to a value of at least one of the fields, a corresponding entry in a header modification table, and to modify the header in accordance with the identified entry. The data packet with the modified header is transmitted through a second interface selected from among the host interface and the network interface.

Network adapter with time-aware packet-processing pipeline


A thin static dissipative tape construction for use as a rug or runner in static sensitive areas should have a thickness of less than 1.5 mm and preferably less than 1.02 mm and be adhesively coated for application direct to the floor. The tape comprises a static dissipative layer, a conductive layer laminated thereto and a continuous pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The static dissipative layer is textured. The tape may be perforated to apply wide webs to surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape product used to drain static charge from personnel working in munitions and chemical plants and with sensitive electronic devices in circuit assembly areas, and in one aspect to a tape product which can be applied as a work surface covering, wall covering, rug or runner in areas where personnel are working with such devices to restrict damage due to static electricity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pads and mats for use in draining static charge from personnel are known and have been designed for use on work surfaces of various sorts. An example of such conductive mats is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,696 assigned to the assignee of this application. This patent affords an example of a web comprising a semiconductive polymeric surface layer, a conductive layer and a supporting substrate, for example, a resilient foam layer. This foam layer provides a cushioning when the web is used as a floor covering. Alternatively, a thin sheet of stiff plastic or fiberboard could be used in place of the foam, when the web is used under chairs and especially when used under chairs over carpeting. When the web was used as a floor mat, the thickness of the mat with the foam caused carts moving between work areas to bounce and the electronic parts contained therein to be jostled about. Further, soft mats would roll or wrinkle upon movement of a cart thereover, making the same not particularly desirable as floor coverings in the work areas.
The present invention provides a static dissipative covering for floors which does not have a height sufficient to cause a cart to be impeded in any way when rolling onto or off the covering. The tape of the present invention does not roll or wrinkle eliminating hazardous areas or areas where the material carts could be bounced during movement on, along, or off the same.
Another patent relating to static dissipative mats is U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,071 which discloses a multi-layer mat comprising an upper layer of low conductivity, in the order of 10.sup.8 ohms per square, bonded to a layer of greater conductivity in order of 10.sup.2 ohms per square, and a bottom layer of expanded polymeric material of relatively low conductivity, for example, an expanded version of the material of the upper layer. A further fabric base may be laminated to the bottom layer of the web as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,260. The mat resulting had an overall thickness of 125 mils (3.175 mm) which has the same disadvantage of the web of the earlier patented construction, when used as a floor mat.
Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,602, and earlier issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,786, there is disclosed a sheeting material comprising an electrically conductive coating applied to a non-porous plastic substrate layer, the uncoated surface of which is then adhered to a second non-porous plastic layer by means of a plastisol adhesive. In one embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,602 a reinforcing layer may be disposed within the plastisol adhesive layer. The fabrics produced by the invention of that patent were found suitable for use as mattress ticking, covers for wheeled stretcher pads, pillows, traction bags as well as other hospital applications. The thickness of the sheeting is said to comprise a 1/2 to 1 mil conductive layer and preferably a 2 to 4 mil (0.05 to 0.10 mm) non-conductive layer. This patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,602 teaches a thin sheeting material but not a sheet material for controlled drainage of static charges. The earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,786, discloses a conductive sheeting comprising a polymeric film, which is perforated, laminated to a natural or synthetic rubber having up to 40% carbon black filler. The resultant product is conductive on the surface of the polymeric film.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,900 discloses a laminate material for use in the manufacture of packages and is approximately 2 mils (0.05 mm) thick comprising a polymeric substrate adhered to an anti-static polyolefin material, with a conductive layer of sputtered metal applied to either the substrate, having a volume resistivity of at least 10.sup.10 ohm-cm, or the anti-static layer, having a surface resistivity between 10.sup.6 to 10.sup.12 ohms per square. There is no teaching here of a tape material for use on a floor covering or that the adhesive layer should be covered by a removable liner to form a tape and surely such a product would be undesirable as a packaging material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,929 discloses an electrodischarging sheet prepared by applying a carbon black-high molecular weight resin composition to a base material including woven, unwoven and knit clothes and paper having an affinity to the resin compositions The base material is porous and the material of this invention can be used for clothes, carpet or wall materials. A product of this invention was believed to have been sold as "NON-SPARK TAPE AND SHEET" and sold as a wrapping for piping, wherein at least one end of the tape product had an adhesive coating to adhere the end to the pipe.
The prior art references have thus provided teachings of various compositions of sheets, webs, mats, etc. serving to dissipate static charges which might build in the various areas. The need also for materials on the floor have been known, but the need for a material capable of discharging the static charges and yet not disrupt the normal flow of people and material carts has not been taught or recognized in the art. Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a tape in suitable widths to use as rugs or runners in work areas or as floor coverings in assembly areas to provide a static dissipative surface. The materials can also be used as wall and work surface coverings.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


