Provided is a method that, in the case of managing areas of a non-volatile memory of an information recording module by a file system, increases the speed of processing for writing file data and file system management information, and furthermore prevents a decrease in the rewriting lifetime of the non-volatile memory. The information recording module (2) is provided with a page cache control unit (217) that stores page cache information (224) in the non-volatile memory (22) of the information recording module (2) and performs control such that a specific physical block is used as a cache when writing small-sized data. Also, an access module (1) is provided with a page cache information setting unit (104) that sets information necessary for page cache control in the information recording module (2). The combination of the access module (1) and the information recording module (2) prevents the execution of needless saving process with use of page caching when writing small-sized data, thereby increasing the speed of writing processing.

There are various types of recording media for recording digital data such as music content and video data, examples of which include a magnetic disk, an optical disk, and a magneto-optical disk. Among such recording media, memory cards that use a semiconductor memory such as a flash ROM as the recording element have rapidly become prevalent particularly in compact mobile devices such as digital still cameras and mobile phone terminals, due to the ability of the recording medium to be reduced in size. Moreover, in addition to applications as removable media as with conventional memory cards, semiconductor memory has recently been used in applications as internal device storage, such as incorporating a semiconductor memory such as a flash ROM into a device for use in place of a hard disk.
Mainly a semiconductor element called a NAND-type flash memory is used in such memory cards and internal device storage. A NAND-type flash memory is a recording element that, after previously recorded data has been erased once, can again record different data, and enables configuring an information recording device in which rewriting can be performed multiple times, likewise to conventional hard disks.
Conventionally, data stored in a memory card or internal device storage is managed using a file system. Managing data using a file system enables the data to be shared as a file between devices that can interpret the same file system, and therefore data stored by a user can be easily referenced and copied among multiple devices.
Conventionally, the most commonly used file system is called the FAT file system. The FAT file system is widely used as the file system in flexible disks, PC hard disks, memory cards, and the like due to having the characteristic that area management is performed in a unified manner by a table called a file allocation table (FAT), as well as having a relatively simple structure and being easily implemented.
FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the FAT file system.
Although there are various types of FAT file systems, such as FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32, which differ in the bid width used as the unit of management in the file allocation table, the method of area management using a file allocation table is substantially the same. The following describes FAT16 as an example.
As shown in FIG. 2, a file system management information area 301 exists at the head of a logical address space, and is an area for storing file system management information indicating the unit of area allocation, the size of the area managed by the file system, and the like.
The file system management information area 301 includes file system management information pieces called a master boot record (MBR) partition table 303, a partition boot sector 304, FATs (305 and 306), and a root directory entry 307, and also stores various information pieces necessary for managing a user data area 302.
The MBR partition table 303 is an area for storing information that is for managing a plurality of areas called partitions, into which an area in the logical address space managed by the file system has been divided.
The partition boot sector 304 is an area for storing information regarding management in a partition, such as the size of the unit of area management in the partition.
The FATs (305 and 306) are areas for storing information regarding the storage locations of data included in files, and normally there are two redundant FATs (305 and 306) that have the same information so that even if one of the FATs (305 and 306) is corrupted, files can be accessed using the other one of the FATs (305 and 306).
The root directory entry 307 is an area for storing information (directory entries) regarding files and directories that exist directly under the root directory.
Also, in the FAT file system, the user data area 302 for storing the data of actual files and the like follows the file system management information area 301.
The user data area 302 is divided into and managed in units of management called clusters that have a size of approximately 512 bytes to 32 KB, and data included in files is stored in the clusters. When a file stores a large amount of data, the data is stored across multiple clusters, and the connection between the clusters is managed by link information stored in the FATs (305 and 306).
Also, the information (directory entries) regarding files and subdirectories that exist in the directory directly under the root directory is stored with use of a portion of the user data area 302.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a directory entry in FAT16.
A 32-byte directory entry 308 is allocated to each file and directory, and stores information regarding the file or directory. Specifically, each time a file or directory is added, information for a 32-byte directory entry 308 is newly created and recorded in the root directory entry 307 area or the user data area 302. The name of the file or directory is stored in eight bytes at the head of the directory entry 308.
The extension is stored in the next three bytes.
The next one byte stores attribute information such as a flag identifying the type of file or directory, or a flag identifying whether the file or directory is read-only.
Also, the directory entry 308 stores, for example, information regarding the last modified date/time of the file or directory, a starting cluster number indicating the location of the start of clusters in which the file or directory itself is stored, and the file size in numbers of bytes.
In this way, since the directory entry 308 holds only information regarding the location of the cluster in which the head data of the file is stored, if the file data is stored across multiple clusters, the location information regarding such clusters is held in the FATs (305 and 306). In other words, in the case of updating a file, in addition to writing the file data, it is necessary to write information in the directory entry 308 and the FATs (305 and 306) as well.
Next is a description of a procedure of processing for writing file data in the FAT file system with reference to FIG. 4.
(S401): read out the directory entry 308 for the target file.
(S402): acquire the starting cluster number stored in the directory entry 308 that was read out, and check the location of the head of the file data.
(S403): read out the FAT (305 or 306) to the RAM of the access module, follow the links in the FAT (305 or 306) in the RAM in order beginning from the file data head location that was acquired in S402, and acquire a writing location cluster number.
(S404): determine whether a new free area needs to be allocated to the file when writing the file data. If a free area needs to be allocated, proceed to the processing of S405. If a free area does not need to be allocated, proceed to the processing of S408.
(S405): search for a free area in the FAT (305 or 306) in the RAM, and acquire a one-cluster free area. Since a value of 0x0000 set in a FAT entry in the FATs (305 and 306) represents that the FAT entry is a free cluster, the processing for acquiring a free area is processing for acquiring a FAT entry having the value 0x0000 in the FAT (305 or 306). Specifically, the FAT entries in the FAT (305 or 306) in the RAM are sequentially referenced, a FAT entry whose value is set to 0x0000 is found, and the value of the cluster number corresponding to the found FAT entry is obtained. In the FAT entry search processing, it is possible to, for example, implement processing in order from the head of the FAT (305 or 306) to the tail, or implement processing starting from the FAT entry after the FAT entry that was previously allocated as a free area, returning to the head of the FAT (305 or 306) when the tail of the FAT (305 or 306) is reached, and then through to the FAT entry that was previously allocated as a free area. In this way, there are no particular limitations on the FAT entry search processing procedure as long as processing for searching for a free area among all the areas in the FAT (305 or 306) area can be realized.
(S406): set the value of the FAT entry corresponding to the free cluster number acquired in S405 to a value representing the link tail. Since a value of 0xFFFF set in a FAT entry in the FAT (305 or 306) represents that the FAT entry is the link tail, processing for setting the value of the corresponding FAT entry to 0xFFFF in the RAM is implemented in S406.
(S407): change the value of the FAT entry corresponding to the cluster number that is the current link tail in the RAM from 0xFFFF to the free cluster number acquired in S405. If a determination has been made in S404 that a free area needs to be acquired, data is added to the tail of the file. In this case, the links to the tail of the file have been followed in the link follow processing performed in S403, and therefore the value of the FAT entry corresponding to the cluster number of the current link tail is set to 0xFFFF, which represents that the FAT entry is the link tail. In the processing of S407, by connecting the link to the free cluster that was newly acquired in S405, the file links become one cluster-worth longer, thus enabling file data to be added.
(S408): write file data in the cluster at the writing location that is currently being referenced. If a determination has been made in S404 that a free area needs to be acquired, the currently referenced writing location is the free cluster that was acquired in S405. Also, if a determination has been made in S404 that a free cluster does not need to be acquired, the currently referenced writing location is the cluster that has been arrived at as a result of following the links in S403.
(S409): determine whether the writing of all of the file data has been completed. If any file data remains, the procedure returns to the processing of S404. On the other hand, if the writing of all of the file data has been completed, the procedure proceeds to the processing of S410.
(S410): update the information regarding the file size, the last modified date/time, and the like that is stored in the directory entry 308, and overwrite the directory entry 308 stored in the non-volatile memory of the information recording module.
(S411): overwrite the FAT (305 or 306) stored in the non-volatile memory of the information recording module with the data of the FAT (305 or 306) in the RAM of the access module, and then the processing is completed.
According to this file data writing processing, in the case of adding 10,000-byte data to "FILE1.TXT" shown in FIG. 5 that includes 60,000 bytes of data, the "FILE1.TXT" changes to a file including 70,000 bytes of data as shown in FIG. 6. Specifically, the cluster having the cluster number 6 is acquired as a free cluster, file data is added thereto, and a link connecting to the cluster number 6 is written to the FAT (305 or 306). As a result, the links of "FILE1.TXT" are updated from a condition of being made up of four clusters having the cluster numbers 2 to 5, to a condition of being made up of five clusters having the cluster numbers 2 to 6.
In this way, in the FAT file system, since file management information pieces are stored in both the FATs (305 and 306) and the directory entry 308, such information pieces also need to be updated when updating a file. Specifically, in the case where the access module updates a file stored in the information recording module, as shown in FIG. 7, the series of writing processing that is implemented includes file data (DATA) writing processing, directory entry 308 (DIR) writing processing, and FAT (305 and 306) (FAT1 and FAT2) writing processing.
In the case of storing a content file such as a high-definition video to the information recording module, the bit rate of the video is high, and therefore even if the directory entry 308 and the FATs (305 and 306) are updated at the rate of, for example, once every several seconds, the file data recording size is relatively large at approximately several MB, and file data is recorded in units of this relatively large recording size. Meanwhile, since only portions of the directory entry 308 and the FATs (305 and 306) in which information is to be updated are written to the information recording module, such information is recorded in units of the relatively small size of approximately 512 bytes to 32 KB.
In the case of using a NAND-type flash memory as the non-volatile memory of the information recording module, data needs to be erased once before other data is recorded. Since the size of the unit of erasing is from several hundred KB to several MB, in the case of implementing writing in units of a small size, "saving process" is executed in which valid data existing in the same physical block is copied to another block. For this reason, with a NAND-type flash memory, there is the problem that the recording speed decreases when writing data in smaller units than the unit of erasing, and this decrease in speed becomes remarkable particularly when writing file system management information such as the aforementioned directory entry 308 and FATs (305 and 306).
Also, in the case of implementing small-sized data writing by the saving process as well, large-sized data writing is executed, and thus there is the problem that the rewriting lifetime of the NAND-type flash memory becomes shorter.
Conventionally, as a method of solving such problems, a method has been proposed in which the access module notifies a data type to the information recording module when data writing is to be performed (e.g., see Patent Citation 1).
In this method (conventional technology), the access module notifies the information recording module, as the data type, whether data is large-sized file data or small-sized file system management information, and based on this notification, the data is sorted into either of two non-volatile memories that are provided in the information recording module and that have different units of management. Accordingly, both file data and file system management information are recorded at a high speed, and furthermore a decrease in the rewriting lifetime of the non-volatile memories can be prevented.    Patent Citation 1: WO 2005/043394A1

Access device, information recording device, controller, and information recording system


Methods and apparatuses for determining contact lens intolerance in contact lens wearer patients based on tear film characteristics analysis and dry eye symptoms are disclosed. In embodiments herein, imaging of the ocular tear film is performed during contact lens wear. An analysis of the image of the ocular tear film is performed to determine one or more tear film characteristics of the ocular tear film. The tear film characteristics can be used to determine the effect or possible effect of contact lens wear on the ocular tear film, and thus be used to determine contact lens intolerance of the patient. The tear film characteristics used to analyze contact lens intolerance based on images of the ocular tear film involving contact lens wear may include dry eye symptoms, including but not limited to tear film (e.g., lipid and/or aqueous) thickness, tear film viscosity, and tear film movement rate in the eye.

In the human eye, the precorneal tear film covering ocular surfaces is composed of three primary layers: the mucin layer, the aqueous layer, and the lipid layer. Each layer plays a role in the protection and lubrication of the eye and thus affects dryness of the eye or lack thereof. Dryness of the eye is a recognized ocular disease, which is generally referred to as "dry eye," "dry eye syndrome" (DES), or "keratoconjunctivitis sicca" (KCS). Dry eye can cause symptoms, such as itchiness, burning, and irritation, which can result in discomfort. There is a correlation between the ocular tear film layer thicknesses and dry eye disease. The various different medical conditions and damage to the eye as well as the relationship of the aqueous and lipid layers to those conditions are reviewed in Surv Opthalmol 52:369-374, 2007 and additionally briefly discussed below.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the precorneal tear film includes an innermost layer of the tear film in contact with a cornea 10 of an eye 11 known as the mucus layer 12. The mucus layer 12 is comprised of many mucins. The mucins serve to retain aqueous in the middle layer of the tear film known as the aqueous layer. Thus, the mucus layer 12 is important in that it assists in the retention of aqueous on the cornea 10 to provide a protective layer and lubrication, which prevents dryness of the eye 11.
A middle or aqueous layer 14 comprises the bulk of the tear film. The aqueous layer 14 is formed by secretion of aqueous by lacrimal glands 16 and accessory tear glands 17 surrounding the eye 11, as illustrated in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B illustrates the eye 11 in FIG. 2A during a blink. The aqueous, secreted by the lacrimal glands 16 and accessory tear glands 17, is also commonly referred to as "tears." One function of the aqueous layer 14 is to help flush out any dust, debris, or foreign objects that may get into the eye 11. Another important function of the aqueous layer 14 is to provide a protective layer and lubrication to the eye 11 to keep it moist and comfortable. Defects that cause a lack of sufficient aqueous in the aqueous layer 14, also known as "aqueous deficiency," are a common cause of dry eye.
The outermost layer of the tear film, known as the "lipid layer" 18 and also illustrated in FIG. 1, also aids to prevent dryness of the eye. The lipid layer 18 is comprised of many lipids known as "meibum" or "sebum" that is produced by meibomian glands 20 in upper and lower eyelids 22, 24, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This outermost lipid layer is very thin, typically less than 250 nanometers (nm) in thickness. The lipid layer 18 provides a protective coating over the aqueous layer 14 to limit the rate at which the aqueous layer 14 evaporates. Blinking causes the upper eyelid 22 to mall up aqueous and lipids as a tear film, thus forming a protective coating over the eye 11. A higher rate of evaporation of the aqueous layer 14 can cause dryness of the eye. Thus, if the lipid layer 18 is not sufficient to limit the rate of evaporation of the aqueous layer 14, dryness of the eye may result.
For wearers of contact lenses, a widely reported ailment to physicians is intolerance to prolonged contact lens usage. Contact lens wear can contribute to dry eye. A contact lens can disrupt the natural tear film and can reduce corneal sensitivity over time, which can cause a reduction in tear production. In some patients, contact lens wear becomes unmanageable due to pain, irritation, or general decrease of visual acuity due to ocular discomfort. Typical remedies include repetitive eye drop applications, alterations of daily activity, or repeated removal of the contact lenses and return to standard eyeglasses or poor vision. For physicians, a typical treatment regime of revised medications and replacement contact lenses is tried and evaluated until a recommendation to alternative vision correction is employed for the patient. For many of these patients, evaporative dry eye disease is an underlying cause for their contact lens intolerance.
A system for determining which patients would be ideal candidates, or non-candidates for contact lenses, in the presence of ongoing dry eye disease would be of benefit to physicians and patients. Since dry eye disease can be an underlying problem as in the case of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) or non-obvious meibomian gland disease, a system that can be predictive of future contact lens problems would be advantageous. For MGD or meibomian gland disease in which dry eye signs are visible to the physician, a system that can qualitatively assess the potential impact of contact lens wear to the patient prospectively would be a benefit to future contact lens wear and the selection of model type.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and apparatuses for determining contact lens intolerance in contact lens wearer patients based on dry eye tear film characteristic analysis and dry eye symptoms