An apparatus and method for increasing the mass transfer of a treatment substance into a liquid flowing in a pipe in a full pipe flow regime has a diversion conduit which receives a portion of the liquid. The portion of the liquid is mixed with a treatment substance and then reintroduced into the pipe at a downstream location through an injection structure. Between the diversion conduit, on the upstream side, and the injection structure, on the downstream side, there are a plurality of flow vanes disposed circumferentially about a cylindrical inner wall of the pipe, where each flow vane extends radially inward toward a central axis of the pipe, extending into the main stream flow of the liquid. Another embodiment of the invention has a flow grid located downstream of the injection structure.

The present invention generally relates to improving the mixing efficiency of an additive in a liquid flowing under pressure through a large diameter conduit. The present invention more particularly relates to mixing systems in which a side stream is diverted from the main liquid flow, an additive mixed with the side stream, and the concentrated mixture injected back into the large diameter conduit.
The present invention is applicable to treatment of liquids by the infusion of additives. While the structural components of the invention may be utilized for treating many kinds of liquids, its principal application will be in the field of water treatment where there is substantial volumetric flow. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be utilized in municipal waste water treatment facilities where flow rates are at least 500 gallons per minute, and generally much higher. In such systems, it is desired to achieve effective and efficient blending of the returning side stream into the main flow of liquid. The volumes of water requiring treatment are typically substantial, and reducing or eliminating the amount of time required for any storage of the liquid is desirable. Thus treating the water as it is flowing—as opposed to processes employing settling ponds and/or holding tanks—can be advantageous in expediting the treatment process and reducing capital expenditures by reducing the required storage capacity of the overall system. These dynamic mixing systems provide even more advantage when the volume of the side stream can be reduced because of the corresponding reduction in energy required for processing the side stream and infusing the side stream back into the main flow of liquid.
The treatment substances utilized with the present invention may be in the form of a gas, liquid or slurry, where the treatment substance is capable of being mixed with the side stream through a mixing apparatus, such as a venturi mixing injector, chemical mixer, mixing nozzle. One well-known example of a treatment substance is ozone which is a very effective disinfectant chemical which is in gas form which decomposes into molecular oxygen at standard temperature and pressure. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,864, in which one of the inventors herein is named as an inventor, ozone may be mixed with the mixing apparatus into the side stream and then infused through nozzles into a large diameter conduit into a mainstream of flowing liquid. The conduit is a large pipe often on the order of 48 inches in diameter.
The object of present invention is to improve the transfer efficiency of the treatment substance into the flowing stream. Improvements in transfer efficiency will result in reduction of the treatment time required for the flowing stream, which can minimize retaining the water for additional treatment and prevents "over-dosing" the stream in order to be assured of a sufficiency throughout the treated liquid. In other words, improving the mass transfer efficiency may reduce initial capital investment in the system and reduce the operating expense for the system.