A storage subsystem coupled to a host computer is described. The storage subsystem includes storage devices and first and second storage apparatuses that control data transfer between the host computer and the storage devices. The first storage apparatus includes a first controller coupled to the host computer via a first host communication control unit and to the storage devices via a first storage device communication control unit. The second storage apparatus includes a second controller coupled to the host computer via a second host communication control unit and to the storage devices via a second storage device communication control unit. At least one of the controllers monitors a status of the first host communication control unit and the storage device communication control units, and, if the status of the first storage device communication unit indicates failure, switch communication paths for transferring data from the host computer to the storage devices.

There is a conventionally suggested storage subsystem that has storage devices and a plurality of controllers for controlling data input to, and output from, the storage devices wherein each controller is connected via a controller-to-controller connection path; and when one controller receives a write command or read command, which should be executed by a controller of the other system, from a host computer, it transfers the received write command or read command to the controller of the other system via the controller-to-controller connection path (see Patent Literature 1).
When one controller of the above-described storage subsystem receives a write command or read command, which should be executed by the controller of the other system, from the host computer, it transfers the received write command or read command to the controller of the other system, thereby writing the write command or read command to a local memory for the other system. So, every time one controller receives a write command or read command, it can process the write command or read command without communicating with other controllers.

Storage subsystem and load distribution method for executing data processing using normal resources even if an abnormality occurs in part of the data processing resources that intermediate data processing between a host computer and a storage device


A composition for external use on skin that can be spread evenly on the skin, does not produce a liquid residue as a result of temperature change, and can suppress a feeling of sliminess of xanthan gum is provided. There are provided a composition for external use on skin containing 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass of a component (A) (a water-soluble polymer obtained by mixing agar with xanthan gum) and 30% by mass or more of a component (D) (water); the composition for external use on skin containing 0.5% by mass to 40% by mass of a divalent polyol as a component (B); the composition for external use on skin according to any one of the above compositions, which contains moisturizers as a component (C); and the composition for external use on skin according to any one of the above compositions, which contains oil as a component (E).

Various moisturizers have been mixed with agents for external use on skin such as cosmetics in the related art. As typical moisturizers, hyaluronic acid, pyrrolidone carboxylate, glycerin, and the like are widely used. Although these have a high moisturizing effect, if a large amount of the moisturizer is mixed in to improve the effect, a feeling of stickiness to the skin becomes strong, which results in undesirable feeling during use in some cases. It is known that mixing oil together with a moisturizer is effective for suppressing the feeling of sliding and feeling of stickiness of the moisturizer. Moreover, an attempt at using a specific copolymer, a polyoxyethylene derivative, and a water-soluble polymer concurrently with a moisturizer is being made.
In order to relieve the feeling of stickiness of a moisturizer, a method of mixing in a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene copolymer and polyethylene glycol dialkyl ether has been reported (PTLS 1 and 2). However, with the components disclosed in these patent literature documents, an emulsion stabilizing effect for oil is not expected. Consequently, many restrictions are imposed on formulation, and the effect of suppressing stickiness is limited.
PTL 3 reports a method of reducing the feeling of stickiness of a moisturizer by mixing in native gellan gum. However, since the native gellan gum forms a hard and brittle gel, the moisturizer is not evenly spread when being applied to the skin, which leads to a defect that uniform coating is difficult.
Various types of water-soluble ionic substances are mixed into cosmetics in many cases. Examples of the water-soluble ionic substances include ascorbic acid derivatives as whitening components or as other active ingredients, pH adjustors and sequestering agents for preventing alteration of cosmetics or for maintaining usability of cosmetics, and the like.
However, since the gel strength of the native gellan gum changes in the presence of water-soluble ionic substances, mixing in of these components is restricted in terms of formulation.
When agents for external use on skin including cosmetics are applied, the agents are spread on the skin by using fingers. If the agent for external use on skin attached to the fingers used for the application absorbs moisture, the components mixed into the agent for external use on skin exhibit a lubricating property, even once the agent has dried. Accordingly, when delicate work such as gripping a pen, closing the cap of a container, and picking up small objects are carried out after the application of the agent for external use on skin, the lubricating property hinders this work in some cases. Therefore, it is desired to develop a composition for external use on skin that prevents fingers used for application from easily becoming slippery even when the fingers come into contact with moisture again.
In addition, an oil-in-water type emulsion composition such as an emulsion or a cream has been widely used as cosmetics in the related art. Particularly, for cosmetics, silicone oil or oil having a high polarity is widely used as an oil which is pleasing to the sense of touch. However, since these oils are not easily emulsified, it is difficult to realize stabilization of an emulsion dispersion.
In order to keep the emulsion dispersion of oil stable, it is indispensable to add a surfactant. However, in recent years, higher safety has been required for cosmetics, so mixing a surfactant has become a problem in some cases. Particularly, for agents for external use applied to the skin, the amount of the surfactant added is desired to be small in terms of safety. However, it is difficult to reduce the amount of the surfactant added while also stabilizing the emulsion dispersion.
Generally, for emulsifying and stabilizing oil, a thickener represented by a carboxyvinyl polymer or xanthan gum is effective. Accordingly, for example, PTL 4 discloses a method of using an alkyl-modified carboxyvinyl polymer as an emulsifier, as a method of preparing an oil-in-water type emulsion cosmetic excellent in long term stability without using a surfactant. However, these thickeners are not preferable since they produce the dirt-like scum during massage when applied to the skin.
In addition, the carboxyvinyl polymer has a problem in that the viscosity is dramatically reduced in the presence of a water-soluble ionic substance such as an ascorbic acid derivative, so the stability deteriorates in some cases. Particularly, the alkyl-modified carboxyvinyl polymer has low halotolerance, which leads to a problem that this polymer cannot be mixed with a vitamin C derivative or other salt. Furthermore, though the xanthan gum shows small change in physical properties with respect to water-soluble ionic substances, nevertheless the feeling of sliminess or stickiness unique to the xanthan gum is not preferred. In addition, the xanthan gum has a defect in that the sense of touch is greatly worsened when the xanthan gum is mixed in, in a sufficient amount for securing stability.
PTL 5 discloses, as an oil-in-water type cosmetic with improved stability and halotolerance, a fluid gel (gel having fluidity) cosmetic that contains one or two or more kinds among agar, carrageenan, gellan gum, and sodium alginate as a main fluid gel agent, and contains one or two or more kinds among native gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, a carboxyvinyl polymer, an acrylic acid-alkyl methacrylate copolymer, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose as an agent for improving usability and stability. This fluid gel cosmetic is characterized by having an even and smooth fine gel-dispersed structure. However, this cosmetic has a problem in that a water-soluble gelation agent having disintegrating properties, such as heated and dissolved gellan gum or agar cannot be produced by stirring and cooling used in the related art but has to be produced while breaking the formed gel by means of applying a high shearing force during cooling.
PTLS 6 and 7 report low-strength agar and how to use this agar. Though a property of producing a liquid residue, which is an original property of agar, is improved to some degree in the documents, the improvement does not satisfy stability required for agents for external use on skin such as cosmetics. Moreover, the agar has a problem of producing the dirt-like scum during massage and is ineffective for stabilizing an emulsion dispersion of silicone oil or high-polarity oil which is not easily emulsified. Therefore, it is desired to develop a composition for external use on skin that improves the property of producing a liquid residue, which is an original property of agar, and does not produce the dirt-like scum.
Oil-in-water type emulsion compositions containing pigments are being used as emulsion cosmetics such as sunscreen cosmetics and a liquid foundation. As a method of stably dispersing pigments in the oil-in-water type emulsion composition, a method of using various surfactants, a method of using water-soluble polymers, and the like are being examined. However, in the method of using various surfactants, deterioration of makeup sustainability and stickiness caused by the decrease in water resistance and oil resistance is an issue. In addition, in the method of using water-soluble polymers, depending on the type of water-soluble polymers, the polymers are aggregated when being concurrently used with pigments in some cases. Furthermore, if water-soluble polymers are mixed in until a desired viscosity is obtained, problems in sense of touch such as stickiness and feeling of a film arise, and change with temperature variation becomes large, which leads to a defect that the stabilized form of a product cannot be easily maintained.
Powders such as pigments used for cosmetics are divided into hydrophilic powder and hydrophobic powder. In order to impart water resistance and water repellency to cosmetics, powder having undergone hydrophobizing treatment is used. However, since hydrophobic powder has low affinity with water in general, it is very difficult to evenly disperse hydrophobic powder in the oil-in-water type emulsion composition. As a method of stably dispersing the hydrophobic powder in the oil-in-water type emulsion composition, a method using a water-soluble solidifying agent such as agar or gelatin and a water-soluble adhesive such as methyl cellulose or xanthan gum has been reported (for example, see PTL 8). However, since general agar has a high molecular weight and forms a very strong network, spreadability of the obtained oil-in-water type emulsion composition is poor at the time of application in some cases. Consequently, it is desired to develop a pigment dispersion composition that can be stably dispersed regardless of the type of pigment, spreads excellently on the skin, is excellently pleasing to the sense of touch, and is highly safe for the skin.
Meanwhile, cleaning agents containing a surfactant as a main agent need to be thickened to an appropriate degree in some cases, in consideration of usability for a user and dispersion stability of insoluble solids contained. Examples of thickening methods used in the related art include three methods such as a method of increasing viscosity by forming a complex by means of mixing in different types of surfactants (for example, amphoteric and anionic surfactants), a method of increasing viscosity by micelle aggregation by adding an inorganic salt, and a method of using a thickener.
In a case of the method of using a combination of different types of surfactants, the amount of the surfactants contained tends to be increased. Furthermore, depending on the type of the surfactant used as a main agent, it is very difficult to increase viscosity in some cases. Examples thereof include cleaning agent compositions containing disodium polyoxyethylene lauryl sulfosuccinate, cocoyl-L-glutamic acid monotriethanolamine, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sodium acetate, cocamidopropyl betaine, and the like as main agents. Many of these surfactants having a poor thickening property and a mixture thereof are generally considered to be hypoallergenic, so these can be expected to be used for various uses. However, even if other surfactants are combined with these surfactants, a desired viscosity is not easily achieved in many cases.
In the method of increasing viscosity by mixing in an inorganic salt, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, or the like is mainly used as the inorganic salt. However, the thickening effect of these inorganic salts is low for the amount of the salts added, and in order to adjust the viscosity to a desired degree, a large amount of the inorganic salts need to be added, which leads to a problem in safety such as cause a sensation of irritation.
In the method of increasing viscosity by using a thickener, nonionic surfactants or polymeric thickeners are widely used. As the nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, coconut oil fatty acid diethanolamide, polyethylene glycol distearic acid ester, and the like are used. However, these nonionic surfactants have problems in that they need to be added in a large amount, are not pleasant to the sense of touch when used, have poor low-temperature stability and poor solubility, and the like.
On the other hand, as the polymeric thickeners, hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cationized cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium polyacrylate, starch, xanthan gum, and the like are used. In the method of using the polymeric thickeners, it is possible to obtain a viscous cleaning agent composition with a relatively low level of the thickeners, and the thickeners can be easily added to hypoallergenic cleaning agent compositions highly safe for the skin. However, in cleaning agents containing the polymeric thickener concurrently with a water-soluble ionic substance, the thickening effect is diminished in many cases.
The xanthan gum has the thickening effect even in the presence of water-soluble ionic substances, and can thicken hypoallergenic cleaning agent compositions that are considered not to be easily thickened. However, the xanthan gum has defects in that its characteristic feeling of sliminess is not preferred and that its sense of touch greatly deteriorates when the xanthan gum is mixed in, in a sufficient amount to secure stability.
Cleaning agents used for cleaning skin, such as a shampoo and a cleansing agent, are required to be highly safe for the skin. Among these, cleaning agents for babies or pets are desired to be safe even being swallowed, since there is a possibility that babies or pets may accidently swallow the cleaning agents when the agents are used. Therefore, it is desired to develop a cleaning composition that is excellent in safety, is excellently pleasing to the sense of touch when used, is hypoallergenic, and has a necessary viscosity.
Against the above-described background, it is desired to develop a composition for external use on skin that can be evenly spread on the skin, does not produce a liquid residue as a result of temperature change, can reduce the feeling of sliminess of xanthan gum, and can stably contain various other components.

Composition for external use on skin, cosmetic, and cleaning agent


The present invention relates to a bi-metallic clamping system for holding a heater firmly on the external surface of a hot runner nozzle body. The band heater-clamp arrangement of the present invention is formed by a cylindrical sheath which houses the heater coil. The sheath has an inner sleeve formed from a material having a relatively high thermal expansion and an outer sleeve formed from a material having a relatively low thermal expansion. The heater coil is positioned between the two sleeves. The desired clamping effect is produced by providing at least one axial slot in the inner sleeve. It has been found that during heating, the outer sleeve expands less than the inner sleeve due to the differences in the thermal expansion coefficients of the materials used to form the sleeves. This produces radial forces in the inner sleeve that are redirected into circumferential forces by the axial slot. These circumferential forces in turn cause the slot to close and thereby achieve the desired clamping effect. The band heater-clamp arrangement of the present invention has utility in injection molding machines having hot runner systems for providing liquified plastic material from a source to an injection gate.