Apparatus and method of increasing the mass transfer of a treatment substance into a liquid


A method of producing a material of an oxide superconductor comprises the following steps: (a) in a solution, ionizing a material containing an atom for constituting the oxide superconductor, (b) by removing a solvent by spraying the solution in a first atmosphere, producing a material powder containing the atom for constituting the oxide superconductor, and (c) cooling the material powder in a second atmosphere into which a cooling gas is introduced. In this method, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the second atmosphere is lower than that in the first atmosphere, which contains the removed solvent component. The concentration of nitrogen oxide in the second atmosphere is lower than that in the first atmosphere, which contains the removed solvent component. The concentration of water vapor in the second atmosphere is lower than that in the first atmosphere, which contains the removed solvent component. These specifications enable the method to increase the density and purity of the oxide superconductor.

Oxide superconducting wires are produced by the following process:                (a) a metal tube is filled with a material (material powder) of an oxide superconductor;        (b) the metal tube is processed by drawing or rolling to obtain a wire having an intended shape;        (c) the obtained wire is heat-treated to sinter the material of the oxide superconductor; and        (d) thus, an oxide superconductor is produced.
A material of an oxide superconductor has been produced by the following method, for example: First, powders of raw materials of an oxide or carbonate of elements for constituting the oxide superconductor are mixed with a specified ratio. Next, the mixed powder is treated a plurality of times with a heat treatment at 700 to 860° C. or so and with pulverization. Thus, the material of the oxide superconductor is obtained that is composed of a superconducting phase and a non-superconducting phase. Such a method of producing a material of an oxide superconductor has been disclosed in the published Japanese patent application Tokukai 2004-119248 (Patent literature 1), for example.
However, the above-described production method has a problem in that the heat treatment and pulverization are required to perform a plurality of times in order to make the material powder uniform. In addition, even the heat treatment and pulverization are performed a plurality of times, the uniformity of the material powder has a limitation.
In view of the above-described situation, for example, non-patent literatures 1 and 2 have disclosed a production method that can easily produce a material of an oxide superconductor that has uniformly distributed elements constituting the oxide superconductor. In the production methods disclosed in non-patent literatures 1 and 2, first, the elements for constituting the oxide superconductor are dissolved in a nitric acid solution to ionize the elements. Next, the nitrate solution is sprayed in a high-temperature atmosphere to remove the solvent so that a powder can be obtained. Then, the temperature of the atmosphere is reduced to cool the powder. Thus, the material powder comprising the elements for constituting the oxide superconductor is produced.                Patent literature 1: the published Japanese patent application Tokukai 2004-119248.        Non-patent literature 1: M. Awano, et al., "Enhancement for Synthesis of Bi—Pb—Sr—Ca—Cu—O superconductor by the Spray Drying and Subsequent Calcination with Rapid Heating," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 30, No. 5A, (1991), pp. L806-L808.        Non-patent literature 2: N. Tohge, et al., "Preparation Conditions and Morphology of Superconducting Fine Particles in the Bi—Ca—Sr—Cu—O System Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis," J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 74 (9), (1991), pp. 2117-2122.

Method of producing a material of oxide superconductor, method of producing an oxide superconducting wire, and superconducting apparatus


A mouse trap having a flexible handle made of a thin strip of plastic material and normally extending in upright relation from one end of the trap so as not to impede access to the trigger of the trap by a mouse nor movement of the trapping bail between its latched and sprung positions. The handle is sufficiently flexible to permit handling and transport of the trap by grasping an upper end of the handle with the base and trapped mouse suspended in depending relation from the lower end of the handle. The handle also is bendable into closely overlapping relation to the top side of the trap to permit compact containment of the trap in conventional packaging.

Although commercially available mousetraps are reusable, the trapping and killing of a mouse contaminates the trap, making such reuse undesirable. While various proposals have been made for facilitating handling of mousetraps so as to reduce contact with the killed mouse, such proposals often have been relatively complex and bulky in design, appreciably increase the cost of the device, and encumber packaging and marketing of the trap. Indeed, conventional mousetraps are relatively low cost items which typically are packaged in small cellophane bags or blister seal packs that are displayed on hanger racks in hardware stores or supermarkets for easy access. Bulky and more complex devices impede such packaging and marketing of the trap.