The present invention relates to an injection-molding machine of the hot runner type and, more particularly, to a bimetallic clamp arrangement for securing a heater element in a desired position around a nozzle body for feeding liquified materials such as plastic, metal, etc. to an injection gate of a mold cavity.
To maintain the fluidity of the oncoming plastic material during closure of the injection gate, enabling its use in a following molding cycle, it is desirable to form a terminal part of the sprue channel as an axial bore of a nozzle of good thermal conductivity closely surrounded by an electrical heating element. Some nozzle manufacturers go through costly processes to integrate heaters into the nozzle body. The primary disadvantage with this approach however is that should the heater get damaged the nozzle is lost as well. Thus, it is preferred that the heating element be removably mounted onto the nozzle body for ready replacement. One of the primary challenges associated with this technique is holding the heating element firmly against the external surface of the hot runner nozzle housing so as to maximize heater performance and provide precise temperature control.
A variety of different approaches have been used to clamp heating elements to a nozzle body. One approach includes a clamping arrangement that mechanically presses the heater onto the nozzle body. An example of one such mechanical clamping arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,241 to Reese et al. As shown therein, an annular heater is held in position against a shoulder or tapering surface portion of the nozzle body by a nut threaded onto a gate-side extremity of the nozzle body.
Still other mechanical press type approaches include the heater band constructions shown on page 24 of the Husky Hot Runner Manual published by Husky Injection Molding Systems, Ltd. and in an advertisement for an axial clamp band heater published in the June 1992 edition of Modern Plastics, page 136. The axial clamp band heater shown in the advertisement differs from the more traditional heater band construction shown in the manual in that the clamping screw is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the heater and is not perpendicular to it as in the conventional construction. The axial clamp band heater has the advantage over the conventional construction of taking up less space since a large clearance is not needed for access to the screw.
The principal disadvantages of these mechanical press type approaches have been the cumbersome nature of the clamp assembly and the need to machine a pocket for the clamp screw. Still another disadvantage seen with these approaches is the uneven axial temperature distribution of the heaters. Typically, the heater coil has no profiled wattage. The heat demand of the hot runner nozzle is at the tip and the locator is different as it is at the center of the shaft. To achieve isothermal conditions and to improve the nozzle temperature profile, heat should be generated only where it is needed.
Still another approach for securing a heater to a nozzle body is exemplified by the D-M-E Gate-Mate Hot Sprue Bushing. This approach uses an external heater wrapped around the nozzle housing without any apparent clamping means. It is believed that this device stays in place by friction. By manually uncoiling the heater when it is slid over the housing, its internal diameter increases sufficiently to allow it to slide on. When released the coiling action of the heater causes a gripping of the housing or nozzle body. The primary disadvantages to this approach are that the heater is easily damaged and the absence of a firm grip which allows the heater to move or slip.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved band heater-clamp arrangement for securing an external heater to a nozzle body. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a band heater-clamp arrangement as above which has a compact design and a simple construction.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a band heater-clamp arrangement as above that is easy to install and to maintain.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a band heater-clamp arrangement as above which has improved reliability and provides an improved heat profile.
Still other objects and advantages to the band heater-clamp arrangement of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description and drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

Band heater clamp arrangement for an injection molding machine


Novel monodispersed crystalline mixed metal layered hydroxide compounds of the general formula are prepared:. Li.sub.m D.sub.d T(OH).sub.(m+2d+3+na) A.sub.a.sup.n, where m is an amount from zero to 1; D is a divalent metal; d is the amount of D ions of from zero to 4; T is a trivalent metal; A represents anions or negative-valence radicals of valence n; na is from zero to -3; (m+d) is greater than zero; and (m+2d+3+na) is equal to or greater than 3. The D metal is preferably Mg and the T metal is preferably Al. These compounds are useful as gelling agents which impart beneficial thixotropic properties to various fluids, such as drilling fluids, especially when employed along with fluid loss agents.

There are various reasons for thickening water, aqueous solutions, hydrophilic fluids, and the like, such as for use as water-based metal working fluids, fire control fluids, oil field drilling fluids, food additives, hydraulic fluids, water-based paints or coatings, stripping solutions, and other applications wherein thickening of a liquid or solution is beneficial.
Water thickening agents, such as guar gum and polyacrylamide are not stable to high shear, hydrothermal treatment above about 250.degree. F. (121.degree. C.), oxidation, bacterial attack, and salts. To make up for some of these problems, such additives as bacteriacides and antioxidants are sometimes required.
Thickening agents or viscosifying agents for aqueous materials, such as drilling fluids, which involve some form of hydrous aluminum compound are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,240,915, 4,349,443, 4,366,070, 4,389,319, 4,428,845, 4,431,550, 4,447,341, 4,473,479, and 4,486,318. Patents disclosing other forms of aluminum compounds for the same purpose are, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,240,924, 4,353,804, 4,411,800, and 4,473,480. Similar patents disclosing other types of viscosifying agents are, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255,268, 4,264,455, 4,312,765, 4,363,736, and 4,474,667.
These patents deal with the formation of the hydrous aluminum compounds in-situ. The major disadvantages to such a process are: (1) The resulting thickened fluid contains copious amounts of reaction salts. This may be undesirable in many situations. For example, in applications such as paints, metal working fluids, or water-based hydraulic fluids, the presence of salt could cause severe corrosion problems. In the case of oil field drilling fluids, many performance additives do not work well if salt is present. Thus it is desirable to drill in fresh water if possible. (2) The reactions described in the cited patents are run in-situ (e.g. in the mud pit of a drilling rig); under such conditions the reaction cannot be adequately controlled and the properties of the resultant thickener may be unpredictable.
Other problems with the use of Al(OH).sub.3 as a gelling agent for processes such as oilfield drilling fluids are as follows:
1. Al(OH).sub.3 gels are known to detrimentally change with time unless certain anions such as carbonate or citrate are present.
2. The rheology of Al(OH).sub.3 is not very constant with changing pH values. For example, a slurry of Al(OH).sub.3 may be very thick and uniform at pH 6 but at pH 10, which the drilling industry prefers, the slurry collapses and the Al(OH).sub.3 settles out of suspension. This creates significant problems since most drilling operations are run at pH values in the range of 9 to 10.5.
A historically popular thickening agent, especially in drilling mud, has been mineral clays, such as bentonite clay, often used with other agents or densifiers, such as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaSO.sub.4 and others. Variations from batch to batch of bentonite clay, and sensitivities to ions and temperature have resulted in erratic results and adjustment of the formulation is often required during use; this hampers the drilling operation.
Certain forms of crystalline layered mixed metal hydroxides are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,477,367, 4,446,201, and 4,392,979, wherein various Li, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni compounds form part of the crystal structure. Other layered compounds are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,395,931, 2,413,184, 3,300277, and 3,567,472. These compounds are prepared through various reactions including coprecipitations, intercalations, acid digestions and base digestions.
In the drilling of oil wells, drilling fluids or "muds" perform several functions:
1. They remove cuttings from the hole.
2. They cool the drill bit.
3. They provide hydrostatic pressure to balance formation pressure.
4. They control ingress of fluids into the formation and protect the formation.
In order to perform some of these functions it is necessary for the fluid to possess pseudoplastic rheology. There are several shear zones in the bore hole of a well and the fluid should have varying viscosities in these zones. In the annulus between the drill pipe and the formation, the shear rate is approximately 100 to 1000 sec.sup.-1. At the drill bit the shear rate is between about 25,000 and 200,000 sec.sup.-1. In the mud pit the shear rate is less than 30 sec.sup.-1. In order to carry drill solids at low shear rates, a fluid must have a significant viscosity. However, if the fluid has a high viscosity at the drill bit, a significant amount of energy is lost in pumping the fluid. Thus, a good drilling fluid should be shear thinning. It is very important that the fluid maintain this rheology throughout the drilling process. However, many adverse conditions that typically inhibit the performance of existing drilling fluids are, the presence of various cations (such as calcium and magnesium), fluctuating salt concentrations, high temperatures, oxidative conditions, and the presence of bacteria.
Some of the commercially accepted gelling agents that are used in water-based drilling fluids are polymers such as xanthan gum, guar gum and polyacrylamides. Nonpolymer gelling agents are typically clays such as bentonite and attapulgite. Each of these gelling agents has its own limitations. The polymers typically have instability to various salts, they are susceptible to oxidation and bacterial attack, they break down under extensive shear, and they are thermally stable to only about 120.degree. to 150.degree. C. The most popular clay gelling agent is bentonite. This material is severely affected by polyvalent cations and is limited to about 100.degree. C. unless certain thinners are incorporated. However, bentonite cannot be oxidized under hydrothermal conditions, and it is stable in a liquid carrier to high shear conditions.