Animal trap with sanitary handling means


An optical component has a substrate, on which at least one curved substrate surface is formed that defines an optical axis of the optical component, wherein the substrate surface is coated with a multilayer coating that is active in the ultraviolet region at a design wavelength λ0 and includes a first layer, applied to the substrate surface, made from a first dielectric material and at least one second layer, applied to the first layer, made from a second dielectric material. The substrate consists essentially of a crystal material that has an axially parallel crystal direction, running parallel to the optical axis, and edge crystal directions perpendicular to edge regions of the curved substrate surface. An angle between the axially parallel crystal direction and the edge crystal directions is at least 17°, and the first layer has an essentially untextured layer structure. An anisotropy, caused by the substrate structure, in the optical properties of the multilayer coating can thereby be avoided.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical component comprising a substrate, on which at least one curved substrate surface is formed that defines an optical axis of the optical component, wherein the substrate surface is coated with a multilayer coating that is active in the ultraviolet light region at a design wavelength λ0 and comprises a first layer, applied to the substrate surface, made from a first dielectric material and at least one second layer, applied to the first layer, made from a second dielectric material. The invention also relates to an optical imaging system comprising at least one such component, and to a method for producing optical components.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many areas of the application of optical systems, there is a rising need for powerful optical components whose optical properties are optimized for design wavelengths λ0 in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) region or in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region, in particular in the wavelength region between approximately 120 nm and approximately 260 nm. Radiation from this wavelength region is used, for example, in microlithography systems for manufacturing large-scale integrated semiconductor components or other finely structured components with the aid of wafer steppers or wafer scanners. In this case, a light source, for example a laser, illuminates via an illumination system a mask (reticle) whose image is imaged with the aid of a projection system onto a semiconductor wafer coated with a photoresist layer.
Since the cost-effectiveness of this method is decisively determined by the speed of an exposure operation, there is a need for optical systems with the lowest possible light losses between light source and wafer. Consequently, those surfaces of transparent optical components of the systems that are exposed to radiation are coated with so-called antireflection layers (AR layers) or reflection-reducing layers in order to increase their transparency or transmission. These antireflection coatings lead to an increase in transmission as long as the light losses that are introduced, for example, by absorption and scattering by the coating, remain small by comparison with the order of magnitude of the reduction in reflection. The reduction in reflection also serves to avoid false light or scattered light that can impair the imaging properties of high quality imaging systems.
In order to be able to produce ever finer structures, it is attempted, on the one hand, to enlarge ever further the image-side numerical aperture (NA) of the projection objective and of the illumination systems adapted thereto. On the other hand, ever shorter wavelengths are being used, for example 248 nm, 193 nm and 157 nm. Since only a few sufficiently transparent materials whose Abbé constants are, moreover, relatively close to one another are available in this wavelength region for the purpose of manufacturing the optical components, it is difficult to provide purely refractive system with adequate correction of chromatic aberrations. Consequently, widespread use is made for this wavelength region of catadioptric systems in which refracting and reflecting components, in particular lenses and mirrors with a curved reflective surface, are combined. The curved substrate surface of a concave mirror can be coated with a dielectric multilayer coating that serves to optimize the reflectance, and is denoted as a reflective coating or highly reflecting coating (HR layer). The use of concave rear surface mirrors (Mangin mirror) in catadioptric systems is likewise known.
Optical materials that are sufficiently transparent even at wavelengths below 193 nm principally include fluoride crystal materials such as monocrystalline calcium fluoride (CaF2) or barium fluoride (BaF2).