Mixed metal hydroxides for thickening water or hydrophylic fluids


A method at a user equipment having a scheduling carrier and at least one scheduled carrier, the method receiving, at a first subframe from the scheduling carrier, a downlink control indication containing a downlink assignment for the user equipment on the scheduled carrier; and turning on a receiver of the user equipment for the scheduled carrier at a future downlink subframe based on the downlink assignment. Further, a method, at a scheduling cell having a scheduling carrier, for scheduling downlink data reception on a scheduled carrier, the method setting a time skew for the scheduled carrier such that a data transmission start time for a subframe at the scheduled carrier is greater than a blind latency decode time on the scheduling carrier.

Carrier aggregation allows a UE to simultaneously receive or transmit on one or more component carriers (CCs). In carrier aggregation, a primary cell (PCell) or another scheduling cell may schedule a UE to listen to the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) of a scheduled secondary cell (SCell). The scheduling is done through the use of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) at the primary cell or another scheduling cell. Examples of such carrier aggregation are, for example, defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) Technical Specification (TS) 36.300, "Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN); Overall description; Stage 2", v.11.3.0, Sep. 26, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
With carrier aggregation, a UE may need to monitor the PDCCH on the primary cell or another scheduling cell to determine if the UE should receive and decode the PDSCH of the scheduled secondary cell. However, due to the potential PDCCH decoding latency on deciding whether or not there is any scheduling information for any other CCs being scheduled, the radio, as well as other partial baseband processing (channel estimation, time/frequency tracking loops, transmit fast Fourier transform (FFT), among others) might need to be turned on early in order to capture data samples from the scheduled secondary cell. Such capture could be from the PDSCH start time instant at the component carrier, to the time instant that the PDCCH decoding for the scheduled CC is complete. Specifically, the UE may need to buffer the data on the component carriers until it has decoded the PDCCH to ensure that no downlink data carried by the PDSCH is missed while the PDCCHs are decoded.
The added battery usage to have a radio turned on to a component carrier frequency and to buffer the data causes battery drain on the UE.

Method and system for battery energy savings for carrier aggregation


A device for toasting food items is provided. The device includes a toasting chamber for toasting food items by contact with a heated platen along which the food items are transported while in contact with the heated platen surface. The platen includes heating structure which heats the toasting surface by application of energy to the platen such that an energy gradient that decreases in the direction of transport of the food items is achieved.

Various types of contact toasters are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,276 discloses a contact toaster having a housing with an inlet and an outlet in a toasting chamber defined therebetween. A platen capable of being heated is removably positioned within the toasting chamber in between a pair of conveyors intended to convey a product to be toasted along the heated platen. The platen is heated with cal rods or electrical resistance wires.
It is desirable to serve certain types of sandwiches, such as hamburger sandwiches, with toasted buns. Quick-service restaurants that serve such sandwiches often require a large number of toasted buns in a relatively short period of time in order to promptly satisfy customer demand. Consequently, rapid toasting of a large number of buns is desired for such restaurants. For example, a toast time of twenty seconds, fifteen seconds, eleven seconds, or even less, is desirable. To provide faster toasting, increased platen temperatures, for example, in excess of 500.degree. F., and faster conveyor speeds can be utilized. However, rapid toasting must result in uniform toasting of the food product, even when the toasting device is operated continuously or substantially continuously, such as to achieve a high throughput of toasted products, without the occurrence of overtoasting or burning of any portion of the food item.
Consequently, a need exists for a conveyor contact toaster that is capable of rapidly toasting food items, including items such as hamburger buns, when operated under severe service conditions, such as when continuously or substantially continuously toasting food products, without burning or overtoasting of the food items.


According to one embodiment, in the angle detection apparatus, the first A-D converter unit receives the first signal, and performs analog-to-digital conversion of the first signal. The second A-D converter unit receives the second signal orthogonal to the first signal, and performs analog-to-digital conversion of the second signal. The first delay circuit receives a third signal outputted by the first A-D converter unit, and performs a phase adjustment of the third signal. The second delay circuit receives a fourth signal outputted by the second A-D converter unit, and performs a phase adjustment of the fourth signal. The phase detection adjustment unit monitors phases of signals outputted by the first and second delay circuits, and gives phase adjustment commands to the first and second delay circuits, when a phase shift occurs.

In an angle detection apparatus of a rotary shaft of a motor or the like, a resolver is used for angle detection. The resolver receives an excitation signal, and generates signals by amplitude-modulating the excitation signal in accordance with a rotation angle.
Two angle signals (i.e. a SIN Φ component and a COS Φ component of an angle) outputted by the resolver may have a phase shift due to influence of a signal delay in propagation from the resolver to digital conversion. The occurrence of the phase shift leads to the problem of deterioration in accuracy of angle detection of the rotary shaft. Also, the occurrence of a change in amplitude leads to the problem of the deterioration in the accuracy of the angle detection of the rotary shaft.


A method for patterning a substrate is described. The method includes forming a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate, and preparing a pattern in the layer of radiation-sensitive material using a lithographic process, wherein the pattern is characterized by a critical dimension (CD) and a roughness. Following the preparation of the pattern in the layer of radiation-sensitive material, the method further includes performing a CD slimming process to reduce the CD to a reduced CD, and performing a vapor smoothing process to reduce the roughness to a reduced roughness.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for patterning a thin film on a substrate, and more particularly to a method for reducing resist sensitivity.
2. Description of Related Art
In material processing methodologies, pattern etching comprises the application of a layer of radiation-sensitive material, such as photo-resist, to an upper surface of a substrate, the formation of a pattern in the layer of radiation-sensitive material using photo-lithography, and the transfer of the pattern formed in the layer of radiation-sensitive material to an underlying thin film on the substrate using an etching process. The patterning of the radiation-sensitive material generally involves exposure of the radiation-sensitive material to a pattern of electromagnetic (EM) radiation using, for example, a photo-lithography system, followed by the removal of the irradiated regions of the radiation-sensitive material (as in the case of positive tone resist), or non-irradiated regions (as in the case of negative tone resist) using a developing solution.
As the critical dimension (CD) decreases, there is a need to increase the resolution of the pattern of EM radiation (Resolution) and the sensitivity of the resist (Sensitivity) while keeping the line width roughness (LWR) of the resulting pattern within acceptable limits. It is known in the art that there is a tradeoff relationship between Resolution, LWR, and Sensitivity, often called the LRS tradeoff triangle. Conventional techniques which seek to improve one of the three parameters often improve at the unacceptable expense of one or both of the other parameters. Extreme ultra violet (EUV) lithography shows promising results for feature sizes below 40 nm. However, EUV resist sensitivity is one of the challenges for EUV lithography. As noted in the LRS tradeoff above, it is very difficult to obtain simultaneous improvements in resolution, LWR, and sensitivity. There is need for a method and system that allows the reduction of resist sensitivity significantly without impact to the LWR and resolution in order to achieve an enabling throughput for EUV lithography.


A transducer for determining the level of liquid within a container includes a mounting head adapted for connection to the container and a sensor assembly adapted to extend into the container from the mounting head. The sensor assembly includes a housing having an upper portion connected to the mounting head and a lower portion that extends from the upper portion. The lower portion has a hollow interior that is isolated from liquid within the container. A plurality of sensor elements are located within the hollow interior. A float rod is pivotally connected to the housing and a float is connected to a distal end of the float rod to thereby cause pivoting movement of the float rod in response to a change in liquid level within the container. An actuator is located outside of the housing and is operatively associated with the float rod for pivotal movement therewith. The actuator is operative to change an electrical state of at least one of the sensor elements to thereby indicate a level condition of the liquid within the container.

This invention relates to liquid level transducers, and more particularly to a liquid level transducer having a float that moves in response to a change in liquid level and a method of constructing the liquid level transducer.
Transducers for measuring liquid level are often used in vehicles, industrial equipment, as well as other mobile and stationary systems and components. The electrical output of such transducers varies in response to a change in the liquid level being measured and is typically in the form of a change in resistance, capacitance, current flow, magnetic field, and frequency. These types of transducers may include variable capacitors or resistors, optical components, Hall Effect sensors, strain gauges, ultrasonic devices, reed switch arrays, and so on.
For reed switch-type devices, a plurality of reed switches are usually arranged in series with a plurality of resistors along the length of a circuit board. The reed switches are normally responsive to the presence and absence of a magnetic field for opening and/or closing the switch. A float rides along the surface of the liquid to be measured and is constrained to move in a linear direction along the circuit board. The float usually includes an embedded magnet to trip one of the reed switches as the float moves in response to a change in liquid level in the tank. Thus, the resistance of the circuit, which is indicative of liquid level, depends on the position of the float and the particular reed switch that has been tripped.
However, such devices typically have several drawbacks. For example, it is known that reed switches suffer from hysteresis effects and may open and/or close prematurely depending on the orientation of the reed switches with respect to the magnet, the magnetic strength of the magnet, the distance between the reed switch and the magnet, and so on. When the reed switches are aligned linearly, each reed switch may open and close up to three times as the float approaches, aligns with, and passes each reed switch, thus leading to improper liquid level indication, undesired switching, and premature failure of the switches. In addition, prior art solutions expose the reed switches to the liquid being measured, which may be corrosive and cause inaccurate liquid level readings and premature failure. It would therefore be desirable to overcome at least some of the disadvantages associated with prior art reed switch-type liquid level transducers.
In addition, prior art liquid level transducers that include a mounting head and an elongate sensor probe, such as a reed switch probe, resistor probe, capacitor probe, and so on, are often difficult and time-consuming to assemble due to the number of individual components and the fastening means associated with each component. It would therefore be desirable to provide a liquid level transducer that is easier to assemble and has relatively fewer parts.