Again, a selection of available dielectric materials for constructing dielectric multilayer coatings with alternating high refractive index and low refractive index individual layers is limited in the case of known short wavelengths. At wavelengths of 193 nm or below, fluoride materials are preferred on the basis of their high transparency or a low material-specific absorption. Use is frequently made in this case of lanthanum fluoride (LaF3) as high refractive index dielectric material, and of magnesium fluoride (MgF2) as low refractive index dielectric material.
Studies on the growth behavior of lanthanum fluoride layers on calcium fluoride substrates and substrates made from synthetic silica glass are presented in the article entitled "Hetero-epitaxial growth and optical properties of LaF3 and CaF2" by Y. Taki and K. Muramatsu in: Thin Solid Films 420-421 (2002) pages 30 to 37. The authors demonstrate that lanthanum fluoride layers that have been applied to calcium fluoride substrates at temperatures of 250° C. by vacuum deposition and whose surfaces run parallel to (111) net planes (crystal lattice plane) of the crystalline substrate material grow epitaxially in an orderly fashion. When the lanthanum fluoride was deposited under the same vapor deposition conditions onto a substrate made from synthetic silica glass, the lanthanum fluoride layer had a polycrystalline structure with statistical crystallite orientation. The authors indicate that a defective crystallinity and a porous structure of lanthanum fluoride layers impair the optical transparency of the latter in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region, while the epitaxial growth of lanthanum fluoride on <111>-oriented calcium fluoride very effectively diminishes the photoabsorption in the lanthanum fluoride layer.
WO 03/009015 presents optical components with calcium fluoride substrates whose surfaces are parallel or at an angle of at most 30° to a (111) plane of the crystal material. These substrate surfaces are coated with an epitaxially grown layer made from lanthanum fluoride and which is intended to have a dense structure with few defects, a high refractive index and low absorption losses.
The patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,365 presents various three-layer antireflection coatings that are intended to have a strongly reflection-reducing effect for design wavelengths in the range between 150 nm and 300 nm. It is proposed in this case to make the first layer, next to the substrate, from a low refractive index material, for example MgF2 or Na3AlF6, with thin optical layer thicknesses of between 0.05 λ0 and 0.15 λ0, while the high refractive index and low refractive index layers lying thereupon are designed as quarter wavelength layers (optical layer thickness approximately 0.25 λ0), LaF3 being used respectively as high refractive index material. These multilayer coatings are intended to have a good reflection-diminishing effect on flat or weakly curved substrates made from synthetic silica glass up to a large incidence angle of the incident radiation of more than 40°.
The patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,696 B1 describes a coating method, the aim of which is to facilitate in conjunction with the use of fluoride-containing substrate materials the avoidance of the formation of color centers when coatings are produced with the aid of sputter techniques. A layer made from silicon oxide, beryllium oxide, magnesium oxide or magnesium fluoride with a layer thickness of 30 nm or less is applied as first layer to the substrate surface for this purpose. The protective layer is intended to prevent the plasma from penetrating into the substrate material, and to prevent color centers from being produced thereby.
Particularly for applications in the field of microlithography at high numerical apertures, optical components made from fluoride crystal material can occur that have strongly curved surfaces. It has been shown in investigations by the inventor that with such systems undesired variations in the transmission whose causes were unexplained sometimes occurred over the cross section of the optical system.

Monocrystalline optical component with curved surface and multilayer coating


A method for dynamically scheduling a data-processing workload includes recognizing minimum and maximum execution slice sizes and predicting an execution slice size for a current job of a collection of jobs. If the predicted execution slice size exceeds the maximum slice size or if the job involves date-dependent records in the future of the current date, the job is split into a working slice and a remainder slice, the remainder slice is added to the collection of jobs and the working slice is executed. Otherwise, if the predicted execution slice size is between the minimum and maximum execution slice sizes, the current job is executed.

Data-processing workflows may achieve increased throughput when a large amount of data is processed in a batch, for example, due to a reduced overhead relative to each datum in the batch. However, a large batch size may result in a large latency for processing the batch, for example, due to waiting for the whole batch of data to be available.

Dynamic time slicing for data-processing workflow