Liquid level transducer with isolated sensors


A belt for a continuously variable transmission includes a metal element 32 having a rocking edge 40 between a main surface 38 and a slope 41 on the front side of the metal element in the advancing direction and a ring slot 35, into which a metal ring assembly 31 is fitted, between an element body 34 and an ear portion 36. The position of the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 is regulated to the outside of the rocking edge 40 and to the inside of a radially outer end 35.sub.1 of the ring slot 35. Therefore, a relation Vr<Vg<Vs is established when a speed of the rocking edge 40 at an instant when the metal element 32 leaves a driven pulley is represented by Vr, a speed of the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 is by Vg, and a speed of the ring slot 35 at the radially outer end 35.sub.1 is by Vs, whereby the proper range of the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 of the belt for the continuously variable transmission can be specified correctly so that the metal element 32 located at a chord portion between the driven pulley 11 and a drive pulley 6 of a metal belt 15 is prevented from being tilted and thus can be meshed smoothly with the drive pulley 6.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of main surfaces 38 and 39 extending perpendicular to a direction of movement and parallel to each other are provided on front and rear sides of a metal element 32 in the direction of movement, and a slope 41 is formed radially inside the main surface 38 on the front side in the direction of movement so as to be continuous with the latter. A pair of adjacent ones of the metal elements 32 can be pitched relative to each other around a rocking edge 40 extending between the main surface 38 and the slope 41. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the metal elements 32 are moved from a drive pulley 6 to a driven pulley 11, the main surfaces 38 and 39 of the adjacent ones of the metal elements 32 are placed in abutment against each other to transmit a driving force. When the metal elements 32 are in a state wound around the drive pulley 6 or the driven pulley 11, the interference of the metal elements 32 with each other can be avoided by the pitching around the rocking edge 40.
The metal elements 32 of the belt for the continuously variable transmission perform a rectilinear translating movement in a chord portion of the belt between the drive pulley 6 and the driven pulley 11 and hence, the moving speeds of various portions of the metal element 32 are the same as one another. However, in a state in which the metal elements 32 are wound around the drive pulley 6 and the driven pulley 11, the metal elements 32 perform a rotating movement about rotational axes of the drive pulley 6 and the driven pulley 11 and hence, the moving speed of a radially outer portion of the metal element 32 is larger than that of a radially inner portion of the metal element 32.
At this time, the metal elements 32 wound around the pulleys 6 and 11 are brought into abutment against each other at the rocking edge 40. Therefore, the speed of the rocking edge 40 of each of the metal elements 32 wound around the pulleys 6 and 11 (the pitch circular speed) is equal to the speed of the various portions of the metal elements 32 performing the rectilinear translating movement in the chord portion. Namely, the speed of the rocking edge 40 of the metal elements 32 at belt portions wound around the pulleys 6 and 11 and the speed of the rocking edge 40 of the metal elements 32 at belt portions which are not wound around the pulleys 6 and 11 (i.e., the chord portion), are the same as each other. Therefore, in the state in which the metal elements 32 are wound around the pulleys 6 and 11, the speed of the radially outer portion of the metal element 32 than the rocking edge 40 is larger than the speed of the rocking edge 40, and the speed of the radially inner portion of the metal element 32 than the rocking edge 40 is smaller than the speed of the rocking edge 40.
Now, when the metal elements 32 lie in the chord portion between the drive pulley 6 and the driven pulley 11 to transmit the driving force, the main surfaces 38 and 39 of adjacent ones of the metal elements 32 are brought into close contact with each other and thus are prevented from being inclined. However, when the metal elements 32 lie in the chord portion between the driven pulley 11 and the drive pulley 6 to transmit no driving force, a small gap is produced between the adjacent ones of the metal elements 32 and hence, in a portion A in FIG. 4, the metal elements 32 may be meshed with the drive pulley 6 while remaining inclined in the direction of movement (with the pitching remaining occurred) in some cases. If the metal elements 32 are meshed with the drive pulley 6 while remaining inclined in the direction of movement, a movement for dissolving the pitching of the metal elements 32 and compacting the gap between the metal elements occurs in the chord portion near an outlet of the drive pulley 6 for resisting against an urging force acting between the elements and hence, the following problems arise: the wearing of the metal elements 32 and the pulley 6 is increased, and the power transmitting efficiency is reduced.
Therefore, a belt for a continuously variable transmission described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.2-225840 is designed so that the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 is located in the vicinity of the rocking edge 40 or radially outside the rocking edge 40, thereby preventing a gap from being produced between the metal elements 32 in the chord portion between the driven pulley 11 and the drive pulley 6, so that the metal elements 32 in close contact with one another are smoothly meshed with the drive pulley 6.
More specifically, the speed of the center of gravity G of the metal elements 32 in the chord portion between the pulleys 6 and 11 is equal to the pitch circular speed, but the speed of the center of gravity G of the metal elements 32 wound around the pulleys 6 and 11 is larger than the pitch circular speed, if the center of gravity G lies radially outside the rocking edge 40. In other words, the kinetic energy of the metal elements 32 leaving the driven pulley 11 is larger than the kinetic energy of the metal elements 32 lying in the chord portion. The metal elements 32 lying in the chord portion are urged forwards (toward the drive pulley 6) by a difference between the kinetic energies and are smoothly meshed with the drive pulley 6 in a state placed in close contact with one another.
In the prior art described above, the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 is allowed to lie radially inside the rocking edge 40 even at a distance of 0.5 mm from the latter. However, if the center of gravity G lies radially inside the rocking edge 40, the kinetic energy of the metal element 32 leaving the driven pulley 11 becomes smaller than that of a metal element 32 lying in the chord portion and hence, the metal elements 32 lying in the chord portion cannot be meshed with the drive pulley 6 without being pitched in a state placed in close contact with one another. Therefore, it is required that the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 should lie radially outside the rocking edge 40. In other words, it is required that a relation Vr<Vg should be established when Vr represents a speed of the rocking edge 40 at an instant when the metal element 32 leaves the driven pulley 11, and Vg represents a speed of the center of gravity G of the metal element 32.
Additionally, if the center of gravity G of the metal element 32 moves radially outside too away from the rocking edge 40, the kinetic energy of the metal elements 32 which have left the driven pulley 11 becomes excessive and the metal elements 32 rotate so as to fall forwards, as shown in FIG. 10. As a result, the energy is expended by the interference between a metal ring assembly 31 and a lower portion of an ear portion 36, or by the interference of coupling, thereby resulting in loss of a force for delivering the metal elements 32 forwards. Therefore, there is a possibility that the metal elements 32 could not be meshed with the drive pulley 6 in the state free of the pitching.

Belt for continuously variable transmission


A hose reel apparatus has a frame and a drum rotatably attached on the frame for receiving a hose wound thereon. A drive system and brake assembly are attached on the frame operatively engaged with the drum. An indexer is slidably mounted on a guide rail on the frame having a channel for receiving the hose and adjacent clamp arms which are selectively operable to clamp the hose.

Agricultural application of liquid fertilizer often involves the use of plastic hard hose to carry the liquid fertilizer from a tank or pipe outlet adjacent the field to an applicator that travels back and forth across the field. In order to avoid dragging the hose, which is filled with liquid fertilizer, across the field as the applicator travels back and forth, the hose is mounted on a hose reel. The reel winds and unwinds the hose as the applicator travels across the field.
As the hose is being pulled off the reel, there is a tendency for the reel to keep rotating, due to the momentum of the hose and liquid fertilizer therein. This can cause over-rotation of the reel when the applicator stops or slows down. Over-rotation of the reel in turn leads to slack in the hose, which can interfere with the alignment of the coils of the hose as it is wound back onto the reel. This is particularly problematic on short pulls, where the applicator stops the pull out cycle (when the applicator is travelling away from the reel) and begins the retrieve cycle (when the applicator is travelling back towards the reel) before the hose is completely unwound from the reel.


A cyanoacrylate adhesive composition having improved toughness comprising a cyanoacrylate monomer and an effective toughening amount of a polyester polymer derived from a dibasic aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid and a glycol and having repeating units of the structure: ##STR1## where R is the organic residue of the dibasic carboxylic acid and R.sup.1 is the organic residue of the glycol, the polyester having a weight average molecular weight of greater than 10,000 and a Tg of from about -40.degree. to 30.degree. C.

This invention relates to cyanoacrylate adhesive compositions which are improved in toughness by incorporation therein of selected polyester polymers.
Cyanoacrylate compositions are well known as excellent adhesives. Known advantages for these compositions are they can be used as a single component, are convenient and easy to use since they cure rapidly at room temperature without an external energy source and they have the ability to bond a wide variety of substrates making them useful in numerous bonding operations. Despite these attributes, cyanoacrylate adhesives do have their limitations and one primary shortcoming is in the area of impact resistance and toughness.
Attempts to change and improve the properties of cyanoacrylate compositions have included the addition of various thickeners, fillers, toughening agents and other modifiers and additives. U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,945 discloses a cyanoacrylate adhesive composition thickened by a copolymer or terpolymer resin capable of being dissolved or solvated by the cyanoacrylate monomer and resulting in significantly improved peel strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,715 discloses a cyanoacrylate adhesive composition which is made thixotropic by incorporating powdered organic fillers such as polycarbonate, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene and acrylic block copolymer resins containing saturated elastomer segments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,471 involves cyanoacrylate adhesive compositions containing an alkyl 2-cyanopenta-2,4-dienoate which have improved resistance to heat and water and exhibit suitable peel and impact strengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,910 discloses cyanoacrylate adhesive compositions containing elastomeric polymers such as acrylic rubbers as fillers and exhibit substantially increased toughness.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,723 discloses a cyanoacrylate adhesive composition containing a toughener such as a core-shell thermoplastic/rubber copolymer which is treated to remove impurities which cause premature polymerization of cyanoacrylates and a compatible organic compound having one or more aryl groups, such as diphenylmethane, to provide improved retention of peel strength and toughness.

Toughened cyanoacrylate adhesive composition containing polyester polymers

National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation